Become Devotee--God Will Care

25 May 75 , Honolulu

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Prabhupada: So this Prahlada-caritra play, drama, is very instructive. Although it is not played on a very nice stage, theatrical, but the feeling expressed by the devotees in playing this Prahlada-caritra has become very successful. We want to understand the feeling. Externally, we may not be very much equipped. Krsna takes the feeling. Bhava-grahi janardana.

So Prahlada Maharaja is one of the great personality in devotional line. Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. It is very difficult to understand what is the purpose of religious principle. People actually do not know what is religion; therefore we have got so many religious system, man-made, or concocted ideas. Actually, religion means the law given by God. That is religion. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like the law given by the state, by the government, you have to accept it. There is no question that the government is Christian government or Muhammadan government or Hindu government. It doesn't matter. The law given by the government, you must accept. You cannot deny it. So actually God is neither Hindu God nor Muhammadan God nor Christian God. God is God. His power is omnipotent. It is equally applicable to Hindu, to Muslim, to Christian -- anyone -- to animal, to human being. Just like God has given this law, "You must die." This is applicable to everyone -- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, man, animal, trees, birds, beasts, everyone. It cannot be disobeyed. That is law. That is God's law. You may be very much advanced in knowledge or so-called science, but because God says that in the material life you must die, you cannot avoid this law. That is called dharma. Dharma means the characteristic, that God has given this law that everyone should die; therefore all living beings' characteristic is that he must die. This is called religion. Similarly, God says that "You are My eternal servant. You must obey Me." That is religion. You try to understand the meaning of religion. Religion means the law given by God, and you must accept it. That is religion.

So people do not know. They manufacture religion. So how you can manufacture religion? Law can be given by the king, by the state, by the government. If you manufacture some law at your home, consulting your wife or father and mother, who will accept it? Nobody will accept. You may be puffed up that you have manufactured a law, but nobody will care for it. The law given by the state will have to be accepted, either you like it or don't like it. The law will not depend on your liking and disliking. You must accept. If you don't accept, then you are a law breaker; you will be punished. Similarly, the religion means, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad..., sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is religion, that "You have manufactured so many types of religion. You give it up. Kick it out. This is religion: you surrender unto Me." So if you become a surrendered soul to God -- that means you become a devotee -- then you are religionist. Otherwise you are criminal. Therefore sastra says that you should follow the great devotees. That is religion. You cannot manufacture religion, you cannot concoct religion. You just try to follow the great personalities, and that is religion.

So there... In the sastra there are great personalities. They have been mentioned. Just like Lord Brahma, Narada Muni, Lord Siva, then Kumaras, then Kapila, Manu, and Prahlada. Prahlado janako bhismo. Prahlada Maharaja is one of the great personalities who knows what is religion. So he practiced it. Unfortunately, he was born of a atheist father, Hiranyakasipu. But by the grace of Narada Muni he knew what is religion. You have seen in the play that when his mother was pregnant, the demigods were taking her to the prison just to keep her observation, that the child which is born of a atheist father, Hiranyakasipu, may not be missed. They wanted to kill him also. But although he was born of an atheist father, demoniac father, he became a great devotee by the instruction of Narada Muni. Narada Muni took his poor mother. He asked the demigods, "Why you are harassing this lady? After all, she is woman. She is dependent." So by the order of Narada Muni they let her go, and her husband was engaged in tapasya, so she had no protection. Therefore Narada Muni took her at his asrama and instructed her about God consciousness. That is the duty of saintly person. So Prahlada Maharaja, while he was within the womb of his mother, he heard all those instructions. His mother in due course of time -- that is the nature of woman -- she forgot the instruction. But Prahlada Maharaja remembered; therefore he became a great devotee. This is the history of Prahlada Maharaja.

So Prahlada Maharaja became a devotee, not a so-called devotee, that "If my senses are gratified, then I shall continue to remain a devotee. Otherwise I shall slip away, go away. That's all." So he was not such kind of devotee. He remained devotee in all circumstances. You see his father wanted to chastise him is so many ways. But what was Prahlada's fault? He was chanting Hare Krsna, and the father did not like it. So he wanted to induce him to stop this Hare Krsna, but he never stopped. In all circumstances he remained steady in..., when he was thrown into the boiling water... It is said oil. He was put into the oil. So he remained steady. So many demonic persons threatened him; he remained steady. His mother was instructed by the father to give poison in the food. So he remained steady. Then the father understood that "My son has got some mystic power." The mystic power was that he was a great devotee of Krsna, that's all. A devotee never practices any mystic power. But a devotee, being protected by the supreme mystic, Krsna, a devotee is never in danger in all circumstances. That is the instruction in this... So just to try... Try to remain a devotee always, and Krsna will give you protection in all circumstance. There is no fear. Devotees, they remain devotee of Krsna, and Krsna does everything. If something mystic or magic has to be shown, the devotee does not take any credit for that magic, because the magic is done by Krsna for the sake of devotee. So he doesn't require to learn the art of magic to cheat the people. That is not. When magic is required, Krsna plays. Krsna is called Yogesvara. Yoga is mystic power, and He is the Yogesvara, master of yoga, mystic power. Yatra yogesvarah harih. Just like Krsna was on the chariot of the Kuruksetra battle, Arjuna. Arjuna was facing enemies, big, big enemies like Bhisma, Karna, Dronacarya, and many other who were very very powerful. Arjuna was nothing before them. They are compared with timingila, timingila, a big fish which swallows up the whale fishes. So Maharaja Pariksit said that "Although they were timingila-like, they could kill thousands of Arjuna, but still, because You were protecting him, sitting on his chariot, they were killed; Arjuna was not killed."

So the devotee, he doesn't require to acquire any mystic power. What mystic power Prahlada could attain? He was only five years old. So there was no opportunity of acquiring any mystic power. But he was being protected by the supreme mystic, Krsna. That should be a devotee's point of view. Don't waste your time for acquiring so-called mystic power. Just devote yourself to remain a pure devotee of Krsna, and you become the supreme mystic. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
 [Bg. 6.47]

There are many yogis, mystics, but Krsna confirms that "Of all the yogis, of all the mystics, a person who is always thinking of Me," sraddhavan bhajate yo mam, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana, "always thinking Me, Krsna, within himself: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare...," so Krsna said, "he is the best yogi." Yoginam api sarvesam. Sarvesam means "of all." "Of all kinds of yogis, the best yogi is who is always thinking of Me." That is Krsna's philosophy, He is teaching in the Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Four things. If you sincerely do these four things -- always think of Krsna, man-mana; just become His devotee, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto; mad-yaji, worship Krsna... Just like we do in the temple room. Man-mana... You can do worship anywhere if you are a devotee. A devotee can worship Krsna anywhere, underneath a tree. Because Krsna is in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. So if underneath a tree you think of Krsna and chant Hare Krsna, that is sufficient. Krsna does not require any big paraphernalia. He only wants how you are a sincere devotee. That's all. And that devotional service can be discharged in any condition. Ahaituky apratihata. It cannot be checked by the material circumstances. This is the process of Krsna consciousness. And you see the five-years-old boy, how he was protected from all kinds of dangers and he refused to take any benediction. He refused. The devotee should not be a mercantile man: "If you give me something, then I shall give you something." That is business. A devotee is not like that. He understands that he is eternal servant of Krsna, his duty is to serve Krsna. In the material world a servant works when money is paid, wages. A devotee is not like that. A devotee serves Krsna out of duty. That is God consciousness, Krsna consciousness, that "It is my duty." And then Krsna takes the responsibility, "It is My duty to protect this devotee." This reciprocation is called Krsna consciousness. There is no question of business transaction. Then he will be protected. Krsna is nobody's servant, but everyone is Krsna's servant. If everyone becomes Krsna's servant, then everyone is protected by Krsna. Krsna is protecting. Krsna is God, so He is protecting everyone, He is giving food everyone, but especially inclined to the devotees. Samah sarvesu-bhutesu.

There is a verse, samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah [Bg. 9.29]. Krsna says God must be equal to everyone. God is one, so He is giving everyone food. The birds, beasts, they are getting food. The elephant he is also getting food. So who is supplying him food? Krsna, God is supplying. So in that way He is equal to everyone in ordinary dealing. But especially deals with the devotees. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. When he was put into danger, then Lord Nrsimhadeva came personally to give him protection. That is the special duty of God. That is not unnatural. If somebody says, "God is partial, that He takes special care of His devotee," no, that is not partiality. Just like a gentleman -- in the neighborhood, he loves all children, but when his own child is in danger, he takes special care. That is not unnatural. You cannot blame him that "Why you are taking special care of your own child?" No. That is natural. Nobody will blame him. Similarly, everyone is God's sons, but His devotee is special. That is God's special attention. Ye tu bhajanti mam pritya tesu te mayi. So God is giving protection to every living entity, but if you become devotee of the Lord, pure devotee, without any motive, then God will take special care of you. That is Krsna consciousness movement, that we are being harassed by maya, the material energy, and if we take shelter of Krsna then we will be specially protected. Mam eva prapadyante mayam etam taranti te.

So try to become devotee of Krsna. Our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this philosophy. We have got so many books. Whoever comes here must read the books, devotee, the inmates of the temple, outsider, then you will understand what is Krsna consciousness. Or you should chant Hare Krsna only. Don't talk rubbish things, waste time. That is not good. A single moment is so valuable that you cannot purchase it by millions of dollars. Now today is 25th May, four o'clock gone. You cannot bring it back. Four o'clock, 25th May, 1975, if you want to get it back again by paying millions of dollars, it will not be possible. Therefore we should be very careful of our time. Time once wasted, you cannot get it back return. Better utilize this time. The best utilization is to chant Hare Krsna or think of Krsna, worship Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- Honolulu, May 25, 1975

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Hiranyakasipu vs. Prahlada

Hiranyakasipu vs. Prahlada

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.25
Honolulu, May 25, 1976

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Prabhupada: Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Six, Chapter One, verse number twenty-five. (recites the Sanskrit verse responsively with devotees.)

sa baddha-hrdayas tasminn
arbhake kala-bhasini
niriksamanas tal-lilam
mumude jaratho bhrsam
 [SB 6.1.25]

So the youngest child was very dear. Everyone sneha. Sneha is, another meaning of sneha is oil, liquid. So sneha means affection. So this sneha word is used that there is a liquid, how you say, goes to down. Liquid does not go up. Slow. Similarly, we have got some affection, the affection goes to the lowest. Therefore father and mother's affection generally goes to the youngest. So here also Ajamila, although he's a cheat, he's a rogue, he's a thief, he has learned all the bad quality, but still the sneha, the affection, that is not lost. So this is natural. Similarly, we have got a natural feeling for Krsna. If you study thoroughly, that is called meditation, that "Whom I love." Say for the first time, I love my body. If there is some danger I try to protect myself from the danger. That means I love my body. So the next question will be: "Then why don't you love a dead body?" Suppose your wife or husband, you love, because the husband and wife is in the body, dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. So I love the body because the spirit soul is there. This is right conclusion. Otherwise who is going to love a dead body? Nobody. Now if wife's husband has died, son has died, he's crying. You can say that "Why you are crying?" "Oh, my son is gone, my husband is gone." "Nobody gone. It is lying here." "No, no, no. He's not." So after death we understand that this dead body is neither my husband nor my son. Late experience. But in the beginning there is no such experience. That is called illusion. He's understanding that this dead body is not neither my father, nor my husband, nor my son. He's different from. That is practical example. Otherwise why not take the dead body of your husband or son and keep it? No. That is not possible.

So it is clear that the soul is different from the body. But because we are fools and rascals, we learn it after death. That is foolishness. Not in the beginning. In the beginning the Bhagavad-gita says, Krsna says, that asmin dehe, "Within this body, the soul is there." "No, no. I don't believe." Dull brain cannot understand. But after death, he sees, "Yes. The body's not my son. The body's not my husband." So that is foolishness. The foolish person understands late, and the intelligent person understands very quickly. That is the difference. So I love my body. I love my husband's body, my wife's body. Why? The real husband, wife or son is within the body. Therefore we love. Then the conclusion is that the soul is important more than the body. Then the question will be that "Why you love the soul?" Then the answer will be "Because the soul is part and parcel of Krsna." Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva-bhuta [Bg. 15.7]. So ultimately the conclusion is that I love Krsna and, because the soul is part and parcel of Krsna, therefore I love the soul. And because the soul loves within this body, therefore I love... There is no difficulty to understand. But so long one is under illusion, he's under the bodily concept of life. Therefore sastra says that one who is in the bodily concept of life, he's animal. He's animal.

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

Go-kharah. Go means cow and kharah means ass. I repeatedly say this. So unless we understand that I and you, we are not this body, there is no question of spiritual understanding or spiritual education.

So here the Ajamila, because, although he was a brahmana, but due to association of a prostitute, he lost everything. This is the version. We have already studied, that,

kanyakubje dvijah kascid
dasi-patir ajamilah
namna nasta-sad-acaro
dasyah samsarga-dusitah

Sad-acara. Sad-acara, just like we are teaching sad-acara, rise early in the morning, taking a bath, change your cloth, wash your mouth, and then go to the Deity room and have mangala arotika, then study, so many, so many..., simply sad-acara. Sad-acara means, sat means "that will exist," and acara means "behavior." Sad-acara So here it is said that Ajamila, he became the husband of a prostitute. It is not the sastric injunction. You can become husband, but not the husband of a prostitute. Then your life is finished. Nasta sad-acara. You will be lost all... Therefore so much stress is given that wife should be chaste and husband should be very well behaved, then life will be successful. Arjuna argued with Krsna that "You're asking me to kill my brothers and relatives on the other side, so don't You think that if I kill them, their wives will be widowed and they'll be polluted? And as soon as they'll be polluted, there will be varna-sankara." Varna-sankara, the practical example of varna-sankara is the hippies in your country: no caste, no creed, neither useful for the material world, neither useful for the spiritual. That is called varna-sankara. Then he said, "My...," Arjuna... Strisu dustasu varna-sankara (indistinct). "My dear Krsna, You are asking me to kill my... There will be widow, and they'll be polluted, and there'll be varna-sankara, and (indistinct), and when there'll be varna-sankara, then the whole world will be hell. It will be no more suitable for habitation of gentlemen. Finished."

Therefore in the Vedic civilization two things are very much stressed: to teach the man from childhood how to become expert in sad-acara, and woman trained up how to become chaste. So this chaste woman and this sad-acara, brahmana, ideal is brahmana, he'll become married. Then there will be peace, there will be progress, there will be peace in the society, peace in the family. There is a poetry in English, "Society, friendship and love, divine (indistinct)." But that society is not this society. If we become husband of the prostitute, no, that is not possible. Then sad-acara will be finished. Namna sad-acara. Dasyah samsarga-dusitah: as soon as you become associated with prostitute, then everything will be lost. Sad-acara means your progress in spiritual life is lost. Therefore we are stressing so much on the four avoidances: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This is the way. If you are serious... But if you take it as a fashion, that is another thing. But if you take it seriously to progress, then these things will done. This is the basic principle of spiritual progress. Otherwise we shall learn, bandy-aksaih kaitavais cauryair garhitam vrttim asthitah, bibhrat kutumbam asucir... Asuci, asuci. Asuci means unclean. Spiritual life means purification. So if you purify and again become unclean, that we have discussed hasti-snana, the elephant. Elephant takes bath very nicely, and as soon as come on the shore, take some dust and throw on... Kunjara saucavat. Pariksit Maharaja said that "What is this cleaning?"

But without cleaning, your life is spoiled. If you don't clean your life, then you'll have to accept another body according to karma. We have to accept that the whole human mission is to stop this repetition of birth... They do not know. There is no science, there is no philosophy, there is no education throughout the whole world. But the aim of life is to stop these four things: birth, death, old age and disease. They cannot think of. How it can be stopped? They cannot think of. They're trying the different way -- contraceptive method of killing the child. That is not how to stop this. No. Nature's law is so strong that if you kill the child in the womb then you'll be also killed. You'll be also killed. Tit for tat. There is no escape. "Life for life," just like in the law. You cannot do that. So this is very important things to understand. You are thinking very free but no, there is: prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Exactly. Karanam guna sango 'sya [Bg. 13.22]. Just like if you contaminate some disease, you must suffer from it. That is natural law. You cannot avoid. There is no escape. So similarly, this spiritual life, this human life is a chance that you learn how to purify yourself. That is human life. And if you don't purify yourself, you remain impure without any endeavor, then what is the difference between you and cats and dogs? There's no difference.

So, kutumbam asucir yayatam asa. So in that asuci bhrta asa, the sneha is there. This Ajamila, although became the rogue number one, but the affection, natural, that is there. Affection is there. Sa baddha-hrdayas tasminn arbhake kala-bhasini. Attract. The child is talking in broken language -- that is very pleasing, pleasing to everyone, especially the parents. So niriksamanas tal-lilam. And he's walking, or he's crawling, he's coming to the father, coming to the mother... These things are very attractive, and we become more and more attracted, and we forget our real business. The real business we should always remember. These things are natural. It is very good, be affectionate to your children. But don't forget your real business. Otherwise this kind of affection is there in cats and dogs also. Cats and dogs you'll find they carry the cat, the kitties. What is called, kitties?

Devotee: Kittens.

Prabhupada: ...on the mouth. They have no hands. And they give protection to the... [break] ...so one thing is for these kitties and one thing is for the... Similarly, Nrsimhadeva -- one thing for the Hiranyakasipu and one thing for Prahlada. So that is not God's discrimination, but that is natural. That is natural. He states. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu: [Bg. 9.29] "I'm equal to everyone." Otherwise if He's not equal to everyone, how He can be God? If He's partial to somebody and He's affectionate to some... No. That is not God's foolishness. God is equal to everyone. Samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah: "Nobody is My enemy and nobody is My friend, but still," ye tu bhajanti mam bhaktya tesu te mayi, "but anyone who is devotee, I take special care for Him." The same thing that the cat carries in the mouth, the cat as well as the mouse. The mouse, for mouse it is death, and for the cat it is pleasure. Similarly, Hiranyakasipu, when he's captured by Nrsimhadeva, He's death. Tava nakha. Kara-kamale nakham adbhuta-srngam dalita hiran... Immediately. Finished. The same hand on the head of Prahlada Maharaja, "My dear child, be blessed," the same hand. This is the position.

So we shall try to purify ourselves from sinful activity so that Prahlada Maha..., Nrsimhadeva may keep His hand on our..., bless head. That is wanted. Then our life is successful. Otherwise nature will not excuse. Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham [Bg. 10.34]. Hiranyakasipu will be killed. A demon should be... That is true business of Krsna. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8], to kill the demons. Of course, any demon killed by Krsna, he also gets salvation. But if the demon gets salvation being killed, but just imagine what is the position of devotees to whom Krsna is so affectionate. Just imagine what is his position. And His name is Bhakta-vatsala. Krsna's name is "very much affectionate to the devotee." So you have taken Krsna consciousness movement. Take it seriously. Follow the rules and regulations. Then Krsna will give you all protection. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati [Bg. 9.31]. If you are sincere devotee... It is very easy thing to become devotee. Simply four things: man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Four... A child can, they are learning. They're also offering a flower, mad-yaji. This is worship. If a child can do it, you cannot do it? What is the difficulty? If you offer a flower to the Deity, if you offer your obeisances... The child, it's learning. Don't think it is knowing for nothing. Everything is calculated, "Ah, here is this child. He is offering obeisances." Credit. "He's offering flower." Credit. (laughter) Yes. From his childhood, if one becomes, simply deposits credit, then someday it will be a big balance, a good bank balance. So therefore this institution means to give everyone the chance to do these four things: man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. And Krsna says mam evaisyasi asamsayah: [Bg. 18.65] "Without any doubt, simply by doing these four things, you'll come back to Me." So what is the difficulty? Live properly and be happy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.25 -- Honolulu, May 25, 1976

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"You Have To Love Through God"

"You Have To Love Through God"

66/05/25 New York, Bhagavad-gita 3.16-17


Prabhupada:

evam pravartitam cakram
nanuvartayatiha yah
aghayur indriyaramo
mogham partha sa jivati
[Bg. 3.16]

Lord Krsna, now He has described about a circle of activity ending in yajna, sacrifice. Yajna... Yajna, the proper word yajna, means Visnu or the Supreme Lord. And another meaning of yajna is sacrifice. So that sacrifice is how to do.

That we have been discussing for the last three or four days, that yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih. Our whole trouble of life, this material existence, it is, according to Vedic literature, this is our condemned life, material, because I am put into a different atmosphere, this body, which I am not. The body is matter, and I am spirit soul. So I have been put into uncomfortable position by this material contact.

So the human life is developed consciousness. So he has to learn it, and he can get rid of this material existence by the process which is prescribed in authoritative scriptures like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Vedic literatures. So the first process Sri Krsna, Lord Sri Krsna is advises, that... Not only He advises. It is advised in all the Vedas, that "You should sacrifice, perform sacrifices."

krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari-kirtanat
[SB 12.3.52]

The whole process of human civilization should be to acquire love of God. Our love is now distributed in so many things. And that is misdistributed. The whole thing was to be targeted to the Supreme Lord. I was to love God, but instead of loving God, my love is distributed in so many things. And that is a misdirected civilization.

How it is misdirected? Suppose if I do not love God, if I love my wife, my children, my countrymen, what is the wrong there? Oh, there is great wrong. That you do not know. That is most unscientific. Without loving God, if I want to love my wife, that love is not perfect. Therefore so-called love is disrupted by divorce and so many things because that is not perfect love. We do not know what is perfect love and how to conduct it. That is the defect of our civilization. Which we are accepting as love, that is simply a desire for sense gratification. That is not love. Love is different thing. So because... Why the love is defective in the material world? Because it is not properly discharged. We have to understand that thing.

How it is not properly discharged? Just like you love your body. Nobody can deny. Everyone loves his body. All right, what do you want to do? I want to maintain my body nicely. Then what is the means of maintaining your body very nicely? Now, I have to take nice vitaminous foodstuff and supply to the stomach, and then there is assimilation, secretion of different blood or different, I mean to say, humor and so on. The physiological condition is going on. The main position is that you have to give proper foodstuff to this body.

Now, how to supply the foodstuff to the body? The main source of supplying is this mouth. Now we have got several holes in this body, especially nine holes, big holes. Just like these two eyes, they are holes. The ears, they are holes. The mouth is one hole. And the evacuating process is another hole. This navel is another hole. There are nine holes in this body. Now, if somebody says that "I have to put foodstuff within the body..." Just like in medical treatment, sometimes, when one cannot take foodstuff from the mouth, foodstuff is injected from the rectum or somewhere else artificially. But that is not the system of supplying the foodstuff. The real process of supplying the food-stuff is through the mouth. If somebody says, "Oh, there are nine holes. You can put the foodstuff any hole," no, that will not do. You have to supply the foodstuff through the mouth.

Similarly, if you have to love, you have to love through God. Otherwise, love is not possible. That is all artificial love. Just like supplying foodstuff through the rectum is most artificial and troublesome thing, similarly, without loving God, if I want to love anybody, that is a false manifestation.

There are so many other examples. Just like watering the plant. Now, our Paul or Paul... They supply water, pour water. Why? So that the tree or the plant may grow nicely. Where the water is poured? In the root, not on the leaves. You see? So the scriptures directs, Vedic scriptures. Yatha taror mula-nisecanena trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah [SB 4.31.14]. Just like pouring water unto the root of the tree, all the branches of the tree and leaves and flowers, they automatically nice... You haven't got to pour water. Now, it is a small plant. Suppose if you have got a big tree and there are thousands and millions of leaves, you are not supposed to supply water in millions of leaves. You are supposed to water, pour water, on the root. That will be distributed.

Just like you supply foodstuff to the stomach. That will be distributed. Suppose I have got very good cake. Now, the fingers holding the cake. Now, if the fingers think, "All right, it is a good cake. Why shall I supply to the stomach? Let us eat it." Oh, the fingers cannot eat. That is improper. There is a story in Sanskrit, udarendriyanam. Udarendriyanam. There was a meeting of all the parts of the senses, that, "We are working, and the stomach is sitting idly, and he is simply eating. So let us get into strike. We shall not work." Just like there is strike system now. Now, all the hands and legs and all parts of the body they, "No, no more we are going to work for the stomach." Now, what happened? Gradually the hand become weak, the fingers become, the eye could not see, the ear... Oh, they thought that "What is happening this? We are becoming weaker, weaker, weaker." Then they decided, "It was a mistake not to supply foodstuff to the stomach. It was good for us."

Similarly, by establishing a godless civilization we are not happy. We are not happy, just like the same way, not supplying foodstuff to the stomach, we are thinking of becoming happy. No, that cannot be. If the senses of the body, parts of the body want to become happy, then he, the senses and the parts of the body, they have to supply foodstuff to the stomach. Similarly, if you want to be happy in this world, there is no alternative without, I mean to say, performing sacrifices. That is recommended here. Evam pravartitam cakram. The circle is... The circle is described in the previous verses, that annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14].

You subsist by eating grains. Of course, nowadays we have invented so many artificial foodstuff. But however artificially foodstuff, however flesh and other things we may take, without grains we cannot live. The grains must be there. The wheat and the rice and the paddy and the cereals, there must be there. So real foodstuff is anna. Anna means this grain. So by eating grains we subsist. Our life prolongs by eating grains. So annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And grains are produced by proper rainfall. Rainfall is the main source of producing everything of our necessities of life. Without rainfall we cannot produce anything of the necessities of life.

We have got many necessities of life, not only grains. We require cotton for clothing. We require silk for luxury. We require valuable stones and jewels. All these are produced under certain circumstances of rain. Rain is falling on the sea and the ocean also. So there is purpose. Under certain constellation of the star, if the rain falls on the sea, it produces pearls and jewels. We have got this information from Vedic literature. So everything is produced, whatever you require.

Now, pasturing ground for the cows -- the grass is produced by rains, and the animals, they eat the grass, and they produce milk. You require milk. So everything, the main source of supply is the rainfall from the sky. That is not under your control. So Bhagavad-gita says, parjanyad anna-sambhavah. Without rain, you cannot have any production. Nothing can be produced without rain. And without production you cannot live. But rain, regular rain, and regulative rain and useful rain will fall when you perform sacrifices, yajna. Yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. And yajnah karma-samudbhavah. And you can perform yajna by working. Because yajna requires materials, so if you have no money, if you don't work, you cannot have money. So everything is a circle. It is nice circle.

Karma brahmodbhavam. And how to work, that is described in the Vedic injunction, that "You should work like this." We have all discussed. Niyatam kuru karma tvam karma jyayo hy akarmanah. So everyone has some prescribed duties. There are different classes of men. The intelligent class of men, the administrative class of men, the productive class of men, the laborer class of men -- everyone has to work. And by working, by the result of the work, one has to perform yajna. And by regular performance of yajna, there will be regular rains. And by regular rains, there will be production sufficient to supply your necessities of life. So that is the circle. That is the circle.

So anyway, one has to work sincerely his prescribed duties. And by the result of such work, one has to offer sacrifices to please the Supreme Lord. That is the circle. And Lord Krsna says, evam pravartitam cakram. Now, this circle, this moving circle, is... Just like the potter moves the circle to make production -- you have seen -- similarly, we have to move the circle. Circle means it is meant for moving.

So anyone who does not move the circle of activity, then his life is aghayur indriyaramah. His life is full of sin. His life is sinful, simply meant for sense gratification. Aghayur indriyaramo mogham partha sa jivati. His life is useless, without any purpose. And actually it has become like that.

Our life has become without any purpose. We do not understand why this human life we have got, why it is distinct from the dogs' life or the hogs' life or the animal life. We do not understand that. We have to understand that this human life is not meant for the animal propensities of life like cats and dog; it is meant for some other divine purpose. We have to get rid of this material encagement and attain our spiritual life and be happy forever. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. One has to return back to the kingdom of God. That is the mission of human life.

So one who does not know this mission of human life. So according to Bhagavad-gita, he is living uselessly. His purpose of life, he has no. Just like a ship without a rudder, a man without aim, you have no aim or purpose of life. This is the purpose of life. So we have to perform yajna. So those who are engaged in activities, by the result of his activities...

(Aside: You are going? Going? Going? All right.)

So anyone who does not move on this circle, according to Bhagavad-gita, he is passing on his life uselessly. Then the next.

yas tv atma-ratir eva syad
atma-trptas ca manavah
atmany eva ca santustas
tasya karyam na vidyate
[Bg. 3.17]

This is a... This yajna is prescribed for the general mass of people, that they must work sincerely according to their prescribed duties, and by the result of that duty or result of their action, they should offer sacrifices to the Lord.

Now, at the present moment the best sacrifice is recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the sacrifice of chanting the holy name of Lord. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. So now you come here and sit down here for sometimes and chant the holy name of the Lord. That is also sacrifice. That is also sacrifice. This is recommended for this age especially. Because we cannot make any other sacrifice, so in this age...

This age is called Kali. Kali means the age of quarrel. On minor things we are prepared to fight with one another. That is the system of this age. And if you open the newspaper in the morning, you will find so many news of fighting. So this is called the age of fighting and corruption. So in this age, they...

Formerly, as the sages and great kings, they were performing yajnas, rajasuya-yajna, asvamedha-yajna and so many big, big yajnas, and they required large fund of money, so that is not possible in this age. Lord Caitanya therefore recommended... Not only Lord Caitanya, out of His own will He has recommended.

It is prescribed in sastra, and it is said, krte yad dhyayato visnum. Krte means in the Satya-yuga or what is generally known as golden age. So in the Satya-yuga people used to realize self or used to elevate themselves to highest perfection of life by meditation. Meditation. You have heard the name of Valmiki Muni. Valmiki Muni, he meditated for sixty thousands of years. His whole body was covered by, what is called, worms. And... Because at that time people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. So gradually our life is being reduced. Yes. In the Satya-yuga, it is stated, that people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. And then, in the Treta-yuga, they used to live for one thousands of years. No. In the Dvapara-yuga for one thousand. And in the Treta-yuga, ten thousand years. In the Dvapara-yuga one thousand years. And now it has come down to one hundred years in this Kali-yuga. That also, one hundred years is not completed. Now we are dying within sixty or seventy and gradually it will be reduced to twenty to thirty years. That is also mentioned.

So what was possible in the Satya-yuga by meditation, that is not possible in this age. That is not possible. Therefore the methods have been made easier. Krte yad dhyayato visnum. What was being possible, to attain perfection of life by meditation in the Satya-yuga, that was possible in the Treta-yuga by offering of big sacrifices. Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih. Makhaih means big sacrifices.

And dvapare paricaryayam. That very thing was realized in the Dvapara-yuga by temple worship. There... From that in Dvapara-yuga in India so many temple worship flourished, not only in India, all over the world. Church worship is also temple worship. Mosque worship is also temple worship. It may be different for different countries and different class of people, but the whole thing is temple worship. Temple worship. There are, in the temple there are nine kinds of different process of worship.

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]

So the... Smaranam kirtanam vandanam. Vandanam means offering prayer. And arcanam means... That is... Of course, you have no experience. But India there is arcana of the Deity, installing Deity in the temples and worship from morning, half past four, till night, eleven. There are different kinds of worship. So either this worship or this prayer, they are called temple worship. Temple worship. Vandanam, offering prayer, is another sort of temple worship. So that is recommended. That was recommended in the Dvapara-yuga.

Dvapara-yuga means just during the Mahabharata time. Mahabharata time, five thousand years before, that was the end of Dvapara-yuga. Then, after the battle of Kuruksetra, this Kali-yuga has begun, Kali-yuga, this age, present age which we are passing on. In this age, this Kali-yuga will exist... From the Vedic scriptures we understand, it will exist for four hundred thousand years, four hundred thousands of years, four hundred twenty-seven thousands of years, not twenty-seven, thirty-two. Out of that, we have passed only five thousand years. So there is balance still, four hundred twenty-seven thousands of years, to finish this Kali-yuga, this age of...

Now, for this age... Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih. Now, different ages, different methods are prescribed. So for this age, it is prescribed that kalau tad dhari-kirtanat. Whatever was possible to perform in the Satya-yuga by meditation and the Treta-yuga by offering of great, I mean to say, costly sacrifices, and in the Dvapara-yuga by offering prayers or arcana in the temple, that can be made possible easily by hari-kirtana, by chanting the holy name of God. That is the prescription.

So, as the Bhagavad-gita prescribes, that you have to perform yajna, now, don't be afraid that you have to perform the same kind of yajna as it was being performed in the Treta-yuga or Dvapara-yuga by offering thousands and thousands of mounds of clarified butter and grains. That is not possible. Nobody can secure all those ingredients at the present moment. Neither it is recommended. In the Kali-yuga it is recommended that one can perform the sankirtana-yajna. That will give him the same result which was derived by meditation in Satya-yuga.

So Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced this method of sankirtana-yajna in this age. Five hundred years before, Lord Caitanya advented Himself in India in Bengal in the district of Navadvipa. It is about sixty miles from Calcutta. And He... Of course, He was born in that particular place, but He, I mean to say, distributed these missionary activities all over India. And He desired that His followers may also distribute this missionary activity in other parts of the world. That is His desire and foretelling.

So this yajna. So far yajna is concerned, we can perform this yajna, sankirtana-yajna. That is not very difficult. Everyone, at home or in this place... What is that?

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]

It is the most inexpensive performance of yajna. Anyone can adopt it, just to learn these sixteen words: Hare, Krsna, Hare, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Hare, Hare, Hare, Rama, Hare, Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare, these sixteen words. Anyone, any illiterate man or any rich man, any poor man or any man of any country, these sixteen words anyone can learn. You see?

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And chant. Go on chanting it. There is no expenditure.

Suppose if you are moving on the street and if you go on chanting

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

There is no expenditure and there is no loss. Suppose you are sitting on the bus, on the car, for two hours. For two hours, if you go on chanting, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna," then tremendous result. So why don't you try it? There is no expenditure; there is no loss, neither loss of time, neither loss of money, neither loss of energy. There is no loss. Simply and melodiously, in a singing way, if you go on, "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare," you are... You will be directly associating with the Supreme Lord. You will be directly associating.

Now, suppose, theoretically accepting that if I am directly associating with Supreme Lord, then what else I want more? In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. If you actually get the association of the Lord, then what else you have got to gain? You have got everything with you. So that is a fact. It is a question of realization only. And as soon as we get advanced in this chanting of this Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, then we shall gradually realize that actually God is with us. God is dancing on my tongue in the form of sound. You see?

So this is the simplest process of yajna, and that is introduced by Lord Caitanya. Not He has manufactured this process, but it is from authoritative scripture. And you can try it. You can try it. The result will be that gradually you will be on the way, on the path of liberation. Liberation means to get out of this material entanglement. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that by chanting this krsna-sankirtana, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, the first result will be that your heart will be cleared of all dust accumulated by years and years, life after life with this material association.

Just like we are sitting in this loft. So by association of this Bowery Street, always dust is coming in this room, and it is being stuck up, layer after layer, similarly, by association of this material contamination, we have in our heart accumulated so many material dust. The whole thing, our progress of spiritual life, our progress of spiritual realization, is checked only because we have got some misunderstanding of our identification. The identification is that "I am this body." That's all. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13].

This is also described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, that "One who is identified with this body of three elements..." This body is made of... According to Ayurvedic medicine system, this body is made of tri-dhatu: tejo-vari-mrd. That is also stated in the Bhagavata, tejo-vari-mrd. That means heat, water and earth. Heat, water and earth. The whole material creation is a combination of these three things, tejo-vari-mrd. Tejah means heat, or fire, and vari means water, and mrd means earth. So this body is earth, matter. These grains, the grains which we eat, that is also earth transformation. And now, by eating grains, this place is transformed. This is also earth. So we are seeing a very nice, beautiful, but it is earth. So it is made by interaction of this heat and water. That is the process going on, nature's creation. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13].

So anyone who identifies with this body, this bag of these three elements... This is a bag. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu. And from this bag there are many other bags emanated, just like my children. They are also my different bags, production of this bag. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu [SB 10.84.13]. One who identifies this bag as "myself" -- [break] "I am this body, and the result of my body, these kinsmen, children, and family, or countrymen or society men, they are my own men..."

Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih. Bhauma ijya-dhih means this earth from which this earthly body has grown up. That means the country, this country. We are fond of our country because from this American earth my body has developed, or from Indian earth, or this earth of this planet, apart from American or Indian conception of life. So we are human beings of this planet. So we are identifying with this planetary situation. So all these things, they have been very carefully analyzed. And the conclusion has been that yasyatma... "One who thinks like that, he is no better than ass and cow." Sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. Sa eva go-kharah. Go-kharah. Go means cow, and khara means ass. So actually, if we analyze the present civilization, oh, it is a civilization of go-khara. Go-khara, because we are identifying this body: "I am this body. And because this body has got connection with a particular woman, therefore she is my wife. And because by that combination we have got another production, some children, they are my children. And because expanded into society, into country and so many things..."

So all these entanglement is there. But actually I am pure soul. I am not this body. As soon as I understand this, then whole thing is vanished. You see? Because if I am not this body, then in relationship with this body, whatever I have expended, my extended selfishness is at once vanished. Then I am mukta-purusa; I am liberated soul. So Lord Caitanya says by chanting this sri-krsna-sankirtana, I become at once liberated from this misconception of life. What I need? I am suffering due to my, this misconception of life. The whole Vedic literature advises me that "You are not this material body." Aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman." Brahman means I am spirit. I am the supreme..., not supreme spirit, but I am spirit, Brahman. The Vedic literature does not say that I am Parambrahman. Parambrahman is Bhagavan. Qualitatively, I am one with Parambrahman, and Brahman, there is qualitatively oneness because Brahman... Gold, big gold or small gold, that doesn't matter. Gold, both of them are gold.

So Lord Caitanya says that ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This misconception of life will be the first installment of our profit by chanting, by regularly chanting this Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna, by performing this yajna, the first installment. That first installment will be: I become liberated from the material conception of life at once. The many great sages, they are going to Himalaya. They are going to the forest for meditation just to realize "what I am." Now Lord Caitanya says that this, what you are, your self-realization, your spiritual realization, will be the first installment. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. This is simply... Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12] means this is misconception, that what I am not, I am thinking I am. It is simply to understand that I am not. Actually I am not this. We can understand it very shortly, within a moment.

That Bhagavad-gita... I have already told you that avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam. That portion which is spread all over your body, that you are. That is avinasi, that is immortal. Now what is that? My consciousness. And what is that consciousness? That is the symptom of my presence. I am a soul present in this body, and the consciousness is the symptom. Means as soon as this consciousness is removed, the body has no value. That we are experiencing every day. As soon as from the body the consciousness is out, oh, it is dead body. We are crying, "Oh, my son is gone," "My husband is gone," "My brother..." Why your son is gone? It is lying there in the floor. Why you are crying? "No, no." That gone means that consciousness gone. Gone means that... Therefore the consciousness is the real thing.

So we misunderstand. We misunderstand. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says the misunderstanding of this body identification is at once removed by performing this yajna,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Then the next installment? Simply, simply understanding that "I am not this body; I am consciousness" will do it? No. That is the first step. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If you are actually conscious of being not this body, actually when, then your all material miseries are at once removed. As soon as you come to the real point of understanding that "I am not this body," then the whole misunderstanding of material existence, bhava-maha-davagni... Bhava-maha-davagni means... Each and every word is very carefully selected in Sanskrit, and they have got immense meaning, full of meaning. Now, this, why this bhava-maha-davagni, this very word, I will try to explain. Bhava. Bhava means the situation in which we have to take repeated birth and we accept repeated death. That is called bhava. And that is a kind of maha-davagni. Maha means great, and davagni means forest fire. Forest fire. Forest fire, have you seen, any of you? Here you have got many forests, but I don't think you have seen any forest fire. I have seen. Forest fire takes automatically. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but by, I mean to say, cohesion of different dry bamboos or woods, fire takes, by electricity fire takes place, and the whole forest is ablaze. That is called davagni. So this material world, nobody wants. Everyone wants peaceful life. But the nature of the material world is that automatically there is fire. Automatically there is.

Just like in New York your fire brigade is always traveling, always afraid of if there is any fire, because we are expecting every moment fire, every moment fire. Nobody is setting fire in his house, but automatically there is fire. So however we may want, however we may try in the United Nations organization that there will be no war, oh, it will take. It will take place. And already taking place. The war is going on. You cannot stop it. Therefore it is called bhava-maha-davagni. Just like in the forest nobody goes to set fire -- it automatically takes place -- similarly, in spite of our good wish that we want to live peacefully in this world, there cannot be any peace. There will be fire, set of fire, fire set off. Yes. So as soon as one be confidently convinced that "I am not this body," then he is protected from this fire of this material world, fire, material world. Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam. Then his actual life begins. Then also... Then he is actually blissful life.

Sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam. Just like the moon rises from the new moon. Gradually the moon rises into the full moon. Therefore the candrika, candrika, this very word, is used. It is compared with the moon. Just like on the pratipada, after the new moon, you see the moon just like a line. Then, next day, it becomes little more, next, little more. Just like pratipada, on the eleventh day it is practically full. On the eleventh day we observe ekadasi, and then, after four days, the full moon -- the whole world is full of light. So sreyah-kairava-candrika... As soon as this bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam, as soon as we get rid of this misconception of identifying this body, then our real blissful life begins, gradually develops just like the moon develops. Sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam.

Vidya-vadhu-jivanam means full knowledge, full knowledge. We are hankering after knowledge; then we come to the point of full knowledge. Vidya-vadhu-jivanam anandambudhi-vardhanam. Ananda. We cannot increase ananda here. In the material sense gratification, ananda does not increase. If you want some ananda from sense, for the time being it may give you some pleasure, but at once it decreases. You have no more capacity to enjoy. You see? At once decreases. So it is not ananda. It is not real ananda. Ananda means that will increase, increase. You enjoy and increases. Increases. Anandambudhi-vardhanam. The example is very nice. Ambudhi. Ambudhi means sea. Sea... You don't find sea has increased. You go to the, what is called, seaside. Ten years before you had been to the seaside. You see the same level is there. It does not increase. If it increases, the whole New York City will be overflooded. It does not increase. But here Lord Caitanya says that ambudhi, the ocean of bliss, it increases. It increases. That is a new experience. When you are actually in spiritual happiness, your bliss will be increased.

Material happiness means your bliss will be decreased. Suppose if you want a good cake or good foodstuff, you want to eat. Now, suppose you take two cakes or three cakes. Now, the fourth cake you will refuse, "No, no more I want. No more. I don't want," because that, I mean to say, pleasure now has decreased. Decreased. But here He says, Lord Caitanya says, that your ananda, bliss, will be increased. Increased. That is spiritual. That is the test of spiritual life. When you engage yourself in spiritual function, the test will be that you will not feel tired. You will not feel tired. Suppose if you are engaged in some spiritual function, you will find more activity, more activity. More you do, more you find activity. That is spiritual. That is spiritual. So these things are there.

So we are not to be afraid of, that we cannot perform this yajna as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gita. By the grace of Lord Caitanya and by the grace of Vedic literature we have got this information that yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Yajnaih sankirtana. This yajna, sankirtana-yajna, chanting yajna, one can perform, and one can please the Supreme Lord. That is prescribed. So this is very easy, and anyone can adopt, only to remember the sixteen names, and at any time.

Lord Caitanya also says that namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita. The name, name Krsna, and Krsna person, there is no difference. There is no difference. You don't think that "Arjuna was fortunate to receive instruction of Krsna directly, but we are unfortunate. We are not in the presence of Krsna." No, no, no, no. That is a, our mistake. Krsna is present by the sound representation. Because God is Absolute, therefore there is no difference. Just like here we have got difference; nothing is Absolute.

Now, this watch, this name of this watch... This name of this article is "watch." Now, "watch" and the thing, watch, there is difference. If I want to see watch and if I sound, "Watch, watch, watch," no, my purpose of watch-seeing will not serve. I want the actual substance, which is watch. If I am thirsty, if I simply speak of "Water, water, water," my thirst will not be quenched. I want actual water. If we want something else for my enjoyment, the name will not do, because nothing in this... This is dual world. This world is of duality. But in the absolute world there is no such duality. Everything is everything. One plus one equal to one; one minus one equal to one. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. These are Vedic injunction, that "If you take the whole thing from the whole, still, the balance is whole. The balance is whole."

So Lord Caitanya also said the same thing, that namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah. This chanting, this performance of yajna, is so powerful that the Krsna name is as powerful as Krsna, the person. Namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktih. And in the Krsna name all the... God is almighty. So all the mightiness of God is there. Simply we have to realize. So namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita. And there is already invested all the potency, all the potency of the supreme person into His name.

And niyamitah smarane na kalah. And you have no hard and fast rule for chanting. It is not that... Now, suppose if you have got to go to church or to temple, you have to dress yourself properly; you have to purify yourself and so many things before you enter into the church. Of course, any sacred place, the rules and regulation are the same. The Mohammedans also, they go the mosque after washing their hands and feet very nicely. So... And Hindu principle also, the same thing is there. They go to the temple after taking bath and purifying. So many things are there, either Hinduism or Mohammedanism or Christianism, according to country and climate and people. Practically, the principles are the same. They may be... Formally, they may appear to be... But the thing is there.

But here, niyamitah smarane na kalah. Here you don't require that you have to take your bath before chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. No. Oh, because you are in the bathroom, therefore you cannot chant Hare Krsna? No. You can chant even there. So such a thing. Because if actually Krsna, that very name, is Krsna, then how I can remain impure? The potency is there. It makes me at once pure. Just like as soon as there is light, there is no question of darkness. Darkness and light cannot stand together. Either it must be darkness or must be light. So as soon as there is light... So Krsna is light. Krsna name is light. Therefore there cannot be any impurities. Impurity is due to my, this material body. But I am, at that moment, I am in the spiritual platform. So this impurities cannot touch me.

These are the points of realization. As we make sincerely sincere effort to perform this yajna, particular yajna for this age, then we make our progress. It is most inexpensive and very easy and very powerful. Why don't you adopt it? That is my request to you.

Thank you very much. Now, if there is any question you can put. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966

"Become Devotee--God Will Care"

"Become Devotee--God Will Care"

25 May 75 , Honolulu

Prabhupada: So this Prahlada-caritra play, drama, is very instructive. Although it is not played on a very nice stage, theatrical, but the feeling expressed by the devotees in playing this Prahlada-caritra has become very successful. We want to understand the feeling. Externally, we may not be very much equipped. Krsna takes the feeling. Bhava-grahi janardana.

So Prahlada Maharaja is one of the great personality in devotional line. Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. It is very difficult to understand what is the purpose of religious principle. People actually do not know what is religion; therefore we have got so many religious system, man-made, or concocted ideas. Actually, religion means the law given by God. That is religion. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like the law given by the state, by the government, you have to accept it. There is no question that the government is Christian government or Muhammadan government or Hindu government. It doesn't matter. The law given by the government, you must accept. You cannot deny it. So actually God is neither Hindu God nor Muhammadan God nor Christian God. God is God. His power is omnipotent. It is equally applicable to Hindu, to Muslim, to Christian -- anyone -- to animal, to human being. Just like God has given this law, "You must die." This is applicable to everyone -- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, man, animal, trees, birds, beasts, everyone. It cannot be disobeyed. That is law. That is God's law. You may be very much advanced in knowledge or so-called science, but because God says that in the material life you must die, you cannot avoid this law. That is called dharma. Dharma means the characteristic, that God has given this law that everyone should die; therefore all living beings' characteristic is that he must die. This is called religion. Similarly, God says that "You are My eternal servant. You must obey Me." That is religion. You try to understand the meaning of religion. Religion means the law given by God, and you must accept it. That is religion.

So people do not know. They manufacture religion. So how you can manufacture religion? Law can be given by the king, by the state, by the government. If you manufacture some law at your home, consulting your wife or father and mother, who will accept it? Nobody will accept. You may be puffed up that you have manufactured a law, but nobody will care for it. The law given by the state will have to be accepted, either you like it or don't like it. The law will not depend on your liking and disliking. You must accept. If you don't accept, then you are a law breaker; you will be punished. Similarly, the religion means, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad..., sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is religion, that "You have manufactured so many types of religion. You give it up. Kick it out. This is religion: you surrender unto Me." So if you become a surrendered soul to God -- that means you become a devotee -- then you are religionist. Otherwise you are criminal. Therefore sastra says that you should follow the great devotees. That is religion. You cannot manufacture religion, you cannot concoct religion. You just try to follow the great personalities, and that is religion.

So there... In the sastra there are great personalities. They have been mentioned. Just like Lord Brahma, Narada Muni, Lord Siva, then Kumaras, then Kapila, Manu, and Prahlada. Prahlado janako bhismo. Prahlada Maharaja is one of the great personalities who knows what is religion. So he practiced it. Unfortunately, he was born of a atheist father, Hiranyakasipu. But by the grace of Narada Muni he knew what is religion. You have seen in the play that when his mother was pregnant, the demigods were taking her to the prison just to keep her observation, that the child which is born of a atheist father, Hiranyakasipu, may not be missed. They wanted to kill him also. But although he was born of an atheist father, demoniac father, he became a great devotee by the instruction of Narada Muni. Narada Muni took his poor mother. He asked the demigods, "Why you are harassing this lady? After all, she is woman. She is dependent." So by the order of Narada Muni they let her go, and her husband was engaged in tapasya, so she had no protection. Therefore Narada Muni took her at his asrama and instructed her about God consciousness. That is the duty of saintly person. So Prahlada Maharaja, while he was within the womb of his mother, he heard all those instructions. His mother in due course of time -- that is the nature of woman -- she forgot the instruction. But Prahlada Maharaja remembered; therefore he became a great devotee. This is the history of Prahlada Maharaja.

So Prahlada Maharaja became a devotee, not a so-called devotee, that "If my senses are gratified, then I shall continue to remain a devotee. Otherwise I shall slip away, go away. That's all." So he was not such kind of devotee. He remained devotee in all circumstances. You see his father wanted to chastise him is so many ways. But what was Prahlada's fault? He was chanting Hare Krsna, and the father did not like it. So he wanted to induce him to stop this Hare Krsna, but he never stopped. In all circumstances he remained steady in..., when he was thrown into the boiling water... It is said oil. He was put into the oil. So he remained steady. So many demonic persons threatened him; he remained steady. His mother was instructed by the father to give poison in the food. So he remained steady. Then the father understood that "My son has got some mystic power." The mystic power was that he was a great devotee of Krsna, that's all. A devotee never practices any mystic power. But a devotee, being protected by the supreme mystic, Krsna, a devotee is never in danger in all circumstances. That is the instruction in this... So just to try... Try to remain a devotee always, and Krsna will give you protection in all circumstance. There is no fear. Devotees, they remain devotee of Krsna, and Krsna does everything. If something mystic or magic has to be shown, the devotee does not take any credit for that magic, because the magic is done by Krsna for the sake of devotee. So he doesn't require to learn the art of magic to cheat the people. That is not. When magic is required, Krsna plays. Krsna is called Yogesvara. Yoga is mystic power, and He is the Yogesvara, master of yoga, mystic power. Yatra yogesvarah harih. Just like Krsna was on the chariot of the Kuruksetra battle, Arjuna. Arjuna was facing enemies, big, big enemies like Bhisma, Karna, Dronacarya, and many other who were very very powerful. Arjuna was nothing before them. They are compared with timingila, timingila, a big fish which swallows up the whale fishes. So Maharaja Pariksit said that "Although they were timingila-like, they could kill thousands of Arjuna, but still, because You were protecting him, sitting on his chariot, they were killed; Arjuna was not killed."

So the devotee, he doesn't require to acquire any mystic power. What mystic power Prahlada could attain? He was only five years old. So there was no opportunity of acquiring any mystic power. But he was being protected by the supreme mystic, Krsna. That should be a devotee's point of view. Don't waste your time for acquiring so-called mystic power. Just devote yourself to remain a pure devotee of Krsna, and you become the supreme mystic. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]

There are many yogis, mystics, but Krsna confirms that "Of all the yogis, of all the mystics, a person who is always thinking of Me," sraddhavan bhajate yo mam, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana, "always thinking Me, Krsna, within himself: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare...," so Krsna said, "he is the best yogi." Yoginam api sarvesam. Sarvesam means "of all." "Of all kinds of yogis, the best yogi is who is always thinking of Me." That is Krsna's philosophy, He is teaching in the Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Four things. If you sincerely do these four things -- always think of Krsna, man-mana; just become His devotee, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto; mad-yaji, worship Krsna... Just like we do in the temple room. Man-mana... You can do worship anywhere if you are a devotee. A devotee can worship Krsna anywhere, underneath a tree. Because Krsna is in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. So if underneath a tree you think of Krsna and chant Hare Krsna, that is sufficient. Krsna does not require any big paraphernalia. He only wants how you are a sincere devotee. That's all. And that devotional service can be discharged in any condition. Ahaituky apratihata. It cannot be checked by the material circumstances. This is the process of Krsna consciousness. And you see the five-years-old boy, how he was protected from all kinds of dangers and he refused to take any benediction. He refused. The devotee should not be a mercantile man: "If you give me something, then I shall give you something." That is business. A devotee is not like that. He understands that he is eternal servant of Krsna, his duty is to serve Krsna. In the material world a servant works when money is paid, wages. A devotee is not like that. A devotee serves Krsna out of duty. That is God consciousness, Krsna consciousness, that "It is my duty." And then Krsna takes the responsibility, "It is My duty to protect this devotee." This reciprocation is called Krsna consciousness. There is no question of business transaction. Then he will be protected. Krsna is nobody's servant, but everyone is Krsna's servant. If everyone becomes Krsna's servant, then everyone is protected by Krsna. Krsna is protecting. Krsna is God, so He is protecting everyone, He is giving food everyone, but especially inclined to the devotees. Samah sarvesu-bhutesu.

There is a verse, samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah [Bg. 9.29]. Krsna says God must be equal to everyone. God is one, so He is giving everyone food. The birds, beasts, they are getting food. The elephant he is also getting food. So who is supplying him food? Krsna, God is supplying. So in that way He is equal to everyone in ordinary dealing. But especially deals with the devotees. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. When he was put into danger, then Lord Nrsimhadeva came personally to give him protection. That is the special duty of God. That is not unnatural. If somebody says, "God is partial, that He takes special care of His devotee," no, that is not partiality. Just like a gentleman -- in the neighborhood, he loves all children, but when his own child is in danger, he takes special care. That is not unnatural. You cannot blame him that "Why you are taking special care of your own child?" No. That is natural. Nobody will blame him. Similarly, everyone is God's sons, but His devotee is special. That is God's special attention. Ye tu bhajanti mam pritya tesu te mayi. So God is giving protection to every living entity, but if you become devotee of the Lord, pure devotee, without any motive, then God will take special care of you. That is Krsna consciousness movement, that we are being harassed by maya, the material energy, and if we take shelter of Krsna then we will be specially protected. Mam eva prapadyante mayam etam taranti te.

So try to become devotee of Krsna. Our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this philosophy. We have got so many books. Whoever comes here must read the books, devotee, the inmates of the temple, outsider, then you will understand what is Krsna consciousness. Or you should chant Hare Krsna only. Don't talk rubbish things, waste time. That is not good. A single moment is so valuable that you cannot purchase it by millions of dollars. Now today is 25th May, four o'clock gone. You cannot bring it back. Four o'clock, 25th May, 1975, if you want to get it back again by paying millions of dollars, it will not be possible. Therefore we should be very careful of our time. Time once wasted, you cannot get it back return. Better utilize this time. The best utilization is to chant Hare Krsna or think of Krsna, worship Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- Honolulu, May 25, 1975