Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.47

Nitāi: [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

nabho-guṅa-viśeṣo 'rtho yasya tac chrotram ucyate vāyor guṅa-viśeṣo 'rtho yasya tat sparśanaṁ viduḥ [SB 3.26.47]

[break] [01:19]

"The sense whose object of perception is sound is called the auditory sense, and that whose object of perception is touch is called the tactile sense."

Prabhupāda:

nabho-guṅa-viśeṣo 'rtho yasya tac chrotram ucyate vāyor guṅa-viśeṣo 'rtho yasya tat sparśanaṁ viduḥ [SB 3.26.47]

So ether, the sky, we cannot see, we cannot touch, we cannot smell—but we can hear the sound. As soon as there is sound, that, we know that there is ether, or sky. The sound vibration... As we have got experience of this material sound and therefore the material sky, similarly, there is spiritual sound and there is spiritual sky. Without sky, there is no sound. So there is spiritual sky. We get information from śāstra: paravyoma. Vyoma is called sky, and there is another sky. This is material sky, what we have experience. There is spiritual sky. And about that spiritual realization, as this creation begins from the sky—ether, then air, then fire, and then water, then land—kṣitir āp tejo marud vyoma—similarly, the spiritual world also begins from the spiritual sky. After this sky ends, there the spiritual sky begins.

That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ [Bg 8.20]: "There is another bhāva," means nature, "that is sanātana nature, eternal nature." This nature, this sky, is temporary. It has got a duration of life, maybe millions and trillions of years, but it is not permanent. It is emanating from the Supreme Lord's breathing period. 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.]

So after this sky, there is another sky, and the sound produced from that sky is oṁkāra and Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. This is the sound vibration from the spiritual sky. Therefore it is effective immediately. Just like you contact thousands of miles away—somebody is speaking, and you can contact by the sound vibration you catch up with your machine, radio machine—similarly, the sound vibration from the spiritual sky you can also receive. That is Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra.

Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has described this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, "not of this material sky." Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, this is not a material sound. And in the Vedānta it is stated, śabdād anāvṛtti. By chanting the spiritual sound... The impersonalists, they chant oṁkāra: praṅavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. All Vedic mantras are preceded by the spiritual oṁkāra. That oṁkāra... Kṛṣṅa says, akṣarāṅām oṁkāro 'smi. Vedeṣu, praṅavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu, A, U, M, these are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So either you vibrate oṁkāra or Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, they belong to the spiritual world. This sound does not belong to this material. Material sound, if you chant once, twice, thrice, you will feel disgusted. But spiritual sound, if you chant twenty-four hours, you will never feel disgusted, but you will feel more and more spiritual bliss. That is the difference. Actually, you see these boys and girls and others, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa practically from early in the morning, five o'clock, till ten o'clock daily, but nobody is feeling any disgust. They like to chant. That is the difference between material sound and spiritual sound.

So we can enter into the spiritual world, the spiritual sky. The spiritual sky is there, sanātana. That is eternal, sanātana. Everything eternal there. In the material world they are, everything, temporary, asat. And everything in the spiritual world, that is called sat. Oṁ tat sat. That is spiritual world. So the Vedic injunction is asato mā sad gama: "Try to transcend from this asat, material world, to go to the spiritual world, sat." Oṁ tat sat. That is actually our business. In the human form of life this is only business: "How to transfer me to the spiritual world." Sanātana. Because I am sanātana. Jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ [Bg 15.7]. Jīva is sanātana, eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20]. The jīva is never destroyed after the destruction or annihilation of this body. He is eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. So this is our business, that "I am eternal. As Kṛṣṅa, God, is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs 5.1], and I am part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, so as Kṛṣṅa is eternal, so I am also eternal."

[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.]

The Vedic mantra says that nityo nityānām. Kṛṣṅa is nitya, eternal, and we are plural number, nityānām. Cetanaś cetanānām. Sat cit... So as Kṛṣṅa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, so we are also sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. The difference is: Kṛṣṅa is the maintainer, Viṣṅu is the maintainer, and we are maintained. We are not maintainer.

There are millions and trillions of living entities, not only in this universe. There are millions and trillions of universes, and there are millions and trillions of planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṅḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam [Bs 5.40].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upaniṣads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.]

Koṭiṣu, there are innumerable universes, and as you see, experience, within this universe, within this ball-like sky... In the evening..., in the night, at least, we can see so many twinkling stars. Similarly, there are innumerable universes. And there are innumerable... In each and every universe there are innumerable these planets. This is called material world. You cannot estimate how many universes are there and how many planets are there. But this is only one-fourth manifestation of God's creation. All these universes taken together, 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.]

this is only one-fourth manifestation. Therefore the Vaikuṅṭha, spiritual world, is called tripāda-vibhūti, three fourth. This is one fourth. So just imagine. We cannot have any estimation even the one-fourth manifestation of the one-fourth energy of God, and what to speak of the three-fourth energy manifestation, opulence, everything. In the spiritual world the number of living entities are far greater than the number of living entities here in this material world.

And there are also spiritual planets.

goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitāś ca yena govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.43]

This is Govinda. Govinda is one, and... Ekaṁ brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti. And ekaṁ bahu syām: and He has become so many. Just like from the seed, one seed, a small seed, when it is grown up, fructified, you will find big banyan tree and so many big, big branches, twigs, so many fruits. And each fruit contains again the seed, and each seed contains again millions of trees. This is creation. But the origin is one. Origin is one. Sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1], Kṛṣṅa.

[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.]

Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11].

[Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.]

The Bhagavān is the origin of everything. 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.]

Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. These are the śāstric vacana.

So here is also sound. Here is also sky. So as the beginning of this material world is from the sound vibration... I think the scientists also agree, the materialistic scientists, that from sound everything emanates. So similarly, the same sound, you can enter into the spiritual world by taking shelter of sound. That sound vibration is Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, by chanting this transcendental, eternal sound, you can approach. Just like by telephone... That is also sound. Kring-kring-kring: immediately you in touch with your friend thousands and thousands miles away. So sound is so important thing. So by spiritual sound, you can become immediately in touch with the spiritual world, and gradually you become in touch with the Supreme Lord. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya [SB 12.3.51].

[My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.]

Kṛṣṅa has got so many expansions. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan: Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Kūrma, Vāmana, so many, hundreds of thousands. But Kṛṣṅa is the...

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu kṛṣṅaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo [Bs 5.39]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṅa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions.]

So original person, the Supreme Lord—kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]—He also comes.

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, that is Kṛṣṅa's expansion, incarnation, They also come, and Kṛṣṅa also come. Kṛṣṅaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo. He is the Supreme Person, pumān. Pumān means the puruṣa, the enjoyer, the proprietor. That is Kṛṣṅa. So immediately you can be in touch with Kṛṣṅa by vibrating this sound, Hare Kṛṣṅa. It is so potent. Nāma cintāmaṅiḥ kṛṣṅaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ [Cc Madhya 17.133].

[The holy name of Kṛṣṅa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṅa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṅa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṅa Himself. Since Kṛṣṅa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṅa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa Himself are identical.]

The name of Kṛṣṅa is cintāmaṅi, transcendental. It is not this material sound, material name. Nāma cintāmaṅiḥ kṛṣṅaś caitanya. Living force, caitan. It is not dead sound. If you want water, if you chant only "water, water, water, water," you will not get water, because it is material sound. The water substance is different from the word water. Therefore, simply by chanting "water, water," you cannot quench your thirst. You must have the substance water. That is material sound. Anything you take, simply by chanting the name, you will not get the thing. That is material.

But in the spiritual world, the name and the person or the substance is the same. There is no difference. Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa's name is the same. There is no difference. Therefore, those who are chanting "Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa," they are becoming more and more engladdened, enthusiastic to chant. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "By chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa, the first installment of benefit is ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam [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.]

This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it isyou become cleansed of your heart, cleansed of the contamination of your heart." There are many verses. 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 don't get anything because there is nāma-aparādha, offenses in chanting... There are ten kinds of offenses. So if you can avoid the offenses... The name is pure, "Kṛṣṅa." But even though it is chanted offensive, by chanting, chanting, you become cleansed. Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam. It may take little time, but be sure that your consciousness will be cleansed, clear, transparent, and that is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. The... At the present moment we have got consciousness, but that is contaminated: "I am American conscious," "I am Indian conscious." Somebody is dog conscious, cat conscious, so many consciousness. But by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, this contamination of the consciousness will be cleansed, crystalized. It will be. Then you come to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And as soon as you come to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then you are in direct touch.

We are direct in touch with Kṛṣṅa, but it is covered by some cloud of ignorance. Otherwise, nothing can exist without Kṛṣṅa's touch. That is not possible. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā [Bg 9.4].

[By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.]

Kṛṣṅa is... One Kṛṣṅa is expanded all over the creation. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [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.]

Kṛṣṅa is everywhere, but due to the contamination of material modes of nature, we are thinking we are apart from Kṛṣṅa, separate from Kṛṣṅa, or we do not know Kṛṣṅa, although we are in touch. So that is to be cleansed. The via media impediment has to be cleansed. That is called ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam [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.]

This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it isBy chanting this transcendental vibration, your heart will be cleansed. Puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. The more you chant and hear, śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ, then it becomes pious activities.

Pious activities means becoming free from the impious, sinful reaction. That is the result. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa vibration, the sound, you gradually become cleansed. Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam. Ceto-darpaṅa. Darpaṅa means mirror. Just like in the mirror there are dust covering, you cannot see your face clearly. But if it is very nicely cleansed, then you can see how beautiful is your face. So similarly, as soon as you begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, you gradually become self-realized, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, simply by chanting. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, you can understand. Then, gradually, what is the duty? Simply to understand ahaṁ brahma..., so 'ham, "I am spirit soul..." So 'ham means "I am the same spirit soul as Kṛṣṅa is, as God is," not that "I become Kṛṣṅa." That is mistake. That means it is not cleansed. You can become qualitatively one with Kṛṣṅa, but if you think that you have become Kṛṣṅa—Māyāvāda philosophy—that means your heart is not yet cleansed. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ [SB 10.2.32].

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]

Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Those who are thinking that... It is called ahaṅgrahopāsanā, ekatvena, to become one. One in quality, not in quantity. We cannot become God. That is not possible. But we can attain God's quality. Now we are... We have all God's quality because we are part and parcel of God, but it is covered by the material modes of nature, tri-guṅa. Manyate tri-guṅātmakam. Yayā vimohito jīva manyate tri-guṅātmakam: "Being covered by this illusory energy, the jīva, the living being, although it is transcendental, as good as Kṛṣṅa, but," manyate tri-guṅātmakam, "he is thinking that 'I am one of the products of this material world.' " This is called māyā. This is called illusion. This is called ignorance.

So ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam [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.]

This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it ismeans you'll be get..., you'll be freed from this ignorance that "I am something of this material world." This is wanted. So long we are not realized, self-realized, then we are no better than these cats and dogs, because they do not know that he is not the body. So if we think that "I am this body," then we are no better than the cats and dogs. So if you want to become happy, first of all we must get this knowledge, that "I am not this body." Now we are busy with the bodily demands of life. We are not busy for spiritual demand of life. That is the business of the human being, that "I am not this material body. I am spirit soul. So my business is different from the business at the present moment we are engaged in." Everyone is engaged for satisfying the bodily necessities of life. Everyone. The cats and dogs, animals, they are also busy how to fulfill the demands of the body. The demands of the body are four: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca [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.]

Āhāra means eating, and nidrā... Nidrā means sleeping, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya. Bhaya means to become fearful, to become anxious, full of anxieties. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya. And maithuna, and sexual intercourse. So these are the demands of the body. They are called viṣaya. Viṣaya means so-called enjoyable, viṣaya. But the Vaiṣṅava says that viṣaya chāḍiyā, se rase majiyā, mukhe bolo hari hari. The transcendental sound Hari, Hare Kṛṣṅa, should be chanted, viṣaya chāḍiyā, without any attraction for this viṣaya. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. Then it will be perfect.

Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca yau. The Gosvāmīs, they conquered over these things. Nidrāhāra-vihāra. That is required. That is spiritual life. If you are embarrassed with these four things, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, then we are not making progress in spiritual life. It should be reduced, just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī did—all the Gosvāmīs. They had no business. But that is very difficult. If one has to imitate the behavior of Rūpa Gosvāmī and all the Gosvāmīs, it is very difficult. Therefore yukta-vairāgya. We must eat kṛṣṅa-prasādam as much as it is needed for maintaining my body. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-mai... In this way, spiritual progress of life... But it will be very easy if we chant this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, offenselessly, niraparādhe. Then immediately you become advanced. Not only advanced; actually spiritual situated.

So the sound is very important thing. The sound is the cause of our bondage in this material world. Just like in big, big cities they are attached to the sound vibrated by the cinema artist. And not only that; so many other things we are hearing through the radio message, attachment for the sound. And because it is material sound, we are becoming materially entangled, entangled more and more. Some actress, some cinema artist, singing, and people are so fond of hearing that singing that the artist is paid fifteen thousand rupees for one song. There are many here in Bombay. So just see how much attraction we have got for the material sound vibration. Similarly, the same attachment, if we turn to hear about Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, then we become liberated. The same sound. One is material; one is spiritual. So you practice to be attached by this spiritual sound vibration, then your life will be successful.

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.]

This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it isSo this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that "You have already attachment for sound. Now just transfer this attachment for spiritual sound. Then your life will be successful." This is Hare Kṛṣṅa movement, teaching people how to transfer the attachment from material sound to the spiritual sound. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo mora tāy. This sound coming from the spiritual world, golokera prema-dhana, by chanting, by hearing this sound, we shall develop all original dormant love for God. That is wanted. Premā pum-artho mahān. In the material world we are accepting dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41] as very important.

[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.]

Puruṣārtha. Dharma, to become religious, and by becoming religious, we develop our economic development: dhanaṁ dehi, rūpaṁ dehi, yaśo dehi, dehi dehi. Kāma. Why dehi dehi? Now, kāma: to fulfill our desires, lusty desires. Dharmārtha-kāma, and when we are disgusted or unable to fulfill desires, then we want mokṣa: to become one with God. This is the four kinds of material business. But spiritual business is premā pum-artho mahān. To achieve love of Godhead, that is the highest perfection. Premā pum-artho mahān.

So to achieve this goal of life, premā pum-artho mahān, in this age especially, in Kali-yuga, because we cannot do any other thing, it is very, very difficult. The time is very obstacle, full of obstacles. Therefore kalau... This is the method, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva 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.]

"Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra," kevalam, "only." Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. In the Kali-yuga, because main business is how to get relief from this material bondage... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg 8.19]. People do not understand even that what is really our distress. Kṛṣṅa says, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says personally, "These are your miseries." What? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg 13.9]:

[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]

"Repetition of birth and death. This is your real misery of life." What you are thinking of this misery or that misery? They are all temporary. They are all under the laws of material nature. You cannot get out of it. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ [Bg 3.27].

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

Prakṛti will force you to do something, because you have contaminated the material modes of nature. Therefore you have to act under the direction of this prakṛti, material nature. And so long you are under this material nature, you have to accept this birth, death, old age and disease. This is your real misery. We are thinking temporary miserable condition. Śāstra says that "You don't require to adjust temporary material misery or happiness, because they will come and go. You are destined to certain type of miserable condition of life, certain type of so-called happy life. That will automatically come and go, just like seasonal changes." Āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata [Bg 2.14]. We are very much happy when we are in a very good condition of life. But that will also not stay. That will also go away. Then miserable condition. Cakravat parivartante sukhāni ca duḥkhāni ca. Sometimes happy, sometimes miserable.

So if you are actually interested to get out of miserable condition, then try to get out of these four miserable condition of life: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg 13.9].

[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]

That is intelligence. Don't be bothered with the temporary miserable or happy. They will come and go. Tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. If you cannot bear, then try to tolerate. That is the qualification of brāhmaṅa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, tolerance. We should not be disturbed, "Now I am in miserable condition." Tolerate. The miserable condition will come, this material world. Don't be very much happy when you are in happy condition of life; neither you become mad in miserable condition of life. Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa and make your life success. That is required. This is the propaganda of this Hare Kṛṣṅa movement, or Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol. All glories to Śrīla P... [break] [end]