Prabhupada: (sings) Govindam
adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. (audience responds) Somebody is helping him?
Yes, it is all... So we are interested in capturing the original person.
(chuckles) We are not interested with any subordinate. Govindam adi-purusam. But
if one can capture the original person, then he captures everyone. Just like the
same example. In the Vedas it is said in the Upanisad, yasmin vijnate sarvam
evam vijnatam bhavanti. If you can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead
or the Absolute Truth, then you understand everything. There is no need of
understanding separately. Yasmin vijnate sarvam etam vijnatam bhavanti.
Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gita also it is said,
yam labdhva caparam labham
manyate nadhikam tatah
yasmin sthito na duhkhena
gurunapi vicalyate
[Bg. 6.20-23]
Now we are, everyone, searching after some standard of life where we will have no anxiety. That is the aim of everyone. Why we are struggling? We are trying to approach a certain point. Just like two parties playing on football, they are, each one of them, trying to approach the goal. That is victory. So everyone is trying to gain something, according to different position, according to different idea. Not everyone is searching after the same thing. Somebody searching after material pleasure, somebody searching after intoxication, somebody is searching after sex, somebody is searching after money, somebody is searching after knowledge, somebody is searching after so many things. But there is one thing. If we can get that, attain to that perfection, then we shall be satisfied and we shall say that "We do not want anything." Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. There are many instances. So there is like that, and that is Krsna. If you can simply understand Krsna, then your knowledge is perfect, you understand everything. You understand science, you understand mathematics, you understand chemistry, physics, astronomy, philosophy, literature, everything. It is so nice. So Bhagavata says therefore that samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Whatever department of knowledge or whatever department of activities you are engaged in, it doesn't matter. But if you can find out the Supreme by your pursuit of knowledge, that is your perfection. You are a scientist, all right, it doesn't matter. By your scientific research work you find out the Supreme. Then it is your perfection. You are businessman? Oh. With your money just find out the Supreme. You are a lover? Just find out the supreme lover. You are after taste, aesthetic, or... Atheistic not; aesthetic sense, taste, beauty, if you find out the Supreme, your searching after beauty will be satisfied. Everything. Krsna, that is Krsna. Krsna means all-attractive. You are searching after something. If you find Krsna then you'll see yes, your goal is attained. Therefore His name is Krsna.
Krsna means "all-attractive." He is attractive to the lover, He's attractive to the wise, He's attractive to the politician, He's attractive to the scientist, He is attractive to the rogues. Rogues also. When Krsna entered the arena of Kamsa, different kinds of people saw Him differently. Those who were invited from Vrndavana, they were young girls. They saw Krsna, "Oh, the most beautiful person." Those who were wrestlers, they saw Krsna as thunderbolt. They also saw Krsna, but they say, "Oh, here is thunderbolt." Just like however strong you may be, if there is falldown of thunderbolt everything is finished. So they saw Krsna as thunderbolt, the wrestlers. Yes. And the elderly persons, elderly ladies, they saw Krsna as loving child. So you can establish relationship with Krsna any way. There are twelve kinds of rasas, humor. Just like sometimes we want to see a very pathetic scene in some drama, some ghastly scene. Somebody is murdering somebody and we take pleasure in seeing that. There are certain kinds of person... There are different kinds of sporting. One of our student in Montreal, he was saying that his father took pleasure in bull fighting in Spain. When the bull is killed by fighting, he was taking pleasure. So different kinds of men. One person is seeing, "It is horrible," another person is enjoying, "Oh, it is very nice." You see? So Krsna can accommodate. If you want to love horrible things, Krsna can present yourself as Nrsimhadeva, "Ah."(laughter -- Haribol) Yes. And if you want to see Krsna as very loving friend, He is Vamsi-dhari, Vrndavana-vihari. If you want Krsna as loving child, then He's Gopala. If you want child as loving friend, he's Arjuna. Just like Arjuna and Krsna. So there are twelve kinds of humors. Krsna can be accommodated with all the humors; therefore His name is Akhila-rasamrta-sindhu. Akhila-rasamrta-sindhu. Akhila means universal; rasa means mellow, humor; and the ocean. Just like if you try to find out water and if you go before the Pacific Ocean, oh, unlimited water. There is no comparison how much water is there. (chuckling) Similarly, if you want something and if you approach Krsna, you'll find unlimited supply, unlimited supply, just like ocean. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gita, yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. If anyone can approach or gain that Supreme Absolute, then he will be satisfied and he will say, "Oh, I have no more hankering. I have got everything complete, in full satisfaction." Yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah yasmin sthite. And if one is situated in that transcendental position, then what happens? Gurunapi duhkhena na vicalyate [Bg. 6.20-23]. If there is very severe test of distress, he's not, I mean to say, faltering.
There are many instances in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita the Pandavas were placed in so many distressed condition, but they were never faltering. They never asked Krsna, "My dear Krsna, You are my friend. You are our friend, the Pandavas. Why we are undergoing so much severe test of difficulties?" No. They never. Because they were confident that "In spite of all these difficulties, we shall come out victorious because Krsna is there. Because Krsna is there." This confidence. This is called saranagati, surrender. There are six points of surrender unto Krsna. One point of surrender is to believe that "Krsna will protect me." Just like a small child has got full faith in his mother: "My mother is there. There is no danger." Confident. I have seen it. Everyone. I have got... I'll narrate one practical experience. In Calcutta, in my younger days, I was traveling in tram, and my youngest son, he was with me. He was only two years old, or two or two and a half years old. So the conductor, out of joke, asked him, "Give me your fare." So he first of all said like this: "I have no money." So the conductor said, "Then you get down." He immediately said, "Oh, here is my father." (makes some gesture) (laughter) You see. "You cannot ask me to get down. My father is here." You see? So this is the psychology. If you have approached Krsna, then even the greatest fear will not agitate you. That is a fact. So such a thing is Krsna. Try to achieve this greatest boon, Krsna. And what Krsna says? Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati [Bg. 9.31]. "My dear Kaunteya, son of Kunti, Arjuna, declare in the world that My devotees will never be vanquished." Will never be vanquished. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati.
Similarly, there are many passages in the Bhagavad-gita. I'm quoting from Bhagavad-gita because this book is very popular all over the world, and... Try to understand, read this book, very valuable book of knowledge. So Krsna says,
aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
[Bg. 10.8]
Who can worship Krsna? That is described here, that budha. Budha means most intelligent person. Bodha, bodha means knowledge, and budha means one who is wise, full of knowledge. Everyone is after knowledge. Here you have got this Washington University. There are many students. They have come here to acquire knowledge. So one who has acquired the perfection of knowledge or the highest platform of knowledge, he is called budha. So not only budha but bhava-samanvitah. Bhava means ecstasy. One must be very learned and wise, at the same time he must feel ecstasy spiritually. "Such person," Krsna says, iti matva bhajante mam. "Such persons worships Me or loves Me." One who is very intelligent and one who is transcendentally very full of ecstasy, such person loves Krsna or worships Krsna. Why? Because iti matva, "by understanding this." What is this? Aham sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8], "I am the origin of everything, sarvasya." Anything you bring, that is, if you go on, search out, then you will find ultimately it is Krsna.
The Vedanta also says the same thing. What is Brahman? Athato brahma jijnasa. This life, this human life... We have now... In other life we have enjoyed sense pleasure to the fullest extent. What we can enjoy in this human life? In other life... Of course, according to Darwin's theory, just prior to this human life there was monkey life. So the monkey... You have no experience. In India we have got experience. Each and every monkey has got at least hundred girls with him. Hundred, one hundred. So what we able to enjoy? Every, each, they have got party, and each party, one monkey has got a least fifty, sixty, not less than twenty-five. So a hog's life, they have got also dozens of... Dozens. And they have no distinction, "Who is my mother, who is my sister, who is my relative." You see? So they're enjoying. So do you mean to say that human life is meant like that -- like monkeys and hogs and cats and dogs? Is that perfection of human life, to satisfy sense gratification? No. That we have enjoyed in various forms of life. Now? The Vedanta says, athato brahma jijnasa. This life is for inquiring and understanding Brahman. What is that Brahman? Isvarah paramah brahma or parama, isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. And Krsna is Para-brahma. Brahman, we are all Brahman, but He is Para-brahman, the Supreme Brahman. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Just like you are all Americans, but your President Johnson is the supreme American. That is natural. Vedas says that the supreme of everyone is God. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). Who is God? He is the most perfect eternal, He is the most perfect living force. That is God. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman.
Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. The meaning is that one living force is supplying all the demands of all other living entities. Just like in a family the father is supplying the necessities of the wife, the children, the servant, a small family. Similarly, you expand it: the government or the state or the king is supplying the necessities of all the citizens. But everything is incomplete. Everything is incomplete. You can supply your family, you can supply your society, you can supply your country, but you cannot supply everyone. But there are millions and trillions of living entities. Who is supplying food? Who is supplying hundreds and thousands of ants within the hole in your room? Who is supplying food? When you go to the green lake there are thousands of ducks. Who is taking care of them? But they are living. There are millions of sparrows, birds, beasts, elephants. At one time he eats hundred pounds. Who is supplying food? Not only here, but there are many millions and trillions of planets and universes everywhere. That is God. Nityo nityanam eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. Everyone is dependent on Him, and He is supplying all the necessities, all the necessities. Everything complete. Just like this planet, everything is complete.
purnam idam purnam adah
purnat purnam udacyate
purnasya purnam adaya
purnam evavasisyate
[Iso Invocation]
Every planet is so made that it is complete in itself. The water is there, reserved in the seas and oceans. That water is taken away by the sunshine. Not only here, in other planets also, the same process is going on. It is transformed into cloud, then distributed all over the land, and there is growing of vegetables, fruits and plants, everything. So everything is complete arrangement. That we have to understand, that who has made this complete arrangement everywhere. The sun is rising in due time, the moon is rising in due time, the seasons are changing in due time. So how you can say? There is evidence in the Vedas there is God. In every scripture, every great personality, devotee, representative of God... Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he gave information of God. Although he was crucified, he never changed his opinion. So we have evidences from scripture, from Vedas, from great personality, still, if I say, "God is dead. There is no God," then what kind of man I am? This is called demon. They'll never believe it. They'll never believe... Yes. Just the opposite demon is budha. Budha means very intelligent, wise man. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said, therefore, krsna ye bhaje se bada catura. Anyone who becomes attracted by Krsna and loves Him... Worshiping means loving. In the beginning it is worshiping, but at the end it is love. Worshiping.
So iti matva bhajante mam budha. Anyone who is wise, who is intelligent, who knows that Krsna is the cause of all causes...
isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
[Bs. 5.1]
Sarva-karana: everything has got cause, cause and effect. So you go on finding out what is the cause of this, what is the cause of this, what is the cause of this, then you'll find Krsna. Sarva-karana-karanam. And Vedanta says, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. You cannot say something has sprang automatically. That is foolishness. Everything has a source of generation. Everything. That is intelligence. Don't say... Just like in modern science says that "There was a chunk and there was creation -- perhaps." That is also "perhaps," you see. So this kind of knowledge is useless. You must find out. If I ask the scientist, "What is the cause of this chunk?" they cannot reply. So find out the cause, and you'll find that... If I cannot find, then we have to follow... Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186], we have to follow the authorized acaryas. If you be Christian, just follow Jesus Christ. He says, "There is God." Then you accept there is God. He says that "God created this. He said that 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." So we accept this, "Yes. God created." Here also in the Bhagavad-gita God says, Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8], "I am the origin." So God is the origin of creation. Sarva-karana-karanam: [Bs. 5.1] He is the cause of all causes.
So we have to take the examples of great personalities, we have to study authorized books and Vedas, and we have to follow their example; then Krsna consciousness or God realization or God consciousness is not difficult. It is very easy. There is no, I mean to say, any stumbling block on the path of your understanding what is God. Everything is there. The Bhagavad-gita is there, the Srimad-Bhagavata is there. Even you accept, your Bible is there, the Koran is there, everywhere. Without God, there cannot be any book or scripture. Nowadays, of course, they are manufacturing so many things. But in any human society the conception of God is there -- according to time, according to the people, but the idea is there. Now you have to understand, jijnasa. Therefore Vedanta-sutra says that you try to understand God by inquiry, inquiry. This inquiry is very important. In our process, adau gurvasrayam sad-dharma prcchat. One has to accept a bona fide spiritual master and he has to inquire from him, sad-dharma prcchat. Similarly, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam also says that jijnasuh sreya uttamam. "One who is inquisitive to understand the Absolute Truth, he requires a spiritual master." Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Jijnasuh means inquisitive, one who inquires. Inquiry is natural. Just like a child: with the development of his life he inquires from the parents, "Father, what it is? Mother, what it is? What it is? What it is?" This is nice. A boy, child, who is inquiring, that means he is very intelligent boy. So we should be intelligent and inquire, jijnasa. Brahma-jijnasa. This life is for brahma-jijnasa, to understand, to inquire about God. Then a life is successful. Athato brahma jijnasa. And after inquiring, inquiring, inquiring, understanding, understanding, understanding, then what is the ultimate stage? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births of inquiry, when one becomes actually a wise man, man of knowledge, then what happens? Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate: "He surrenders unto Me," Krsna says. Why? Vasudevah sarvam iti. He understands that Vasudeva, Krsna, is the cause of all causes. Sa mahatma su-durlabhah. But such kind of great soul is very rare, to understand it. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta says, sei bado catura: he is very intelligent.
So these are the definition of intelligent person. So if we want to be intelligent, we can adopt the process how to become intelligent. But on the other hand, if we are actually intelligent, why not take this Krsna consciousness immediately and become intelligent? Without, without going to the process, you take... It is offered to you by the most magnanimous incarnation, Lord Caitanya. He's offering you, krsna-prema-pradaya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. He's giving you love of Krsna. Rupa Gosvami offered his obeisances to Lord Caitanya, namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te: "O my dear Lord Caitanya, You are the most charitable, magnanimous of all incarnations. Why? Because You are directly giving love of Krsna. The love of Krsna which cannot be achieved after many, many births, You are delivering cheaply, 'Take it immediately.' " Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te krsnaya krsna-caitanya. They could understand that "You are Krsna"; otherwise it was not possible by anyone to offer Krsna-prema, love of Krsna, so cheaply. "You are Krsna, You have got that power." And actually He is so. Krsna failed to give Krsna-prema, love of Krsna, when He came personally and taught Bhagavad-gita. He simply said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. But people misunderstood Him. Therefore Krsna came as a devotee and offered Krsna-prema to the people in general. So our request to everyone that you take this Krsna consciousness movement, and you will feel that "I don't want any more, anything more. I am satisfied, fully satisfied."
Thank you very much. Any question?
Visnujana: How do we render perfect service to Krsna?
Prabhupada: By your anxiety. (laughter, "Haribol!") If you are anxious to serve Krsna, that is the real asset. Krsna is unlimited. What service we can offer to Him? And He has got unlimited servants also. What service He requires from you and me? He's perfect in Himself. He doesn't require any service also. But if you are anxious to serve Him, then He does not refuse. That is His mercy; that is His magnanimity. So the more you increase your anxiety to serve Krsna, the more it becomes perfect. He's unlimited. Your anxiety, you become unlimited. So there is competition. The more you serve Krsna, the more He accepts you and the more He gives you intelligence. You see? So the spiritual world is unlimited. There is no end of service, and there is no end of accepting the service. It is not that. So eagerness. Tatra laulyam eka mulyam. I am not manufacturing the answer, but I am giving you evidence from Rupa Gosvami, our acarya. He says, krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyate: "My dear gentlemen, my dear boys and girls, if you can purchase a..., your sense of loving Krsna -- 'How I can love Krsna more and more' -- this, this much, this anxiety, if you can purchase this matih," -- means intelligence; it is very nice intelligence -- " 'How I shall serve Krsna...' " Krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih. Matih means intelligence or status of mind, that "I'll serve Krsna." "If you can purchase this status of mind anywhere, please immediately purchase." Then next question will be, "All right, I shall purchase. What is the price, do you know?" "Yes, I know what is the price." "What is that price?" "Laulyam, simply your eagerness, that's all." Laulyam ekam mulyam. "Ah, that I can have." No. Na janma kotibhis sukrtibhir labhyate. This eagerness, how to love Krsna, this is not available even after many, many births. So if you have a pinch of that anxiety, "How I can serve Krsna?" you must know you are the most fortunate man. A pinch only, laulya, this anxiety, "How I can serve Krsna?" it is very nice. Then Krsna will give you intelligence.
tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
buddhi-yogam dadami tam...
[Bg. 10.10]
"Anyone who is engaged with love and affection in My service, without any hypocrisy," then Krsna can understand everything. He is within me, within you. Then He will give you intelligence: "My dear boy, you do like this." And by doing that, what he will achieve? Yena mam upayanti te: "He'll come back to Me." And what profit he will get by going there? Ah, yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. There are so many. Please read Bhagavad-gita As It Is. You'll get perfect knowledge, the science of God. That is the only study for human being.
So simply your eagerness is the perfection for serving Krsna. Increase that eagerness. And eagerness means if you love Krsna, that eagerness will increase with your increase of love: "How I shall serve Krsna?" Because you are voluntary servant, nobody is forcing. That means unless you love Krsna, how that eagerness will increase? So there are so many things to love Krsna. Beginning is this sravanam kirtanam. This sravanam, hearing, and chanting. Hearing, you are hearing Hare Krsna, you are hearing Bhagavad-gita, you are hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam about Krsna, and chanting. This is the beginning. Then, naturally,
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
These nine kinds of different varieties of service to Krsna will enlighten you, will advance you in Krsna consciousness, and your life will be successful. Any other question? Try to understand, question. It is not a thing that we are forcibly pushing. You have got intelligence. Krsna has given you intelligence. Try to understand with your intelligence but do not try to avoid. Make your question to understand it, not making question to avoid it. There are two kinds of question. That question will not help you. If you try to avoid, then Krsna will help you to avoid, and if you want to capture Krsna, then Krsna will help you how you can capture. Two things are going on. Whatever path you want, you can accept. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Krsna helps according to the person's attitude. If... There are... Just like so many philosophers, they want to forget Krsna. Just like you will find in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book, in the Ninth Chapter Krsna said, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. The translation is all right, but he comments, "It is not to Krsna that you have to surrender." Just see. That means his whole process of writing the book is to mislead persons how one can forget Krsna. So if anyone wants to forget Krsna, Krsna will give him such intelligence that he will never be able to understand Krsna. But if anyone tries to love Krsna, understand Krsna, He'll give full of intelligence. You can understand. That is Krsna. You have got full liberty. But if you forget Krsna, then you have to serve maya, and if you love Krsna, then maya will leave you.
Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada, after Lord Caitanya took sannyasa, in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya it says He met His mother. I always thought that a sannyasi could not do that.
Prabhupada: No, a sannyasi cannot meet his wife. A sannyasi is forbidden to go home, and never meet his wife, but he can meet if other... But that... Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not go to His home. It is by arrangement. Advaita Prabhu brought His mother to see Caitanya. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, after accepting sannyasa He was just like mad after Krsna. He was going on the shore of the Ganges forgetting that this is Ganges. He thought that "This is Yamuna. I am going to Vrndavana, following the..." So Nityananda Prabhu sent one man, that "I am following Caitanya. Please inform Advaita to bring one boat in some ghata so that He'll be able to take Him to His home." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in ecstasy. Then He saw all of a sudden that Advaita was waiting with a boat. So He asked Him, "Advaita, why You are here? Here, it is Yamuna." Advaita said, "Yes, My dear Lord, wherever You are it is Yamuna. So You come with Me." So He went, and when He went He went to Advaita's home. Then He saw, "You have misled Me. You have brought Me at Your home. It is not Vrndavana. How is that?" "All right, Sir, You have come by mistake, so...," (laughter) "please remain here." So He immediately sent one man to His mother. Because He knew that Caitanya Mahaprabhu has accepted sannyasa; He's never coming back again to home. So His mother is mad after the son. He was the only son. So He gave a chance to His mother to see Him for the last time. That was arranged by Advaita. So when mother came, Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately fell down on the feet of His mother. He was a young man, twenty-four years old, and the mother, when she saw that her son has accepted sannyasa, there is daughter-in-law at home, naturally woman, she was very much affected, began to cry. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu tried to pacify her with very nice words. He said, "My dear mother, this body is given by you, so I should have engaged My body in your service. But I am your foolish son. I have done some mistake. Please excuse Me." So that scene is very pathetic -- separation between mother and son. (long pause) All right, chant. Chant loudly. Loudly. (kirtana) (prema-dhvani) Hare Krsna. Jaya. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Today's kirtana?
Tamala Krsna: We collected fifty dollars.
Prabhupada: Huh? Oh, that's nice. And Back to Godhead? How many copies sold, Back to Godhead?
Tamala Krsna: About fifty-two.
Prabhupada: Oh. That's nice. What is that? (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase =>
Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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