Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.3–4

Girirāja: We wish to thank the honourable Chief Minister S. B. Chavan for his beautiful talk and understanding of the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Actually, we are very pleased to inform you that today we have received another letter from Russia, acknowledging receipt of six of Śrīla Prabhupāda's books, and thanking us very much for sending these books.

[Audience applauds by clapping]

The letter further said that these books will be of very great interest to scholars and person specializing in Indian thought and culture, in Russia. So, as the honourable Chief Minister said this is further proof of the validity of Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that Kṛṣṅa consciousness is not a sectarian religious faith. Just as there are so many different faiths and so many different fanatical people who are following those faiths. But Kṛṣṅa consciousness is actually a universal science that has validity in all parts of the world—actually all parts of the universe, all different universes, all different races. Not only all different races but even amongst the demigods, in all species of life. Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is all auspicious for the welfare of every living entity. So therefore we say that Śrīla Prabhupāda is the greatest welfare worker in the whole universe because he is giving actual ...

[Audience applauds by clapping]

... He's actually giving relief to the living entities all over the world, and this relief can..., this relief can only be given by Kṛṣṅa consciousness. It cannot be given by any material adjustment. So now we shall ask Śrīla Prabhupāda himself, the real guru of the universe, to speak before this gathering.

[Audience applauds by clapping]

Acyutānanda:

ya vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke [SB 5.5.3]

"Those who are interested in reviving Kṛṣṅa consciousness and increasing their love of Godhead do not like to do anything that is not related to Kṛṣṅa. They are not interested in mingling with people who are busy maintaining their bodies, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are not attached to their homes, although they may be householders. Nor are they attached to wives, children, friends or wealth. At the same time, they are not indifferent to the execution of their duties. Such people are interested in collecting only enough money to keep body and soul together."

Purport: "Whether he is an impersonalist or a devotee, one who is actually interested in advancing spiritually should not mingle with those who are simply interested in maintaining the body by means of the so-called advancement of civilization. Those who are interested in spiritual life should not be attached to homely comforts in the company of wife, children, friends and so forth. Even if one is a gṛhastha and has to earn his livelihood, he should be satisfied by collecting only enough money to maintain body and soul together. One should not have more than that nor less than that. As indicated herein, a householder should endeavor to earn money for the execution of 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.]

A householder should lead such a life that he gets full opportunity to hear and chant. He should worship the Deity at home, observe festivals, invite friends in and give them prasāda. A householder should earn money for this purpose, not for sense gratification."

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṅoti na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ [SB 5.5.4]

"When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification, by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another."

Purport: "Begging, borrowing and stealing to live for sense gratification is condemned in this verse because such consciousness leads one to a dark, hellish condition. The four sinful activities are illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. These are the means by which one gets another material body that is full of miseries. In the Vedas it is said: asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. The living entity is not really connected with this material world, but due to his tendency to enjoy the material senses, he is put into the material condition. One should perfect his life by associating with devotees. He should not become further implicated in the material body."

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa.

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṅoti na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam kleśada āsa dehaḥ [SB 5.5.4]

The real problem of life is not to adjust things materially, change from one form of government to another form of government. These things are temporary things. It will not give relief. And this fighting between one party with another amongst the politicians or the kṣatriyas or the administrators, they are going on perpetually. That is not a very new thing. So we should not forget our real life. For ruling over to get political predominance, there may be fighting. That is natural. It is going on. Just like the Battle of Kurukṣetra—it is a fighting between two section of the same family, who will rule over. So there was fighting, but at the same time, they did not lose Kṛṣṅa culture. That is the important point. Similarly, India has got a great culture, background, Vedic culture, or Kṛṣṅa culture. Vedic culture means Kṛṣṅa culture, and Kṛṣṅa culture means Vedic culture. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [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.]

So study Veda or Vedānta means to understand Kṛṣṅa. That is the purpose. Vedaiś ca sarvair. Veda means "knowledge," and anta means "end." Vedānta. Vyāsadeva, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, he has given us the Vedānta philosophy. What is the purpose? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi-sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛt ca aham [Bg 15.15]

So we should take care of very seriously about this culture of Bhagavad-gītā. This is India's property. This Vedic culture, instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, was spoken on the land of Bhārata-varṣa, although it is not meant for a particular class of men or a class of people or in a particular country. It is meant for everyone—manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg 7.3],

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

especially for the human being. So our request is that we may fight amongst ourself for political predominance, but why should we forget our real culture, Vedic culture, Kṛṣṅa consciousness? That is our request. All important men, leaders of the society, they should take this Vedic culture, Kṛṣṅa consciousness, and not only preach in their own country, but all over the world.

[break] If you don't take it, there is a great risk. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

aśradaddhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa māṁ aprāpya eva nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg 9.3]

[Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.]

Kṛṣṅa says personally. He comes, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7], for the benefit of the human society. Because dharmasya glānir. Dharma is meant for the human society. Dharma is not meant for the cats and dogs. They have no dharma. You cannot have any religious principle or institution in the cat society or dog society. Dharmeṅa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ [Hitopadeśa]. Therefore when human society becomes devoid of dharma, then it is animal society. It is no longer human society.

And what is that dharma, I have several times spoken. Dharmaṁ tu sāksād 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.]

Dharma means the law or the words given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. That is the shortcut definition of dharma. "You should do this; you should not do this." Just like the government gives us law, "Keep to the right." So that is law. Although it is very simple thing, "Keep to the right," but that is law. Similarly, what Kṛṣṅa says... Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we take it for proper utilization of our this great boon of life, human form of life, then we become dharmī, and our life is successful.

What Kṛṣṅa says, that is not at all difficult. Even a child can perform. What Kṛṣṅa 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.]

Very simple thing. Kṛṣṅa says, "Always think of Me." What is the difficulty? Even a child can think of Kṛṣṅa. If he goes to the temple and if he understands from his parents that "Here is the Deity, Kṛṣṅa," it impresses. He understands, "Here is Kṛṣṅa," because he is simple. So he can also think of Kṛṣṅa: "I went to the temple. I saw Kṛṣṅa very nicely dressed, very nicely decorated. Very nice foodstuff was offered, and I got the prasādam." Where is the difficulty? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. And if you go regularly to see Kṛṣṅa in the temple and to remember Him, then you become a bhakta. It doesn't require that you have to pass M.A. examination to become a bhakta, or you have to become a very learned scholar. But because that is the end of knowledge. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15].

If you simply understand Kṛṣṅa, your all Vedic knowledge is perfect. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim [Nārada Pañcarātra]. If you have understood Hari, Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, tapasā tataḥ kim, then where is the necessity of tapasya? You have achieved the result of tapasya.

Because to understand Kṛṣṅa is not so easy.

manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ [Bg 7.3]

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

To understand Kṛṣṅa he requires great tapasya. There is no doubt about it. But if some way or other you have understood Kṛṣṅa, then ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim [Nārada Pañcarātra]. There is no more need of tapasya. Your ultimate goal of life is already achieved. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And you have performed great austerities, penances, but you do not know what is Kṛṣṅa—then it is useless waste of time. Nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. What is the value of your tapasya? Real thing you do not understand. So ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, antar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. If you have learned these four principles as instructed by Bhagavān, 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.]

Very simple thing. Antar bahir, within and without, if you have learned to think of Kṛṣṅa, antar bahir yadi haris tapasā, then where is the use of tapasya? It is already achieved. Because you are thinking always, externally and internally, Kṛṣṅa. And nārādhito yadi haris. Antar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. If you have not learned the art of thinking Kṛṣṅa externally and internally, then what is the use of your so-called tapasya?

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is very easy. If it cannot be introduced, I mean to say, in large scale, collectively, individually anyone can learn and take the Vedic wisdom. Anyone, even a child. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakta. And what is the result? The result is mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ [Bg 18.68]. Anyone who is doing this, asaṁśaya, "Without any doubt, you are coming to Me." That is the aim of life, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Not to join here in the dog's race. That is not aim of life. It will not make me happy, anyone happy.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate [Bg 3.27]

The nature's law is working very stringently. You cannot avoid it.

daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14]

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

So these things are there. I can quote many verses like that. But Kṛṣṅa consciousness is very easy, and everyone should become Kṛṣṅa conscious. That is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31].

[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṅu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]

We are trying to adjust things externally, but that will never be fulfilled. Durāśayā. This is hope against hope. You cannot do anything independently because you are fully under the clutches of māyā. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [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.]

Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati. Kṛṣṅa says, "My dear Arjuna, Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is situated in the core of everyone's heart." He is not far away. And He is observing. In the Upaniṣads it is said that there are two birds on one tree. One is eating the fruit, and the other is witnessing. The witnessing bird is Kṛṣṅa, and the eating bird is the jīvātmā.

So Kṛṣṅa is so friendly that He always lives with us just to turn our face towards Kṛṣṅa. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61]. What is His business? He is simply waiting for the time when we shall turn our face to Kṛṣṅa. That is His business. But unfortunately, we do not want Kṛṣṅa. We want something which is not Kṛṣṅa. That is our disease. Still, Kṛṣṅa is giving us facility. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg 18.61]. Kṛṣṅa gives intelligence, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg 15.15],

that "You are My part and parcel. Why you are struggling so hard in this material world? Come to Me. I will give you all protection." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg 18.66]. He is ready. But I'll not do. That's my obstinacy. At that time what Kṛṣṅa will do? He is affectionate father. "All right, what do you want to do?" "I want to do like this." "All right." Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg 18.61]. He immediately orders prakṛti—mayādhyakṣena prakṛteḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10],

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

"This living entity wants a body like this. So give him a body like that." Yantra. That is called yantra. It is a machine. This body is the machine. And therefore we are changing, one body to another, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. This is our business.

So if I am now in a yantra, Mercedes car, and suppose next life I ride on another yantra which is four-legged dog, then what is the benefit of this kind of struggle for existence? But that is going on. Therefore Kṛṣṅa warns, aśraddhadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyasya parantapa mām aprāpya. "The aim of life was to achieve Me," Kṛṣṅa says, "but the result is, because he does not hear what I say," mām aprāpya nivartante, "again goes back," mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. This material world means to take birth and die. That is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Now I am born as Indian or as brāhmaṅa or something like that. The next life, there is no guarantee. Kṛṣṅa does not say that there is guarantee. Kṛṣṅa says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: you have to change your body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ dhīras tatra na muhyati [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.]

So our request is that such a great science of..., for the human society, for understanding the problems of life, how to solve it, how to achieve the greatest success in life... We have got this in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why should we neglect it? What is the reason? Other things may go on—this political fight or some fight. Fighting. This is a world of fighting. Āgamāpāyino 'nityaḥ tams titikṣasva bhārata. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṅa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ [Bg 2.14]. This is world of śītoṣṅa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. You cannot avoid it. So tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Just try to tolerate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says the same thing:

tṛṅād api sunīcena taror api suhiṣṅunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc Ādi 17.31]

[One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.]

We have to become tolerant than the grass on the street and forbearing more than the trees. In this way we have to tolerate whatever is going on in this material world. Tolerate does not mean unnecessarily we shall suffer. As far as possible, let us struggle, but we should not forget our real business. That is human life. Real business is that I am part and parcel of God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta [Bg 15.7]. Some way or other, I am fallen in this material condition. There is a Bengali poet, he has sung, anādi-karama-phale paḍi, bhavārṅava-jale, tarivāre na dheki upāya. "Somehow or other I am fallen in this material ocean and struggling for existence." Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore prays... He does not pray for any material benefit. He is teaching us, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye [Cc Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]:

[O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.]

"My Lord, Jagadīśa, I do not want any material happiness or wealth," na dhanaṁ na janam, "or great followers," na sundarīṁ kavitām, "or beautiful wife." These are the demands of the karmīs: "I must have wealth, I must have position, I must have beautiful home, beautiful wife." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies. He says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. He does not want even mukti. Because He says next line that mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi [Cc Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]: "Life after life simply let Me remain Your devotee."

ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja- sthita-dhūlī-sadṛṣaṁ vicintaya [Cc Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5]

[O My Lord, O Kṛṣṅa, son of Mahārāja Nanda, I am Your eternal servant, but because of My own fruitive acts I have fallen into this horrible ocean of nescience. Now please be causelessly merciful to Me. Consider Me a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.]

So we have got such vast knowledge for achieving the goal of life. It is India. Why should we neglect? Why we should become so foolish that forget our real purpose of life and engage in will-o'-the-wisp struggle for existence, which will never be successful? Why this misconception of life? At least, there must be this institution of Kṛṣṅa consciousness in India so that not only the Indians, but all outside India, they should come and learn what is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. [applause] So it is already explained. We are trying to develop this institution in Bombay. Bombay is the best city in India, and people are also very advanced, enlightened. So let us combine together and develop this institution for the whole human society. That is our ambition. It is not for any sect or any creed or any particular class of men. Manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg 7.3].

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

It is for the human society, and we have got this opportunity of human body. A Bengali poet sings, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṅa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. "My Lord, I have wasted my this valuable life, human form of life, because I did not take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness."

So if you do not take Kṛṣṅa consciousness seriously in this human form of life, then you must know that you are drinking poison knowingly. Don't neglect it. Try to understand. It is based on science, philosophy, śāstra, knowledge. It is not a blind faith. And we are prepared to answer you in any way. The method is very simple; even a child can take advantage of it. Not that we are manufacturing. It is sanctioned in the śāstra. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṅaḥ [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.]

This is the statement by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He describes the faults of this Kali-yuga. It is just like the ocean. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann hy asti eka mahān... But there is one very great advantage, he said. What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, then you become free from all contamination and go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Some people have questions. Do you want to answer them?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: No need? Kīrtana?

Prabhupāda: They do not know. Hare Kṛṣṅa. Thank you very much. Jaya.

Girirāja: We're inviting all of you to remain for... [break] [end]