Bhagavad-gītā 13.1–2

Pradyumna: Translation: "Arjuna said: O my dear Kṛṣṅa, I wish to know about prakṛti, nature; puruṣa, or the enjoyer; and the field and the knower of the field; and of knowledge and the end of knowledge. The Blessed Lord then said: This body, O son of Kuntī, is called the field, and one who knows this body..., who knows this body is called the knower of the field." [Bg 13.1–2]

Prabhupāda: Hm. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jñam. Just like we are living in this apartment and we know that I am not this apartment, but I am living in this apartment. The people say that because the Supersoul or the soul is living within this body, therefore the body is soul.

This is not very good argument. That is being cleared by Kṛṣṅa Himself. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate [Bg 13.2]. Kṣetra. Kṣetra means land or a place. So idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate. And, the next line?

Pradyumna: Etad yo vetti tam...

Prabhupāda: Etad yo vetti, and one who knows it, he's kṣetra-jñaḥ. Jñaḥ means in knowledge.

So we should know this, that "I am not this body; it is my body." If we analyze the body, I say, "It is my hand," "It is my leg," "It is my head." Nobody says "I head" or "I hand." "I" is different from this body. I am living in this apartment, but I am not this apartment. But the modern civilization is going on on the basic idea that "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṅa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am man," "I am woman." This is condemned. This is condemned.

This is... This is the concession of the animals. The animals, they do not know that the dog, the body-dog and the soul who has obtained the body of a dog... The soul is different from the body. This is the Vedic information: asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. [break] The living entity, soul, is not this material body. Asaṅga. He has no, I mean to say, association. He's put into that condition, but he's different from the body.

[Sarasvatī crying for Mālatī in background]

[aside:] What is that? She has gone out and cannot come.

So this should be clearly understood. This is knowledge, that "I am not this body." What is the next, second line?

Pradyumna: Kṣetram ity abhidhīyate.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Next?

Pradyumna: Etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ...

Prabhupāda: Etad yo vetti. So if you study, if you meditate on our body, so "I am this body. I am this finger." No. The answer will come: "No, I am not this body. I am... It is my body. It is my finger. It is my head." This is simple thing. And here it is confirmed by the supreme authority, Kṛṣṅa. And we can experiment it, that how it is that I am identifying myself with this body?

Therefore śāstra says: yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṅape tri-dhātuke. This body is a, a product of the three dhātus, according to Āyur-vedic system: kapha-pitta-vāyu. So anyone who is accepting this body made of three elements, kapha-pitta-vāyu, he is no better than go-kharaḥ. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. An animal.

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṅape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]

[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]

Go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, and kharaḥ means ass. So people are identifying with this body, but śāstra says such persons are no better than the cows and the asses. Now just try to understand what is this civilization. Just try to understand. It is this... It is a combination of cows and asses. Because everyone is identifying, "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Russian," "I am China." "Let us fight." "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." This is going on.

The simple knowledge is lacking. The simple knowledge, that "I am not this body. I am..." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic language. So 'ham. So 'ham means I am the same spirit soul as the Supersoul, as Kṛṣṅa. I am qualitatively one. As Kṛṣṅa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, similarly I am also sac-cid-ānanda, part and parcel. The difference is that I am very minute.

As we have several times explained, the minute particle of gold is also gold. That is not different. Minute, a drop of the sea water is also the same, qualitatively; the same chemicals. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, we are not subjected to the material condition. But we have put ourself in this material condition. That is called māyā. We wanted to enjoy separately, de..., separated from Kṛṣṅa, and therefore we are put into a condition which is illusion.

That I have already explained several times. At night, we forget all this body. Although in daytime I identify myself that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṅa," at night, when I sleep, I forget whether I am American, Indian or brāhmaṅa and kṣatriya. This is our daily experience. I am in different atmosphere.

I am dreaming something. But again at daytime I forget what I dreamt at night. So sometimes we go very unknown place, very nice place, nice building, nice atmosphere. Huh? And at..., as soon as the dream is over, then again I am on my bed. You see? And when I dream, I forget I'm not in my bed, but I'm in the surrounding of palaces, of gardens. So this is our daily experience.

So because we wanted to imitate Kṛṣṅa, kṛṣṅa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare [Prema-vivarta],

[When an individual soul forgets his eternal relationship with God and tries to lord it over the material nature or resources, that condition, that forgetful condition, is called māyā, or illusion.]

the Kṛṣṅa has given us a place which is illusion, which is not fact. Temporary. Illusion. Just like we sometimes see water in the desert. That is illusion. Practically there is no illusion, uh, there is no water. But we see, "Oh, here is water, vast water." The animal, they run after the water. Similarly, we are also running after this illusion: "There is happiness. There is happiness." Therefore there is no happiness.

At the fag end of life, we are disappointed, we are frustrated. Brdhya kala aula saba sukha pāgala.[?] When we cannot again..., no more we can enjoy with our senses, then we become very much depressed. Old men, you'll find old men, those who are not spiritually inclined, they're very morose. Morose because they cannot use anymore the senses. They sometimes take medicine. But how it can be done? So brdhya kala aula.[?]

So we are under this illusion. This is called māyā. We should understand that we are not this body. We are not this body. Our bodily enjoyment, sense gratification, that is illusion. In another place in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find it is said, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat atīndriyaṁ grāhyam.

[aside:] Find out that verse.

Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam. We are trying to enjoy life with these material senses, but that is illusion, that is temporary. Temporary and illusion. Real enjoyment is with our spiritual senses.

[aside:] What is it...? Have you got?

Pradyumna:

sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś calati tattvataḥ [Bg 6.21]

[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.]

Prabhupāda: What is the translation?

Pradyumna: There's a few verses together. "The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one mind..., when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this, he thinks there is no greater gain."

Prabhupāda: So every information is there. If we want actually happiness, then we have to purify the material consciousness. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. We have come to the point of Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That Kṛṣṅa consciousness can be achieved by the grace of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa consciousness... Athāpi te deva padāmbhuja-dvayam-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi [SB 10.14.29].

[My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the Vedas for many years.]

Kṛṣṅa cannot be understood by any other method than the Kṛṣṅa method. Kṛṣṅa is absolute. Therefore if one wants to understand Kṛṣṅa, he must take the Kṛṣṅa method. Kṛṣṅa method.

Because Kṛṣṅa is absolute, there is no difference between Kṛṣṅa and the method of attaining Kṛṣṅa. They are the same. Method... The bhakti method means Kṛṣṅa method. Bhakta-bhagavān. And the method to approach Bhagavān is called bhakti. The whole thing is based on one root: bhaj. Bhaj-dhātu. Bhaj-dhātu. That means offering loving service to the Lord. And 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.]

Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. These words are there: sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [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.]

api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Bhajate, this very... Bhajate. Catur-vidhā bhajante mām. This word, bhaja is very important thing. From bhaja, the word bhakti comes. Bhaja dhātu ukti.[?] So bhakti means bhajana. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ [Bg 9.13].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.]

Again: bhajanti. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. This bhajana is for mahātmās, not for the durātmās, or kṣudrātmā. Mahātmā. One whose ātmā has been expanded, mahātmā. Not crippled. Those who are thinking in terms of society, nationality, country, religion or so many things, they are not mahātmās; they are kṣudrātmās: small, cripple-minded. Those, those who are thinking in broader way.

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. He's not thinking in terms of... Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma [CB Antya-khaṅḍa 4.126]:

[In every town and village of the world, the chanting of My name will be heard.]

as many towns and villages are there all over the world. He's not thinking in terms of "my village," "my country," "my society." Everyone is thinking like that. But those who are mahātmā actually, they are thinking in a broader way. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. Kṛṣṅa is thinking in terms of all living entities. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ [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.]

"All living entities, in all species of life, in all forms of life," ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, "I am their father."

So this is called mahātmā. Kṛṣṅa is thinking in terms of all living entities. People are saying that Kṛṣṅa, Indian, Hindu God. Why Hindu God? The dictionary, it is said, in English dictionary, that Kṛṣṅa is one Hindu God. Is not? In the dictionary. Why Hindu God? He says that "I am the father of all living entities." Why He should be the father of the Hindus, Indians? He's father of everyone. He says.

But they write in the dictionary: "Kṛṣṅa is Hindu God." Misinterpretation. Kṛṣṅa does not say. He... And Kṛṣṅa Himself, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, says, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma: "As many villages and towns are there," sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma, that "My name will be celebrated in every village, every town."

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is not a crippled movement. It is very broad movement, claiming all living entities to come to Kṛṣṅa, back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore we should not be bodily conscious. Kṛṣṅa here says: the body is not "I am this body." Idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram. It is a field of activities. Kṣetram. Field of activities. Just like one who is bodily conscious, he undergoes many severe exercises, so body becomes very stout and strong and he's happy. He's happy. Because he thinks, "I am this body."

Similarly, you can make your body spiritually stronger. As you make your body materially strong, similarly you can make your body... Because this is kṣetra. Kṣetra means the field, or the land. You, in the land by tilling the land, by cultivating the land, you can produce nice grain also, and inferior grain also, as you work. Because the land is in your possession, you can cultivate as you like. Similarly, this body is land, and I am the tiller. I am the kṛṣaka, or agriculturist. So by using the land, I can become spiritually advanced or I can become materially advanced. It is up to me.

Spiritually advanced means gradually you forget that "I am this material body." "I am Kṛṣṅa's. I am Brahman." That is spiritually advanced. And material advance means "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṅa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am man," "woman." This is materially advanced. Both ways. This human form of life... Because it is not animal life. Always remember that I'm not animal; I'm now human being. So I can utilize...

These things will be explained in this chapter, how I can utilize this body. Both ways I can utilize. If I simply limit myself with the bodily necessities of life, just like the animals, eating, sleeping, sex intercourse, and defense—these are common to the human body and the cats' and dogs' body. But because I am human being, I can utilize my body in a different way. The cats and dogs cannot do. That is the difference between a human being and an animal. If you don't utilize my body as human being, then I am no better than cats and dogs.

Actually I am cats and dogs. If we simply limit myself how to eat very nicely, how to sleep very nicely, how to have sex intercourse very nicely and how to defend myself very nicely, then you are no better than animal. But this is the business of the animals. The ani..., animal cannot be invited to become Kṛṣṅa conscious. That is not possible. Even if he's invited, he cannot sit down, he cannot hear.

Therefore those who are very much advanced in animal propensities, they cannot take part in this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Those are..., those who are, to say frankly, no better than animals, they cannot take any interest in the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. That is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says who can take. He says... We take from Kṛṣṅa all the words; you don't believe me. Kṛṣṅa says that,

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.]

So animal life means sinful life. Animal life. Even this human form of life is also sinful unless we come to the Kṛṣṅa consciousness platform. We come to the... Animal life means sinful life. If I act as sinful, like hogs and dogs... Just like if I don't discriminate of eating. Just like the hogs, they have no discrimination. They accept even stool: "Come on. I shall eat." You get the body of hogs or dogs. And if you utilize this body according to the śāstra to purify it...

Because human body is meant for purification. Yasmāt śuddhyet sattvam. That is the given, instruction given by Ṛṣabhadeva. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yasmāt śuddhyet sattvaṁ yena..., śuddhyet sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhati viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1].

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

He advised, instructed His sons, "My dear sons, don't use this body like the hogs and dogs, whole day and night searching after stool, eating, for eating. Don't use this."

And after eating, as soon as there is the sex is strong, then sex life. That is hogs' life. We have seen. These are the examples, nature's. They are very stout and strong, fatty, eating stool. And as soon as fatty, immediately sex life, without any discrimination mother, sister, or anyone. That is hogs. You see from nature's example, dogs and hogs. The dog has no, I mean to say, courtesy or shame. At, in the street, they're having sex life.

So human civilization is coming to that. Already it has come. In Western countries... At least, in our country it has not come still. And Western, it is common affair. Young man, young woman is embracing, kissing, and everything. And sometimes sexually also engaged on the sea beach, in the garden. We have seen it. So practically you are coming to the hogs' and dogs' life. This is our advancement of civilization. Why? On account of this bodily concept of life: "I am this body. I am this body."

Therefore this should be first of all understood. As Kṛṣṅa says, idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity... [Bg 13.2].

[Arjuna said: O my dear Kṛṣṅa, I wish to know about prakṛti [nature], Puruṣa [the enjoyer], and the field and the knower of the field, and of knowledge and the end of knowledge. The Blessed Lord then said: This body, O son of Kuntī, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.]

It has been awarded to you for utilizing it for different purposes, as you like. You can utilize it like cats and dogs and hogs, and you can utilize it as devatā, as demigod. That is up to you. We have got little independence. We can utilize or misuse this independence. But the śāstra says that this body is not to be utilized as cats and dogs and hogs. Śāstra says.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ [Bg 16.23]:

[But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.]

anyone who does not care for the instruction given in the śāstras... Śāstra. Just like anyone who doesn't care for the law of the state, what kind of man he is? He's a loafer, a outlaw. He's not a respectable citizen. Similarly, anyone who does not follow the śāstric in... Śāstras are meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs and hogs, as law is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. Therefore we have to follow the śāstric injunction.

As Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā or Vyāsadeva says in the Purāṅas, in the Vedānta-sūtra, they are meant for... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṅa bhuli' gelā ataeva kṛṣṅa veda-purāṅa karila [Cc Madhya 20.117]

[Forgetting Kṛṣṅa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [māyā] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.]

What for these Vedas and Purāṅas are meant? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṅa. We have forgotten Kṛṣṅa. Therefore to revive our Kṛṣṅa consciousness, so many Vedic literatures are there. So many.

So this life is meant for utilizing this body... Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. Sattva. Sattva, our sattva, or existence, is not now pure. It is..., because it is not pure, therefore we have to migrate, transmigrate from one body to another according to our desire, according to our karma. Nature is giving you.

Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [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.]

We have been given a vehicle. Now we have got this nice vehicle, this human body, vehicle, moving. But if we don't utilize it as human being, then it..., we shall get another vehicle like dogs and hogs. Sometimes no movement, stand up for seven thousand years as a tree. Not as a tree; as tree. Yes. So this is going on.

So the first essential knowledge, to know that "I am not this body." We are working so hard... Body means the senses. The senses. Indriyāṅi parāṅy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ [Bg 3.42].

[The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.]

So we have to transcend this bodily concept of life. Bodily concept of life means sense gratification. That's all.

The, the bodily... I am, because I'm thinking I am this body, therefore I must satisfy my eyes by seeing something beautiful. I must satisfy my tongue by eating so many things which are even forbidden in the śāstras. But my tongue wants it, I must take it. So bodily concept of life means satisfying these gross material senses. That is bodily concept of life. But gradually, by Kṛṣṅa consciousness, by training ourself how to become Kṛṣṅa conscious, then our business will be how to satisfy Kṛṣṅa.

Now we are satisfying our senses. That is bodily concept of material existence. And when we train ourself how to satisfy Kṛṣṅa, oh, then that is our perfection of life. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. The process is there. Either you satisfy your senses or you satisfy the proprietor of the senses. Kṛṣṅa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka. Hṛṣīka means the senses. And Kṛṣṅa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta [Bg 1.21].

[Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see who is present here, who is desirous of fighting, and with whom I must contend in this great battle attempt.]

Hṛṣīkeśa. Tvayā hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeṅa. So Hṛṣīkeśa. So bhakti means hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [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.]

Now hṛṣīka, indriya. Now, at the present moment, we are satisfying the senses for the sense only. We have no other higher objective. Sense wants to eat something palatable, although it is not good for me, either from health point of view, or spiritual point of view... Just like meating eat [sic] or drinking intoxication.

This is not good, either for health or for my spiritual advancement. But because my tongue wants it, I have become my servant of my tongue. I want should be satisfied. This is the material condition. Because I, I don't want to serve Kṛṣṅa; I want to serve my tongue. Tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre.

We have got different senses. Out of all the senses, this tongue is very strong. Tongue is very strong. Therefore śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136].

[Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṅa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṅa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṅa really is.]

By these blunt senses, we cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. We cannot understand what is Kṛṣṅa, what is Kṛṣṅa's name, what is Kṛṣṅa's fame, what is Kṛṣṅa's form, what is Kṛṣṅa's quality. We cannot understand. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says:

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.]

To understand Kṛṣṅa is not so easy. So śāstra says that it can be made easy. It can be made easy. How? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.234].

[No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṅa through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.]

If you simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord. This one method. Simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, God will be revealed.

[aside:] Come on.

God will reveal Himself. You cannot see God. You cannot see Kṛṣṅa. But when He reveals Himself... Just like at night you cannot see the sun. But when the sun reveals himself, it is not by your effort. In due course of time, sun will arise in the morning. You can see the sun, you can see yourself, you can see the whole world.

So try to reveal Kṛṣṅa. Don't try to see Kṛṣṅa. Because with your eyes, with your senses, these material blunt senses, we cannot see. It is not... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi...

[break] Ah, we're chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, but we are not making progress because we have not come to the stage how to hear Kṛṣṅa's name. But practice it. Practice it, that we shall come.

So this practice is recommended, śastra, that by the our these blunt senses it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṅa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. Indriyaiḥ. This is our… Our property is the indriyaiḥ. Then how? Now, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Jihvādau, beginning from tongue.

This is a science. You try to understand. Everything begins by seeing or by touching, by tasting, like that. But here also the tasting. So sevonmukhe hi jihvādau: if you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, the Lord will reveal Himself. Therefore we restrict our student, restrict our student to control the tongue: don't eat flesh, meat or fish; don't drink. This is controlling the tongue.

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tā'ra madhye jihvā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati: the tongue is very fastidious, very greedy and very difficult to control it. Actually it is very difficult to control. I have no hunger, but still my tongue dictates, "Oh, yes! It is very nice. Why don't you take? Yes." You see? Three plates finished, and then next day, "Ah! Ah!" It is the dictation of the tongue. Therefore the tongue most formidable enemy.

tā'ra madhye jihvā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati, tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre kṛṣṅa baḍo doyāmay, karibāre jihvā jay [Gītāvalī, Prasāda-sevāya]

[O Lord, this material body is a place of ignorance, and the senses are a network of paths leading to death. Somehow we have fallen into this ocean of material sense enjoyment, and of all the senses the tongue is the most voracious and uncontrollable. It is very difficult to conquer the tongue in this world. But You, dear Kṛṣṅa, are very kind to us and have given us such nice prasādam just to control the tongue. Now we take this prasādam to our full satisfaction and glorify You-Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa-and in love call for the help of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda.]

Kṛṣṅa is very kind. Just to control, just to help us to control over the tongue, kṛṣṅa baḍo doyāmay, karibāre jihvā jay, sva-prasād-anna dila bhāi. So this process, if we simply decide that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa prasāda..."

[aside:] Come on.

"...and I shall not talk anything which is not the subject matter of Kṛṣṅa," then control tongue, as Ambarīṣa Mahārāja did: vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane [SB 9.4.18].

[Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord's temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Kṛṣṅa or about Kṛṣṅa. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa's temples and Kṛṣṅa's places like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord's devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord's prasāda. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.]

If I talk, I shall talk about Kṛṣṅa only, that's, that's all; no more talking. Your tongue is [indistinct]. If you simply decide like this, that "I shall not talk anything which is not in the matter of Kṛṣṅa, and I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṅa," then you become controller of all senses, you become the first-class yogī. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Yoga means to control the senses, and if you try to control the tongue by these two processes, you become the greatest yogī, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau.

But if I allow myself that "I am this body. Body means I am senses. Let me enjoy my senses," then I am lost. I, the spirit soul who is in this slumbering state, illusion, sometimes in daydream, sometimes in night dream, I am there. Because I am there, therefore I am seeing daydream and night dream.

Unless I am there, who is seeing this daydream and night dream? So I am there, but I am in the dreamland—sometimes seeing this dream, sometimes that. So in order to get me out of this dreamland, to come to this real life, you have to take Kṛṣṅa consciousness, and to take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness the simple method is try to control your tongue. Then everything is all right.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa. [break]

Indian man (1): ...just as you said that there is a difference between human being and the animals, and animals cannot become conscious, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. In Bhagavad-gītā when this Gajendra, I mean to say, elephant got caught in the sea by that crocodile... Crocodile was made to [indistinct] attack that elephant. Elephant remembered the God, the Lord, and He came to save him. How is that [indistinct]?

Prabhupāda: There is a history. Formerly they were human being…

Indian man (1): Now what is the correctness?

Prabhupāda: Because formerly this elephant and the crocodiles were two brothers. They were human being. So sometimes, just like Bharata Mahārāja, he became a deer, but he remembered himself. Generally people forget. Death means forgetting the past life. Past life.

But in special cases, just this elephant, or the Bharata Mahārāja became a deer and he remembered his past life. Therefore he could remember God: "Please save me." That is special case. Generally... Why animal? Even human being. Do you remember your past life? That is special case. We are no more reliable. We do not know past life, even if ten years ago, what we were doing at this time. Forgotten. Everything is forgotten, even in this life.

So forgetfulness is our nature, but in special cases, somebody remembers. That is special cases. Generally.. Why animal? Even human being, they forget. At night we are forgetting. We experiment. At night I am dreaming, I am forgetting that I am Mr. Such-and-such and so on. I forget everything. Why do you call the next life? In this life, daily, at night I am forgetting, and at daytime also I am forgetting. So forgetfulness is my nature. That is expressed. But in special cases we remember.

Just like Bharata Mahārāja, Bharata Mahārāja under whose name this land, this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa; that king. He was very elevated king. So he left his home at young age to undergo austerities for liberation, but it so happened that one day a pregnant deer was drinking water in the river, and she heard the roaring of a lion and she gave birth to a small calf and fell down. So naturally the human being, he became a little compassionate, picked up that small calf and tried to raise him. So he became growing, and the Bharata Mahārāja became a little affected.

So one day the deer did not come back in the evening, so he was little anxious, so he went to find out the deer, and consciously or unconsciously he fell down from the top of the hill and died. But because he was thinking of the deer at that time, in next time he became a deer. 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.]

But because he was spiritually very much advanced, he could remember that he was Bharata Mahārāja: "Now I have taken the form of a deer"; therefore he was keeping himself always among the sages and saintly person. He was eating the flowers and the all the leaves and flowers thrown by the sages. Whatever they were giving, eating. In this way, next life he took birth in the family of a brāhmaṅa. At that time, because he was remembering, he became completely stopped: no more talking, no more preaching.

So this is the process going on. This is the process... This is a great science. But foolish people, they do not know this science, how transmigration of the soul is taking place, how one great man is becoming a small animal. These things are unknown. So Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is meant for enlightening people this science, the science of the soul, ātma-tattvam.

Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṅāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ [SB 2.1.2].

[Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.]

Just like you have come here to hear, so hearing is the only process to understand, hearing and chanting. But those who are foolish, they have got many other hearing.

Now in many places meeting is going on, lecture is going on, how to conquer material nature and how to become stronger than Russia or... So many lectures are going on all over the world, and hundreds and thousands of people are hearing. Hearing. You take information. Even in Bombay you'll find that there are so many conference, committee meetings are going on, and they are engaged in hearing. Eh? Some like the newspapers are giving dictation, the news editor is giving the stereotype, he is taking hearing. So hearing is going on. Hearing is going on.

Therefore śastra says, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṅāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ: there are thousands types of subject matter for hearing there are. Thousand types, sahasraśaḥ, not one type. So... But who are they? Now, apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ. Who is not interested about his self, they are hearing so many subject matter, apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām, compact in household life, gṛha-medhinām.

This is going on. And this hearing process has to be transferred, 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.]

This [indistinct], but you have to change the hearing process. Instead of hearing so many rubbish things and spoil your life, just try to hear about Kṛṣṅa, kṛṣṅa-kathā, the words of Kṛṣṅa, the instruction of Kṛṣṅa. Then your life will be successful. [indistinct] The hearing is going on. You cannot stop hearing, but we are hearing the rubbish… [break] [end]