76/08/22 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 7.1
Prabhupada:
sri bhagavan uvaca
mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]
Sri bhagavan uvaca. Vyasadeva could have written sri krsna uvaca, but purposefully he's writing sri bhagavan uvaca. Because avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, because He descends as human being, mudhas, those who are rascals, they consider Him just like one of us human beings. Avajananti. Therefore to avoid the offense on the part of the mudhas, he writes bhagavan uvaca. Directly.
Bhagavan means full with six opulences.
aisvaryasya samagrasya
viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva
sannam bhaga itingana
Bhagavan means aisvaryasya samagrasya, the master of all wealth within the creation. That is Bhagavan. Not that millions or trillions of dollars, but all the wealth. Aisvaryasya samagra. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram: [Bg. 5.29] "I am the enjoyer and proprietor of all the planets." That is Bhagavan. Aisvaryasya samagra. Viryasya yasasah sriyah. He's the master of all strength; He's all-famous. Krsna five thousand years ago appeared on this planet, but still He's famous. His worship is going on still. In India there are hundreds and thousands of temples like this. Not only in India, now outside India there are least hundreds of temples like this. He's so famous. That is Bhagavan. He's not a cheap Bhagavan: "I have become Bhagavan by meditation." No. He's real Bhagavan. Bhagavan is Bhagavan. He doesn't require to meditate. Just like Krsna, when He was three months old, He's Bhagavan. Putana came to kill Him, but Putana was killed by Him. That is Bhagavan. At the age of three months what meditation He could do? So this meditation Bhagavan and this Bhagavan is different. Bhagavan is always Bhagavan. Either He's three months old or 125 years old. When He was in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra His age was 125 or little less. He was a great-grandfather. So his Bhagavan is not this Bhagavan. Bhagavan cannot be manufactured by meditation factory. No. Therefore it is said bhagavan uvaca.
So to understand Bhagavan, Parabrahman, that is the mission of human life. The cats and dogs cannot understand Bhagavan. That is not possible. A human being can understand. This Bhagavad-gita is for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. So Krsna says that "If you want to know Me..." It is not easy to understand Bhagavan, or God. God is not the exact word of Bhagavan; therefore we use the word "Godhead." "Back to Godhead." Bhagavan means the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being. God means the ruler, the controller. But when we come to the supreme controller, He is Bhagavan. You are controller, I am controller. I am controller of my disciples within the Krsna conscious society, but I cannot control the whole world. I have got some... You are controller in your home, of your wife, children, servants. But you are also controlled. You are not absolute controller. Therefore Bhagavan means the absolute controller.
isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
[Bs. 5.1]
That is Bhagavan, supreme controller. He is controller over everyone, but He is not controlled by anyone. That is Bhagavan. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat [SB 1.1.1]. He's svarat. He's not controlled by anyone. Anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1].
So Bhagavan is explaining Himself, how to know Bhagavan. So we have to take advantage. If we are actually serious to understand Bhagavan, then we have to take the instruction given by Bhagavan Himself. We cannot manufacture ideas to know Bhagavan. That is not possible. You cannot speculate on Bhagavan. Nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na bahuna srutena. The Vedas informs us that nayam atma, Paramatma, Bhagavan. Nayam atma pravacanena labhyah. If one is very good speaker, it is not that he can understand Bhagavan. Nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhaya. If one is very meritorious, great scientist, philosopher, it does not mean that he can understand Bhagavan. Nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na bahuna srutena. If one is very highly educated, highly learned in Vedic knowledge, he also cannot. Bhagavan can be understood by the mercy of Bhagavan. That is the process. Therefore Bhagavan is mercifully explaining Himself. We have to take advantage of it. Then we can understand Bhagavan.
athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno
na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan
These are the verdicts of the Vedas. Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi. "My Lord, one who has got a little mercy of Yourself," prasada-lesa, a little mercy, janati tattvam, "he can understand." Na ca anya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan. "Others, who has not received Your mercy, he may speculate for millions of years, still he cannot understand." So we can understand Bhagavan by the mercy of Bhagavan. Not by speculation, not by learning, not by speaking or so many other things.
So here we have to take advantage, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan personally speaking. Why speaking? Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu [Bg. 7.1]. Without any doubts, asamsayam. If you speculate on God there are so many doubts. But asamsayam, without any doubt, if you want to understand... Asamsayam samagram. And in totality, not partially. Bhagavan is Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is understood from three angles of vision, Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan.
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]
So Brahman understanding is not samagra, not asamsayam. Here it is said asamsayam samagram. Brahman understanding of the Absolute Truth is partial. It is not samagra, means not the complete. Complete knowledge of Absolute is not brahma-jnana. Just like the example is just like we are experiencing daily this sunshine. But understanding of the sunshine is not complete understanding of the sun. Very nice example. Because you are experiencing, I am experiencing daily sunshine, that does not mean we know everything of the sun planet or who are living there, how they are living. Rather, we are contemplating there cannot be any life because so much heat, temperature. So we do not know. We do not know samagram, complete. So this is a material thing. We cannot understand even one of the creation of Bhagavan. And how to know Bhagavan?
So we have to understand Bhagavan from Bhagavan. Then we understand Him asamsayam samagram. Paramatma-jnana, brahma-jnana, they are partial. Bhagavan is sac-cid-ananda. Sac-cid-ananda. So brahma-jnana means the knowledge of eternity; paramatma-jnana means the knowledge of all-pervasive Godhead. Everywhere present. That is Paramatma. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. When one can understand that God is within this universe, andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham, He is within the atom, this is paramatma-jnana. But that is also not complete. But when you come to the understanding of Bhagavan, aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah, that understanding is complete. Sri Bhagavan is the possessor of all kinds of opulences. Then what is difficulty for Him to remain within the atom? Aisvaryasya samagrasya. He can remain within the atom, He can remain within the universe in His gigantic virat form, as He showed to Arjuna, virad-rupa. Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan. He's smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest. In this way, Krsna will explain Himself.
So... The process is... What is that process? Krsna says mayy asakta-manah, "Unto Me become attached." Asakta, attached. So how this attachment will increase? Mayy asakta-manah yogam yunjan, this is a yoga, to become attached to Krsna. This is the beginning. If you come to the temple daily and you see the transcendental form, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1] of Bhagavan... This Bhagavan which you see, it is nondifferent from the original Bhagavan. Don't differentiate, that "This is a stone statue of Bhagavan." No. He is Bhagavan. He is Bhagavan, arca-murti, arca-vigraha. Because we cannot see Bhagavan with our present eyes -- atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. With the present blunt senses we cannot see Bhagavan. Therefore Bhagavan, out of His causeless mercy, has appeared in a form which you can see. Not that He's different. He's not different. Because Bhagavan is everything. That will be explained. So He can appear in any form. So He has appeared in a form which you can see. That is Bhagavan's mercy. Not that He is statue. Arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhir naraki-buddhih. If we consider that "Here is a stone statue," arcye visnau sila-dhih. No sila. No, it is not. Bhagavan is everything. By the advancement of knowledge, we'll understand Bhagavan, "Here is Bhagavan."
So if you daily come... Temple is situated... Temples are constructed to give you the facility how to become attached to Bhagavan. So you should take advantage of it. This temple is very centrally situated. I am very glad that the inhabitants of Hyderabad, they are so nice devotees from the very beginning they are coming. It is very good. So continue this habit. Daily come, see Bhagavan. Offer little obeisances. Bhagavan does not want anything from you. He is self-sufficient. Bhagavan. Aisvaryasya samagrasya. But if you give something to Bhagavan, it is love. Dadati pratigrhnati. You are taking so many things from Bhagavan. And if you give something, what is the wrong? It is exchange of love. And Bhagavan does not want your whole estate. Bhagavan says patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Little leaf, patram; little flower, a little fruit, a little water. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya. Bhagavan wants your bhakti. If you bring little leaf, little flower, little fruit and little water... "Bhagavan, I am very poor man. I have nothing to give You. But I have secured from other's gardens a little leaf, little flower and little fruit, and water is available. So kindly accept it." Bhagavan says patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Toya, bhaktya, what is that verse? Asnami bhakty-upahrtam. Because one is giving out of devotion, love -- asnami, "I eat." If Bhagavan eats from your hand, then you become perfect. That is wanted, bhakti. Bhaktya. Tad aham asnami bhakty-upahrtam. If you bring... That attachment should be increased. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan...
This is the yoga. This is real yoga, how to become attached to the service of the Lord. That is first-class yogi. You'll find in the last paragraph of Sixth Chapter, yoginam api sarvesam. There are many yogis, different kinds of yogis. So yoginam api. Karma-yogi, jnana-yogi, dhyana-yogi, hatha-yogi, and so many yogis. Yoginam api sarvesam, "Of all the yogis," yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47], "One who is always thinking of Krsna..." Naturally, if you practice to come here and see daily, at least once, you'll be able to think of Krsna. Mad-gatenantar-atmana. If you continue that thinking, Krsna, how He's standing, how He is playing on flute, how Radharani is there, here -- man-manah -- in this way, if you think, then you become the greatest yogi.
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
That is wanted.
So the temple is the facility how to become the first-class yogi and how to become the first-class devotee simply by increasing your attachment. This attachment, there is one example that one brahmana, he was daily seeing Lord Ramacandra and then he was breaking his fast. So Ramacandra was out of His station for some royal business. So this brahmana did not take even water seven days. So when Ramacandra returned, Laksmana informed Lord Ramacandra, "Here is Your devotee, My Lord. Because You were absent for seven days and he could not see You, therefore he did not take even water." Ramacandra appreciated his devotion. So before Lord Ramacandra there was Sita-Rama Deity worshiped in the family of Dasaratha Maharaja's family. So that Deity was kept in the room of Lord Ramacandra because Lord Ramacandra was personally present. So He advised Laksmana that "Give this brahmana this Deity." And He advised him, "Brahmana, you worship this Deity, and when I am not in the station, your worshiping the Deity is as good as worshiping Me." So the Deity worship is so long going on. That Ramacandra Deity is still here in South India.
So there is no difference between the Deity and the Lord. They're the same. Even this chanting of the name of the Lord is the same.
nama cintamanih krsnas
caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah suddho nitya-mukto
'bhinnatvan nama-naminoh
The name, fame, form, quality, pastimes, entourage, everything, they are nondifferent. When we read Bhagavad-gita, you must know when this writing is there, bhagavan uvaca, you must know Bhagavan, Krsna, is speaking just before you, immediately. Bhagavan uvaca. In this way you have to understand tattva. Janati tattvatah.
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]
Tattva. Tattva means the Absolute is the same either by His name, by His form, by His pastimes, by His entourage -- everything absolute same. Advaya-jnana. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas yaj jnanam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. There is no difference. This is tattva-jnana.
So in this way if you increase your attachment for Krsna, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan. This is the yoga, the first-class yoga. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gaten..., sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47]. That is first class. If you practice this yoga -- very easy. Simply you come daily. If you can, offer patram puspam phalam toyam, and offer obeisances. You'll increase your attachment. And that attachment, mayy asakta-manah -- this yoga, if you practice, then what will... Asamsayam samagram. Gradually, God, Krsna, will reveal. You cannot understand God without revelation. So on account of your attachment He reveals Himself. So sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. If you want to see by your blunt material eyes, that is not possible. We have to purify. You'll see God with these eyes when it is purified. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When the eyes will be nirmalam, without any designation, then you'll see Him.
sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]
So increase your asakti. Athasakti. The asakti... Adau sraddha. Sraddha, beginning, "Oh, here is a temple, let us go and see." This is sraddha. Little faith. And we have to increase this faith. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. If you have got little faith, then you'll come. And here are sadhus. They are simply engaged in Krsna's service. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam. They are engaged always, twenty-four hours, in either of these business -- sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam [SB 7.5.23]. So if you associate with them, if you come and see the arati, how they are chanting, dancing, offering prayers... And that is association. Adau sraddha, little faith. "Let us go and see the temple." And then association. If you come daily, there will be association. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. Then bhajana-kriya. Bhajana-kriya, this hearing, that is bhajana. And if you join the chanting, that is also bhajana. Sravanam kirtanam. This is bhajana. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya. Then anartha-nivrttih syat. Then all kinds of anarthas, unwanted things, nivrtti, that will be finished. Then you'll be purified. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Tato nistha rucis tatah, athasaktih. Then there will be nistha, firm faith. Then there will be taste. You cannot remain at home without coming at least once in the temple. That is called ruci. Ruci, taste. Then asakti. That asakti required.
mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]
So Krsna is personally explaining, read Bhagavad-gita, see the Deity, come here daily, take caranamrtam. If possible, bring patram puspam phalam toyam. In this way you become the topmost yogi and attached to Krsna. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. In this way, he'll be attached to the lotus feet of Krsna and he'll try to understand and explain, just like these devotees are doing. They're going outside for preaching. Vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. What is their business? Simply describing Krsna and Krsna's activities. So similarly, if we engage our mind unto the lotus feet of Krsna and we describe about His pastimes and see His form... Mind, we have got senses. So eyes engaged in seeing the form, nose engaged in smelling the flowers offered to Krsna, tongue engaged in tasting caranamrta and prasadam, hands engaged in cleansing this temple or touching the feet of the devotees. In this way, when all your senses will be engaged, your life will be successful. This is wanted. This is Krsna consciousness movement.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976
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Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
"Krsna In His Vibration Form"
74/04/27 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 7.1
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "Now hear, O son of Prtha, Arjuna, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt."
Prabhupada:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]
In the human society, it is a prerogative to know God. In the animal society, there is no such question. The human society is meant for understanding what is God. That is the privilege of human being. We come to this form of human being after many, many births. There are 8,400,000 species of life, beginning from water. Then on the land... In the water there are nine lakhs species of life, different aquatics. So in the beginning of creation the whole planet was merged into water. That is also scientifically... Modern science. And from sastras also, we understand, pralaya-payodhi-jale dhrtavan asi vedam, kesava dhrta-mina-sarira jaya jagadisa hare **. So in the beginning there was water. So there must be living entities because living entities are everywhere -- in the water, in the air, on the land, within the land, within the water, everywhere. Therefore the living entities are called sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means the living entity can go anywhere. As we are now trying to go to the moon planet, so we may go or not go, but there are living entities in all the planets, in different positions. There are innumerable planets and innumerable universes also. And beyond this material world, there is another nature. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah avyaktah avyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. That nature is permanent.
This material nature is not permanent. It is bhutva bhutva praliyate. Everything here, in the material world, everything comes into existence, takes birth, janma, then stays for some times, grows the body, then produces some by-products, then dwindles, and then finished. This is the material nature. Just like your body, my body, it has taken birth at a certain date, it is growing, and it is producing some children, by-products. Then, as we are growing old, then one day the body will be finished. This is the material nature. Either you take it personally, individually, your body, or this gigantic body of the universe, in whichever way you may take it, the nature is bhutva bhutva praliyate. Here the material nature is you take your birth or appearance and again disappear and again appear. This is the instruction of spiritual life. The spirit soul is there, but it is not getting a permanent settlement. This is material world. Tatha dehantara-praptih. As the body is changing, there are so many children, they will also become old like me. But the spirit soul is there. In the presence of mother, although the body is changing, the mother knows that "My son is there." Although from babyhood the son has grown to boyhood, the body, original body, child's body, baby's body, is not existing, the mother knows that "My boy is there."
So this is commonsense understanding. People do not understand it, very nice common sense, that the body is changing but the soul is there. Exactly the same example: the mother knows that "My boy, my child, although he has changed body, now he has grown-up, say, fifty years old, but my child he is. He is my child." Where is the difficulty to understand? Anyone can understand. But people do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. This kind of education, what is the value? The real knowledge begins when we understand that we are not this body, material body. I am different from body.
dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]
This is our position. Then, when we understand that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," aham brahmasmi, then real knowledge begins. Otherwise, so long we are in the bodily concept of life, we are animals. Because animal cannot think that the animal is not the body.
So first education should be given to the students that he is not this body, he is spirit soul. And because he is spirit soul, he has got a different business than to maintain this body. Maintenance of the body, that is being done by the cats and dogs also. They also take care of the body very nicely. They fight, struggle for existence to... They fight to keep the body fit. The tiger also, he fights. He secures his eatables by fighting. Similarly, this struggle for existence to get things for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is current in the animal society also. So sastra says, therefore, nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. Sastra says, ayam deha, this body, human body... Nayam deho nrloke, deha-bhajam nrloke. Nrloke means in the human society. The animals... Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. Vid-bhujam means an stool-eater animal, stool-eater animal, hogs. You know. Although it is not very easily found in the cities, in our Indian villages, there are so many stool-eater hogs loitering in the street, in the village. The only business is "Where to find out stool?" This is the business. Whole day and night they are working, to find out stool. So if human being is educated to find out his eatables... Of course, the hog's eatables are the stool. They like it very much, very palatable thing. Similarly, we also, for some palatable things, we also work day and night. But sastra says, na ayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate. Why this human society should be trained up to work so hard simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending? This is not good.
Then what is it meant for, human life? Tapa. Tapasya. Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam. The human life's business is to accept tapasya, voluntarily accepting some inconvenience of life. That is called tapasya. Tapa means some trouble. Just like to become brahmacari, it is tapasya. Just like we are prescribing this formula: "No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." People want to do it. People want illicit sex. The whole city is full of pictures, simply how to indulge in illicit sex. Then meat-eating -- big, big signboard -- and intoxication, wine shops. They want it. That is the natural propensity. Loke vyavayamisa-madya-seva nitya hi jantor na hi tatra codana. You do not require to encourage them in these things. They have got natural tendency. That is material world -- to enjoy unrestricted sex life, to eat meat, fish eggs, amisa... Amisa-madya-seva. Amisa means eat meat, fish, eggs. These are amisa. And vegetarian means niramisa. So amisa-madya-seva. Madya means intoxication. Either wine or cigarette, bidi or ganja, bhang, teas, coffees, they are all intoxication. So amisa-madya-seva and vyavaya. Vyavaya means sex life. You do not require to educate them. In the school, college, the boys and girls are not, I mean, given lesson... Of course now, I think, they are now giving lesson also. But naturally, without any lesson, they know how to do it. Similarly, without an education, one can take to intoxication. So these things are natural. But when we try to stop these material instincts, that is called tapasya, tapasya.
So human life is not to be carried away by the so-called natural instinct. Natural instinct, material life... There are two kinds of natural instinct. So long we are in the bodily concept of life, there are different natural instincts, and when we come to the platform of spiritual understanding, that natural instinct is different. That is real natural instinct. So that natural instinct, spiritual natural instinct, can be attained by tapasya. Tapo divyam. That is the instruction of Rsabhadeva. Now, people may say that "Why we should undergo this tapasya, austerities? If we want to enjoy life, why we shall voluntarily give up this and undergo austerities?" No, there is reason. Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam. It is very reasonable. You have to undergo tapasya, voluntarily restraint. That is called tapasya. So why? Yena suddhyet sattvam. Your existence will be purified. "What is the wrong in my existence?" That we cannot understand; that is called illusion. There are so many wrong things. Always we are in miserable condition. The summary miserable condition is, as described in the Bhagavad-gita, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. That is intelligence, that "I am now put under... Although I have solved all my problems..." But Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, "You have solved all your problems by your so-called scientific advancement; that is all right. But where is your solution of janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease? Where is your solution?"
This is very intelligent question. Krsna says therefore that "You have solved all the problems of miserable condition of life. That is all right. But you should always keep in front these problems, prominently: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanu..." Janma, the tribulations of janma, to live within the womb of the mother, everyone, we have suffered, but we have forgotten. Similarly, we are awaiting another suffering at the time of death. That is also suffering. Janma-mrtyu. Then, when we take birth, we get old. That is also suffering. And we suffer from diseases. But as we are spirit soul... That is described in the Bhagavad-gita. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. The spirit soul does not die after the annihilation of this body. That is our position. We are accepting different types of bodies, but we are eternal, part and parcel of the Supreme. Not only eternal, full of knowledge and blissful. This is our position. But at the present moment, because we have got this body, it is no very pleasurable condition. It is miserable condition. There are adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika miseries, and always we are under. That we cannot understand. We are thinking that "Things go on like this. Don't bother about these things. Go on. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." That means we are living very foolishly. Although the problems are there... I do not wish to die; the death is there. I do not wish to be within the womb of my mother, but I am forced to take a body within the womb of my mother. Then when I get the body, I come out, I am subjected to so many tribulation on account of this body, old age, disease and so many.
So actually, this is the problem of living entities. That knowledge can be acquired in the human form of life and it can be solved, not that simply we get the knowledge, but it can be solved. So therefore, real business of human life, to understand oneself, that is called self-realization, brahma-bhuta, and find out the remedy and act accordingly. That is the mission of human life. Not like to dance like cats and dogs with a nice dress. That is not human life. This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gita, our whole Vedic instruction. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. This is God consciousness, Krsna consciousness, or self-realization. Self-realization means either you see yourself or see the Supreme Lord, either way. But without seeing the Supreme Lord, you cannot see yourself. Just like without seeing the sun in the darkness... Just like it is now night. There is no sun. So I cannot see also. In darkness I cannot see also myself. But when there is sun in the morning, I can see the sun and I can see myself also. This is the theory. So if we want to understand ourselves rightly, that "I am spirit soul," aham brahmasmi, then we must take to Krsna consciousness.
So how one can take to Krsna consciousness, that is being described by Krsna in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. The first verse is,
mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]
Because we have to see God. Just like I told you, if you see the sun, then automatically you see everything. You see yourself, you see your neighbor, you see the city, you see the house, you see... Everything you can see when there is sunlight. Similarly, if you can see God, then you can see everything. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. If you can understand what is God, then you understand everything. Then why don't you take this process to understand God? That is the prerogative of human life, to understand God. Why you deny the existence of God? How you can deny? You cannot deny. There is a controller, supreme controller. That we have to accept. We are not free. We are being controlled. However we are trying to become independent of any controller, that is not possible. Prakrteh... You are under the control of the prakrti.
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
Rascals and fools, they are thinking that "We are independent." They are completely under the grip of the material nature. Every one of you know. We want to do something; we don't want excessive heat. Why there is excessive heat so that we have to manufacture this fan and air condition, so many things? This is simply struggle against the control of the material nature. This is a fact. And we have to accept this. You cannot deny it. That is described:
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
Those who are fools and rascals, they are thinking, "We are independent." You are not independent. Under the prakrti, under the nature. And what is the prakrti? Prakrti is the agent, or agency, of Krsna. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: [Bg. 9.10] "Under My control." Prakrti is controlling you or me, and prakrti is being controlled by Krsna. Therefore Krsna is the supreme controller. That is accepted in the Vedic literature, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Krsna is controller -- we are surprised. How? I am also a human being, and Krsna is also a historical person, human being. How He is controller of the whole material nature? That is answered, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Although He comes as a person, but He is not a person like us. He is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. That we can understand, study.
What is that sac-cid-ananda-vigraha? Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ananda means blissfulness. But so far my body is concerned, your body is concerned, they are not sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. My body, your body, will not exist. Therefore it is asat. It is not sat. My body, your body is full of ignorance. Therefore, it is not cit. It is acit. And my body, your body is not at all pleasing. There are so many troubles. Therefore it is not ananda. Therefore Krsna's body is different from us. Therefore He is controller. We think, "If Krsna has got a body, then He must have a body like us." Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. "These mudhas, rascals, because I appear before them to give them the lesson about God, what is God, these rascals think of Me as one of them." This is rascaldom. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam, param bhavam ajanantah [Bg. 9.11]. That sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1] can control the whole material nature -- that they do not know. Param bhavam ajanantah.
So therefore it is our duty to understand Krsna. What is the difficulty? Krsna is personally..., God is personally explaining Himself, what He is, and if we accept that, then where is the difficulty to understand God? Why you are making so much research work to find out God? God is canvassing at your door, "Here I am. You try to understand Me. Here I am explaining Myself." "No, no, no. We shall find out God somewhere else." This is called mudha. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Naradhama means not even ordinary knowledge of a human being. Lowest of the mankind. We are searching out what is God, and God is canvassing here. We do not accept. Therefore naradhama. Why? Mayayapahrta-jnanah, because their knowledge has been taken away by the illusory energy. But one who is, whose knowledge has not been taken away... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was personally instructed by Krsna, and how he accepts Krsna? He accepts Krsna:
param brahma param dhama
pavitram paramam bhavan
purusam sasvatam divyam
adi-devam ajam vibhum
[Bg. 10.12]
"O Krsna, You are Parabrahman." Parabrahman. The word... There are two words: Parabrahman and Brahman. Aham brahmasmi, that does not mean aham parabrahmasmi. Aham brahmasmi: I am also spirit soul, but not the Supreme. Parabrahman is Krsna. I am also isvara. Isvara means controller. You are also isvara. Just like in this school, the teacher is isvara in his class. He is controlling some students. I am controlling my disciples. I am also isvara. So everyone can be isvara. There is no... Everyone can be god. But we are using the word "Godhead." Just like there are some clerks and there is head clerk, similarly, we are all gods. The Mayavadi philosophy, they say, "Everyone is God." That's all right. But you are not the head God. Head, there... If there is god, there are so many gods, there must be one head God. That is our natural experience. Anywhere you go, there are so many people, but there is some leader, head. I had some talks with one Russian professor, Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. So we had very long talks. At last I asked him, "Mr. Kotovsky..." I forget to..., "comrade." (laughter). But I said, "mister." (laughs) "So where is the difference between your philosophy and my philosophy, or our philosophy? You have to accept one leader, head, and we also accept one head. Then where is the difference between communism and other ism?" So he was stopped. He appreciated very much. "The difference is that you have accepted Lenin as your head and we have accepted Krsna as our head."
So there is no difference of the philosophy. You have to accept. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. That is the Vedic instruction. What is meaning of God? God means the head of the living entities. What is the difficulty to understand it? Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. Nitya means eternal. We are also eternal. And God is also eternal. So what is the difference? So qualitatively we are one. Because God is eternal, I am also eternal. I am now somehow or other in diseased condition, that I have to change my body. But God does not change His body. Sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6]. He says, atma-mayaya: "By My own will-power. I am not forced." Just like according to my karma, I have been forced to accept this material body, certain type of body. I cannot dictate. As I am creating another body by my karma, so the karma, by... Prakrteh kriyamanani. Another place. So why the living entities are getting different types of bodies? That is also answered: karanam, the reason is guna-sangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Karanam, the cause, is the material nature.
The material nature is divided into three modes: sattva-guna, tamo-guna, rajo-guna. So to become within the material nature, under the control of the material nature, means to accept one of these gunas, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So if you accept this sattva-guna, the brahminical qualification, satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam ksantih, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam... If you associate with the brahminical qualifications, then you get nicer body. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah. Those who are associating with the sad-guna, they are also described. Sad-guna means satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam ksantih, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma... This is brahma-karma. So tapasya means come to the brahma-karma, not to the sudra-karma. Karanam guna-sango 'sya. Don't associate with the sudra qualifications. Now, what is the sudra qualification? Paricaryatmakam karyam sudra-karma svabhava-jam. You are highly educated, but your desire is how to get a service. Paricarya... I am highly educated, but unless I render service to somebody else like a dog, I am not recognized. This is called sudra-karma. Why a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya should search after service? Therefore in this Kali-yuga it is said, kalau sudrah sambhavah: "Kalau, in this Kali-yuga, everyone is almost sudras." There is lack of brahmana. There is lack of ksatriya and vaisya.
So in Bhagavad-gita we'll find all the solutions of the human problems, all the solutions. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Unless you divide the whole human society into four divisions, the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra... You must have to divide. You cannot say "classless society." That is useless society. Classless society means useless society. There must be an intelligent high class, ideal class of men to see the "Here is human civilization." That is brahmana. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma... [Bg. 4.13]. Unless people see the ideal men, how they will follow? Yad yad acarati sresthah, lokas tad anuvartate. The brahmana is compared with the brain of the body. Unless there is brain, what is the use of these hands and legs? If one's brain is cracked, madman, he cannot do anything. So at the present moment, because there is scarcity of brahminical qualified men in the whole human society... It is not meant... Brahmana is not meant for simply for India of Hindus. For the whole human society. Krsna never says that the catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13] is meant for India, or for Hindus, or for a class of men. For whole human society, there must be a very ideal intellectual man, so that people will follow. Brain, brain of the society. That is the teachings of Bhagavad-gita. You cannot say that "We can do without brain." Suppose from your body if the brain is cut off, your head is cut off, then you are finished. What the hands and legs will do if there is brain, if there is no brain? So at the present moment there is scarcity of brain in the whole human society. Therefore, it is in the chaotic condition. So there is need, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. The human society, the whole human civilization, must be reformed in this way, that there are intellectual class of men, naturally. There are first-class intellectual class of men, second-class intellectual, third-class, fourth-class, like that. So the first-class intellectual man, they must be brahmanas, in the brahminical qualification, and they must be Krsna conscious. Then they can guide the whole society in the right way, and there will be no problem. This is Krsna consciousness movement.
So here Krsna says how to become Krsna conscious. That is for the brahmanas, or the intellectual class of men. That is being described by Krsna. What is that? Mayy asakta-manah: "The mind should be attached upon Me, Krsna." This is the beginning. Some way or other we have to... Our mind is attached to something else. Mind cannot be detached. We have got so many desires. So mind's business -- to become attached. Therefore, I accept something, I reject something. This is mind's business. So you cannot become zero, you cannot become desireless. That is not possible. Our process... Just like others, they say, "You become desireless." That is a foolish proposal. Who can become desireless? It is not possible. If I am desireless, then I am a dead man. A dead man has no desire. So that is not possible. We have to purify the desires. That is required. Purify the desires. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. This is called purification. Nirmalam. Tat-paratvena. Tat-paratvena means when God conscious, Krsna conscious, then desires become purified.
So we have to come to the point of not desirelessness, but to the point of purified desires. That is wanted. Therefore here it is said, mayy asakta-manah: "You can not make your mind desireless, but you fix up your mind upon Me." That is required. Mayy asakta-manah partha. This is the yoga system. This is called bhakti-yoga, and this is called first-class yoga. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita, that yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. The yogi, the first-class yogi, yoginam api sarvesam... "There are different kinds of yoga systems, but the person who has accepted this bhakti-yoga, he is thinking of Me always." Just like these boys and girls they are being taught always thinking of Krsna, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare." So if you read Bhagavad-gita and chant Hare Krsna, immediately you learn the whole science, how to become attached to Krsna. This is called mayy asakta-manah. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan, to practice yoga... This is bhakti-yoga. Mad-asrayah. Mad-asrayah means "under My direction," or "under My protection." Asraya.
So if you read Bhagavad-gita as it is, that is mad-asrayah. But if you interpret Bhagavad-gita according to your rascal imagination, that is not Bhagavad-gita. Therefore it is called mad-asrayah, "under My protection, as I am tea..." We are therefore presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. We do not change. Why should you change? What right you have got to change? If Bhagavad-gita is a book of authority, and if I make my own interpretation, then where is the authority? Can you change the lawbook according to your interpretation? Then what is the meaning of that lawbook? That is not lawbook. You cannot change. Similarly, if you accept Bhagavad-gita as the book of authority, you cannot change the meaning. That is not allowed. What right? If you have got some opinion, if you have got some philosophy, you can write in your own book. Why you are, I mean to say, killing others and yourself by interpreting Bhagavad-gita? You give your own thesis in a different way. But these people, they take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gita and interpret in a different way according to their own whims. Therefore people do not understand what is Krsna. That is the difficulty. And the purpose of Bhagavad-gita is to understand Krsna. And all the so-called scholars' and politicians' commentary is to banish Krsna or to kill Krsna -- the Kamsa's policy. The Kamsa was always thinking of Krsna, how to kill Him. This is called demonic endeavor. So that will not help you.
Therefore Krsna says you have to develop your love and attraction for Krsna. That is wanted. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. "This yoga practice can be performed," mad-asrayah, "under My protection or My devotee's protection." You cannot take protection of another rascal who interprets Bhagavad-gita in a different way. You have to take shelter directly. Of course, Bhagavad-gita instruction is there. Everyone can take shelter of Krsna directly. Where is the difficulty? Just like here is is said, mayy asakta. You have to develop your attachment for Krsna. You can do that. How these Americans and European boys, they have developed their attraction for Krsna? There is a process. If you adopt this process... They are with me for the last two, three or four years. Now they are... You detach them from Krsna consciousness if you have got any power. You cannot do that. Even you bribe them or, no, what you can do? Their father, mother, their countrymen can give you enough. They are all rich men's sons. But they cannot give up Krsna consciousness. Even the Christian priests, they regret that "These are our boys, and they never came to church. They never liked to understand what is the idea of God. Now these same boys, they are after, mad after God. What is this movement?" They are surprised.
So there is a process. If we adopt that process, then everyone can become mayy asakta-manah, Krsna asakta-manah. We have to accept the process. That process is called yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. You have to accept the yoga system under the protection of Krsna personally or His bona fide devotees, representative. Then you will be... Then what will be the result? The result will be asamsayam, without any doubt. Now people are educated in all other institution about God, but they are all full of doubts, full of doubts: "What kind of God? What is the nature of God? Whether there is God? Whether there is no God?" So many doubts. But if you accept this Krsna consciousness yoga system, then you can understand Krsna asamsayam, without any doubt. And samagram, in fullness, not that partial. Partially understanding of God, that is also understanding, but it will again take time, because unless you fully understand what is God, you cannot go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the formula.
There are different stages or phases of understanding. That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is that. It is one, but it is realized into different phases: as Brahman, as Paramatma and as Bhagavan. So if you understand Brahman, that is also partial understanding. If you understand Paramatma... Brahman is understood by the philosophical speculation, Mayavada philosophy, or jnana-marga. Then you can understand partially. Just like to understand the sunshine is partial understanding of the sun. It is not full understanding. Full understanding, if you have got power to go to the sun globe, to see the predominating deity there, Vivasvan, the sun-god, then it is full understanding. If you think that understanding the sunshine you have understand the whole feature of the sun globe, that is wrong. Similarly, to understand Brahman, impersonal Brahman, is also partial understanding. And to understand Paramatma, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61], that is also little higher stage, but that is also partial. But when you understand Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality, that is full understanding. Therefore it is said, bhagavan uvaca, bhagavan uvaca, full understanding. Vyasadeva could have said, "krsna uvaca." But because Krsna is understood wrong way sometimes by the fools and rascals, therefore he says directly, "bhagavan uvaca." Bhagavan uvaca.
You cannot question the statement or instruction of Bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence. There are six kinds of opulences. Bhagavan means one who is full with six kinds of opulences. So nowadays there are so many bhagavans, but because they have no full opulences, they cannot be accepted as Bhagavan. Bhagavan means full opulences.
aisvaryasya samagrasya
viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva
sannam bhaga itingana
Full opulent: complete wealth, complete strength, complete beauty, complete knowledge, complete renunciation. One who possesses all these six things completely, he is Bhagavan. Bhagavan is not so cheap thing that it can be found in the lanes and streets and road. So that is also another misunderstanding. Therefore, Vyasadeva says, "sri-bhagavan uvaca..." He is complete in everything. Isvarah paramah. Isvara means controller. Parama means supreme, no more better than that. That is also enunciated by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior element than Me." So, if we study Bhagavad-gita, if we understand what is the nature of Bhagavan, then our life is successful. Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu [Bg. 7.1]. So Krsna is describing Himself. You try to understand from the statement of Krsna with your logic, argument, science and everything. You will find complete answer.
So this Krsna consciousness movement is not a concoction of mind. It is scientific. It is based on the Vedic knowledge. It is primarily on the background of the teachings of Bhagavad-gita. If we take to this Krsna consciousness, then our human life, its mission, will be successful. That is our request to you all.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "Now hear, O son of Prtha, Arjuna, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt."
Prabhupada:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]
In the human society, it is a prerogative to know God. In the animal society, there is no such question. The human society is meant for understanding what is God. That is the privilege of human being. We come to this form of human being after many, many births. There are 8,400,000 species of life, beginning from water. Then on the land... In the water there are nine lakhs species of life, different aquatics. So in the beginning of creation the whole planet was merged into water. That is also scientifically... Modern science. And from sastras also, we understand, pralaya-payodhi-jale dhrtavan asi vedam, kesava dhrta-mina-sarira jaya jagadisa hare **. So in the beginning there was water. So there must be living entities because living entities are everywhere -- in the water, in the air, on the land, within the land, within the water, everywhere. Therefore the living entities are called sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means the living entity can go anywhere. As we are now trying to go to the moon planet, so we may go or not go, but there are living entities in all the planets, in different positions. There are innumerable planets and innumerable universes also. And beyond this material world, there is another nature. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah avyaktah avyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. That nature is permanent.
This material nature is not permanent. It is bhutva bhutva praliyate. Everything here, in the material world, everything comes into existence, takes birth, janma, then stays for some times, grows the body, then produces some by-products, then dwindles, and then finished. This is the material nature. Just like your body, my body, it has taken birth at a certain date, it is growing, and it is producing some children, by-products. Then, as we are growing old, then one day the body will be finished. This is the material nature. Either you take it personally, individually, your body, or this gigantic body of the universe, in whichever way you may take it, the nature is bhutva bhutva praliyate. Here the material nature is you take your birth or appearance and again disappear and again appear. This is the instruction of spiritual life. The spirit soul is there, but it is not getting a permanent settlement. This is material world. Tatha dehantara-praptih. As the body is changing, there are so many children, they will also become old like me. But the spirit soul is there. In the presence of mother, although the body is changing, the mother knows that "My son is there." Although from babyhood the son has grown to boyhood, the body, original body, child's body, baby's body, is not existing, the mother knows that "My boy is there."
So this is commonsense understanding. People do not understand it, very nice common sense, that the body is changing but the soul is there. Exactly the same example: the mother knows that "My boy, my child, although he has changed body, now he has grown-up, say, fifty years old, but my child he is. He is my child." Where is the difficulty to understand? Anyone can understand. But people do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. This kind of education, what is the value? The real knowledge begins when we understand that we are not this body, material body. I am different from body.
dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]
This is our position. Then, when we understand that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," aham brahmasmi, then real knowledge begins. Otherwise, so long we are in the bodily concept of life, we are animals. Because animal cannot think that the animal is not the body.
So first education should be given to the students that he is not this body, he is spirit soul. And because he is spirit soul, he has got a different business than to maintain this body. Maintenance of the body, that is being done by the cats and dogs also. They also take care of the body very nicely. They fight, struggle for existence to... They fight to keep the body fit. The tiger also, he fights. He secures his eatables by fighting. Similarly, this struggle for existence to get things for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is current in the animal society also. So sastra says, therefore, nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. Sastra says, ayam deha, this body, human body... Nayam deho nrloke, deha-bhajam nrloke. Nrloke means in the human society. The animals... Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. Vid-bhujam means an stool-eater animal, stool-eater animal, hogs. You know. Although it is not very easily found in the cities, in our Indian villages, there are so many stool-eater hogs loitering in the street, in the village. The only business is "Where to find out stool?" This is the business. Whole day and night they are working, to find out stool. So if human being is educated to find out his eatables... Of course, the hog's eatables are the stool. They like it very much, very palatable thing. Similarly, we also, for some palatable things, we also work day and night. But sastra says, na ayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate. Why this human society should be trained up to work so hard simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending? This is not good.
Then what is it meant for, human life? Tapa. Tapasya. Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam. The human life's business is to accept tapasya, voluntarily accepting some inconvenience of life. That is called tapasya. Tapa means some trouble. Just like to become brahmacari, it is tapasya. Just like we are prescribing this formula: "No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." People want to do it. People want illicit sex. The whole city is full of pictures, simply how to indulge in illicit sex. Then meat-eating -- big, big signboard -- and intoxication, wine shops. They want it. That is the natural propensity. Loke vyavayamisa-madya-seva nitya hi jantor na hi tatra codana. You do not require to encourage them in these things. They have got natural tendency. That is material world -- to enjoy unrestricted sex life, to eat meat, fish eggs, amisa... Amisa-madya-seva. Amisa means eat meat, fish, eggs. These are amisa. And vegetarian means niramisa. So amisa-madya-seva. Madya means intoxication. Either wine or cigarette, bidi or ganja, bhang, teas, coffees, they are all intoxication. So amisa-madya-seva and vyavaya. Vyavaya means sex life. You do not require to educate them. In the school, college, the boys and girls are not, I mean, given lesson... Of course now, I think, they are now giving lesson also. But naturally, without any lesson, they know how to do it. Similarly, without an education, one can take to intoxication. So these things are natural. But when we try to stop these material instincts, that is called tapasya, tapasya.
So human life is not to be carried away by the so-called natural instinct. Natural instinct, material life... There are two kinds of natural instinct. So long we are in the bodily concept of life, there are different natural instincts, and when we come to the platform of spiritual understanding, that natural instinct is different. That is real natural instinct. So that natural instinct, spiritual natural instinct, can be attained by tapasya. Tapo divyam. That is the instruction of Rsabhadeva. Now, people may say that "Why we should undergo this tapasya, austerities? If we want to enjoy life, why we shall voluntarily give up this and undergo austerities?" No, there is reason. Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam. It is very reasonable. You have to undergo tapasya, voluntarily restraint. That is called tapasya. So why? Yena suddhyet sattvam. Your existence will be purified. "What is the wrong in my existence?" That we cannot understand; that is called illusion. There are so many wrong things. Always we are in miserable condition. The summary miserable condition is, as described in the Bhagavad-gita, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. That is intelligence, that "I am now put under... Although I have solved all my problems..." But Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, "You have solved all your problems by your so-called scientific advancement; that is all right. But where is your solution of janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease? Where is your solution?"
This is very intelligent question. Krsna says therefore that "You have solved all the problems of miserable condition of life. That is all right. But you should always keep in front these problems, prominently: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanu..." Janma, the tribulations of janma, to live within the womb of the mother, everyone, we have suffered, but we have forgotten. Similarly, we are awaiting another suffering at the time of death. That is also suffering. Janma-mrtyu. Then, when we take birth, we get old. That is also suffering. And we suffer from diseases. But as we are spirit soul... That is described in the Bhagavad-gita. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. The spirit soul does not die after the annihilation of this body. That is our position. We are accepting different types of bodies, but we are eternal, part and parcel of the Supreme. Not only eternal, full of knowledge and blissful. This is our position. But at the present moment, because we have got this body, it is no very pleasurable condition. It is miserable condition. There are adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika miseries, and always we are under. That we cannot understand. We are thinking that "Things go on like this. Don't bother about these things. Go on. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." That means we are living very foolishly. Although the problems are there... I do not wish to die; the death is there. I do not wish to be within the womb of my mother, but I am forced to take a body within the womb of my mother. Then when I get the body, I come out, I am subjected to so many tribulation on account of this body, old age, disease and so many.
So actually, this is the problem of living entities. That knowledge can be acquired in the human form of life and it can be solved, not that simply we get the knowledge, but it can be solved. So therefore, real business of human life, to understand oneself, that is called self-realization, brahma-bhuta, and find out the remedy and act accordingly. That is the mission of human life. Not like to dance like cats and dogs with a nice dress. That is not human life. This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gita, our whole Vedic instruction. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. This is God consciousness, Krsna consciousness, or self-realization. Self-realization means either you see yourself or see the Supreme Lord, either way. But without seeing the Supreme Lord, you cannot see yourself. Just like without seeing the sun in the darkness... Just like it is now night. There is no sun. So I cannot see also. In darkness I cannot see also myself. But when there is sun in the morning, I can see the sun and I can see myself also. This is the theory. So if we want to understand ourselves rightly, that "I am spirit soul," aham brahmasmi, then we must take to Krsna consciousness.
So how one can take to Krsna consciousness, that is being described by Krsna in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. The first verse is,
mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]
Because we have to see God. Just like I told you, if you see the sun, then automatically you see everything. You see yourself, you see your neighbor, you see the city, you see the house, you see... Everything you can see when there is sunlight. Similarly, if you can see God, then you can see everything. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. If you can understand what is God, then you understand everything. Then why don't you take this process to understand God? That is the prerogative of human life, to understand God. Why you deny the existence of God? How you can deny? You cannot deny. There is a controller, supreme controller. That we have to accept. We are not free. We are being controlled. However we are trying to become independent of any controller, that is not possible. Prakrteh... You are under the control of the prakrti.
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
Rascals and fools, they are thinking that "We are independent." They are completely under the grip of the material nature. Every one of you know. We want to do something; we don't want excessive heat. Why there is excessive heat so that we have to manufacture this fan and air condition, so many things? This is simply struggle against the control of the material nature. This is a fact. And we have to accept this. You cannot deny it. That is described:
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
Those who are fools and rascals, they are thinking, "We are independent." You are not independent. Under the prakrti, under the nature. And what is the prakrti? Prakrti is the agent, or agency, of Krsna. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: [Bg. 9.10] "Under My control." Prakrti is controlling you or me, and prakrti is being controlled by Krsna. Therefore Krsna is the supreme controller. That is accepted in the Vedic literature, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Krsna is controller -- we are surprised. How? I am also a human being, and Krsna is also a historical person, human being. How He is controller of the whole material nature? That is answered, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Although He comes as a person, but He is not a person like us. He is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. That we can understand, study.
What is that sac-cid-ananda-vigraha? Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ananda means blissfulness. But so far my body is concerned, your body is concerned, they are not sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. My body, your body, will not exist. Therefore it is asat. It is not sat. My body, your body is full of ignorance. Therefore, it is not cit. It is acit. And my body, your body is not at all pleasing. There are so many troubles. Therefore it is not ananda. Therefore Krsna's body is different from us. Therefore He is controller. We think, "If Krsna has got a body, then He must have a body like us." Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. "These mudhas, rascals, because I appear before them to give them the lesson about God, what is God, these rascals think of Me as one of them." This is rascaldom. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam, param bhavam ajanantah [Bg. 9.11]. That sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1] can control the whole material nature -- that they do not know. Param bhavam ajanantah.
So therefore it is our duty to understand Krsna. What is the difficulty? Krsna is personally..., God is personally explaining Himself, what He is, and if we accept that, then where is the difficulty to understand God? Why you are making so much research work to find out God? God is canvassing at your door, "Here I am. You try to understand Me. Here I am explaining Myself." "No, no, no. We shall find out God somewhere else." This is called mudha. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Naradhama means not even ordinary knowledge of a human being. Lowest of the mankind. We are searching out what is God, and God is canvassing here. We do not accept. Therefore naradhama. Why? Mayayapahrta-jnanah, because their knowledge has been taken away by the illusory energy. But one who is, whose knowledge has not been taken away... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was personally instructed by Krsna, and how he accepts Krsna? He accepts Krsna:
param brahma param dhama
pavitram paramam bhavan
purusam sasvatam divyam
adi-devam ajam vibhum
[Bg. 10.12]
"O Krsna, You are Parabrahman." Parabrahman. The word... There are two words: Parabrahman and Brahman. Aham brahmasmi, that does not mean aham parabrahmasmi. Aham brahmasmi: I am also spirit soul, but not the Supreme. Parabrahman is Krsna. I am also isvara. Isvara means controller. You are also isvara. Just like in this school, the teacher is isvara in his class. He is controlling some students. I am controlling my disciples. I am also isvara. So everyone can be isvara. There is no... Everyone can be god. But we are using the word "Godhead." Just like there are some clerks and there is head clerk, similarly, we are all gods. The Mayavadi philosophy, they say, "Everyone is God." That's all right. But you are not the head God. Head, there... If there is god, there are so many gods, there must be one head God. That is our natural experience. Anywhere you go, there are so many people, but there is some leader, head. I had some talks with one Russian professor, Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. So we had very long talks. At last I asked him, "Mr. Kotovsky..." I forget to..., "comrade." (laughter). But I said, "mister." (laughs) "So where is the difference between your philosophy and my philosophy, or our philosophy? You have to accept one leader, head, and we also accept one head. Then where is the difference between communism and other ism?" So he was stopped. He appreciated very much. "The difference is that you have accepted Lenin as your head and we have accepted Krsna as our head."
So there is no difference of the philosophy. You have to accept. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. That is the Vedic instruction. What is meaning of God? God means the head of the living entities. What is the difficulty to understand it? Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. Nitya means eternal. We are also eternal. And God is also eternal. So what is the difference? So qualitatively we are one. Because God is eternal, I am also eternal. I am now somehow or other in diseased condition, that I have to change my body. But God does not change His body. Sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6]. He says, atma-mayaya: "By My own will-power. I am not forced." Just like according to my karma, I have been forced to accept this material body, certain type of body. I cannot dictate. As I am creating another body by my karma, so the karma, by... Prakrteh kriyamanani. Another place. So why the living entities are getting different types of bodies? That is also answered: karanam, the reason is guna-sangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Karanam, the cause, is the material nature.
The material nature is divided into three modes: sattva-guna, tamo-guna, rajo-guna. So to become within the material nature, under the control of the material nature, means to accept one of these gunas, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So if you accept this sattva-guna, the brahminical qualification, satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam ksantih, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam... If you associate with the brahminical qualifications, then you get nicer body. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah. Those who are associating with the sad-guna, they are also described. Sad-guna means satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam ksantih, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma... This is brahma-karma. So tapasya means come to the brahma-karma, not to the sudra-karma. Karanam guna-sango 'sya. Don't associate with the sudra qualifications. Now, what is the sudra qualification? Paricaryatmakam karyam sudra-karma svabhava-jam. You are highly educated, but your desire is how to get a service. Paricarya... I am highly educated, but unless I render service to somebody else like a dog, I am not recognized. This is called sudra-karma. Why a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya should search after service? Therefore in this Kali-yuga it is said, kalau sudrah sambhavah: "Kalau, in this Kali-yuga, everyone is almost sudras." There is lack of brahmana. There is lack of ksatriya and vaisya.
So in Bhagavad-gita we'll find all the solutions of the human problems, all the solutions. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Unless you divide the whole human society into four divisions, the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra... You must have to divide. You cannot say "classless society." That is useless society. Classless society means useless society. There must be an intelligent high class, ideal class of men to see the "Here is human civilization." That is brahmana. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma... [Bg. 4.13]. Unless people see the ideal men, how they will follow? Yad yad acarati sresthah, lokas tad anuvartate. The brahmana is compared with the brain of the body. Unless there is brain, what is the use of these hands and legs? If one's brain is cracked, madman, he cannot do anything. So at the present moment, because there is scarcity of brahminical qualified men in the whole human society... It is not meant... Brahmana is not meant for simply for India of Hindus. For the whole human society. Krsna never says that the catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13] is meant for India, or for Hindus, or for a class of men. For whole human society, there must be a very ideal intellectual man, so that people will follow. Brain, brain of the society. That is the teachings of Bhagavad-gita. You cannot say that "We can do without brain." Suppose from your body if the brain is cut off, your head is cut off, then you are finished. What the hands and legs will do if there is brain, if there is no brain? So at the present moment there is scarcity of brain in the whole human society. Therefore, it is in the chaotic condition. So there is need, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. The human society, the whole human civilization, must be reformed in this way, that there are intellectual class of men, naturally. There are first-class intellectual class of men, second-class intellectual, third-class, fourth-class, like that. So the first-class intellectual man, they must be brahmanas, in the brahminical qualification, and they must be Krsna conscious. Then they can guide the whole society in the right way, and there will be no problem. This is Krsna consciousness movement.
So here Krsna says how to become Krsna conscious. That is for the brahmanas, or the intellectual class of men. That is being described by Krsna. What is that? Mayy asakta-manah: "The mind should be attached upon Me, Krsna." This is the beginning. Some way or other we have to... Our mind is attached to something else. Mind cannot be detached. We have got so many desires. So mind's business -- to become attached. Therefore, I accept something, I reject something. This is mind's business. So you cannot become zero, you cannot become desireless. That is not possible. Our process... Just like others, they say, "You become desireless." That is a foolish proposal. Who can become desireless? It is not possible. If I am desireless, then I am a dead man. A dead man has no desire. So that is not possible. We have to purify the desires. That is required. Purify the desires. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. This is called purification. Nirmalam. Tat-paratvena. Tat-paratvena means when God conscious, Krsna conscious, then desires become purified.
So we have to come to the point of not desirelessness, but to the point of purified desires. That is wanted. Therefore here it is said, mayy asakta-manah: "You can not make your mind desireless, but you fix up your mind upon Me." That is required. Mayy asakta-manah partha. This is the yoga system. This is called bhakti-yoga, and this is called first-class yoga. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita, that yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. The yogi, the first-class yogi, yoginam api sarvesam... "There are different kinds of yoga systems, but the person who has accepted this bhakti-yoga, he is thinking of Me always." Just like these boys and girls they are being taught always thinking of Krsna, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare." So if you read Bhagavad-gita and chant Hare Krsna, immediately you learn the whole science, how to become attached to Krsna. This is called mayy asakta-manah. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan, to practice yoga... This is bhakti-yoga. Mad-asrayah. Mad-asrayah means "under My direction," or "under My protection." Asraya.
So if you read Bhagavad-gita as it is, that is mad-asrayah. But if you interpret Bhagavad-gita according to your rascal imagination, that is not Bhagavad-gita. Therefore it is called mad-asrayah, "under My protection, as I am tea..." We are therefore presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. We do not change. Why should you change? What right you have got to change? If Bhagavad-gita is a book of authority, and if I make my own interpretation, then where is the authority? Can you change the lawbook according to your interpretation? Then what is the meaning of that lawbook? That is not lawbook. You cannot change. Similarly, if you accept Bhagavad-gita as the book of authority, you cannot change the meaning. That is not allowed. What right? If you have got some opinion, if you have got some philosophy, you can write in your own book. Why you are, I mean to say, killing others and yourself by interpreting Bhagavad-gita? You give your own thesis in a different way. But these people, they take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gita and interpret in a different way according to their own whims. Therefore people do not understand what is Krsna. That is the difficulty. And the purpose of Bhagavad-gita is to understand Krsna. And all the so-called scholars' and politicians' commentary is to banish Krsna or to kill Krsna -- the Kamsa's policy. The Kamsa was always thinking of Krsna, how to kill Him. This is called demonic endeavor. So that will not help you.
Therefore Krsna says you have to develop your love and attraction for Krsna. That is wanted. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. "This yoga practice can be performed," mad-asrayah, "under My protection or My devotee's protection." You cannot take protection of another rascal who interprets Bhagavad-gita in a different way. You have to take shelter directly. Of course, Bhagavad-gita instruction is there. Everyone can take shelter of Krsna directly. Where is the difficulty? Just like here is is said, mayy asakta. You have to develop your attachment for Krsna. You can do that. How these Americans and European boys, they have developed their attraction for Krsna? There is a process. If you adopt this process... They are with me for the last two, three or four years. Now they are... You detach them from Krsna consciousness if you have got any power. You cannot do that. Even you bribe them or, no, what you can do? Their father, mother, their countrymen can give you enough. They are all rich men's sons. But they cannot give up Krsna consciousness. Even the Christian priests, they regret that "These are our boys, and they never came to church. They never liked to understand what is the idea of God. Now these same boys, they are after, mad after God. What is this movement?" They are surprised.
So there is a process. If we adopt that process, then everyone can become mayy asakta-manah, Krsna asakta-manah. We have to accept the process. That process is called yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. You have to accept the yoga system under the protection of Krsna personally or His bona fide devotees, representative. Then you will be... Then what will be the result? The result will be asamsayam, without any doubt. Now people are educated in all other institution about God, but they are all full of doubts, full of doubts: "What kind of God? What is the nature of God? Whether there is God? Whether there is no God?" So many doubts. But if you accept this Krsna consciousness yoga system, then you can understand Krsna asamsayam, without any doubt. And samagram, in fullness, not that partial. Partially understanding of God, that is also understanding, but it will again take time, because unless you fully understand what is God, you cannot go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the formula.
There are different stages or phases of understanding. That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is that. It is one, but it is realized into different phases: as Brahman, as Paramatma and as Bhagavan. So if you understand Brahman, that is also partial understanding. If you understand Paramatma... Brahman is understood by the philosophical speculation, Mayavada philosophy, or jnana-marga. Then you can understand partially. Just like to understand the sunshine is partial understanding of the sun. It is not full understanding. Full understanding, if you have got power to go to the sun globe, to see the predominating deity there, Vivasvan, the sun-god, then it is full understanding. If you think that understanding the sunshine you have understand the whole feature of the sun globe, that is wrong. Similarly, to understand Brahman, impersonal Brahman, is also partial understanding. And to understand Paramatma, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61], that is also little higher stage, but that is also partial. But when you understand Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality, that is full understanding. Therefore it is said, bhagavan uvaca, bhagavan uvaca, full understanding. Vyasadeva could have said, "krsna uvaca." But because Krsna is understood wrong way sometimes by the fools and rascals, therefore he says directly, "bhagavan uvaca." Bhagavan uvaca.
You cannot question the statement or instruction of Bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence. There are six kinds of opulences. Bhagavan means one who is full with six kinds of opulences. So nowadays there are so many bhagavans, but because they have no full opulences, they cannot be accepted as Bhagavan. Bhagavan means full opulences.
aisvaryasya samagrasya
viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva
sannam bhaga itingana
Full opulent: complete wealth, complete strength, complete beauty, complete knowledge, complete renunciation. One who possesses all these six things completely, he is Bhagavan. Bhagavan is not so cheap thing that it can be found in the lanes and streets and road. So that is also another misunderstanding. Therefore, Vyasadeva says, "sri-bhagavan uvaca..." He is complete in everything. Isvarah paramah. Isvara means controller. Parama means supreme, no more better than that. That is also enunciated by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior element than Me." So, if we study Bhagavad-gita, if we understand what is the nature of Bhagavan, then our life is successful. Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu [Bg. 7.1]. So Krsna is describing Himself. You try to understand from the statement of Krsna with your logic, argument, science and everything. You will find complete answer.
So this Krsna consciousness movement is not a concoction of mind. It is scientific. It is based on the Vedic knowledge. It is primarily on the background of the teachings of Bhagavad-gita. If we take to this Krsna consciousness, then our human life, its mission, will be successful. That is our request to you all.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974
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