Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.22

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse, etc.] [devotees repeat]

idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ avicyuto 'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka-guṅānuvarṅanam [SB 1.5.22]

[break] [02:22]

Translation: "Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting of hymns and charity, culminates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice poetry."

Devotee: Would you like the stand to be lower?

Prabhupāda: No.

idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ avicyuto 'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka-guṅānuvarṅanam [SB 1.5.22]

So this is our mission, that find out the original cause. That is scientific research. All the scientist, they are trying to find out the original cause. That is advancement of education. They are analyzing, one after another. But till now, they could not find it out. Big, big scientists have tried, but they could not... Only theory: "This is the original cause. This is the original cause."

But we do not depend on the theories. We depend on the Vedic conclusion. We do not require to make any research. Just like ordinarily we say there are 900,000 forms of body in the water. We get it from Vedic knowledge: jalajā nava-lakṣāṅi [Padma Purāṅa]. Now, the biologists, let them confirm it or deny it. Because... They cannot confirm it, because their knowledge is experimental. Unless they find it actually, by actual experience, that there are so many living forms within the water, they cannot say "Yes." Neither they are able to find it out. Is it not the position? First of all, if we say to the biologists that "There are 900,000 different forms of life or species within the water," they will say, "How it is you are affirming in, so positively, without experiment, without research?" They'll say. Then we'll ask, "Then you say." That they cannot say. This is their position. They'll say, "In future." Future, there is no question. You do not know now. Admit this. So this is their position. Therefore this experimental knowledge is always imperfect. Always imperfect. It cannot be perfect, because our experience, our power of perception, advancement of knowledge, they are imperfect. They are deficiency.

Therefore, for perfect knowledge you have to approach the perfect. We accept Lord Kṛṣṅa as the perfect, and His bona fide representative is also perfect. How he is perfect? Kṛṣṅa may be perfect, one may admit, but how His bona fide representative is also perfect? So the answer is the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṅa, he does not say anything beyond Kṛṣṅa. That is perfect. He may be imperfect; it doesn't matter. But he is receiving knowledge from the perfect, and he's simply repeating that knowledge. That is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Yāre dekha tāre kaha..., kaha kṛṣṅa-kathā. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṅa-kathā.

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa'-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

You don't speak your upadeśa, your instruction. That is nonsense. What you are? That is the defect of the modern civilization. They simply want to instruct by his experience. But what is your experience? They're all imperfect. But they are persisting, "No, we cannot accept any knowledge without experiment." Is it not the position. Eh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Experiments...

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...they're after.

Prabhupāda: Now, that the scientists will say, "Why we shall accept Kṛṣṅa's version as perfect?" Do they not say like that?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, they ask.

Prabhupāda: But they cannot give any perfect information, their theory. So our process is to take Kṛṣṅa... Not only our; this is the paramparā system. All the ācāryas—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya—they take Kṛṣṅa's version as perfect. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, therefore, that "You do not instruct anything which is manufactured by you. Do not instruct all these..." Because you are imperfect. You have manufactured all your theories. They are imperfect. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṅa-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. This is perfection. If you say Kṛṣṅa's upadeśa, instruction, then it is perfect. And if you say your experimental instruction, that is imperfect.

Here it is said that idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasas... Every knowledge... Just like here is our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara. He has got the doctorate title. We have seen your book. It is a learned scholarship, research work. So that is nice. But he has admitted the original cause is Kṛṣṅa. So we are asking everyone that "Whatever knowledge you have got..." It doesn't matter whether you are a chemist or physist or an engineer or medical man—any; there are so many—lawyer, politician. So many departmental knowledge. So one becomes doctor and expert by high research work. For the last... How many years you were in USA? Eh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think five years.

Prabhupāda: Five years. After five years hard work and placing the theses amongst the learned scholars, they admitted, "Yes, it is very nice research work." Now they have offered him a Ph.D. So it is tapasya. Tapasya. Without tapasya, you cannot get any credit. That is not possible. If one wants to get credit immediately, without tapasya, that is bogus. Therefore it is said tapasaḥ, and śrutasya. Śrutasya means hearing from the authorities. By attending lectures of the professors, of the scientific scholars, hearing... Or Vedic knowledge.

So anyway, everyone is getting knowledge, perfection, by tapasya, by austerity, by learned scholarship. So here it is said that..., that these things are required for describing Kṛṣṅa. These things are required for describing Kṛṣṅa. Not only on the theory, but actually to prove that this knowledge is there, Kṛṣṅa is full of all opulences, and... It is said... Jñāna, jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva ṣaṅṅāṁ bhaga itīṅganā. Eh? What is the beginning? Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ [Viṣṅu Purāṅa 6.5.47].

[Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

Kṛṣṅa means He's the full, opulent Personality of Godhead, with all riches, all reputation, all beauty, all knowledge. That you have to prove. Any department of knowledge, you have to prove that it..., this knowledge is coming from Kṛṣṅa. Sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [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.]

That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. [aside:] Let him sit down properly. That is scholarship. You make research work, but... In the śāstra it is said that Kṛṣṅa is the original person of this departmental knowledge. Suppose you are a lawyer. So Kṛṣṅa gives the law. This is research work. Just actually Kṛṣṅa gives. What is Kṛṣṅa gives? 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.]

This is law. The first giver of law is Kṛṣṅa, that "You give up all nonsense. Surrender unto Me." This is law. Then you'll understand everything. 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.]

Religion means the law given by Kṛṣṅa, or God. That is religion. Otherwise, it is not religion. That is cheating. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2].

[Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṅa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.]

This is cheating religion. If you do not follow Kṛṣṅa, that is cheating.

"Kṛṣṅa" means... When I say "Kṛṣṅa," "Kṛṣṅa" means God. God is one. That is Kṛṣṅa. Others, they admit that God is one. But they do not know who is that one God. That is their defect. That is the difference between us and others. They do not know... Just like if I say that "Have you got any father?" so he'll say, "Yes, I have got my father." "Now, who is your father?" "I do not know." That's not a very good credit. Because without father, mother, there is no existence. So everyone knows, "I have got a father." But who is my father, that I do not know. At least, in India, one who cannot say his father's name, immediately he becomes degraded.

Just like the Jābāla Satyakāma. Jābāla Satyakāma, he, he was... He went to Gautama Muni, "Please initiate me." And according to Vedic conclu..., initiation is meant for the brāhmaṅa—brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya and vaiśya. Not for the śūdras. Śūdras are not initiated. And in the Kali-yuga, because everyone is a śūdra, therefore he's first of all given training to become a brāhmaṅa. Then the sacred thread is offered. This is the process. Because actually, initiation cannot be given to anyone except a brāhmaṅa. So kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ [Skanda Purāṅa]: "In the Kali-yuga, everyone is śūdra." That is to be accepted without any disagreement. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Because they have no saṁskāra. Asaṁskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā mlecchāḥ. One who is not undergone the reformatory processes, garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, upanayana-saṁskāra... There are ten kinds of saṁskāras, reformatory. One who has not gone, or one who is not permitted to undergo the saṁskāra, he's śūdra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Everyone is born śūdra. By reformatory method he becomes twice-born—by the spiritual master and Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge is the mother, and spiritual master is the father.

In this way, the Jābāla Upaniṣad... He was asked by his..., by Gautama Muni, "Who is your father?" So he said that "I do not know." "Then go to your mother. Ask him [her]." The mother could not say, that "I do not know who is your father. I have connection with so many men." So he came back to Gautama Muni, "Sir, my mother also does not know. She said that she had many connections, 'I do not who is particularly your father.' " But Gautama Muni immediately accepted him, "Yes, you are brāhmaṅa, because you are truthful. Nobody dares to say like that, that 'I do not know my father's name. My mother said that she had many connections.' " Because he was truthful, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, so by the quality he was accepted immediately, and he was initiated, that "You have the qualities of brāhmaṅa." A brāhmaṅa will speak truth, even to his enemy. If the enemy comes, if a rogue comes, "How much money you have got in your box?" a brāhmaṅa will say, "Sir, I have got one hundred dollars." [laughs] Just like the other day, the Customs examination in Bombay, so our Brahmānanda Mahārāja was asked, "What is the value?" "No, I have purchased it." "What is the value?" "Two hundred dollars." He did not say that "I am using it for long time." No. "It is new. I have purchased." That's all right. Yes. But Kali-yuga is so implicated that sometimes we have to speak the untruth. But it is the business of the brāhmaṅa to speak the truth. No untruth.

So, so in this way our proposition is that if we want perfection, then in whatever position we are—either I am a brāhmaṅa, or I am a kṣatriya, or I am a vaiśya, or I am a śūdra—it doesn't matter if we simply take this vow, that Kṛṣṅa is the original cause of everything. A śūdra is also a..., the original cause is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that He is the cause of the śūdras. We should not hate anyone, because everyone is born of Kṛṣṅa. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg 14.4].

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

Kṛṣṅa says. Sarva-yoniṣu. It doesn't matter in what form the living entity is there, but Kṛṣṅa claims that He is the father. He is the father. So either brāhmaṅa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra or mleccha, yavana, or white, black, European, American—anyone—he should know that the original cause is Kṛṣṅa. This is perfection of life.

idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ avicyuto 'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka... [SB 1.5.22]

So if everyone says that "Original cause of my existence is Kṛṣṅa," this is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. It doesn't matter. Not that a brāhmaṅa... Brāhmaṅa is the mouth of Kṛṣṅa, and kṣatriya is the arm of Kṛṣṅa, and vaiśya is the belly of Kṛṣṅa, and śūdra is the leg of Kṛṣṅa. But do we distinguish that "Here is Kṛṣṅa's mouth, or head; all the flowers should be offered here, not to the leg"? Do we make any such distinction? When we worship Kṛṣṅa, rather, our first duty is to offer to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. And Kṛṣṅa says that śūdra... In Bhāgavata says śūdra is the leg. So there may be distinction of profession, occupation, caste, creed, color. It doesn't matter. But if everyone tries to become Kṛṣṅa conscious, that "The original cause of my existence is Kṛṣṅa," then there is life... Life is perfect. This is our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Not blindly, but by research work, that how the original cause is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [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.]

"I am the original cause of everything. Everything emanates from Me." How can I deny that Kṛṣṅa is not cause? This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Therefore, those who are advanced devotee, he does not see anything else but Kṛṣṅa, because Kṛṣṅa is the cause of everything. That is required. Therefore he's Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

So we should not take anything neglectfully. Neither we should be careless to take care of Kṛṣṅa's property, Kṛṣṅa's living being, Kṛṣṅa's house, Kṛṣṅa's temple, Kṛṣṅa's business, Kṛṣṅa's... Everything Kṛṣṅa's, Kṛṣṅa. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat [Īśo mantra 1].

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

If we think like that, then that is perfect Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ [Bg 9.34]. We may think..., see varieties of things. It doesn't matter. But if we know that the original cause of this thing is Kṛṣṅa, that is perfection. We are seeing this table. It is wood. But if we know... It is a fact. You know or not know, that doesn't matter. The original cause is Kṛṣṅa. The microphone, the original cause is Kṛṣṅa. These karatālas, the original cause is Kṛṣṅa. This pitcher, original cause is Kṛṣṅa. Everything. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And it is fact. Not that we are imagining. Just like... Take, for example, these material things. Material things, this table, it is... How it is caused by Kṛṣṅa? Kṛṣṅa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg 7.4].

[Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.]

Bhūmi, this earth... Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā: "That is My energy." So, so bhūmi, the earth, is the cause of the tree, wood, and the wood is the cause of this table. Therefore, originally Kṛṣṅa is the cause of the table. There is no doubt about it. Anything you take, either you take this wood or you take this water or this ether or chemical, the original cause is Kṛṣṅa.

Now, to be ascertained, education, that why it is called Kṛṣṅa is the origin, that is research work. How it has been...? Just like I give you the hint of research work that..., Kṛṣṅa says that "The earth is My energy, separated energy." And earth is the cause of the wood. And wood is the cause of the fire. Fire is the cause of melting... So many, so many, you can go. So idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ..., kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. Describe the attributes of Kṛṣṅa. You can write. Just like you can write volumes of books on this table. If you are intelligent enough, you can make research work on the table. But in that research work, conclude that Kṛṣṅa is the origin. A carpenter can..., he can write about Kṛṣṅa if he's thoughtful. Anyone. Therefore it is said, yad-uttamaśloka-guṅānuvarṅanam. Whatever your profession is there, you know that the original cause is Kṛṣṅa. Now make research work and find out how Kṛṣṅa is the original cause. That is education. That is wanted. Am I right?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So everyone can write books. Everyone wants to write books, wants to show some scholarship. Do it. But the conclusion should be that "Here is the original cause." And it is already said in the śāstra... Kṛṣṅa personally says that,

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 budhāḥ. Those who are actually educated, they're called budhāḥ, "in full knowledge."

So there are departmental knowledge. So by research work, when one understands that Kṛṣṅa is the original cause of everything, then that is siddhānta. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛ says that,

siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa ihā ha-ite kṛṣṅe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa [Cc Ādi 2.117]

Siddhānta, conclusion, try to study. Kṛṣṅa says, "I am the origin of everything." So whatever subject matter you have got, you study. Then when you come to this conclusion, "Yes, actually Kṛṣṅa is the original cause," then your devotion of Kṛṣṅa immediately increases. If you accept blindly Kṛṣṅa, that is one thing, another one thing. And if you study, make research work, and find out Kṛṣṅa is the original cause, then your love for Kṛṣṅa will increase. So this is required. This is required.

So this verse is very important thing. And everyone should make research work. But a devotee, one who has concluded, one who has perfectly known that Kṛṣṅa is the original cause of everything, he hasn't got to do anything. His business is finished. He doesn't require any more to go..., undergo severe austerities to find out whether Kṛṣṅa is cause or not cause. Because he has already known. He has already known. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim [Nārada Pañcarātra]. No more tapasya. Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. But if you have got doubt, make research work. You'll have to come to the conclusion. But if you have concluded it, "Yes, Kṛṣṅa is the original cause of everything," then your business is finished. Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. But if you have got doubt, then do it. That is your business. Don't be blind. Either you accept here the words of Kṛṣṅa... Kṛṣṅa says, "I am the original cause of everything." That's all right. If you believe that "Kṛṣṅa says," it is all right. If you do not believe, then make the research and find out. That is perfection. In both ways you'll have to come to the...

Because the fact is fact. Either... Suppose somebody says, "Don't touch fire. It will burn your hand." If you accept it, your father's advice or your teacher's advice, "Don't touch fire," it is as good. And if you want to make research, "No, why shall I believe my father, my teacher? Let me experiment, touch," the result will be the same. Result will be the same. But if you want to make experiment, do it. But come to this conclusion, that Kṛṣṅa is the original cause of everything. Then your life is perfect.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda. [break] [end]