How to Enjoy Real Bliss

73/07/19 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.23

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Prabhupada: Dhartarastrasya durbuddher [Bg. 1.23]. Durbuddhi, to usurp others' property is durbuddhi, mischievous. Why one should encroach upon others' property? That is not good. Tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam [Iso mantra 1]. This is the Vedic instruction, that "You accept only what is given to you. Don't encroach upon others' property." This is peaceful. Everything belongs to Krsna. So whatever Krsna gives you as prasadam, as His favor, you accept it and be satisfied. This is the basic principle of peace in the world. But because people are not educated in that way, everyone is wanting more and more and more and more. There is no satisfaction. So that is durbuddhi. The Vedic culture is that "You be satisfied with your position." There is no question of starving in any position of life. People are trying to make economic development, but according to sastra, it is not possible to develop your economic position simply by endeavor. You are destined to have some portion mixed up with happiness and distress. That is the nature. Dharmartha-kama-moksa. These are four principles of human activities. First beginning is dharma. Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. That is dharma. So people do not know who is the Supreme and what is His order. So what kind of religion? They accept dharma as religion, faith, a superfluous faith only. But that is not dharma, religion. Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. That is the meaning of dharma: obedience to God. There is no conception of God, and what to speak of obedience. But this is the simple meaning of religion: obedience to God. That's all, three words. God is the supreme proprietor, God is the maintainer... Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Therefore we are maintained, we are predominated, we are servant, we should remain obedient to God. This is religion. Where is the difficulty? Unfortunately, they do not know what is God, what is His command, what is religion. They do not know. They manufacture. And because they do not know the simple process, they are called durbuddhi, not very nicely intelligent. A rascal, in other words.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is plainly said, mudha. Mudha means asses, rascal. He does not know his own interest. He is called mudha, ass. Just like ass. Ass is whole day working with tons of cloth on his back, but he does not... Not a piece of cloth belongs to him. This is ass. And he is working so hard only for a morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. But he is thinking that "This gentleman, washerman, is giving me food." This is ass. Such food can be available anywhere and everywhere, but he is thinking like that and working so hard. So karmis are like that. He will eat two capatis or four capatis, but he is working day and night. If you want to see him, he will say, "Oh, I have no time." He does not think at any time that "I am interested to eat four capatis, which can be very easily available. So why I am working so hard?" But that sense does not come. He is working, working, working, "More money, more money, more money, more money, more money." The Bhagavata says, "No, no. This is not your business." The four capatis is already destined to you; you will get, any circumstances. You don't waste your time simply under some false impression of economic development. Don't waste your time. You cannot get more, you cannot get less. That is already there. So you utilize your time for understanding Krsna. That is your business. People will not accept it. "Oh, this is a waste of time. Attending the class of Bhagavad-gita, this is waste of time. By this time I could have earned hundreds of dollars." That is their business. That is called durbuddhi, durbuddhi, not very intelligent. All mudha, asses.

Real intelligent person is he who is satisfied what Krsna has given him: "If Krsna wants, He will give me more. Let me become Krsna conscious. Let me study about Krsna. Let me chant about Krsna. Let me hear about Krsna. Let me see with my eyes Krsna, the Deity Krsna. Let me engage my hands in worshiping Krsna, in cleansing the temple, my hands. Let my legs be engaged in going to the temple." In this way all our senses should be engaged in the service of Krsna. That is our real business. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [SB 1.5.18]. Tasyaiva hetoh: "For that purpose only." Which purpose? Which we could not achieve after wandering the whole universe, up and down. The living entity is wandering by transmigration from one body to another up and down. Sometimes he is becoming Brahma even. Brahma, Indra, Candra. He can become. One can become. By pious activities, you can be raised to the position of Brahma, Indra, Candra, demigods, big, big demigods. And by impious activities, you can go down to become the worm of a stool. This is going on. This is called bhramatam upary adhah. Upari adhah. Adhah means down, and upari means up. So urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. Who are going to upper planetary system? Sattva-sthah, those who are qualified brahmanas, strictly following the principles.

samo damas tapah saucam
ksantir arjavam eva ca
jnanam vijnanam astikyam
brahma-karma svabhava-jam
 [Bg. 18.42]

If you follow these principles, controlling the senses, truthful, clean, full of knowledge, believing in the sastra and God, and vijnanam, practical application of knowledge in life. Vijnanam... Simply to know is useless. You must practically apply in life. That is called vijnanam. Practical examination. Those who are science students, in BAC, they have to give, pass theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge also. Simply theoretical knowledge, "So much hydrogen, oxygen, makes water," that is theoretical. But when you mix up hydrogen, oxygen gas, and actually prepare water, that is called practical. So that is science. Science means simply theoretical knowledge is not sufficient. Observation and experiment. Experimental knowledge. That is called vijnanam.

So by practical knowledge you should be well-acquainted with God. That is brahmana's business. So sattva-sthah, those who are strictly following the brahminical principles, they will be situated in upper planetary system. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. But a Vaisnava is above these. Mad-yajino 'pi yanti mam. Those who are following these principles with an aim for higher planetary system, they can go, elevated. Similarly, those who are trying to go back to home, back to Krsna, they can also go. It is not very... This process, our Krsna consciousness movement, is to help people to go back to home, back to Krsna. It is not very difficult. Why it is difficult? Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Try to understand Krsna in truth, not vaguely. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We think of God. So why don't you accept Krsna. He says and sastra says, the acarya says, Vyasadeva says, Narada says, your Guru Maharaja says. Why not accept? Why rascaldom? Why you are searching after any other God? Here is God. Name, address, activities, everything is there, authorized statement of the Vedas. So is there any difficulty to understand Krsna? But this rascal will not take it. Persistent. "Oh, why Krsna can be accepted? I have got a God, manufactured." This is misfortune. Durbhaga, durbuddhi, miscreant rascal. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. These are the qualifications of persons who do not surrender to Krsna: miscreants, mischievous, sinful, mudha, rascal, asses, naradhama, lowest of the mankind. These are the qualifications. So they are all durbuddhi. Human life is meant... This is an opportunity to understand Krsna. Hari hari biphale janama gonainu, manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya, janiya suniya bisa khainu. This is Narottama dasa Thakura's song. Anyone who is not trying to understand Krsna... Not even trying, what to speak of worshiping Him, giving Him service... And Krsna says simply by trying to know Him, one becomes liberated. Simply by trying, not perfectly. Even imperfectly. Because he is endeavoring to understand Krsna, that very activity will make him liberated. That very activity. It is not possible to understand Krsna. He is so great, unlimited. How we can understand Krsna? Krsna cannot understand Himself. Or Ananta cannot understand. So... Actually, that is the fact. We cannot understand Krsna. But still, whatever Krsna says about Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, if we accept so much, then we immediately become fit for going back to Godhead, back to home. Simply. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Tattvatah. Tattvatah means in truth. The tattvatah cannot understand. Even siddhas, those who are perfect...

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
 [Bg. 7.3]

Nobody can understand, even if he is siddha, perfect. Perfect means not spiritually perfect, means materially perfect. Or even spiritually, partially perfect. Brahma-jnani, they are partially perfect. Paramatma-jnani, yogis, they are also partially perfect. Not completely perfect. Completely perfect is the devotees. Only devotees, they are completely perfect. Others, the jnanis and yogis and karmis... Karmis are, they are rascals. Jnanis, they are partially perfect because they can understand the eternity portion of the Supreme Lord, brahma-jnana. That is eternity portion. And Paramatma-jnana is the cid-amsa, knowledge or personally seeing God as the four-handed Visnu. So that is also imperfect knowledge. That (but) when He comes to know Bhagavan, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], then there is perfect knowledge. Ananda. Because when one comes to the understanding of personal God, there is ananda. In other features, there is no ananda. There is eternity, there is knowledge, but there is no ananda. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). That is the Vedanta-sutra. One is by nature anandamaya. We are searching after ananda, bliss, but we do not know where to get bliss. We are trying to get bliss in this material world by eating meat, eating wine, drinking wine, by sex. They are trying to get ananda. That is not ananda. Ananda is what is satyananda. These anandas, these pleasures -- flickering, for few minutes, for few hours. That is not ananda. Ananda means satyananda, real ananda, real ananda. What is that real ananda? Brahma-sukha. That ananda is in exchange with the Supreme Brahman. Brahma-saukhyam anantam. That is anantam, unlimited ananda. Therefore ramante yoginah anante. Therefore those who are actually yogis, bhakti-yogis... There are different types of yoga. So they ramante, they enjoy, ramante yoginah anante, along with the ananta, unlimited. Krsna is unlimited. When you join with Krsna in His rasa dance as gopis or as cowherds boy, play with Him, or become His father and mother, Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda-rani, or become servant, or even become like water Yamuna, or land in Vrndavana and trees or fruits or flowers, any way, or cows and calves... Join with Krsna. Then you get ananda, real ananda. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. That is the description in all Bhagavatam, how the Krsna's associates are enjoying life. Krta-punya-punjah. Sukadeva Gosvami said, "These boys who are playing with Krsna, oh, they are not ordinary boys." Krta-punya-punjah: "They have amassed the effects of pious activities for millions and trillions of births. Now they have come to play with Krsna."

So that opportunity is there in bhakti-yoga. Krsna is anxious to take you back. Why you are wasting time? Economic development. What economic development you'll do? You cannot get more than what is destined to you. That is not possible. Then everyone would have been big man, big, educated, very beautiful. Even... Pious activities, the effects of pious activity, is to get nice opulence. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri. Birth in very high family, janma; aisvarya, opulence, riches; education; sri... Sruta, sruta means education, highly learned. These things are effects of pious activities. You get nice family, you take your birth in nice family, rich family, aisvarya, you get good education, you become very beautiful. These are the effects of pious activities. Similarly, the effects of impious activities, the opposite. But they are all material. They are destined. Whatever you have got by pious or impious activities, that you cannot change. It is not possible. But you can change your position, this material position, by Krsna consciousness. That you can change. Other things you cannot change. If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become first-class Krsna conscious person. Either you are black or white, it doesn't matter. This is Krsna consciousness. Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Krsna conscious. Other things we cannot change. This is not possible. Sarvatra.

tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah
tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham
kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa
 [SB 1.5.18]

Kalena, by time, whatever you are destined you will get. Don't bother about so-called economic development. So far food is concerned, Krsna is supplying. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. Even cats and dogs and ants. Why not you? There is no need of bothering Krsna, "God give us our daily bread." He will give you. Don't bother. Try to become very faithful servant of God. "Oh, God has given me so many things. So let me give my energy to serve Krsna." This is required. This is Krsna consciousness. "I have taken so much, life after life, from Krsna. Now this life let me dedicate to Krsna." This is Krsna consciousness. "This life I will not let it go uselessly like cats and dogs. Let me utilize it for Krsna consciousness." This is Krsna consciousness.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.23 -- London, July 19, 1973

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Irreligious Religion

Irreligious Religion

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.37
San Francisco, July 19, 1975

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Nitai: "Sukadeva Gosvami continued to speak: After the messengers of Yamaraja thus addressed the Visnudutas, those perfected beings who are personal associates of Vasudeva smiled and, with voices resounding as the sound of the cloud, gravely spoke the following words."

Prabhupada:

ity ukte yamadutais te
vasudevokta-karinah
tan pratyucuh prahasyedam
megha-nirhradaya gira
 [SB 6.1.37]

So the Yamadutas, they very politely submitted. They could understand immediately that these persons so nicely decorated, four hands, looking very youthful, all the good qualities... So with due submission, they said that "You look so nice, gentle. Why you are interfering with our duties?" Kim artham dharma-palasya kinkaran no nisedhatha. So they accepted the submission. Very humbly they submitted, with great respect. Therefore they were smiling. And the word is used here, tan pratyucuh prahasya idam. When there is argument, dealing, if the words are exchanged very politely, so things go on nicely. So prahasya. Prahasya, now they are challenging, the Visnuduta, that "You are claiming to become the servants of Yamaraja, and he is Dharmaraja, he is authority, and how is that you do not know whom to arrest and whom not to arrest? This man is now free from all sinful reaction. How is that you are claiming to be servant of Yamaraja, Dharmaraja, and do not know?" Therefore they were smiling.

So their challenge was that "You are claiming to be servants of Yamaraja, but we are doubting whether you are bona fide servants of Yamaraja. Otherwise why you are committing this mistake?" So this indicates the servant should be as good as the master. That is servant. Because sometimes servants may be challenged. So that is the qualification of Krsna's servant. Krsna's servant must be always equipped, because they have to meet so many opposing elements, Krsna's the... Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. There are so many... Practically the whole material world is full of duskrtam. They want to create God. They don't want to become servant of God. That is their challenge. Therefore, anyone who is claiming to become servant of God, Krsna, he must be well equipped to meet the challenging spirit of others. Prahasya idam megha-nirhradaya gira. Very gravely enquired from them. What is that enquiry? They said, sri-visnuduta ucuh. The Visnuduta replied. Their submission was, "Sir, you are so nice gentlemen. You appear to be coming from the very elevated planets, and why you are interfering?"

So they, with very grave voice and smiling, challenging them. What is that?

yuyam vai dharma-rajasya
yadi nirdesa-karinah
bruta dharmasya nas tattvam
yac cadharmasya laksanam

"So if you are actually servant of Dharmaraja, then you must know what is dharma and what is adharma." Yuyam vai dharma-rajasya yadi nirdesa-karinah. "That will be your bona fide representation. You cannot do any mistake if you are servant of Dharmaraja." Dharmaraja means... Here there are so many living entities, of course, in the human society. I have explained many times. Dharma, religious system, is in the human society, not in the animal society. The animals does not... They have no knowledge; neither they have capacity to distinguish what is dharma, what is adharma. Their business is simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. It is the human society, another extra, not only simply eating, sleeping, mating. That is required because we have got this body. But we have got extra intelligence. Why this extra intelligence? That is for understanding dharma, religion.

But unfortunately, the modern rascal society, they utilizing that extra intelligence than the cats and dog for the same purpose: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is the defect of the modern civilization. In spite of advancement of education, scientific knowledge, technical knowledge, this knowledge, that knowledge, they remain the same cats and dogs. This is the defect. Therefore people are dissatisfied, disappointed. God has given him extra intelligence for understanding God, but they are being misled: "There is no God. You utilize it for your sense gratification." This is education. Extra... Therefore they are thinking, "The dog is eating on the street. We are eating in a very good hotel on nice table, nice dishes. This is advancement of life." But they do not think that after all, the dog is eating, you are also eating. You may be a better dog, that's all. So what is your extra business? So a dog is eating only flesh or meat, because God has ordained. But you are ordained to eat fruits, flowers, nice grain, milk preparation, but you, because you are dog, you are eating meat. The extra intelligence that... Because you have got extra intelligence, you should utilize the food for you. Tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam [Iso mantra 1]. The Upanisad, Vedas, says, "What you are ordained to take or accept... Everything belongs to God, but He has given allotment: 'You use like this. You use like this.' " So if you imitate dog instead of human being... You are advanced human being. Why should you eat like dog or the uncivilized man? The uncivilized man in the jungle, he does not know how to produce grain, how to prepare many nice preparation. He does not know. But you are civilized man. Why you should eat like dogs and tigers? This is misuse of intelligence.

So therefore, as they are challenging, that first of all, "You are claiming to be servant of Dharmaraja, so let us know what do you know about dharma?" so similarly, we should also challenge, "If you are human being, you must know how to live like human being. Otherwise you are animal. If you eat like animal, sleep like animal and have sex like animal and defend like animal, then you are animal." They say that "It is very good to become dog because there is no restriction of sex life. We can have it on the street." They think like that. "This is advancement." The animals wander naked, so man is also trying to become naked, nudism. This is life. So their extra intelligence is being used like that -- very, very abominable condition of the human society. You are the only hope to save them. Otherwise it is doomed.

So the question is, they are challenged, "What is dharma and what is adharma? If you are servant of Dharmaraja, you must distinguish what is dharma." So even though the Yamadutas, they are not very good-looking as the Visnudutas, still, this question was put to them to explain. They are not very much civilized, you may say. Still, they are expected to know this distinction. Just see. Even the Yamadutas were how much advanced, and how we are advanced? We do not know what is dharma, what is adharma. We don't make any distinction. Dharma is... We have repeatedly said: dharma means to surrender to Krsna, simple. And adharma means everything except this. If you don't surrender to Krsna, then whatever you are doing, that is adharma, means nonreligious. Therefore in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, dharmah projjhita-kaitavah atra. Kaitava means cheating, false, pretentious. So all kinds of cheating religion is kicked out. Cheating religions, they are teaching that "We can create God. As we can create television, similarly, we can create God." They are teaching, "This is dharma." Just see how degraded they have... And these things are going on as dharma. Bruta dharmasya nas tattvam. Tattvam. Tattvam means truth. "Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time." Tattvam: "In truth, what is dharma?" Bruta dharmasya nas tattvam yac ca adharmasya laksanam: "And how you distinguish from adharma, nonreligious thing?" Knowledge means you should know both things, not one side. You must know what is religious system and what is not religious system. Simply one side is not full knowledge. Upayam ca cintayet prajna, apayam ca cintayet(?). Just like if you want to do some business, you have calculated that "I shall invest so much money, and I shall get so much profit. So let us do this business. It is very nice." But sastra says, "No, you have simply calculated the profit, and you also calculate no profit, not one-sided." Similarly, to know dharma, you must know adharma also, the opposite side. If you know white, you should know what is black. Otherwise the knowledge is not... Relative. This world is... If you know the father, then you must know the son. Or if you know the son, then you must know the father. So in the religious system, if one knows the son, the further improvement is to know the father. That is required. Otherwise incomplete. If you simply know the son of God, then it is incomplete. If you know the father of the son of God, then it is complete.

So here, in our Krsna consciousness movement, there are... In all other religious system, they say that "Our this leader is son of God." Somebody says, "He is... Our leader is a servant of God." So now, because you did not know who is the master, who is the father, therefore gradually it has dwindled. Now we must know. The Krsna consciousness movement is awarding, "Here is the father of the son of God -- Krsna. Here is the master of the servant." This is Krsna consciousness. So there is no quarrel with other religious system. They know simply the son of God, but they do not know who is the father of the son. That is Krsna. Aham bija-pradah pita. Krsna says, "I am the seed-giving father." Whose father? Sarva-yonisu. "In all forms of living entity." Sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti [Bg. 14.4]. Beginning from the microscopic living entities up to the Brahma, the biggest, so Krsna claims that "I am the father of Brahma as well as the microscopic germ." Sarva-yonisu. So you should know. And if anyone understands Krsna, how He is father of Brahma and father of this microscopic germ, then he becomes perfect, immediately. Therefore Krsna recommends, janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. The tattva, truth, if you simply try to understand Krsna in truth, how He is father of Lord Brahma and how He is father of the microscopic germ, and if you in truth understand what is this microscopic germ and what is this Brahma, what is this human being, what is this tiger, what is this tree, so to know Krsna means to know everything.

Therefore in the Vedas it is said, kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati: "If you simply understand Krsna, then you become full knowledge." That is complete knowledge. Etaj jnanam. This is... Bhagavad-gita says, "This is knowledge." If you simply study Krsna, so what is the difficulty? Krsna is explaining Himself. Suppose if you want to study somebody, you may guess that this body, this man, may be like this, like that. That is going on all over the world, what is God. Some theosophist, some theosophist and theologist, all are speculating, "Maybe," "Perhaps," "This, that." And the God is explaining Himself, "I am this, like this," that they will not take. Just see. God is canvassing that "Here I am. I have come." Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. "I have appeared before you just to give you relief." Paritranaya sadhunam. "You are trying to understand Me, so here I am. I am present. Why you are thinking God is formless? Here I am, Krsna, form. You see, I have got My flute in the hand. I am very much fond of the cows. I love the cows and the sage and Brahma, everyone equally, because they are all My sons in different bodies." Krsna is playing. Krsna is speaking. Still, these rascals will not understand Krsna. So what is Krsna's fault? It is our fault. Andha. Just like the owl. Owl will never open the eyes to see that there is sunlight. You know this, owl? So they will not open. However you may say, "Mr. Owl, please open your eyes and see the sun," "No, there is no sun. I don't see." (laughter) This owl civilization. So you have to fight with these owls. You must be very strong, especially the sannyasis. We have to fight with the owls. We have to open their eyes by force from this, with machine. (laughter) So this is going on. So this Krsna consciousness movement is a fight against all the owls.

So here is a challenge: yuyam vai dharma-rajasya yadi nirdesa-karinah. Nirdesa-karinah. Servant means they have no second choice than to carry out the orders of the master. Therefore nirdesa-karinah. They cannot argue. No. Whatever is ordered, that is served. So if anyone claims to become... He is expecting the... I think... Here the Visnudutas are also mentioned here, vasudevokta-karinah. They are also servant. So ukta means whatever order is given by Vasudeva, they carry out. Similarly, the Yamadutas, they are servant of Yamaraja. They are also addressed nirdesa-karinah: "If you are actually servant of Yamaraja, you act according to his direction, then you must know what is dharma and what is adharma." So they are actually bona fide servant of Yamaraja, there is no doubt about it. Now they are giving their identification in this way, yamaduta ucuh veda-pranihito dharmah, immediately answered. "What is dharma?" That was the question. Immediately answered. They know what is dharma. Veda-pranihito dharmah: "Dharma means what is explained in the Vedas." You cannot create dharma. Veda, the original knowledge, Veda means knowledge. Veda-sastra. So from the time of creation, the Veda was given to Brahma. Veda... Therefore it is called apauruseya; it is not manufactured. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. Brahma, brahma means Veda. Vedas another name is brahma, spiritual knowledge, or all knowledge, brahma. So tene brahma adi-kavaye hrda. So Veda has to be studied from the spiritual master.

So it is said that the Brahma is the first living being who understood Vedas. So how he understood? Where is The teacher? There is no other creature. How he understood Vedas? Now, that teacher was Krsna, and He is situated in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. So He is teaching from the heart. So Krsna teaches -- He is so kind -- as caitya-guru, from the heart, and He sends His representative from outside. Caitya-guru and guru, both ways, Krsna is trying. Krsna is so kind. So therefore Vedas, they are not man-made books. Veda, apauruseya. Apauruseya means not made by... We should not take Vedas as ordinary mental speculation book. No. It is perfect knowledge. It is perfect knowledge. And one has to take as it is, without any adulteration, interpretation. So it is spoken by God. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is also Veda. It is spoken by Krsna. So you cannot make any addition, alteration. You must take it as it is. Then you get the right knowledge. Vedas, how... The example is given. Perhaps you know several times that the Vedas, how it should be accepted as it is without interpretation. Just like Vedas says that if you touch stool, immediately you have to take your bath. You have become impure. This is Vedic injunction. If you touch bone, then you have become impure. You have to take your bath immediately, full. Then Vedas say, "Now, the stool of cow is pure, cow dung." Now, with your reason you can say, "First of all you said that stool is impure, and as soon as you touch you must take your bathing. Otherwise you remain impure. So another stool, cow stool, you say pure? This is contradiction. You say that the bone is impure, and you are keeping the bone in the Deity's room?" The conchshell is bone. You know this conchshell is a bone of an animal. So it is being used in the Deity room, and the cow dung is also used in the Deity room. Even Krsna is smearing His whole body with cow dung. You know Krsna's lila. So if you say, argue, with your poor knowledge, then it becomes contradiction. One stool is good; another stool is bad. But because it is said by the Vedas, you have to accept it. This is Vedic knowledge. You cannot argue. There is no scope of argument. Whatever is said, you have to accept. Otherwise how Vedas become authority? You can change in your own way.

So therefore we say that if you want to take benefit by reading Bhagavad-gita, then you should accept it as it is said. Don't try to interpret foolishly. Then you will never get the benefit. That is our propaganda. And people are very against us: "No, I am a scholar. I am a philosopher. I can interpret in a way." We say, "No, sir, you cannot do that." This is our propaganda. Veda-pranihito dharmah.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975

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