73/07/24 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.31
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
na ca sreyo 'nupasyami
hatva svajanam ahave
na kankse vijayam krsna
na ca rajyam sukhani ca
[Bg. 1.31]
Translation: "I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle, nor can I, my dear Krsna, desire any subsequent victory, kingdom, or happiness."
Prabhupada: So there are two things, sreyas and preyas. Here Arjuna is speaking of sreyas. Sreyas means ultimate good, and preyas means immediately palatable. That is called preyas. So everyone should be interested for sreyas, not for preyas. Just like a child, he likes to play all day and night. Naturally. Playful child. So that is called preyas. He likes immediate pleasure. But his father says, "My dear child, just go to school or read book." So father is asking for sreyas, ultimate good. If he is not educated at the, at childhood, then how he will prosper in his future life? So considering the future prospect, ultimate good, that is called sreyas. And preyas means immediate. Just like we eat something which I may not digest, or it may have some bad effect later on. But people are interested -- the immediate benefit, without calculation of future benefit.
So Arjuna is considering with reference to his future, that "If I kill my kinsmen, what benefit there will be? I want victory, I want kingdom, to become happy, but if my all kinsmen are killed, then what is the value of my victory? With whom I shall enjoy?" He is thinking like that. Society... The same thing: society, friendship and love. Everyone wants to enjoy life with society, friends. Nobody wants to enjoy life alone. That is not possible. This is not natural. So wherefrom we got this idea, that I cannot enjoy alone? Just like generally a person is alone, but he gets a wife with a hope for enjoying family life, children, wife, friends. Grha-ksetra, atah grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih. Grha means apartment, and ksetra means land. Grha-ksetra-suta. Suta means children. Atah grha-ksetra-suta apta. Apta means friends, society. Atah grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih. Apta means friends, society, and to support all these things -- Grha, ksetra, suta, apta, -- there is required money, vitta. Vitta means money. Atah grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This is material life. Grha, ksetra. "I must have Grha." Grha means with wife. Na grham grham ity ahur grhini grham ucyate. Grha. Grha means house.
So we are also living in house, very nice house. But still, we are not grhastha. A Grha, to live in a house, does not mean a grhastha. Na grham grham ity ahuh. Grhastha means grha. Grhe tisthati iti grhastha. Every Sanskrit word has got elaborate meaning. Grhastha means one who stays in grha, in house. He is called grhastha. So we can be called grhastha also. We are living in house. No. Sastra says, na grham grham ity ahuh: "Simply a house is not grha." There must be the housewife. That means wife. Grhini grham ucyate. In Hindi this word is used, garbhali means if there is no wife, that is not grha. Canakya Pandita says, putra-hinam grham sunyam. "You have got wife, but if you have no children, that grha is also void." So grhastha means to live with wife and children, and cultivating spiritual life. That is called grhastha. It doesn't matter, you live with your wife and children, or you live with brahmacari, sannyasi. Anything. It doesn't matter. Therefore there are so many divisions of life. Whichever status of life is suitable for you, you can accept. Brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa asrama. Asrama, when the word is added, asrama, that means it has got reference with cultivation of spiritual life. So grhastha-asrama. One can live at home with wife and children, but the business should be Krsna consciousness. We don't accept the Mayavadi sannyasi because there is no Krsna consciousness. Simply by becoming sannyasi... Brahma satyam jagan mithya: "This world is false. Brahman is truth. So I give up this world." That kind of sannyasi we do not accept. Either you become grhastha or sannyasi or brahmacari, there must be Krsna. Then it will be called asrama. Grhastha-asrama, sannyasa-asrama, brahmacari-asrama. Therefore this word is added, asrama.
So Arjuna is in grhastha-asrama. He wants to serve Krsna. He's Krsna's friend. He is a devotee. Krsna has already recommended. In the Fourth Chapter He will declare, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me. "You are My dear friend. You are My devotee." So he is qualified, grhastha-asrami. He is devotee of Krsna, but he is also family man. He has his wife, children. So here the problem is what is sreyas? What is ultimate good? That is mistaken here. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is required. He is thinking that "Krsna is not so important. My family is important. My family." Although he is devotee. Therefore kanistha-adhikari, in the lower stage of devotee, in the lower stage of devotion, one may be interested in Krsna consciousness, but his real interest is how to improve this material life. Just like: "O God, give us our daily bread." So he has gone to God not to serve God, but to take bread. Artah artharthi. That is also good. But he... Because he has gone to God to ask for bread, he is better than the rascals who do not care for God. He has gone to God. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita. Arto jijnasur artharthi jnani ca bharatarsabha. Catur-vidha bhajante mam janah sukrtino 'rjuna. "Arjuna, four kinds of people, they become devotee." Who are they? Arta. Arta means distressed. Artharthi, one who is poor, wants some money; jijnasu, inquisitive; and jnani, and a man of knowledge. So artah artharthi, this is meant, this is referred to the grhastha. The grhasthas, they become sometimes distressed. The grhastha-asrama means unless there is Krsna or full consciousness of Krsna, it is simply miserable, simply miserable. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Simply working hard day and night, then there is, child is sick, then wife is not satisfied, the servant is not satisfied... So many things, problem. But if there is Krsna in the center, the all problems will be solved. But people do not know this. They think that "I shall be happy with wife, children, servants, house, and this and that." No. That is not possible. Therefore one should be in grhastha-asrama. Not only in family life. Family, the dogs have got family life. He has got wife, children. The cats and the hogs, a big family. Because a hog begets, at a time, one dozen children. What you beget? You are afraid of begetting one child even. This contraceptive method. But they are not afraid. They beget one dozen children at a time, twice in a year. So to live with family, wife, children... Then the hog accepts family life. No. That is not family life. You live with wife, children, peacefully, if you like, but bring in Krsna in the center. That is grhastha-asrama.
So Arjuna is talking of the ultimate good. But he is talking ultimate good with the point of view from material conception. He does not know... He knows, but he is playing the part of a person who does not know that ultimate sreyas, ultimate good, is Krsna. Ultimate good is not that "We live with family -- that is good." No. When you live with family because you cannot renounce, so that is allowed. But you live with family with Krsna. So Krsna is there, but he is thinking in terms of material role, that "If my kinsmen are dead, I kill them, then where is my good? It is no good. What shall I do with the victory and happiness? Where is happiness? I cannot live without them." This is the conception. Atah grha... Atah grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam. This is illusion. Everyone is trying to become happy with society, friendship and love, children, wife, friends, money and house and land. This is the conception of material.... So Arjuna is thinking in material concept of life. He is not thinking that "My ultimate good is to satisfy Krsna." This is the Bhagavad-gita's purport. That is Krsna consciousness. One has to change to satisfy Krsna, not to satisfy himself or the family or the society or the nation, no. Whether Krsna is satisfied, that is the criterion. That is ultimate good. Kasmin tuste jagat tustam. If Krsna is satisfied, then other things will be automatically satisfied. But they do not know. They are thinking that "I can bring Krsna in the midst of my family provided Krsna helps me to enjoy this material life." They are thinking like that. That is arta. But that is also good. Just like Dhruva Maharaja, he was arta. Arta, means he wanted something material, benefit. His stepmother insulted him, that "You cannot sit down on the lap of your father because you were not born in my womb." He was ksatriya; he took it insult. So his father had two wives. So he was born the eldest queen. The father was not very much attached to the eldest queen. The father was attached to the junior queen. And the junior queen was very proud that "The king is in my hand." So she insulted. The father was not happy. The... Although Dhruva Maharaja was born of the eldest queen... And it is sometimes liking. So that does not mean he did not like his son. So he wanted to sit down on the lap of his father and the stepmother insulted. So he took it very seriously. And he wanted to have the kingdom. This is artharthi. He wanted something. And his mother advised that "You take shelter of Krsna. He can fulfill your desire." So therefore artah artharthi. He was distressed; at the same time, he wanted a kingdom by the grace of Krsna. That was his purpose. So because he went to worship Krsna for some material benefit, he is to be taken as pious.
Catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtina. Sukrtina means pious. Krti means very expert in acting worldly activities. So one who are engaged in pious activities, they are called sukrti. There are two kinds of activities: impious activities, sinful activities; and pious activities. So one who goes to pray in the church or in the temple, "O God, give us our daily bread," or "God, give me some money," or "God, give me relief from this distress," they are also pious. They are not impious. The impious people, they will never surrender to God, Krsna. Na mam duskrtino mudhah, prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. These class of men, sinful men, rascal, lowest of the mankind, whose knowledge has been taken away by maya, and demon -- these classes of men will never surrender to God. Therefore they are duskrtina, impious. So Krsna is pious, but still he wants the family benefit. This is his defect. Er, Arjuna. Family prosperity. He wants to be happy with society, friendship and love. Therefore he says that na kankse vijayam... This is called vairagya. Smasana-vairagya. It is called smasana-vairagya. Smasana-vairagya means that in India, the Hindus, they burn the dead body. So relatives take the dead body for burning to the burning ghata, and when the body is burned, everyone present there, for the time being, they become little renounced: "Oh, this is the body. We are working for this body. Now it is finished. It is burnt into ashes. So what is the benefit?" This kind of vairagya, renouncement, is there. But as soon as he comes from the burning ghata, he again begins his activities. In the smasana, in the burning ghata, he becomes renounced. And as soon as comes home, again he is vigorous, vigorous, how to earn, how to get money, how to get money, how to get money. So this kind of vairagya is called smasana-vairagya, temporary. He cannot become vairagi. And he said, na kankse vijayam: "I don't want victory. I don't want this." This is temporary sentiment. Temporary sentiment. These people, they attach to family life. They may say like that, that "I don't want this happiness, don't want this very nice position, victory. I don't want." But he wants everything. He wants everything. Because he does not know what is the sreyas. Sreyas is Krsna. Actually, when one gets Krsna, or Krsna consciousness, then he can say that "I don't want this." They will not say that. Why they will say, "Don't want this"? Here what we have got? Suppose I have got a kingdom. So that is my kingdom? No. That is Krsna's kingdom. Because Krsna says bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor. I may be His representative. Krsna wants that everyone should be Krsna conscious.
So the king's duty is, as representative of Krsna, to make every citizen Krsna conscious. Then he is doing nice duty. And because the monarchs did not do so, therefore now monarchy is abolished everywhere. So again the monarchs, where there is monarchy, little, at least show of monarchy, just like here in England there is, actually if the monarch becomes Krsna conscious, actually becomes representative of Krsna, then the whole face of the kingdom will change. That is required. Our Krsna consciousness movement is for that purpose. We don't very much like this so-called democracy. What is the value of this democracy? All fools and rascals. They vote another fool and rascal, and he becomes prime minister, or this or that. Just like... In so many cases. That is not good for the people. We are not for this so-called democracy because they are not trained. If the king is trained... That was the system of monarchy. Just like Yudhisthira Maharaja or Arjuna or anyone. All the kings. Rajarsi. They were called rajarsi.
imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit
[Bg. 4.1]
Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. Rajarsayah. Raja, king means, he is not only king. He is a great rsi, saintly person, just like Maharaja Yudhisthira or Arjuna. They're saintly persons. They are not ordinary, this drunkard king, that "I have got so much money. Let me drink and let there be dancing of the prostitute." Not like that. They were rsi. Although they were king, they were rsis. That kind of king wanted, rajarsi. Then people will be happy. In Bengali there is a proverb, rajara pape raja nasta grhini dose grhastha bhrasta (?). In grhastha life, in household life, if the wife is not good, then nobody will be happy in that home, grhastha life, household life. Similarly, in a kingdom, if the king is impious, then everything, everyone will suffer. This is the problem.
So Krsna, Arjuna is thinking of the sreyas and preyas. Actual sreyas means to achieve Krsna consciousness. That is wanting in Arjuna. He is showing that feature of life, that he wants better the society, friendship and love. He does not want to kill them. Then everything will be finished. But actually the fact is that even after killing the so-called kinsmen, if he can satisfy Krsna, that is his sreyas. That is his sreyas. That he does not know. And because he does not know, therefore this Bhagavad-gita is there. He is playing the part that he does not know that Krsna is the ultimate goal of life, not this so-called society, friendship and love. He is playing that part, that he does not know. He is thinking that "Krsna is not important." Krsna has already asked him to fight, but he is considering that "Krsna, You are asking me to fight, and I have to kill my own kinsmen. Then where is my victory?" So therefore he said... Here in the previous verse, he has said, pasyami viparitani kesava: "You are asking me to fight, for my victory, for my happiness, but I see it will be just the opposite." Pasyami viparitani. This is his problem. And to solve this problem, Arjuna became the disciple of Krsna, and Krsna advised him this Bhagavad-gita, and that is the prelude. Unless Arjuna plays like that, ordinary man...
Anyone, everyone wants to be happy with this Grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih, household life, and having some land. In those days there was no industry. Therefore industry is not meant. Land. If you get land, then you can produce your food. But actually that is our life. Here in this village we find so much land lying vacant, but they are not producing their food. They make their food the cows, poor cows, to kill them and eat them. This is not Grha-ksetra. You become grhastha, but you produce your food from the land, Grha-ksetra. And when you produce food, then beget children, Grha-ksetra-suta-apta-vitta. In India in village, there is, still the system is amongst the poor men, the cultivators, that if the cultivator cannot provide to keep a cow, he will not marry. Jaru and garu. Jaru means wife, and garu means cow. So one should keep a wife if he is able to keep a cow also. Jaru and garu. Because if you keep a wife, immediately there will be children. But if you cannot give them cows' milk, the children will be rickety, not very healthy. They must drink sufficient milk. So cow is therefore considered mother. Because one mother has given birth to the child, the another mother is supplying milk. So everyone should be obliged to mother cow, because she is supplying milk. So according to our sastra there are seven mothers. Adau mata, real mother, from whose body I have taken my birth. Adau mata, she is mother. Guru-patni, the wife of teacher. She is also mother. Adau mata guru-patni, brahmani. The wife of a brahmana, she is also mother. Adau mata guru-patni brahmani raja-patnika, the queen is mother. So how many? Adau mata guru-patni brahmani raja-patnika, then dhenu. Dhenu means cow. She is also mother. And dhatri. Dhatri means nurse. Dhenu dhatri tatha prthvi, also the earth. Earth is also mother. The people are taking care of mother land, where he is born. That is good. But by the by they should take care of mother cow also. But they are not taking care of mother. Therefore they are sinful. They must suffer. They must have, there must be war, pestilence, famine. As soon as people become sinful, immediately nature's punishment will come automatically. You cannot avoid it.
Therefore Krsna consciousness movement means solution of all problems. Teaching people not to become sinful. Because a sinful man cannot become Krsna conscious. To become Krsna conscious means that he has to give up his sinful activities. No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. So people are not ready to give up this. But we do not make any compromise, that you go on with your sinful life, at the same time I sanction that you have become Krsna conscious. No, that we cannot do. There is no compromise on this point. You must give up all this sinful life. Because there is no chance of becoming Krsna conscious. Why you shall make a show? There is no benefit by making a show. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is trying to make a show of Krsna consciousness. He has good attachment for other things. And the whole Bhagavad-gita is taught to Arjuna to give up that attachment.
So ultimately it is said that, Sanjaya said, yatra yogesvarah krsnah. Yatra yogesvarah krsno yatra partho dhanur-dharah/ tatra srir vijayo bhutir, bhuva, dhruva nitir matir mama. This is the conclusion of Bhagavad-gita. Sanjaya uvaca. And at last Sanjaya said to his master, Dhrtarastra, "My dear master, you are expecting victory between the fight, fight between your sons and..., but don't expect it. It is," matir mama, "in my opinion, yatra krsnah yogesvara, the party where Krsna the Yogesvara...," Yogesvara. Yoga, yoga there are powerful mystic power. Yoga means mystic power. Not this yoga, this playing some gymnastics. That is not yoga. Yoga means when one becomes perfect in yoga, he gets many siddhis. They are called asta-siddhi, eight kinds of siddhi. Anima, laghima, prapti-siddhi, like that, so many. Isitva, vasitva. So a yogi, anima, he can become the smaller than the smallest. We are already smaller than the smallest, because our real dimension, spiritual dimension, is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. This is our dimension. This is only outward covering, this body. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. So a yogi can give up this body and come to his original, spiritual body, and it is so small that you cannot keep yogi in prison. Because there is some hole, he'll get out. This is yogi. This is mystic power. What do they know about mystic power? Simply press the nose, that's all. This kind of yoga..., of course these are preliminary processes, dhyana, dharana, pranayama. This pranayama requires to get the breathing from the opposite side... have got experience. The two holes of the nostrils, one is blocked, one is open. So pranayama means to try to open the blocked side. That is called. So there are so many. But ultimate yoga means to get this power. That is yoga. So all these powers, they are simply fragmental. The yogis, they can attain. Although they can become, they are already smaller than the smallest. So Krsna is the supreme master of all mystic power. Therefore He is called Yogesvara. He is called Yogesvara. So if Krsna is on your side, then you do not require to practice yoga. If you are a devotee of Krsna, because how much power shall get. You may gain some power by this mystic process, but you cannot be equal with Krsna's power. Just like anima, laghima. To make everything very light, or become very light, the yogi can fly in the air without an aeroplane. He can go even in the sun planet, moon planet, without any sputnik. Simply [break]
...his wife. But he was a yogi and she was devoted, so became lean and thin, because she could not eat very nicely. A yogi cannot supply nice food. Simply starvation, starvation. (laugh) That is yogi. So he thought that this poor girl came to me, his father is king. She is not accustomed to so much trouble, so she asked her, "What you want?" "No, because I have come to you, I want some children, and a little comfortable life." "All right." So he made an aeroplane by yogic power, a big town. Not this 747. The 747 is the biggest plane, but not like this. A big town with lake, with palatial building, maid-servants, servants, and that big plane went all round the universe. He showed all the planets to his wife. This is yogic power. This is yogic power. So where is that yogi? So here, Yogesvara. All these mystic powers can be attained by ordinary man if he wants, there is process. But Krsna is the master of all yogic power, Yogesvara. So who can get victory? Krsna can do anything. Just like we sing every day. Jaya radha-madhava kunja-bihari gopi-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhari. Giri-vara. People may take it that Krsna is fond of some gopis, but they do not take care of the Krsna's other business. As soon as the gopis are in danger, he can lift the Govardhana Hill. That is Krsna. The rascals they do not know they think that Krsna is after the gopis, therefore He is immoral. But the rascal has no eyes to see that Krsna may be immoral in his eye, but here is Yogesvara. At the same time, Yogesvara.
So without becoming a disciple in bhakti-yoga, nobody can study Krsna. It is not possible. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. So the whole thing, Bhagavad-gita is there, how to understand Krsna. As soon as you understand Krsna, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. There is no more again birth in this material world. You go back to home, back to Godhead.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
"Expanded Selfishness"
73/07/23 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.30
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
na ca saknomy avasthatum
bhramativa ca me manah
nimittani ca pasyami
viparitani kesava
[Bg. 1.30]
Translation: "I am unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, my mind is reeling. I foresee only evil, O killer of the Kesi demon."
Prabhupada: So viparitani. Nimittani ca pasyami viparitani kesava. Viparitani means "just the opposite." "I have come here to fight to regain my kingdom. That is the cause for which I have come here to fight, but actually I am seeing it is just the opposite. My fighting will be useless. I came here to fight for some useful purpose, but now I see that viparitani, just opposite. It will be useless." Why useless? Because one tries to become rich man, opulent -- this is material nature -- just to show to his relatives, to his friends, to his family members, "Just see how I have become rich, opulent." This is the psychology. A man works very hard day and night to become rich just to make a show that "My dear friends, my dear relatives, you see that how I have become now rich." This is the only purpose. Nobody is working hard for serving Krsna. This is maya. And Krsna consciousness means, the same hardship we shall take, but take for Krsna. Just like our Mrs. Sharma. She was working in the family, but now she has come to work for Krsna. And this is solution. This is mukti. Not that we have to stop our working capacity. Simply we have to change the position. In the family life we work uselessly for so-called relatives, but the same labor, when we employ for the service of Krsna, every inch of it is utilized.
There is song by Govinda dasa, sita atapa bata barisana e dina jamini jagi re, biphale sevinu krpana durajana, capala sukha-laba lagi re. He says that sita atapa bata barisana: "I have worked without caring for scorching heat and severe cold." Actually people work so hard. He has to go to office. Suppose there is snowfall. So he cannot stop. He has to go. Or there is scorching heat. You have no experience in your country, scorching heat. But India, 122 degrees. Just imagine, this year. Still they have to go to work. So somewhere it is severe cold and somewhere it is severe scorching heat. This is nature's law. You have to suffer. While you are in cold country, you think that "India is very warm. They are very happy." (laughs) And in India they are thinking, "In England they are very happy." This is the way. This is illusion. Nobody thinks that there is no happiness within these three worlds, beginning from Brahmaloka down to the Patalaloka. Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. There is no happiness, even if you go to the Brahmaloka and get the opportunity of living like Brahma, millions of years, and thousand times better standard of life. Still it is not happiness. They do not know it. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. Therefore mad-dhama gatva punar janma na vidyate. Therefore our aim should be only how to go back to home back to Godhead. That should be.
So nimittani viparitani. This viparitani, when we are materially conscious, we see that "Without happiness of myself, my family, my society, my country, my community..." They think happiness in terms of expanded selfishness. "First of all, my happiness, personal." Just like a child. It does not think of anyone's happiness. Whatever he takes, he wants to eat. So you, as we grow, we expand our happiness little more: "My happiness, my brother's happiness, my family's happiness, my community's happiness, or my nation's happiness." So you can go on expanding the scope of happiness, but there is no happiness. There is no happiness. These foolish persons, they do not know. So Arjuna also is playing like an ordinary foolish person. Nimittani viparitani. "Where is my happiness? I came here to fight, to get happiness, and I have to kill my own kinsmen. Then where is my happiness? I cannot enjoy the property or the kingdom alone. There must be relatives, brothers. I will be very proud: ‘Just see how I have become king.' So if they are dying, then who, whom I shall show my opulence?" This is the psychology. Nimittani ca viparitani pasyami. Just the opposite. This is illusion. This is illusion.
There is no happiness actually, expanding selfishness. Just like a national leader like Mahatma Gandhi in our country. He planned that "Let the Britishers go away. My countrymen will be happy. My countrymen will be happy." But when the Britishers went away, giving the responsibility of Indian empire to the Indian people, Gandhi was thinking in the morning, "Oh, I am so unhappy. Now only death will please me." And the next, the same evening, he was killed. He was so unhappy. Because everything was topsy-turvied. He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity. Now the country was divided. The Muslims became separated. The whole program was changed. There were so many things. He wanted that the government should be very simplified. But he saw that his disciples, his followers, were after office, simply for office. So nimittani. He saw that "I shall be happy, my countrymen will be happy," but at the end he saw viparitani, all opposite. Everyone will experience that. So long he will be materially attached, he will find viparitani. "I wanted to be..." Sukhera lagiya, e ghara bandhinu, agune puriya gela (?): "I constructed this nice house for living happily, but there was fire and everything finished." This is the way. You construct everything for happiness, but there will be something which will put you into the most miserable condition. This is called material world. They do not know. Therefore one who is intelligent, he thinks that "If I have to work so hard for so-called happiness, and here is Krsna is canvassing, asking me, that ‘You work for Me,' so why not work for Krsna? Here I see viparitani, everything is opposite. There is no happiness." So that is intelligence. "I have to work hard. Krsna says, ‘Just surrender unto Me.' " Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So Krsna is asking to work for Him, giving up everything. That is clear, everyone knows. "Here also I am working very hard, but here I am working hard to be happy, but the viparitani, I am becoming unhappy. So why not work for Krsna?" This is intelligence. I have to work after all. Jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsnera dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Constitutionally, every living entity is a servant. He's serving eternal servant of Krsna. If he does not serve Krsna, then he will have to become servant of maya. That's all. His servitude, servantship, will not go. Dhenki svarga gele sva-dharman. (?) Dhenki. Just like a dhenki, you do not understand. The husking machine. Say, a typewriter. So if you send the typewriter to the heaven, what does it mean? It is to be worked as typewriter. Does it mean because it has gone to heaven, the work has changed? No. The work will continue. Either in this hell or heaven, typewriter will kat, kat, kat, kat. That's all. Similarly, our position is servant. If you don't become servant of Krsna, then you serve, you become servant of your wife, your children, your relative, your country, your nation, your dog. At last, if you have no family, then you become servant of your dog. You know in your country it is very usual. If he has nobody, then he keeps a dog, and takes it on the street. His dog passes stool, and he is standing, waiting: "Yes, sir. You pass your stool, I am waiting." Just see. It is practical. If you don't become servant of Krsna, then you have to become servant of the dog. This is nature's way. Therefore intelligent person will take lesson from it, that "I have to become servant. Why not become Krsna's servant? Then I will be happy. There are so many Krsna's servants. They are so happy. Why shall I remain the servant of the maya?" Kamadinam katidha.
So we remain servant of maya on account of my sense gratification. That's all. I remain servant of my wife because I want to satisfy my senses. I want to remain servant of my husband because I want sense gratification. Here is the disease. Everyone. Even the servant of the servant or servant of the dog [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Because I like it, a pet dog. So actually, instead of becoming master, we become servant. This is the fact. And servant of whom? Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. Servant of lust, servants of greediness. Kama, krodha, moha, matsarya. Servant of all these senses. Therefore one who is intelligent... There was a brahmana. He said like this: "My dear Lord Krsna, I am now servant. I have served so much." Kamadinam kati na katidha durnidesah. "I have served them so nicely that I had to execute something which is abominable." If you become servant of somebody, if he says that "You have to do it," your conscience does not allow you to do it. Still, you have to do it. Still, you have to do it. A man is stealing for family. He does not like to steal. Still, he is in need of money; he has to steal. Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. This is study, study the psychological condition. When I become servant of maya, even I do not wish to do something which is not very good, still I am obliged to do it. But the result is that nobody is satisfied. The same example. Just like Gandhi served his country so much, so nicely, so voluntarily. Still, the result was he was killed by his countryman. Just see. Result was, the reward was that he served his country so much. It is undoubtedly, nobody can serve so sincerely. Everybody knows. But the result was even a person like Mahatma Gandhi was killed by his countrymen. Just this morning Mrs. Sharma was telling that she has worked so much for the family, but still, the sons and daughters, they want, "No, no, you cannot go. You serve us, serve us. We are not satisfied yet." They will never be satisfied. You serve maya. The maya will never be satisfied. Tesam na karuna jata na trapa nopasanti. (?)
The intelligent man is speaking, "My dear Lord, I have served my senses, lust, anger, greediness, so much so. Still, they are not kind upon me. They are still dictating, still dictating, ‘Do this, do this, do this.' Therefore," sampratam labdha buddhi (?), " now I have got intelligence by Your grace." Guru-krsna-krpaya. "By the grace of my spiritual master, by the grace of yourself, I have got this intelligence. Now I have come to You, to serve. Kindly engage me." This is surrender. "I have served my senses, lust, greediness, and other things so faithfully. They are not satisfied. They still want me to serve. They are not going to give me pension. They want still, ‘Oh what you have done? You have to do so many things.' So now I am disgusted." This is called vairagya. Vairagya. Jnana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. This is required. In human life, this is, this intelligence required, vairagya, not to serve this material world, but to serve Krsna. The Mayavadi philosophers, they simply stop these material activities. Just like Buddha philosophy, nirvana. He simply advises to stop this. But after stopping, what is, sir? "No, zero. Zero." That cannot be. That is not possible. This is their mistake. But the people to whom Buddha philosophy was preached, they are not so intelligent that there can be better service after giving up this service. Therefore Lord Buddha said, "You stop this service. You become happy because ultimately everything is zero." Sunyavadi. Nirvisesavadi.
The Mayavadis, there are two kinds of Mayavadis: the impersonalists and the voidists. They are all Mayavadi. So their philosophy is good so far, because a foolish man cannot understand more than this. A foolish man, if he is informed that there is better life in the spiritual world, to become servant of God, Krsna, they think, "I became servant of this material world. I have suffered so much. Again servant of Krsna? Oh..." They shudder, "Oh, no, no. This is not good. This is not good." As soon as they hear of service, they think of this service, this nonsense service. They cannot think of that there is service, but there is simply ananda. One is still more eager to serve Him, Krsna. That is spiritual world. That they cannot understand. So these nirvisesavadi, impersonalists, they think like that. Just like a diseased man lying on the bed, and if he is informed that "When you will be cured, you will be able to eat nicely, you will be able to walk," he thinks that "Again walking? Again eating?" Because he is accustomed to eat bitter medicine and sagudana, not very palatable, and so many things, passing stool and urine, activities on the bed. So as soon as they inform that "After being cured there is also passing of stool and urine and eating, but that is very palatable," he cannot understand. He says, "It is something like this."
So the Mayavadi impersonalists, they cannot understand that serving Krsna is simply pleasure and blissful. They cannot understand. Therefore they become impersonalists: "No. The Absolute Truth cannot be person." That is another side of the Buddha philosophy. Impersonal means zero. That is also zero. So Buddhist philosophy, they also make the ultimate goal zero, and these Mayavadis, they also make the ultimate goal... Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not understand that there is life, blissful life, by serving Krsna. Therefore, here Arjuna is playing just like ordinary man. So he says to Krsna, "You wanted me to fight, to become happy, to get the kingdom, but by killing my own men? Oh, nimittani viparitani. You are misleading me." Nimittani ca pasyami viparitani. "I'll not be happy by killing my own men. That is not possible. How You are inducing me?" So he said, nimittani ca viparitani pasyami. "No, no." Na ca saknomy avasthatum: "I cannot stand here. Let me go back. Take my chariot back. I'll not stay here." Na ca saknomy avasthatum bhramativa ca me manah. "I am becoming bewildered. I am puzzled now."
So this is the position, material world. We are always in problem, puzzle, and when something better is proposed to the materialistic person, that "You take to Krsna consciousness, you'll be happy," he sees nimittani viparitani, just opposite. "What this Krsna consciousness I shall happy? My family is in trouble or I have got so many problems. What this Krsna consciousness will help me?" Nimittani ca viparitani. This is material condition of life. Therefore it requires time, little time to understand. That is Bhagavad-gita. The same Arjuna, he is now finding, nimittani ca viparitani. When he will understand Bhagavad-gita, he will say, "Yes, Krsna, what You are saying, it is right. It is right." Because after instructing Arjuna, Krsna will ask him, "Now what you want to do?" Because Krsna does not force. Krsna says that "You surrender unto Me." He does not force, that "You must surrender. I am God. You are My part and parcel." No, He'll never say that. Because He has given you little independence, He will not touch it. Otherwise what is the difference between a stone and a living entity? A living entity must have independence, although it is very little, minute. That Krsna does not touch. He'll never touch. You'll have to agree, "Yes, Krsna, I shall surrender unto You. Yes. That is for my benefit." This is Krsna consciousness. You must voluntarily agree, not hackneyed, mechanical. "Spiritual master says like this right. All right let me do it." No. You have to understand very nicely. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam [Bg. 10.10]. Priti, with love. When you work, when you work for Krsna with love and enthusiasm, that is your Krsna conscious life. If you think that "It is hackneyed, it is troublesome, but what can I do? These people ask me to do it. I have to do it," that is not Krsna consciousness. You have to do it voluntarily and with great pleasure. Then you know. Utsahan niscayad dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat, sato vrtteh sadhu-sange sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati. You will find in our Upadesamrta (3). Always you should be enthusiastic, utsahat. Dhairyat, with patience. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat, niscayat. Niscayat means with confidence. "When I am engaged in Krsna's business, Krsna's activities, Krsna will surely take me back to home, back to..." Niscayat. And Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. "I will take you back." It is stated. Krsna is not a liar so we have to work with enthusiasm. Just... Not viparitani. That will be accepted by Arjuna at the end. Krsna will ask him, "My dear Arjuna, what is your now decision?" Arjuna will say, "Yes." Tvat prasadat kesava nasta-mohah: "My all illusion is now gone by Your mercy." Karisye vacanam tava: [Bg. 18.73] "Now I shall fight. Yes, I shall kill all my kinsmen."
That's all. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.
British man: ...made of a very inferior metal, in fact, in lead. But we couldn't think anything better than having this badge made for you in solid gold, twenty-four carat, and hereby we present it on behalf of the members of the guild to you, our most beloved leader.
Prabhupada: Thank you very much. (devotees all shouting Haribol!) So, how it is to be used?
British man: Just like this, m'Lord. Has a pin on it.
Prabhupada: Oh, I see. Thank you. Hm. Betiye, saheb. Idara chair ne. (Hindi) This is Part One? Betiye. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
na ca saknomy avasthatum
bhramativa ca me manah
nimittani ca pasyami
viparitani kesava
[Bg. 1.30]
Translation: "I am unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, my mind is reeling. I foresee only evil, O killer of the Kesi demon."
Prabhupada: So viparitani. Nimittani ca pasyami viparitani kesava. Viparitani means "just the opposite." "I have come here to fight to regain my kingdom. That is the cause for which I have come here to fight, but actually I am seeing it is just the opposite. My fighting will be useless. I came here to fight for some useful purpose, but now I see that viparitani, just opposite. It will be useless." Why useless? Because one tries to become rich man, opulent -- this is material nature -- just to show to his relatives, to his friends, to his family members, "Just see how I have become rich, opulent." This is the psychology. A man works very hard day and night to become rich just to make a show that "My dear friends, my dear relatives, you see that how I have become now rich." This is the only purpose. Nobody is working hard for serving Krsna. This is maya. And Krsna consciousness means, the same hardship we shall take, but take for Krsna. Just like our Mrs. Sharma. She was working in the family, but now she has come to work for Krsna. And this is solution. This is mukti. Not that we have to stop our working capacity. Simply we have to change the position. In the family life we work uselessly for so-called relatives, but the same labor, when we employ for the service of Krsna, every inch of it is utilized.
There is song by Govinda dasa, sita atapa bata barisana e dina jamini jagi re, biphale sevinu krpana durajana, capala sukha-laba lagi re. He says that sita atapa bata barisana: "I have worked without caring for scorching heat and severe cold." Actually people work so hard. He has to go to office. Suppose there is snowfall. So he cannot stop. He has to go. Or there is scorching heat. You have no experience in your country, scorching heat. But India, 122 degrees. Just imagine, this year. Still they have to go to work. So somewhere it is severe cold and somewhere it is severe scorching heat. This is nature's law. You have to suffer. While you are in cold country, you think that "India is very warm. They are very happy." (laughs) And in India they are thinking, "In England they are very happy." This is the way. This is illusion. Nobody thinks that there is no happiness within these three worlds, beginning from Brahmaloka down to the Patalaloka. Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. There is no happiness, even if you go to the Brahmaloka and get the opportunity of living like Brahma, millions of years, and thousand times better standard of life. Still it is not happiness. They do not know it. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. Therefore mad-dhama gatva punar janma na vidyate. Therefore our aim should be only how to go back to home back to Godhead. That should be.
So nimittani viparitani. This viparitani, when we are materially conscious, we see that "Without happiness of myself, my family, my society, my country, my community..." They think happiness in terms of expanded selfishness. "First of all, my happiness, personal." Just like a child. It does not think of anyone's happiness. Whatever he takes, he wants to eat. So you, as we grow, we expand our happiness little more: "My happiness, my brother's happiness, my family's happiness, my community's happiness, or my nation's happiness." So you can go on expanding the scope of happiness, but there is no happiness. There is no happiness. These foolish persons, they do not know. So Arjuna also is playing like an ordinary foolish person. Nimittani viparitani. "Where is my happiness? I came here to fight, to get happiness, and I have to kill my own kinsmen. Then where is my happiness? I cannot enjoy the property or the kingdom alone. There must be relatives, brothers. I will be very proud: ‘Just see how I have become king.' So if they are dying, then who, whom I shall show my opulence?" This is the psychology. Nimittani ca viparitani pasyami. Just the opposite. This is illusion. This is illusion.
There is no happiness actually, expanding selfishness. Just like a national leader like Mahatma Gandhi in our country. He planned that "Let the Britishers go away. My countrymen will be happy. My countrymen will be happy." But when the Britishers went away, giving the responsibility of Indian empire to the Indian people, Gandhi was thinking in the morning, "Oh, I am so unhappy. Now only death will please me." And the next, the same evening, he was killed. He was so unhappy. Because everything was topsy-turvied. He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity. Now the country was divided. The Muslims became separated. The whole program was changed. There were so many things. He wanted that the government should be very simplified. But he saw that his disciples, his followers, were after office, simply for office. So nimittani. He saw that "I shall be happy, my countrymen will be happy," but at the end he saw viparitani, all opposite. Everyone will experience that. So long he will be materially attached, he will find viparitani. "I wanted to be..." Sukhera lagiya, e ghara bandhinu, agune puriya gela (?): "I constructed this nice house for living happily, but there was fire and everything finished." This is the way. You construct everything for happiness, but there will be something which will put you into the most miserable condition. This is called material world. They do not know. Therefore one who is intelligent, he thinks that "If I have to work so hard for so-called happiness, and here is Krsna is canvassing, asking me, that ‘You work for Me,' so why not work for Krsna? Here I see viparitani, everything is opposite. There is no happiness." So that is intelligence. "I have to work hard. Krsna says, ‘Just surrender unto Me.' " Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So Krsna is asking to work for Him, giving up everything. That is clear, everyone knows. "Here also I am working very hard, but here I am working hard to be happy, but the viparitani, I am becoming unhappy. So why not work for Krsna?" This is intelligence. I have to work after all. Jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsnera dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Constitutionally, every living entity is a servant. He's serving eternal servant of Krsna. If he does not serve Krsna, then he will have to become servant of maya. That's all. His servitude, servantship, will not go. Dhenki svarga gele sva-dharman. (?) Dhenki. Just like a dhenki, you do not understand. The husking machine. Say, a typewriter. So if you send the typewriter to the heaven, what does it mean? It is to be worked as typewriter. Does it mean because it has gone to heaven, the work has changed? No. The work will continue. Either in this hell or heaven, typewriter will kat, kat, kat, kat. That's all. Similarly, our position is servant. If you don't become servant of Krsna, then you serve, you become servant of your wife, your children, your relative, your country, your nation, your dog. At last, if you have no family, then you become servant of your dog. You know in your country it is very usual. If he has nobody, then he keeps a dog, and takes it on the street. His dog passes stool, and he is standing, waiting: "Yes, sir. You pass your stool, I am waiting." Just see. It is practical. If you don't become servant of Krsna, then you have to become servant of the dog. This is nature's way. Therefore intelligent person will take lesson from it, that "I have to become servant. Why not become Krsna's servant? Then I will be happy. There are so many Krsna's servants. They are so happy. Why shall I remain the servant of the maya?" Kamadinam katidha.
So we remain servant of maya on account of my sense gratification. That's all. I remain servant of my wife because I want to satisfy my senses. I want to remain servant of my husband because I want sense gratification. Here is the disease. Everyone. Even the servant of the servant or servant of the dog [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Because I like it, a pet dog. So actually, instead of becoming master, we become servant. This is the fact. And servant of whom? Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. Servant of lust, servants of greediness. Kama, krodha, moha, matsarya. Servant of all these senses. Therefore one who is intelligent... There was a brahmana. He said like this: "My dear Lord Krsna, I am now servant. I have served so much." Kamadinam kati na katidha durnidesah. "I have served them so nicely that I had to execute something which is abominable." If you become servant of somebody, if he says that "You have to do it," your conscience does not allow you to do it. Still, you have to do it. Still, you have to do it. A man is stealing for family. He does not like to steal. Still, he is in need of money; he has to steal. Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. This is study, study the psychological condition. When I become servant of maya, even I do not wish to do something which is not very good, still I am obliged to do it. But the result is that nobody is satisfied. The same example. Just like Gandhi served his country so much, so nicely, so voluntarily. Still, the result was he was killed by his countryman. Just see. Result was, the reward was that he served his country so much. It is undoubtedly, nobody can serve so sincerely. Everybody knows. But the result was even a person like Mahatma Gandhi was killed by his countrymen. Just this morning Mrs. Sharma was telling that she has worked so much for the family, but still, the sons and daughters, they want, "No, no, you cannot go. You serve us, serve us. We are not satisfied yet." They will never be satisfied. You serve maya. The maya will never be satisfied. Tesam na karuna jata na trapa nopasanti. (?)
The intelligent man is speaking, "My dear Lord, I have served my senses, lust, anger, greediness, so much so. Still, they are not kind upon me. They are still dictating, still dictating, ‘Do this, do this, do this.' Therefore," sampratam labdha buddhi (?), " now I have got intelligence by Your grace." Guru-krsna-krpaya. "By the grace of my spiritual master, by the grace of yourself, I have got this intelligence. Now I have come to You, to serve. Kindly engage me." This is surrender. "I have served my senses, lust, greediness, and other things so faithfully. They are not satisfied. They still want me to serve. They are not going to give me pension. They want still, ‘Oh what you have done? You have to do so many things.' So now I am disgusted." This is called vairagya. Vairagya. Jnana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. This is required. In human life, this is, this intelligence required, vairagya, not to serve this material world, but to serve Krsna. The Mayavadi philosophers, they simply stop these material activities. Just like Buddha philosophy, nirvana. He simply advises to stop this. But after stopping, what is, sir? "No, zero. Zero." That cannot be. That is not possible. This is their mistake. But the people to whom Buddha philosophy was preached, they are not so intelligent that there can be better service after giving up this service. Therefore Lord Buddha said, "You stop this service. You become happy because ultimately everything is zero." Sunyavadi. Nirvisesavadi.
The Mayavadis, there are two kinds of Mayavadis: the impersonalists and the voidists. They are all Mayavadi. So their philosophy is good so far, because a foolish man cannot understand more than this. A foolish man, if he is informed that there is better life in the spiritual world, to become servant of God, Krsna, they think, "I became servant of this material world. I have suffered so much. Again servant of Krsna? Oh..." They shudder, "Oh, no, no. This is not good. This is not good." As soon as they hear of service, they think of this service, this nonsense service. They cannot think of that there is service, but there is simply ananda. One is still more eager to serve Him, Krsna. That is spiritual world. That they cannot understand. So these nirvisesavadi, impersonalists, they think like that. Just like a diseased man lying on the bed, and if he is informed that "When you will be cured, you will be able to eat nicely, you will be able to walk," he thinks that "Again walking? Again eating?" Because he is accustomed to eat bitter medicine and sagudana, not very palatable, and so many things, passing stool and urine, activities on the bed. So as soon as they inform that "After being cured there is also passing of stool and urine and eating, but that is very palatable," he cannot understand. He says, "It is something like this."
So the Mayavadi impersonalists, they cannot understand that serving Krsna is simply pleasure and blissful. They cannot understand. Therefore they become impersonalists: "No. The Absolute Truth cannot be person." That is another side of the Buddha philosophy. Impersonal means zero. That is also zero. So Buddhist philosophy, they also make the ultimate goal zero, and these Mayavadis, they also make the ultimate goal... Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not understand that there is life, blissful life, by serving Krsna. Therefore, here Arjuna is playing just like ordinary man. So he says to Krsna, "You wanted me to fight, to become happy, to get the kingdom, but by killing my own men? Oh, nimittani viparitani. You are misleading me." Nimittani ca pasyami viparitani. "I'll not be happy by killing my own men. That is not possible. How You are inducing me?" So he said, nimittani ca viparitani pasyami. "No, no." Na ca saknomy avasthatum: "I cannot stand here. Let me go back. Take my chariot back. I'll not stay here." Na ca saknomy avasthatum bhramativa ca me manah. "I am becoming bewildered. I am puzzled now."
So this is the position, material world. We are always in problem, puzzle, and when something better is proposed to the materialistic person, that "You take to Krsna consciousness, you'll be happy," he sees nimittani viparitani, just opposite. "What this Krsna consciousness I shall happy? My family is in trouble or I have got so many problems. What this Krsna consciousness will help me?" Nimittani ca viparitani. This is material condition of life. Therefore it requires time, little time to understand. That is Bhagavad-gita. The same Arjuna, he is now finding, nimittani ca viparitani. When he will understand Bhagavad-gita, he will say, "Yes, Krsna, what You are saying, it is right. It is right." Because after instructing Arjuna, Krsna will ask him, "Now what you want to do?" Because Krsna does not force. Krsna says that "You surrender unto Me." He does not force, that "You must surrender. I am God. You are My part and parcel." No, He'll never say that. Because He has given you little independence, He will not touch it. Otherwise what is the difference between a stone and a living entity? A living entity must have independence, although it is very little, minute. That Krsna does not touch. He'll never touch. You'll have to agree, "Yes, Krsna, I shall surrender unto You. Yes. That is for my benefit." This is Krsna consciousness. You must voluntarily agree, not hackneyed, mechanical. "Spiritual master says like this right. All right let me do it." No. You have to understand very nicely. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam [Bg. 10.10]. Priti, with love. When you work, when you work for Krsna with love and enthusiasm, that is your Krsna conscious life. If you think that "It is hackneyed, it is troublesome, but what can I do? These people ask me to do it. I have to do it," that is not Krsna consciousness. You have to do it voluntarily and with great pleasure. Then you know. Utsahan niscayad dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat, sato vrtteh sadhu-sange sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati. You will find in our Upadesamrta (3). Always you should be enthusiastic, utsahat. Dhairyat, with patience. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat, niscayat. Niscayat means with confidence. "When I am engaged in Krsna's business, Krsna's activities, Krsna will surely take me back to home, back to..." Niscayat. And Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. "I will take you back." It is stated. Krsna is not a liar so we have to work with enthusiasm. Just... Not viparitani. That will be accepted by Arjuna at the end. Krsna will ask him, "My dear Arjuna, what is your now decision?" Arjuna will say, "Yes." Tvat prasadat kesava nasta-mohah: "My all illusion is now gone by Your mercy." Karisye vacanam tava: [Bg. 18.73] "Now I shall fight. Yes, I shall kill all my kinsmen."
That's all. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.
British man: ...made of a very inferior metal, in fact, in lead. But we couldn't think anything better than having this badge made for you in solid gold, twenty-four carat, and hereby we present it on behalf of the members of the guild to you, our most beloved leader.
Prabhupada: Thank you very much. (devotees all shouting Haribol!) So, how it is to be used?
British man: Just like this, m'Lord. Has a pin on it.
Prabhupada: Oh, I see. Thank you. Hm. Betiye, saheb. Idara chair ne. (Hindi) This is Part One? Betiye. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973
Friday, October 22, 2010
"The Art of Preaching"
73/07/22 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.28-29
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
arjuna uvaca
drstvemam svajanam krsna
yuyutsum samupasthitam
sidanti mama gatrani
mukham ca parisusyati
[Bg. 1.28]
vepathus ca sarire me
roma-harsas ca jayate
gandivam sramsate hastat
tvak caiva paridahyate
[Bg. 1.29]
Translation: "Arjuna said: My dear Krsna, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up. My whole body is trembling, and my hair is standing on end. My bow Gandiva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning."
Prabhupada: So drstva imam svajanam. Arjuna is a great warrior, fighter, and for a ksatriya to kill one is not very difficult task. The ksatriyas are trained up. Hunting. Hunting is allowed for the ksatriyas. Just like medical practitioners, they are trained up how to practice surgical operation on dead body. It is not possible to, of course, for a gentleman, to push knife in someone's body. It is naturally very difficult thing. Rogues and thieves, they can stab. So as the doctors, medical men, surgeons are trained up to operate their knife on the dead body to see where are the nerves, similarly, ksatriyas are also allowed for being trained how to kill. Ksatriya means... Ksat. Ksat means injury. And tra means trayate, saves. A ksatriya has to save the citizens from being injured by others. He is called ksatriya. Brahmana means one who knows brahma, the supreme. So brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. These divisions are there according to quality. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. By guna. Guna means quality. And karma means actual operation of the guna.
So Arjuna was a ksatriya, trained up by Dronacarya how to kill. This is the... Nonviolence is not the business of the ksatriya. That is cowardice. They are taught how to become violent. Otherwise, they cannot rule over. Formerly the judgement was given by the king, immediately finished. Not go to the court and wait for the judgement for ten years. In the meantime everything is finished. Not like that. Anything, there was regularly, the king used to sit in his assembly, and all the criminals, culprits, they were judged by the king himself. Sometimes the king had to kill personally with the sword. Even in European countries, the royal orders were trained up. Nowadays it is constitutional, democratic government. The king has no power. But this is not good for the people. The democracy is a farce. At least, I do not like it. Because so many rascals, simply by getting votes, go to the government, and what do they know how to rule over? Therefore, at the present moment, all over the world there is no good government. There is no good government. The America was considered to have very good government. Now we can see the behavior of Mr. Nixon. It is not possible. Formerly the ksatriyas, they were trained up how to govern. They were trained up by military men, just like Dronacarya trained Arjuna, Duryodhana. All the royal princes were trained up how to kill. Not only killing, also, according to sastra, how to rule over. The king's business is to see that everyone in the country, they are properly employed and engaged in his own business. That is king's business. There was no question of unemployment. This is government's first business. Because if a person is unemployed, then the devil's workshop. Devil's, work... If he hasn't got to do anything... That is being done now. Rich man's son, he hasn't got to do anything, so his brain is devil's workshop. They are manufacturing so many "isms." But everyone should be engaged. This is government's first business to see. A brahmana is engaged as a brahmana, a ksatriya is engaged as ksatriya.
So Arjuna was not a coward. He was a competent warrior. But still, dehatma-buddhi, the bodily concept of life is so strong... That Arjuna admits, drstva tu svajanam krsna: "My dear Krsna, I have to kill my own men." What is that "own men"? "Own men" means this bodily relationship. Why others are not own men? Everyone is own men. Because everyone is Krsna's son. So when one becomes Krsna conscious, he can see everyone own men. And when he is not Krsna conscious, he simply sees own men where there is bodily relationship. This is the defect. They are advertising, humanitarian work, philanthropic work, communism, this "ism," but when there is question of bodily relationship, immediately everything is changed. You know, the Communist country, the Khruschev was driven out because he was patronizing his own men. That was the defect. So you can advertise that "I am for everyone," but there is affection for own men. Nepotism. Nepotism. It's called nepotism. So many big, big leaders. Our Jawaharhal Nehru, he was sending his own men as ambassador. Vijaya Lakshmi, a woman, she was being sent as ambassador. She was high commissioner here. So this "own men" question is very prominent everywhere.
So Arjuna is a great warrior. He could fight all the soldiers, all the fighting men, yuyutsu. The other party, they were also, they were assembled, yuyutsu, with fighting spirit. Other men, even they are not fighting spirit, we can kill very easily. But own men, although they are fighting spirit, still he hesitates. Because own men. So this "own-menship," in relationship with the body, is the barrier for spiritual understanding. So long this conception of life will exist, that "I am this body, and anyone who is related with this body, they are my own men, kinsmen, relatives..." This conception of life is the greatest barrier for advancing in spiritual consciousness. Therefore the Vedic civilization is so planned that one has to give up this rascal "own men" conception. That is the vairagya. It is called vairagya. Jnana-vairagya. Two things required in human life: knowledge and vairagya, detachment. The attachment increases. First of all, it increases. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. This whole world is based on sex life. A man has got attraction for woman; a woman has got attraction for man. This is nature's bondage. Shackle. And when they are actually united, either by the father, mother, or by their own way, that shackle, that attraction, increases. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. Hrdaya-granthim. Knot in the heart. "She is my wife." "He is my husband." Of course, now that knot is very slack. Formerly it was very strong because the woman was not allowed to mix with any other man, and the man was also not allowed with any other woman. This intermingling has slackened even that knot, hrdaya-granthim. Therefore, even trifle cases, quarrel between husband and wife, there is divorce. Because that unity is not very strong now. That is good. Some way or other, it is slackened. So this "own-menship" comes from bodily concept of life.
So Arjuna is preparing the ground, how to receive the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. Because spiritual instruction will begin to separate the soul from the body. Unless one understands that there is a soul different from this body, there is no spiritual education. This is the basic principle. If you do not understand what is soul, what is spirit soul, then where is spiritual education? So Arjuna was affected. He says frankly, drstva tu svajanam krsna yuyutsum samupasthitam: "What is this? I have to kill my own men." Svajanam. Svajanam means own men. "No, no." Sidanti mama gatrani: "Oh, I am shivering." Mukham ca parisusyati: "My mouth is being dried up." We have got this experience. When there is danger, these things happen, so many symptoms.
vepathus ca sarire me
roma-harsas ca jayate
gandivam sramsate hastat
tvak caiva paridahyate
As these things, these symptoms, different transformations of bodily constitution, appear in times of danger, similarly such symptoms appear in times of spiritual bliss. That is called asta-sattvika-vikara, eight kinds of transformation of the body. So there is so many reserve energies within our body. They become manifest in due course of time when the mind and intelligence work in different ways. This is the study, how things appear. It is appearing from intelligence, mind. The soul is there and the intelligence and mind creating the situation of the bodily symptoms. Therefore body or the senses are not all. The modern education, they think this body is everything. No. Real study is body means the senses. Indriyani parany ahuh. On gross vision we see this body. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah [Bg. 3.42]. But the bodily symptoms are acting because the mind is there. And mind is working because the intelligence is there. And the intelligence is working because the soul is there. (aside:) You can stand.
So this is the process. The basic principle is the soul. The soul is acting through intelligence, and the intelligence is acting through mind, and the mind is expressed through the senses. This is the position. So as my mind is absorbed in something, some subject matter, my bodily symptoms also will work, or the senses will work according to that mind. Therefore for spiritual advancement also, you have to train your mind. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. If you use... First of all fix up your mind. Yoga means indriya-samyama. Yoga practice means that controlling the mind and the senses. That is yoga practice. Because our mind is very flickering and changing, something accepting immediately, something rejecting immediately, very flickering. Therefore we have to train up the mind, and when the mind is trained up, then automatically your senses will be controlled. If you are strong-minded, that "I will not accept any foodstuff which is not offered to Krsna," naturally your tongue is controlled. Naturally. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, sarira avidya-jal jadendriya tahe kal jive phele visaya-sagare. Our this body is a network of nescience, or ignorance. This body, why we have got this body, material body? Because we have forgotten Krsna and we wanted to lord it over the material nature. This is our position. Therefore, according to our different desires, we have got different bodies. Here we are sitting, say fifty or hundred men. Nobody's body will tally with other's body. Face and everything, different. Because every one of us has got different desires. Therefore their facial expression, bodily construction, everything is made according to the mind. So at the time of death also, the constitution of mind will transfer me to another, different type of body. The mind will carry the soul. These are all explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. So if you train up your mind, that is Krsna consciousness. Always remembering Krsna. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Then it may be possible that at the time of death you remember Krsna and your life is successful. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Immediately you are transferred to Krsnaloka. This is training.
So we have to think of Krsna always, twenty-four hours. Kirtaniyah sada harih. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended. Taror api sahisnuna.
trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
[Cc. Adi 17.31]
Because our aim is... If we are serious of being transferred to the loka, to the place, where Krsna is, then we have to train up the mind so nicely that at the time of death I can remember Krsna. Therefore one great king, Kulasekhara, he is praying to Krsna, krsna tvadiya pada-pankaja... What is that verse? Tvadiya, krsna tvadiya pada-pankaja. I am just forgetting. The idea is, Kulasekhara, King Kulasekhara is praying to Krsna, adyaiva visatu me manasa-raja-hamsah. Adyaiva. Prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih smaranam kutas te. He is praying, "Krsna, I am now in good health. So kindly award me death immediately." Adyaiva. "Immediately, so that my mind, who is just like a swan, he can take pleasure by entering into stem of Your lotus flower feet." Krsna's feet is always compared with lotus flower, and the lotus flower has got a stem. And the swans, they take pleasure being entangled with that stem. They go and dive into the water. This is their very good sporting. So he is taking that sporting, he is comparing his mind as the raja-hamsa. "So as the raja-hamsa takes pleasure by entangling him in the stem of the lotus flower, similarly Your lotus feet, there is a stem. So my mind, which may be compared with raja-hamsa, let it be entangled now, immediately. Otherwise I do not know." Prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih. "When everything bodily function will be mixed up, kapha-vata-pittaih, 'ghan ghan,' there will be some sound, how I will be able to remembering your lotus feet? So let me die immediately, immediately. Now I am quite fit. Otherwise I may not be able." This is the point. The mind should be kept in healthy condition. Samjna. Therefore one who dies with full sense remembering Krsna, oh, he is successful. In Bengali it is said, bhajana kara sadhana kara murti yanre haya. (?) You may be very great devotee. That's all right. But it will be tested at the time of your death, how you remember Krsna. That will be the test examination. At the time of death, if we forget, if we become parrotlike... Just like parrot, he chants also, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." But when the cat catches the neck, "Kanh! Kanh! Kanh!" No more Krsna. No more Krsna. So artificial practice will not help us. Then "Khan, khan." That kapha-pitta-vataih, kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te.
So from the beginning we have to practice Krsna consciousness if we are actually serious to go back to home, back to Godhead. Not that let it be left for two or three years before death. Oh, it is not so easy. It is not so easy. Prahlada Maharaja recommends therefore,
kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]
He was five years old, Krsna conscious, from the womb of his mother. He heard instruction of Narada. Narada was instructing his mother. He was in the womb. Fortunately, by God's grace, he heard all the instruction of Narada when he was in the womb of his mother. And the result was, from the beginning of his life, he is Krsna conscious. From the beginning. As soon as he took birth, he was Krsna conscious. So he was advising his class friends, preaching. Just see. He was five-years-old boy, but he was taking the opportunity of preaching. Because the teacher... He is born of demon family. So all those class friends, they were also sons of demons. So there is no question of Krsna consciousness. But he learned Krsna consciousness from the womb of his mother.
So he was trying to preach. Because he was king's son, there was no other opportunity for preaching, and he was a five-years-old boy. He took the opportunity in the classroom, as soon as the teacher is away, he would preach. He would preach. This is preaching spirit. As soon as you get some opportunity, preach. What is that preach? Preaching, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised us, yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. This is preaching. "Whoever you meet, simply speak of the instruction of Krsna." So if you are advanced, if you know what is the instruction of Krsna by reading Bhagavad-gita, you can preach to others. And if you have not read anything, suppose you do not know anything, then you can also preach. What is that? "Just become a devotee of Krsna, my dear sir." That's all. This is also preaching. "Just surrender to Krsna." You go door to door. If you cannot do anything, simply say, "My dear sir, you are very good man. Oh, you are very intelligent man. Chant Hare Krsna." Sakalam eva vihaya durat. This preaching was taught by Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya kaku-satam krtva ca aham bravimi. This is the preaching process. Dante nidhaya trnakam. According to Vedic civilization, if one wants to become very humble and approach another person, then he has to take one straw in the mouth. Trna. So the preaching process is to take a straw in the mouth, dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya, and falling down on your feet, dante nidhaya trnakam padayor, kaku-satam krtva ca aham bravimi. And flattering you: "Sir, you are so great man, you are so intelligent man." This is flattering. Although he is fool number one, we have to flatter like that. "Oh, there is no greater man like you. You are so intelligent, you are so rich, you are so beautiful." So all these things. Just like the beggars. Sometimes: "You become king." And one thinks, "Oh, he is blessing me. All right, you take one paisa." So this flattering is also required. So kaku-satam krtva caham bravimi. So the man may ask that "Why you are so humble and flattering? What is your intention? Tell me." So he is now telling. He sadhavah, "Oh, you are great sadhu." He sadhavah, sakalam eva vihaya durat: "You have learned so many nice things. I know that. But kick them out, please." Sakalam eva. "Whatever you have nonsense learned, rascaldom you have learned, please kick them out. This is my request." Sakalam eva vihaya durat caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam. "Just hear what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says. This is my request." This is preaching. This is preaching. Flatter, fall down on his feet, and eulogize him as great sadhu, as great intelligent, great rich. Do so that he may little hear. And when he says, "What do you want?" "Now, (laughter) I want this, sir. Whatever rascaldom you have learned, please forget. Because I know you are rascal number one. (laughter) You have got so many hodge-podge thing in your brain. So you kick them out please." Sakalam eva vihaya durat. "Kick them, throw away, long distance. Don't look upon them." "Then what to do?" Caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam. "Please hear what Caitanya-candra says." sri-krsna-caitanya-daya karaha vicara, vicara karile citte pabe camatkara: "Just try to understand the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and you will feel so sublime." Sri-krsna-caitanya-daya karaha vicara. "Don't take it blindly. If you are intelligent, just make a judgment, what Caitanya-candra is." Tell him.
So this is preaching. This is preaching. So Arjuna has to be a preacher. Practical preacher. What is that preaching? That he has to sacrifice everything for Krsna's sake. That's all. This is preaching. Sakalam eva vihaya durat. Arjuna will be the greatest example, how he became Krsna conscious, in the last Tenth Chapter. He will say, sarvam etad rtam manye yad vadasi kesava: [Bg. 10.14] "My dear Krsna, Kesava, whatever you say, I accept in total." Without any interpretation, or "This is like this, this is like that, this is not very good." Ardha-kukkuti-nyaya. All rascals, they accept this Bhagavad-gita on the principle of ardha-kukkuti-nyaya. In the nyaya, in the logic. There is a logic, ardha-kukkuti-nyaya. What is that ardha-kukkuti-nyaya? Kukkuti means the hen. So hen gives one egg every day. So the man, proprietor of the hen, he is considering that "This hen is very good, giving every day one egg. But the, its mouth is expensive. It eats. So let me cut the mouth, simply take the egg." So there are rascals, they study Bhagavad-gita on this principle of ardha-kukkuti-nyaya. "Cut this, take this, cut this, take this." So if you cut the head, there will be no more egg. The rascal does not know. If you cut the head there will be no more production of egg. So similarly, if you try to study Bhagavad-gita according to your whims, cut this and take this, that is not study of Bhagavad-gita. That is something else. That is something else. That is something else.
Therefore we have to take from Arjuna how he accepted Bhagavad-gita. He said, sarvam etad rtam manye: [Bg. 10.14] "Krsna, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever You are speaking, whatever You have spoken, I take them as it is." This is study of Bhagavad-gita. So the hindrance is this svajanam. Now he is presenting. He is presenting himself as fool number one, although he is not so. But he is creating the ground for Krsna's speaking on Bhagavad-gita. This is the principle. Therefore he is not at all affected by the svajanam, but he is presenting, "This is my problem, that I have to kill..." Drstva imam svajanam krsna. "By seeing my own kinsmen, because I am fool number one..." Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tridhatuke." I am calling them svajana. In sastra it is called svajanakhya-dasyu. Svajanakhya-dasyu. They are all thieves and rogues, but they are claiming as my kinsmen. Suppose in your pocket there is one hundred dollars. If some pickpocket takes it and if you capture him, then you give him immediately to the police. And when you come home after hard-earned money, and when your wife takes away, oh, you laugh, "Oh you have taken all my money! Ahhhhh!" But the same pickpocket, but the same pickpocket, but because he's svajanakhya-dasyu, "pickpocket in the name of svajana," he is very much pleased: "Oh, my wife has taken, my son has taken. Never mind." That's all. And others? As soon as takes, he, "Give him to the police." The same business is being done. He is working hard day and night, and they are plundering. Still, they are thinking, "They are my svajanam, they are my kinsmen." This is called illusion.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
arjuna uvaca
drstvemam svajanam krsna
yuyutsum samupasthitam
sidanti mama gatrani
mukham ca parisusyati
[Bg. 1.28]
vepathus ca sarire me
roma-harsas ca jayate
gandivam sramsate hastat
tvak caiva paridahyate
[Bg. 1.29]
Translation: "Arjuna said: My dear Krsna, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up. My whole body is trembling, and my hair is standing on end. My bow Gandiva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning."
Prabhupada: So drstva imam svajanam. Arjuna is a great warrior, fighter, and for a ksatriya to kill one is not very difficult task. The ksatriyas are trained up. Hunting. Hunting is allowed for the ksatriyas. Just like medical practitioners, they are trained up how to practice surgical operation on dead body. It is not possible to, of course, for a gentleman, to push knife in someone's body. It is naturally very difficult thing. Rogues and thieves, they can stab. So as the doctors, medical men, surgeons are trained up to operate their knife on the dead body to see where are the nerves, similarly, ksatriyas are also allowed for being trained how to kill. Ksatriya means... Ksat. Ksat means injury. And tra means trayate, saves. A ksatriya has to save the citizens from being injured by others. He is called ksatriya. Brahmana means one who knows brahma, the supreme. So brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. These divisions are there according to quality. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. By guna. Guna means quality. And karma means actual operation of the guna.
So Arjuna was a ksatriya, trained up by Dronacarya how to kill. This is the... Nonviolence is not the business of the ksatriya. That is cowardice. They are taught how to become violent. Otherwise, they cannot rule over. Formerly the judgement was given by the king, immediately finished. Not go to the court and wait for the judgement for ten years. In the meantime everything is finished. Not like that. Anything, there was regularly, the king used to sit in his assembly, and all the criminals, culprits, they were judged by the king himself. Sometimes the king had to kill personally with the sword. Even in European countries, the royal orders were trained up. Nowadays it is constitutional, democratic government. The king has no power. But this is not good for the people. The democracy is a farce. At least, I do not like it. Because so many rascals, simply by getting votes, go to the government, and what do they know how to rule over? Therefore, at the present moment, all over the world there is no good government. There is no good government. The America was considered to have very good government. Now we can see the behavior of Mr. Nixon. It is not possible. Formerly the ksatriyas, they were trained up how to govern. They were trained up by military men, just like Dronacarya trained Arjuna, Duryodhana. All the royal princes were trained up how to kill. Not only killing, also, according to sastra, how to rule over. The king's business is to see that everyone in the country, they are properly employed and engaged in his own business. That is king's business. There was no question of unemployment. This is government's first business. Because if a person is unemployed, then the devil's workshop. Devil's, work... If he hasn't got to do anything... That is being done now. Rich man's son, he hasn't got to do anything, so his brain is devil's workshop. They are manufacturing so many "isms." But everyone should be engaged. This is government's first business to see. A brahmana is engaged as a brahmana, a ksatriya is engaged as ksatriya.
So Arjuna was not a coward. He was a competent warrior. But still, dehatma-buddhi, the bodily concept of life is so strong... That Arjuna admits, drstva tu svajanam krsna: "My dear Krsna, I have to kill my own men." What is that "own men"? "Own men" means this bodily relationship. Why others are not own men? Everyone is own men. Because everyone is Krsna's son. So when one becomes Krsna conscious, he can see everyone own men. And when he is not Krsna conscious, he simply sees own men where there is bodily relationship. This is the defect. They are advertising, humanitarian work, philanthropic work, communism, this "ism," but when there is question of bodily relationship, immediately everything is changed. You know, the Communist country, the Khruschev was driven out because he was patronizing his own men. That was the defect. So you can advertise that "I am for everyone," but there is affection for own men. Nepotism. Nepotism. It's called nepotism. So many big, big leaders. Our Jawaharhal Nehru, he was sending his own men as ambassador. Vijaya Lakshmi, a woman, she was being sent as ambassador. She was high commissioner here. So this "own men" question is very prominent everywhere.
So Arjuna is a great warrior. He could fight all the soldiers, all the fighting men, yuyutsu. The other party, they were also, they were assembled, yuyutsu, with fighting spirit. Other men, even they are not fighting spirit, we can kill very easily. But own men, although they are fighting spirit, still he hesitates. Because own men. So this "own-menship," in relationship with the body, is the barrier for spiritual understanding. So long this conception of life will exist, that "I am this body, and anyone who is related with this body, they are my own men, kinsmen, relatives..." This conception of life is the greatest barrier for advancing in spiritual consciousness. Therefore the Vedic civilization is so planned that one has to give up this rascal "own men" conception. That is the vairagya. It is called vairagya. Jnana-vairagya. Two things required in human life: knowledge and vairagya, detachment. The attachment increases. First of all, it increases. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. This whole world is based on sex life. A man has got attraction for woman; a woman has got attraction for man. This is nature's bondage. Shackle. And when they are actually united, either by the father, mother, or by their own way, that shackle, that attraction, increases. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. Hrdaya-granthim. Knot in the heart. "She is my wife." "He is my husband." Of course, now that knot is very slack. Formerly it was very strong because the woman was not allowed to mix with any other man, and the man was also not allowed with any other woman. This intermingling has slackened even that knot, hrdaya-granthim. Therefore, even trifle cases, quarrel between husband and wife, there is divorce. Because that unity is not very strong now. That is good. Some way or other, it is slackened. So this "own-menship" comes from bodily concept of life.
So Arjuna is preparing the ground, how to receive the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. Because spiritual instruction will begin to separate the soul from the body. Unless one understands that there is a soul different from this body, there is no spiritual education. This is the basic principle. If you do not understand what is soul, what is spirit soul, then where is spiritual education? So Arjuna was affected. He says frankly, drstva tu svajanam krsna yuyutsum samupasthitam: "What is this? I have to kill my own men." Svajanam. Svajanam means own men. "No, no." Sidanti mama gatrani: "Oh, I am shivering." Mukham ca parisusyati: "My mouth is being dried up." We have got this experience. When there is danger, these things happen, so many symptoms.
vepathus ca sarire me
roma-harsas ca jayate
gandivam sramsate hastat
tvak caiva paridahyate
As these things, these symptoms, different transformations of bodily constitution, appear in times of danger, similarly such symptoms appear in times of spiritual bliss. That is called asta-sattvika-vikara, eight kinds of transformation of the body. So there is so many reserve energies within our body. They become manifest in due course of time when the mind and intelligence work in different ways. This is the study, how things appear. It is appearing from intelligence, mind. The soul is there and the intelligence and mind creating the situation of the bodily symptoms. Therefore body or the senses are not all. The modern education, they think this body is everything. No. Real study is body means the senses. Indriyani parany ahuh. On gross vision we see this body. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah [Bg. 3.42]. But the bodily symptoms are acting because the mind is there. And mind is working because the intelligence is there. And the intelligence is working because the soul is there. (aside:) You can stand.
So this is the process. The basic principle is the soul. The soul is acting through intelligence, and the intelligence is acting through mind, and the mind is expressed through the senses. This is the position. So as my mind is absorbed in something, some subject matter, my bodily symptoms also will work, or the senses will work according to that mind. Therefore for spiritual advancement also, you have to train your mind. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. If you use... First of all fix up your mind. Yoga means indriya-samyama. Yoga practice means that controlling the mind and the senses. That is yoga practice. Because our mind is very flickering and changing, something accepting immediately, something rejecting immediately, very flickering. Therefore we have to train up the mind, and when the mind is trained up, then automatically your senses will be controlled. If you are strong-minded, that "I will not accept any foodstuff which is not offered to Krsna," naturally your tongue is controlled. Naturally. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, sarira avidya-jal jadendriya tahe kal jive phele visaya-sagare. Our this body is a network of nescience, or ignorance. This body, why we have got this body, material body? Because we have forgotten Krsna and we wanted to lord it over the material nature. This is our position. Therefore, according to our different desires, we have got different bodies. Here we are sitting, say fifty or hundred men. Nobody's body will tally with other's body. Face and everything, different. Because every one of us has got different desires. Therefore their facial expression, bodily construction, everything is made according to the mind. So at the time of death also, the constitution of mind will transfer me to another, different type of body. The mind will carry the soul. These are all explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. So if you train up your mind, that is Krsna consciousness. Always remembering Krsna. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Then it may be possible that at the time of death you remember Krsna and your life is successful. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Immediately you are transferred to Krsnaloka. This is training.
So we have to think of Krsna always, twenty-four hours. Kirtaniyah sada harih. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended. Taror api sahisnuna.
trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
[Cc. Adi 17.31]
Because our aim is... If we are serious of being transferred to the loka, to the place, where Krsna is, then we have to train up the mind so nicely that at the time of death I can remember Krsna. Therefore one great king, Kulasekhara, he is praying to Krsna, krsna tvadiya pada-pankaja... What is that verse? Tvadiya, krsna tvadiya pada-pankaja. I am just forgetting. The idea is, Kulasekhara, King Kulasekhara is praying to Krsna, adyaiva visatu me manasa-raja-hamsah. Adyaiva. Prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih smaranam kutas te. He is praying, "Krsna, I am now in good health. So kindly award me death immediately." Adyaiva. "Immediately, so that my mind, who is just like a swan, he can take pleasure by entering into stem of Your lotus flower feet." Krsna's feet is always compared with lotus flower, and the lotus flower has got a stem. And the swans, they take pleasure being entangled with that stem. They go and dive into the water. This is their very good sporting. So he is taking that sporting, he is comparing his mind as the raja-hamsa. "So as the raja-hamsa takes pleasure by entangling him in the stem of the lotus flower, similarly Your lotus feet, there is a stem. So my mind, which may be compared with raja-hamsa, let it be entangled now, immediately. Otherwise I do not know." Prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih. "When everything bodily function will be mixed up, kapha-vata-pittaih, 'ghan ghan,' there will be some sound, how I will be able to remembering your lotus feet? So let me die immediately, immediately. Now I am quite fit. Otherwise I may not be able." This is the point. The mind should be kept in healthy condition. Samjna. Therefore one who dies with full sense remembering Krsna, oh, he is successful. In Bengali it is said, bhajana kara sadhana kara murti yanre haya. (?) You may be very great devotee. That's all right. But it will be tested at the time of your death, how you remember Krsna. That will be the test examination. At the time of death, if we forget, if we become parrotlike... Just like parrot, he chants also, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." But when the cat catches the neck, "Kanh! Kanh! Kanh!" No more Krsna. No more Krsna. So artificial practice will not help us. Then "Khan, khan." That kapha-pitta-vataih, kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te.
So from the beginning we have to practice Krsna consciousness if we are actually serious to go back to home, back to Godhead. Not that let it be left for two or three years before death. Oh, it is not so easy. It is not so easy. Prahlada Maharaja recommends therefore,
kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]
He was five years old, Krsna conscious, from the womb of his mother. He heard instruction of Narada. Narada was instructing his mother. He was in the womb. Fortunately, by God's grace, he heard all the instruction of Narada when he was in the womb of his mother. And the result was, from the beginning of his life, he is Krsna conscious. From the beginning. As soon as he took birth, he was Krsna conscious. So he was advising his class friends, preaching. Just see. He was five-years-old boy, but he was taking the opportunity of preaching. Because the teacher... He is born of demon family. So all those class friends, they were also sons of demons. So there is no question of Krsna consciousness. But he learned Krsna consciousness from the womb of his mother.
So he was trying to preach. Because he was king's son, there was no other opportunity for preaching, and he was a five-years-old boy. He took the opportunity in the classroom, as soon as the teacher is away, he would preach. He would preach. This is preaching spirit. As soon as you get some opportunity, preach. What is that preach? Preaching, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised us, yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. This is preaching. "Whoever you meet, simply speak of the instruction of Krsna." So if you are advanced, if you know what is the instruction of Krsna by reading Bhagavad-gita, you can preach to others. And if you have not read anything, suppose you do not know anything, then you can also preach. What is that? "Just become a devotee of Krsna, my dear sir." That's all. This is also preaching. "Just surrender to Krsna." You go door to door. If you cannot do anything, simply say, "My dear sir, you are very good man. Oh, you are very intelligent man. Chant Hare Krsna." Sakalam eva vihaya durat. This preaching was taught by Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya kaku-satam krtva ca aham bravimi. This is the preaching process. Dante nidhaya trnakam. According to Vedic civilization, if one wants to become very humble and approach another person, then he has to take one straw in the mouth. Trna. So the preaching process is to take a straw in the mouth, dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya, and falling down on your feet, dante nidhaya trnakam padayor, kaku-satam krtva ca aham bravimi. And flattering you: "Sir, you are so great man, you are so intelligent man." This is flattering. Although he is fool number one, we have to flatter like that. "Oh, there is no greater man like you. You are so intelligent, you are so rich, you are so beautiful." So all these things. Just like the beggars. Sometimes: "You become king." And one thinks, "Oh, he is blessing me. All right, you take one paisa." So this flattering is also required. So kaku-satam krtva caham bravimi. So the man may ask that "Why you are so humble and flattering? What is your intention? Tell me." So he is now telling. He sadhavah, "Oh, you are great sadhu." He sadhavah, sakalam eva vihaya durat: "You have learned so many nice things. I know that. But kick them out, please." Sakalam eva. "Whatever you have nonsense learned, rascaldom you have learned, please kick them out. This is my request." Sakalam eva vihaya durat caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam. "Just hear what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says. This is my request." This is preaching. This is preaching. Flatter, fall down on his feet, and eulogize him as great sadhu, as great intelligent, great rich. Do so that he may little hear. And when he says, "What do you want?" "Now, (laughter) I want this, sir. Whatever rascaldom you have learned, please forget. Because I know you are rascal number one. (laughter) You have got so many hodge-podge thing in your brain. So you kick them out please." Sakalam eva vihaya durat. "Kick them, throw away, long distance. Don't look upon them." "Then what to do?" Caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam. "Please hear what Caitanya-candra says." sri-krsna-caitanya-daya karaha vicara, vicara karile citte pabe camatkara: "Just try to understand the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and you will feel so sublime." Sri-krsna-caitanya-daya karaha vicara. "Don't take it blindly. If you are intelligent, just make a judgment, what Caitanya-candra is." Tell him.
So this is preaching. This is preaching. So Arjuna has to be a preacher. Practical preacher. What is that preaching? That he has to sacrifice everything for Krsna's sake. That's all. This is preaching. Sakalam eva vihaya durat. Arjuna will be the greatest example, how he became Krsna conscious, in the last Tenth Chapter. He will say, sarvam etad rtam manye yad vadasi kesava: [Bg. 10.14] "My dear Krsna, Kesava, whatever you say, I accept in total." Without any interpretation, or "This is like this, this is like that, this is not very good." Ardha-kukkuti-nyaya. All rascals, they accept this Bhagavad-gita on the principle of ardha-kukkuti-nyaya. In the nyaya, in the logic. There is a logic, ardha-kukkuti-nyaya. What is that ardha-kukkuti-nyaya? Kukkuti means the hen. So hen gives one egg every day. So the man, proprietor of the hen, he is considering that "This hen is very good, giving every day one egg. But the, its mouth is expensive. It eats. So let me cut the mouth, simply take the egg." So there are rascals, they study Bhagavad-gita on this principle of ardha-kukkuti-nyaya. "Cut this, take this, cut this, take this." So if you cut the head, there will be no more egg. The rascal does not know. If you cut the head there will be no more production of egg. So similarly, if you try to study Bhagavad-gita according to your whims, cut this and take this, that is not study of Bhagavad-gita. That is something else. That is something else. That is something else.
Therefore we have to take from Arjuna how he accepted Bhagavad-gita. He said, sarvam etad rtam manye: [Bg. 10.14] "Krsna, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever You are speaking, whatever You have spoken, I take them as it is." This is study of Bhagavad-gita. So the hindrance is this svajanam. Now he is presenting. He is presenting himself as fool number one, although he is not so. But he is creating the ground for Krsna's speaking on Bhagavad-gita. This is the principle. Therefore he is not at all affected by the svajanam, but he is presenting, "This is my problem, that I have to kill..." Drstva imam svajanam krsna. "By seeing my own kinsmen, because I am fool number one..." Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tridhatuke." I am calling them svajana. In sastra it is called svajanakhya-dasyu. Svajanakhya-dasyu. They are all thieves and rogues, but they are claiming as my kinsmen. Suppose in your pocket there is one hundred dollars. If some pickpocket takes it and if you capture him, then you give him immediately to the police. And when you come home after hard-earned money, and when your wife takes away, oh, you laugh, "Oh you have taken all my money! Ahhhhh!" But the same pickpocket, but the same pickpocket, but because he's svajanakhya-dasyu, "pickpocket in the name of svajana," he is very much pleased: "Oh, my wife has taken, my son has taken. Never mind." That's all. And others? As soon as takes, he, "Give him to the police." The same business is being done. He is working hard day and night, and they are plundering. Still, they are thinking, "They are my svajanam, they are my kinsmen." This is called illusion.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973
Thursday, October 21, 2010
"Society Friendship and Love"
73/07/21 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.26
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
tatrapasyat sthitan parthah
pitrn atha pitamahan
acaryan matulan bhratrn
putran pautran sakhims tatha
svasuran suhrdas caiva
senayor ubhayor api
[Bg. 1.26]
tan samiksya sa kaunteyah
sarvan bandhun avasthitan
krpaya parayavisto
visidann idam abravit
[Bg. 1.27]
Translation: "There Arjuna could see, within the midst of the armies of both parties, his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, and also his father-in-law and well-wishers -- all present there. When the son of Kunti, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus."
Prabhupada: This is the problem. Now Arjuna is facing the problem. What is this problem? Suppose you bring all my friends, my relatives, my sons, grandsons, my father-in-law, brother-in-law, friends, my animals... Because there were soldiers, senayor ubhayor api, there were animals also. Horses, elephants. They are also within the membership. According to Vedic conception, the animals, they are also members of your family. Because they are giving service. Not that one section of the members of my family I give protection, and the other section, I take everything from them and then cut throat. This is not civilization. You keep your sons, wife, daughters, cows, dogs, they are animals, asses, domestic animals, horses, elephants. If you are rich, you can keep elephants also. It does not mean... Either family-wise or state-wise, it does not mean that you give protection to some members and cut throat of the others. Oh, how horrible it is. So all of them were present now. And the problem is that he has to kill them, Arjuna. It is fight, it is a family fight.
So some of the family members on the other side, and some of the family members this side. So other side also, what are they? Tatrapasyat sthitan parthah pitrn atha pitamahan. Pitrn, teachers, and pitrn also. Pitrn means those who are on the status of father. And Bhismadeva was a grandfather, a real grandfather, pitamaha. He is on the other side. Dronacarya, he is on the other side, teacher. They had to be respected. Actually Arjuna did so. Before fighting with Dronacarya, he first of all throw one arrow on his lotus feet, obeisances. This is the etiquette. "My dear sir, you have taught me this fighting science, now it is being used against you, duty. So I offer my obeisances." And Dronacarya also, threw another arrow, touching his head: "My dear boy, become blessed." This is duty. How blessed? "By killing me. I know you will kill me, so I give you blessings that you kill me." This is duty. The disciple is fighting, touching the feet of Dronacarya: "My dear sir, it is duty. Now we are face to face to fight. So give me your blessing." This is one side. The other side, blessing, "Yes, you have my all blessings."
So this is the problem. This material world is problematic, especially when we have got these family relationships. "Society, friendship, and love, divinely bestowed upon man." They say. (laughs) It is not divinely bestowed. It is not. It is entanglement. It is entanglement. Dehapatya. There is verse in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Dehapatya. What is that verse? Dehapatya-kalatradi. Deha, first affection is with our body. "I am this Mr. Such and such. This is I am, this body." I have got attraction for this body. Then the offsprings, the by-products of this body. Apatya. Apatya means children. And how this by-product is made? Kalatra, through wife. Stri. Stri means which expands. Vistara, expands. I am alone. I accept wife, stri, and with her cooperation I expand. So one who helps me to expand, that is called stri. Every Sanskrit word has got meaning. Why woman is called stri? Because she helps, expanding myself. How expanding? Dehapatya-kalatradisu [SB 2.1.4]. I get my children. First of all I was affectionate to my body. Then, as soon as I get a wife, I become affectionate to her. Then, as soon as I get children, I become affectionate to children. In this way I expand my affection for this material world. This material world, attachment. It is not required. It is a foreign thing. This material body is foreign. I am spiritual. I am spiritual, aham brahmasmi. But because I wanted to lord it over the material nature, Krsna has given me this body. Daiva-netrena. He is giving you body. He is giving the body of Brahma, He is giving you the body of ant. As you desire. As you desire. If you want the body of a tiger, Krsna will give you. If you want the body of a hog, He will give you. If you want the body of Brahma, He will give you. If you want the body of a demigod, He will give you. If you want the body of American, He will give you. Englishman, He will give you. Indian, He will give you. That is Krsna. He is so kind. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Krsna is very kind. Just like a son disobedient to the father, but he wants to enjoy something. Still, father giving him, "All right, you take money, and enjoy." Father is so kind. "You become free. Whatever you like, you can do. You take some money." This is our concession.
This material life is a concession to us, given by God, for gratifying our senses. This is material life. Krsna does not want that you become entangled in this material world. That He doesn't want. Why He should want? Krsna... Just like you produce your sons, children. Why? To remain in household life, enjoy in the company of wife, children, friends. This is... One can understand. Why I take so much responsibility of family? I was alone. Why I get married? Why I beget children? Why I make friends? Because I want to enjoy. So Krsna is also a person. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). He has produced so many children, these living entities. Why? To enjoy along with them. Just try to understand the psychology. Yato va imani bhutani jayante, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Where this idea came from, that "I shall be happy within society, friendship and love, children?" Wherefrom this idea came? Where is the origin? The origin is there in Krsna. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Janmady asya yatah. The origin of love. Just like Krsna is loving Radharani. So the loving idea came from Krsna. Anything that is within our experience, that is in Krsna. So Krsna cannot be impersonal. That is nonsense. Krsna is exactly a person like me, you. But the difference is that He's very, very, unlimitedly powerful. I am limited. This is the difference. So Krsna also wants that to live with His family. Our Krsna consciousness movement is just to train ourselves again to enter into the family of Krsna. This is our movement. With these families, the so-called families, we are suffering. We are suffering. But this family idea is there this. That is perfect in Krsna, with Krsna. The family idea, wherefrom family idea comes without it is being situated in Krsna? Because nothing can be visible without being in Krsna. He is the origin. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Aham sarvasya prabhavah: [Bg. 10.8] "I am the origin of everything."
So whatever we are seeing in this material world, the origin is in Krsna. But here it is perverted. That is the only difference. Just like a tree. The original tree is standing erect. But when you see the perverted reflection of the tree, everything is topsy-turvied. The upside has gone downside. You have seen the reflection of the tree. So the upside, downside. When the upside of the tree becomes downside, that is called perverted reflection. So this material world is perverted reflection of the spiritual world. It is false in this sense because it is reflection. Otherwise, exactly the same things are there in the spiritual world. Urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham asvattham prahur avyayam [Bg. 15.1]. There is. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find in the Fifteenth Chapter. Urdhva-mulam. Here, this material world, the origin -- mulam means root -- is upside, upside. Because it is reflection. This tree is erect, and this is reflection. So the root has gone upside. So here is the problem. Because we are attached to our this so-called family, society, friendship and love... When Arjuna was faced, then he became krpaya parayavisto visidann idam abravit. "How it is possible, Krsna, that I have to kill the other side, my fathers, my father-in-law, my grandfather, my sons, my grandsons, my brother, my so many friends?" So it is natural. Krpaya paraya avistah. He becomes overwhelmed with compassion. Krpaya parayavisto visidan. Very morosely. "Oh, Krsna, I will have to fight with them. I will have to kill them." Why this consciousness came? The other side also, Duryodhana, why he did not think in that way? Why Arjuna is thinking? Because he is devotee. That is the difference. A devotee thinks like that. A devotee does not like to kill anyone, even an ant. Why he should be encouraged to kill his friends? A devotee is like that. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. This is the result of devotional life. Arjuna was insulted. Arjuna was taken away all his belongings. Arjuna was banished for thirteen years. His wife was insulted. So many atrocities was done to him. Still, when the question of killing came, he was not very happy: "No." This is Vaisnava. This is Vaisnava. He is ready to excuse even the greatest enemy. But Krsna does not want. If you insult His devotee, the devotee may excuse, but Krsna will not excuse. This is Krsna's position. Therefore be careful to insult a devotee. A devotee may excuse you. But Krsna will not excuse you. Krsna is so strict. He cannot tolerate any insult to His devotee. Therefore this arrangement of fighting. Arjuna wanted, "No, let them be excused." Krsna wanted, "No, you must fight. You must kill them." This is the position. So he is within the dilemma. Krsna is insisting that "You must fight and kill them," but he is thinking, "How shall I kill my kinsmen?" This is the problem. Therefore, tan samiksya sa kaunteyah sarvan bandhun avasthitan. All friends are there. Krpaya parayavisto visidann idam abravit. So this is one side, that if you want to please Krsna, then you have to be prepared for killing your so-called relatives. If you want Krsna. If you want to please Krsna.
So this whole Vedic civilization is made just to train how you can be detached from this so-called family affection. This is Vedic training. First of all brahmacari. Brahmacari means to lead the life of austerity. A brahmacari is supposed to live to serve the spiritual master at his home, and he has to work just like a menial. He may be a king's son or a very great brahmana's son, but as soon as he agrees to live with the spiritual master, he has to live just like a menial servant. Whatever the spiritual master will order, he has to do it. This is brahmacari. And they will gladly do, because they are children.
Brahmacari life begins from five years. So you ask any child do anything, he will do. They are learned. They are given education, "Go from door to door, house to house, and bring some alms." So brahmacari means the neighborhood, their sons. So when the brahmacari goes for begging, "Mother, give me something, alms," so immediately, some rice, some dahl, some atta, is given, or some vegetables, sometimes some money. So they bring everything to the spiritual master and it becomes the property of the spiritual master. Because he has begged, it is not his property. Sarvasvam guru-veditam(?). Everything is guru's property. So much so that after cooking everything, the spiritual master will call, "My dear boys, come on. Take prasadam." But if he forgets to call somebody, he will not touch. He will not touch. This is brahmacari. "Oh, spiritual master has not called me; so I will fast." (laughter) He begged the rice and vegetables and atta and dahl. It is cooked. But when it is cooked, that is also spiritual master's property. If the spiritual master does not ask him to take, he cannot take. He cannot touch. This is brahmacari life. So therefore the first training is given, to become austere, tolerate, how to tolerate, how to call other women as "mother." He is learning from the beginning, a small child. He is trained up to call any woman, even of his own age, not "sister," -- "mother." This is the training. Matrvat para-daresu. This is education. Matrvat para-daresu. Canakya Pandita, the great politician, has given the definition of a learned scholar. Who is learned scholar? He has given the definition. What is this? Matrvat para-daresu. To see every woman except his wife as mother. This is education. This is education, perfection of education, when you can see all women except your wife as mother. This is education. Matrvat para-daresu para-dravyesu lostravat. And others' property? Just like garbage in the street. Nobody is interested in the garbage. You throw. That is education. And atmavat sarva-bhutesu. And thinking all living entities as your own self. If you feel pains and pleasure by something, you could not afflict the pains to others. If your throat is cut, if your head is cut, you feel so much pain, how you can cut the head of another animal? This is education. Samah sarvesu-bhutesu. This is education, three things. This is the test of education.
matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah
Where is? Where is that pandita? There is no such thing now.
So this problem, attachment for this material world, gradually we have to cut it. That is the Vedic civilization. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then at the same time, if you remain attached to this material world, so-called society, friendship and love, then it is not possible. So long you will have a pinch of attraction with this material world, there is no possibility of being transferred to the spiritual world. This is the position. Therefore by training, by education, we have to become detached. Detached, this society, friendship and love. We have to understand the falsity of this so-called society, friendship and love. Because we are being carried away by the waves of maya. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, mayar bose, jaccho bhese, Khaccho habudubu bhai. Just like we see sometimes in rainy season, so many plants and creepers and vegetables and so many other things are floating in the river, going. Similarly, we also, all floating in the waves of maya. Mayar bose, jaccho bhese, khaccho habudubu. Sometimes drowned, sometimes on the surface, sometimes on the other shore, sometimes on this shore. This is going on. So long we are in this material world, we are being tossed by different currents, and sometimes I am here as the master of some kingdom, and sometimes I am dog of somebody else. This is my position. The same thing. Very good example, that we are being carried away by the waves of maya. Sometimes we are gathering together. So many straws and vegetables, they gather together. And sometimes the same vegetables and straws are thrown asunder. One is there, one is here. So here also, we assemble here as society, friendship and love exactly like that. In the waves of maya. Then nobody is your father, nobody is your mother, nobody is your sister, nobody. It is simply mayic, illusory combination. Illusory combination, temporary combination. And we are so much attached to this combination that we are refusing to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our position.
Therefore we have to meet them in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, and if required, we have to kill them and execute the order of Krsna. This is our position. If we are thinking that "In this material existence I shall be safe, assisted by my society, friendship, love, country, and politics and sociology," "No, no, sir, it is not possible." It is not possible. You have to take care of yourself. Your so-called society, friendship, love, country, nation, and this, never will be able to help you. Because you are under the clutches of maya. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14].
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
You are under the clutches of maya. you have no independence. Neither anyone has got any independence to save you. That is not possible. The same example as I gave sometimes, that you learn how to drive aeroplane. So you go high in the sky. But if you are in danger, no other aeroplane can help you. You are finished. Therefore you must be a very careful pilot to take care of yourself. Similarly, in this material world everyone individually has to take care of himself. How he can be saved from the clutches of maya. That is Krsna consciousness movement. A teacher can give you hints. The acarya can give you hints that "You can be saved in this way." But the execution of the duties, that is in your hand. If you perform the spiritual duties rightly, then you are saved. Otherwise, even acarya gives you instruction, if you don't follow, so how he can save you? He can save you by instruction, by his mercy, as much as possible. But you have to take it in your hands seriously.
So this problem is... Arjuna is facing now this problem. That is general problem. Dehapatya-kalatradisu. Dehapatya. Deha means this body. Apatya means children. Kalatra means wife. Dehapatya-kalatradisv atma-sainyesv asatsv api [SB 2.1.4]. We are thinking that "We shall be protected by my these soldiers. I have got my sons, grandsons, my grandfather, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, my so many society, friendship and love." Everyone is thinking like that. "My nation, my community, my philosophy, my politics. No. Nothing can save you. Dehapatya-kalatradisu asatsu api. They are all temporary. They come and go. Asatsu api. Pramatto tasya nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. One who is too much attached to this society, friendship and love, he is pramatta. Pramatta means crazy, madman. Pasyann api na, tasya nidhanam. He does not see. Although he is seeing that "My father has died. When I was a child, my father was giving me protection. Now my father has gone away. Who is giving me protection? Is my father alive to give me protection? Who is giving me protection? My mother was giving me protection. Now who is giving me protection? I was in family, my sons, my daughters, my wife, but I left them. Now who is giving me protection?" And actually Krsna gives you protection always. Not your society, friendship and love. They will be finished. As your father is finished, as your grandfather is finished, similarly, your sons, grandsons, will be finished. None of them will be able to give you protection. Only Krsna will be giving you protection. Therefore you surrender to Krsna. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksa... [Bg. 18.66]. "I shall give you protection." Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati: [Bg. 9.31] "My devotee is never vanquished." So the best thing is to take to Krsna consciousness, fully surrender unto Him, and you will be protected. Otherwise, there is no other way of being protected. We'll be carried away by the waves of maya. This is the position.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
tatrapasyat sthitan parthah
pitrn atha pitamahan
acaryan matulan bhratrn
putran pautran sakhims tatha
svasuran suhrdas caiva
senayor ubhayor api
[Bg. 1.26]
tan samiksya sa kaunteyah
sarvan bandhun avasthitan
krpaya parayavisto
visidann idam abravit
[Bg. 1.27]
Translation: "There Arjuna could see, within the midst of the armies of both parties, his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, and also his father-in-law and well-wishers -- all present there. When the son of Kunti, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus."
Prabhupada: This is the problem. Now Arjuna is facing the problem. What is this problem? Suppose you bring all my friends, my relatives, my sons, grandsons, my father-in-law, brother-in-law, friends, my animals... Because there were soldiers, senayor ubhayor api, there were animals also. Horses, elephants. They are also within the membership. According to Vedic conception, the animals, they are also members of your family. Because they are giving service. Not that one section of the members of my family I give protection, and the other section, I take everything from them and then cut throat. This is not civilization. You keep your sons, wife, daughters, cows, dogs, they are animals, asses, domestic animals, horses, elephants. If you are rich, you can keep elephants also. It does not mean... Either family-wise or state-wise, it does not mean that you give protection to some members and cut throat of the others. Oh, how horrible it is. So all of them were present now. And the problem is that he has to kill them, Arjuna. It is fight, it is a family fight.
So some of the family members on the other side, and some of the family members this side. So other side also, what are they? Tatrapasyat sthitan parthah pitrn atha pitamahan. Pitrn, teachers, and pitrn also. Pitrn means those who are on the status of father. And Bhismadeva was a grandfather, a real grandfather, pitamaha. He is on the other side. Dronacarya, he is on the other side, teacher. They had to be respected. Actually Arjuna did so. Before fighting with Dronacarya, he first of all throw one arrow on his lotus feet, obeisances. This is the etiquette. "My dear sir, you have taught me this fighting science, now it is being used against you, duty. So I offer my obeisances." And Dronacarya also, threw another arrow, touching his head: "My dear boy, become blessed." This is duty. How blessed? "By killing me. I know you will kill me, so I give you blessings that you kill me." This is duty. The disciple is fighting, touching the feet of Dronacarya: "My dear sir, it is duty. Now we are face to face to fight. So give me your blessing." This is one side. The other side, blessing, "Yes, you have my all blessings."
So this is the problem. This material world is problematic, especially when we have got these family relationships. "Society, friendship, and love, divinely bestowed upon man." They say. (laughs) It is not divinely bestowed. It is not. It is entanglement. It is entanglement. Dehapatya. There is verse in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Dehapatya. What is that verse? Dehapatya-kalatradi. Deha, first affection is with our body. "I am this Mr. Such and such. This is I am, this body." I have got attraction for this body. Then the offsprings, the by-products of this body. Apatya. Apatya means children. And how this by-product is made? Kalatra, through wife. Stri. Stri means which expands. Vistara, expands. I am alone. I accept wife, stri, and with her cooperation I expand. So one who helps me to expand, that is called stri. Every Sanskrit word has got meaning. Why woman is called stri? Because she helps, expanding myself. How expanding? Dehapatya-kalatradisu [SB 2.1.4]. I get my children. First of all I was affectionate to my body. Then, as soon as I get a wife, I become affectionate to her. Then, as soon as I get children, I become affectionate to children. In this way I expand my affection for this material world. This material world, attachment. It is not required. It is a foreign thing. This material body is foreign. I am spiritual. I am spiritual, aham brahmasmi. But because I wanted to lord it over the material nature, Krsna has given me this body. Daiva-netrena. He is giving you body. He is giving the body of Brahma, He is giving you the body of ant. As you desire. As you desire. If you want the body of a tiger, Krsna will give you. If you want the body of a hog, He will give you. If you want the body of Brahma, He will give you. If you want the body of a demigod, He will give you. If you want the body of American, He will give you. Englishman, He will give you. Indian, He will give you. That is Krsna. He is so kind. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Krsna is very kind. Just like a son disobedient to the father, but he wants to enjoy something. Still, father giving him, "All right, you take money, and enjoy." Father is so kind. "You become free. Whatever you like, you can do. You take some money." This is our concession.
This material life is a concession to us, given by God, for gratifying our senses. This is material life. Krsna does not want that you become entangled in this material world. That He doesn't want. Why He should want? Krsna... Just like you produce your sons, children. Why? To remain in household life, enjoy in the company of wife, children, friends. This is... One can understand. Why I take so much responsibility of family? I was alone. Why I get married? Why I beget children? Why I make friends? Because I want to enjoy. So Krsna is also a person. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). He has produced so many children, these living entities. Why? To enjoy along with them. Just try to understand the psychology. Yato va imani bhutani jayante, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Where this idea came from, that "I shall be happy within society, friendship and love, children?" Wherefrom this idea came? Where is the origin? The origin is there in Krsna. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Janmady asya yatah. The origin of love. Just like Krsna is loving Radharani. So the loving idea came from Krsna. Anything that is within our experience, that is in Krsna. So Krsna cannot be impersonal. That is nonsense. Krsna is exactly a person like me, you. But the difference is that He's very, very, unlimitedly powerful. I am limited. This is the difference. So Krsna also wants that to live with His family. Our Krsna consciousness movement is just to train ourselves again to enter into the family of Krsna. This is our movement. With these families, the so-called families, we are suffering. We are suffering. But this family idea is there this. That is perfect in Krsna, with Krsna. The family idea, wherefrom family idea comes without it is being situated in Krsna? Because nothing can be visible without being in Krsna. He is the origin. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Aham sarvasya prabhavah: [Bg. 10.8] "I am the origin of everything."
So whatever we are seeing in this material world, the origin is in Krsna. But here it is perverted. That is the only difference. Just like a tree. The original tree is standing erect. But when you see the perverted reflection of the tree, everything is topsy-turvied. The upside has gone downside. You have seen the reflection of the tree. So the upside, downside. When the upside of the tree becomes downside, that is called perverted reflection. So this material world is perverted reflection of the spiritual world. It is false in this sense because it is reflection. Otherwise, exactly the same things are there in the spiritual world. Urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham asvattham prahur avyayam [Bg. 15.1]. There is. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find in the Fifteenth Chapter. Urdhva-mulam. Here, this material world, the origin -- mulam means root -- is upside, upside. Because it is reflection. This tree is erect, and this is reflection. So the root has gone upside. So here is the problem. Because we are attached to our this so-called family, society, friendship and love... When Arjuna was faced, then he became krpaya parayavisto visidann idam abravit. "How it is possible, Krsna, that I have to kill the other side, my fathers, my father-in-law, my grandfather, my sons, my grandsons, my brother, my so many friends?" So it is natural. Krpaya paraya avistah. He becomes overwhelmed with compassion. Krpaya parayavisto visidan. Very morosely. "Oh, Krsna, I will have to fight with them. I will have to kill them." Why this consciousness came? The other side also, Duryodhana, why he did not think in that way? Why Arjuna is thinking? Because he is devotee. That is the difference. A devotee thinks like that. A devotee does not like to kill anyone, even an ant. Why he should be encouraged to kill his friends? A devotee is like that. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. This is the result of devotional life. Arjuna was insulted. Arjuna was taken away all his belongings. Arjuna was banished for thirteen years. His wife was insulted. So many atrocities was done to him. Still, when the question of killing came, he was not very happy: "No." This is Vaisnava. This is Vaisnava. He is ready to excuse even the greatest enemy. But Krsna does not want. If you insult His devotee, the devotee may excuse, but Krsna will not excuse. This is Krsna's position. Therefore be careful to insult a devotee. A devotee may excuse you. But Krsna will not excuse you. Krsna is so strict. He cannot tolerate any insult to His devotee. Therefore this arrangement of fighting. Arjuna wanted, "No, let them be excused." Krsna wanted, "No, you must fight. You must kill them." This is the position. So he is within the dilemma. Krsna is insisting that "You must fight and kill them," but he is thinking, "How shall I kill my kinsmen?" This is the problem. Therefore, tan samiksya sa kaunteyah sarvan bandhun avasthitan. All friends are there. Krpaya parayavisto visidann idam abravit. So this is one side, that if you want to please Krsna, then you have to be prepared for killing your so-called relatives. If you want Krsna. If you want to please Krsna.
So this whole Vedic civilization is made just to train how you can be detached from this so-called family affection. This is Vedic training. First of all brahmacari. Brahmacari means to lead the life of austerity. A brahmacari is supposed to live to serve the spiritual master at his home, and he has to work just like a menial. He may be a king's son or a very great brahmana's son, but as soon as he agrees to live with the spiritual master, he has to live just like a menial servant. Whatever the spiritual master will order, he has to do it. This is brahmacari. And they will gladly do, because they are children.
Brahmacari life begins from five years. So you ask any child do anything, he will do. They are learned. They are given education, "Go from door to door, house to house, and bring some alms." So brahmacari means the neighborhood, their sons. So when the brahmacari goes for begging, "Mother, give me something, alms," so immediately, some rice, some dahl, some atta, is given, or some vegetables, sometimes some money. So they bring everything to the spiritual master and it becomes the property of the spiritual master. Because he has begged, it is not his property. Sarvasvam guru-veditam(?). Everything is guru's property. So much so that after cooking everything, the spiritual master will call, "My dear boys, come on. Take prasadam." But if he forgets to call somebody, he will not touch. He will not touch. This is brahmacari. "Oh, spiritual master has not called me; so I will fast." (laughter) He begged the rice and vegetables and atta and dahl. It is cooked. But when it is cooked, that is also spiritual master's property. If the spiritual master does not ask him to take, he cannot take. He cannot touch. This is brahmacari life. So therefore the first training is given, to become austere, tolerate, how to tolerate, how to call other women as "mother." He is learning from the beginning, a small child. He is trained up to call any woman, even of his own age, not "sister," -- "mother." This is the training. Matrvat para-daresu. This is education. Matrvat para-daresu. Canakya Pandita, the great politician, has given the definition of a learned scholar. Who is learned scholar? He has given the definition. What is this? Matrvat para-daresu. To see every woman except his wife as mother. This is education. This is education, perfection of education, when you can see all women except your wife as mother. This is education. Matrvat para-daresu para-dravyesu lostravat. And others' property? Just like garbage in the street. Nobody is interested in the garbage. You throw. That is education. And atmavat sarva-bhutesu. And thinking all living entities as your own self. If you feel pains and pleasure by something, you could not afflict the pains to others. If your throat is cut, if your head is cut, you feel so much pain, how you can cut the head of another animal? This is education. Samah sarvesu-bhutesu. This is education, three things. This is the test of education.
matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah
Where is? Where is that pandita? There is no such thing now.
So this problem, attachment for this material world, gradually we have to cut it. That is the Vedic civilization. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then at the same time, if you remain attached to this material world, so-called society, friendship and love, then it is not possible. So long you will have a pinch of attraction with this material world, there is no possibility of being transferred to the spiritual world. This is the position. Therefore by training, by education, we have to become detached. Detached, this society, friendship and love. We have to understand the falsity of this so-called society, friendship and love. Because we are being carried away by the waves of maya. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, mayar bose, jaccho bhese, Khaccho habudubu bhai. Just like we see sometimes in rainy season, so many plants and creepers and vegetables and so many other things are floating in the river, going. Similarly, we also, all floating in the waves of maya. Mayar bose, jaccho bhese, khaccho habudubu. Sometimes drowned, sometimes on the surface, sometimes on the other shore, sometimes on this shore. This is going on. So long we are in this material world, we are being tossed by different currents, and sometimes I am here as the master of some kingdom, and sometimes I am dog of somebody else. This is my position. The same thing. Very good example, that we are being carried away by the waves of maya. Sometimes we are gathering together. So many straws and vegetables, they gather together. And sometimes the same vegetables and straws are thrown asunder. One is there, one is here. So here also, we assemble here as society, friendship and love exactly like that. In the waves of maya. Then nobody is your father, nobody is your mother, nobody is your sister, nobody. It is simply mayic, illusory combination. Illusory combination, temporary combination. And we are so much attached to this combination that we are refusing to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our position.
Therefore we have to meet them in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, and if required, we have to kill them and execute the order of Krsna. This is our position. If we are thinking that "In this material existence I shall be safe, assisted by my society, friendship, love, country, and politics and sociology," "No, no, sir, it is not possible." It is not possible. You have to take care of yourself. Your so-called society, friendship, love, country, nation, and this, never will be able to help you. Because you are under the clutches of maya. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14].
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
You are under the clutches of maya. you have no independence. Neither anyone has got any independence to save you. That is not possible. The same example as I gave sometimes, that you learn how to drive aeroplane. So you go high in the sky. But if you are in danger, no other aeroplane can help you. You are finished. Therefore you must be a very careful pilot to take care of yourself. Similarly, in this material world everyone individually has to take care of himself. How he can be saved from the clutches of maya. That is Krsna consciousness movement. A teacher can give you hints. The acarya can give you hints that "You can be saved in this way." But the execution of the duties, that is in your hand. If you perform the spiritual duties rightly, then you are saved. Otherwise, even acarya gives you instruction, if you don't follow, so how he can save you? He can save you by instruction, by his mercy, as much as possible. But you have to take it in your hands seriously.
So this problem is... Arjuna is facing now this problem. That is general problem. Dehapatya-kalatradisu. Dehapatya. Deha means this body. Apatya means children. Kalatra means wife. Dehapatya-kalatradisv atma-sainyesv asatsv api [SB 2.1.4]. We are thinking that "We shall be protected by my these soldiers. I have got my sons, grandsons, my grandfather, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, my so many society, friendship and love." Everyone is thinking like that. "My nation, my community, my philosophy, my politics. No. Nothing can save you. Dehapatya-kalatradisu asatsu api. They are all temporary. They come and go. Asatsu api. Pramatto tasya nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. One who is too much attached to this society, friendship and love, he is pramatta. Pramatta means crazy, madman. Pasyann api na, tasya nidhanam. He does not see. Although he is seeing that "My father has died. When I was a child, my father was giving me protection. Now my father has gone away. Who is giving me protection? Is my father alive to give me protection? Who is giving me protection? My mother was giving me protection. Now who is giving me protection? I was in family, my sons, my daughters, my wife, but I left them. Now who is giving me protection?" And actually Krsna gives you protection always. Not your society, friendship and love. They will be finished. As your father is finished, as your grandfather is finished, similarly, your sons, grandsons, will be finished. None of them will be able to give you protection. Only Krsna will be giving you protection. Therefore you surrender to Krsna. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksa... [Bg. 18.66]. "I shall give you protection." Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati: [Bg. 9.31] "My devotee is never vanquished." So the best thing is to take to Krsna consciousness, fully surrender unto Him, and you will be protected. Otherwise, there is no other way of being protected. We'll be carried away by the waves of maya. This is the position.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
"If You Stay with Krsna"
73/07/20 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.24-25
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
sanjaya uvaca
evam ukto hrsikeso
gudakesena bharata
senayor ubhayor madhye
sthapayitva rathottamam
[Bg. 1.24]
Translation: "Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, being thus addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krsna drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties."
bhisma-drona-pramukhatah
sarvesam ca mahiksitam
uvaca partha pasyaitan
samavetan kurun iti
[Bg. 1.25]
Translation: "In the presence of Bhisma, Drona and all other chieftains of the world, Hrsikesa, the Lord, said, Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus who are assembled here."
Prabhupada: So sanjaya uvaca. Actually Sanjaya, the secretary of Dhrtarastra, he is relating the activities in the battlefield. Dhrtarastra is blind. How in the battlefield the fighting was going on, Sanjaya was observing, either by television or a similar method. Otherwise, how he could explain things are going on in the battlefield in the room? This Bhagavad-gita, Sanjaya explained, all activities in the battlefield, to Dhrtarastra, within the room. So there must have been something like television or higher than the television, he was seeing within himself everything.
So scientific improvement is coming, but still on the material platform. Material means gross material and subtle material. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita:
bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha
[Bg. 7.4]
Earth, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements are gross material, everyone can see, gross. We can see earth, we can see water. We can see fire, air, or we can perceive the sky also. But there is subtle matter also. Mind, intelligence, ego. We cannot see the mind. We cannot see intelligence. I understand that you have got intelligence, or everyone knows we have got mind, but we cannot see. This is subtle. They are also matter, subtle matter. So the television is a machine made of gross matter, but there is possibility of making another machine of subtle matter. There is possibility. Because matter, they are also matter. That subtle matter machine is not yet discovered. But here we can see the subtle matter discovery was there. Otherwise, how Sanjaya could see the activities in the battlefield? This is to be understood. They are very much proud of material advancement of science, but still, they have to make advancement, subtle matter. And above that subtle matter, within that subtle matter, there is spiritual identity. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah, manasas tu para buddhih [Bg. 3.42].
First of all we can see a person. A person we see, what do we see? The senses. But we cannot see the director of the senses. The director of the senses is the mind. And the director of the mind is intelligence. And the owner of the intelligence is the soul. This is understanding. The soul is there. Whose intelligence? As soon as we shall say intelligence, whose intelligence? That is the soul's intelligence. Wherefrom the intelligence is coming? From Paramatma, Hrsikesa. Therefore this word is used here, hrs ikesa. The intelligence will come from Paramatma. Otherwise we cannot act, just like a child has got intelligence, but it is guided by the parent's intelligence: "My dear son, do like this." And he does it. Similarly, we have got all this mind, intelligence, everything, but that is being guided by the super-intelligence, Krsna. Therefore He is called Hrsikesa. Once we have explained Hrsikesa. So we have to reach that platform where we can talk with Hrsikesa. That is spiritual platform. That is possible. The more you become purified, you can talk with Hrsikesa, who is within yourself. He is not outside. Although He in Goloka Vrndavana, Krsna is always in Vrndavana, in the spiritual world, but because He is Krsna, He can remain with you also at the same time, simultaneously. This is Krsna. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37].
goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
It is proposed, our Mayapura temple will be on this plan. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. The highest planetary system, spiritual, that is spiritual planet, that is named goloka-namni, Goloka Vrndavana. We have given that picture in the Bhagavata cover. Perhaps you know. The topmost original planet is the Goloka. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni. That is the abode of Krsna. Krsna-dhama. Krsna-dhama. People are searching after God. But actually there is the planet where God lives, Krsna lives. But you have got your machine, aeroplane, sputnik. You can reach there, but you cannot reach even the highest planet, even on this material planet, material universe. Everyone sees. We see the stars or planets. Now you have got the machine; you go there. No. You cannot go. You are so limited. Even you cannot go to the moon planet, which is so nearest. You cannot go. But still, we are proud of our these airplanes, sputniks. We are thinking, "Now we have become God." These rascals they do not know what is God. They are all rascals. They have no idea what is God. Therefore they have accepted another rascal as God. This is going on. You cannot reach. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam, so 'pyasti yat prapada-simny avicintya-tattve [Bs. 5.34]. Sastra gives you. Just like your material science also gives you information that there is one planet, highest planet, and one can go there by sputnik in forty thousands of years. So who is going to live forty thousand years to reach there? But they have got theoretically all these things. The highest planet. Material. That is not spiritual.
So after finishing this material world, there is covering of the universe, stock matter, mahat-tattva, wherefrom all these material comings. There is stock. So you have to penetrate through that stock material. And each layer of stock is ten times more than the other. So you have to pierce through the stock, material stock; then you reach the spiritual world. And the spiritual world, there are many... "Many" means three times more than these universes. This universe, this material universe, is only one-fourth manifestation of Krsna's creation. Ekamsena sthito jagat. When Arjuna inquired from Krsna, "So would you kindly explain little of your opulence." "Yes." So He said, "I am this. Out of this, I am this." He summarized,
athava bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat
[Bg. 10.42]
Ekamsena. You are seeing this universe. This universe -- only a fragment of the material creation, a fragment. Caitanya Mahaprabhu informed us... One of His devotees requested Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "My dear Lord, You have come personally. You kindly take all the living entities to the spiritual world. Be kind enough upon them. And if you think that they are so sinful they cannot be taken, then transfer all their sins unto me. You take them. You take them." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to smile that "Even if I take the all the living entities of the universe, but do you know, this universe is only one fragmental part of other, all other universes. There are many other universes." And He compared that "In a bag where, bag full of mustard seeds..." Just imagine, a big bag of mustard seeds. "And this universe is just like one mustard seed." There are so many universes, so many universes. And it is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Jagad-anda. Jagad-anda means this universe. Brahmanda, jagad-anda. Koti, innumerable. Jagad-anda-koti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. And each universe there are innumerable planets. And each planet is different from others. This is God's creation. And these rascals are manufacturing God. And there is other description also. Yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. This jagad-anda, the universe. And there, in each universe, there is a controller of the universe, Brahma. He is called jagad-anda-natha, master of this universe. Because it is controlled by Brahma, therefore each universe is called brahmanda. It is controlled by Brahma. So in the Brahma-samhita we get information: jagad-anda-nathah, plural number. There are many, many thousands jagad-anda... Not only one Brahma. Many millions of Brahmas, many millions of Siva, many millions of Visnu, many millions of sun. Because there are many millions of universes. Now, just imagine. This is material creation. And that material creation, Krsna says, ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. Taking all the material universes, it is only one-fourth creation of the Lord. And the three fourths creation is the spiritual world. Just imagine what is spiritual world. And in that spiritual, the topmost planet is Goloka.
So you cannot go even in the moon planet. How you can go to that spiritual planet penetrating the material coverings coming to the spiritual effulgence, Brahman, and after all these universes, then...? Therefore it is said, panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyah. Koti-sata-vatsara, millions of years, if you go with your sputnik with full force... Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara. Not this sputnik, but make your planes of mind speed. This is material speed. What is this speed? A few thousands, twenty thousand, fifty thousand. But do you know mind speed? You are sitting here, and immediately, within a second, you can go to India. This is mind speed. Immediately. So panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara sampragamyo vayor athapi [Bs. 5.34]. By the air speed or mind speed. Vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam. And driven by great scientists, muni-pungava. Pungava means very expert, nara-pungava. So big, big scientists, expert scientists, if they can discover airplane which is running on mind speed or air speed... They are not, they cannot go by the air speed. They fly on the air, but not with the air speed. So in this way, still, avicintya-tattve, after going many, many millions of years in that speed, still you will find, "Oh, Goloka Vrndavana is far, far away." This is the position.
And we are explaining what is Krsna. Don't consider Krsna is ordinary human being. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because He kindly appears before us just like ordinary human being, don't think that He is like us. It is the conclusion. Just like these rascals, they think that "Because Krsna appeared as a human being, I am also God. I am also God. Why Krsna shall be alone God?" So we are trying to explain what is Krsna, Hrsikesa. Hrsikesa. Then goloka-namni. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. Goloka eva nivasati.
ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis
tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih
goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.37]
So our worship is very simple. Tam aham bhajami. We worship that Govinda, adi-purusam. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. We don't worship ordinary so-called rascals. We worship Govinda. How Govinda is? The Govinda's description is Brahma-samhita. That Govinda, ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih: "He is always in the spiritual world, which is ananda-cinmaya-rasa." Not this kind of ananda -- cinmayananda, spiritual bliss. Spiritual bliss means it is continually going on; still, nobody is fed up. Here you can accept any ananda in this material world, so many things. It cannot go on very long time. Suppose if I give you rasagulla, one rasagulla, you can take: "Oh, very nice." Another, "Very nice." Another, "Nice." Then next four or five, "No, I do not want." Finished. Similarly, any ananda you can take. Sex life. It cannot be continued. Finished. So try to understand what is cinmayananda. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibha... It, they'll never ends. It goes, nava-nava-yauvana, one after another, new, new, new, new. Just try to understand what is spiritual bliss. You do not... The sahajiyas, they accept this material bliss as spiritual bliss. That is called sahajiya. Don't be sahajiyas. Try to understand according to sastra.
So Krsna is described, this how He becomes Hrsikesa, that goloka eva nivasati. He is enjoying with His associates, the cowherds boys, the gopis, in goloka-namni nija-dhamni. He is enjoying there. At the same time, He is within your heart. This is Krsna, Hrsikesa. He's come simultaneously, not only within your heart, within the atom. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham... [Bs. 5.35]. Not only within your heart, but within the atom. Just imagine. How many atoms there are. So Krsna is everywhere. These are..., we have to take information of Krsna from the sastra. Sastram eva caksusa (?). Vedanta-sutra. Your eyes should be sastra, not your so-called imagination. sastra-caksusa. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama... If you give up the direction of the sastra and manufacture your own way, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah, as you like, then na sa siddhim avapnoti: you will never get siddhi, perfection, never get. Na sa siddhim avap..., na sukham, neither happiness. And what to speak of param gatim, going back to home, back to Godhead. So sastra-caksusa. Everything we have to take from the sastra. Because we are blind now. sastra-caksusa. Our, the sastra-jnana, because the spiritual master enlightens the disciple with sastra-jnana, therefore he is spiritual master. If the spiritual master bluffs the disciple, then he is not spiritual master. Bluffing. No.
om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-guruve namah
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]
This is guru. Guru means he'll always enlighten the disciple with the light of sastra. Not that he will say, "There is no need of sastra. I am incarnation. I, whatever speak, you take it." No. This is rascal. You should immediately, who has no reference to the sastra, immediately take him as a rascal number one. This is the conclusion.
So here is sastra, Bhagavad-gita. Hrsikesa. We have already explained one day. Here also, again we are explaining. Hrsikesa. Krsna. Krsna is there. He never leaves from Vrndavana. He is there. Why? Here also. Just like we see, a very rich man, a very influential man, the president, he lives in his... The Queen, she is in the Buckingham Palace. But she cannot go at the same time anywhere and everywhere. No. She is in, packed up in Buckingham Palace. Krsna is not like that. Therefore He is Hrsikesa. Try to understand the distinction between Krsna and others. Krsna is goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. Atma-bhuta. This atma-bhuta is Hrsikesa. He is giving intelligence. The more you become purified, the more you get direct instruction from Hrsikesa. This is the point. So how you can become purified? Purified means no more influenced by the modes of material nature. That is explained: gudakesa. Gudaka isa. Gudaka means darkness, and isa. When you become master of this material world, or material senses. This material world means material senses. That's all. So if you become master of the material senses, then you become gudakesa. Therefore Arjuna is described here as gudakesa. Arjuna... Don't take Arjuna that he was mistaken. No, he cannot be. How he can be? He is constantly with Krsna. How he can be misdirected? No. That is not possible. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that krsna surya-sama maya andhakara. So gudaka means darkness, maya. So krsna surya-sama maya andhakara. The darkness and light is there always, side by side. We have got experience. Here is sunlight, here is darkness. So these two things are there. So krsna surya-sama maya andhakara, yahan krsna tahan nahi mayara adhikara. Wherever there is Krsna, there is no jurisdiction of darkness or maya.
daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
You can become immediately out of the scope of maya if you always remain surrendered to Krsna. Maya will not touch you. Just like if you remain always in the sunshine, there is no question of night. Nowadays it is very easy. If you simply drive your plane on the western side, you'll never get night. You just round about. Yes. Just like it is materially possible. You drive your plane simply on the western side. Start your plane in the morning and go to the western side and don't stop it. You go on for three, four, as many days as you like. You'll never get night. This is practical. Similarly, if you keep always with Krsna, you are gudakesa, you will never get darkness. Or maya will not touch you. This is Krsna consciousness. So try to become Gudakesa.
The next verse. Krsna Hrsikesa. So He knew the sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah. Krsna is there. Krsna knows what is your purpose, what you want to do, what is your past, future. Everything Krsna knows. Everything Krsna knows. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Vedaham samatitani; "I know everything." So Krsna, sthapayitva, rathottamam sthapayitva. As soon as Arjuna asked Him, senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me 'cyuta [Bg. 1.21], immediately He carried out the order and He knew why he wants. He wanted to see, "With whom I have to fight, my friends and relatives." He's hesitating. So why this ignorance of Arjuna, the question may be. Arjuna is gudakesa. He is above this material world. How he is being affected by his so-called relatives and kinsmen? He was hesitating to fight on this principle, that "They are my relatives. They are my kinsmen. They are my family members." He was always thinking. Therefore Krsna knew it. So he has become so family-wise infected. But he is gudakesa. How it is possible? He is above all these things. Yes, he is above all these things. By Krsna's desire, he is playing like that, ordinary man. Otherwise, how Bhagavad-gita will come? Krsna cannot talk with ordinary person. Krsna cannot fight with ordinary person. Even the demons, when they come, just like Hiranyaksa, Hiranyakasipu. They were Jaya-Vijaya in the Vaikuntha world. So they came here, and Krsna asked them, that "If you become My enemy, then within three births you will come back. And if you remain friend, then seven births." So they preferred, "Oh, I shall become Your enemy, Sir, so that I can come back again after three births." So why? That Krsna has all the propensities. Just like we sometimes want to fight, mock fight. So in the Vaikuntha world there cannot be any fight. So because Krsna wanted to exercise His fighting spirit, He sent His devotee. He became enemy and He fought. So you have to understand Krsna in that way, as Hrsikesa. He knows that unless Arjuna becomes affected family-wise, how Bhagavad-gita will be there? Therefore although Gudakesa, Arjuna, is above darkness, still, by the will of Krsna, Hrsikesa, he played just like ordinary man, affected with his family affection. Therefore Krsna in the next verse says... Uvaca. Krsna said, "My dear Partha, now you wanted to see with whom you have to fight. Now, here is Bhisma, Drona, and many other kings. All the descendants of Kuru dynasty, your Dhrtarastra's sons. Now you see very nicely and be prepared to fight with them." So this is the explanation of Hrsikesa and Gudakesa.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.24-25 -- London, July 20, 1973
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
sanjaya uvaca
evam ukto hrsikeso
gudakesena bharata
senayor ubhayor madhye
sthapayitva rathottamam
[Bg. 1.24]
Translation: "Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, being thus addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krsna drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties."
bhisma-drona-pramukhatah
sarvesam ca mahiksitam
uvaca partha pasyaitan
samavetan kurun iti
[Bg. 1.25]
Translation: "In the presence of Bhisma, Drona and all other chieftains of the world, Hrsikesa, the Lord, said, Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus who are assembled here."
Prabhupada: So sanjaya uvaca. Actually Sanjaya, the secretary of Dhrtarastra, he is relating the activities in the battlefield. Dhrtarastra is blind. How in the battlefield the fighting was going on, Sanjaya was observing, either by television or a similar method. Otherwise, how he could explain things are going on in the battlefield in the room? This Bhagavad-gita, Sanjaya explained, all activities in the battlefield, to Dhrtarastra, within the room. So there must have been something like television or higher than the television, he was seeing within himself everything.
So scientific improvement is coming, but still on the material platform. Material means gross material and subtle material. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita:
bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha
[Bg. 7.4]
Earth, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements are gross material, everyone can see, gross. We can see earth, we can see water. We can see fire, air, or we can perceive the sky also. But there is subtle matter also. Mind, intelligence, ego. We cannot see the mind. We cannot see intelligence. I understand that you have got intelligence, or everyone knows we have got mind, but we cannot see. This is subtle. They are also matter, subtle matter. So the television is a machine made of gross matter, but there is possibility of making another machine of subtle matter. There is possibility. Because matter, they are also matter. That subtle matter machine is not yet discovered. But here we can see the subtle matter discovery was there. Otherwise, how Sanjaya could see the activities in the battlefield? This is to be understood. They are very much proud of material advancement of science, but still, they have to make advancement, subtle matter. And above that subtle matter, within that subtle matter, there is spiritual identity. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah, manasas tu para buddhih [Bg. 3.42].
First of all we can see a person. A person we see, what do we see? The senses. But we cannot see the director of the senses. The director of the senses is the mind. And the director of the mind is intelligence. And the owner of the intelligence is the soul. This is understanding. The soul is there. Whose intelligence? As soon as we shall say intelligence, whose intelligence? That is the soul's intelligence. Wherefrom the intelligence is coming? From Paramatma, Hrsikesa. Therefore this word is used here, hrs ikesa. The intelligence will come from Paramatma. Otherwise we cannot act, just like a child has got intelligence, but it is guided by the parent's intelligence: "My dear son, do like this." And he does it. Similarly, we have got all this mind, intelligence, everything, but that is being guided by the super-intelligence, Krsna. Therefore He is called Hrsikesa. Once we have explained Hrsikesa. So we have to reach that platform where we can talk with Hrsikesa. That is spiritual platform. That is possible. The more you become purified, you can talk with Hrsikesa, who is within yourself. He is not outside. Although He in Goloka Vrndavana, Krsna is always in Vrndavana, in the spiritual world, but because He is Krsna, He can remain with you also at the same time, simultaneously. This is Krsna. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37].
goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
It is proposed, our Mayapura temple will be on this plan. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. The highest planetary system, spiritual, that is spiritual planet, that is named goloka-namni, Goloka Vrndavana. We have given that picture in the Bhagavata cover. Perhaps you know. The topmost original planet is the Goloka. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni. That is the abode of Krsna. Krsna-dhama. Krsna-dhama. People are searching after God. But actually there is the planet where God lives, Krsna lives. But you have got your machine, aeroplane, sputnik. You can reach there, but you cannot reach even the highest planet, even on this material planet, material universe. Everyone sees. We see the stars or planets. Now you have got the machine; you go there. No. You cannot go. You are so limited. Even you cannot go to the moon planet, which is so nearest. You cannot go. But still, we are proud of our these airplanes, sputniks. We are thinking, "Now we have become God." These rascals they do not know what is God. They are all rascals. They have no idea what is God. Therefore they have accepted another rascal as God. This is going on. You cannot reach. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam, so 'pyasti yat prapada-simny avicintya-tattve [Bs. 5.34]. Sastra gives you. Just like your material science also gives you information that there is one planet, highest planet, and one can go there by sputnik in forty thousands of years. So who is going to live forty thousand years to reach there? But they have got theoretically all these things. The highest planet. Material. That is not spiritual.
So after finishing this material world, there is covering of the universe, stock matter, mahat-tattva, wherefrom all these material comings. There is stock. So you have to penetrate through that stock material. And each layer of stock is ten times more than the other. So you have to pierce through the stock, material stock; then you reach the spiritual world. And the spiritual world, there are many... "Many" means three times more than these universes. This universe, this material universe, is only one-fourth manifestation of Krsna's creation. Ekamsena sthito jagat. When Arjuna inquired from Krsna, "So would you kindly explain little of your opulence." "Yes." So He said, "I am this. Out of this, I am this." He summarized,
athava bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat
[Bg. 10.42]
Ekamsena. You are seeing this universe. This universe -- only a fragment of the material creation, a fragment. Caitanya Mahaprabhu informed us... One of His devotees requested Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "My dear Lord, You have come personally. You kindly take all the living entities to the spiritual world. Be kind enough upon them. And if you think that they are so sinful they cannot be taken, then transfer all their sins unto me. You take them. You take them." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to smile that "Even if I take the all the living entities of the universe, but do you know, this universe is only one fragmental part of other, all other universes. There are many other universes." And He compared that "In a bag where, bag full of mustard seeds..." Just imagine, a big bag of mustard seeds. "And this universe is just like one mustard seed." There are so many universes, so many universes. And it is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Jagad-anda. Jagad-anda means this universe. Brahmanda, jagad-anda. Koti, innumerable. Jagad-anda-koti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. And each universe there are innumerable planets. And each planet is different from others. This is God's creation. And these rascals are manufacturing God. And there is other description also. Yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. This jagad-anda, the universe. And there, in each universe, there is a controller of the universe, Brahma. He is called jagad-anda-natha, master of this universe. Because it is controlled by Brahma, therefore each universe is called brahmanda. It is controlled by Brahma. So in the Brahma-samhita we get information: jagad-anda-nathah, plural number. There are many, many thousands jagad-anda... Not only one Brahma. Many millions of Brahmas, many millions of Siva, many millions of Visnu, many millions of sun. Because there are many millions of universes. Now, just imagine. This is material creation. And that material creation, Krsna says, ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. Taking all the material universes, it is only one-fourth creation of the Lord. And the three fourths creation is the spiritual world. Just imagine what is spiritual world. And in that spiritual, the topmost planet is Goloka.
So you cannot go even in the moon planet. How you can go to that spiritual planet penetrating the material coverings coming to the spiritual effulgence, Brahman, and after all these universes, then...? Therefore it is said, panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyah. Koti-sata-vatsara, millions of years, if you go with your sputnik with full force... Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara. Not this sputnik, but make your planes of mind speed. This is material speed. What is this speed? A few thousands, twenty thousand, fifty thousand. But do you know mind speed? You are sitting here, and immediately, within a second, you can go to India. This is mind speed. Immediately. So panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara sampragamyo vayor athapi [Bs. 5.34]. By the air speed or mind speed. Vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam. And driven by great scientists, muni-pungava. Pungava means very expert, nara-pungava. So big, big scientists, expert scientists, if they can discover airplane which is running on mind speed or air speed... They are not, they cannot go by the air speed. They fly on the air, but not with the air speed. So in this way, still, avicintya-tattve, after going many, many millions of years in that speed, still you will find, "Oh, Goloka Vrndavana is far, far away." This is the position.
And we are explaining what is Krsna. Don't consider Krsna is ordinary human being. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because He kindly appears before us just like ordinary human being, don't think that He is like us. It is the conclusion. Just like these rascals, they think that "Because Krsna appeared as a human being, I am also God. I am also God. Why Krsna shall be alone God?" So we are trying to explain what is Krsna, Hrsikesa. Hrsikesa. Then goloka-namni. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. Goloka eva nivasati.
ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis
tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih
goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.37]
So our worship is very simple. Tam aham bhajami. We worship that Govinda, adi-purusam. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. We don't worship ordinary so-called rascals. We worship Govinda. How Govinda is? The Govinda's description is Brahma-samhita. That Govinda, ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih: "He is always in the spiritual world, which is ananda-cinmaya-rasa." Not this kind of ananda -- cinmayananda, spiritual bliss. Spiritual bliss means it is continually going on; still, nobody is fed up. Here you can accept any ananda in this material world, so many things. It cannot go on very long time. Suppose if I give you rasagulla, one rasagulla, you can take: "Oh, very nice." Another, "Very nice." Another, "Nice." Then next four or five, "No, I do not want." Finished. Similarly, any ananda you can take. Sex life. It cannot be continued. Finished. So try to understand what is cinmayananda. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibha... It, they'll never ends. It goes, nava-nava-yauvana, one after another, new, new, new, new. Just try to understand what is spiritual bliss. You do not... The sahajiyas, they accept this material bliss as spiritual bliss. That is called sahajiya. Don't be sahajiyas. Try to understand according to sastra.
So Krsna is described, this how He becomes Hrsikesa, that goloka eva nivasati. He is enjoying with His associates, the cowherds boys, the gopis, in goloka-namni nija-dhamni. He is enjoying there. At the same time, He is within your heart. This is Krsna, Hrsikesa. He's come simultaneously, not only within your heart, within the atom. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham... [Bs. 5.35]. Not only within your heart, but within the atom. Just imagine. How many atoms there are. So Krsna is everywhere. These are..., we have to take information of Krsna from the sastra. Sastram eva caksusa (?). Vedanta-sutra. Your eyes should be sastra, not your so-called imagination. sastra-caksusa. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama... If you give up the direction of the sastra and manufacture your own way, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah, as you like, then na sa siddhim avapnoti: you will never get siddhi, perfection, never get. Na sa siddhim avap..., na sukham, neither happiness. And what to speak of param gatim, going back to home, back to Godhead. So sastra-caksusa. Everything we have to take from the sastra. Because we are blind now. sastra-caksusa. Our, the sastra-jnana, because the spiritual master enlightens the disciple with sastra-jnana, therefore he is spiritual master. If the spiritual master bluffs the disciple, then he is not spiritual master. Bluffing. No.
om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-guruve namah
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]
This is guru. Guru means he'll always enlighten the disciple with the light of sastra. Not that he will say, "There is no need of sastra. I am incarnation. I, whatever speak, you take it." No. This is rascal. You should immediately, who has no reference to the sastra, immediately take him as a rascal number one. This is the conclusion.
So here is sastra, Bhagavad-gita. Hrsikesa. We have already explained one day. Here also, again we are explaining. Hrsikesa. Krsna. Krsna is there. He never leaves from Vrndavana. He is there. Why? Here also. Just like we see, a very rich man, a very influential man, the president, he lives in his... The Queen, she is in the Buckingham Palace. But she cannot go at the same time anywhere and everywhere. No. She is in, packed up in Buckingham Palace. Krsna is not like that. Therefore He is Hrsikesa. Try to understand the distinction between Krsna and others. Krsna is goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. Atma-bhuta. This atma-bhuta is Hrsikesa. He is giving intelligence. The more you become purified, the more you get direct instruction from Hrsikesa. This is the point. So how you can become purified? Purified means no more influenced by the modes of material nature. That is explained: gudakesa. Gudaka isa. Gudaka means darkness, and isa. When you become master of this material world, or material senses. This material world means material senses. That's all. So if you become master of the material senses, then you become gudakesa. Therefore Arjuna is described here as gudakesa. Arjuna... Don't take Arjuna that he was mistaken. No, he cannot be. How he can be? He is constantly with Krsna. How he can be misdirected? No. That is not possible. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that krsna surya-sama maya andhakara. So gudaka means darkness, maya. So krsna surya-sama maya andhakara. The darkness and light is there always, side by side. We have got experience. Here is sunlight, here is darkness. So these two things are there. So krsna surya-sama maya andhakara, yahan krsna tahan nahi mayara adhikara. Wherever there is Krsna, there is no jurisdiction of darkness or maya.
daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
You can become immediately out of the scope of maya if you always remain surrendered to Krsna. Maya will not touch you. Just like if you remain always in the sunshine, there is no question of night. Nowadays it is very easy. If you simply drive your plane on the western side, you'll never get night. You just round about. Yes. Just like it is materially possible. You drive your plane simply on the western side. Start your plane in the morning and go to the western side and don't stop it. You go on for three, four, as many days as you like. You'll never get night. This is practical. Similarly, if you keep always with Krsna, you are gudakesa, you will never get darkness. Or maya will not touch you. This is Krsna consciousness. So try to become Gudakesa.
The next verse. Krsna Hrsikesa. So He knew the sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah. Krsna is there. Krsna knows what is your purpose, what you want to do, what is your past, future. Everything Krsna knows. Everything Krsna knows. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Vedaham samatitani; "I know everything." So Krsna, sthapayitva, rathottamam sthapayitva. As soon as Arjuna asked Him, senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me 'cyuta [Bg. 1.21], immediately He carried out the order and He knew why he wants. He wanted to see, "With whom I have to fight, my friends and relatives." He's hesitating. So why this ignorance of Arjuna, the question may be. Arjuna is gudakesa. He is above this material world. How he is being affected by his so-called relatives and kinsmen? He was hesitating to fight on this principle, that "They are my relatives. They are my kinsmen. They are my family members." He was always thinking. Therefore Krsna knew it. So he has become so family-wise infected. But he is gudakesa. How it is possible? He is above all these things. Yes, he is above all these things. By Krsna's desire, he is playing like that, ordinary man. Otherwise, how Bhagavad-gita will come? Krsna cannot talk with ordinary person. Krsna cannot fight with ordinary person. Even the demons, when they come, just like Hiranyaksa, Hiranyakasipu. They were Jaya-Vijaya in the Vaikuntha world. So they came here, and Krsna asked them, that "If you become My enemy, then within three births you will come back. And if you remain friend, then seven births." So they preferred, "Oh, I shall become Your enemy, Sir, so that I can come back again after three births." So why? That Krsna has all the propensities. Just like we sometimes want to fight, mock fight. So in the Vaikuntha world there cannot be any fight. So because Krsna wanted to exercise His fighting spirit, He sent His devotee. He became enemy and He fought. So you have to understand Krsna in that way, as Hrsikesa. He knows that unless Arjuna becomes affected family-wise, how Bhagavad-gita will be there? Therefore although Gudakesa, Arjuna, is above darkness, still, by the will of Krsna, Hrsikesa, he played just like ordinary man, affected with his family affection. Therefore Krsna in the next verse says... Uvaca. Krsna said, "My dear Partha, now you wanted to see with whom you have to fight. Now, here is Bhisma, Drona, and many other kings. All the descendants of Kuru dynasty, your Dhrtarastra's sons. Now you see very nicely and be prepared to fight with them." So this is the explanation of Hrsikesa and Gudakesa.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.24-25 -- London, July 20, 1973
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