Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6 -- [Hindi-Translated into English]

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

[break] [00:56]

Religion, as it is understood in English, as mentioned in the dictionary, is a faith, a kind of faith. I have taken my birth in a Hindu family therefore I have faith in Hindu religion. If I have taken birth in a Muslim family, I will have faith in Muslim religion. So in dictionary, religion is mentioned as a kind of faith. But our bhāgavata-dharma is different. It is not a faith, "dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam" [SB 6.3.19]. Religion means, if we accept what the Supreme Personality of Godhead has said as it is, it is called religion. The Supreme Lord comes personally and explains that "sarva-dharmān parityajya mam ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja" [Bg. 18.66] this is religion. All others are not religion. A religion where God is not understood, as to what is God, what is our relationship with God and how to perform our duties in accordance to that relation, if one does not understand these things, then he does not know anything about religion. If there is only a sentiment that this is my religion and I follow this, then according to the scriptures that is not proper religion. "dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam" [SB 6.3.19] praṇītam means manufactured , God is eternal and what God says that is also eternal. Everything in association with God is eternal, God is eternal, God’s form is eternal, God’s qualities are eternal, God’s activities are eternal, God’s abode is eternal, God’s devotees are eternal. Everything is eternal. "dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam" [SB 6.3.19] that is why in this particular verse of Bhāgavatam, Sūta Gosvāmī is saying---"sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo". Paro means eternal or transcendental. There are two things superior and inferior. There are two types of nature---the superior nature and the inferior nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has explained in Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥkhaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg. 7.4].

Apareyam viddhi me prakṛtiṁ [Bg. 7.5] apareyam or the material elements like earth, water, fire, air, sky---these are inferior nature, and superior nature is as the Supreme Lord says---apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām, this is superior nature. What is that superior nature? That is jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. The living entities, like we all are, who have got living symptoms, they are superior, and the material body is inferior. Why? This inferior body, why is it called inferior? Because, it is not going to exist forever. It is asat or temporary, it is temporary, it is not going to last forever. And the living entity, who has accepted this body dehino 'smin yathā dehe, asmin dehe, he is the proprietor or the occupier of this body. For example, there are two things in a house, one is the owner of the house and the other one is the occupier or a tenant. The tenant is not the owner, the owner is different. Similarly there are two souls residing in this body. One is the occupier---the living entity, to whom this body has been given, you take this body. He cannot refuse,

The Supreme Lord is residing in everyone’s heart. He is in your heart, in my heart, and He knows everything---past, present, future. As we desire, we pray to Lord, O Lord! Please give me these facilities, and the Lord gives it. Is it difficult for the Supreme Lord? The Lord is already providing everything, and if I want something else, then the Lord gives that also. If someone prays to the Lord "O Lord, let me eat everything without discrimination", the Lord agrees and gives him a suitable body of a hog. Take it, eat stool also. No discrimination, the Lord gives him such a body that he can eat stool also with great pleasure. "O Lord! Give me such a body so that I can eat lots of meat and blood." All right, become a tiger. The Supreme Lord awards these bodies. bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrā rūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61]. I have a desire to go all over the world and I create many varieties of desires icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa [Bg. 7.27]. Some things I desire and some things I hate. These things I don’t want and these things I want. So desire and hate - two things are there with us. Some things we don’t like and some things we like. So according to that, based on what we like, the Supreme Lord gives us a body. That is why, it is mentioned in the scriptures that the spirit soul is sitting in the body. Just like everyone sits in a car, there is one driver and there is one owner and the car is also there. So that car is this body or a machine. Just like a car is a machine, similarly, this body is also a machine. And say for example that the driver, actually there are two people sitting there---one is a driver and other is the owner. And as the owner instructs the driver drives, this is going on. Two souls---one is Super soul and the other is the individual spirit soul, are sitting in this body. This is described in the Upaniṣad also. There are two birds sitting on one tree. One is eating the fruits of the tree, and the other is simply watching. So the Super soul who is witnessing, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And one who is enjoying the fruits derived by working hard with this body, is the living entity, so both are there. The whole world is going on like this under the spell of illusion. All living beings are thinking that I am this body, and gratifying my senses is the goal of my life. This is called illusion.

go-kharaḥ means---go means cow and kharah means ass. yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke this material body is made up of three types of elements---kapha or mucus, pitta or bile and vāyu or air. This is part of Ayurveda. kapha, pitta, vāyu. This body is like a bag---kuṇap, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, It is a bag made of three elements. It contains bones, flesh, blood, stool, urine, and all these elements constitute a material body. One who thinks I am that body, I am a Hindu, I am a Muslim, I am Indian, I am American, and thus identifies himself in connection with this material body, and things related to this body, like country, family, children, wife, as mine, actually all these things are related to the body, sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu, kalatra means women, wife, and kalatrādi means, if one is married then there are children from the wife, they are also mine, and the wife is mine, and the land in relation to this body is also mine---nationalism, and the family in which I have taken birth is also mine, this is called the bodily concept of life---ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8].

In reality I am a part and parcel of God, a spirit soul. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself is saying, mamai-vamso jiva-bhutah. The living entity is My part and parcel. manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. The living entity is trapped in this material world and by being covered with the mind and senses, prakṛti-sthāni karṣati he fights in this material world to become happy. This is struggle for existence. All day we work hard, we get one motor car, and beyond that we may get another motor car. We work hard whole day. What is the reason? It is struggle for existence. Here everyone knows that they cannot stay here. One day everyone has to die, but they want to live here forever and not die. All karmis think like this and therefore they are not worried about death. They are trying to forget death which is imminent thinking that I am not going to die. In the scripture also Cāṇakya Paṇḍit has also written in Nīti-śāstra, that a karmi should not think that he will die, rather he should think that he will live perpetually then he can work very nicely. And one who is a jñāni and a devotee, he should think that I have to die at any moment, I may die now. This is the difference. And before I die I should prepare myself in such a way that I do not get a body of a street dog and bark. This is the consideration of a jñāni and a devotee. In future one is bound to get a body tathā dehāntara-prāptir [Bg. 2.13], I will be forced to accept it. For example, as I was saying earlier that a young man is thinking I will not grow old, because in old age there are many difficulties, just like I have become old. He doesn’t want to become old. By taking some medicine, applying cosmetics and make up he wants to remain young. But material nature compels him to grow old. Just like by force you have to accept the body of an old man. If I say I don’t want it, nobody will listen. Similarly, when I will leave this body, I will have to accept another body tathā dehāntara-prāptir [Bg. 2.13] we cannot stop this, and what type of body we will get we should be concerned about that. But this is certain that I must accept a body. Foolish people say that after death everything is finished. bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet---"Once your present body is burnt to ashes, where is the question of your having come from a previous life or of your going to a next life?" This is what the atheists say who do not have knowledge. We are not interested in acquiring knowledge from the fools. We should accept knowledge from the spiritual master. And who is the spiritual master of all? Kṛṣṇa, The Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the spiritual master of all.

The first spiritual master is Brahmāji, and Brahmāji’s spiritual master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1] ādi-kavaye or the original created being is Brahma, and He who has imparted knowledge even to that Brahma He is oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This is the instruction of the scriptures. He is caitya-guru or the spiritual master sitting in the heart. So we receive knowledge from God, and from a person who is a representative of God, who has full faith in God and who has accepted God as his spiritual master. This is called guru-paramparā. The Supreme Lord Himself says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. This is paramparā, The Supreme Lord is the spiritual master and one who has heard directly from Him, just like Arjuna, he is also a spiritual master. Similarly one who has heard from Arjuna, he is also a spiritual master. That is guru, paramparā. The Spiritual master is not an upstart, like anyone comes and becomes a spiritual master. No, the Spiritual master is a representative of God. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān navamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. The Supreme Lord says that the ācārya is none other than Me. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān navamanyeta karhicit do not treat him like an ordinary human being. He is non different from Me. So we have to accept knowledge through the guru-parampara system.

So the Supreme Personality of Godhead says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir [Bg. 2.13] , there is no doubt that the change of the body takes place. And how does that change of body take place is also mentioned in the scriptures. yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6] whatever state of being one remembers at the time of death, according to that one will get a body. Everything is explained. So the living entities, parā-prakṛti, apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām jīva-bhūtāṁ [Bg. 7.5], they belong to parā-prakṛti or superior energy. The living entity is prakṛti or the enjoyed and not puruṣa or the enjoyer. The Supreme Lord Himself declares that one who wants to become a purusa, purusa means the enjoyer, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]---that is the definition of puruṣa. He is the enjoyer of everything and the Lord of everything. That is puruṣa. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Just like in our Hindu religion till now, males are considered to be the head. Even now in India as far as I know the wife asks the husband in the morning---today, what would you like to eat?, and the husband says make this, that etc. So the wife along with the servants prepares the food as per the desire of the husband and everyone eats. This is the practice even today as far as I know. So similarly, puruṣa refers to that person by whose instruction everything goes on. That is puruṣa. puruṣaṁśāśvataṁ divyam [Bg. 10.12] After hearing Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna accepts the Supreme Lord that you are, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁśāśvataṁ. [Bg. 10.11-12] You are the enjoyer. Puruṣa means the proprietor or one who gives orders. By His order everything will go on. That is puruṣa.

There are different names of the Supreme Lord like Mahāpuruṣa, Paramapuruṣa, Puruṣāvatāra and so on. All these names are described in the scriptures. Lord Viṣṇu is called Puruṣāvatāra. Puruṣa Śāśvatam He is eternally the enjoyer. It is not that recently He has become puruṣa and earlier He was formless. No. He is eternally the enjoyer śāśvatam. Similarly, the supreme enjoyer and the devotional service rendered to that supreme enjoyer is yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. [SB 1.2.6] adha akṣaja means akṣaja jñānaṁ adhakṛta---" beyond the direct perception of the senses". That puruṣa is not visible in front of our eyes, but nevertheless He exists. This is a fact. How does one know this? Śāstra, cakṣusā, according to the scriptures one should gain knowledge about who is the supreme enjoyer. Not only by scriptures, but the Lord also personally comes and reveals Himself. This is India’s good fortune that the Supreme Lord Himself comes and discloses His own identity by displaying His activities and pastimes so that one can understand what is God and that God is not an imagination. Whole life we think - What is God? What is God? But God is right there just try to see Him. So, paśyann api na paśyati [SB 2.1.4] this is called illusion. Māyā-javanikācchannam [SB 1.8.19] Just like, some body’s father is acting in a play on a stage and his son is sitting there. He is asking his mother---where is the father? Even though he is watching his father in front of him acting in the play, but because māyā javanikācchannam the dress has been changed therefore he is not able to recognize his father naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā.

So, we have created many religion like Hindu Religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion and so on, but the real religion is as mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam---sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. Adhokṣaje or adhakṛta akṣaja jñānaṁ yatra. One who cannot be understood by the present material education and intelligence, He is called Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja, adhakṛta akṣaja jñānaṁ, and the devotional service rendered to that Adhokṣaja is real religion or paro dharma or eternal religion. In this present birth, we have a Hindu body and this body is not going to last for long. Suppose, in the next birth I have to accept a Muslim body, then it becomes Muslim religion, or else in this life itself if I convert from Hindu to Muslim, then I become a Muslim. This is not religion. This changing business is not called as religion. That which is eternal religion is the real religion. sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo, paro means eternal, transcendental, beyond this material conception of life. That is called paro dharma. So as advised in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one should cultivate paro dharma. Paro dharma means nivṛtti dharma or the path of liberation, and aparo dharma means pravṛtti dharma or the path of sense gratification. Ordinary religion, which we have accepted, encourages us to remain in the material world, perform good work, and then go to heaven, and be born again in a rich man’s house and enjoy sense gratification. Everyone wants this. This is called aparo dhrama. Aparā means material, they want the material elements bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ [Bg. 7.4]. This is called aparā dharma or material life. And one who has realized that all these material objects are just a covering---my dress, and in reality, I am ahaṁ brahmāsmi that is I am a spirit soul. For a person who understands that I am spiritual, religion is different and that is called paro dharma. So when we transfer ourselves from aparā dharma to paro dharma, we will be happy. This is instructed here.

If one wants happiness for the soul then he should take to paro dharma. Don’t remain in aparā dharma. There will be no happiness if one remains in aparā dharma. I don’t belong to that. Just like a fish, if one takes the fish out of water and keeps it on the land, can it be happy? No, it will be uncomfortable. Only if you put it back into the water will it be happy. Similarly, the living entities are apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām [Bg. 7.5]. There is a parā prakṛti or superior energy. Who is it? It is the living entity. So, until the living entity is not connected with the parā prakṛti he cannot be happy. The same example is applicable here. The fish has its connection with water and if you remove the fish from water and put it on land, or put it on velvet bed and say---my dear fish, now sleep on this bed comfortably. The fish will never be happy in that condition. That is why, the scriptures advise that you follow such a religion so that you will get complete bliss and you will be happy. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6] And how will one find such bliss and happiness? That is by devotional service only. There is no other way than this, it is not possible by cultivation of knowledge, nor by fruitive activities, and nor by mystic yoga, because jñānīs, yogīs, karmīs are all involved with aparā, or mundane religion.

The jñānī is baffled by the material world and he thinks that only if I merge with the Supreme can I be saved from this material suffering. They are after sāyujya mukti or merging with the Lord---ekatvaṁ. This is the goal of a jñānī. and yogi is searching after mystic perfection or siddhi. If I can fly in the sky, thousands of people follow me, if I can walk on water, I can gather many followers. They want some mystic perfection, they want to show some magic. That is a yogī. They have some desire. Even jñānīs have material desire, they want liberation. And what to speak of the karmīs they are full of material desires, material happiness. That is why, all of them can never be happy simply because they have demands or material desires like I want this, that etc. But one who is a devotee of the Lord, he has no material desires. Therefore he alone can be happy. In Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī-sakali ‘aśānta’ kṛṣṇa-bhakta---niṣkāma, ataeva ‘śānta’ [Cc. Madhya 19.149] Those who are after bhukti, mukti or siddhi that means those who are karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs, they are asking for something and therefore they cannot have any peace. But a devotee does not want anything other than engagement in the service of the Supreme Lord.

This was taught by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And this is also the conclusion of all scriptures. Therefore Sūta Goswāmī says, yayātmā suprasīdati, If one wants complete satisfaction for the soul, if one is searching for real peace, then he should cultivate yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. The Lord is Adhokṣaja, which means He is avāṅ mānasa gocara or He who is beyond the jurisdiction of one’s speech and mind, and one has to render devotional service at His lotus feet. This is the only way. sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, ahaituky---that devotional service must be unmotivated. Not that I will worship God, but I want something from Him in return. Try to get something more from Him. Actually ordinary people approach God for this only. That is also good. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna, four kinds of people, who are those?

Ārto means those who are distressed. They are distressed in many ways because of their body, because of their material existence and so forth. They go to God and pray - O my Lord, this is my distress, kindly remove my distress. So God helps them. There is no difficulty in that for God. And Arthārthī means those who are in need of wealth. They also approach God and pray to Him. And God also removes their poverty. There is no difficulty. And jñānī refers to those who do not want wealth but they want to know what God is in reality. They are called jñānī. And jijñāsu means inquisitive. Just like we go to market and inquire about the rates, similarly, a person who is interested to know why people talk about God, what is God and so on, he is inquisitive. Jijñāsu, jñānī, ārto and arthārthī---these four classes of men approach or search after God for some benefit. In the scriptures they are addressed as catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛtino---they are called sukrtina or pious. Although they go to the Supreme Lord and ask for something... that is their foolishness, still, they are pious, because they at least approached God. And one who does not approach God at all, he is called duskṛtina or sinful. One is called sukṛtina, sukṛti means pious, and one who does not approach God for any reason, he is duskṛtina or very sinful. Duskṛt, kṛti means one who does good work and kṛti also intelligent, but they are applying their intelligence in sinful activities, so they are called duskṛtina. And if the same intelligence is applied for pious activities it is called sukṛtina. So those who are sukṛti, though they go to God to ask for something and consequently they are not pure devotees, still they are called pious. And one who does not go to God at all and does not believe in God he is called duskṛtina. Na māṁ duskṛtina mudhā---and duskṛti is also called by one more adjective, mudhā or an ass. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ they also have one more name narādhamā or the lowest of the mankind. And they are also known by the name māyayāpahṛta-jñānā or one whose knowledge has been taken away by maya. āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ.

So if we want to be really happy yenātmā suprasīdati, if we want happiness for the soul, then one has to accept this process. What is that, paro dharma, not apara dharma, not materialism, and not becoming zero also, and not merging with the Lord also, but accept Bhāgavad religion. God is there, God is the master, we all are his servants and whatever God says we should accept it. That is called religion. Besides this, whatever else we accept as religion is cheating. This is mentioned in the scripture dharmaḥ projjhita kaitava [SB 1.1.2] All types of cheating religion that is going on in the name of religion, actually they are all cheating, but it is passing on in the name of religion. This is projjhita kaitava atra or it has been swept out with a broom. Just like we clean our house and throw all the dirt out with a broom, in the same way, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, such cheating type of religions are swept away with a broom. The real religion is this---sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. Religion refers to that by following which one develops devotion unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. That is called religion. And if you want actual happiness then you will have to follow this religion only.

If you follow some other religion which is basically cheating, you will certainly be trapped in that and your life will be spoiled. This is also explained in the scripture---mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10]. This is what is going to happen in Kali yuga and it is already happening. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ---In this age the duration of life is very less. In Kali-yuga, one can live up to One hundred years. That is the limit he has got. But nowadays who lives for one hundred years? The life span decreases gradually. As Kali-yuga will progress, duration of life, compassion, bodily strength and religious principles will decrease, and this is already happening. Nowadays who lives for one hundred years? If someone lives for 60 -70 years people think he is very old. As the age progresses man will live for 20 to 30 years, and he will be accepted as old. This is mentioned in the scripture---āyur harati [SB 2.3.17]. In this way, the age is diminishing and I, the living entity, am trapped within this body, and therefore as long as I continue to accept material bodies I will have to suffer. This is the law of material nature, the law of material nature, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ [Bg. 2.14]

We have got this material body and enjoyment and suffering are experienced on account of this body. But the soul has nothing to do with this enjoyment or suffering. So if you desire happiness for the soul, if you desire satisfaction for the soul then you will have to follow this religion of paro dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6] Adhokṣaja is one of the names of the Supreme Lord. So one must cultivate devotional service at His lotus feet and if you don’t follow this then go on suffering. That is your business, but from our side it is our duty to inform you. The real truth is being spread by this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement all over the world. If you want to be happy then take to devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And if you want to perpetually bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19] go on like this, if you want to give up one body and accept another one and want to suffer miseries in this way, then that is your business. But if you want to be relived from misery and attain ultimate happiness and if you want to go back to Godhead yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6] then all these instruction are given in the scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā. It is very unfortunate that we all are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but we do not understand these instructions. There are big big scholars, big big scholars, big big politicians, they all are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but no one is saying that Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead. They remove Kṛṣṇa from it, their policy is to remove Kṛṣṇa and become God---become an avatar. These tricks are going on. So, by such cheating religion you will not be benefited. The real religion is paro dharma, accept it and engage in devotional service for by cultivating this dharma yayātmā suprasīdati or the soul will be fully satisfied. For example, Dhruva Maharaj - Dhruva Maharaj was a pious person, but he was a little unhappy materially. His step mother insulted him - you cannot sit on the lap of your father because you were not born of my womb. Because of this insult he spoke to his mother. His mother was unhappy and she said, what can I do? Your father does not even care for me and he does not even consider me as a maid servant. So what can I do? If the Supreme Personality of Godhead makes you happy, then you can become happy. So Dhruva asked, where is God? After all he was just a child. So his mother replied that I have heard that the Supreme Lord lives in the forest as big big sages and saintly persons go to the forest in search of Him.

So he went to the forest and underwent a great deal of austerities. He had a desire in his heart that I would make such a kingdom which will be even bigger than that of my father. That is why he performed severe penance. And when he had darśana of the Supreme Personality of Godhead he forgot the objective for which he did the austerities. Actually he went to the forest with a desire to have a kingdom, but when he saw the Supreme Lord face to face he said, O Lord, now I do not want anything. He did perform penance for a kingdom, but when he saw the Lord, this is an advantage that if someone approaches God for some material benefit, though it is not proper, still, there is a chance that one day it will so happen that he will not ask for anything other than the Supreme Lord. This is proper. Therefore such a person is described as pious. They will forget everything and only love God. This is the advantage. And those who are demons and atheists, they have no advantage. Whatever pleasure they derive from this body that’s all, and they have to give up their body and according to their karma they will have to accept another body and continue to suffer or enjoy. This is not proper. So one should follow that religion by which one really becomes happy and peaceful, and that is yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. And ahaituky apratihatā, that is, the devotional service should be apratihatāwhich means there cannot be any hindrance by the material condition. If someone thinks, I am a poor man, how can I render devotional service? No, and if someone says, I am a rich man so how can I engage in devotional service? No, everyone can execute devotional service. Sthāne sthitāḥśruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir [SB 10.14.3]. Remain in whatever position you are in. There is no question of rich or poor. Śruti-gatāṁ simply hear the topics of the Supreme Lord. This is beneficial. Therefore we have opened these centers and enrolling you all as Life members. So kindly take part in this movement, because, we have no duty other than speaking about the Supreme Lord. We neither have politics, nor sociology nor the so called science. Everything we have is scientific. jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam [Bg. 7.2] The Supreme Lord Himself says that I give you knowledge which is most scientific. Topics about the Supreme Lord include everything, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3]. If you understand God as He is then you have understand every science properly. We are challenging big big scientists, psychologists, physiologists who are travelling all over the world. In Russia they are atheists and we are challenging them also. And by the Lord’s grace we come out victorious everywhere. Otherwise, I am not even a scientist or a psychologist, but by God’s mercy we are always successful. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. Just accept this formula and follow it sincerely then you will be happy in every way---yayātmā suprasīdati. This is my only request.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [applause] Hari bol.

Prabhupada: Why would God be formless? Why do you think God is formless? You all are part and parcel of God and you all have got forms. So why does the whole not have a form? Just like this finger, it is a part of my body and it also has a form. So if the finger has got a form then why the whole body will not have a form. What kind of logic is this? You tell me. If the finger in your body has a form, then why doesn’t the whole body have a form? Those who are thinking God to be formless, they have two kinds of considerations. One is that they have not understood God at all, and formless means whose form cannot be conceived. That is called formless. So the Lord’s form, just like the virāṭa-rūpa or the universal form of the Supreme Lord, how can you conceive where His legs are and where His hands are? Therefore He is formless. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so merciful that just to give you darśana, He is present here in His original form. You can see Him and try to understand Him. This is called arcā-vigraha or the Supreme Lord in a Deity form. This is the form of the God only. Out of His causeless mercy the Lord appears before us in a suitable way so that we can see Him.

So you see His form. God is not formless. For example, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Brahman is the impersonal aspect of the Supreme Lord. Just like the sunshine, the sun globe and within the sun globe is the Sun god. This is the fact. The Sun god is there, we get this information from the scriptures imaṁ vivasvate yoga proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. The Supreme Lord said that I instructed this knowledge to the Sun God previously. So the Sun god is not formless. Similarly, the Sun disc is also not formless, and the Sun rays also have form but it is very widespread. So try to understand that because the sun shine is widespread it is called formless. So the sunshine, the Sun globe and the Sun god---all three exist. Full of illumination---whether you call it formless or with form, it is full of effulgence. This is realized by one who cannot reach the sun planet and who is thus satisfied with the sunrays only. And if one has the capacity he can go to the sun planet and directly meet the Sun god---Vivasvān. So these Brahmavādis do not have enough power to see God as of now, it will take time. That’s it for today. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: [Indistinct]

Prabhupada: No, by your desire. The jail is constructed because you will steal. That is why the jail is constructed. The King does not want that there should be a prison house and spend so much money on that. He does not want that. But the thieves force the king to construct the jail so that they can stay there. Hare Kṛṣṇa

Devotees: Hari bol!!!