Śrīla Prabhupāda Speaks Out

“We Want To Give Eyes To The People”

At the end of a talk in Los Angeles, on November 18, 1968, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda took questions, and a memorable exchange ensued.

Woman: Are you familiar with Joan of Arc? She was a saint.

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes.

Woman: Is there any person in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam similar to her?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: You want to see Joan of Arc in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Why don’t you take Joan of Arc of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Any activities of the Lord’s devotees—that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. What do you mean by Bhāgavatam? Bhāgavatam: this word comes from bhagavān, meaning “God.” Anything pertaining to Bhagavān is Bhāgavatam. So Bhāgavatam can be expanded unlimitedly. Anything in relationship with God—that is Bhāgavatam. So if Joan of Arc was in relationship with God, she is also Bhāgavatam. You should expand Bhāgavatam in that way. [Turning to an inquiring disciple:] Yes.

Disciple 1: Śrīla Prabhupāda, recently it said in the newspaper that the scientists were sending a rocket around the moon. I have read in your Easy Journey to Other Planets that no matter how many endeavors they make, they will never reach these other planets. Is this...?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. This is not the process for reaching the other planets. This is childish. About this, also, I have made a statement. This is childish. You cannot go to the moon planet in that way. It is not possible. The scientists will simply create a story, but they’ll never be successful.

Disciple 2: Śrīla Prabhupāda, will we come to know Kṛṣṅa, as well, by thinking always how we can spread this Kṛṣṅa consciousness? Will this kind of thinking help us to know Kṛṣṅa as much as if we thoroughly study the Vedas?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa: somehow or other, you have to understand the science of Kṛṣṅa. There are so many books. The Gosvāmīs were studying and writing. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṅaika-nipuṅau: they were very much expert in studying very scrutinizingly all Vedic literatures. Of course, the process is either reading or hearing. You may not have time to read, but try to read. If you have no time, you are hearing. We are publishing literature, books. And I am trying to speak to you. When you hear me, that is also understanding; that is also studying the Kṛṣṅa science.

Rather, hearing is better reception. The Vedas are, therefore, known as śruti. Śruti means knowledge received through hearing. The real process is hearing. And in this age, Kali-yuga, people cannot study so much. For instance, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was questioned by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, He said of Himself, “What can I understand about Vedānta-sūtra? I am a fool. Therefore, My spiritual master has ordered Me to simply chant.”

So this chanting will help you. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau: simply by studying, by becoming a bookworm, you cannot advance; the real secret is—this is stated in the Vedas—unflinching faith in God and the spiritual master. Then things will be revealed from within. How much strength have we got to study all these books? But the Vedas say, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. If one has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in the spiritual master, then tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ: to him only, the Vedic knowledge becomes revealed.

And this special revelation is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Lord Kṛṣṅa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam—“Those who are engaged in My service with love and affection”—buddhi-yogaṁ dadami tam—“I personally give them intelligence”—yena mām upayānti te—“by which they can come to Me.” In another place in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṅa states, teṣām evānukampārtham—“In order to show these devotees special favor”—aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāsayāmy—“I personally dissipate their darkness within the heart.” The mind is utterly full of darkness; therefore, we are conditioned. So Kṛṣṅa, from within He drives away the darkness of ignorance. Aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayamy ātma-bhāva-stho. Just like that.

So He is within you. If you are sincere to Him and to the instruction—following—then everything will come out automatically, even if you don’t read. This is the special significance of Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that we want simply sincere souls; then everything is there. You study or don’t study. But for preaching work, studying is required. Because you have to meet so many opposing elements, it will be well if you can give some references from books of authority. But even if you don’t give references, you can speak logically. You can place arguments logically. So Kṛṣṅa will help. Kṛṣṅa is within you. Don’t think that Kṛṣṅa is without.

He’s without and within, both. That is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When Kṛṣṅa was standing before Kuntī and He also entered within the womb of Uttarā to save Parīkṣit Mahārāja, Kuntī said, “I see that You are within and without. Still, You are unseen.” God is within and without, but the rascals cannot see. They say, “Where is God? Can you show me?” But He is always everywhere, within and without.

One has to train himself how to see. That is described in the Brahma saṁhitā: premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena: one has to anoint the eyes with love of God—then he can see. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti.

This verse mentions the santaḥ, the saintly persons. For instance, in your San Francisco, we find the word sant, or saint. Sant or santaḥ is a Sanskrit word. The saint word is a Sanskrit word. And santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti: those who are saints—santaḥ—they always see God, within and without. They have got eyes to see. What are those special eyes? Love of God. That’s all.

Disciple 3: Śrīla Prabhupāda, Lord Jesus Christ says that if you would see God, your eye must be single. Is he referring to this same scriptural statement and saying love of God is this single eye?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Do you mean that one of your eyes will be lost? What do you mean by that? What do you understand by this statement?

Disciple 3: I understand that your attention should be one-pointed on God.

Śrīla Prabhupāda: That’s it. That’s it. When you actually see God, you cannot see anything except God. That is God-seeing. That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe, nā dekhe tāra mūrti: an elevated devotee, a first-class devotee—he sees trees or animals, nonmoving or moving beings of so many varieties, but he does not exactly see their form. He sees the soul within, and everywhere he sees Kṛṣṅa.

That is a fact. Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayayaḥ yāḥ: “There are millions of varieties of forms of life, but I am the seed-giving father.” So a devotee sees, “Oh, right here is a son of Kṛṣṅa. Over there is a son of Kṛṣṅa. To my left is a son of Kṛṣṅa. And to my right is a son of Kṛṣṅa.”

So if you love somebody, as soon as you see his son you immediately remember whose son he is. Therefore, the saintly person sees the tree and immediately remembers, “Oh, it is Kṛṣṅa's.” He sees a dog; he immediately sees Kṛṣṅa. “Oh, he is Kṛṣṅa's.” He sees a watch; he immediately sees, “It is Kṛṣṅa's.” Therefore, he is single-eyed, focused on Kṛṣṅa. That’s all. He has no other vision. Everything—Kṛṣṅa's.

Therefore, he wants to take everything and everyone towards Kṛṣṅa. “Please come to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. You are missing Him. You are Kṛṣṅa's. Why are you are identifying with this nonsense? Why you are thinking ’American,’ ’Indian,’ or this or that? You are Kṛṣṅa's. Come to Kṛṣṅa.” This is our propaganda. We want to give eyes to the people. They are blind; their leaders are blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamanās, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum: they do not know what is their ultimate goal of life—Kṛṣṅa, God. So what Lord Jesus Christ says—it is right.

Any other question? Then have kīrtana. Hare Kṛṣṅa.