Prabhupāda: [chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers]
vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.
mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida-
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye
vipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]
namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ
vaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]
vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]
pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam
[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]
jayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gate
mat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau
[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]
[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]
dīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥ
śrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthau
śrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devau
preṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi
[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]
[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]
śrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī vaṁśī-vaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ
karṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥ śriye 'stu naḥ
[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]
tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
vṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye
[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]
[break]
[09:58]
Prabhupāda: It is not working? [referring to microphone]
Govinda dāsī: [indistinct] [indistinct comments by devotees about microphone]
Prabhupāda: A little bit.
Devotee: [indistinct]
Prabhupāda: Why? Why does it not work?
Devotee: I don't know.
Prabhupāda: [indistinct] [whispering by devotees]
Gargamuni: It works a little bit, Swāmījī.
Prabhupāda:
jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam
idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ
yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo anyaj
jñātavyam avaśiṣyate
[Bg. 7.2]
[I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known.]
We have been discussing this verse, what is knowledge. Knowledge means how this universe is working, what is the working force, what is the energy. Just like scientist, they are searching out different energies. Just like this earth is floating on weightlessness. Such a huge mass of material body with so many mountains, so many seas, oceans, skyscraper houses, cities, towns, countries, it is floating just like a swab, cotton swab, in the air. So if one understands how it is floating, that is knowledge.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to have all kinds of knowledge. Not that we Kṛṣṇa conscious people are being carried away by some sentiment. No. We have got philosophy, science, theology, ethics, morality, everything—everything that is required to be known in human form of life. So Kṛṣṇa says that "I'll speak to you all about knowledge."
So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa consciousness..., a Kṛṣṇa conscious person should not be fool. If he is required to explain how these universal planets are floating, how this human body is rotating, how many species of life, how they are being evolved... These are all scientific knowledge—physics, botanics, chemistry, astronomy, everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yaj jñātvā: if you understand this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you'll have nothing to know. That means you'll have complete knowledge. We are hankering after knowledge, but if we are in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if we know Kṛṣṇa, then all knowledge is included.
So tac-chakti viṣaya vivikta-svarūpa viṣayakaṁ jñānam. You'll have full knowledge about the constitutional position of yourself, this material world, the spiritual world, God, our interrelationship, time, space, everything. There are many things to be known, but the principal thing is that the God, the living entities, time, work and this material energy. These five things are to be known.
You cannot deny, that "There is no God." God is controller, supreme controller. You cannot say that you are not controlled. There is controller. Just like in the state, you cannot say there is no controller. There is controller. In every street, in every house, there is control, government control. Suppose this store, here is also government control. You have to build store like this, you cannot live. If it is residential house, "The fire arrangement should be like this." There is control. Even you walk in the street, you drive your car, there is control: "Keep to the right." You cannot cross where there is written "Stop." You have to stop. So in every way, you are under control.
So there is a controller. And the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. There is one controller over another controller. If you go on searching out who is the ultimate controller, then you'll find Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1].
[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]
The Brahma-saṁhitā affirms, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Īśvaraḥ means controller. So we have to get knowledge of this controller, how He is controlling.
[child making noises] [aside:] It is disturbing.
So jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ te sahitam. Not only to know the controller, but to know how He is controlling, how many energies the controller has got and how He is one controlling—that is vijñānam. So jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ te nate tubhyāṁ prapannāya aśeṣataḥ.
Now this knowledge can be understood by a person who has made relationship with Kṛṣṇa and is a surrendered soul. Without being surrendered, it is very difficult to understand the controller and the energies, how He is controlling everything. Tubhyāṁ prapannāya aśeṣataḥ samagreṇa upadekṣyāmi. This is the condition. You will find in the later chapters that Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya [Bg. 7.25].
[I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency [yoga-māyā]; and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.]
Just like if you enter into any educational institution, if you don't surrender yourself to the rules and regulation of the institution, how you can get advantage of the knowledge imparted by the institution?
Everywhere, wherever you want to receive something, you have to be controlled or you have to be surrendered to the rules and regulation. Just like in our class we are imparting some lessons from the Bhagavad-gītā, and if you do not follow the rules and regulation of this class, it is not possible to receive the knowledge.
Similarly, the full knowledge of the controller and the process of controlling can be understood when one is surrendered like Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa. Unless one is surrendered soul, it is not possible. You always remember that Kṛṣṇa, er, Arjuna surrendered himself to Kṛṣṇa. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7].
[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]
So therefore Kṛṣṇa is also speaking to him.
Actually, these discussions of scripture is not to be acted unless there is relationship between the speaker and the audience. So audience means the disciples. Disciple means who accept the discipline. Śiṣya. Śiṣya. The exact Sanskrit word is śiṣya. A śiṣya means... There is a verb, Sanskrit verb, which is called śas. Śas means controlling. From śas, the "śāstra" comes. Śāstra means controlling books. And from śas, śastra. Śastra means weapons. When argument fails, reason fails... Just like the state controls.
First of all they give you the laws. If you break the laws, if you don't follow the regulation books, means śāstra, then next step is śastra. Śastra means weapons. If you don't follow the regulation of the government, "Keep to the right," then there is police batons—śastra. You have to be controlled. If you are gentleman, then you be controlled under the instruction of the śāstra. And if you are defying, then there is trident of Durgādevī.
You have seen Durgādevī, the picture, trident, threefold miseries. You cannot, I mean to say, violate any rules and regulations; as of the state, similarly of the supreme state, Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Just take for example there are some health rules. If we eat more, then you will be controlled by some disease. You'll have indigestion, and the doctor will advise you not to eat three days.
So there is control—by nature. Nature means God's law. Automatically working. Foolish people do not see God's law, but there is God's law. The sun is rising just exactly in the time, the moon is rising exactly in the time. The first year, first January, has come exactly in time. So there is control. But foolish people, they do not see it. Everything is controlled.
So to know God and how things are working and how it is being controlled, these things are to be known. We should not go simply by sentiment. Religious sentiment is good for persons who follow blindly. But at the present moment, people are advanced in so-called education. So Bhagavad-gītā gives you full information so that you can accept God with your reason, with your argument, with your knowledge. It is not blind following. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a sentiment. It is backed by knowledge and practical knowledge. Vijñānam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna sahitam. So without vijñāna sahitam...
And the process is, to understand this knowledge, is to be a surrendered soul. Therefore we disciple... Disciple means one who accepts the discipline. Without accepting discipline, we cannot make any progress. It is not possible. Any field of knowledge, any field of activities, if you want to be aware, scientifically and factually, then you should accept the controlling principle. Samagreṇa vakṣ ya svarūpaṁ sarvokaraṁ yatra dhiyaṁ tad ubhaya-viṣayakaṁ jñānaṁ vyaktum.
Now here, in this chapter, this is explicitly explained, that who is the supreme worshipable object. We are worshiping. According to our capacity, we are worshiping somebody. At least we are worshiping our boss. Suppose I work in an office or in a factory, I have to worship the boss, I have to abide by his order. So everyone is worshiping. Now who is the supreme worshipable object, Kṛṣṇa, how He is supreme worshipable object, that is explained in this chapter. Ya svarūpaṁ sarva karaṁ ca yac ca dhiyāṁ tad ubhaya-viṣayakaṁ jñānaṁ vyaktum atra bhakti-pratijñānam.
Therefore if we understand that here is the supreme controller, here is the supreme worshipable object, then the problems of our life is solved at once. We are searching after. Just the other day I told you one story that one Muhammadan devotee, he wanted to serve the greatest. He was serving the Nawab, then he went to the emperor, Barsa, then from emperor to Haridāsa, a saintly person, and from Haridāsa he was promoted to worship Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana.
So we should be inquisitive, intelligent enough. We are serving. Everyone, we are serving; at least we are serving our senses. Everyone, practically, they are not serving any boss or any master, they are serving their senses. Suppose if I am serving somebody as my boss, actually I am not serving his money..., serving his person; I am serving his money.
If he says, "Tomorrow you have to work free. You are getting twenty dollars a day now. Tomorrow I have no money. You will have to work free," "Ah, no, no, sir. I'm not coming. Because I am not serving you; I am serving your money." So actually we are serving money. Any why you are serving money? Because with the money we can satisfy our senses. Without money, we cannot satisfy our these informidable senses. If I want to drink, if I want to enjoy such and such things, then I require money. Therefore ultimately I am serving my senses.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa is called Govinda. We ultimately want our sense satisfaction, and go means senses. Here is the person, Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you serve Kṛṣṇa, then your senses become satisfied. Therefore His name is Govinda. Actually, we want to serve our senses, but the real senses, the transcendental senses, is Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. Therefore bhakti, devotional service, means purifying the senses, to be employed in the service of the supreme pure. The Lord is supreme pure. In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter, you'll find that Kṛṣṇa is described by Arjuna pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]: "You are the supreme pure."
[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]
So if we want to serve the senses of the supreme pure, then we have to become pure also. Because without... Being pure means spiritual. Spiritual life means pure life, and material life means contaminated life. Just like we have got this body, material body. This is impure body.
Therefore we suffer from disease, we suffer from old age, we suffer for birth, we suffer for death. And in our actual, pure form, spiritual form, there is no such suffering. There is no birth, there is no death, there is no disease and there is no old age. In the Bhagavad-gītā you have read it, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20].
[For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.]
Nitya. Although I am the oldest, because I am changing my body... I am, as soul, pure. I have no birth, I have no death, but I am simply changing body. Therefore I am the oldest. So although I am the oldest, I have got my new spirit. I am always fresh. This is my position.
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or devotional service, means purifying the senses. That's all. We haven't got to eradicate, get out of the sensual activities. No. We have simply to purify the senses. How you can get out of the senses? Because you are living entity, the senses are there. But the thing is that at the present moment, because we are materially contaminated, our senses are not getting full enjoyment. This is most scientific.
So devotional service means purifying the senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].
[“’Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’]
Nirmalam means purification. How you can purify your senses? That is defined in Nārada-bhakti-sūtra. It is said that sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Purification of the sense means you have to be free from all kinds of designation. Our life is full of designation. Just like I am thinking "I am Indian," I am thinking "I am sannyāsī," you are thinking you are American, you are thinking "man," you are thinking "woman," you are thinking "white," you are thinking "black." So many designation. These are all designation.
So purifying the senses means to purify the designation. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that "I am neither Indian nor European nor American nor this nor that. I am eternally related with Kṛṣṇa. I am the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." When we are fully convinced that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that is purification of your senses.
So as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, you have to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is your pleasure. Now we are trying to satisfy our senses, our material senses. When you become..., realize yourself that you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. And by satisfying His senses, your senses will be satisfied. Just like crude example—this is not, I mean, spiritual—just like husband is understood as the enjoyer and the wife is considered as the enjoyed. But if the wife satisfies the senses of the husband, his [her] senses also satisfied.
Similarly, just like you have got some itching on the body, and the part of your body, the fingers, itches on that body, the satisfaction also felt by the fingers also. Not that the particular part only is feeling the sensation of satisfaction, but the whole body is feeling this satisfaction sense. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa being the full, when you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, sense of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, then the satisfaction of the whole universe takes place. This is the science. yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam.
[If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied, everyone is satisfied.]
The another example is just like if you satisfy the stomach in your body, then the whole body is satisfied. The stomach will issue such energy by digestion of the foodstuff that it will transform into blood, it will come into the heart, and from the heart it will be diffused all over the body, and all over the body the depression, the exhaustion which has undergone, that will be satisfied.
So this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And Kṛṣṇa is explaining personally. So yaj jñātvā, if we understand the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there will be nothing unknown. Everything will be known. It is such a nice thing. Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate [Bg. 7.2]. Bhūyo means no more to understand anything. Everything is completely known.
Then the question may be why people do not understand Kṛṣṇa. That is, of course, a relevant question, and that is being answered by Kṛṣṇa in the next verse:
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
[Bg. 7.3]
[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]
Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. There are different kinds of men. Just like we know, everyone, on this planet only, apart from other planets, there are hundreds and thousands varieties of men. Even here we are sitting, so many ladies and gentlemen, there are different varieties. And if you go outside, there are different varieties. If you go to another country—India, Japan, China—you'll find different. Therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3], out of many, many different varieties of men, kaścid yatati siddhaye, only a few person decide to understand the philosophy of life.
Because man is rational animal. Man is rational. Man is animal, but rational animal. The special gift to man is that he can decide what is good, what is bad. He has got an extra knowledge than the animals. So at the present moment the education system is so bad that it is practically animal education. Animal education means when at the present moment the education system is so bad that it is practically animal education. Animal education means when we are too much interested with eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is animal education.
Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, oh, you'll find in animals. There is no distinction. They have got their own defending measures, they have got their own sleeping measure, they have got their own mating measure. You are mating with your wife in a secluded place, in nice room, in a decorated room, but a dog is mating on the street, but the result is the same. So to improve the method of mating is not advancement of civilization. That is animal civilization polished, that's all. The animal also, the dog can also defend from other dogs. And if you think that you have discovered atomic energy to defend yourself, oh, that is not advancement of human civilization. The defending measure, that's all.
Similarly, you go on analyzing. The analysis of man is perfect when he is searching after his constitutional position: "What I am? What I am? Am I this body? Why I have come to this world?" This inquisitiveness required. That is the special prerogative of human being. Therefore as soon as one begins to inquire "What I am?" and if he goes on searching after this, then he will come to God.
Because he is part and parcel of God. He is sample of God. Therefore manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3]: out of many, many thousand varieties of men, one, or say a few persons, may be interested to know God. Not only know... Not to know God, just to know himself. And if he actually wants to know himself, then gradually he will come to God.
So,
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
[Bg. 7.3]
[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]
Here it is said that manuṣyas teṣāṁ śāstra 'dhikara yajñānāṁ sahasra-madhye. Now, what I am, what is God, what is this material world, how it is working, these things are business of an educated man. A foolish man cannot take. Therefore śāstra adhikāra. Śāstra means one has got some knowledge in the śāstras, in the books of knowledge. As soon as we find out one who has got books of knowledge, knowledge in books, of śāstra, the quantity will be at once reduced.
In this quarter if you find out how many noneducated people are there, oh, you'll find many. And as soon as you want to find out how many M.A.'s are there, at once the number will be reduced. Similarly, there are many men, but if you want to search out some man who is trying to make perfection of his life, at once the number will be reduced. And out of them... Just like so many transcendentalists, svāmīs, yogīs, there are. If you count amongst them who wants to understand God, who has got the knowledge of God, at once the number will be reduced. Again.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that out of many, many thousands of people, somebody is interested for making perfection of his life. And out of many, many thousands of men who are actually trying to make perfection of their life, you'll find somebody—or you may not find out—who knows God, or Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He comes Himself to be known by everyone. And He's so kind also that before His departure from this material world, He leaves behind Him this Bhagavad-gītā so that you can know from His personal talks what is God.
So if you read Bhagavad-gītā rightly, as it is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, not foolishly interpreting nonsensically, but as it is, as it is... Call the spade a spade. Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Don't interpret this version with your foolish interpretation, but accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And by His acts, by His śāstric knowledge, wisdom... Everyone accepted previously, all the ācāryas. So we have to follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186].
[Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “’Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized person. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.’”]
We cannot understand higher things unless we follow the footprints of great personalities. Just like even in the scientific world, the law of gravitation. You do not know anything about law of gravitation, but Sir Isaac Newton, he says that there is law of gravitation, you accept it. That's all. That means you follow a great personality.
So similarly, Kṛṣṇa should be accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead not by whims. But He has been accepted like..., by personalities like Lord Caitanya, Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, great personalities who are guiding the destiny of spiritual world. Therefore you have to accept in that way.
So we shall discuss next... Quarter past eight?
Devotee: Yes.
Prabhupāda: If there is any question, you can put.
Guest: Swāmī? You say that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a system of purifying the senses. Does that mean that the senses become unlimited? Do the senses become unlimited when they're finally purified?
Prabhupāda: There is no question of unlimited, but at least it becomes purified. First of all purify; then the limit of senses will be also extended. Just like if your eye is defective. So you cannot see; you require the help of glass. But if the disease of your eye is cured, oh, you can see without glass.
But that does not mean that you can see for hundred miles. But at least you can see perfectly. You don't require the help of glass. Similarly, so long your senses are impure, you are completely in ignorance, you do not know what you are, what is this world, what is God—simply in darkness. Just like dull stone. Ignorance means dull stone.
So if your senses are purified, at least you can know who is God, what you are, what is this world, what is your relationship. These things will be revealed. Not that you can become the supreme controller. No. That is not possible. Purifying the senses means at least you can know your self, you know the controller, know the controlling system. These things will be revealed.
Guest (2): I have a question. If one wanted to redistribute Kṛṣṇa's property by taking from the rich and giving to the poor, and in doing so all you'd have to do is make maybe one or two false statements... Is this...
Prabhupāda: Why you are anxious to take rich man's property?
Guest (2): Pardon?
Prabhupāda: Why you are so much anxious to take rich man's property? [laughter]
Guest (2): It belongs to the state. It's unemployment insurance.
Prabhupāda: Unemployment insurance company has ordered you to take the state...?
Guest (2): I could get this, you see, if I would make a few false statements that I was looking for work when I have not been looking for work.
Prabhupāda: Well, one who is making false statement, he'll suffer for that.
Guest (2): Even if...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (2): Even if it's for a good cause?
Prabhupāda: You should not be anxious to anything which is not ordered by Kṛṣṇa. That is your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You don't manufacture your activities. Then you'll be entangled.
Yes?
Woman devotee: Swāmī, would you initiate me?
Prabhupāda: Will you follow the rules? Thank you. I shall do. [laughter]
Devotee: Jaya Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes?
Devotee (2): Swāmī, spiritual energy is situated in the heart as localized Paramātmā. Is this also Kṛṣṇa's personal feature?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Paramātmā is also personal. Everything is personal. Paramātmā is described as four-handed Nārāyaṇa with śaṇkha, cakra, gadā, padma, with, I mean to say, ornaments. That is the feature of Paramātmā. You have seen the Viṣṇu-mūrti. That is Paramātmā.
This voidness is an imagination, voidness. Actually God or Paramātmā or Kṛṣṇa, They are all sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, transcendental forms. They are not material forms. Transcendental forms. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Vigraha means form.
[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]
If we, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got individuality, forms, how we can say that the Supreme has no form, no individuality? He has got complete individuality. And that is confirmed in the Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].
[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]
He is the supreme living entity of all living entities. Just like we are living entities, but He is the Supreme. That's all. He is also living entity. Nityo nityā..., cetanaś cetanānām. The difference is eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one single... There are plural number and singular number. That singular number one is providing the necessities of other singular number..., plural number living entities. That is the difference.
He is the maintainer, He is the predominator, He is the controller, and we are controlled, we are predominated, and we are maintained. That is the difference between me and God. Otherwise, He is a living being just like us. He is more powerful: the most powerful, the most beautiful, the most famous, the most strong, and we are all subordinate.
Therefore His name is Asamordhva. Asamordhva means nobody is equal or greater than Him. Everyone is subordinate to Him. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]:
[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]
"I am the origin of everything." Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1].
[O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.]
These things are there in Vedic literature. Yes?
Gargamuni: Swāmījī, it says in the Gītā that when Kṛṣṇa comes, He comes to achieve a certain mission and then He leaves.
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Gargamuni: It says in the Gītā when Kṛṣṇa... He comes to achieve a certain mission and then He leaves. In the Bhāgavatam it says that at the disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa everything fell down, everyone was dejected, and Arjuna was crying, in such... Well, if He comes to achieve a certain mission and then when He leaves it all falls down again...
Prabhupāda: Not immediately. Just like here the nature is working in that way. You build a very nice house. Gradually, the nature's course is it will become old and you'll fall down. This is the way of nature here. You cannot keep anything fresh always. So, so long Kṛṣṇa, or God, is present, or His representative is present, the affairs of the world go very nicely. But as soon as they disappear, again the same system begins, dwindling. Begins... By the power...
Just like so long the sun is there, there is no darkness, but as soon as the sun is away from your sight, at once the darkness comes. Because the whole atmosphere is darkness. It is by artificial means or by arrangement of God we are keeping it light. This room, if at once the electric fails, oh, it will be dark, because its nature is darkness. Its nature is darkness. Therefore Vedas says, "Don't keep yourself in this darkness. Just get out of this. Come to the light." Tamasi ma jyotir gama [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28]. "Just come to the light." That is spiritual kingdom.
[Lead me from untruth to truth! Lead me from darkness to light! Lead me from death to immortality.]
So Kṛṣṇa comes to give you information of that spiritual kingdom, that "Life is like this." Just like Kṛṣṇa displayed at Vṛndāvana. Everyone is happy, enjoying. So He displays the spiritual life to attract you. So our business should be to be attracted by Him and prepare ourself to go back to Godhead, go back to home. Not that because Kṛṣṇa came here, He has left some instruction, we shall stick here.
You must give up this idea. Kṛṣṇa gives you opportunity how you can live peacefully here. But that does not mean that you make your permanent settlement here. Then you are doomed. You take the advantage of Kṛṣṇa's instruction and prepare yourself so that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]:
[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]
After leaving this body, no more coming here. Bās. You go. You are transferred to Kṛṣṇaloka.
We should prepare in that way. That is the solution of problem. Otherwise, if you want to live in this material world, that is nature is like that. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19].
[Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Pārtha, and they are helplessly dissolved.]
It is manifested at a certain period, again it is destroyed. And there is destroying, I mean to say, process. So Kṛṣṇa comes, He sets right everything. But the nature of this world is like that. It becomes again deteriorated. Deteriorated.
So? Let us have saṅkīrtana. Govinda jaya jaya gopāla jaya jaya.
Let that girl come here. Come on, come on.
[59:40]
[kīrtana] [end]
