Krishna Movement Can't Be Killed

Krishna Movement Can't Be Killed

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.32
Vrndavana, November 19, 1976

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Pradyumna: "When Lord Rsabhadeva saw that the general populace was very antagonistic to His execution of mystic yoga, He accepted the behavior of a python in order to counteract their opposition. Thus He stayed in one place and lay down. While lying down, He ate and drank, and He passed stool and urine and rolled in it. Indeed, He smeared His whole body with His own stool and urine so that opposing elements might not come and disturb Him."

Prabhupada: Yarhi vava sa bhagavan lokam imam yogasyaddha. [SB 5.5.32] So this is another process of yoga-siddhi, ajagara-vrtti, ajagara, python, lying down in one place, eating and passing urine, stool, everything. Ajagara-vrtti. Ajagara, the python, it lies down in one place, big, big python, sometimes covered by the earth, but still, he gets his food. Big, big animals enter into the home of the python. And the python can eat even a full horse, what to speak of other animals. But still, Krsna supplies him food. He hasn't got to go anywhere. So sometimes saintly persons, they sit down in one place. If Krsna sends him food he will eat; otherwise he will starve. In our acarya-sampradaya, Madhavendra Puri, Bilvamangala Thakura, they were doing that. In Vrndavana Bilvamangala Thakura, he was blind. He was sitting in one place, and Krsna used to come and supply him milk.

So there is no anxiety for maintenance of the body. There is no anxiety. Sastra therefore says that "Don't spoil your energy for the matter of maintenance of the body. That is already settled up." Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. That is the Vedic injunction. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is nitya as we are nitya. Nitya means there is no birth and death. Na jayate na mriyate va, nityah sasvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. This is our constitutional position. And what is the difference between the two nityas? One is plural number and the other is singular number. The singular number nitya, or Krsna, He supplies food to everyone. Oh, whatever we require, that is already settled up. Therefore we should not spend our energy for maintenance of the body. That is not required. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad brahmatam upary adhah [SB 1.5.18]. Our human energy should be utilized only for that purpose which was not fulfilled in other lives, in the 8,400,000 different species of life, and you are changing, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13], by nature's law, prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani [Bg. 3.27]. According to guna and karma, we are changing our body in 8,400,000's of species and forms. That is By nature's law it is going on, and the nature's law, according to the body, one has to eat, sleep, and sense gratification and protection. At night we see so many dogs. The whole day they could not get food. At night they are crying. And there are other bodies; they are eating nicely. Even the small birds, they have got food. But this dog, they cannot get food. This is God's arrangement. They are condemned life. Otherwise others are getting food; why this body is not getting food? The hogs, they are eating stool.

So varieties of life and varieties of position, you cannot change them. That is not possible. So the theory is humanitarianism, daridra-narayana-seva... Seva. It is not seva. A poor man, you can have mercy, daya. That is allowed. Just like we distribute prasadam. That is balisesu Isvare tad-adhinesu balisesu dvisatsu ca, prema-maitri-krpa upeksa. Krpa. Those who are suffering -- innocent, they do not know how to get release from the suffering -- they are called balisa. Just like a child. A child is suffering, he does not know how to get relief; so one should take care. They should be given shelter, they should be given cloth, food. It is the duty of the parents. That is natural. So for the balisa, innocent, it is our duty to show them mercy, give them food, give them shelter, give them instruction of Krsna consciousness so that he may understand why he is here in this material world, why he is suffering. Ke ami kene amaya jape tapa traya. Everyone is suffering threefold miserable condition of life, adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika.

So the Krsna consciousness movement is meant for showing mercy to the innocent who are suffering in this material world. That is wanted. It is not daridra-narayana seva, that "I am very rich man. I am rich Narayana, and therefore I can serve the daridra-narayana." There is no question of serving. That is not. No. The fact is everyone is suffering. There is nobody... Because asad-grahat. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat [SB 7.5.5]. Anyone within this material..., he is suffering, full of anxieties. Even the birds and beasts, you'll find, they are full of anxiety. Why? Asad-grahat. Because he accepted this material body, which is asat, which is temporary. Asato ma sad gamah. Therefore Vedic injunction is, "Don't stay in this material existence. Come to the spiritual existence, sat." Om tat sat. This is the civilization, not to keep the people in ignorance and flatter them that "You are making very good advance." There is no advance unless one is interested in spiritual life. There is no... Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [SB 1.5.18]. In this way we are wandering within this universe in different forms of life, in different planets, in different social positions, in so many varieties.

So this is not our life. Our life is to regain our spiritual consciousness, revive our spiritual existence. And for this purpose we must endeavor. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidah. Kovidah means one who is intelligent. Otherwise, those who are not intelligent, they think that "I have got this life. I shall enjoy sense gratification," and "There is no life after death." Krsna says, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13], but these rascals will say, "No, there is no life." So therefore Krsna has said, "Mudhas, rascals, they do not accept what I am speaking in this Bhagavad-gita." Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. They got the chance of understanding Krsna, but they do not know. And the so-called rascal leaders, they are also misleading them, that "There was no Battle of Kuruksetra. There was no instruction like that. It is all mythology, and we can utilize it for our political purposes but it has no value. I can interpret in my own way; you can interpret in your own way. Actually, this instruction has no value." Yata mata tata patha. "You can interpret in your own way; I can interpret..." In this way things are going on. This is the position.

Therefore our movement is being checked in the Western countries that this is a brainwash movement. Brainwash movement, that we are injecting some ideas by psychology, mental control, and our people they are taking to it, and it is spreading like epidemic. How to check it? Therefore they are now taking action how to stop this Hare Krsna movement in Europe and America. They are trying. Of course, we are not afraid of this attempt. They will never be successful, rest assured, because we are pushing Krsna consciousness. Krsna was attempted to be killed from the very beginning of His life. That is the nature of this material world, "How to kill God," "God is dead." This is their attempt. So from the life of Krsna we can understand that so many attempts were made by the demons and the raksasas to kill Krsna, but actually Krsna killed them all. So if you are sincere, if you follow the principles and push on this Krsna consciousness movement, nobody can kill you. You'll go forward, rest assured. We are not going to be killed. That they are perceiving, that this movement is spreading like epidemic, and the young men of Europe and America, they're taking seriously. Professor Stillson Judah already has given his conclusion that "This movement is not going to stop. It will go on." That's a fact. Krsna cannot be killed, neither His movement cannot be killed. Rather, those who are attempting to kill, they will be killed. But we must be very sincere, serious, follow the regulative principle and chant Hare Krsna mantra as you have been taught. Follow this principle boldly, and there is no fear.

So Rsabhadeva is Krsna. So He became disturbed while walking on the street. He is not disturbed, but it is instruction that "If you are disturbed, you feel disturbed in this way, so you adopt this way. You sit down." Similarly, if they are disturbing too much, so we can sit down in one place and chant Hare Krsna. There is no difficulty. And Krsna will send you all necessities. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22]. He promises. Krsna cannot say anything lie. He is perfect. So if there is actually impediments to push on this movement -- people disturb too much -- never mind. You sit down in one place and still go on preaching. Yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. People will come still in India. Why India? In your country also, if saintly person goes, they come. That is the practice in everywhere. So you can sit down and still preach. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa. Ei desa means where you are sitting, where you are living, any place. And sit down. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. And But try to deliver these innocent persons who are suffering.

Everyone is suffering. That should be the motto. Do not sit idly, eat and sleep. No. Either loitering, wandering... I know, our men in Krsna consciousness, they are bold enough. They have sometimes been, I mean to say, beaten in the airport. But still, they are so straightforward, suffering from the police, from the public. And Rsabhadeva was sometimes bitten on his body, urine, pass urine on his body, so much. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Rsabhadeva. So He is teaching us that for the ultimate benefit of life you prepare yourself to suffer all kinds of tribulations. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given this instruction:

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada...

You should not give up your preaching work. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. If there are tribulations, as Rsabhadeva He is Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vaikuntha, and He has no suffering.

Haridasa Thakura, he was beaten in twenty-one bazaars regular with cane because he was Muhammadan, and in those days the Muhammadan kingdom was going on, Pathan ruling. So the Kazi, he saw that one Muhammadan, he has become a devotee of Krsna. So he called him so, that "With great fortune you became a Muhammadan, and now you are taking to Hinduism? You are so unfortunate?" So he could understand that "Here is a rascal. What I shall talk with him and argue with him?" He simply said, "Sir, it is... What is the fault there? Just like so many Hindus, they sometimes become Muhammadan, and suppose if I have become a Hindu, what is the wrong there?" So the Kazi took it very seriously: "Oh, you are answering? All right. Order him that you beat this man in twenty-one..., cane, caning." So Haridasa Thakura was beaten in public market. The idea was that beating, he would die. But he did not die. Then the, I mean to say, men who were given in charge to beat him, they became afraid, that "If this man is not dead, then the Kazi will take us very seriously that we have not beaten him seriously." So they began to flatter him, "Sir, unless you die, we'll be dead. Our life is in great danger." So Haridasa Thakura made a show of death, and he was brought before the Kazi that "Here, the body is dead."

So sometimes this kind of tribulation are there. Jesus Christ, what was his fault? He was preaching about God, or Krsna. That was his fault and he was crucified. So this is the world. This is the world. As soon as you become... This is maya's arrangement. Maya, as soon as she sees that "This man is going out of my hand," she'll put so many tribulations, and we have to tolerate them.

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
 [Cc. Adi 17.31]

But you cannot stop kirtana. That is not possible.

So you should learn from the... Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186], learn from the mahajana. Mahajana means the devotees. Mahajana. Mahajana is also addressed in India to the baniers, means the mercantile class, mahajana. The brahmana is addressed as pandita, and the ksatriya is addressed as thakura, and the vaisyas are addressed as mahajana, and the sudras are addressed as chaudhuri. This is Indian etiquette. So we are not talking of this banier mahajana. Mahajanas are described in the sastra, twelve mahajana:

svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam
 [SB 6.3.20]

So they are twelve mahajanas, and we have to follow these mahajanas. The Rsabhadeva is also mahajana, and the greatest mahajana is Krsna. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). Jana, jana means life, and mahajana, the supreme person. So mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Don't argue unnecessarily. Tarko 'pratisthah srutayo vibhinna. You cannot come to conclusion by this method or that method. Just try to follow. Sadhu-marga-anugamanam, adau gurv-asrayam sad-dharma-prccha, sadhu-marganugamanam. We have to follow the footprints of great saintly persons, devotees, mahajana. Here is Rsabhadeva. But in the Kali-yuga it is not possible to imitate ajagara-vrtti. It is not possible because we are already so weak. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. This is our position. We are very unfortunate. Every one of us, we are very bad, mandah, bad habits. So it is not possible to imitate Rsabhadeva or Haridasa Thakura. Don't imitate but try to follow. Anusarana. Anukarana is not good. Anukarana means false imitation. That is called anukarana. And anusarana means to follow. Try to follow as far as possible.

So we have got good opportunity to follow Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is intelligence. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. There is no need of unnecessarily accepting tribulation which is impossible in this age, when we are so much disturbed. We are already dead, just like animals. Therefore it is a special concession:

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann
hy asti eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya
 mukta-sangah param...
 [SB 12.3.51]

Simply try to chant Hare Krsna mantra very sincerely, without any offense. Then... It is not possible to imitate or even follow Rsabhadeva's process of self-realization. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible. But as it is recommended in the sastra, as Rsabhadeva in his another incarnation, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is teaching, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21]. Chant Hare Krsna and you will get perfection.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976

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One Kind of Devotion Will Do

One Kind of Devotion Will Do

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.19
Bombay, November 19, 1974

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Nitai: "Perfection in self-realization cannot be attained by any kind of yogi unless he engages in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because that is the only auspicious path."

Prabhupada:

na yujyamanaya bhaktya
bhagavaty akhilatmani
sadrso 'sti sivah pantha
yoginam brahma-siddhaye
 [SB 3.25.19]

Yogi... Yogi means connecting, and brahma-siddhaye... Brahma-siddhaye means self-realization, aham brahmasmi. Simply to know that "I am spirit soul" is not sufficient. It must be further advanced. Then it will be siddha, perfection, brahma-siddhaye. To realize "I am Brahman, aham brahmasmi," that is not sufficient. You have to make further progress. Just like to become feverless... Suppose one is suffering from fever. So medicine is given and the no more fever, fever stops. That is not sufficient. Not only fever should stop, but you should get strength, you should get appetite, you should have normal life. Then it is perfect cure of the disease. Similarly, brahma-siddhaye, to realize that "I am spirit soul," is not sufficient. You have to be engaged in the spiritual activities. That is bhakti.

Bhakti means spiritual activities. There is activity... It is not... The Mayavadi philosophers, they think that "Stop material activities." Brahma satyam jagan mithya. "Why you are engaged..." The Buddhist philosophy also, they say nirvana, "Stop this material life." The Buddhist philosophers, they do not give more information. "We are suffering on account of this material combination." That is their philosophy. Because this body is nothing but combination of earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence and ego, so if you separate it, let the earth go to the earth, let water go to the water, let fire go to the fire, then you become zero. If you dismantle just like we dismantle some house, so there are so many things coming out. So let the doors be taken, somebody windows, somebody the bricks, somebody and..., rubbish somebody. Then there is no house, zero. This is called nirvana theory. No more existence. We are suffering pains and pleasure... Pains. There is no pleasure. Pleasure means accepting another type of pain. I am suffering... Just like there is boil on your body. This is suffering. And to cure it, another suffering, surgical operation. So it is going on like that. Actually, there is no pleasure. There is only pain.

So the Buddhist theory is to dismantle this construction, and then there is no more sense of pains and... The Mayavadi theory also like that, that "Activities, because they are material activities, therefore there are sufferings. So the material activities, they are false. You simply understand yourself, that you are Brahman, and no more activities, stop all activities, Brahman realization..." Their example is given that if you take an empty pitcher and you put into the water, so long it is not filled up, there will be some sound: "bud-bud-bud-bud-bud-bud." And as soon as the pitcher is fully filled up, there is no, no more sound. So all these Vedic mantras and other..., they're only means. So when one is completely Brahman realized, then there is no more chanting, hearing or Vedic hymns. Everything stop. The same theory. Buddhist theory and Mayavada theory is almost practically the same. They are saying, "Make it zero," and they are saying, "It is mithya, false. Stop it." Brahma satyam, brahma satyam jagan... Brahma satya means Brahman realization, "I am Brahman. I am the same Supreme... So 'ham." But that will not help you. That is simply theoretical. Practical is bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani.

Bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani. Bhagavan is everywhere. Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1].

eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah
andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.35]

Akhilatma. Hari, Isvara, Bhagavan akhilatmani. Akhilatmani bhakti. Bhakti, this word, is applicable only to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore it is said here, bhagavaty akhilatmani. Bhagavan is not alone. He's not only localized; He is everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. That is called akhilatma-although He has got a particular place. Just like Krsna. He is here; He is in many other temples also. That is Krsna. It is not that Krsna, because He is in one place, He cannot be in other place. Just like we are. We are conditioned. We are here. I am sitting here; you are sitting here. But you are not at your home, in your apartment. Krsna is not like that. Krsna... Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. He's always in the Goloka Vrndavana. Still, He is andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. Andantara-stha means He is within this universe. This universe, the whole universe, is going on because there is the Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim [Bs. 5.35]. There are not only one universe; there are koti, millions. And ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. One amsa of Krsna, that Garbhodakasayi Visnu, is there. Just like this body is working nicely because the soul, the spirit soul, is within this body, similarly, the whole universe, its activities are going the, going nicely, regularly, everything, because the Garbhodakasayi Visnu is there. It is not difficult. Matter cannot work so nicely. Don't think that the so many planets, they are floating in the air without any arrangement. There is arrangement. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. Vistabhya aham idam sarvam ekamsena sthito jagat. Therefore Krsna is there, akhilatma, Krsna as Supersoul. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna, although localized, although He's always in His Goloka Vrndavana dhama, still, He is everywhere. Therefore His name is akhilatma. Hari, Isvara, Bhagavan, Akhilatma, Paramesvara, Paramatma... There are so many names.

So here it is said, na yujyamanaya bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani. If you engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Supersoul or expanded everywhere, even within the atom, then your yoga system for brahma-siddhaye, for self-realization will be complete. Siddhaye. Yatatam api siddhanam. Therefore it is said, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. This siddhaye. Siddhaye means brahma-siddhaye. Out of many millions and millions of persons, one is interested in brahma-siddhi. Nobody's interested. We are crying everywhere, "Please come. We have made this center. Please come and realize yourself and make your life perfect." But nobody's interested. Manusyanam sahasresu. Therefore Krsna says, "Out of millions and millions of persons, one may be interested." Similarly, there is statement in the Caitanya-caritamrta,

ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija
 [Cc. Madhya 19.151]

Kona bhagyavan jiva. To come to Krsna consciousness is not very easy. It is meant for the most fortunate persons. Kona bhagyavan jiva. Bhakti-yoga, to accept Krsna consciousness or bhakti-yoga, is not so easy. Therefore general people, they are not interested. General people, they are not interested.

bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam
tayapahrta-cetasam
vyavasayatmika buddhih
samadhau na vidhiyate
 [Bg. 2.44]

Those who are too much materially interested, sense gratification, they are not very much interested in Krsna consciousness. They are not very much interested. So don't be disappointed that many people are not coming. It is a, it is a subject matter which is not for many people. Only selected. Just like if you enquire how many fools are there, you will find only, you will find practically everyone is fool, but if you want to see how many M.A.'s are there, it will be very difficult to find out.

So it is by Krsna's, mean, Lord Caitanya's mercy that we are preaching Krsna consciousness all over the world, and the fortunate, those who are very, very fortunate, they are coming to it. Otherwise, it is not very easy thing that people are interested in brahma-siddhaye. And brahma-siddhaye means complete self-realization, or perfect self-realization. That is called brahma-siddhi. To understand first of all Brahman... Jnana-vairagya-yuktena. That is also bhakti-yuktena. In previous verse we have discussed that,

jnana-vairagya-yuktena
bhakti-yuktena catmana
paripasyaty udasinam
prakrtim ca hataujasam
 [SB 3.25.18]

To be less influenced by the material modes of life, one has to come to this platform of jnana, vairagya and bhakti. Otherwise it is not possible. And that, the same process is being stressed again: na yujyamanaya bhaktya bhagavati... Bhakti, where it is to be applied? Somebody says, "I have got bhakti." Where you have got bhakti? "Now, I have got very much bhakti to my wife. I love her very much. I take care of her. If I do not see her, I become mad." So this kind of bhakti is not explained here. "I have got bhakti for my family. I have got bhakti my, for country. I have got bhakti for Goddess Durga. I have got bhakti for the so many demigods..." No. That kind of bhakti will not do. Therefore it is particularly said, bhaktya bhagavati. Bhagavati, "unto the Supreme..." What kind of Bhagavan? Now, nowadays there are so many Bhagavans. No, not that kind of imitation Bhagavan, but what kind of? Akhilatmani. You ask this so-called imitation Bhagavan that "Are you akhilatman? Are you present in everyone's heart? Can you say what I am thinking now?"

So Bhagavan means He must be akhilatma. Don't be misled by so-called Bhagavan. Everything is there. Bhagavan means akhilatmani. He knows. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese [Bg. 18.61]. If you are Isvara, then you must be present in everyone's heart. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah [Bg. 15.15]. Isvara... Krsna is Isvara. Therefore He said, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah: "I am staying in everyone's heart." So if you are Isvarah, if you are Bhagavan, are you staying in my heart? Do you know what I am thinking now? So akhilatmani. Everything should be very scrutinizingly studied. Bhakti is only for Bhagavan. Not that "My bhakti for this or that, for this demigod, for that demigod, for my family, for my country, for my society, for my wife, for my cat, for my dog." This is not bhakti. They are imitation only. That is lust. That is desire. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means bhagavati. Bhagavati means akhilatmani.

So if we can develop that Krsna consciousness, bhakti, then our life, successful life, brahma-siddhaye, complete self-realization, will be possible. Therefore it is said, sadrsah asti sivah pantha: "No. There is no other alternative." If you... Brahma-siddhaye. Brahman, Parabrahman is Krsna. Brahma-siddhaye means to understand what is the relationship... "I am Brahman." That's all right. Pratijane. But what is your relation with the Parabrahman? That is brahma-siddhi. Brahman and Parabrahman, there are two Brahmans. Why there is...? Atma and paramatma, isvara and paramesvara. So living being and the Supreme Being. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). These are the Vedic information. There are two, always two. Atma, paramatma, brahman, parabrahman. So... And brahma-siddhaye means not only to understand that "I am Brahman," but I must understand what is my relationship with Parabrahman. That is brahma-siddhi.

That means we must know what is Parabrahman. That Parabrahman is Krsna. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvatam divyam [Bg. 10.12]. We must know, "What is my relationship." That relationship is already explained, that "I am qualitatively one..." Brahman and Parabrahman means both of them one in the platform of being Brahman. But Parabrahman is very, very great, and I am simply Brahman, small. The Vedic instruction is not aham parabrahma. Never says it is. Aham brahma, that is all right. But you cannot say, "I am Parabrahman." Nobody says. There is no such maxim in the Vedic literature. Parabrahman is one, kaivalya. Kaivalya means there is no alternative. There is no duplicate. There is no equal. There is no greater than. That is kaivalya. So nobody can be equal to Parabrahman, and nobody can be greater than Parabrahman. That is Parabrahman. So brahma-siddhaye means simply one should not understand that "I am Brahman," but he must understand what his relationship with the Parabrahman. That is brahma-siddhi.

So for brahma-siddhi, for self-realization, people are trying in so many ways. First of all, the business of human life is only meant for this purpose, brahma-siddhaye. So long we are... athato brahma jijnasa. This is the Vedanta-sutra. Brahman... Because, unless you become inquisitive, then how there can be brahma-siddhi? Therefore, this human life is meant for brahma-jijnasa. Not that simply whole day work... They are also inquiring. They go to the market: "What is the price? What is the rate?" The whole day. In Ser Market you go, "Ke aba baye?" (Hindi) Everyone is asking. Not for that kind of question. That everyone is questioning, from the morning. "What is today's news?" Immediately newspaper. "What is the news?" Then it is no more... Then you go the market, "What is the price of rice? What is the price of this? What is the price of that?" You purchase. Then you eat. Then you go the office or market. Then again, "What is the price? What is the..." Not that kind of inquiry. That is going on. That is also going on by the cats and dogs. They are also inquiring, "Where is food? Where is remnants of foods? Where they are thrown out so that I can go, I can take?" The crows are also doing that, that kind of question. But you should not waste your time like the cats and dogs and crows by inquiring, "Where is food? Where is food? Where is food?" Food is there for you, fixed up. Don't bother. The Bhagavata says there..., tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [SB 1.5.18]. Now, not only in cats' and dogs' life, even in heavenly life and other life, we are simply inquiring, "Where is my sense gratification? Where is my sense gratification?" That kind of inquiry will not help you. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta. You should inquire for something which you never did before. That is brahma-jijnasa. Athato brahma jijnasa. "What I am?" I am thinking, "I am this body," and I am engaged, but actually I do not get any pleasure, any happiness. But when I get information that "When you'll be realized, self-realized, brahma-bhutah prasannatma... [Bg. 18.54]. When you'll be self-realized, Brahman realized, then you'll be prasannatma..." Kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. Yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. These are the shastric injunctions.

So this life is meant for brahma-jijnasa. This life, this human life, is meant for brahma-jijnasa. Other jijnasa, inquiries, that is in the cats and dogs and hogs and crows and everywhere. So don't be bothering. "If I don't bother, then how shall I eat?" No, that people generally says, that "Everyone becomes Krsna conscious, how we shall eat? How things will go on?" Now, we are Krsna conscious, practical example. Are we not eating? Are we not sleeping? What business is stopped? We have no business; we simply beg. There is no certainty that "Tomorrow I shall go there. I'll get this money." There is no certainty. We do not know. We are eating in the morning. We do not know whether there will be food in the evening. If Krsna gives, then we can eat. You know it very well. We have no business. We are not professional men. We are not going to the market for what is bao.(?) Ke bao haya?(?) So are you not eating? We are eating. Not only eating, we have got hundred and two branches, and every branch there are at least one hundred men. They're all eating. Why? Because we know, "Krsna will give us. Krsna giving food to the ants, to the elephant. Why not to His servant? We have no..." If you have got this confidence, then... The sastra says, tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidah. You should simply try for perfection of life, brahma-jijnasa. Athato brahma jijnasa. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. This is the only... Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. This is the only business. "What I am?" The answer is aham brahmasmi, so 'ham, "I am same, Brahman." "So then, what is my relation with the Parabrahman?" Jijnasuh sreya uttamam.

Now, when there is question of jijnasa, brahma-jijnasa, then we inquire from a person who knows. Therefore it is said that tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] "If you are actually interested in inquiring about Brahman, then you must go to guru who knows Brahman." Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. You cannot understand Brahman realization alone. Therefore, according to Vaisnava philosophy, adau gurvasrayam. The first business is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. If you want... Not only brahma-jijnasa -- any. You must go to the perfect person who knows things. If you wandering on some street you do not know, you ask somebody, "Where shall I go? In this way or that way?" So this is natural. So about Brahman, jijnasuh... Brahma-jijnasa means... That is not ordinary jijnasa. It is called uttamam. Uttamam means transcendental to this material world, which is full of darkness, ignorance. That is called ut. Ud-gata tama yasmad iti uttama. There is no more darkness, simply light. If you, at night, you inquire about something, then it is very difficult. But if you go in the daytime... And at night if you got up on your roof and want to see where is Bombay or where is Santa Cruz, it is very difficult. But daytime, you can see. Similarly, uttamam. You must go out of this darkness, come to the light, and then you will see.

So that light is given by guru. Ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya. That light is given not by bringing one torchlight, but jnananjana-salakaya, the light of knowledge. The light of... Jnananjana-salakaya. Caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah. Guru's business is to give you light by knowledge. Then you understand. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. How the jnana, knowledge, light is given? Sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam. This is the guru's system, guru's symptom, what is guru. Sabde pare ca nisnatam. He has completely assimilated the Vedic essence of life. That is called guru. And what is sabda? Sastra, or Vedas. Sruti-sastra. Sruti means Veda, knowledge. Veda means knowledge. Or knowledge is received through ear, by hearing. That is real knowledge. Not by experimental knowledge. You cannot understand which is beyond your sense perception by experiment. Just like you cannot understand who is your father by experimental knowledge: "Let me make experiment and find out who is my father." That is not possible. Because it is beyond your experience. Your father was existing when you were not existing. Then how you can understand by experimental knowledge? The authority is mother. Therefore Vedic knowledge is the mother; the Puranas are the sisters. They are explained like that. You should understand from the Vedas what is the ultimate knowledge. And Krsna says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: [Bg. 15.15] the ultimate knowable objective is Krsna.

So simply by understanding Krsna... Kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. If you can simply understand Krsna, then you understand everything. You haven't got to understand separately Krsna's enlightenment. Tesam aham... What is that verse? Samuddharta. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,

tesam evanukampartham
aham ajnana-jam tamah
nasayamy atma-bhava-stho
jnana-dipena bhasvata
 [Bg. 10.11]

If you actually come in contact with Krsna, and Krsna is within your heart... Krsna is not far away. Krsna is everywhere. But He's still nearer. He is within your heart. Isvarah sarva... So if you become attached to Krsna... When Krsna sees now you are attached to Krsna, then hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satam. He is friend of the devotees. He's friend of everyone, but a special friend of the devotees. Suhrt satam. Therefore you have to become a devotee. Therefore it is said, na yujyamanaya bhaktya. Bhaktya means devotee. Who performs devotional service unless he's a devotee? Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. So if we become devotee, if we take to devotional service, then Krsna says, tesam evanukampartham [Bg. 10.11], for special favor. Special favor. What is that? Tesam evanukampartham aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayami. Krsna says, "I kill all kinds of ignorance."

So simply this qualification required, that you become perfect devotee of Krsna. Then you perfectly become jnani. Jnana is there. Simply it is covered by the curtain of ignorance. Just like in darkness. Everything is there. The light is there, everything is there. But as soon as it is dark, we cannot see where the things are there. So Krsna says that anyone can understand Himself, anyone can understand Krsna and the relationship, provided the darkness of ignorance is taken away. That is required. That is done by Krsna personally. For whom? Tesam evanukampartham [Bg. 10.11]. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam. Those who are engaged twenty-four hours with love and faith in devotional service. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, dadami buddhi-yogam tam. The buddhi-yogam. He directs, "Do like this, do like that." Then... What for buddhi? Yena mam upayanti te. Then, gradually, you come to Krsna, back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is recommended here, na yujyamanaya bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani, sadrso 'sti sivah pantha. Siva means auspicious. Siva means auspiciousness. So if you actually interested for self-realization, if you want to become perfect in this life, sivah pantha, the most auspicious, most perfect pantha is... What is that? Now, bhaktya bhagavati. You just become a devotee and engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not the so-called rascal Bhagavan, but bhagavaty akhilatman. One, the..., that Bhagavan who is present everywhere. That Bhagavan. Not this false bhagavan. Akhilatmani. These are the shastric injunction. So that Bhagavan... "I don't find that Bhagavan." No. That Bhagavan is within your heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 18.61]. That is real Bhagavan. So as soon... Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. That Bhagavan is always acting. He instructed Brahma. Brahma, the lord of the universe, he got instruction from Krsna, and he created the whole universe, and what to speak of you? He'll also give instruction to you, provided you take to the devotional service, bhaktya. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55].

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974

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"Not One Became Devotee"

"Not One Became Devotee"

72/11/19 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.13


Prabhupada: ...tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. We began this verse yesterday. This is the criterion of understanding spiritual life. People generally do not understand that there is another element beyond this body. Generally, people, they are under the impression that "I am this body. I am Indian." Why I am Indian? Because this body's born in India. Therefore, I'm Indian. "I am American." Why? "Because body is born in America; therefore I am American." Similarly, this dehatma-buddhih, bodily concept of life, is going on all over the world. This is ignorance, ajnana. This is called ajnana. Jnana and ajnana. Jnana means one who knows that he is not this body. He's spirit soul. Aham brahmasmi. (aside:) (about microphone) It is... Little strong make it, yes. So when one is freed from the bodily concept of life, he called jnani. Otherwise, ajnani. They are so much proud of jnana. In our India, there are so-called Mayavadis. They think of themselves as jnani-sampradaya. What is that jnani? "I am Hindu. I am Indian. I am sannyasi." This is their jnana. But actually it is ajnana. If you think yourself that you are Indian, if you think yourself as Hindu, if you think yourself as brahmana, if you think yourself as a sudra, then you are ajnani. You are not jnani. Because you are giving your identification... (aside, about microphone:) Why it is stopped? If you are giving your identification on the ground of your body, then you are ajnani. Jnani means pandita. Panditah sama-darsinah.

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]

Actually, who is jnani, who is pandita, he will not see: "Here is an Indian. Here is an American. Here is an Hindu. Here is a Muslim," or "Here is a cat. Here is a dog." No Because he will see not the outward bodily identification. Just like while I am talking with you, because your dress is white, and because my dress is saffron colored, it does not mean that we are different. Simply on the ground of dress, if we think we are different, then that is ajnana. Nobody does so. When a gentleman talks with another gentleman, none of them consider that "I am this dress." Similarly, if I consider about, about my identification on the ground of this dress, then am I not ajnani? Yes, I am ajnani. I do not know my identification.

Therefore sastra says, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. Anyone who is identifying himself with this body, which is made of tri-dhatu... Tri-dhatu means kapha-pitta-vayu. According to Ayur Veda system, this body is a combination of kapha-pitta-vayu, mucus, bile, and air. So sastra says, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke. If anyone identifies himself with this bag of kapha-pitta-vayu, a bunch of bones and flesh and blood and stool, sva-dhih kalatradisu, and his own kinsmen, his wife and children, sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih, and worship, worshipable is the land, bhauma, yat-tirtha-buddhih salile, one who goes to the place of pilgrimage and takes the water as all in all, yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesu abhijnesu, but does not go to the actual learned saintly persons, sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13], such person is no better than cow and ass. This is the injunction of the sastra, that our identification with the body is animal life. The animal, a dog, it knows that he is body. A cat knows that he is body. A tiger knows that he is body. A human being, also, if he knows like that, that he is body, then why, how he's advanced? He's no better than the cats and dogs. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13]. The whole world is going on on this misimpression, misidentification with the body. Therefore, there is fight between one nation to another, one man to another, and so many...

So jnani means one must be above this bodily concept of life. He's jnani. Therefore to become jnani, the first instruction, as Krsna is giving to Arjuna, He's pointing out that "You are not this body. My dear Arjuna. You are decline, declining to fight, because you are bodily infected. You are thinking that your bodily, blood relation with the other party, namely your brother, nephews and others, that is wrong conception. You are not this body." Because Arjuna surrendered to Krsna: sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. When he was puzzled in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, he thought it wise to accept Krsna not as his friend, his friend, but at the same time, he accepted Him as his spiritual master. Sisyas te' ham sadhi mam prapannam. And the duty of the disciple is to fully surrender unto the spiritual master. Unless you can surrender, (you) do not accept anyone as spiritual master. If you want the spiritual master to abide by your order, then that acceptance of spiritual master is a farce. It is not acceptance. Acceptance of spiritual master means that one should surrender unto the spiritual master. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. If you want to learn that transcendental science, tad viddhi, you try to understand. How? Pranipatena. Prakrsta-rupena nipata. Fully surrendering, falling flat. "Sir, I surrender unto you." Pranipatena pariprasnena. And then inquire question.

According to our Vedic principle, nobody has got the right to question anyone unless that person is accepted as spiritual master. Otherwise, it is waste of time. Spiritual... If you want to question somebody, you must accept his answer. You cannot argue. That is acceptance of authority. Just like in Vedas, whatever injunctions are there, we accept it without any argument. That is Vedic instruction. People sometimes say: "Is it Vedic instruction, that I have to accept it without argument?" Actually, that is Vedic instruction. Just like, for example, the Vedas says cow dung is pure. Now actually we are accepting, those who are following the Vedic principles, they accept cow dung as pure. Actually, it is pure. But if we argue: "How is that, that animal stool is impure, even human stool is impure. How cow dung, which is stool of another animal, is pure?" It is contrary. But actually, we accept. Actually we accept. Similarly, conchshell, conchshell is nothing but bone of an animal. According to our Vedic version, if you touch the bone of an animal, you become immediately impure. You have to take bath. But this bone of animal, conchshell, is taken to the Deity room. It is so pure. So from our human consciousness we find contradiction in the Vedic instruction, that in the Vedas, in one place, it says that the bone of an animal is impure; in another place says the bone of a particular animal is pure. The Vedas says the stool of an animal is impure, but in another place it says that the stool of the cow animal is pure. So apparently we find contradiction. But still, because we accept the authority of the Vedas, therefore we accept the statement also. We accept the bone of the conchshell, and we accept the stool of cow as pure. That is acceptance of authority. You cannot argue. Even though it appears it is contradictory, you cannot argue.

Similarly, acceptance of spiritual master means representative of God. Of course, he, he must be representative of God. If unfortunately I accept a bogus man as representative of..., that is my misfortune. But actually, acceptance of spiritual master means he's a bona fide representative of God. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, you'll find. That parampara system, disciplic succession, acarya. Acaryavan puruso veda. Just like we accept our philosophy, Vaisnava philosophy, or any Indian philosophy, they accept this parampara, guru-parampara. They accept it. Sampradaya. Just like we have got samprada..., Ramanuja-sampradaya, Madhva-sampradaya. So we have to accept the sampradaya, disciplic succession, to receive real knowledge. So that sampradaya begins from Krsna. Krsna is the original spiritual master of Lord Brahma, of Lord Siva, Narada, so many other authorities. There are twelve authorities, svayambhur naradah sambhuh [SB 6.3.20]. Svayambhu means Lord Brahma; Narada; and Sambhu, Lord Siva; Kumara; Kapila; Manu. They are all authorities. So that is the indication of the sastra, that if you want to understand the transcendental science, the science of God, then tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. That is the injunction of the Vedas, that if you really interested to learn the transcendental science, you must approach. Abhigacchet. This is vidhilin. Vidhilin. This form of verb is used in Sanskrit grammar when it meant "You must." You cannot say "I may accept or may not accept." That will not do. You must accept. Tad, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. These are the injunctions of the Vedas.

So Arjuna accepted Krsna as spiritual master. In the beginning, he was talking like friend. Friend to friend, talking, sometimes it comes to nil, no conclusion, simply waste of time. It is called vitanda. That sort of argument has no value. Because it will never come into conclusion. But when we talk with authority, the spiritual master, representative of Krsna, then we cannot argue. We have to accept. Guru-vakya. Guru-vakya, you cannot deny it. It may not be agreeable to you in the beginning, but you cannot deny it. That is it: system of Vedic system. Here Arjuna has accepted Krsna as the spiritual master. Sisyas te aham. "I become Your disciple. Because we were talking till now as friends, but this will not decide the case. My case is very serious. My duty is to fight, but I do not like to fight. Some affection, some family relationship, is deterring me to fight, making me coward. So therefore it is a very complex position. And I find that You can make a solution of this complex position. I therefore accept You as my spiritual master. And I fall down under Your lotus feet as Your disciple." Sadhi mam prapannam. "I am surrendered. Now You kindly protect the surrendered soul."

So here Krsna is instructing. First of all, He chastised Arjuna: asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11]. "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man, but I find that you do not know in which case you have to lament and in which case you have to joyful. That you do not know." Gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. Indirectly, He said that "You are not pandita; you are a fool. Because you are arguing in this way that ‘If I kill my brothers, their wives will be widow, and they will become prostitute and there will be varna-sankara.' " These questions are very nice. If women become prostitute, then the population is varna-sankara. And varna-sankara means unwanted children. They become practically nuisance in the society. Narakayate. If varna-sankara population is increased, then the whole society becomes a hell. That's a fact. Actually, that is the position at the present moment. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, marriage is there. Without marriage, the population, increase of population, means varna-sankara.

So these things were discussed, but that was not the main case. The main case was whether Arjuna was to fight and to kill the other party. He was thinking very seriously. So Krsna in the beginning said that: "You are lamenting on the point that your brothers, your grandfather, they will die." That is the general impression of the people, that "I die, you die." But Bhagavad-gita says, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Nobody dies, even after the destruction of this body. This is the beginning of that instruction. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire. We are eternal. Nityah sasvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Now where is the knowledge? We are traveling all over the world. We have never seen any university or any department of knowledge where this technique is instructed, na hanyate hanyamane sarire. There is no such instruction. So just try to understand, in the name of education, how people are placed in ignorance. They are thinking that hanyamane sarire, hanyate. After killing the body, the body's finished, the man is finished. I was talking with a big professor in Moscow, Professor Kotovsky. He said: "Swamiji, after destruction of this body, there is nothing more. Everything is finished." So just see, a big professor, a responsible person, he has no knowledge about the soul, what is soul, what is body. He's superficially, he is studying that after this body is finished, everything's finished. But that is not the fact. And persons who do not know this fact, they are becoming leaders, they are becoming educators, they are becoming spiritual master, and so on. So how these people will be in knowledge? Because those who are teaching them, they are in ignorance. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. One blind man is leading so many blind men. So where is the education?

Here is the beginning of education, real education. What Krsna says. I have already explained that... (aside:) Why they are talking? I have already explained that our process of accepting knowledge is the parampara system. Avaroha-pantha. There are two ways of acquiring knowledge, aroha-pantha and avaroha-pantha. Knowledge coming from the authorities, that is perfect knowledge. And knowledge acquired by experimental knowledge, that is not perfect. Because we are imperfect. Suppose a big professor, just like that Russian Professor Kotovsky, they are trying to understand things by so-called inductive process, or aroha-pantha, going up by one's speculation, by speculative method. But our process of knowledge, Vedic process of knowledge: tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Their knowledge should be taken from the authority. Do not manufacture knowledge. Because how you can manufacture perfect knowledge? You are imperfect. Your senses are imperfect. You are defective in four ways. You are... To err is human. You must commit mistake. You must be illusioned. Your senses are imperfect, and you have got a cheating propensity. These four defects are there. Those who are not liberated, mukta-purusa, they have got four defects. What is that? He must commit mistake. Just like we can give you instance: Our Mahatma Gandhi, he was so great personality, but he also committed so many mistakes. Even on the day of his death, it is heard that he was forbidden not to go the meeting. The other persons, they scented some danger, but he forcibly went there and he was killed. So mistake, committing mistake. To err is human. That is not fault. That is our habit. We commit mistake. And we also, we are illusioned. Illusioned. Just like I am not this body. I am spirit soul. Aham brahmasmi. But we are giving identification with this body. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmana," "I am sudra." So this is illusion. So to commit mistake and to become illusioned and cheating propensity. Actually, I do not know things as they are, still, I am writing books. To educate people. Big, big scholars, they have no clear thought, clear understanding; still they write books. Even Darwin's theory. He's proposing, "Perhaps; it may be," and he's writing a big book, anthropology. And people are taking knowledge from that book. So if his knowledge based on "Perhaps; maybe," what is the value of that knowledge? So things are going on like that. The senses are imperfect. He has got a cheating propensity. Cheating propensity means he has no perfect knowledge; still, he wants to give knowledge, to become famous in the world, famous in the community. So what is the value of your writing books if you have no perfect knowledge? But because we have got a cheating propensity, we do like that. So Vedic knowledge is not like that. There is no cheating. There is no imperfection. There is no illusion. There is no error. That is Vedic knowledge.

So there... The author of Vedic knowledge... Who is the author of the Vedic knowledge? Not Lord Brahma. The author of Vedic knowledge is Krsna. As it is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah. He imparted the knowledge, brahma, sabda-brahma knowledge, into the heart of Lord Brahma. So Brahma is not self-sufficient. Factually, we are supposed to get knowledge, Vedic knowledge, from Brahma, beginning from Brahma. But actually it is not the, from Brahma. Brahma got the knowledge from Krsna. Tene brahma. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Janmady asya yatah anvayat itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah svarat tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah [SB 1.1.1]. So actually knowledge is coming from Krsna. So our proposal is, we are receiving knowledge, this Bhagavad-gita, Krsna is directly giving you the knowledge. So we have to accept it as it is. We cannot interpret Bhagavad-gita in my own way. That is not Bhagavad-gita. That is something else. They take advantage of the Bhagavad-gita and put their own conclusion. That is not Bhagavad-gita. If you want to study Bhagavad-gita, then you have to study as it is. Then it is nice.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Aham adir hi devanam [Bg. 10.2]. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8], mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te, nanyat parataram [Bg. 7.14]. So these are the statements in the Bhagavad-gita. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. If we do not accept Bhagavad-gita in terms of the statements given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it is useless. It is simply waste of time. You cannot make any commentary of your poor knowledge. There is nothing very difficult to understand in the Bhagavad-gita. It is written in very simple Sanskrit word, and things are very clear. As clear as the sunlight. Where is the question of showing the sunlight or the sun-god with your lamp? Suppose now here is sunlight, sufficient light. We can see the sun and everything very clearly. If somebody brings some lamp and says, "Now I shall show you what is sun," it is useless. Bhagavad-gita is clear itself. Just like the sunlight. It does not require any lamp-bearer to show the Bhagavad-gita or Krsna. It does not require. You try to see Bhagavad-gita as it is. Then you will be benefited. Otherwise, you'll be misled.

Just like in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita it is said, dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah, mamakah pandavas caiva kim akurvata sanjaya [Bg. 1.1]. It is very clear. Dharma-ksetre. Kuruksetra is dharma-ksetra. Still. There is Kuruksetra. All of you know. And it is dharma-ksetra. People go for pilgrimage. And in the Vedas also it is stated that kuru-ksetre dharmam acaret. One should go to Kuruksetra and perform religious rituals there. So it is dharma-ksetra by Vedic version, by practical example. Dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre [Bg. 1.1]. But somebody's interpreting Kuruksetra as this body. From which dictionary he can get this meaning, that Kuruksetra means this body? This kind of interpretation is going on. But our proposition is that if you want to be benefited by reading Bhagavad-gita, don't read such malinterpretation. Read Bhagavad-gita as it is. Then you will be benefited. Kuru-ksetre dharma-ksetre. It is a fact. Kuruksetra is dharma-ksetra. Samaveta yuyutsavah: [Bg. 1.1] And the persons assembled there, namely, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, they wanted to fight. Yuyutsavah. That's all right. Where is the interpretation? They wanted to fight. They selected a nice place, dharma-ksetra, Kuruksetra, and there they fought. So it is, meaning is clear. Why there should be interpretation that "The Pandava means the five senses and the Kuruksetra means this body"? Why? Why? Where is the necessity of such interpretation? Interpretation is required where things are not clear. Actually, we do interpret. Just like in the law court, if some clause is not very clear, the lawyers interpret: "It may be like this, it may be like that." But when the things are clear, there is no question of interpretation. That is the system. Amongst the scholars, if things are clear, there should be no interpretation.

So Bhagavad-gita, in each and every verse, the things are very, very clear, as clear as the sunshine. So there is no question of interpretation. Our, this publication of Bhagavad-gita, we have therefore mentioned: Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Because there are six hundred and forty different editions of Bhagavad-gita, and almost every one of them has got a different interpretation. That is the system going on now. Therefore, before me, many persons, many swamis, went to Western countries and they presented Bhagavad-gita in their own way, but not a single person became a devotee of Krsna. Throughout the whole history. Now Bhagavad-gita is being presented as it is, and thousands of them are becoming devotee of Krsna. Practical. Thousands of them. The simple thing. I presented Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they accepted it, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by following the principles, within the four years, so many devotees of Krsna have come out. Because there was no adulteration. So our request is try to understand Bhagavad-gita without adulteration. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is presented. Then you will get knowledge. Otherwise, you will remain in the same ignorance, before reading Bhagavad-gita and after reading Bhagavad-gita. This is our proposal.

Here Krsna says that dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Dehi, deha. Deha means this body, and dehi means the owner of the body. There is the owner of the body. Now, modern scientists, modern philosophers, hardly they do know that there is a proprietor, owner of this body. This body is not the person. The person is within. Asmin dehe. Within this body, there is the proprietor of the body, soul. Asmin dehe. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Now kaumaram yauvanam jara. The changes that are taking place, it is not of the owner of the body, but it is of the outward, external body. Just like if you live in a house. The house becoming older, it does not become, does not mean you are becoming older. The owner of the house does not become deteriorated. It is a crude example. Similarly, the changes, difference, the different types of body, the soul is migrating, transmigrating through different types of body.

Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. There are 8,400,000 forms of body, and the living entity is transmigrating from one body to another, one body to another, one body to another. This is the evolution. Darwin's evolution theory is misplaced. Here is real... As it is stated in the Padma Purana: asatims caturams caiva laksams tan jiva-jatisu. The evolutionary theory is there in the Padma Purana. Asatims caturams caiva laksams tan jiva-jatisu. Jiva-jati. There are different forms of living entities, and they are 8,400,000. That is clearly stated. So one has to pass through from the beginning. Jalaja nava-laksani. Nine hundred thousand species of aquatics. So in this way, when we come to the human form of body, it is very rarely obtained. Manusam durlabham janma. It is very rarely obtained. Therefore, it should be very properly utilized. In the human form of life one should try to understand that he's not this body. He must know that "I am Brahman. I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God." That is the beginning of teaching of Bhagavad-gita.

Krsna says, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. As the soul, dehi, is passing through different types of body, even in this life... First of all, he gets a small body within the womb of the mother. Just like a pea. And that pea changes into another form, another form, another form. Then when the form is complete with hands and legs, it comes out. Then again changes from babyhood to childhood, from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood. In this way, the living entity is changing the body. Not that the living entity itself is changing. It is changing simply body, according to the necessity. That is explained here. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. The point was to convince Arjuna that "Do not be bereaved because your grandfather will change the body. Your grandfather has got now old body." So He was giving the logic: "Now, if your grandfather is killed, why you are lamenting? He'll get a fresh, new body, another childhood body. Then he'll grow. You should, rather, become joyful that ‘My old grandfather is going to have a new body of childhood, boyhood, youthhood.' So..." That was the argument. But the actual education is that we should not identify ourself with this body. That is ignorance. Unless we understand "I am Brahman. I am spirit soul," there is no advancement of education.

Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita you'll find, when one realizes that he's not this body, he's Brahman, spirit soul, at that time: brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. When one becomes brahma-bhuta [SB 4.30.20], self-realized, that "I am not this body," at that time, one becomes jubilant, prasannatma. Actually, we are suffering, being identified with this body. Matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah [Bg. 2.14]. All our trouble.... Actually, it is so. The whole world is complete, but because we have identified with this body, we are thinking, "We are American," "We are Indian," "We are Englishman," "We Are German," "Russian," and we have demarcated: "This is my country," "This is my country," "This is my country." Therefore, there is so much fight. For example, just like Pakistan; twenty years before, there was no Pakistan. Now it is demarcated: "This is Pakistan," and there is fight. So if you want actually peace and prosperity in the world, then you must come to the Krsna consciousness movement. Otherwise, there is no possibility. Without coming to Krsna consciousness... Now, we, in the bodily consciousness, or national consciousness or community consciousness, you cannot become happy. At any time. You have to become brahma-bhuta [SB 4.30.20]. That is Krsna consciousness. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. You'll be happy. Others will be happy. Without coming to that stage, you cannot be happy.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is very important movement. We are trying to educate people to feel, or to understand clearly that he's not this body; he's spirit soul. And at the present moment, all our activities are going on on the bodily concept of life. That is called ignorance. Mudha. Na mam prapadyante mudhah duskrtino naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Krsna says. Because one is under the bodily concept of life, his interest has become on the ground of this body. In other places also it is said, na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. Because they are in..., under the bodily concept of life, they do not know what is their self-interest. One does not know actually what is his self-interest. His self-interest is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is his self-interest. But he does not know. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. He's trying to adjust things on the external bodily concept of life. And the so-called leaders are leading in that way. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah. They remain in the same condition. The actual fact is that. We are trying to be happy by political adjustment, but our mistaken point is that "I am this body." Therefore, the leaders are changing, but the improvement is not there. The same fight, the same antagonism, same barking like dogs and cats, going on. Because everything is built up on the bodily concept of life. They're... Not to speak of others, the first-class men, of all nations, they assemble in the United Nations, in New York. We see, generally. There was simply flag increasing. There are hundreds and thousand of flags. This nation, that nation, that nation. Where is unity? The unity means increasing flags. That's all. There was no Pakistani flag. Now there is Pakistani flag. There is Sikhastani flag. This flag, that flag. But we cannot see that we are one. That can be possible only by advancement of Krsna consciousness. Not on the bodily consciousness. Here you'll find there are boys from America, from England, from Canada, from Africa, from Australia, but they're not thinking in terms of that "He's Indian, American, Australian, this and that." They are thinking in terms of Krsna consciousness. Every one of us, we are thinking we are servant of Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972