All Troublesome Is Destroyed

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.18
October 29, 1972, Vrndavana



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

nasta-prayesv abhadresu
nityam bhagavata-sevaya
bhagavaty uttama-sloke
bhaktir bhavati naisthiki
[SB 1.2.18]

Translation: "By regularly hearing the Bhagavata and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is described as an irrevocable fact."

Prabhupada: Nasta-prayesu abhadresu. Abhadra. We have discussed yesterday, abhadrani: all dirty things. This material life means dirty life. People do not understand it. They think by nice dress and nice apartment and nicely washed body, that is civilization. They do not know what is the dirty things which has attacked him. What is the contamination, that he does not know. Lokasya ajanatah. It is said that the fools, rascals, they do not know it.

anarthopasamam saksad
bhakti-yogam adhoksaje
lokasyajanato vidvams
cakre satvata-samhitam

The anartha... In the name of civilization, we have increased so many unwanted things, unnecessarily. This is called anartha. Artha means which is substance. So just like we can give so many examples. When there was no so-called advancement of civilization, people used to eat on utensils made of silver, gold, at least metal. Now they're using plastic. And still, they are proud of advancement of civilization. Actually it is anartha, anartha, unwanted things. At least, in, two hundred years ago in India, there was no industry. I think I am correct. Yes. But people were so happy. They did not have to go two hundred miles or five hundred miles away from home and for earning livelihood. In Europe and America, I see people are going for earning their livelihood by aeroplane, daily passengers. I've seen. From Vancouver, they were coming to Montreal and other places. Five hundred miles. At least fifty miles, one must go. In New York, many people are coming from distant place, Long Islands, crossing the sea, and then again bus, again... Anartha, simply unnecessary. People...

Canakya Pandita says that "Who is happy?" He says, "The man who does not go out of home, and who is not a debtor he is happy." Very simple thing. Who does not go out of home, and he's not a debtor, he's happy. So now we see everyone is out of home, and everyone is a great debtor. So how you can be happy? In America the bank canvasses that "You take money, you purchase motorcar, you purchase your house, and, as soon as you get your salary, you give me." That's all. Finished. You take the card... American... What is it called? Am-card? Yes.

Syamasundara: Bankamericard.

Prabhupada: "Bank-card" or something. "Bank-rupt." (laughter) You see? So you take the card and you purchase whatever you like. And deposit your money in the bank. Then again, you are without any money. Simply that card. That's all.

So actually we are creating anarthas. Anarthas means unwanted things. So just like practical example: anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. If one is engaged in bhakti-yoga practice, devotional service, immediately the anarthas will be diminished. Just like our students. Since they have joined this Krsna consciousness movement... They were all Americans, Europeans. They knew how to increase anarthas, unwanted things. It is confirmed. Immediately they have given up the cinema bill, the gambling bill, and so many bills. And medical bill also. We don't pay very much medical bill. That's a fact. So actually Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that if one takes to it, immediately he reduces so many rascal anarthas which is not required. Does a man die without smoking? It is anartha, un..., unnecessary. They are habituated by bad association. Sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho 'bhijayate. By bad association, they learn how to smoke, how to gamble, how to eat... Just like, in India, so-called gentlemen, they go to hotel to taste meat, cow's flesh, how it is tasting. I know, personally, some friends.

So these are anarthas. So Suta Gosvami said that if you want to reduce your anarthas, which are not wanted... Anartha upasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. If you engage yourself in devotional service of the Lord, then immediately, directly, the anarthas will be diminished. Which is not required, unnecessary. Anartha upasamam saksad bhakti-yoga... Just like in America, the government is spending lots of money, millions of dollars, to stop this intoxication habit of the young men, LSD. But they do not know. How they can be stopped? The government is so rascal that they do not know. Government means full of rogues and rascals. I tell you, frankly. They do not know. Here it is the medicine given, and it is practically happening. Anyone who is coming to us, although he was habituated to so many bad habits, immediately gives up. No intoxication, immediately. But they will not come to patronize this movement. They'll pay their officers and spend lavishly for some nonsense program and plan. Is it not? Yes. Here is the medicine: anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. Teach people bhakti-yogam. All anarthas will be vanquished immediately. Anartha. Anarthas means things which are not required. Anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje, lokasya ajanatah.

But these foolish people, they do not know. Here is the remedy. They don't consult the perfect knowledge, Vedic knowledge. They won't consult. They will manufacture their own ways. That, this is the... Lokasya ajanatah. Because these fools, they do not know, how to get out of the clutches of unwanted things. Therefore vidvan, one who knows, vidvan... Vit means knowledge, and van means one who possesses. Vidvan. So Vyasadeva, vidvan, the perfect vidvan, lokasya ajanato vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam. Vidvan, Vyasadeva, has made this Srimad-Bhagavatam. Take shelter of Srimad-Bhagavatam and you know perfectly how you can diminish your unwanted things. And the simple process is, as we have already discussed yesterday, that

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
[SB 1.2.17]

If you simply hear about Krsna,... Krsna is speaking Himself in the Bhagavad-gita. Don't malinterpret. Simply hear as Arjuna heard it. Sometimes some rascals say that "Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna heard directly, but we do not find now Krsna. So how we can hear?" His words are there. Krsna is not different from His words. He's absolute. If you read Bhagavad-gita as it is through disciplic succession, then you are as good as Arjuna, hearing directly from Krsna. There is no difference. But if you ras..., play rascaldom, "This word means this, this word means that, this word means..." This is rascaldom. If you play rascaldom, then you'll remain a rascal. You'll not improve. But if you hear exactly like Arjuna...

As Arjuna said, sarvam etad rtam manye [Bg. 10.14], "My dear Krsna, whatever You are saying, that is all right, in toto. I don't misinterpret." Param, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. This understanding of... You understand Bhagavad-gita as it is in devotion, bhakto 'si. Krsna instructed Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna. He said that this Bhagavad-gita, this yoga system is now lost. Yoga-nastah parantapa. "Now I shall again begin that yoga through you. Because you are My devotee." Bhakto 'si. Krsna did not go to find out a Vedantist to teach, a so-called Vedantist. "A Vedantist" means he's devotee. Veda. Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. So what is the ultimate knowledge? Ultimate knowledge is described: bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. That is ultimate knowledge. After speculating life after life, when one comes to the point to surrender unto Krsna, that is real knowledge. That is real knowledge. Unless you come to the point of surrendering unto Krsna, your knowledge is defective. You may advertise yourself as very learned scholar, but we have got simple formula. Our position is strong and simple. We... We take the words of Krsna and corroborate with Krsna's words.

Now, when I see, when we see that one man is not a devotee or Krsna, or he does not surrender to Krsna, immediately we take him belonging to the four classes: duskrtinah, mudhah, naradhamah, mayaya apahrta-jnanah. Immediately we take. It doesn't require much time to test him, what he is, because he has no surrender to Krsna and talks all nonsense. There are so many Gita explainers in our country -- simply talking nonsense, minus Krsna. That's all. Bhagavad-gita means minus Krsna. That's all. Such rascals have spoiled the whole country, you see. Everyone is so... Politicians, and this, that, all, they are... "Oh, we are student of Bhagavad-gita." And what do you know about Krsna? "Krsna is zero." That's all. This is going on. So therefore Krsna says, na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. So we have to hear. If we actually want to diminish our anarthas, then we must hear Krsna as He's speaking, without any interpretation.

So this is the process of diminishing all dirty things within the heart. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah, hrdy antah-sthah [SB 1.2.17]. Krsna is hrdy antah-sthah, within your heart. Vidhunoti. He washes all dirty things. Krsna is taking charge of washing your dirty things. Simply by hearing about, you... Why don't you take this opportunity? What is this nonsense? Krsna simply says that "You hear about, from Me." Satatam kirtayanto mam [Bg. 9.14]. "Always chanting about Me, and hearing about Me." Simple process. But the rascals will not take. They will make humbugs, jugglery of words: "This is meaning, this is meaning, this is meaning." Therefore they do not advance. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. The story of anchor. The anchor was not taken, and the whole night they rowed on the boat, and it was where it was there.

Now, the next verse is that if you hear about Krsna from Krsna or Krsna's representative, not from bogus men... According to this Vedic philosophy, if somebody speaks about Bhagavad-gita, but he's not a Vaisnava... Sanatana Gosvami has forbidden that "Don't hear from him." Because he will create rascal. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said, mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa. If you hear about Krsna from an impersonalist, so-called Mayavadi, then your future is doomed, finished. And Sanatana Gosvami has said,

avaisnava-mukhodgirnam
putam hari-kathamrtam
sravanam naiva kartavyam
sarpocchistam yatha payah

Avaisnava. Those who are not following the principles of Vaisnava behavior, professional. There are some professional reciters. That is forbidden. Don't hear from them. Now here it is said, nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. It is not said saptaham bhagavata-sevaya. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Where this saptaha comes, I do not know. Is Bhagavata such a thing that by hearing one saptaha he'll understand everything? He cannot understand one word by reading Bhagavata-saptaha, what to speak of eighteen thousand verses. The whole Vedic knowledge is there. Nigma-kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam. What you'll understand? This is profession.

The real prescription is given here: nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Every day or every moment, you should remember Bhagavatam. Then nasta-prayesu abhadresu, the dirty things which are within our heart, that is the... The process is going on to wash the dirty things. And the process is hearing about Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness movement, is that, that you hear about Krsna patiently and the dirty things within your heart will go away. What is the dirty things? The dirty things is the rajas-tamo-bhavah. That will be explained. So by hearing about Krsna from Krsna or from His devotee, nasta-prayesu, not completely finished... The contamination is there.

Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,

api cet su-duracaro
bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah
samyag vyavasito hi sah
[Bg. 9.30]

Nasta-prayesu, one who has taken to devotional service, hearing about Krsna, he has not become completely perfect even. Because, due to his past habit, he may do something wrong. Just like one was habituated in smoking. And he has taken initiation, and he has taken to Krsna consciousness, but due to the influence of some friend, he sometimes, suppose he smokes. So if unconsciously induced by others he commits some sinful activity, that is excused. But if he consciously does something sinful activity, that is not excused. Krsna says therefore that api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak. If he sticks to the devotional service sincerely, but due to his past habit, if he's seen that he has committed something wrong, so Krsna said, "Still, he's sadhu." Sadhur eva sa mantavyah, samyag vyavasito hi... [Bg. 9.30]. Because his faith in Krsna is there. Therefore he is sadhu.

Now one may say that "He's not following strictly the rules." But intentionally, if he's doing so, then it is very risky. He'll fall down. But by chance, if he does so, the next line says, ksipram bhavati dharmatma. Because he's sticking to Krsna consciousness, he will be again reformed. Ksipram. Very soon, he'll be reformed. These are, the things are there. Therefore it is said, nasta-prayesu. Not that completely one becomes perfect. Even prayesu, almost perfect, still, almost, not that completely, abhadresu, he has, he's trying to give up all bad habits, unwanted things. Nasta-prayesu abhadresu. How it is possible? Nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. Not saptaham bhagavata-sevaya, officially. This is karma-kandiya. "I sit down for one saptaha in a year, and then 357 days I do all nonsense." No. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya. One has to serve bhagavata.

Bhagavata means this, one who is related with Bhagavan. Bhagavata. From bhagavat-sabda, from the word bhagavata, bhagavata. So bhagavata means the grantha-bhagavata, the book Bhagavata, and the devotee bhagavata. So either you read Srimad-Bhagavatam... But Srimad-Bhagavatam should be relished, understood through person bhagavatam. It is recommendation. Svarupa Damodara, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's secretary, personal secretary, he chastised one brahmana. He wrote something wrong, and after all, he gave him advice that "If you want to study Bhagavata, then bhagavata paro giya bhagavata sthane(?), try to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam from a devotee, not from a professional man who is earning his livelihood by reading Bhagavata." He must be practical bhagavata. Then you will gain. Sanatana Gosvami has also said that avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam. Hari-katha, amrta, nectar, but still, although it is amrta, it is not to be received from the mouth of a non-devotee. One must be practical devotee, pure devotee. When he speaks, you should receive Bhagavata, the message of Bhagavata, Bhagavad-gita from him. Avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam, sravanam naiva kartavyam. Do not hear. Reject. Professional readers. Reject immediately. Those who are earning their livelihood by the Bhagavata reading profession, you should immediately reject. This is the injunction. Not that "Oh, here is Bhagavata. Here is Bhagavata. I must sit down." No. Sanatana Gosvami says no. Sravanam naiva kartavyam.

Why? Hari-katha. "He may be whatever he may be, but he's speaking Bhagavata. What is the harm to hear from him?" One can argue like that. No, Sanatana Gosvami says, "Yes, sarpocchistam yatha payah. Milk is amrta, nice, but as soon as it is touched by the tongue of a serpent, it is, it is poison." Sarpocchistam yatha payah. He has given this very example. Milk is very nice, undoubtedly. Everyone will agree. But as soon as it is touched by the lip of a serpent, you cannot drink it. Then you'll die. Now Caitanya Mahaprabhu has also warned like that, that mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa. If you hear from a Mayavadi who misinterprets things according to their whims, so then you'll be spoiled. You'll not get any benefit. And Svarupa Damodara, secretary of Lord Caitanya, he has also the same thing, that bhagavata paro giya bhagavata sthane. Those who are practical bhagavata, life bhagavata, from them, from him try to understand Bhagavata.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction, His secretary's instruction, and Sanatana Gosvamis... These are mahajana. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We have to follow the path of great personalities. Not of the fools and rascals. Then you'll get the result.

satam prasangan mama virya-samvido
bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah
taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani
sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati

This is the process. So nityam bhagavata-sevaya, nasta-prayesu abhadresu [SB 1.2.18]. Not even completely. Because you cannot approach Krsna in sinful life. Those who are thinking that "We are living in Vrndavana, and I can do all sinful activities because I am living in Vrndavana. Vrndavana-raja will cure me, will purify me." That's a fact. Yes. But if you go on indulging in such sinful activities, then you'll have to live in Vrndavana in like the hogs and monkeys. At least one life you have to spend like that. Then you'll be purified. So why should you waste you're time in that way? Dhamaparadha. If one is committing sinful activities in the dhama, Vrndavana-dhama, that is a great offense. Namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. These are the injunction of the sastras.

So we should be very careful. We should finish our business very quickly. Turnam yateta. Why should we take another risk of become hog and live in Vrndavana? Don't take that risk. Nasta-prayesu abhadresu. Finish all contamination, dirty things, and become completely pure. Because Krsna is param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. He's complete pure. Apapa-viddham. In the Isopanisad: Krsna is uncontaminated, complete. Any contaminated thing goes to Krsna, He makes purified. Just like the gopis. Actually they approached Krsna in a lusty attitude, but because He was Krsna, He, they become purified. So it is not that we shall purposefully remain impure and approach Krsna, but the process is that if you regularly hear about Krsna and serve Srimad-Bhagavatam, or a devotee, then gradually your contaminated things being washed off, bhagavaty uttama-sloke bhaktir bhavati naisthiki. The result will be bhagavati, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by uttama-sloka, by transcendental prayers...

Just like Brahma-samhita. This is not ordinary words. All Vedic words, they are not ordinary, mundane words. Just like Hare Krsna mantra. This is not mundane sound. This is transcendental sound. Golokera prema-dhana hari-nama-sankirtana. Hari-nama-sankirtana is not a, a, mean, a material sound. Therefore it is effective. But if you contaminate it, it will not be effective. If you take it, Bhaga..., Hari-nama, purely, without any offense -- there are ten kinds of offenses -- then it will act immediately. Immediately it will act.

golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana,
rati na janmilo kene tay
samsara-bisanale, diba-nisi hiya jvale
juraite na koinu upay

So this is the upaya. If we actually serious to get out of these material clutches, then we should hear regularly about Krsna from a pure devotee of Krsna. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. Then bhagavaty uttama-sloke bhaktir bhavati naisthiki, then your firm steady, steadiness in devotional service will be fixed up. Bhakti... Naisthiki. Naisthiki means nobody can, I mean, push out of it. That is naisthiki, nistha, firm faith, drdha-vrata. In ordinary case, in neophyte state, if somebody says that "Why you are...?" You'll be surprised. This girl, Sri Sarasv..., Sarasvati... Some boy said, "Oh, why you are chanting? This is not very good." He, she gave her (him) a slap. Just see. Naisthiki. How firmly she is fixed up, although she is a small child. Bhaktir bhavati naisthiki. Nobody can deviate him (her). A pure devotee of Krsna cannot be deviated. You cannot cheat him. No. He'll give you a slap. Naisthik..., bhavati, bhavati naisthiki.

So that is required. Tato nistha rucis tatah, athasaktis tato bhavah, sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah. Anartha, when the... The same thing is described by Rupa Gosvami. As it is said here, nasta-prayesu abhadresu. These abhadra, these anartha... Anartha-nivrttih syat. Bhakti, when, if one takes seriously to bhakti path, then the test is that he has given up all nonsense unwanted things. Not that he's a bhakta, and still smoking. He's not a bhakta. He's not a bhakta. That is the test. So these things are to be noted very carefully, and to try to associate with devotee. Tandera carana-sebi-bhakta-sane bas. Try to serve the superior acaryas, Gosvamis. Ei chay gosai janr mui tanr das. Make a conviction, firm determination, that "We shall follow only the, the path chalked out by the Six Gosvamis. We shall not deviate." With this determination, if you can go on, everything is clear, and there is no difficulty to become liberated or become a devotee of Krsna.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972

Krishna Wants His Children

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17
August 20, 1972, Los Angeles



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna:

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Translation: "Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is also the Paramatma in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, does cleanse the desire for material enjoyment in the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His (Krsna's) messages, which are themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted."

Prabhupada: So Krsna is very selfish. He says... Here it is said: sva-kathah krsnah. Anyone who is engaged in hearing Krsna's katha. Katha means words, messages. So, in the Bhagavad-gita also, Krsna says, mam ekam: "Only unto Me." Ekam. This is required. Although everything is Krsna, but according to the pantheist theory we cannot worship everything. Everything is Krsna, that's a fact, but that does not mean we have to worship everything; we have to worship Krsna. The Mayavadi philosophers, they say, "If everything is Krsna, so whatever I worship, I am worshiping Krsna." No. That is wrong.

Just like the same example can be given that in the body, I am this body, everything "I," or "mine," but when foodstuff is to be taken, it is not to be pushed through the rectum, but through the mouth. That is the only one. You cannot say, "The body has got nine holes: two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, one mouth, one rectum, one genital -- nine holes. So why not push the food in any hole?" That is Mayavadi theory. "After all," they say, "the foodstuff has to be given to the body, inside the body. So I can push the foodstuff through any hole. There are so many holes." Sometimes in medical science, when it is impossible to push food through the mouth, they push through the rectum. That is artificial. But emergency, they do sometimes. But that is not the way. The real way is that food is required to be given to the body, but it must be given through the mouth, not through any other hole.

Similarly, if we actually want our contact with the Absolute Truth, then we have to go through Krsna. Krsna has many forms. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs 5.33]. Ananta-rupam. So... Because nothing is but Krsna, everything is Krsna's energy, the process is... To contact the Absolute Truth means Krsna. Therefore Krsna here says... Not Krsna. Vyasadeva says, through Suta Gosvami, that "Krsna is very kind, very friendly to the suhrt satam." Satam. Satam means devotees. He is very intimately in friendship with devotees. Krsna's another qualification is bhakta-vatsala. Here it is also said, suhrt-satam. Satam means devotees. He is friend of everyone. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Without Krsna being friend of everyone, nobody can live for a moment. You are... Krsna is protecting everyone, supplying food to everyone.

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman

Eka, that one person, supreme personality... There are... We are all personalities. All living entities, we are all personalities. We are not a homogeneous lump. Everyone has got individual, individuality. So every one of is a individual personality. Everyone. So Krsna is the supreme personality. That is the difference. He is also an individual. The only difference is that He is supreme; we are all subordinate. We are dependent on Krsna. If Krsna does not manage things nicely, then we are doomed. Just like we were walking on the sea beach. Such a vast ocean. We are confident that "The sea waves cannot come beyond this line." We are confident. Therefore we are walking. But actually, the vast ocean, within a second, it can succumbic(?), so many cities. But by whose order it is keeping the honor, "No, not beyond this. You may be very great, that's all right, but not beyond this line, demarcated"? This is Krsna's order.

The sun is so big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, and so powerful, blazing fire. You know, those who are scientific men, they know, the sun has got his orbit, and little deviation from the orbit can turn the whole world into snow, and turn the whole world into blazing fire. Where is our scientist friend? Is it not a fact? (Svarupa Damodara makes reply) Yes. It is running under certain orbit exactly, because a little deviation from the orbit will create havoc, catastrophe. Immediately. Either fire or snow. So under whose order the sun is so strictly following the demarcation? Such a big body. Our, in our practical experience, if he has got heavy body, he moves like this. He's not steady. But such a huge body is exactly... According to astronomical calculation, they calculate, some one ten-thousandth part of a second, in this way.

So we have to study this, under whose order... They say there is no God, but how these things, the natural functions, are being performed strictly, without any deviation? That is replied in the Brahma-samhita:

yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam
raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah
yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

The sun is the eye for all planets. We are very much proud of our eyes. "Can you show me?" What, nonsense, what can you see? Eh? You cannot see anything without sun. You are so much proud of your eyes? You cannot see. Why do you say, "Can you show me?" First of all be qualified to see. Then you can see. But the rascals say, "Can you show me God?" They cannot see even ordinary things if there is no sunshine, and they want to see God. Just see. How much lunatic, crazy. You can see God, but you have to qualify the eyes. Then you can see.

So the sun is our eyes, actually. Not only this planet, all the planets within this universe. Therefore it is said in the Brahma..., yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam. The gayatri-mantra, gayatri-mantra, om bhur bhuvah svah, that is worshiping the sun, sun-god, savita, savitr. So, yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam. Raja samasta-grahanam. Just like there is king, president, similarly, the sun planet is the king of all planets. (aside:) Those who are standing, they can stand near the wall; don't block. Yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam raja samasta-sura-murtih. All the demigods, they are worshiping. This gayatri-mantra... Yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah. Unlimited temperature, unlimited temperature. For millions and millions of years it is diffusing temperature, and if it is little more, we become, ninety millions away, ninety millions of miles away, still, little rising of temperature, we become suffocated. Asesa-tejah, unlimited temperature. And moving, yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah, yasyajnaya, "by whose order," bhramati, "is moving," sambhrta-kala-cakrah, "the orbit." Sun has got orbit. Sixteen thousand miles per second moving. But moving how? Not a little deviation. Exactly in the line. Because little deviation will cause havoc. Just the same way: a little pouncing over, the whole sea, finished Los Angeles. You see?

So this is the order of Krsna. That is admitted, all Vedas. Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakrah, yasyajnaya..., govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. So Krsna is such powerful. We should know what is Krsna. And these rascals, they are becoming incarnation of Krsna, Krsna personally present. Where is your power like this? If somebody kicks on your face with boot, you cannot do anything, and you are becoming God. You see? So Krsna is so powerful, at the same time so kind. Just see His kindness. Simply you hear His words, sva-katha, krsna-katha. He is speaking in the Bhagavad-gita. You hear. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] "You just become My devotee," Krsna says. Man-manah, "Always think of Me." Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah, "Just become My devotee." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji, "You worship Me." Mam namaskuru, "Just offer your obeisances unto Me."

We cannot do that? Is that very difficult thing? If we hear patiently, with a little attention, and hear Krsna's words, what Krsna is saying in the Bhagavad-gita or what is spoken about Krsna in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, simply if we hear. We don't require any qualification, any education, any Ph.D., M.S.T, this, that. No. Simply Krsna has given you the ears. So you can hear. What is the difficulty? Krsna is so kind, If you simply become a little inclined to hear about Him... If you hear and do not understand what Krsna is speaking and what is spoken about Krsna, you do not understand... Suppose you have no education, you do not understand Sanskrit or even English translation. Still, simply by hearing, srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah [SB 1.2.17], by simply hearing, punya-sravana-kirtanah. Punya means pious. We are all sinful. Life after life, we have committed sins, and this body is the evidence that we are sinful, this material body. It may be degrees different, but anyone who has got a material body, he is sinful. So every one of us is sinful, but simply by hearing...

Hearing, this hearing is possible in this human form of life. But even cats and dogs, if they hear, even the trees and ants and insects, they hear, they will also gain the benefit. This transcendental vibration. We human beings, we hear about Krsna, we can understand about something that "Krsna is saying like this," but the small child, or an animal, or even trees, insects, if they hear this Hare Krsna mantra, they'll be benefited. They will be benefited. This is the fact. Because the vibration... Just like when there is thunderbolt vibration, that vibration has got effect on everything... That is scientific. Everything. Similarly, this vibration of Hare Krsna mantra is so strong that it will benefit anyone who hears. Therefore we are sending sankirtana party. They may understand or not understand, they may appreciate or not appreciate, we are forcing them to become pious simply by hearing this Hare Krsna mantra. It is so nice.

Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. The whole world is full of sinful life. So we are creating the atmosphere, punya-sravana. Chanting and hearing. Simply by these two processes. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Punya, pious. So anyone who is coming here, even he does not understand a single word which we are speaking, if he simply hears, he becomes pious. Simply by hearing. Even a our child, he becomes pious. And unless we are free from our sinful life, we cannot understand about God.

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

This is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. So those who are sinful, they cannot understand what is God. Therefore the whole world is godless. They are so sinful, their life, their civilization, has been made so much sinful, the four principles of sinful: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. The whole world is full of these four business. Therefore they are all sinful. He may dress like a very nice gentleman, but he's a sinful man. So he cannot understand. Therefore it is very difficult to convince these rascals about God. They say, "I am, everyone is God, I am God, you are God, God is dead." They are so dull. You see? Therefore our business is to cleanse their heart.

So we vibrate, and Krsna helps from within. Krsna said, Suta Gosvami said, srnvatam... Those who are giving, who are taking the chance of hearing Hare Krsna mantra... srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah [SB 1.2.17]. Krsnah is nominative case. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. Anything hearing about Krsna, that is also pious. Krsna is supposed to be doing something according to our material calculation, killing somebody. Or Krsna is dancing with other's wife. According to material calculation, this is not allowed. You cannot dance with the other's wife, not in your country, but that is the Vedic civilization. But Krsna did it. Although the gopis came to dance with Him, captivated by His beauty, but they became purified, punya-sravana-kirtanah. If simply by hearing about Krsna one becomes pious, how they become pious simply by dancing with Krsna? This is the theory. Not that Krsna wanted some young girls to dance with Him. He can create millions of young girls, immediately. But were they devotees. They wanted to dance with Krsna, might be captivated by His beauty. But they wanted Krsna. Krsna gave them chance, "All right, come on. Dance with Me. And be purified." Just try to understand. Just simply by hearing about Krsna, one becomes purified, and what to speak of persons who are dancing with Krsna. This opportunity is there. You can dance with Krsna, you can play with Krsna, you can talk with Krsna.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is giving this chance to everyone. Everyone, without any discrimination. So how it is purified? One may say that "Simply by hearing how one becomes purified?" No. Krsna helps. Here it is said: hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satam. Krsnah vidhunoti. Krsna helps you. Those who are hearing with attention... Krsna is within you, everyone, Paramatma. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is with you. Krsna is so kind, Krsna is so sympathetic, as soon as He sees, "Oh, this soul..." Because every soul is Krsna's son... So He's very much anxious. Just like a father. If a son is in difficulty, the father is more anxious; "How this boy will be rescued from this difficulty?" Similarly, we are suffering in this material world. Krsna is more anxious to get us back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore, as soon as He sees, "Oh, he is hearing about Me. Oh, thank you. I shall help you." Immediately He vidhunoti, He washes all the dirty things.

The dirty thing is that "I shall be happy by material enjoyment." This is the basis of dirty things. The rascal does not know that he cannot be happy in any condition, any material condition. Brahma is unhappy, Indra is unhappy, what to speak of you, you are teeny creature. Nobody can be happy in this material world. They must be always in anxiety because they have accepted something which will never make him happy. Therefore we have to counteract it, these dirty things, that we are trying to be happy in this material world. These dirty things are accumulated within our heart. Life after life, we have selected so many bodies. "Now I shall become tiger. I am eating flesh, but I cannot attack the animal and eat fresh blood." Krsna is so kind: "All right I am giving you the chance to become a tiger. You become a tiger. I'll give you all nails and teeth so that you can pounce over immediately. There is no need of opening slaughterhouse; you can directly eat." You see.

So I wanted to enjoy as a tiger, I wanted to enjoy as a cat, as a dog, as a Brahma. In so many lives, so many planets. But everywhere I have become frustrated. That is the fact. Now, in this human form of life, is the chance to take to Krsna consciousness and make your life perfect.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17 -- Los Angeles, August 20, 1972

Krishna Is Omnipotent

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17
March 25, 1967, San Francisco



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Prabhupada:

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt-satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Krsna, this sound, transcendental sound. Krsna means the highest pleasure. Highest pleasure. Everyone, every living being, is seeking after pleasure, but he does not know how to seek pleasure. Therefore in this material conception of life we are being frustrated in every step for satisfying our pleasure. Because we have no information from which platform we can have pleasure. That we are discussing for the last few weeks, that we are not this body. We are consciousness. Not exactly consciousness. Consciousness is the symptom of my real identity. I am pure soul. I am merged within this material body... And the modern material science, they have no stress of it. Therefore they are sometimes misled about this understanding of the spirit soul. But the spirit soul is a fact. And everyone can understand by the presence of consciousness. Any child can understand. The consciousness is the symptom of the spirit soul. So the whole process now we are trying from the Bhagavad-gita is to bring one to get him on the platform of consciousness. And if we act from the platform of consciousness, then we may not be pushed again into the platform of this bodily conception. And if we can continue that platform, if we continue to act on that platform of consciousness, then, at the end of this body, not even at the end of this body, even in the presence of this body, we shall be free. We shall be free from material contamination. Our spiritual life will be revived and the result will be that in our next life, next life, after leaving this body, we shall have our full spiritual life eternally.

Spirit is described... We have already discussed on this point that the spirit is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire: [Bg. 2.20] "Even after the destruction of this body, the consciousness is not destroyed." That continues. Rather, consciousness transferred to another type of body makes me again alive to the material conception of life. And that is also described in the Bhagavad-gita. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. At the time of death, if our consciousness is pure, then it is sure that next life is not material. Next life's pure spiritual life. But if our consciousness is not pure at the point of the verge of death, just leaving this body, then we have to take again this material body. That is the process going on by nature's law. We have got our finer body. This is gross body. The body which you are seeing, which I am seeing, this is gross body. Just like shirt and coat. Within your coat, there is shirt, and within your shirt, there is a body. Similarly, the pure soul is covered by shirt and coat. The shirt is mind, intelligence and false ego. Mind, intelligence and false ego. False ego means that the wrong conception that "I am matter. I am something, product of this material world." This wrong conception makes me localized. Just like because I have taken my birth in America, therefore I think myself American. Because I have taken my birth in India, therefore I think myself as Indian. But as pure soul, I am neither Indian nor American. I am pure soul. Because this is designation. This American, or Indian, or German, or Englishman, or cats and dogs and this and that, black and white, all these are designations. Spiritual consciousness means to become free from all these designations.

So that freedom is achieved when we are in constantly touch with the supreme spirit, Krsna. That supreme spirit is Krsna. So this assembly which we are trying to conduct is just to keep in touch constantly with Krsna. Krsna, Krsna can be in constantly companion with us. Because He's omnipotent, God is omnipotent, therefore He can be exactly in touch with us by His words. His words and He are not different. That is omnipotency. Omnipotency means in everything relating to Krsna has the same potency. Just like here in this material world the..., if you want water, you are thirsty, if you want water, then this water, simply calling, simply saying repeatedly, "water, water, water, water, water," will not satisfy your thirst. Because this word has not the same potency as water itself. You require the water as it is. Then your thirst will be satisfied. But in the transcendental, in the absolute world, there is no such difference. Krsna and Krsna's name and Krsna's words and Krsna's qualities, Krsna's pastimes -- everything is Krsna. Somebody, some people argues that "Arjuna was talking with Krsna. So Krsna was present before him, whereas my case, Krsna is not present. So how I can get direction?" That is not the fact. Krsna is present by His words, this Bhagavad-gita. Krsna... Therefore the system is... Of course, here we don't find such facilities, but India, when we speak on the Bhagavad-gita, or on the Srimad-Bhagavatam, we worship regularly with flower, with other paraphernalia required for worshiping. You see? In the Sikh religion they also, they have no deity, form of the deity, but they worship the book, grantha-seva. Perhaps some of you who are acquainted with the Sikh community, they, they worship this grantha. Similarly, the Muhammadans also, they worship the Koran. And similarly, in your Christian also, you worship Bible.

So it is a fact that Lord Jesus Christ is present by his words, Bible. Similarly, Krsna is present by His words. These personalities, either God or son of God, who come from the transcendental world, they keep their transcendental identity without being contaminated by this material world. That is their omnipotency. We are practiced to say that God is omnipotent. Now, this is His omnipotency. Omnipotency means that He is not different from His name, from His quality, from His pastimes, from His instruction, everything. Therefore the discussion on Bhagavad-gita is as good as you are discussing certainly to Krsna. And not only that; Krsna is seated in your heart, in my heart also. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 18.61]. God, God is situated in everyone's heart. God is not away from us. He's friendly. He's so friendly that in my repeated change of birth, He's with us. He's trying to see when we shall turn to Him. Rather, He's canvassing. He's canvassing. He's so kind that we may forget Him, but He has not forgotten us. He is with us. Just like the father never can forget the son, however the son may forget the father. That is, that is natural. Similarly, God is the original father of everything, everybody, all living entities. We may have different bodies. That is our shirt-coat. It has nothing to do with our real identity. Our real identity is pure soul. That pure soul is the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. You'll find in Bhagavad-gita. And that part and parcel of the Supreme Lord is encaged in this material body. And you'll find in Bhagavad-gita that the Lord is said,

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
[Bg. 14.4]

"My dear Arjuna, whatever forms of life you are seeing..." There are eighty-four lakhs species of life. That means eight millions and four hundred thousands of different varieties of life. Not one, two, three or one thousand, two thousand. No. We have not seen. Even the biologists, or the anthropologists, they cannot calculate. But from authoritative, revealed scripture we get this information that there are eight, eight, 8,400,000's of species of life of which human beings, they are divided into 400,000's species of life. And eighty, eighty million, eight million, there are other species of life. But Krsna, the Supreme Lord, claims that all of them, never mind, either he is bird or beast or man or a snake or whatever he may..., god, or semi-god, demigod, anything, whatever... "There are different forms, but apart from the forms, real identity is that all of them, they are My sons. I am actually bija-pradah pita, seed-giving father." Just like the father gives the seed, and the mother receives the seed, and the body is formed according to the mother's body. And when the body is completely formed, it comes out, either from cats, either from dog, either from man, or anything. That is the process of generation. The father gives the seed, and it takes, emulsified, two kinds of secretion within the womb of the mother, and in the first night the body is formed like a pea. Then gradually it develops. There are certain holes, the nine holes. They first of all come out, nine holes. We have got nine holes, two eyes, one mouth, two ears, and penis, and so many things. So when they are fully developed, they come out. And according to their last karma, or action, they get this body and enjoy, or suffer. That is the process of birth and death which is going on. And after finishing this life, again dies, again enters into the moth..., womb of the mother, again gets another type of body, again comes out. This is going on. This is going on.

So we should be very much intelligent that "How long we shall continue this repetition of birth and death and change of body?" Any intelligent man... That is the prerogative of the human form of life. That is the prerogative. He can stop this process, repetition of birth and death. He can get his real, actual spiritual form again and be blissful, full knowledge and eternal life. That is the whole process. So we should not miss this. And the whole thing begins just what we have begun now, now, this chanting and hearing. I wanted to point out that this chanting and hearing is as good as actual association of Krsna. That is stated in the Bhagavata, that srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. This, this process is called kirtana. Even one does not understand the language, still, by hearing only, he acquires some piety. His, his assets become pious life, even he does not understand. It is such powerful. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah... krsna-katha means topics in, in the matter of Krsna. The topics in the matter of Krsna, there are two, two kinds of topics. One topic is this, Bhagavad-gita. It is spoken by Krsna. It is spoken by Krsna. And another krsna-katha, I mean to..., topics about Krsna, is this Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is spoken about Krsna. So there are two types of krsna-katha, and both of them are equally potent. Because it is connected with Krsna.

Now, in the Bhagavad-gita... We find that the Bhagavad-gita is spoken in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Now, what we have to do with the battlefield? We have nothing to do with battlefield. We are here to have some knowledge in the spiritual atmosphere, and why should we bother about the battlefield? No. Because in the battlefield there... [break] The whole battlefield has become Krsna-ized. Krsna-ized. Just like if there electric charges, electric current, is in some metal, the whole thing becomes surcharged with electricity, similarly, when Krsna is interested in some matter, then the whole thing becomes Krsna-ized. Otherwise, there was no need of discussing the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. So that is the omnipotency. Now this omnipotency is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam,

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt-satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Now, simply by hearing the krsna-katha... That means, krsna-katha means... This... krsna-katha, there are many. All the Vedic literatures, they are full of krsna-katha. And all the Vedas means that is also krsna-katha. Any scripture in Veda, that may appear apparently different, but they are meant for krsna-katha. Krsna-katha. Because you'll find in the Bhagavad-gita that vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. The whole topics, they are meant for krsna-katha. (aside:) You'll excuse me. I am called by nature. I shall... [break] So krsna-katha... srnvatam krsna-katha. If you kindly simply hear about this krsna-katha, topics on Krsna, then what will be the result? Because it is pure, transcendental vibration, the result will be srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah, hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani. We have accumulated many inauspicious things within our heart due to our material contamination for many, many births. Many, many births. Not only this birth, but many, many last births. So when we surcharge our heart with the krsna-katha, then the result will be... srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah, hrdy antah sthah.

Hrdy antah sthah. Hrdy antah sthah means the contaminations which we have accumulated within our heart, that will be washed off. That will be washed off so that your heart will be cleansed of all rubbish things. And, as soon as all rubbish things are cleared off, then we are situated in pure consciousness. Because it is very difficult to understand, to eradicate oneself from all the designation. Suppose I am Indian. Is it very easy...? Is it not very easy to take it for granted immediately that I am not Indian, I am pure soul? Similarly, anyone, to not identify with this bodily designation, it is not very easy task. But still, if we go on hearing the krsna-katha, as we have begun here, it will be very easy. It will be very easy. You, you make an experiment. You make an experiment how easily you shall be able to get yourself free from all these designations. And as soon as we are free from the designations... What are the freedom? What are the signs of freedom? The signs of freedom...

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt-satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Nasta-prayesv abhadresu. Nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18], bhaktir bhavati, bhaktir bhavati naisthiki, bhavati naisthiki. Now, as soon as, not cent percent clearance... It is not possible to clear our, I mean to say, rubbish things within our mind all of a sudden or very soon, all things. Even some percentage of the rubbish are cleared off, then at once it happens that our, the influence of the material nature becomes slackened.

tada rajas-tamo-bhavah
kama-lobhadayas ca ye
ceta etair anaviddham
sthitam sattve prasidati
[SB 1.2.19]

The material nature is working in three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. Now, ignorance is hopeless life. Passion is too much materialistic. Passion means, one who is influenced by the modes of passion, he wants, he wants this false enjoyment. Although... Because he does not know, he wants to squeeze out the energy of the body to enjoy this matter. That is called modes of passion. And modes of ignorance, they have neither passion nor goodness in the modes of darkness of life. And mode of, modes of goodness is that in that position we can understand, at least theoretically, "What I am, what is this world, what is God, what is our interrelation?" This is the, I mean, stage of the modes of goodness. So by hearing krsna-katha, you will be freed from the two stages of ignorance and passion. You'll be situated in the modes of goodness. At least, you'll have the real knowledge, "What I am." Because in the ignorance... Just like animals... Animals, you see, the animal's life is full of suffering. But still, the animal does not know that he's suffering. Or take the case of a hog. Of course, here in your New York City, no hog is seen, but in village, in India, not only villages, sometimes in towns, we see the hog. Oh, how much miserable life they are, living in a filthy place, eating stools, and always unclean, and anyone sees hog and "Unhh! Nasty." But he, the hog, does not know that he's nasty condition. He's very jolly. (laughs) He's very jolly. The person who's in the upper status of life, he can see that "Oh, this is very nasty life!" The hog is very happy by eating stools and having sex intercourse with the she-hog constantly. Oh, it is getting fat, getting... The hog gets very... Too soon, they become very fatty. Because that spirit of enjoyment is there although the nasty enjoyment... [break]

Then he'll understand what is happiness. So you'll be promoted to that stage of life, goodness.

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt-satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. Nityam, daily, as a routine, routine work, if you hear this krsna-katha, then the result will be that nasta-prayesu abhadresu, when all this accumulation of dirty things in our heart accumulated for life after life, they'll be cleared off. And as matter of evidence you'll see that you are not no more in ignorance and in passion, but you are situated in the modes of goodness. Then what is, what is that position? Ceta etair anaviddham. Then your mind will not be attacked by the modes of ignorance and passion. You'll be steadily fixed up in the position of goodness. Then, when you are in goodness, then what is your attitude? Prasanna-manasah. You will find yourself joyful in every circumstances of life. You'll never feel yourself morose.

In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find... That is our brahma-bhuta situation. The Vedas teaches us that "You are not this matter. You are Brahman." Aham brahmasmi. Lord Sankaracarya, he preached this gospel to the world that we are not this matter. We are Brahman, spirit soul. So that, when that spiritual realization will be actually done, then your symptoms will change. What are those symptoms? Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati: [Bg. 18.54] "When one is situated in his own spiritual consciousness, then he will have no hankering and no lamentation, lamentation for loss or hankering for gain." Two things are going on in this material world. The things which we do not possess, we hanker after it: "If I get these things, I'll be happy. If I get these things... Oh, I have no money. If I get one hundred thousand millions dollars, then I'll be happy." This is hankering. And when one hundred thousand million dollars you have got... Some way or other, it is lost, oh, you cry, "Oh, I am gone." So either for earning or we hanker, that is also a kind of distress, and when we suffer loss there is distress. But if you are situated in brahma-bhutah avasthana, you'll be neither, neither distressed, nor hankering. You'll be in equilibrium. Yasmin sthite gurunapi na vicalyate. Even if you are situated in the midst of fiery tribulation, you'll not be disturbed. That is the position.

evam prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam
mukta-sangasya jayate
[SB 1.2.20]

Bhagavat-tattva-vijnana... Bhagavat-tattva-vijnana means the science of God. The science of God becomes perceivable by such person who is situated in the brahma-bhuta, I mean to say, status. So from that brahma-bhuta status, we have to work, and that work is recommended here,

buddhi-yukto jahatiha
ubhe sukrta-duskrte
tasmad yogaya yujyasva
yogah karmasu kausalam

Now, so, so long we have got this material body, we have to work. We cannot stop working. That is not possible. But we have to adopt the tactics of yoga so that even by doing ordinary work in which by destiny or by circumstances I am put into, there is no harm. You'll find in Bhagavad-gita that even if you find in your own occupation there is... Suppose I am occupied in some business in which I have to speak lie. Without speaking lie, my business cannot go on. Now, suppose if that is the position. Now, speaking lie is not very good thing, and if you think that your business is not very, based on very moral principle, "So I should give up," then Bhagavad-gita you'll find that "Don't give up." Even if you are put into such circumstances that your livelihood cannot go on without that unfair means, still, you should not give it up, but you should try to make it purified. You should try to make it purified. How it is purified? Now, you should not take the fruitive result of your work. That is meant for God.

So here it is stated that, that buddhi-yukto jahatiha ubhe sukrta-duskrte. Sukrta means pious activities, and duskrta means impious activities. In the material platform we are two things, pious or impious. Pious or impious. Either we are doing some pious activities or we are doing some impious activities or we are doing mixed, pious or impious. So Lord Krsna advises that if you act with intelligence or devotion of the Supreme... Intelligence means... What is that intelligence? That "I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness, pure soul. I am not this body." This is called intelligence. If you identify yourself, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this or that," then you are material placed.(?) If you identify yourself that "I am neither American, nor Indian, but I am pure consciousness, I am subordinate consciousness of the supreme consciousness, or, in other words, I am servant of God... God is supreme consciousness, and I am subordinate." That... So for our present understanding, subordinate means a servant. But don't carry out the idea of servant in relation to God. Here nobody wants to be servant. Everyone wants to be master. Because to become servant is very, not very, mean, a palatable thing. So but to become a servant of God is not exactly like this. Sometimes servant of God becomes the master of God. The real position of the living entity is a servant of God, but in Bhagavad-gita we see that the master, Krsna, has become the servant of Arjuna. Arjuna is sitting on the chariot, and Krsna has accepted his drivership. Is not the servant of the owner of the chariot? So in spiritual relation we should not carry out the conception of this material relationship. Although the relationship are there. The whole relationship, as we have got experience in this world, the same relationship are there in the spiritual world. But that relationship is not contaminated with matter. Therefore they are pure and transcendental. Therefore they are of a different nature. As we become advanced in spiritual conception of life, then we can understand what is the actual position in spiritual, transcendental life.

So here the Lord instructs that buddhi-yukta. Buddhi-yukta means with the full consciousness that you are not this body. If we act in that way... Now, if I am, I am not body, then I am consciousness. That is a fact. Now, if we act on the consciousness platform, then we can overcome the fruitive result of good work or bad work. It is transcendental stage. It is transcendental stage. It is especially mentioned, buddhi-yukto jahatiha sukrta-duskrte. That means you are acting on other's account, on the supreme account. You are not liable for loss or gain. When there is gain, don't be puffed up. You should think that this gain is for the Lord. And when there is loss, you, you should know that "This is not my responsibility. It is God's work. He'll see." Then you'll be happy. That practice you have to do, everything on account of the Supreme. That transcendental nature we have to develop. Tasmad yogaya yujyasva yogah karmasu kausalam. This is the trick of doing work in these present circumstances. As soon as we work on the platform of bodily consciousness, we become bound up by the reaction of my works. And as soon as I work on spiritual consciousness, I am not bound up either by sukrti or duskrti, either by pious activities or by, I mean to say, vicious activities. That is the technique.

Karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi phalam tyaktva manisinah. Manisinah. This word is very significant. Manisinah means thoughtful, thoughtful. Manisa. Manisa means thought. Manisinah, those who are got, those who are thoughtful, not trifling. Those who are thoughtful. Unless one is thoughtful, one cannot understand that he is not this body. Then how, how you can do work for yourself? What is your position? Now, I am consciousness. What kind of consciousness? Subordinate consciousness. I am the part of the supreme consciousness. Then what will be your activities? My activities will be under the guidance of the supreme consciousness. Just like in office, the managing director is the supreme consciousness. Just for example. Now, everyone is working under him, under his direction. So anyone who is working under his direction, they have no responsibility. They have got simply to discharge the duty, either pious or impious, never mind. In the military rank the order of the captain or the commander is there. The soldier has to execute it. Never mind whether it is pious or impious. It doesn't matter. He has to act simply. Then he becomes a, I mean to say, real soldier. If he acts in that way, he gets remuneration, he gets reward, he gets title, he gets honor. He doesn't care. The commander asks him, "Just go and kill the enemy." He goes and kills. He gets reward. But killing, do you mean to say one gets reward? No. For the duty discharged. For the duty discharged. Similarly, here the whole position is that Krsna is instructing Arjuna. Krsna is the supreme consciousness and Arjuna has to discharge only according to the order of the supreme consciousness. So my, manisinah. Manisinah means those who are thoughtful philosophers, those who can take up things by philosophical conclusion, that "I am consciousness. I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness. Therefore my duty is to act according to the supreme consciousness." Just like your hand is the part of your body. Now, it is moving according to my consciousness. The hand is not moving in its own way. As I want, that let the hand be moved, let my legs be moved, let my eye be opened and see, so I am dictating and these parts are working. Similarly we are all parts and parcel, parcel of the supreme consciousness. When we train ourself to move and act in according to that supreme consciousness, then we become transcendental to all these pious or impious activities. That is the technique.

So karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi phalam tyaktva manisinah. Manisinah means thoughtful, those who are thoughtful, those who have understood that "I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness and let me act in that way"... Then what will be the result? Just see the fine result: janma-bandha-vinirmuktah padam gacchanty anamayam: "Then he becomes free from the bondage of birth and death, no more birth and death." Janma-bandhana. This is a, this is a very strong shackle. You see? Janma. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. The modern scientists, modern philosophers, they do not think about these four things, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi, birth, death, disease and old age. They set it, set them aside. "Oh, let them be happened. Let us enjoy this life, hogs and dogs." This is human life. Human life is meant to make a solution of this bondage: life, I mean, birth, death, disease and old age. If the human civilization has not made a solution of these four things, oh, that is not human civilization. Human civilization is meant for making a complete solution of these things.

So here, in the Bhagavad-gita, just see how the Lord says that karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi. Karma-jam. Karma-jam means whenever you act, there will be some reaction. If you act good things, there will be a good reaction. If you act bad things, there will be bad reaction. But reaction, either good or bad, that is, in higher sense, all suffering. I have already explained to you another, some other day, that suppose by good action I get good birth, good riches and good features of the body, good education, all these thing I get, but that does not mean that I am free from the material pangs. The material pangs are janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi: birth, death, old age and diseases. Because you are rich man, because you are beautiful man, because you are educated man, because you are born in a aristocratic family, that does not mean that you have avoided death, old age and disease. So we shall not be concerned with pious activities or impious activities. We shall be concerned with transcendental activities. That will save me from this bondage of birth, death, old age and disease. That should be our aim of life. We should not be hankering after good or bad things. Because everything here, in higher consciousness, everything material... Now, take for example... Suppose you are diseased, suffering from some disease. You are lying on the bed. And you are eating in that stage, you are passing your nature's call in that way, and taking bitter medicines, and always you have to keep by the nurses clean. Otherwise, there is some obnoxious smell. In such a condition you are lying, and some friends come to you and ask you, "My dear such and such, how are you today feeling?" "Yes, I am today feeling well." What is this "well"? He's lying on the bed. He's passing his nature's calls in that way. He's eating bitter medicine, and he, he cannot move. All these inconveniences, and he says that "I am well." Similarly, in our material conception of life, if we think, "I am happy," that is foolishness. That is foolishness. There is no happiness in material life. It is impossible to get happiness. Then we do not know meaning of happiness. Therefore this very word is used, manisinah. We want to happy, to become by some extraneous, artificial means. And how long it will stand? It will not stand. You'll again come back. Suppose by intoxication you feel happy. Oh, that is not your actual happiness. Suppose by chloroform I am unconscious; I don't feel the pains of operation. Oh, that does not mean that I am out of these pains and pleasures. This is artificial. So real, real pleasure, real life is here, as recommended in Bhagavad-gita by Sri Krsna. Just see. Karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi phalam tyaktva manisinah. Manisinah means the thoughtful. "They give up the reaction of, of work, being situated in the platform of consciousness. And the result will be that janma-bandha-vinirmuktah, this bondage of birth and death and disease and old age, he becomes free from that." Then the next life? Padam gacchanty anamayam. Anamayam. Anamayam means where there is no death, no, I mean to say, old age, no birth, no disease. That is possible. That is called Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha. The Sanskrit word is Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means vigata-kuntha. Kuntha means anxiety, anxiety. Here, due to our material contamination, we are always full of kuntha, anxiety. Even a bird, when he's eating, he's seeing like this; this way, this way, this way, "Somebody's coming, or kill me. Oh." Full of anxiety. We are also anxiety, anxious. The politician is anxious. So long we are in contamination of this material body, we must be anxious. We must be anxious.

There is a nice instruction by Prahlada Maharaja, a great devotee, boy devotee. And he was, from his boyhood, childhood, from his mother's womb, he became a devotee by the grace of Narada Muni. That is the history. Now, he, he was five-years-old boy, and his father was too much materialistic. And he wanted that his son should be great politician, economist, and so on, so on, just like the materialists want. But the boy, he's a devotee. So father did not like the idea. So one day he called his boy, "My dear boy, come on." He came. A small boy. "Sit down on my lap. All right, my dear boy, will you kindly tell me what you have learned, the best thing in your school?" "Yes, my dear father, I shall tell you." So he said like this, tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat, hitvatma, hitva atma-patam grham anda-kupam vanam gato yad-dharim asrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. "My dear father..." He's addressing his father, "O the best among the materialists." Now, he's not afraid. His father was very powerful, and there is a story. We shall narrate one day. Now, today is... Very shortly I am giving some instance... So he says, "My dear father, you are the greatest of the materialists, but to my opinion that is the best thing if people should give up this materialistic life and devote himself for searching out God, then he'll be free from the anxiety which is due to him due to his material connection." Just, how, see the nice, that hitva, tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam. Persons who are always full of anxieties. Why? Now, due to their material connection. Asat. Asat means matter. Matter will not stay, however you may chemically try to preserve. Will... It will not stay. Therefore matter's another name is asat. And spirit's another name is sat. Sat means "which exists." Asat means "which does not exist." Antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririnah [Bg. 2.18]. We have already described that this body, this body is antavat, it has got end, but the consciousness, or the spirit soul, it is not... It is endless. So the endless, I mean to say, ever-existing soul, being contaminated by this body, he's full of anxiety. So Prahlada Maharaja thinks that in order to realize his self for self-realization, if he gives up all material engagement and takes to the path of self-realization, that is the best way of his life. And the father became angry. "What nonsense he's taking? A five-years-old boy, he's taking, talking of self-realization. I wanted to make him a great politician, economist. Now he's talking of this nonsense and..." Hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam. "He's describing that this family life is just like a dark well." If a man is put, dark well... [break]

...be engaged. Be... Whatever you are, that doesn't matter. But act it on the platform of consciousness. And that platform, acting on the consciousness, is, Lord Caitanya has made very easy. Just like there are some note-makers of school books, "Easy Study." So Lord Caitanya has recommended that "You may be engaged in whatever occupation. That may be good or bad. We don't mind for that. But you must hear the krsna-katha. You must continue to hear this Bhagavad-gita." That is... For this, we are trying to organize this institution, that "You come. Whatever you do, that doesn't matter. Everything will be adjusted by and by." Because, as I have described in the beginning, that srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah, hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani [SB 1.2.17]. Everything will be adjusted as our mind becomes clear, clear, clear, simply by hearing. Simply by hearing.

So this process, this association of hearing about the krsna-katha, what Krsna is speaking and what is spoken about Krsna, if we continue about the, about this process and chanting the Krsna name, you'll practically see how much your heart is becoming clearer and clearer and how much you are pro..., making progress towards spiritual realization and real, real identity of pure consciousness.

Thank you very much. Any question?

Mukunda: If a good man, who is passed through the states of being ignorant and passionate and he's really a good man, is walking down the street, let's say, in Delhi or Istanbul or any place, any city. And he sees a very young man beating up on a very old man just for no reason at all. He's just beating up, beating him to death. And the old man is calling out for help and there's a few people standing around. And as he approaches, he, he begins to get stirred by this scene. And being a good man he feels the whip on this other human being's back. Now, as a good man, should he not take sides on the two people quarreling and accept it and just walk on, even though he feels something welling up in him, or should he give way to what would be a passionate desire and try to interrupt and stop this injustice, so to speak?

Prabhupada: The whole idea is that action, either in ignorance or passion or goodness... We have discussed that point. That doesn't matter. But action should be done from the spiritual consciousness platform. That's all. Then you transcend the reaction. Just like, for example, Arjuna. Arjuna's fighting... This fighting is on the modes of passion, passion. Now, when the, that work of passion, if he does... Now, Arjuna was thinking not to fight, not to fight, because he thought that "Fighting with my brothers, with my relatives, is not good."

Mukunda: Yes.

Prabhupada: So, from material point of view, it is all right. From material point of view. But the thing is that material point of view, if you do act good work, you have to enjoy the reaction. That is the point. As I have already explained that by your good work, you get good birth, you get good wealth, you get good education, good features of body. But that is not the solution of your problem. Here the whole thing is that how to act. If we act from the material platform, even in the modes of goodness, that is also not solution of my life. But even, even in the spiritual, from the spiritual platform, if we act which apparently may seem to be acts of passion, that is not reactionary. That is not reactionary. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna... Now, the Lord says that you become free from the reaction of your activities. That is the proposition. Now, at the same time, He's inducing Arjuna to fight. Now, fighting is on the platform, on the modes of passion. Does it mean that simultaneously Krsna is inducing him to be entangled in the reaction of passion modes? No. That action, even apparently appears to be act, being acted on the platform of passion, it is transcendental because it is direction of the supreme consciousness. So whole thing is that we have to... Just like... Same example can be cited, that a soldier is killing his enemy, and the soldier's rewarded, "Oh, you have killed such a big enemy. You are rewarded." Do you mean to say by killing one is rewarded? But he is not acting on his platform. He's acting on higher consciousness platform, higher order. So if a commander's order can give him immunity from the reaction of being hanged, why not God's command? That is the thing. So we have, we haven't to discriminate whether I am in the modes of ignorance or passion or goodness. No. We have simply to see whether I'm acting under the direction of the supreme consciousness. That is the thing to be seen. Then we are free. Then our life becomes free. That thing, we have to learn. Yes?

Student: Is there...? Am I my brother's keeper? Am I, am I responsible for my brother's actions?

Prabhupada: Yes. Materially, you are responsible. Because materially you are responsible for all acts, good or bad. That I have already explained. So you may think that you have taken the responsibility of maintaining your brother, but at the same time, you are responsible for all the reactions.

Student: For all the?

Prabhupada: For all the reactions out of that act. It may be bad or good. That doesn't matter. Our problem is not to be infected with the reaction. If you think that bringing up your brother... It is, actually, it is good thing. You are doing good thing. That's all right. And you'll have the good result of it. But that, having that good result, does not mean that you are free from the reaction. Now, our problem is that we want to be free from the reaction. So long... Now... The same answer is there, that reaction of my good work, that I get good birth, I get good education, I get sufficient wealth or I get good features of body. These things are goodness of this material world. But that does not make solution of the disease in which... [break]...vyadhi, birth, death, old age and disease. The whole problem is that we have to get out of this material existence. So the, from the material point of view, or platform, any act, good or bad, that will have material reaction. And we are, we want to get out of this material reaction. That is our point of view. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967

Krishna Is Omnipotent

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17
March 25, 1967, San Francisco



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Prabhupada:

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt-satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Krsna, this sound, transcendental sound. Krsna means the highest pleasure. Highest pleasure. Everyone, every living being, is seeking after pleasure, but he does not know how to seek pleasure. Therefore in this material conception of life we are being frustrated in every step for satisfying our pleasure. Because we have no information from which platform we can have pleasure. That we are discussing for the last few weeks, that we are not this body. We are consciousness. Not exactly consciousness. Consciousness is the symptom of my real identity. I am pure soul. I am merged within this material body... And the modern material science, they have no stress of it. Therefore they are sometimes misled about this understanding of the spirit soul. But the spirit soul is a fact. And everyone can understand by the presence of consciousness. Any child can understand. The consciousness is the symptom of the spirit soul. So the whole process now we are trying from the Bhagavad-gita is to bring one to get him on the platform of consciousness. And if we act from the platform of consciousness, then we may not be pushed again into the platform of this bodily conception. And if we can continue that platform, if we continue to act on that platform of consciousness, then, at the end of this body, not even at the end of this body, even in the presence of this body, we shall be free. We shall be free from material contamination. Our spiritual life will be revived and the result will be that in our next life, next life, after leaving this body, we shall have our full spiritual life eternally.

Spirit is described... We have already discussed on this point that the spirit is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire: [Bg. 2.20] "Even after the destruction of this body, the consciousness is not destroyed." That continues. Rather, consciousness transferred to another type of body makes me again alive to the material conception of life. And that is also described in the Bhagavad-gita. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. At the time of death, if our consciousness is pure, then it is sure that next life is not material. Next life's pure spiritual life. But if our consciousness is not pure at the point of the verge of death, just leaving this body, then we have to take again this material body. That is the process going on by nature's law. We have got our finer body. This is gross body. The body which you are seeing, which I am seeing, this is gross body. Just like shirt and coat. Within your coat, there is shirt, and within your shirt, there is a body. Similarly, the pure soul is covered by shirt and coat. The shirt is mind, intelligence and false ego. Mind, intelligence and false ego. False ego means that the wrong conception that "I am matter. I am something, product of this material world." This wrong conception makes me localized. Just like because I have taken my birth in America, therefore I think myself American. Because I have taken my birth in India, therefore I think myself as Indian. But as pure soul, I am neither Indian nor American. I am pure soul. Because this is designation. This American, or Indian, or German, or Englishman, or cats and dogs and this and that, black and white, all these are designations. Spiritual consciousness means to become free from all these designations.

So that freedom is achieved when we are in constantly touch with the supreme spirit, Krsna. That supreme spirit is Krsna. So this assembly which we are trying to conduct is just to keep in touch constantly with Krsna. Krsna, Krsna can be in constantly companion with us. Because He's omnipotent, God is omnipotent, therefore He can be exactly in touch with us by His words. His words and He are not different. That is omnipotency. Omnipotency means in everything relating to Krsna has the same potency. Just like here in this material world the..., if you want water, you are thirsty, if you want water, then this water, simply calling, simply saying repeatedly, "water, water, water, water, water," will not satisfy your thirst. Because this word has not the same potency as water itself. You require the water as it is. Then your thirst will be satisfied. But in the transcendental, in the absolute world, there is no such difference. Krsna and Krsna's name and Krsna's words and Krsna's qualities, Krsna's pastimes -- everything is Krsna. Somebody, some people argues that "Arjuna was talking with Krsna. So Krsna was present before him, whereas my case, Krsna is not present. So how I can get direction?" That is not the fact. Krsna is present by His words, this Bhagavad-gita. Krsna... Therefore the system is... Of course, here we don't find such facilities, but India, when we speak on the Bhagavad-gita, or on the Srimad-Bhagavatam, we worship regularly with flower, with other paraphernalia required for worshiping. You see? In the Sikh religion they also, they have no deity, form of the deity, but they worship the book, grantha-seva. Perhaps some of you who are acquainted with the Sikh community, they, they worship this grantha. Similarly, the Muhammadans also, they worship the Koran. And similarly, in your Christian also, you worship Bible.

So it is a fact that Lord Jesus Christ is present by his words, Bible. Similarly, Krsna is present by His words. These personalities, either God or son of God, who come from the transcendental world, they keep their transcendental identity without being contaminated by this material world. That is their omnipotency. We are practiced to say that God is omnipotent. Now, this is His omnipotency. Omnipotency means that He is not different from His name, from His quality, from His pastimes, from His instruction, everything. Therefore the discussion on Bhagavad-gita is as good as you are discussing certainly to Krsna. And not only that; Krsna is seated in your heart, in my heart also. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 18.61]. God, God is situated in everyone's heart. God is not away from us. He's friendly. He's so friendly that in my repeated change of birth, He's with us. He's trying to see when we shall turn to Him. Rather, He's canvassing. He's canvassing. He's so kind that we may forget Him, but He has not forgotten us. He is with us. Just like the father never can forget the son, however the son may forget the father. That is, that is natural. Similarly, God is the original father of everything, everybody, all living entities. We may have different bodies. That is our shirt-coat. It has nothing to do with our real identity. Our real identity is pure soul. That pure soul is the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. You'll find in Bhagavad-gita. And that part and parcel of the Supreme Lord is encaged in this material body. And you'll find in Bhagavad-gita that the Lord is said,

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
[Bg. 14.4]

"My dear Arjuna, whatever forms of life you are seeing..." There are eighty-four lakhs species of life. That means eight millions and four hundred thousands of different varieties of life. Not one, two, three or one thousand, two thousand. No. We have not seen. Even the biologists, or the anthropologists, they cannot calculate. But from authoritative, revealed scripture we get this information that there are eight, eight, 8,400,000's of species of life of which human beings, they are divided into 400,000's species of life. And eighty, eighty million, eight million, there are other species of life. But Krsna, the Supreme Lord, claims that all of them, never mind, either he is bird or beast or man or a snake or whatever he may..., god, or semi-god, demigod, anything, whatever... "There are different forms, but apart from the forms, real identity is that all of them, they are My sons. I am actually bija-pradah pita, seed-giving father." Just like the father gives the seed, and the mother receives the seed, and the body is formed according to the mother's body. And when the body is completely formed, it comes out, either from cats, either from dog, either from man, or anything. That is the process of generation. The father gives the seed, and it takes, emulsified, two kinds of secretion within the womb of the mother, and in the first night the body is formed like a pea. Then gradually it develops. There are certain holes, the nine holes. They first of all come out, nine holes. We have got nine holes, two eyes, one mouth, two ears, and penis, and so many things. So when they are fully developed, they come out. And according to their last karma, or action, they get this body and enjoy, or suffer. That is the process of birth and death which is going on. And after finishing this life, again dies, again enters into the moth..., womb of the mother, again gets another type of body, again comes out. This is going on. This is going on.

So we should be very much intelligent that "How long we shall continue this repetition of birth and death and change of body?" Any intelligent man... That is the prerogative of the human form of life. That is the prerogative. He can stop this process, repetition of birth and death. He can get his real, actual spiritual form again and be blissful, full knowledge and eternal life. That is the whole process. So we should not miss this. And the whole thing begins just what we have begun now, now, this chanting and hearing. I wanted to point out that this chanting and hearing is as good as actual association of Krsna. That is stated in the Bhagavata, that srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. This, this process is called kirtana. Even one does not understand the language, still, by hearing only, he acquires some piety. His, his assets become pious life, even he does not understand. It is such powerful. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah... krsna-katha means topics in, in the matter of Krsna. The topics in the matter of Krsna, there are two, two kinds of topics. One topic is this, Bhagavad-gita. It is spoken by Krsna. It is spoken by Krsna. And another krsna-katha, I mean to..., topics about Krsna, is this Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is spoken about Krsna. So there are two types of krsna-katha, and both of them are equally potent. Because it is connected with Krsna.

Now, in the Bhagavad-gita... We find that the Bhagavad-gita is spoken in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Now, what we have to do with the battlefield? We have nothing to do with battlefield. We are here to have some knowledge in the spiritual atmosphere, and why should we bother about the battlefield? No. Because in the battlefield there... [break] The whole battlefield has become Krsna-ized. Krsna-ized. Just like if there electric charges, electric current, is in some metal, the whole thing becomes surcharged with electricity, similarly, when Krsna is interested in some matter, then the whole thing becomes Krsna-ized. Otherwise, there was no need of discussing the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. So that is the omnipotency. Now this omnipotency is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam,

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt-satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Now, simply by hearing the krsna-katha... That means, krsna-katha means... This... krsna-katha, there are many. All the Vedic literatures, they are full of krsna-katha. And all the Vedas means that is also krsna-katha. Any scripture in Veda, that may appear apparently different, but they are meant for krsna-katha. Krsna-katha. Because you'll find in the Bhagavad-gita that vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. The whole topics, they are meant for krsna-katha. (aside:) You'll excuse me. I am called by nature. I shall... [break] So krsna-katha... srnvatam krsna-katha. If you kindly simply hear about this krsna-katha, topics on Krsna, then what will be the result? Because it is pure, transcendental vibration, the result will be srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah, hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani. We have accumulated many inauspicious things within our heart due to our material contamination for many, many births. Many, many births. Not only this birth, but many, many last births. So when we surcharge our heart with the krsna-katha, then the result will be... srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah, hrdy antah sthah.

Hrdy antah sthah. Hrdy antah sthah means the contaminations which we have accumulated within our heart, that will be washed off. That will be washed off so that your heart will be cleansed of all rubbish things. And, as soon as all rubbish things are cleared off, then we are situated in pure consciousness. Because it is very difficult to understand, to eradicate oneself from all the designation. Suppose I am Indian. Is it very easy...? Is it not very easy to take it for granted immediately that I am not Indian, I am pure soul? Similarly, anyone, to not identify with this bodily designation, it is not very easy task. But still, if we go on hearing the krsna-katha, as we have begun here, it will be very easy. It will be very easy. You, you make an experiment. You make an experiment how easily you shall be able to get yourself free from all these designations. And as soon as we are free from the designations... What are the freedom? What are the signs of freedom? The signs of freedom...

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt-satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Nasta-prayesv abhadresu. Nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18], bhaktir bhavati, bhaktir bhavati naisthiki, bhavati naisthiki. Now, as soon as, not cent percent clearance... It is not possible to clear our, I mean to say, rubbish things within our mind all of a sudden or very soon, all things. Even some percentage of the rubbish are cleared off, then at once it happens that our, the influence of the material nature becomes slackened.

tada rajas-tamo-bhavah
kama-lobhadayas ca ye
ceta etair anaviddham
sthitam sattve prasidati
[SB 1.2.19]

The material nature is working in three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. Now, ignorance is hopeless life. Passion is too much materialistic. Passion means, one who is influenced by the modes of passion, he wants, he wants this false enjoyment. Although... Because he does not know, he wants to squeeze out the energy of the body to enjoy this matter. That is called modes of passion. And modes of ignorance, they have neither passion nor goodness in the modes of darkness of life. And mode of, modes of goodness is that in that position we can understand, at least theoretically, "What I am, what is this world, what is God, what is our interrelation?" This is the, I mean, stage of the modes of goodness. So by hearing krsna-katha, you will be freed from the two stages of ignorance and passion. You'll be situated in the modes of goodness. At least, you'll have the real knowledge, "What I am." Because in the ignorance... Just like animals... Animals, you see, the animal's life is full of suffering. But still, the animal does not know that he's suffering. Or take the case of a hog. Of course, here in your New York City, no hog is seen, but in village, in India, not only villages, sometimes in towns, we see the hog. Oh, how much miserable life they are, living in a filthy place, eating stools, and always unclean, and anyone sees hog and "Unhh! Nasty." But he, the hog, does not know that he's nasty condition. He's very jolly. (laughs) He's very jolly. The person who's in the upper status of life, he can see that "Oh, this is very nasty life!" The hog is very happy by eating stools and having sex intercourse with the she-hog constantly. Oh, it is getting fat, getting... The hog gets very... Too soon, they become very fatty. Because that spirit of enjoyment is there although the nasty enjoyment... [break]

Then he'll understand what is happiness. So you'll be promoted to that stage of life, goodness.

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt-satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. Nityam, daily, as a routine, routine work, if you hear this krsna-katha, then the result will be that nasta-prayesu abhadresu, when all this accumulation of dirty things in our heart accumulated for life after life, they'll be cleared off. And as matter of evidence you'll see that you are not no more in ignorance and in passion, but you are situated in the modes of goodness. Then what is, what is that position? Ceta etair anaviddham. Then your mind will not be attacked by the modes of ignorance and passion. You'll be steadily fixed up in the position of goodness. Then, when you are in goodness, then what is your attitude? Prasanna-manasah. You will find yourself joyful in every circumstances of life. You'll never feel yourself morose.

In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find... That is our brahma-bhuta situation. The Vedas teaches us that "You are not this matter. You are Brahman." Aham brahmasmi. Lord Sankaracarya, he preached this gospel to the world that we are not this matter. We are Brahman, spirit soul. So that, when that spiritual realization will be actually done, then your symptoms will change. What are those symptoms? Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati: [Bg. 18.54] "When one is situated in his own spiritual consciousness, then he will have no hankering and no lamentation, lamentation for loss or hankering for gain." Two things are going on in this material world. The things which we do not possess, we hanker after it: "If I get these things, I'll be happy. If I get these things... Oh, I have no money. If I get one hundred thousand millions dollars, then I'll be happy." This is hankering. And when one hundred thousand million dollars you have got... Some way or other, it is lost, oh, you cry, "Oh, I am gone." So either for earning or we hanker, that is also a kind of distress, and when we suffer loss there is distress. But if you are situated in brahma-bhutah avasthana, you'll be neither, neither distressed, nor hankering. You'll be in equilibrium. Yasmin sthite gurunapi na vicalyate. Even if you are situated in the midst of fiery tribulation, you'll not be disturbed. That is the position.

evam prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam
mukta-sangasya jayate
[SB 1.2.20]

Bhagavat-tattva-vijnana... Bhagavat-tattva-vijnana means the science of God. The science of God becomes perceivable by such person who is situated in the brahma-bhuta, I mean to say, status. So from that brahma-bhuta status, we have to work, and that work is recommended here,

buddhi-yukto jahatiha
ubhe sukrta-duskrte
tasmad yogaya yujyasva
yogah karmasu kausalam

Now, so, so long we have got this material body, we have to work. We cannot stop working. That is not possible. But we have to adopt the tactics of yoga so that even by doing ordinary work in which by destiny or by circumstances I am put into, there is no harm. You'll find in Bhagavad-gita that even if you find in your own occupation there is... Suppose I am occupied in some business in which I have to speak lie. Without speaking lie, my business cannot go on. Now, suppose if that is the position. Now, speaking lie is not very good thing, and if you think that your business is not very, based on very moral principle, "So I should give up," then Bhagavad-gita you'll find that "Don't give up." Even if you are put into such circumstances that your livelihood cannot go on without that unfair means, still, you should not give it up, but you should try to make it purified. You should try to make it purified. How it is purified? Now, you should not take the fruitive result of your work. That is meant for God.

So here it is stated that, that buddhi-yukto jahatiha ubhe sukrta-duskrte. Sukrta means pious activities, and duskrta means impious activities. In the material platform we are two things, pious or impious. Pious or impious. Either we are doing some pious activities or we are doing some impious activities or we are doing mixed, pious or impious. So Lord Krsna advises that if you act with intelligence or devotion of the Supreme... Intelligence means... What is that intelligence? That "I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness, pure soul. I am not this body." This is called intelligence. If you identify yourself, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this or that," then you are material placed.(?) If you identify yourself that "I am neither American, nor Indian, but I am pure consciousness, I am subordinate consciousness of the supreme consciousness, or, in other words, I am servant of God... God is supreme consciousness, and I am subordinate." That... So for our present understanding, subordinate means a servant. But don't carry out the idea of servant in relation to God. Here nobody wants to be servant. Everyone wants to be master. Because to become servant is very, not very, mean, a palatable thing. So but to become a servant of God is not exactly like this. Sometimes servant of God becomes the master of God. The real position of the living entity is a servant of God, but in Bhagavad-gita we see that the master, Krsna, has become the servant of Arjuna. Arjuna is sitting on the chariot, and Krsna has accepted his drivership. Is not the servant of the owner of the chariot? So in spiritual relation we should not carry out the conception of this material relationship. Although the relationship are there. The whole relationship, as we have got experience in this world, the same relationship are there in the spiritual world. But that relationship is not contaminated with matter. Therefore they are pure and transcendental. Therefore they are of a different nature. As we become advanced in spiritual conception of life, then we can understand what is the actual position in spiritual, transcendental life.

So here the Lord instructs that buddhi-yukta. Buddhi-yukta means with the full consciousness that you are not this body. If we act in that way... Now, if I am, I am not body, then I am consciousness. That is a fact. Now, if we act on the consciousness platform, then we can overcome the fruitive result of good work or bad work. It is transcendental stage. It is transcendental stage. It is especially mentioned, buddhi-yukto jahatiha sukrta-duskrte. That means you are acting on other's account, on the supreme account. You are not liable for loss or gain. When there is gain, don't be puffed up. You should think that this gain is for the Lord. And when there is loss, you, you should know that "This is not my responsibility. It is God's work. He'll see." Then you'll be happy. That practice you have to do, everything on account of the Supreme. That transcendental nature we have to develop. Tasmad yogaya yujyasva yogah karmasu kausalam. This is the trick of doing work in these present circumstances. As soon as we work on the platform of bodily consciousness, we become bound up by the reaction of my works. And as soon as I work on spiritual consciousness, I am not bound up either by sukrti or duskrti, either by pious activities or by, I mean to say, vicious activities. That is the technique.

Karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi phalam tyaktva manisinah. Manisinah. This word is very significant. Manisinah means thoughtful, thoughtful. Manisa. Manisa means thought. Manisinah, those who are got, those who are thoughtful, not trifling. Those who are thoughtful. Unless one is thoughtful, one cannot understand that he is not this body. Then how, how you can do work for yourself? What is your position? Now, I am consciousness. What kind of consciousness? Subordinate consciousness. I am the part of the supreme consciousness. Then what will be your activities? My activities will be under the guidance of the supreme consciousness. Just like in office, the managing director is the supreme consciousness. Just for example. Now, everyone is working under him, under his direction. So anyone who is working under his direction, they have no responsibility. They have got simply to discharge the duty, either pious or impious, never mind. In the military rank the order of the captain or the commander is there. The soldier has to execute it. Never mind whether it is pious or impious. It doesn't matter. He has to act simply. Then he becomes a, I mean to say, real soldier. If he acts in that way, he gets remuneration, he gets reward, he gets title, he gets honor. He doesn't care. The commander asks him, "Just go and kill the enemy." He goes and kills. He gets reward. But killing, do you mean to say one gets reward? No. For the duty discharged. For the duty discharged. Similarly, here the whole position is that Krsna is instructing Arjuna. Krsna is the supreme consciousness and Arjuna has to discharge only according to the order of the supreme consciousness. So my, manisinah. Manisinah means those who are thoughtful philosophers, those who can take up things by philosophical conclusion, that "I am consciousness. I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness. Therefore my duty is to act according to the supreme consciousness." Just like your hand is the part of your body. Now, it is moving according to my consciousness. The hand is not moving in its own way. As I want, that let the hand be moved, let my legs be moved, let my eye be opened and see, so I am dictating and these parts are working. Similarly we are all parts and parcel, parcel of the supreme consciousness. When we train ourself to move and act in according to that supreme consciousness, then we become transcendental to all these pious or impious activities. That is the technique.

So karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi phalam tyaktva manisinah. Manisinah means thoughtful, those who are thoughtful, those who have understood that "I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness and let me act in that way"... Then what will be the result? Just see the fine result: janma-bandha-vinirmuktah padam gacchanty anamayam: "Then he becomes free from the bondage of birth and death, no more birth and death." Janma-bandhana. This is a, this is a very strong shackle. You see? Janma. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. The modern scientists, modern philosophers, they do not think about these four things, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi, birth, death, disease and old age. They set it, set them aside. "Oh, let them be happened. Let us enjoy this life, hogs and dogs." This is human life. Human life is meant to make a solution of this bondage: life, I mean, birth, death, disease and old age. If the human civilization has not made a solution of these four things, oh, that is not human civilization. Human civilization is meant for making a complete solution of these things.

So here, in the Bhagavad-gita, just see how the Lord says that karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi. Karma-jam. Karma-jam means whenever you act, there will be some reaction. If you act good things, there will be a good reaction. If you act bad things, there will be bad reaction. But reaction, either good or bad, that is, in higher sense, all suffering. I have already explained to you another, some other day, that suppose by good action I get good birth, good riches and good features of the body, good education, all these thing I get, but that does not mean that I am free from the material pangs. The material pangs are janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi: birth, death, old age and diseases. Because you are rich man, because you are beautiful man, because you are educated man, because you are born in a aristocratic family, that does not mean that you have avoided death, old age and disease. So we shall not be concerned with pious activities or impious activities. We shall be concerned with transcendental activities. That will save me from this bondage of birth, death, old age and disease. That should be our aim of life. We should not be hankering after good or bad things. Because everything here, in higher consciousness, everything material... Now, take for example... Suppose you are diseased, suffering from some disease. You are lying on the bed. And you are eating in that stage, you are passing your nature's call in that way, and taking bitter medicines, and always you have to keep by the nurses clean. Otherwise, there is some obnoxious smell. In such a condition you are lying, and some friends come to you and ask you, "My dear such and such, how are you today feeling?" "Yes, I am today feeling well." What is this "well"? He's lying on the bed. He's passing his nature's calls in that way. He's eating bitter medicine, and he, he cannot move. All these inconveniences, and he says that "I am well." Similarly, in our material conception of life, if we think, "I am happy," that is foolishness. That is foolishness. There is no happiness in material life. It is impossible to get happiness. Then we do not know meaning of happiness. Therefore this very word is used, manisinah. We want to happy, to become by some extraneous, artificial means. And how long it will stand? It will not stand. You'll again come back. Suppose by intoxication you feel happy. Oh, that is not your actual happiness. Suppose by chloroform I am unconscious; I don't feel the pains of operation. Oh, that does not mean that I am out of these pains and pleasures. This is artificial. So real, real pleasure, real life is here, as recommended in Bhagavad-gita by Sri Krsna. Just see. Karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi phalam tyaktva manisinah. Manisinah means the thoughtful. "They give up the reaction of, of work, being situated in the platform of consciousness. And the result will be that janma-bandha-vinirmuktah, this bondage of birth and death and disease and old age, he becomes free from that." Then the next life? Padam gacchanty anamayam. Anamayam. Anamayam means where there is no death, no, I mean to say, old age, no birth, no disease. That is possible. That is called Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha. The Sanskrit word is Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means vigata-kuntha. Kuntha means anxiety, anxiety. Here, due to our material contamination, we are always full of kuntha, anxiety. Even a bird, when he's eating, he's seeing like this; this way, this way, this way, "Somebody's coming, or kill me. Oh." Full of anxiety. We are also anxiety, anxious. The politician is anxious. So long we are in contamination of this material body, we must be anxious. We must be anxious.

There is a nice instruction by Prahlada Maharaja, a great devotee, boy devotee. And he was, from his boyhood, childhood, from his mother's womb, he became a devotee by the grace of Narada Muni. That is the history. Now, he, he was five-years-old boy, and his father was too much materialistic. And he wanted that his son should be great politician, economist, and so on, so on, just like the materialists want. But the boy, he's a devotee. So father did not like the idea. So one day he called his boy, "My dear boy, come on." He came. A small boy. "Sit down on my lap. All right, my dear boy, will you kindly tell me what you have learned, the best thing in your school?" "Yes, my dear father, I shall tell you." So he said like this, tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat, hitvatma, hitva atma-patam grham anda-kupam vanam gato yad-dharim asrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. "My dear father..." He's addressing his father, "O the best among the materialists." Now, he's not afraid. His father was very powerful, and there is a story. We shall narrate one day. Now, today is... Very shortly I am giving some instance... So he says, "My dear father, you are the greatest of the materialists, but to my opinion that is the best thing if people should give up this materialistic life and devote himself for searching out God, then he'll be free from the anxiety which is due to him due to his material connection." Just, how, see the nice, that hitva, tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam. Persons who are always full of anxieties. Why? Now, due to their material connection. Asat. Asat means matter. Matter will not stay, however you may chemically try to preserve. Will... It will not stay. Therefore matter's another name is asat. And spirit's another name is sat. Sat means "which exists." Asat means "which does not exist." Antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririnah [Bg. 2.18]. We have already described that this body, this body is antavat, it has got end, but the consciousness, or the spirit soul, it is not... It is endless. So the endless, I mean to say, ever-existing soul, being contaminated by this body, he's full of anxiety. So Prahlada Maharaja thinks that in order to realize his self for self-realization, if he gives up all material engagement and takes to the path of self-realization, that is the best way of his life. And the father became angry. "What nonsense he's taking? A five-years-old boy, he's taking, talking of self-realization. I wanted to make him a great politician, economist. Now he's talking of this nonsense and..." Hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam. "He's describing that this family life is just like a dark well." If a man is put, dark well... [break]

...be engaged. Be... Whatever you are, that doesn't matter. But act it on the platform of consciousness. And that platform, acting on the consciousness, is, Lord Caitanya has made very easy. Just like there are some note-makers of school books, "Easy Study." So Lord Caitanya has recommended that "You may be engaged in whatever occupation. That may be good or bad. We don't mind for that. But you must hear the krsna-katha. You must continue to hear this Bhagavad-gita." That is... For this, we are trying to organize this institution, that "You come. Whatever you do, that doesn't matter. Everything will be adjusted by and by." Because, as I have described in the beginning, that srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah, hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani [SB 1.2.17]. Everything will be adjusted as our mind becomes clear, clear, clear, simply by hearing. Simply by hearing.

So this process, this association of hearing about the krsna-katha, what Krsna is speaking and what is spoken about Krsna, if we continue about the, about this process and chanting the Krsna name, you'll practically see how much your heart is becoming clearer and clearer and how much you are pro..., making progress towards spiritual realization and real, real identity of pure consciousness.

Thank you very much. Any question?

Mukunda: If a good man, who is passed through the states of being ignorant and passionate and he's really a good man, is walking down the street, let's say, in Delhi or Istanbul or any place, any city. And he sees a very young man beating up on a very old man just for no reason at all. He's just beating up, beating him to death. And the old man is calling out for help and there's a few people standing around. And as he approaches, he, he begins to get stirred by this scene. And being a good man he feels the whip on this other human being's back. Now, as a good man, should he not take sides on the two people quarreling and accept it and just walk on, even though he feels something welling up in him, or should he give way to what would be a passionate desire and try to interrupt and stop this injustice, so to speak?

Prabhupada: The whole idea is that action, either in ignorance or passion or goodness... We have discussed that point. That doesn't matter. But action should be done from the spiritual consciousness platform. That's all. Then you transcend the reaction. Just like, for example, Arjuna. Arjuna's fighting... This fighting is on the modes of passion, passion. Now, when the, that work of passion, if he does... Now, Arjuna was thinking not to fight, not to fight, because he thought that "Fighting with my brothers, with my relatives, is not good."

Mukunda: Yes.

Prabhupada: So, from material point of view, it is all right. From material point of view. But the thing is that material point of view, if you do act good work, you have to enjoy the reaction. That is the point. As I have already explained that by your good work, you get good birth, you get good wealth, you get good education, good features of body. But that is not the solution of your problem. Here the whole thing is that how to act. If we act from the material platform, even in the modes of goodness, that is also not solution of my life. But even, even in the spiritual, from the spiritual platform, if we act which apparently may seem to be acts of passion, that is not reactionary. That is not reactionary. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna... Now, the Lord says that you become free from the reaction of your activities. That is the proposition. Now, at the same time, He's inducing Arjuna to fight. Now, fighting is on the platform, on the modes of passion. Does it mean that simultaneously Krsna is inducing him to be entangled in the reaction of passion modes? No. That action, even apparently appears to be act, being acted on the platform of passion, it is transcendental because it is direction of the supreme consciousness. So whole thing is that we have to... Just like... Same example can be cited, that a soldier is killing his enemy, and the soldier's rewarded, "Oh, you have killed such a big enemy. You are rewarded." Do you mean to say by killing one is rewarded? But he is not acting on his platform. He's acting on higher consciousness platform, higher order. So if a commander's order can give him immunity from the reaction of being hanged, why not God's command? That is the thing. So we have, we haven't to discriminate whether I am in the modes of ignorance or passion or goodness. No. We have simply to see whether I'm acting under the direction of the supreme consciousness. That is the thing to be seen. Then we are free. Then our life becomes free. That thing, we have to learn. Yes?

Student: Is there...? Am I my brother's keeper? Am I, am I responsible for my brother's actions?

Prabhupada: Yes. Materially, you are responsible. Because materially you are responsible for all acts, good or bad. That I have already explained. So you may think that you have taken the responsibility of maintaining your brother, but at the same time, you are responsible for all the reactions.

Student: For all the?

Prabhupada: For all the reactions out of that act. It may be bad or good. That doesn't matter. Our problem is not to be infected with the reaction. If you think that bringing up your brother... It is, actually, it is good thing. You are doing good thing. That's all right. And you'll have the good result of it. But that, having that good result, does not mean that you are free from the reaction. Now, our problem is that we want to be free from the reaction. So long... Now... The same answer is there, that reaction of my good work, that I get good birth, I get good education, I get sufficient wealth or I get good features of body. These things are goodness of this material world. But that does not make solution of the disease in which... [break]...vyadhi, birth, death, old age and disease. The whole problem is that we have to get out of this material existence. So the, from the material point of view, or platform, any act, good or bad, that will have material reaction. And we are, we want to get out of this material reaction. That is our point of view. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967