Lecture

Paṅḍāl Lecture

Prabhupāda:

cintāmaṅi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa- lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.29]

Govinda, the Lord. Go means the cow, and go means the senses and go means the land. So Kṛṣṅa, the reservoir of all pleasure, especially gives pleasure to the senses. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. So our senses are there. You cannot stop the activities of the senses. Yoga indriya saṁyama. The purpose of yoga is to control the senses by observing the regulative principle, yama-niyama, then practicing a particular type of sitting posture. It is somehow or other mechanical, because those who are grossly in the concept of body, they are recommended to practice this haṭha-yoga so that by this process his mind can be concentrated on Kṛṣṅa. Yoga indriya saṁyama.

So actually our indriyas can be controlled when they are engaged in the service of the Lord. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ [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.]

Otherwise it is not possible to control the senses. You cannot stop the activities of senses. That is not possible. Because we are living entity, we have our senses, and it must act. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that you cannot stop the action of the mind even for a moment. And mind is the central point of our sensuous activities. Therefore, if you want to control the senses, then you have to learn this bhāgavata-dharma.

Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore recommending kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. From the very childhood one should practice this bhāgavata-dharma. This bhāgavata-dharma means śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ [SB 7.5.23].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

They have manufactured many other kīrtana parties, but the śāstra says śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ. That is bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata comes from the word bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who possesses. That is bhagavān.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is realized in three features—Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān. Bhagavān understanding is the last word in the understanding of the Absolute Truth, because bhaga means opulence.

There are six kinds of opulences—wealth, strength, reputation, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. If somebody is very rich, he is attractive. Everyone goes to this man. Sometimes we also go to rich man, "Sir, give us some money," because a rich man is attractive. But in this material world, nobody can claim that he has got all the riches. Nobody can claim. But Kṛṣṅa can claim. Kṛṣṅa says,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati [Bg 5.29]

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

Now, He is the enjoyer of all sacrifices. Now try to understand that in this material world, there are millions and trillions of universes, and each universe there are millions and trillions of planets. And each planet, there are millions and trillions of living entities. Now if not all, some of them are offering sacrifices, at least the sober section, in all the universes, and Kṛṣṅa is enjoying. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ. Just imagine how much He is eating.

And similarly, He is the proprietor. He says that sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg 5.29], "I am the proprietor of all the planets," sarva-loka.

Not only in this universe, but also there are millions and trillions of universes. If we have to accept the verdict of the śāstra, the Brahma-saṁhitā says, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṅḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam [Bs 5.40].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upaniṣads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.]

In each universe there are ananta, unlimited number of planets. So Kṛṣṅa claims that sarva-loka-maheśvaram, "I am the proprietor of all the planets."

Then who can compare his riches with Kṛṣṅa? You can find out some rich man in this world, but they might have a several hundreds of factories or several hundreds of houses, but nobody can claim that "I am the proprietor of all the houses and all the factories on all the planets." That is not possible. That is being claimed by Kṛṣṅa.

Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. And suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. We are establishing many humanitarian activities. Just like the other day our chief guest, Dr. Atmaram, was speaking that by scientific advancement we are trying to give food to the needy and cloth to the naked. That's all right. But Kṛṣṅa is feeding unlimited number of living entities, beginning from the elephant down to the ant.

Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He is friend of everyone. As friend, He is sitting in the heart of all living entities. He is sitting in your heart, He is sitting in my heart, He is sitting in the ant's heart. The ant has also heart and the elephant has got also heart. Sometimes we find an insect exactly like a full stop—you have got experience. Sometimes when you open your book you find. They are called bookworm, they're very small, but it is moving. And because it is moving, from biological study we must conclude that it has got a heart.

Even we do not know about biology, but Kṛṣṅa said that 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 therefore there must be some heart. We cannot perceive. We cannot see even the whole figure of that insect, and what to speak of study what kind of heart it has got. But we understand Bhagavad-gītā..., from Bhagavad-gītā that there is heart even in the smallest insect, in the microscopic germ, there is heart. So He is sitting in everyone's heart and He is supplying the necessities of that smaller creature or the biggest creature. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 5.29].

So when we understand Kṛṣṅa in that way, that is understanding tattvataḥ.

manuṣyāṅāṁ 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.]

If we understand Kṛṣṅa superficially, that is not tattvic understanding. The tattvic understanding are in truth. You can get information from the Vedas what is Kṛṣṅa, or from Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is the cream of all Vedas. Sarvopaniṣada gāva. Vedas, and the topmost part of Veda are the Upaniṣads. There are one hundred and eight Upaniṣads, of which Īśopaniṣad is the topmost. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1].

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

So we have to understand Kṛṣṅa from this Vedic literature, tat vijñāna[?]. And to understand the Vedic literature, we have to approach a person who has actually assimilated the purpose of Vedas. Kṛṣṅa also said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [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.]

The purpose of studying Vedas is to understand Kṛṣṅa. Or in other words, if anyone has understood Kṛṣṅa, he has studied all the Vedas.

So this analytical study of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, is called bhāgavata-dharma because bhāgavata..., bhāgavata śabda. And from bhagavata, bhāgavata. Bhābat[?]. So bhāgavata-dharma means to understand Kṛṣṅa. So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends that from the very childhood,

kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam [SB 7.6.1]

These instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja is very important—very important—and we are trying to spread this bhāgavata-dharma all over the world. And people are very happy to receive it. Unfortunately, this bhāgavata-dharma was not explained in the Western countries. I do not wish to discuss, but at the present moment, because this bhāgavata-dharma as recommended by Prahlāda Mahārāja is being preached all over the world, they are appreciating very much the glories of India. So as recommended by Prahlāda Mahārāja, this study of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṅa should be introduced in the schools and colleges.

I wanted to speak to the Vice Chancellor, and I expected him today, but he did not come. This is our unfortunate. I do not know why he avoided, but never mind; you try to understand. Don't spoil your children. The modern educational system without any knowledge of Bhagavān, I may tell you frankly, not only in India, everywhere, they are practically slaughterhouse. Because in our country, it is a different thing; at least we have got the Vedic culture at home if it is not in the schools.

But in other countries, because there is no bhāgavata-dharma culture, the students, although they are provided with ample opportunity for education, the nicest educational system, nice building, nice facilities, everything nice, unfortunately the products are coming out frustrated, confused young men, and some of them are called hippies. They are educated. They are coming from very nice aristocratic family. In Western countries, in comparison to our country, every home is aristocratic. At least their standard of living is so high. So what we call aristocratic, that is a common affair. So this mishappening is going on all over the Western countries. Some of them are joining us, but this is the problem.

The Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. This is very, very important message. We should be careful to educate our sons, our boys, with bhāgavata-dharma from the very beginning of life. That was the Vedic system. Therefore, in the first twenty-five years of life, the children were sent to gurukula for learning this bhāgavata-dharma.

So the educational system should take very seriously if at all they want to make their country nice, not varṅa-saṅkaraḥ. Strīṣu duṣṭāsu varṅa-saṅkaraḥ bhaviṣyati. This Vedic culture is so scientifically made. Just like according to Vedic culture, the women are instructed or trained up to become very chaste. Very chaste. Only one husband. Why? That is explained: strīṣu duṣṭāsu varṅa-saṅkaraḥ bhaviṣyati. If women do not remain chaste, then unwanted population will come out. That is called varṅa-saṅkaraḥ. Varṅa-saṅkaraḥ means unwanted population. Actually all over the world this is happening, and therefore, the problems of the world becoming very serious and grave.

So these are all scientific proposals. The educational system must be reformed. Not that godless, no education, secular government, no education of God in the schools and colleges. This is not a very good proposal. Here we get authoritative statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is one of the mahājana. Our process is mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186].

[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 have to follow the footsteps of great personalities. That is our method. We don't manufacture our own way of living. We simply follow the great personalities. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. You cannot come to the right conclusion simply by argument. You may be very good arguer; another comes better arguer than you. So simply by argument, you cannot come to the conclusion. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā [Mahābhārata, Vana-pārva 313.117, Cc. Madhya 17.186].

Now, there are Vedas, four Vedas—Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, Yajus Veda, Ṛg Veda. And there are Upaniṣads, the Vedānta-sūtra, the Purāṅas, Rāmāyaṅa, Mahābhārata—there are so many things. That is in India. And outside India or outside Vedic culture, there are many scriptures. Therefore it is said, śrutayo vibhinnā. There are innumerable Vedic scriptures. So we cannot come to the conclusion what is right or wrong, because sometimes you will find contradiction from one... Of course, there is no contradiction, but because we are not advanced in knowledge, sometimes we will find contradiction.

Just like in India there are two classes of transcendentalists: the impersonalist and the personalist. That is not contradiction. The Absolute Truth is both impersonal and personal, but somebody is stressing on the impersonal point of view and somebody is stressing on the personal point of view. But we Vaiṣṅava, we know what is the meaning of impersonalism and what is the meaning of personalism.

We take it for understanding, as it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is simultaneously Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. It is simply different stages of understanding. In the first stage, it is Brahman realization. In the second stage, it is Paramātmā realization. And at the last stage, it is Bhagavān realization.

So it is a great science. Bhāgavata-tattva vijñānam. It is not that you can create your Bhagavān by concoction, imagination, just like the Māyāvādī philosophers say that sādhakānāṁ hitvārthāya brahmaṅo rūpa-kalpanaḥ[?]: for the benefit or for the facility of the neophyte progressing in the spiritual knowledge, we have to imagine some form of the Brahman. That is not the fact. We do not find these things in the Vedic literature. We find in the Vedic literature that the Absolute Truth is realized in three features—Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. The substance is one, but according to our capacity, we understand differently.

Just like example: If you see a great mountain, say Himalayan mountain. Just like the other day when I was coming from Calcutta to Delhi, the Himalayan mountains were seen from the plane, and it appeared just like a great city. But that is my shortage of vision. I cannot see what is Himalaya. Similarly, as we see imperfectly the Himalayan mountain from a distant place, similarly, when the Absolute Truth is realized by the speculative process, he can simply understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His effulgence as impersonal. And if you make further progress, then we can see...

The same example: We are seeing the Himalayan mountain from a distant place, but if we make further advance, further, nearer, we see different thing. And when actually in the Himalayan mountain, the thing is altogether different. Similarly, when you understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead from distance... Just like you cannot understand the sun globe from here. Although sunshine is light, sun globe is light, still we cannot understand what is sun globe from distant place.

So these are the statements in the śāstra about bhāgavata-dharma. Not that we accept Kṛṣṅa blindly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is a science. Bhāgavata-tattva vijñānam. But this vijñāna, this scientific knowledge, is understandable not by your imperfect speculation. You have to accept the proper method of understanding. That method is called bhakti.

Just like Kṛṣṅa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg 18.55].

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

You cannot understand Kṛṣṅa simply by speculation. That is not possible. You cannot understand Kṛṣṅa simply by meditation. That is also not possible. If you actually seriously want to understand Kṛṣṅa, then you have to take the process of bhakti. Jñāna-vairāgya yuktayā [SB 1.2.12].

Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. There is a statement, the Absolute Truth can be understood by bhakti, and that bhakti received through the aural reception of your ear. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that if you want to know a saintly person, you try to understand him by your ear, not by the eyes. You cannot understand a saintly person by staring your eyes, "Let me see what kind of..." No.

That is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. You have to understand the Absolute Truth by devotion. At the same time, śruta-gṛhītayā. Śruta means taking information by hearing from the śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭhaṁ guru [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12],

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

by hearing from the right source and with bhakti. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. This is the process.

In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same process is recommended:

tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ [Bg 4.34]

[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]

Kṛṣṅa does not say that you become a sentimental devotee. These European and American boys, they are dancing not by sentiment. That is actual transcendental ecstasy. Therefore, it is so nice. You cannot expect this dancing from a professional man. That is not possible. Professional man, his aim is money, and their aim is Kṛṣṅa. That is the difference. Therefore, to learn bhakti, the process is śruta-gṛhītayā. You have to receive the perfect knowledge from the Vedas and understand what is bhakti.

Our Gosvāmī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, he says that,

śruti-smṛti-purāṅādi- pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101]

[Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṅas and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.]

One who accept bhakti-mārga without reference of this śruti and smṛti and pāñcarātrikī-vidhi... Śruti means the Vedas, and smṛti means the Purāṅas or Mahābhārata, Bhagavad-gītā. They are called smṛti. And pāñcarātrikī-vidhi, that is given by Nārada Muni, because he is the great authority in the science of devotional service. Vyāsadeva is his disciple. Prahlāda Mahārāja is his disciple. He has got great, great disciples who are in the bhakti line. And therefore he has given the pāñcarātrikī-vidhi.

In the pāñcarātrikī-vidhi it is said that you have to be free from the designation. Designation. You have to forget yourself that you are Hindu, you are Musselman, you are Sikh or you are Christian. These are all designations. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

You have to purify. Don't be contaminated by any type of religion which is made by man. Real religion is made by God.

So you try to understand what is God and try to understand what sort of religion He has given. So that you can receive by bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Śruti-smṛti-purāṅādi-pañcarātra-vidhi [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101].

[Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṅas and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.]

Vidhi, a regulative principle. Just like Kṛṣṅa says that yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, that what are the pāpas, sinful life? The śāstra says, striyaḥ sūnā pāna dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ [SB 1.17.38].

[Sūta Gosvāmī said: Mahārāja Parīkṣit, thus being petitioned by the personality of Kali, gave him permission to reside in places where gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter were performed.]

These four things are the four pillars of sinful life.

What are these? Avaida stri-saṅga: womanly connection which is illegitimate. You cannot have any connection with woman without being married. That is Vedic instruction. Otherwise, what is the difference between animal and man? There is no marriage in the animal kingdom. But in the human society, never mind whether it is in India or Russia or China, there is marriage system in the human society, maybe methods may be different. Therefore, womanly connection, man and woman living together without marital connection, that is pāpa, sinful life. That is the injunction of the śāstra.

Similarly, striyaḥ sūnā. Sūnā means unnecessarily killing the animals. Just like slaughterhouse. You cannot maintain slaughterhouse in the human society and at the same time you want peace. It is not possible. Every living entity is son of God. You cannot kill even an ant, then you dissatisfy God. Take for example just like a gentleman has got five sons, one of them is useless, doing nothing. But if the expert son says, "My dear father, your this son is useless. Let us kill him and eat," cannibal, will the father agree, "Oh, yes, yes, this son is useless. You can kill and eat"?

Time will come in this Kali-yuga when actually people will become what is called man-eater. Still there are existence man-eaters in Africa. So the human society is coming to that position. Like animal, they will eat their own sons and daughters. So therefore this practice, unnecessarily killing animal, is one of the pillar of sinful life.

Striyaḥ sūnā pāna dyūta. Pāna means intoxication. We are already intoxicated by illusion. Because we are in the material world, we are accepting false things. Just like this body. I am accepting I am this body. This is intoxication. I am soul, I am Brahman, but I am accepting this body that I am this body. This is already intoxication. And if you increase more intoxication, then where is the possibility of getting real knowledge, brahma-jñāna?

So the pāna, intoxication, should be avoided. Animal killing should be avoided. Illicit connection with woman should be avoided. And gambling, speculation, patavad[?], that should be eliminated, avoided. Then you get the chance of becoming pure. And without being pure, you cannot be engaged in the loving service of the Lord. The Lord is pure. 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.]

So you cannot approach Lord being impure. Even I do not indulge in illicit sex life or meat-eating or very much moralist, still I am impure if I think myself "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." These are also impurities.

So the bhāgavat-dharma means to become completely pure. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

And you cannot keep your purity without being in touch with Kṛṣṅa.

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Therefore, so many moralistic movement has failed. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṅā [SB 5.18.12].

[All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?]

Even one has got brahma-jñāna, even one is elevated to become mixed or amalgamated with the brahma-jyoti, still he is not pure. That is the statement of śāstra.

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ... [SB 10.2.32]

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]

They will fall down. We have seen many sannyāsīs, they have given up this world, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but they are still coming to politics, also to social organization, welfare activity. When you have left this world as non-truth, mithyā, then why do you come again? That means they did not get the real relish of Brahman.

That is stated in the śāstra, that vimukta-māninaḥ: falsely they are thinking that they have become liberated. Otherwise, their intelligence is not purified some way. Somebody is thinking, "I am Indian," somebody is thinking, "I am Hindu," that is impurity. Real purity is tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170], "I am Kṛṣṅa's. I am simply Kṛṣṅa's. Kṛṣṅa is mine, I am Kṛṣṅa's." This is purity, and this is the culture of bhāgavata-dharma.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is recommending this bhāgavata-dharma. Kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. So this human form of life is meant for cultivating this bhāgavata-dharma. And if you are missing, then we are committing suicide, ātmahā. This very word is used in the śāstra, ātmahā.

So our request to everyone is that you try to understand Kṛṣṅa scientifically. Kṛṣṅa-tattva vijñānam. It is not a sentiment or philosophical speculation or fanaticism. It is not that. It is a fact. Now, one should have intelligence to understand, that's all. But the method is so simple that we are fortunate, we accept immediately the version of Kṛṣṅa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅam [Bg 18.66],

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

then our life is successful immediately. If we accept this statement of Kṛṣṅa that "You simply surrender unto Me," and we do it, immediately we become relieved from this material contamination. Kṛṣṅa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. You immediately become pure. And,

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṅya-karmaṅām te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg 7.28]

[Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.]

If you sincerely surrender to Kṛṣṅa, immediately you become immune from all sinful activities. And then as soon as you become free, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam, then all your pāpas, sinful activities, immediately vanquished, then you become eligible for serving Kṛṣṅa. Te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā. The sign is that he has no more duality. Kṛṣṅa says mām ekam, and he believes that Kṛṣṅa ekam, "Simply by serving Kṛṣṅa I will be successful."

That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta,

'śraddhā'-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya kṛṣṅe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya [Cc Madhya 22.62]

This is śraddha. This is actually śraddha, faith, not faltering, "I do not know whether Kṛṣṅa will be able to save me. Why shall I surrender to Him? Let me surrender to so many demigods." Kṛṣṅa says those who are thinking like that, they are hrta-jnanah. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ [Bg 7.20]. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām [Bg 7.23].

[Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.]

So our request is that the guardians who are present here in this meeting, they should organize a special school to give lesson to their students, to their boys, this Kṛṣṅa consciousness, bhāgavata-dharma. There is vast knowledge behind this. They will be enlightened. Their life will be successful. So in this city of Delhi, it is a great city and very important city. There are very important men here. They should kindly consider this proposal that there must be a very organized school to understand this bhāgavata-dharma, just to teach their boys, and their life will be successful.

It is the duty of the father and mother to see that "My son, this is the last attempt of coming into this material world." Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. It is the duty of the father and the mother to stop the repetition of birth and death of his son. The mother should consider that "My son came to my womb, and he has suffered so much while he was remaining within the womb. Now I shall teach my son in such a way that no more he is going in the womb of a material mother." That is the duty of father, that is the duty of mother, that is the duty of friend, that is the duty of guru.

gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt... na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum [SB 5.5.18]

[One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a relative, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.]

So save your children from the danger of repetition of birth and death. That is the real discharge of father and mother's duty.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa. [end]

Paṅḍāl Lecture

Referenced verses