Krishna gave Bhagavad-gita To Get Us Out

72/12/06 Ahmedabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.1

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Prabhupada: (tape begins with mangalacarana prayers)

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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"Evolution And Other Rubish"

68/12/06 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 2.26


Prabhupada: ...these living symptoms develop. The anthropology, Darwin's theory. They do not believe in soul, transmigration of the soul. They have their own theories. But they are also not definite. Those who have read Darwin's theory of anthropology, in most places, that Mr. Darwin says, "Perhaps it was like this, perhaps it was like this." And according to his theory, there was no existence of human being ten thousand years ago. But we followers of Vedic (child making noises)... You have to stop. ...version, we don't believe to all this nonsense; neither there is any basic principle. Now take for example the atheistic theory, call it by any name, that combination of matter makes a living symptom possible.

So scientific, I mean to say, proposition is based on observation and experiment. So this is simply observation, that those who are atheistic person... Just like medical science. There are many doctors. They are observing when a man dies, observing, feeling the pulse, taking pulse beating, offering oxygen gas, trying to save him. All of a sudden the man dies, and he is sure to die, but they cannot simply observe the symptoms. They cannot observe what is that thing which is gone now. They cannot say that. Neither it is possible for them to say. But their theory that combination of matter makes symptoms of life possible, they should prove it by experiment. Then it is complete science. Observation and experiment. But there is no such experiment till now. You trace out the history of the human society. Of course, in the modern world they cannot trace out chronological history more than three thousand years. That's all. But we can give account for many millions and millions of years. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. "I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god. Now just imagine how many years, millions of years. So the modern theory that ten thousand years ago there was no human civilization, how we can adjust things? The Battle of Kuruksetra was fought five thousand years ago. Before that, hundreds of thousands year ago there was another battle which is called fight between Rama and Ravana. And there are so many instances in the Vedic literature. We can offer history of the world, of the universe, from millions and millions of years ago. But these people with petty knowledge for three thousand years or four thousand years, they are thinking they have advanced.

So this theory was current in those days also; otherwise why Krsna is making reference to this theory? So all kinds of theories are existent since the beginning of this creation. But sometimes some theory is very prominent, sometimes some theory is not prominent. That's all. So this atheistic theory, that combination of matter... Just like you combine some chemicals and you get some product, similarly the modern scientist says that carbon dioxide, soda bicarb -- they name so many chemicals -- is the combination of this body. That is chemical analysis of this body. But can you produce? You have got all the chemicals. Can you produce even the body of an ant by combination of carbon dioxide, soda bicarb and so many chemicals? Just produce, not human being, just produce even a small ant which is moving. Combine. That you cannot. So such theories, at least we cannot accept. But Krsna is giving argument to Arjuna, "If you think that this is an accidental combination of several chemicals, then where there is cause of lamentation?" Suppose in a bottle you have got certain combination of chemicals. If that bottle is broken, is there any cause of lamentation? All right, we shall get another bottle of this chemical combination. So Krsna is forwarding this argument, that if you think that this body, there is no soul, there is no transmigration of the soul, simply it has happened under certain accidental chemical combination and it will dis..., what is called, dislocated, or dismantle at a certain period, so where is the cause of lamentation? Why you are lamenting? This is His argument. Go on.

Devotee: "Even if Arjuna did not believe in the existence of the soul, as in the vaibhasika philosophy, there would still have been no cause for lamentation. Nobody would lament the loss of a certain bulk of chemicals and stop discharging his prescribed duties [Bg. 2.26]."

Prabhupada: Yes. Suppose some chemical combined bottle is there; by accident it is broken. Does it mean that I shall give up all my duties to be done? And lament for the bottle only? What is this? (laughs) "Arjuna, you are My friend," he was friend of Krsna. "You have become so fool that you are lamenting for loss of a chemical bottle?" This is the argument. Yes.

Devotee: "On the other hand, in modern science and scientific warfare so many tons of chemicals are wasted in achieving victory over the enemy."

Prabhupada: Yes. They are manufacturing so many atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb, this bomb -- huge expensive chemical. So that is lost, so who is crying for that? Go on.

Devotee: "According to the vaibhasika philosophy, the so-called soul or atma vanishes along with the deterioration of the body."

Prabhupada: The modern theories, they are exactly like that. They want to... Yes, our Karttikeya was telling that the boys, the young boys and girls, they put forward this theory that "Our parents have made the position of the world so unsafe. So we do not know when we shall, our this body will be finished. So better to enjoy this bodily sense gratification as far as possible quickly." Is not that theory you were telling me? Huh? Is it a fact they are thinking like that? Oh, now, see this nonsense. Now supposing there is soul... And why not suppose? Because experimentally you have not proved that by chemical combination you can produce such moving things.

So more or less, the modern civilization is in darkness. That is the treatment of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Lokasyajanata. All the people of the world, they are rascals and fools. That is the statement in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto. Vyasadeva wrote the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the introductory portion is stated like this, you have seen, that by his devotional meditation he saw Krsna and His material energy also. Bhakti-yogena manasi (samyak) pranihite 'male, apasyat purusam purnam mayam ca tad-apasrayam [SB 1.7.4]. By bhakti-yoga meditation he saw two things. Manasi pranihite amale. By bhakti-yoga only. The yoga process is to clear the mind. The whole process of yoga indriya-samyama, controlling the senses and clearing, that is actually yoga system. So the perfection of yoga system -- bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga. Because by executing bhakti-yoga you can cleanse up the mind perfectly. Yoga system, the purpose of yoga system is to cleanse up the mind, and this bhakti-yoga process... Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. The first benefit of this bhakti-yoga process, chanting Hare Krsna, is cleansing the mind.

So Vyasadeva, before writing... He was not an ordinary fiction writer. Anyone can write any nonsense. No. Formerly, no book will be accepted unless it is written by liberated soul. That was the system. No other man will dare to write any book, neither his book will be accepted in society. Only Vedic literature and literature produced out of Vedic knowledge. That is book. Otherwise, what are these books? These fictions and novels and... They are not books; they are rubbish. Actually they are rubbish. Don't you see? The newspaper, it is published after spending so much money. You know. Every day, the newspaper proprietors, they are paying to the news collectors, to the photographers, to the staff, to the establishment huge amount of money and producing newspaper, say, fifty pages or twenty-five pages, and throwing in the street. Nobody cares for it. Because everyone knows what is the value of this news. Nobody is taking care. "Oh, here is a newspaper behind which there is so much expenditure." "Oh, here is one. Let me take it." Everyone kicks it. You see? You see practically. Huge bundles of newspapers, nobody cares for it. That means actually this literature has no value. No value. Simply they are wasting their time, producing such nonsense literature. Even if it has got any value, the newspaper boys throws early in the morning. At ten o'clock it has no more value. That's all. Finished all value. Whatever value was there, that finished by ten o'clock.

So Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita is not a literature like that. Can you give any evidence, any book written five thousand years ago is still being read with still greater veneration, with greater respect, with greater attention. Is there any book in the world? Find out. Not a single book you'll find. You cannot trace out of any book written, say, thousand years or two thousand years ago. But here is a book which was spoken five thousand years ago; still, all over the world... It is not that Bhagavad-gita is supposed to be Hindu literature, Vedic literature, it is read simply by the Hindus. Now the number of Hindus has minimized. Practically, in some portion of that India there are few Hindus only, actually speaking. So what is the number of Hindus? That is the, what is called, minority in the whole world. If you take calculation of other religion... I have seen the other day in the World Almanac the Hindus, the Hindus are the lowest. So how many Hindus are reading? In India not that 90% people are illiterate. So what they will read? And who is reading Bhagavad-gita? It is all over the world. Still, you'll find in Germany Bhagavad-gita is being read. In England you'll find. Even in Muhammadan countries you'll find, and what to speak of your country. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gita. I mean to say that see the importance of real literature.

tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo
yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api
namany anantasya yaso 'nkitani yat
srnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah
[SB 1.5.11]

That rubbish literature is compared with the enjoyable things of the crows, and spiritual literature, they are enjoyed by the white swans. There is difference between the white swans. You have seen natural. They are also birds, crows are also birds. But you'll see white swans, they take pleasure in clear water where there are lilies, and they take nice pleasure there. And crows they will go, where you throw all rubbish things, they'll go there. You see nature. People say everyone is equal. How you can say equal? Even in the bird society there is no equality, in the animal society there is no equality. Then how you can make equality? On the material platform it is not possible. You have to come to the spiritual platform; then equality is possible.

So Vyasadeva, he was liberated soul. So in clean heart, clean mind, he experienced, he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and maya, tad-apasrayam, and maya standing behind Him. Maya is darkness. Maya cannot stand before Krsna. Just like darkness cannot stand in front of the light. Now here is light. There is no darkness. In the backside you'll find some darkness. Is it not? Not in the front. So maya cannot stand before Krsna. Maya stands behind Krsna. So if you put always Krsna or if you are always Krsna consciousness, then maya cannot touch you. Krsna surya-sama maya haya andhakara, yahan krsna tahan nahi mayara adhikara. So Vyasadeva, in clear consciousness, in Krsna consciousness, he saw Krsna and this maya. And what is this maya? That is said, yaya sammohito jiva. That maya which has enchanted all these conditioned souls. Yaya sammohito jiva atmanam anartham manute [SB 1.7.5]. Considering himself that "I am material product." I am coming to this point. Those who are thinking that "I am a material product," they're completely in darkness of maya. Yaya, manute anartham tat-krtam ca abhipadyate. And identifying himself with this body, they are acting in bodily consciousness and increasing their problems of life and conditional life in material existence. Horrible condition. Therefore Vyasadeva says, anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje [SB 1.7.6]. Anartha, this anartha, this misconception of life, if you want to discard this misconception of life, that "I am this body," and you act according to that consciousness and suffer... This is your disease.

Now if you want to get out of this disease, then saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. You just try to be in Krsna consciousness. Saksat. Lokasyajanata. The rascal people, they do not know it. Therefore vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam. Therefore vidvan. Vidvan means this learned scholar, Vyasadeva, he prepared the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Lokasyajanata. The rascal people, they do not know. They are being carried off by this misconception that "I am this body, and my body will be finished within so many years. Now I have got this chance, I have got my strong body, let me have sex life as far as possible, then finish it. Who knows where I am going, what is the path?" You see? It is dangerous civilization. Dangerous. And anyone who will come and say, "Yes, you enjoy your senses and simply sit down for fifteen minutes. And you chant this one alphabet -- bas. You finish your business." This is going on. So don't be misled in that way. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita perfectly. You'll be happy in this life and next life. Go on.

Devotee: "According to the vaibhasika philosophy, the so-called soul or atma vanishes along with the deterioration of the body. So, in any case, whether Arjuna accepted the Vedic conclusion that there is an atomic soul or whether he did not believe in the existence of the soul, he had no reason for lamenting. According to this theory, since there are so many entities generating out of matter every moment and so many of them are being vanquished at every moment, there is no need to grieve for such an incidence."

Prabhupada: Yes. Material creation, just like bubbles in the ocean. You have seen standing on the bank of the Pacific Ocean, oh, so many thousands of bubbles created in a second, and again thousands of bubbles gone, in a second. Now, who is crying there? "Oh, so many bubbles were created, and they are gone, they are gone, they are gone." (laughter) It's nonsense. (laughs) So Krsna is very nicely giving argument that "If you think there is no soul, it is being manufactured by the interaction of the physical element, so it is just like bubbles in the ocean. So many bubbles are created and destroyed every moment. So what is there cause of lamentation? What is your reason?" Then?

Devotee: "However..."

Prabhupada: Just like modern people, they are after peace, stopping war. And suppose you stop war. Can you stop death? Then why you are after stopping war? Why you forget your real business? They are after stopping war. And suppose war is stopped, nobody takes to war anymore. Now, how you'll stop the war of this material nature? She is fighting always with you. From the beginning of your birth she is fighting. A child is born and the material nature is killing this child every moment. The child has grown, two years old. That means material nature has already killed this child for two years. How you can stop this? These nonsense, they do not consider these cases. Suppose if I stop war, there will be no more war, no more disease. No more disease cannot be possible. You can make by some way no more war... That is also not possible. Anyway, if you stop it by the efforts of the United Nations, a veke(?) by some way no more war... That is also not possible. Anyway, if you stop it by the efforts of the United Nations, a very large organization, then how you are going to stop death? What is your proposition? There is no, nothing. So what is the use of stopping war? Suppose in the war some young men die. That's all right, so many young men die within the hospital in the disease. And sometimes old men, they do not die even in the war.

So life and death is not in your hand. You don't think that stopping this or increasing this, you'll be able to stop all inconveniences. Just take, for example, this boy, Virabhadra was struck by a car. All right, he was in the street. But another boy, he fell on the staircase and broke his leg. He was at home; he met accident. So how you can stop this, the onslaught of material nature? Everywhere, either you are at home or you are outside, either you are young, you are old, either you are scientist or philosopher. Whatever you are, the material nature will not allow you to live in peaceful condition. That is her business. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. You cannot live peacefully, that is not possible. The only peaceful condition is that you become in Krsna consciousness. There is no other alternative. Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Lord Caitanya clearly says, "There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative." It is not that our Krsna consciousness movement is one of the so many movements. No. It is the only one movement that can give peace and life and prosperity to the people. Yes.

Devotee: "However, since he was not risking rebirth of the soul, Arjuna had no reason to be afraid of being affected with sinful activities due to his killing grandfather and teacher. But at the same time, Krsna sarcastically addressed Arjuna as maha-bahu, mighty-armed, because He, at least, did not accept the theory of the vaibhasikas which leaves aside the Vedic wisdom. As a ksatriya, Arjuna belonged to the Vedic culture, and it behooved him that he continue to follow its principles." Twenty-seven.

Prabhupada: He is, as a friend, He's criticizing that "You are professing to be followers of Vedic culture, and you are accepting some nonsense culture. That is not good for you."

All right, stop there. So you read carefully Bhagavad-gita. Everything is there. Every word, every line is so, I mean to say, instructive. It is simply... That is the basic principle of spiritual knowledge. Now we have presented. Every one of you should very carefully read. Every one of you must have one book and read it carefully and appear in the examination next Janmastami. You'll get designation, (laughs) Bhakti-sastri. Yes. So any question? Now invite people to come here. We have got now a nice place. What do you think?

Tamala Krsna: Wow. That will be very nice. It will be a great pleasure to invite people here.

Prabhupada: Yes. And have meeting. On Love Feast day, supply them Krsna prasadam. Invite some prominent gentlemen to preside over, to become our chief guest. And in this way make propaganda. And put signboards all through the street with electric light, make the gardens very nicely. This is service. Now you have got the chance to serve. Do it. Here is a chance. We are... Whether a man understands Krsna philosophy or not, we don't care for it. Of course, if he understands, it is a great pleasure for us, but we are working on behalf of Krsna, on behalf of Lord Caitanya. That should be our philosophy. Don't be disappointed that the whole day you work, you got no collection, and nobody was interested in Krsna consciousness. No. Don't be disappointed. You have worked sincerely the whole day, that is your credit. That's all. That's your credit. Krsna will see, bhava-grahi-janardana. Krsna wants to see that how much you are spending your valuable life and energy for Krsna. That's all. Don't be disappointed that many men are not coming here or we are very poorly pushing on. Never mind. Whatever Krsna has given us, chance, let us utilize it. Now here is a chance, Krsna has given us. We were searching after a place. Now I think you have got the best place. Better than that storefront or better than that Mel... What is called?

Devotees: Melrose.

Prabhupada: Melrose Avenue upstairs. It is very nice. So you organize it and let us see what Krsna does. There is no question of disappointment. Yes?

Madhudvisa: Prabhupada, what is a Manu, and how is Manu the father of mankind, as it is stated in Bhagavad-gita?

Prabhupada: Yes, Manu is the name, and because mankind is born, therefore they are called manusya. Manusya, "born of Manu." Manu is the name. Just like in some parts of England they are called Angels? In the past history during the Roman occupation of England, they are known as Angels? You don't know?

Woman devotee: Anglos?

Prabhupada: Angles, yes.

Woman devotee: Anglo-Saxon.

Prabhupada: Yes. So from Angles, they have become English. Similarly, Manu. Manu is the name of the son of Brahma, Vaivasvata Manu. Just like Narada is one of the sons. So there are so many sons. Brahma was the original living being. So he created so many sons, and they created so many sons. In this way the population of the whole universe has increased. So Manu is one of the sons. There are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahma. These things I have discussed many times. And the mankind, they come from Manu. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam, vivasvan manave praha [Bg. 4.1]. Manu, this Manu, there are different Manus, fourteen Manus in one day. This present Manu under whom we are now living within this universe, he's the son of sun-god, Vivasvan. So he has got his different planet, as the sun has got different planet. So his son Iksvaku was given this earthly planet to rule over and from that generation, Maharaja Iksvaku, Lord Ramacandra appeared. In this way the ksatriyas, they spread all over the world. I have several times said that most of the Europeans, they belong to the original ksatriyas.

So the human history has spread. Not only in this planet, in many other planets. So Manu is the father of mankind. From the word man... This is Latin? Latin word? Man? Sanskrit word is manusya, from Manu, that is "man." So Manu is accepted as the father of the mankind in Sanskrit literature. And in Bible it is said the man is made after God. So actually Brahma is the son of Visnu, and Manu is the son of Brahma, and we are also son of Manu in different aspect. So gradually, if you go up, God comes to be our original father. And we say also, God is the original father. And the history, Vedic history, also says like that. So God... Because we have got form, therefore God has form, must be. Just like my father had form; so I have got this form. This is commonsense knowledge. How my father can be impersonal? Unless my father was a person, how I am a person? If God is the original father, He must be a person. Otherwise how we are persons? These are common sense, knowledge. There is no need of very great knowledge. A child can understand. How you can say God is impersonal? If God is the father, original, then how He can be impersonal? What do you say? Can anybody say, "Yes, He can be impersonal in this way"? God cannot be impersonal. He is person. And we get so many information. Krsna says Himself that "In the past I was a person, you were a person, and all these men who have assembled here in the battlefield, they are also persons. We existed in the past as persons, and we shall continue to exist as individual persons. So at least we cannot, we Vaisnava followers of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, we cannot accept, neither there is any reason behind it. What do you think? Huh?

Madhudvisa: I agree.

Prabhupada: Yes. Anyone who does not agree? Where is Aravinda? He sometimes does not agree.

Madhudvisa: He's minding your house.

Prabhupada: (laughs) All right. What is that?

Visnujana: There are people not here who don't agree, who think God can be realized as a clear light or an abstract (indistinct).
Prabhupada: That is for the less intelligent, less intelligent. Just like from a distant place, if you see that a railway engine is coming, you'll see the light. So a rascal will say, "A light is coming." (laughter) But one who knows, he will say a train is coming. So it is less intelligent. That's all. A rascal will say light is coming. That's all. So they are all rascals. They have no sufficient knowledge. What do you think?

Visnujana: Yes.

Prabhupada: Yes. Tell them that "You are all rascals." (laughter) "You just come and learn here from us. Then you say what is God. You have no knowledge." Just like somebody says that the sunlight, the dazzling sunlight. Clear sun planet is there. And because they cannot enter even into the moon planet, how they can enter in the sun planet? If they enter sun planet, they will find that there is a person whose bodily effulgence is this sunlight. Similarly the original person, Krsna, has got His effulgence. We get information from Brahma-samhita, yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Just like the sun-god is diffusing the effulgence of his bodily light in this universe, in one universe. Similarly the original person, He is diffusing that light. So those who are less intelligent, they simply can see that light; therefore they say light. But in the Vedic literature there is information that you have to search out the Supreme Person penetrating the light. In the Isopanisad it says, "My dear Lord, please wind up this effulgent light so that I can see Your face actually." That is stated in the Vedic literature. So originally the Absolute Supreme Truth is a person. If you want proof from Vedas, there is proof. Bhagavad-gita is proof. Why should we accept a third-class man who is speaking something against? Is that man greater than Krsna? Then why shall I talk about him? He's not important even ordinary man. We shall treat all these persons less intelligent, foolish. They have no perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth. What do you think?

Visnujana: The world needs Krsna consciousness.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Visnujana: The world has never had anything like Krsna consciousness.

Prabhupada: Yes, they do not know. Less intelligent. Ajanata. This very word is used in the Srimad... Ajanata. Janata means with knowledge. A-jana, "a" is negative. Without any knowledge. And in the Bhagavad-gita you'll see that bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. These less intelligent class of men, they are searching after the Absolute Truth. That is also creditable. They are searching. But they have not come to the right point. The right point is here, as Krsna says, that "After many, many births of research work, when he actually becomes a wise man, he surrenders unto Me." Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], that "Vasudeva, Krsna, is everything." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. So ultimate knowledge means to understand the Supreme Person. What is the value if somebody has studied very elaborately the sunshine, but he has no access to enter into the sun planet or to understand the sun-god within? Is it a very enlightenment? Suppose the sunshine is all-pervading the universe. One has studied the sunshine very nicely. That man, and one has entered the sun planet and seen the sun-god, who is better? Who is better?

Visnujana: That man who has the knowledge.

Prabhupada: Yes. Who has entered the sun planet and seen the sun-god, he is better. This is common sense. So, you will have more kirtana? All right. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968

"Krishna gave Bhagavad-gita To Get Us Out"

72/12/06 Ahmedabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.1


Prabhupada: (tape begins with mangalacarana prayers)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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