Disap. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

13 Dec 73 , Los Angeles

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Prabhupada:

nama om visnu-padaya
krsna-presthaya bhutale
srimate bhaktisiddhanta
sarasvatiti namine

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura passed away from this material world on 31st December, 1936. So almost forty years past. So there are two phases, prakata and aprakata, appearance and disappearance. So we have nothing to lament on account of disappearance because Krsna and Krsna's devotee... Not only devotees, even the nondevotees, nobody disappears. Nobody disappears because every living entity... As Krsna is eternal... It is confirmed in the Vedic literature, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). The description of the Supreme Lord is that He is also nitya, eternal, and the living entities are also eternal. But He is the chief eternal. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. So qualitatively, there is no difference between Krsna and the living entities. And quantitatively, there is difference. What is the difference between nitya, the singular number nitya, and the plural number nitya? The plural number nitya is subordinate, eternal servants of the singular number nitya. Just like if you want to serve somebody, so the master is also exactly like you. He has got two hands, two legs, or the same sentiments. He also eats. Everything is same there. But the difference is the master and the servant. That's all. Otherwise, equal in every respect.

So spiritually, appearance and disappearance, there is no difference. Just like in material point of view, if a person takes birth... Suppose you get a son born, you become very happy. The same son, when passes away, you become very unhappy. This is material. And spiritually, there is no such difference, appearance or disappearance. So although this is the disappearance day of Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, so there is nothing to be lamented. Although we feel separation, that feeling is there, but spiritually, there is no difference between appearance and disappearance. There is a song, Narottama dasa Thakura's song, ye anilo prema-dhana. Do you know, any one of you? Can you sing that song anyone? Oh. Ye anilo prema-dhana, karuna pracura, heno prabhu kotha gelo. I don't remember exactly the whole song. That is our lamentation, that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura brought this message to distribute all over... Of course, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu expressed His desire, that

prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

He predicted that "All over the world, as many towns and villages are there, everywhere My name will be known." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's name. Which is now, attempted now, it is being actually... To execute this will of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He said personally,

bharata bhumite manusya janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari kara para-upakara
 [Cc. Adi 9.41]

He wanted that His name should be broadcast all over the world in every town and village. And who would do it? That He asked that anyone who has taken birth in Bharata-varsa, India, it is his duty: first of all make himself perfect by understanding the philosophy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; then broadcast it, distribute it. This was the duty of every Indian.

So Indian, especially in India, they have got the privilege to take advantage of the Vedic literature. In other countries there is no such advantage. So if anyone wants to make his life perfect, then he has to take advantage of the vast treasure-house of Indian spiritual knowledge. Even one Chinese gentleman, he has written one book about religion. That is a course in New York University. So he has said that "If you want to know something of religion, then you have to go to India." That's a fact. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that every Indian... There is need of broadcasting this Krsna consciousness movement, all over the world. So it is the duty of every Indian to first of all make his life perfect. He must know... Perfection means he must know what is his position and what he has to do. That is perfection. At the present moment, people do not know what he is even, whether he is this body or something extra. The big, big scientists, they are also failure. This is perfection. First of all one must know what he is, whether he is this body or something beyond this body. This is the beginning of spiritual knowledge. So that advantage is there in India, by culture, by education. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested that Indians, bharatiya, Bharata-varsa, those who have taken birth as human being... He doesn't speak to the animals. Bharata bhumite manusya janma. Manusya janma means human being. Because without being a human being, nobody can understand these things. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand. So a person whose behavior is like cats and dogs, he also cannot understand. Therefore He said, janma sarthaka kari. First of all make your life perfect and then distribute this knowledge. This is the Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission.

So He simply said, but He was expecting that in later days His followers would do that. So that attempt was made by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he desired and, that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message, it should be accepted by East and West equally, and both the Indians and Europeans, Americans, they should dance together in ecstasy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy. That was his desire, Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He simply expressed the desire, "When I shall see this happening, that both the eastern and western people they are united on the basis of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult and dancing together in ecstasy?" That was his ambition. That was ambition of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and this was ambition of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. And Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took up this affair, business, and he wanted first of all.

So every student, any disciple, every disciple, especially those who are competent, he requested that "You take up this mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and preach in the western countries. That was Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's first attempt. Before that, even the acaryas, Rupanuga Gosvamis, they left literature, but they did not attempt to preach practically. And Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he was very, very anxious to preach this Caitanya cult in the western countries. This is Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's special contribution.

So when I met Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura... It is a long story, how I met him. One of my friends, he dragged me. (laughing) (laughter) I was at that time nationalist and manager in a big chemical factory. My age was about twenty-four years. So one of my friends, he asked me that "There is a nice sadhu, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. He has come in Calcutta. So let us go and see." So I was reluctant. I thought just like so, there are so many sadhus. So I was not very much... Because I had very bad experience, not very good. So I said, "Oh these kind of sadhus, there are many." You'll be glad to know that even my in young age or early age -- it was Krsna's grace -- even amongst my young friends, I was considered the leader. (laughing) (laughter) In my school days, in my college days, in my private friendship, some way or other I became their leader. And one astrologer sometimes he read my hand. He said in Hindi, kukum calena(?). Kukum calena means "Your hand speaks that your order will be executed."

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupada: So anyway, it was Krsna's grace. I would not go, but their point of view was that unless I certify that sadhu, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he'll not be accepted. Therefore he dragged me. So I went to see Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura on that day. On the first meeting, just we offer our obeisances. It is the practice. So immediately he began his talking that "You are all educated young men. Why don't you take up Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult and preach all over the English knowing public? Why don't you take up this matter?" So I argued with him in so many... At that time I was nationalist. So I told that "Who will accept our message? We are dependent nation. Nobody will care." In this way, in my own way, in these younger days... But we belonged to the Vaisnava family, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda, Radha-Govinda. That is our worshipable Deity. So I was very glad that "Radha-Krsna cult, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult, this sadhu is trying to preach. It is very nice."

So at that time we had some talks, and of course I was defeated by his argument, my argument. (laughter) And then, when we came out, we were offered prasadam, very nice treatment, the Gaudiya Matha. And when I came out on the street, this my friend asked me, "What is your opinion of this sadhu?" Then I said that "Here is the right person who has taken up Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message, and now it will be distributed."

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupada: So I was at that time a fool, but I opined like this. And I accepted him as my spiritual master immediately. Not officially, but in my heart. That was in 1922. Then, in 1923, I left Calcutta on my business tour. And I made my headquarter at Allahabad. Allahabad is about five hundred miles from Calcutta. So I was thinking that "I met a very nice saintly person." That was my thinking always. So in this way, in 1928, there was a Kumbhamela. At that time, these Gaudiya Matha people came to Allahabad to establish a center there, and somebody else said, somebody informed them that "You go to that Prayaga Pharmacy." My drug shop was named as Prayaga Pharmacy. My name was also there. "You go and see Abhaya Babu. He is religiously... He will help you." These Gaudiya Matha people, they came to see me. So "Sir, we have come to you. We have heard your good name. So we want to start a temple here. Please try to help us." And because I was thinking of these Gaudiya Matha people that "I met a very nice, saintly persons," and as soon as I saw them, I was very much engladdened: "Oh, here are these persons. They have come again."

So in this way, gradually, I became attached to these Gaudiya Matha activities, and by the grace of Krsna, my business also was not going very well. (laughter) (laughs) Yes. Krsna says yasyaham anughrnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih. If somebody wants to be actually devotee of Krsna, at the same time, keeps his material attachment, then Krsna's business is He takes away everything material, so that cent percent he becomes, I mean to say, dependent on Krsna. So that actually happened to my life. I was obliged to come to this movement to take up this very seriously. And I was dreaming that "Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is calling me, 'Please come out with me!' " (pause) So I was sometimes horrified, "Oh, what is this? I have give up my family life? Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is calling me? I have to take sannyasa?" Oh, I was horrified. But I saw several times, calling me. So anyway, it is by his grace I was forced to give up my family life, my so-called business life. And he brought me some way or other in preaching his gospel.

So this is a memorable day. What he desired, I am trying little bit, and you are all helping me. So I have to thank you more. You are actually representative of my Guru Maharaja (Srila Prabhupada starts to cry) because you are helping me in executing the order of my Guru Maharaja.

Thank you very much. Chant Hare Krsna. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973

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By Devotion One Understands

By Devotion One Understands

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.164-173
New York, December 13, 1966

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Prabhupada:

'bhaktye' bhagavanera anubhava-purna-rupa
eka-i vigrahe tanra ananta svarupa

Expansion of Krsna, that is being described by Lord Caitanya. They are described in different Vedic literatures, and we are getting the information in one place from Lord Caitanya. So that is the advantage, to be in the disciplic succession. To find out in different information from different scriptures, it is very difficult, but if we become in the line of disciplic succession, all the experience is at once achieved. If you want to fight in the law court and if you want to find out all the law sections from the law book, it is very difficult for you. Better to go to a lawyer who knows the law section and take help and it is all right. Similarly, there are different kinds of descriptions of the Supreme Lord. The experienced spiritual master gives us the information in one place.

So about the expansions of Lord Krsna, in Brahma-samhita, Isopanisad, and there are various Vedic literatures... They are all taken together, calculated and presented by Lord Caitanya. He says,

svayam-rupa tad-ekatma-rupa, avesa-nama
prathamei tina-rupe rahena bhagavan

Svayam-rupa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, He is called svayam-rupa, His personal feature. Then tad-ekatma. Tad-ekatma-rupa means not exactly the same person, but almost the same. Tad-ekatma-rupa. And avesa. Avesa means that empowered. There is always difference between the individual soul and the Supreme Absolute Soul. When the individual soul is specially empowered by the Supreme Soul, that is called avesa. He can act almost like God. We accept, according to this avesa, avesa-avatara incarnation, authorized incarnation, we accept, my Guru Maharaja accepted Lord Jesus Christ and Hazrat Muhammad, this avesa incarnation, almost the same power.

svayam-rupa tad-ekatma-rupa, avesa-nama
prathamei tina-rupe rahena bhagavan

Now, in the first instance the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, and tad-ekatma, His next expansion with the same features, and avesa, a powerful incarnation or powerful living entity...

'svayam-rupa' 'svayam-prakasa' -- dui rupe sphurti
svayam-rupe-eka 'krsna' vraje gopa-murti

Svayam-rupa, the supreme personal feature, and svayam-prakasa... His immediate expansion is called svayam-prakasa.

So in His svayam-rupa, in His personal feature, He always remains at Vrndavana, and He is just like a cowherd boy. That is His real feature, Krsna. The Krsna in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, that is not the real feature of Krsna. Just like a person, high-court judge, where you will find his real feature? His real feature you will find at his home, not on the bench. In the bench, even his father comes, the high-court judge's father, he will have to address the judge, "My lord." That is the court. The same person at home and same person in the court is different, although the same person. Similarly, the real Personality of Godhead, Krsna, He never goes out of Vrndavana. He remains always a cowherd boy. That's all. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Surabhi means transcendental cows. He is engaged in that pastime. So svayam-rupa eka krsna vraje gopa-murti. Gopa-murti means cowherd boy.

'prabhava-vaibhava'-rupe dvividha prakase
eka-vapu bahu rupa yaiche haila rase

Then prakasa, expansion. From expansion, there are two kinds of division, prabhava and vaibhava. So prabhava, what is the prabhava expansion? It is given: eka-vapu bahu rupa yaiche haila. Prabhava expansion means the same feature, the same body, but it is distributed in innumerable places. That is called prabhava expansion. The example is, eka-vapu bahu rupa yaiche haila rase. In the rasa dance, Krsna performed the rasa dance, not exactly the ball dance... But it is an imitation of that rasa dance. Because you cannot have any idea of anything without its being originally in Krsna. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. That is the version of Vedanta-sutra. Any idea, whatever you... But they are simply perverted reflection. That's all. You cannot get anything, any idea, without its being situated in Krsna. The rasa dance, that is described in the Thirty-second Chapter of the Tenth Canto in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Five chapters, from Twenty-ninth Chapter to Thirty-fourth Chapter, Krsna's rasa dance is described there. The rasa dance... The short history of rasa dance is that Krsna was sixteen years old, and the girls of the village, Vrndavana, and the boys, they were all friends. Naturally in India the girls were early married, some at the age of twelve years, some at the age of thirteen years, some at the age of ten years. The boys remain... So the girls who were friends of Krsna, they always prayed to different demigods, Lord Siva, that "Krsna may be our husband." So that desire was there, but it was not possible to get Krsna to become everyone's..., because He was only a boy. But they maintained that idea although they were married and some of them were mothers. Some of them were unmarried. So Krsna, to fulfill their desire, He blew on His flute on a nice moonlight night, and all the gopis, all those girls, they came. And Krsna advised them, "Oh, you are now married. You have come at dead of night to Me. It is not good." In this way He advised so many things. They were very moral instruction. But the gopis denied to go back, and they arranged that dancing. That is called rasa dance.

In the rasa dance there were hundreds of gopis, but Krsna expanded Himself to dance with each one of them. That is called vaibhava-vilasa. He expanded.

'prabhava-vaibhava'-rupe dvividha prakase
eka-vapu bahu rupa yaiche haila rase

The same Krsna, I mean to say, expanded Himself in many Krsnas. That is expansion, vaibhava expansion. Another expansion is,

mahisi-vivahe haila bahu-vidha murti
'prabhava prakasa'-ei sastra-parasiddhi

So one expansion is vaibhava at Vrndavana, and another expansion was made by Krsna at Dvaraka when He was grown up and He was obliged to marry sixteen thousand wives, sixteen thousand wives. He had actually... Because the ksatriyas, the administrator, the royal family, royal class, they are allowed to marry more than one wife, not other class. Because they were rich, they were royal, kingly order, they had sufficient means. They could maintain many wives with the same comforts. So they were allowed; not others, not the poor brahmanas or others. No. So Krsna's father had sixteen wives, and one of the wives' name was Devaki, and Krsna happened to be her son, Devaki. Otherwise, Krsna's father, Vasudeva, had sixteen wives. He was also Krsna. So Krsna similarly had three or four wives, eight wives, yes. But He got information, prayer, application, prayer application, from sixteen thousand girls who were kidnapped by a demon, Narakasura. And they sent application to Krsna, "Please save us." So Krsna is always responsive to His devotee, so He went to save the girls. He killed that Narakasura and rescued those all sixteen thousand girls.

Now those sixteen thousand girls prayed to Krsna that "We are kidnapped." They were all king's daughters. They were also all princesses. "But because we are kidnapped, so nobody will marry us." That is the system. Once a girl goes out of the home, it is very difficult for her to be married in the society. Still that system is going on in India. Unmarried girls, young girls, they cannot go out unless she is married. If she goes out and if she passes some night with other boys, then no more place in the society. So those girls prayed to Krsna that "Because we are kidnapped by this Narakasura from our father's custody, now nobody will marry. So You become our husband. Otherwise there is no other way." So they appealed, they cried, and Krsna accepted: "Yes. I will accept you all, My wives." Therefore He brought those sixteen thousand girls. But what kind of husband? He is God, not an ordinary husband. So He constructed sixteen thousand palaces for all the wives and equally all decorated houses. They are described that the houses did not require any external light. It was all bedecked with jewels. And in sixteen thousand forms He used to live with each wife. That is God. You see?

So somebody may say, somebody questioned that "How is that, sixteen thousand? He was very lusty," somebody says, poor fund of knowledge. Or "It is simply story." No. It is... Krsna is neither lusty, nor it is story. He is Supreme, full in Himself. He did not require even one wife. Because we require the association of wife or girl because we feel the need, if God is in need, then He is not God. He must be full. But just because His devotees wanted Him her husband, therefore He played the part of a perfect husband. That is the position. Nobody, no husband, can expand himself in many ways. Suppose one has got many girls friend. Oh, he can go to one girl friend, not to many. This is. Another point is that isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati: [Bg. 18.61] "The Lord is situated in everyone's heart." So if the girls prayed God that "You become our husband," so if God comes out of the heart and becomes her husband, what is the difficulty for God? So not sixteen thousand, if He would marry sixteen millions of wife, still it was insufficient, because He is everywhere. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. This is called vaibhava-vilasa, vaibhava-vilasa, inconceivable. Lord Caitanya is presenting the real, factual features of Krsna, what is Krsna. So,

mahisi-vivahe haila bahu-vidha murti
prabhava vilasa ei sastra-parasiddhi

Now, the yogis, some of the yogis, not all the yogis... Those who are highly qualified and advanced yogis always remain in... There is a name of Saubhari Muni, Rsi, and he was in meditation, in trance within the water. Because the trance, there is no breathing, so there is no difficulty to remain even in water, because breathing causes difficulty within water. Within goes... So he was in trance, and he was a great yogi. He was meditating within water, but he... Some way or other, he was agitated by sex desire, by seeing the fish have sex intercourse. Just see. The sex power is so strong that even such a yogi who could meditate within the water, he was also agitated by sex desire. So he came out of the water and went to the king and asked him that "You give me your daughter as my wife." Oh, he was a great rsi, and because he was in the water, his feature was very ugly. So the king became perplexed: "Oh, how my daughter will select such a nasty body as my son-in-law?" So he was yogi; he could understand: "Then all right..." (snaps fingers) He became very nice. Because yogis, they can do anything, very nice bodily feature. Then the king tried to avoid him, and the king told him, "Well, sir, my determination is I have got eight daughters. So I can offer my daughters to one who can become eight at least." He wanted to see how much he was yogi. And he bifurcated himself at once into eight forms. So here it is stated,

saubhary-adi-praya sei kaya-vyuha naya
kaya-vyuha haile naradera vismaya na haya

Because that oneness... Just like in photograph. In photograph you can expand yourself in millions, but that is not actually expansion. So similarly, the yogi Saubhari Rsi, he expanded into eight, but that was not actually expansion. That was merely a show, just like photograph. But Krsna's expansion, here it is compared, He actually expanded in different houses, in different feature, and differently dealing. That is mentioned in the Bhagavata.

So He is giving evidence from Srimad-Bhagavatam as it was experienced by Narada. Narada doubted that "How Krsna is married with sixteen thousand wives, and how He is dealing with them?" So when he came, in whichever house he entered, palace, he saw Krsna was there. Somewhere He was taking bath, somewhere He was playing with the children, somewhere... Just like if you go in different houses, the householder, you will find differently engaged. So he went each of those sixteen thousand palaces and saw Krsna differently engaged. Then he was surprised, and he recited this sloka,

citram bataitad ekena
vapusa yugapat prthak
grhesu dvy-asta-sahasram
striya eka udavahat

Dvy-asta-sahasram. Dvy means double, and asta means eight, and sahasra means thousand. That means double eight thousand, or sixteen thousand. Dvy-asta-sahasram striya eka udavahat. And Krsna, one, He married, and He was expanded in sixteen thousand forms and features.

sei vapu, sei akrti prthak yadi bhase
bhavavesa-bhede sa 'vaibhava-prakase'

Now, the feature, the body, is the same, but in different house with different devotees, the exchange of feelings is different. That is called vaibhava-prakasa. So it is a very complicated idea, which of them is vaibhava, which of them is prabhava, which of them is vilasa, which of them is tad-ekatma, avesa...  There are different divisions of Krsna's expansions. But we can note down if we like from original Krsna how many, I mean to say, expansions, innumerable expansions Krsna has got. But some of them were shown when He was present before us just to prove that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because in future so many fools will imitate to become Krsna as the incarnation of God or God, but Krsna has in His life so many uncommon features, nobody can show that. Just like Govardhana. You have seen that picture. At seven years old, He lifted the hill. And when He was young He married sixteen thousand wives, and sixteen thousand features... So... And when He was in Battle of Kuruksetra, He showed the universal form. So before claiming oneself as "I am God," they should be prepared to show these uncommon features. Otherwise, no sane man will accept any fool as God.

ananta prakase krsnera nahi murti-bheda
akara-varna-astra-bhede nama-vibheda

Then He says, "There are unlimited expansions of Krsna in the spiritual world, and..." Nahi murti-bheda. Just like His expansions in the spiritual world... He is originally two-handed, but in the spiritual planets... There are innumerable spiritual planets, and He is situated in each of them in four hand. Now this four hand, each hand... There are four symbols: conchshell and wheel and club and a lotus flower. Now, these four symbols are differently manifested in. Just like four hands. Beginning from right, this is lotus flower, club, and then conchshell, then wheel. And some of them, here begins wheel, here begins club. In this way the four has about sixteen divisions, and they are represented... Not sixteen. Twenty-four. Twenty-four, I mean to say, change of the place of the symbols. And according to the change of symbols, you will find different names. In the cover of the book Srimad-Bhagavatam, you have seen. These symbols are there. And there are different names. Some of Them named Hrsikesa, some of Them named Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Padmanabha... In this way there are different names according to the different change of the symbolic representation.

anye ca samskrtatmano
vidhinabhihitena te
yajanti tvan-mayas tvam vai
bahu-murtyeka-murtikam

So there are different kinds of devotees also. Some devotee worships the Narayana feature, some devotee worships Krsna feature, Nrsimhadeva... So there are innumerable devotees and innumerable forms also of Krsna. But not these ordinary demigods. When Krsna says, ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham: [Bg. 4.11] "Any devotee who wants to worship Me in My different feature, I offer him in that feature..." Just like Hanuman. He was a devotee of Rama. So there is one verse by Hanuman, that "I know Rama and Nrsimha and Narayana, Krsna, is the same. But still, I want to worship Rama." Just like we, ourself, we know Lord Rama and Lord Krsna the same, but we want to worship Krsna. So different devotees have different inclination to offer his service to different features of God. And therefore He has got innumerable features of the presentation. They are differently named.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.164-173 -- New York, December 13, 1966

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Getting Uncontaminated

Getting Uncontaminated

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.01
Bombay, December 13, 1974

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Nitai: "The Personality of Godhead, Kapila, continued: My dear mother, now I shall describe unto you the different categories of the Absolute Truth, knowing which any person can be released from the influence of the modes of material nature."

Prabhupada:

atha te sampravaksyami
tattvanam laksanam prthak
yad viditva vimucyeta
purusah prakrtair gunaih
 [SB 3.26.1]

This is the disease. This is called material disease. One is infected by the prakrta-guna. The prakrta-guna... Guna means quality, mode. So prakrta means this material prakrti, and spiritual means aprakrta. There are different stages of knowledge: pratyaksa, paroksa, aparoksa, adhoksaja, aprakrta. One has to go step by step. General knowledge means pratyaksa, whatever you perceive by the senses. That is called pratyaksa. And the knowledge which you receive from authorities, that is paroksa. Then aparoksa, realization. Then adhoksaja. Adhoksaja means knowledge which beyond your perception. But there is source of knowledge, adhoksaja. Therefore God's another name is Adhoksaja. Adhah. Adhah means subduing, bring under subjugation. Adhah-krta, aksaja. Aksaja means the knowledge directly perceived by the senses. Aksa means eyes and aksa means atukya(?). So any knowledge within the alphabets, ABCD, that is called aksaja. And the knowledge which is beyond that, that is called adhoksaja. And beyond the adhoksaja knowledge there is aprakrta. Aprakrta knowledge.

So the prakrta-guna. So long we are in this material world, infected by the material qualities, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna, that is prakrta life, not aprakrta. You have to go step by step. So our Krsna consciousness is adhoksaja, far beyond this prakrta knowledge, prakrta-guna. The highest position of prakrta or material life is the standard of brahminical qualities. But that is also prakrta. That is not aprakrta. That is also not the Brahman realization. Brahma janatiti brahmanah. That is also the highest stage of prakrta, glimpse of the light. But one has to become free from the prakrta envelopment. Prakrta-gunaih. Our present position is we are infected by the prakrta-guna. Some of them are infected by the sattva-guna; some of them are infected by the rajo-guna; some of them are infected by tamo-guna. So long one is infected by the tamo-guna and rajo-guna, his position is very abominable, rajas-tamas. One has to become at least on the sattva-guna, the brahminical qualification. Then spiritual knowledge can be realized, prakrta-guna.

So Kapiladeva proposes to His mother... Kapiladeva is Bhagavan. We have explained several times, bhaga means opulence and van means one who possesses. So what is that opulence? Aisvarya, richness. Aisvaryasya samagrasya. One who is possession, one who has in his possession all the wealth. All the wealth... We have several times explained this. Nobody can claim... Except Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nobody can claim, "The all the wealth within this universe belongs to me." Nobody can say. But Krsna can say. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram: [Bg. 5.29] "I am the proprietor of all the lokas, of all the planets." We become proprietor a few thousands of years, and there are so many difficulties. And He's the proprietor of the whole universe. That is also very little estimation, because Krsna says,

athava bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat
 [Bg. 10.42]

Krsna says that "By My one plenary portion I'm possessing or controlling the innumerable universes." We have no information of one universe. Universe, that is also, we cannot estimate. But the innumerable universes are estimated to give us some glimpse of knowledge. In the Brahma-samhita,

yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya
jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah
visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.48]

There is one feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is called Maha-Visnu. That Maha-Visnu, that is the origin of this material creation. So Maha-Visnu is in sleeping condition. So in sleeping condition, with the breathing, universes are coming. And when it is inhaled the whole universe is annihilated, dissolved. So this is only one portion. There are many devidences(?).

So you cannot claim to become Bhagavan so cheaply. Bhagavan is different thing. One who is devotee of Bhagavan, he knows something about Bhagavan. And the other rascals, they claim Bhagavan -- simply ludicrous. Only the rascals can accept another rascal as Bhagavan. It is not so easy.

 

yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya
jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah
visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.48]

So that Bhagavan is speaking. Kapiladeva is that Bhagavan. Therefore He says that atha te sampravaksyami. Sam means samyak. Samyak means complete. Unless one has got complete knowledge, how he can say things complete? It is not the so-called scientist: "Perhaps," "It may be." No, not that kind of knowledge, simply theorizing, "It may be like that." No. There is no question of "maybe." Exact knowledge. Exact knowledge. That is called Vedic knowledge. Just like in the Padma Purana we can understand the calculation of the species of life. It is said, jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. There are aquatic living entities nine lakhs of. How many you have seen? Neither it is possible for you to go within the water and see how many different forms of fishes and aquatics are there. But in the sastra it is said, jalaja nava-laksani. It doesn't says "about nava-laksani," "about nine lakhs," more or less. No. Exactly. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. Sthavarah means those plants and trees which cannot move, two millions, laksa-vimsati, or twenty lakhs.

So that is Vedic knowledge. You get the exact knowledge. Therefore Vedic knowledge is called apauruseya. It is not spoken by ordinary human being by speculation: "It may be," "Perhaps." No. It is not like that. That is Bhagavan. Whatever He'll say exact, that is Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is safer to take knowledge from Bhagavan, especially the knowledge of Bhagavan. Bhagavan is not so cheap thing. If you want to know Bhagavan... If you do not be so fool to accept another fool as Bhagavan, then you have to hear about Bhagavan about Bhagavan. That is the process. Therefore the Vedic instruction is, to get perfect knowledge, you have to approach a person who is guru. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. And who's guru? Guru means representative of Bhagavan. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih **. Guru... Because the real guru, he's representative of Krsna, saksat-hari. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih. In all scriptures it is described that guru is as good as Bhagavan. Means he knows from the right source. Therefore he may be, not maybe exactly, but as good, saksad-dharitvena. Why? Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. Guru is servant, servant God. The master God and the servant God. Krsna is the master God and guru is the servant God. Although he's respected as Krsna, still, kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya; He does not claim that "I've become Krsna." No. He's very dear to Krsna. Kintu prabhor yah priya. Priya. Priya means dear. Why he's so dear? Because he preaches the master's message. Therefore he's pure. If he preaches his own message, manufactured, then he's not good; he's deceit. That now there are so many rascal, they say like that, that "Krsna was Bhagavan. That is past now. He's dead and gone. Now I am Krsna." There are many rascals they say like that. But these rascals are accepted by other rascals. God is never dead. God... How He can get...? Even the ordinary living being, he's not dead. Na jayate na mriyate. Even we, living entities, never die or never born. How the Supreme Lord can be dead or born? That is not the fact.

So therefore if we discuss Bhagavan, there are so many things to be understood about Bhagavan.

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

One who possesses the full opulence of richness. One who possesses all the powers, all the influence, all beauty, all knowledge, all renunciation, that is Bhagavan. So you haven't got to think very ser... You take the formula given in the Vedas. That is perfect knowledge. You understand everything. Therefore the intelligent man, they follow the Vedic injunction. Then the knowledge is perfect. It is already there.

So bhagavan uvaca. So when Bhagavan is speaking -- atha te sampravaksyami tattvanam -- of the truth, laksanam, characteristic... Everyone has to understand anything by the characteristic. Just like in the chemical laboratory... If you send something just for chemical analysis just to see whether it is pure, so they have got in their authorized book, Pharmacopeia, the characteristics. The soda bicarb, its characteristic is like this; its taste is like this; it is formed like this, granules or powder or so many things. They analyze. And when the characteristics are accumulated, then they examine: "Yes. It is this." Similarly, you have to accept God from the characteristics, by analysis. Not that any rascal comes and says, "I'm Bhagavan." You must know, have to analyze Bhagavan. That is there in the sastra. This word Bhagavan is used not loosely. It has got many characteristics.

Just like Krsna said when he was present, He said, mattah parataram nanyat: [Bg. 7.7] "Nobody's superior than Me." He proved it. So long Krsna was on the planet, he proved it, that no one superior. Even from ordinary life as grhastha... Krsna was grhastha, householder. Now he married 16,108 wives. So who has got this potency to marry sixteen thousand? One wife... It is very difficult to maintain one wife. One lady in America, she had a grown-up son. So I asked her, "Why don't you get your son married?" "I have no objection if he can maintain wife here. I have no objection." Then I understood that it is very difficult to maintain wife here. And actually it is difficult to... Even from material point of view, Krsna, as far as we can calculate, we cannot conceive even at the present moment to maintain more than one wife or two wife. But He was maintaining sixteen thousand wives, 16,108.

But, because we have no conception of God, we take it, "This is all fictitious. God..." When God gives His reality, identification, and it is recorded in the sastra, not by any loafer class writer but like Vyasadeva, and we take it fictitious. Just see our position-Vyasadeva has bothered his brain to write something fictitious! Just see how low-grade persons we are! We don't believe writing of Vyasadeva. Or sometimes we say, "No, no, this was not written by Vyasadeva. It is interpretation." If it is interpretation, then why the acaryas have accepted? They're also fools-Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu Svami... They have made commentary on the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and they mention, they have accepted, "Yes. Krsna has sixteen thousand wives." So Vyasadeva has written and the acaryas have accepted. Then I have become such a great scholar that I say it is fictitious. And we have to believe these rascals.

So don't go to rascal. If you want real knowledge, take it from Bhagavan. bhagavan uvaca. Then your knowledge is perfect. That is our process. We, we have taken Bhagavad-gita as it is, and we are preaching. We don't preach anything else which Bhagavan does not say. Bhagavan says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam... [Bg. 18.65]. We are canvassing, "My dear sir, you just become a devotee of Krsna. You always think of Krsna." Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. We say, "You just think of Krsna." The same thing. There is no change. We do not interpret any way, "This man-manah means this, and mad-bhaktah means that." No. We don't do that. We present as it is. Therefore if Krsna sees that "One is presenting My message as I have given," then He is pleased. Therefore, it is said, kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. He has become very dear because he does not, nonsensically, he does not nonsensically change the meaning, that "This meaning's that, this meaning's that." Why? When Krsna has said, that is everything perfect. Why should I change it? That is guru-priya. Suppose if you say something and if somebody takes it as it is and behaves like that, then you become pleased. And if you say to your son or to your servant something and he misunderstand and talks something else, then he becomes angry: "What this nonsense has understood?" Similarly, a guru does not change the word of Krsna. Therefore he's called Bhagavan, servant Bhagavan. Krsna is the master Bhagavan, master God, and the guru, who is serving Krsna sincerely, he's the servant God. Therefore sastra says, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih **. In the morning also these boys, they sing Narottama dasa Thakura, ara na koriho mane asa. If you have got a pure, bona fide guru, then whatever he says, you do it. You don't think of anything else, ara na koriho mane asa. No more. That is all right.

So we have to receive knowledge from Bhagavan or from a person who is servant of Bhagavan, not that another imitation Bhagavan. Then you'll spoil your life. That will not help you. Bhagavan says, atha te sampravaksyami. Sam means samyak, in full, full knowledge, not partial. Atha te sampravaksyami. Pra means prakrsta-rupe. Vaksyami. Vaksyami means "I shall speak." Tattvanam. Tattvanam, tattva is one. Absolute Truth, it cannot be two; but there are different phases of understanding the Absolute Truth. Therefore here it is plural number, tattvanam. Tattva is one. That is explained in another place. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. Although tattva is realized in different phases, three phases, brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. Brahman, impersonal feature, brahmeti paramatma. First localized feature, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. That is Paramatma. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham.

eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah
andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.35]

The Govinda is within the atom, Paramatma. So that is another feature, all-pervading. And another feature is impersonal jyoti. And the original feature is Bhagavan. Therefore Krsna says mattah parataram nanyat [Bg. 7.7]. Finished. When you have come to this platform to understand Bhagavan, then your knowledge is perfect. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. That is perfect knowledge. If you do not understand what is Bhagavan, then your knowledge is imperfect. You have to learn again for many births. Then you'll come to the point of understanding what is Krsna.

bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma su-durlabhah
 [Bg. 7.19]

When you'll understand tattva, that Krsna is the original and the Paramatma is secondary and the Brahman, impersonal, the third status.

Therefore even if you are Brahman status, you are not still aprakrta. You are aparoksa. Aparoksa status, not even adhoksaja. As I told you, there are different stages of knowledge, so the brahma-jnana is paroksa-jnana. And the spiritual planets, Vaikuntha knowledge, that is adhoksaja. And the knowledge about Krsna and His planet, Goloka Vrndavana, that is aprakrta. So we have to transcend from this prakrta status of life. It is a very, very high grade status, aprakrta. Aprakrta status.

prakrta kariya mane visnu kalevara
visnu-ninda ara nahi ihara upara

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "Any rascal who thinks that the body of Krsna or Visnu is prakrta, material, this is the greatest offense." The Mayavadi philosophers, they think like that, that the Absolute Truth, (is) imperson; but when He comes in form He accepts a material body. This is the greatest offense, aparadha nahi yara ihara rupa.(?) Therefore they cannot understand very well because they're aparadhi. Krsna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, mayavadi krsne aparadhi. The Mayavadis, they're offenders to Krsna. Therefore they cannot understand Krsna, offenders. Krsna is not exposed to the offenders. Naham prakasah sarvasya yogamaya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]. So the Mayavadis, they cannot see Krsna. They cannot understand Krsna. They'll avoid Krsna. They'll speak so many things, spiritual knowledge, but avoid Krsna's figure, Krsna's form. They think it is maya. It is maya. But it is not maya. That is the original form. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because Krsna has got the form exactly, the dvibhuja-murali-lila, two hands with flute. That is Krsna's original form.

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.30]

So we have to understand Bhagavan and we have to hear from Him. And He's speaking perfectly in the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam. And if you take it yad viditva, if you are fortunate enough to understand the words of Krsna and Kapiladeva, then the result will be vimucyeta: immediately become liberated. If you are fortunate enough, if you are intelligent enough to understand the words of Kapiladeva or Krsna or Rsabhadeva -- there are so many incarnations -- then purusah prakrtair vimucyeta. Vimucyeta means become free, uncontaminated. What is that contamination? Prakrta-guna, these material infection that "I'm brahmana," "I'm ksatriya," "I'm vaisya," "I'm sudra," "I'm American," "I'm Indian," "I'm this," "I'm that." These are all prakrti. Prakrti, material qualifications. Even if you are perfect brahmana, that is also material qualification. But in the platform of pure brahmana you can have the chance of understanding the aprakrta, adhoksaja. Therefore you have to become brahmana, qualified brahmana. Then there is chance.

So in this age it is very difficult to become exactly Vedic brahmana. That's very, very difficult because everyone has become sudra. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. In the Kali-yuga you cannot find out exactly a qualified brahmana. Very rare, very rare. Therefore Vedic brahmana is not possible. It is... Our movement, Krsna consciousness movement, is creating pancaratriki-vidhi. Pancaratriki-vidhi-brahmana means there is no evidence of, there is no certainty whether one is brahmana or son of brahmana because so many things are lacking. But, if he has got little taste of Krsna understanding, he should be encouraged. That is pancaratriki. Just like if there is little fire you fan it-fan it and it will come out a big blazing fire. So this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to do that, and it is easier because in the sastra it is said by Sukadeva Gosvami that there is one opportunity. "My dear King, Pariksit, I've described to you about the faulty nature of this Kali-yuga, but there is a very good opportunity for the people, fallen conditioned souls, of this Kali-yuga." "What is that?" Kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah: "The, in the Kali-yuga, it is like the ocean of fault. But still there is one very good opportunity." "What is that?" Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet: [SB 12.3.51] "You chant Hare Krsna and become liberated and go to back to home, back to Godhead."

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974

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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

The Mantra Of Meekness

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.35
Los Angeles, December 13, 1973

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Pradyumna: Translation: "The Supreme Lord relinquished the body which He manifested to diminish the burden of the world. Just like a magician, He relinquishes one body to accept different ones like the fish incarnation, etc."

Prabhupada:

ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan
nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu
krsnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.39]

Govindam, Govinda is adi-purusa. So adi-purusa means the original person. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said by Krsna Himself, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7], "I am the Supreme Person." Now there are different forms of God, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs 5.33]. There are different incarnations. Just like isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. That Krsna, He is staying in everyone's heart. This is also another incarnation, antaryami, Supersoul incarnation. Just imagine how many. Anantyaya kalpate, these living entities are unlimited, so this incarnation, isvarah sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 18.61], the Lord in everyone's heart is staying. So how many you cannot count, there is no question. Not only that; it is said that andantara-stham, He is staying as Garbhodakasayi Visnu within this universe.

We should always remember that without spirit soul there cannot be any material development. That is practical. Just like the seed, the living soul, for changing his body, he is put into the semina of a male. Karmana daiva-netrena. This is the process of changing body. Daiva-netrena. This is being how you have to change your body. That is not under your control. After your death you are unconscious. Just like when you are on a surgical operational table you are completely under the surgeon. He puts you on the table, you unconscious, and he is operating as he likes. You don't protest. Similarly, we have got three condition. This is awakened stage we are talking, but at night we dream. That is called svapna stage, dreaming stage. And there is another stage, when you don't dream, you are simply unconsciousness. If somebody has gone surgical operation he might have experienced that completely unconscious. So then dream comes. When you come to consciousness from unconsciousness, you come to dreaming condition. From dreaming condition you come to this awakened stage. Similarly, you go from this awakened stage to dreaming condition and from dreaming condition to unconsciousness.

So as in the unconscious stage surgical operation takes place, you have no hand in it, you simply do not know what is happening, similarly, you are creating a condition of next life by your karma. Just like a clerk in a big establishment, he is creating situation by his work whether he will be promoted to a higher official position or he'll be degraded or he'll be (indistinct). He is creating. Similarly, we are creating our next life. This life is a chance for creating next life. Tatha dehantara-praptih. You have to change your body. But that depends on your work. It is not the, na kasca(?) (indistinct) karma. This karma is not created by Krsna, or God. You create your karma. You like this. Somebody wants to come here and somebody does not want to come. That independence is there. That independence is; otherwise there are millions of people here in Los Angeles. Who is coming here? Nobody. Because they are not interested in Krsna consciousness.

So this is the position. You create a situation of your own. Just like when the surgical operation, you have got a boil, then you... You have created by contamination, and the surgeon is simply operating. He has not created that situation. Similarly your transference to another body is not God's creation, it is your creation. Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Those who have read Bhagavad-gita, you have seen. Why one is born in low-grade family, one is born high-grade family, one is born animal, one is born human being, one is born as demigod? Why? What is the cause? Karanam guna-sango 'sya. Karanam. The cause is as he has infected the modes of material nature. The material nature is going on in three modes, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. It is up to you if you associate with tamo-guna, then you become next life animal or tree or fish. There are so many degraded condition. Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. Those who are in the darkness modes of material nature, they go down, adhah. Adho gacchanti, degraded.

So we create that situation, and after death we become unconscious. And the superior agent, prakrti, he takes you. Just like the air carries the flavor. You do not see how the air is passing and where the air is there, but it is there. You are smelling, "Oh, very good flavor," because the air is carrying. But you do not see. So these rascal scientists they think that because you cannot see, there is no soul. Subtle laws he doesn't know how the soul... Soul is so minute particle: ten-thousand, one ten-thousandth part of the top of the hair. How can your material science can see or understand? Therefore they say "No soul," but the soul is there, and he is being carried. He is being carried by nature's subtle intelligence, mind and ego. These are subtle material things. He is covered. As long he is in the material world, his subtle body..., the subtle body is being carried to another gross body. This is the, I mean to, science of transmigration of the soul.

So you are also changing body. We, everyone we have to change body. Similarly, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs 5.33]. Krsna has got also ananta-rupam. Our rupam, our this form, is imitation of one of the forms of Krsna. This is imitation. So but His forms are not like our form. His forms are spiritual. He is existing in different spiritual forms. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs 5.33]. Ananta means unlimited. But every form is spiritual. So He is changing. He is changing, yatha natah. He is changing like natah. Natah means actor, dramatic actor. Just like in the stage the dramatic actor is sometimes coming as a king and next time by changing the dress he is coming as (indistinct). This is an example. Similarly, Krsna is the same but He has got different manifestations. That different manifestation He takes. Why? Bhu-bharah ksapitah. Bhu-bharah. He comes in different forms just to liquidate the burden of the earth, bhu-bharah. Bhu-bharah ksapitah, just to reduce the burden of this earth.

When demons are, demonic civilization is there, then the whole planet becomes overburdened with their sinful activity. It is very easy to understand. Where in the state everyone is rogue and rascal, then the state becomes overburdened. Overburdened means the duty of the state for arranging police, military and other things becomes very much confused. Similarly, if the people are all law-abiding citizens then the government has no burden. Let things go on nicely, everything is going nicely. Similarly, this is also great state, the universal state. So when people become rascals, rogues and demons, it becomes very much overburdened. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. Dharmasya glanir bhavati. Dharma means not a sentiment. Dharma does not mean. Dharma generally is translated as "religion." So everyone can say, "I have got my own religion, you have got your own religion. Why you trouble to convert me or convert...?" They say like that. But actually dharma does not mean that, that you make your own sentiment, I make my own sentiment. No. That is not dharma. Your sentiment, your creation of dharma... Just like the, our Gandhi in India. He was preaching nonviolence. Nonviolence. So some Hindus approached him, "Sir, you are preaching nonviolence. These Muhammadans, they are killing cows, so why don't you ask them to stop, nonviolence?" So he replied, "Oh, this is their religion. How can I stop?" What is this nonsense? If you believe in philosophy of nonviolence, one may say that "This is my religion," that you cannot indulge in that? If somebody says, just like state is neutral to religion, if somebody says, "My religion is to cut throat," the state will allow, "Go on with your religion. Yes, it is your religion"? Will the state allow? No.

Similarly, we cannot create religion. We cannot create religion, "This is my religion." Then everyone will escape(?) in the name of religion. Because you have created so many rascaldom as religion, therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya: [Bg. 18.66] "You rascal, you give up all these religion. Real religion is surrender to Me." This is religion. Otherwise why Krsna says, "Give up all religion"? Sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66], He says in the beginning. Dharma-samsthapanarthaya. "I come, I descend just to reestablish the principle of religion." Does it mean that He came to support Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion? No. He came to reestablish religion. People do not know what is that religion. They have created their own religion. And some rascal swami is supporting, yata mata tata patha. How you can create? Religion is personal? "You can create your own religion and be satisfied"? This is going on. In the name of religion, every rascal is creating his own religion and he is satisfied. He is satisfied, "I have got my own religion." But they do not know. These rascals, they do not know what is the meaning of religion. Religion means to abide by the laws of God, simple definition. Religion. That is religion, to abide by the laws. Now if you are religionist, you cannot deny God. Without God there is no question of religion. If somebody says, "I don't care for God. But my religion is simply to cut throat." Is that religion? So therefore one must know what is religion. That religion, very simple definition. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Religion is the law given by God. This is religion.

So what God is giving as law? The law is that "You give up all nonsense religion, simply surrender unto Me." This is religion. So a religious person, it does not mean whether he is Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddhist. He must accept God and surrender unto Him. This is religion. This is religion. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7], that means when religion becomes polluted, at that time Krsna comes as bhu-bharah. Because as soon as... Religion means to abide by the laws of, to abide by the laws of God. So dharmasya glanir bhavati means when people do not abide by the laws of God. That is dharmasya glanih, discrepancy in the matter of discharging religion. Just like when you begin to break laws, everyone, then government becomes very furious, arrest, punish, hang -- these things are going on. But if you are abiding by the laws of government, there is no such question to harass you. There is no... You live peacefully. This is the process going on. And bhu-bharah, when people become irreligious, not abiding by the laws of God, then it becomes burdensome. How one can say that "To cut throat is my religion"? Nobody can say like that. That is not religion. That means he has no sense of God consciousness. He's a rascal.

God consciousness person, God conscious person, what is the symptom of God conscious person? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita. What is that?

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
 [Bg. 5.18]

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
 [Bg. 18.54]

This is sign of a perfect God conscious or Krsna conscious. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. One who has understood God, he is pandita, learned. Without being learned, a fool, rascal, cannot understand what is God. One who understands God means he is pandita, he is learned because he has got the knowledge. Veda, Veda means knowledge. What is the purpose of knowledge? Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. That is Veda, that is knowledge. Any kind of knowledge, it doesn't matter whether it is political or scientific or philosophical or mathematical -- there are different -- but the ultimate aim should be to understand what is God. That is knowledge. Because you, human being, you are advancing in knowledge, but what is the goal of knowledge? The goal of knowledge is to understand God. That is the difference between dog and me. He has no goal of knowledge. He is simply eating, simply jumping and barking, that's all. That is a dog's business. If you go on like that, eating, sleeping and begetting children and barking in political conference, then you are dog. You are not God or godly. Nobody can become God, that is... But you can become godly. Similarly, people have become just like cats and dogs. This is dharmasya glanih.

Therefore the incarnation is already there, Krsna is there, Krsna's instruction is there, but people are not taking advantage of it. Not taking advantage of it. Everything is there. Therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is to rescue these rascals from this ignorance and give Krsna consciousness. Most philanthropic work. They will become dog next life; we are trying to save them, "Don't become dog. Just become god or godly." This is our movement. But they are persistent to become dog. Even they are coming here, again falling. Persistent to become dog. So that is nature's law, what can be done?

So this is the bhu-bharah. Bhu-bharah, this Krsna consciousness movement is also incarnation of Krsna. Krsna is absolute. Krsna and Krsna consciousness is the same. That is absolute. In relative world consciousness is different from the person, but in the absolute world consciousness and the subject matter of consciousness is the same. Krsna and Krsna's name is the same; Krsna and Krsna's form the same. Therefore when you worship Krsna's form it is not waste of time; it is worshiping Krsna. Krsna is omnipotent, He can accept your service by presenting Himself in His form. But Krsna can do that, that is His omnipotency. Otherwise why Krsna will say patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham asnami: "If somebody gives me something to eat, it doesn't matter very valuable, very palatable dishes. It doesn't matter. Even patram puspam, little flower, little fruits which any poor man can collect"? Just like if you are very, very poor man, you have nothing to offer to Krsna, but you want to offer something. So Krsna says, "All right. Offer Me a little fruit, little flower." So if you have no money to purchase, if you go to a friend, "Sir, I want to take little flower to offer to Krsna," at least if he is human being he will never deny. "Yes, take it." If he's a dog, that is a different thing. If he's a human being you can collect this little flower and fruit anywhere, any part of the world.

So Krsna worship is so easy, universal. Other worshiping method you have to collect so many things, then you can worship. Or you must have temple, you must have church, you must have worshiping place. But Krsna is everywhere. And you can collect this patram puspam phalam anywhere. You can worship Krsna anywhere, but you have to learn how to worship. What is that learning? Bhaktya, that is the method. Therefore Krsna says patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. This patram puspam is not important thing. The important thing is bhakti, devotion. That is wanted. Without bhakti, if you offer Krsna very big plate, Krsna is not hungry to take your food. He'll not accept it. He'll not accept anything if you do not offer with your love, bhaktya, love and serving spirit: "My dear Krsna, You are so opulent. I have nothing to offer You because You have got everything. But I have tried to collect thee things to my best power, so I am offering You. Kindly take it." This is mantra. This is mantra. Don't require much mantra. That meekness, that humbleness, "Krsna, I am most insignificant. I have nothing to give You, neither You are very much hungry or You... You have got many, many..." Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. Krsna is served by the goddess of fortune, not one, many millions. Here we are praying to goddess of fortune, "My dear goddess of fortune, kindly give me little fortune. I am very poor." That is our position. We are praying. But Krsna's position is that laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. The goddess of fortune is praying Krsna. Just like the gopis, they are all goddess of fortune. "Krsna, kindly take little service..." This is the position.

So why Krsna will come to you, take your foodstuff? Because Krsna wants that you surrender. That is required. That is required. Therefore we should serve Krsna, because without bhakti, many times Krsna has said, bhaktya mam abhijanati: [Bg. 18.55] "simply through bhakti." You cannot understand Krsna by your so-called scholarship, scientific knowledge and speculation. These are all useless, nonsense things. You cannot understand what is Krsna. Krsna clearly said, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Bhaktya. Simply by devotional service one can understand. Bhakti means serving, service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. When you become in service attitude, just to serve Krsna with humble attitude, with devotion, then Krsna will reveal. Otherwise you cannot understand Krsna. It is not possible. If you think that "I am very rich man, I can offer Krsna so many things, nice dress, nice foodstuff. Krsna now is within my grip." No. Krsna is not so cheap. There also it is said that vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. You cannot understand Krsna because you are very learned scholar in Vedic knowledge. No. Vedesu durlabham, it is very difficult. But adurlabham, He is very cheap unto His devotees. He is very cheap. Like Vidura. Vidura invited Him, and Krsna did not to go Arjuna's house..., I mean to say, Duryodhana's house, very palatial building. Vidura, a cottage, so He went there. And Vidura being in ecstasy was offering Him some banana. So he was so overpowered by ecstasy that instead of giving the fruit banana, he was giving the skin, and Krsna was eating. So when he came to his senses he saw that "I have given only the skin, and Krsna is eating." So this is bhakti. This is bhakti. Krsna wants that. Krsna can eat anything, either you give the pulp or skin, He can eat anything because He is all powerful and everything is equal to Him.

So real thing is bhakti. So when people become rascals and nonsense and do not care for God consciousness, devotion to God, that is become bhu-bharah, burdened. That has now become. Now Krsna has, because at the present moment in the Kali-yuga... Krsna formerly came to kill big, big giant demons like Ravana and Kamsa, Hiranyakasipu, very, very big giant. But that the present moment where is that big giant? They are all poor. There is no... Although by mentality they are all rogues and rascals and demons, but in material condition they are very very poor. That is stated. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. People are so unfortunate that even the bird and beast, they can get their two meals, eating, sleeping, mating; they have got their arrangement. At the present moment a human being has no arrangement what he is going to eat in the morning or in the evening, whether he has got any chance of sex life. These things are preliminary requirement, but nobody is guarantee of these things, they are so unfortunate. They are not getting the preliminary necessities of life, what to speak of Krsna consciousness. They are so unfortunate. So why should come Krsna to kill them? They are already killed by the laws of nature. They are already killed, half-killed. Therefore Krsna has come in the form of His name. Please chant Hare Krsna.
Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupada. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973

"Kanistha, Madhyama, Uttama"

72/12/13 Ahmedabad, 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]

So by the end of the Sixth Chapter, Krsna has explained the asta, astanga-yoga-siddhi. Astanga-yoga-siddhi, that yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. Always who is thinking of Krsna within himself, sraddhavan, with faith and knowledge, he is first-class yogi. So how this first-class yoga system helps me? Because the other yoga systems, they will disagree, that "Simply by thinking of Krsna within one's heart, how one becomes perfect?" That is explained from the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, how simply by understanding Krsna, you become well aware of everything, this yoga system. In the Vedas also it is stated, kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. If you, if you simply understand Krsna, then you know everything. Krsna is the root of everything. Therefore Krsna says, sri-bhagavan uvaca.

We should always remember that this Bhagavad-gita is being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So no more better authority. And God is speaking about Himself. Otherwise, by speculation you cannot understand God. That is not possible. You have to hear from God Himself about God.

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno
na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan

"A person who has got little favor," athapi te deva padambu..., "little favor from the lotus feet of Your Lordship, he," janati tattvam, "he knows what is tattva, what is the Absolute Truth." Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanu..., prasada-lesa: Little favor, not all. Prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi janati tattvam, na ca anya ciram vicinvan. Others may go on speculating for years and years. It is not possible to understand. And similarly, in the Brahma-samhita, another Vedic literature, it is said, panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam [Bs 5.34]. Muni-pungavanam, great saintly persons, sages, if they travel for millions of years... Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara. Koti, again multiplied by hundreds and hundreds. Vayor athapi, on the airplane of air. Not this metal airplane, but actually air airplane or by the airplane of mind. Mind speed, we know. Mind can run within a second many thousands of miles, immediately. Suppose I am sitting here. So I have got my apartment in Los Angeles, ten thousand miles away. I can immediately go... This is called mind-speed. So with the mind speed, with the velocity of air, if one runs on, to find out the Krsna planet, or Krsna, still, avicintya-tattva, still, it is inconceivable tattva.

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam
so 'py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs 5.34]

Govinda is very, very difficult to understand by mental speculation, philosophical theses. Philosophical theses, speculation, without religion is simply waste of time. And religion without philosophical basis is sentiment. They must be combined together.

So Bhagavad-gita is that, religion combined with philosophy. If you simply take philosophy, it is dry speculation. No juice. Carvita-carvananam: "Chewing the chewed." There is no benefit. And if you take, simply take religion without basis of philosophy, then it is fanaticism. That's all. So both should be combined. Religion based on philosophy and logic, that is religion. So that combination is Bhagavad-gita. So here in the Seventh Chapter, beginning, opening chapter, it is said, bhagavan uvaca. You are searching after God. Now here is God Himself speaking. So recognized God by all sages: Vyasadeva, Narada, Asita. And later on by Ramanujacarya, by Sankaracarya, by Madhvacarya, by Visnusvami, by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and then our Guru Maharaja. So our method is very simple: evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So we accept this parampara system. I may not know what is God, but because my predecessors, acaryas, confirm it, the "Here is Bhagavan," we accept it. That's all. We save so much trouble by mental speculation. We accept the parampara system. Therefore... And we get the result. So that is the way.

Now, here, not only the parampara system... The parampara system begins from Krsna. As Krsna says in the Fourth Chapter: imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam: [Bg. 4.1] "I spoke first to the sun-god." It is not said, "First." Many times He has said to many predominating deities. But in this era... This is called the age of Vaivasvata Manu. There are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahma. So Vaivasvata Manu is the eighth Manu. That means we are passing through the midday of this era, manvantara. There is fourteen Manus in one day of Brahma, and this era is called Vaivasvata Manu, because he is the son of Vivasvan. And that Vivasvan is given reference in the Fourth Chapter: imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. So if you simply calculate the age of Manu it becomes forty millions of years. So Bhagavad-gita is not a new theses. It is coming from time immemorial. So Krsna is the original preceptor. So here Krsna again personally speaking. The authority, personally... Out of compassion and friendship, love to Arjuna, He's speaking directly to Arjuna. And Arjuna understood Him: the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam [Bg. 10.12]. Purusam. Purusam means person. He's not imperson. Imperson is the, another feature of the person. Brahmanah aham pratistha. Krsna says that "The brahmajyoti, impersonal Brahman, that is situated upon Me." Aham pratistha. Just like we are sitting on this platform. This is pratistha. Similarly, the brahmajyoti is situated on the person of Krsna. The person is the ultimate understanding of the Absolute Truth, not the impersonal feature. That is preliminary understanding or imperfect understanding. There is brahmajyoti. Just like we are experiencing the sunshine. The sunshine is also experience of the sun-god, but it is imperfect understanding. It is not perfect understanding. If you want to understand the sun-god, then you have to penetrate through the sunshine and reach the sun planet. And then, if, if, you are able to see the predominating deity of the sun planet, whose name is Vivasvan... Similarly, the whole material creation is a part of the brahmajyoti. Sarvam khalv idam brahma.

So you have to penetrate... In the Isopanisad, it is said that, requested, it is requesting the, that "You kindly wind up Your brahmajyoti so can, I can see Your face rightly." So ultimately, there is person. Tattva-vastu.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]

This is the version of Srimad-Bhagavatam. So Brahman realization is for the persons who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by philosophical speculation. That is the understanding. Similarly, the localized Paramatma feature is realized by the yogis. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. And the devotees, they realized directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, sad-aisvarya bhagavan, with full richness, full reputation, full strength, full knowledge, full renunciation. This is the meaning of Bhagavan. I have already explained. So that Bhagavan is speaking.

So mayy asakta-manah partha: "Those who have developed attachment for Me, mayy asakta, only attached to Krsna..." That is Krsna consciousness, always thinking of Krsna. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. This is yoga. It is already explained by the end of the Sixth Chapter. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. One who has developed attachment for Krsna, he has come to perfection, simply by developing. And this development of attachment is possible by this arcana-vidhi. Just like our, rising early in the morning, offering mangalaratrika, then changing the dress, garlanding, dressing, so many things. From morning, four, to, up to night at ten o'clock, there is program. That is real temple worship. Not that the temple is closed whole day and night, and the pujari goes for five minutes and bells the bell, again close. No. There is system. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira-mar janadau **. So many activities in temple worship. So for the kanistha-adhikari, neophytes, those who are serious to become, to awaken his attachment for Krsna, they must take to this arcana-marga. This is called arcana-marga, temple worship. Everyone can establish a small temple in his house, and he can begin family-wise: himself, his wife, his children. That is wanted. This Krsna consciousness movement wants to see that every house has become a temple of Krsna. That is our program. Mayy asakta... Just to increase the attachment for Krsna.

That is needed, especially for the grhasthas, for the householders... Still in India, there are many respectable families. They are maintaining a small temple. Therefore Krsna says, sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate. Yoga-bhrasta, this yogam yunjan mad-asrayah, this bhakti-y oga, one who could not finish the cent percent bhakti-yoga in one life, at least he's guaranteed to have next life as a human being. Because Krsna says, sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate. Sucinam. Sucinam means first-class brahmana, Vaisnava. They are called suci. The suci, the, just the opposite word is muci. Muci means most nasty habit, and suci means most cleansed habit. So one poet said that suci haya muci haya yadi krsna tyaje and muci haya suci haya yadi krsna bhaje: "If one becomes Krsna conscious, even though he's born in the family of muci, he becomes suci. And even though one is born in the family of suci, brahmana, if he rejects Krsna, he becomes muci." So muci haya suci haya yadi krsna bhaje and suci haya muci haya yadi krsna tyaje. This is the...

So the highest perfection of life is to awaken our dormant Krsna consciousness. That is the highest perfection of life. Everyone has got Krsna consciousness dormant. It is covered by the influence of maya. By the influence of maya. That is also stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, that

nitya-siddha krsna-prema ‘sadhya' kabhu naya
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya
[Cc. madhya 22.107]

Nitya-siddha. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are all part and parcel of Krsna. So therefore our relationship with Krsna is natural. It is natural. Just like my part and parcel of the finger; so without finger, my body's imperfect. Finger must be... So the existence of finger with this body, it is natural. Similarly, to remain with Krsna, that is our natural position, constitutional position. Remain with Krsna as cowherd boy, as gopi, as Krsna's father, Krsna's mother, Krsna's servant, Krsna's trees, Krsna's Yamuna, Krsna's flower, Krsna's Vrndavana land -- remain with Krsna in any form you like. Santa dasya sakhya vatsalya madhurya. In any mellow, humor, you can remain with Krsna. That is our natural position. But when we try to imitate Krsna, to become a imitation Krsna... Just like there are so many persons, they say, "I am Krsna." This is maya. Immediately... Because we trying to forget Krsna, our relationship with Krsna, immediately maya captures.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

As soon as we desire to forget Krsna, or to rebel against Krsna, that "Why I shall serve Krsna? I am Krsna," immediately maya is there, side by side. Krsna is there. Apasyat purusam purnam mayam ca tad-apasrayam. When Vyasadeva, after getting instruction from Narada, he wanted to write Srimad-Bhagavatam, so he first of all meditated. Bhakti-yogena manasi, apasyat purusam purnam mayam ca tad-apasrayam. He saw both Krsna and His illusory energy, apasrayam, on the back side.

So Krsna is never influenced by the illusory energy, maya. We become influenced by the maya. Krsna... Just like cloud. Cloud cannot cover the sun. It is our eyes which are covered by the cloud. We see, we say that "Now the sun is covered by the cloud." No, that is not the fact. Sun is very, very big. Sun cannot be covered by cloud. It is our eyes which are covered by the cloud. Similarly, maya... We are teeny part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore we are covered by maya. Sometimes, not always. Krsna, when we forget Krsna...

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

As soon as we try to forget Krsna, immediately maya is there. Therefore the reversing process, reversing process, if we want to go back again to Krsna, then daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. You cannot go back to home, back to Godhead, by your own speculation. That is not possible. Ciram vicinvan. You can go on speculating to become one with God. That is another thing. But if you actually want to know God and see God, then as Krsna says, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te: [Bg. 7.14] simply surrender to Krsna and maya will give you no more trouble. You can see Krsna. This is the process.

Therefore Krsna says, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam. To... This is yoga system. It is called bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga system. So a neophyte devotee should be engaged in temple worship, but if he does not make further improvement, if he sticks to the simply temple worship, then he remains a kanistha-adhikari, lower-standard devotee. Lower-standard devotee. But one has to become first-standard devotee; at least, one must... A first-standard devotee is very high position, spiritual position. But at least, we must come to the second standard. The lower standard is

arcayam eva haraye
pujam yah sraddhayehate
na tad-bhaktesu canyesu
sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah

Arca, this arca-vigraha, Deity, Krsna, arcayam eva haraye, the Deity of Krsna, yah pujam sraddhaya ihate, with great devotion and according to the rules and regulations, if one performs, that is very nice. But if he does not improve, na tad-bhaktesu canyesu, he does not become knowable to the devotees and other persons, then he remains a kanistha-adhikari. Sa bhaktah prakrtah. Prakrta means in the material platform. He does not actually promoted to the spiritual platform if he simply remains. Therefore along with the worship of Krsna in the temple, this hearing should be... Sravanam kirtanam. Just like we are doing. We do not engage only the devotees to the temple worship, but there must be program for hearing Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, the science of God. Otherwise, after some times, simply if you ring the bell, after time you'll be disgusted and the whole thing will be lost. As it has become now in India. There was no instruction about Krsna consciousness. They simply attached to the temple and belling. And now it is now zero. Devotion is zero.

So two things must go on, parallel. Then if we, two things must go, then you are promoted to the second platform, madhyama-adhikari. Madhyama-adhikari means at that time he sees four things:

isvare tad-adhinesu
balisesu dvisatsu ca
prema-maitri-krpopeksa
yah karoti sa madhyamah

Madhyama. Isvara. By arcana-vidhi, he understands Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by this process. By the regulative process, by the instruction of the spiritual master, by the regulative principles set up in the bhakti-sastras, just like Narada-pancaratra, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. There are many. So at that time, if one comes from the lower platform to the... Of course, we must know that any devotee, either in the lower platform or in the second platform or on the firs platform, they are to be considered as devotees. Not that because one is in the material platform, he's not devotee. He is also devotee. But he has to improve. The improvement means he must know what is Krsna. Simply if he remains attached to the temple worship and does not try to understand who is a Krsna devotee and how he has to deal with others... Na tad-bhaktesu canyesu. We have got some duty to others. This is preaching work. This is preaching work. One should not be satisfied simply by worshiping in the temple. Then he'll remain a neophyte. He must become a preacher, Krsna consciousness. Then he comes to the second platform.

So when he becomes a preacher he sees four things. He sees God, Krsna, Isvara; tad-adhina, and the devotees. Tad-adhina means those who have accepted Krsna as the parama-purusa. There is another verse in the Srimad-Bhagavata: ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya dasyam gatanam para-daivatena. Dasyam gatanam, for the bhaktas, Krsna is the Supreme Lord, Paradeva.

ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya
dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
mayasritanam nara-darakena
sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah
[SB 10.12.11]

When Sukadeva Gosvami described the cowherd boys playing with Krsna... So he is remarking that "These boys who are playing with Krsna... Who is this Krsna?" Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya. Those, those who are impersonalists, those who are attached to the impersonal brahmajyoti, for them, He is the target. He is the target. From Him, the brahmajyoti comes. Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya. And dasyam gatanam para-daivatena: "And those who are devotees, for them, here is the Supreme Lord." Dasyam gatanam para-daivatena. And mayasritanam nara-darakena: "And those who are under the influence of maya, for them, He's ordinary human child." The same person. Different views. One is seeing that the ultimate target of brahmajyoti, and somebody is seeing that He is the Supreme Lord, and somebody's seeing, "He's ordinary boy." So Krsna is visioned under different positions. Under different positions. But He's the Supreme Lord.

So this yoga system, attachment for Krsna, begins from the temple worship and ends into maha-bhagavata. Maha-bhagavata means who simply sees Krsna, nothing... Sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti. Sthavara-jangama dekhe na dekhe tara murti. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gita also:

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]

He does not see anything but Krsna. A maha-bhagavata, when a tree, when he sees a tree, he does not see the form of the tree, but he sees Krsna. That is maha-bhagavata. That we should not imitate. That is the highest stage, perfectional stage. But at least, we come to the middle stage. What is that middle stage? To... We must understand what is God, what is Krsna. Perfect understanding. And tad-adhina, and His devotees. Isvare tad-adhinesu balisa. Balisa means innocent persons. They are un... I mean to... They do not know actually what is God. And dvisat. Dvisat means envious. The four classes of men: God, His devotee, innocent person, and envious person, demons. So the person who is promoted to the second stage, he'll deal with these four classes of divisions differently. Isvara-prema. One should try to learn how to love Krsna. Yato bhaktir adhoksaje. That is first class. And tad, isvare tad-adhinesu balisesu dvisatsu ca, prema, prema, love for Krsna, and maitri, and to make friendship with the devotees. Prema-maitri. And krpa: those who are innocent, one should be merciful. The devotee should be merciful, just to awaken their Krsna consciousness. And dvisatsu ca upeksah: and those who are envious, they should be rejected. These four classes... To try to love Krsna, to make friendship with devotees, and to give some service to the innocent public who does not know what is God, and those who are envious, asuras, they should be rejected. The madhyama-adhikari should not touch the demons. Because maybe, he may turn again, be demon. Therefore one should be very careful to associate with the demons.

But when one becomes uttama-adhikari, maha-bhagavata, he does not see anyone as demon. He sees, "Everyone is worshiping Krsna. I am not worshiping." This is maha-bhagavata. Just like Radharani. Radharani always feels that "I do not know how to love Krsna. Oh, he, here is a gopi. How she loves Krsna." That is Her... This is called maha-bhava. So we should not imitate Radharani. Caitanya Mahaprabhu... Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He's the symbol of Radharani's maha-bhava. He says that "I do not love Krsna. I do not know how to love Krsna." Then if you, somebody, if somebody says, "Then why You are crying?" "Well, that is a show. I am making a show. I am crying." Then what is the symptom? "The symptom is that if I would have loved Krsna, then without Him I have died long, long ago. I should have died. I am living still without Krsna; that means I do not love Krsna." This is maha-bhagavata-bhava, separation.

aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam
adarsanan marma-hatam karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato
mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparah

This is maha-bhagavata. So maha-bhagavata, we should not imitate. But we should not remain also as kanistha-adhikari. We must come to the madhyama-adhikari, middle stage. So these stages will be manifest gradually if we simply try to develop our attachment for Krsna.

So this is the beginning: arca, arcanam. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam [SB 7.5.23]. Arcanam. Therefore for every grhastha... Because grhasthas are busy in so many ways, they have no opportunity to preach. But they must take to arcana. Every house, every householder, they must... What is the difficulty? Just like we have got in this platform, Deity of Radha-Krsna, everyone can install Radha-Krsna Deity at home and under the instruction of spiritual master and shastric regulations. Then, if we engage ourselves in arcana-vidhi, then automatically, all the anomalies of life will stop. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya. This arcana-vidhi is one of the items of bhajana, bhajana-kriya. So anartha-nivrttih syat. If every house engages in this arcana-vidhi, so many unwanted things will vanish. You'll have no more interest for seeing cinema or going to the restaurant or smoking bidi and wasting time by unnecessary talks. So many things. And your life will be perfect. So many nonsense things will go automatically. Anartha-nivrttih syat. So therefore to become Krsna conscious, every house, everywhere, every person, every human being should adopt this arcana-vidhi. Then at least he will save so many unnecessary... Anartha-nivrttih syat. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah.

So Krsna says that mayy asakta-manah partha: "My dear Arjuna..." Arjuna is addressed here as "Partha," very familial. Because Partha, Krsna, Arjuna's mother's name was Prtha, Kunti's name. And Prtha, Kunti, happened to be the aunt of Krsna. So He's very feelingly, in a familial way, He's addressing, "Partha, My dear Arjuna, Partha, mayy asakta-manah, simply by increasing attachment for Me," mayy asakta, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam... This is yoga. This is perfect yoga. Yoginam api sarve... Mad-asrayah. "This yoga system should be executed directly under My direction, or under the direction of a representative of Mine." The spiritual master is the representative of Krsna. How he becomes representative? What is the test? The test is... Just like anyone can understand, representative. Suppose a business firm's representative is going to canvass for business, what is his business? He will take the interest of the firm, not his personal interest. He will try to secure business for the firm he's working, not for his personal... That is perfect representative. And if he goes, in the name of the firm's representative, and he does his own business, then he's a liar. Similarly, Krsna's representative means one who speaks about Krsna as Krsna speaks. And if he adulterates, he's a liar. He's not representative. He's not representative. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], and if the representative says, "Just become a devotee of Krsna. Just worship Krsna. Just offer your obeisances to Krsna," he is representative. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], and the representative will say that "You give up all other process. You simply surrender to Krsna." He will never say that "I am Krsna." He'll never say. He's not representative of Krsna. He's a liar. He's not representative.

So to become representative of Krsna is not very difficult. Simply one has to become very sincere. That's all. That whatever Krsna says, he will say. Just like Arjuna accepted: sarvam etad rtam manye yad vadasi kesava [Bg. 10.14]. That is representative. "My dear Kesava, Krsna, whatever You are speaking, I accept them all, in toto, without any reformation." That is representative of Krsna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,

yare dekha tare kaha ‘krsna'-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Amara ajnaya. One has to carry out the order of God. He is representative. Otherwise liar, misnomer. So therefore Krsna says, mad-asrayah. Mad-asrayah: "Either under My direction, the direction is there, or My representative's." Mat. Mad-asrayah means "either under My direction or one who has taken..." [break]

...We have discussed. But gayatri-mantra is the beginning of brahminical culture because without attaining the brahminical qualification, nobody can understand Vedic literature. Therefore a brahmana, initiated, he's given the gayatri-mantra. So that is required. [break]

Indian: Hare Krsna. Your Divine Grace, in order to understand Sri Bhagavan Krsna, we have to take your help, as you said you have explained what are the words of Krsna. And in order to understand yourself we have, or we had to take the help of so many other persons. You speak in English and Sanskrit or Hindi, and at college, and at school, so many teachers taught us Sanskrit, Hindi, and history, geography, because there are so many illustrations in your speech also. Then guru has been defined like this:

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

Ajnana timirandhasya. About jnana, nothing has been said whether it is spiritual jnana or material jnana. So in order to understanding you and, through yourself, also Krsna, all these so-called gurus, or, I may say, teachers, they have contributed towards understanding or developing Krsna consciousness. Now, leaving aside these material teachers I am taking the, taking one spiritual guru who gave me Krsna consciousness first and who taught me to worship God, Krsna, and to maintain a temple at my own house and to learn the slokas from Gita or the Srimad-Bhagavata. And I have learned by rote the grandness of adhyayas of Bhagavatam and the Gita. But you see I could not understand anything. Now, after going through your literatures, complete literatures, now the whole light has come to me, and I have began to understand even that the guru who gave me such Krsna consciousness. I don't challenge or question the other findings of their(?) gurus. Just like a boy who absent from class, not attending his class, there is no fault of the guru. Guru has been attending his lectures. But I am truant. I am not attending class. So you see I can't blame that guru. But now I have understood everything from Your Grace, and now that ajnana has been removed. I have now become more Krsna conscious than before. So should I give credit to all those gurus who have helped me to understand? Or should I now select, or should I exercise any choice that I should accept this guru or that guru only? So that doubt should be cleared.

Prabhupada: Hmmm. Guru is only one. Guru means, as you explained,

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

One who eradicates the ajnana, andhakara, darkness. In the darkness, if somebody brings lamp, ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya... The jnana-rupa, torchlight, he's guru. So maybe of different degrees, but anyone who opens the spiritual eyes, he's guru. So... But in the sastra it is said, gurur api karyakaryakam ajanatah. If I accept some guru, but if later on it appears that he did not know what is to be done, what is to be not to be done, then Srila Jiva Gosvami says that such guru: parityago vidhiyate. Such guru should be rejected. But it doesn't matter that degree. Actually, if the guru teaches Krsna consciousness, then he may be in lesser degree, but he's accepted as guru. There is no question of rejection. Because Krsna is actually jnana. One who teaches Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, "One has to know Krsna, one has to surrender to Krsna," this kind of teaching is required. And if the guru says that "I am Krsna. Everyone is Krsna," then, "daridra-krsna, daridra-narayana," he is not a guru. He's not a guru. He's misguiding. Misguiding. Avaisnavo gurur na syat. This is the shastric injunction. Sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. A... Generally, a qualified brahmana becomes guru. That is natural. Brahmana is the head of the society. So he is... And without becoming brahmana, nobody can become guru. That is also fact. Because brahmana means brahma janatiti brahmanah, one who knows Brahman, Brahman. So guru must be a brahmana, mean a qualified brahmana, not born-brahmana, so-called brahmana. Qualified brahmana. So still, brahmana's qualification, sat-karma, pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigraha. So sastra says that sat-karma-nipuno viprah. If one vipra is quite expert in executing the six kinds of business, and mantra-tantra-visaradah, and very well known in the Vedic mantras and hymns and everything complete, but if he is avaisnava, if he is not Vaisnava, he does not know visnu-tattva, or krsna-tattva, then he cannot become spiritual master. Avaisnavo gurur na syad vaisnavah sva-paco guruh. But if a Vaisnava, one who knows visnu-tattva, krsna-tattva, even if he's born in the family of sva-paca, the dog-eaters, candala, he can be accepted as guru. So the real test is whether the guru is a Vaisnava, whether he know the science of Krsna. That is also confirmed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya
yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei ‘guru' haya
[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

A... It doesn't matter what he is, whether he's a sannyasi or a grhastha or a brahmana or a su..., born in brahmana family or... It doesn't matter. Yei krsna-tattva. Anyone who knows Krsna, he can become guru, not others. So that is the statement of the sastras. Avaisnava cannot become guru.

Indian: In your presence I may declare also attending I have found your system of Krsna consciousness the best and very practical. Because I, I am a...

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972