Prabhupada: So our Krsna
consciousness movement is to educate people to understand the value of life. The
modern system of education and civilization is so degraded that people have
forgotten the value of life. Generally, in this material world everyone is
forgetful of the value of life, but the human form of life is a chance to awaken
the importance of life. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated, parabhavas tavad
abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. So long one is not awakened to the
consciousness of self-realization, the foolish living entity, whatever he is
doing is defeat for him. This defeat is going on in the lower species of life
because they cannot understand what is the value of life. Their consciousness is
not advanced. But even in the human form of life, the same defeat prolongs, that
is not very good civilization. That is almost animal civilization.
Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca samanya etat pasubhir naranam. If people are
simply engaged in the four principles of bodily demands-eating, sleeping, mating
and defending -- that is visible in animal life also, so that is not very
advancement of civilization. So our attempt Krsna consciousness movement is to
educate people to come to the responsibility of human life. This is our Vedic
civilization. The problem of life is not the difficulties for a few years of
this duration of life. The real problem of life is how to solve the repetition
of birth, death, old age and disease. That is the instruction in the
Bhagavad-gita. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]
These rascals, lowest of the mankind and always engaged in sinful activities, such persons do not take to Krsna consciousness. "No. There are so many educated MA, PhD's." Krsna says, mayayapahrta-jnanah. "Apparently they are very educated, but their real knowledge is taken away by maya." Asuram bhavam asritah. This atheistic civilization is very dangerous. People are suffering for this reason. But they are not very serious. Therefore they have been addressed by Krsna as mudhah, rascals. Na mam duskrtino mudhah. So we are trying a little bit to make these mudhas, mudha civilization, to come into light of spiritual life. That is our humble attempt. But it is already said, manusyanam sahasresu: [Bg. 7.3] "Out of many millions of persons, they can take to it." Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. But that does not mean we shall stop. Just like in our school, college days, Sir Asutosh Mukherjee started some higher study, post-graduate study classes in the university. The student was one or two, but still, the class was maintained at the cost of many thousands of rupees, not considering that there are only one student or two students. Similarly this Krsna consciousness movement must go on. It doesn't matter, the foolish people, they do not understand it or do not come to it. We have to make our propaganda. Thank you very much. Any question, we can answer. Is there any press representative here? No. No.
Brahmananda: We called them. We gave them invitation to come to a press meeting.
Srutakirti: We could distribute this...
Prabhupada: They are not interested. Krsna consciousness. They clearly says that "What this Krsna consciousness, or sankirtana will do?" They says, yes. (laughs) They have become so dull. The Bhagavad-gita, the culture of India, they have forsaken. They are now taking culture from Russia. Yes. This is the advancement of education. They are taking instruction from Lenin than from Krsna. This is the position. Especially in India. Outside India they are interested, so many European, American, Western countries' boys and girls, they have joined and sacrificed their life. But in India they are callous. They think that "What is this Hare Krsna? We know that. It is very old story. Now we want technology."
Guest (1) (Indian man): In Delhi we have got quite a big number of good life members and helpful people.
Prabhupada: Yes, there are, certainly. India is born Krsna conscious, but by artificial means... Amongst the mass of people the Krsna consciousness is there, but amongst the so-called educated, advanced, they are trying to forget. This is the difficulty.
Guest (1): Physical life has become so difficult...
Prabhupada: It must be difficult. It must be difficult, because the so-called advancement has not helped the people. In our childhood we purchased ghee one rupee, first-class. Now it is not available. And this is advancement of civilization.
Guest (1): The population has increased so much.
Prabhupada: No, no, this is not the question, population. Population was... Formerly one man used to beget one hundred children. From Mahabharata we understand that Dhrtarastra, his name is mentioned because he was king. That means at that time people were able to beget one hundred children. And who is begetting one hundred children now? One, two, three, four, that's all. How the population can be increased now? It is all bogus propaganda.
Guest (1): What do you think is the solution of these difficulties?
Prabhupada: Solution of difficulty is to take to Krsna consciousness.
daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
Maya... Just like if there are criminals, then the police force will be increased, punishment will be increased, so similarly, human beings, they are becoming godless, so by nature there must be punishment. They will not be supplied food. The food supply will be restricted. After all, the food is in the hands of nature. You cannot produce food. You can produce bolts and nuts in the factory, but you cannot eat bolts and nuts. You have to eat rice and grains. So that restriction if there is... (Hindi) The solution is to, back to home, back to Godhead. Otherwise there is no solution. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. The stringent laws of maya is very strong. You cannot surpass them. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. If you take to Krsna consciousness, then it is possible to get out of this entanglement. Otherwise it is not possible. They have tried so many ways and means to solve the problems, but they could not do anything.
Guest (1): Yes, corruption in the politics...
Prabhupada: Yes, corruption will increase, sinful life increase, cheating. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagyah [SB 1.1.10]. Misfortune. These things will...
Guest (1): Adulteration of food.
Prabhupada: Yes. Even government cannot give nice food to the people, what to speak of nice government. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam... You have got the copy?
Pradyumna: Yes.
Prabhupada: Adya. During Maharaja Yudhisthira's reign everything was ample supply. Kamam vavarsa parjanyah [SB 1.10.4]. You have got that verse.
Pradyumna: I just have the black one.
Prabhupada: Oh yes. Kamam vavarsa parjanyah [SB 1.10.4]. During Maharaja Pariksit's time, one black man was attempting to kill a cow. Immediately the king wanted to kill him, immediately: "Oh, who are you?" It is the duty of the vaisyas. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma-svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. It is the duty of the vaisyas to protect the cows, to increase agricultural activities and trade. But they are now interested in producing electronic parts. No go-raksya, no vanijyam, no food production. Cheap profit, and for eating, let there be slaughterhouse and eat meat. And to digest meat, you drink wine. This is being taught. So you create the situation and when you suffer, then why should we lament? We have created this situation, godless civilization, do not follow the direction of the sastras. When we follow, what is that kamam?
Pradyumna:
kamam vavarsa parjanyah
sarva-kama-dugha mahi
sisicuh sma vrajan gavah
payasodhasvatir muda
[SB 1.10.4]
Prabhupada: Yes. Kamam vavarsa parjanyah. So if there is regular rainfall, then you get all necessities of life. And the cows were so happy that the milk bag was so full that the pasturing ground became muddy with milk. They were supplying so much milk. So arrangement should be made how you can get more milk and more foodgrains. Then the whole economic problem will be solved. But instead of getting more milk, they are slaughtering cows, innocent animals. So people have become demons, rascals, so they must suffer. There is no other way. (end)
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]
These rascals, lowest of the mankind and always engaged in sinful activities, such persons do not take to Krsna consciousness. "No. There are so many educated MA, PhD's." Krsna says, mayayapahrta-jnanah. "Apparently they are very educated, but their real knowledge is taken away by maya." Asuram bhavam asritah. This atheistic civilization is very dangerous. People are suffering for this reason. But they are not very serious. Therefore they have been addressed by Krsna as mudhah, rascals. Na mam duskrtino mudhah. So we are trying a little bit to make these mudhas, mudha civilization, to come into light of spiritual life. That is our humble attempt. But it is already said, manusyanam sahasresu: [Bg. 7.3] "Out of many millions of persons, they can take to it." Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. But that does not mean we shall stop. Just like in our school, college days, Sir Asutosh Mukherjee started some higher study, post-graduate study classes in the university. The student was one or two, but still, the class was maintained at the cost of many thousands of rupees, not considering that there are only one student or two students. Similarly this Krsna consciousness movement must go on. It doesn't matter, the foolish people, they do not understand it or do not come to it. We have to make our propaganda. Thank you very much. Any question, we can answer. Is there any press representative here? No. No.
Brahmananda: We called them. We gave them invitation to come to a press meeting.
Srutakirti: We could distribute this...
Prabhupada: They are not interested. Krsna consciousness. They clearly says that "What this Krsna consciousness, or sankirtana will do?" They says, yes. (laughs) They have become so dull. The Bhagavad-gita, the culture of India, they have forsaken. They are now taking culture from Russia. Yes. This is the advancement of education. They are taking instruction from Lenin than from Krsna. This is the position. Especially in India. Outside India they are interested, so many European, American, Western countries' boys and girls, they have joined and sacrificed their life. But in India they are callous. They think that "What is this Hare Krsna? We know that. It is very old story. Now we want technology."
Guest (1) (Indian man): In Delhi we have got quite a big number of good life members and helpful people.
Prabhupada: Yes, there are, certainly. India is born Krsna conscious, but by artificial means... Amongst the mass of people the Krsna consciousness is there, but amongst the so-called educated, advanced, they are trying to forget. This is the difficulty.
Guest (1): Physical life has become so difficult...
Prabhupada: It must be difficult. It must be difficult, because the so-called advancement has not helped the people. In our childhood we purchased ghee one rupee, first-class. Now it is not available. And this is advancement of civilization.
Guest (1): The population has increased so much.
Prabhupada: No, no, this is not the question, population. Population was... Formerly one man used to beget one hundred children. From Mahabharata we understand that Dhrtarastra, his name is mentioned because he was king. That means at that time people were able to beget one hundred children. And who is begetting one hundred children now? One, two, three, four, that's all. How the population can be increased now? It is all bogus propaganda.
Guest (1): What do you think is the solution of these difficulties?
Prabhupada: Solution of difficulty is to take to Krsna consciousness.
daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
Maya... Just like if there are criminals, then the police force will be increased, punishment will be increased, so similarly, human beings, they are becoming godless, so by nature there must be punishment. They will not be supplied food. The food supply will be restricted. After all, the food is in the hands of nature. You cannot produce food. You can produce bolts and nuts in the factory, but you cannot eat bolts and nuts. You have to eat rice and grains. So that restriction if there is... (Hindi) The solution is to, back to home, back to Godhead. Otherwise there is no solution. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. The stringent laws of maya is very strong. You cannot surpass them. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. If you take to Krsna consciousness, then it is possible to get out of this entanglement. Otherwise it is not possible. They have tried so many ways and means to solve the problems, but they could not do anything.
Guest (1): Yes, corruption in the politics...
Prabhupada: Yes, corruption will increase, sinful life increase, cheating. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagyah [SB 1.1.10]. Misfortune. These things will...
Guest (1): Adulteration of food.
Prabhupada: Yes. Even government cannot give nice food to the people, what to speak of nice government. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam... You have got the copy?
Pradyumna: Yes.
Prabhupada: Adya. During Maharaja Yudhisthira's reign everything was ample supply. Kamam vavarsa parjanyah [SB 1.10.4]. You have got that verse.
Pradyumna: I just have the black one.
Prabhupada: Oh yes. Kamam vavarsa parjanyah [SB 1.10.4]. During Maharaja Pariksit's time, one black man was attempting to kill a cow. Immediately the king wanted to kill him, immediately: "Oh, who are you?" It is the duty of the vaisyas. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma-svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. It is the duty of the vaisyas to protect the cows, to increase agricultural activities and trade. But they are now interested in producing electronic parts. No go-raksya, no vanijyam, no food production. Cheap profit, and for eating, let there be slaughterhouse and eat meat. And to digest meat, you drink wine. This is being taught. So you create the situation and when you suffer, then why should we lament? We have created this situation, godless civilization, do not follow the direction of the sastras. When we follow, what is that kamam?
Pradyumna:
kamam vavarsa parjanyah
sarva-kama-dugha mahi
sisicuh sma vrajan gavah
payasodhasvatir muda
[SB 1.10.4]
Prabhupada: Yes. Kamam vavarsa parjanyah. So if there is regular rainfall, then you get all necessities of life. And the cows were so happy that the milk bag was so full that the pasturing ground became muddy with milk. They were supplying so much milk. So arrangement should be made how you can get more milk and more foodgrains. Then the whole economic problem will be solved. But instead of getting more milk, they are slaughtering cows, innocent animals. So people have become demons, rascals, so they must suffer. There is no other way. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase =>
Conversation at Airport -- October 26, 1973, Bombay
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
