Meaning of Dhira

72/11/17 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.12

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Prabhupada:

na tv evaham jatu nasam
na tvam neme janadhipah
na caiva na bhavisyamah
sarve vayam atah param
 [Bg. 2.12]

Krsna is giving more enlightenment on the living entity, soul. "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." Now, Krsna says that "In the past I existed. So also you. And so also all these soldiers and the kings who have assembled in this fighting. They existed in the past. For the present, there is no question of asking... We are existing. And in the future also, it is not that we shall not exist." That means, "We shall exist." So what is "I," "you," and "others"? I am individual person. You are individual person, and all others, they're also, each and every one of them, individual persons. So in the past we were all individuals; at present we are all individuals; and in the future also, we shall remain individuals. So where there is question of merging, become one? Here Krsna says that "In the past we are individual persons, in the present we are all individual persons, and in future also, we shall remain individuals."

So the Mayavadi theory that impersonal, how it stands? Neither God is impersonal, nor the living entities are impersonal. Every one of us -- person. The difference between the Supreme Person and our personality is that He is all-powerful; we are limited. Our power is limited. Everything, ours, limited. Anu, vibhu. He is great; we are small. He is infinite; we are infinitesimal, very small. Otherwise, in all other qualities, we are one. There is no difference. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. In eternity, in blissfulness, and in knowledge. Everything is there. But Krsna's knowledge and our knowledge, different. Just like Krsna said, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. "I spoke this yoga system, Bhagavad-gita, long, long ago to the sun-god." Vivasvan manave praha. "And the sun-god explained it to his son, Manu; and Manu again, in his turn, he explained to his son, Iksvaku. In this way, this knowledge of Bhagavad-gita is coming by the disciplic succession." So Krsna says, "I spoke." So it is millions and millions, at least, four hundred thousand millions of times, millions of years ago, according to the calculation of Manu. So Krsna said million; and millions of years ago this Bhagavad-gita, He remembers. But Arjuna inquired from Him that "How can I believe that You spoke this Bhagavad-gita millions of millions years ago to sun-god, because we are contemporary?" Krsna and Arjuna, they're of, practically of the same age.

So Arjuna was calculating as a human being about Krsna. That was his mistake. That was his not mistake. That was his inquiry to clear the mistake of our. We mistake Krsna as one of us. Because Krsna comes down as human being, we, due to our lack of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge, we think Krsna is as good as we are. But actually it is not. Krsna is God. We are ordinary living entities. His knowledge, His power of remembrance, His power of knowing everything perfectly is different from our knowing. But unfortunately we think, "God may be little greater than me." That is that Dr. Frog philosophy. We have explained several times. Kupa-manduka-nyaya. The frog within the well, he is calculating the dimension of Pacific Ocean. So by this dog, frog philosophical way, we can, we cannot understand what is God. We must receive the knowledge from God Himself, or from a person who knows God. Otherwise, there is no possibility. Now, according to maya..., Mayavada philosophy, they say that there is no duality. It is a kind of illusion that we see difference between God and ourself. That is maya. Then Krsna is not advocating herewith about the impersonal feature of the Lord. He says, ah, He represents... He is God himself. He says "I, I was existing as I am existing now, and in future also, I shall exist like this." So He was speaking as individual person. So in the past He says that "I was individual person." And in the present He's individual person. So why these Mayavadi philosophy, philosophers, do not understand this direct version from the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Because asuram bhavam asritah [Bg. 7.15]. The Mayavadi philosophers, they do not accept the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. They think God is as good as they are. Therefore they introduce themselves as Narayana. But according to Vaisnava philosophy, Narayana cannot be equal to any one of us. What speak of us, Narayana cannot be equally estimated even with great demigods like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva. That is... The Vaisnava Purana says, yas tu narayanam devam brahma-rudradi-daivataih, samatvenaiva vikseta sa pasandi bhavad dhruvam: [Cc. Madhya 18.116] "Anyone who calculates Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, equal with such demigods, not, what to speak of ordinary human beings, even big, big demigods like Lord Siva, Lord Brahma, he immediately becomes a pasandi, atheist." So if... The Mayavadi philosophy, they put forward this argument that "Because we are now in maya, we are thinking that we are different from God." But Krsna is making thus such differentiation that... He's making, He's saying, "You and I and all these." So does it mean that Krsna is also covered by maya or illusion? Because He is very clearly differentiating between Him and the living entities, all individuals. So if the Mayavadi philosopher is right that this differentiation is due to our illusion, then we have to accept Krsna is also in illusion. Because He's making differentiation. So if Krsna is in illusion, then what is the use of taking His version? Because our proposition is that we have to take knowledge from the perfect person. So if Krsna is in illusion, then how He can become perfect person, and the knowledge delivered by Him is perfect? No. Krsna is not illusioned. We are in illusion. Krsna is not in illusion. Krsna cannot be in illusion.

(reads from purport:) "In the Vedas, in the Katha Upanisad as well as in the Svetasvatara Upanisad, it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the maintainer of innumerable living entities..." The Supreme Personality of Godhead... Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko bahunam vidadhati kaman (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). There is eka and bahu. The bahu, they are also nitya and cetana. That means we living entities, we are also cetana and eternal. And Krsna is also eternal and cetana. So so far the living symptoms and the eternity is concerned, both the living entities and God, Krsna, they are one. But the difference is that eko bahunam vidadhati kaman, that one, that chief one, although He's eternal and living force as we are, but He is the chief. He maintains all others. That is the version. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman, tam atma-stham ye 'nupasyanti dhiras tesam santih sasvati netaresam. This is the version from Kathopanisad. Nityo nityanam. He's the supreme eternal amongst all the other eternals. Cetanas cetananam. He's the supreme living force amongst all other living forces. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. That one, singular number, eka, He is providing, maintaining, all other living entities. Tam atma-stham. He is also in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Tam atma-stham ye 'nupasyanti dhirah. Anyone who can perceive His presence, dhira, very highly learned or very gentle, dhira... Dhira means who is not disturbed. He's called dhira. And there are others who are called adhira. Adhira means those who are disturbed. So those who are in the material world, they are always disturbed. And those who are on the spiritual platform, they are dhira. Dhiradhira. About the Gosvamis it is said:

krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi
dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau
sri-caitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau

So one who is in the transcendental position, he's dhira. One poet, poet Kalidasa, he has described, dhira means: "Even in the presence of provocation, one who is not disturbed, he's called dhira." He has described about Lord Siva. When Lord Siva was being worshiped by Parvati, Lord Siva was naked and Parvati was worshiping the siva-linga, but he did not become agitated. Therefore Kalidasa has described: dhira. Dhira. One who is not... The first disturbance is sexual disturbance. So anyone, although he is completely potent with all the potencies, but still, he is not disturbed with sex impulses, he's called dhira. Actually, that is called brahmacari. Brahmacari is not he is impotent. He can marry. He can beget children. But self-restrained. He's so self-restrained, that he's not disturbed. Unless he desires that "I shall have sex and for begetting children," he's not disturbed. That is called dhira. Not by seeing any woman or man, one is disturbed. He's adhira. She's adhira. So dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau... The Gosvamis, they were equally respectable for the dhiras and the adhiras. So a, a spiritual master, a gosvami, should be equally merciful both for the dhiras and the adhiras. Otherwise, he cannot become a preacher. Preacher has to meet so many fallen souls. So he, if he becomes disturbed, then he cannot preach. Therefore dhira. This word is here: anupasyanti, tam atma-stham ye anupasyanti dhira. He's called dhira. Without being dhira, you cannot perceive the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within your heart, because the God is there in Paramatma feature. But you have to become dhira, without being disturbed. Then you can understand: "Here is Krsna within my heart."

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.38]

This dhira can be possible when we develop love for Krsna. Then we become dhira. Otherwise, it is not possible. Otherwise we shall be disturbed.

Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. And how we can see God? Not with these eyes. These eyes, but there must be some ointment. That is called prema. Just like a mother sees his child, although not very beautiful, very beautiful. Because he has, she has got love for the child. Others, they are seeing the child not very beautiful. The mother, out of ecstatic love, sees the child very beautiful. So similarly, unless we have developed our love for Krsna, we cannot see the Supreme Personality of Godhead within our heart, not only within our heart, everywhere.

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.38]

(reads purport) "The same Vedic truth given to Arjuna is given to all persons in the world who pose themselves as very learned but factually have but a poor fund of knowledge." This is poor fund of knowledge that "God and I, we one. Now, because we are illusioned, we are thinking that God is different from me, but when the illusion is over, then I and God become one." This is Mayavadi theory, monism. But actually this is not clear knowledge. God is..., God is always distinct from me. He's the Supreme. It is not that we are equal to God. We are equal to God in quality, not in quantity. Therefore those who are thinking that they are equal to God in every respect, they are illusioned. Maya, mayaya apahrta-jnanah. They have been called, they have been designated by Krsna as mayaya apahrta-jnanah. Although they appear to be very learned scholars, but the essence of the knowledge is taken away by maya. Therefore they say that God and ordinary human being is the same. Mayaya apahrta... Asura. This is called asura-bhava. Asura-bhava means not to accept the supremacy of the Lord but think Him as one with all individual souls. But that is not the fact. That is poor fund of knowledge. Actually, when one becomes advanced in knowledge, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. In due course of time, after many, many births, when he actually comes to the platform of knowledge, he can understand that "Vasudeva is great and I am small, I am insignificant." Therefore he surrenders. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate. This is the sign of knowledge. When one surrenders to Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is to be understood that he has actually attained knowledge. Otherwise it is ignorance. To think of Krsna and ordinary person as equal is not knowledge; it is illusion.

So anyone who takes shelter of Krsna by the words of Krsna, believing Him... So... Just like Krsna says, mam ekam saranam vraja. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Krsna orders that "You surrender unto Me. You become My devotee. You always think of Me." Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah [Bg. 9.34]. "You become My devotee." Mad-yaji. "You worship Me. You offer your obeisances unto Me." Persons who are in poor fund of knowledge, they think, "It is too much. Krsna is demanding too much. It is sophistry." No, no. That is not sophistry. That is the real position. Otherwise, without surrendering to Krsna, if you think yourself, that you are Krsna, that is in illusion, avisuddha-buddhayah, contaminated intelligence. Avisuddha-buddhayah. Ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah [SB 10.2.32]. Because they cannot understand Krsna, so their knowledge is not perfect, or not purified. Knowledge perfect is there in every living entity, but it is contaminated by the contact of maya. So one who can understand the position of Krsna and himself, he's called mukta. Mukta means liberated. Mukti means to know perfectly what is our relationship with Krsna. That is called mukti. (pause)

The verse...

antavanta ime deha
nityasyoktah saririnah
anasino 'prameyasya
tasmad yudhyasva bharata
 [Bg. 2.18]

Yuddha, fighting, Arjuna was ksatriya. It is his duty. Because here, in this material world, violence is also required. Violence. Because everyone is competitor, everyone is trying to become the Supreme, so there will be violence. Just like in your state, at the present moment, there is violence because one party is trying to become Supreme than the other. That is going on everywhere, all over the world, the struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become supreme than the other. So there must be violence. So expecting that there will be violence, the ksatriya class required. Just like in the state, expecting that there will be violence, therefore the police department is maintained, the military department is maintained. So you cannot avoid violence from this material world. It is useless proposal. Our Mahatma Gandhi tried to stop violence. He started the nonviolence movement, but factually he had to die by violence. So ksatriya, they are trained up violent to become violent to stop violence. That is required. Therefore Krsna advises that "Don't try to become nonviolent because..." Tasmad yudhyasva bharata. "Don't think that by killing the body, your grandfather, or your nephews and your brother on the other side, they will be finished. No. They'll live. The body may be destroyed." Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. But actual soul, he'll transmigrate. According to Vedic philosophy, if a ksatriya dies in proper fighting, then he is immediately transferred to the heavenly planet, the heavenly planet. Because he sacrifices his body for right cause. Formerly, the fight was not a very trifle thing. After much consideration, then fighting or war was declared. Just like the fighting between the Kurus and the Pandavas; first of all, there was great endeavor to stop the fight. Krsna Himself became the messenger and was going from this party to another. Because Krsna... Both the parties were Krsna's family relatives. So He wanted to stop and mitigate the misunderstanding by mutual settlement. But it was not possible. The Duryodhana's party said that "We are not prepared to spare even a small piece of land which can hold the tip of the needle." Sucagra-bhumi. Then it was decided there must be fight. That fighting was meant for the ksatriyas. Formerly, there was no democracy. The so-called democracy. Democracy means that there was one king only; now there are hundreds of kings. One king and few ministers. Now one governor, one, I mean to say, three dozen secretaries, and three dozen... So many things... It is overburdened. The tax, tax is overburdened because there are so many officers. They have to be sumptuously paid. So tax is required. So in this age, Kali-yuga, by, I mean to say, finishing the monarchical system, people have accepted the democratic system, but it is not very much improvement. Because the state expenditure has very much increased and people are very much overburdened with taxes. So Krsna advises that tasmad yudhyasva. Tasmad yudhyasva bharata. "Don't think that your grandfather, or the other party, relatives, they'll be destroyed by fighting. It is not the fact, that, by destruction of the body, the soul is destroyed." Real purpose is... Bhagavad-gita. That we should understand that the soul is always existing, even... Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20].

ya enam vetti hantaram
yas cainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate
 [Bg. 2.19]

There is another example. Krsna says... Because the soul is immortal, eternal, so if somebody kills somebody, the body is destroyed, but the soul is not destroyed. So if one thinks that "I have killed him, he's finished," he's also foolish. And one who thinks that "If I have died in the fight, then I will be finished." No. Ubhau tau na vijanitah. Both of them are ignorant. Ubhau tau na vijanito nayam hanti na hanyate. The living soul is never killed, neither he can kill others. For duty's sake... Of course, when there is fight... That is called dharma-yuddha. Dharma-yuddha, by the order of the Supreme. Just like Arjuna was fighting by the order of the Supreme. That is dharma-yuddha. If there is no sanction by the dharma, there is sastra injunction, "In this case fighting should be there, in case, in this case, there should be no fighting..." So one who follows the principles of regulation in the Vedas, that is called dharma-yuddha. Even there is fight, there is religion, there is piety. Even by killing and being killed. Two ksatriyas are fighting. Either he kills or he is being killed, in both ways they are profited. That will be explained. Just like Arjuna was advised that "My dear Arjuna, why you are hesitating to fight? Both ways you'll be benefited. If you can kill your enemies, then you get the kingdom, you enjoy. And if you are killed, then you are promoted to the heavenly planets. So where is your loss? Where is your loss?" This is the instruction given. A ksatriya who is fighting for the real cause, as sanctioned by the dharma-sastras, when both ways he's profited. If he becomes victorious, he's profited, but if he's killed in the battle, he's also profited. Both ways.

ya enam vetti hantaram
yas cainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate
 [Bg. 2.19]

Then the next verse He clearly explains:

na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire
 [Bg. 2.20]

This soul... "Do not think that soul is born." No. As God is ever-existing, the soul is ever-existing. It is not... There is no question of birth. And when there is no question of birth, there is no question of death. Because we experience, anything, anybody, who has taken birth, he dies. Nobody will live here. So if the soul has no birth, there is no question of death. And as Krsna, God, God is eternal, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam Purana [Bs. 5.33]. Purana means old. Because Krsna is the original person, therefore He must be Purana, the oldest, older than Brahma. Because Brahma is given birth by Krsna. Therefore Krsna has been addressed in the Bhagavad-gita as prapitamaha [Bg. 11.39]. Brahma is called pitamaha, the grandfather, and prapitamaha means "the father of the grandfather." So Krsna has been addressed as prapitamaha, "father of Brahma." Therefore He's adi-purusa. Actually, within this creation, Lord Brahma is the original person, because he was firstborn. There was no other person before him. But he's given birth by Narayana, from the abdomen of Narayana in the lotus flower. Therefore He's the father of Brahma. Prapitamaha [Bg. 11.39]. So Krsna here says, because that Mayavadi philosophy's also nullified here. Because here it is said, na jayate, na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah. Mayavada philosophy says that the living entity has become separated on account of illusion. Not becomes separated. He is... There is no separation. But it is illusion; he's thinking, "I am different from God." But Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah jiva-loke sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]. That amsa, part and parcel of God, he's sanatana. Not that, being covered by illusion, he's thinking "I am separated." He's separated always, sanatana. That is the statement of the Vedas. Separated. Although separated, quality one, but that separation, that fragments of Krsna, that is sanatana. It is not that by maya we are fragmental separated; when we are liberated, we merge into the body or the effulgence of God. We are separated in..., perpetually. Although we are eternal, but we are perpetually... vibhinnamsa. In the Varaha Purana it is said, vibhinnamsa, "separated part and parcel." So we should understand very clearly that, although we are eternal, part and parcel, but we are separated. Separated in this sense that we are, everyone of us, are individual, not merge into the existence. Everything is existing. In the Bhagavad-gita, you'll find: mat-sthani sarva-bhutani naham tesu avasthitah [Bg. 9.4]. Everything is existing in Him, Krsna. But still, Krsna is not the living entity.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.

 

Indian: (Hindi?)

Prabhupada: Bhakti... If we chant Hare Krsna mantra, then we come to our perfection. At the present moment, we are illusioned. Just like every one of us thinking that "I am this body." Otherwise, why there is so much fighting? Everyone is thinking, "I am this body." This bodily concept of life is maya, illusion, or ignorance. So the whole process is to drive away the ignorance. Drive away. That is called jnana. We are in the ajnana.

ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah

Every one of us is covered by the darkness of ajnana. What is that ajnana? "I am this body." "I am Indian." "I am American." "I am Andhra," "I am Bengali." "I am this, I am that." So there is fighting, due to ajnana. So first of all we have to drive away this ajnana. Therefore Krsna is teaching Arjuna that "You are not this body. You are spirit soul." This is the first spiritual instruction by the authority to anyone, that "You are not this body." So by chanting Hare Krsna mantra... It is the medicine recommended in the sastra, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. That dust of ignorance is moved. He can understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul, part and parcel of Krsna. My duty is to serve Krsna." In this way, he becomes enlightened gradually.

Question: Lord Krsna has claimed in the past He was existing, in present, He exists, in future He will be. In what... [break]... form Krsna is not?

Prabhupada: Just like you have dressed now, covered yourself with some type of dress. So if you change your dress, does it mean that you are finished?

Indian: But He...

Prabhupada: Try to understand: You are now in my presence dressed in a certain type of covering. Now, if you change this covering, does it mean you are finished.

Indian: No.

Prabhupada: Similarly, this body, this material body, has been explained as dress. So if I change my dress... Now, suppose I am now human being, and I change my dress to become a demigod, or I change my dress to become a dog. It does not mean that I am finished. I have simply changed my dress, according to my karma. Karmana daiva-netrena jantur deha upapatti [SB 3.31.1]. By your karma, you'll have a dress. After death, as it is explained in this verse, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], the living soul is not destroyed after the destruction of this body. Therefore he remains, and his finer dress, subtle dress, is there -- mind, intelligence, and ego. So according to the composition of his mind, he develops another gross dress. This is the process. So you, spirit soul, you are always the same, although you are changing dress. Our problem is that we are perpetually changing dress, but our desire is to have a permanent life. That is spiritual education. You can have a permanent life, permanent dress, permanent knowledge, if you become free from this dress-changing problem. That is called mukti. The Krsna consciousness movement is to stop this business of dress changing. Yes?

Question: So do you mean to say that Krsna is also karma-bound?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Question: Do you mean to say that Krsna is also karma-bound?

 

Prabhupada: No, no.

Question: Just now you have quoted the example, sir, that as we changing our dresses, Krsna will also change that dress by changing from past to...

Prabhupada: What is, I have explained?

Indian: So just now you were complaining that as we change our dresses, Krsna will also be changing.

Prabhupada: Where, where I have said? I have never said.

Devotee: That man's original question is: "What form is Krsna in now?"

Indian: No. Excuse me. His question was: "Krsna was, will be and He is in what form?"

Prabhupada: Oh, his question was...?

Devotee: Yes. His question was that if Krsna says that "Never was there a time when you and I..." [break]

Prabhupada: That is not correct. Krsna... As we have got distinction between the body and the soul, Krsna has no such distinction. Krsna is completely soul. And if we think that Krsna is like us, that is forbidden. Avajananti mam mudhah, tanu, manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because Krsna comes before us just like a human being, if we think that "He's also like me," then we are ass. Krsna does not change His dress. Otherwise, Krsna could not say that "Millions and millions of years ago I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god." Because..., because we change our dress, we forget what I was, what you were, in your past life. Because you have changed the dress... [break]

Question: What is the business of Krsna consciousness society?

Prabhupada: Always thinking of Krsna. As Krsna says. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. These four principles. Always think of Krsna, become Krsna's devotee, worship Krsna and offer your respect, obeisances to Krsna. That's all. This is Krsna consciousness. They are doing that. Nothing more, nothing less. These four principles.

Question: Is Narayana... [break]

Prabhupada: (Hindi:) ...sastra sunye paregara, samanye paregara, vo sastra janta nai chela grantha paragara, kavi mana...(?) (Hindi)

Question: The fundamental question of our interest is to know soul.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Question: The fundamental question of our interest is to know soul.

Prabhupada: Yes...?

Question: So what is the form and what is the definition of soul, and how to know whether there is soul...?

Prabhupada: That is... that is... that is described. We are describing na jayate na mriyate. Soul is never born, soul never dies. Soul is eternal. Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Even after the destruction of this body, the soul is not destroyed. These, these are the education.

Indian: There is a test of knowing the thing. You are just describing the qualities of the soul. If you can say mango, mango is very sweet, color is like this. But it requires to taste the mango. So I want to realize the soul. What is the shortest way?

Prabhupada: There is mango. But you have no eyes to see it. That is the difference. Soul is there. Just like we have begun our instruction: dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. There is dehi. There is the soul within this body. Krsna says. So we have to accept Krsna's authority. You cannot see the soul. That does not mean there is no soul. Your, what is the value of your eyes? You cannot see so many things. Because you cannot see the soul, it does not mean there is no soul. We have to accept the authority.

Indian: Why can't I see?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Indian: Why I can't...?

Prabhupada: Because your eyes are imperfect.

Indian: So what is the proof that there is soul?

Prabhupada: Because there is a proof. As soon as the soul is gone, you are dead body. That is the proof.

Indian: I should like that thing...

Prabhupada: Eh?

Indian: I should see.

Prabhupada: But you must be qualified to know.

Indian: How?

Prabhupada: That I have already explained, that you must become... Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. You must approach to a person who knows by surrender, not by challenge. You cannot know about soul and God by this challenging spirit. You have to become a submissive, submissive. You have to accept a spiritual master who knows. Then you'll know. It is not that in a meeting by challenging, you can know. No. That is not possible.

Indian: How to get that master who knows?

Prabhupada: That you have to search out. If you are fortunate, you'll get.

Indian (2): In Bhagavad-gita... [break]

Prabhupada: ... dvaita-advaita, that we have explained.

Indian: Dvaita-advaita, yes?

Prabhupada: Yes. Dvaita and advaita. Just like this finger is, is my finger. So it is part of this body. So you can, you can say, "This finger is also body." But, at the same time, the finger is not the body. Is it clear? You cannot say "This finger the whole body." But at the same time, you can say, "Yes, finger is body." If you say, "This is my body," there is no wrong because finger is also part of the body. But if you say that "The finger is body," that is also wrong. This is dvaita-advaita. It is simultaneously one and different. Similarly, the soul and the Supreme Lord, equal in quality. Krsna says, mamaivamsa. The small particle of gold is gold. That is advaita. You cannot say, because it is small particle of gold, you cannot say, "It is iron." It is gold. That is advaita. But the gold mine and the gold earring, there is difference. You cannot say the gold earring is as good as the gold mine. That is dvaita. so in this way, as so far our spiritual existence is concerned, we are one. But so far our energies are concerned, that is different. That is dvaita-advaita. You have no such big energy as God has. In that sense you are different. God can create millions of universe by His breathing. Yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. You can create one small sputnik, and take credit. But God can create innumerable universes simply by breathing. So your energy, your power, is different from God's power. But in quality, you are one with God.

Indian: Then you must prove it is dvaita.

Prabhupada: Both advaita and dvaita. Both...

Indian: How? How? Prove, how?

Prabhupada: That, that is, that requires little brain. That requires little brain. Not dull brain. Very fertile brain requires. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972

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Signs Of Ignorance Of Self

72/12/07 Ahmedabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.1

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Prabhupada:

sanjaya uvaca
tam tatha krpayavistam
asru-purnakuleksanam
visidantam idam vakyam
uvaca madhusudanah
 [Bg. 2.1]

Madhusudana. Krsna is described here as Madhusudana, the killer of the demon Madhu. Madhu-kaitabha-ari. So Arjuna was attacked by a demon of forgetting his duty, being too much afflicted by bodily relationship. This is our position. In this material world, we are so much attached to this bodily relationship that it is to be considered just like we are ghostly haunted. In a poetry, Prema-vivarta, it is said that pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya, maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya. Maya-grasta jiva. Maya-grasta. Maya means illusion, hallucination. So we are, in this material world, we are all illusioned. Illusioned means accepting something as fact which is not. Something... Just like in dream we see sometimes I am attacked with a tiger; my head is being cut off. So many things. So actually there is no tiger, my head is not being cut off, but still, I am crying: "Oh, here is a tiger, here is a tiger!" So our attachment for this world is like that. It is illusion. I am thinking that "Without me, everything will be spoiled. My presence is required." And so on, so on. Just like sometimes our political leaders. Each and every one of them thinks that without him, the whole situation will be spoiled. Even Mahatma Gandhi, he was so attached that he would not retire from political life -- unless he was killed. The attachment was so strong. But after passing away of Mahatma Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru or so many big, big leaders, the world is going on. There is a Bengali proverb that "When the king dies, it does not mean the kingdom stops." The kingdom goes on. But when, so long, the leader or the person in charge remains there, he thinks that "Without me, everything will be spoiled." This is called maya. This is called illusion.

According to Vedic system, therefore, there is forced renunciation. Nobody wants to retire from family life, but the Vedic injunction is that after one has passed fifty years, he must leave his family life. Pancasordhvam vanam vrajet. In the beginning, as a student life, he's trained up, brahmacari, undergoing severe austerities, penances, and taking instruction from the spiritual master about the temporary existence of this material world. In this way, he's trained up very nicely. And even after training, if he appears to be attached to this material world, he's allowed to go home and marry. And some of the brahmacaris are allowed to remain naisthika-brahmacari, without going home and accepting a wife. But one who cannot, he's allowed to accept wife and become a householder and remain there for twenty-five years. Because generally, the brahmacari was going home at the age of twenty-four years, twenty-five years. So after marriage, he may get a child. So living there for twenty-five years, means the child is grown up. Then the husband and wife takes leave, not leaving for good, but vanaprastha, traveling in pilgrimages like Vrndavana, Prayaga. That was the system. And after two months, again he comes back and remains home for another two months. Again goes out. In this way, the whole process is how to give up attachment from this family life, from this world. And when he's trained up fully, he takes sannyasa. That is our Vedic system.

So the attachment of this material world is very strong. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam by Rsabhadeva: Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. This whole material world is an attachment of male and female. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam, sex impulse, attachment. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. And when they are married, when they are united, then it becomes a hard knot in the heart. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Then gradually, after being united, one becomes attached to grha, home, apartment, ksetra,... Formerly there was no industry. So everyone must have some land to produce food. Grha-ksetra, suta, then children; apta, friends; vitta, then money, because without money, nothing can be maintained. Atah grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya mohah. He becomes more and more illusioned. And aham mameti: [SB 5.5.8] "Oh, this is my country. This is my family. This is my house. This is my children." So on, so on. Mama. "Mine." And "I am this person. I am this body." This is illusion.

So Arjuna appeared to be illusioned that "How I shall fight with my brothers and grandfather on the other side?" He became so much illusioned... Tam tatha krpayavistam [Bg. 2.1]. He became illusioned not unnecessarily. He was very much compassionate, compassionate with his family members. Krpayavistam, asru-purnakuleksanam [Bg. 2.1]. And he was crying. There was tears in his eyes. Visidantam idam vakyam. And he was lamenting in this way: "How shall I fight?" So Krsna then began to speak. Krsna saw that "My friend, Arjuna, has become too much illusioned." So He wanted to kill the demon of illusion. Therefore He's mentioned herein as Madhusudana. Krsna comes. He has got two business: paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. Side by side, giving protection to His devotees, sadhu... Sadhu means devotee. Devotee of Krsna is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita as sadhu. Api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. One who is strictly a pure devotee of Krsna, he is mentioned as sadhu. Sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyavasito hi sah [Bg. 9.30]. He is first-class sadhu. Even if he's a grhastha, it doesn't matter. Generally, we understand sadhu means with saffron cloth. No. Sadhu's qualification is that he must be a pure devotee of Krsna. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. So now Krsna speaks, sri bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan. This Bhagavan means one who is full with six kinds of opulences. He's called Bhagavan.

aisvaryasya samagrasya
viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayas caiva
sannam bhaga itingana
(Visnu Purana 6.5.47)

Bhaga. Bhagavan and Krsna. Krsna means all-attractive. Bhagavan Sri Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. There are other great personalities. Lord Siva is also sometimes described as Bhagavan. Similarly, Lord Brahma, Narada, others are also sometimes described as Bhagavan. But real Bhagavan means Krsna. They are Bhagavan partially. All these things have been very much carefully analyzed by Srila Rupa Gosvami. He has analyzed in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, which we have translated into English: Nectar of Devotion. He has analyzed that Krsna is cent percent Bhagavan. And Narayana is ninety-four percent Bhagavan. And Lord Siva is eighty-four percent Bhagavan. And all other living entities, all living entities, we are, we are minutely seventy-eight percent Bhagavan. That means when you come to the perfection of life, when you are actually in the spiritual stage, then you are..., you have got the qualities of Bhagavan in minute quantity, but not all the qualities -- eighty, seventy-eight percent. These have been very nicely analyzed in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. And the sastra says also: krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a list of all the incarnations, that "Such and such incarnation appears for such and such particular activities." In that incarnation list there is name of Lord Ramacandra also, Lord Buddha also. Buddha's name is also there. But in the conclusive portion it is declared there: ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. In that list, the name of Lord Krsna, Lord Balarama is there also. But the conclusion is given by Vyasadeva that "Except Krsna, all others, they are plenary expansion of Krsna, or part of plenary expansion of Krsna." Amsa-kalah. Amsa means direct expansion. And kalah means expansion of the..., secondary expansions. So it is concluded there that ete camsa-kalah pumsah. All these incarnations, they are either amsa or kalah. But Krsna, the name Krsna, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: He's the original Personality of Godhead, Krsna.

The same thing, here Vyasadeva describes: sri bhagavan uvaca. He's not ordinary person. Bhagavan speaking. Bhagavan means... What is Bhagavan? Aisvarya. Aisvarya means riches. Nobody can be richer than Bhagavan. We have got our ideas of richness. I may be rich, but you are richer than me. Somebody is richer than you. Somebody is richer than another, another, another. You go, make proceed. When you find out the final richest person, that is Bhagavan. Aisvaryasya sama... Samagrasya. All riches. Not that partial. One may have one thousand, another man, one lakh, one man, one crore, but nobody can say that "I have got all the monies." No, that is not possible. But Bhagavan has all the monies. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. Similarly, strength, bodily strength or power. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah. And similarly, reputation. We are also reputed. But nobody can be reputed than Krsna. Just like five thousand years ago He spoke this Bhagavad-gita, and He's so reputed that Krsna spoke Bhagavad-gita and still it is running on. Not only in India, but we are traveling all over the world. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gita. So He's so reputed. So aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). And beautiful. The most beautiful. Krsna, most attractive. Yasasah sri..., jnana, knowledge, the book of knowledge which He has given, this Bhagavad-gita, there is no comparison. There is no second book in the whole world which contains so full of knowledge. So jnana. And vairagya also. In spite of all the property of Krsna, Krsna doesn't care for this material world. He is busy in the spiritual world. Radha-madhava kunja-bihari. He's busy in Vrndavana. He has many servants. Just big man has got many secretaries, servants, they look after, similarly, in this material world. His representatives -- Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara -- they are managing the affairs of this whole universe. But He's enjoying in Vrndavana. Jaya radha-madhava kunja-bihari. He has no concern. He doesn't care what is happening here. But it, it does not mean that He doesn't care, but He has no anxiety how the things are being managed. When it is mismanaged, then sometimes Krsna comes in His Vasudeva form. Not the original Krsna. Original Krsna never leaves Vrndavana. Padam ekam na gacchati. He's always in His abode.

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.29]

He is very much adhered to His cows. Surabhir abhipalayantam. And He's surrounded by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, these gopis. He is surrounded. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. We are, we are praying goddess of fortune to have some favor, but in the spiritual world, Krsna is served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. This is Krsna's position.

So I do not know why foolish people, they do not understand what is God. Everything is there. And He comes also, personally. Not only the God's name, address, activities, and everything is there, but He comes personally also. He proves Krsna. He proved that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Krsna was present, He proved all these things. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). He proved. He had sixteen thousand wives, and each wife, a big palatial building of marble, bedecked with jewels and gardens with parijata flowers. These are description. Nobody can maintain sixteen thousand wives in sixteen thousand palaces. Not only that, not that if He enters in one palace, He lives with one wife, the other wives are vacant. No. He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms. And with each wife He was living comfortably. Each wife had ten children. And those children also had each ten children, grandsons. In this way, Krsna's family was more than one crore, Yadu-vamsa. So if you study from material point of view, when Krsna was present, He proved that He's Bhagavan. And Bhagavan means not a big beard and meditation. Krsna never became Bhagavan by meditation. He was not a manufactured God. He's God always. He's not manufactured. When He was on the lap of His mother Yasoda, He was God. The Putana came to kill Him, but Krsna killed him. In this way, if we read the life of Krsna, He's proved -- Bhagavan. And not only He proved Himself, but all others, great authorities, accepted Him Bhagavan. There are four Vaisnava acaryas in the recent years and one Mayavada acarya, Sankaracarya. Sankaracarya also, although he is inclined to the impersonal feature of the Lord, but he accepted Krsna: sa bhagavan svayam krsnah. He accepted: "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana." Narayanah avyaktat. So other Vaisnava acaryas, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnusvami, Nimbarka, lately Lord Caitanya, all of them accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Arjuna, he also, when he heard from Him Bhagavad-gita, he accepted Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvatam [Bg. 10.12].

So Krsna is accepted universally the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why people are making research, "Where is God?" I do not know. Why they are uselessly taking so much hard labor to search out God? Here is God, Krsna. Bhagavan uvaca. So there is no reason, there is no, I mean to say, chance of not accepting Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna personally says that mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior element above Me." Aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8]. "I am the origin of everything." Aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. Then... There are so many statements, "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So anyone who is actually serious about understanding about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no difficulty. But because we are obstinate, because we are sinful, because we are lowest of the mankind, because our knowledge has been taken away by maya, and because we are atheists, we do not accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality. Otherwise, there is no reason. Krsna therefore describes: na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Unless one is duskrtina, always miscreants, full of sinful life, he cannot deny Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is preaching all over the world that "You are all advanced in civilization, and advanced in scientific knowledge, and advanced in everything, but you are missing one thing -- God, Krsna. So here is God. Here is Krsna. You try to understand Krsna and be Krsna conscious and make your life successful." That is our propaganda. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break]

Indian: May I ask you one question?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: When there is bhajana singing...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: ...which I can understand the words...

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna?

Indian: Or any bhajana of God. Then, you see, understand language and everything. You see, if it is just like Mirabhai and crying, tear comes from my face, and laughing, very instant laughing, laugh...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: And there is no other progress.

Prabhupada: No, that is asta-sattvika-vikara.

Indian: Sattvika-vikara.

Prabhupada: Yes, that is called vikara, transformation of spiritual platform. Yes.

Indian: But still there is something more, something more.

Prabhupada: No, that is the... When one cries, transformed, that means he's realizing Krsna.

Indian: Yes, yes...

Prabhupada: He's realizing like that. That is realization. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also used to do that. That is highest stage, maha-bhava.

Indian: Maha-bhava, yes...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: So then I go in bhajana, wash out everything; I feel myself that there is only soul, no body. And then you see a man who sings or who are present, you see, they are also not their body. Simply soul.

Prabhupada: Yes, forget all material... Yes.

Indian: All these things. Then there is only soul.

Prabhupada: Yes, that is perfectional, liberated stage.

Indian: Liberated stage.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: And have you explained anything about this in your Gita, in fifteen... You see? These three...?

Prabhupada: Gita is just to understand what is God. And then, when you are actually engaged in God's service, these things come. That is higher stage. Gita is the ABCD of understanding God.

Indian: So it will give you some more reflection... You see...

Prabhupada: Yes. But if we accept the ABCD, then we come to literature. Then we pass M.A. examination. Yes. So Gita is the preliminary step, first step of understanding God.

Indian: I am reading Gita from my childhood. I like it.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Indian: Yes. So I think your Gita will give me some more reflection.

Prabhupada: Yes. I am explaining as it is. I am not interpreting. So it is being accepted.

Indian: So I should read it.

Prabhupada: Thank you.

Indian: That's the inclination, that I should read the books.

Prabhupada: (laughing) Very good.

Indian: Very good.

Devotee: Hare Krsna!

Prabhupada: Jaya. (pause) Yes, let us discuss. [break]

Indian (2): ...the Pandavas. So if we do our work so perfect, we can't do it. Otherwise, we... So I am an imperfect devotee. But the question, you see, I was wondering ... all the worldly duties sincerely and honestly to our capacity pride is necessary or inevitable. "Oh, I'm a brahmana. I'm worshiping God." But pride is necessary that we must do in our own hand. I cannot.

Prabhupada: Yes. If your life is so made that in every step you are feeling presence of Krsna, then it is Krsna consciousness. That is the first-class yoga, as it is confirmed by Krsna:

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
 [Bg. 6.47]

Just like these boys, they are being trained up to think of Krsna twenty-four hours. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31].  Just like we have constructed this pandal. Our business is to preach Krsna. So the energy employed for constructing this temple, that is also Krsna, that energy. Somebody is doing... Anything... Nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate. If our activities are always dovetailed for Krsna's satisfaction, that is called vairagya. Vairagya. A man is engaged in business. That's all right. But if the fruit of that business is made, is meant for Krsna, then sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. That is sva-karmana. Generally, we work for our sense gratification. "I have got this money. I must use for my sense gratification or for my relative's sense gratification or for my country's sense gratification, for my society's sense gratification." So this is materialism. But when the same thing is turned for Krsna's sense gratification, that is spiritual. That is the difference between prema and kama. Kama. It has been very simplified by Kaviraja Krsnadasa Gosvami in his Caitanya-caritamrta: atmendriya-priti-vancha tare bali ‘kama'. Atmendriya-priti. If you want to satisfy your senses, that is called kama, lust. Krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema' nama. The same thing, when you try to satisfy the senses of Krsna, that is called prema.

So we have to divert the activities for Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, he, in the beginning, he denied to fight. That, our subject matter. He was crying. "No, no, I cannot fight." So apparently Arjuna was very nice gentleman that he is forgetting his claim over the kingdom, he's nonviolent, he's not willing to fight with his brothers, and he was crying so compassionate. So from materialistic point of view, he was very nice. But immediately, as we'll begin tomorrow, Krsna says that "Why you are thinking like anarya?" Anarya. Anarya-justam. "This kind of thinking is not for aryas, Aryans. It is for the non-Aryans." He did not... And the whole Bhagavad-gita was spoken to Arjuna to make him arya. And at the end, Krsna inquired from Arjuna that "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tatha kuru. But Arjuna replied, karisye tad-vacanam. Karisye vacanam tava. [Bg. 18.73] "Now I shall fight." And Krsna gave him certificate: bhakto 'si priyo 'si me. "You are very dear friend, and My great devotee." Now, fighting is not very good business, killing. But sometimes, by killing, one can become a great devotee of Krsna. He was a warrior, fighter. His business was to fight, but he fought for Krsna. Then he became a devotee. That is sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. He... Arjuna, brahmana and ksatriya. Similarly, our..., means sva-karma, guna-karma-vibhagasah. Our, according to Vedic system, there are four divisions. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Not by birth, but by quality and actual activities. So there are brahmanas. There are ksatriyas. There are vaisyas. There are sudras. There are brahmacaris. There are grhasthas, vanaprasthas, sannyasa. So everyone should be engaged to satisfy Krsna. That is the whole philosophy. Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. "You work as brahmana, you work as a ksatriya, you work as a vaisya or sudra. It doesn't matter." Even Krsna has advised that "If you, even if you think that I am working as a vaisya, it is not very good, because sometimes I have to speak lie for business's sake. And brahmana's business is very nice. No." Krsna has advised: sa-dosam api na tyajet: "Even in your profession there are so many faults, you should not give it up. You should go on." But the result must be given to Krsna. That is the secret. You may work as a brahmana, as a ksatriya, as a businessman, as an engineer, as a doctor, as a warrior, whatever you may be. It is, it is never condemned. No work is condemned. Every work is dignified provided it is meant for Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. [break]

Chant. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972

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Krishna gave Bhagavad-gita To Get Us Out

72/12/06 Ahmedabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.1

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Prabhupada: (tape begins with mangalacarana prayers)

tam tatha krpayavistam
asru-purnakuleksanam
visidantam idam vakyam
uvaca madhusudanah
 [Bg. 2.1]

So in the morning we shall discuss on the Bhagavad-gita, and the... My students, they have requested to speak in English because they cannot understand Hindi. So I think gentlemen gathered here, they'll also understand English. So kindly allow me to speak English. Now, in the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, the..., it is the set-up, Krsna and Arjuna. According to the order of Krsna, Arjuna, Krsna placed the chariot in between the two soldiers, two phalanxes of soldiers. Senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me acyuta [Bg. 1.21]. Arjuna was respectful to Krsna. Krsna has accepted to be charioteer, inferior position than Krsna. Krsna is on the chariot, sitting on the throne, and, uh, Arjuna is sitting on the throne, and Krsna has taken the inferior position, driving the chariot. So this is very nice position for devotional service. Those who are not devotees, they aspire to become Krsna. Their aspiration is to merge into the existence of the Supreme, or to become one with Krsna. But in devotional service it is not the desire of the devotee to become one with Krsna, but sometimes to make Krsna as the order-carrier of the devotee. To become one with Krsna, it may be a very great position. But to become the, I mean to say, command, commander of Krsna, that is another thing. That position is greater than to become one with Krsna.

So there are five kinds of liberation. Sayujya, the first liberation is supposed to be sayujya, means, to become one with the Supreme. The Mayavada philosophers, monists, they aspire after sayujya-mukti. But the devotees, Vaisnavas, they do not aspire after sayujya-mukti. Their, for them, there are other, four kinds of mukti: sarupya, salokya, sarsti, samipya. And those who are still further advanced, they do not want any kind of mukti, neither of these five kinds of muktis. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He prays, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. This is pure devotional prayer. The devotees does not approach the Supreme for any material gain. Pure devotion means without any aspiration of any kind of material gain. Or even spiritual gain.

anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
 [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11]

Uttama-bhakti, first-class bhakti, what is that? Anyabhilasita-sunyam: without any kind of desire than to serve the Lord. And in the Srimad-Bhagavatam also, it is said, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. Parah means transcendental, beyond this material conception. Krsna, or the Absolute, Narayana, that is para. Narayanah parah avyaktat. Narayana is not anything of this material world.

 

Narayana, Krsna, Visnu. The Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is not anything of this material world. When we use this word, nirakara, that means His form is not anything of this material world. But He has got His form. That is a transcendental form. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Nirakara means He, He has no such form, as we have got this material form. This material form is neither of the three transcendental bliss, sac-cid-ananda. This is asat, acit, and nirananda. This body, this material body is asat, acit, and nirananda. Therefore, when in the Vedic literature or in authorized statement we find "nirakara," that means His form does not belong to this asat, acit, or nirananda. But He has His form. Divyam. Janma karma me divyam. Divyam, transcendental. And Sripada Sankaracarya also, who especially preached impersonalism, he also admits that narayanah parah avyaktat: "Narayana, the form of Narayana, is beyond the range of this avyakta." Avyakta and...

This world is creation... Avyaktad anya-sambhavah. This world is creation of this avyakta. And beyond this avyakta, there is another nature. That is spiritual nature. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah avyaktah avyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. So this situation... Krsna is advising... No. I mean to say, Arjuna advising, ratham sthapaya me acyuta. Acyuta. Krsna is not cyuta. Krsna is acyuta. Cyuta means those who are fallen in the material world. They are cyuta. We are fallen in the material world. Therefore we have accepted this material body. Iccha-dvesa-samutthena sarge yanti parantapa. Iccha. Iccha means desire. And dvesa means envy, enviousness. Iccha-dvesa-samutthena. When we become envious of Krsna and we want to enjoy this material world, then we come to this material creation. Iccha-dvesa-samutthena sarge yanti parantapa.

So any one of us, we, who is in this material world, having a material body, beginning from Brahma down to the ant, a small ant, anyone of them... In the Brahma-samhita it is said that yas tv indra-gopam athavendra-maho sva-karma-bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam atanoti [Bs. 5.54]. Indra-gopa. There is a, there is a insect which is called in Sanskrit language as indra-gopa. It is a microbe. You cannot see with these naked eyes. So this microbe is called indra, and there is another Indra, the King of Heaven. So the Brahma-samhita says, yas tu indra-gopa. And Mahendra, the King of Heaven... Beginning from this indra-gopa, up to the King of Heaven, everyone is subjected to enjoy or suffer the resultant action of his karma. By karma, by the resultant action of karma, one has become the King of Heaven, and by karma, resultant action of karma, one has become the microbic insect. This is the material world. There are 8,400,000 types or forms of this material body, and we are wandering, sarva-gata, in different planets, in different forms. This is material world. And in the material world, whatever form we may have, we have got attachment for this body. Not only attachment, we are under the impression that "I am this body." Everyone. That is material conception of life.

So that thing happened to Arjuna. In the battlefield, he identified himself as the body. He thought himself that he belongs to the Kuru family, and his family relatives, his, other side, his brother, nephews, or his grandfather... So he refused to fight. "My dear Krsna..." After placing the chariot between the two parties, senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me acyuta [Bg. 1.21]. And then he become very much disturbed that "I have to kill the other side, my brother and my nephews, my grandfather. No, no. Krsna, I cannot. No. This is not possible. I shall not fight." This is the stage of Bhagavad-gita. Krsna became very much dissatisfied. Of course, Arjuna played the part of a conditioned soul. A conditioned soul is under the impression that he's the body. That is animal life. In the sastra it is said, "Anyone who is identifying himself with this material body, he is animal." Go-kharah. Sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. Go means cows, and khara means ass.

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah
 [SB 10.84.13]

Yasya. Anyone who is identifying this, himself, with this body, which is made of tri-dhatu... According to Ayur Vedic medical system, this body is production of kapha, pitta, vayu. Or in our modern medical science, anatomy, physiology, this body is a combination of bones, muscles, skin, blood, urine, stool. That's all. So sastra says, "If anyone thinks that he is this lump of bones, flesh, blood, urine and stool," yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13], and sva-dhih kalatradisu, "and the production of these bones and flesh, kalatradisu..." Because we have got relationship here in this material world with wife. Kalatra means wife. Kalatra, kalatradisu: "Beginning from wife." Wife produces so many children, and therefore adi, the beginning is wife. So sva-dhih kalatradisu. "The wife and my children, they are my kith and kin." Sva-dhih kalatra, sva-dhih. "They are my own." Everyone is working... Even a great economist, Mr. Marshall, he says that economic development begins from family affection. Family affection. So unless one thinks that he has to maintain his wife, children, family, there is no question of economic development. Impetus. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu and bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13]. Bhauma, this earth, as worshipable. Bhauma ijya-dhih yat-tirtha-buddhih salile: "And for pilgrimage, one who thinks that the water is tirtha..." Tirtha means where one can get transcendental knowledge. Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih, yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesv abhijnesu. "...but has no interest to associate with persons who is expert in transcendental knowledge. Such, these persons, they are called go-khara." Go-khara means cows and asses. So Arjuna played the part of a go-khara. In the battlefield of Kuruksetra, he played the part of an ordinary person, go-khara, who is identifying this body as self. Therefore he required instruction. Not only... He became so much overwhelmed that he gave up his arrows and bows and sat down, tightly: "My dear Krsna, I am not, I cannot fight." And he was crying. Not only he gave up his duty, he was ksatriya, and he was crying: "Oh, I'll have to kill my kinsmen. No, no, no. I cannot do it."

this is the set-up in the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. This is the summary. Now sanjaya uvaca. The Sanjaya is speaking to Dhrtarastra. Sanjaya is seeing the battlefield within his heart. That is another television. And by the grace of Vyasadeva, he learned the art, that he advanced... He was so much advanced that the... Just like we see television, relay from the battlefield, and he, Duryodhana, Dhrtarastra was blind. And his secretary, Sanjaya, he was speaking. He was seeing the activities in the battlefield. Dhrtarastra inquired from him:

dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya
 [Bg. 1.1]

He was asking Sanjaya: "What did they do?" Kim akurvata sanjaya. That was the question. And first of all, Sanjaya described the arrangement in the battlefield, and then he's speaking. Now, sometimes Bhagavad-gita is misinterpreted that this battle, I mean to say, dharma-ksetra kuru-ksetra means "this body." We do not misinterpret in that way. There is no question of misinterpretation. We are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. We do not change by our whimsical imagination, concoction. We do not interpret the words of the Bhagavad-gita according to our own desire. No. Actually, from literary point of view, interpretation is required when things are not understood very clearly. The interpretation required. In the law court, when the lawyers try to interpret before the judge, when the terms are not very clear... That is the same way, in, in, amongst the associates and society of learned scholars. Interpretation is not required when the things are very clear. Just like the sun, sunshine, sunlight. There is no need of a lamp to show the sun. The sun is self-effulgent. It is already there. Light is there. Why one should take a lamp to show the sun? This misinterpretation has killed the spirit, the real essence, of Bhagavad-gita.

So there was so many editions and so many misinterpretation. Our, this Krsna consciousness movement, our proposition is that we are, I mean to say, presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. We do not misinterpret. So dharma-ksetra kuru-ksetra. Kuruksetra is dharma-ksetra, the place where religious ritualistic performances are done. Kuru-ksetre dharmam acaret. That is the Vedic version. So Kuruksetra is always... Still people go for pilgrimage in Kuruksetra, and the station is there, Kuruksetra, and the place is there. People go there. Kuruksetra. Why one should interpret that kuru-ksetra means this body and Pandavas means these panca-indriyas, so many things? There is no question of interpretation. And this Mahabharata... Mahabharata means "The History of Greater India." That is Mahabharata. History, it is history. It is not a fiction. It is history. Mahabharata. This planet was formerly known as Bharata-varsa. This planet. The whole planet. Not that the piece of land, as we are calling now, Bharata-varsa. No. Before that, this planet was known as Ilavrta-varsa. And after the reign of Maharaja Bharata, the son of Rsabhadeva, this planet became Bharata-varsa. So Bharata-varsa means the whole planet. But we have lost... Just like we have lost portion of the present Bharata-varsa as Pakistan. Everyone knows, twenty years before there was no such thing as Pakistan. But circumstantially we have lost. So..., so the whole Bharata-varsa has been partitioned as this portion is called America, this portion is called Europe, this portion is called Asia. These are modern names. Actually, the whole planet was Bharata-varsa. And the whole planet was being controlled by Vedic culture. So as we have lost our Vedic culture, as we could not control the others, other people in other part of the world, by our culture, by our political maneuver, we have lost. Even up to the day of Battlefield of Kuruksetra... Why Kuruksetra? Up to the time of Maharaja Pariksit, the whole world was being controlled by one king in New Delhi, Hastinapura. There was no other kingdom. And when the battlefield was..., the battle was there, all people from all parts of body, all parts of the world, they joined, either this party or that party. That was the battlefield.

So this is the picture of the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and Krsna is ordered by Arjuna to place the chariot in between the two soldiers. Now, after seeing the soldiers and the kings and other party, Arjuna is aggrieved, so much so that he did not like to fight, and he was crying. Now, Dhrtarastra asked Sanjaya: "Then what happened next?" Dhrtarastra was very much anxious. He said: dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah [Bg. 1.1]. "Now these two parties, yuyutsavah, they, they, they were, both of them were desirous of fighting, yuyutsavah. So one party is mamakah, my sons, and the other party is Pandavas, the sons of my brother, Pandu." Mamakah pandavas caiva [Bg. 1.1]. Now, the word is used: yuyutsavah. "They assembled for fighting." Then what is the use of asking: kim akurvata, "Then what did they do?" It is natural to conclude that when they assemble for fighting, there must be fighting. But why he was asking: kim akurvata? The suspect was that because the parties assembled in the dharma-ksetra, so they might have changed their ideas. Still, in India, if there is two fighting parties, they go to a temple and ask that "You say the right thing." So in the temple, still, in the villages, they do not dare to speak lies. Yes. The fighting and the misunderstanding becomes settled up. So Dhrtarastra was thinking whether the two parties, they have settled up. He did not like that. He wanted that "These Pandavas should be killed, and my sons," I mean to say "the Kauravas, they should come out victorious so that there will be no enemy." He was very much anxious to place his sons on the throne. Because he was blind, he could not acquire the throne. His younger brother was situated on the throne. Now, after the death of his younger brother, he thought that "I missed the opportunity of sitting on the throne. Why not my sons? They have got actual right." That is the background of this Kuruksetra battle. He was always devising some means, how the sons of Pandu, his nephews, could be separated and his sons would sit on the throne. That was his idea. Therefore he inquired, kim akurvata. Otherwise, there was no question of inquiring kim akurvata. They went there to fight. They'll fight. But he was suspecting, "If they have made any compromise?" That he did not like. That he did not like. He wanted that "There must be fighting. And they are five brothers. My sons are one hundred in number. So they would be killed, and my sons will be without any rivalry."

This is the background of Kuruksetra. But another thing is the dharma-ksetra, effect of dharma-ksetra was visible in Arjuna. Dharma-ksetra. He, because he's devotee of Krsna... Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. Because he's devotee of Krsna, therefore he felt: "What is this? Why shall I kill these, my brothers?" Because he was devotee. This sentiment came into the mind of Arjuna, not on the other side, Duryodhana. He never thought. Although they were placed, both of them placed at dharma-ksetra. The effect of dharma-ksetra was manifest in the body of Arjuna, not Duryodhana. This is the... If one is pure, then the effects of dharma becomes manifest very quickly. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah... [Bg. 7.15]. Krsna says in... that those who are too much sinful, sinful, simply their life is sinful, duskrtinah. Duskrtinah. Krti. Krti means one who has got good brain. But duskrtinah, but the brain is applied for mischievous activities. For mischievous activities, it also requires good brain. And similarly, for pious activities, that also requires brain. But those who are applying their brain for mischievous activities, they are called duskrtinah. So duskrtinah... Na mam duskrtino mudhah. Why they do so? Because they are mudhah, rascals. If one has got good brain, he should apply it for good work, but sometimes they are utilized... Just like a thief, he has got good brain. A rogue, he has got good brain, but he's applying for mischievous activities, for making people unhappy. That is not the right use. Jnana-khala. They are called jnana-khala. One who has got nice knowledge, it should be utilized for better purpose.

So the effect of Kuruksetra, dharma-ksetra, was visible in the person of Arjuna, not in the person of Duryodhana. That is the difference. Therefore he was crying: "So I am put in such a position that I have to fight and I have to kill my brothers, my nephews, my grandfather." He was too much affected. Although it is weakness, but it is not actually weakness. It is compassion. Arjuna was not a coward, neither he was less heroic than the other side. But out of compassion, because he was devotee... Devotees, they are para-duhkha-duhkhi. The, the symptom of a devotee is they are unhappy by seeing others unhappy. That is the symptom of devotee. Generally, a person, if he sees somebody happy, he becomes happy. Matsarata. That is the world situation. If I see my brother is very happy, he has improved in his material condition, then I become unhappy: "He has advanced so much, and I could not do so." This is material civilization. Envious, grhamedhi. Everyone is envious. Either you take person to person or neighbor to neighbor, their sympathy is lip sympathy. Actually, everyone is envious. Businessman to businessman, nation to nation. This is material world. Therefore spiritual advancement means for person who is not envious. Not envious. Paramo nirmatsaranam satam vastavya-vastu vedyam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that if you want to know the real truth, vastavya-vastu, the one must become paramo nirmatsaram. Nirmatsara. Matsara, matsara means envious, and nirmatsara, not envious. And parama, first-class nirmatsara. Therefore Vyasadeva says that: dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaranam [SB 1.1.2]. In the introduction of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vyasadeva says who are the candidates to understand this science of God, Srimad-Bhagavatam? It is not for the persons who are entangled in cheating religious system. Cheating, dharmah kaitavah. Kaitava means cheating. So cheating type of religious system are kicked out from this book, Srimad-Bhagavatam, but it is meant for persons who are not envious, paramo nirmatsaranam satam. Vastavya-vastu. One who wants to learn reality, not false reality. This, here, in this material world, everything is false reality. Just like we are trying to find out water in the desert. That is the example, mirage, false... There is no water. But the animal, he sees that there is water, vast water, and he runs after it and dies. So here in this material world also, every one of us, running after the false mirage, that "There is happiness, there is happiness, there is happiness." This is called material condition, and we are envious. This is the position, and therefore Krsna begins the Bhagavad-gita to get out of this ignorance and enviousness, and this is the basic principle of Bhagavad-gita.

So we shall discuss tomorrow again. Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972

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The Higher Science

21 May 72 , Los Angeles

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Prabhupada: What is the sound? Hm? You'll play mrdanga, I'll sing. (sings Jaya Radha-Madhava. Prema-dhvani) So this is the true picture of God: Jaya radha-madhava. Jaya radha-madhava kunja-vihari. He is simply enjoying, Radha-Madhava. You have seen the picture, Radha-Krsna. So eternally engaged in enjoyment, in the association of the gopis. Gopi-jana-vallabha. And His only business is how to please the gopis. Just like here, in this material world, the young boy who loves a young girl, he tries to please the girl always. This is natural. Because originally, the same thing is there in God. It is a pleasure. It is a pleasure for the male to please the female counterpart. That is originally created. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir ahladini-saktih. These Radha-Krsna love affairs is the originally there. Radharani, the female counterpart, is the manifestation of ahladini-sakti, pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He has got many potencies. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. God, God means with His potencies. Just like ordinarily, we are part and parcel of God, a minute particle; still, we have got so many potencies. Every man, every living entity... Not only man, the animals also, they have got various potencies, creative energy. So you just imagine how much creative energies and potencies are there in God. This is the understanding. If I am a little portion, part and parcel of God, I have got so much potencies... "I" means the human being. Or even animal. There are many animals, they have got... Just like a bird. He can fly in the sky without any mechanical arrangement. He has got the potency. You cannot. If you want to fly in the sky, then you have to make some machine. But a small insect, he is flying very freely, without any mechanical... You cannot make such a small machine like an insect. That is not. But God has given him potency, although he's a very insignificant small ant, insect, he can very freely fly. You cannot live within the water. If you want to live within the water, you have to make so many arrangements, submarine and this and that, so many things. But a small fish, he doesn't care even the ocean. Playing. A small fish. When I was walking on the beach of Hawaii, what is that animal with many le...?

Devotees: Crab.

Prabhupada: Crab. So, when we were walking, they were flying towards the sea. They have got instinct, or reason, that "Somebody's coming. He may kill me. So let me have shelter of the Pacific Ocean." The crab is not going this side, to the forest, because he knows certain that "The forest cannot give me shelter; the Pacific Ocean can give me shelter." This is the psychology. I never seen the crab is going this side, forest side. It is going to the Pacific Ocean side. And, so far as I am concerned, as soon as the waves are coming, I am going away from the ocean. Although I am a human being, I cannot take shelter of the Pacific Ocean, because I have not the potency.

So in this way you have to study. We are samples of God, part and parcel. Just like you take little sample from the Pacific Ocean, a drop of water. You can taste it, and it is salty. You can understand the whole water is salty. Similarly, living entities, they are sample of God, small, very small. You can create one sputnik or jet plane, and you take so much credit, "Oh, I am flying in the sky." But why don't you give the credit to God, who is plying, flying millions of sputniks in the sky? Not small; with so many mountains, seas, houses, trees, plants, and so many things. You can see so many things. The sun planet, the moon planet and others, so many other pla... Kotisu vasudhadi vibhuti-bhinnam. In each and every universe, there are millions of planets. Kotisu, vasudhadi. Vasudha means planet.

yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-
kotisv asesa-vasudhadi vibhuti-bhinnam
tad brahma niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.40]

The brahmajyoti, yasya prabha, is the bodily effulgence of God, Krsna, Govinda. So on that effulgence, jagad-anda-koti, there are innumerable universes. It is not very difficult to understand. Just like you see, in the sunshine innumerable planets are floating. So what is the difficulty to understand that there is a shining effulgence from the body of God, Krsna, and in that shining effulgence, innumerable universes are floating? What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. It is most scientific proposal.

So these are the potencies of God. Not that I can show some magic and immediately I become God. Just see the magic, real magic of God. Don't accept cheap God. God must show godly magic. Just like we are showing little magic, floating some airplane or sputnik or jet in the sky. We are taking so much credit, so much credit that scientists are declaring, "There is no God. I am God, because I have made this airplane." And what is your airplane in comparison to these planets? So intelligent person, they will give more credit to God than to these scientists or philosophers. Because he can see the potencies, how much potency is there. So He has many potencies. In the Vedic literature we can understand, parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. In the Vedas, Upanisad: na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. God has nothing to do personally. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. Na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate. Nobody is found equal to him or greater than Him. Nobody. That is God. If somebody is competitor, one God competitor, another God competitor... Just like nowadays it has become a fashion to become God, and there are competitions between one "God" and another. But actually, nobody can compete with God. That is God. Na tasya sama. Sama means equal. Adhikasya, or greater. That means greater. That means everyone subordinate. Everyone subordinate. Everyone is lower than God. He may be very powerful, but nobody can be equal or greater than God. That is the Vedic information. Na tasya sama adikasya drsyate. We don't find... They are also, great saintly persons, they're researching that who is the greatest personality. Greatest personality. So by research work by great saintly persons, especially by Lord Brahma... He is the first creature within this universe. So he has found by his spiritual advancement and research work that Krsna is the greatest. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. He gives his decision: "The greatest personality is Krsna." Just like we are sitting, so many ladies and gentlemen here. We can analyze who is the greatest here. So, say, for arguing, you can accept that "You are the greatest." But I am not the greatest. I have got my spiritual master. He has got his spiritual master. He has got a spiritual master. In this way, we go up to Brahma. Brahma is the original spiritual master within this universe, who gave us the Vedic knowledge. He's therefore called forefather, er, grandfather, pitamaha. But he's also not independent. In the Vedanta-sutra or Bhagavata it is said that Brahma... He's the first creature. There was no other any other living entity when he was created first. So if I say that he also got knowledge from others, then the argument may be, "Who is the next person to give him knowledge?" So therefore Bhagavata says, "No. He received knowledge from Krsna." How? "From the heart." Tene brahma hrda. Hrda. Because God, Krsna, is sitting in everyone's heart -- your heart, my heart, everyone. And He can give you instruction. His name is therefore Caitya-guru. Caitya-guru means who gives conscience and knowledge from within. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto: [Bg. 15.15] "In everyone's heart I am sitting." Hrdi, "within the heart"; sannivisto, "I am sitting there." Sarvasya. Not only you and me, even animals insects, birds, beasts, Brahma, everyone. Sarvasya. All living entities. So sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah: "from Me"; smrtir jnanam apohanam ca, "remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." Forgetfulness also. If you want to forget God, God will give you intelligence that you can forget God forever. He's so kind. Whatever you want, He will give you intelligence, "Do like this."

So there are two things. There are two living entities. One is trying to forget God, and another is trying to remember God. That's all. There are two kinds of people, or men. Men, not the animals. Animals cannot understand what is God. It is the business of human beings. So if you want to know God sincerely, seriously, then God is within yourself. He'll give you intelligence how you can know Him. But if you want to forget God, challenge God, "There is no God. God is dead," then He'll give you such intelligence that you'll always think that there is no God, that God is dead, like that. He'll give some arguments. There are so many atheists, they are also putting their arguments. So wherefrom the argument comes? It comes from God, that "You take this argument and forget God forever." Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. Vedic knowledge means to understand God. That's all. One who has understood God, he has studied all Vedas. Finished. And one who has not understood God, simply studying this literature, that literature, that scripture, then he's simply wasting his time. That's all. Because (the) ultimate knowledge is God. If one cannot understand what is God after so much education, then Bhagavata says, srama eva hi kevalam: [SB 1.2.8] "It is simply labor, labor, waste of time." Simply waste of time. There is no education. Education, knowledge, means ultimately to understand, to know what is God. Actually; not fictitiously, vaguely. So there are many classes of men who have no understanding of God. Some of them are saying, "God is dead," or "God is impersonal," "There is no God," "Zero," "I am God," "You are God," so many things. All these people do not know what is God; therefore there are different theories. Therefore, somehow or other, if you can understand God, then your life is successful. Somehow or other. Because this human life is especially meant for understanding God. Athato brahma jijnasa. The Vedanta-sutra... You have heard the name of Vedanta. Vedanta means... Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. The ultimate knowledge. Therefore, Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: [Bg. 15.15] "The ultimate purpose of reading Vedas is to know Me."

So who can read Vedanta philosophy? A very learned scholar he must be, at least, he must be very learned scholar in Sanskrit. He must have sufficient brain substance to understand what are these Vedanta-sutras. Because everything is there in a small aphorism. Just like the first aphorism of Vedanta-sutra is athato brahma jijnasa. In three words: atha, atah, brahma, jijnasa. Four words. So it contains volumes of philosophy. The next aphorism is janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Janma, adi, asya, yatah. "From whom," asya, visvasya, "of this universe, cosmic manifestation." From where this cosmic manifestation has come, and where it rests, and where it will dissolve. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. In this way, Vedanta-sutra means, gives you the whole purpose of Vedas, knowledge, in small code words. So to understand these code words, one must have very big brain, or very highly standard educational qualification. Then... All the acaryas, those who are controlling Vedic civilization, like Sankaracarya, Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, they have all written their commentaries on the Vedanta-sutra. Because unless one explains Vedanta-sutra, he'll not be accepted as an authorized acarya. He's not... Not that anyone can become acarya. He must give explanation of the Vedanta-sutra, prasthana-traya. There is system. So ultimately, Vedanta-sutra, as Krsna says, vedais ca sarvaih. Sarvaih means including Vedanta-sutra. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. "I am to be understood." Why? Vedanta-krt vedanta-vit ca aham. Vedanta-krt, "I am the compiler of Vedanta-sutra." Vedanta-sutra was compiled by Vyasadeva. He is incarnation of Krsna, Dvaipayana Vyasa. So therefore, it is compiled by His incarnation, so it is compiled by Him. Because His incarnation, He is the same. So vedanta-krt means Veda..., compiler of the Vedanta, and the compiler of the compiler of the Vedanta is vedanta-vit, one who knows Vedanta. Because I have written some book, so I know what is the purpose of writing my book. You cannot know. My purpose you cannot know.

There is a small instructive story in this -- not story, fact -- in this connection. In Calcutta there was a great dramatist. He was very well known, government officer. He wrote one book, Shah Jahan. That is very famous book for theatrical play. So in that Shah Jahan, means the king emperor Shah Jahan, the... Practically, the name which is given on the book, the hero title, he's the hero. So one of the friends of Mr. D. L. Raya, he inquired from Mr. Raya that "In your book Shah Jahan, the actual hero is Aurangzeb. Why you have given the title Shah Jahan?" He could not understand it. So I'm just trying to explain that the purpose of the book must be known to the author, not others. So the author replied, "My dear friend, the actual hero is Shah Jahan, not Aurangzeb." Although the Shah Jahan book is full of the activities of Aurangzeb, the fact is that Shah Jahan was the emperor. He had many, four or five sons, and his wife died, Mumtaz, at an early age. You have seen, those who have gone to India, you have seen the Taj Mahal building. That building was constructed in the memory of that Mumtaz by Shah Jahan. He spent all his money for constructing that building. So it is one of the seven wonders of the world. So that Shah Jahan lost his wife at an early age. She (he) was very fond of his wife. And because, affectionate father, he did not very much chastise his sons, and he spent all his money in constructing the memory of his wife, so when the sons grew up, the third son, Aurangzeb, came out very crooked. And he made a plan how to usurp the empire. He killed his elder brother and other brothers. He arrested his father, Shah Jahan. So this is the book subject matter, Shah Jahan. So whole activities. But the author says that "Aurangzeb is not the hero; hero is Shah Jahan." Then he explained why. "Now, because Shah Jahan was living, sitting in the Agra Fort as a prisoner, and all the reactions of Aurangzeb's activities, killing of his other sons, usurping the empire, that was beating on his heart; therefore he was suffering. He is the hero."

So this is an example. The author of a book knows very well what is the purpose of that book. That is my statement. Similarly, this Vedanta-sutra was compiled by Vyasadeva, or Krsna's incarnation, or Krsna Himself. So He knows what is Vedanta-sutra. So if you want to understand Vedanta-sutra, then you must understand Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. Krsna says also that by studying all the Vedic literature, one has to understand Krsna. And He also confirms... And Vyasadeva explains Vedanta-sutra in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because He knew that "Vedanta-sutra, being authoritative version of Vedic literature, so many rascals will comment in different way. Therefore I must leave..." That was also done under the instruction of Narada. He wrote personally a commentary on the Vedanta-sutra. That is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhasyayam brahma-sutranam vedartha paribrmhitam. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the right commentary by the author Himself. And the vedartha paribhrmhitam the purpose of Vedas, the scheme of Vedic literature, is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. So this human life..., athato brahma jijnasa, means, the Vedanta-sutra says, that "This life, this human life, is meant for understanding God." Brahma-jijnasa. At least, not understanding, at least inquiring, jijnasa. Jijnasa means inquiring.

So where the inquiry should be made? If I want to inquire about God, shall I go to the storekeeper or drug shop or a motor shop? No. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. If you want to know the transcendental science, then you must find out a guru. That is injunction. Jijnasuh sreyah uttamam. Gurum prapadyeta. Tasmad prapadyeta gurum jijnasuh sreyah uttamam. If you are actually inquisitive to understand higher science, uttamam... Uttama means higher. These are not higher sciences, how to earn some money. Earn some money, and eat something, and sleep, and have some sex life, and die -- this is not higher science. This is not higher science. Higher science is brahma-jijnasa, to inquire about Brahman. That is higher science. This science, earning money and fulfilling the hungry belly, this science the birds and beast also know how to do it. It does not require much education. There is no scientific education how to enjoy sex life. Everyone knows how to do it. Similarly, there is no need of scientific education, how to eat or how to find out your food. The birds and beast, they are also finding out, and are they also eating. So these are not higher sciences. The higher science is to inquire, athato brahma jijnasa, to inquire about God, the Supreme. And that can be done by the human being, not by others. Not the cats and dogs. So if we do not give education of this higher science to the human society, if we keep them dumb about this, or if we make secular state, prohibitive injunction to understand God, then it is an animal society. It is an animal society. So such things happen sometimes.

So there is a narration of King Vena. The King Vena happened to be an atheist king. So because that... The reason is given that his mother was the daughter of an atheist king. Naranam matur laksanam. It is a scientific fact that a son inherits the quality of the mother, and a daughter inherits the quality of father. So the King Vena's mother inherited the quality of her father, and the Vena, King Vena, inherited the quality of grandfather, or mother. So he was atheist king, atheistic. When he become king... He was very powerful, strong, but atheist. So when he became king, because he was very powerful, he declared by drum beating... What is that?

na yastavyam na datavyam
na hotavyam dvijah kvacit
iti nyavarayad dharmam
bheri-ghosena sarvasah
[SB 4.14.6]

Bheri-ghosena means by sound of bugle. Formerly, when there was some declaration by the king, by the government, one should go in the marketplace and, the government men, and take a drum and one bugle, and they'll declare, "This is the law from this day." That's all. No more gazette. So, this is the old system. Somewhere it's still existing. So the Vena king declared that "These are all nonsense." What is this? Na yastavyam: "No more worship of God, no more sacrifice." Na datavyam: "No more charity. Stop all this!" Na datavyam na hotavyam: "No more offering oblations to the fire, sacrifice." Dvijah kvacit iti. This business was meant for the brahmanas; therefore, dvija, he's restricting the brahmanas that "Don't do all this nonsense anymore." Dvijah kvacit. Iti nyavarayad dharmam: "In this way he stopped all religious activities." Bheri-ghosena sarvasah.

So formerly, the king was controlled by saintly persons, by priestly order. They would give the king advice. The Vedic society is divided into four classes of men. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. According to quality and work, there are four divisions of men: The brahmana, the intelligent class of men; the ksatriyas, the administrative class of men, the martial class of men; and the vaisyas, the productive class of men; and the sudras, the worker class of men. That is still existing in a different name, but the difficulty is, the classification is not made according to quality and work. That was the actual position of classification. Nowadays, a sudra is on the government. A person who is a nonsense number one, he has no knowledge, he is on the head of the government. The things have been topsy-turvied. A person on religious category, he's advocating something, oh, it is not to be uttered. Homosex. You see? He's advocating homosex. Just see. These has been topsy-turvied. The four classes of men are there, still. But the third-class, fourth-class man is taking the place of first class. And the first-class man is kicked out, "Go out. Don't talk of God." This is the position at the present moment. The classes are there. That is natural. There must be some first-class men, there must be some second-class men, there must be some third-class men, there must be some fourth-class men. But the difficulty is that the fourth-class man is taking the position of first-class man, and the first-class man is being kicked out. Therefore there are so many problems in the society. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. First-class man must be acting first class. But he's acting as last class, but he is posed in first class. Things have been topsy-turvied. So it is the duty of the government to find out the first-class man and employ him for first-class business, first-class activities. And what is that first-class activity? The first-class activity is athato brahma jijnasa. That is first-class activity. Otherwise, it is fourth-class activity. If the human society is not divided into right order, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. And it is the duty of the government to see that the first-class man is employed in first-class activities, the second-class man is engaged in second-class activities. Then the government will be nice. Now here, the Vena Maharaja, he's on the head of the administration, royal king. Now he is advising, "Reject religion. No more charity, no more sacrifice, no more worship. Stop all this nonsense." Then what is the condition of the society? So that is being done.

So it will take some time to explain about these activities of first-class, second-class, third-class men. It is a great science. So we shall try to explain, one after another. You please come on Sunday. I shall hold this class. For the time being, excuse me.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972

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