"Let Us become Dogs of Krsna"

"Let Us become Dogs of Krsna"

14 Apr 75 , Hyderabad


Prabhupada: So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, kita janma hao yatha tuya dasa, bahir na brahma janme nahi mora asa. Kita janma hao yatha tuya dasa. Tuya dasa means your servant. Actually we are all servants of Krsna. Jivera svarupa hoy nitya krsna dasa. But forgetting our position, we are now acting as dasa of maya, mayara-dasa. Hoiya mayara dasa kori nana abhilas. The advantage of Krsna dasa is that he has got only one desire. Anukulyena krsnanu-silanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167] -- to serve Krsna purely. That's all. Krsna is not impersonal. Krsna is person, and whatever He orders, whatever He says, if you carry out faithfully, then our original constitutional position is regained. It can be done very quickly. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. And if you do that immediately, then you revive your original position immediately, within a second. Hoiya mayara dasa kori nana abhilas. We are making plans in so many ways to be happy. But if we accept this one plan, that immediately surrender to Krsna, then our life is successful. And if we do not accept this proposal of Krsna, and if we make our own plans to be happy, it will be never be possible. Hoiya mayara dasa kori nana abhilas. Anadi bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli gela, ataeva mayara tare goliya badila. We are not independent. If we do not agree to serve Krsna, then we have to serve maya. Our position as servant is never changed. We remain servant. So if we don't agree to accept Krsna's proposal sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], then we have to take shelter of maya and you have to perpetually serve. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19].

To serve maya means to continue this material existence one after another. Now I've got this body, you've got this body, and if we do not change our attitude to serve Krsna, then we get again next body. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. We can see. There are so many trees, plants, insects, animals. They're all living entities. Also there are nice body -- Americans, Europeans, beautiful body, or demigod's body. There are different bodies, eight million... So long we shall remain maya-dasa, we have to change this body one after another. It may be of higher standard or it may be of lower standard. That will depend on my work. Karmana daiva netrena jantor deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. This is the philosophy, Krsna consciousness. You are... We are not independent. We are completely under the control of material nature, and we get different types of bodies on account of associating with different modes of material nature. Karanam guna sanga asya sad-asad janma yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. Sat, asat, there are two kinds of status quo, sat and asat. Sat means nice, or eternal, and asat means not very nice. So either you can get the body of the human society or you can get a body in the hog society, dog society. But the activities of the hogs and dogs and human being, if it is carried on in ignorance, eating, sleeping, mating... Then there is no difference. There is no difference. There is no difference to become a hog or to become a man. A man is also eating; hog is also eating according to one's taste. The man is also sleeping; the hog is also sleeping, according to the position. So that does not make any difference between a human being and a hog. But at the present moment we are taken this civilization that hog is eating stool, and if we are eating very nice plate, then you're civilized. But sastra says no. Eating and the taste of eating is the same. Always enjoying eating stool, and you're enjoying eating something else -- the taste of eating is the same. There is no difference. You like something; I like something. But the common formula is that you eat, I also eat. Therefore we have to change this formula. If you simply waste our time like the hogs -- eating, sleeping, sex-life and defense -- then that is not human life.

Human life is meant for tapasya. That is not possible by the hogs and dogs. Tapasya, austerities. By austerities, by tapasya we can purify our existence. You are existing at the present moment because we are changing body, bhutva bhutva prali... Therefore it is polluted existence. This is not pure existence. Pure existence is eternal life, blissfulness and knowledge, full of knowledge. That is pure life. So the human life is meant for purifying our existence. Stop this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease and live eternally blissful life of knowledge. That is the business of human life. But people do not take this fact very seriously. They have become so dull-headed. Now there is freedom from this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease, they cannot believe it. They cannot consider it. They think, "Ah, it is going on." So the modern civilization is quite different from the Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization means to make a solution of this problem: stop this process of birth, death, old age and disease. That is Vedic civilization. That is human civilization. And to become better hog, nicely dressed hog, that is not Vedic civilization. That is hog civilization.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is trying to save people from the hog civilization or dog civilization to human civilization. That is... Human civilization means plain living and advancing in spiritual consciousness, not to increase unnecessarily artificial way of life. But we should know what is the aim of life and try to actually (achieve) success in the aim of life in any condition. That is Vedic civilization. Any condition. Any condition means in the material world we find that somebody is well situated and somebody... We think like that. Nobody is well situated. But we think like that. So if we want to cultivate Krsna consciousness, in any material condition we can do that. Ahaituky apratihata. Any material condition cannot check our advancement in spiritual life. Just like these European, American boys and girls, they're not accustomed to sit down on the ground. In their country that is not their civilization. They sit down very nicely on chairs and very nice apartment. But because they have taken to this Krsna consciousness, they do not hesitate to sit down in any condition of life. This is advancement. They do not grudge that "We are not accustomed to sit in this way." No. That is any condition, any condition of life. Krsna also says,

mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
te 'pi yanti param gatim
[Bg. 9.32]

So we can accept Krsna consciousness in any condition life. There is no impediment. That is spiritual. That is spiritual. Not that "Unless such and such conditions are fulfilled I cannot take to Krsna consciousness." No. As I told in the beginning, that you can accept Krsna consciousness within a second. As Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So if you immediately take Krsna, "Yes, Krsna..." You have thoroughly read Bhagavad-gita, then we understand that "We are part and parcel of Krsna, and Krsna is asking to surrender. Why not surrender?" That is intelligence. Krsna says that is the way of life. Ultimately one has to surrender to Krsna. That is the success, ultimate success. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. One is accepting immediately and one is experimenting with truth, and it will take many, many births. Klesa adhikataras tesam avyakta asakta cetasam. Krsna is presently instructing in person, and foolish people are thinking that He's imperson. Why imperson? Krsna is always speaking: mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. Aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. The first person is used everywhere. Aham sarvasya prabhavah mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. Aham. Krsna says aham, person. So why we should think of Krsna being imperson? This is our misfortune. Therefore it takes many, many births. Even one is jnanavan it takes many, many births to surrender to Krsna. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan [Bg. 7.19]. Although he's jnanavan, superficially, still his jnana has been taken away. Mayaya apahrta-jnana. Although he's proud of his knowledge, the maya says, "No, no, no. Why you are accepting Krsna as person? He's imperson." So maya is dictating and taking away his knowledge. mayaya apahrta-jnana. Krsna says aham, "I, Me." These are first person, person, first person. And still these people are thinking of Krsna as imperson. Why? This is called mayayapahrta-jnana. They have studied the Vedic literature but could not understand what is Krsna.

So intelligent person, instead of waiting many, many births to understand Krsna, may take it immediately what Krsna says, as it is. Then his life is successful. So that is possible to understand Krsna as He is saying. But because on account of our sinful activities, we cannot understand. Duskrtina. Duskrtina means always engaged in sinful activities, very intelligent person, but engaged in sinful activities. Nowadays... All the people are nowadays educated, but all of them, mostly, ninety-nine percent, they're engaged in sinful activities -- illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling. These are sinful activities and, in spite of advancement of education all over the world, these things are going on. Therefore they cannot understand Krsna. Krsna is understood by a person who is no more engaged in sinful activities.

yesam tv anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah
[Bg. 7.28]

So we are trying, this Krsna consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that stop sinful activities and hear Krsna and accept Him as He is saying. Then your life is successful. That's all. Very simple thing. And those who are adopting this ways, this process of life, is becoming successful practically. There is no doubt about it. Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu. Asamsayam, without any doubt. Samagram, in full, not partial.

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi...
[Bg. 7.1]

So Krsna is explaining Himself that yatha jnasyasi, without any doubt, asamsayam, and samagram. Samagram means in fullness, the Absolute Truth in full. The Absolute Truth is realized as Brahman, as Paramatma, as Bhagavan. So Krsna says, "I'm giving you full knowledge, both of Paramatma and Brahman and My personal knowledge." Yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu, "Just hear, hear from Me."

So this is the opportunity in human life. Krsna is explaining, God is explaining Himself, and still if you remain dulls and fools and rascals, then it is our misfortune. That is explained naradhama. Naradhama. Naradhama cannot understand Krsna. Naradhama, lowest of the mankind. Naradhama. Nara means man and adhama means lowest. So those who are naradhama they will escape this Krsna consciousness movement. Otherwise anyone who is intelligent, intelligent after many, many birth's experience, he'll accept. So we can understand by this crucial test or test tube(?) what is what. So anyway, our business is you Western boys and girls, you have taken this Krsna consciousness movement very seriously. I'm very much thankful to you. So try to make the people uttama, although at the present moment they are naradhama, without understanding Krsna. So these are not exaggeration. This is stated in the sastra. And our point is that anyone who is not taking to Krsna consciousness, he's among these groups-duskrtina, mudha, naradhama, mayaya apahrta-jnana asurim bhavam asritah. The basic principle is asurim bhavam asritah. Asura. Asura means against God always. Ravana was asura. Hiranyakasipu was asura. They are very learned scholar, son of a brahmana and very powerful. The only fault was they did not believe in God; therefore they are called asuras. So anyone who does not believe in God, he's asura. This is the verdict of the sastra. And this asuric civilization is going on all over the world. So we are making little effort to make the asuras devotees. That's all. This is our business.

So we are very much thankful to Mr. Kulanidhi(?). He has given us a place, very important place, and you are constructing temple. He's always eager to help us. Therefore he's a bhakta. We are very much thankful to him. He's a bhakta. So at any moment Mr. Kulanidhi will call us. We are ready to come here, because he's a bhakta. Mad-bhakta pujya adhikah. Krsna likes if you honor the bhakta. Krsna is very much pleased. "If you love me, love my dog." We have seen in the Western countries when two gentlemen meet, he pats his friend's dog and he pats the friend's dog. That you have seen it. (laughs) First of all dog, "How are you? How are you?" (everyone laughs) So let us all become dogs of Krsna, and bhaktas will love us.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Life Member House Lecture -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975

"Krsna Candy--Every Side Sweet"

"Krsna Candy--Every Side Sweet"

12 Mar 75, London

Prabhupada: ...where he is? Oh, you have dressed? Very nice. Thank you.

sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-
srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau
yuktasya bhaktams ca niyunjato 'pi
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam **

So this is one of the items, to learn how to decorate the Deity, sri-vigraha. Sri means goddess of fortune, Laksmi. Krsna is always associated with Laksmi. Srimati Radharani is the original goddess of fortune, and as all other Visnu-murti, Nara... Ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Bs. 5.39]. Krsna is always existing -- tisthan means existing -- with many other forms simultaneously: Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha and Narayana, Visnu. So Visnu and Narayana is... There are many expansion. You have seen on the cover of Srimad-Bhagavatam. There are different planets, and each and every planet there is the predominating Deity, Narayana, Visnu. They have got different names. So He is always associated with His eternal consort as well as devotees, many thousand, millions, in the spiritual world. In the material world... The creation of the material world is one-fourth demonstration of the whole creation, and this is one of the universes. In the material world there are innumerable universes. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was requested by one of His devotee that "Sir, You have come. You just liberate all the residents of this universe, and that will make me very happy. And if You think they are so impious they cannot be liberated, then I am ready to take up their sinful activities. But You take them away," at that time Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "Even one universe is liberated, still there are so many universes. This universe is just like one mustard seed in the bag of mustard seeds." So just imagine how many universes are there. All these together, that is one-fourth energy demonstration of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. It is only one-fourth of the demon..., manifestation. The three-fourth manifestation -- in the spiritual world. So just imagine God's creation. It is inconceivable by us, but we can learn it by sravanam. That is the only way. We, even in this material world, in this universe, we have heard of so many planets, but it is not possible to go and see. They cannot go even in the moon planet, and still, they are very much proud of their advancement of knowledge. So we cannot understand even. But if we patiently hear from the right source, then we can, may have some..., we may have some conception. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20]. Bhavah, or svabhavah, or nature, there is another nature. So we have to hear. By hearing... This is the beginning of bhakti, sravanam. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. We have to hear, and after hearing, we have to repeat. That is called kirtanam. So in this way there are nine different processes, you know. Navadha bhakti.

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

So because these activities, devotional activities, are on the spiritual platform, all of them are Absolute. It is not that if you are hearing but you are not chanting, then your result will be little less than the other who is hearing and chanting. No. It is Absolute Truth. Just like if you taste a sugar candy, lump of sugar candy, from any side you taste, the sweetness is there. There is no difference, that if you taste this side, then it is more sweet than the other side. Krsna is complete Absolute Truth. So any side. If you become expert in hearing, that is as good as one is engaged in other eight processes or nine processes. That is stated in the sastra. Just like Pariksit Maharaja. He simply listened. He did not do any other process. Sri-visnu-sravane pariksit. They got liberation simply by executing one of the nine different processes. So sri-visnoh sravane pariksid abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. Pariksit Maharaja got liberation simply by hearing. And Sukadeva Gosvami, he got liberation simply by chanting. And similarly, Prahlada Maharaja, he got liberation simply by memorizing, smarane; Laksmiji, simply by serving the lotus feet of Narayana. So Krsna consciousness is in the absolute platform. There is no relativity. In the temple worship, as there are so many different duties -- one is worshiping directly the Deity, decorating the Deity, and the other is washing the temple -- it does not mean that the one who is cleansing the Deity, he is less important than the person who is in the temple room, Deity room. No. Because it is absolute. The Deity... As the Deity is important, similarly, the floor of the temple is also important, same importance, because absolute. So in executing our devotional service we are engaged in different duties. Somebody is cooking. Somebody is decorating the Deity. Somebody is cleansing the floor. Somebody is going to sell books. Somebody is doing something. Everything -- nirbandhe krsna sambandhe, in relationship with Krsna. Because the relationship is there with Krsna, then every activity which you are doing, that is complete. There is no such material distinction. Just like here in the material world somebody is sitting in the office chair and somebody is cleansing the office, so the cleaner is supposed to be lower than the officer, but in the spiritual world there is no such distinction. The officer and the cleaner, they are of the same importance. That is even Krsna, with Krsna. That is spiritual world. In Vrndavana the cowherds boys, they are playing with Krsna on equal terms. They do not know Krsna is God. They simply know how to love Krsna, that's all. There is no need of thinking that "Krsna is greater than the other cowherds boy. They are living entities." There is no such sense. Krsna wants that. That is Goloka Vrndavana worship. Simply the center is Krsna, and all the inhabitants of Vrndavana, they love Krsna, and they do not know anything except Krsna. This is Vrndavana life. Everyone knows that "Krsna is my very intimate friend." Somebody knows, "Krsna is my son," somebody knows that "Krsna is my master," and somebody is thinking, "Krsna is my lover." But center is Krsna. The cows, the calves, the friends, the gopis, and the cowherds boy, Krsna's father, Nanda Maharaja, Krsna's mother, Yasomati, and... Everyone's center is Krsna, "How Krsna will be happy?" This is Vrndavana life. If we try to follow the footsteps of the residents of Vrndavana, how to love Krsna, then our life is successful.

That is the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Prema pum-artho mahan. Pum-artho means purusartha, or the goal of life. The goal of life in the material world, generally, not for the animals but for the human being, the goal of life, generally-religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. Dharma, artha, kama, moksa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. Some people are interested to become pious, religious, because by becoming pious and religious their economic development will be automatically there. And some of them are interested in simply in economic development for satisfaction of the senses. And some of them -- they are considered to be the topmost-interested in liberation. But a Krsna conscious devotee, he is not interested in either of these four items. He is interested how to love Krsna. That is pure devotion. That is paneama-purusartha (?). So people do not know it. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. People do not know it generally. If one is very pious man, he wants to be religious, moralist, religious. And others, karmis, they are interested how to develop economic position. And others, they are simply interested in sense gratification. This is material world. And when these materialistic persons are disgusted, then they want liberation. Their liberation means to become one, merge into the existence of the Supreme. That is not very difficult. They give the example that the water mixes with the vast mass of water, and they become one. But that is not the fact. You can make an experiment that you take a little red water and put it in the ocean. The ocean does not become red. So chemically also, the water, they are composition of molecules of water. But it is mixed with water. That is a fact, but there is another process which evaporates the water. Suppose you are mixed with the water. The Mayavadi philosophy, that "We... Let us mix with the big water. Then I become big..." Because here in the material world he tried to become big in so many ways but he could not become big, therefore he wants to merge into the biggest, Brahman, so that he thinks that he will become... He is already Brahman. So the Brahman effulgence is combination of so many sparks of living entities.

So this philosophy, to merge into the big Brahman, Supreme Brahman, or effulgence, brahmajyoti, that is not very secure position. It is said in the sastra that aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah: [SB 10.2.32] they fall down. We have seen that many Mayavadi philosophers or sannyasis, they give up this world as mithya, false, but after some time, they again come to this false material world for some philanthropic work, humanitarian work, because they could not get Krsna. If you have left this world as false, then why you are coming again to give service to the world? No. They could not get. Aruhya krcchrena param padam [SB 10.2.32]. Param padam means Brahman. Patanty adhah: "They fall down." Why? Anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah: "Because they neglected the lotus feet of Krsna." They did not get any shelter. Just like if you go very high in the sky but if you don't get a shelter, then again you come back. Just like these moon-planet-goers, they attempted many times jumping, but they could not get any shelter. They have come back again. Now they have I think left off. What is that? "Grapes are sour." After jumping, jumping, the jackal, when he could not get the grapes, then he says that "Grapes are sour." That is... (laughter) "No need." So these so-called scientists, after jumping like the jackal, could not get any place in the moon planet, and they have come down again. It is not possible. You cannot go to any of the planets, although they are material. You cannot... Just like you cannot go to any country without getting the visa permit, similarly... There are many planets. They are open for your entrance, but not in that way, that by force you will go. That is not possible.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg. 9.25]. You have to qualify yourself to enter into such planets. They are called heavenly planets. You cannot enter by force. Therefore we are conditioned. We are not free. We are conditioned. We should always remember that we are conditioned by the material nature. We cannot... We are not free. We are not independent. That we are forgetting. At the present moment the trained-up civilization is that everyone is thinking that he is independent, he can do whatever he likes, he can manufacture his own process of religious principles. These maddened ideas are there. No. Religious principle you cannot manufacture. Just like law. You cannot say that "I will manufacture my own law." No. That is not possible. Law means state's law, and you have to abide by that. That is law. You cannot avoid it. You cannot say that "I won't accept the state laws. I will make my own laws." That is not possible. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means the laws and the regulation given by God. That is dharma. Therefore Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is real dharma. And Bhagavata says, dharmah projjhita-kaitavah atra: "In the Srimad-Bhagavatam all cheating types of religious principle is rejected." The real dharma is to surrender to Krsna. That is real dharma. And any religion which does not teach this principle, to surrender to God, Krsna, and love Him... hat is real religion. Therefore Bhagavata teaches that real religion, Bhagavata-dharma. And Bhagavata declares in the beginning that "All cheating type of religious system is rejected, kicked out." Projjhita. Projjhita means just like you wash your floor or sweep your floor and collect the dust and throw it away, similarly, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam the unwanted so-called religious system, they have been collected and thrown away. Here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is only one religious system, which is spoken in the Bhagavad-gita in the last chapter, Eighteenth Chapter, that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. If we accept this principle, then we enter into the Bhagavata-dharma. Otherwise there is no entrance in the Bhagavata-dharma.

For the Mayavadi who wants to become one with the Supreme... You can become one. One means the same thing, a small portion of the water. But our philosophy is not to mix up with the water superficially but enter into the water and live there like fish, big, big fish. That is our philosophy. What is the use of becoming one with the water? Go within the water and live there like a whale fish, perpetually. That is our philosophy. So that is secure philosophy, because as soon as actually you become a big fish within the water, there is no question of evaporation. But if you live, remain superficially on the water, then you will be evaporated again and again thrown outside, then again come as river. So your coming and going, repetition of birth and death, will not stop. But one should become a big fish, there is no evaporation. These things are explained in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu by Rupa Gosvami. So don't be misled by this Mayavada philosophy, that you fall into the water. Tohe janame punah tohe visarata (?). They say that "Enter into the Supreme." You can enter, but what is the benefit? You will be again evaporated. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. Because living entity by nature is anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12), by nature they want pleasure, every one of us. Every one of us, we are struggling so hard. Why? To get some pleasure. Nobody is trying so hard to making suicide. Is anybody there in this material world who is working so hard for ultimately making suicide? No. Everyone is trying to become happy. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Because he wants. That is his nature, sat-cit-ananda: eternal life, full of knowledge and full of bliss. This is real life. So if we simply accept eternity like the Mayavadis, then what about the other two items? Or if we simply live in knowledge... Suppose theoretically I know so many things to prepare-rasagulla, sandesa, halava, kachori -- but if I do not practically taste what is halava, what is kachori, then what is the use of simply having knowledge? So the Mayavadi philosophy like that, jnana, simply knowledge. That knowledge is there in the Bhagavad-gita in the beginning, the first lesson: dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam [Bg. 2.13]. "Within the body there is the soul. That soul is eternal." Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Na jayate na mriya... This is the first lesson, that "I am Brahman. I am spirit soul. I am eternal. I do not die even after the annihilation..." This is the first lesson. It doesn't require much time, that we have to devote our whole life to understand that "I am Brahman." It can be understood even by a child. It is not very difficult. But how to engage myself as Brahman, that requires education. That is,

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

So these things begins after self-realization. Otherwise, why one should be interested about Visnu, sravanam kirtanam visnoh? One is interested, "What is the report of the share market?" That's all. He should hear that? No. The sastra says, "No. You should hear about Visnu only." That is our Krsna consciousness movement, that "You hear about Visnu, Krsna, and not anybody else. There are so many politicians, big, big other materialistic person. We can hear about him. Just like people are reading the biography of big, big politicians and spoiling their time. We are not interested. We are not interested. We are interested only to hear about Visnu. That is Krsna consciousness. We are inter... So many biographies are there. People are interested. But our literature... We have published so many, about fifty books -- only on Krsna. That's all, nothing else. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. These three processes is going on. The publication means sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. Or smaranam pada-sevanam. They are of Visnu. That is Krsna consciousness movement. Stick to this principle. Don't try to hear anything else. Tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavah.

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

And, on the other hand, na tad vacas citra-padam harer yaso pragrnita kar..., na pragrnita karhicit, tad vayasam tirtham. To the devotees, a literature, a so-called literature, very nicely written, with decorated words, metaphorism and these things... Tad-vag-visargo, na tad vacas citra-padam, very nicely, literally very nicely decorated, na tad vacas citra-padam harer yaso na pragrnita karhicit, but there is no mention about Krsna and His glories... Just like especially in the Western countries you have got newspaper, big, big bunch of newspaper, but not a single line is there about Krsna, not a single. So for the devotees this kind of literature is compared with the garbage. Tad vayasam tirtham. Just like vayasam, crows. The crows gather together where? Where everything nuisance thrown away, they gather together. You will find. That is the nature amongst the class of bird. Where all nasty things are thrown away, the crows will gather. The another bird, swans, they will not go there. The swans will gather in a very nice garden with clear water, lotus flower, and birds, and singing. They will gather there. As there are... By nature, there are different classes of animals, even in the birds, beasts. "The birds of the same feather flock together."

So where the crows go, the swans do not go. And where the swans go, the crows have no access. Similarly, the Krsna consciousness movement is meant for the swans, not for the crows. So try to remain swans, raja-hamsa or paramahamsa. Hamsa means swan. Even if we have got this little place, don't go to the place of the crows, the so-called clubs, restaurant, brothel, dancing club, and... People are... Especially in the Western countries, they are very much busy with these places. But don't remain crow. Become swans simply by this process, chanting and hearing about Krsna. This is the process, to remain paramahamsa. Dharma-projjhita-kaitava atra nirmatsaranam. Dharma-projjhita-kaitava atra paramo nirmatsaranam [SB 1.1.2]. This Bhagavata-dharma, this Krsna consciousness, is meant for paramo nirmatsaranam. Matsara, matsarata. Matsara means envy. I am envious of you. You are envious of me. This is material world. Just like so many envious persons are there in this quarter, simply lodging complaint against us. We have got good experience of this. So the Bhagavata-dharma is meant for paramo nirmatsaranam. Matsarata means one who cannot endure or can tolerate others' advancement. That is called matsarata. That is the nature of everyone. Everyone is trying to advance more. The neighbor is envious: "Oh, this man is going ahead. I could not." This is... Even if he is brother, even if he is son, this is the nature of the... So therefore this Bhagavata-dharma is not meant for such persons, who are envious. It is meant for the paramo nirmatsaranam, who has given up this envy or envious attitude ultimately. Now, how it is possible? It is possible only when you have learned how to love Krsna. Then it is possible. Then you will see that "Everyone is Krsna's part and parcel. So he is suffering for want of his Krsna consciousness. Let me speak something about Him, about Krsna. Let me give some literature to him about Krsna so that one day he will come to Krsna consciousness and become happy." This is sravanam kirtanam smaranam process. We should ourself also continuously hear from authoritative literature, person, and continuously go on chanting the same thing, repetition. That's all. Then everything will be happy atmosphere. Otherwise the crows assembly in the garbage will continue, and nobody will be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975

"How To Satisfy God"

14 Apr 75 , Hyderabad


Prabhupada: [break] ...sakti, saktiman. The Supreme Lord is saktiman. Just like the sun and the sunshine and the Sun-god, and practically they are one. From the Sun-god there is... The abode of the Sun-god is the sun globe, and the shining of the sun globe is also sunshine. So in one sense they are one, in other sense they are different. Just like the sunshine is reaching here, it does not mean the sun globe is reaching here. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita, maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-murtina: [Bg. 9.4] "I am spread." So sarvam khalv idam brahma, everything is Krsna. But at the same time, if you commit mistake... The same way, "Because the sunshine is here, therefore sun is here." That is a mistake. This is visista-advaita. They are all one, advaya-jnana, but still they're different. Advaita-visista. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. Advayam means advaya, advaita, no difference, the same thing. But visista. This is Brahman, this is Paramatma, visista. Advaita but visista. A specific reference: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan, they are one. But still, you cannot say Brahman is Bhagavan. The same example: the sunshine and the sun globe, they are one. Unless there is appearance of the sun globe, sun planet, you cannot have sunshine. So in that sense, they are one, but still if you take sunshine as the sun globe, that is not correct.

Woman: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Yes. They're all one.

Woman: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Yes. But still there is specific differences. That is called visista. One with specific difference. And the Mayavadi philosophers, they say, "No, there is no specific difference. This is maya." But we Vaisnava, we don't say that. That sunshine is sunshine, sun globe is sun globe, and Sun-god is Sun-god. But taken together, they are all one. Diversity in unity. That is visista-advaitavada. So actually, all the Vaisnava acaryas, Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Nimbarka, and Visnu Svami, there is no difference of opinion, but they have explained the Absolute Truth more vividly in their own angle of vision. Otherwise there is no difference. They never say that God and the living being are one. They will never say that. That is not Vaisnava philosophy. That is Mayavada philosophy. So the propounder of Mayavada philosophy is Sankaracarya and other Vaisnava acaryas, Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Nimbarka, Visnu Svami, practically they are all one opinion. There is no, they differ from Sankaracarya.

And if we study philosophy intelligently, then we can understand that living being, jiva, how he can become one with the Supreme? Then why he has become jiva? Jiva is eternally. In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah jiva-loka sanatana [Bg. 15.7]. Sanatana. Sanatana means eternally. He is fragmental parts of the Supreme. Not that by maya he is thinking fragmental parts, but actually he is one. That is Mayavada philosophy. But Krsna does not say that. Krsna says, sanatana. He is fragmental parts, sanatana, eternally. Besides that, it is clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gita that the spirit cannot be cut into pieces, acchedyo 'yam adahyo 'yam, so how it becomes a small fragment? Acchedyo 'yam, you cannot cut into pieces, spirit. And it is further explained that these fragmental parts eternally, from the very beginning. Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-gita, "My dear Arjuna, you, Me and all these soldiers and kings who have assembled there, they existed like this in the past, they're existing in the same way, and they'll continue to exist like that." There is no question of becoming one. Past, present, future, always we are distinct. So how they can be one sanatana? We are part and parcel sanatana, eternally. But in quality we are one. In quality we are one. Krsna is eternal. We are eternal. Krsna is spirit. We are spirit. Krsna is also person. We are also person. In this way, we are one but He is the great, and we are servants. This is actual position. And if we claim that after being freed from maya, we shall become one with the Supreme, that is called Mayavada. We eternally, we are separate. Dvaitavada. That is Madhvacarya's philosophy, dvaitavada. So if you consider very cool-headed, then Vaisnava philosophy is the best, not this Mayavada philosophy.

Woman: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Krsna is not under karma. That is difference. That is difference between me and Krsna. We are...

Woman: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Yes.

Woman: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: But He is not under karma. He is not under karma. Yes. We are. That is the difference.

Woman: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Yes.

Woman: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: That I am pointing out. That is the difference between Krsna and ourself. We are bound up by the laws and regulation of karma. But Krsna is not like that. Yes. That is the difference. Na mam karmani limpanti na me karma-phale sprha [Bg. 4.14]. He's not bound up by the karma. But we take sometimes, mistake, that Krsna is like us. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. They are mudhas. They do not know it, what is Krsna. They think Krsna as a human being like us. That is mudha. Therefore they do not surrender to Krsna. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. So they remain naradhama. They do not make any progress.

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Who has interpreted?

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: What is that?

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Yes. That we accept also. We say maya. But one can be free from maya. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. If you surrender to Krsna, then one is not captivated by maya. Maya is there. Just like police is there. If you are not a criminal, then police has nothing to do with you. Police may be there. But if you are a criminal, then police will arrest you. Similarly, maya is acting as police force of Krsna. So as soon as you become criminal, forget Krsna as your master, then the police, maya, will capture you. That is the business.

krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare
pasate mayara tare japatiya dhare

As soon as you try to become independent of Krsna, immediately maya captures. This is the beginning of maya. And again when you surrender, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. No more maya. So to become free from maya is very easy provided one understands Krsna. And as soon as he understands Krsna, he understands his duty, that my duty is to serve Krsna, that is called bhakti, immediately he becomes free from all the contamination of maya. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Who? Mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. If you employ yourself immediately in loving service of Krsna... Krsna also says, mayam etam taranti te. So all the devotees they are not under maya. They're already in liberated stage. Therefore a devotee does not want liberation because he's already liberated. Why he'll aspire about liberation? That is explained by Bilvamangala Thakura muktih mukulitanjali sevate asman. Mukti is standing before me with folded hand, "What can I do for you?" So why the devotees will aspire (to) mukti? Mukti is ready to serve him as maidservant. This is the position of devotee. Muktih mukulitanjali sevate, this is the great authority, Bilvamangala Thakura. Yes?

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Prapati is the beginning of bhakti. Prapati is the beginning of bhakti. Unless you are accepting the principle of prapa..., surrender, mam ekam saranam vraja, there is no question of bhakti. Bhakti is the process of surrender fully.

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: There is no difference. There is no difference. Narayana is Krsna. Krsna is Narayana. And om namo is addressing Him, "Oh Narayana, please engage me in Your service." Hare Krsna is also addressing. Hare, Hara, the potency of Krsna or the potency or energy of Krsna, "Oh Krsna, please engage me in Your service." This is Hare Krsna. The same meaning. There is no difference. The real business is that Krsna is asking to surrender. That is Krsna's mission. And if we voluntarily surrender, then Krsna becomes very pleased. So this is surrender. "Oh Krsna, Oh energy of Krsna, kindly engage me again in Your service." That's all. This is Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna means, "Oh Hara, Oh Krsna." Because Krsna's there, Krsna's energy is there. Krsna is not alone. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. So Krsna's one energy is this material energy, mama maya. This maya is also Krsna's energy. It is not different from Krsna. Sakti saktimatayor abheda. There is no difference between fire and the heat. Heat is also fire. Similarly, Krsna and Krsna's energy, they're one. At the same time, different. This is called acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's. Simultaneously one and different.

So we are praying to Krsna and Krsna's energy. If we pray to Krsna's energy, she is Krsna's energy, she will understand, "Now, he is now correct." So she gives facilities. She gives facilities, "Yes, now you can serve Krsna. I give you... I give you freedom. You are no more under my clutches." Mayam etam taranti te. Immediately you surrender to Krsna, you are immediately liberated. We haven't got to search out liberation separately. Immediately surrender to Krsna, immediately you are liberated, immediately, simultaneous. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. At that time maya takes another feature. That is called yoga-maya. The same maya Just like the same government laws acting in the prison house differently, and acting in the university differently. But the potency is the same. If we take protection of the civil laws, then you are happy. And if we take protection of the criminal laws then you are unhappy. That's all. So Krsna consciousness movement is that you have to take shelter of one of the potencies of Krsna. Better take the shelter of the spiritual potency. Then you become happy. You cannot be free. That is not possible. Just like you cannot defy the government laws. That is not possible. If you defy civil laws then you become subjected to the criminal law. You cannot say that "I defy government." That is not possible. Similarly, you cannot defy Krsna and Krsna's potencies. Better you take shelter of Krsna's spiritual potency and be happy. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13], that is mahatma, who takes shelter of the spiritual potency of Krsna. And what is the sign? Bhajanty ananya-manaso. That is mahatma. He has no other business than to serve Krsna twenty-four hours. Then he is immediately mukta. That is not difficult. So any other question?

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: That's all right. If there is sense... If there is sense that Lord Siva is Krsna's part and parcel, then it is all right. But if he thinks Lord Siva is separate authority, then it is mistake. Krsna says... What is that sloka? Verse, you recite? Ye yatha mam...

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: That is "I," Krsna. That is "I," Krsna. If you understand this demigod... Just like this finger. If you understand this finger belongs to Swamiji, then you are correct. And if you think that this finger is separate power, that is incorrect. This finger is powerful so long attached to the body. And if you cut the finger from the body, it has no power. Similarly, the demigods, if you accept that they are different part and parcel of Krsna -- there must be relationship with Krsna -- then it is correct. Just like it is said, surya, surya upasana, that or durga upasana. These are different upasana, surya, or pancopasana, durga upasana, surya upasana, ganesa upasana, and visnu upasana. Pancopasana. So how we can worship? Just like Durga. Durga is worshiped by the Vaisnava in this way, srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva ya... [Bs. 5.44]. [break](end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture on Science of Krsna -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975

"Happiness on Planet of Misery"

11 Oct 75 , Durban

Prabhupada: Sva-karma or sva-dharma, the same thing. The word dharma, as it is explained in the English dictionary, "a kind of faith," actually dharma does not mean that. Dharma means your occupational duty, the characteristic. Everything has got characteristic. Just like this microphone. The characteristic of microphone is to vibrate the sound loudly. This is dharma. If simply the microphone is there and it does not act to produce the sound loudly, then it is out of his dharma or out of order. Try to understand what is dharma.

There are many other examples. Just like water. Water is liquid, everyone knows. But sometimes water becomes solid, ice, under certain circumstances. That is not his dharma. To remain liquid-its dharma. Therefore, sometimes water, even it is transformed into solid ice, it melts, again wants to become water. This is dharma. So what is our dharma, we human being. There is no question of any sect, any nation or any party, no, as human being. As human being or living being, what is our dharma? Dharma is to render service. Every one of us is rendering service. As a family man, he is rendering service, as a society man, as a national -- everyone is, whatever... Or occupation. As a medical man, you are also offering your service. As engineer, you are offering your service, or any other, businessman, you are also. Sometimes businessmen, they hang the signboard, "Our first business is to offer you service." So everyone is engaged in giving service to somebody else. This is called dharma, basic principle of dharma. So what is our dharma, living entity? Our dharma is to render service. But we are rendering service? But no. We are rendering service not rightly, but wrongly. Therefore you are no satisfied. There are many examples.

Just like in our country, Mahatma Gandhi, he also, he was here. He gave so much service. He gave service in India. But what was the return? The return was he was killed by his countrymen. This is the return, practical. The return was that he wanted to establish nonviolence, and his countrymen proved that nonviolence cannot go on -- "You must die by violence." This is material world, that however you may render service to your family, to your country, to your friend, to anyone, you will never be satisfied. Rather, when he is dissatisfied he will kill you. This is material world. So my occupational duty is to render service to somebody, but I cannot satisfy that somebody. This is material world. You go on giving service, but you will never be able to satisfy to the person to whom you are giving service. This is material world.

So what is the defect? The defect is that my business is to render service to the Supreme Lord which is misplaced in so many ways. In so many ways I am giving service to my society, to my friend, to my community, to my nation, and so on, so on. That is misplaced. Your duty is to render service to Krsna, or God, but that is being misplaced. Therefore you are not satisfied, neither the person to whom you are giving service, they are also not satisfied. This is the material world. Therefore Krsna comes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. Dharmasya again. What is that dharma? To render service. When there is discrepancy to render service, then Krsna comes to teach you how you should render service. So we have created so many platform of service. They are not giving us satisfaction, neither to the person nor to me. So Krsna comes to rectify it. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati. This is glanih. The service is misplaced.

Then what is to be done? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is service. This is wanted. All other service... I have given you already the example. Who can give better service than Mahatma Gandhi? Who can become such honest man, ideal man. He was addressed as mahatma. Still, his service was not recognized. He was killed. So that is the result of material service. Therefore Krsna says that, "This kind of service rendering will never satisfy you, neither the party will be satisfied. You give up all this wrong engagement; you give service to Me." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "Then I will give up so many duties I have got?" "Yes, you can give up." "No, I will be involved in sinful activities because I am giving all, others service." "Yes." Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami: "I shall give you protection. Don't bother. Don't worry." This is the sum and substance of the instruction in the Bhagavad-gita, and you have to learn it. Then our life will be successful.

In every respect we can render service. In all positions we can render service to Krsna. And that is being taught here: sve sve karmani, sve sve karmany abhiratah. You are a medical man. You are giving service. You can also be engaged in giving service to Krsna. Sve sve karmani. Or you are a businessman or you are engineer, whatever you may be. Sve sve karmani. Everyone has got a particular type of duty, engagement. That is dharma. So sve sve karmany abhiratah samsiddhim labhate narah. He can become perfect. Samsiddhim labhate narah. Svakarma-niratah siddhim yatha vindati tac chrnu: "I will explain to you," Krsna says. Now the svakarmana, svakarma...

Of course, now we are engaged in so many different types of duties, but the Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of society and four division of spiritual enlightenment. It is called varna and asrama. Four varnas means brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. This is social arrangement. And spiritual arrangement-brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. So we are known, advertised, as Hindu. Actually there is no such word in the whole Vedic literature, Hindu. It is a name given by the Mohammedans on account of the river Sindu. They pronounced sa as ha. So the Sindu was mispronounced as Hindu and the side, or this side of Indus River, who resided, they are called by the Mohammedans as Hindus. The Hindu name is given by the Mohammedans. Actually, our dharma is varnasrama-dharma, four varnas and four asramas. That is the real name, varnasrama-dharma. The whole Vedic culture is dependent on varnasrama. It is meant for everyone, not that it is meant for Indians only, no. Four varnas and four asramas.

So how these four varnas are recognized? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Brahmana. (aside) The child must stop. The first varna is brahmana. Brahmana is the head of the varnas, social arrangement. So brahmana, first of all it is said... Not here in the Eighteenth Chapter. In the, I think, Fourth Chapter it is. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah: [Bg. 4.13] "The catur-varna -- the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra -- they are created by Me according to guna and karma, quality and action." One is designated, "Here is an engineer." This engineer is not by birthright, "Because my father is an engineer, so I become an engineer," no. You must have the qualification of the engineer. That is called guna. If you simply say that "I am a son of an engineer, therefore you must accept me as engineer," that is not accepted. Have you got qualification of engineer? If he says "Yes," then consider it. So guna.

Then I have got guna, but I do not practice it. Suppose I have passed medical examination, but I do not practice. Then nobody will call me a doctor sir. I must practice. I must cure patient. Then I will be known as medical practitioner. So guna-karma-vibhagasah, not only quality but also practice. So what are the gunas? The gunas are described in the Bhagavad-gita. Everything is there. Simply we have to study thoroughly and understand it thoroughly. Then the whole human society will be in peace and they will make progress not only in this life but in the next life also. Therefore it is said, samsiddhim labhate narah. Sve sve karmani niratah samsiddhim labhate narah. What is that samsiddhi?

mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]

That is samsiddhi. The samsiddhi means, perfection of life means, that this life we shall act in such a way that next life, after giving up this body... We have to give up this body, but we should not give up this body like cats and dogs. That is human civilization. The cats and dogs, they also give up their body. And if we also give up our body like cats and dog that is not success of life. That is failure of life. Prahlada Maharaja has said that durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Durlabham. This human form of life is durlabham. Durlabha... Duh means difficult, and labha means gained. After many, many millions of years of evolution process we get this human form of life. That is the nature's. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. We are being carried by the laws of nature. So this human form of life is very durlabha, very rarely gotten. Durlabham manusam janma.

kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]

This is the version of Prahlada Maharaja. He was preaching Krsna consciousness among his school friends. Because he was born in a demon father's family, Hiranyakasipu, he was stopped even uttering Krsna. He could not get any opportunity in the palace, so when he was coming to school, at the tiffin hour he would call his small friends, five years old, and he would preach this Bhagavata-dharma. And the friends would says, "My dear Prahlada, we are now children. Oh, what is the use of this Bhagavata-dharma? Let us play." "No," he said, "no." Kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha, durlabham manusam janma: [SB 7.6.1] "My dear friends, don't say that you'll keep it aside for cultivating Krsna consciousness in old age. No, no." Durlabham. "We do not know when we shall die. Before the next death we must complete this Krsna consciousness education."

That is the aim of human life. Otherwise we are losing the opportunity. So, everyone wants to live forever, but nature will not allow that. That's a fact. We may think very independent, but we are not independent. We are under the stringent laws of nature. A young man, you cannot say that "I will not become old man." No. You must become. That is the law of nature. And if you say, "I'll not die," no, you must die. So this is law of nature. So we, we are therefore mudhas. We do not know practically what is the law of nature.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Everything is being pulled down by the laws of material nature, and still, because we are so fool and rascal, we are thinking, "independent." This is our fault. This is our fault. We do not know what is the aim of life, how prakrti, nature, is carrying us, how we can protect ourself from the problems of life. We are busy in solving the temporary problems of life, just like dependence or independence. These are temporary problems.

Actually we are not independent. We are dependent on the laws of nature. And suppose we become independent, so-called independent, for a few days. That is not independence. Real independence is how to get out of the clutches of these material laws. Therefore Krsna presents before you the problem amongst... We have got so many problems, but that is temporary. Real problem is, Krsna says, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. A man of knowledge should always keep in the front the real problem. What is that? Birth, death, old age, and disease. This is your real problem. So the human life is meant for solving these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease. And that can be done by Krsna consciousness. So we are pushing on this Krsna consciousness movement to solve the ultimate problems of life. So our request is that you take this Krsna consciousness movement very seriously and solve the ultimate problems of life. And that problems of life can be solved simply by understanding Krsna, simply by understanding Krsna.

janma karma ca me divyam
yo janati tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti kaunteya
[Bg. 4.9]

This is the solution of problem. Then what will be the benefit, mam eti, by going back to home, back to Krsna? Now, mam upetya tu kaunteya duhkhalayam asasvatam, napnuvanti. Mam upetya tu kaunteya samsiddhim labhate param [Bg. 8.15]. The same example, this, that "Anyone who comes back to Me," Krsna says, "then," duhkhalayam asasvatam napnuvanti, "he does not get again birth in this material world, which is duhkhalayam asasvatam." Krsna certifies about this world as duhkhalayam, "the place of miseries," and we are trying to be happy. This is our illusion. You cannot be happy in this material world. Tell me if anyone is happy. Nobody is happy. The problem, only problem, beginning from the womb of mother up to the again, next death, simply problems -- this is material life. Therefore Krsna says, mam upetya tu kaunteya duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15], napnuvanti: "He does not come again." That is the solution. That is samsiddhim labhate param.

So the society must be divided as suggested in Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literature, that catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. There must be four varnas and four asramas, ideal. Then you may be a sudra, you may be a grhastha, or you may be a brahmana. Everyone will get salvation, everyone attain the perfection, if we adopt this process. So there must be one class of men, first-class men, ideal, that people will learn that "Here is an ideal class of men. Let me try to imitate or follow them." But there is no ideal men now, at the present moment. Everyone is sudra. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. Then how the society will be happy? It is not possible because there is no ideal men. So here Krsna says that we should create, we should educate a section of men who are by brahmana, by guna, and karma, not by birth. Then society will be happy. Samo damas... This is the brahminical qualification,

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

So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is that for the time being we are trying to create a section of men, not from India, not from Hindus. Never, Krsna never said that "These things can be done only in India and amongst the section, Hindu." No. It is open for everyone. It is open for everyone. Just like if you start an engineering college, does it mean that it is meant for Hindus or Muslims or a certain nationality? No. It should be open for everyone. Anyone who wants to become a brahmana, he can become brahmana. Of course, the, what is called, conservative class of men, they come to fight with us that "How you are making brahmanas from the European and American people? They are mlecchas and yavana." No. That is not shastric injunction. Shastric injunction is there. It is spoken by Narada Muni, not ordinary person, but the great authority Narada. He was instructing about this varnasrama-dharma to Maharaja Yudhisthira, and he said, he summarized, "My dear king,"

yasya yal laksanam proktam
pumso varnabhivyanjakam
yad anyatrapi drsyeta
tat tenaiva vinirdiset
[SB 7.11.35]

This is instruction. So here is the laksanam, symptom, who is brahmana: samah. Samah means controlling the sense, controlling the mind. In every circumstances mind is steady; that is called samah. And damah means senses, controlling the senses. My tongue is dried up, asking for a cigarette. Now, if I am brahmana, then I shall say, "No, you cannot smoke." That is damah. That is damah. A senses may dictate me... We are... Now, at the present moment, we are all servants of senses. I have already explained that our real occupational duty is to become servant. So instead of becoming servant of Krsna, we are now servant of our senses. This is our material life. So if you, instead of becoming servant of the senses, if you become master of the senses, then you are a brahmana. Then you are a brahmana. Not that you remain a servant of the senses and because you are born in a brahmana family you remain a brahmana. This is miscalculation. This is not allowed.

Therefore Krsna says, samo damas tapah. This samo damah, how it can be practiced without tapasya? It is so easy thing that you can control your mind and senses? But with tapasya. You must agree. That is human life. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. Rsabhadeva was advising his sons, "My dear boys, this human form of life is meant for tapasya, tapah." What for tapasya? Divyam, to realize the Supreme, deva. Why it is required? Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam: "Your existence will be purified if you practice tapasya." "Now what is my existence? Am I impure?" Yes. Therefore you are dying. Otherwise you are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. You, eternal, but you are dying. You are subject to death because your existence is impure.

Therefore, tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet yasmad brahma-saukhyam anantam [SB 5.5.1]. If you want really blissful life eternally, then you must come to the eternal existential position platform. Yasmad brahma-saukhyam anantam. To become happy, to become joyful, that is your right because you are part and parcel of Krsna, God. He is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. You are part and parcel. So you are now fallen. You are trying to get that blissful life, but you are trying falsely, falsely in a platform where there is duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15] -- It is not possible. You come to the spiritual platform. You come to your original consciousness. Then your sattva, your existence, will be purified and you will enjoy. Enjoyment is your right. So therefore this samo damah can be practiced provided you agree to execute tapasya, tapasya.

Therefore in this Krsna consciousness movement we are training these boys, anyone -- it doesn't matter what he is -- no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. This is tapasya. Those who are practiced to these bad habits, for them it will be very difficult, very difficult. Yes. One of our godbrother went to preach in London and Lord Zetland, he was talking with him, and he said, "Goswamiji, can you make me a brahmana?" So he said, "Yes, why not? You give up these four bad habits," and he said, "It is impossible for us." He said clearly, "It is impossible. This is our life." But at the present moment these boys, hundreds and thousands of boys, they are giving up this practice. This is called tapasya. Hundreds and thousands, they have agreed. I have not bribed them. I am poor Indian. But they have agreed. "Yes." They are actually practicing no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. They do not smoke even, don't take tea even. This is called tapasya.

So samo damah, brahminical first qualification, can be practiced provided you agree to undergo tapasya, tapah. And it is not very difficult. Not that because these boys, European, American boys, have given up these bad habit, they are dying for it. No. Rather, their parents, their countrymen, say they are bright-faced. When they chant on the street, they become surprised, their fathers. And some of the fathers, they come to thank me, "Swamiji, it is our great fortune that you have come to our country," because they know that how their sons are being rectified from the LSD habit. Professor Judah has written a book, very nice book, appreciating that "How these LSD men could become Krsna conscious servant of Krsna?" So it is... Everything is possible provided you agree, tapasya. Samo damas tapah.

Then saucam: very clean. Everyone must take bath thrice daily and wash the cloth. This is saucam, external, saucam. So they are doing that. They are rising early in the morning at half past three and taking bath. In this country they don't even require hot water, in cold water. Saucam, very cleanse. Samo damas tapah saucam ksantih, toleration. Ksantir arjavam, simplicity. Ksantir arjavam eva ca jnanam, knowledge. What is that knowledge? Knowledge that "I am not this body." This is knowledge. And if simply I think "I am this body," you may advance in your so-called scientific knowledge; you are a fool. This is called jnanam. And vijnanam, practical application. Jnanam vijnanam, then astikyam. Astikyam means to believe in the injunction of the sastra, astikyam. That is called theism. One who does not believe in the injunction... Just like Krsna is advise in the Bhagavad-gita. One who believe in the words of Krsna, he is astika. One who does not believe, he is nastika. This is the astika and nastika. So our nastika definition means one who does not believe in the Vedic instruction. He is called nastika. So brahmana must be astikyam.

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

If you acquire this qualification, then you are brahmana. So is it very difficult? Simply there is no training center. Throughout the whole world there is no such training department. There are many department of knowledge, but how to create an ideal brahmana, there is no education. There is no education.

Therefore the brahmana is considered to be the head of the body. Just like we have got this body, this head is to be considered as brahmana, and the arm is to be considered as ksatriya, the belly is to be considered as vaisya and the leg is considered as sudra. So as to maintain this body nicely you must everything in order -- the head, brain must be in order, the hand, arms must be in order, the belly must be digesting food and getting energy and the leg also must walk -- similarly -- sve sve karmany abhiratah, never mind you are a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra -- if your aim is to keep the body in order, then either you become brahmana, either you become ksatriya or sudra, everything is in order. That is required. Unless these instructions are followed as given by Krsna... He comes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. He comes there. He leaves this instruction. If you take advantage of this instruction and make your society, family, or government, everything, according to the instruction of Bhagavad-gita, then everything is perfect. Otherwise you are doomed. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (applause)

Pusta Krsna: Questions, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Pusta Krsna: If anybody... [break] ...would like to ask His Divine Grace, please just come forward and speak through the microphone so everyone can hear.

Indian man (1): Swamiji, is there any truth in the belief that if two persons marry each other during a certain specific time of the year, their marriage will be more prosperous than would otherwise be the case?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Pusta Krsna: He's asking is there any truth to the statement that if two people marry each other at a certain time, their marriage will be more auspicious or prosperous than if they marry at other times?

Prabhupada: Marriage. So, according to Bhagavad-gita, married life is required. Sex under marriage rules is permitted. Dharma-viruddhah kamo 'smi. Sex life... Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna. These are bodily necessities-eating, sleeping, sex, and defense. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. So that, these four kinds of necessities are there in the animals also. The dog also eats, sleep, sex life and defend. Then what is the difference between the dog's life and man's life? The difference is the dog's life is not regulated under religious principle. The man's life is regulated under religious principle. So under religious principle if you arrange for sex life, then it is good. Otherwise it is dog's life. That's all. (applause)

Pusta Krsna: Any other question?

Indian man (2): Swamiji, throughout the world the kind of religion that is practiced hasn't seemed to help to solve the problems. We find that people throughout the world are ill-fed, ill-clothed and ill-housed. Do you think a movement of this type could solve the problem?

Prabhupada: Yes. I have already explained what is meaning of religion. Religion means to render service to God. If you do not render service to God, that is not religion; that is cheating. Therefore in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam [SB 1.1.2], that "Cheating type of religion is completely rejected from Srimad-Bhagavatam." That is not dharma. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam [Bg. 18.66]. This is dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: [SB 6.3.19] "Dharma means the codes and the law given by God." So God says that, to surrender unto Him. Mam ekam saranam vraja. So if one does not surrender to God, that religion has no meaning. It is useless.

Pusta Krsna: Other questions?

Indian man (3): Swamiji, I would like to ask you one question, and that is in this time of Kali-yuga, is it possible that a layman could see the Paramatma with his naked eye? And if he can, what he has to do or what?

Prabhupada: So the Paramatma cannot be seen with your naked eye. You cannot see anything with your naked eye. You are very much proud of your eyes, but you do not see things as they are. Just like you are seeing daily the sun. You see it is just like a disk, but it is not a disk. It is fourteen hundred times, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. So you cannot see God, Paramatma, by these eyes, these material eyes. You have to create your eyes. That is said,

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.38]

You can see God, or Krsna, when you have developed love for Him. Otherwise you cannot see. This is the formula. You have to develop your... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. In the Seventh Chapter I was speaking yesterday.

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]

So this is practice how to see God. But in this Kali-yuga, as you have mentioned Kali-yuga, it is very simple thing. What is that? That simple thing is kaler dosa-nidhe rajann hy asti eko mahan gunah. In the sastra it is said this Kali-yuga is full of faults, so many faults. It is the ocean of faults. But there is a very nice thing, asti hy eko mahan gunah, a very great quality. What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. If you simply chant Hare Krsna mantra, then you become perfect. Is it very difficult? Chant Hare Krsna and you become perfect. But we are so unfortunate, we are not even prepared to chant. This is our position. So you have to make little determination that "I shall chant henceforward Hare Krsna mantra." Then everything is all right.

Pusta Krsna: Other question? (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975

"Glimpse of the Spiritual World"

"Glimpse of the Spiritual World"

12 Jul 75 , Philadelphia


Prabhupada: Ladies and gentlemen, first of all I wish to thank you, the inhabitants of this great city, Philadelphia. You are so kind, enthusiastic, in taking part in this movement. So I am very much obliged to you. I am especially obliged to the American boys and girls who are helping me so much in spreading this Krsna consciousness movement in the Western countries. I was ordered by my spiritual master to preach this Krsna consciousness in the Western countries. So in 1965 I first came in New York. Then in 1966 this society was regularly registered in New York, and from 1967 this movement is regularly going on in America, Europe, Canada, and south of Pacific Ocean, Australia, and throughout the whole world.

So I may inform you little about this movement, Krsna consciousness. Krsna, this word, means all-attractive. Krsna is attractive to every living entities, not only human being, even the animals, birds, bees, trees, flowers, fruits, water. That is the picture of Vrndavana. This is material world. We have no experience of the spiritual world. But we can get an glimpse idea, what is spirit and what is matter. Just try to understand the difference between a living man and a dead body. The dead body means as soon as the living force within the body is gone, then it is dead matter, useless. And so long the living force is there, the body is very important. So as we experience in this body, there is something as dead matter and something as living force, similarly, there are two worlds: the material world and the spiritual world. We living entities, every one of us, we belong to the spiritual world. We do not belong to the material world. Some way or other, we are now in contact with this material world and material body, and the business is that although we are eternal living force, on account of our contact with this material body, we have to take four tribulations: birth, death, disease and old age. That we have to undergo. In this material world we are getting one type of body, and it is ended at a certain stage. Just like any material thing. You take, for example, of your dress. You are dressed with a certain type of garment, but when it is worn out, no more usable, then you throw it, you get another dress. So this material body is the dress of the spirit living force. But because we are attached to this material world, we want to enjoy this material world, we get different types of body. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gita as a machine. Actually it is machine, this body. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said,

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
[Bg. 18.61]

So we living entity, we desire. "Man proposes; God disposes." God is very kind. Whatever you desire, He will fulfill. Although He says that "This kind of material desires will never satisfy you," but we want. Therefore God supplies us, Krsna, different types of body to fulfill our different desires. This is called material, conditional life. This body, change of body according to desire, is called evolutionary process. By evolution we come to the human form of body through many other millions bodies. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. We pass through 900,000 species of form in the water. Similarly, two million forms as plants, trees. In this way, by nature's way, nature brings us into this human form of life just to develop or awaken our consciousness. Nature gives us the chance, "Now what do you want to do? Now you have got developed consciousness. Now you again want to go to the evolutionary process, or you want to go to the higher planetary system, or you want to go to God, Krsna, or you want to remain here?" These options are there. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,

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

Now make your selection. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can go. If you want to remain here, in the middle planetary system, you can do so. And if you want to go to the lower planetary system, that you can do. And if you want to go to God, Krsna, that also you can do. It is up to your option. Therefore, what is the difference between this material world, maybe in the higher planetary system or in the lower planetary system, and what is the spiritual world? The spiritual world means there is no material consumption. Everything is spirit, as I told you. The trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water, the animals -- everything is spiritual. So there is no annihilation. It is eternal. So if you want to go to that spiritual world, then you can have this opportunity now in this human form of life, and if you want to remain in this material world, you can do so.

So our movement is that "Why not stop this material, conditional life, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease?" This is intelligence. "Why should we remain in this material body and undergo repetition change of body? Let us have our original, spiritual body." That is wanted. That is intelligence. The human life is therefore meant, as it is stated in the Vedanta philosophy, athato brahma jijnasa: "Now this life is meant for enquiring about the Absolute Truth." So that is required. That is human intelligence. And if we spoil our life like the animals... They are also eating; we are also eating. They are also sleeping; we are also sleeping. They are also having sex intercourse; we are also having sex intercourse. They are also defending; we are also defending. These four principles are common to the human being and to the animal. The special advantage of human being is that if he likes, he can stop this repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead. The Krsna consciousness movement is trying to educate people about this science, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. It is not a so-called religious movement. Of course, anything which has connection with God, you can take it as religious movement. But it is very scientific movement. For the big scientists, philosophers, thinkers, they should try to understand this movement. We have got fifty-seven books for convincing the philosophers, scientists. If you want to know the value of this movement through science, philosophy, we have got enough ingredients to supply you. Otherwise, it is simple, very simple. Simply chant this mantra,

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Then everything will be manifest to you. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This chanting of Hare Krsna mantra means cleansing the core of your heart. Because our heart or mind or consciousness is now covered with so many dirty things. So if we chant this Hare Krsna mantra, then these dirty things will be cleansed. Then we shall be able to see "What I am, what is my position, what is my goal of life, what I have to do." This is human consideration. The dogs, cats, they cannot do that. But a human being, they can do it very nicely.

So on account of this, you will find that these young men, not only from your country but in other countries also, in Africa, in Australia, in Canada, in Europe, in Asia -- everywhere -- as soon as they are understanding this philosophy, they are joining this movement. And it is not very difficult. We don't charge anything for selling Hare Krsna mantra. We are chanting everywhere. That you saw, this Ratha-yatra. Now, our only means is chanting Hare Krsna. And these thousands of men are following simply by chanting Hare Krsna mantra. So you can understand what is the potency of this Hare Krsna mantra. We do not pay anything, you ladies and gentlemen, to follow us. But we simply chant Hare Krsna. So it is very potential. Narottama dasa Thakura, a great acarya of Vaisnava sampradaya, he has sung, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana. This Hare Krsna movement, or chanting of Hare Krsna, it is not anything material. Therefore you will never feel tired chanting Hare Krsna. You see practically. You go on chanting twenty-four hours; you will never feel tired. Therefore it is said, golokera prema-dhana. This chanting vibration is coming from the spiritual world. Just like you receive material sound vibration in the radios or television from distant place, there is another machine which can receive the vibration in the spiritual world. So that vibration is Hare Krsna mantra.

golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana,
rati na janmilo kene tay

"Oh, I am so unfortunate that I did not get any attachment for chanting this Hare Krsna mantra." Samsara-davanale, diba-nisi hiya jwale. The samsara, this material world, is very uncomfortable place. Everyone is always full of anxiety. However rich you may be, however powerful you may be, but the anxiety must be there. You can understand, your president Nixon, how much anxiety he had when all people wanted him to come down. So this material world means in whichever position you may be situated, it doesn't matter. It is full of anxiety. This is called blazing fire, always burning the heart. So if you want to get relief from this uncomfortable position of anxiety, then you must take to this Hare Krsna mantra. This is our request. You can try for it and you will see the practical result. It will not cost you anything; there is no loss about it.

So our only request is, with folded hands and begging you, so many flatterings, we simply request... Dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya. This is our process. We are not very violent pushing. Now, you see our procession came, so many, for three hours. There was no violence. And the police department of your country, they very much appreciate because they have got experience whenever there is some procession, there is violence. "Window-breaking crowd," they say. But these people are not win-breaking crowd. So this Krsna consciousness movement... You have already accepted it, this movement, your so many young men. So we request. This is another occasion to invite you. So our only request is that you chant Hare Krsna mantra, and you will feel very much happy. There will be no anxiety. And then you can do your work. It doesn't matter what you are doing. But chanting of this Hare Krsna mantra will make you more and more happy, free from material anxieties, and if we continue this process, then everything will be clearly understood about spiritual life, and very easily we shall be able to go back to home, back to Godhead.

Now, this occasion I may explain little bit. Here you see Jagannatha and Balarama and Subhadra. They are Krsna and His elder brother and His sister, Subhadra. There is a place in India about ninety miles north of Delhi. You have heard the name of New Delhi. The place is named Kuruksetra. It is accepted as the holy place, pilgrimage. People still gather there, especially during the eclipse, solar and lunar eclipse. So there was once, five thousand years ago, there was a solar eclipse, and all people, from all parts of India, they came to Kuruksetra, and Krsna at that time was prince at Dvaraka, He also came with His elder brother and sister. Krsna in His childhood, He was raised as the foster son of Maharaja Nanda and mother Yasoda in Vrndavana. Then, when He was grown up... You will find this history in the Krsna book. So the incidence is that Krsna was the beloved personality in Vrndavana. So when He left Vrndavana, all the people there, they were very, very unhappy. So when Krsna came to Kuruksetra from Dvaraka with His brother and sister, these people in Vrndavana, they got news that Krsna is coming there. Vrndavana is about the same distance. Kuruksetra is greater distance. Anyway, they came to see Krsna out of their love. And the most beloved personality, Srimati Radharani, She was requesting Krsna that "You are the same Krsna. I am the same Radharani. But the place is not the same. You are here in Kuruksetra in royal opulence, and we are coming from the village. So if You again please come to Vrndavana." This was Radharani's request. And it is very ecstatic feeling. Those who are advanced devotee, they can enjoy.

So we observe this incidence annually in as many places in the Western countries. At the present moment we hold this ceremony in London, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, and where else? Buffalo, Melbourne, yes. So this is a very feeling festival. So I thank you very much. You have come here. And try to understand our philosophy. You are all educated boys and girls. We have got fifty-seven books. Try to read, and try to understand. And take it very seriously, and you will be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975

"From Pride to Pure Devotion"

28 Feb 75 , Atlanta


Prabhupada: ...pahu dui jana. Pahu means prabhu. The shortcut is pahu. Prabhu, lord, or master. So these prabhu two, two prabhus, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu... Caitanya Mahaprabhu is addressed as Mahaprabhu, Maha-purusa. And others, they are addressed as prabhu. So these two prabhus, Nityananda Prabhu and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, are very merciful, parama koruna. Parama koruna means extremely merciful. Extremely merciful because Krsna is also merciful, but because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original feature... Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also Krsna, but He is acting as devotee. He is not acting as Krsna. He is agting as devotee of Krsna.

namo maha-vadanyaya
krsna-preme-pradaya te
krsnaya krsna-caitanya-
namne (gaura-tvise namah)

He is Krsna, but at present He has assumed the name of Krsna-caitanya. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya also appreciated Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He made one hundred verses about Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu, just to teach us, He destroyed the slokas, "Oh, it is too much praising Me." So anyway, some of the slokas were saved. Two of them are mentioned in the Caitanya-caritamrta. So one of the sloka, verse, is

vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-
siksartham ekah purusah puranah
sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari
krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye
[Cc. Madhya 6.254]

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya is offering his obeisances to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, speaking like this, that "You are the same original person, Krsna. But You have now assumed the form of Krsna caitanya just to teach vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. You have come to teach the mass of people the art of becoming detached to this material world.'' Vairagya-vidya. Vairagya. Ragya means attachment and viraga means detachment. So we fallen souls, conditioned souls, we are very much attached to this material body, and consequently, material world. This is the disease. This is called bhava-roga, or material disease, to become attached to this body. "I am Indian,'' "I am American,'' "I am white,'' "I am black'' -- I identify with this body because we are very much attached to this body. But if we study very deeply, "Why I am attached to this body?'' Suppose if there is some danger, immediately warning, just this roof is going to fall down, we shall immediately take care of our own body, not of our Godbrothers. Because we are very much attached to this body. This is the first business, how to save this body. Now, the next question is "Why you are so much anxious to save this body?'' What will be the answer? Can anyone say? Why one is so much attached with this body? The answer is that because I, the real I, I am within this body, therefore I am anxious to save it. Then why you are anxious to save the soul, individual soul? The answer will be that because I am part and parcel of Krsna. So ultimately we want to love Krsna, but because we are in a forgetful platform, then someone is trying to save his body, someone is trying to save his bodily relationship. Therefore in so many ways we are implicated with this material atmosphere.

So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to teach us how to become detached to this material. That is vairagya-vidya. Vidya means vairagya-vidya. Vidya does not mean to become more and more attached to this material world. That is not... That is avidya, illusion, because I will not be able to save this body. This body will change. I will be annihilated. But still, I am very much anxious for this body. This is called illusion or ignorance or avidya. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to teach us vairagya-vidya, how to become detached. He personally showed by His life example that... He was very learned scholar in Navadvipa. His name was Nimai Pandita, and He was very influential also. He was so influential that simply by His calling, 100,000 people joined Him to show a civil disobedience movement, disobeying the order of the magistrate that "You cannot perform kirtana." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu organized immediately about one lakh of people and went to perform at the house of the magistrate. The civil disobedience movement, perhaps you know that it was inaugurated by Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi, in India against the British government. But long, long before, five hundred years before, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He started this civil disobedience movement against the order of Kazi. So He was so popular. My point is that not only He was a very learned scholar... He was young man, twenty, twenty-two years, but He was so popular that He could call 100,000 people at once to start this civil disobedience. The social position...

He was beautiful, Gaurasundara. His another name is Gaurasundara, very beautiful boy. And a very learned scholar, Nimai Pandita. Nobody could defeat Him. And very influential and born of a very high-grade brahmana family. His father, His grandfather, was very, very learned scholars. So in every way He was very well situated, although the brahmanas are not very rich. They do not care for money. They are interested in knowledge, brahma-jnana. And if one knows Brahman, then he is brahmana. Brahma janatiti brahmanah: "Brahmana means one who knows the Absolute Truth." That is brahma-jnana. The human life is meant for that purpose, athato brahma jijnasa. Everyone should be interested to enquire about Brahman, the Absolute Truth. At least, a class of man must be there in the society. That is the brain, brain of the society, brahmana. Just like you have got the brain in your body. If the brain is absent, if the brain is gone mad, then your whole body is useless. That is the position at the present moment. There is no brain in the society. All sudras, no brahmanas. Because nobody is interested with the Absolute Truth.

Everyone is interested how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex and how to defend. That is going on, nationwide, worldwide. Therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is interested to make a section of the people brahmana, brain. They can guide. It is not that everyone requires; neither it is possible. Unless one is very intelligent, he cannot become brahmana. Brahmana means the most intellectual class of the society. That is brahmana. Satya samah damah titiksa arjavah, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. These are the brahmana's qualification. He must be truthful, so much so truthful that even to his enemy he will not keep any secret. That is called truthfulness. And samah. Samah means controlling the senses. Damah. Samah means controlling the mind. Mind is our enemy; mind is our friend. So if we can control the mind, the mind can act as very good friend. And if we do not control the mind, then he acts as enemy. Therefore the yoga system means controlling the mind, controlling the senses so they can act as my friend. Otherwise they will act as my enemy. Kama krodha lobha moha.

So there is necessity of a class of men who will act as the brain of the society. That is called brahmana. That is real human society, where there are four classes of men: one acting as brain, one acting as arms or armies or protection, one acting as belly, or the food digesting machine... Unless you eat and digest food, how your body will be maintained? So everything is very scientifically designed in the Vedic civilization. So in the Kali-yuga there is scarcity of brahmana. Brahmana is vairagya. A brahmana is not interested with pounds, shilling, pence, "Get money and enjoy." That is not brahmana's business. What us enjoyment? That is illusion. You cannot enjoy because you are conditioned by the stringent laws of nature, and where is enjoyment? There is no enjoyment. But they are thinking, "I am enjoying." This is called illusion, maya. There cannot be any enjoyment. When you are not free, when you are conditioned under the stringent laws of... You do not like to die. You are forced to die. You must die. You cannot say, "No, I will not die." No, that is not possible. So where is your freedom? But we are declaring, "Now we are independent." This is all illusion.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to save us from all these illusions. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya means living, not dead. If we have no spiritual consciousness, if we have not Krsna's consciousness, then we are dead. This, what is this body? This body is dead. Alive or dead, so-called dead, it is already dead because it is matter. But because there is spirit soul, it is moving. The same example: the motor car, what is this? A lump of matter, some iron, some other metals or some rubbers and combination. And so long the driver is there -- it is moving -- it is important so long it is moving. And as soon as the movement stops, you throw it away. That is very good experience in your country. So many useless motor cars are heaped together. So similarly, the brahmana means one must know that who is the driver of this body, brahma-jnana. So at the present moment nobody knows who is driving this body. So therefore all sudras, fourth-class men. There is no first-class man. But in the human society there must be four classes of men: first class, second class, third class... Fourth class also required for assisting the higher, third class. Everything is very nicely described in the Bhagavad-gita, and Bhagavad-gita was taught by Krsna Himself. But people could not follow Him, misunderstood Him. Therefore Krsna again came as Krsna-caitanya to teach personally the philosophy of Krsna.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not teach anything else than what was taught by Krsna. Therefore, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam siksartham, puranah purusah. That Supreme Personality of Godhead... Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam siksartham ekah puranah purusah [Cc. Madhya 6.254], sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari: "Now You have assumed the form of Sri Krsna-caitanya, but You are Krsna.'' That is also..., Rupa Gosvami said. We have to follow the mahajanas, great personality, authorities. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We cannot manufacture a way of life. We have to follow the footprints of mahajana, great personalities. That is the way. Here, at the present moment, everyone is speculating. What is the use of speculation? You are imperfect. Your senses are imperfect. Whatever you establish, because you have established by imperfect senses, they are all imperfect. Therefore, that suffering, there is no solution. So speculative method will not help us. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching is It is not as He had manufactured something. He is also following. He quoted one verse from the prayers of Lord Brahma.

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
(jivanti) san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam in Brahma's prayer to Krsna. The purport is that you should give up this bad habit of speculation. Jnane prayasam. Prayasam means endeavor: "I shall get this knowledge by speculating." This is called jnana-prayasam, endeavoring uselessly for knowledge. So udapasya. You give it up. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta. Just become submissive. Don't think yourself that you are very learned. Because if the senses are imperfect, how you can be learned? Whatever you see, that is imperfect. Just like we see every day the sun, these eyes. And what we see? It is just like a disc. Is it a disc? It is fourteen hundred times bigger than this earth. So what is the value of your seeing? You cannot see what is behind the wall. Still, you are proud of seeing -- "Can you show me? Can you show me God?" And what power you have got to see? That he does not consider. He thinks, "I have got seeing power." Similarly, you study every sense -- they are all imperfect, blunt. So any knowledge you acquire by gymnastic of the senses-useless. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching. Not Caitanya Mahaprabhu's, it is the Bhagavata's teaching and Caitanya Mahaprabhu's the same. So we have to give up this nonsense idea, that "I can attain to the perfect knowledge by speculation, manodharma, by speculation, manodharma, mental gymnastic." This will not help us.

So jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. Just become submissive. And where to submit? You must submit to a perfect person. Otherwise why should you submit? Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12], samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham. So Bhagavan Krsna also says,

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti tad jnanam
jnaninah tattva-darsinah
[Bg. 4.34]

Tattva-darsi, one who has seen the things as it is. Go there and from him take the knowledge, not that one who is speculating. This is the process, Vedic process. Therefore it is called sruti. Sravanam. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. Sravanam means hearing, kirtanam means glorifying. Of whom? About Visnu, not for anything else. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu approved this point. When He was talking with Sri Ramananda Raya, Ramananda Raya suggested various methods of self-realization. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not reject them. He said, "Yes, it is also nice, but you go farther above. Go forward still." So in this way, when Ramananda Raya quoted this verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam, jnane prayasam udapasya, He said... No, in the beginning He had, eho bahya, age kaha: "This process is not very important; it is external. If you know better than this, say." So in this way, after many rejections, when Ramananda Raya came to this version, jnane prayasam udapasya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not say that it is useless. Eho haya: "Yes, it is nice." Eho haya: "It can be accepted." That is the beginning, that don't try to speculate. Just become humble and meek and hear from the realized soul. Namanta. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. Just become submissive. Do not think that you know by everything. That is your illusion, maya. Because you cannot know everything. You can, you may know something. That is not possible that you know everything.

So to know everything perfectly you cannot do it simply by speculating or handling your senses, imperfect senses. San-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam. You hear from the realized soul. So Krsna, hear from Krsna. That is He is perfect. And sthane sthitah. To hear about Krsna, you do not require to change your position. Sthane sthitah. You are medical man? That's all right. Remain medical man. You are scientist? That's all right. You are lawyer? That's all right. You are fool? That's all right. (laughter) Because everyone is fool, but they are divided by mental concoction that "Here is a fool; here is a learned.'' Because the learned is also a fool. But by mental concoction, he is recognized as intelligent. Same mental concoction. Dvaite' bhadrabhadra sakali samana. Caitanya-caritamrta kar said that "In the material world, this is good; and this is bad -- this is all mental speculation.'' Dvaite' bhadrabhadra sakali samana, ei bhala, ei manda', saba manodharma: "That division, 'This is good; this is bad,' it is mental speculation.'' It has no value. It has no value. So this mental speculation will not help us. And therefore sthane sthitah. You remain in your position. It doesn't matter, good or bad. The mental speculator's verdict that "This is good; this is bad. This is intelligent; this is fool,'' they are all mental speculation. That will not help.

So you remain in your position. Either in good or bad, it doesn't matter. But you do one thing. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. You use your ear. That ear is bestowed upon everyone, either fool or learned. So use that ear, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih, and hear attentively, and mold your life as you hear from the realized soul. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-mano. One who remains like this, although he is imperfect fool, whatever he may be, he can conquer the ajita. Ajita means God. Nobody can conquer Him, but a devotee who sincerely hears about Him from the realized soul, he can conquer even Ajita, Krsna. Just like gopis. The gopis were women and not very high class woman, cowherd's men, in the village, not in town, very educated, high society, brahmana, ksatriya, no. They all belonged to vaisya class. And they were woman, not Vedantist, not scholar. But they conquered Krsna. Why? And that is this They heard about Krsna, and they became lover of Krsna. That is required. So that is the real qualification. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He was so strict about womanly association. Still, He recommended, ramya kacid upasana vrajavadhu-vargabhir ya kalpita: "There is no better type of worshiping Krsna than the system which vraja-vadhu, the gopis, adopted to love Krsna. That is the first-class.'' That is the recommendation of Vedic sastra. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. First-class religion Religion means to understand God. That is the sum and substance.

The process may be different according to country, men. Just like we worship the Deity in the temple. This is also bhakti. And the Christians go to the church and offers prayer to God. That is also bhakti. That is also bhakti. Nine items of bhakti. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam, arcanam vandanam dasyam [SB 7.5.23]. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam, arcanam vandanam. Vandanam is offering prayer. So they go to the church or go to the mosque, they offer prayers to the Supreme. That is also bhakti. So there is no question of what type of religion you are following. That doesn't matter. You follow anything, whatever suits you. But the result should be that. You worship with the result. The result is how to love God. That should be the result. If you have come to that platform, how to love God, mad after God, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu...

yugayitam nimesena
caksusa pravrsayitam
sunyayitam jagat sarvam
govinda-virahena me

Govinda-virahena: "Being separated from Govinda, God, my life is vacant." This is required. It doesn't matter whether you follow Christianity or Hinduism or Muslimism. Whether you are feeling vacancy, everything vacant without Krsna, without God -- that is the test. Yugayitam nimesena. Every moment... Because one who is feeling separation from the Lord, he is feeling also, "When I shall see Him?" So this anxiety, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, yugayitam nimesena: "A moment is seeming to Me a millenium, hundreds and millions of years' separation." That is love. If you love somebody and if you... Of course, in the material world, this love is not possible. There is no love in the material world. It is all lust. So love means loving God. That is love. So the Caitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching this, yugayitam nimesena caksusa pravrsayitam: "I am feeling one moment as a millenium, being separated from Krsna. And the torrents of tears are coming just like torrents of rain.'' And sunyayitam jagat sarvam: "And the whole world is seeming to Me vacant,'' govinda-virahena me, "being separated from Govinda.'' This is love. So it doesn't matter what religious system you are following, but the result should be this, that you should be mad after God. That is the test. Sa vai pumsam paro... That is first-class religion, yato bhaktir adhoksaje, to love. Bhakti means love, service, rendering service. Adhoksaje. Adhoksaje means beyond the speculation of mind, mental exercise, bodily exercise. Adhoksaja. Adhakrta aksaja jnanam.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught this. And He took sannyasa. For the benefit of the whole world, He took sannyasa. He gave up His very opulent position in Navadvipa, as I have told you, very learned scholar, very beautiful body, very beautiful wife, very affectionate mother, good popularity. There was no scarcity. And He was God Himself. Why there will be any scarcity? There is no question. But in spite of, He took sannyasa for the benefit of the whole world. That Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come here in Atlanta. So you worship this Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Parama koruna, pahu dui jana, They are very, very merciful, and little service will enhance your devotional service to a larger scale.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Purport to Parama Koruna -- Atlanta, February 28, 1975