Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.37

Pradyumna: Translation: "Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Being thus addressed by the messengers of Yamarāja, Vāsudeva smiled and spoke the following words in voices as deep as the sound of rumbling clouds."

Prabhupāda:

śri-śuka uvāca ity ukte yamadūtais te vāsudevokta-kāriṅaḥ tān pratyūcuḥ prahasyedaṁ megha-nirhrādayā girā [SB 6.1.37]

In this verse the word vāsudevokta-kāriṅaḥ... Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṅa. Vāsudeva-ukta, ukta means what is said by Vāsudeva. Ukta means what is spoken by Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṅa. Vāsudevokta-kāriṅaḥ: they'll do that, that's all. This is devotee. There is no difficulty to become devotee. At once you can become a devotee, within a second. They ask something, sometimes, that "How long it will take to become a devotee?" It will take one second. How? Vāsudevokta-kāriṅaḥ. You simply accept that whatever Vāsudeva says, you'll do. That's all. Vāsudeva says so many things. Vāsudeva says to Arjuna that "You fight." So if you accept, "Yes, I'll fight," then you become devotee. But Arjuna denied, "No, Kṛṣṅa, I'll not fight." That is our disease. Our whole disease is that as soon as we agree to accept the words of Kṛṣṅa, we are liberated, immediately. We are immediately in the Vaikuṅṭha. As as soon we deny, immediately within māyā.

kṛṣṅa bhuliya jīve bhoga vāñchā kare pāsate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

Two things are there. If you deny to keep yourself in the light, then go to the darkness. And if you deny to keep yourself in the darkness, then go to the light. Two things are side by side. If you agree to act according to Vāsudeva's instruction, His order, then you are immediately liberated person. And if you do not, then you are immediately under illusion, māyā.

So this is wanted, liberation. But it is very difficult to accept the position that "I shall do whatever Vāsudeva says." Immediately our life becomes very clear and happy. Not only happy in this life, but also next life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9].

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

If we accept simply to obey the words of Vāsudeva... It is so simple, but we are so unfortunate that we do not accept. Especially in this age, mandāḥ sumanda matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ [SB 1.1.10].

[O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.]

In this age, people in general, they're all bad, mandaḥ. Mandaḥ means bad. Nobody's good. Because everyone is in ignorance, the modes of ignorance, that is bad. Or little upwards, in the modes of passion. Rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ [SB 1.2.19].

[As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.]

And the best part, best platform in this material world, is goodness, sattva-guṅa. Raja-guṅa, tamo-guṅa... There are three modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. Those who are in ignorance, they are animals, animal platform. Those who are in passion, karmī platform. And those who are in goodness, they're jñānī platform. But our aim is to transcend even the jñānī platform. Not to remain in the platform of ignorance, not to remain in the platform of passion, and not to remain even in the platform of goodness. That is transcendental. That is transcendental. Just like gopīs are going to Kṛṣṅa at dead of night, at midnight. And how they're going? Kṛṣṅa is playing the flute, and gopīs are running, giving up all their engagement in the family. Somebody was lying with her husband, somebody was engaged in the kitchen, somebody was taking care of the children, so on, so on. But they left everything and went to Kṛṣṅa. This is transcendental. When we go to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, giving up everything, that is transcendental platform. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

So this word is a very important word, vāsudevokta-kāriṅaḥ. A devotee has nothing to do anything more except to execute the order of Kṛṣṅa. That is transcendental platform. They do not know what is transcendental plat... Transcendental meditation means to think of Kṛṣṅa always. That is transcendental meditation. That is said 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.]

Who is the first-class yogī? Kṛṣṅa says, "That person who is always thinking of Me, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. There are many varieties of yogīs, but this person, who is thinking of Me, he has no more to think any other thing." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā: within the core of the heart, he's thinking of Kṛṣṅa. This is the ideal Transcendental Medition..., Meditation. It has become a medicine now. [laughter] To become fatty, to have more power for sex, it is not meditation, but medicine. So this is wanted. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā [Bg 6.47]. That is the supermost, topmost position of yogī. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ. We have to make everything material zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ. Śūnyaṁ means zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. 1.1.11].

[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṅa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]

In this material world the jñāna-bhūmika, or the modes of goodness, that is very estimated. So, transcending that position also. Karma is lower position, karmīs...

[aside:] That child is disturbing. Hmm.

Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānuśīlanam [Cc Madhya 19.167].

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

Simply remain prepared how to execute the order of Kṛṣṅa. Ānukūlyena. "Kṛṣṅa says this; now I must do it." That is vāsudevokta-kāriṅaḥ. Ukta means whatever He says.

So the Kṛṣṅa conscious life is not very difficult. It is very easy. In one second, if he agrees: "Yes, Kṛṣṅa, whatever You say, I shall do..." That Arjuna did at last, after hearing the whole Bhagavad-gītā. When Kṛṣṅa asked, inquired from him, "Now, what is your decision...?" Kṛṣṅa never interferes with your decision. You have got little independence. Kṛṣṅa has given you. But if you use your independence, do not like to obey the orders of Kṛṣṅa, that is your business. You can do that. Kṛṣṅa will not interfere with you. But Kṛṣṅa says that "If you want actually happiness, liberation, then follow what I say." That is Kṛṣṅa's request. As we are subordinate, Kṛṣṅa can order that "You must do it." That Kṛṣṅa does not say, never. Kuru. He says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]: "You do it." He doesn't say "You must." That is your option. You can deny it. That is going on. Kṛṣṅa is instructing everything perfectly, but why people are not doing? That is his discretion. That Kṛṣṅa gives always. After teaching Bhagavad-gītā thoroughly, He asked Arjuna: "Now, Arjuna, I have spoken to you everything. Now it is up to you to do it or not to do it." Yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg 18.63]. Yathā-icchasi: "Whatever you like, you do." He doesn't force, but Arjuna, that is..., means knowledge, Arjuna said naṣṭo mohaḥ: "My illusion is now over." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "Now I am remembering, I am memorizing my position," tvat-prasādād, "by Your grace." So kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg 18.73]:

[Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṅa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.]

"Now I shall act as You desire." This is perfection of life. Whenever we decide that "Now we shall act as Kṛṣṅa says," then our life is perfect. Vāsudeva-uktaḥ kāriṅaḥ.

They were smiling. When the Yamadūtas challenged them that "Who are you? You look like very nice, coming from some very, very nice place. You are very well dressed, and you are all young men and nicely dressed, everything. Oh, why you are interfering with our business?" So, they were smiling. They were smiling because they knew their business. They knew their business: they have come to rescue Ajāmila by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So they know their position, that "We have come from the supreme controller. You cannot do any more this thing. That is your foolishness." They were smiling that "What these foolish persons are asking us question?" So our position is like that. Anyone who is preaching Kṛṣṅa consciousness, you may protest against Kṛṣṅa consciousness, we shall smile, that's all. [laughter] We know our duty. Yes. We shall simply smile, that "What these nonsense speaking?" We shall go on, forward, because we are carrying the order of Kṛṣṅa. We shall be protected in every respect. Nobody can supersede our order. This is our position. So they were smiling, that "What these nonsense are speaking?" Yes. So tān pratyūcuḥ prahasya idaṁ megha-nirhrādayā. Just like cloud. Clouds, when sounds, everything stops. Megha-nirhrādayā. So the point is that those who are preaching Kṛṣṅa consciousness, if they are strictly following vāsudevoktaḥ, whatever Vāsudeva has said or the Vāsudeva's representative has said, if he's simply prepared to carry out the orders, then his position is very secure. His position is very secure.

So we are Kṛṣṅa conscious men, or we are known as Hare Kṛṣṅa men. Anyway... So we are not manufacturing something imaginary. That is not our position. Vāsudevoktaḥ. We are simply excecuting what Vāsudeva has spoken. That's all. So our task is very easy, because we haven't got to manufacture, tax our brains, to create something nonsense. No. Our position is very clear. Kṛṣṅa has said, 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.]

This is Kṛṣṅa's words. So many things, these are important things. Kṛṣṅa says that "Always think of Me." So we are saying the same thing. "My dear friend, my dear student, my dear son, chant Hare Kṛṣṅa." Then you'll think of Kṛṣṅa. Man-manā. And who will chant Hare Kṛṣṅa? Mad-bhakto. Unless one agrees to become a devotee of Kṛṣṅa, why he'll chant? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "You worship Me." So we have created this temple. Come on, worship Kṛṣṅa. And māṁ namaskuru—and whoever comes to the temple, he offers obeisances. We teach how to offer obeisances as soon as we enter. This is our business. Where is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. Either you are learned or a fool or rich or poor or black or white or American or Indian, Hindu, Muslim, never mind—take this lesson, you become perfect. So human society should take advantage of this movement and do these four things only—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. Then what is the... Mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ [Bg 18.68]: "I guarantee you come back to home, back to Godhead, by this process."

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]