"The Missing Self-Understanding"

68/11/25 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 2.1-10



Tamala Krsna: "Sanjaya said, Seeing Arjuna full of compassion and very sorrowful, his eyes brimming with tears, Madhusudana, Krsna, spoke the following words [Bg. 2.1]. The Supreme Personality said, ‘My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets but to infamy [Bg. 2.2].'

Prabhupada: Now, Arjuna was sympathetic with his brothers and relatives and he was practically crying, with tears in his eyes, and Krsna said that it is non-Aryan. It is not befitting for an Aryan. Just see. He was so compassionate, but still, it is not approved by Krsna. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: Purport. "The Sanskrit word Bhagavan is explained by the great authority, Parasara Muni, the father of Vyasadeva. The Supreme Personality who possesses all riches, entire strength, entire fame, entire beauty, entire knowledge, and entire renunciation is called Bhagavan. There are many persons who are very rich, very powerful, very beautiful, very famous, very learned, and very much detached, but no one can claim that he is possessor of all these opulences entirely. Such a claim is applicable to Krsna only, and as such He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No living entity, including Brahma, can possess such opulence. Neither Lord Siva nor even Narayana can possess such opulence as fully as Krsna. By analytical study of such possessions it is concluded in the Brahma-samhita by Lord Brahma himself that Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nobody is equal to or above Him. He is the primeval Lord or Bhagavan known as Govinda, and He is the supreme cause of all causes. It is stated as follows: There are many personalities possessing the qualities of Bhagavan, but Krsna is Supreme over all of them because none can excel Him. He is the Supreme Person and His body is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He is the primeval Lord Govinda and the cause of all causes. In the Bhagavatam also there is a list of many incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Krsna is described therein as the original Personality from whom many, many incarnations and Personalities of Godhead expand. It is stated in this way: All the lists of the incarnations of Godhead submitted herewith are either plenary expansions or parts of the plenary expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Therefore Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of both Supersoul and the impersonal Brahman. In the presence of the Supreme Person, Arjuna's lamentation for his kinsmen is certainly unbecoming, and therefore Krsna expressed His surprise with the word kutas, wherefrom. Such unmanly sentiments were never expected from a person belonging to the civilized class of men known as Aryans. The word Aryan is applicable to persons who know the value of life and have a civilization based on spiritual realization. Persons who are led by the material conception of life do not know that the aim of life is realization of the Absolute Truth, Visnu, or Bhagavan. Such persons are captivated by the external features..."

Prabhupada: But at the present moment they claim that "We belong to the Aryan family," but they have not the qualification of an Aryan. The Aryan qualification is described there. Simply Arjuna was little flickering, he showed his little weakness, and he was at once condemned as non-Aryan. "Oh, you are just showing your symptom of a non-Aryan." You see. And by Krsna. So the Aryan word is not ordinary. To become Aryan means a perfect human being, as far as possible. That is Aryan civilization. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: "Such persons are captivated by the external features of the material world, and therefore they do not know what liberation is. Persons who have no knowledge of liberation from material bondage are called non-Aryans. Arjuna was trying to deviate from his prescribed duties, declining to fight, although he was a ksatriya or warrior. This act of cowardice is described as befitting the non-Aryans. Such deviation from duty does not help one in the progress of spiritual life, nor does it even give one the opportunity of becoming famous in this world. Lord Krsna did not approve of the so-called compassion of Arjuna for his kinsmen."

Prabhupada: So-called compassion. He was thinking that by showing that compassion he'll be, I mean to say, eulogized by Krsna. But Krsna condemned it. Yes. Just the opposite. In other words, Krsna is very strict also. That is the qualification of Krsna and His associates. Vajrad api kathora and kusumad api kamala. Softer than the flower and harder than the thunderbolt. Two sides. When Krsna is strict He's harder than the thunderbolt, and when He's soft, He's softer than the flower. These two examples are given. Vajrad api kathora, kusumad api kamala. So Krsna is not lenient to His friend or to His devotee. Because that leniency will not help him, will not help him. Sometimes He appears to be very hard for the devotee, but He's not hard. Just like father sometimes becomes very strict. That is good. That will be proved, how Krsna's hardness will prove his salvation. At the end Arjuna will admit, "By Your mercy, my illusion is now over." So this sort of stricture by..., from God on the devotee is sometimes misunderstood. Because we are always accustomed to accept what is immediately very pleasing, but sometimes we'll find that we are not getting which is immediately very pleasing, but we should not be disappointed. We shall stick to Krsna. That is Arjuna's position. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: "O son of Prtha, do not yield to this degrading impotence [Bg. 2.3]."

Prabhupada: Hm. Degrading impotence. He doesn't want to see (chuckling) His devotee a coward and impotent. So this so-called qualification, impotency and niggard, that is not qualification for devotee. He must be very, in every way, very expert and fit. Krsna wants to see. Yes. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: "It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy."

Prabhupada: He's specially addressing, "chastiser of the enemy." Where there is no excuse, you must be chastiser. Not that "Because I have become Krsna conscious, I'll be very humble." You must be humble, but in need, if there is need, you shall be thunderbolt. That is Krsna instructing.

Tamala Krsna: "Arjuna said: O killer of Madhu, Krsna, how can I counterattack with arrows in battle personalities like Bhisma and Drona, who are worthy of my worship [Bg. 2.4]?"

Prabhupada: Of course, all explanation are not there. Here, these words, Krsna addressed Arjuna, "chastiser of enemies." And Arjuna addresses Krsna, "Madhusudana," or the killer of the demon Madhu. "Yes, You are addressing me as chastiser of enemy, but do You think my grandfather, my teacher, they are my enemies? You killed demon Madhu, therefore Your name is Madhusudana, but You are asking me to kill my grandfather and teacher." That is the hint. "It is all right that Your name is Madhusudana. You killed one demon whose name was Madhu, but You are asking me, Bhismasudana? Bhisma is my grandfather. And Dronasudana?" Sudana means killer. "So how can I be that?" That is the answer.

Tamala Krsna: "It is better to live in this world by begging than to live at the cost of the lives of great souls who are my teachers. Even though they are avaricious, they are nonetheless superiors. If they are killed, then our spoils will be tainted with blood [Bg. 2.5]."

Prabhupada: This is another indication how superiors should be shown respect. Arjuna says, "Although they have become avaricious, still, they are my superior." Avaricious, why? "They have got full affection for me. My grandfather Bhisma has got full affection for me. And Dronacarya, I am his very dear student so he has also my very affection... good affection for me. But because Duryodhana has paid them, he has accepted their service. Paid them. So avaricious. Simply for money, in spite of so much affection and intimate relationship, they have accepted the service of Duryodhana, counting on money. So therefore they are avaricious. But in spite of their being avaricious, they are my respectful." This is respect. This is respect, that the respectful person who is my respectful, even there are some characteristics who does not command respect, still respect should be offered. This is a respectful offering. Yes. Sometimes it may be. The example is given. In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find, api cet sudaracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. "Even a devotee is sometimes found not acting properly, but because he has got that unflinching faith and devotion upon Me," Krsna says, "therefore he is saint." Only for that one qualification -- he does not know except Krsna. So to such person, even some flaws are found in their character... Just like we have imposed some rules that illicit sex relationship and intoxication, meat-eating, so many things. So... Of course, intentionally one should not break these laws. But even sometimes we may find that there is some flaw in one's part... Suppose if I see somebody smoking, but he is doing Krsna consciousness very nicely. So we should not deride. We shall give him concession to reform. It does not mean that because he has accidentally smoked, smoking, that does not mean he has become immediately disqualified. As Arjuna is showing: "Although they have become avaricious, still, they are my superiors. Still. Still, they are my superiors." This is called unflinching faith. In spite of seeing my respectful superior abominable, not willingly, but by accident, still, I should not withdraw my respect. That is the... Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: "Nor do we know which is better, conquering them or being conquered by them. The sons of Dhrtarastra, whom if we killed we should not care to live, are now standing before us on this battlefield [Bg. 2.6]." Purport. "Arjuna became perplexed in this connection, not knowing whether he should execute the fighting with the risk of committing unnecessarily violence, although it is the duty of the ksatriyas, or whether he should not and prefer instead to live by begging, because if he did not conquer the enemy, begging would be the only means left for his living. There was no certainty of victory because either side might emerge victorious."

Prabhupada: These are his causes of perplexities, how he was thinking, that has been tried to be explained. Yes, go on.

Tamala Krsna: "Even if there were victory awaiting them, because their cause was justified, still if the sons of Dhrtarastra should die in battle, it would be very difficult to live in their absence. Under the circumstances that would be another kind of defeat. All these considerations by Arjuna definitely proved that he was not only a great devotee of the Lord but that he was also highly enlightened and had complete control over his mind and senses. His desire to live by begging although he was born in the royal household is another sign of detachment. He was fully in the quality of forbearance as all these qualities combined with his faith in the words of instruction of Sri Krsna, his spiritual master, give evidence. It is concluded that Arjuna was quite fit for liberation. Unless the senses are controlled, there is no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge, and without knowledge and devotion there is no chance of liberation. Arjuna was competent in all these attributes over and above his enormous attributes in his material relationships."

Prabhupada: Go on. (coughs)

Tamala Krsna: "Now I am confused about..."

Prabhupada: Yes, what is there?

Tamala Krsna: "Now I am confused about duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me [Bg. 2.7]." Purport. "By nature's own way, the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and it behooves one therefore to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one the proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life which happen without our desire. They appear like a forest fire which takes place without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such that perplexities of life automatically appear without our wanting such confusion. Nobody wants fire, and yet it takes place and we are perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution one must approach a spiritual master who is in disciplic succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not therefore remain in..."

Prabhupada: This is a translation of a Vedic version, acaryavan puruso veda. Acaryavan, one who has acarya as his guidance, he is supposed to know everything. Acaryavan puruso veda. That is given there.

Tamala Krsna: "One should not therefore remain in material perplexities but should approach such a teacher. This is the purport of this verse. Who is the man in material perplexities? It is he who does not understand the problems of life. In the Garga Upanisad this is described as follows. He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life as a human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs without understanding the science of self-realization. He is called a miserly man. This human form of life is the most valuable asset for the living entity who can utilize it for solving the problems of life. Therefore one who does not utilize this opportunity is a miser."

Prabhupada: As a miser does not properly use his asset. Suppose you have got one million dollars, you keep it only, you do not use it properly or you spoil it. Then you are called miser. But if you utilize it properly and gain out of it, then you are intelligent. Similarly, Garga Upanisad says, he makes distinction, two classes. One class of men he says krpana. Krpana means miser. And another class of men he says brahmana, brahmanas. So he classifies, etad viditvasmat ya praiti sa brahmanah. This self-realization process... We shall die. It is sure. Every one of us, we'll die. But we should not die like cats and dogs. That is the difference. We may die. We must die. Nobody can escape death, but before death we must know what is self and self-realization. They are brahmanas. Those who are trying to understand what he is, what is his relation with God and how he should live, they are called brahmanas. And those who are living like cats and dogs, simply eating, sleeping, mating and dying, so they are dying like cats and dogs. So death is inevitable. That is also advised by Prahlada Maharaja in his instruction to his class fellows. Kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. "My dear friends, from this beginning of life... We are now five years old. From this life we should try to understand bhagavata-dharma." Bhagavata-dharma means to understand our relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called bhagavata-dharma. Manusam adhruvam. Tad apy adhruvam. Although the life is temporary, but it is very suitable for self-realization. So therefore one should begin this process from childhood. Just like modern education system, if children are given some playthings, engineering... I've seen in your country especially. He's given railway line and so many things. He can understand how railway system is working, or engineering, so that from the very beginning of his life he's getting idea and he may catch up some line of activities. Similarly this Krsna conscious education also should be given from the very beginning of life. That is the mistake of the modern civilization. Everyone is becoming engineering, technologist, or medical man or so many. But the real problem of life is to understand the self. But there is no educational system throughout the whole world what is the self, what is his need, how it is constituted, how it is working, so many things. In Boston, there was a Massachusetts Technological...

Devotee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Prabhupada: You know that? Yes. So I explained there that "Here is a nice technological institute, but where is your, this technological department, to understand?" So the students very much appreciated it. Factually, this is the defect. We know... This will be the beginning of Bhagavad-gita, that there is something which minus, this body is useless. But nobody is trying to understand what is that something. There is no technological institute to understand what is that something. Is it not defective? And still, they are very much proud of advancement of education. The real thing is missing. You have got all departments for comforts of this body, for maintaining this body, but the thing which minus this body, the body is useless, what about that thing? That is Bhagavad-gita. That is Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is teaching that technology. You should try to understand this Bhagavad-gita is not technology for the external body. Bhagavad-gita is the technology of the dehi which is within the body, which is moving the body, which is keeping the body fit. This body is fit very nice, very beautiful, very attractive. How long? So long the spirit soul is there. As soon as the spirit soul is off, immediately it begins to decompose. There may be a nice, beautiful young girl, everyone is hankering after her, but as soon as the spirit soul is gone, nobody will like to accept it. Immediately it becomes useless. (laughs) Huh? So nobody is very serious what is that thing? That is Bhagavad-gita. Yes.

Srimati: Is that what age is then, as the spirit soul is leaving the body, do you become older?

Prabhupada: No, spirit soul is not old. The body is changing, that is the process. That will be explained,

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

Spirit soul is evergreen. The body is changing. That is to be understood. Body is changing. That everyone can understand. Just like in your childhood your body was different. Just like this child, a different body. And when that child will be young girl, that will be a different body. But the spirit soul is there in this body and that body. So this is the proof that spirit soul does not change, the body changed. This is the proof. I am thinking of my childhood. That means I am the same "I" which I was existing in my childhood, and I remember in my childhood I was doing this, I did that. But that childhood body is no longer. That is gone. Therefore it is conclusion that my body has changed, but I am the same. Is it not? This is simple truth. So this body will change, still I shall remain. I may enter into another body, that doesn't matter, but I shall remain. Tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. As I am changing my body even in the present circumstances, similarly, the ultimate change does not mean I am dead. I enter into another... That also explained, vasamsi jirnani yatha, that I change. Just like when I was not sannyasi, I was dressing like any gentleman. Now I have changed my dress. That does not mean that I have died. No. I have changed my body, that's all. I have changed my dress. Go on. Not now. Yes. Krpanas, yes, you were reading there.

Tamala Krsna: "The krpanas, or miserly persons, waste their time in being overly affectionate for family, society, country, etc., in the material conception of life. One is often attached to family life, to wife and children and other members on the basis of 'skin disease.' The krpanas think that they are able to protect their family members from death, or the krpana thinks that his family or society can save him from death. Such family attachment can be found even in the lower animals, who also take care of children. Being intelligent, Arjuna could understand that his affection for family members and his wish to protect them from death were the causes of his perplexities. Although he could understand that his duty to fight was awaiting him, still on account of miserly weakness he could not discharge the duty. He is therefore asking Lord Krsna, the supreme spiritual master, to make a definite solution. He offers himself to Krsna as a disciple. He wants to stop friendly talks. Talks between a master and disciple are serious, and now Arjuna wants to talk very seriously before the recognized spiritual master. Krsna is therefore the original..."

Prabhupada: Here is a technique. The same Krsna and same Arjuna, they are talking as friends. Then what was the necessity of Arjuna accepting Krsna as spiritual master? The same Arjuna and same Krsna, they'll talk, but what is the necessity of accepting as spiritual master? That means after accepting spiritual master he'll not argue. He'll simply accept whatever He says. That is the technique. Friendly talks, equal level, He, Krsna was talking something and he was replying. So that argument has no end. But when he accepts Him as spiritual master, there is no more argument. One has to accept whatever He says. Therefore he's accepting as spiritual master. After this, Arjuna will never say, "This is wrong, this is, no," or "I don't agree." No. He'll accept. So acceptance of spiritual master means to accept anything, whatever he says. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whom he can completely surrender. That is the technique. Veda-vakya. Just like in the Vedic injunction, nobody can deny. Similarly, spiritual master is also representative of Veda. Acaryavan puruso veda. So similarly, it is just like Vedic injunction. So spiritual master has also got the great duty. He has to instruct the disciple in such a way that he may not be misled, and that is not possible because a spiritual master is he who will simply speak from authoritative sources. He'll speak from Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavata, or what was spoken by Narada, Vyasa, that is his authority. He does not say, "In my opinion it is..." No. Therefore it is perfect, it is coming from the disciplic succession, and if one agrees to such instruction, then he's also perfectly advancing. It is not difficult to understand. So he's accepting. "Now I accept You as my spiritual master. You teach me." Is that the statement? Yes. What is that?

Tamala Krsna: "He offers himself to Krsna as a disciple. He wants to stop friendly talks. Krsna is therefore the original spiritual master in the science of the Bhagavad-gita, and Arjuna is the original disciple in understanding the Gita. How Arjuna understands the Bhagavad-gita is stated in the Gita itself, and yet foolish mundane scholars explain that one need not submit to Krsna as a person but to the unborn within Krsna. There is no difference between Krsna's within and without, and one who has no sense of this understanding is the greatest fool, the greatest pretender."

"I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not even be able to destroy it if I win an unrivalled kingdom on the earth with sovereignty like the demigods in heaven [Bg. 2.8].

"Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of enemies, told Krsna, ‘Govinda, I shall not fight,' and fell silent [Bg. 2.9].

O descendant of Bharata, at that time Krsna, smiling in the midst of both the armies, spoke the following words to the grief-stricken Arjuna [Bg. 2.10]."

Prabhupada: So Arjuna was so serious, and Krsna was smiling. (laughs) "Just see the fool, what he is doing." Therefore there was necessity of instructing Bhagavad-gita. The fool has to be instructed. Yes. This is the... He was smiling. This is childish. He was very serious, "Oh." Just like sometimes a child is very serious, and the father is smiling. Yes. So now Bhagavad-gita will be spoken. He has accepted Krsna as spiritual master. Now He'll teach. So what does He teach? Next?

Tamala Krsna: "The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead [Bg. 2.11]."

Prabhupada: This is the first version of Krsna as teacher. What is that? Read it again?

Tamala Krsna: "Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead."

Prabhupada: Yes. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11], that "You are lamenting for a thing which no learned man does. That means you are not learned, but you are talking just like learned man." What is that? "You are talking"?

Tamala Krsna: "While speaking learned words you are..."

Prabhupada: Yes. "You are speaking learned words, but your behavior shows that you are not learned because you are lamenting on a subject which no learned man laments." Politely He says that "You are not learned, but you are talking just like a learned man." That you will find. Dr. Frog, (laughs) speaking like a very great philosopher. Just like here, that Dr. Radhakrishnan, that says, "It is not to Krsna but within Krsna." That fool does not know that there is no within or without of Krsna. Rather, Krsna is within and without. That he does not know. And he's accepted as a very great learned man. Dr. Frog, or Dr. Radhakrishnan. You see? This is going on in the world. They are posing themself as very learned, but... This can be detected by devotees, who is learned and who is not learned. Others cannot detect. Others will be misled. The devotees, they have got such eyes to see that they can immediately discriminate who is a fool, who is learned. There is a story that one man was searching after the truth. So he met some person, saintly person. So he gave him one feather, that "You try to see within the feather who is a human being and who is not." So when he began to see within the feather, he saw, "There is no human being." Similarly,

ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah

Guru or the spiritual master... [break] ...means pure devotee.

Virabhadra: In the asrama, and before that when you said that a brahmana is... Do you mean, when you say brahmana, do you mean... I mean are they... the devotees who are not pure but...

Prabhupada: Yes, they're also pure devotees because they're following my instruction. Just like a technician, he is expert, but somebody is assisting him. So the assistants, because they are following the instruction of the expert, therefore their work is also complete. So it is not necessarily that one has to become pure devotee immediately. Just like we are also following the instruction of our spiritual master. I don't claim that I am pure devotee or perfect, but my only qualification is that I am trying to follow the instruction of the perfect. Similarly... This is called disciplic succession. Just like here it is stated that Krsna is the original spiritual master and Arjuna is the original student. So Arjuna said that sarvam etad rtam manye yad vadasi kesava [Bg. 10.14]. "My dear Krsna, whatever You are saying, I accept in toto," in the Tenth Chapter. Just like Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "It is not to Krsna, it is something else." He does not accept in that way. He says that "Whatever You are saying, I accept it. You are saying that You are the Supreme, I accept it. I don't say that You have got a separate thing within. That is Supreme, You are not Supreme, as person." This is impersonalist. They do not know that Krsna has no such... A conditioned soul... Just like we are, I am different from my soul. "I am" means my body, or I am soul, different from the body. So Krsna has no such differentiation. He does not know that. Because he's not following Krsna, the perfect spiritual master. He's following some rascal spiritual master. Therefore he has this mistake. But if we follow Arjuna and Krsna, then we get the perfect knowledge. We may not be cent percent perfect, but as far as possible, if we follow the instruction as it is, that much perfect. In this way one will get perfection.

So one has to follow. The same example, try to understand, that a perfect, expert technologist or technician or mechanic is working, and somebody is working under his instruction. So this somebody, because he is strictly working under the instruction of the expert, he's also expert. He may not be cent percent expert, but his work is expert. Is that clear? Because he is working under the expert. Do you follow? So if you follow pure devotee, then you are also pure devotee. It may not be one is cent percent pure. Because we are trying to raise ourself from the conditional life. But if we strictly follow the pure devotee, then we are also pure devotee. So far we do, that is pure. So pure devotee does not mean one has to become immediately cent percent pure. But if he sticks to the principle that "We'll follow a pure devotee," then his actions are... He is as good as a pure devotee. It is not I am explaining in my own way. It is the explanation of Bhagavata. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We have to follow the footprints of pure devotees. It is said that tarkah apratisthah. If you want to become pure by your arguments and logic, that is not possible. I may be defeated by another strong man who is stronger in argument than me, so this is not the way of becoming purified, tarka, simply arguing. Tarkah apratisthah smrtayo vibhinnah. Srutayah, scriptures. Suppose somebody sticks to the scriptures. So scriptures, there are different types of scripture. So they are vibhinna. Vibhinna means different types. So how we can become purified by, even by following the scriptures? Tarko 'pratisthah smrtayo vibhinna na casav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam. Muni means thoughtful, philosophers. If we follow a particular type of philosopher, that is also not perfect because I may be under the care of a philosopher, frog philosopher. So that is also not sure. Tarko 'pratisthah smrtayo vibhinna na casav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam, dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam.

Therefore to become pure or to understand the essence of purity is very confidential. It is not to be acquired by our own efforts, by argument or by being expert in scripture or by becoming a philosopher or a similar way. It is very confidential. Then how? Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You have to follow a pure devotee, acknowledged devotee. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gita, if we follow Arjuna, then we understand Bhagavad-gita as it is. But if we don't follow Arjuna, if we follow somebody, Dr. Frog, or create our own interpretation, then we remain impure. So mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We have to follow the footprints of mahajana, great soul. So here is directly you are meeting great soul, Arjuna. He is directly being taught Bhagavad-gita by the original teacher. Who can be greater authority than Arjuna? So as Arjuna accepts Bhagavad-gita, if you accept Bhagavad-gita in that way, then your study of Bhagavad-gita is perfect. It is very simple. Therefore I'm saying here that Krsna is the original teacher, and Arjuna is the original student. So you follow the original student, you understand Bhagavad-gita. Even Krsna is not present before you. He is present by His words. This is the way of following what is pure. Yes?

Tamala Krsna: Can Krsna give us the ability to someday remember every word that you are saying to us now? Because I myself, I forget so much. I want to hear just how you are talking and I can't.

Prabhupada: What is that? I don't follow.

Tamala Krsna: I want to be able to hear you saying exactly what you're saying now. I want to always be able to hear it, but I forget. My memory is very poor.

Prabhupada: Why? No. If we try... Memory may be poor. Everything depends on cultivation. If you cultivate something, your memory increases. Everyone becomes expert not in one day but by cultivation. Similarly, if you try to remember, then your memory will help you to remember. It is not difficult. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that we have to try to remember Krsna. He's so beautiful, His instructions are so nice. If we simply remember Krsna... That was the perfection approved by Lord Caitanya. I think I have narrated the story. When Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India in a big temple, Ranganatha temple, He went to see the Deity, and He saw one brahmana was reading Bhagavad-gita. And people were joking him, "Oh, Mr. brahmana, how you are reading Bhagavad-gita?" Because they were the neighbors, they knew that this brahmana was illiterate and he was studying Bhagavad-gita. So they were joking. But the brahmana did not care them. He was taking the book and in his own way he was reading. Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw this incident, He came to the brahmana. So He asked the brahmana, "My dear brahmana, what you are reading?" So he could understand "This persons is not joking with me; He is serious." So he explained, "My dear sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gita. Unfortunately, I am illiterate. I do not know even the alphabets." "Why you are reading Bhagavad-gita?" So he said that, "My spiritual master knows that I am illiterate, but still, he has asked me to read Bhagavad-gita. What can I do? Therefore I have taken this book. I am seeing simply. I do not know how to read." "Oh, that's all right. You cannot read. But I see that you are crying. How you are crying if you are not reading?" "Yes, I am crying. Of course, there is cause." "What is that?" "As soon as I take this Bhagavad-gita, I remember Krsna. Krsna is sitting as driver and Arjuna is hearing. I have heard the story. I know something of the instruction but cannot read. So as soon as I take this book, this picture comes before me and I simply think, ‘Oh, how Krsna is nice that He has become a charioteer of His devotee. He is so great. Still, He has accepted a menial service of His devotee.' This gives me so much pleasure that I cry." Caitanya Mahaprabhu embraced him, "Your Bhagavad-gita reading is perfect. You have taken the essence." So this is the thing. If you simply remember Krsna is teaching Arjuna and Arjuna is hearing, if you simply remember the picture, that is sufficient. Even if you think that you cannot read. Because after all we have to become Krsna conscious. We haven't got to become a learned man to argue with another learned man. If it is possible we can do that, but that does not make any difference if I cannot argue with others or if I cannot teach very nicely Bhagavad-gita to others. Simply if I remember this picture, that is perfection. Because we have to become Krsna conscious. We have to simply think of Krsna. You think in any way. That is your perfection. Smartavyah satatam visnuh. This is the injunction. You have to think of Visnu always. This is samadhi; this is meditation; this is yoga siddhi, perfection of yoga.

So one who has learned to think of Krsna always, he is already on the perfectional stage. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim [Narada-pancaratra]. If one has come to this stage, just to understand Krsna the great, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he's surrendered soul, "Krsna, whatever You like You do. I am surrendered."... This is aradhana. Then he doesn't require to undergo any austerities or penance. His everything is finished. And naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim. And if he does not come to this stage, his so-called scholarship, learned argument, this or that -- all nonsense, finished. Useless. One has to come to this stage. Therefore Lord Caitanya embraced the brahmana, "Yes, your study of Bhagavad-gita is perfect." Because one has to come to this stage, thinking of Krsna always. So if one does not come to this stage, simply by academic education, he says "It should be like this. The interpretation should be like this," he's simply wasting time. Frog philosopher. One has to come to this stage. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim, naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim [Narada-pancaratra]. So that is the perfection. Krsna and gopis. They were cowherds girl. Their father, mother, they were only ordinary village men, keeping cows. That's all. What was their education? They were not Vedantists. But they learned to love Krsna. That was their qualification. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu certifies, ramyad upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita. "Oh, there is no better worship than that which was contemplated by the gopis." Because they did not know what is Krsna but they loved Krsna. That's all. They loved Krsna, that because Krsna was God or Krsna was something great? No. Their natural affection was for Krsna. They could not stay even for a moment without seeing Krsna. That was their qualification. This is Krsna consciousness.

Boy: How come a lotus flower is so great?

Prabhupada: He will explain, he will explain. So, one has to come to perfect Krsna consciousness some way or other. That is perfection. That is everything. If one always thinks of Krsna, then he is perfect. We should not forget. We have presented so many formulas. Why? Not the formulas are important, but the formulas will help me to remember Krsna always. Just like you are going to sell our magazines. So this magazine selling or taking some contribution is not our business. Our business is that we are spreading Krsna consciousness, people are hearing something about Krsna. And because we are helping, we are also hearing. We are also benefiting. When you speak somebody about Krsna, then I hear also Krsna. Sravanam kirtanam. The first preliminary steps, hearing and chanting, is going on. So in this way we shall take all opportunities so that twenty-four hours, whether awakened or sleeping, we shall always think of Krsna. That is perfection. This chanting means always remembering Krsna -- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Rama, Hare Rama. Cooking, I am cooking for Krsna, I am typing for Krsna, I am going to preach for Krsna, I'm distributing Back to Godhead for Krsna. In this way (laughs) always remember Krsna, that's all. That will make you perfect. Yes?

Devotee: Did Krsna have children by the gopis?

Prabhupada: No. Krsna's love was not this love, sex love. That was different thing. Yes?

Visnujana: When we're engaged in spreading Krsna consciousness by this singing or selling Back to Godheads or speaking with people, if through our senses, like seeing or hearing or touching and smelling, our mind gets distracted even while we're engaged in selling Back to Godhead, then how can we always, how can we always return to that point of remembering even though our senses are being dragged by billboard signs and so many...

Prabhupada: No, suppose you are selling Back to Godhead. Does it not remind you (of) Krsna? Does it not remind you about Krsna? What for you are selling Back to Godhead? You could sell another popular magazine which could sell very nicely, quickly, thousands of copies. Why you have taken this Back to Godhead? For Krsna. You are not for business, you are not ordinary, I mean to say, newspaper seller. Why you have taken Back to Godhead? Your motive is that people may know about Krsna. That is your motive. If magazine selling is your business, you can take any other sense gratificatory magazine. There are so many. And you can sell, you can make some profit. So we have to mold our life in such a way that we shall always remember Krsna. Therefore remembering Krsna is my primary business. And we have to act in such a way that we may not forget Krsna. That should be the principle. That is the secret. Therefore it is equally good for anyone because we can engage anyone in the business of Krsna. If somebody has no, I mean to say, knowledge, he can simply sweep over the floor of Krsna's temple. That will make him remembering Krsna, that "I am cleansing the floor of Krsna's temple." He's as good as the editor of Back to Godhead. Yes?

Devotee: How does the devotee go about practicing this Krsna consciousness when he's asleep?

Prabhupada: Yes, Sleep means your gross senses are stopped, but your mind works. Therefore you dream. So if you practice your mind to be engaged in Krsna consciousness, in dream also you'll see that you are preparing prasadam. "I am going to sell Back to Godhead." (chuckles) That's all. Sometimes some nights when I feel hungry, I dream that I'm eating Krsna prasadam very sumptuous. (laughing)

Devotee: Oh, haribol! (laughing)

Prabhupada: (laughs) Somebody is supplying me nice parata and I am eating. (laughs) But, being hungry, oh, my hunger is not satisfied. I'm eating, eating, till the dream is end. So if you practice, this is the technique. We have to practice in this way, that when all functions of this body will be stopped at the time of death, oh, we shall remember some way or other, Krsna. Then successful. Immediately successful. That is the technique. Therefore Kulasekhara is praying,

krsna tvadiya-pada-pankaja-panjarantam
adyaiva visatu me manasa-raja-hamsah
prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih
kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te

The devotee, a great devotee, King Kulasekhara. He has a nice book, Mukunda-mala-stotra. I began translating, commenting, this line in Vrndavana. So the first verse is he's comparing his mind with the swan. I think you have seen, Jayananda, when we were walking in Seattle in that park, in a lake the swan were diving near the lotus. You have seen? Yes. That is the practice. The swan takes pleasure where there is, I mean to say, what is called, lotus or lily, lilies. There's a stem. They dive and they entangle their long neck with the... That is their sporting. So Krsna's lotus feet, we call, lotus feet. So he says that "My mind may be entangled with the stem of Your lotus feet just like the swan. Immediately. I can do that now because I am in healthy state. Otherwise at the time of death, kapha-vata-pittaih, when mucus, bile, everything will be disordered, and my throat will be choked up, I will not be able to speak or chant. So why shall I wait for that time? Now I am fit. Let my mind be absorbed with Your thought and let me die." That is the technique. That our mind should be always absorbed in Krsna thought. So if by Krsna's grace, at the time of that last moment of quitting this body, when every function of the body will be disordered we can remember Krsna, then our life is successful. So we have to practice this. This, everything, whatever we are doing, it is practicing for the last moment. There is a Bengali proverb, bhajana kara sadhana kara matte janle haya.(?) How you are advancing in Krsna consciousness, that will be tested at the time of your death. The examination will be at that time. So if that technique becomes perfect, then our life is perfect. At once you are transferred to the Krsnaloka. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. "My dear Kaunteya, My dear Arjuna, that person, after quitting this body, he never comes back again to this nonsense material world, but he comes to Me." That is perfection. People have no knowledge who is transferred, where it is transferred, what is God, what is... No, nothing of the sort. Simply eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, and die like cats and dogs. That's all.

So we have tried to explain all these things in this Bhapgavad-gita As It Is. Try to read it repeatedly and you get all information, all techniques. This life should not be misused. That should be the first point. It should be very properly utilized in Krsna consciousness. Consciousness is there. Just absorb it in Krsna. Consciousness must be absorbed in some thought. Make it Krsna thought always. Make your program in such a way that you cannot go out of Krsna thought. Just like businessmen, they're always thinking, "What profit is there? What is the bank balance? And how the business is going? How the profit is going?" They're always thinking of that. Somebody is thinking something. Everyone. If one is after some woman, he's thinking of that woman always. If one is after some man, he's also thinking of that man. So thinking must be there, some subject matter of thinking. That we have to change to Krsna thinking some way or other. Transferring the thinking or consciousness to Krsna. You do it in whatever way you like, but there are some standard way. If you follow, that will be easier. People have some idea of God, they accept. But simply having some idea of God one cannot think. But here is a solid God, Krsna, with two hands playing flute, and one can think of Him. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti yam syamasundaram [Bs. 5.38]. They're thinking of whom? Syamasundara. Syama, blackish, but very beautiful. Syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam. With transcendental qualities. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. "I am worshiping that Govinda." So we have to mold our life. This is Krsna consciousness. Chant Hare Krsna. So you have got another good assistant?

Tamala Krsna: Expert.

Prabhupada: Yes. Now take some contribution and purchase one temple. (laughs) The sankirtana's party's responsibility is increasing. Just find out some person, and give us a temple.

Tamala Krsna: I found someone who will give us a big garage, but it's not a temple. A nice man.

Prabhupada: Never mind garage. Let him begin. We shall sit down there in garage. He's giving for good or...

Tamala Krsna: No. He is volunteering. He's a businessman who has started to chant.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Tamala Krsna: He's very nice.

Prabhupada: So let him give us and we shall make our temple there in the garage. Where it is?

Tamala Krsna: He says it's nearby here. He said fifty people can come in.

Prabhupada: Oh, that's all right.

Tamala Krsna: He said we should hold kirtana there now.

Prabhupada: And immediately.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, he's suggested it.

Prabhupada: So do it immediately. It is Krsna's grace. Never mind garage. We shall turn hell into heaven. (laughter)

narayana-parah sarve
na kutascana bibhyati
svargapavarga-narakesv
api tulyartha-darsinah
[SB 6.17.28]

Svargapavarga, heaven or the Brahman effulgence, or hell, all these are equal to a devotee. A devotee does not make any distinction because he has always within his heart Krsna. So either he goes to hell or heaven, it doesn't matter. You see? If Krsna goes with him then it is no longer hell. (laughs) Just like isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. The Lord as Supersoul is in everyone's heart, so He's in the heart of the hog or He is in the heart of the worm in the stool. Does it mean Krsna is living in the stool? No. Wherever He lives, He lives in Vrndavana. That is His inconceivable potency. He can live everywhere, but He does not live there. He lives in Vrndavana. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. So it doesn't matter whether it is garage or anything. If somebody is voluntarily offering that, immediately accept that. We shall sit down there, and fifty people can sit. It is sufficient. We can decorate it nicely. Immediately. Near this place?

Tamala Krsna: Yes, he says it's nearby here.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Tamala Krsna: He's a very nice man. He started to chant when he came to our other temple, and every day he chants while he goes to work...

Prabhupada: Very good.

Tamala Krsna: ...when he's walking the street.

Prabhupada: So he is devotee.

Tamala Krsna: He said he was smoking two and a half packs of cigarettes. Now he only smokes three or four. Soon he will stop.

Prabhupada: (laughs) You see? How practical. Yes. This is practical. One of my Godbrothers, he narrated his life history, that he was distilling wine for drinking. And he said that all kinds of intoxicants he has passed. He is graduate of all kinds of intoxication. (laughs) But when he came to Guru Maharaja, he left everything. He has not even smoking a bidi, cigarette. Papi tapi yata chilo, hari-name uddharilo, tara saksi jagai madhai. The witness is Jagai and Madhai. So you accept it.

Tamala Krsna: He'll have to call me. He said he would call tomorrow.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Dayananda: Well, did he donate it?

Tamala Krsna: No. We'll have a phone by tomorrow.

Dayananda: You said he came to the other temple.

Tamala Krsna: Remember the Indian people came that night? I'll tell you who he is.

Dayananda: With the twelve-year-old boy?

Tamala Krsna: No. He came with his wife that night.

Prabhupada: He's Indian?

Tamala Krsna: No. No. There was another Indian people there that night, but he was separately with his wife. We had a kirtana. That was that very rich man, Indian man who came, and then there was another couple there.

Prabhupada: So he's also rich man?

Tamala Krsna: I don't think so. But he has a wife and he says many things have been changing since he chanted. He says he doesn't know whether he should attribute it to the chant, but he's going to keep chanting. And he looks very, ah, he looks much happier.

Prabhupada: That's all right. So, chant. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968

"When To Approach A Guru"

75/10/17 Johannesburg, Bhagavad-gita 2.1-11



Prabhupada: I shall speak some verses from Bhagavad-gita, Second Chapter, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna instructed. The beginning of instruction is the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. So Arjuna, representing ourself, conditioned soul, covered with the material body and thinking in bodily conception of life... He was to fight with his brothers, nephews, grandfather, Bhismadeva, also teacher the military science, Dronacarya. In this way the business was not very palatable. Although he was forced to fight by the opposite party who were very near, thick and thin people, and he had to kill them, so it was not very satisfactory to him. Therefore he flatly denied to fight: "Krsna, I am not going to fight." He left his weapon, and then Krsna was surprised that "My friend, Arjuna, he is denying to fight in My presence."

So Sanjaya, the private secretary of Maharaja Dhrtarastra, he was relaying the message which was going on in the battle of Kuruksetra by higher process. Nowadays we have got experience of the television, but the another process, antar-drsti, that is also television. You can see the reflection of external activities within your heart, and you can explain. So Sanjaya, the private secretary of Maharaja Dhrtarastra, he explained that Arjuna was denying to fight. So,

tam tatha krpayavistam
asru-purnakuleksanam
visidantam idam vakyam
uvaca madhusudanah
[Bg. 2.1]

Madhusudana is Krsna's another name. So when Krsna saw that Arjuna is unnecessarily disturbed, then, tam tatha krpayavistam asru-purnakuleksanam [Bg. 2.1]. Asru-purna: his eyes was full with tears. "Krsna, I have to fight with my relatives." So he was crying, that "This is not very good business." So why he was crying? Krpayavistam: being merciful upon them. They were so cruel upon the Pandavas that they insulted their wife, they tricked how to take away their kingdom. All this injustice was done to them. Still, because Arjuna is a Vaisnava, a devotee, still, he was sympathetic: "No, no, let them do whatever they have done, but I am not going to kill them." So krpayavistam asru-purnakuleksanam [Bg. 2.1], visidantam. Bhagavan uvaca. Then, after Arjuna being silent not to fight, then Bhagavan... Krsna is Bhagavan. Bhagavan means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences. That is called Bhagavan. Generally in India we speak, bhagyavan. Bhagyavan means one who has got opulences. So Bhagavan means one who is full in opulences -- in wealth, in strength, in influence, in beauty, in education, in renunciation. In these six ways, when one is opulent fully then he can be called Bhagavan. Partially, if one is very opulent, sometimes he is also called Bhagavan, but real Bhagavan, according to sastra, is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Others, they may possess some of the opulences, not in full, partially. Just like Narada Muni or Lord Brahma, Lord Siva. They are also sometimes called Bhagavan. But real Bhagavan is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. So here Bhagavan, the Supreme Person, Krsna. Krsna means, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior person or element more than Me." And when Arjuna understood Krsna he also admitted, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12].

So Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the origin of Brahman. He is the origin of Paramatma. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is experienced in three ways -- Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. So Bhagavan is the last word of the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Person. Therefore Vyasadeva has purposefully written here, "sri bhagavan uvaca." Bhagavan uvaca mean you cannot exceed the Supreme Person. Nobody can be equal to the Supreme Person; nobody can be more than the Supreme Person. Everyone should be under the Supreme Person. That is the meaning of Bhagavan. So Bhagavan said,

kutas tva kasmalam idam
visame samupasthitam
anarya-justam asvargyam
akirti-karam arjuna
[Bg. 2.2]

"My dear Arjuna, you are My friend, personal friend, and you are proposing this, which is befitting to the anarya." Anarya-justam: "This is not for the Aryan. You are ksatriya, you are meant for fighting for justice, and you are denying to fight? Oh, this is not good." Anarya-justam: "This kind of proposal, cowardice, can be proposed by the anarya." Arya means the advanced. One who is advanced in knowledge, in civilization, they are called arya, Aryan civilization. So in the Aryan civilization there are four divisions to maintain the society in the correct balance. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. The society must be divided into four classes of men. The first-class means most intelligent class of men. They should be trained up as brahmana. Samo damah satyam saucam titiksa arjavam jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. So this is the beginning of civilization, not that all sudras as it is now in this age. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. Kali-yuga, there is no training how to qualify a section of person to become first-class brahmana. That training is not there, neither ksatriya, neither pure vaisya class. We are proud of our business, vaisya, but vaisya means krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. Vaisya means they should take care of the cows, cow protection, go-raksya. Why go-raksya? Why not other animal raksya? Krsna has not said "animal raksya" or "janawal-(?) raksya." Go-raksya. The cow is very, very important animal. If you want to advance your spiritual consciousness, then you must have sufficient milk and sufficient grains. That is civilization. Therefore it is the duty of the vaisyas to produce food grain. Annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. Annad. In the society, if you have got sufficient anna, both the animals and the man, they will be happy. These are the instruction in the Bhagavad-gita, everything practical. If we follow Bhagavad-gita from all angles of vision -- social, political, economical, religious, cultural -- you will be perfect. This is Bhagavad-gita. We are therefore taken up this mission, to preach Bhagavad-gita as it is to solve all the problems of the world. That is Aryan civilization. Aryan civilization means following the principles of Bhagavad-gita.

So here Krsna is addressing Arjuna, anarya: "Non-Aryan. You are ksatriya. Your service is now required to fight with persons who have created injustice. So what is this, that you are denying to fight?" Anarya justam. And asvargyam. Asvargyam means "By denying your duty you cannot be elevated in your next life or you cannot be elevated in the higher planetary system." For a ksatriya, it is the duty of the ksatriya to fight and lay down his life. Then he is promoted to the higher planetary system. That is the shastric injunction. If he becomes victorious, then he enjoys this material world, and if he dies, he is promoted to heaven. These things are there. Therefore Krsna is advising Arjuna, asvargyam: "If you deny to fight, then you will be refused to enter in the higher planetary system." Akirti-karam. "And you are known as a great fighter, great soldier and My friend, and this will be going against your reputation. Don't do this." Then He says,

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam
tvaktvottistha parantapa
[Bg. 2.3]

"My dear friend, parantapa..." Parantapa means one who gives trouble to the enemies. This is the material world. A ksatriya cannot behave like a brahmana, to excuse. Brahmana business is to excuse. Ksama-rupa-tapasvinah. Those who are tapasvi, they can excuse, but those who are in the governmental post, to make justice, there is no question of excuse. Life for life. "You have killed one man; you must be killed." This is justice. A brahmana, he may excuse, "All right, you have killed my man. Never mind. I excuse you." That is a brahmana's business. But a ksatriya, the government, the ruling power, he cannot do so. It is his mercy. It is the government's mercy when a murderer is hanged. That is the injunction in the Manu-samhita. "So parantapa, you are ksatriya. Your business is to punish the unjust." Ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam: "For a ksatriya this kind of poor-heartedness, that ‘I shall not fight...' Give it up. Don't indulge in such thing."

Then Arjuna replied,

katham bhismam aham sankhye
dronam ca madhusudana
isubhih pratiyotsyami
pujarhav arisudana
[Bg. 2.4]

He is addressing Krsna as arisudana, the killer of the enemies. He says, "But in my case, I have to fight with Bhisma, Dronacarya. They are my well-wisher, and how can I kill them? It is my duty to offer my respect, touching their feet, and You are enticing me to pierce their body with arrow? So, of course, You have killed so many enemies, but You have killed enemies. Why You are inducing me to kill my grandfather and my teacher?" Of course, Arjuna, also intelligent. He replied that "You cannot accuse me as anarya. This is the consideration. Therefore I am hesitating to fight." Then he says,

gurun ahatva hi mahanubhavan
sreyo bhoktum bhaiksyam apiha loke
hatvartha-kamams tu gurun ihaiva
bhunjiya bhogan rudhira-pradigdhan
[Bg. 2.5]

"They are not only my grandfather. They are guru. And mahanubhavan, very great personality, Bhismadeva, Dronacarya. So if I kill them and if I live prosperously, taking the kingdom, do You think it is all right that I live on the blood of my guru and great personalities? Do You think it is all right?" Of course, he says,

na caitad vidmah kataran no gariyo
yad va jayema yadi va no jayeyuh
yan eva hatva na jijivisamas
te 'vasthitah pramukhe dhartarastrah
[Bg. 2.6]

"Krsna, actually I am puzzled. It is my duty to fight, but now I am puzzled whether I shall fight or not fight because, after all, the other side, they are my relatives, family members, dhartarastrah. Dhrtarastra is my elder brother of my father, and his sons they are my cousin-brothers. So I am puzzled whether I shall fight." He plainly explained his position that "Not that I have become anarya. I have got sufficient strength. I can fight, but I am puzzled whether I shall fight in this case or not."
Then he submits,

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah
prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah
yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me
sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam
[Bg. 2.7]

Then Arjuna decided to accept Krsna as his guru. He... Sisyas te 'ham: "I become your disciple." To become disciple means no more argument. When we talk friendly there is argument, counterargument. But when there is order from guru there is no more argument. Therefore Arjuna says that karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah: "Actually my behavior should be exactly like a ksatriya, to fight for the just cause, but in this case I am denying. Therefore I am krpana." Krpana means one who does not properly use his position. One man is very rich, but he does not use his money, simply sees the money. He is called krpana. Similarly, Arjuna is powerful, he can fight, he is a ksatriya, but he is denying his ability. Therefore he is thinking that "I have become krpana, miser. Although I have got strength, I am denying to fight." "Although I have got money, I do not spend." These are called krpana. So karpanya-dosopahata: "Now I am infected with karpanya-dosa." Karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah.

So when we become puzzled with these material affairs, what to do -- to do or not to do, this is the example -- at that time we must approach a guru. That is the instruction here, we see. Prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah. When we are bewildered, we do not distinguish what is religious and what is not religious, do not use our position properly. That is karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah [Bg. 2.7]. At that time there is need of guru. That is the Vedic instruction. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. This is the duty. This is civilization, that we are meeting with so many problems of life. That is natural. In this material world the material world is problems of life. Padam padam yad vipadam. Material world means in every step there is danger. That is material world. So therefore we should take guide from guru, from the teacher, from the spiritual master how to make progress, because this... That will be explained later on, that the goal of our life, at least in this human form of life, in the Aryan civilization, the goal of life is to understand our constitutional position, "What I am. What I am." If we do not understand "What I am," then I am equal to the cats and dogs. The dogs, cats, they do not know. They think that they are the body. That will be explained. So in such condition of life, when we are puzzled... Actually we are puzzled every moment. Therefore it is necessary one should approach to a proper guru. Now Arjuna is approaching Krsna, the first-class guru. First-class guru. Guru means the Supreme Lord. He is guru of everyone, parama-guru. So anyone who represents Krsna, he is also guru. That will be explained in the Fourth Chapter. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So Krsna is showing example, where we should offer our surrender and accept guru. Here is Krsna. So you have to accept Krsna or His representative as guru. Then your problems will be solved. Otherwise it is not possible, because he can say what is good for you, what is bad for you. He is asking, yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tat. Niscitam. If you want advice, instruction, niscitam, which is without any doubt, without any illusion, without any mistake, without any cheating, that is called niscitam. That you can get from Krsna or His representative. You cannot get right information from the imperfect person or a cheater. That is not right instruction. Nowadays it has become a fashion; everyone is becoming guru and he is giving his own opinion, "I think," "In my opinion." That is not guru. Guru means he should give evidences from sastra. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah: "Anyone who does not give evidences, proof, from the sastra, then" na siddhim sa avapnoti, "he does not get at any time success," na sukham, "neither any happiness in this material world," na param gatim, "and what to speak of elevation in the next life." These are the injunction.

So we must select guru. Here it is, example, Arjuna. He's accepting Krsna as guru. Why he is accepting? Because, he says,

na hi prapasyami mamapanudyad
yac chokam ucchosanam indriyanam
avapya bhumav asapatnam rddham
rajyam suranam api cadhipatyam
[Bg. 2.8]

So he has selected that the right person, guru, and he said that "Unless I hear from You what is right and wrong, I cannot decide whether I shall fight or I shall not fight. Which way is better for me I cannot understand." In this way,

evam uktva hrsikesam
gudakesah parantapah
na yotsya iti govindam
uktva tusnim babhuva ha
[Bg. 2.9]

"After addressing Krsna that ‘You give me the right direction; otherwise I am not going to fight,' he left his weapon and became silent."

tam uvaca hrsikesah
prahasann iva bharata
senayor ubhayor madhye
visidantam idam vacah
[Bg. 2.10]

Now, Krsna took the position of guru, and He began to instruct. Tam uvaca hrsikesah. Hrsikesa..., Krsna's another name is Hrsikesa. Hrsikesa means hrsika isa. Hrsika means the senses, and isa, the master. Therefore Krsna is the master of our senses, everyone's senses. That will be explained in the Thirteenth Chapter, that ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata [Bg. 13.3]. In this body there are two living entities. One is myself, the individual soul, atma; and the other is Krsna, Paramatma. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. So actually the proprietor is Paramatma. I am given the chance to use it, so my senses, so-called my senses, that is not my senses. I have not created my hand. The hand is created by God, or by Krsna, through the agency of this material nature, and I am given the hand to use it for my purpose, for my eating, for my collecting. But actually it is not my hand. Otherwise, when this hand becomes paralyzed, I am claiming, "my hand" -- I cannot use it because the power of the hand is withdrawn by the proprietor. Just like in a house, rented house, you are living. If the proprietor of the house, landlord, eject you, you cannot live there. You cannot use it. Similarly, we can use this body as long as the real proprietor of the body, Hrsikesa, allows me to stay here. Therefore Krsna's name is Hrsikesa. And this Krsna consciousness movement means that we have accepted the senses from Krsna. It should be used for Krsna. Instead of using it for Krsna, we are using it for our sense gratification. This is our miserable condition of life. Just like you are living in a place for which you have to pay rent, but if you don't pay rent -- you think that it is your property -- then there is trouble. Similarly, Hrsikesa means the real proprietor is Krsna. I have been given this property. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

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

Yantra: it is a machine. This machine has been given by Krsna to me because I desired that "If I get a machine like a human body, then I can enjoy like this." So Krsna fulfills your desire: "All right." And if I think, "If I get a machine in which I can directly suck blood of other animal," "All right," Krsna says, "you take the machine of a tiger's body and use it." So this is going on. Therefore His name is Hrsikesa. And when we understand properly that "I am not the proprietor of this body. Krsna is the proprietor of the body. I wanted a certain type of body to use it for my sense gratification. He has given it and I am not happy. Therefore I shall learn how to use this machine for the proprietor," this is called bhakti. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Because Krsna is the proprietor of the senses -- He is the proprietor of this body -- so when this body will be utilized for Krsna's service, that is our perfection of life. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate.

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

If you want the definition of bhakti, the bhakti means to use the things for the proprietor. That is right use. If somebody use for another purpose, that is misuse. So bhakti means, when things are used properly, that is called bhakti. Now we are thinking that this machine, this body, "I am born in India, so it is Indian machine. It should be utilized for India's profit." Another person is thinking, "This machine, it is gotten from America, so it should be used for America." That is going on in the name of nationality or communism, or society or friendship and this and so on. We have invented so many "isms," but they are all misuse because actually the machine does not belong to the American or the Indian or the African. The machine belongs to Krsna. So this is misuse. So when we understand that we are misusing this machine improperly, that is called pure machine. That is called pure understanding, or Krsna consciousness. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. "I am not American. I am not Indian. I am not brahmana. I am not ksatriya. I am not human being." Aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman." Not the Supreme Brahman, but part and parcel of Brahman. Supreme Brahman is Krsna, Parabrahman. He is addressed as Parabrahman. So we are part and parcel of Brahman. Therefore we are Brahman. So we have to realize this position. Aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman." I am not this machine. I am put into this machine, but because the machine is gotten either from America or from India or from heaven or from hell, I am designating this machine as American machine or Indian machine. Actually this machine belongs to Krsna, and it should be used for Krsna. Therefore the definition of bhakti means hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. This is bhakti.

So Krsna, now He has taken the position of teacher. Now no more friendly talking because Arjuna has accepted Him as the teacher. So He's the teacher. It is the duty of the teacher to punish or to chastise the disciple when he is wrongly going on. That is the duty. So first teaching of Krsna, because Arjuna has accepted His leadership, His teachership, His instruction, accepted that he will follow His instruction, so first instruction is asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] "You rascal, you are rascal. You are talking like a very learned man that ‘How shall I kill my, this grandfather? How shall I kill my brother, this and so on?' This is all bodily concept of life. You are talking on the bodily platform." So what is this body? It is to be neglected? "Yes." Asocyan anvasocas tvam: "It is not to be lamented."

asocyan anvasocas tvam
prajna-vadams ca bhasase
gatasun agatasums ca
nanusocanti panditah
[Bg. 2.11]

Pandita means one who knows that "I am not this body." That is pandita. The body is a lump of matter, so what is the value of lump of matter? Either while it is moving or while it is not moving, it is a lump of matter. Suppose we are now moving with this body with nice coat, pant, hat. That's all right. But what it is? It is a lump of matter. Either coat, pant, or these bones and the skin and the blood and the stool and urine, whatever this body is composed of, it is all material. And when the living entity goes away from this body, the same lump of matter... Does it change? So we are not lamenting at the present moment because it is moving. And as soon as the movement is stopped, I say, "Oh, my father has gone. My son has gone," and we lament. So actually the body is the same. The same body is lying here as dead body, whom we are lamenting, "my father," but you have never seen your father. You have seen only the coats and pants and the body. That is your education. Therefore Krsna says, "Arjuna, you are thinking on terms of this coats and pants and bones and muscles and urine and stool. Therefore you are rascal number one." This is the first instruction, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna... [Bg. 2.11]. "Do any gentlemen lament for this torn-up cloth, bones and skins and urine and stool? Does any sane man lament?" This is the first instruction. So asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: "You are talking just like a very learned man to argue with Me, but you are fool number one because" -- gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah -- "this is not the business of the pandita."

So this is not the position of Arjuna only. The whole material civilization, the whole population of the whole world, they are like this asocyan anvasocas tvam [Bg. 2.11]. When the body is living, when the body is moving, they are busy how to make the body comfort. And when the body is not moving they are lamenting. That is the business. Therefore brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. The..., our business is, the material civilization means, socati kanksati, two business. Kanksati means desiring. While the body is moving we are desiring, making plan: "I want this. I want this. My son requires this. My nation requires this. My community requires this." This is, means, kanksati, desiring to possess this, possess... And when the body is lost, then socati: "Oh, my father is lost. My brother is lost. My son is lost." Two business. So long there is no spiritual knowledge, we have got on the material conception of body two business -- socati, kanksati: desiring for things which we do not possess and lamenting for things which we have lost. This is our two business. But if you become self-realized, if you become aware actually what you are, then na socati na kanksati.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

This is the business. So our this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to educate people to give up this bodily concept of life. This is the sum and substance of this movement. And unless we come to understanding that "I am not this body; I am a spirit soul. My aim of life is missing," then we remain cats and dogs.

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

Anyone who is leading his life on the bodily concept of life, he is no better than the dogs and hogs. So in order to stop this civilization of dogs and hogs, the Krsna consciousness movement is essential. Krsna consciousness means to take instruction from Krsna. This is the first instruction. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11]. So gradually He will give instruction.

So it is our request that you try to study Bhagavad-gita as it is. Don't try to distort it by your so-called education. Try to understand Krsna as He is saying. Then you will be benefited. Your life will be successful. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break]

Pusta-krsna: What is the meaning of sac-cid-ananda?

Prabhupada: That is spirit soul. Sat means eternal, and cit means knowledge, and ananda means bliss. So if we study ourself, this body is not eternal. Sat means eternal. So if you study this body... In the Bhagavad-gita you will find, antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririnah [Bg. 2.18]. This body is antavat; it will perish. Therefore it is not sat. Sat means eternal, and the body is not eternal. Therefore it is very difficult to understand what is sat because we have no education, no experience. Everything is annihilated, destroyed, anything material. So actually we have no experience what is sat. So... But Vedic instruction is sad gama asato ma: "Don't remain in asat, noneternal. Come to the platform of eternity." Sad gama asato ma. So that is our mission of life. The human form of life is distinct from the cats and dogs because if you instruct to the cats and dogs what is sat and what is asat, it is impossible for them to understand. It is not possible. Therefore Vedic instruction is asato ma: "Don't remain cats and dogs in the human form only. You come to the platform of eternity." Asato ma sad gama. So we must try what is eternal. So far in the present condition, as this material condition, we do not know what is actually eternal because our body is not eternal. Therefore the first instruction is that "You are lamenting on the body which is not eternal, but you are eternal. Your business is to understand the eternal." That is called sat. And cit. Cit means knowledge. At the present moment we are all in ignorance. We do not know what is the next step, "Whether I am going to live or to die." Everything in ignorance. Therefore this body is also not cit. It is full of ignorance. Then sat, cit and ananda, that we have got experience... Where is ananda? Ananda means blissfulness, joyfulness. There cannot be any joyfulness in this body. There are three kinds of miserable condition of material life: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. So either these three or one or two is always there. Adhyatmika means miserable condition on account of the body and mind. So wherever we go, the body is there. So even if I am very opulent materially with wealth, we are getting experience that even the most rich, richest man in the society, he is committing suicide. Why? He has got every resources to enjoy. Why he is committing suicide? That means there is also no ananda, even you possess the material things. So there is no question of sac-cid-ananda in this material condition of life. If you understand what is spiritual life and if you practice how to come to the spiritual life, spiritual platform, as Krsna is, then we can become equal with Krsna, sac-cid-ananda. Otherwise we are in ignorance. This body is not sac-cid-ananda. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975

"Who Is Krishna?"

1974/06/16 Germany, Bhagavad-gita 2.1



Prabhupada: (prema-dhvani)

Satsvarupa: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. (devotees repeating). Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.

sanjaya uvaca
tam tatha krpayavistam
asru-purnakuleksanam
visidantam idam vakyam
uvaca madhusudanah
[Bg. 2.1]

Prabhupada: Next. Next. Next verse.

Satsvarupa: Sri-bhagavan uvaca. (devotees repeating)

kutas tva kasmalam idam
visame samupasthitam
anarya-justam asvargyam
akirti-karam arjuna
[Bg. 2.2]

Prabhupada: Next verse also.

Satsvarupa:

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam
tyaktvottistha parantapa
[Bg. 2.3]
(repeats)

Prabhupada: Next verse.

Satsvarupa:

arjuna uvaca
katham bhismam aham sankhye
dronam ca madhusudana
isubhih pratiyotsyami
pujarhav arisudana
[Bg. 2.4]
(repeats)

Prabhupada: Next verse also.

Satsvarupa:

gurun ahatva hi mahanubhavan
sreyo bhoktum bhaiksyam apiha loke
hatvartha-kamams tu gurun ihaiva
bhunjiya bhogan rudhira-pradigdhan
[Bg. 2.5]

Prabhupada: Synonyms? No. Everyone goes to bring that flask, and everyone is lost.

Satsvarupa: Here it is.

Prabhupada: (to translator who translates throughout:) In German language you can just translate this sloka he has ut...

So this was a discussion between Arjuna and Krsna in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. So the subject of discussion was that although the battle was declared, Arjuna, when he actually found that "On the other side there are my relatives," how he could slay them? Krsna advised that "Everyone must execute his prescribed duty without consideration of any personal loss or gain." According to Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of the society. Everywhere the same divisions are there all over the world. This is very natural. Just like we can study from our own body, there is head, there is arm, there is belly, and there is leg, similarly, in the society there must be a class of men who should be considered as brain, another class of men should be there who will protect the society from danger, another class of men will be expert in producing food grains and give protection to the cows and make trade, so. And the rest class of men, namely who cannot work as brain neither can work as protector from danger, nor they can produce food grains or give protection to the cows, they are called sudras -- as you cannot avoid, to make your body complete, the brain department, the arms department, the belly department and the walking or working department.

So Arjuna belonged to the group of men who was meant for giving protection to the society. So when he was declining to fight, Arjuna, when he was declining to fight, at that time Krsna gave him advice that "It is your duty to fight." So generally killing is not good at all, but when there is enemy, aggressor, then to kill the aggressor is not sin. So the other party in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, they became aggressor to the Arjuna's party. Now, this is the set up of the Bhagavad-gita. The real purpose is to instruct Arjuna about spiritual understanding.

So spiritual understanding means first of all to know what is spirit. If you do not know what is spirit, then where is spiritual understanding? People are too much engrossed with the body. That is called materialism. But when you understand what is spirit and you act accordingly, that is called spiritualism. So Arjuna was hesitating to fight with the other party because he had bodily relationship with them. So between Arjuna and Krsna there was discussion, but that was friendly discussion. Therefore, when Arjuna understood that simply friendly discussion could not solve the problem, he became His disciple. Krsna... Arjuna surrendered to Krsna, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "My dear Krsna, so long we are talking as friend. Now I become Your regular disciple. Kindly save me by instruction. What I have to do?" Therefore, when this stage was arrived, Krsna is advising Arjuna as follows: sri-bhagavan uvaca. Now, it is said here... Who is saying to Arjuna? The author or the recorder of Bhagavad-gita... Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krsna. It was a discussion between Krsna and Arjuna, and it was recorded by Vyasadeva, and later on it became a book. Just like when we speak it is recorded and later on it is published as a book. Therefore in this book it is said, bhagavan uvaca. Vyasadeva is the writer. He does not say that, "I speak." He says, bhagavan uvaca, means "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said."

So Krsna is accepted by the authorities as Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And what is Bhagavan? Bhagavan means that one who is fully equipped with six opulences. Fully equipped with all opulences means Bhagavan is the richest personality. How much rich Bhagavan, or God, is, we can understand that we are proud of possessing a few acres of land, and Bhagavan means who is the proprietor of the whole universe. Therefore He is considered the richest. Similarly, He is considered the strongest. And similarly, He is considered the wisest. And similarly, He is the most beautiful personality. In this way, when you find a person the richest, the most beautiful, the most wise, the strongest -- in this way, when you find, that is Bhagavan, or God. So when Krsna was present on this planet He proved all these opulences possessed by Him. Take, for example, that everyone marries, but Krsna, being the Supreme Person, He married 16,108 women. But it is not that He remained one husband for sixteen thousand wives. He made arrangement for providing the sixteen thousand wives in different palaces. Each palace, there is described, they were made of first-class marble stone and furniture made of ivory and the sitting place made of very nice, soft cotton. In this way there is description. And the outward compound, there are many flower trees. Not only that, He also expanded Himself into sixteen thousand expansion, personal expansion. And He was living in that way with each and every wife. So it is not very difficult task for God. (devotees offer obeisances) God is said to be situated everywhere. So within our vision, if He is situated in sixteen thousand homes, what is the difficulty for Him?

So here it is said, sri-bhagavan uvaca. The most powerful authority is speaking. Therefore, whatever He says, it is to be taken as truth. In our this conditional life, just like we are living under material condition, we have got four defects: we commit mistake, we are illusioned, and we want to cheat also, and our senses are imperfect. So knowledge received from a person who is infected with four kinds of deficiencies is not perfect. So when you receive knowledge from a person who is transcendental to all these four kinds of defects, that is perfect knowledge. Modern scientists, they theorize that "It may be like this. It may be like that," but that is not perfect knowledge. So if you speculate with your imperfect senses, what is the value of that knowledge? It may be, I mean to say, partial knowledge, but that is not perfect knowledge. Therefore our process of receiving knowledge is to receive it from the perfect person. And therefore we are receiving knowledge from Krsna, Bhagavan, the most perfect, and therefore our knowledge is perfect. Just like a child. He may be imperfect, but if his father says, "My dear child, this is called spectacle," so if the child speaks, "This is spectacle," that knowledge is perfect. Because the child does not make research to find out knowledge. He asks his father or mother, "What is this, Daddy? What is this, Mother?" And the mother says, "My dear child, this is this." Another example can be given that if a child does not, in childhood, he does not know who is his father, then he cannot make any research work. If he makes research work to find out his father, he'll never find out his father. But if he asks his mother, "Who is my father?" and the mother says, "He is your father," that is perfect. Therefore knowledge, knowledge of God, who is beyond your sense perception, how can you know? Therefore you have to know from God Himself or His representative.

So here Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking, and that is the final authority. He says to Arjuna as follows. He says, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned scholar, but you are lamenting on a subject matter which you should not do." Gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. Gatasun means this body. When it is dead or when it is alive, bodily conception of life is foolishness. So no learned man takes serious consideration of the body. Therefore in the Vedic literature it is said that "One who is in the bodily concept of life, he is nothing more than an animal." Therefore at the present moment, without knowledge of the self, the whole world is going on under the bodily concept of life. The bodily concept of life is there amongst the animals. The cats and dogs, they are very proud of becoming a big cat or big dog. Similarly, if a man also becomes similarly proud that "I am big American," "big German," "big," what is the difference? But that is actually going on, and therefore they are fighting like cats and dogs.

So we shall discuss more tomorrow.

Devotees: Jaya. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974

"Signs Of Ignorance Of Self"

72/12/07 Ahmedabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.1



Prabhupada:

sanjaya uvaca
tam tatha krpayavistam
asru-purnakuleksanam
visidantam idam vakyam
uvaca madhusudanah
[Bg. 2.1]

Madhusudana. Krsna is described here as Madhusudana, the killer of the demon Madhu. Madhu-kaitabha-ari. So Arjuna was attacked by a demon of forgetting his duty, being too much afflicted by bodily relationship. This is our position. In this material world, we are so much attached to this bodily relationship that it is to be considered just like we are ghostly haunted. In a poetry, Prema-vivarta, it is said that pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya, maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya. Maya-grasta jiva. Maya-grasta. Maya means illusion, hallucination. So we are, in this material world, we are all illusioned. Illusioned means accepting something as fact which is not. Something... Just like in dream we see sometimes I am attacked with a tiger; my head is being cut off. So many things. So actually there is no tiger, my head is not being cut off, but still, I am crying: "Oh, here is a tiger, here is a tiger!" So our attachment for this world is like that. It is illusion. I am thinking that "Without me, everything will be spoiled. My presence is required." And so on, so on. Just like sometimes our political leaders. Each and every one of them thinks that without him, the whole situation will be spoiled. Even Mahatma Gandhi, he was so attached that he would not retire from political life -- unless he was killed. The attachment was so strong. But after passing away of Mahatma Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru or so many big, big leaders, the world is going on. There is a Bengali proverb that "When the king dies, it does not mean the kingdom stops." The kingdom goes on. But when, so long, the leader or the person in charge remains there, he thinks that "Without me, everything will be spoiled." This is called maya. This is called illusion.

According to Vedic system, therefore, there is forced renunciation. Nobody wants to retire from family life, but the Vedic injunction is that after one has passed fifty years, he must leave his family life. Pancasordhvam vanam vrajet. In the beginning, as a student life, he's trained up, brahmacari, undergoing severe austerities, penances, and taking instruction from the spiritual master about the temporary existence of this material world. In this way, he's trained up very nicely. And even after training, if he appears to be attached to this material world, he's allowed to go home and marry. And some of the brahmacaris are allowed to remain naisthika-brahmacari, without going home and accepting a wife. But one who cannot, he's allowed to accept wife and become a householder and remain there for twenty-five years. Because generally, the brahmacari was going home at the age of twenty-four years, twenty-five years. So after marriage, he may get a child. So living there for twenty-five years, means the child is grown up. Then the husband and wife takes leave, not leaving for good, but vanaprastha, traveling in pilgrimages like Vrndavana, Prayaga. That was the system. And after two months, again he comes back and remains home for another two months. Again goes out. In this way, the whole process is how to give up attachment from this family life, from this world. And when he's trained up fully, he takes sannyasa. That is our Vedic system.

So the attachment of this material world is very strong. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam by Rsabhadeva: Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. This whole material world is an attachment of male and female. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam, sex impulse, attachment. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. And when they are married, when they are united, then it becomes a hard knot in the heart. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Then gradually, after being united, one becomes attached to grha, home, apartment, ksetra,... Formerly there was no industry. So everyone must have some land to produce food. Grha-ksetra, suta, then children; apta, friends; vitta, then money, because without money, nothing can be maintained. Atah grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya mohah. He becomes more and more illusioned. And aham mameti: [SB 5.5.8] "Oh, this is my country. This is my family. This is my house. This is my children." So on, so on. Mama. "Mine." And "I am this person. I am this body." This is illusion.

So Arjuna appeared to be illusioned that "How I shall fight with my brothers and grandfather on the other side?" He became so much illusioned... Tam tatha krpayavistam [Bg. 2.1]. He became illusioned not unnecessarily. He was very much compassionate, compassionate with his family members. Krpayavistam, asru-purnakuleksanam [Bg. 2.1]. And he was crying. There was tears in his eyes. Visidantam idam vakyam. And he was lamenting in this way: "How shall I fight?" So Krsna then began to speak. Krsna saw that "My friend, Arjuna, has become too much illusioned." So He wanted to kill the demon of illusion. Therefore He's mentioned herein as Madhusudana. Krsna comes. He has got two business: paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. Side by side, giving protection to His devotees, sadhu... Sadhu means devotee. Devotee of Krsna is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita as sadhu. Api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. One who is strictly a pure devotee of Krsna, he is mentioned as sadhu. Sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyavasito hi sah [Bg. 9.30]. He is first-class sadhu. Even if he's a grhastha, it doesn't matter. Generally, we understand sadhu means with saffron cloth. No. Sadhu's qualification is that he must be a pure devotee of Krsna. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. So now Krsna speaks, sri bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan. This Bhagavan means one who is full with six kinds of opulences. He's called Bhagavan.

aisvaryasya samagrasya
viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayas caiva
sannam bhaga itingana
(Visnu Purana 6.5.47)

Bhaga. Bhagavan and Krsna. Krsna means all-attractive. Bhagavan Sri Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. There are other great personalities. Lord Siva is also sometimes described as Bhagavan. Similarly, Lord Brahma, Narada, others are also sometimes described as Bhagavan. But real Bhagavan means Krsna. They are Bhagavan partially. All these things have been very much carefully analyzed by Srila Rupa Gosvami. He has analyzed in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, which we have translated into English: Nectar of Devotion. He has analyzed that Krsna is cent percent Bhagavan. And Narayana is ninety-four percent Bhagavan. And Lord Siva is eighty-four percent Bhagavan. And all other living entities, all living entities, we are, we are minutely seventy-eight percent Bhagavan. That means when you come to the perfection of life, when you are actually in the spiritual stage, then you are..., you have got the qualities of Bhagavan in minute quantity, but not all the qualities -- eighty, seventy-eight percent. These have been very nicely analyzed in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. And the sastra says also: krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a list of all the incarnations, that "Such and such incarnation appears for such and such particular activities." In that incarnation list there is name of Lord Ramacandra also, Lord Buddha also. Buddha's name is also there. But in the conclusive portion it is declared there: ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. In that list, the name of Lord Krsna, Lord Balarama is there also. But the conclusion is given by Vyasadeva that "Except Krsna, all others, they are plenary expansion of Krsna, or part of plenary expansion of Krsna." Amsa-kalah. Amsa means direct expansion. And kalah means expansion of the..., secondary expansions. So it is concluded there that ete camsa-kalah pumsah. All these incarnations, they are either amsa or kalah. But Krsna, the name Krsna, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: He's the original Personality of Godhead, Krsna.

The same thing, here Vyasadeva describes: sri bhagavan uvaca. He's not ordinary person. Bhagavan speaking. Bhagavan means... What is Bhagavan? Aisvarya. Aisvarya means riches. Nobody can be richer than Bhagavan. We have got our ideas of richness. I may be rich, but you are richer than me. Somebody is richer than you. Somebody is richer than another, another, another. You go, make proceed. When you find out the final richest person, that is Bhagavan. Aisvaryasya sama... Samagrasya. All riches. Not that partial. One may have one thousand, another man, one lakh, one man, one crore, but nobody can say that "I have got all the monies." No, that is not possible. But Bhagavan has all the monies. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. Similarly, strength, bodily strength or power. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah. And similarly, reputation. We are also reputed. But nobody can be reputed than Krsna. Just like five thousand years ago He spoke this Bhagavad-gita, and He's so reputed that Krsna spoke Bhagavad-gita and still it is running on. Not only in India, but we are traveling all over the world. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gita. So He's so reputed. So aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). And beautiful. The most beautiful. Krsna, most attractive. Yasasah sri..., jnana, knowledge, the book of knowledge which He has given, this Bhagavad-gita, there is no comparison. There is no second book in the whole world which contains so full of knowledge. So jnana. And vairagya also. In spite of all the property of Krsna, Krsna doesn't care for this material world. He is busy in the spiritual world. Radha-madhava kunja-bihari. He's busy in Vrndavana. He has many servants. Just big man has got many secretaries, servants, they look after, similarly, in this material world. His representatives -- Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara -- they are managing the affairs of this whole universe. But He's enjoying in Vrndavana. Jaya radha-madhava kunja-bihari. He has no concern. He doesn't care what is happening here. But it, it does not mean that He doesn't care, but He has no anxiety how the things are being managed. When it is mismanaged, then sometimes Krsna comes in His Vasudeva form. Not the original Krsna. Original Krsna never leaves Vrndavana. Padam ekam na gacchati. He's always in His abode.

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.29]

He is very much adhered to His cows. Surabhir abhipalayantam. And He's surrounded by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, these gopis. He is surrounded. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. We are, we are praying goddess of fortune to have some favor, but in the spiritual world, Krsna is served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. This is Krsna's position.

So I do not know why foolish people, they do not understand what is God. Everything is there. And He comes also, personally. Not only the God's name, address, activities, and everything is there, but He comes personally also. He proves Krsna. He proved that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Krsna was present, He proved all these things. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). He proved. He had sixteen thousand wives, and each wife, a big palatial building of marble, bedecked with jewels and gardens with parijata flowers. These are description. Nobody can maintain sixteen thousand wives in sixteen thousand palaces. Not only that, not that if He enters in one palace, He lives with one wife, the other wives are vacant. No. He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms. And with each wife He was living comfortably. Each wife had ten children. And those children also had each ten children, grandsons. In this way, Krsna's family was more than one crore, Yadu-vamsa. So if you study from material point of view, when Krsna was present, He proved that He's Bhagavan. And Bhagavan means not a big beard and meditation. Krsna never became Bhagavan by meditation. He was not a manufactured God. He's God always. He's not manufactured. When He was on the lap of His mother Yasoda, He was God. The Putana came to kill Him, but Krsna killed him. In this way, if we read the life of Krsna, He's proved -- Bhagavan. And not only He proved Himself, but all others, great authorities, accepted Him Bhagavan. There are four Vaisnava acaryas in the recent years and one Mayavada acarya, Sankaracarya. Sankaracarya also, although he is inclined to the impersonal feature of the Lord, but he accepted Krsna: sa bhagavan svayam krsnah. He accepted: "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana." Narayanah avyaktat. So other Vaisnava acaryas, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnusvami, Nimbarka, lately Lord Caitanya, all of them accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Arjuna, he also, when he heard from Him Bhagavad-gita, he accepted Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvatam [Bg. 10.12].

So Krsna is accepted universally the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why people are making research, "Where is God?" I do not know. Why they are uselessly taking so much hard labor to search out God? Here is God, Krsna. Bhagavan uvaca. So there is no reason, there is no, I mean to say, chance of not accepting Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna personally says that mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior element above Me." Aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8]. "I am the origin of everything." Aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. Then... There are so many statements, "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So anyone who is actually serious about understanding about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no difficulty. But because we are obstinate, because we are sinful, because we are lowest of the mankind, because our knowledge has been taken away by maya, and because we are atheists, we do not accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality. Otherwise, there is no reason. Krsna therefore describes: na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Unless one is duskrtina, always miscreants, full of sinful life, he cannot deny Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is preaching all over the world that "You are all advanced in civilization, and advanced in scientific knowledge, and advanced in everything, but you are missing one thing -- God, Krsna. So here is God. Here is Krsna. You try to understand Krsna and be Krsna conscious and make your life successful." That is our propaganda. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break]

Indian: May I ask you one question?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: When there is bhajana singing...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: ...which I can understand the words...

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna?

Indian: Or any bhajana of God. Then, you see, understand language and everything. You see, if it is just like Mirabhai and crying, tear comes from my face, and laughing, very instant laughing, laugh...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: And there is no other progress.

Prabhupada: No, that is asta-sattvika-vikara.

Indian: Sattvika-vikara.

Prabhupada: Yes, that is called vikara, transformation of spiritual platform. Yes.

Indian: But still there is something more, something more.

Prabhupada: No, that is the... When one cries, transformed, that means he's realizing Krsna.

Indian: Yes, yes...

Prabhupada: He's realizing like that. That is realization. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also used to do that. That is highest stage, maha-bhava.

Indian: Maha-bhava, yes...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: So then I go in bhajana, wash out everything; I feel myself that there is only soul, no body. And then you see a man who sings or who are present, you see, they are also not their body. Simply soul.

Prabhupada: Yes, forget all material... Yes.

Indian: All these things. Then there is only soul.

Prabhupada: Yes, that is perfectional, liberated stage.

Indian: Liberated stage.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: And have you explained anything about this in your Gita, in fifteen... You see? These three...?

Prabhupada: Gita is just to understand what is God. And then, when you are actually engaged in God's service, these things come. That is higher stage. Gita is the ABCD of understanding God.

Indian: So it will give you some more reflection... You see...

Prabhupada: Yes. But if we accept the ABCD, then we come to literature. Then we pass M.A. examination. Yes. So Gita is the preliminary step, first step of understanding God.

Indian: I am reading Gita from my childhood. I like it.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Indian: Yes. So I think your Gita will give me some more reflection.

Prabhupada: Yes. I am explaining as it is. I am not interpreting. So it is being accepted.

Indian: So I should read it.

Prabhupada: Thank you.

Indian: That's the inclination, that I should read the books.

Prabhupada: (laughing) Very good.

Indian: Very good.

Devotee: Hare Krsna!

Prabhupada: Jaya. (pause) Yes, let us discuss. [break]

Indian (2): ...the Pandavas. So if we do our work so perfect, we can't do it. Otherwise, we... So I am an imperfect devotee. But the question, you see, I was wondering ... all the worldly duties sincerely and honestly to our capacity pride is necessary or inevitable. "Oh, I'm a brahmana. I'm worshiping God." But pride is necessary that we must do in our own hand. I cannot.

Prabhupada: Yes. If your life is so made that in every step you are feeling presence of Krsna, then it is Krsna consciousness. That is the first-class yoga, as it is confirmed by Krsna:

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

Just like these boys, they are being trained up to think of Krsna twenty-four hours. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. Just like we have constructed this pandal. Our business is to preach Krsna. So the energy employed for constructing this temple, that is also Krsna, that energy. Somebody is doing... Anything... Nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate. If our activities are always dovetailed for Krsna's satisfaction, that is called vairagya. Vairagya. A man is engaged in business. That's all right. But if the fruit of that business is made, is meant for Krsna, then sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. That is sva-karmana. Generally, we work for our sense gratification. "I have got this money. I must use for my sense gratification or for my relative's sense gratification or for my country's sense gratification, for my society's sense gratification." So this is materialism. But when the same thing is turned for Krsna's sense gratification, that is spiritual. That is the difference between prema and kama. Kama. It has been very simplified by Kaviraja Krsnadasa Gosvami in his Caitanya-caritamrta: atmendriya-priti-vancha tare bali ‘kama'. Atmendriya-priti. If you want to satisfy your senses, that is called kama, lust. Krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema' nama. The same thing, when you try to satisfy the senses of Krsna, that is called prema.

So we have to divert the activities for Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, he, in the beginning, he denied to fight. That, our subject matter. He was crying. "No, no, I cannot fight." So apparently Arjuna was very nice gentleman that he is forgetting his claim over the kingdom, he's nonviolent, he's not willing to fight with his brothers, and he was crying so compassionate. So from materialistic point of view, he was very nice. But immediately, as we'll begin tomorrow, Krsna says that "Why you are thinking like anarya?" Anarya. Anarya-justam. "This kind of thinking is not for aryas, Aryans. It is for the non-Aryans." He did not... And the whole Bhagavad-gita was spoken to Arjuna to make him arya. And at the end, Krsna inquired from Arjuna that "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tatha kuru. But Arjuna replied, karisye tad-vacanam. Karisye vacanam tava. [Bg. 18.73] "Now I shall fight." And Krsna gave him certificate: bhakto 'si priyo 'si me. "You are very dear friend, and My great devotee." Now, fighting is not very good business, killing. But sometimes, by killing, one can become a great devotee of Krsna. He was a warrior, fighter. His business was to fight, but he fought for Krsna. Then he became a devotee. That is sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. He... Arjuna, brahmana and ksatriya. Similarly, our..., means sva-karma, guna-karma-vibhagasah. Our, according to Vedic system, there are four divisions. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Not by birth, but by quality and actual activities. So there are brahmanas. There are ksatriyas. There are vaisyas. There are sudras. There are brahmacaris. There are grhasthas, vanaprasthas, sannyasa. So everyone should be engaged to satisfy Krsna. That is the whole philosophy. Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. "You work as brahmana, you work as a ksatriya, you work as a vaisya or sudra. It doesn't matter." Even Krsna has advised that "If you, even if you think that I am working as a vaisya, it is not very good, because sometimes I have to speak lie for business's sake. And brahmana's business is very nice. No." Krsna has advised: sa-dosam api na tyajet: "Even in your profession there are so many faults, you should not give it up. You should go on." But the result must be given to Krsna. That is the secret. You may work as a brahmana, as a ksatriya, as a businessman, as an engineer, as a doctor, as a warrior, whatever you may be. It is, it is never condemned. No work is condemned. Every work is dignified provided it is meant for Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. [break]

Chant. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972

"Krishna gave Bhagavad-gita To Get Us Out"

72/12/06 Ahmedabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.1


Prabhupada: (tape begins with mangalacarana prayers)

tam tatha krpayavistam
asru-purnakuleksanam
visidantam idam vakyam
uvaca madhusudanah
[Bg. 2.1]

So in the morning we shall discuss on the Bhagavad-gita, and the... My students, they have requested to speak in English because they cannot understand Hindi. So I think gentlemen gathered here, they'll also understand English. So kindly allow me to speak English. Now, in the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, the..., it is the set-up, Krsna and Arjuna. According to the order of Krsna, Arjuna, Krsna placed the chariot in between the two soldiers, two phalanxes of soldiers. Senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me acyuta [Bg. 1.21]. Arjuna was respectful to Krsna. Krsna has accepted to be charioteer, inferior position than Krsna. Krsna is on the chariot, sitting on the throne, and, uh, Arjuna is sitting on the throne, and Krsna has taken the inferior position, driving the chariot. So this is very nice position for devotional service. Those who are not devotees, they aspire to become Krsna. Their aspiration is to merge into the existence of the Supreme, or to become one with Krsna. But in devotional service it is not the desire of the devotee to become one with Krsna, but sometimes to make Krsna as the order-carrier of the devotee. To become one with Krsna, it may be a very great position. But to become the, I mean to say, command, commander of Krsna, that is another thing. That position is greater than to become one with Krsna.

So there are five kinds of liberation. Sayujya, the first liberation is supposed to be sayujya, means, to become one with the Supreme. The Mayavada philosophers, monists, they aspire after sayujya-mukti. But the devotees, Vaisnavas, they do not aspire after sayujya-mukti. Their, for them, there are other, four kinds of mukti: sarupya, salokya, sarsti, samipya. And those who are still further advanced, they do not want any kind of mukti, neither of these five kinds of muktis. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He prays, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. This is pure devotional prayer. The devotees does not approach the Supreme for any material gain. Pure devotion means without any aspiration of any kind of material gain. Or even spiritual gain.

anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
[Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11]

Uttama-bhakti, first-class bhakti, what is that? Anyabhilasita-sunyam: without any kind of desire than to serve the Lord. And in the Srimad-Bhagavatam also, it is said, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. Parah means transcendental, beyond this material conception. Krsna, or the Absolute, Narayana, that is para. Narayanah parah avyaktat. Narayana is not anything of this material world.

Narayana, Krsna, Visnu. The Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is not anything of this material world. When we use this word, nirakara, that means His form is not anything of this material world. But He has got His form. That is a transcendental form. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Nirakara means He, He has no such form, as we have got this material form. This material form is neither of the three transcendental bliss, sac-cid-ananda. This is asat, acit, and nirananda. This body, this material body is asat, acit, and nirananda. Therefore, when in the Vedic literature or in authorized statement we find "nirakara," that means His form does not belong to this asat, acit, or nirananda. But He has His form. Divyam. Janma karma me divyam. Divyam, transcendental. And Sripada Sankaracarya also, who especially preached impersonalism, he also admits that narayanah parah avyaktat: "Narayana, the form of Narayana, is beyond the range of this avyakta." Avyakta and...

This world is creation... Avyaktad anya-sambhavah. This world is creation of this avyakta. And beyond this avyakta, there is another nature. That is spiritual nature. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah avyaktah avyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. So this situation... Krsna is advising... No. I mean to say, Arjuna advising, ratham sthapaya me acyuta. Acyuta. Krsna is not cyuta. Krsna is acyuta. Cyuta means those who are fallen in the material world. They are cyuta. We are fallen in the material world. Therefore we have accepted this material body. Iccha-dvesa-samutthena sarge yanti parantapa. Iccha. Iccha means desire. And dvesa means envy, enviousness. Iccha-dvesa-samutthena. When we become envious of Krsna and we want to enjoy this material world, then we come to this material creation. Iccha-dvesa-samutthena sarge yanti parantapa.

So any one of us, we, who is in this material world, having a material body, beginning from Brahma down to the ant, a small ant, anyone of them... In the Brahma-samhita it is said that yas tv indra-gopam athavendra-maho sva-karma-bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam atanoti [Bs. 5.54]. Indra-gopa. There is a, there is a insect which is called in Sanskrit language as indra-gopa. It is a microbe. You cannot see with these naked eyes. So this microbe is called indra, and there is another Indra, the King of Heaven. So the Brahma-samhita says, yas tu indra-gopa. And Mahendra, the King of Heaven... Beginning from this indra-gopa, up to the King of Heaven, everyone is subjected to enjoy or suffer the resultant action of his karma. By karma, by the resultant action of karma, one has become the King of Heaven, and by karma, resultant action of karma, one has become the microbic insect. This is the material world. There are 8,400,000 types or forms of this material body, and we are wandering, sarva-gata, in different planets, in different forms. This is material world. And in the material world, whatever form we may have, we have got attachment for this body. Not only attachment, we are under the impression that "I am this body." Everyone. That is material conception of life.

So that thing happened to Arjuna. In the battlefield, he identified himself as the body. He thought himself that he belongs to the Kuru family, and his family relatives, his, other side, his brother, nephews, or his grandfather... So he refused to fight. "My dear Krsna..." After placing the chariot between the two parties, senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me acyuta [Bg. 1.21]. And then he become very much disturbed that "I have to kill the other side, my brother and my nephews, my grandfather. No, no. Krsna, I cannot. No. This is not possible. I shall not fight." This is the stage of Bhagavad-gita. Krsna became very much dissatisfied. Of course, Arjuna played the part of a conditioned soul. A conditioned soul is under the impression that he's the body. That is animal life. In the sastra it is said, "Anyone who is identifying himself with this material body, he is animal." Go-kharah. Sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. Go means cows, and khara means ass.

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

Yasya. Anyone who is identifying this, himself, with this body, which is made of tri-dhatu... According to Ayur Vedic medical system, this body is production of kapha, pitta, vayu. Or in our modern medical science, anatomy, physiology, this body is a combination of bones, muscles, skin, blood, urine, stool. That's all. So sastra says, "If anyone thinks that he is this lump of bones, flesh, blood, urine and stool," yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13], and sva-dhih kalatradisu, "and the production of these bones and flesh, kalatradisu..." Because we have got relationship here in this material world with wife. Kalatra means wife. Kalatra, kalatradisu: "Beginning from wife." Wife produces so many children, and therefore adi, the beginning is wife. So sva-dhih kalatradisu. "The wife and my children, they are my kith and kin." Sva-dhih kalatra, sva-dhih. "They are my own." Everyone is working... Even a great economist, Mr. Marshall, he says that economic development begins from family affection. Family affection. So unless one thinks that he has to maintain his wife, children, family, there is no question of economic development. Impetus. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu and bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13]. Bhauma, this earth, as worshipable. Bhauma ijya-dhih yat-tirtha-buddhih salile: "And for pilgrimage, one who thinks that the water is tirtha..." Tirtha means where one can get transcendental knowledge. Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih, yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesv abhijnesu. "...but has no interest to associate with persons who is expert in transcendental knowledge. Such, these persons, they are called go-khara." Go-khara means cows and asses. So Arjuna played the part of a go-khara. In the battlefield of Kuruksetra, he played the part of an ordinary person, go-khara, who is identifying this body as self. Therefore he required instruction. Not only... He became so much overwhelmed that he gave up his arrows and bows and sat down, tightly: "My dear Krsna, I am not, I cannot fight." And he was crying. Not only he gave up his duty, he was ksatriya, and he was crying: "Oh, I'll have to kill my kinsmen. No, no, no. I cannot do it."

this is the set-up in the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. This is the summary. Now sanjaya uvaca. The Sanjaya is speaking to Dhrtarastra. Sanjaya is seeing the battlefield within his heart. That is another television. And by the grace of Vyasadeva, he learned the art, that he advanced... He was so much advanced that the... Just like we see television, relay from the battlefield, and he, Duryodhana, Dhrtarastra was blind. And his secretary, Sanjaya, he was speaking. He was seeing the activities in the battlefield. Dhrtarastra inquired from him:

dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya
[Bg. 1.1]

He was asking Sanjaya: "What did they do?" Kim akurvata sanjaya. That was the question. And first of all, Sanjaya described the arrangement in the battlefield, and then he's speaking. Now, sometimes Bhagavad-gita is misinterpreted that this battle, I mean to say, dharma-ksetra kuru-ksetra means "this body." We do not misinterpret in that way. There is no question of misinterpretation. We are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. We do not change by our whimsical imagination, concoction. We do not interpret the words of the Bhagavad-gita according to our own desire. No. Actually, from literary point of view, interpretation is required when things are not understood very clearly. The interpretation required. In the law court, when the lawyers try to interpret before the judge, when the terms are not very clear... That is the same way, in, in, amongst the associates and society of learned scholars. Interpretation is not required when the things are very clear. Just like the sun, sunshine, sunlight. There is no need of a lamp to show the sun. The sun is self-effulgent. It is already there. Light is there. Why one should take a lamp to show the sun? This misinterpretation has killed the spirit, the real essence, of Bhagavad-gita.

So there was so many editions and so many misinterpretation. Our, this Krsna consciousness movement, our proposition is that we are, I mean to say, presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. We do not misinterpret. So dharma-ksetra kuru-ksetra. Kuruksetra is dharma-ksetra, the place where religious ritualistic performances are done. Kuru-ksetre dharmam acaret. That is the Vedic version. So Kuruksetra is always... Still people go for pilgrimage in Kuruksetra, and the station is there, Kuruksetra, and the place is there. People go there. Kuruksetra. Why one should interpret that kuru-ksetra means this body and Pandavas means these panca-indriyas, so many things? There is no question of interpretation. And this Mahabharata... Mahabharata means "The History of Greater India." That is Mahabharata. History, it is history. It is not a fiction. It is history. Mahabharata. This planet was formerly known as Bharata-varsa. This planet. The whole planet. Not that the piece of land, as we are calling now, Bharata-varsa. No. Before that, this planet was known as Ilavrta-varsa. And after the reign of Maharaja Bharata, the son of Rsabhadeva, this planet became Bharata-varsa. So Bharata-varsa means the whole planet. But we have lost... Just like we have lost portion of the present Bharata-varsa as Pakistan. Everyone knows, twenty years before there was no such thing as Pakistan. But circumstantially we have lost. So..., so the whole Bharata-varsa has been partitioned as this portion is called America, this portion is called Europe, this portion is called Asia. These are modern names. Actually, the whole planet was Bharata-varsa. And the whole planet was being controlled by Vedic culture. So as we have lost our Vedic culture, as we could not control the others, other people in other part of the world, by our culture, by our political maneuver, we have lost. Even up to the day of Battlefield of Kuruksetra... Why Kuruksetra? Up to the time of Maharaja Pariksit, the whole world was being controlled by one king in New Delhi, Hastinapura. There was no other kingdom. And when the battlefield was..., the battle was there, all people from all parts of body, all parts of the world, they joined, either this party or that party. That was the battlefield.

So this is the picture of the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and Krsna is ordered by Arjuna to place the chariot in between the two soldiers. Now, after seeing the soldiers and the kings and other party, Arjuna is aggrieved, so much so that he did not like to fight, and he was crying. Now, Dhrtarastra asked Sanjaya: "Then what happened next?" Dhrtarastra was very much anxious. He said: dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah [Bg. 1.1]. "Now these two parties, yuyutsavah, they, they, they were, both of them were desirous of fighting, yuyutsavah. So one party is mamakah, my sons, and the other party is Pandavas, the sons of my brother, Pandu." Mamakah pandavas caiva [Bg. 1.1]. Now, the word is used: yuyutsavah. "They assembled for fighting." Then what is the use of asking: kim akurvata, "Then what did they do?" It is natural to conclude that when they assemble for fighting, there must be fighting. But why he was asking: kim akurvata? The suspect was that because the parties assembled in the dharma-ksetra, so they might have changed their ideas. Still, in India, if there is two fighting parties, they go to a temple and ask that "You say the right thing." So in the temple, still, in the villages, they do not dare to speak lies. Yes. The fighting and the misunderstanding becomes settled up. So Dhrtarastra was thinking whether the two parties, they have settled up. He did not like that. He wanted that "These Pandavas should be killed, and my sons," I mean to say "the Kauravas, they should come out victorious so that there will be no enemy." He was very much anxious to place his sons on the throne. Because he was blind, he could not acquire the throne. His younger brother was situated on the throne. Now, after the death of his younger brother, he thought that "I missed the opportunity of sitting on the throne. Why not my sons? They have got actual right." That is the background of this Kuruksetra battle. He was always devising some means, how the sons of Pandu, his nephews, could be separated and his sons would sit on the throne. That was his idea. Therefore he inquired, kim akurvata. Otherwise, there was no question of inquiring kim akurvata. They went there to fight. They'll fight. But he was suspecting, "If they have made any compromise?" That he did not like. That he did not like. He wanted that "There must be fighting. And they are five brothers. My sons are one hundred in number. So they would be killed, and my sons will be without any rivalry."

This is the background of Kuruksetra. But another thing is the dharma-ksetra, effect of dharma-ksetra was visible in Arjuna. Dharma-ksetra. He, because he's devotee of Krsna... Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. Because he's devotee of Krsna, therefore he felt: "What is this? Why shall I kill these, my brothers?" Because he was devotee. This sentiment came into the mind of Arjuna, not on the other side, Duryodhana. He never thought. Although they were placed, both of them placed at dharma-ksetra. The effect of dharma-ksetra was manifest in the body of Arjuna, not Duryodhana. This is the... If one is pure, then the effects of dharma becomes manifest very quickly. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah... [Bg. 7.15]. Krsna says in... that those who are too much sinful, sinful, simply their life is sinful, duskrtinah. Duskrtinah. Krti. Krti means one who has got good brain. But duskrtinah, but the brain is applied for mischievous activities. For mischievous activities, it also requires good brain. And similarly, for pious activities, that also requires brain. But those who are applying their brain for mischievous activities, they are called duskrtinah. So duskrtinah... Na mam duskrtino mudhah. Why they do so? Because they are mudhah, rascals. If one has got good brain, he should apply it for good work, but sometimes they are utilized... Just like a thief, he has got good brain. A rogue, he has got good brain, but he's applying for mischievous activities, for making people unhappy. That is not the right use. Jnana-khala. They are called jnana-khala. One who has got nice knowledge, it should be utilized for better purpose.

So the effect of Kuruksetra, dharma-ksetra, was visible in the person of Arjuna, not in the person of Duryodhana. That is the difference. Therefore he was crying: "So I am put in such a position that I have to fight and I have to kill my brothers, my nephews, my grandfather." He was too much affected. Although it is weakness, but it is not actually weakness. It is compassion. Arjuna was not a coward, neither he was less heroic than the other side. But out of compassion, because he was devotee... Devotees, they are para-duhkha-duhkhi. The, the symptom of a devotee is they are unhappy by seeing others unhappy. That is the symptom of devotee. Generally, a person, if he sees somebody happy, he becomes happy. Matsarata. That is the world situation. If I see my brother is very happy, he has improved in his material condition, then I become unhappy: "He has advanced so much, and I could not do so." This is material civilization. Envious, grhamedhi. Everyone is envious. Either you take person to person or neighbor to neighbor, their sympathy is lip sympathy. Actually, everyone is envious. Businessman to businessman, nation to nation. This is material world. Therefore spiritual advancement means for person who is not envious. Not envious. Paramo nirmatsaranam satam vastavya-vastu vedyam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that if you want to know the real truth, vastavya-vastu, the one must become paramo nirmatsaram. Nirmatsara. Matsara, matsara means envious, and nirmatsara, not envious. And parama, first-class nirmatsara. Therefore Vyasadeva says that: dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaranam [SB 1.1.2]. In the introduction of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vyasadeva says who are the candidates to understand this science of God, Srimad-Bhagavatam? It is not for the persons who are entangled in cheating religious system. Cheating, dharmah kaitavah. Kaitava means cheating. So cheating type of religious system are kicked out from this book, Srimad-Bhagavatam, but it is meant for persons who are not envious, paramo nirmatsaranam satam. Vastavya-vastu. One who wants to learn reality, not false reality. This, here, in this material world, everything is false reality. Just like we are trying to find out water in the desert. That is the example, mirage, false... There is no water. But the animal, he sees that there is water, vast water, and he runs after it and dies. So here in this material world also, every one of us, running after the false mirage, that "There is happiness, there is happiness, there is happiness." This is called material condition, and we are envious. This is the position, and therefore Krsna begins the Bhagavad-gita to get out of this ignorance and enviousness, and this is the basic principle of Bhagavad-gita.

So we shall discuss tomorrow again. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972

"Krsna's Order Is Final"

73/08/01 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.45-46



yadi mam apratikaram
asastram sastra-panayah
dhartarastra rane hanyus
tan me ksemataram bhavet
[Bg. 1.45]

sanjaya uvaca
evam uktvarjunah sankhye
rathopastha upavisat
visrjya sa-saram capam
soka-samvigna-manasah
[Bg. 1.46]

Translation: "I would consider it better for the sons of Dhrtarastra to kill me unarmed and unresisting, rather than fight with them."

"Sanjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief."

Prabhupada: Yadi mam apratikaram asastram sastra-panayah. It is the custom between the ksatriyas that in the fighting, if the other party hasn't got weapon to fight, this party will supply him weapon, not that the other party without weapon and this party will take opportunity to kill him. This is not the rules and regulation of fighting. There are many rules and regulation of the fighting. Not that "Because he is my enemy, I shall kill him any way." No. There are rules and regulations. If the enemy has broken his chariot, he is fallen down on the ground, the other party also will immediately get down from the chariot. Suppose he is feeling... If one is on the foot and another on the chariot, so he will be in superior position. So therefore the opposite party must also get down from the chariot and walk with him. That means the defeated enemy should be given all opportunities so he may not think that unnecessarily, in weak position, he has been killed. No. So Arjuna says... Arjuna, of course, did later on. When he killed Karna. Karna was without weapon, and he fell down from the chariot. Karna, after falling down from the chariot, and he was trying to raise the wheel of the chariot from the mud, so Krsna asked Arjuna "That this is the opportunity to kill him. You kill him immediately." So at that time he had no weapons and he fell down from the chariot, and in that position he was killed by Arjuna by the order of Krsna. This is violating the laws.

So you can violate the laws on the order of Krsna. You cannot do. This is surrender. When Krsna says that "You do this," although it is wrong, you have to do it. There is no consideration. Just like in fight, the commander says to the soldiers, "Do this." His duty is to do that. He should not think at that time what is right or wrong. Just like Yudhisthira Maharaja, he was advised by Krsna that "Yudhisthira, Maharaja Yudhisthira, you go to Dronacarya and inform him that ‘Your son is dead.' " It was a false information. Because Dronacarya would not die if he is not affected with some lamentation. So Krsna asked Maharaja Yudhisthira that "You go because you are recognized truthful, Dharmaraja. So when you will say, this is also false, he will believe." But Yudhisthira hesitated, "How can I tell lie?" He disobeyed the order of Krsna, and he wanted to become very truthful. For this reason he had to see hell. So in the mundane consideration there are so many things, right and wrong. So long you are on the mundane platform, you have to obey all these right and wrong. But in the spiritual platform, when it is ordered by Krsna... He is above all this duality. He is Absolute. So even if He says to do something wrong... Because He cannot say anything which is wrong. God is all-good. If you discriminate God's order from the mundane platform, then you will be misguided. Anyone who has got firm and fixed up faith that whatever God does, whatever God orders, even from mundane calculation it may be wrong, that is right... That is absolute understanding. So those who are in the spiritual platform, for them, there is no such consideration, which is right and which is wrong. Their only consideration is whether Krsna is pleased. That's all. If Krsna is pleased by inducing me to do something wrong, I will not hesitate to do it. I will do it because it is Krsna's order. Tasmin tuste jagat tustam. My principle should be, "If Krsna is satisfied, then everything is all right." But while we are in the mundane platform, we should not concoct the idea that "Krsna is pleased; let me do that." No. That you, cannot do. You have to follow the rules and regulations. But if you think that it is... You cannot think; neither you can manufacture. So either you should hear from Krsna directly or... That is not possible because we are not in touch with Krsna at the present moment. We are trying to see Krsna through the transparent medium of spiritual master. So we cannot manufacture that "This is Krsna's desire." No. You have to get it confirmed from the transparent medium, spiritual master. These are the principles.

So Arjuna says, yadi mam apratikaram. Pratikaram, apratikaram. Pratikaram means counteraction, and apratikaram means without any counteraction. So he is informing Krsna that "If the other party, dhartarastrah, the sons of Dhrtarastra, other party, they kill me while I am not prepared..." But that is not the regulation of fighting. So therefore he says apratikaram: "Whether if I am not prepared and they kill me all of a sudden, this is wrong. I accept, even they kill me, apratikaram, without I am fully equipped..." Asastram. In the fight, one must be equipped with all weapons. "But when I am not equipped with weapons or I am not willing to fight... Because I am not willing to fight." This has been decided: "I cannot kill my kinsmen. Therefore I am not going to take the step of pratikaram, counteraction. So even in this condition, they come and kill me," yadi mam apratikaram asastram, "I am not fully equipped with sastra, weapons," asastram and sastra-panayah, "and they are fully equipped with weapons," dhartarastra rane hanyus, "so in this condition the other party, my cousin-brothers, sons of Dhrtarastra, if they kill me," rane hanyus, tan me ksemataram bhavet, "I shall prefer that. I am not going to fight. If you think that ‘If you don't fight, then they will take the opportunity...' " He is talking with Krsna. He is already giving the counterargument, that "Krsna, if you think that I don't fight, but they will take the opportunity and kill me immediately, that also I shall prefer, but I am not going to fight. This is my decision." Sanjaya uvaca. So Sanjaya, the secretary of Dhrtarastra... They were sitting in a room. So evam uktva, "thus saying," Arjuna, the person... Arjuna is nominative case. Arjuna, sankhye, "in the battlefield;" rathopastha, "on the chariot," upavisat. You have seen the picture. When Krsna blew His conchshell and from the backside Arjuna is just trying to take his arrow and fight... But instead of fighting, he's visrjya sa-saram capam. "No, no, no. I am not going to..., giving up. Finished. I am no more going to fight." Visrjya sa-saram capam. Why it is? Soka-samvigna-manasah. His mind was overwhelmed with lamentation, that "How can I kill my kinsmen?" This is the position.

So apratikaram, pratikaram. There are two things. Pratikaram means counteraction. Here in this material world, for everything there is counteraction. Just like if you are diseased, so you have to take the medicine. That is pratikaram. The disease is caused by some, what is called, disarrangement within the body. So we have to arrange, we have to set up the disarrangement within the body. That is pratikaram. Medicine, counteraction. Similarly, if somebody is coming to kill you, so you also become prepared to kill him. This is pratikaram. If somebody is drowning in the sea, then you have to give him some help, send some boat or some lifeboat so that he can be saved. So we have got so many... This material world is going on. It is full of dangers. Padam padam yad vipadam. Material world means step by step, simply danger. That is material world. So we have to find out pratikaram, counteraction, how to save yourself from danger. Just like when we walk, we see in so many doors, "Danger." So that you are warned. Sometimes the doors are: "Beware of the dog." So you have to take care, "No, I shall not enter." So everything there is danger, and there is pratikaram, counter, counteraction, how to save yourself from it. This is called struggle for existence. In this material world, there is only this danger and counteraction. I am unhappy; so just to become happy I have to work, I have to get money. Whatever I want... So this is going on. Pratikaram, danger, vipadam. Padam padam yad vipadam. Padam padam yad vipadam na tesam. So samasrita ye pada-pallavam plavam. Anyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, samasrita ye pada-pallavam plavam mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh. Murari. Murari means Krsna. So punya-yaso. He is simply glorified by pious activities. There is no impious activities in Krsna. Krsna is the purest. So whatever He does, that is pure. The rascals they do not know this. They think, "Krsna is immoral." And He has become a professor, teacher. He does not know, he does not understand Krsna. So many big, big professors, learned scholars, they do not understand what is Krsna. And they talking about Krsna. They are taking the position of instructing about Krsna. Just see how rascaldom. You do not know something perfectly, and still, you are talking about it. This is going on. Punya-yaso murareh. What is Krsna? Krsna says, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyante [Bg. 7.19]. We have to know Krsna. Because as soon as you know Krsna, you become immediately liberated.

So knowing Krsna is not so easy thing. Therefore Krsna says, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. First of all you become siddha, perfect. Perfect means perfect knowledge. That is called siddha. And another siddha means very powerful, master of all yogic perfection. That is also siddha. Yogic perfection, eight kinds of perfection,

anima-laghima-praptih
prakamyam mahima yatha
isitvam ca vasitvam ca
tatha kamavasayita

So they obtain eight kinds of siddhis. They are also called siddhas. From material point of view, a perfect yogi can counteract anything, and whatever he likes, he can do. That is called siddhi, asta-siddhi. But still, he is not as siddha as Krsna. Krsna's name is Yogesvara. He is the master of all the yogis. Yogesvara. Yatra yogesvarah krsnah. The yogis also, they are deficient with Krsna's power. Still, some rascals, without any yoga siddhi, they claim that "I have become God." What is your qualification? Have you got all the yoga-siddha? Then how you claim that you are... But rascals, they claim to become God, and other rascals, they also believe that "Here is God." Both of them are animals. Sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh [SB 2.3.19]. One who does not know actually what is Krsna, if he accepts somebody, some rascal as God, then he is also animal. That is also animal. One who is claiming that "I am as good as Krsna," he is certainly animal, crazy. He does not know what is the power of Krsna, how much He is Yogesvara. Still, he is falsely claiming to become Krsna. And one who accepts him as Krsna... So Krsna, one should understand first of all Krsna. Without understanding Krsna, if somebody remarks, if he thinks Krsna as ordinary human being, avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11], that is the mudha's business, rascals' business. Krsna, because He comes as ordinary human being, manusya-lila, if we take Him, Krsna, as like me, like ordinary, than I am a mudha. How a human child at the age of six or seven years, one can lift the whole mountain Govardhana? First of all try to understand Krsna, how much powerful He is. How a three-month-old child can kill a big demon, Putana. These things are there in the Bhagavatam about Krsna's life. How do you claim to become as good as Krsna? This is crazy. Animalism.

So Krsna's order must be final. If He says then everything is all right. So here Arjuna's position is: Krsna has already arranged the battle, and he knows that Krsna wants this battle; still, he says that yadi mam apratikaram, he decides in his own way. This is called maya. He knows what is Krsna's desire, and still, he is speaking his own philosophy. That means Arjuna is placing himself on the position of ordinary man. Ordinary man does not know what is Krsna and what is Krsna's desire, and he manufactures his own philosophy and thoughts. That is ordinary man. But Arjuna, he is always friend of Krsna, constant friend. His name is Gudakesa, above all darkness. Certainly he must be. One who is Krsna's friend directly, how there can be ignorance? There cannot be. Then why Arjuna is playing that part? He knows Krsna's desire; still, he says that yadi mam apratikaram asastram sastra-panayah. And no... Tan me ksemataram bhavet. He is playing like that. Because without Arjuna's playing like that, how this Bhagavad-gita will come? This is just like playing on the stage. One very rich man, he is, in a drama, he is playing the part of a very poor man. But actually, he is not poor man. But in the stage he is playing the part of a poor man. Similarly, Arjuna is not bewildered, but for the time being he appears to be bewildered by Krsna's maya, because Krsna wants to speak Bhagavad-gita, for the benefit of the whole world, that what is spiritual knowledge. Therefore this is a stage arrangement.

So pratikaram and apratikaram. Whatever we have manufactured, pratikaram, counteraction, that will be also failure if Krsna does not sanction it. That is realized by Prahlada Maharaja. He says "My dear Lord," Hiranyakasipu, that "people have manufactured so many pratikaram, counteraction." But tanu-bhrtam, "Those who have accepted this material body, they are simply manufacturing things to counteract dangers. But even though they have all this counteracting machine or counteracting agents, still, without Your sanction, this counteracting machine or agent will not be fruitful." So similarly, Arjuna is being protected by Krsna. So even though Arjuna is not well-equipped, apratikaram, still he will be saved. Because Krsna is there. Tavad vibho tanu-bhrtam tvad-upeksitanam. And even one is well-equipped and if Krsna does not like to save him, he'll not be saved. Always mind this. Rakse krsna mare ke, mare krsna rakse ke. This is ordinary, that if Krsna wants to kill you, nobody can save you. And if Krsna wants to save you, nobody can kill you. This is the position. So the examples are given by Prahlada Maharaja: balasya neha saranam pitarau nrsimha. "My Lord Nrsimhadeva, the parents of children, they are not actually protector of the children." Because generally we think that "This child, this boy has got his father, mother, he is well-protected." No. Father and mother... Every father and mother wants to protect the child, but still, the child has to meet some danger and dies. There are so many experience. Similarly, balasya neha saranam pitarau nrsimha. The father and mother is a counteraction for the dangers of the child. But Prahlada Maharaja said, "No, they are not counteraction." It is not that if a child is in danger, because the father and mother is very strong, very rich, he will be able to give protection to the child. No. That is not possible. Then nartasya cagadam. The medicine... A person is suffering from some disease, some fatal disease. If you think "I shall engage first-class physician and I shall supply first-class medicine," if you think, "Then the patient will be saved," no, that is not possible. That is not possible. We have got many experiences like that. Then no rich man would have died. Because he has got money, he can employ first-class physician, first-class medicine, and simply by engaging such things, counteracting, pratikaram, he cannot be saved. There are many examples like that. So the conclusion is tavad vibho tanu-bhrtam tvad-upeksitanam: "If You neglect, if You have decided that this person, this child cannot be saved, then any amount of pratikaram will not help, will not help."

Therefore real pratikaram is Krsna. Real pratikaram is Krsna, counteractive. So better we take shelter of Krsna as Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. You must always know that no counteraction will be beneficial for us unless we are protected by Krsna. So therefore our business is fully surrender to Krsna and seek His protection. Krsna says, "Yes," aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami, "I shall give you protection." This is Bhagavad-gita philosophy. We have to believe on the assertion of Krsna that "He is prepared to give me all protection, provided I have fully surrendered unto His lotus feet."

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.45-46 -- London, August 1, 1973