Prabhupāda: ...coming from Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction, I'll request you to practice another prayer. I'll pray the last line, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. You'll repeat that. Now try to unders...
[chants one word at a time with devotees repeating:]
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
[sings:] Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
[repeats several times, devotees trying to sing along]
The meaning of this line is govindam, the Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, and govindam ādi-puruṣam. Ādi-puruṣam means the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam, "unto You," bhajāmi, "I offer my respectful obeisances." This is the meaning. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. Repeat.
Devotees: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-
lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.29]
[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakṣmīs or gopīs.]
Repeat.
veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ
barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam
kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.30]
[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids.]
Repeat.
Devotees: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
Prabhupāda: Loudly. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
Yes. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
ālola-candraka-lasad-vanamālya-vaṁśī-
ratnāṅgadaṁ praṇaya-keli-kalā-vilāsam
śyāmaṁ tri-bhaṅga-lalitaṁ niyata-prakāśaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.31]
[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the flute and jeweled ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose graceful threefold-bending form of Śyāmasundara is eternally manifest.]
Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti
paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti
ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.32]
[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.]
advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.33]
[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.]
Thank you. So in this way, Brahma-saṁhitā you'll learn, and there is Brahma-saṁhitā book, discuss translation, purport.
kaumāra ācaret prājño
dharmān bhāgavatān iha
durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]
[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.]
This verse we have been discussing for the last three days. So Prahlāda Mahārāja's argument is that everyone, if he is intelligent... If he's a rascal, that is a different thing. Because the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, is not meant for the rascals. It is meant for the intellectual person. Kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa caturā.
[One who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously and perfectly, he must be very, very intelligent.]
Unless one is very intelligent, he cannot be God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore this word is used, prājñā. Prājñā means... Pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpena, specifically. Jñā, jñā means a man of intellect. So bhāgavata-dharma, what is that bhāgavata-dharma? That I have already explained. Again we can repeat. Bhāgavata-dharma means to reestablish our lost relationship with God. This is bhāgavata-dharma.
Therefore in every, I mean to..., section of human society there is attempt to reestablish our relationship with God. But at the present moment there is systematic propaganda to forget whatever little relationship we have got. We do not understand what is the science of God, but still, people know that there is something like God. So we are just trying. This is the symptom of this Kali-yuga.
They will manufacture objects of worship, but not worship God. They will present so many false God, but they will not worship the real God. One has to worship something, because it is my nature; I worship. Somebody worships God and somebody worships dog. Because I cannot remain without worshiping. Worshiping means loving. Without love there is no worship, there is no question.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that this bhāgavata-dharma... Bhāgavata-dharma means to revive our lost relationship with God. We should know what is God. We should know what we are, living entities. We should know what is this material nature. We should know what is time, and we should know what are our real activities.
[aside:] Why don't you come forward? The sunshine is troubling you. So come forward. Yes. Sit comfortably.
So bhāgavata-dharma means it is scientific knowledge. It is not sentiment. Religion without philosophical understanding is sentiment. And philosophy without understanding of God is mental speculation. So we should not be both—neither sentimentalist nor dry mental speculators.
There is a class of mental speculators, they're writing volumes of books, but there is no substance. And there are some religious fanatics, but they do not know, do not understand what is religion. So these two classes of men are now very prominent at the present moment. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavata or Bhagavad-gītā, if anyone is intelligent he'll know that it is combination of religious sentiment plus philosophy. To understand religion on the basis of philosophy and logic, not blindly accepting. So this is called bhāgavata-dharma.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends that from childhood this should be instructed. Because nobody is caring to teach this science of God from childhood. Therefore the present population, godless population, is the cause of all disturbances. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara means population, unwanted population.
What is the use of this population? Simply for living? The Bhāgavata says does the tree not live? The tree also lives for thousands of years. So do you mean to say living is very important thing? No. There are many trees they are living for thousands of years. So what is the value of living?
If you say, "Oh, the tree lives, but it cannot breathe." Breathing. The Bhāgavata says the bellow, it breathes very nicely. "Well, the bellow can breathe, but it cannot eat." "Oh, the dogs and hogs, they do not eat?" There are so many questions and answers in the Bhāgavata. But actually, population, important population, means who are conversant with the science of God.
That is important population. Otherwise, what is the use of living? Śaṅkarācārya lived for thirty-two years, and Lord Jesus Christ, I think he also lived similarly. Lord Caitanya lived for forty-eight years. But their philosophy and God consciousness is so important, they are still living. Kalpante sthayinā guṇāḥ. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa vidyanti. Āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa vidyanti.
[Even one moment of life spent cannot be regained for millions of gold coins. Therefore, what greater loss is there than time spent uselessly?]
Āyuṣaḥ means this duration of life, it can be finished at any moment, but kalpante sthayinā guṇāḥ: but if you are a qualified man, then your qualities will be remembered for many, many thousands of years. Therefore live for the best qualities, to acquire the best qualities, God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends to the world society that from the very beginning of childhood this science should be taught. Why? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Now this human form of life is very important.
Śrīdhara Swami comments on this, kaumāra ity ādinā, ihaiva mānuṣa-janmani dharmān ācaret. Now question may be why in this birth of human life it is so much stressed? The answer is durlabham. Durlabham means the intelligence that you have got now in this form of body, it is very rare.
The intelligence, how it is rare? How it is important? Now here we are discussing about science of God, maybe very small number of men we are sitting, but we are all, because we are human being, we are able to discuss. But we cannot call a cat or dog and sit down here and understand the science of God. That is not possible. So except human body, in any other form of life there is no possibility. You can become a tiger or a lion, very powerful, but it is a useless life. Useless life.
I had correspondence with one gentleman in England. He says that "We want to be tiger." So I answered, "What is the use of tiger?" Tigers, to become tiger... Tiger is very important animal? It is, rather, enemy of the human society. So actually, the present society is producing tigers or hogs or dogs or camels, like that—in the form of human body. The real human body, the intelligence should be utilized to understand God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tad api janma.
Why... Somebody may say that "I may... Let me enjoy this life. I shall try for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, next life. Or after enjoying life in my youthhood, then we shall try." So Prahlāda Mahārāja answers, "No, don't remain confident that you shall live long or remain confident that you are getting next life also human form of life."
No. Adhruvam. There is no certainty. But if you begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life and try to achieve the result to some extent, even one percent, two percent, your life, next life, is guaranteed a human form of life. It is such a nice thing.
Because it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga bhraṣṭo sanjāyate [Bg. 6.41].
[The unsuccessful yogī, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.]
One who cannot fulfill the entire course of understanding the science of God, but because he has begun to understand it, never mind he has understood it one percent, two percent, ten percent... Not ten percent. Unless one understands the science cent per cent, he does not get liberation. But even one percent. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt [Bg. 2.40].
[In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.]
In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find this stanza, that even little percentage of God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is attempted, then you can be saved from the greatest danger.
There are many instances in the śāstra, Ajāmila. Simply he was most, I mean to say, a sinful man. All through his life he acted simply sinfully, but at the end of his life, just at the point of death, he remembered Nārāyaṇa. That also in connection with his youngest son. And because he uttered the name "Nārāyaṇa," he remembered Nārāyaṇa, and simply by remembering Nārāyaṇa he was, I mean to say, liberated. So there were many instances. So svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. [Bg. 2.40].
[In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.]
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Nārada has instructed Vyāsadeva,
tyaktvā sva dharmaṁ caraṇāmbhujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
[SB 1.5.17]
[One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.]
Nārada, he's instructing. Vyāsadeva is disciple of Nārada Muni. So Vyāsadeva was not very happy, even he wrote so many books, even Vedānta-sūtra. He wrote Mahābhārata, he wrote all the Purāṇas, and he wrote the philosophy, Vedānta-sūtra, and still, he was feeling unhappy. So at that time Nārada Muni came and instructed him, and he asked that "Why I'm not feeling happy? In spite of working so hard about writing all these different kinds of Vedic literature, why I am not feeling happy?"
So Nārada Muni instructed him, "Because you have not very elaborately discussed about the science of God. You have simply superficially given some moral instruction to the society, some social instruction, but..., some political instruction, Mahābhārata." Just like Mahābhārata, you'll find first-class political discussion, first-class social, economics, everything is there. But still, there is Bhagavad-gītā.
So Vyāsadeva has done, but still he was not feeling. So at that time Nārada Muni instructed him that "You simply describe about God, about Kṛṣṇa." Then he wrote this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In that connection he said, tyaktvā sva dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi. [SB 1.5.17]
[One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.]
Just like many students come to us, and they stick for some days, again go away. Not very much, but I have got experience. Some boys came, three, four boys, they are no longer with us; they have left us. Now Nārada Muni said tyaktvā sva-dharmam. Sva-dharmam means everyone has got his specific activity, duty. So Nārada Muni says even if...
Of course, this specific duty is in reference with the system of varṇa and āśrama. Just like somebody is brāhmaṇa, executing the duties of a brāhmaṇa; somebody is executing the duty of a kṣatriya; somebody is executing the duty of a vaiśya, or a śūdra, or a brahmacārī, or a sannyāsī, vānaprastha.
There are eight divisions. So Nārada Muni says that if one gives up his occupational duty, specific duty either as a brahmacārī or sannyāsī or gṛhastha or brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, he gives up. Why he gives up? Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer [SB 1.5.17].
[One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.]
By sentiment or by association, he becomes encouraged that "I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I shall give up everything."
So Nārada Muni says, "Oh, it is a very good thing. Even if he's sentimental." Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer. And because one comes by sentiment to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he cannot stick. So bhajann apakvo 'tha. That means, bhajann, when the execution of devotional service is not complete, apakvo, immature... Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi. Or even falls down.
Suppose a brahmacārī, he's supposed to follow the laws of celibacy, but he could not. He falls down. There are so many rules and regulations. And... He began the execution of devotional service, but some way or other māyā catches him and he falls down. Nārada Muni says, "Oh, there is no loss for him." Yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ ko vā..., ko vā artha āptaḥ sva abhajatāṁ adharmataḥ..., sva-dharmataḥ [SB 1.5.17].
Nārada Muni says that even if he falls down he does not lose anything. But what does he gain if one is engaged in his occupational duty as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, or this or that? If he sticks to his occupational duty and does not understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what does he gain? He does not gain anything.
Suppose if one follows the rules and regulations of a brāhmaṇa. His next life he may get a brāhmaṇa birth or a very, I mean to say, learned family. Like that he can get. But that is not a very good gain. But Nārada Muni says if one has begun the occupational duty of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, giving up all other occupational duty, even if he falls down, that one percent, two percent remains as his asset so that he will be able to begin from next life again Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So it is so nice that even one falls down, it will not... Whatever he has done, whatever you have done, that is your permanent asset. Permanent asset, because it is spiritual. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spiritual. As spirit soul is eternal, permanent, similarly, any activity on the spiritual platform is eternal. It will never be lost. So there are many instructions like this.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is also stressing on that point, that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Although this human form of life is not very long, but you can get the very nice result out of it. Arthadam. Artha. Artha means profit. So real profit is spiritual profit. That is real profit, because that will never be lost. And material profit, suppose you become M.A., Ph.D., Doctor, or Rockefeller or Ford, or something like that. You gain so many material things. But as soon as this body is finished, everything is finished.
You are no more Rockefeller, you are no more M.A. Suppose you get again a birth in a human family, so you have to again begin your education to come to the point of M.A. Or you have to begin your life to become again Rockefeller. This Rockefeller estate is left here. You have to begin again. You do not know whether you are going to be Rockefeller or some feller.
But at least, it is certain that whatever material gain you acquire, that will be finished with this body. That is a fact. So you have to begin again. But if you take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness even one percent, that will never be finished. It will give you... Just like a seed. A seed, if you sow on the earth and you put little water, it will grow. It will grow. It will never be stopped. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says,
ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
[Cc. Madhya 19.151]
[”According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.]
Bīja means seed. So hundreds and thousands and millions of living entities are rotating in many places in the kingdom of God, both material and spiritual. There are so many planets, and each planet there are so many countries, towns, cities, life, varieties of... So the living entity is circumambulating in different kinds of species of life, different kinds of countries, places, planets. That is their material business.
So in this way, while traveling, if he meets by chance a devotee of God, Kṛṣṇa, and if he gets that seed... Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona... That is obtained fortunately. Fortunately. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. "Fortunate," this very word is used, "fortunate." Nobody can capture the seed of God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is very... It is meant for the fortunate. So all right, he may be fortunate, but devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa and God, they are trying to make others fortunate. They are approaching, canvassing. So if anybody is intelligent, he catches up.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that mālī hañā sei bīja kara āropaṇa [Cc. Madhya 19.152].
[”When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of śravaṇa and kīrtana [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout.]
Now, suppose you have got the seed of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, now it is your duty to become a gardener. How? Mālī hañā sei bīja kara āropaṇa, śravaṇa kīrtana jale kara secana. Just like you sow a seed in your garden or in your house and put some little water daily and it grows gradually, similarly, if you have captured the seed of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, just pour water on it of this hearing and chanting. Then it will one day fructify. It will never be lost. It will grow, grow, grow. And when it is fully grown and the fruit is there... And what is that fruit? That fruit is love of Godhead. Then your life is successful.
So it should be begun from the childhood. That is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja, that,
kaumāraṁ ācaret prājño
dharmān bhāgavatān iha
durlābhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]
[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.]
This human life is also not permanent, but you can acquire a permanent thing. This is the opportunity. Therefore it should be learned from the very beginning of your life.
Now next line he says,
yathā hi puruṣasya iha
viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam
yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānām
priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt
[SB 7.6.2]
[The human form of life affords one a chance to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings.]
Very important. We are searching after a lover. That day the boys were singing, what is that singing? You said?
Devotee: Yes. "You better find somebody to love." [laughter]
Prabhupāda: Jaya. Better find out somebody to love. That is the problem. That is the problem of this life. Everyone is there... Now, after disappointment they say that "I had tried to find out somebody, girl or boy, to love, but I was, I mean to say, frustrated, disappointed. Now I find the dog is the best friend." Yes. Actually, they say like that: "We find the dog is the best friend." Is it not? Yes. Why?
Everyone is searching after to love somebody. That's a fact. Because we are lover. Our constitutional position is lover. Prahlāda Mahārāja says that Viṣṇu..., your loving object is Viṣṇu. So try to love Viṣṇu, then your life will be successful. You'll feel satisfaction. Yayātmā suprasīdati. You'll feel, "Oh, I have got something now. Now I have got this loving object." In another place Prahlāda Mahārāja said, na te viduḥ svārtha gatiṁ hi viṣṇu [SB 7.5.31].
[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]
They do not know what is their actual loving object. That is Viṣṇu. And in the Vedic mantra, Ṛg mantra, it is said, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ [Ṛg-veda 1.22.20].
[The lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu are the supreme objective of all the demigods. These lotus feet of the Lord are as enlightening as the sun in the sky.]
Those who are demigods, they are always sūrayaḥ. Sūrayaḥ means... Just like Āryans and non-Āryans. Then there's suri and asuri, or sura or asura. Asura, asura means demons, and sura, just the opposite. Or Āryans and non-Āryans. So the Āryans... Āryans, the real meaning, the Sanskrit word Āryans means progressive. We have historically made a class of men. No. Āryans civilization means who is progressive, advancing. They are intelligent. They are fair-complexioned. Therefore Āryans means progressive. So they know.
Vedic mantra says that tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Paramaṁ padam, the highest perfection of life, is to understand Viṣṇu, or God. Tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ [Ṛg-veda 1.22.20]. In order to reach that goal, they are always looking after that. Just like in darkness you are walking on the road. The cynosure of the neighboring eyes. You see the stars. Just like in the ocean, the navigators, they look to the polestar, that which side they are going. Similarly, our aim should be always to Viṣṇu. Always to Viṣṇu. But unfortunately we are not educated in that way. We are educated in different way. Therefore there is disaster.
The same example we can give. If you do not know that the polestar, then you may be misdirected. Just like Columbus, he came to America, or many..., there are many navigators. If they miss that, misses that polestar, then they will be misdirected. Similarly, our human form of life, the aim should be to understand Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That should be the aim of life. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ.
So here also, the same thing, viṣṇu pādopasarpaṇam yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya. Sarva-bhūtānām means all living entities. Priya, that is real dear object. Sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt [SB 7.6.2].
[The human form of life affords one a chance to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings.]
He is the proprietor of my self. He is Superself. Just like I love this body. Why? Because I am the spirit self, or soul is within this body. Therefore just like I love this apartment. Why? Because I live here. Similarly, I love this body because I am spirit soul, I am living within this body; therefore I try to protect it. Real love is to myself. So naturally, if you love yourself, then this self is the part and parcel of the Superself. Therefore you love indirectly the Superself.
And suhṛt, and He is your actually intimate friend. Suhṛt. Suhṛt means who is always wishing your good. The Vedic information says that the Supreme Lord as Supersoul is sitting with you in the same tree. The individual soul and the Supersoul is sitting in the heart, and this body is considered as tree, and He is seeing your..., my activities. He is trying to get me back to Godhead. So in whichever form of life I am transmigrating He is also going with me. Just like two birds. So He is acting as my friend.
That is described in the Upaniṣad, that two birds are sitting in one tree in friendly terms. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird is simply witnessing. So the bird which is eating the fruit of the tree, that means we are enjoying happiness or distress out of my own activities or this bodily activities. But the other bird, or Supersoul, He is not affected with the activities of the body. He is simply looking when this bird will turn to Him. That is His friendship. So suhṛt, this very word is suhṛt.
So īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61].
[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]
This is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and all Vedic literature. So that suhṛt is simply looking to the opportunity when the other bird, instead of eating the fruit, looks to his friend. That's all. He's simply waiting for the opportunity. And He's sending His servant, He's coming Himself as incarnation, He is leaving books like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bible, just to attract me: "My dear friend, come this side. Come this side."
Suhṛt. And He is ātmeśvara. And He is the proprietor of myself, because I am part and parcel of God. So therefore He is the Supreme. So He is... Just like you are part and parcel of your father, similarly, every one of us, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Father. As you do not find any good friend than your father... [end]