Here Is God-Krishna-Take It

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.1
Vrndavana, December 2, 1975

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Prabhupada: ...this table here.

kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
 [SB 7.6.1]

Prahlada Maharaja, our predecessor guru... There are twelve mahajanas: Brahma, Svayambhu, Narada, Sambhu, Kapilo, Kumara, Manu, Prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, Bali, Vaiyasakir, vayam. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. It is said in the Vedas that we have to follow the footprints of mahajana. Mahajana means great authorized devotees. And they have been described, twelve. Svayambhur means Lord Brahma; Narada, Narada Muni the great saint; Sambhu, Lord Siva... Svayambhur naradah sambhuh kaumara [SB 6.3.20] -- the four Kumaras, sanat-kumara adi. Then Kapila, Kapiladeva, Devahuti's son. There are two Kapilas. So one is imitation; one is real. The real Kapila, He is known therefore Devahuti-putra, "the son of Devahuti." Devahuti was the daughter of Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. So in this way, kapilah kumaro manuh. Then Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja was the son of Hiranyakasipu, the famous demon. So it is not that a demon's son will be demon. That is not. Krsna consciousness can be achieved by anyone.

Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Papa-yoni means to take birth in low class family or demonic family. So papa-yonayah. Krsna says openly, ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah. Anyone, it doesn't matter, even if he is born in a papa-yoni Papa-yoni means generally less than the sudras. According to our Vedic system, four classes, varnasrama, social and spiritual division, the social division is brahmana first, then ksatriya, then vaisya, then sudra. This is social division, and there is a spiritual division: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. This is compulsory regulation for becoming human being. Without varnasrama institution there is no recognition of human being. Without being trained up in the varnasrama system there is no question of becoming human being. So actually it is not by birth as human being but by culture. Janmana jayate sudrah samskarad bhaved dvijah.

So Prahlada Maharaja is one of the twelve mahajanas. So he is speaking to his class friends. He was only five years old boy and he took the opportunity of preaching bhagavata-dharma whenever he got some opportunity. So at that time Prahlada Maharaja's father, Hiranyakasipu, was a great demon. He would not allow Krsna consciousness. So still, Prahlada Maharaja, although he was a boy, he used to take opportunity for preaching Krsna consciousness among his friends. So in the tiffin hours, when the boys were left free to play, so Prahlada Maharaja used to call them, "My dear friends, sit down. Let us talk about Krsna consciousness." So he is preaching Krsna consciousness. He is saying to his friends, "My dear friends," kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. The friends were very much anxious to play and Prahlada Maharaja says, "My dear friends. Don't play. Sit down. Sit down." Why? "A very important subject matter, Krsna consciousness, bhagavata-dharma."

Dharma, there are many dharmas. Especially nowadays there is Hindu dharma, Mussulman dharma or Christian dharma, or Sikh dharma, Arya dharma, this dharma, hundreds and thousands. But in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is declared, dharmo projjhita-kaitavo atra, atra srimad-bhagavate: "In the Srimad-Bhagavatam all rascaldom, cheating type of religion, is kicked out." This is bhagavata-dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means bhagavan, bhagavata-sabda. From bhagavan the word bhagavata has come. So bhagavata-dharma means relationship with God, Bhagavan. Therefore you will see in the Bhagavad-gita, it is Bhagavad-gita means the dharma or the religious principle preached by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is bhagavata-dharma. Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is bhagavata-dharma. So dharma means bhagavata-dharma. Any other dharma which does not teach anything about God, that is cheating, kaitava.

Dharmartha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41]. Dharmartha. Dharma, the religious principles, artha means economic development, kama means sense gratification, and moksa means liberation. So above moksa there is bhagavata-dharma. When one has attained actually moksa. Moksa means mukti, liberation. What is that liberation? Mukti hitva anyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]. This is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that after mukti one is finished; one becomes nirakara or another two hand grow. Not like that. It is a change of consciousness. That is called mukti. Real mukti means change of consciousness. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Actually, every living being is part and parcel of Krsna. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. So when we forget this position -- I do not become the servant of Krsna but I become the servant of my society, my family, my nation, my dog, my cat -- this kind of dharma is not mukti. When one understands aham brahmasmi, when one understands properly that "I am not this body. I do not belong to any particular nation, family or relationship," aham brahmasmi, this is called brahma-bhutah. So long we identify with particular society or nation or community, then we are not brahma-bhutah. This is called upadhi-bhutah, designation. "I am Hindu." This is designation.

Just like gold. Gold cannot be designation. Gold is gold. Because gold is in the hand of a Hindu, it does not become Hindu gold. Or the gold is in the hand of a Muslim; therefore it is Muslim gold. No. Gold is gold. Similarly, dharma is dharma. There cannot be any Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion. There is no possibility. As soon as you designate, then it is not dharma. It is cheating. That is rejected in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo atra: [SB 1.1.2] "All cheating type of religious system is rejected." That is required. So that bhagavata-dharma, Prahlada Maharaja says that kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. From the very beginning, kaumara.

Kaumara means from five year to fifteenth year, or five year to tenth year, then kisora, kaisora. That is division. So anyway, Just like we send our children to a school at the age of five years, every country. In India also that is the system. When a child is five year, four years, some months he is old, his education begins. So Prahlada Maharaja says from the very beginning of education the bhagavata-dharma must be taught. This is kaumara acaret prajno, if one is intelligent. If one is ass or cow or animal, he cannot understand. Prajna: "One who has known." One who knows the value of life, he is called prajno. Prakrsta-rupena jna. Jna means one who has knowledge. So he says, Prahlada Maharaja, that kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. There are dharmas according to country, society, but real dharma is bhagavata-dharma. That is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita also. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Who is mam? Krsna, Bhagavan. You will see in the Bhagavad-gita, sri-bhagavan uvaca. So Bhagavan says that "surrender unto Me." Opportunity. Krsna comes to give the opportunity. He is canvassing.

Not only in this universe, in every universe He is going. That calculation is there. Out of four hundred crores of years, Krsna appears in one universe. In this universe, when He comes, He appears in this land of Vrndavana. Therefore Vrndavana is so valuable. This is Krsna's place. When He comes here. Just like when the governor goes to a city he has got his own resting house, similarly, when Krsna comes to teach us dharma... Dharmasya glanir bhava... Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. So what is that dharma? This Bhagavata-dharma. When the rascals forget what is the relationship with Krsna, what is the relationship with God, he becomes entangled in this material affair, maya. He is harassed, harassed in this way, that he has to take birth one after another, beginning from Brahma down to the small ant. There are so many varieties of life. So according to karma, karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1], by superior arrangement one has to accept a type of body. That we are forgetting. We are thinking that we shall remain free like this. That is not possible. Your every inch of activity is being recorded and at the end of life these things will be taken into account, karmana. And by the superior arrangement you have to accept one type of body. Today you may become a prime minister but your activities will be recorded and tomorrow after your death you may have to accept the body of a dog. That is the law of nature.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
 [Bg. 3.27]

These rascals, they are thinking, "I am free. I can do anything and whatever I like." No. Prakrteh kriyamanani. You have to... Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. As you are infecting the different types of modes of nature, you are making your next life like that. So we should be very careful. Therefore the others accept... Because without this varnasrama system of religious principles, we can declare, there is no scientific understanding of the modes of material nature, how we are contacting, how we are becoming infected and where is our next life. But if we... Sastra-caksusat. If you see through the sastra, then you can understand.

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
 [Bg. 14.18]

Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Unfortunately, we do not take care of it and we make our own interpretation. This rascaldom is going on. And perhaps we are the only society who is proclaiming, "Here is God, Krsna. Take it." We are the only society in the whole world. Otherwise they are all misled, all misled. So anyway, others may cooperate or noncooperate, we don't mind. But we cannot change our policy. Our policy is: Krsna says, "I am the Supreme;" we must declare throughout the whole world that Krsna is the Supreme. Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. We shall declare to the whole world that "Krsna is the Supreme. There is no more superior anyone than Krsna." This is our Krsna consciousness movement. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We are preaching this. In this temple we are asking eveyone, "Here is Krsna. Always think of Krsna. Chant Hare Krsna." Then you will have to think, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna," means thinking of Krsna. As soon as you hear the name of Krsna, man-mana. And who will do that? Mad-bhakta. Unless you become a devotee of Krsna, you cannot waste your time, "Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." That means simply by chanting Hare Krsna mantra you become a devotee of Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji.

Now, this worship of Krsna... The whole day is engaged for Krsna's mangala-aratika, for Krsna's chanting, for Krsna's cooking, for Krsna's prasadam distribution, so many ways. So our devotees all over the world -- there are a 102 centers -- they are simply engaged in Krsna consciousness. This is our propaganda, always, no other business. We don't do any business but we are spending at least twenty-five lakhs of rupees, twenty-five lakhs of rupees every month, but Krsna is supplying. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22]. If you remain Krsna consciousness, fully dependent on Krsna, then there will be no scarcity. I started this Krsna business with forty rupees. Now we have got forty crores of rupees. Is there any businessman in the whole world within ten years with forty rupees he can increase forty crores? There is no example. And ten thousand men, they are eating prasadam daily. So this is Krsna consciousness. Yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22]. As soon as you become Krsna conscious, you simply depend on Him and work sincerely and then Krsna will supply everything. Everything.

So this is practically being manifested. State, example, in the Bombay, now the land is one crore of rupees' worth. And when I purchased this land I had, might be, three or four lakhs. So it was completely speculation because I was confident that "I shall be able to pay. Krsna will give me." There was no money. That's a long history. I do not wish to discuss. But I have got now practical experience that you depend on Krsna -- there will be no scarcity. Whatever you want, it will be fulfilled. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam. So be always engaged in Krsna consciousness. Then everything will be fulfilled, any desire, if you have got.

akamah sarva-kamo va
moksa-kama udara-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena
yajeta paramam purusah
 [SB 2.3.10]

There are three classes of men: akama... Akama means devotee. He has no desire. He has no... Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Personally he has no desire. His only desire is how he would glorify Krsna. That is the only desire. Akamah sarva-kamo. He is akama. And sarva-kama means the karmis. They are desiring, "Bring money, bring money, bring money, bring money." They are called karmis, sarva-kama. Their desire is never fulfilled. And akamah sarva-kamo va moksa-kama [SB 2.3.10], the jnanis. They want to become united, one with the Supreme, moksa-kama. So Caitanya-caritamrta, the moksa-kama Tara madhye moksa vancha. That is very inferior desire. And Sridhara Swami, he has commented on the Bhagavata verse, atra moksa-vancha api nirasta. A devotee should not desire even for moksa. What is moksa? Moksa is very insignificant thing for a devotee. Bilvamangala Thakura has explained, muktih mukulitanjali sevate asman. "Mukti, she is standing on my door and flattering me, 'Sir, what can I do for you?' " This is mukti. So why a devotee shall aspire about mukti? No.

narayana-parah sarve
na kutascana bibhyati
svargapavarga-narakesv
api tulyartha-darsinah
 [SB 6.17.28]

Just like Narada Muni. He is going to the hellish planet also for preaching Krsna consciousness. So a devotee is not afraid of going anywhere for the service of the Lord. That is devotee. He has no personal desire, simply how to glorify. So this Prahlada Maharaja, he is our guru. Out of the twelve mahajanas, he is one of them. So he is advising, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. Why so early, kaumara? Prahlada Maharaja says, durlabham manusam janma: "This human form of life is very, very rarely obtained in the process of evolution, 8,400,000's of different species of life." After that, we have got this durlabham manusam janma. It should not be wasted, living like cats and dogs. Everyone should be trained up in this bhagavata-dharma. Durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. And "Yes, it is important, that's all right. But let me live for hundred years. Then we shall talk about Krsna." And Prahlada Maharaja said, "No." Adhruvam: "You do not know when you will die. At any moment you can die." Padam padam yad vipadam [SB 10.14.58]. Therefore, before your next death, you realize Krsna. Durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam. But arthadam. Arthadam means even if you live for a few years and if you take the chance of chanting Hare Krsna, still, you are benefited. You are still benefited.

So this chanting of Hare Krsna is so important that you can think always that "Death is coming. Death is at my door. Let me finish my chanting. Let me finish my chanting." Always you should think like that, that "Death is already coming, so let me chant." So this is called bhagavata-dharma, and Krsna consciousness movement means bhagavata-dharma. So you read Prahlada Maharaja's instruction very nicely and utilize it in your life. Your life will be successful. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

 

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From Degradation to Devotion

From Degradation to Devotion

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.32
Bombay, December 2, 1974

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Nitai: "Lord Kapila said: The senses are symbolic representations of the demigods, and their natural inclination is to work under the direction of the Vedic injunctions. As the senses are representatives of the demigods, so the mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind's natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation."

Prabhupada:

devanam guna-linganam
anusravika-karmanam
sattva evaika-manaso
vrttih svabhaviki tu ya
animitta bhagavati
bhaktih siddher gariyasi
 [SB 3.25.32]

Bhakti is transcendental even to mukti. People generally consider dharma artha kama moksa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. In the beginning dharma, artha, economic development, kama, sense gratification, then moksa, merging into the supreme one. But bhakti is above that. Siddher gariyasi. It is above mukti. Mukti is not very much important thing for a bhakta. Bilvamangala Thakura says,

bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad
daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih
muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate 'sman
dharmartha-kama-gatayah samaya-pratiksah

This is the experience of Bilvamangala Thakura. He was a South Indian brahmana, very rich brahmana. But by bad association or something like that, he became a very staunch prostitute hunter. So he engaged all his income, money, everything, after one prostitute. Her name was Cintamani. So it is a very nice story. I am briefly describing. So one night... Every night he was to go to that prostitute, and one night it was very terribly raining. So the prostitute thought, "Now this night Bilvamangala is not coming. It is terribly raining." But Bilvamangala went there, crossing the river, and the door was closed. He jumped over the door catching a snake. In this way, very dangerously, he reached the prostitute's house. And the prostitute was astonished, that "How is this condition you could come here? Oh, you are so much attracted by this skin. If this much attraction you would have to Krsna, how it would have been nice for you." So immediately he left the prostitute's house and went to Vrndavana.

The fact is in his previous life he executed devotional service up to bhava-bhakti. So his Cintamani, that prostitute, became his guru, remind that "You are so much fond of prostitute. If this attraction would have been to Krsna, how much successful you would have..." So it acted, and he left to Vrndavana and lived for seven hundred years. So he has a book, Krsna-karnamrta, Bilvamangala Thakura. That is recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for reading, Krsna-karnamrta. So in that book he writes, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syat: "If we have got fixed-up devotion unto You, my Lord, Bhagavan," then daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih, "then very easily we can see Your form," divya-kisora-murtih, "Your divine form," kisora-murtih, "very young boy." Krsna is always kisora. Krsna's another name is Kisora. Kisora-murtih. Kisora means kaisora, before marriage, before..., eleventh to sixteenth year. This is called kisora age. So kisora-murtih. Krsna is always kisora-murtih. So by devotional service, one can see the kisora-murtih of Krsna very easily. Bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syat: "If it is possible, then very easily we can see You."

When Bilvamangala Thakura was in Vrndavana he voluntarily plucked out his eyes. Because he was very much fond of seeing beauty of woman, so he thought, "These eyes are my enemies." So he personally plucked out his eyes. When he was going to Vrndavana, still he became attracted by a woman, and therefore... That woman, of course, was a very rich merchant's wife. So she told her husband that "This man is coming after me. What to do?" So that merchant received him. "Oh, he's saintly person. All right, you serve him." So Bilvamangala Thakura came to his senses. He said, "Mother, you give me the pins of your hair. So I am so much after the beauty of woman, so let me pluck out the eyes." So he made voluntarily blind. So he could not see, but still, Krsna was coming in Vrndavana. Krsna is always in Vrndavana. So He was supplying milk. So divya-kisora-murtih, he practically realized through bhakti. Therefore he wrote by his personal experience, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih. And so far dharmartha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41], moksa, muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate asman: "Mukti is not very important thing. She is always standing at my service," mukulitanjali, "with folded hands, Mukti: 'My dear sir, what can I do for you?' " This is mukti's position.

So a devotee is not very much anxious for mukti because a devotee is always mukta. He is already mukta. Why should he... Suppose if you have got millions of dollars, why should you hanker after ten rupees? So bhakti is such a nice thing. But what is that bhakti? That bhakti is animitta bhagavati. That bhakti should be animitta, not with a motive that "I shall go to the temple and serve Krsna for this purpose." Krsna can fulfill any purpose you desire. It is not very difficult for Him, because He is almighty, full with all opulences. So if you want something, material happiness, from Krsna, it is not very difficult for Krsna. He can give you mukti even. But to ask from Krsna anything else than bhakti is foolishness. That is foolishness. My Guru Maharaja used to give this example: just like if you go to a rich man and he says, "Now whatever you like, you can ask from me. I shall give you," then if you ask him that "You give me a pinch of ash," is that very intelligent? Similarly, to... There is a story, that one old woman in the forest... I think it is in Aesop's Fable or somewhere. So she was carrying a big bundle of dry wood, and somehow or other, the bundle fell down. It was very heavy. So the old woman became very much disturbed, "Who will help me to get this bundle on my head?" So she began to call God, "God, help me." And God came, "What you want?" "Kindly help me to get this bundle on my head." (laughter) Just see. God came to giving benediction, and she wanted to "Give this bundle again on my head."

So we are doing the same thing. When we go to God we ask Him, "Kindly give me the bundle on my head. My family become may happy. I may have a large amount of money to enjoy material things." We ask that. That is our foolishness. Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us, therefore, that actually, if you want something from God, that should be only begging for His service. This Hare Krsna maha-mantra means addressing God, "Krsna," "Hari," and His energy Hara, Srimati Radharani or Laksmiji, Hare: "O this internal potency of Krsna..." Hara is Krsna's internal potency. The external potency is Durga, and the internal potency is Radharani. Jaya Radhe. So this is daivi-prakrti. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. The devotees, they take shelter of the daivi-prakrti, Radharani, Laksmiji. They worship, therefore, Vaisnava, Radha-Krsna, Laksmi-Narayana, Sita-Rama, the first of all, the energy. The energy. So this Hare Krsna mantra is first addressing the energy, the internal energy, potency, of Krsna. Hare. From Hara to Hare. That is the sambodhana. So Hare Krsna: "O Radharani, or Laksmi, or Sita, and Krsna, or Rama, or Narayana" -- the same thing. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, addressing Them, "O my Lord, O my Lord's energy." So when you address somebody, you want to ask something. So if they reply, "Yes, why you are calling?" then we're calling, "Please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer, not that "Give me money" or "Give me beautiful wife" or many followers. This is material hankering.

Everyone wants some prestigious position, labha puja pratistha, some material profit, labha, and prestigious position so that people will give him salaam, minister, president, and to become very famous, historically very famous. These are material hankerings. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "No." Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. We don't want. This is animitta bhakti. Nimitta, for some certain reason, if you become a bhakta, then you are not a suddha-bhakta. You are a viddha(?)-bhakta, a polluted bhakta. Pure bhakti is anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11], zero. Material hankerings, anything material, hankering, should be void. The void philosophy, nirvana, that indicates that you should completely finish these material desires. That is Lord Buddha's philosophy, nirvana. Nirvana means material desires, to make it void, no more. Lord Buddha said up to that. Because the people who were following him, they were not so expert, advanced; therefore he did not say what is after giving up every desires. Because desireless it cannot be. Desires... People say that "You become desireless. Give up your all desires." That give up all desires means you give up your material desires, because you cannot be desireless. Then you are dead body. But we are eternal living entity. Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We are getting different types of body on account of different desires. So I become desireless of this habit; then I desire another habit. So that is going on.

So desireless is not possible. Desirelessness means you have to purify your desire. Don't desire anything except the service of Krsna. That is desirelessness, animitta. Animitta bhaktih siddher gariyasi. If you come to that position... As Caitanya Mahaprabhu, teaching us, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye, mama janmani janmanisvare... [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. He says, janmani janmani, "birth after birth." That means He does not require even salvation, because salvation means apunar bhava-janma, no more janma, no more birth. No more birth -- there are two kinds of more more birth. For the Mayavadis, or impersonalists, they want to stop birth, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, brahma-nirvana. Brahma-nirvana... The Buddha philosophy teaches nirvana, devoid of all material desires, that much. He does not give any more. Sankaracarya gives further, more, that brahma-nirvana, that "You become desireless of this material world, but you enter, merge into Brahman." That is called brahma-nirvana. And the Vaisnava philosopher says that "You make null and void all your material desires, enter into Brahman and be engaged in the service of the Lord." This is called bhakti. So brahma-nirvana is also siddhi, but more than that siddhi is to be engaged in the service, Brahman service.

That service is not ordinary service. The service to the Lord is not to be calculated as equal to this material service. The Mayavadi philosophers, they cannot understand it. But Krsna says personally that this devotional service is in the transcendental platform, Brahman service. Therefore He says, mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. This bhakti-yoga, one who is actually employed, engaged in pure devotional ser..., animitta, without any motives, without any material purpose, that is real spiritual service.

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
 [Bg. 14.26]

Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. That service is on the Brahman platform.

So some people, they do not know that there is another platform of service or another platform of activities which is called Brahman activities, because those who are grossly in the bodily concept of life, they have no information there is Brahman, or soul, within this body. So mukti means to deliver that Brahman from this material encagement. But actually, if you don't give him engagement, because actually the soul is working... That everyone can appreciate. We are very active. "Oh, I am prime minister." "I am president," "I am Birla," "I am Srila (?)," and so many things. That's all right. But is... That prime minister is this body or the soul? Because as soon as the soul is out of the body, what is the value of this prime minister's body? It is no more useful -- finished. That we do not understand. Actually, the soul is working in different capacities. Either as prime minister or Lord Brahma, King Indra, or the cat, or dog, or the insect, the soul is working in different atmosphere, in different body.

 

So the perfection of these activities, of the soul, that he has got already indriyas... We are acting with our hands, legs, ears, eyes, nose, everything, karmendriya. Ten kinds of activities are being performed by the senses, and there are five kinds of sense objects, tanmatra, fifteen, and the eight elements material, earth, water, fire. So fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and the soul. This is twenty-four. That is the subject matter of Sankhya philosophy, how these twenty-four different items are combined together and work. This is the study of Sankhya philosophy. Yesterday we talked about sankhyam. Tattvamnayam yat pravadanti sankhyam. So there is material Sankhya philosophers. They (they're) simply satisfied, simply studying these twenty-four types of elements. But the real Sankhya philosophy, as propounded by Kapiladeva, that is bhakti. That is... He has said, bhakti-vitana-yogam. The activities of the spiritual field, that is Sankhya philosophy, not of the material fields. In the material field you will find these twenty-four kinds of elements analyzed, but beyond these twenty-four there is soul, and the soul is acting. That is called spiritual activities, or bhakti-yoga.

So because it is transcendental to material activities, therefore in the bhakti-yoga there is no such desire for material benefit, animitta. Therefore it is said, animitta. Here all activities are done for some material profit. Nobody is... Even the so-called political leaders sacrifice everything. That's all right. But everything is for material benefit. Even in our country a big man like Mahatma Gandhi, he sacrificed everything -- his family, his profession. And many other leaders... But what for they were working? They were working for some material benefits, that's all, not for any spiritual benefit. So that is not transcendental activities. That is material activities, expanded material thoughts. Somebody is working for his family or somebody is working for himself, like animals, the cats and dogs. They work for himself. And human being, they're little advanced. They work for family, for wife, children, or, further extended, for society, for community, for nation. You can expand. Even international. They are all material activities, nimitta, simply expanded, expanded. Suppose if you steal for yourself and if you steal for your family or if you steal for your community, that stealing is there. Because you are stealing for greater family, that does not mean that you are not a thief.

There was a story, Alexander and the thief. The Alexander arrested one thief, big dacoit, plunderer. So when he explained, "My dear sir, Alexander, so what is the difference between you and me? I am also plunderer; you are also plunderer. I am a small plunderer; you are a big plunderer. So where is the difference in quality?" So Alexander the Great, he was very sensible. He released him: "Yes, there is no difference." So to become a big thief, big plunderer, does not mean that he is advanced. Similarly, our sense, for personal sense gratification or my family's sense gratification or for my nation's sense gratification -- that is sense gratification. That is not spiritual activity. That is material activity.

So long you will have desire for sense gratification, localized or expanded, the quality does not change. The quality will change when this sense gratification will be transferred to Krsna, not sense gratification for me, for my family, for my society, for my nation, or for my species. Just like there are many philanthropists. They are busy doing welfare activities for the human race, but they are not interested for the benefit of the animal race. "Animal race should be slaughtered, and human race shall eat." This is their philosophy. But we have already discussed Kapiladeva's philosophy, suhrdah sarva-dehinam. Suhrdah sarva-dehinam. The animal has got also body; we have also got body. But a Vaisnava is not only a friend to the human society, but he is friend to the animal society also, the bird society, tree society, every society. A Vaisnava does not like unnecessarily a tree should be cut down. That is Vaisnava philosophy. A Vaisnava does not like to trample over an ant. That is Vaisnava philosophy. Sarva-dehinam. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam [SB 3.25.21]. We have already discussed this verse.

So how this can be possible? This suhrdah sarva-dehinam is possible when one has surrendered himself to the Supreme Being. On His account, because he has surrendered to the Supreme Being, he is friend to all living being. Artificially you cannot. Artificially you select some section, the poorer section, and worship him like Narayana, and you call him daridra-narayana. But a devotee, if he has got vision of Narayana, he will see the daridra-narayana, the rich Narayana, the chaga-narayana, and the every Narayana, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. Why a section should be called Narayana? If you have got such broader vision, that you are seeing Narayana in everything, then what the rich man has done? He is also Narayana. And the goat has... He is also Narayana. The cow, he is also Narayana. Then you should... If you have such broader vision, that you see everywhere Narayana, then why should you specify a section, daridra-narayana?

So it is not possible. So long one is not a devotee, one who is not on the transcendental platform, this equal vision is not possible. It is crippled, all crippled. Therefore bhakti-yoga should be animitta, ahaituki. These words are used. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje, ahaituki [SB 1.2.6]. "I am serving Krsna..." The devotee is serving Krsna not with any purpose; just to satisfy Him, not any purpose, my profit-Krsna's profit. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. I... Several times we have repeated. Arjuna, on his own account, he was not willing to fight. "No, no, Krsna, I will not fight. The other side, they are my relatives, my brother, my nephews. No, no, I cannot kill them." But when he understood that "Krsna wants this fight," he said, "Oh, yes, I shall do." Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]. So this is bhakti, that we have to do anything for pleasing Krsna. That is called animitta, no condition. Ahaituki. Ahaituki means no condition or animitta, no reason. Everything should be done for Krsna.

So animitta bhagavati bhaktih siddher gariyasi. That is better than siddhi. Siddhi means self-realization or Brahman realization. Therefore Krsna says also. What Krsna says and what Kapiladeva says, they are the same thing. Therefore here it is also said, bhagavan uvaca. And in the Bhagavad-gita also, you will find, bhagavan uvaca. Never said, krsna uvaca or kapila uvaca, because They are Bhagavan. So those who are self-realized soul, who know what is Bhagavan, so instead of speaking kapiladeva uvaca, he says, Vyasadeva says... Srimad-Bhagavatam is compiled by Srimad Vyasadeva. So as Bhagavad-gita also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sanjaya, and then, from Sanjaya heard Vyasadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahabharata... So he says, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan uvaca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavan or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavan. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect.

So our Krsna consciousness movement on this principle. We are speaking not anything manufactured by us. That is not our business. Because how we can manufacture? We are defective. We are deficient, imperfect. What is the use of my philosophy? What is the use of my thinking? Generally they say, "I think," "In my opinion." He does not think that "I am a rascal. I have no value of my opinion." He thinks that he is something very big. No. Because our senses are imperfect, whatever knowledge we have gathered by our sense speculation, that is imperfect. That cannot be perfect. Therefore we have discussed already, tattva amnayam. We have to receive knowledge from disciplic succession, tattva. Then we will understand the truth. Tattvamnayam. This subject matter we have discussed already, amnayam, evam parampara, that we should not manufacture knowledge. We should take knowledge from the perfect. Just like here it is said, bhagavan uvaca. In the Bhagavad-gita also, bhagavan uvaca. If we follow this amnaya system, then we become guru.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said who is guru. He asked everyone to become guru. His mission is that people are suffering all over the world for want of this Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness. That's a fact. So He is advising everyone, especially those who are born in India,

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

That is His mission. He is requesting every Indian, every Indian, because they have got the facility for understanding what is Bhagavad-gita, what is Srimad-Bhagavatam, what is Vedas. They have got this opportunity. Therefore He says, janma sarthaka kari': "You have taken your birth in India. You make your life successful by taking advantage of these scriptures and then assimilate the knowledge and preach all over the world." They are in darkness. That is being repeatedly said. But we are not taking advantage of. We are so misfortunate. We are misguided by the so-called leaders that we are neglecting this valuable literature which is spoken by Bhagavan. We are talking of some nonsense. That is our misfortune. So we have to take knowledge from Bhagavan and spread it all over the world. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's... So He says that "You become guru." He says, amara ajnaya guru hana: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] "By My order." Don't become a so-called guru, manufactured guru. "You become guru by following My instruction." Amara ajnaya guru hana.

Guru means who follows the predecessor, authorized predecessor. He is guru. Not that everyone is guru. So therefore we have to follow the superior order. Then we become guru, not that by cheating others we become guru. No. That is cheater. That is not teacher. Guru means who is following the superior order. The superior order is Krsna or His representative. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna. He is ordering, amara ajnaya, "By My order," guru hana, "you become guru." "Sir, it is very difficult to become guru. I have no education. I have no culture. I am not born in a very high family. I am very low." A devotee always thinks like that. He never thinks that "I have become very great man." Just like Caitanya-caritamrta, author of, he says, purisera kita haite muni se laghistha [Cc. Adi 5.205]. Purisa, purisa means stool, and there are worms in the stool. So Caitanya-caritamrta author is saying that "I am lower than the worms in the stool." That is Vaisnava conception. Trnad api sunicena. He is very humble. He never says, "Oh, I am the Supreme. I have become God." A most rascal, foolish. So that is not... Therefore we have to follow. If we actually want to become guru, there is necessity of many thousands of gurus to teach this cheated public. But how to become guru? That is... Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya: "By My order." "What is Your order, Sir?" Yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Then you become guru. You simply advise people to follow Krsna's instruction. Then you become guru.

So that is our mission. This Krsna consciousness movement is that we are simply trying to convince people what Krsna has said, that's all. We are not manufacturing anything. So that is our business. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We are training our disciples "Just always think of Krsna, chant Hare Krsna, and become Krsna's devotee, offer Him prasadam, dress Him nicely." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji: "Worship Me." Worship Krsna, the same thing. Krsna says, "Worship Me"; we are saying, "Worship Krsna." Krsna says, "Surrender unto Me"; we are saying, "Surrender to Krsna." So we have no difficulty. To become a guru there is no difficulty, provided we repeat the same thing as Krsna says. And if you say something more or less, then you are not a guru. Very simple thing. Very simple thing.

So that is advised here, animitta bhagavati, bhagavati bhaktih. You cannot manufacture the ways of bhakti. Bhagavati, what is advised by Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. You cannot manufacture a line of dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma is the law given by the Supreme Lord. You cannot manufacture, "This dharma, that dharma, this dhar..." No. Dharma is one. Dharma cannot be different. Dharma means to abide by the orders of God. This is dharma. But if you do not know God, if you do not know what is order, then you must manufacture something rubbish and fight amongst yourself. That is not dharma.

Therefore Bhagavata says, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: [SB 1.1.2] "All cheating types of dharma is rejected and kicked out from Srimad-Bhagavatam." Dharmah projjhita. Projjhita, prakrsta-rupena ujjhita, just like you collect all dust and throw it. Similarly, this Bhagavata-dharma is not a cheating dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means in relation with the Supreme Lord. Bhagavati bhaktih. Bhakti can be applied only to Bhagavan. Bhakti means the business between Bhagavan and bhakta. That is bhakti. If there is no Bhagavan then where is bhakti? And where is bhakta? If Bhagavan is zero, then where is bhakti? Bhakti means the transaction between Bhagavan and bhakta. Just like here, the Bhagavan is there, and bhaktas are there, and the transaction is dressing the Bhagavan, feeding the Bhagavan, chanting the Bhagavan's name, calling people to hear about Bhagavan, to publish books about Bhagavan. This is bhakti, bhakti bhagavati, simply in relation with Bhagavan, no other business, animitta, without any material desire. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. There is no touch even of jnana. Jnana means speculation. And trying to understand the Absolute Truth by his... [break]

jnanam parama-guhyam me
yad vijnana-samanvitam
sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca
grhana gaditam maya

These are the instruction of Lord Krsna to Brahma. Sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca. Anga, this bhakti-anga, this sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23], these are different, I mean to say, branches, or not actually branches, different phases or features of bhakti, to hear just like we are hearing and chanting. I am speaking, chanting; you are hearing. This is bhakti. Sravanam kirtanam. What we are chanting and hearing? Visnu, not any other one. No. Visnu. Visnu. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. You cannot say any other demigod. No. That is material. That is material. If you try to hear about some great person or demigod, that is material. But when you hear and talk about Visnu, that is bhakti. This is bhakti, different processes. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam.

So in this way we have to execute, as it is said, animitta bhagavati bhaktih, which is siddher gariyasi... [break] (end)

 

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From Degradation to Devotion

From Degradation to Devotion

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.32
Bombay, December 2, 1974

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Nitai: "Lord Kapila said: The senses are symbolic representations of the demigods, and their natural inclination is to work under the direction of the Vedic injunctions. As the senses are representatives of the demigods, so the mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind's natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation."

Prabhupada:

devanam guna-linganam
anusravika-karmanam
sattva evaika-manaso
vrttih svabhaviki tu ya
animitta bhagavati
bhaktih siddher gariyasi
 [SB 3.25.32]

Bhakti is transcendental even to mukti. People generally consider dharma artha kama moksa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. In the beginning dharma, artha, economic development, kama, sense gratification, then moksa, merging into the supreme one. But bhakti is above that. Siddher gariyasi. It is above mukti. Mukti is not very much important thing for a bhakta. Bilvamangala Thakura says,

bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad
daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih
muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate 'sman
dharmartha-kama-gatayah samaya-pratiksah

This is the experience of Bilvamangala Thakura. He was a South Indian brahmana, very rich brahmana. But by bad association or something like that, he became a very staunch prostitute hunter. So he engaged all his income, money, everything, after one prostitute. Her name was Cintamani. So it is a very nice story. I am briefly describing. So one night... Every night he was to go to that prostitute, and one night it was very terribly raining. So the prostitute thought, "Now this night Bilvamangala is not coming. It is terribly raining." But Bilvamangala went there, crossing the river, and the door was closed. He jumped over the door catching a snake. In this way, very dangerously, he reached the prostitute's house. And the prostitute was astonished, that "How is this condition you could come here? Oh, you are so much attracted by this skin. If this much attraction you would have to Krsna, how it would have been nice for you." So immediately he left the prostitute's house and went to Vrndavana.

The fact is in his previous life he executed devotional service up to bhava-bhakti. So his Cintamani, that prostitute, became his guru, remind that "You are so much fond of prostitute. If this attraction would have been to Krsna, how much successful you would have..." So it acted, and he left to Vrndavana and lived for seven hundred years. So he has a book, Krsna-karnamrta, Bilvamangala Thakura. That is recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for reading, Krsna-karnamrta. So in that book he writes, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syat: "If we have got fixed-up devotion unto You, my Lord, Bhagavan," then daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih, "then very easily we can see Your form," divya-kisora-murtih, "Your divine form," kisora-murtih, "very young boy." Krsna is always kisora. Krsna's another name is Kisora. Kisora-murtih. Kisora means kaisora, before marriage, before..., eleventh to sixteenth year. This is called kisora age. So kisora-murtih. Krsna is always kisora-murtih. So by devotional service, one can see the kisora-murtih of Krsna very easily. Bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syat: "If it is possible, then very easily we can see You."

When Bilvamangala Thakura was in Vrndavana he voluntarily plucked out his eyes. Because he was very much fond of seeing beauty of woman, so he thought, "These eyes are my enemies." So he personally plucked out his eyes. When he was going to Vrndavana, still he became attracted by a woman, and therefore... That woman, of course, was a very rich merchant's wife. So she told her husband that "This man is coming after me. What to do?" So that merchant received him. "Oh, he's saintly person. All right, you serve him." So Bilvamangala Thakura came to his senses. He said, "Mother, you give me the pins of your hair. So I am so much after the beauty of woman, so let me pluck out the eyes." So he made voluntarily blind. So he could not see, but still, Krsna was coming in Vrndavana. Krsna is always in Vrndavana. So He was supplying milk. So divya-kisora-murtih, he practically realized through bhakti. Therefore he wrote by his personal experience, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih. And so far dharmartha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41], moksa, muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate asman: "Mukti is not very important thing. She is always standing at my service," mukulitanjali, "with folded hands, Mukti: 'My dear sir, what can I do for you?' " This is mukti's position.

So a devotee is not very much anxious for mukti because a devotee is always mukta. He is already mukta. Why should he... Suppose if you have got millions of dollars, why should you hanker after ten rupees? So bhakti is such a nice thing. But what is that bhakti? That bhakti is animitta bhagavati. That bhakti should be animitta, not with a motive that "I shall go to the temple and serve Krsna for this purpose." Krsna can fulfill any purpose you desire. It is not very difficult for Him, because He is almighty, full with all opulences. So if you want something, material happiness, from Krsna, it is not very difficult for Krsna. He can give you mukti even. But to ask from Krsna anything else than bhakti is foolishness. That is foolishness. My Guru Maharaja used to give this example: just like if you go to a rich man and he says, "Now whatever you like, you can ask from me. I shall give you," then if you ask him that "You give me a pinch of ash," is that very intelligent? Similarly, to... There is a story, that one old woman in the forest... I think it is in Aesop's Fable or somewhere. So she was carrying a big bundle of dry wood, and somehow or other, the bundle fell down. It was very heavy. So the old woman became very much disturbed, "Who will help me to get this bundle on my head?" So she began to call God, "God, help me." And God came, "What you want?" "Kindly help me to get this bundle on my head." (laughter) Just see. God came to giving benediction, and she wanted to "Give this bundle again on my head."

So we are doing the same thing. When we go to God we ask Him, "Kindly give me the bundle on my head. My family become may happy. I may have a large amount of money to enjoy material things." We ask that. That is our foolishness. Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us, therefore, that actually, if you want something from God, that should be only begging for His service. This Hare Krsna maha-mantra means addressing God, "Krsna," "Hari," and His energy Hara, Srimati Radharani or Laksmiji, Hare: "O this internal potency of Krsna..." Hara is Krsna's internal potency. The external potency is Durga, and the internal potency is Radharani. Jaya Radhe. So this is daivi-prakrti. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. The devotees, they take shelter of the daivi-prakrti, Radharani, Laksmiji. They worship, therefore, Vaisnava, Radha-Krsna, Laksmi-Narayana, Sita-Rama, the first of all, the energy. The energy. So this Hare Krsna mantra is first addressing the energy, the internal energy, potency, of Krsna. Hare. From Hara to Hare. That is the sambodhana. So Hare Krsna: "O Radharani, or Laksmi, or Sita, and Krsna, or Rama, or Narayana" -- the same thing. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, addressing Them, "O my Lord, O my Lord's energy." So when you address somebody, you want to ask something. So if they reply, "Yes, why you are calling?" then we're calling, "Please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer, not that "Give me money" or "Give me beautiful wife" or many followers. This is material hankering.

Everyone wants some prestigious position, labha puja pratistha, some material profit, labha, and prestigious position so that people will give him salaam, minister, president, and to become very famous, historically very famous. These are material hankerings. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "No." Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. We don't want. This is animitta bhakti. Nimitta, for some certain reason, if you become a bhakta, then you are not a suddha-bhakta. You are a viddha(?)-bhakta, a polluted bhakta. Pure bhakti is anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11], zero. Material hankerings, anything material, hankering, should be void. The void philosophy, nirvana, that indicates that you should completely finish these material desires. That is Lord Buddha's philosophy, nirvana. Nirvana means material desires, to make it void, no more. Lord Buddha said up to that. Because the people who were following him, they were not so expert, advanced; therefore he did not say what is after giving up every desires. Because desireless it cannot be. Desires... People say that "You become desireless. Give up your all desires." That give up all desires means you give up your material desires, because you cannot be desireless. Then you are dead body. But we are eternal living entity. Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We are getting different types of body on account of different desires. So I become desireless of this habit; then I desire another habit. So that is going on.

So desireless is not possible. Desirelessness means you have to purify your desire. Don't desire anything except the service of Krsna. That is desirelessness, animitta. Animitta bhaktih siddher gariyasi. If you come to that position... As Caitanya Mahaprabhu, teaching us, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye, mama janmani janmanisvare... [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. He says, janmani janmani, "birth after birth." That means He does not require even salvation, because salvation means apunar bhava-janma, no more janma, no more birth. No more birth -- there are two kinds of more more birth. For the Mayavadis, or impersonalists, they want to stop birth, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, brahma-nirvana. Brahma-nirvana... The Buddha philosophy teaches nirvana, devoid of all material desires, that much. He does not give any more. Sankaracarya gives further, more, that brahma-nirvana, that "You become desireless of this material world, but you enter, merge into Brahman." That is called brahma-nirvana. And the Vaisnava philosopher says that "You make null and void all your material desires, enter into Brahman and be engaged in the service of the Lord." This is called bhakti. So brahma-nirvana is also siddhi, but more than that siddhi is to be engaged in the service, Brahman service.

That service is not ordinary service. The service to the Lord is not to be calculated as equal to this material service. The Mayavadi philosophers, they cannot understand it. But Krsna says personally that this devotional service is in the transcendental platform, Brahman service. Therefore He says, mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. This bhakti-yoga, one who is actually employed, engaged in pure devotional ser..., animitta, without any motives, without any material purpose, that is real spiritual service.

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
 [Bg. 14.26]

Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. That service is on the Brahman platform.

So some people, they do not know that there is another platform of service or another platform of activities which is called Brahman activities, because those who are grossly in the bodily concept of life, they have no information there is Brahman, or soul, within this body. So mukti means to deliver that Brahman from this material encagement. But actually, if you don't give him engagement, because actually the soul is working... That everyone can appreciate. We are very active. "Oh, I am prime minister." "I am president," "I am Birla," "I am Srila (?)," and so many things. That's all right. But is... That prime minister is this body or the soul? Because as soon as the soul is out of the body, what is the value of this prime minister's body? It is no more useful -- finished. That we do not understand. Actually, the soul is working in different capacities. Either as prime minister or Lord Brahma, King Indra, or the cat, or dog, or the insect, the soul is working in different atmosphere, in different body.

 

So the perfection of these activities, of the soul, that he has got already indriyas... We are acting with our hands, legs, ears, eyes, nose, everything, karmendriya. Ten kinds of activities are being performed by the senses, and there are five kinds of sense objects, tanmatra, fifteen, and the eight elements material, earth, water, fire. So fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and the soul. This is twenty-four. That is the subject matter of Sankhya philosophy, how these twenty-four different items are combined together and work. This is the study of Sankhya philosophy. Yesterday we talked about sankhyam. Tattvamnayam yat pravadanti sankhyam. So there is material Sankhya philosophers. They (they're) simply satisfied, simply studying these twenty-four types of elements. But the real Sankhya philosophy, as propounded by Kapiladeva, that is bhakti. That is... He has said, bhakti-vitana-yogam. The activities of the spiritual field, that is Sankhya philosophy, not of the material fields. In the material field you will find these twenty-four kinds of elements analyzed, but beyond these twenty-four there is soul, and the soul is acting. That is called spiritual activities, or bhakti-yoga.

So because it is transcendental to material activities, therefore in the bhakti-yoga there is no such desire for material benefit, animitta. Therefore it is said, animitta. Here all activities are done for some material profit. Nobody is... Even the so-called political leaders sacrifice everything. That's all right. But everything is for material benefit. Even in our country a big man like Mahatma Gandhi, he sacrificed everything -- his family, his profession. And many other leaders... But what for they were working? They were working for some material benefits, that's all, not for any spiritual benefit. So that is not transcendental activities. That is material activities, expanded material thoughts. Somebody is working for his family or somebody is working for himself, like animals, the cats and dogs. They work for himself. And human being, they're little advanced. They work for family, for wife, children, or, further extended, for society, for community, for nation. You can expand. Even international. They are all material activities, nimitta, simply expanded, expanded. Suppose if you steal for yourself and if you steal for your family or if you steal for your community, that stealing is there. Because you are stealing for greater family, that does not mean that you are not a thief.

There was a story, Alexander and the thief. The Alexander arrested one thief, big dacoit, plunderer. So when he explained, "My dear sir, Alexander, so what is the difference between you and me? I am also plunderer; you are also plunderer. I am a small plunderer; you are a big plunderer. So where is the difference in quality?" So Alexander the Great, he was very sensible. He released him: "Yes, there is no difference." So to become a big thief, big plunderer, does not mean that he is advanced. Similarly, our sense, for personal sense gratification or my family's sense gratification or for my nation's sense gratification -- that is sense gratification. That is not spiritual activity. That is material activity.

So long you will have desire for sense gratification, localized or expanded, the quality does not change. The quality will change when this sense gratification will be transferred to Krsna, not sense gratification for me, for my family, for my society, for my nation, or for my species. Just like there are many philanthropists. They are busy doing welfare activities for the human race, but they are not interested for the benefit of the animal race. "Animal race should be slaughtered, and human race shall eat." This is their philosophy. But we have already discussed Kapiladeva's philosophy, suhrdah sarva-dehinam. Suhrdah sarva-dehinam. The animal has got also body; we have also got body. But a Vaisnava is not only a friend to the human society, but he is friend to the animal society also, the bird society, tree society, every society. A Vaisnava does not like unnecessarily a tree should be cut down. That is Vaisnava philosophy. A Vaisnava does not like to trample over an ant. That is Vaisnava philosophy. Sarva-dehinam. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam [SB 3.25.21]. We have already discussed this verse.

So how this can be possible? This suhrdah sarva-dehinam is possible when one has surrendered himself to the Supreme Being. On His account, because he has surrendered to the Supreme Being, he is friend to all living being. Artificially you cannot. Artificially you select some section, the poorer section, and worship him like Narayana, and you call him daridra-narayana. But a devotee, if he has got vision of Narayana, he will see the daridra-narayana, the rich Narayana, the chaga-narayana, and the every Narayana, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. Why a section should be called Narayana? If you have got such broader vision, that you are seeing Narayana in everything, then what the rich man has done? He is also Narayana. And the goat has... He is also Narayana. The cow, he is also Narayana. Then you should... If you have such broader vision, that you see everywhere Narayana, then why should you specify a section, daridra-narayana?

So it is not possible. So long one is not a devotee, one who is not on the transcendental platform, this equal vision is not possible. It is crippled, all crippled. Therefore bhakti-yoga should be animitta, ahaituki. These words are used. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje, ahaituki [SB 1.2.6]. "I am serving Krsna..." The devotee is serving Krsna not with any purpose; just to satisfy Him, not any purpose, my profit-Krsna's profit. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. I... Several times we have repeated. Arjuna, on his own account, he was not willing to fight. "No, no, Krsna, I will not fight. The other side, they are my relatives, my brother, my nephews. No, no, I cannot kill them." But when he understood that "Krsna wants this fight," he said, "Oh, yes, I shall do." Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]. So this is bhakti, that we have to do anything for pleasing Krsna. That is called animitta, no condition. Ahaituki. Ahaituki means no condition or animitta, no reason. Everything should be done for Krsna.

So animitta bhagavati bhaktih siddher gariyasi. That is better than siddhi. Siddhi means self-realization or Brahman realization. Therefore Krsna says also. What Krsna says and what Kapiladeva says, they are the same thing. Therefore here it is also said, bhagavan uvaca. And in the Bhagavad-gita also, you will find, bhagavan uvaca. Never said, krsna uvaca or kapila uvaca, because They are Bhagavan. So those who are self-realized soul, who know what is Bhagavan, so instead of speaking kapiladeva uvaca, he says, Vyasadeva says... Srimad-Bhagavatam is compiled by Srimad Vyasadeva. So as Bhagavad-gita also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sanjaya, and then, from Sanjaya heard Vyasadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahabharata... So he says, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan uvaca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavan or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavan. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect.

So our Krsna consciousness movement on this principle. We are speaking not anything manufactured by us. That is not our business. Because how we can manufacture? We are defective. We are deficient, imperfect. What is the use of my philosophy? What is the use of my thinking? Generally they say, "I think," "In my opinion." He does not think that "I am a rascal. I have no value of my opinion." He thinks that he is something very big. No. Because our senses are imperfect, whatever knowledge we have gathered by our sense speculation, that is imperfect. That cannot be perfect. Therefore we have discussed already, tattva amnayam. We have to receive knowledge from disciplic succession, tattva. Then we will understand the truth. Tattvamnayam. This subject matter we have discussed already, amnayam, evam parampara, that we should not manufacture knowledge. We should take knowledge from the perfect. Just like here it is said, bhagavan uvaca. In the Bhagavad-gita also, bhagavan uvaca. If we follow this amnaya system, then we become guru.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said who is guru. He asked everyone to become guru. His mission is that people are suffering all over the world for want of this Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness. That's a fact. So He is advising everyone, especially those who are born in India,

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

That is His mission. He is requesting every Indian, every Indian, because they have got the facility for understanding what is Bhagavad-gita, what is Srimad-Bhagavatam, what is Vedas. They have got this opportunity. Therefore He says, janma sarthaka kari': "You have taken your birth in India. You make your life successful by taking advantage of these scriptures and then assimilate the knowledge and preach all over the world." They are in darkness. That is being repeatedly said. But we are not taking advantage of. We are so misfortunate. We are misguided by the so-called leaders that we are neglecting this valuable literature which is spoken by Bhagavan. We are talking of some nonsense. That is our misfortune. So we have to take knowledge from Bhagavan and spread it all over the world. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's... So He says that "You become guru." He says, amara ajnaya guru hana: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] "By My order." Don't become a so-called guru, manufactured guru. "You become guru by following My instruction." Amara ajnaya guru hana.

Guru means who follows the predecessor, authorized predecessor. He is guru. Not that everyone is guru. So therefore we have to follow the superior order. Then we become guru, not that by cheating others we become guru. No. That is cheater. That is not teacher. Guru means who is following the superior order. The superior order is Krsna or His representative. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna. He is ordering, amara ajnaya, "By My order," guru hana, "you become guru." "Sir, it is very difficult to become guru. I have no education. I have no culture. I am not born in a very high family. I am very low." A devotee always thinks like that. He never thinks that "I have become very great man." Just like Caitanya-caritamrta, author of, he says, purisera kita haite muni se laghistha [Cc. Adi 5.205]. Purisa, purisa means stool, and there are worms in the stool. So Caitanya-caritamrta author is saying that "I am lower than the worms in the stool." That is Vaisnava conception. Trnad api sunicena. He is very humble. He never says, "Oh, I am the Supreme. I have become God." A most rascal, foolish. So that is not... Therefore we have to follow. If we actually want to become guru, there is necessity of many thousands of gurus to teach this cheated public. But how to become guru? That is... Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya: "By My order." "What is Your order, Sir?" Yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Then you become guru. You simply advise people to follow Krsna's instruction. Then you become guru.

So that is our mission. This Krsna consciousness movement is that we are simply trying to convince people what Krsna has said, that's all. We are not manufacturing anything. So that is our business. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We are training our disciples "Just always think of Krsna, chant Hare Krsna, and become Krsna's devotee, offer Him prasadam, dress Him nicely." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji: "Worship Me." Worship Krsna, the same thing. Krsna says, "Worship Me"; we are saying, "Worship Krsna." Krsna says, "Surrender unto Me"; we are saying, "Surrender to Krsna." So we have no difficulty. To become a guru there is no difficulty, provided we repeat the same thing as Krsna says. And if you say something more or less, then you are not a guru. Very simple thing. Very simple thing.

So that is advised here, animitta bhagavati, bhagavati bhaktih. You cannot manufacture the ways of bhakti. Bhagavati, what is advised by Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. You cannot manufacture a line of dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma is the law given by the Supreme Lord. You cannot manufacture, "This dharma, that dharma, this dhar..." No. Dharma is one. Dharma cannot be different. Dharma means to abide by the orders of God. This is dharma. But if you do not know God, if you do not know what is order, then you must manufacture something rubbish and fight amongst yourself. That is not dharma.

Therefore Bhagavata says, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: [SB 1.1.2] "All cheating types of dharma is rejected and kicked out from Srimad-Bhagavatam." Dharmah projjhita. Projjhita, prakrsta-rupena ujjhita, just like you collect all dust and throw it. Similarly, this Bhagavata-dharma is not a cheating dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means in relation with the Supreme Lord. Bhagavati bhaktih. Bhakti can be applied only to Bhagavan. Bhakti means the business between Bhagavan and bhakta. That is bhakti. If there is no Bhagavan then where is bhakti? And where is bhakta? If Bhagavan is zero, then where is bhakti? Bhakti means the transaction between Bhagavan and bhakta. Just like here, the Bhagavan is there, and bhaktas are there, and the transaction is dressing the Bhagavan, feeding the Bhagavan, chanting the Bhagavan's name, calling people to hear about Bhagavan, to publish books about Bhagavan. This is bhakti, bhakti bhagavati, simply in relation with Bhagavan, no other business, animitta, without any material desire. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. There is no touch even of jnana. Jnana means speculation. And trying to understand the Absolute Truth by his... [break]

jnanam parama-guhyam me
yad vijnana-samanvitam
sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca
grhana gaditam maya

These are the instruction of Lord Krsna to Brahma. Sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca. Anga, this bhakti-anga, this sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23], these are different, I mean to say, branches, or not actually branches, different phases or features of bhakti, to hear just like we are hearing and chanting. I am speaking, chanting; you are hearing. This is bhakti. Sravanam kirtanam. What we are chanting and hearing? Visnu, not any other one. No. Visnu. Visnu. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. You cannot say any other demigod. No. That is material. That is material. If you try to hear about some great person or demigod, that is material. But when you hear and talk about Visnu, that is bhakti. This is bhakti, different processes. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam.

So in this way we have to execute, as it is said, animitta bhagavati bhaktih, which is siddher gariyasi... [break] (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974

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Serving Krishna Not Ordinary Thing

Serving Krishna Not Ordinary Thing

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.2.5
Los Angeles, December 2, 1968

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cirani kim pathi na santi disanti bhiksam
naivanghripah para-bhrtah sarito 'py asusyan
ruddha guhah kim ajito 'vati nopasannan
kasmad bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadandhan

This life of spiritual execution cannot be hampered by any material condition. From Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is the highest type of religious performances by which one can achieve the perfection of loving God. Yato bhaktir adhoksaje. Bhakti means to offer transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord. Bhakti. Bhaj-dhatu sevaya(?). Bhaj. Bhaj-dhatu, it is a verb, bhaj. Bhaj means to render service just like servant renders service to the master, friend renders service to the friend, wife renders service to the husband, husband renders service to the wife. This service-rendering process is going on everywhere. Nobody is absolute that he does not render service to anyone. That is not possible. I have repeatedly explained that if somebody has no master to serve, he voluntarily accepts a cat or dog as his master to serve. The nice name is pet dog, but it is serving. The mother serves the child. So one who has no child, he takes the cat as her child and serves.

So the service mood is going on everywhere. But the highest perfection of service is when we learn to serve the Supreme Absolute Lord. That is called bhakti. And that bhakti execution of service to the Lord is ahaituki. Just like we have got some little examples. This mother is serving the child not with any expectation. She loves to serve the child. She wants to see the child is in comfort, the child does not feel any discomfiture. That is her pleasure. There is no reason why she is loving. That is natural. Similarly, when we invoke our natural love for God, that is the highest perfection of religious principle. Ahaituky apratihata. Apratihata means it cannot be checked by any material condition. Just like we want to chant Hare Krsna; this is service. This is the beginning of service, chanting the glories of the Lord, or praying the Lord, "Hare, O the energy of the Lord, Krsna, O Lord, please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, repeatedly, "Please engage me. Please engage me." But God can give you many things. Whatever you want, He is giving. Ye yatha mam prapadyante. He can give you even salvation, but very rarely He gives you the chance of serving Him.

So service is not an ordinary thing. So this is, this service is unimpaired, unchecked by any material condition. So Sukadeva Gosvami, he gives us some definition how you can be completely independent to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now our problem is eating-sleeping. Eating-sleeping. After sleeping, there is mating or fearing. These are the problems of bodily demands. So Sukadeva Gosvami recommends for a serious devotee, he says, cirani kim pathi na santi. Cirani means worn-out, rejected garments. In your country it is very usual to find in the dustbin so many things are thrown away. So sometimes nice dress is also thrown away. So Sukadeva Gosvami says that if you have problem of dressing yourself, just pick up some old garments from the street. Cirani kim pathi na santi. "All right. I get my garment. What about my food?" He said, cirani kim pathi na santi disanti bhiksam naivanghripah para-bhrtah. Anghripah means the living entity who eats by its leg. Just like we eat by our hand. Do you know what is that living entity who eats by the leg? Can you... Huh? No. Trees. Yes. Yes. The trees, they eat from the root. That is their eating process. You pour water on the root of the tree, and that water the whole tree sucks. That is their eating. Therefore they are called anghripah. They drink their food, eatables, by the leg. So their qualification is para-bhrtah. Para-bhrtah means trees are meant for sustaining others. Trees. Just like a nice mango tree, it produces nice fruit, but it does not eat. It is for you. Para-bhrtah, maintains others. The tree gives shelter, the tree gives fruits. You cut trees for your purpose; it does not protest. Therefore the tree's life is dedicated for the service of others. So Sukadeva Gosvami says "Whether such nice living entity who has dedicated his life for others does not give you fruits?" So why you are thinking of your food problem? The food is there in the tree and the garment is on the street. Then where is my home, apartment? Sukadeva Gosvami says, ruddha guhah kim, "Whether the caves of the mountain are closed?" They are open for you. The caves of the mountain are open for you, the trees are there to supply you food, and people throw away old garments, that is your dress. And water? Water supply? Sukadeva Gosvami says, "Whether the rivers are dried up?" There is water. In this way he gives a very nice list so that you can become very independent. There is no problem for your bodily demands. But one has to practice. Formerly the saints, mendicants, sages, they used to practice like that, that not dependent on any condition. And so far God, God is within you. So you haven't got to go anywhere to search out God. God is with you, and you can be independent in this way.

So there is no problem for executing devotional service to the Lord. And that is the highest perfection of all religious principles. But we have to practice. And that is not possible in this age. This age is called Kali. It is very difficult age. People are not very much interested to the most important problem of life. They are alpayusa. Prayenalpayusah sabhya kalav asmin yuge janah. People are short-living and manda. Manda means very slow for ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to search out or is to reestablish your lost relationship with God. That is the mission of human life. Otherwise what is the difference between animal life and human life? The animal life, they are also busy for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if we human beings, we are also similarly busy, then what is the difference? So this sort of civilization, simply making nice arrangement for eating and sleeping and mating and defending, that is not practically human civilization. The human civilization is meant for searching out God. Na te viduh. They do not know, unfortunately. They have forgotten. But by good association, they can remember. Therefore this meeting of Krsna Consciousness Society's meeting is just to give people chance to associate with the Society and invoke their lost relationship with God. That is the missionary activities of this Society.

So that is the highest gift to the human society. There are so many welfare activities in the human society. People open hospitals, schools, colleges, charitable institution. They are nice. But the best contribution to the human society is to revive his lost relationship with God. Just like a rich man's son. Someway or other he has left his father's home and he's loitering here and there. Somebody finds him: "Oh, you are Mr. such and such. You are the son of such and such gentleman. He's very rich man. Why you are suffering? Come, come with me. I shall take to your father." So this is one kind of welfare activity. And another welfare activity, the same person who is loitering in the street, somebody says, "Oh, you are hungry. All right, come on. I shall give you some bread." That is also welfare activity, but this welfare activity, to get the lost son to his father, rich father, not ordinary father, that is the best service. Similarly, all living entities... As Krsna claims in the Bhagavad-gita... Krsna claims,

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
 [Bg. 14.4]

In many places in the Bhagavad-gita Krsna claims all living entities as His sons, parts and parcels. Just like your children, they are part and parcel of your body. They are not different from you. The same blood is running in his body. Similarly, our constitutional position is that the same blood of God is running in our body. We are not different in that way from God.

There are two kinds of philosophers. One class of philosopher, they say that we are one with God. Another class of philosopher says that we are different, God is different from living entity. But Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has adjusted that we are simultaneously one and different. Just like the father and the son. The father is one with the son, but at the same time, the son is different from the father. The son cannot claim cent percent equality with the father. That is not possible. But the son's body is nondifferent from the father's body. Similarly, living entities, we are simultaneously one and different from God. One in this sense: that all the qualities that God has, the same qualities the living entity has. But the difference is God has all the qualities in fullness, and so far we are concerned, we have got all the godly qualities in minute. That is the difference. Anu and vibhu. Vibhu means unlimited, and anu means limited. So we have got opulence, fame, beauty, strength, influence, knowledge, all good qualities that God has. But God has got in full, we have got in minute quantity.

So anyway, qualitatively, we are one with God. Therefore our business is how to again unite with God qualitatively. That is the highest perfection of human life. And this chance of realization, how we can unite again with God or Krsna, is given only in the human form of life. We are wandering in so many species of life, transmigration of the soul. Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya [Bg. 2.22]. Just we change our dress, similarly we are changing our body every moment, and finally we are changing to other body. Not only we are changing or transmigrating from one body to another, but we are transmigrating from one planet to another. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gita. How we are changing our planets also, that is explained:

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
 [Bg. 14.18]

Those who are developing the modes of good qualities, they are gradually being promoted to the higher planetary system, heavenly planet -- Satyaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka. In those planets the duration of life is very long, the possibilities of sense enjoyment is very nice. Everything thousands, thousands times better than this. This is not very difficult to understand. Just like in your country... Although within this planet the standard of living is far, far nice, better than some other countries, similarly there are hundreds and millions of planets, other planets, where the standard of living is far, far better. So we are, according to our work, we are sometimes promoted to those planets and sometimes to the lower-grade planets, adho gacchanti tamasah.

So this is going on. I do not know how long, since what time we have begun this wandering, changing. Lord Caitanya says that ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. He said that the living entities are wandering in such a way, in different species of life, in different planets, lower and higher. In this way, if he is fortunate enough, he comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master under the grace of Lord Krsna. That means if anyone is fortunate, he comes in contact with guru and Krsna, a bona fide spiritual master and Krsna. And what is the benefit? The benefit is guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. The benediction from the bona fide spiritual master and Lord is that his sense of devotional service is invoked. That is the gift. He does not give anything material opulence. Of course, if one is advanced in spiritual consciousness, material happiness is not very rare for him. That is automatically there. But the gift of Krsna and spiritual master is to inject him. Not inject him... The devotional service, love of Godhead is there, but to invoke it. This devotional service is not artificial. In every one of you there is dormant devotional service, as I have already explained, but they are exhibited in a different way. Instead of loving God, that devotional service is diverted in loving a dog. But the love is there. Love is there. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya. It is said that this Krsna consciousness movement is not an artificial thing that we have manufactured something, ideal thing, concocted, and we are preaching to the world that "You become Krsna conscious." No. The Krsna consciousness is there. What is that Krsna consciousness? To love God. That is there. We are simply helping that "You try to love God; then you'll be happy." That is our mission.

Therefore this Krsna consciousness movement is postgraduate position of all religions. It is not any sectarian religion. You accept Christianity -- very good. You accept Muhammadanism, Islamism -- very good. You accept Hinduism -- that's all right. We have no quarrel with Hindus and Muslims or Christians or Buddhists. But our objective is that religion means there is connection, relationship with God. Take, for example, Christian religion. They accept God: "God created this," the beginning of Bible. That's a fact. So the God consciousness is there. "God is great," the God consciousness there. Now these Christmas holidays you have begun in your country. Throughout the whole month of December you'll observe nice festivals, festivities. Why? Where it began? God consciousness. Lord Christ he came to give you God consciousness, and in his relationship these festivities are going on. It may be degraded in another form. The beginning is God consciousness, but we have lost it. So people cannot be happy without reviving God consciousness. It may be named in a different way -- "Krsna consciousness." That means God consciousness. That is the necessity. He's trying to love somebody. That somebody's love will be perfected when he loves Krsna or God. We are teaching that. Try to love God, and if you love God, if you love Krsna, then automatically you love everybody. That is the perfection of love. The example is just like if you love your stomach, if you supply nice food to your stomach, that means you love all the parts of your body. If you supply foodstuff in the stomach, the energy is distributed in all parts of the body. That means you love all parts of the body. If you love the tree, you pour water on the root and the water is distributed to the branches, fruits, flowers, leaves, everywhere.

So you try to love God and you'll see that you're loving even an ant. There are many examples I can cite in the history, how a man became universal lover. I have told you many times the story of a hunter. The hunter was taking pleasure by killing animals half, and when the same hunter became a devotee, he was not prepared to kill even an ant. So this is love of Godhead. This is the science. The same hunter who was killing every day so many animals, when he became a great devotee of Lord, he was not willing -- because he becomes vastly learned. To become lover of God means fully enlightened in consciousness. He sees that "Here is an ant. This living entity, a small living entity, is also part and parcel. By his own work, he has got this insignificant body as an ant. I have got this human form of body, but that does not make any difference between the soul and the soul." Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. When it becomes actually... When a man becomes actually learned, he's sama-darsi. He sees everyone on the equal level. I was seeing just this evening the Ten Commandments. Now, in the Ten Commandments, the one commandment is that "Thou shall not kill." But I am sorry to feel that killing propensity is so great in the Christian world. Why? Because there is lack of love of God. "Thou shall not kill." Now there is organized killing process. So I do not know how they are following the Christian principles. It is clearly stated, "Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not tease your neighbor." So why should I tease an animal neighbor? These defects are due to lack of love of God.

Therefore the whole problems of the world can be solved only by this movement, how to love God. This is a very sane proposal. Let anybody come before us and we shall be able to convince him that this is the only solution for all the problems of the world. You try to love God and everything will be solved. Otherwise, there is no possibility. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. These are stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah. They do not know what is the solution of world problems. What is that solution? They do not know the solution is svartha-gatim hi visnum, your interest is to love God. Unfortunately, you have been misled, durasaya, by a false hope. Bahir-artha-maninah, by external energy. The leaders... Now we are preaching love of God, nobody is interested. But if we had given some political bluff that "Here will be such and such party's meeting, and it will give you heaven hand to hand," oh, people will throng. You see. Because they are cheating. Satya bole ta mare lakta(?). There is a nice poet, he says that if you tell the truth, people will come with their logs to hurt you. And chuta jagat bolai(?): and if you bluff them, they will be very nicely follower. This is the position. Actually, this is the solution. It is not that "This Krsna consciousness movement or Bhaktivedanta Swami who has started, he has concocted this idea." No. It is standard. You come to argument, to reason. This formula that your interest is to love God. You have no other interest in this human form of life. Then your problems of life will be solved. Otherwise there is no possibility. If any other person is giving you any other idea, he's simply misleading you.

That is also stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. Just like a blind man is leading other blind men. What he'll do? If a blind man says, "Come on. Come along with me. I shall cross you this road." What is the benefit of this assurance? He is blind himself. Therefore in spite of so much endeavor in the United Nations for the last twenty or twenty-five years, there is no solution. Simply the flags are increasing. Instead of becoming united, the flags are increasing. I have got practical experience. Now India become independent. So India was one. Now there are two: Pakistan and India. So there was one flag; now it is two. And gradually, it will increase to four. So when I pass that United Nations building, I simply see the flags are increasing. Instead of increasing the peace movement, the flags are increasing, that's all. So this sort of bluffing blind leaders cannot make happy the human society. This is the only solution: to push on Krsna consciousness movement, love of Godhead. Everyone will be happy, the human society. Visvam purnam sukhayate. Whole universe will be just like Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means without anxieties. The material civilization means full of anxiety, full of anxiety. Nobody... Just like everyone, every animal, every bird, everyone is anxious. The bird, you give him some grains, it will eat, but it will look like this: "Oh, if somebody is not coming to kill me." Anxiety, you see. America is so great, big nation, full of anxiety: "Russia is not coming? China is not coming? Oh, the Vietnam is there." The China is also, "Oh, America is doing something. Oh. Let us see." This is going on. What is this greatness? Increasing the anxieties, that's all. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. Because they have accepted something unreal which will not give them happiness. Here is reality, love of God. You take it. Don't expect that it will be taken by all the nations, all the people. You take it individually and see how much you are happy. Individual. That is our request.

So we have no place. So we don't mind. We can sit down underneath a tree and preach this Krsna consciousness movement. Some gentleman has offered this garage. That's all right. So people are afraid to give us place, you see, because we are pushing God consciousness. That is our fault. You see? This is the position. So never mind. We can sit down anywhere and chant Hare Krsna. And I'll request you to come and join us, and you'll be happy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. (obeisances)

Prabhupada: Any question? We invite questions. If you have got any doubts about this Krsna consciousness movement, you can ask. We shall try to reply. So there is no question? Yes?

Madhudvisa: Prabhupada? When the soul transmigrates from one body to another, the consciousness of that gross body, does the person retain some of the consciousness of his past lives with that transmigration?

Prabhupada: Yes. Consciousness is a constant companion of the soul. The consciousness means there is soul. Just like this body. I am speaking, I am talking or I am feeling, this consciousness. I am conscious. Why? Because I, the soul, is present. So consciousness is the symptom of the presence of the soul. Therefore when the soul transmigrates the consciousness is also there in another body. But this consciousness, if I take God consciousness, then I go to God. And if I take dog consciousness, I go to dog. That's all. The consciousness is there. Therefore we have to purify our consciousness. Instead of dog consciousness we have to make it God consciousness. That will be our perfection of life. Otherwise, the consciousness which you carry at the time of your death, you get a similar body. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and we may think of in a varied way. That is the technique of Krsna consciousness. At the time of, if we keep our Krsna consciousness intact, that is our perfection of life. Otherwise we do not know what is my next life. The example is given just like air is passing. Air is very subtle matter. If it is passing on the rose flower, the flavor is carried in other place also, rose scent. And if the air is passing on the stool, the scent or the bad smell of the stool is carried to the other place. Similarly, if you make your consciousness rosy, then your next life is rose flavor. (laughs) And if you make your consciousness stool, then your next life is condemned. Yes. Yes.

Man: (indistinct) thinks if the qualities of God are contained in man but only on a minute scale, and in God all qualities are on a great scale...

Prabhupada: Full scale, yes.

Man: Then are not also the evil qualities in man existent in God too but...

Prabhupada: Yes. The evil qualities... What you call evil, that quality is also there in God. But God, being absolute, there is no evil; everything is good. God is good. I'll give you an example. Just like the father is sometimes angry. The quality of anger is taken as bad quality. But if the father is sometimes angry on the father (son), that is not bad. That is for his good. Therefore... This is a crude example. The qualities are there in God; otherwise how we can get the quality? If the anger quality is not there in God, how we get this quality? That is a fact. But His anger and your anger is different because you are materially contaminated. So qualities, as they are, they are not bad. But when they are saturated with the contamination of this material world, they appear to be bad. Just like a naughty child. A naughty child means that child is going to be very intelligent boy or girl in future. That is a fact. Naughtiness means that child is very intelligent. So in course of time that naughtiness will fructify into intelligence. So here all the godly qualities are misrepresented, perverted reflection. Just like love. Now our worshipable God is Krsna and Radha, conjugal love perfection. The same love is descended here also, love between boy and girl, but that is perverted. The love is there. The same love is there also. Otherwise wherefrom this girl? Why a girl is attracted by a boy? Why a boy is attracted by a girl? That is natural. That is coming from God, His pleasure potency. But because that love is being manifested with the contamination of this material world, that is perverted. So every quality... That is the, I mean to say, scientific way of studying God. Whatever qualities you have got, you can understand the same qualities is there in God, but your present condition being contaminated with material contact, it is being pervertedly represented. This has to be purified. This is Krsna consciousness. The same thing. The same love affair, the same anger or anything, that is to be purified. Then it is godly. That's all. So this Krsna consciousness movement is to purify. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Nirmalam means purification, completely purified. When this... Suppose this anger. If this anger is applied in Krsna consciousness, it is purified. It is purified. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was not becoming angry to his enemy. He was a very good man. "No, I'm not going to fight." And Krsna was, I mean to say, encouraging him to be angry. Otherwise how could he fight? So when he fought for Krsna, that became service. Of course, these are very intricate questions. When one studies very seriously and scientifically, this will be revealed. So on the whole one can understand that "All the qualities of God is with me. But I am now materially contaminated." Just like a diseased person. A diseased person, he wants to enjoy the facilities of healthy life, but the physician says, "No, don't. Don't." Because that will create danger. Similarly, all the qualities we have got, but because it is materially contaminated, the Krsna consciousness process is to purify them and to bring them to the normal condition, and then it will be happy. That is the whole idea. Yes?

Visnujana: How can the purification process, Prabhupada, be carried through the average life, twenty-four hours a day?

Prabhupada: The purification process is stated in Narada-pancaratra. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. You have to free yourself from the designation. Designation. The same example can be given. Just like Arjuna. He was designating himself with the Kuru family; therefore he was impure. When he gave up this designation, he identified his interest with Krsna, he became devotee. So we have to give up this designation, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am this," "I am that" -- "I am Krsna's. I am God's. I am servant of God." And if you act in that way, then whole thing becomes purified. And if you keep your designation accidentally... Just like you are American. This is accidental. By somehow or other, you have come to accept a body from the American family. Now this will be changed. You do not know what is your next body. So this is changing. This is not my permanent settlement. But your permanent settlement is to identify yourself that "I am Krsna's." That is your permanent settlement. So if you put yourself in that position, being freed from all designation, then your process of everything, all qualities, become purified.

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
 [Cc. Madhya 19.170]

 Hrsika. Hrsika means senses. So when the senses are applied for Hrsikesa -- means Krsna -- then it is purified. And when the senses are applied in our designated position, that is impure. That is contaminated.

Woman: When there are several living entities within a close area of space or there are several living entities...

Prabhupada: They are under different designations, that's all. Different living entities means under different designations. That's all. And when that designation is off, then he's Krsna's. That's all. Actually he is Krsna's, but under different designations he has got different bodies. So if we place ourself in Krsna consciousness, in spite of this designated body, still we become purified. Jivan-muktah sa ucyate. He's liberated even living within this material tabernacle. Iha yasya harer dasye. If anyone fixes his mind up to the service of Krsna, then in whatever condition he may be, he is a liberated person. Simply we have to fix up that we shall simply execute business of Krsna. That's all. All right. Thank you. Now chant. Who is this child? (kirtana) Distribute from the end there, just. Yes. That's all. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968

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