Lecture

The Nectar of Devotion

Pradyumna: [reading] "...service, following in the footsteps of previous ācāryas, can be summarized in the following statement by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: 'First-class devotional service is known by one's tendency to be fully engaged in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, serving the Lord favorably.' "

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Serving the Lord favorably. Not whimsically. Favorably. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Cc Madhya 19.167].

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

This is the exact word, ānukūla. Ānukūla means favorably, "What I want, you shall do." That is favorable. I want something and you do something else, that is not favorable. Favorable means what Kṛṣṅa wants, you do that.

So to come to this understanding, preliminarily... Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṅa, or God, at the present stage, in our material condition of life. Material condition means forgetting our relationship with God. That is material condition. The, this is... Therefore it is called māyā. Māyā means illusion, which has no existence, hallucination.

The same thing as we see tiger when dreaming, and crying: "Oh, here is tiger! Save me! Save me!" So this is called... This is the example of hallucination. There are many others. Just like water in the desert. Sometimes there is, due to reflection of the sun, it appears there is vast mass of water, and the animals, they go after it, the water. These are the..., some of the examples of hallucination, illusion. So this hal... To be in the stage of hallucination, illusion, that is called māyā. This is called māyā. Mā-yā. Mā means "not"; yā means "this."

So we are in this condition now, in māyā. We can practically experience. I have several times explained. Just like while we are asleep we forget everything of our day's life, and during daytime, we forget everything what we saw in dream. So these two stages... So this is also dream, this is also dream, and I am the observer of the dream. Therefore I am the fact, and this is illusion. Both the conditions. So therefore the question arises: "Then what I am?" That is called brahma-jijñāsā.

Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to ask this question, "What I am?" And in..., any intelligent man can understand that "I am simply dreaming. At night, I am dreaming something, forgetting night's dream, uh, day's dream. And in day, daytime, I am dreaming something; I am forget the night's dream. So actually both of them are dreams, and I am the observer. Then what I am?" This is the question. Athāto brahma jijñāsā This is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. One should be inquisitive. Unless one comes to this point of inquiring about himself, then what I am? Why I am dreaming this daytime and nighttime? What is my actual position? This is human life.

When one comes to this point of inquiring, "What I am?" that is the beginning of human life. Otherwise animal life. The animals, they do not know what I am, neither this question comes to them, "What I am?" He's thinking, "I am dog," "I am cat," "I am ass," "I am tiger," "I am this and that." Similarly, if we simply think like that, that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṅa," "I am this," "I am that," that is animal life. That is animal life. When you come to this point, understanding, inquiring, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā... Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā naś ceha yat karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10].

[Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.]

Kāmasya na..., na indriya-prītiḥ, jīveta yāvatā. This is the Bhāgavata philosophy. People are working very hard. Animal also working very hard, but in the human society there are four principles, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]:

[Any person who desires the fruits of the four principles religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, liberation, should engage himself in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for worship of His lotus feet yields the fulfillment of all of these.]

religious life, then economic development, then sense gratification and then mokṣa, liberation. This is human life. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. The religious life you cannot find in animal society. In the human society, either he may be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha, Jews, anything, there is a kind of religious principles.

So that is the beginning of human life—religion, dharma. Then generally, because we are in the bodily concept of life, therefore economic development: "I want money. I want comfortable position, comfortable situation, so that I can eat, drink, sleep nicely." This is called economic development. So dharma, artha... Then why I don't..., why I want economic development? Now kāma. Because I have got my senses, I have to gratify it. I'll gratify my senses. When my children grow up, I also give them chance to gratify their senses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45].

[Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhīs, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṅas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṅas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.]

So we think by sense gratification we shall be happy. That is called kāma. And when we are dissatisfied or frustrated by this process of sense gratification, economic development, then we give up. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This is all false. Now I shall merge into Brahman." This mokṣa.

But Bhāgavata says this is not life. This is not life. What is that verse? Dharmasya... Dharmaikāntasya.

[aside:] You have got the First..., here? Yes.

Nārthāya upakalpate [SB 1.2.9].

[All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.]

Na artha... Dharma does not mean... People take to religious life for economic development. That... They think that by... That is also fact. So... But Bhāgavata says that the religious life does not mean economic development. Economic development does not mean to satisfy your senses. Then what shall I do? My... I've got my senses. There is demand of satisfaction for the senses. What shall I do? Therefore Bhāgavata says, kāmasya nendriya-prītir jīveta yāvatā [SB 1.2.10].

Kāmasya... Just like you have to eat. That is the demand of your body. But don't manufacture varieties of menus. Eat only to live, not to live to eat. They have made it a point not to eat for living, but they're living for eating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, kāmasya nendriya-prītir [SB 1.2.10].

Our indriya-prītir, our sense gratification, is eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. That is our indriya-prītir. So Bhāgavata says, "Yes, you're allowed to satisfy your senses so that you can keep fit yourself so..., to execute higher procedure of life." And what is that higher procedure of life? That higher procedure of life is jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That tattva-jijñāsā, "What I am?" For this purpose you shall eat, you shall sleep, you shall satisfy your senses, you should defend yourself—to fulfill this mission of life, to understand what I am. Otherwise the animals are also doing that. Indriya-prītir.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was approached by Sanātana Gosvāmī. They were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, in Bengal. In those times there was a Pathan government, and they were responsible minister. One was chief minister, one was finance minister. Very responsible post, Rūpa Gosvāmī. And they almost became Muhammadans. Because formerly the brahminical society was very strict. If any brāhmaṅa accepts service of another person... Generally kṣatriyas. And he, they were Muslims. So they were, I mean to say, rejected from brāhmaṅa society, and they changed their name also—almost they became Muhammadans, Sākara Mallika and Dabira Khāsa—both the brothers, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī. And they met Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then they decided to resign from the government post and join this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

This Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is not new. It, it, it is continuing; it is going on since Kṛṣṅa appeared. And later on, five hundred years ago, Caitanya Mahāprabhu revived it, this Hare Kṛṣṅa movement. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam [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.]

So when they met Caitanya Mahāprabhu, both the brothers decided that "Now we shall join Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. It is very nice movement." So, after resigning their posts, Rūpa Gosvāmī stealthily left the country and Sanātana Gosvāmī was situated... He formally wanted to resign the post, but the Nawab would not allow him to resign; therefore he was arrested. And somehow or other, he managed to come out of the prison and then join Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Benares.

So when he met, there was discussion of life's..., value of life between Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Sanātana Gosvāmī. So Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all questioned this, that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṅḍita satya kari māni [Cc Madhya 20.100]:

[I do not know what is beneficial for me or what is detrimental. Nonetheless, in ordinary dealings people consider me a learned scholar, and I am also thinking of myself as such.]

"Now the ordinary few friends, my countrymen, they consider me I am very learned scholar." He was very learned scholar actually. He was great scholar in Sanskrit and in Arabic language and Persian language. Because in those days there were Muhammadan kingdom. So actually they were very learned scholar, from... Because we understand from their writings, later on, after becoming disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.

So actually they were paṅḍita, learned scholars, brāhmaṅa, and learned scholar. But he was asking that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṅḍita satya kari māni: "These people, my neighboring friends, they call me as learned scholar. And actually I accept that I am scholar, I am learned paṅḍita. But I do not know what I am. This is my position. I am paṅḍita. They call me paṅḍita, learned scholar, and I accept it. But actually I do not know what I am, I am such a paṅḍita." So this is the position. You call any person, any scientist, any philosopher, any politician, any minister at the present moment, and ask him: "What you are?" he'll fail to answer. He'll say, "Yes, I am Mr. Such-and-such," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am minister." He'll say like that.

This question was discussed with a great professor in Moscow. He said, "Swāmījī, after finishing this body, everything's finished, what I am. That's all. This is the position." But actually that is not. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all inquired this question, grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṅḍita. "Ordinary behavior, my neighbors, they call me very learned scholar, but I am such a scholar that I do not know what I am." Ke āmi kene more jare tāpa... "Why I am put into this miserable condition of life—birth, death and disease and old age?

And threefold miseries—ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika?" And the whole struggle is to minimize our miserable condition of life. The struggle is going on, whole day: work, day and night. What is the purpose? Ātyantika duḥkha nivṛtti: to minimize our miserable condition of life. "So why I am put into this miserable condition of life although I do not know..., I do not want it? So what I am? What is my position?"

That is Bhāgavata decision. The..., you don't forget yourself by simply satisfying your senses. Kāmasya nendriya-prītir [SB 1.2.10].

Don't be satisfied simply when you see that your senses are satisfied. No. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. One should be forward to understand what he actually is. The same, same story, that I am simply seeing dreams, day and night. I am seeing, that's a fact. Law of identity, "I am." "Then what I am? I'm simply to see these dreams? What is my actual life?" That is tattva-jijñāsā.

[aside:] What is that? Read it.

Ānukūlyena kṛṣṅanu-śīlanam [Cc Madhya 19.167].

So when we go deep into the matter, to inquire about ourself, what is my position, then we come to this understanding, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed to Sanātana Gosvāmī: jīvera svarūpa haya nityera kṛṣṅa dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108].

[It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṅa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṅa has three varieties of energy.]

That we have forgotten. Our constitutional position is eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa. This is our position. So as soon as we come to this position... The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu begins from this point. When a living entity, when a person comes to the understanding, without any doubt, that he's eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa, then his real life begins. Unless he understands this point, he's still in the hallucination of animal life. Jīvera svarūpa haya nityera kṛṣṅa dāsa.

Actually, we are engaged as servant always. Here, everyone who are sitting here, every one of us, servant: servant of the society, servant of the family, servant of the community, servant of the country, servant of the nation. In this way, we are servant. That's a fact. And we are serving. Everyone is serving. Nobody is actually enjoying; everyone is servant. That is the constitutional position of living entity. But they are serving hallucination. They are not serving the real fact. The constitutional portion is going on. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṅa dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109]. Therefore one brāhmaṅa, he approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead that "I have served the whole of my life..." Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 3.2.35].

[O my Lord, there is no limit to the unwanted orders of lusty desires. Although I have rendered them so much service, they have not shown any mercy to me. I have not been ashamed to serve them, nor have I even desired to give them up. O my Lord, O head of the Yadu dynasty, recently, however, my intelligence has been awakened, and now I am giving them up. Due to transcendental intelligence, I now refuse to obey the unwanted orders of these desires, and I now come to You to surrender myself at Your fearless lotus feet. Kindly engage me in Your personal service and save me.]

Serving means we are serving the society, country, family, the... The essence is I am ser..., not serving; I am satisfying my sense gratification. But I am pushing on this sense gratification in the name of service.

A man is working whole, whole day and night to maintain his family, considering himself that he is the master of the family. But he's the, actually he's the servant of the family. That is his real position. And servant of the family means he's servant of his senses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṅḍūyanena karayor du... [SB 7.9.45].

They are..., their happiness is that sex life. For enjoy that sex life, they are working so hard, day and night. Therefore he's neither serving the society, community, family, but he's serving his sense gratification. That's all. This is their service.

Therefore the Avantīpura brāhmaṅa says that kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 3.2.35]:

"My dear Lord, I have served my senses so abominably. I should not have served in that way. Still I have done." Just like sometimes we commit so many criminal activities to satisfy our senses, because we want money. So pālitā durnideśāḥ. My conscience says, "You don't do it." But, because I want to enjoy my senses, I must do it. I must do it. A thief knows that "If I steal, I..., then I'll be punished." He has heard from śāstra or he has known the state laws that, if one commits theft, he's punished. He knows it. And he has seen it, that one man has stolen, or committed theft, he's arrested, taken by the police. He has seen it. But still he commits theft. Why? Why?

Therefore it is a... That is my... I become habituated to serve the process of sense gratification in such low grade that what is not to be done, I still do it. Therefore he says, kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 3.2.35, Cc. Madhya 22.16], teṣāṁ mayi na karuṅā jātā. But anyone who serves for somebody, ask him: "Whether you are satisfied? I have served you so much." They'll never say. Just like... Take the example—I've given this example many times—that who can serve his country than Mahatma Gandhi better? Nobody. But still he was shot dead. Still he was shot dead. His service was not acknowledged, recognized. Otherwise how he shot dead? There are so many cases. So many cases.

So this world, however faithfully you give service, it will be never recognized—because it is hallucination, illusion. You are serving your senses. You are not serving any person. You are serving your senses. So when one comes to this position, he understands that "I am actually servant, but I am posing myself falsely as master." That is real sense. Then whose servant I am? I am Kṛṣṅa's servant. Therefore Kṛṣṅa comes and demands: 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.]

We have forgotten that. We have forgotten Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa's service. That is māyā.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa comes again and again as Himself, as a devotee, or he sends His servitors, His Vaiṣṅava, to preach this cult, Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that "Educate people to serve Kṛṣṅa, to serve Me." Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja. We are also preaching this cult, that "You serve Kṛṣṅa." Kṛṣṅa 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.]

We are preaching this cult. So we are not manufacture anything. This Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is nothing concocted. It is fact. Everyone is servant, but at the present moment he's serving māyā. So instead of serving māyā, let him serve Kṛṣṅa, the original Personality of Godhead. This is the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

So that service, when one agrees to serve Kṛṣṅa... Because nobody's agreeable to serve Kṛṣṅa. They will... Kṛṣṅa personally came, canvassed. How many people are serving Kṛṣṅa? Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā [Bg 9.11].

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

"Oh, it is too much. Kṛṣṅa is asking that 'Give up everything and serve un..., unto Him.' It is too much." People are taking, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā, because they are mūḍhas. They are thinking, "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṅa? I shall serve dog. I shall keep a dog and take him in the street. As soon as he stands, I shall stand. As soon as he passes urine..." [laughter] That is the position. If you don't serve God, then you have to serve god..., dog, māyā. You cannot be..., become without service. That is not possible. That is not possi... You must have to serve somebody. But you'll not be satisfied. By such service, you'll ne... The, the master whom you are serving, he will never be satisfied, neither you'll be satisfied.

But if you serve actually the supreme master, Kṛṣṅa, He will be satisfied and you will be satisfied.

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ [Bg 9.26]

[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]

Kṛṣṅa says that "You simply try to serve Me. Offer Me little water, little flower, little leaf." Anyone. Universal. Anyone can collect little water, little flower or little leaf and offer to Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is prepared to accept your service in that way. What is the difficulty to serve Kṛṣṅa? But they will not do. This is māyā.

So one has to make his determination. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu-śīlanam [Cc Madhya 19.167]. This bhakti. Ānukūlyena means Kṛṣṅa wants—you serve, you supply. This is ānukūla. Now He says, Kṛṣṅa: man-manā bhava mad-bhakta. Now you become always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṅa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare... That is man-manā, always thinking of Kṛṣṅa. Because thinking of Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa, there is no difference. Kṛṣṅa is absolute.

As soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, as soon as you remember Kṛṣṅa, that means Kṛṣṅa is on your tongue, dancing: Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa... Abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ. Therefore by constant company with Kṛṣṅa, puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ. Śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17].

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

If you simply hear about Kṛṣṅa, then you become pious. Puṅya-śravaṅa. Simply by hearing, you become pious. You haven't got to arrange for great, great sacrifices, tons of ghees. No. Simply by hearing kṛṣṅa-kathāḥ, you'll be purified.

These are the statements of great personalities, Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṅaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṅāmṛtāsvādanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṅa-saṅkīrtanam [Cc Antya 20.12]

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

Śrī-kṛṣṅa-saṅkīrtana is so nice that Kṛṣṅa 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.]

Why don't you become, always think of Kṛṣṅa? Where is the loss? If you are walking on the street or going on bus or on your car, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, what is your heavy loss? Is there any loss? Why don't you do it? Try it. There is no loss. And if there is any gain, why don't you try it—for nothing, without any loss?

These Europeans and American boys, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa. They are more enlightened, so far material civilization is concerned. But in their country, almost all young men, as a hobby, they have taken a bead and chanting. Our, the George Harrison, the famous Beatle, he is supplying beads and bags to his friends: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa." And he has written in his record that "Anyone who is a friend of Kṛṣṅa, I am his friend." What he has written?

Gurukṛpā: "Any friend of Kṛṣṅa is friend of mine."

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Gurukṛpā: "Any friend of Kṛṣṅa is friend of mine."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyway... So we Indians, why you are over-gentlemen? They're also gentlemen, they're also Europeans. But why you are afraid? Why you are ashamed to chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra even on working, even going on...? What is the harm? This is the purpose of Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra movement, that anyone can chant. A child can chant. A old man can chant. A rich man can chant. A poor man can chant. There is no tax. But see the result. See the result. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.

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.]

This is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order, that "Always chant Hare Kṛṣṅa." The śāstra says,

harer 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.]

In this age, especially, we cannot execute any other process of religious method. This is... We can, but at the present moment, it is very difficult. The best thing is, as it is recommended in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṅa—many other purāṅas also, in Upaniṣad,

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

And in the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find,

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca [Bg 9.14]

[Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.]

Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām. Anyone who is chanting, he's mahātmā. He's mahātmā. Chanting. So these, these boys, although they're very young, but because they're chanting always, they're mahātmās. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso [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.]

Kṛṣṅa 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.]

So this is the process in this age. You can chant. There is no loss, but there is much gain. Why don't you try it?

So that is called bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu-śīlanam [Cc Madhya 19.167].

Favorably. Kṛṣṅa says that "You become always thinking of Me." Man-manā. So you think of Kṛṣṅa—that is bhakti. That is ānukūla. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu-śīlanam. Kṛṣṅa says, and we carry out the order, just like Arjuna did. Kṛṣṅa said that "You kill. I want. The other party must be killed." He, first of all, he hesitated: "How can I kill my grandfather and nephews, my brothers, the other side? No, I cannot," when he was bodily conscious. But when he understood Kṛṣṅa's Bhagavad-gītā, he said, kariṣye vacanam: "Yes, I shall do it." That is ānukūla. That is ānukūla. In the beginning, he was becoming very good gentleman, nonviolent, but Kṛṣṅa chastised him:

kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam... [Bg 2.2]

"Oh, you are proposing something which is the action of the anārya, not of the Āryans. So give up this klaibhyam, this deficiency, defect or..." What is called?

Devotee: Weakness.

Prabhupāda: "...weakness, weakness of your heart. Give it up." So then when he became His śiṣya, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg 2.7],

[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]

at that time, as His śiṣya, He immediately chastised him: aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase. "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like a very learned man, but you do not know what is learning. You do not know."

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṅḍitāḥ [Bg 2.11]

"This is not talk of the paṅḍita. Just learn what is paṅḍita, how..." Then, then when He began to teach him how to become paṅḍita, the first instruction was,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntaraṁ-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [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.]

Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the soul. This is the beginning of spiritual understanding. How many people know? They do not know it. They think that "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am..."

So the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is very scientific movement, authorized movement, and there is a vast philosophy. We have published them, twenty big, big books we have published. So our only request is that you all conscientious people, advanced, educated persons, they should try to understand this movement as it is and join, make his life successful and teach others also. People are suffering for want of this knowledge, and they are being misled by so many rascals. Dehātma-buddhiḥ.

Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. In the Bhāgavata it is said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninas [SB 7.5.31].

[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṅu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]

These people, they do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. The ultimate goal of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That they do..., actually do not know. They do not know even what is God, and what the question of going back to Him, back to home, back to Godhead? They do not know everything, anything. There is God, there is home of God. As we say, generally, we give you the name of God, His address, His father's name—everything—but they will not accept it. "There is no God. God is dead," "I am God," "You are God," "God is loitering in the street." This is their theory. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. The blind men are led by blind leaders.

So we should not follow like that way. If we actually want success of life, then we must be Kṛṣṅa conscious. We must follow the greatest authority, Kṛṣṅa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs 5.1].

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

We must follow. If you want success of life, everything is there, whatever you want.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ tīvreṅa bhakti-yogena yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa [SB 2.3.10]

Whatever you want, you'll get. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg 4.11].

[All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.]

So Kṛṣṅa... Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg 18.66].

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

Kṛṣṅa is giving assurance. There are so many things that, by understanding Kṛṣṅa, simply by understanding Kṛṣṅa, you..., your life is successful. The life, success of life is to stop this repetition of birth and death. That we also do not know. There is repetition of birth and death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Kṛṣṅa says in the beginning, asmin dehe dehi. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg 2.13].

Those who are actually educated, sober, they can understand that, that "Here is a man who's supposed to be dead, but he's not dead. He has transferred this body, that's all." Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. As I am transferring my body from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, youthhood to old body, similarly, as I have changed so many bodies, where is the difficulty to understand that after giving up this body, I'll get another body? And Kṛṣṅa is confirming. All the Vedic literature confirming: tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Another body. But we must know what kind of body I'm going to get. That is intelligence.

Body you must have to accept. As you have changed, as you accepted so many bodies, even in this life, then you have to accept another body. Now there are 8,400,000's of bodies. That you see. There are aquatic bodies, there are tree's bodies, plant's bodies, insect body, bird's body, beast's body—so many bodies. Eight million, four hun... So Kṛṣṅa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. He does not say what kind of body you'll get; He says dehāntaram. You'll get another body. So how that body, you'll have to make? That is in your hand in this life. You can prepare your next body in this body, just like you can prepare your future life in your youthhood by education, by culture. Then you can get a very nice post, very nice position, honored in the society. But if you spoil your life in childhood and youthhood, then you have no position in future life. Similarly, if you want to get next body, very nice, valuable body, so you prepare for that. You prepare for that.

And how the preparation goes? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām [Bg 9.25]

[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]

So you can prepare. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can worship demigods. The Candra, the moon planet, you are trying to go there. In this way you cannot go. But if you prepare in this life how to be promoted in the moon planet or sun planet or heavenly planet, then you prepare yourself. Yānti... Not by force. You cannot go by your teeny sputnik and enter into the sun planet. That is not possible. You have to prepare yourself in this life. Yānti deva-vratā devān [Bg 9.25]. These are the injunction. But Kṛṣṅa also says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg 8.16].

[From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.]

Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, the highest planet of this universe, still you have to come back again. Mad dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate.

Therefore a..., sane persons should try in this life how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the highest perfection of life. So Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is teaching people how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Take advantage of this movement and be happy.

Thank you very much. [end]