Bhagavad-gītā 7.7

Prabhupāda: [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [break]

[om ajñāna-timirāndhasya] jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?"]

vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṅavāṁś ca śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṅa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṅa-caitanya-devaṁ śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṅa-pādān saha-gaṅa-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 Vaiṣṅavas 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 Kṛṣṅa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]

he kṛṣṅa karuṅā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

[O my dear Kṛṣṅa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṅī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṅamāmi hari-priye

[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṅī, 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 Kṛṣṅa.]

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṅavebhyo namo namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṅava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.]

śrī-kṛṣṅa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]

hare kṛṣṅa hare kṛṣṅa kṛṣṅa kṛṣṅa 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.]

[02:52]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating with our this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

So Kṛṣṅa says,

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṅi-gaṅā iva [Bg 7.7]

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

So Kṛṣṅa is present everywhere, because everything is resting on Him, on His energies. Just like in a big factory the proprietor may be out of the factory, but every worker is aware that "This factory belongs to such-and-such person." As this is possible to have always a consciousness of the proprietor of the factory by the worker, similarly, it is possible for everyone to become Kṛṣṅa conscious in every activity. That is the philosophy we are trying to preach all over the world.

The Bhagavad-gītā philosophy is like that. Yudhyasva mām anusmara [Bg 8.7].

[Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṅa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.]

You have to... This world is so made that one has to work. Without working, nobody even can maintain his body and soul together. That you cannot avoid. But at the same time, we can remember Kṛṣṅa. That is... That depends only on practice and understanding, pure understanding.

So here Kṛṣṅa says that "There is nobody greater than Me." That is the verdict of all ancient Vedic literature. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, the same thing is confirmed, that kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

There is a list of different incarnations of God. In that list Lord Buddha's name is also there. Lord Buddha's name is described: kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. Buddho nāmnāñjana-sutaḥ kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati [SB 1.3.24]. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the Lord Buddha's name is mentioned as future incarnation. Bhaviṣyati, "will appear"; kīkaṭeṣu, "in the province of Gayā."

So this is called śāstra. Because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was composed five thousand years ago, and Lord Buddha appeared 2,600 years ago. Therefore five thousand years ago Lord Buddha's case was in the future. Therefore it is said bhaviṣyati, "He will appear." This is called śāstra. Trikāla-jña. Śāstra writer, they are not ordinary men. Just like Kṛṣṅa is speaking. He is not ordinary man. Nobody will be interested so much if Bhagavad-gītā was written by ordinary man. It was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it was recorded by His incarnation, Vyāsadeva.

So it is transcendental literature. Ordinary literatures, they cannot be perfect because there are four defects: bhrama-pramāda-karaṅāpāṭava-vipralipsā [Cc Ādi 2.86]. Bhrama means "to commit mistake"; pramāda means "illusion"; and vipralipsā means "cheating"; and karaṅāpāṭava, "inefficiency of the senses." So śāstra means above these defects. Where there is no such defect, that is śāstra.

And you can understand how five thousand years ago Lord Buddha's appearance was predicted. Similarly, still there is prediction about kalki-avatāra, which will take place about four lakhs and 27,000 years hereafter. Kalki-avatāra's name, his father's name and where He will appear, everything is there. This is called śāstra.

So we have to understand Kṛṣṅa from the śāstra. Kṛṣṅa Himself speaking that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg 7.7]:

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

"There is nobody else greater than Me." And when Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he also accepted Kṛṣṅa like that. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg 10.12]:

[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.]

"You are Para-brahman."

So Kṛṣṅa is Para-brahman. Brahman, we are all Brahman, because we are part and parcels of Para-brahman. But we are not Para-brahman. We are subordinate Brahman. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]. We are supported by Kṛṣṅa. We are supported by God. He is one. God is one. And the supported Brahmans, or living entities, they are innumerable, beyond the numerical strength. Asaṅkhyam. Nobody can count how many living entities are there, but God is one.

So from the ancient literature we understand that kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

There are many incarnation of Kṛṣṅa, expansion of Kṛṣṅa, svāṁśa and vibhinnāṁśa. Some of the expansions are direct personal expansions, just like Lord Rāma, Nṛsiṁhadeva, Varāha. There are many. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs 5.39].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṅa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions.]

Kṛṣṅa is existing, expanding Himself in various forms like Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, and so many others.

There are different kinds of incarnations, avatāras—śaktyāveśāvatāra, guṅāvatāra, manvantarāvatāra, yugāvatāra. Many incarnations. And in the Bhāgavata it is concluded that the Lord's incarnations are so numerous that you cannot count. Just like if you sit down on the bank of a river, you cannot keep an account of the waves, how many waves are passing, similarly, there is no account how many incarnations are coming out from Kṛṣṅa. But Kṛṣṅa is above all.

Here Kṛṣṅa personally says, and it is confirmed by all the sages, authorities, formerly by great sages like Nārada Muni, Vyāsadeva, Asita, Devala, and in the modern age by all the ācāryas: Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya Rāmānujācārya, Viṣṅu Svāmī—so many other ācāryas—Lord Caitanya. Everyone accepts that Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How can [indistinct] you deny? We have to be guided by the ācāryas. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda [Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2].

[One who follows the disciplic succession of ācāryas knows things as they are.]

One who follows the principles of ācārya, he knows the things as they are. That is the verdict.

In the Bhagavad-gītā also, you find: ācāryopāsanam [Bg 13.8]. We have to follow the footprints, footsteps, of the ācāryas, because they can give us right direction. And one who does not follow the ācāryas and creates and manufactures his mental concoction, his version will not be accepted.

There are many different commentaries on the Bhagavad-gītā, but not all of them are according to the direction of the ācāryas. You have to accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, under the direction of the ācāryas. They do not make any change. They explain how Kṛṣṅa is the greatest, not that comment in a different way and deviate you that Kṛṣṅa is ordinary man.

So Kṛṣṅa, from Kṛṣṅa, the next expansion is Baladeva, svayaṁ prakāśa. And from Baladeva, there is catur-vyūha: Saṅkarṣaṅa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. So again there is, from Saṅkarṣaṅa, there is Nārāyaṅa. From Nārāyaṅa, there is another expansion, the same: Saṅkarṣaṅa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. And from that Saṅkarṣaṅa, there is puruṣāvatāra, Mahā-Viṣṅu. From Mahā-Viṣṅu, there is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu. From Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu, there is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu. The Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu is situated in everyone's heart. 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.]

In this way, Kṛṣṅa is expanding in so many ways: by personal expansion, by the expansion of His energy, by the expansion of His differentiated parts and parcels. Just like we are. We are, we living entities, are vibhinnāṁśa. We are also expansions of Kṛṣṅa. So He is expanding Himself in so many ways: svāṁśa, vibhinnāṁśa and śakti, taṭasthā-śakti, cit-śakti, antaraṅga-śakti, bahiraṅga-śakti. So we have to understand Kṛṣṅa in that way.

And if we study scrutinizingly all this literature, we shall come to the conclusion that Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And if there is any name of God, that is perfectly given in this word Kṛṣṅa, "all-attractive." There are many [indistinct] meaning of Kṛṣṅa given by the ācāryas, but on the whole, Kṛṣṅa is the actual name of God.

So how you have to... For ordinary man, how one can understand Kṛṣṅa, that He is all-pervading? He is all-pervading. He is everywhere. Now, how to appreciate that He is all-pervading? That direction is given by Kṛṣṅa Himself. If we follow the direction of Kṛṣṅa, how to appreciate Him, then naturally and surely we shall come to the point to understand Kṛṣṅa, although He is all-expansive.

So Kṛṣṅa says,

raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ praṅavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu [Bg 7.88]

[O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.]

Just try to understand Kṛṣṅa by your daily experience. Kṛṣṅa says that "When you drink water and when you quench your thirst, when you feel the nice taste of Kṛṣṅa..., er, water, that taste I am." Kṛṣṅa says. So you can understand Kṛṣṅa daily as soon as you drink water. Why one should say that there is no God? You just try to appreciate God according to the prescription given by God. Then you'll understand.

Just like a doctor gives you medicine, and he gives you direction also, that "You drink this medicine, take the bottle and take two drops" or "five drops," as he gives direction. Then gradually you understand that by taking that medicine, you are being cured, you are feeling in health. Similarly, these prescriptions given by Kṛṣṅa... This is meditation actually. When we meditate upon the taste of the water, that means we are meditating on Kṛṣṅa.

Similarly, Kṛṣṅa says, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ [Bg 7.8]: "I am the sunshine, moonshine." So who has not seen the sunshine? If you have seen sunshine and if you follow this prescription given by Kṛṣṅa, then in early in the morning you'll see Kṛṣṅa. Why do you say that "I have not seen Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is not present before Me"? But you follow Kṛṣṅa's instruction, and He will be present. He is present; simply we have to purify our eyes and senses to understand Him. That is required. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu [Bs 5.38].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṅa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.]

Suppose you have a beloved friend. As soon as you call to..., you hear telephone call, "Who is it?" "I am this," "Oh." You immediately see him. Does it not? Immediately, by the sound. Why? Because you are known to him, you are in love with him. Similarly, in this way if you develop your dormant love of Kṛṣṅa, you'll see Kṛṣṅa in every moment.

Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs 5.38].

It is not at all difficult to see Kṛṣṅa. Why do you say, "Can you show me God?" Why you are not seeing God? Here is God.

So Kṛṣṅa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ [Bg 7.8]. So who has not seen the sunshine? Who has not seen the moonshine? Simply to understand, one has to understand that what is this sunshine. The sunshine is the reflection of Kṛṣṅa's bodily effulgence. Just like what is this moonshine? This is reflection of the sunshine. Similarly, the sun is also reflection of the brahma-jyoti. And what is the brahma-jyoti? Brahmajyoti is Kṛṣṅa's bodily effulgence. Then why do you say that you have not seen Kṛṣṅa?

There are many other instances. Kṛṣṅa is giving some of them. If you study, if you meditate upon them, then you will see Kṛṣṅa gradually. He will be revealed. He'll be present immediately. It is all revelation. Not that by your eyes you can see. But if you follow the prescription, the direction, you will see Kṛṣṅa daily, always, twenty-four hours.

So when one is elevated devotee, mahā-bhāgavata—he is called mahā-bhāgavata—he does not see anything but Kṛṣṅa. Everywhere he sees Kṛṣṅa. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti [Cc Madhya 8.274].

[The mahā-bhāgavata, the advanced devotee, certainly sees everything mobile and immobile, but he does not exactly see their forms. Rather, everywhere he immediately sees manifest the form of the Supreme Lord.]

He is seeing on the seaside a great ocean, a great sea, but he is not seeing the sea, but he is seeing Kṛṣṅa. He's [seeing] Kṛṣṅa's energy, how Kṛṣṅa's energy is working, and it is producing such vast ocean and sea.

He is thinking like that. That is meditation. Anywhere he goes, he simply thinks of Kṛṣṅa. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti. He does not see the material form of anything. Sarvatra haya nija iṣṭa-deva-sphūrti. Everywhere he sees Kṛṣṅa. This is called Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

So one has to develop. How one can develop? This is the process: śravaṅādi-śuddha-citte [Cc Madhya 22.107]—if you hear.

[Pure love for Kṛṣṅa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.]

And as you go on hearing, your dirty things on the heart becomes clear. This hearing process is so nice.

śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṅi vidhunoti suhṛt satām [SB 1.2.17]

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

If you simply hear about Kṛṣṅa. Just like we are speaking about Kṛṣṅa from this Bhagavad-gītā. So if you try to understand Kṛṣṅa as directed by Kṛṣṅa, then Kṛṣṅa will also cooperate with you.

Just like a teacher, when he sees that a student is very intelligent—he is following the direction—the teacher is more interest..., takes more interest on that student. That is natural. If the teacher says, "My dear child, my dear boy, you write in this way," and if he tries, then the teacher takes more interest. Similarly, as soon as you will try to understand Kṛṣṅa according to the direction given by Him, Kṛṣṅa is within you, He will help you more and more. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam [Bg 10.10].

[To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.]

Kṛṣṅa says, "I give him special intelligence to understand."

So therefore our duty is to follow the instruction of Kṛṣṅa as it is given. So Kṛṣṅa says, praṅavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. The oṁkāra, praṅava... Oṁ tad viṣṅoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ [Ṛg Veda 1.22.20].

[The lotus feet of Lord Viṣṅu are the supreme objective of all the demigods. These lotus feet of the Lord are as enlightening as the sun in the sky.]

The Vedic mantras, oṁ bhagavate vāsudevāya namaḥ. This oṁkāra, this praṅava, is Kṛṣṅa. So anyone who is chanting the Vedic hymns, and as soon as he vibrates this sound, transcendental sound, oṁ, here is Kṛṣṅa.

So how we can avoid Kṛṣṅa? Simply we have to know. You have to purify your eyes. You have to purify your ears. You have to purify your hands. You have to purify your legs. In this way, when your senses are purified in every step, in every moment, you will see Kṛṣṅa, nothing but Kṛṣṅa. The purificatory process—just to purify the eyes.

Kṛṣṅa is present before you in arcā-mūrti, arcāvatāra, nicely dressed by the devotees. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā. It is the duty of the devotee to decorate the śrī-vigraha, the form, the transcendental form of Kṛṣṅa very nicely so that thousands of people may come in the temple and see Kṛṣṅa. And as you go on seeing Kṛṣṅa and your eyes become purified, then you will see Kṛṣṅa, how nice Kṛṣṅa is. Just like when Caitanya Mahāprabhu entered the Jagannātha temple, as soon as He saw Kṛṣṅa, immediately He fainted, because His eyes were prepared to see Kṛṣṅa.

So we have to prepare our eyes to see. We have to prepare our ears to hear about Kṛṣṅa. In this way we can see Kṛṣṅa. And this is the process, how to... Just like we use our tongue. That is one of our senses. So Kṛṣṅa says that raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg 7.8].

[O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.]

Everyone drinks water. So he tastes it, I mean to say, relishes the taste of the water. So as soon as he relishes the taste of the water, according to the direction of Bhagavad-gītā, he can see Kṛṣṅa.

Similarly, by the tongue you can eat bhagavat-prasādam, the foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṅa. And as soon as you taste the foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṅa, you immediately remember Kṛṣṅa, how nicely Kṛṣṅa has taken this foodstuff. So by the tongue you can begin. Simply by eating kṛṣṅa-prasādam, without reading any Vedic literature, without reading even Bhagavad-gītā, if you simply think of Kṛṣṅa, "How nicely Kṛṣṅa has tasted this foodstuff," you become Kṛṣṅa conscious.

So to become Kṛṣṅa conscious is not very difficult job. Simply you have to follow the direction. That's all. But if you manufacture your own meaning, commentation on Bhagavad-gītā, then you are deviated. You are lost. Śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8].

[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]

Then such kind of reading Bhagavad-gītā is simply waste of time and energy. That's all. Therefore those who are not Kṛṣṅa conscious, who are not hearing from Kṛṣṅa conscious personality, they are simply wasting time.

The so-called reading of Bhagavad-gītā, lecture on Bhagavad-gītā, without Kṛṣṅa... God, kingdom of God without God. We want kingdom of God, peace and prosperity, but without God. There must not be God. That is our secular government. We want kingdom of God, but without God. That is not possible. If you give up God or God's relationship, there is no question of kingdom of God or peace and prosperity.

Then Kṛṣṅa says, praṅavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu [Bg 7.8].

[O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.]

When one man is famous... Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam [Bg 10.41]. Anything extraordinary, if you find... Kṛṣṅa is the most extraordinary personality, but even within this world, if you find some great leader, great politician, great scientist, great businessman—there are so many—and he is very famous, so you should know that this fame and name of this person is due to Kṛṣṅa's mercy. You see Kṛṣṅa there.

Nobody can be greater than any other friend unless he is specially bestowed the mercy of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. A little portion of Kṛṣṅa's mercy is there. Kṛṣṅa is most opulent. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya [Viṣṅu Purāṅa 6.5.47].

[Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

You can claim that you are proprietor of ten crores of rupees or other can claim that "I am proprietor of fifty crores of rupees," and other can claim a hundred crores of rupees, but nobody can claim that "I am the proprietor of all the money that is available within this material world." Nobody can say that. Even Brahmā cannot say. But Kṛṣṅa, oh, His description is that samagrasya aiśvaryasya: all the wealth that is conceivable, He is the proprietor.

So any wealthy person, any rich person you see within this material world, it should be understood that a portion of Kṛṣṅa's money has been taken by him. That's all. Nobody can claim that "I am the proprietor of all the money that is here in this material world." That is not possible. So if that man also thinks that "Whatever money I have got, it is Kṛṣṅa's money, Kṛṣṅa's mercy. Kṛṣṅa has mercifully given me this money," then what is his next duty? He should spend it for Kṛṣṅa. That is the proper utilization of money.

Similarly, if one is famous, he should utilize his fame for Kṛṣṅa's service. Suppose I am trying to spread this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, but if a very famous man tries for it, it will be very quickly spread. That is the utilization of his fame. If a scientist, if he proves Kṛṣṅa's supremacy by scientific law, then his knowledge in science is perfect.

So everyone who possesses anything, if he knows that it is the gift of Kṛṣṅa and it should be utilized for Kṛṣṅa, then his life is successful.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam. It doesn't matter what you are. You may be a engineer, you may be a lawyer, you may be a businessman. Whatever you are, it doesn't matter. But try to satisfy Kṛṣṅa by your profession, by your occupation. Then you are successful. Saṁsiddhi. It doesn't matter what you are doing. It doesn't require that you have to give up your profession as a lawyer and join us as a sannyāsī and dance. If you cannot do that... Everyone can do that, but if you think that you cannot do this, then utilize your profession for Kṛṣṅa's service. Then you become perfect.

So Kṛṣṅa consciousness is not a necessity for the members of this Society; it is the necessity of everyone throughout the whole world, without any discrimination. One has to take this advantage to become Kṛṣṅa conscious, to understand Kṛṣṅa in this way. Then the result will be sublime. Yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Janma karma me divyaṁ jānāti tattvataḥ [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.]

Just like anyone who understands that the taste of the water is Kṛṣṅa's energy, the sunshine is Kṛṣṅa's energy, the moonshine is Kṛṣṅa's energy, the Vedic mantras, that is also to please Kṛṣṅa, and the sound vibrated in the sky, or anywhere, the sound element is Kṛṣṅa... And the energy or the name, fame, opulence of big men of this world, that is also Kṛṣṅa. In this way, if we study Kṛṣṅa, then we know Him gradually. And as soon as we understand Him, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: "One who understands in truth," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9], "immediately he becomes liberated, so much so that after quitting this body he comes to Me."

So what is the difficulty? Even in your ordinary life you can study Kṛṣṅa, you can understand Kṛṣṅa. And Kṛṣṅa will help you. As soon as you begin studying Kṛṣṅa, understanding Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa will help you from within. Kṛṣṅa is with you. Kṛṣṅa is not far away. He is so kind that He is sitting in your heart as your friend just to help you how you become liberated from this material contamination. Why you do not take this advantage?

Every sane man should take advantage of this instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, but rightly, as it is said. Then anywhere he may be, it doesn't matter, he is a liberated person.

īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṅā manasā vācā nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.187]

Anyone who is trying to become Kṛṣṅa conscious, and being Kṛṣṅa conscious he is trying to serve Kṛṣṅa sincerely... He may be situated anywhere. It does not matter he is Indian or Hindu or Mussulman or Christian or this or that. Simply if he thinks of Kṛṣṅa always in the process as described here, he becomes liberated.

So you can become liberated at your home. Simply you have to think of Kṛṣṅa. The gopīs were so elevat ed devotees. What was their function? The only function was that they were always thinking of Kṛṣṅa. That's all. Lord Caitanya therefore recommends, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṅā yā kalpitā [Caitanya-mañjusā].

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṅa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]

These vraja-vadhūs, they are village girls.

They are daughters of cowherd's men, naturally they are not brāhmaṅas, daughter's of brāhmaṅas, they have, they have no Vedic understanding Vedānta philosophy. But their only business was 24 hours thinking of Kṛṣṅa. Therefore Lord Caitanya recommends, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṅā yā kalpitā [Caitanya-mañjusā]. "There is no more first-class type of worshipping Kṛṣṅa, than it was conceived by the vraja-vadhūs," or the cowherd girls, dancers in Vṛndāvana.

So it does not require any education or any philosophical knowledge, simply if you give oral reception to these instruction of Kṛṣṅa and wherever you may be you simply think of Kṛṣṅa in this way, "oh, this taste is Kṛṣṅa, the sunshine is Kṛṣṅa, the moonshine is Kṛṣṅa, the vibration in the sky is Kṛṣṅa, this name and fame of this gentleman is Kṛṣṅa." Then where is no Kṛṣṅa consciousness? What is the difficulty?

There is no difficulty. Simply we have to adopt and it is very easy, saha-ja, saha-ja means it is born with you. Kṛṣṅa because he is within your heart therefore Kṛṣṅa is with you, from your birth and He is trying to divert your attention to Kṛṣṅa. From intern.. From inside and from outside also, so we have to take advantage of this. So there are so many symptoms and Kṛṣṅa again says;

puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu [Bg 7.9]

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

One person is undergoing severe austerities and penances for self-realisation, and what is that self? That is Kṛṣṅa. And that tapasya is also Kṛṣṅa because Kṛṣṅa and the means of attaining Kṛṣṅa is the same. It is not that you take some means and when you attain your ultimate goal you give up the means. No. In Kṛṣṅa's affairs there is nothing given up, just like we are now chanting or any devotee is chanting of Kṛṣṅa's name.

When he actually becomes liberated it is not that the means, chanting means is rejected. The chanting means more and more elevated, the relish, the taste of chanting increases—but chanting goes on. Just like the devotees are worshipping Kṛṣṅa here and when he approaches directly Kṛṣṅaloka the same business will go on.

So Kṛṣṅa and the means of attaining Kṛṣṅa is identical, there is no difference. The chant Hare Krishna and to meet Kṛṣṅa is the same thing, simply we have to follow and then it will be revealed. You will understand that there is no difference between Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa's name. There is no difference between Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa's activities. Otherwise what is the use of studying this Bhagavad-gītā which is taught by Kṛṣṅa in the battlefield? So the battlefield is also Kṛṣṅa because Kṛṣṅa is there.

In this way wherever there is Kṛṣṅa, if one realises that Kṛṣṅa is present in this way, nirbandhe kṛṣṅa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255]. He hasn't got to give up his family or his occupation that is yukta-vairāgya. To accept sannyāsa means vairāgya but one who is constantly in Kṛṣṅa consciousness that is perfect vairāgya, perfect sannyāsa.

vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ [SB 1.2.7]

[By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṅa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.]

Because as soon as he goes on thinking of Kṛṣṅa then naturally he has no more any interest of this material affairs. Vairāgya automatically arises. But taking sannyāsa it is a—a formality regulative principles that one has to give up, his family connections, worldly connections but one who is Kṛṣṅa conscious he is automatically attained that state. Attained that stage of vairāgya.

vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam [SB 1.2.7]

Janayaty āśu, in order to practice vairāgya, or renounce this material world, just like Lord Buddha-deva taught us meditation for so many years. There are many instances, there is a devo to the father, to the Himalayas, to meditate in order to try to escape the contamination of this material world. But if you think of Kṛṣṅa or Vāsudeva, if you are engaged in His devotional service, vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeva is bhagavān the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ [SB 1.2.7]

Immediately vairāgyam which others cannot achieve after doing so much austerities in the Himalayas. You can attain that vairāgya the perfectional stage simply by thinking of Kṛṣṅa in the process as it is described. So I request to everyone is that you read Bhagavad-gītā in this way and try to understand Kṛṣṅa. It does not matter where you are, think—then according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will be purified and there will be vairāgya.

Vairāgya means—unless you become detached from the attraction of this material world we have to continue repetition of birth and death in different forms. But when you are fully apart from this material sense gratification that, "I do not want any more of this material sense gratification but I want Kṛṣṅa." Then you are immediately purified, immediately. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā;

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṅa bhakti-yogena ya sevate [Bg 14.26]

[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]

Simply you are engaged in the service of transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṅa by thinking in this process you become liberated. So Kṛṣṅa is giving you further references how you can think of Kṛṣṅa. Just like here it is said, puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca, just like the rose flower, rose flower it has got a special flavour and as soon as you smell that flavour you should understand this exquisite nice flavour is Kṛṣṅa, puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ.. There are many other flowers, so these flavours they are Kṛṣṅa, we have to think like that.

puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau [Bg 7.9]

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

Anything dazzling, just you.. Just like a diamond, dazzling and immediately you should remember this dazzling is Kṛṣṅa, vibhāvasau, tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Anything living beginning from the elephant to the ant, so long one is living he should know that there is Kṛṣṅa within him. Here Kṛṣṅa says:

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.]

So Kṛṣṅa is within the heart of the ant, Kṛṣṅa is within the heart of an elephant, Kṛṣṅa is within the heart of a man, within a dog, within a.. Any living entity it doesn't matter but that does not mean that dog is Kṛṣṅa, then it is a mistake. Kṛṣṅa by inconceivable potencies he can live within the heart of a dog but if you miss-conclude that dog is Kṛṣṅa then you are, I mean, misled. Kṛṣṅa can live anywhere, Kṛṣṅa can create His Vaikuṅṭha anywhere, just like, take for example the Governor wherever he goes immediately there is government.

There is place, the Governor's place, Governor's Secretary, Governor's military commander, everyone is present there. It doesn't matter whether the Governor goes to the jungle or in a very nice city or anywhere. Similarly wherever Kṛṣṅa is, immediately Kṛṣṅa's own atmosphere Vaikuṅṭha is there. So Kṛṣṅa says that, nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṅṭhe [Padma Purāṅa]. "It is not that I am patient[?] or I am stranded in Vaikuṅṭha, I can live anywhere." tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktā. If there is a devotee, [clapping noise] ah, if there is a devotees and if he is chanting the Kṛṣṅa's name, Kṛṣṅa's glories, Kṛṣṅa is there.

So you can, by your devotional power, you can see Kṛṣṅa everywhere and Kṛṣṅa said that is all pervading nature of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa—it is not that Kṛṣṅa is sitting here only but Kṛṣṅa is everywhere, just like electricity is everywhere. Simply one has to know how to capture that electricity, similarly Kṛṣṅa said that, "I am here, I am here, I'm here." You have to capture Kṛṣṅa.

jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu [Bg 7.9]

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi pārtha sanātanam [Bg 7.10]

[O son of Pṛthā, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.]

Bījam, you can understand bījam, bījam means the seed, just like take this seed of a Banyan tree, you have seen the fruits of Banyan tree. Very small seed but that seed contains another Banyan tree. If it is given chance to fructify that seed will develop into very big Banyan tree and from that Banyan tree you will have many many millions of, I mean to say, figs and in each fig there are many many millions of seeds.

So Kṛṣṅa's seed is like that, Kṛṣṅa is the original seed and from that seed so many things have developed, bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ, bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi pārtha sanātanam. And that bīja is sanātana eternal. It is not annihilated, just like we are Kṛṣṅa's part and parcel, we all living entities. And Kṛṣṅa is the original bīja we are part and parcel of the bīja, therefore Kṛṣṅa is the original bīja. Bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ, sanātanam eternal, Kṛṣṅa is eternal we are also eternal.

buddhir buddhimatām asmi tejas tejasvinām aham [Bg 7.10]

The intelligence, you find many intelligent man, very good scientist, very good work men. Now as soon as you see extraordinary intelligence, every intelligence is Kṛṣṅa. Especially when you find somebody who is extraordinarily intelligent you should know this intelligence is Kṛṣṅa. So what is the difficulty of understanding Kṛṣṅa? Kṛṣṅa also says in the fifteenth chapter;

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ [Bg 15.15]

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

One man is very intelligent and one man is very dull. So this dullness is also Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa says in another centre... Why a man becomes dull? And why a man becomes intelligent? It is Kṛṣṅa's manipulation, He says, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ. So Kṛṣṅa can be seen, Kṛṣṅa can be understood in this way;

balaṁ balavatāṁ, balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ kāma-rāga-vivarjitam [Bg 7.11]

[I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O Lord of the Bhāratas [Arjuna]]

He says, kāma-rāga-vivarjitam strength should be used, just like Arjuna. Arjuna was very strong, a strong fighter but that strength is Kṛṣṅa's. Why it is Kṛṣṅa? Because Kṛṣṅa.. Arjuna has no idea of sense gratification. He was in the beginning, he was trying to satisfy his senses, "my dear Kṛṣṅa they are my brothers, there is my grandfather, I shall not fight." That is sense gratification but as soon as he fought under the direction of Kṛṣṅa.

As Kṛṣṅa said then, "what is your now conclusion, I have said everything to you?" And Arjuna said—agreed yes, kariṣye tad-vacanam [Bg 18.73]

[Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṅa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.]

"now I shall fight, my illusion is now over." This is kāma-rāga-vivarjitam, there is no question of sense gratification. If you have some strength, if you don't use for your sense gratification but if you use for Kṛṣṅa's service then you can realise Kṛṣṅa, kāma-rāga-vivarjitam.

dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha [Bg 7.11]

Dharmāviruddhaḥ, just like sex intercourse, sex intercourse is lusty but when you beget a child even you are lusty, if you beget a child according to the śāstras, dharmāviruddhaḥ. You cannot enjoy your wife for sense gratification, if you can enjoy, or you can use your wife only for begetting children. In our society these restriction is there we don't allow illicit sex life simply one can have a marital life sex and that is also for begetting children.

Not for any other purpose, so Kṛṣṅa says here that; dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha. That kind of lusty conjunction between husband and wife, "I am." Kṛṣṅa says. So it is not that Kṛṣṅa conscious people are forbidden from sex life but their sex life is for serving Kṛṣṅa. To produce Kṛṣṅa conscious children, not cats and dogs. That is Kṛṣṅa, that sexual intercourse is Kṛṣṅa, here Kṛṣṅa says.

So we have to follow in this way in every step of life, how we can realise Kṛṣṅa then our life becomes sublime. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Audience: [applause] [end]