Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 7.1

Prabhupāda: [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [devotees offer obeisances] Hare Kṛṣṅa. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. [hums] Yes?

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

Prabhupāda: Once more.

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Prabhupāda: Now read mayy āsak...

śrī bhagavān uvāca mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṅu [Bg 7.1]

[Now hear, O son of Pṛthā [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.]

[02:28]

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Pradyumna: "In the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the nature of Kṛṣṅa consciousness is fully described. Kṛṣṅa is full in all opulences, and how He manifests such opulences is described herein. Also, four kinds of fortunate people who become attached to Kṛṣṅa and four kinds of unfortunate people who never take to Kṛṣṅa are described in this chapter.

"In the first six chapters of Bhagavad-gītā, the living entity has been described as nonmaterial spirit soul, which is capable of elevating himself to self-realization by different types of yogas. At the end of the Sixth Chapter, it has been clearly stated that the steady concentration of the mind upon Kṛṣṅa, or in other words, Kṛṣṅa consciousness, is the highest form of all yoga.

"By concentrating one's mind upon Kṛṣṅa, one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise. Impersonal brahma-jyoti or localized Paramātmā realization is not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth because it is partial. Full and scientific knowledge is Kṛṣṅa, and everything is revealed to the person in Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

In complete Kṛṣṅa consciousness one knows that Kṛṣṅa is ultimate knowledge beyond any doubts. Different types of yoga are only stepping-stones on the path of Kṛṣṅa consciousness. One who takes directly to Kṛṣṅa consciousness automatically knows about brahma-jyoti and Paramātmā in full.

By practice of Kṛṣṅa consciousness yoga, one can know everything in full, namely the Absolute Truth, the living entities, the material nature and their manifestations with paraphernalia.

"One should therefore begin yoga practice as directed in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter. Concentration of the mind upon Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme, is made possible by prescribed devotional service in nine different forms, of which..." [Bg 6.47]

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

Prabhupāda: There are many persons who like meditation. Nowadays it is very popular, especially in your country. But when we ask them what is the subject of meditation, they cannot say. Can you say what is the subject of meditation, anyone who is little aware of this meditation? What is that meditation?

Devotee: It's a process of negation.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee (1): It's a process of negation for some yoga systems...

Prabhupāda: Negation how?

Devotee (1): Of feeling. Thinking, feeling and willing.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Negation... Something positive you negate. So what is that positive, and what is that negation? Nobody can ex...

Devotee (1): Desires. Negating the desires, natural desires? They want to...

Prabhupāda: That means these are manufacturing. Actually, there is no fixed-up knowledge. Just like somebody was asking, Transcendental Meditation. What is that Transcendental Meditation? Can anyone explain?

Devotee (2): I went to one of their meetings, and it was just..., they talk about something concentrating, feeling, something going down, like this, and then coming up. But it's just...

Prabhupāda: Not very, I mean to say, clear. Something vague. So this will not help. Here is positive proposition, that you concentrate on the form of Kṛṣṅa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān... [Bg 6.47].

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

Antar-ātmanā. One has to fix up the form... Actual yoga system is to concentrate on the form of Viṣṅu.

Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā [SB 12.13.1].

[Sūta Gosvāmī said: Unto that personality whom Brahmā, Varuṅa, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise by chanting transcendental hymns and reciting the Vedas with all their corollaries, pada-kramas and Upaniṣads, to whom the chanters of the Sāma Veda always sing, whom the perfected yogīs see within their minds after fixing themselves in trance and becoming fully absorbed in thoughts of Him, and whose limit can never be found by any demigod or demon—unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my humble obeisances.]

By... Meditation means to concentrate the mind without being diverted to any other subject. Simply thinking of Lord Viṣṅu. That is the yoga meditation recommended in Vedic literature. So here also, Kṛṣṅa says "Me." Kṛṣṅa and Viṣṅu, the same. Viṣṅu is expansion of Kṛṣṅa. So when we concentrate our mind upon Kṛṣṅa, Viṣṅu is included there.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "Concentration of the mind upon Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme, is made possible by prescribed devotional service in nine different forms, of which śravaṅam is the first and most important."

Prabhupāda: So our yoga system is not like that, that we whole day, twenty-three hours and forty-five minutes, I engage myself in all nonsensical activities, and fifteen minutes I concentrate my mind, the meditation. That kind of yoga system is not here.

Here, twenty-four-hours' meditation. Even during sleeping. Twenty-four hours means during sleeping also. Life should be melded, molded in such a way that twenty-four hours you'll be able to think of Kṛṣṅa.

So we are engaging our students in so many Kṛṣṅa activities. They are going to the park, chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa or distributing literature. All these activities, remembering Kṛṣṅa. They have no other, I mean to say, thought except Kṛṣṅa. So this fifteen minutes', twenty minutes' sitting is all right.

But one who is twenty-four hours thinking of Kṛṣṅa or Viṣṅu, how far he is advanced, that can be imagined. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says personally, yoginām api sarveṣām [Bg 6.47]: "Of all the yogīs."

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

There are different types of yogīs. It is..., it is not that... Just like we do some other business twenty-three hours, forty-five minutes, and fifteen minutes we sit down for meditation. No. Twenty-four. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. Sadā means twenty-four hours. That is recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

tṛṅād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṅunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc Ādi 17.31]

[One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.]

To execute this twenty-four-hours' meditation one has to be..., become, has to become, has to become very humble. Because so many people will criticize. Just like last night our Ātreya Ṛṣi was speaking that some of his fellow officer was criticizing him. So we have to tolerate. Just like when the elephant passes, many dogs bark. So we do not care for these dogs barking. As elephant, we must go on gravely. You see.

Therefore tṛṅād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṅunā. We have to execute this twenty-four-hours' Kṛṣṅa business, Kṛṣṅa consciousness, always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṅa—in sitting, in walking, in eating, in sleeping, everything. In working.

That is first-class yoga. It is also yoga, but first-class yoga. Not third-class, fourth-class yoga. Of course, any yoga system, we cannot say it is third class, fourth class, but when we make comparative study, there must be something better or something inferior.

Just like we have already described: You have got a staircase to go to the one hundredth floor. So one has gone twenty steps, one has gone fifty steps, one has gone seventy-five steps, one has gone full hundred steps.

So one who has gone twenty-five steps, he cannot be compared with one who has gone one hundred steps. Similarly, the yoga system is just like a staircase for going to the spiritual world. So one who has taken to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, he's on the top, topmost yoga system.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "The Lord therefore says to Arjuna, tac chṛṅu, or 'Hear from Me.' No one can be a greater authority than Kṛṣṅa, and therefore, by hearing from Him..."

Prabhupāda: There... Here is another important point. We have to learn by listening from somebody. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [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.]

We approach guru for hearing from him the truth. Just like child listens from the parents and he learns to speak, he learns to know what is what. The father says, "This is dish"; the child also says, "This is dish."

The father says, "This is spoon"; the child also says, "This is spoon." So he learns by hearing. "Mother language" means if the child is handed over to some other person whose mother..., whose language is different from the mother, he'll learn, from the very beginning he'll learn that language.

So hearing is very important. Therefore our bhakti process, bhakti-yoga process, is hearing. The more you give aural reception to the transcendental message, more you become expert. You haven't got to become a Ph.D. or very learned fellow or very scholar. No. Even a child, without any education, he can also become Kṛṣṅa conscious simply by hearing. In New Yor...

In Los Angeles, our child friend, he's only three years old. Oh, he cites so many mantras. He has learned. Yes. So many. Of course, one child may be specially intelligent, but anyone can learn. The method is simply hearing and seeing the behavior. You put one child in this association; automatically, with his growth, he'll become a Vaiṣṅava, a Kṛṣṅa conscious devotee.

Automatically, by seeing these activities, 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.]

by thinking of Kṛṣṅa. Because the child will get the opportunity for hearing the word "Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa." Everyone has got God-gifted instrument, this ear. And if we give aural reception, we'll learn. There is no need of education, A-B-C-D. No.

So hearing is so important. In Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching work... Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, this propaganda of saṅkīrtana movement, He has given stress on this hearing process. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ [SB 10.14.3].

[Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.]

You can remain in your place. We don't say that you change your place. Whatever you are, you remain. If you are American, you remain American.

If you are Hindu, you remain a Hindu. If you are Muslim, you remain Muslim. We don't say that first of all you become a Hindu or this or that. No. We simply request, "Please come here, sit down and hear." That's all. This is the yoga system. Hearing yoga system. We don't say, press, that "You do this, you do that." We say the regulative principle. When one is seriously becoming our intimate friend or member, then we say that "You have to follow the rules and regulation." That he will agree. If he has actually heard our words, then immediately he will agree. It is not very difficult thing.

So hearing is so important thing. Śravaṅam. Śravaṅam means hearing. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya the process of self-realization. You will have it. For those who have got Teachings of Lord Caitanya, he'll read it. When Rāmānanda Rāya and Lord Caitanya speaking, so Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Rāmānanda Rāya, "What is the best process for self-realization?"

Because the life is meant for self-realization. This human life is meant for self-realization, ātma-tattvam. Otherwise it is animal life. The animals, they are cats and dogs; they are not interested in self-realization. But human life is meant for self-realization. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu questioned Rāmānanda Rāya that "What is the best process of self-realization?"

He recommended, first of all, the varṅāśrama-dharma. Ca...

varṅāśramācāravatā puruṣeṅa paraḥ pumān viṣṅur ārādhyate pumsam nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṅam [Cc Madhya 8.58]

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṅu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṅa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṅas and āśramas.’]

The real business is viṣṅur ārādhanam. Viṣṅu, the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is within the atom, who is within your heart, and who is also in His Goloka Vṛndāvana, that all-pervading... So varṅāśrama-dharma means how to realize that supreme, all-pervading Godhead. That is varṅāśrama-dharma.

Varṅa means four social division: brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and āśrama means four spiritual division: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha... So accepting these four spiritual and four material principles of life, that is humanity. One who is not within this category, varṅāśrama-dharma, he's not accepted as a human being or a civilized human being.

In the civilized nation, there is the four divisions of spiritual life and four divisions of... But they do not know it. But those who are followers of Vedic culture, they know how the divisions are to be made. Just like in your body you have got four divisions: the head division, the arms division, the belly division and the leg division.

They're all required. It is not that simply you have got a nice brain like Professor Einstein; that will do. No. You must have hands also. You must have belly. You must have legs. Then it is complete. The head is most important part of the body—that is all right—but leg is also required. You cannot neglect leg.

So similarly, this division is very scientific: intelligent class of men and martial class of men and productive class of men and laborer class of men. When we compare the laborer class of men with intellect..., intellectual class of men, there is difference. But both of them are important factors to maintain this body. That is called varṅāśrama-dharma.

So life's aim is self-realization—Viṣṅu—not the skyscrapers. These are piling stones and woods. This is not very intelligent work. The woods and pile..., stones and earth is there already—big, big mountain, hills. You do the business of a porter, carry it out, and high, I mean to say, heap, heap it in one place, it becomes a skyscraper building. And if you simply are proud of these heaps of stones and woods and iron, that is not civilization. That is not civilization.

Civilization is that the living entity who is using these resources, what..., to know what is the actual business. This piling of stones and wood is done also by the birds. They also pick up, according to their strength, some twigs, and they make a nest. That intelligence is there. The rat also, he makes subway. [laughter] You see. So this is not very intelligent work, to imitate the rats, the birds, the cats, the dogs. That is not civilization.

Civilization means self-realization, "What I am? Why I am forced to die? I do not like to die." To know this, that is civilization. When all these inquiries will come into one's mind... "Well, I do not wish to die. Why death is there, forced? I am forced to die. I do not wish to be diseased. Why disease comes to me, upon me?" When this "Why?" question will come, "Why?" that is humanity. And if he remains dull, "All right, let me die," then he's cat and dog. That's all. If there is no "Why?" then he's cat and dog.

So human civilization does not mean this piling of woods and stones. No. That is not human civilization. Human civilization means brahma-jijñāsā, enquiry. These are the enquiry. "Why? Why I am forced to do this?" These things are taught regularly in the varṅāśrama system. One is made brahmacārī, celibacy, spiritual. One is made a very decently, family life, gṛhastha. One is made retired life, sannyāsī. Very systematically. So if we don't follow the varṅāśrama-dharma, then we are not even human being. They are cats and dogs.

So therefore Rāmānanda Rāya proposed this varṅāśrama... Varṅāśramācāravatā. He quoted from Viṣṅu Purāṅa. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Oh, this is rejected." He immediately rejected. Now, so scientific institution of varṅāśrama-dharma system, coming from very early age, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "This is external. Say something better." So in this way, Rāmānanda Rāya was putting some better proposal than varṅāśrama-dharma. Then varṅāśrama-tyāga. Tyāga means renouncing, renounced order. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's speaking, "No, no. It is... It is not very important. Go more."

So when Caitanya Mahā..., eh, Rāmānanda Rāya quoted one verse from Bhāgavatam which was spoken by Brahmā, that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva [SB 10.14.3],

"When one gives up this nonsense speculative process..." Everyone is speculating. The scientist, philosopher, everyone is speculating, just to show himself that he has grown very learned, he can put some theory.

So this is first rejected. Brahmā... Brahmā says. Brahmā's experience... He's the topmost living creature within this universe. He said that "When a person will give up this nonsense habit of speculation..." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. He must become submissive. One should not pose himself that he knows something, he can speculate something, he can invent something.

Just like the so-called scientists, they are simply speculating and wasting labor. Nothing can be done by you. Everything is already arranged. You cannot change. You can simply see how the law is working; so much you can do. But neither you can change the law, you can make a better facility for the law. No. That you cannot do. Daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā [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.]

Duratyayā means it is very difficult.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was informed this statement of Brahmā, that one should give up the speculative method that he can create something... These nonsense habits should be given up. He must become very humble, humbler than the grass. Just like we trample over the grass; it does not protest. "All right, sir, you go." That type of humble. Tṛṅād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṅunā [Cc Ādi 17.31, Śikṣāṣṭaka 3].

Taru means tree. Tree is so much forbearing.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva... "Or then I, I give up the speculative process and I become humbler, as you advise. Then what is My next duty?" Next duty is: namanta eva, being humble, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, you should approach a person who is a devotee, and you should hear from him. Sthāne sthitāḥ.

You remain in your place. You remain American. You remain Indian. You remain Christian. You remain a Hindu. You remain black. You remain white. You remain woman, man—whatever you are. Simply you lend your ear to the discourses given by realized soul. This is recommended.

And when you hear, then you'll contemplate also. Just like you are hearing me. If you contemplate that "What Swāmījī said...?" Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Śruti-gatām. Śruti means just receiving through the ear. If you contemplate and try to understand with your body, mind, then gradually you'll...

Because your aim is self-realization. The self means Superself. The Supreme Lord, He's the Supreme Self. We are part and parcel. So by this process, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, God, Ajita, one who is never conquered... If you... By challenge if you want to know God, you'll never understand. God never accepts challenge. Because God is great. Why should He accept your challenge? If you say, "Oh, my dear God, please come here. I shall see You," so God is not like that, that He will carry your order.

You must carry His order. Then God realization. God says, "You surrender," 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.]

That process, you'll learn God. Not that "Oh, I shall know God. I have got good intelligence, speculate." No.

So this hearing... We are talking of the hearing. The hearing process is so important. All our this institute, Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, has spread because the students who have joined us, they have given aural reception, by hearing. The hearing, everything was changed within themselves and they have joined with full whole-heartedness, and the..., going on.

So hearing is so important. We are opening so many centers just to give people chance of hearing about the transcendental message. So you take chance, you take, I mean to say, the advantage of this hearing process.

Then?

Pradyumna: "No one can be a greater authority than Kṛṣṅa, and therefore..."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Than hearing from Kṛṣṅa. The Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṅa is speaking. So hear from Him. If you say that "Kṛṣṅa is no longer present before me," no, Kṛṣṅa is present by His Bhagavad-gītā. His words and He, there is no difference. Absolute. Absolute. If you pollute the words—Kṛṣṅa is speaking something, and you are rascal, nonsense, explaining in a different way—then it has no meaning. Then Kṛṣṅa is gone.

But if you speak as Kṛṣṅa is speaking, then it is..., Kṛṣṅa is present before you by His words. Immediately. By His word, you can see Kṛṣṅa. Just like the brāhmaṅa in South India. He was illiterate—he was reading, trying to read Bhagavad-gītā—but immediately Kṛṣṅa became present before his eyes, and he was crying. He was crying. That is reading.

So Kṛṣṅa can be present by His words, because Kṛṣṅa's word and Kṛṣṅa is not different. Absolute. If you actually accept Kṛṣṅa in the form of Bhagavad-gītā, then you are directly associating with Kṛṣṅa, as Arjuna was doing. There will be no difficulty. Ajita. Kṛṣṅa is unconquered, but simply by your humble receptive process, you will conquer over Kṛṣṅa. How you'll conquer? He's already within your heart. You'll realize that "Here is Kṛṣṅa." That is conquer.

Then?

Pradyumna: "No one can be a greater authority than Kṛṣṅa, and therefore by hearing from Him one receives the greatest opportunity for progress in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. One has therefore to learn from Kṛṣṅa directly or from a pure devotee of Kṛṣṅa, and not from a nondevotee upstart, puffed up with academic education.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this process of understanding Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is described in the Second Chapter of the First Canto as follows:

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.]

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī [SB 1.2.18]

[By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.]

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati [SB 1.2.19]

[As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.]

evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ mukta-saṅgasya jāyate [SB 1.2.20]

bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ kṣīyante cāsya karmāṅi dṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare [SB 1.2.21]

" 'To hear about Kṛṣṅa from Vedic literatures or to hear from Him directly through the Bhagavad-gītā is itself righteous activity. And for one who hears about Kṛṣṅa, Lord Kṛṣṅa, who is dwelling in everyone's heart, acts as a best-wishing friend and purifies the devotee who constantly engages in hearing of Him. In this way, a devotee naturally develops his dormant transcendental knowledge.

" 'As he hears more about Kṛṣṅa from the Bhāgavatam and from the devotees, he becomes fixed in the devotional service of the Lord. And by development of devotional service one becomes freed from the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus material lusts and avarice are diminished.' "

Prabhupāda: This is the process. By hearing, you become pious. Those who are hearing in this meeting, even they cannot understand the words which we are discussing, he's, he's becoming purer. He's becoming... Just like one becomes purer by acting piously.

So simply hearing, if one cannot understand the whole thing, he becomes pious. Puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. One who is speaking Kṛṣṅa's words and one who is hearing Kṛṣṅa's..., both of them are becoming purified.

So if we hear daily, regularly, nityam, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, then... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [SB 1.2.18].

If you hear daily... Just like we are holding class daily in the morning. And bhāgavata-sevayā.

Sevayā means service. To make the place nicely cleansed so that devotees will sit down and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā will be discussed, this is called bhāgavata-sevā, serving the Bhāgavata. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā...

Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu. The whole difficulty is that our heart is covered with so many dirty things. So by this process, this bhāgavata-sevayā, the dirty things will be cleansed. Not that exactly all cleansed.

Even a little portion is cleansed, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, not fully cleansed, prāyeṣu, almost, then immediately, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī [SB 1.2.18], immediately you come to the platform of bhakti-yoga. Little cleansed. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Not that...

Therefore, we sometimes see that one who has taken to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, still, he is committing something wrong. But that is not very..., that is not a case of discouragement. You stick to this principle. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā [Bg 9.31].

[He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.]

Api cet su-durācāraḥ [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.]

We should not willingly do anything wrong. But due to our past habit, if we do something wrong, that we should not be discouraged. But stick to the principle, then gradually you'll be cleansed. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Prāyeṣu means almost cleansed, not completely clean.

So we don't claim that we have become liberated from all dirty things. There are so many dirty things still. But little clearance will help us to become a devotee of the Lord.

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī [SB 1.2.18]

Naiṣṭhikī. This is the stage of attachment to Kṛṣṅa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. There are different stages. So this niṣṭhā, firm faith. First of all, loose faith. Then, as we execute devotional service, the faith becomes firmer, firmer, firmer.

And when it comes to firm, "Yes, Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I am His eternal servant," this is firm faith, without any deviation. Bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī.

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati [SB 1.2.19]

Sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. Sattva-guṅa, when goodness, the modes of goodness... So progress in devotional service means one is becoming perfect. Because he is perfect, everyone is perfect, but he's covered with some dirty thing. Just like gold is covered with some dirty earth. But if you wash the gold, or, by chemical process if you cleanse, then real gold will come out. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of God; therefore Godly qualities are there, in every one of us.

It is simply covered by these material dirty things. This will be cleansed by this hearing process. The more you hear, the more it becomes cleansed, the more you become fixed up in devotional service. Then more you give up your other nonsense habits. Kāma and lobha. Other nonsense habits, they are based on two things: lust and greediness. Kāma-lobha, lust and greediness. These are two dirty things.

So tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye, ceta... Your heart will be cleansed of these lusty things and greediness. Then you come to the pure modes of goodness. And as soon as you come to the pure platform of goodness, tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye ceta etair anāviddham, then your heart will not be pierced by these nonsense two, rajo-guṅa and tamo-guṅa. You'll be situated in sattva-guṅa. Sthitaṁ sattve...

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati [SB 1.2.19]

Then you will see everything clearly and be satisfied: "Oh, this is my position."

So this is the process of the more you become purified, the more you'll be advanced in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And your advancement in Kṛṣṅa consciousness will be tested, how you are developing good qualities. Officially I'm Kṛṣṅa conscious yogī, but I am still addicted to so many nonsense habits—that means you are not advancing. That is the test.

Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṅais tatra samāsate [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?]

He hasn't got to learn how to become good. Simply by executing this devotional service, he'll be all-good. That is the test.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Jaya! [devotees offer obeisances]

[48:03]

[kīrtana]

[58:54]

Prabhupāda: [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [break] [end]

Bhagavad-gītā 7.1

Referenced verses