Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.6

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

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām [SB 1.7.6]

[break] [01:29]

"The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth."

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām [SB 1.7.6]

Vidvān. Vid means vetti veda vido jñāne. Vid means jñāna, knowledge. So one who has knowledge... Knowledge means ultimately to understand the originally source of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. This is knowledge, to... Everyone is... The scientists, the philosophers, everyone is searching out what is the original cause. Just like modern scientists, they are searching out what is the original cause of life. That is good enquiry. But because they are surrounded by anarthas, they cannot know it. That is called māyā.

So long one is illusioned by the māyā he cannot have perfect knowledge. This subject matter has been discussed in the previous verse. It is said, yayā sammohito jīvaḥ. Before that, the one verse is that Vyāsadeva, the vidvān... Vyāsadeva is addressed here as vidvān, full knowledge. So he was unhappy even after compiling Vedānta-sūtra. He was not very happy. So under the instruction of his guru, Nārada Muni, he wanted to compile the last contribution to the human society, a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṅāṁ vedārtha-paribṛṁhitam. This, in every chapter, at the end, it is said, brahma-sūtra-bhāṣye: "The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the commentary on the Brahma-sūtra, or Vedānta-sūtra." Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. Veda means knowledge; anta means the last contribution. So under the instruction of Nārada Muni, Vyāsadeva first of all made his life perfect. Yes.

How he made his life perfect? Because if you write books without any perfection, that will not be effective. One has to become perfect before he writes some books. Just like nowadays, especially in the Western countries, they write any rascal ideas under the name of philosophy or science, "perhaps," "it may be." That is not the system in the Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization, people, those who are advanced in Vedic knowledge, they'll write. Vedic knowledge is called śruti, and if you write following the principles of śruti, then it is smṛti.

śruti-smṛti-purāṅādi- pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101]

[Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṅas and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.]

That is the advice, instruction, given by Rūpa Gosvāmī. "Without reference to the śruti, without reference to the smṛti, Purāṅa and pāñcarātriki-vidhi, if you pose yourself as a great devotee of Kṛṣṅa, that is simply disturbance." This is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī, the, I mean to say, what is called, development, developer of this Vṛndāvana development, under whose instruction.

So when Nārada instructed that "You write something which will help people to understand the Supreme," then he engaged himself in bhakti-yoga, because you cannot understand the Supreme Truth without engaging yourself in devotional service. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg 18.55].

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

Only through devotion, submission, surrender you can understand Kṛṣṅa, not by your so-called scholarship or research work. No. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Kṛṣṅa never said, "By cultivating knowledge, speculative knowledge, one can understand Me." No. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg 18.55]. So therefore Vyāsadeva engaged himself in bhakti-yoga to understand the Supreme Truth. That is stated,

bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṅihite 'male apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṅaṁ māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam [SB 1.7.4]

So he visioned two things, that one, puruṣam... Apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṅam. Puruṣa, perfect; pūrṅam, complete. We are trying to become puruṣa, or Bhagavān, but we are not perfect. The Bhagavān means pūrṅam. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṅaḥ. Complete. So we cannot accept anyone as Bhagavān unless he is pūrṅam, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṅaḥ. That is Kṛṣṅa. Ṣaḍ-aiśvaryaiḥ pūrṅo ya iha bhagavān [Cc Ādi 1.3].

So by bhakti-yoge, bhakti-yogena, by practicing... That is called meditation. Meditation means to find out the Supreme Complete Person. That is called meditation. Not that anything you meditate, any nonsense. No, that is not meditation. Meditation is described, dhyānāvasthita. Dhyānāvasthita, engaged in meditation. Tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1].

[Sūta Gosvāmī said: Unto that personality whom Brahmā, Varuṅa, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise by chanting transcendental hymns and reciting the Vedas with all their corollaries, pada-kramas and Upaniṣads, to whom the chanters of the Sāma Veda always sing, whom the perfected yogīs see within their minds after fixing themselves in trance and becoming fully absorbed in thoughts of Him, and whose limit can never be found by any demigod or demon—unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my humble obeisances.]

Yogīs, they by meditation tries to find out the Supreme Person who is within everyone. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

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

So by meditation to find out the supreme Paramātmā within yourself, that is called yoga practice. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ. This is yogī. So that yoga is perfect when you see Kṛṣṅa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ [Bg 6.47]

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

One who is trying to find out Kṛṣṅa within himself... Kṛṣṅa is there. So you have to be qualified to see Him. That is required. That is called bhakti-yoga. In Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs 5.38].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṅa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.]

That is not possible simply by gymnastic. One has to develop transcendental love for Kṛṣṅa. Premāñjana-cchurita. When your eyes are anointed with love of God, then you can see Him within yourself twenty-four hours. Sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. This is not difficult for understanding, because anyone you love, you always think of him, you always feel his presence, so why not of Kṛṣṅa? That is not difficult. Therefore Kṛṣṅa is teaching. To develop this love for Kṛṣṅa, He says, 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.]

"Simply you think of Me," man-manāḥ, "you become devotee of Me," mad-bhakta, "worship Me," mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru.

So we are expending so much money for installing Kṛṣṅa-Balarāma here. What is this purpose? The purpose is that you will be able to see Him present in this temple, and therefore, "You can think of Me." That is very natural. If you see the Deity always, then you get His picture impressed within your mind, and if you always think of Him, then you see Him within your mind, man-manāḥ. That is not difficult. And this Deity is not different from Kṛṣṅa. For devotee, He is Kṛṣṅa Himself, identical. We are spending so much money, lakhs, not for worshiping a statue. That is not very intelligent. But sākṣād-kṛṣṅa. Therefore the temple is sanctified; the process is going on to cleanse our mind, 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 isIn this way, when the mind is cleansed of all dirty things, then you can think of Kṛṣṅa. So that will be explained, anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣāt.

So Vyāsadeva first of all made his life perfect. How? Bhakti-yogena: by practicing bhakti-yoga. And bhakti-yoga means manasā. Manasā vācā karmaṅā. Here it is said, manasā. Manasā, that is very nice bhakti-yoga, always thinking of Kṛṣṅa, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18],

[Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord's temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Kṛṣṅa or about Kṛṣṅa. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa's temples and Kṛṣṅa's places like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord's devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord's prasāda. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.]

as Ambarīṣa Mahārāja did. Always Ambarīṣa Mahārāja fixed up his mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. So here also, Vyāsadeva, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṅihite amale [SB 1.7.4], when the mind was completely cleansed, then he saw. What he saw? Apaśyat. Apaśyat means "he visioned, he saw," puruṣaṁ pūrṅam, "the complete Supreme Personality of Godhead." And māyā. He saw also māyā, māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam—māyā on the back side, back side. So in this way he made his life first of all perfect, then he wrote this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam after becoming perfect. Therefore you will find in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, each word is transcendental. Each word is full of meaning and transcendental knowledge, because the writer, the composer of this transcendental book, is Vyāsadeva. He is perfect, Vedavyāsa, perfect in Vedic knowledge.

So there are māyās of different kind. Kṛṣṅa's māyā... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva... Māyā means potency. So from the Vedic knowledge we can understand that Kṛṣṅa has many types of potencies, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāv... [Cc Madhya 13.65, purport], because He has to execute so many affairs, this material world, spiritual world, and just imagine so big universe. There are innumerable universes, and in each and every universe there are so many planets, so many different kinds of living entities, and He has to manage everything. Therefore He is called Parameśvara. Parameśvara means the supreme controller. And Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ [Bg 15.15]:

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

"I am living in everyone's heart." Now, imagine. There are innumerable universes, and each and every universe, there are innumerable planets, and in each and every planet, there are innumerable towns and cities, and each and every town, there are innumerable living entities, and Kṛṣṅa has to manage all of them. That is Kṛṣṅa. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg 15.15]. Kṛṣṅa has to act in such a way that whatever we are doing, that is under the direction of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says, mattaḥ smṛtiḥ. Just like in the morning you get up and immediately you understand that you were sleeping—"Now I have got to do so many things." So wherefrom this memory comes? Kṛṣṅa says mattaḥ, "from Me." So just imagine how Kṛṣṅa is busy. So this māyā as described here, apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṅaṁ māyāṁ tad-apāśrayam. Māyā means—his meaning, that will be explained in the next verse—which is controlling this material world, that māyā. Māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam.

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī is also māyā, yoga-māyā, and Durgā is also māyā, expansion of Rādhārāṅī. But Durgā's business is different than Rādhārāṅī's business. Durgā's business is yayā sammohito jīvaḥ, to keep the living entities covered not to become awakened to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is māyā's duty. So Vyāsadeva saw this māyā, this mahā-māyā, who is keeping the living entities under the cover of illusion. So it is said, "this māyā." "He saw the Supreme Person, and back of that Supreme Person he saw this māyā." Which māyā? Yayā sammohito jīva: "that māyā which is keeping the living entities in illusion." What is that illusion? That is also here: yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṅātmakam [SB 1.7.5]. Tri-guṅa. Tri-guṅa means the sattva-guṅa, rajo-guṅa, tamo-guṅa.

So under the influence of māyā, we are identifying with the different guṅas, or qualities of this material world. So sattva-guṅa, yes, sattva-guṅa is the brahminical qualification. So one is thinking that "I am brāhmaṅa." One is thinking, who is under the control of rajo-guṅa, "I am kṣatriya." Or in other words, this is, this identification, is all over the world. Now you may not think, "I am brāhmaṅa," but you may think, "I am American," or I may think, "I am Indian." There is some sort of identification. And therefore the whole world is full of anarthas, unnecessary, unnecessary thing. I am not brāhmaṅa; I am not Indian; you are not American; you are not kṣatriya or... This is all false identification. So this is the work of māyā, that all the living entities, they are under certain impression that "I am this. I am this." And this "I am this. I am that," they cannot make any solution. They have created the United Nation, but there is no solution because everyone is under the grip of the māyā, material energy, and they are simply creating problems. This is their business.

Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṅātmakam [SB 1.7.5]. Ātmānam. I am spirit soul, but I am..., I do not belong to these material qualities; still, I am thinking, ātmānaṁ tri-guṅātmakam. One cannot go beyond these three guṅas, sattva-guṅa, rajo-guṅa, tamo-guṅa, or mixed. Three into three equal to nine, and again mix, nine into nine equals eighty-one. Therefore there are 8,400,000 species of living entities under the impression that "I am this," "I am plant," "I am fish," "I am mosquito," "I am man," "I am demigod," "I am tiger," "I am Indian," "I am American." In this way there are 8,400,000's of different types of identification. Therefore we find so many forms of life. Ātmānaṁ tri-guṅātmakaṁ manute. Yayā... This is all the work of māyā, to keep us under certain impression. And we work under certain impression and create another situation, and we get, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

Now, this life, if I create a situation like a dog, then I will get the body of a dog. That's all. Or if I create a situation like the demigod, then I can go to the heavenly planets. But if I create a situation that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa," then you go to Kṛṣṅa. This is wanted. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Create a situation. Don't create a situation that "I am this. I am that." Simply create a situation that you completely understand that "I have no other business than to advance in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, and my only duty is to serve Kṛṣṅa." This is wanted. That is called anartha upaśamam.

Because we have created so many problems under the impression of different guṅas: "I am this. I am that." To become sannyāsī, that is also another problem. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that "I am not a brāhmaṅa. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a brahmacārī. I am not a gṛhastha. I am not a kṣatriya." All "not, not." "I am not this, I am not this." "My only identification is that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa," gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc Madhya 13.80].

[I am not a brāhmaṅa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’]

This is required. So how this position you can attain, that is described in the next verse, anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. This is the remedy. Anartha. These are all anarthas. So long I will think, "I am this; I am that," "I am this; I am that," or even if you think that "I am big gosvāmī" or "big brāhmaṅa," that is also anartha. That is also anartha.

Actually gosvāmī means who has control over the senses. Svāmī means the control over the senses. That is required. We have to control over the senses and identify ourself that "I do not belong to anything of this material infection, but I am eternally servant of Kṛṣṅa." Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya... [Cc Madhya 20.108-109]. This is called svarūpa-upalabdhi. This is called self-realization. This is called mukti. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the definition of mukti has been given that muktir hitvā anyathā rūpam [SB 2.10.6].

[The merging of the living entity, along with his conditional living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Mahā-Viṣṅu is called the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies.]

Anyathā rūpam. I am identifying now myself as this and that: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṅa," "I am gosvāmī," "I am this, that..." No. This is all anarthas, unwanted. So therefore, hitvā anyathā rūpam. We are living under the impression of something else. Hitvā means when we give up this wrong impression. And sva-rūpeṅa vyavasthitiḥ, when you are situated in your original position, that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean anything else. This is the definition of mukti. You keep yourself in your original position.

So our original position is part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. We are part and parcel of the body of Kṛṣṅa. The brāhmaṅa is the mouth of Kṛṣṅa, and the kṣatriyas are the arms of Kṛṣṅa. The vaiśyas are the abdomen of Kṛṣṅa, and the śūdras are the legs of Kṛṣṅa. Mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ jajñire catvāro varṅā viprādayo guṅair pṛthak. The... Nobody should be hated. Just like in your body, your leg is as important as your head, especially of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is advaya-jñāna, absolute. We may make some difference from head to leg: leg is less important, head is... No. But Kṛṣṅa's any part is as important as other part. So you become the part of... You are already. But if you come to realize that you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa's body, so either you act as Kṛṣṅa's leg or as Kṛṣṅa's head, there is no difference. There is no difference. Here in the material world we have misunderstood that "Because I am head, therefore I shall hate the legs." Why? We first of all offer tulasī and flower to the legs of Kṛṣṅa, not to the head. The bhakti-yoga begins from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. So how you can say the legs of Kṛṣṅa are inferior than the heads of Kṛṣṅa? This is called anartha.

So if we enter into the process of bhakti-yogam, these anarthas will go out. Therefore it is recommended here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. If you engage yourself in transcendental loving service of the adhokṣaja... Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Person who is beyond your sense perception. That is called adhokṣaja. So you have to engage yourself in the service of Adhokṣaja, bhakti-yoga. Then this anartha, this misunderstanding that "He is such and such. I am such and such," this will be finished—no more. That is called paṅḍita. Paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṅe gavi hastini, śuni caiva śva-pāke... [Bg 5.18].

[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṅa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]]

When your anarthas will be finished and you will see every living entity as part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, that is called real Brahman realization. Part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, every one of us. So we shall not only engage ourself as part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa in His service, but also we shall try to engage others, because they are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. Why should we eliminate them? That is Vaiṣṅavism. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. So... And that mission is to be started from India, Bhārata.

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma 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.]

So the Indians especially, they have got the opportunity to learn these Vedic śāstras and realize his self and introduce this Kṛṣṅa consciousness throughout the whole world. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. And all ācāryas, they do like that. That is the business of real ācārya.

So bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. So this is very important thing because it is said, lokasya ajānataḥ. These foolish men, they do not know that their problems can be solved only by this bhakti-yoga, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. They do not know it. Lokasya ajānataḥ. Therefore vidvān... Vyāsadeva is vidvān. He is the first-class vidvān. Cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. This saṁhitā means Vedic literature for enlightening people. So every Vaiṣṅava's duty is that you make your life first of all perfect by understanding your real position, and preach this cult, because lokasyājānataḥ: all people throughout the whole world, they are ajānataḥ. Ajānataḥ means they do not know anything. Although they are very proud... They think that having some material advancement of life, that is perfection. No. Ajānataḥ, mūḍha. That is not perfection. That is not perfection. Perfection is muktiḥ sva-rūpeṅa vyavasthitiḥ, to be situated in his own original position. That can be done anywhere. Bhakti-yoga can be practiced any part of the world, as it is experienced practically. What is bhakti-yoga?

śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

Śravaṅam. First business is śravaṅam. You can hear. Whom? Viṣṅu, not nonsense talks. Viṣṅu, Kṛṣṅa, you hear. So you can hear anywhere. There is no specific mention that it can be heard in such and such place. You can anywhere. But a holy place like Vṛndāvana, the hearing has got a special effect. So here we are establishing this mantra. And you foreigners, you have taken some interest. I am very much pleased. So constantly come here and hear about Kṛṣṅa. This is the pastimious place of Kṛṣṅa, Vṛndāvana. So make your anarthas vanquished. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣ... Everything we have done, simply anartha, without any meaning. But if we say, people will criticize us that "Why you are utilizing motorcar ? Why you are utilizing aeroplane?" But our tactic is we can utilize any so-called anartha in the service of Kṛṣṅa. That is our tactics. That means you have created some anartha, but we can engage even this anartha in the service of Kṛṣṅa and make it meaningful. That is our business.

So it requires time. But at least things unnecessarily encumbered... We are encumbered with so many unnecessary thing. So our so-called necessities of life will decrease. Anartha upaśamam. Although we are riding on motorcar, we don't think it is essential. But those who are captured by the civilization, they think it is essential. That is the difference. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. Our process is that if we have to preach, so we have to go to United States. So if there is aeroplane, why shall I waste my time? Let us accept this thing. So we don't deprecate the material advancement. But we simply warn that "Don't forget Kṛṣṅa simply for the matter of material advancement." This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. We don't discourage you. We don't discourage you, but when you have invented something material, utilize it for Kṛṣṅa. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. Don't be attached to the motorcar, but utilize it for going fast for preaching work, that's all. This is required. This is Rūpa Gosvāmī's advice. Don't die for want of motorcar. But if you get the opportunity to go faster than walking, you should utilize it. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṅa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255].

[When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Kṛṣṅa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṅa is not as complete in his renunciation.]

This is required, that everything engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service. That is called yukta-vairāgya, not phalgu-vairāgya.

Rūpa Gosvāmī says, "Motorcar is material; therefore we should not touch it—this is phalgu-vairāgya." That is stated by Rūpa Gosvāmī that,

prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.256]

[On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṅa is not as complete in his renunciation.]

Prāpañcikatayā buddhyā. "Because it is material advancement, I therefore... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. This world is mithyā. This, any material thing, is mithyā." No. It has got some relationship with Kṛṣṅa. That is to be seen. What is that? What is this motorcar? It is material. But what is this material? Bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā [Bg 7.4].

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

Where they have got this metal? This iron, wood, metal, everything, they have got from Kṛṣṅa. Therefore it has got relationship with Kṛṣṅa. Now, when it is manufactured, use it for Kṛṣṅa. That is yukta-vairāgya. So we do not hate anything material advancement. We can utilize everything for Kṛṣṅa's service. Our only preaching is that "Don't forget Kṛṣṅa." That is our business. And if you have got a special talent, utilize it for Kṛṣṅa.

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

Now, if somebody criticizes you that "Why you are using this material ener...?" We don't see anything material. As soon as they say... This manufactured instrument, that is also Kṛṣṅa's energy. We have to see to it that it is Kṛṣṅa's energy, it is made from Kṛṣṅa's energy, and it should be utilized for Kṛṣṅa. This sense required. This sense is called Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So if you take to bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, the anartha, things which are not wanted, anartha, or problems, the problems of the world, will be mitigated. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. People do not know it. Lokasya ajānataḥ. Therefore we have to teach them. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. Haribol. [end]