Bhagavad-gītā 4.10

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse]

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ [Bg 4.10]

[break] [03:02]

Translation: "Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me, and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me."

Prabhupāda:

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ [Bg 4.10]

This is the perfection of life, mad-bhāvam. Kṛṣṅa says, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. There is another version in Bhagavad-gītā: budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. What is the beginning of the verse?

Devotee: Ahaṁ sarvasya...

Prabhupāda:

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ [Bg 10.8]

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

This is bhāva: "Oh, Kṛṣṅa is so great." When one understands greatness of Kṛṣṅa, how great He is... Because people do not understand. They generally speak, "God is great." That is very good. At least, one accepts God is great. But how He is great and what is the extent of His greatness, if we understand, then our regard and reverence for Kṛṣṅa increases. Just like we have got some friend, but if we know the opulence of the friend, how great he is—he may be a very big man, very big business magnate or minister—if we know, then our, "Oh, you have got such a nice friend." Similarly, we should try to understand Kṛṣṅa.

Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

In the previous verse it has been said, tattvataḥ. Not superficially. If we study Kṛṣṅa superficially, then I shall accept another rascal, competitor of Kṛṣṅa. Because we do not know what is Kṛṣṅa. Mūḍhāḥ. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ [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.]

Therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it has been described,

siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa ihā haite kṛṣṅe lāge sudṛdha mānasa [Cc Ādi 2.117]

Siddhānta, how great Kṛṣṅa is. For example... [sound of children crying in background] Get them out. In the Brahma-saṁhitā, the greatness of Kṛṣṅa is described: govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. If we study Brahma-saṁhitā,

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

This is another explanation of Kṛṣṅa's greatness, that by His one plenary expansion, eko 'py asau racayitum, one plenary expansion is maintaining the whole material creation—eko 'py asau racayitum—just to create this material world. One plenary expansion. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṅḍa-koṭim [Bs 5.35]. Not only one, but millions of jagad-aṅḍa, universes. By His one plenary...

In Bhagavad-gītā also it is confirmed,

athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna viṣṭabhyāham... ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg 10.42]

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

Ekāṁśena: "one My plenary portion," Mahā-Viṣṅu, for creation of this material world. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. And what is that ekāṁśa? That is described also. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ [Bs 5.48].

[Brahmā and other lords of the mundane worlds, appearing from the pores of hair of Mahā-Viṣṅu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the latter [Mahā-Viṣṅu]. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective personality Mahā-Viṣṅu is the portion of portion.]

Loma-vilajā. And innumerable universes are coming out from the hair holes of the body of Mahā-Viṣṅu. Niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya, His breathing. He is, within the Kāraṅa Ocean, Causal Ocean, He is sleeping. Yaḥ kāraṅārṅava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidrām [Bs 5.47]. Yoga-nidrā. And while He's sleeping in His yoga-nidrā, innumerable universes are coming out through His breathing and from the air holes.

[sound of child yelling]

[aside:] You can stop that child?

So this is greatness of Kṛṣṅa. This Mahā-Viṣṅu is only kalā-viśeṣaḥ. Viṣṅur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣaḥ. Kalā means portion of the plenary portion. That is called kalā. Aṁśa means plenary portion, and kalā means... So all the incarnation of Viṣṅu... And Kṛṣṅa described in the Śrīmad Bhagavad..., Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Third Chapter. And at the conclusion it is said, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

Kṛṣṅa's name is also there, but just to make distinction between all the avatāras and Kṛṣṅa, it is concluded ete, all of them, are ca aṁśa: some of them are plenary portion, some of them portion of the plenary portion. In this, they are situated. But the name Kṛṣṅa which is there, kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam... That is stated.

So we have to study. If we are serious student of Kṛṣṅa, then in the śāstras everything is there. So when we understand the greatness of Kṛṣṅa, then we become more attached. More attached. The greatness attracts. Suppose a man is very exalted position. He attracts the attention. Similarly, if we know the greatness of... One who does not know the greatness of Kṛṣṅa, he thinks Kṛṣṅa, "Yes...," that kūpa-maṅḍūka-nyāya, Doctor Frog: "Maybe little greater than me. That's all." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ [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.]

Such person thinks Kṛṣṅa as one of them, and therefore it has become a very fashionable thing to become Kṛṣṅa's avatāra, very cheaply. No. They do not know actually what is Kṛṣṅa's position.

Kṛṣṅa's position, if one understands, then he is liberated person. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

He's liberated person, even in this body. Simply by knowing how great Kṛṣṅa is, simply by knowing this fact, how Kṛṣṅa... Then one understands that mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, iti matvā bhajante mām... Then our bhajana for Kṛṣṅa's service will become very much fixed-up and determined. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ [Bg 10.8].

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

This is bhāva. Bhāva means... One can understand very easily: when you are fully conscious of something, greatness, "Oh, Kṛṣṅa is so great," that is called bhāva. That can be understood. It is not very difficult. Because in the śāstras everything is there about Kṛṣṅa. Simply we have to take it, accept it. And if we do not believe śāstra, then there is no, I mean, use of understanding Kṛṣṅa. Śāstra-cakṣusā. You have to see... Kṛṣṅa is adhokṣaja, beyond the perception, sense perception. But through the śāstra we can understand little bit of Kṛṣṅa. It is very difficult to know. We cannot understand. Kṛṣṅa is unlimited; we are limited. Still, whatever limited power we have got, we can understand Kṛṣṅa if we follow the śāstra, sādhu and guru. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya tinete kariyā aikya.

So this bhāva stage has to be attained. It is not that artificially we come to the bhāva stage. No. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ [Bg 4.10].

[Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me—and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.]

These are the qualification. Kṛṣṅa is personally saying. Not all of a sudden we can understand Kṛṣṅa. Vīta-rāga. The first qualification is to be detached from... Our present qualification is we are too much attached to this material sense enjoyment. Material life means sense enjoyment. Therefore we have to reduce the sense enjoyment by tapasya. Tapasya. Sense enjoyment is not controlled all of a sudden. Tapasā brahmacaryeṅa tyāgena śauca..., śaucena yamena niyamena [SB 6.1.13].

[To concentrate the mind, one must observe a life of celibacy and not fall down. One must undergo the austerity of voluntarily giving up sense enjoyment. One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean and nonviolent, follow the regulative principles and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principles is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words and mind. These sins are like the dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree, which may be burned by fire although their roots remain to grow again at the first opportunity.]

These are the statements. But if you take the devotional service, then everything becomes very easy to follow, tapasā brahmacaryeṅa.

Just like we are advising our student not to have illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This is tapasya. Because everyone is prone to all these things. Everyone likes illicit sex. Everyone likes to eat meat. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityās tu jantoḥ [SB 11.5.11]. Jantoḥ, jantu means animal or ignorant person. A person who has no knowledge, he also a jantu, animal. So vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevāḥ. Sex life and meat-eating, āmiṣa, and madya-sevāḥ, intoxicant, an natural tendency. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānām. This is pravṛtti. They have got inclination. That is material life. Āmiṣa-madya-sevāḥ. But they have to be controlled by tapasya. That is tapasya. If because I have got this inclination, I have got a desire to drink or have intoxication, therefore I shall take it... There is a Bengali song, cakṣe yadi lāge bhālo kena dekhbo nā, that "If my eyes like to see it, why shall I not see?" This is sense enjoyment. This is animalism. But when you can control them, that is humanity. Therefore laws are made for the human being, not for the animals. I have several times explained, when there is law on the street, "Keep to the left," it is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs and cows. Say if the cat, dog, goes to the left or right against the police direction, he's not punished, because he's animal. Or a child, if he trespasses. But if an adult person transgresses the law, he'll be punished.

So the human life has got responsibility. What is that responsibility? Tapasya. Here it is said, jñāna-tapasā pūtāḥ, purified. Jñāna, knowledge, and tapasya. Then he's purified. Not that "You can do whatever you like. It has nothing to do with the religion." There are so many rascals' program: "You can eat anything. You can do anything, and still you become a Vedāntist." This kind of rascal Vedāntists are going on. But here it is said by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, jñāna-tapasā. Jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam. Without knowledge, without tapasya, you cannot make any spiritual progress. Not by simple words. That is not possible. Because in the previous verse it has been said that,

janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9]

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

So how one can come to Kṛṣṅa? Mām eti. That is being described. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ [Bg 4.10].

[Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me—and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.]

Mām upāśritāḥ, to take shelter of Kṛṣṅa, to become a devotee of Kṛṣṅa, to become Kṛṣṅa conscious. Therefore we are canvassing. We are going to door to door, country to country, continent to continent, city to city, village to village, "Please become Kṛṣṅa conscious." We are teaching them how you can be happy, vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ [Bg 2.56],

[One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.]

how you can be a man of knowledge. That is our business. It is not very difficult. The examples are here. These Europeans, American boys and girls, four or five years ago they were different persons. But how they have taken to it? People are surprised. Because they have followed what we have said according to the śāstra. They have followed, and they are following. They are trying to follow sincerely. Therefore they are making progress.

So anyone who will follow these principles, how to come the stage of bhāva, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. There is process. Rūpa Gosvāmī has said how to come to the stage of bhāva. Bhāva means just the immediate stage before the stage of love of Godhead. That is the perfection. Premā pum-ārtho mahān. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us to become mad after God, Kṛṣṅa. That is perfection of love. That is perfection. Just... Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed by His example how He was mad after Kṛṣṅa. He's Kṛṣṅa Himself, but He's teaching us how to become bhāva, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. He taught us. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī offered his respect to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, kṛṣṅāya kṛṣṅa-caitanya-nāmne: "Sir, You are Kṛṣṅa, but You have now assumed the name of Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya." Kṛṣṅa Caitanya. Kṛṣṅāya kṛṣṅa-caitanya-nāmne. "And You are so munificent." Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te [Cc Madhya 19.53].

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṅa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṅa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]

So this bhāva stage can be attained if we follow Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's way of life. And what is that, Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu's way of life? His way of life He has described in His Śikṣāṣṭaka: paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṅa-saṅkīrtanam. He personally performed saṅkīrtana-yajña, and He taught everyone,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam 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.]

That is Kṛṣṅa..., Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu's contribution, that "You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. Then all perfection will come to you." All perfection will come. Very simple thing. It does not cost anything. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, there is no loss on your part. It does not cost you. It does not make you obliged to undergo so many severe penalties. No. You can chant at any moment. 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.]

We have seen practically. These boys, although they are very young, you'll find they have got these beads. I have asked them to chant always. They are chanting as far as possible.

So this, this process has to be adopted, if you're actually serious to understand Kṛṣṅa. And if you do not try to understand Kṛṣṅa, then you are making suicide. Ātma-hā. They have been described in the śāstra: ātma-hā. If I cut my throat, my self, then who can save me? So people do not understand it. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, who understands, he has sung, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṅa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu [from Prārthanā].

[O Lord Hari, I have wasted my life. Although I have taken this rare human birth, like a miser, I have not served Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa, and thus I have knowingly drunk poison.]

So it is our duty, of course, as servant of Kṛṣṅa, to awaken everyone to Kṛṣṅa consciousness by this process of saṅkīrtana movement, but people should take it very seriously, that without taking to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, one is making suicide—he's cutting his own throat, or drinking poison. If you like to drink poison, no can..., nobody can check you. That's a fact. If you want to cut your throat, your own self, nobody can check you. But this is not very good business. We have got this human form of life to understand Kṛṣṅa. That is the..., our only business. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. And Kṛṣṅa is teaching personally in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why should we not take advantage of these things and make our life successful? Why we should be so much foolish? But they are. I do not why they are not taking to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. They will take to so many other, bogus thing, but they will not take Kṛṣṅa.

But anyway, if one is serious, then he has to follow this principle, vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ [Bg 2.56].

[One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.]

Bhaya-krodhāḥ. Bhaya means fearfulness. That is one of the qualification of conditioned life. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna [Hitopadeśa 25].

[Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life. Therefore without spiritual life, humans are on the level of animals.]

Four things. So long we are in conditioned stage, this material body, these things are demands: to eat, to sleep and to become fearful, defend, defend and..., āhāra-nidrā, and maithuna, sexual intercourse. These are the four demands of this material body. And everyone is busy—how to eat... You'll find in Bombay city so many restaurants. Every step a restaurant. Eating. That is going on. Every city, all over the world, everywhere, eating. And then sleeping, nice apartment. And then defense measure. And then very happily have sexual intercourse. These are the demands.

So tapasya means to reduce these. That is tapasya. Tapasya... This is the general demand of the body, and if you want to be free from this material bondage, then you have to undergo tapasya. Tapasya means these demands of the body voluntarily reducing and coming to the point of nil. That is liberation. That is tapasya. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ [Bg 4.10].

[Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me—and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.]

But here, very nicely, Kṛṣṅa de... It can be, tapasya can be executed very easily if one becomes man-mayā, always thinking of Kṛṣṅa. Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Man-mayā. And mām upāśritāḥ, and taking shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. Mām. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14].

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

As soon as you become submitted... Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṅya-yaśo murāreḥ [SB 10.14.58].

[For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murāri, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is paraṁ padam, Vaikuṅṭha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.]

This is the description given in Bhāgavata. Anyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, Murāri... Kṛṣṅa's another name is Murāri. He's puṅya-yaśaḥ. If we chant Kṛṣṅa's name, then at least we become pious. Because we are all sinful. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra offenselessly, you immediately become purified—if you do not commit again sinful activities.

Therefore there are ten kinds of offenses. If we avoid the offenses and chant, then immediately we become mukta-puruṣa. Immediately. But our habit we have got, to commit sinful activities. So this is not... Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ [Padma Purāṅa, Brahma-khaṅḍa]. If one thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, so my sinful resultant actions are now nullified. Now again let me do it. Again I shall nullify," this is greatest offense. This is greatest offense. Out of ten offenses, this is the greatest offense, nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ.

So everything requires sincerity. Otherwise, things are not very difficult. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ, bahavaḥ [Bg 4.10]. Kṛṣṅa says bahavaḥ. Not that one or two. Anyone... "Many who have adopted this means." Then jñāna-tapasā pūtāḥ: "By knowledge and tapasya, they became purified, and then..." What is that? Mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ: then come to the stage of bhāva. So to learn this art, one must be first... Just like we are hearing. If one determines, so why not adopt this means? Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ [Bg 2.56],

[One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.]

jñāna-tapasā pūtāḥ. "Why I am suffering?" Kṛṣṅa is advising. Why not take this step? Then Kṛṣṅa will help you. As soon as you decide to accept this means, Kṛṣṅa will help you. Kṛṣṅa will help you. He'll give you good assistance.

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

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

Kṛṣṅa is with you. As soon as you decide, "Now, Kṛṣṅa, I want You. Kindly help me," He's ready to help you. Guru-kṛṣṅa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23].

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

These are the definition given in the Vedic literature.

So Rūpa Gosvāmī is giving us direction how to come to the bhāva stage. Ādau śraddhā. First of all, first thing is śraddhā. Śraddhā means faith, firm faith. Śraddhā has been explained by Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kar:

'śraddhā'-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya kṛṣṅe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya [Cc Madhya 22.62]

This is called śraddhā. One when believes firmly as Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66],

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

one, if he is firmly fixed-up, "Yes, by surrendering to Kṛṣṅa I get all perfection of life," that is called śraddhā. That is called śraddhā. That is explained by Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya [Cc Madhya 22.62]. If I have got intention, "Why not this? Why not that? Why not this? Why not that?" then that is not śraddhā even. That is not śraddhā. Śraddhā means firm conviction. So śraddhā-śabde... So ādau śraddhā.

Then next stage is: tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. If you have got śraddhā, "Yes, I want Kṛṣṅa in this life. I must do anything required," then that determination is called śraddhā. Then if you want to develop that determination, then you should associate with sādhu. Who is sādhu? Sādhu... Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. That is sādhu. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk [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.]

It doesn't matter if he has got some bodily faults. He's accustomed in a different atmosphere. Even though he has got some habituated faults, but if his only qualification is firmly fixed up in devotional service to Kṛṣṅa, he's sādhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg 9.30]. Kṛṣṅa says. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṅāḥ. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṅāḥ. Titikṣava. Sādhu is titikṣava. He has to tolerate so many things, criticism, opposing elements. Because sādhu cannot sit down idly. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. He is engaged fully in Kṛṣṅa's service.

So Kṛṣṅa's service is not sitting idly. Kṛṣṅa wants to spread the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā everywhere. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidāsyati [Bg 18.68]

na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ [Bg 18.69]

And Kṛṣṅa, as devotee, He orders,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma [CB Antya-khaṅḍa 4.126]

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

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra [Cc Ādi 9.41]

[One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.]

This is service. Especially it is ordered to the Indians, the inhabitants of the Bhārata-varṣa. Because in Bhārata-varṣa it is easier to become Kṛṣṅa conscious. Because by nature, because they have taken birth in this land of Bhārata-varṣa, in the blood there is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. But unfortunately, the leaders are inducing them to forget Kṛṣṅa. This is the misfortune of present-day Bhārata-varṣa. You go to the village, and if there is bhāgavata-pāṭha, hundreds and thousands of people will gather immediately. Immediately. Not only in the village; in the town, when we held Kṛṣṅa festival in Bombay, Calcutta, twenty thousand, thirty thousand people come. By nature. We cannot expect this big assembly in other countries. That is my experience. But India, because it is Bhārata-varṣa, it is very easy.

But we are sacrificing this birthright, Bhārata-varṣa. Oh, we are misled in such a way that we are forgetting, trying to forget Kṛṣṅa: "Throw away these śāstras. Throw away these... Throw away. And put all impediments to the Kṛṣṅa conscious movement." This is our misfortune. Actually, every Indian is Kṛṣṅa conscious. Sometimes they ask me in foreign countries that "How many Kṛṣṅa conscious people are there in India?" And cent per cent, all, even Muhammadans, what to speak of the Hindus.

So we should take this opportunity, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc Madhya 23.14-15].

[In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṅa consciousness.]

This association, society, of sādhu, who have dedicated their life for understanding Kṛṣṅa, for serving Kṛṣṅa, they are sādhu. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu..., tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā. By sādhu-saṅga means next stage is how to adopt devotional life. These boys, these girls, gradually they came. First of all they were hearing; then they came forward, "Please make me your disciple." That means, "Under your direction my bhajana-kriyā will go." This is called bhajana-kriyā, under the direction of the spiritual master.

Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha means things which are not wanted. We are accustomed to so many things, rascal things, which is not at all wanted. But we have been accustomed, by bad association. Take, for example, one smokes. Nobody learns smoking from the birth. By bad association one learns how to smoke. Similarly drinking, similarly meat-eating. Because from the birth we require milk, not meat-eating. But then after all we understand that "Beef is very nice. There must be a beef shop," and... This is going on. You see? These are anarthas, not required. You require simple food: rice, wheat, little milk, vegetable and little sugar. That's all. You don't require all these nonsense. But you have been habituated.

But if we become bhajana-kriyā—you come to the practice of devotional service—naturally you have to give up. Because we accept a disciple to engage in the bhajana-kriyā, first of all he must give up these anarthas. So these anarthas, one cannot giving up smoking or drinking, but actually, if he takes to devotional service, he can very easily give up. He can very easily give up. There are so many examples. It is not story. So if there is bhajana-kriyā sincerely, then the anartha-nivṛtti automatically becomes. Then you become clean. Here it is said, jñāna-tapasā pūtāḥ, purified. Jñāna-tapasā. Knowledge is there that "I am a spirit soul. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme. Therefore my business is to serve Kṛṣṅa." This is jñāna. And if one does not know this, he is rascal. That's all. No jñāna. This is jñāna. Therefore it is confirmed by Kṛṣṅa: 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.]

Jñāna means he must surrender to Kṛṣṅa. That is jñāna. And so long one does not reach to this point, surrender to Kṛṣṅa, he's a rascal. That's all. Mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ, duṣkṛtino 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.]

That is his qualification. One who has not surrendered to Kṛṣṅa, then he is duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ... "No, no. He's M.A., Ph.D." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. His knowledge has no value. Useless. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is the verdict of the śāstra.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ notpādayed ratiṁ yadi śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]

[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]

Simply laboring for nothing.

So this is called anartha-nivṛttiḥ. Jñāna-tapasā. Then niṣṭhā: "Oh, I must fix up." Then ruci, taste increases. Tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ athāsaktiḥ. Then attachment. As soon as you get attachment for Kṛṣṅa, naturally, vīta-rāga, you give up attachment for your material life. Vīta-rāga. Unless you have got attachment for Kṛṣṅa, you cannot give up attachment of this material sense gratification. That is not possible. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg 2.59].

[The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.]

By force, you cannot train a person that "You must be refraining from all these things." No, it is not possible. Vīta-rāga means when you increase rāga for Kṛṣṅa, then you can become vīta-rāga. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā ni... That if you get rasagullā, you can give up gur. Gur is also sweet, and rasagullā is sweet, but if somebody says that "Why you are eating gur?" or something else; "Here is nice rasagullā." Similarly, unless we get better things...

Better things... Kṛṣṅa is better thing, there is no need of proof. These European boys and girls, they have not come to me for better money. Because money is considered the best thing in the world, but they have enjoyed all these things. Therefore they are no more after money accumulation. They are after Kṛṣṅa. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. They can earn. They have dedicated their life. They're doing everything for me. They could earn in their country thousands of dollars. Thousands of doll... Any man can earn any day twenty-five dollars minimum. And twenty-five dollars means two hundred and fifty rupees per day. So they can get so much money. Why they have sacrificed everything? They have sacrificed their money. They have sacrificed their intoxication habit. They have sacrificed their illicit sex life. They have sacrificed their gambling life. Why? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Because they have understood little bit of Kṛṣṅa. Little bit of Kṛṣṅa. Sv-alpam apy asya vairāgya trāyate mahato bhayāt [Bg 2.40].

[In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.]

Such things, the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ [Bg 2.56].

[One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.]

And you become fearless. You fearless. Even so many incidences happened in this spot, why they are fearless? Because they had attachment for Kṛṣṅa. This boy was threatened for life, but still he stood, fearless. Vīta-rāga... [break] [end]