Basic Principle

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.33 Mayapur, March 11, 1976 download  flash player   Take a test Pusta Krsna: "This cosmic manifestation, the material world, is also Your body. By Your potential energy known as kala-sakti, this total lump of matter is agitated, and thus three modes of material nature are manifested. In this way You become awakened from the bed of Ananta-Sesa, and from Your navel a small transcendental seed is generated, from which the gigantic universe becomes manifest. Exactly like the small seed of banyan tree, the lotus flower of the cosmic manifestation is grown up." Prabhupada: These verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are Vedic mantras. They're not ordinary wording, set of wording. It is not. Veda-mantra, samhita. So every one of you must try to chant. This is required. Each verse of Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are Vedic mantras, veda-mantra. So simply by chanting them we become purified. So every one of you... There is diacritic marks, literation, transliteration, so everyone should try to chant the mantra. That is very beneficial. That is kirtana. Kirtanad eva krsnasya [SB 12.3.51]. Everything is being chanted in relationship with Krsna, with reference to Krsna. So this material world is explained, tasyaiva te vapur idam nija-kala-saktya sancodita-prakrti-dharmana atma-gudham ambhasy ananta-sayanad viramat-samadher nabher abhut sva-kanika-vatavat mahabjam  [SB 7.9.33]

Vatavat mahabjam. Abjam means flower, lotus flower? Yes. So this is the description of Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Karanodakasayi Visnu and then Garbhodakasayi Visnu and then Ksirodakasayi Visnu, trin, three Visnus. First of all from... I have several times explained, from Krsna, then expansion, Balarama, then catur-vyuha, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, like that. Then Narayana, then dvitiya catur-vyuha. From dvitiya catur-vyuha, Vaikuntha, Sankarsana, then Purusa, Purusa-avatara. These Purusas are three. In the Bhagavad-gita Arjuna recognized Krsna as purusa. Purusam sasvatam adyam. So He's the purusa. God is purusa, male. God is not female. Female... The sakti, that is female, prakrti.

In the Bhagavad-gita also it is mentioned, prakrtir me astadha, bhinna prakrtir me astadha. This material nature is separated energy, divided into eight elements: earth, water, air, and fire, then ether, mind, intelligence and ego. These are all prakrti, material. Bhinna me prakrtir astadha. Bhinna. Bhinna means separated. There is not direct connection, but another prakrti, that is... Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim para [Bg. 7.5]. This is inferior energy, material elements, and there is superior element, prakrti. That is also prakrti. We are prakrti. Prakrti means under the control of the purusa. That is natural. We cannot conceive equal rights of purusa and prakrti. That is not Vedic conception. Vedic conception is purusa, the superior, Supreme, and prakrti means subordinate. Purusa is predominator, and prakrti is predominated. So we living entities, we are prakrti. Falsely if we try to become purusa, that is maya. We should remain prakrti, subservient, predominated. That is this Krsna consciousness movement. Because generally the people are misled, thinking himself as purusa, "I am the enjoyer." But that is not the fact. That false ego, that "I am enjoyer," that is false ego. And real ego is "I am servant of Krsna." So there is no necessity of giving up egotism or egoism, but it must be real. At the present moment we are falsely thinking, "I am this body," every one of us. There is no argument. The whole material world is going on on the basis of this false conception that "I am this body." And because I am this body, therefore "I am American," "I am Indian." So this is false ego.

So from this false ego, when we come to real ego... What is that real ego? That "I am servant of Krsna." Gopi-bhartur pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. That is real ego. So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is teaching people how to come to the real ego, real constitutional position. The Mayavadi philosophy, they are also trying to do that, but they're another false ego: aham brahmasmi. Aham brahmasmi -- "I am Brahman" -- that is a fact, but I am not Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman. The Mayavadi, they take it: "Because I am Brahman, I am Supreme Brahman." No. Suppose you are all coming from America. You can claim that you are American, but that does not mean you are Mr. Ford, the President. So similarly, this is false ego. If somebody thinks, "Because I am American, therefore I am equal to Mr. Ford," that is false. That is not... So our Krsna consciousness movement is how to bring back these, I mean to say, insane, crazy fellows to their real consciousness. These crazy fellows, they are thinking, "I am God," "I am master," "I am this," "I am that," "I am prime minister," "I am president." This false ego. The real ego is, "I am servant of Krsna." That is the beginning of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching.

When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was approached by Sanatana Gosvami, his first question was ke ami: "Who am I?" This is the first education, spiritual education. And the same thing is taught in the Bhagavad-gita because Arjuna was too much identifying himself in the bodily conception of life: "I belong to this Kurus' family, so if I kill them, then family will be ruined. The women will be widows, and they'll be corrupted. Then there will be unwanted children, varna-sankara, and in this way the whole world will be hellish," and so on, so on, so many, but beginning with the bodily conception of life. All, what was, Arjuna was explaining to Krsna, that was... From material point of view, it is very nice. He wanted to become nonviolent. He did not like to kill his family members. He, rather, liked to forego his claim, that "I don't want. Let them enjoy." But everything, from material point of view, it was very nice proposal. But this identification with family, with nation, with community, this is all foolishness. All foolishness.

So if you study this point only, you'll see the whole world is full of fools and rascals, that's all, because everyone is identifying with his body. There is fight, the United Nation. What is this United Nation nonsense? Assembly of rascals and fools, that's all. (laughter) Because they have got this bodily concept of life we can say, freely. There is no -- what is called? -- defaming. Everyone, fools and rascals. How we can say? On the strength of Vedic knowledge. This is our power. Otherwise how we can challenge the United Nation that "You are all assembly of fools and rascals"? This is Vedic knowledge. We can say and prove it, that they are all fools and rascals from the spiritual point of view because they do not know their identification. This is the first education, to know one's identification. That is being taught by Sanatana Gosvami and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was prime minister. He knew himself, Sanatana Gosvami, that he was prime minister of Hussain Shah and he's coming of very learned brahmana family. He knew it. Then why he's asking, ke ami: "Who am?" This is knowledge. This is knowledge. One has to understand himself. That is the basic principle of spiritual life. Unless we understand who I am... You go to the spiritual master, our first business is inquiry. That inquiry is "Who am I?" This is the... This is the beginning of inquiry. So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is authorized. We have printed one pamphlet, "Krsna Consciousness Movement Is Authorized." It is not a sentiment, fanaticism. No. It is scientific, authorized. So I am very glad that you European and American boys, you have taken so much trouble to come here, but you'll be benefited if you come here and try to take lessons from Caitanya Mahaprabhu as He gave it to Sanatana Gosvami. Sanatana Gosvami inquired, "Who am I?" and He replied very simple thing: jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. This is the beginning of our lesson, so we must understand very nicely this point.

So this material world is explained here: tasyaiva te vapur idam nija-kala-saktya. Energy, Krsna's energy, prakrti. Energy means prakrti. So parasya brahmana sakti. Eka-sthane sthitasyagner jyotsna vistarini yatha, parasya brahmanah sakti tathaiva akhilam jagat. Then same thing we'll find in the Vedic literature everywhere, either you read Puranas or Mahabharata, or Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam or Vedanta-sutra. Vedanta-sutra also says that "The origin... The Absolute Truth is origin, and everything is emanation." So emanation and the original fact-vapur idam. Idam hi visvam bhagavan ivetarah: "This visvam, this universe, is Bhagavan in one sense." Just like this my finger, so that is also my body. Although it is named "finger," but it is my body. Or even a piece of hair, that is also my body, although it is differently named, "hair." So similarly, when you understand that every particle of this material world is also the body of the Supreme Lord, that is Krsna consciousness. Andantarastham paramanu-cayantara-stham. Eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-koti. So there are millions and trillions of universes, and each atom of each universe is Krsna. That we have to understand. That is being explained here.

Tasyaiva te vapur idam nija-kala-saktya sancodita-prakrti dharmana atma-gudham. The secret, the people, they do not know. They... But Prahlada Maharaja knows. Ambhasi. This is the beginning of creation, ambhasi. Ambhasy ananta-sayanat. Anantadeva... Ananta faces, there are. On that Ananta-naga, the Garbhodakasayi Visnu is lying on. So from the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu there is a lotus flower, and... Vatavat-mahabjam. So, so there is Brahma, and Brahma created other thing. So it is just like the... In previous verse it has been explained, "Just like the seed of the fruit of the tree." Seed is the cause of the tree, and tree is the cause of the seed. In this way the whole material cosmic manifestation is there, and vapur idam tava te. So everything of Krsna. Therefore a Vaisnava's, I mean to say, conception is that everything at least Krsna's, so everything should be utilized for Krsna's benefit. This is Krsna consciousness, not "my benefit." "I also belong to Krsna, so I must be utilized for Krsna's benefit." So in this way, if we develop our Krsna consciousness, then we'll be benefited.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

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"Your Next Life Sir Bow Wow"

75/03/11 London, Bhagavad-gita 7.3


Prabhupada: ...human being is the life where one can understand what is God. It is not stated here jivanam, the living entities. There are, we have several times explained, many types of living entities. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. The aquatics, they are also living entities. There are 900,000 forms of body within the water. They are also living entities. And... Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. Sthavarah means living entities who cannot move -- trees, plants, herbs, grass. They cannot move. So they are two millions. So in this way you come to the human being. They are also living entities. There are 400,000 different forms. We can see here. We are human being, but we have got different forms, different color.

So this is the variety of creation. So out of all these living entities, the human form of living entity is very important. So that is the life wherein we can understand what is God. Therefore in the human society there is some process of understanding God which is called religion. Religion means a process by which we can understand what is God, what is our relationship with Him, and what is our duty towards Him. So therefore it is said, these human beings who are actually trying to fulfill the mission of human life... To fulfill the mission of human life means that we living being, spirit soul, we are now entangled within this material body. This is our problem. Really the... To understand the position of the living being is the beginning of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita does not begin with some utopian ideas of humanitarian work. No. Sri Krsna wanted Arjuna to understand in the beginning that "First of all, you understand your constitutional position, what you are."

To know ourself, what we are, that is siddhi, not to be busy with the bodily comforts of life which are being executed by the cats and dogs and hogs. The hog is whole time engaged how to maintain his body, how to have nice sexual intercourse, and how to eat anything he likes. You will find the hog life, practically. In our country, in India, in the villages the village hogs they are loitering whole day and night, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" So if human life is meant for that purpose, from early in the morning till one goes to sleep, simply find out where is money, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" then where is the difference between this pig life and the human life? If human life is meant for that purpose, "Where is money? Where is money?"... Of course, for the human being the money is very sweet; similarly, to the hog the stool is very sweet. So it is the question of sweetness, not the matter. Taste. So he finds good taste in stool, and we find good taste in money.

So money also, we see, why we want money. Diva carthehaya rajan kutumba-bharanena va. Nidraya hriyate naktam vyavayena ca va vayah [SB 2.1.3]. The materialistic persons are engaged whole day and night. The business is... What is their business? That at night to have very sound sleep. "Last night I had very sound sleep." That is enjoyment. "If I can sleep up to ten o'clock, twelve o'clock, oh, I have enjoyed this." The sleeping. So at night the enjoyment is sleeping and sex, vyavayena. Vyavayena means sex. In this way night we are wasting. And daytime? Diva ca artha iha... "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" And then as soon as we get money, then how to spend it for sense gratification, for kutumba-bharana, for family maintenance, for purchasing, for shopping. In this way we are very busy. We do not know that there is another business beyond this. This is, especially at the present moment this is human civilization. They are always busy in sense gratification and getting money for that purpose. That's all. So that is not siddhi. Therefore Krsna said that mostly, 99.9 percent, they are busy in these things: "How to get money for sense gratification? And when we get money, then spend it for sense gratification." Diva carthehaya. That is not siddhi. That thing is going on amongst the hogs. Hogs are also busy in that way. Then where is the difference between human life and hog life?

Therefore sastra says, nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. This was the instruction given by King Rsabhadeva, whose son's name was Maharaja Bharata, under whose name this land, this planet is called Bharatavarsa. This planet's original name is Bharatavarsa. Now it has come to India, gradually cut down, cut down. So He instructed His sons, "My dear sons, don't spoil your life simply working hard for sense gratification like the hogs. Because the hog is also working day and night, but what is the aim? The aim is sense gratification. At night sleep or have sex life, and at daytime collect money and spend it for family maintenance or some sense gratification. This is not meant for human life." Now, this morning one gentleman was asking us that we are not working. We are not working. They think... He is a lawyer. He thinks that unless one works very hard for sense gratification, he is not human being or he is not doing his duty perfectly. That is his idea. But actual life is to become perfect, from the platform of animal life come to the perfection of life. Therefore Krsna says, manusyanam sahasresu [Bg. 7.3]. Everyone is thinking that "Work very hard like the hogs and dogs, and find out your means of sense enjoyment, and then enjoy it." This is called karmi life. They have no other idea. You will find everyone is working hard. From morning at six o'clock till ten o'clock at night they're working hard. What is the purpose? To get some money and utilize it for sense gratification. This is animal life; this is not human life. But they are thinking that one who does not work so hard day and night for sense gratification, he is not doing. He is escaping. This is the...

But actually, they do not see that these devotees are engaged in working twenty-four hours but not for sense gratification like the hogs, but for satisfaction of Krsna. That is the difference between Krsna consciousness man and ordinary man, karmi man. Therefore Krsna says that all these men, they are engaged. But the sastra says, "No, no. You live with the minimum necessities. Don't increase your necessities unnecessarily." This is Vedic civilization. And the modern civilization is even increase your necessities -- a machine for shaving your cheek. You see? Another machine, another attention diversion. More machine means more diversion of attention. I have to take care, more technician, more technologies. Simply if one razor can shave, can make my cheek very clean, where is the necessity? Formerly, at least we Indian know that go to a blacksmith and he prepares a razor, very nice razor. You pay him four annas, and it will last for your life and shave your cheek very nicely, daily or occasionally. But the modern civilization means that in everything there must be machine. That is the advancement of material... But the sastra says, "What is the use of taking so much labor?" Kastan kaman. Kastan means with so much labor. If you create some convenience by the so-called machine use, you create so many other inconveniences. Just like we have got now motorcar. Of course, it is convenience. But there are many inconveniences. Formerly people used to find everyone within the village. Now, because we have got big, big motorcars, we have to go thirty miles to find out a doctor. So the other inconveniences are also increased. Now we have to find out petrol and flatter the Arabians, "Give me petrol." In this way... And if I stop manufacturing, then there is unemployment.

In this way we are becoming implicated. By the so-called advancement of civilization, we are becoming implicated to these material activities and we are forgetting our real business, self-realization, what I am. Athato brahma jijnasa. The real business is to enquire about Brahman, about atma, Paramatma, but we are forgetting that. We are simply busy for the temporary life, say, for fifty years or hundred years, utmost. But we do not know the life is continuation. As the life is continued we have got experience -- from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then in old body, then what is next? You ask anybody who has become old man. Ask him, "Sir, you have come to this stage. Your body is now old. You have to die. Now, from childhood you came to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then middle age, and now you have come to... Now what is next? Do you know?" Oh, they will be silent. Nobody knows that what is my next life. A child can say, "My next life is boy. I shall become a boy." The boy can say, "Yes, I will be like very nice young man." The young man can say that "I shall become middle-aged man, father of many children." And the middle-aged man can say, "Yes, I will become old man." And ask the old man what he will become? He cannot answer. Can anyone say?

But there is next life. This body is now old enough. It will be finished. Everyone knows. "As sure as death." Then after finishing the body, what will be your next body? Who will answer this? Where is the scientist? Where is the philosopher? Where is the learned man? Nobody knows. Nobody knows. Therefore he is blind. He does not know what is his future. But there is future. You cannot say no. The example is here. And besides that, Krsna says, tatha dehantara-praptih. Krsna, the most superior authority, He says, and it is accepted by all the acaryas and all persons who have attained perfection. So we should learn it, that "What is my next life?" And if I prepare for the next life, that is called siddhi. That is called siddhi. If we don't prepare for the next life, if we remain just like cats and dogs... The cats and dogs, they do not know what is next life because they are animal. And if I do not know what is next life, then what is the difference between the cats and dogs? Where is the difference between? Sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13], sastra says. "One who does not know what is the next life, he is no better than go-kharah." Go means cows, and kharah means ass. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih, sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. These men are no better than these cats and dogs and animals.

So practically you ask so many big, big men... Last time when I was here, Lord Fenner Brockway came here to see me. I asked him this question, that "What is your next life?" He is also old man, eighty-four years. He said, "Swamiji, we shall die peacefully. That's all." Peacefully you may die, but you have to accept the next body. Whether that will be peaceful or not, that they do not know. Similarly, I spoke with Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. He also said that "Swamiji, after finishing this body, everything is finished." This is the position of human society at the present moment, that they do not know how to make life perfect. To make life perfect means how to make my next life very perfect or happy or better life. Otherwise, if I remain in darkness -- Krsna says, tatha dehantara-praptih -- then I shall be, I may become any of these so many types of body. I may become a tree, I may become a dog, I may become a cat or maybe a demigod. There are so many, different. But I must be sure what kind of life I must have. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. We are not imagining. Our movement, this Krsna consciousness movement, based on Bhagavad-gita.

So Krsna says that... As He says, there is next life, that is a fact. Now, how we can prepare for the next life, that is also said in the Bhagavad-gita. How?

yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam
[Bg. 9.25]

If you want to go the the higher planetary system where the material happiness is thousands and thousands time more comfortable than on this planet... Just like Svarlokas, Svargaloka, Svargaloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka. There are many different planetary system up and down also. So if you want to go to that, urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah, if you prepare yourself, contacting the modes of goodness, then you are promoted to higher planetary system. Yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah: [Bg. 9.25] "You can go to the Pitrlokas or you can remain within this planet, planetary system. And if you like, you can come to Me also." "As you can go to the higher planetary system or remain here..." That is all preparation. Bhutejya. Yanti deva...yajinah. "Similarly, if you," mad-yajinah, "if you become My worshiper, then you come to Me." Krsna said.

So what is the difference between going to the higher planetary system and what is the difference, going to back to home, back to...? Everything is explained there. If you go to the higher planetary systems, suppose to the planets of the demigod, Krsna says, "Then you will have to again come back." Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. Even if you go to the topmost planet, then from there also, after... Ksine punye martya-lokam visanti [Bg. 9.21]. After your resultant action of pious activities is finished, then you have to come back again here. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. But there is another planet, which is called Goloka Vrndavana. If you go there, then you'll haven't to come back again in this material world, which is described by Krsna Himself: duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Mam upetya tu kaunteya duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15] -- napnuvanti mahatmanah. They... Not ordinary person can go to Krsna's loka, back to home. Who can go? Mahatmanah, those who are great souls. And who are great soul? They are called mahatmas. Who are mahatmas? Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manasah [Bg. 9.13]. This is mahatma. Those who are fully engaged in Krsna consciousness, absorbed in the service of Krsna, they are called mahatma. Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. That kind of mahatma, the so-called mahatma having an orange dress and talking that he is God, incarnation of God, and he can give you perfection within six months, give him $35 -- not like that. The mahatma means mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. They are under the spiritual energy. And if one inquires, "What is that spiritual energy?" the spiritual energy means to be engaged in devotional service. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manasah [Bg. 9.13]. They have no other business than to work for Krsna, serve Krsna. They are mahatma.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching people that "You have no other business than to work for Krsna. That's all." This is Krsna business. This is called Krsna consciousness business. That is called the highest perfection. Samsiddhim paramam gatah. Siddhi. Here it is, siddhi. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Siddhaye means to understand "What is my position? Why I am working so hard day and night for simply for sense gratification, for satisfying the tongue, to fulfill the belly, and satisfy the genital? This is my business. That is being done by the dogs and hog." When one comes to this sense, that "Shall I work like the cats, dogs, and hogs, or I have got any other business?" that is human life. Therefore Krsna says, manusyanam sahasresu. All of them working like hogs and dogs. They do not know there is something other. This is the position. And the modern civilization means keep him in the darkness, that "Let him work hard like hogs and dogs, and don't give him any knowledge." Neither they know, the so-called leaders, what is the perfection. They think, "This is life: work like hog and dog, and then die like hog and dog, finish all business." This is not human life. Therefore Krsna says, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. They do not know what is perfection of life. Therefore we sometimes... We do not say. Krsna says. And if we repeat Krsna's words, the rascals, they become angry. Actually they are rascals. We plainly say. Because he does not know. If I ask him, "What is your next life?" he cannot answer. Then what is the difference? If I ask the dog that "What is your next life?" he cannot say. "Gow! gow!" That's all. So if I ask any human being that "What is your next life?" "I don't bother about that thing." (laughter) The same answer, "Gow! Gow!" That's all.

So this is the position, that we do not know what is the perfection of life. Krsna says, therefore, begins real knowledge. This chapter is "Knowledge of the Absolute." So everyone... You ask any M.A., Ph.D., that "What is your next life, sir?" "Gow! Gow!" (laughter) That's all. "Gow! Gow!" means "Why you are bothering about these things?" Now, this is the position. And we have taken very hard job to convince these people about Krsna consciousness. They will not accept it. They will deny immediately. They will say, "Why do you bother us? You do your own business. Let us do our own business." But why we are bothering? Because we are servant of Krsna. Krsna wants that these rascals should be informed. These rascals should be raised from this status of ignorance. So that is our mission. Therefore we are going and pleading, "Sir, I am a beggar, I have come to beg from you that you kindly purchase one book and you read it." So sometimes they are doing. After all, human being... So this is our... This is our business. We are stressing on pushing on these books because modern man, if he purchases one book, then at least he will see one line, "What these nonsense have written?" So if he reads one line, if he is intelligent man, he will understand the value. That is sure. That is sure.

So the Krsna consciousness movement is completely scientific. As Krsna said... We have given therefore. When I was registering this association in New York, some friend suggested that "Why you are giving this name ‘Krsna'? Why not put the name ‘God,' ‘God consciousness'?" Then "Yes, I can give the name ‘God consciousness.' Then it will be confused." Because we want to preach Bhagavad-gita as it is. That is Krsna's speaking. And we are trying to place this Krsna's teachings to the world. And not only that, Bhagavan, God, means Krsna. And if I give the name of "God" instead of "Krsna," they will bring forth so many competition of Krsna. That is not our purpose. Krsna means God. If God has any perfect name, that is "Krsna." Because "Krsna" means all-attractive. God cannot be attractive for certain person. God cannot be Christian God or a Hindu God or Muslim God. God is equally attractive for Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha. That is real God. And if Hindu has manufactured some God, Christian has manufactured some God, that may be God partially, but not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Parama means supreme. God... You are also god, I am also god, and every one of us, god. Why? God means controller. So controller, every one of us is a controller to certain extent, not the complete controller. But Krsna means the complete controller. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Controller... You may be controller; I may be controller; he may be controller; but not controller like Krsna. Krsna can control all other controllers. Therefore He is called supreme controller, Paramesvara, Paramatma, Parabrahman.

These words are used. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find. Arjuna says param brahma. Not Brahman. Brahman we are, every one of us. Sarvam khalv idam brahma. Brahman is the small Brahman, and Parabrahman means the Supreme Brahman, or the biggest Brahman. So Krsna is the biggest Brahman, biggest Lord, biggest controller. We may be a small Brahman, a small controller. That is the distinction. How the distinction is made? That is also stated in the Vedas.

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman

In Bhagavad-gita it is said, ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata. Everything is there. The ksetra-jna means the possessor of this ksetra, body, the owner or occupier. So you, me, and every one of us, we are occupying each, one body. But I have no business with your body, but Krsna has got business with your body, my body, his body, everyone's body. Therefore Krsna says, ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi. Just like a landlord. He has got many houses. The occupier is there, or apartment. He is concerned with that apartment or the house he is occupying, but the landlord has concern with so many houses. Similarly, this body, I am the occupier. God has given me this body, this machine, but proprietor is Lord, the Supreme Lord. Therefore both of us has got the concern with this body. Atma, Paramatma. Soul, Supersoul.

So in this way we have to understand Krsna. Therefore Krsna says, yatatam api siddhanam kascid vetti mam tattvatah [Bg. 7.3]. What is Krsna's position, how is Krsna the Supreme Lord, how He is the supreme controller -- we have to know these. Then our life is perfect. We must know our position, what is the perfection of life, what is Krsna, and what is my relationship with Krsna. In this way, if we understand, that is our perfect life. Krsna is describing that. Because in this chapter He says, asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu [Bg. 7.1]. Krsna is ready to give us instruction, asamsayam, without any doubt. Anyone who is advanced in Krsna consciousness, ask him any question like this. He will give full answer, without any doubt. That is the perfection of life. We must know krsna-tattva. The same thing I was explaining yesterday. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. You try to understand Krsna. Simply try to understand and study Krsna. And Krsna is giving about Himself. You haven't got to speculate just like so many theosophists and philosophers and theologists, and they are trying to speculate to understand what is God. Why you are speculating, wasting your time? Why not take full knowledge here? Everything is ready. No, that they will not take. They will speculate. So let them speculate. They will never be successful. But if you want success, you Krsna conscious men, then you read Bhagavad-gita thoroughly and understand and try to understand Krsna perfectly. You'll understand because Krsna is giving His own identity, identification, what He is. Then where is the difficulty? And if you understand Krsna, you become perfect. You become perfect, So perfect that... Janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. If you understand Krsna in truth, then immediate benefit is that tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. You have to give up this body. It is a fact. But after giving up, this is your last material body. No more material body. Your spiritual body.

So why not try one life to get back your spiritual life, get back your spiritual body, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], and live eternal, blissful life with full knowledge and live with Krsna and dance with Krsna, eat with Krsna? Why you are missing this opportunity? This is our solicitation to everyone.

dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya
krtva ca kaku-satam etad aham bravimi
he sadhavah sakalam eva vihaya durad
caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam

This is our preaching process, that "Flattering you hundred times, falling down on your feet, I am speaking one thing. Please hear." "What is that?" "Whatever nonsense you have learned, forget." This is our only solicitation, that "You have learned all nonsense. Please forget. Try to hear Caitanya Mahaprabhu and be perfect."

Thank you very much. Any question? [break]

So what you will learn about that, by studying the human species? You study Krsna. This is sufficient. There are 400,000 species of life. What will you benefit by studying? The botanist, the geologist, the biologist, they are doing that. Let them do that. You have to do, how to understand Krsna. But you can simply know that there are so many different... That much, that is sufficient. What is the use of? Now, suppose I am using this microphone. What is the use of studying how it is manufactured? Why...? That's all right. It is already manufactured. Let me use it. That's all. Why should I waste my time, "How it is manufactured?" I am not going to be manufacturer of microphone. I am going to become servant of Krsna. That's all.

Devotee: Does the word nirvana mean Krsna?

Prabhupada: Nirvana means, as I told you, you forget all nonsense, what you have learned. That is nirvana. Because you have learned so many nonsense things, if you finish that "We don't want this," that "Whatever is done is done. Now let me try to understand Krsna," that is nirvana. Nirvana means finished. Nirvana means finished. Do you understand? Finish this all nonsense, material business. Now begin spiritual life. That is nirvana.

Brahmananda: You say that Krsna consciousness solves the problem of death. Does it mean that we won't die?

Prabhupada: Yes. As soon... That is said. Die means this is the last time. Because you have got this body, you will die. But after this death, no more death.

Brahmananda: So we will die, but it will be the last death.

Prabhupada: That is not die. We never die, but we change the body. But the change of body, we take as death. Otherwise there is no death. Na jayate na mriyate va. There is no death, no birth, of the soul. But just like the dress, the coat, may be old and you throw away, that means you are not annihilated. Your coat is annihilated, shirt is... Similarly, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. After being destruction of this body, you are not destroyed. You live, but in the material existence you accept another material body. That means you continue the process of birth and death. But if you understand Krsna, if you become fit to enter into the society of Krsna, then you get only that spiritual body, no more material body. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9], "He comes to Me." That is your eternal life.

Pusta-krsna: Srila Prabhupada, in the Seventh Chapter Krsna explains that He is the taste of water, and in different chapters that He's the source of light in all luminous objects. So when we think like this, how should we think of Krsna? In His personal form?

Prabhupada: That is already stated. There is no difficulty. Why do you ask this question? It is said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, that "I am the taste of the water." So where is the difficulty? You take the taste of the water. There is taste, and Krsna says, "I am that taste." So you understand that, that "This taste is Krsna." Where is the difficulty? You do not know what is Krsna, but Krsna says "I am this taste." Why don't you accept it? Then you know Krsna. According to your position, you understand Krsna. Krsna says, "I am this." So take it, that taste of water... As soon as you drink water, "Oh, here is Krsna." So you will... Smaranam. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam [SB 7.5.23]. Then you will at least memorize Krsna. That will enlighten your spiritual life. Because you will say... You take... Just like I am taking water several times, and if each time I remember, "Here is the taste, Krsna," then Hare Krsna. Chanting of Hare Krsna, whatever you will be going.

Girl: Does Krsna speak the Bhagavad-gita in the hellish planets?

Prabhupada: Hellish planet? It is hellish planet. (laughter) You are not thinking it is hellish? This is hellish planet. What do you mean by hellish planet? Especially this London, (laughter) always dark and moist, and what do you want more, hellish? (laughter) You have to close your door. You cannot go out. Then go to the mine and subway. That is hellish.

That's all right. Thank you. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975

"Disturbed Mind Is Due To Ignorance"

66/03/11 New York, Bhagavad-gita 2.13


Prabhupada: This is thirteenth sloka. You can open it. The Sanskrit word is

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

Student: This is thirteenth?

Prabhupada: Thirteen, yes.

Student: "Just as boyhood, youth and old age are attributed to the soul through this body, he, the soul, obtains another body. The wise man does not get deluded about this."

Prabhupada: Yes. Now, the wise man, the word, Sanskrit word, is dhira. Dhira means that one who is undisturbed in mind. And our disturbance of the mind is due to our ignorance. Suppose I want to go somewhere. Now I am in the station. Actually, it so happened when I came to New York first from India. I was to be dispatched to Butler by the bus station, but I was a new man. I did not know the rules and regulation. Of course, somebody was guiding me. Still, I was very much in disturbed condition, how to get on the bus, how to get the ticket, how... All these. So disturbance of mind is due to our ignorance. (someone enters) Yes. Come in. Yes. So disturbance of mind is due to our ignorance. So here, a very nice word. (aside:) You can come here. All right. Here a very nice word is used: dhira. Dhira. Dhira means undisturbed. Undisturbed. So this we should, we should carefully note, that our mind in the material condition is always disturbed, always disturbed. And this is due to our unfavorable condition.

Because we are actually spirit in identity and we have been put into material conditions. We can very well experience. And we have, I got experience, and here is Captain Pandia. He has also experienced. He may be more than experienced than me. When we passed through the sea on the ship, although we are on the sea, quite safe, still, when there is some storm, when there is some disturbance on the ocean, we also become very much disturbed, because that situation is foreign to us. We are not so much disturbed in the land as we are disturbed in the ocean because we know that our position in the ocean is not our natural condition. So we should know that disturbance is due to our unnatural condition. Otherwise, there is no question of disturbance.

So whole disturbance of mind... It is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam,

tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam
sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat
hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam
vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta
[SB 7.5.5]

The... This is a verse in connection with talks between Maharaja Prahlada and his father, Hiranyakasipu. His father was gross materialist, Hiranyakasipu. Hiranya means gold, and kasipu means soft bed. So materialists, they are concerned with gold and soft bed for enjoyment. You see? So his name was Hiranyakasipu. And the Prahlada, his son... Prahlada means prakrsta-rupena ahlada. Ahlada means pleasure. He's always full of pleasure. He has nothing to do with material... Because material pleasure cannot give us pleasure. It is our mistake. But because we have no information of the spiritual pleasure and because we are conditioned by this material body, therefore we seek pleasure through matter. Now we have to raise ourself from this position. Then we can get unlimited pleasure. We want pleasure, but we do not want such pleasure which ends. We want nonending pleasure. That is our heart's desire. But in material pleasure we cannot have that bliss. Even if you take a very good foodstuff, just delicious, still, after taking some portion of it, you will feel yourself satiated. Then that very foodstuff, you'll say, "No, no, I don't want any more." Because that ends. So that is not real pleasure. Real pleasure is defined: ananta. Ananta means that which has no end. So that pleasure you can have only when you are spiritually realized soul. That is possible. That is possible. We are reading all these scriptures, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and there are so many Vedic literatures that if anyone wants to have spiritual life, there is complete facility. There is complete facility.

Now, this Prahlada... Prahlada was a boy, a child, not boy. He was only five years old. So his father called him, "My dear son, what you have learned from your teacher best? Please explain." So he is explaining this, that

tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam
sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat
hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam
vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta
[SB 7.5.5]

"My dear father..." And his father was materialist. Therefore materialists are called in Sanskrit language, asura. Asura. There are two kinds of human being all the time: asura and deva. Deva. Deva means human beings who are connected with the Supreme Lord. Their life is for realization of the Supreme Truth. They are called deva. Just like in higher planets, there are also living beings. They are called devatas, demigods, because their magnitude of pleasure is far, far greater than ours. But because they do everything in relation with the Supreme Lord, therefore they are called devatas, devata. Devata means demigods. And asura. Asura means just the opposite. They simply enjoy life for the matter of sense pleasure. That's all. So those who are interested in sense pleasure, they are called asuras, and those who are interested, unending spiritual pleasure, they are called devatas. Devata and asura does not mean that asuras are very ugly and devatas are very beautiful. Even the ugly man can become a devata, or even a beautiful man may become asura. That is due to his mentality. Because, after all, the soul is pure. When he is in unnatural condition of life, wants to enjoy simply the material senses, he becomes asura. So asura can be turned into devata. There is no hindrance.

So Prahlada Maharaja... Just see. The father was asura, and the son was devata. So asura's son can be devata. And a devata's son can be asura. Just like in India. In India nowadays there is a great movement for removing the caste system because the higher caste, brahmanas, they are claiming, due to their birthright, higher position, and the others, they are in inconvenience: "Now, nowadays the brahmanas are doing the same thing, what we are doing, a sudra. Why he should claim?" So there is quarrel. You see? So devata and asura, the division is that, of course, the... Of course, according to our sastra, the brahmana family means devata family. But because nowadays they are descendants, they have deviated, deviated from the brahminical culture, they are not to be considered as devatas. That is also mentioned in the sastras. They are called brahma-bandhus. According to sastra, they are called brahma-bandhus. Brahma-bandhus means son of a brahmana but not the brahmana. Just like a son of high court justice. He can claim that "I am the son of a high court justice." That's all... But because he's the son of a high court justice, he cannot claim that "I am also the justice of the high court." So that consideration is there.

So asura, devata, there is no such formula that "In this line only the asuras will come, and in this line only the devatas will come." The asura can be converted into devata, and the devatas also can be converted into asuras, according to their action. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find that "This whole division of caste, that is created by Me." Maya srstam: "I have created." But how it is? Now, according to guna and karma, according to quality and according to his work. He never says, "According to birth." So just see. Now, here, Hiranyakasipu... Hiranyakasipu is asura, but his son is devata, Prahlada. Now, according to birthright, he should be also asura, but no. He is devata, Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja is counted one of the great pers..., twelve great personalities who can distribute transcendental knowledge. They are called mahajana. Mahajana.

Now, this Prahlada Maharaja, because he's mahajana, his statement should be accepted. So he's saying to his father, asura-varya: "My dear father, you are the greatest of the asuras." Asura-varya. Varya means greatest. So even if he is father, he addresses his father, asura-varya, asura. "Because your aim is simply sense pleasure." You see? So tat sadhu manye asura-varya dehinam. The father asked the son, "What you have learned, the best thing?" So he's also saying sincerely before his father the best thing that "My dear father, for the dehinam..." Here also the same thing, dehinam. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Dehinah. Dehinah means the spiritual spark who has accepted this material body. This material body is foreign. That will be explained. Just like your coat and shirt is foreign to your self. Similarly, this material body is foreign. So dehinam... Dehinam means one who has accepted this material body. So we are accepted, mean... "Accepted" means we have done something by which we have been forced to accept, forced to accept. Just like if we are put into the prison house, the prison house has got separate dress. So when you are put into the prison house, you have to keep aside your own household dress, and you have to take that particular dress. If you say, "No, no. I cannot accept this dress. I am a gentleman. I have got costly dress. I shall put on that," no, you must, forced. Similarly, we, we living entities, we are forced to accept different kind of dress. There are 8,400,000 kinds of dresses like this body. And your body, my body, you see? Now we are here, several ladies and gentlemen, but you'll find that nobody's body will be similar to the other's body. God's arrangement is so nice that everyone has got his particular body according to his work. It is so nice arrangement. You see. You'll find millions of persons, and everyone you'll find different from the other. You won't find two similar persons. You see? So dehinam. Because there are different kinds of mentality, not that all our mentality is one and the same. No, no. We are... And the law of nature is so finer that, according to the different kinds of mentality, they have got different kinds of bodies. So dehino 'smin.

So Prahlada Maharaja says that, tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam. Dehinam means "of those who have accepted this material body, for them." And what is their condition? Now, dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam. Dehinam, one who has accepted this material body, his conditional life is always full of anxiety. Not that, that we are always in want. Even in your duty. Just like our Captain saheb is here. I have seen in the ship he has got very serious duty in the ocean. He's always consulting the chart and the latitude, longitude, which side the ship is going. That is anxiety because so many lives, so many property, is under his control. Any, a slight mistake, would play havoc. We do not know. I was asking the Captain saheb, "Where you are going?" But I do not know. I see simply vast of water. But he has got responsibility. He knows the thing. So any responsible officer... Any responsible... Your President Johnson, he's also full of anxiety. I am also full of anxiety. You are also full of anxiety. Even a, a small bird, you'll find... You give a small bird some grains. You'll see like this: "Is there enemy? Somebody's coming. Somebody's killing me." So full of anxieties. This is the condition. This is the condition. So you cannot, you cannot be free from the anxiety, dehinah.

Prahlada Maharaja says, sada samudvigna-dhiyam. And why this anxiety? Now, asad-grahat. Asad-grahat: "Because he has accepted this temporary body." He is eternal. A living spirit is eternal, but he has been forced to accept this temporary body. This is my position. One should be conscious of his precarious position, that "I am eternal, but I am encaged in a temporary body which will not exist. However I may try to make it youthful by so many arrangement, but no..." The science cannot give you permanent life. That is not possible. You may be, may be proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but Bhagavad-gita says that four things... Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. "My dear sir, however you may make advancement in scientific knowledge, you cannot stop birth, you cannot stop death, you cannot stop old age, neither you can stop diseases." You see? So, so long we have got this body, so we must have anxieties. That is the law of nature. Now, here, here it is said that... Now let us finish that. Prahlada Maharaja said, sada samudvigna-dhiyam: "My dear father, for persons who have accepted this temporary material body and is full of anxiety always, for them, my idea is that they should give up this materialistic life and surrender unto Hari." Hari means Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord. That is the way of getting out of... And actually, this is so. In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find in the last instruction to Arjuna is: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "This is the most confidential knowledge I am giving you because you are My friend and because I love you very much. Therefore this is My last word."

So we can get free from all anxieties as soon as we are surrendered to Hari. That is the whole system of spiritual knowledge. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatha kim. If you accept from the very beginning this principle, that "I must surrender unto the Supreme Lord," then there is no other necessity of prosecuting your spiritual knowledge. That is the final solution of life. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatha kim. Tapasya means penances, accepting penances for spiritual realization. Now, one who has accepted the worship of the Supreme Lord, he has no more anything to do for spiritual realization. He has realized. And naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatha kim. And undergoing so much severe penances, if one does not understand what is God, then whole thing is spoiled. Tapasa tatha kim. Whole penances is spoiled because he could not reach to the ultimate goal. So aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatha kim, naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatha kim. Antar-bahir yadi haris tapasa tatha kim. One who has achieved that knowledge, that he can see within himself and outside always the Supreme Lord, he has no more necessity of any penance. And after undergoing all sorts of penances, if I cannot realize that God is within me and God is without everywhere, then all my penances are spoiled. You see? These are very nice.

So here, here it is said that dhira, dhira.

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

Dehinah. Dehinah means "one who has accepted this material body." Asmin. Asmin means "in this world" or "in this life." Yatha, "as." Dehe. Dehe means "within this body." Because dehinah means "one who has accepted this body," and dehe, "within this body." So I am sitting within this body. Now, I am not this body. Just like you are within this shirt and coat, similarly, I am also within this body, this gross body and the subtle body. This gross body is made of this earth, water, and fire, air, and ether, this gross body, this our whole material body. Now, in this Earth, in this planet, earth is prominent. Anywhere, the body, material body, is made of these five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether. These are the five ingredients. Just like this building. This whole building is made of earth, water and fire. You have taken some earth, and then you have made bricks and burnt into the fire, and after mixing the earth with water, you make a shape of brick, and then you put into the fire, and then when it is strong enough, then you set it just like a big building. So it is nothing but a display of earth, water and fire, simply. That's all. Similarly, our body is also made in that way: earth, water, fire, air and ether. Air... Air is passing, the breathing. You know. The air is always there. This, this outer skin is earth, and there is heat in the stomach. Without heat, you cannot digest anything. You see? As soon as the heat is diminished, your digesting power becomes bad. So many things. This is arrangement. Now, in this planet we have got this body which is where earth is very prominent. Similarly, in other planets, other planets, somewhere water is very prominent, somewhere fire is very prominent. In the sun planet, the bodies there... There are also living entities, but their body is so made that it is fiery. They can exist in the fire. They can exist in the fire. Similarly, Varunaloka, in the Venus, all these planets, they have got different types of body. Just like here you can experience that in the water the aquatics, they have got a different type of body. For years and years together there are aquatic animals, they are within the water. They are very comfortable. But the moment you'll drag it to the land, it dies. Similarly, you are very comfortable on the land, but the moment you are put into the water, you die. Because your body, bodily construction is different, his body, the bodily construction different, the bird's bodily... The bird, heavy bird, it can fly, but it is God's made flying instrument. But your man-made instrument, it crashes, crashes. You see? Because artificial.

So this is the arrangement. Every living being has got a particular type of body. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. And what is the nature of that body? Now, here the matter is being explained that how we change our body, how... But, but, but, because that is a difficult problem for us because we are engrossed with the idea of identifying this body with the soul. Now, the first A-B-C-D of spiritual knowledge is to understand that "I am not this body." Unless one is firmly convinced that "I am not this body," he cannot progress in the spiritual line. So the first lesson in the Bhagavad-gita is taken in that way. So here it is, that dehino 'smin. Now, dehi, the soul, soul. Dehi means soul. One who has accepted this body, material body, he's called dehi. So asmin, he is there. He is there, but his body is changing. You see? The body is changing.

Now, our body was formed in the womb of my mother. That is also described in the Srimad-Bhagavata, the physiology, physiology of this body. It is said there that according to our karma we are put through the semina of the father, injected into the womb of the mother. And the father's secretion and the mother's secretion, that is emulsified and takes the form of a pea, and that pea gradually develops. In three months, there are holes, nine holes: the eyes, ears, nose, and the..., just like we have got nine holes. And in seven months the whole body is complete. Then the child gets consciousness. And in ten months it is just ready to come out. So by air, the same air, forces the child to come out of the mother's connection. Because so long a child remains within the womb of the mother, she, she takes through the mother, so there is intestinal connection between the child and the mother. So after the child comes out, the intestinal connection is cut away and he becomes a separate identity. That is the law.

Now, the, our point is, as from the mother's womb, from the very beginning of our birth, as the body develops, develops, similarly, after coming out of the body, it also develops. But the spirit spark is there, the same. The body takes development. So... Now, that development -- from this small child, he becomes a bigger child, then he becomes a boy, then becomes a youth, then gradually a old man like me, and then gradually, when this body is no longer useful, then it is, it has to be given up and another body has to be taken -- this is the process of transmigration of soul. I think there is no difficulty to understand this simple process. Now, the soul is there, and the body's transforming every moment, every moment, imperceptibly. Just like if you have seen some, some your friend's child small, and after five years, you go to that friend's house and see the child: "Oh, you have grown so big? You have grown so big." But the father, mother cannot see. Because they are seeing daily, they do not see that "How my child is growing, daily," but a man who comes all of a sudden after five years, he says, "Oh, the child is grown up." So imperceptibly we are changing our body every moment. Every moment. That is also medical science, that we are changing our blood corpuscles every moment. You see? Similarly, what is the difficulty to understand that, that the soul transmigrates from one body to another? It is very nicely explained here. "As the owner of the body is there within the body, but the body is changing, one after another, one after another..." Dehino 'smin yatha dehe, kaumaram yauvanam [Bg. 2.13]. Here two examples are given: kaumaram... Kaumaram means the age up to fifteen years, the age up to fifteen years, that is called kaumara. And after fif..., from sixteen years, so upwards, say, up to forty years, one is youth. And then, after forty years, one becomes old. This is process of this body, but it will be later on explained the spirit soul within this body, that is not changing. The body is changing.

So dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra [Bg. 2.13]. Dhira means the man who is out of ignorance. (aside:) You are... You sit down. That's all right. Dhiras tatra na muhyati. Dhira means -- we began first explanation -- dhira means one who is, one who is out of ignorance. That means. So one who knows, one who knows the process of the body, changing every moment, then why he should lament when this body is left and another body is taken? Suppose if I throw away this covering of my body and take another covering, then what is there, lamentation? What is the cause of lamentation there? And one should be, rather, glad that the old garment is thrown away and one new garment is taken up. So this, this question... Because Arjuna was disturbed that "How can I fight with my grandfather? That is all right. That is my duty to fight, but how can I fight with my grandfather, Bhismadeva, with my teacher, Dronacarya? It is not possible." So he is playing the part of a fool, but he was not a fool, but just to teach us. Unless he becomes a fool like us, why this Bhagavad-gita will come?

The Bhagavad-gita... Just like it is play. Krsna is constant companion of Arjuna. So Arjuna cannot be put into that ignorance. It is for our benefit that by the will of the Lord Krsna, Arjuna is put into that sort of ignorance. So he is asking Krsna all these questions just like a foolish man, and Krsna is giving instruction so that it is being recorded in the history of Mahabharata for future generations. So here Arjuna, he was declining to fight, declining to fight, that "How can I fight with my grandfather?" You see? "He is respectable. He has brought me up since my father's death. And here is my teacher, Dronacarya. He has taught me this military art. Whatever I am warrior, my expertness is due to him. And do you think, Krsna, I shall kill them? No, I can fight with them. I can kill them, but it is not my duty." So Arjuna, and, says like that. But Krsna says, "No. You must be dutiful. Never mind who is that, your grandfather or your teacher. No. When there is fight... You are a ksatriya. A ksatriya should not be..., has no other consideration in the fight. He must fight."

So here is the thing, you see, that Krsna does not say that "You become a nonviolent." No. Never says that. When there is question of fighting for right cause, you must fight. There is no question of becoming nonviolent. You see? Now, now, he is saying that "Don't be aggrieved. Even your grandfather, Bhismadeva, even your Dronacarya..., it will be good for them because they are now old enough, and as soon as they are dead, they get a new body. So you should not be discouraged." Then one is that "Do you mean to say that therefore a man should be killed?" No. We cannot kill without reason. No. That will be a great sin. But this is a fight. This is a fight for a cause. They are not killers. It is said that a ksatriya who lays down his life in the battlefield, he at once rises up to the higher planets. You see? Because for right cause, if one lays down his life... Just like so many people, they lay, lay down their life for the cause of the country. Do you mean to say they are sinful or they are going to hell? No, no, no. Those who are laying down for the good cause their life, their next life is very brilliant. But if you commit suicide without any reason and written or without any cause, then you'll be sinful. You'll be sinful. These are... Of course, we get knowledge from this... So,

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

So dhira, one who has got complete knowledge of the constitution of this body, and the constitution of the spirit soul, they are not aggrieved when a soul transmigrates from one body to another. That is the sum and substance of the whole, this verse.

Now, here some philosophical question may be raised. There are two classes of philosophers, that after liberation, after getting out of this body, the soul amalgamates with the Supreme Soul. That question we have already discussed. Still, there is no harm in discussing it again because any, I mean to say, substantial knowledge, if it is discussed one after another, twice, thrice, it is better. Now, Krsna points out that every soul is individual soul, every soul. And that is our experience, that every one of us, we have got some individual consciousness, not that my consciousness is just equal to your consciousness. I do not know what is going in your soul. We are all individual souls. But according to Mayavadi philosophers, they say, "Just like the sky, the ether" -- ether is everywhere, within your body and within mine, within everyone's -- that "the ether has taken a form due to this particular body, but when the body is vanquished, the ether, I mean to say, amalgamates with the greater ether." This is called ghatakasa-potakasa. Ghatakasa-potakasa means this akasa is here.

Now, akasa means ether. Ether is here. Now, that ether... Now, my this body... Now, this body, there is also ether. "Now, as soon as this body's destroyed, it is burned or it is, another way, destroyed, then this ether within my body becomes amalgamated with the greater ether." So this sort of assertion is not accepted in the Bhagavad-gita because the first reason is that ether is a material thing. Ether is a material thing. And the soul is spirit. We'll have, in later slokas, that soul cannot be cut. Soul cannot be cut into pieces. And the spirit cannot be... acchedyo 'yam adahyo 'yam. We'll get those slokas. Soul never can be cut into pieces. You see? Just like here is a paper. I can, I can tore this paper into pieces, but it is not possible for the soul. Then it, then it loses its eternity or its stability. You see? So we cannot compare ether with soul because they are two different subject matters. You see? Analogy... Now, those who, those who are present here, those who have knowledge of logic, analogy... Analogy is possible when the two things are... When there are greatest number of similarities of two things, then there can be analogy. Otherwise there is no question of ana..., analogy. Just like if I say, "Oh, this lady's face is just like moon," now there must be some similarity in this face and the moon. As the moon is bright and a very beautiful looker, therefore this face must be very beautiful and very bright. But if the face is ugly, how can I compare with this moon? So whenever we make some analogy, there must be points, greater number of points of similarity. Now, here ether is a material thing, and soul is spiritual thing, so there is no similarity at all. At all. And besides that...

So soul, the individual soul, is different from the very beginning, nitya. Nityah sasvato 'yam. In later verses we will come to understand. The Lord says that "These individual souls, they are My part and parcels." Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah: [Bg. 15.7] "Jiva-bhutah, or these living entities, they are My parts and parcels." How it is that? I can give you a very good example. Just like the sun, sun and the sun rays. What is the sun ray? Sun ray, if you analyze physically, you'll find small molecules of raising (raysing ?) atoms, shining atoms. This is material. You see? The sun ray is nothing but combination of, I mean to say, shining atoms. It is not a homogeneous thing. Anything you take. Anything you take. You are artist. You take a point, any color, and you photograph. If you analyze with a microscope or magnifying glass, you'll find so many spots. Is it not? You are also artist. So in God's nature, there is no, nothing homogeneous. There is nothing homogeneous. All molecules, atoms, particles, even in the matter.

So similarly, we, we living entities, we are also spiritual atoms. We are spiritual atoms. And our magnitude also has assessed in the sastras. That magnitude is stated in the Puranas that kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. Kesagra, your hair. I have no long hair. You have got. Now, you can see the point of the hair, kesa-agra. Agra means the point of the hair. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. Now, the point of the hair, you divide into hundred. That is imaginable. That is not imaginable by you, how the point of the hair can be divided into hundred. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. Now, you take one part of that division and again divide into hundred. This is beyond your experience, beyond your power. The, by arithmetic calculation the mathematicians say that "The point has no length and breadth." Oh, this is, this is, this is a disappointment. Because he cannot measure the length and breadth of the point, therefore he says like that. But point has length and breadth. Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan. Therefore a certain class of philosophers, they are astonished simply by seeing the great magnitude of the Lord, but there is smaller, smallest, anor aniyan. These are much smaller than the atom, but that is beyond our experience. Therefore we say, nirakara. Nirakara means we cannot calculate the akara, the actual form. Nirakara does not mean that it has no form. It has form. Just see. That they say, that the point has no length and breadth. Similarly, the soul has everything, length and... Within that point it has got his head, leg, everything, consciousness, everything there. And because it is beyond the calculation of our human knowledge, therefore they are disappointed: "Nirakara, nirakara, nirakara." Not nirakara. It has akara. But we are so, our senses are so blunt that we cannot calculate.

Now, now, this, in these days of scientific advancement you take a dead man. You sit down. Now, we shall see how the soul transmigrates from this body to another. You cannot see. You cannot see. Our eyes are not qualified to see it. Therefore the all the senses, they should be spiritualized. If we want to see the spirit whole... The Lord is spirit whole. We cannot see even the spirit part. Our, our... We are very much proud of our senses, but our senses are so imperfect that... Now I see with my eyes, but I cannot see my eyelid. You see? The eyelid is always attached with my eye, but I cannot see. So our power of using the senses, that is very limited. So we should not depend only on the senses. Pratyaksa. It is called pratyaksa-anumana. There are three kinds of evidences, pratyaksa, anumana, and aitihya. Pratyaksa means that you can directly perceive. That is called pratyaksa. And anumana. Anumana means you can conjecture, make an..., "It may be like this. It may be like this. Perhaps it is like this." This is called anumana. And the other evidence is aitihya. Aitihya means to take evidences from the authority. So according... Out of these three evidences, this aitihya evidence, just like we are taking instruction of Bhagavad-gita, sound, sound vibrated by the greatest personality, Sri Krsna, that sort of pramana is acceptable. That is the best. This is the best way of acquiring knowledge. Because so far direct evidence is concerned, it is impossible. Because our senses are so imperfect, we cannot have anything. We can, we can have some direct experience of certain things, but not for all, especially for these spiritual things which is beyond our experience.

So pratyaksa means direct evidence you cannot have. And anumana means speculation, simply, "It may be like this. It may be like that." Oh, that is also imperfect because our thinking is also limited, because our senses are limited. So our thinking power, mind, is one of the senses. Out of the ten, mind is considered to be the eleventh sense. There are five karmendriya and five sensory organs and working organs, ten, and the mind is the chief. So mind is also considered as one of the senses, the chief senses. You see? So because it is sense, it is imperfect. So by mental speculation we cannot have a into right conclusion, by mental speculation. Those are simply speculating on mind, they can make some progress to a certain extent, but they cannot reach the ultimate goal. It is not possible by mental speculation; neither it is possible by direct evidence. The only, only possible evidence is authority, authority. Just like yesterday also I gave you that example. Just like if a child asks his mother that "Who is my father?" now the mother says, "Here is your father." Now, if the child says, "I don't believe it," so he has no other source of knowledge. Except the mother's version, that "Here is your father," he has no other alternative to know who is father. It is such a thing that neither he can imagine, speculate, "Oh, he may be my father, he may be my father, he may be my father." Lots of father he can gather. That is not possible. And neither it is possible for direct perception. The only possibility is the mother's evidence. Similarly, as the mother is authority for the child, similarly, the sruti, the Vedas, they are called mother, mother of knowledge.

So for such spiritual knowledge we have to accept the authority. Now, here, the Bhagavad-gita is authority. It is accepted. Don't think that it is a scripture of the Hindus. No. It is for all human beings. There is reason. There is science. There is philosophy. It is not dogmatic. So it is to be understood simply. And not only that, actually it is accepted by all countries. Not only in your country, but in other countries also, Bhagavad-gita is accepted as one of the greatest book of authority. So this is the process. You should know it that the spirit soul, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

As the soul is within the body and the body is changing every moment, similarly, the last stage of change is called death. Death is nothing but the final change of this present body. That's all. And our death condition is for seven months only. As soon as I leave this body, at once I am injected into other's mother's body according to my karma. I may be injected to a queen's womb; I may be injected to a dog's mother. You see? That is due to my karma. You see? The father is present there. The dog father is present there. The king's father is present there. The devata father is present there. There is no scarcity of father, but it will depend on my karma, which kind of father I shall take shelter. So these things are, have to be accepted from the authoritative scriptures like Srimad Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavata. And then it will be possible for us to understand the things as they are. There is no question of sectarianism. There is no question of this "ism" or that "ism." It is a question of pure knowledge.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966