Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 9.2–3

Prabhupāda:

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram idam uttamam... [Bg 9.2]

[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]

[aside:] Why not this fan?

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda:

...pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg 9.2]

This verse we have been discussing...

[break] ...similarly, bhakti-yoga—direct connection with Kṛṣṅa—it is not open for everyone, neither everyone can take it. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gatam pāpaṁ: one who is completely free from all sinful activities, pāpam. Anyone who is engaged in sinful activities, he cannot understand Kṛṣṅa, or God. That is not possible. And these are the four principle of sinful activities: illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful activities.

Why at the present moment people have become so godless? Even big, big svāmīs and yogīs, all godless. Why? Because they are engaged in sinful activities. Kṛṣṅa, God, cannot be understood by sinful man. That is not possible. But Kṛṣṅa is so kind, if one takes shelter of Kṛṣṅa, immediately he becomes free from all sinful activities. Things are there. A person in sinful activities cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. But if anyone voluntarily surrenders himself to Kṛṣṅa, he immediately become free from all reaction of sinful activity. Now it is up to me to make my choice.

Kṛṣṅa says..., Kṛṣṅa comes, therefore, because we are sinful, and at the same time we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. Therefore Kṛṣṅa is more anxious for us than we are anxious for Kṛṣṅa. This is the position. Kṛṣṅa..., just like father. A spoiled child... The father is more anxious for the spoiled child, and the spoiled child does not care for the father. This is the position. We are all spoiled children, anyone who is in this material world. We are all spoiled children.

We are all children of Kṛṣṅa. Many places in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated. Aham bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg 14.4]:

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

"I am the seed-giving father of all living entities, in any form,'' sarva-yoniṣu. There are 8,400,000 forms. In water, on land, on the sky, so many different forms of living entities. Mṛti-ja[?]. Deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu [SB 1.2.34]. Deva means in the upper worlds there are demigods; in the middle we are, human beings; and lower than this, the animals.

So we are in different forms of life. Soul is one—that is part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa—but according to karma, according to desire for material enjoyment, we have taken different dresses, and we are wandering all over the universe, according to our karma. Sometimes we are becoming demigods, sometimes we are becoming dogs—according to karma. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kar, Kṛṣṅadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says,

ei rūpe bhramāṅḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṅa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc Madhya 19.151]

[According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṅa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṅa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.]

We are wandering all over the universe. When we are doing some pious activities, we are elevated to the higher planetary system, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā [Bg 14.18].

[Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.]

When we are not very much pious, but not impious also—ordinary, following moral principles—then madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And jaghanya-guṅa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. So in this way, up and down, we are wandering by transmigration of the soul. This is our position.

The nonsense civilization, they do not know that what is our main business. They do not know. Ajñānata. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto [SB 5.5.5]. Abodha jāta, these, all these living entities born in this material world in different forms of life, abodha jāta, all rascals. All rascals. We can prove they're all rascal. Nobody is intelligent. As soon as he'll become intelligent, kṛṣṅa ye bhaje seva-ucate[?]. As soon as he becomes intelligent, he must be Kṛṣṅa conscious. If he's not Kṛṣṅa conscious, then we must accept him as rascal number one. [indistinct] He may be a very big man in the society, but we take him as rascal number one. That is our challenge. Anyone, he may be a ordinary man, he may be so-called svāmī or may be so-called yogī or so-called leader, but our test is whether he's Kṛṣṅa conscious. One test. If he's not, then he's a rascal. That is our challenge.

How we are challenging? Because we have got the test. Just like in the chemical laboratory, this test paper. Perhaps most of us will know that urine test paper. If there is sugar, immediately the color of the paper will be different. If there is no sugar, it will remain neutral. Similarly, there is test paper. What is that test? That test is, Kṛṣṅa says, the supreme authority says, that na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg 7.15].

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

Prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. So anyone who is not surrendering to Kṛṣṅa, he must be duṣkṛtinaḥ. Duṣkṛtinaḥ means he has got brain, but his brain is being utilized for sinful activities.

So duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, and rascal who does not know anything—what is God, what I am, what is this world—he's a rascal. He's animal. Mūḍhāḥ means ass. As ass does not know what is God, what I am, what is this world, what is our relationship, what is this universe, nothing, no knowledge—mūḍhāḥ. And narādhamāḥ, narādhamāḥ means human being is especially meant for understanding this philosophical aspect of life, but one does not care. He is simply acting where to eat, where to sleep and where to get woman, and that's all. That's his business. This is mūḍhāḥ. This is the business of hogs and dogs. So therefore, mūḍhāḥ, duṣkṛtinaḥ, narādhamāḥ, these description was there.

So our test is there. If one is not Kṛṣṅa conscious, then he must be within these division: narādhamāḥ, mūḍhāḥ, duṣkṛtinaḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. And one who has surrendered to Kṛṣṅa, then what he is? Aahh, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ.

bahunam janmanam ante jñānavān mam prapadyante vasudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg 7.19]

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

That is the test. As soon as he has become Kṛṣṅa conscious, he has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṅa, immediately he becomes the greatest mahātmā, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. A mahātmā like me, because, simply by changing dress... That is another thing. Because sometimes this dress gives us good opportunity for easy livelihood. That is another thing. But those who take this dress for begging and for fulfilling the hungry belly, that is..., that mahātmā is different thing. He is not mahātmā; he is durātmā.

My Guru Mahārāja used to say that if one is inclined to collect money by showing Deity, it is better to become a sweeper in the street. It is better to become a sweeper in the street, because he's earning his livelihood honestly. And this man who is keeping a temple and doing all nonsense, simply by showing Deity, collecting some money, this class of men, they're most sinful. You cannot do, sir. You cannot take other's money. You'll be debtor.

Therefore gradually, because this class of men are developed at the present moment, they have become... In Vṛndāvana there are so many temples, they have become..., made a business by showing temple, collecting money. This is not good. There must be... Temple means people should come, people should learn the science of God. That is temple. Not that to make a business of temple. Therefore everything is, not only in India, all over the world, the churches also, they have dwindled. Now, in Europe and America, so many churches are for sale. We have purchased so many churches, because people have no more even interest in. There is no education. Temple means spiritual educational shelter. People should come, they should learn what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relationship with. That is temple. Otherwise, if you simply came...

Therefore two processes should be followed: pāñcarātriki viddhi and bhāgavata-viddhi. We follow both. Bhāgavata-viddhi is the philosophical side of religion, and pāñcarātriki viddhi is the worshiping side of temple—how to worship Deity, how to dress, how to decorate, how to offer respect. Mad-yājī. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

Temple worship is mad-yājī, worshiping the Deity. So this is the test. This is the test.

So anyone who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṅa, he's the, mean, greatest mahātmā. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. It is very, very difficult to find out a Kṛṣṅa devotee. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described that out of many, many human being, common man, one is karmi. Karmi, karmi means honestly working according to the direction of Veda. Karmi does not mean that a monkey also jumping, that is also karma. No. Karmi means one who is acting according to the direction. Dharma karma. In Bengali this is a common word: dharma karma. Karma means dharma.

And what is dharma? Dharma means varṅāśrama-dharma, four castes and four orders of spiritual life: brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is the dharma. This is the division of dharma. And according to the dharma, one who is acting, that is called dharma karma. That is dharma-karma. Not that doing anything becomes karma. Karma means just doing. The Vedas are so arranged that we have come here to enjoy material things. So therefore there is prescribed duties. The prescribed duty is that you act, you enjoy life.

For example, just like in the Vedas there... Everything is there. The propensity of sense enjoyment is sex life, eating meat and drinking. This is the propensity. Material life, these are the propensity. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā [SB 11.5.11]. Everyone has got natural...

[aside:] What is that?

...natural instinct for sex life, for meat-eating and for drinking. This is natural instinct. But they are restrained. They are co-ordinated by the Vedic injunction: "Yes, you'll have sex life, but you get yourself married.'' So there are so many paraphernalia for marrying. The subject matter is sex life, everyone knows. Therefore in Western countries they say "legalized prostitution.'' But actually it is not prostitution; it is regulating the sex life. So Vedas describe, "Yes. Sex life you have, but marriage.''

And then drinking: "Yes. Drinking you may have by worshiping Cāṅḍī, offering him [her] liquor,'' that is all. Not that you go to the liquor shop and drink. No. Restricted. Similarly, eating meat also: "Yes. You can eat meat. Just worship Goddess Kālī and have a goat sacrifice.'' So many rules and regulation. Everything is regulated. But they have avoided this. These Vedic injunction they have avoided. Now they have opened slaughterhouse, liquor house, prostitution. That is sinful. It is actually sinful, either you do this way or that way. But if you act according to the Vedic injunction, the sinful activities are restrained. The sinful activities are restrained, so that gradually you come to the spiritual platform. This is the Vedic principle.

So anyway, one has to become freed from the sinful activities. Then one can understand. But the easiest method of becoming free from sinful activity is to accept this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Easiest way. Voluntarily give up. It is not very difficult. If the Europeans, Americans can give up, who are trained up in these activities from their birth, if they can give up, what about Indians? So it is not difficult. Anyone can give up illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. That's all. So this is the restriction of sinful activity. And chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. If these European, American boys can chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra day and night while walking in the street, while going in the car, while in the temple, everywhere, where going to sell books, what is the difficulty for the Indians? There is no difficulty.

But they will not do it. That is the difference. They'll not agree to do it. If we simply accept these principles, these four restraining principles—no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating and no intoxication—and chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, your life is success. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Anyone can accept it, but they'll not do it. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāh prapadyante [Bg 7.15].

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

Because they are rascals and too much attached to sinful activities, they'll not do it. This is the position. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāh prapadyante narādhamāḥ. And they, they have become narādhamāḥ. Because this human form of life is meant for accepting these principle, they're not accepting; therefore they are the lowest of the mankind.

So in India especially—not only India; everywhere—we have been especially encouraged to go on with these sinful activities. They do not like. In the American countries we see, while passing on the street, two sides of the road they're hoarding, advertising these things, either wine or cigarette or gambling or this or that, or some sinful activity. So our first propaganda is to not only give one Kṛṣṅa consciousness, but also to stop this sinful activity. Just like when you are treated by physician, he gives you some medicine and also ask you some restriction: "Do not do this,'' "Do not eat this. Eat this.''

So if you are actually interested to get out of this entanglement of transmigration from one body to another... Ei rūpe brahmāṅḍa brahmite kona bhāgyavān jīva [Cc Madhya 19.151],

Lord Caitanya says. We are wandering throughout the whole universe. That we do not know. We think that after finishing this body, everything is finished. But that is not the fact. Otherwise, why there are so many varieties of life? The varieties of life are because there are varieties of sinful activities.

Because there are varieties of sinful activity, therefore we have got varieties of karma. Otherwise, if there would have been one class of activity, why there are different varieties of body? This is common sense. Who is giving us these different...? My body is different from your body, your body, so now we are sitting here, say fifty or hundred men—everyone's body is different from another body, you'll find. Then you go to other species of life, that is also different from other and other. So why this difference? Because we are differently situated according to our karma.

Karmaṅā daiva-netreṅa jantur deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1].

[The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body.]

Karmaṅā daiva-netreṅa. We do, we act according to our whims, but that whims is judged by daiva-netreṅa, by a higher, superior authority, just like Yamarāja. Then we get another body. This is the process. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran lokam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg 8.6].

[Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.]

Bhagavad-gītā also says. We should be very, very careful. We should be very much cautious to utilize this human body perfectly. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. We are simply teaching people how to utilize this human form of body properly, so that you can be saved from future danger. Saved from future...

But they are so fool, narādhamāḥ, duṣkṛtinaḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. They are thinking that "This Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is a religious, sentimental movement. They're dancing and chanting.'' No. It is the most scientific movement. Any scientist may come and talk with us, we shall convince. It is the most scientific movement, how to save the human society. Therefore it is called rāja-vidyā, the king of all knowledge.

And rāja-guhyam [Bg 9.2].

We do not know how we are passing through the hands by the manipulation of nature.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate [Bg 3.27]

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, by false, puffed-up position, "I am this.'' This is false, puffed-up position. This is not a permanent position. But we are falsely proud of our position, that "There is no authority. There is no God. Whatever I am doing, it is all right. Nobody can check me.'' This is madman's, crazy.

piśācī paile yena mati-cchanna haya māyā-grasta jīvera se daśā upajāya [Prema-vivarta 1]

[When a living entity is conditioned by material nature, he is exactly like a person haunted by a ghost.]

And when a person is ghostly-haunted, as he talks all kinds of nonsense, similarly, one who has come under the grip of this material nature, māyā-grasta ye, he's talking all nonsense. All nonsense. All these politicking, all politics, sociology, everything, without reference to the salvation of soul, or self-realization, without knowing our spiritual position, they're all nonsense talks.

piśācī paile yena mati-cchanna haya māyā-grasta jīvera se daśā upajāya [Prema-vivarta 1]

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that ei rūpe brahmāṅḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva. Bhāgyavān jīva means those who are coming into our contact, they're bhāgyavān; they're getting the opportunity of Kṛṣṅa consciousness, guru kṛṣṅa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc Madhya 19.151]. In this temple there is guru and there is Kṛṣṅa, and we call people to take the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṅa. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. If one is fortunate enough, he'll take this opportunity and make his life successful. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, rāja-vidyā.

All these centers are being opened to give opportunity to the people to take advantage of the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṅa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu cult, guru-kṛṣṅa kṛpa. Without guru you cannot have mercy of Kṛṣṅa. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṅa like monkey. That is not possible. Kṛṣṅa will not accept. If you think that "Without guru I shall jump over Kṛṣṅa, and He'll be merciful upon me,'' that monkey's business will not be accepted.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says that gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. You have to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of servant [Cc Madhya 13.80].

[I am not a brāhmaṅa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’]

Then Kṛṣṅa will be pleased. If you jump over Kṛṣṅa, "Kṛṣṅa, I have come to You...'' Kṛṣṅa is not so easy. Therefore guru-kṛṣṅa kṛpāya pāya. If you are sincere, if you're sincere, that Kṛṣṅa will be merciful, first of all. Then Kṛṣṅa will guide you. If you're sincere, Kṛṣṅa will direct you that "Approach such-and-such guru,'' and if guru is pleased, then you'll get Kṛṣṅa, that guru-kṛṣṅa kṛpāya, both, parallel line.

ei rūpe bhramāṅḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṅa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc Madhya 19.151]

Guru-kṛṣṅa—both wanted.

yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23]

[Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed.]

This is Vedic injunction. If you want to be elevated to the..., your real constitutional position, then you have to take these principles, guru-kṛṣṅa.

yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23]

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya..., yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. Guru.

yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya aprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya [yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ] vande guroḥ śrī-caraṅāravindam

So this is rāja-vidyā, rāja-guhyam. This is the secret, guru-kṛṣṅa kṛpāya [Cc Madhya 19.151]. We should take advantage of this rāja-vidyā, devotional service, and take the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṅa and make our life successful. And it is very easy. It is very easy. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg 9.2].

Su-sukham, very easy and, I mean, very pleasing also, to execute devotional service. Very pleasing. Simply we are doing... What are we doing?

We are dressing..., śravanaṁ 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.]

simply chanting about Viṣṅu, Lord Kṛṣṅa. We are hearing about Kṛṣṅa, we are decorating Kṛṣṅa, we are feeding Kṛṣṅa, offering nice foodstuff, and the benefit is coming to us. When you see Kṛṣṅa so nicely dressed, how it become..., how pleased we become. Kṛṣṅa has got many dress, but if you dress and see Kṛṣṅa, you will become pleased. You will become pleased. Kṛṣṅa does not require your dress or coat. If you offer nicest food to Kṛṣṅa, it comes to you.

Anyone can do. What we are doing in this temple, everyone can do at home. Where is the difficulty? No. They'll be engaged in sinful activities, these intoxication and meat-eating and gambling and this thing, that thing. They'll not accept. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, anyone who accepts this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, his life is successful. Very simple thing. Su-sukhaṁ kartum. To execute this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is very pleasing. And pratyakṣāvagamaṁ, and you'll understand directly how we are advancing.

So where is the difficulty? The difficulty is dog obstinacy. They will not do it. "Oh. Why shall I do it?'' This is the difficulty. Dog's obstinacy. Otherwise, no difficulty. Rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram paramam bhavān [Bg 9.2].

Pavitram, very pious activities, pavitram. Anything done on account of Kṛṣṅa, that is pious. There is no contamination. Api cet sudurācāraḥ [Bg 9.30].

[Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.]

Even in the public eye it may appear sometime that it is not pious, still it is pious. Man-nimitte kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ, if one does. But we should not do that.

But even... Just like Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa-Arjuna. Arjuna was considering that killing the other party, his kinsmen, "This is pāpa. Why shall I do this pāpa?'' But he did it. But how he did it? For Kṛṣṅa. So that pāpa become puṅya. Is it not? From the Bhagavad-gītā you can understand. He was hesitating to fight with his kinsmen, with his brother, nephews, grandfather. He was concerning pāpa. He said that "I do not want this kingdom which is smeared with the blood of sinful activities.'' He said like that. Actually, killing is sinful. But when he did it for Kṛṣṅa's sake... Kṛṣṅa said that "You must fight,'' and when Arjuna agreed, "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava,'' after hearing Kṛṣṅa perfectly, he said, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [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.]

"My illusion is over.''

What is that illusion? Illusion means... Whatever you do for Kṛṣṅa, that is not pāpa. Yat karoṣi, yat juhoṣi [Bg 9.27]. But you must do according to the order of Kṛṣṅa, or according to the order of Kṛṣṅa's representative. You cannot manufacture your work. That you cannot do. Arjuna did not manufacture. Arjuna acted by the order of Kṛṣṅa. Similarly, if we do by the order of Kṛṣṅa and His representative, there is no question of sinful activities. There is no question of sinful...

So this is rāja-guhyam. We cannot understand sometimes rāja-guhyam; therefore it is very confidential.

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram paramam idam pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg 9.2]

Dharma. This is real dharma. To execute the order of Kṛṣṅa, that is real dharma. We cannot manufacture dharma, I have several times explained. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19].

[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṅas.]

Dharma means the order of Kṛṣṅa. That is dharma. Otherwise there is no dharma. All adharma. Otherwise, how 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.]

"Give up all nonsense dharma. Simply surrender unto Me"? This is dharma.

Therefore it is said, pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. You are acting some religious activities, you do not know whether it is pious or impious. But when you act under the order of Kṛṣṅa and His representative, it is pratyakṣāvagamaṁ, directly to understand; that is dharma. This is dharma: pratyakṣāvagamaṁ and su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam. The spiritual master says that God says, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

hare nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā [Cc Ādi 17.21]

[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]

This is direct order. We execute this direct order; therefore we know that "I am carrying out the direct order of Kṛṣṅa, of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.'' Then, pratyakṣāvagamaṁ: directly you can understand, "Yes. We are right.'' There is no difficulty.

So then Kṛṣṅa says,

aśraddhadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg 9.3]

[Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.]

This is very important. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra. What is this saṁsāra? Saṁsāra means that you take your birth once and live for some times, then you die, then you accept another body, then again live for some time, then you die, then you accept another body, and that body, you do not know what kind of body you are going to accept. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

Kṛṣṅa says dehāntara-prāptiḥ: another..., transfer to another body. But what kind of body, that is not mentioned there. That will depend on your work. You may get the body of a demigod, you may get the body of a dog, you may get the body of a tree, you may get the body of a snake—according to your karma.

So here it is said, aśraddhadhānāḥ puruṣā [Bg 9.3]. Those who are not interested in this rāja-vidyā, devotional service, aśraddhadhānāḥ: no faith. Aśraddhadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasya... This is dharma, real dharma. Devotional service is real dharma, because dharma means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19].

Bhagavān says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

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

Bhagavān says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

This is dharma. This is dharma. Otherwise, you can manufacture so many other dharmas—that is not dharma; that is your concocted dharma. But real dharma this is: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅam, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī... This is most confidential dharma.

So anyone who is not interested in this dharma, but he manufactures his own dharma, then what happens to him? Aśraddhadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa aprāpya mām [Bg 9.3]:

[Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.]

"He does not get Me.'' Does not get. This is the mission of human life—to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the..., tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [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.]

The real mission of life: how to go back to Kṛṣṅa, how to go back to Vaikuṅṭhaloka, the spiritual world. That is real mission. But that we do not know; therefore it is most confidential.

People do not know it that there is another world, the spiritual world, there is Vaikuṅṭhaloka. This, this material world is one-fourth creation. Atha vā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna ekāṁśena viṣṭabhya aham kṛṣṅena [Bg 10.42].

[But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.]

This material world is maintained as one fourth of the creation. The three-fourths of the creation is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāva anyaḥ [Bg 8.20]. There is another nature. So we do not know that. There is no education. We are simply interested with this one planet. There are so many material planet. But above that there is another, spiritual world, and there are innumerable spiritual planets also. They are called Vaikuṅṭhaloka, and the topmost Vaikuṅṭhaloka is Goloka Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṅaloka. So we have no information.

So if we execute this devotional service, rāja-vidyā, then we can go back to home, be transferred to the spiritual world. But they do not know. Aśraddhadhānāḥ. Then, aprāpya mām: they do not know how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Aprāpya. Then what happens? Aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg 9.3]: he remains here in this material world and goes on transforming, transmigrating from one body to another, one body to another. And we should know, we should be very responsible that what kind of body we are getting next. If you don't care...

Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they say that after finishing the body... Our men in Delhi, New Delhi, they are making some Life Members amongst the parliamentary M.P.s. So one M.P. said that "We don't believe in this. The last perfection is to become zero." To become zero. Because they cannot think, those who are materialist, they cannot think that there is another, spiritual world. They, they cannot think. Therefore this zero theory, śūnyavāda, was propounded by Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha propounded śūnyavāda, because the people are so rascal, they could not understand. There was no necessity. There was no necessity. He simply said nirvāṅa: "Stop this nonsense material life.'' But after material life, what is there, that he did not reveal, because these fools and rascal will not understand. Therefore he did not say. Śūnyavāda: make it śūnya.

Just like foolish person suffering from some disease, he wants to kill himself, sometimes commit suicide, because he does not know that after suicide, the policy, there is no stoppage; you will have to become a ghost because you have disobeyed. God has given you certain type of body. You have to stay in that body for certain period. That is obedience to God. If you untimely kill this body, then it is sinful. Just like you are put into prison house for a certain number of months or years. Before that period, if you flee away, then you are again punished. Is it not? Because you did not fulfill the terms of your prison life, then again you become criminal. Similarly, those who kills another body, or those who kill another body, or those who make suicide, they become again criminal. Again criminal. This is the law of nature, but they do not know.

Therefore one who does not know the laws of nature, mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10].

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

The prakṛti, the laws of nature, is going on under the direction of Kṛṣṅa. One who does not know, aśraddhadhānāḥ, one who has no faith, puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa aprāpya mām: the result is he does not go back to home, back to Godhead. Then what is? Nivartante: he wanders, he travels within this material world, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Because you cannot avoid mṛtyu. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg 13.9], this is the law of this material nature.

[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]

Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. But if you want to avoid this mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, then you must be Kṛṣṅa conscious; you must surrender to Kṛṣṅa.

daivī hi eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14]

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti... These things are there.

So you should read Bhagavad-gītā very carefully, with attention, as it is, without malinterpretation, with rascal interpretation. Try to understand; make your life successful. This is our propaganda, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is not a manufactured movement. It is simply based on this Bhagavad-gītā—Kṛṣṅa. Bhagavad-gītā means Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa, everything Kṛṣṅa. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. We are simply placing Bhagavad-gītā as it is. And if we are fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gītā, our life is successful. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, the teaching is there, the example is there. Why should we not accept and make our life successful? That is the first law.

Then Kṛṣṅa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā [Bg 9.4].

[By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.]

Avyakta-mūrtinā: the impersonalist. We understand Kṛṣṅa is person. And what is imperson? Imperson is the expansions of Kṛṣṅa's energy. Just like we can understand by this example, that the sun is person, localized. It is a globe. And within the sun there is sun-god. The sun-god is a person. His name is Vivasvān. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg 4.1].

[The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.]

So Kṛṣṅa spoke this Bhagavad-gītā first to sun-god.

So when asked, Kṛṣṅa spoke in this word to Arjuna. Arjuna is a person, and Kṛṣṅa is also person, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].

[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]

Similarly, Kṛṣṅa spoke to sun-god; he is also a person, but that person should go... I may say, sun-god, his bodily rays is the sunshine, and in the sunshine the whole material world exists. Similarly, there is real sunshine, which is called brahma-jyoti, that is coming out of the body of Kṛṣṅa.

Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṅḍa-koṭi [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.]

So this impersonal Brahman, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma [Chāndogya Up. 3.14.1],

[Everything, both matter and spirit, is non-different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the Supreme Brahman.]

that is Kṛṣṅa's personal rays. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says here, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Sarvam. Idaṁ sarvam. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Because it is Kṛṣṅa's bodily rays, therefore in that sense you can take anything as Brahman, sarva khalv idam, because nothing is different from Kṛṣṅa. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaro [SB 1.5.20]. The whole creation is also Bhagavān, but it is..., as appears as different. It appears as different.

So this is explained here, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā-mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni [Bg 9.4]:

[By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.]

"Everything is resting on Me.'' Just like in the sunshine. On the sunshine all these material planets are resting. Similarly everything, these universes are resting on Kṛṣṅa's bodily shine, brahma-jyoti. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṅḍa-koṭi [Bs 5.40].

Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ. These Māyāvādī philosophers say, "Because everything is Kṛṣṅa, then why shall I go to temple? Why shall I say 'Worship Kṛṣṅa'?'' But everything is Kṛṣṅa, why not this Kṛṣṅa? This is also Kṛṣṅa. But their poor brain cannot understand. They simply preach impersonalism. But here it is described what is impersonalism. Impersonal means expansion of Kṛṣṅa's energy. That is impersonal. That is also Kṛṣṅa, but indirect. Everything is there, mat-sthāni sarva..., but you cannot find out Kṛṣṅa there.

So this material world is also expansion of Kṛṣṅa's energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā [Bg 7.4].

[Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.]

"They are also My energy, but they're separated.'' So although separated, because it is coming from Kṛṣṅa, it is also Kṛṣṅa. Because everything coming out of gold, that is also gold. So in higher sense, practically there is no material... [end]

Bhagavad-gītā 9.2–3

Referenced verses