Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 16.9

Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on.

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

etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno 'lpa-buddhayaḥ prabhavanty ugra-karmāṅaḥ kṣayāya jagato 'hitāḥ [Bg 16.9]

[break] [02:09]

"Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world."

Prabhupāda:

etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno 'lpa-buddhayaḥ prabhavanty ugra-karmāṅaḥ kṣayāya jagato 'hitāḥ [Bg 16.9]

These demons—further description. Yesterday we discussed that "The world is untruth. This material world is untruth," asatyam apratiṣṭham, "and there is no background." This is the conclusion of the atheist demons. We have explained that this world is not untrue. That is our Vaiṣṅava philosophy. Untruth... If it is coming from the truth, it is true. How you can say untrue? The example: if cotton is truth, then thread is true. So if you say that thread is untruth, then cotton is also untruth, the cause. But they do not accept...

[aside:] This child... Some sound is coming.

Haṁsadūta: Please take the children outside.

Prabhupāda: So on the basis of this vision, that "There is no God. There is no background of this material creation. This material creation is false..." There are so many other conclusions of the demonic people. Demon and atheist, the same thing. So Kṛṣṅa says, on this blind vision, etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. Accepting these are the basic principle of this material creation, etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya, naṣṭa ātmānaḥ—lost their spiritual consciousness. Naṣṭa means lost. Ātmānaḥ means the soul, the Supersoul. So ātmā, Paramātmā. The Supersoul is Paramātmā, and we are soul. So they have no knowledge.

The defect of the modern civilization... The demons and the rākṣasas, they're existing always. As I have told you, two classes of men are always there. But in this age the number of atheist class, or demons, are very much increased. Otherwise, material world means for the demons, atheistic class. Just like the prison house. The prison house means it is meant for the criminals. One may be a first-class prisoner, one may be a third-class prisoner, but it is prison house. Similarly, anyone who is in this material world—never mind whether he is Lord Brahmā or the insignificant ant—they are more or less all criminals. Criminal means disobeying, disobeying the Lord or His order. They are materially criminal.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Lord, comes at times, at interval, when many, many millions of years have turned. He has got a schedule to come upon this planet. And when He comes, He comes there in Vṛndāvana, Mathurā-Vṛndāvana. That is His headquarter within this universe. Therefore Mathurā-Vṛndāvana is so important.

[aside:] You can open this. Yes. [window opens]

Dhāma. Just like the governor. Governor has got his own house, government house. At the same time, when he goes on tour he has got a particular place called the circuit house. He stays there. Similarly, the whole creation is Kṛṣṅa's property. Kṛṣṅa said,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati [Bg 5.29]

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

We are missing that point. Kṛṣṅa said, God said, the clear idea, that "I am the enjoyer, bhoktā." Bhoktā means enjoyer. "I am the enjoyer." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām. Yajña. Yajña means satisfying the Lord. This is called yajña. Just like we are chanting this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. It is yajña, sacrifice. At least we are sacrificing little time. Kali-yuga, nobody is prepared to sacrifice. Especially when there is question of sacrificing for God, nobody's interested. So this, because they'll not sacrifice, they will enjoy themself, forgetting the supreme enjoyer. Just like a servant: if he cooks and enjoys himself without offering to the master, then what is his position? That is sinful position. Similarly anyone, the demons, they have no sense of God. They do not like to offer. They want to eat anything nonsense, like hogs and dogs, and... That is demonic life.

Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṅāt. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Read Bhagavad-gītā very carefully. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṅāt [Bg 3.13]:

[The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.]

"Those who are eating and cooking for themselves, for satisfying the taste, such persons are eating the resultant action of sinful acts." They are all sinful. They are, who are cooking for themself without offering to the proprietor, to the master, they're all sinful. Therefore our program is to eat kṛṣṅa-prasādam, the foodstuff, remnants of foodstuff, left by Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is very kind. If you offer something to Kṛṣṅa, He eats the offering. It is not that He's not eating. He is eating, but at the same time keeping it for you as it was offered. He's not like us. If you give me something to eat, I'll finish the whole plate. Kṛṣṅa is not like that. [laughter] Kṛṣṅa... The atheist will say that He has not eaten. No, He has eaten. And that is Kṛṣṅa.

That is stated in the Vedas, pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation].

[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]

Kṛṣṅa, expanding Himself into millions, still, He remains a Kṛṣṅa, the same Kṛṣṅa. It is not that material thing. If you take a material thing, anything, if you divide it into millions portion, then original form is finished. There is no more. You take a piece of paper and cut it into pieces and throw it all over, then the original paper is lost. There is no more. That is material. But Kṛṣṅa... Kṛṣṅa, He is expanded. Eko bahu syām. The Lord said, "I shall become many." Many; still He is there. Is not because He has become many, therefore His original person is finished. No. That is the injunction in the Vedas: pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam eva avaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. He remains still pūrṅa. One minus thousand times one is still one. That is absolute. Absolute Truth means the truth never diminishes or never becomes relative or conditional. That is Absolute Truth.

So in the absolute platform, in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṅa is the supreme whole spirit. Therefore He may expand Himself... Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam [Bs 5.33].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]

Ananta-rūpam, various kinds of forms. Everything is Kṛṣṅa's forms. Your form is also Kṛṣṅa's form; my form is also Kṛṣṅa's form. Therefore foolish rascals, they think, "Now I have become God." He has got the affinity that he is also God expansion; therefore sometimes he thinks that "I am God." This is... We are also expansion of God, vibhinnāṁśa. There are two kinds of expansions: svāṁśa, vibhinnāṁśa. When Kṛṣṅa expands in fullness, that is called svāṁśa, viṣṅu-tattva. Just like Kṛṣṅa has expanded Himself as Viṣṅu, Nārāyaṅa, Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṅa, Aniruddha, so many, millions. There is no limit. That is called svāṁśa. And Kṛṣṅa expands as His energy—this material energy, this material world, the spiritual world, spiritual energy, and we are also energy, marginal energy, taṭasthā. Taṭasthā means, marginal means... You can have a conception of marginal in the sea beach. The same place, walking, is sometimes covered with water and sometimes it is land. This is called marginal: between the water and the land. So we living entities, we are marginal. Sometimes we are under the protection of the spiritual energy, and sometimes we are under the protection of the material energy. We are under protection; we are not independent.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg 9.13].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.]

So mahātmās... Mahātmās means those who have realized God, not this politician mahātmā. No. Mahātmā means... Mahātmās' description is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ: "They are under the spiritual energy." They are not under the material energy. They are not mahātmā; they are demons. So we are describing about the demons. Under the spiritual energy, one can understand his position, his relationship with God. Therefore it is said, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the sign? Bhajanty ananya-manaso jñātvā mām, avyayam. Their business is bhajana. Bhajana means bhakti. Bhaja-dhātu. From bhajana, bhakti, and bhajana, bhakti, bhaj-dhātu. Bhaja sevanam. Bhaj-dhātu means offering service, rendering service. So bhakti, bhajana, bhakta, bhāgavata—they are coming from the same root, bhaja-dhātu, Sanskrit, those who know Sanskrit.

So this is the sign of mahātmā. Bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ: "Without any deviation, without any other occupation, they are always engaged in devotional service." This is mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. There are many, so many bogus mahātmās—the svāmīs, yogīs and incarnation and so many rascals—all rākṣasas, atheist. Such kind are not mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That mahātmā, who is actually mahātmā, means bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ, engaged fully in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is ma... Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Sudurlabhaḥ means very, very rare to find out. The rascals posing themselves as mahātmā, that is another thing. That is not authorized.

You have to accept anything from the authorized source. So according to Vedic civilization, all knowledge is received from the Vedas, perfect authorized source. Śruti-pramāṅa, evidence from the śruti, from the Vedas, that is perfect. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, if you want to establish something you have to quote the section or the injunction from the Vedas. Then it is perfect. In learned circle you cannot say anything hodgepodge. That will not be accepted. If you support your statement from the evidence of the Vedas, then you are accepted as authority. Therefore our principle is... Not only our; this is the Vedic principle. You'll find Caitanya Mahāprabhu giving instruction to Sanātana Gosvāmī, to Rūpa Gosvāmī, or He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya—in Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find—and quoting support from the Vedas. Although Caitanya Mahāprabhu is God Himself, Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa-Caitanya, but He is not, what is called, autocratic or, what is called, dictator. No. You'll never find Him. Whatever He'll say, immediately He is supported by Vedic evidence. He can say anything. He can manufacture anything. No, that He does not do. He does not violate the principle.

In the Bhagavad-gītā also... Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's also quoting from Vedas. He does not say, "I say." He says, but He says on the Vedic authority. He doesn't say anything superfluous. No. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ [Bg 13.5]. He said,

yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim [Bg 16.23]

[But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.]

He says śāstra, evidence, Vedic evidence, must be accepted. The Vedic evidence is very chronologized in the Vedānta-sūtra. He especially mentioned brahma-sūtra-padaiḥ. Brahma-sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra means the summary of all Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is given in codes. That is called Brahma-sūtra. Sūtra means code, and Brahman means the Supreme Absolute Truth. Understanding of the Absolute Truth in code words, and the explanation.

A code word requires explanation. Just like in business circle there is Bentley's code. So for business facility, for saving expenditure, the telegraphic codes are there. So one who does not know what is this code, but he can refer to the book. The explanation is there: "This code means this wording." Similarly, Brahma-sūtra means the whole Vedic knowledge is given in codes. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhiḥ. It is called nyāya-prasthāna. Nyāya-prasthāna... Nyāya means logic. Nyāya means... There are three kinds of authorities: śruti-prasthāna, smṛti-prasthāna and nyāya-prasthāna. So the Brahma-sūtra is nyāya-prasthāna, very logically, very logically given.

Just like in the first code in the Brahma-sūtra is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Brahma-jijñāsā: to inquire about the Absolute. The jijñāsā means inquiry. In the cats' and dogs' life the inquiry is, "Where is food? Where is shelter? Where is sex?" and "Where is defense?" only these four inquiries. The cats and dogs, they are busy, "Where is food? Find out some food." The pig is finding out, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" Here I do not know whether you have got experience. In our country, in the villages, there are so many pigs loitering. They are simply finding out where is stool. In the village the children, they pass stool here and there, and the men, they go to the field and pass, evacuate. So the all these pigs are always loitering there. So they're seeking. The inquiry is for stool. They may take it as food, but after all, it is stool. So according to the body, the different foods are there. That is also described: sāttvika-āhāra, rājasika-āhāra, tāmasika-āhāra. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So in the animal life they are after seeking where is food. Then, as soon as the body is strong, then "Where is sex? Find out the opposite sex." You'll find in the hogs' life very prominent, all these things. For sex they have no discrimination whether it is mother or sister or anyone. You'll find that. These are... We have to take lessons from nature's study. The hog is sometimes trying to drink the milk from the breast of the mother and sometimes trying to have sex. You'll find it. This is hog life. This is dog life: no sex discrimination, no food discrimination, no shelter discrimination, no defense discrimination. But all these things—"Discrimination, the best part of valor"—that is in human civilization. Therefore the Vedānta-sūtra said, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now... In your previous lives as cats and dogs and hogs, you simply were busy for inquiring, 'Where is stool?' 'Where is food?' 'Where is sex?' 'Where is this?' 'Where is that?' Now, because you have got human body, better consciousness, advanced consciousness, discrimination, now you inquire about Brahman." This is Vedānta, beginning.

So therefore human life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth, God, the background of everything. Immediately answer is there: "The Brahman means janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], the origin of everything." That is Brahman: origin of everything. There must be something origin. That is consciousness. Not that asatyam: "There is no origin." What is the nonsense? This is not human consciousness. This is animal consciousness, "There is no origin." There must be origin. I am... Because my origin is the father, my father, cause. I am born by my father. Common sense. Then his father, then his father, his father, go on, go on, go on... Although you do not know, but this is a fact that father is born by his father, and his father is born by his father. How can you deny it? He may not know the grandfather, great-grandfather or more than that, but there must have been some person. Similarly, we may be foolish—we do not know; we cannot understand who is the original father—but there must have been the original father. That is God. That is God. Where is the deficiency to understand this father..., fact?

Therefore, accepted. God is accepted as the original father. The Christian, they go to the original father: "O Father, O God, give us our daily bread." So we also accept. That is the godly conception. That is the beginning of religious conception. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19].

[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṅas.]

What is dharma, religion? It is the codes given by God. That is dharma. Just like the state, the government, gives law: "You have to do like this. Keep to the right," you have to keep your car to the right. This is law. You cannot say, "Why not to the left?" You cannot say. Then you are criminal. Similarly, there are codes and description in the śāstra what God wants. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā God says that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām [Bg 5.29]:

"I am the enjoyer of all sacrifices, all tapasya." You are engaged in some research work, tapasya, for what purpose? Now, finding out some deadly bomb. A very big scholar, very big research student... So that is called asura. He has got some scientific knowledge, but he's busy to find out a nuclear weapon, how to kill other enemies. This is the research work. No. That is demonic.

The same knowledge can be utilized for finding out God. That is mahātmā. This is the difference. You may have some particular knowledge. Suppose you are expert singer. Very good. But if you earn your money for fulfilling your sense desires, that is demonic. But you know the art, how to sing. If you very melodiously sing Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, then you are demigod. The same thing can be utilized both ways. Anything. Therefore śāstra says, idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā [SB 1.5.22]. People are advancing by research and by education. Śrutasya. Śrutasya means education, and tapasaḥ... And to become very learned scholar, scientist, it requires tapasya, austerities, penance. It is not that all of a sudden one becomes very great scientist. After many, many research work. Therefore it is called tapasaḥ. Idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ [SB 1.5.22]. People do very pious activities, charity, munificence. Now, what is the purpose? What is the purpose of becoming educated, learned scholar, very charitable and all these pious activities? What is the end? Ask them. Somebody will say, those who believe next life—that is also fact—that "Next life also I will get opulence, properly situated." That is also fact.

But we Vaiṣṅava philosopher, Krishnites, we do not think in that terms. Suppose in next life I become some demigod like Lord Brahmā or the Moon or the Sun. They are all demigods. Or Vāyu, Varuṅa. The Vaiṣṅava says, "No, we don't want this." Because either you become Rockefeller or Ford in this life, and next life the king of moon planet or sun planet or in any way, up to the Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka, Lord Brahmā, Kṛṣṅa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg 8.16]:

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

"My dear Arjuna, by your endeavor, even you become promoted to the highest position of this material world, still, you have to die, and again—either come down or remain there—there will be change of body." Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg 8.16]. "So why should you be implicated in these material activities? Try to come to Me, back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll haven't got to return again in this material world. That is the highest perfection." So this is called brahma-jijñāsā. By inquiring about Brahman one can understand that "Even if I go to the topmost planet of this material world, the four principles of miseries—birth, death, old age and disease—there is."

When Brahmā, Lord Brahmā, was asked by Hiraṅyakaśipu to make him immortal... He was undergoing severe penances to become immortal. So Lord Brahmā immediately said, "I am not immortal. How can I give you the benediction of immortality? That is not possible." Then, indirectly... He was very cunning. Then he..., indirectly he thought that "If I get benediction like this, I'll automatically become immortal." What is that? "Now, no man can kill me." "All right, that's all right." "No demigod can kill me." "That's all right." But he forgot God. Because he is godless, he did not say, "Even God cannot kill me." That he forgot. In this way he took benediction that "I shall not die on the land." "Yes." "I shall not die on the water." "Yes." "I shall not die in the air." "Yes." "I shall not be killed by any animal." "Yes." In this way, whatever intelligence he got, but he forgot one thing, that "God cannot also kill me." Because māyā is there, he forgot it. He took so many benediction, but he did not take this benediction, that "Even God cannot kill me." That he forgot. Therefore, ultimately, with all his intelligence, he failed to become immortal.

So these are all demoniac activities. The divine activities, they are different. So Kṛṣṅa is describing here that etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. They manufacture so many demonic ideas, but real idea they forget. Real idea is "God is great; I am small. Therefore I am eternal servant of God." Simple thing. "God is great." Everyone says, "God is great," but he is trying to be as great as God. How it is possible? If you are so powerful you can become as great as God, then why you are trying to become God if you are actually as great as God? That answer they cannot give. Why you are fallen into this material world as very, very small, insignificant? God is not insignificant. That is demonic idea. Therefore it is called etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. Their vision is not very correct. Etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭa ātmānaḥ. Naṣṭa means lost, lost. Just like if you are lost of your intelligence, you can talk all nonsense. Naṣṭātmānaḥ. "There is no God" means naṣṭātmānaḥ: he's not very intelligent; he has lost his intelligence. Ātmānaḥ. Naṣṭātmānaḥ. Why naṣṭātmānaḥ? Alpa-buddhayaḥ: the intelligence is not very sharp. Alpa, poor fund of knowledge. Poor fund of knowledge. On account of poor fund of knowledge they think like that: "There is no God," "I am God," and so on, so on, "There is no basic principle of this creation." They do not know.

The basic principle of creation is that this material world is the field of activities of the rebellious living entity. "I don't want to serve Kṛṣṅa. I want to serve my senses." That is the whole world, going on. This Hawaiian city or any city, especially in your America, they're very, very busy. So ask them, "What is the aim of your life?" They'll say, "Sense gratification." "I shall earn money, eat nicely, drink nicely, enjoy nicely. That is the aim of life." They do not know. Etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. Their vision is so polluted. Naṣṭātmānaḥ: they have lost their spiritual ideas, spiritual sense, or Kṛṣṅa consciousness. The highest principle of spiritual sense means Kṛṣṅa consciousness, to understand God. That is mahātmā, mahātmā.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [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.]

So without becoming Kṛṣṅa conscious, everyone's life is baffled. He's demon. So demons, they are trying only to adjust things materially, which is impossible. So they are busy, prabhavanti, flourishing. Prabhavanti. Prabhavanti means flourishing. Ugra-karmāṅaḥ. Karma... We have to do some work. That's a fact. Kṛṣṅa says that "Without doing something, you cannot maintain your body and soul together." Karmaṅo jyāyo... What is that?

Devotee: Karmāṅi limpanti [Bg 4.14]?

[There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.]

Prabhupāda: No. That... Karma is better then vikarma. The... Kṛṣṅa says that "You must be engaged in some work. You cannot sit idle. That is not good." "Idle brain is a devil's workshop." Kṛṣṅa never said that "My dear Arjuna, you are My first-class devotee. Now you sit down and I'll do everything for you." No. Kṛṣṅa never said. Rather, Arjuna was not willing to fight, and Kṛṣṅa was inducing him, "You must fight. You must fight." Kṛṣṅa never said that "You become idle kṛṣṅa-bhakta." Never said.

So those who are trying to be idle kṛṣṅa-bhaktas, they are not devotees. One must be engaged with Kṛṣṅa's work. That is devotion. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg 9.14]. Always chanting the glory of Kṛṣṅa and trying everything for benefit of Kṛṣṅa, that is mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim..., bhajanty an... [Bg 9.13]. Bhajanti means "He's always engaged in My service." That is mahātmā. Laziness is not bhakti. There must be something. But if somebody says, "Now I'll chant, sitting down. Who is going to see me? I'll doze, and people will know I am chanting." You see? This kind of cheating will not do. All those who are interested in Kṛṣṅa consciousness... Therefore we have given time, sixteen rounds. But you are not Haridāsa Ṭhākura that you'll be able to chant whole day and night. If without working, if you chant, that is the highest state. That you cannot do. Then you sleep, that's all. So not that. The minimum quantity, sixteen rounds chant, and that will take not more than two hours. And other twenty-two hours, you be always busy in Kṛṣṅa's activities. That is required. That is,

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā nitya-yuktā upāsate [Bg 9.14]

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

This is upāsate.

So work is there. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is fighting. That is also Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Yudhyasva mām anusmara [Bg 8.7].

[Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṅa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.]

Kṛṣṅa said that "You chant. You remember Me. At the same time, fight." Yudhyasva mam anusmara. He never said that "Simply fight" or "Simply chant," because in the material world that is not possible. Therefore chanting must be there, but at the same time, you have to work how to continue this movement. The movement requires energy. We are printing so many books. For spreading this knowledge, that must be distributed. Home to home, place to place, man to man, this literature must go there. If he... If one takes one book, at least one day he'll read it: "Let me see what is this book I have purchased the other day." And if he reads one line his life will be successful—if he reads one line only, carefully. This is such literature. So therefore book distribution I am giving so much stress. Somehow or other, small book or big book, if it is given to somebody he'll read someday, and he'll derive... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato... Just like the Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1].

So you can research, make research work throughout the whole life, where is the original source of everything. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. If you not dull, if you are intelligent and if you take the sūtra, this code, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], the original source of everything... That is knowledge, that is philosophy, that is science—to find out the original source. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So we are not searching after the original consciousness, but we are giving to the people directly that "Here is the original source of everything, Kṛṣṅa. [break] Without your research work, you take it." That is our mission. They are searching after God. We are giving God: "Here is God. Here is His name. Here is His address. Here is occupation. Here is His father's name, His mother's name." Everything there is. It is not bogus, bogus [indistinct]. Kṛṣṅa is accepted God. How is He accepted? Vedic literature, the Brahma-sūtra, says. The Brahma-sūtra commentary, explanation, is the Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrānām. Brahma-sūtrānām, commentary...

[break] ...and according to your consciousness, in this way they have become entangled, entrapped in this material [indistinct]. That is not the life of human being. The life of human being is to become Kṛṣṅa conscious. And you will be peaceful as soon as you understand Kṛṣṅa. What is that Kṛṣṅa?

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati [Bg 5.29]

If you want really peace, you try to understand these reasons. What is that? That Kṛṣṅa is the enjoyer of everything. Why? Then, sarva-loka-maheśvaram: He is the proprietor of all the universe, all the planets. So, maybe. "Why should we worship Him?" Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: He is the real friend of everyone. So you are seeking after friend: He is the real friend, He is the proprietor, He is the enjoyer. You try to understand these three things, and if peace is there, your life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! [end]

Bhagavad-gītā 16.9

Referenced verses