Lecture

Prabhupāda: ...Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, the father of saṅkīrtana movement within two hundred years. He was ācārya and a householder, gṛhastha. He was very responsible officer, magistrate, householder, but he was a great devotee. Not only devotee—ācārya in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu disciplic succession, ācārya. So he sung, ye-dina gṛhete, bhajana dekhi’, gṛhete goloka bhāya [Śaraṅāgati 31.6]: "The day whenever we find there is bhajana," means worshiping the Supreme Lord, "at that time immediately the house becomes Vaikuṅṭha." Actually, that is so. Vaikuṅṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana is not material things. Just like Kṛṣṅa is not material. Kṛṣṅa... As Kṛṣṅa can stay in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, and still He can stay everywhere... Aṅḍāntara-stha-paramāṅu-cayāntara-stham. That is Kṛṣṅa.

In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated,

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṅḍa-koṭiṁ yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṅḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ aṅḍāntara-stha-paramāṅu cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ... [Bs 5.35]

[He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.]

Kṛṣṅa, Govinda, is everywhere by His one plenary portion, which is known as Paramātmā. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṅḍa-koṭi. That Paramātmā is situated in every universe, aṅdāntarastham, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu. As Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu He is presented in every universe, and as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu He is within everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

Not only within the heart of everyone, aṅḍāntara-stha-paramāṅu-cayāntara-stham, He is within the atom. That is Kṛṣṅa. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa's place, Goloka Vṛndāvana, that is also spread everywhere. How that Goloka Vṛndāvana becomes spread? As soon as there is devotee. Yes.

Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ [Padma Purāṅa]. Kṛṣṅa says, nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṅṭhe na ca yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu: "I do not stay in Vaikuṅṭha-loka or within the heart of the yogīs." Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ: "I stay there where My devotees are chanting about Me, about My glories." This is the process. Immediately... Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs 5.37].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]

That is Kṛṣṅa's power, omnipotency. Omnipotency. We pray God, "Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent."

So that is fact. God can be present anywhere simultaneously, omnipresent. Similarly, there is no difference between God and His place. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam [Caitanya-mañjusā].

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṅa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]

As Kṛṣṅa is worshipable, ārādhya, similarly His place is also ārādhya, worshipable. So as He is all-pervading, similarly, His place is also all-pervading. So how things can be changed into Vaikuṅṭha? That is by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ.

So the bhaktas, they are also so powerful that by chanting the holy name of God, they make the supreme all-powerful Lord descend in that place. Therefore the statement of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that ye dine gṛhete bhajana dekhi, se dine gṛhete goloka bhāya... So we can change our home also into Vaikuṅṭha. We can change our home. It is not difficult. Because as Kṛṣṅa can be all-pervading, Vaikuṅṭha is all-pervading. But we have to simply realize it by the authorized process. Everyone, we can change our home into Vaikuṅṭha.

So there is another statement of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that kṛṣṅera saṁsāra kara chāḍi anācāra. To turn your home into Vaikuṅṭha is not very difficult job. Simply you have to adopt the method. Kṛṣṅera saṁsāra kara chāḍi anācāra. Anācāra means sinful activities. You cannot associate with God if you become sinful. That is not possible. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam: "One who is completely free from sinful life," 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.]

"He can worship Me." So therefore our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is that we do not recommend that "You give up your occupation, you become a sannyāsī, give up your wife and children." No.

That is not our movement. In amongst ourself here there are sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. Everyone is there. Everyone can worship Kṛṣṅa. There is no such thing that "This class of men, only the brāhmaṅa or the sannyāsīs or brahmacārī or Hindus..." No. Kṛṣṅa is open for everyone. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg 9.32].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

Even lower born, born in the lower-grade family, he is also open. Simply one has to adopt the means.

That is recommended by... There are many songs. Locana dāsa..., Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he also says,

viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana kabe hāma herabo śrī vṛndāvana [Lālasāmayī Prārthanā 3]

Viṣaya means sense enjoyment. Sense enjoyment. So one has to give up this practice of sense enjoyment. Then he becomes purified. There is no prohibition for eating, but there is prohibition of eating things are rejected, which are rejected, amedhya. Eating is not stopped, but you cannot eat anything which does not..., which is not accepted by Kṛṣṅa. That is called anācāra. If you eat something which is not accepted by Kṛṣṅa... Because our life, Kṛṣṅa consciousness life, means to be always eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa. As the servant eats the remnants of foodstuff left by the master, similarly, we are servants of Kṛṣṅa, we also eat, but we eat remnants of foodstuff which is left by Kṛṣṅa. That is called prasādam, mahā-prasādam.

So we have to, I mean to say, mend our life in such a way that kṛṣṅera saṁsāra kara, chāḍi anācāra. We have to give up anācāra, forbidden things, sinful things. Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ [SB 1.17.38].

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

There are four kinds of sinful activities. Basic principle of sinful life is avaidha, illicit sex life. Avaidha stri-saṅga. Striyaḥ sūnā, unnecessary animal killing; pāna, drinking, intoxicant; and gambling. We have to give up these four principles. Then our life becomes pure. If we give up these four principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, then we become perfect. How it is? You can see the examples. These European, Americans, they were accustomed to all these practices. That is their daily affair. But they have given up this. Now you see how they are saintly.

So the thing is not very difficult, but one has to accept the principles. Then one lifes becomes perfect. They do not know what is perfection of life. People are thinking that material advancement is perfection of life. No. That is not perfection of life. Because even if you make nice material arrangement, you cannot enjoy it. At any time you shall be kicked out. Where is your perfection? Suppose you have very nice apartment, very nice, good bank balance, very nice wife, children, everything is all right. But is there any guarantee that you can enjoy them? Is there any guarantee? At any moment you shall be out. This is not perfection. First of all make guarantee that "Whatever I am preparing for, very happy life in this material..., they will be permanent. I will not be kicked out." Then it is perfection. But there is no such guarantee.

Therefore this is not perfection of life. Perfection of life is that when there is guarantee of no more birth, no more death, no more old age and no more disease. That is perfection. That can be achieved by Kṛṣṅa consciousness, not by material way. Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti. If you want to be eternal, blissful, eternally blissful and full of knowledge, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs 5.1], then we have to take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

[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.]

There is no other way. There is only way. Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg 8.15]. If you are serious about perfection of life, then one has to take to this Kṛṣṅa consciousness. 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.]

mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayam: "Without any doubt, you shall come to Me."

And what is the principle? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakti mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. Four things: "Simply always think of Me," man-manā; "you become just My devotee," mad-bhakta; "just worship Me..." So is it very difficult task to think of Kṛṣṅa and to worship Him, to become His devotee and to offer obeisances to Kṛṣṅa, just like we are doing this, in this evening? This is the process. We are thinking of Kṛṣṅa by chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. We are offering obeisances to the Deity and at least trying to become bhaktas. Man-manā bhava mad..., mad-yājī, and worshiping. What is the worshiping? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26].

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

It is not difficult. Little flower, little fruit, little water, anyone can collect.

But the thing is a dog obstinacy: "I shall not do it." That is the thing. Otherwise it is very easy thing, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And if we adopt it, our life becomes successful. That is the perfection of life. That we are teaching. But there is a dog's obstinacy that they will not adopt: "No." This is our defect. Otherwise, the process is very simple. Everyone can adopt it in every country, every man. There is no distinction that "This class of men can adopt, and that class of men can..." No. Just like the Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, it is now being chanted all over the world, and they are becoming Vaiṣṅava, these European, American boys. Then where is the difficulty? But the difficulty is our obstinacy. If one is obstinate, he is determined, then it is very difficult.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg 7.15].

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

Only these classes of men: duṣkṛtina, always engaged in sinful activities; mūḍha, rascal... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, and lowest of the mankind. Because human life is meant for worshiping Kṛṣṅa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hari hari! bifale janama goṅāinu [Iṣṭa-deve Vijñapti 1]: "My life is spoiled." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṅa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. So we are trying to stop drinking poison knowingly.

viṣayā viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale, taribāre nā koinu upāya golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāya

These are the Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's... Big... They were stalwart ācāryas.

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is for everyone's benefit. It is the topmost humanitarian movement to make everyone happy, to make everyone immortal, to make everyone peaceful, to make everyone...

[break] ...without being wise, nobody can surrender to Kṛṣṅa. Mūḍhas, rascals, they cannot. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. These are the qualification, who does not surrender to Kṛṣṅa. Duṣkṛtina, narādhama. "Oh, how he is narādhama? He is M.A., Ph.D., D.H.C., T.H.C. How he is narādhama?" Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: his knowledge has no value because he does not know Kṛṣṅa.

These M.A., Ph.D.'s will not help me. Śaṅkarācārya said, na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṅe: "By your grammatical jugglery of words nonsense, you cannot be saved." Bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha-mate: "You rascal, just engage yourself in the loving service of Govinda." This is Śaṅkarācārya's advice, although he was impersonalist. Kṛṣṅa says that "Who does not worship Me," naradhāma, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, "they have no knowledge." Because if he remains in the real point a rascal, then what is the value of his knowledge? There is no knowledge. Therefore bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg 7.19].

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

After many, many births of struggling for existence like this, if one becomes actually wise, jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, he surrenders to Kṛṣṅa. This is intelligence. This is intelligence. "Kṛṣṅa, from this day, I surrender. So long I was forgotten. I did not know that my only business is to surrender to You." So any moment you surrender, immediately you are protected.

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja 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.]

"Don't bother. Everything is there." Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṅaśyati [Bg 9.31].

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

So this is our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. We are trying to make fools and rascals and sinful men to become wise. If you take advantage of it, you will be glorified and we shall be glorified. This is our process. And actually it is happening. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is pāpi tāpi yata chila, harināme uddhārila, tāra sākṣī... [Iṣṭa Deve Vijñapti 3]. You want evidence? Jagāi and Mādhāi. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered two Jagāi and Mādhāi. Now you can see how much Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is strong—many thousands of Jagāi-Mādhāis are being delivered.

So His movement is greater than Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, personally He delivered two Jagāi-Mādhāi. Now, by His movement, thousands Jagāi-Mādhāis are being... This is the practical. And it is very easy. It is not very difficult. Anyone can take. But if we take knowingly poison, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu, who can protect you? So it is our appeal to everyone that take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. Even if you cannot give up your bad habits, sinful activities, still, you take the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra and your life will be glorified.

Thank you very much.

[break]

[answering question]

It is just like without eating, if you question that how one is satisfied by eating food. A hungry man, if you give him food, he will say, "Yes, I am satisfied." There is no question of "How?" If you eat... If you are hungry, if you eat, you will feel satisfaction. It is automatic. Similarly, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, then you will understand. Not from outside. How? You can see how these boys and girls, they are feeling satisfaction. Similarly, if you chant also, you will feel satisfaction. There is no question of "How?" It is so, exactly [as] when you are hungry, if you eat, you will feel satisfaction. It is practical. It is stated in the..., therefore,

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

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

Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. It is not theoretical. If you practice, you will see, pratyakṣāvagamam. And it is very easy to perform. So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, then you will understand. Exactly like that if you eat, then you will feel satisfaction. Simply theoretically discussing how it become, we can say to you... It will not be understood. You chant, you will understand. Practical. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam. This is the process. Any other question?

Indian man (1): To make it more clear to me what I feel, that it is something like not realizing that Lord Kṛṣṅa is the real reason. To chant the name, it will be something like we have instances in our old śāstras and books and histories, that...

Prabhupāda: What do you mean by old?

Indian man (1): I mean the history, those stories...

Prabhupāda: That story, that stories... You do not know the science. Why you are talking like nonsense? What do you mean by old? It is eternal. There is no question. Avyayam. Nityaḥ śāśvataḥ. You do not know.

Indian man (1): Therefore they used to pray to God before they used to go to commit theft, and they used to come back again to worship the God and to please Him that yes, they were not caught.

Prabhupāda: So do you think we are dacoits?

Indian man (1): No, but...

Prabhupāda: Then what do you think? Why did you question this? Why do you question these nonsense things?

Indian man (1): That praying to God without...

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is better than you, because you do not know what is God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk 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.]

Who is worshiping God but his character is not good, he is sādhu. And those who are talking and no connection with God, he is mūḍha, duṣkṛtina, narādhama. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have to talk through the medium of śāstra. It is said, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. He is sādhu because he has taken..., he has come to the right place, bhagavad-bhajan. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. He will not remain such thief.

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṅaśyati [Bg 9.31]

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

If one has actually taken to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, he will never be lost, even though you find for the present he is not well-behaved. That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā. Even a thief, even a rogue, even a sinful man takes to Kṛṣṅa consciousness and follows the rules and regulation, for the time being you may find there are some faults, but it will vanish very soon. Just like the electric fan, it is moving. You make the switch off, you will find still moving. But it will stop moving very soon, because the switch is off. Similarly, if anyone takes to Kṛṣṅa consciousness seriously, if you find that still he is not well-behaved, that is not very important thing. He has taken to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is important thing. Because this superficial external misbehavior will stop. There are many śāstras' example.

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṅāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi, bhajann apakva yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ ko vārtha āpto abhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ [SB 1.5.17]

[One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.]

Kṛṣṅa consciousness is so nice, even one takes by sentiment, still he is profited. And person who are very honest in executing his duty but does not take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, śāstra says, ko vārtha āpto abhajatām: "What does he gain?" He does not gain anything, because he is bound up by the resultant action of his karma.

So it is a great science. One has to understand. Then... But for the present... Of course, a kṛṣṅa-bhakta never takes the profession of a dacoitry. We have no such evidence. Rather, dacoits were made very great devotees. There are instances. But Kṛṣṅa says, "Even if he is dacoit, but kṛṣṅa-bhakta," 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.]

"He is to be considered sādhu." So it is the certificate of Kṛṣṅa. What can I do? [laughter]

[break] Ārati.

[30:19]

Devotees: Preform Kirtana.

Prabhupāda: [prema-dhvani] [Hindi] [end]