The Present Need of Human Society

Lecture on The Srimad Bhagavatam (Preface)
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Bombay, January 11, 1973

Prabhupada: Before speaking on the verses already quoted by my disciples, I may be permitted to read a portion of my preface to the Hare Krsna Movement. Those who are my, our life members, they have got the Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Part One.

There you’ll find this Preface, but for general information as to the need of this Krsna consciousness movement, I may read a portion of it. “We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits.”

Just like we are traveling all over the world, not only once, but twice, thrice in a year. Because there is facility for traveling the airways, so it has become very easy to go from country to country. And practically while I am in India, all my disciples are coming here from different parts of the world. Every morning… There are facilities now. Therefore the world is now not limited by geo…, geographical condition. Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded anymore by geographical limits to the particular countries or communities.

“Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is toward’s one state of human society.” There is already the United Nation. In New York, they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations, but actually when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited.

Just like in India, our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhiji for uniting all the different sections of the people, but actually the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu…, Hindu-Muslim riots in some place. Now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan.

So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact it is not being united. They’re becoming disunited more and more. Not only the Hindus and Muslims. Now in India, there are many provincial questions. Just like in Andhra the fight is going on for separation. Punjab is already separated. So actually we are not being united. We are being separated.
So the ideals of… “Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is toward one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Srimad-Bhagavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, on the entire energy of living beings.” This Krsna consciousness movement is meant for not only uniting the human society, but also all living entities. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18].

vidya-vinaye sampann
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]

When one is actually pandita, learned, he becomes sama-darsi. Vidya-vinaye sampanne. One learned brahmana, gentle brahmana. Vidya dadati namratah. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore it is said: vidya-vinaye sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty.

So vidya-vinaye sampanne gavi hastini and one side, the brahmana with gentle behavior, learned scholarship, and the other side, an animal, say a cow or a dog or an elephant. And another side the candala, the lowest of the human society. According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called candala. Just like in Hindu society, a person is not permitted to eat cow’s flesh. Even in human society, although they are eating different types of flesh, one is considered abominable than the other. The cow-eaters are taken as abominable than the goat-eaters, and the dog-eaters are accepted as abominable than the goat-eaters. So although they are eating flesh, they have got some distinction. That is material.

But, according to Vaisnava philosophy… Because a Vaisnava sees every living entity, not only human beings, not only animals, birds and beasts, anyone, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. If he, one is actually learned and advanced, he sees all living entities on the equal status. Because the reason is that a learned Vaisnava… Vaisnava… Brahmana Vaisnava. Brahmana pandita.

These are the designations. A brahmana cannot be illiterate or rascal. And after becoming brahmana, one has to become Vaisnava. Brahmana, generally, brahma janati iti brahmana, one who knows Brahman. Brahma-bhutah. At the present moment, we are under the bodily concept of life, every one of us. “I am Indian,” “I am American,” “I am brahmana,” “I am ksatriya,” “I am sannyasi,” “I am brahmacari,” “I am grhastha.” There are so many designations. So these designations are pertaining to the body and mind. But when you transcend the bodily and the mental concept of life, then you can become Vaisnava.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

Mad-bhaktim. Vaisnava means bhakta, devotee.

So this Bhagavad-gita or Srimad Bhagavatam or Krsna consciousness movement is meant for devotee. Without becoming devotee, one cannot become Krsna conscious. The nondevotees… (aside:) Water. The nondevotees accept Krsna (Prabhupada drinks) as ordinary person.

Avajananti mam mudhah manusim tanum asritam. Because Krsna comes before you as a human being, therefore because one has not sufficient knowledge about Krsna… Param bhavam ajanantah. Therefore such foolish persons accept Krsna as ordinary human being. Or a little better than ordinary human being. But that is not the fact. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the verdict of Vedic instruction.

Ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [Bhag. 1.3.28]. There is a list of incarnation of God in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Lord Buddha is also accepted as saktyavesa-avatara, especially empowered incarnation of Krsna. Kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira jaya jagadisa hare.

Although Buddhism, we do not accept the philosophy of Buddhism. We Vaisnavas, we do not accept, but we accept Lord Buddha as incarnation of Krsna. Kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira jaya jagadisa hare. Sadaya hrdaya-darsita-pasu ghatam. Lord Buddha appeared, being very much compassionate on the matter of animal-slaughter.

As nowadays animal-slaughter is going on without any check, similarly sometimes before, about 2,500 years ago, in India, the same condition prevailed. Vedic civilization, civilization is very liberal. According to Vedic civilization, the king has to give protection to all the prajas. Praja means one who has taken birth in his kingdom. Prajayate.

So the animal is also praja of the government. The trees are also praja of the government. So formerly nobody could slaughter an animal. Nobody can cut even a tree without reason, without sanction by the Vedic injunction.

At the present moment, in our country, this Bharata-varsa is called Punya-bhumi. Actually it is so because on this land all the great saintly persons appeared. The incarnation of God, Lord Ramacandra, Lord Krsna, Lord Buddhadeva, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all the big, big acaryas, Sankaracarya, Sri Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnuswami, to Vyasadeva, all of them appeared on this sacred land of Bharata-varsa. But the present Bharatavarsa has degraded so much that we have lost our Vedic culture. We are now eating meat. We are eating, drinking wine, and we are having illicit sex life and indulging in gambling. This is India’s position.

It is due to this Kali-yuga. Otherwise the land is punya-bhumi. Because the land is punya-bhumi, therefore, in spite of so much fallen condition, still you are anxious to hear about Krsna, you ladies and gentlemen who have come here, sacrificing your time. Why? Because still the Vedic culture is twinkling within your heart, and you are anxious to hear about Krsna, to hear about Srimad Bhagavatam. Even somebody wants to cheat you, but because it is advertised in the name of Bhagavad-gita, many people flock there. So Bharatabhumi is punya-bhumi, the land of piety. We should understand this. After many pious activities… I have travelled all over the world. They have got enough money, enough material facilities. But still the Vedic culture is different. It is so high. And it is taken still in estimation, in adoration all over the world.

So my request, especially to the Indians, that do not neglect your culture, the Vedic culture. Vedic culture means Krsna consciousness. There is no other, different meaning of Vedic culture.

In the Bhagavad-gita you have seen:

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivist
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam…
[Bg. 15.15]

That Krsna is to be understood. Vedic culture means to understand Krsna, what is Krsna. Vedic culture… All the Vedas, they’re meaning how to understand Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva… Vedanta. Vedanta means, Veda means knowledge, and anta means the end. There is, everything has got the ultimate, the Supreme summum bonum. That summum bonum of Vedic knowledge, or Vedanta, is Krsna. So that Vedanta knowledge, Krsna personified, He is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gita.

Everyone is searching after God, where is God. What is God? What is the meaning of God? What God does? What is the power of God? so many things. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: what is God. Sarvasya… In the Vedanta-sutra it is said what is God. That is the first question of the Vedanta-sutra: athato brahma jijnasa. The human life especially meant for inquiring about God. Unfortunately people, instead of inquiring God, they’re very much eager now to inquire about dog. This is the position. There are big, big dog shows in India. At the present moment, we have seen many places.

So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is to revive the Vedic culture. And the Vedic culture, another name of Vedic culture is sanatana-dharma. Sanatana means eternal, and dharma means characteristic. Dharma, generally, in English is translated “religion.” Religion means a kind of faith. “I believe in such and such faith.” “I believe in the Muhammadan faith.” “I believe in Christian faith.” “I believe in Buddha faith.”

But actually dharma does not mean faith. Dharma means characteristics. What is that characteristic? Just like everything, every little item, has got his characteristic. Just like, take, for example, chili. It is very hot. The more the chili is hot, it is good. But if the sugar becomes hot, like chili, imme…, immediately rejected. But if the chili is hot, you accept. It is good chili. Similarly, dharma means characteristics of the living entity. That is dharma. The living entity is described in the Bhagavad-gita: mamaivamso jiva-bhutah jiva loke sanatanah [Bg. 15.7].

Sanatana means eternal. God is eternal, sanatana. We are eternal, sanatana. And there is an eternal place also. This material world is not eternal. The characteristics of this material world is that it appears at a certain date, it continues to stay for a certain period, it develops, then it dwindles, and then vanishes. Just like our body, your body, my body. It has got a date of appearance.

It is growing, or changing from one shape to another. It will stay for some time. From this body, some by-products will come out, sons and daughters. And then it will become old, dwindling, diminishing, and then it will vanish. One day it will come, no more this body. Similarly this material world is also like that. It is a gigantic body only. Whole man, cosmic manifestation has a date of its creation. It is expanding, and it is giving so many by-products. Then time will come which is called devastation. There will be no more rain and everything will dry up. All living entities will die. Then there will be devastating rainfall—everything will be absorbed in water. And then vanish. We have got this information from Vedic literature.

So this is not sanatana-dhama. This is not eternal dhama. This is temporary. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is said: bhutva bhutva praliyate. It comes into existence and it disappears. Therefore it is not sanatana-dhama. But there is another dhama, sanatana, eternal. That is also, there is information in the Bhagavad-gita. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah vyaktavyakta-sanatanah [Bg. 8.20].

So there is sanatana-dhama, the living entity is sanatana, and God is sanatana, Krsna is sanatana. So these three sanatanas… Just like we have our dealings. In Bombay there are so many businessmen. The place is Bombay, and two parties, business parties, they are dealing. Similarly… But these are all temporary. Our staying in Bombay city is temporary, that dealing is temporary. But there is another place, which is called sanatana-dhama. That place is eternal, and the parties, namely God and the living entities, both of them eternal. Their dealing also eternal. That eternal dealing is called nitya-lila, eternal pastimes. These descriptions are there in the Vedic samhita, Brahma-samhita:

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.29]

Govinda has dealing. That dealing He represents exactly when He comes, when He appears on this planet. And the dealing is exhibited in Vrndavana dhama. You know Vrndavana dhama. When Krsna comes, about four, forty-three crores of years interval, Krsna comes.

This estimation, these things are there. Krsna comes in one day of Brahma. The duration of Brahma’s day, you know. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh [Bg. 8.17]. This means forty-three lakhs of years, multiply by one thousand. That is the duration of one day of Brahma. And similarly the duration of his night. So Krsna comes in one day, during that duration.

So when Krsna comes, He comes here, the same place, Vrndavana. Therefore Vrndavana is held in so much estimation by the devotees. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said: aradhyah bhagavan vrajesa-tanayah. Aradhya, worshipable Deity, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, who appeared as the son of Maharaja Nanda. Vrajesa. Aradhyah bhagavan vrajesa-tanayah tad dhamam vrndavanam. Similarly His place, Vrndavana is also worshipable. Therefore those who are Vaisnavas, espeically Gaudiya Vaisnavas, they live in Vrndavana in numbers. There are hundreds and thousands of Gaudiya Vaisnava still living in Vrndavana. Because they worship the land, Vrndavana, as good as Krsna. Because it is Krsna’s place.

So the sanatana-dhama… Vrndavana is also part of the sanatana-dhama. The living entity is sanatana, eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We do not die after destruction of this body. This is the preliminary instruction to understand Vedic knowledge or spiritual knowledge. If you do not understand the plain fact, that “I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I live within this body…” Dehino ’smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Dehinah. Dehinah means the proprietor of the body. Idam sariram kaunteya ksetra iti abhidhiyate [Bg. 13.2].

This sarira, this body is called ksetra, and the person or the living entity who is working on this body, he’s called ksetra-jnah. Those who have read Bhagavad-gita, they have come to this understanding of ksetra and ksetra-jnah. Ksetra-jnah means I, you. I know about my body, about the interest of my body. If somebody wants to kill me, I take protection, because it is my body, ksetra. Just like your land: if somebody comes to encroach upon it, you take care. Similarly this body is ksetra, the field of activities, and I or you, the proprietor of the body, is ksetra-jnah, one who knows about the body.

But there is another ksetra-jnah. That is Krsna. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: ksetrajnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata. Sarva-ksetresu. Krsna is also ksetra-jnah. Krsna is also sitting as I am sitting within this body, similarly Krsna is also sitting within this body.

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese arjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantra-rudhani mayaya
[Bg. 18.61]

He’s directing. Actually under His instruction, we are taking permission. Just like you do business in your business office establishment, but you have to take permission, license from the government. It is very easy to understand.

Although you are proprietor of the business, you cannot do anything without being permitted by the government. Similarly, although this body is yours, you are the proprietor of this body, you have been given freedom to utilize the body to your best interest, still you cannot do anything without the permission of Krsna. That is the subject matter to understand spiritual life.

Sarvasya caham hrdi… Krsna confirms this in Bhagavad-gita: sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto: [Bg. 15.15] “I am entered in everyone’s body.” Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: “Through Me, one remembers and one forgets.” Because our capacity is very limited. We forget very soon. Even we do not know two hours before what we were doing. That is our nature. Therefore Krsna helps us from within. Even though we forget, Krsna does not forget.

That is also there in the Bhagavad-gita. When Arjuna asked Him, Krsna, “You say that You gave instruction on Bhagavad-gita long, long ago, some forty thousands of millions of years ago, to sun-god. How can I believe it? Because we are contemporary.” Krsna answered: “Yes, at that time, you were also present, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten.” That is the distinction between ordinary living being and the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is also nitya.

The Supreme Being is also conscious. As we are eternal, nitya, and conscious. That is the statement of the Vedas: nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He is the Supreme Conscious, He is the Supreme Living Being. Therefore Krsna is person. Krsna is not imperson. Impersonal feature is one of the partial manifestation of Krsna. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Brahmano aham pratistha: Krsna is the basis of Brahman. But the original Brahman is Krsna, Param Brahman. As Arjuna accepted: param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12].

So this Krsna consciousness movement is India’s movement because it was started from India. It is meant for everyone. Because every living entity is sanatana, eternal. It is not that only Indians are eternal. Everyone is eternal. Even the animals, they are also eternal. They have got different body, according to their karma.

Therefore panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. The pandita does not see the outward dress. If we talk with you, I do not see what kind of dress you have got. I talk with you as gentleman. Similarly a pandita sees the inner soul. He does not see the outward dress, that “Here is a human being” or “Here is an American,” “Here is an Indian,” “Here is a brahmana,” or “Here is a elephant” or dog or candala or tree. No. He sees only the spirit soul, the part and parcel of Krsna. And as soon as one sees the part and parcel of Krsna, he immediately remembers Krsna.

Therefore one who is advanced in Krsna consciousness, even though he sees a tree, immediately sees Krsna. But as soon as he sees the tree, he understands that this tree, standing here for seven thousands of years according to his karma, but here is a living entity. And this living entity is the part and parcel of Krsna. And as soon as he remembers Krsna, he sees Krsna.

Just try to understand. Therefore a maha-bhagavata, advanced devotee, he sees everything, but in everything he sees Krsna, Krsna’s energy. That is perfection of life. That is brahma-bhutah life, realization of Brahman in everything. He understands himself, He understands others.

Just like when there is sunrise. In the darkness of night, I cannot see you properly, neither you can see me properly. Suppose if the streets are dark, we cannot see, even we pass very near. Similarly in darkness of ignorance, we do not know actually what is our position. But as in the daytime, when there is sunrise, you can see the sun, you can see the world, you can see yourself, you can see your friend, you can see the whole world, therefore we have to see Krsna. Then this stage will come.

vidya-vinaye sampann
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]

So this Krsna consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that one can see in terms of Krsna consciousness. “In terms of Krsna consciousness” means that every living entity is part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna seys, mamaivamsa jiva-bhutah: “All these living entities, they are My part and parcel.” In another place, He says:

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
sambhavanti murtayah yah
tasam mahad yonir brahma
aham bija-pradah pita
[Bg. 14.4]

So Krsna is the aham bija-pradah pita. Just like the father gives the bija. Yoni, the mother is the yoni, and the father is the bija. Yatha, yatha bijam yatha yonim. We get our body by the bija and yoni. Similarly this material world is the yoni, mother, and the Krsna is the bija. Aham bija-pradah pita.

So in this way different forms of life has coming, 8,400,000 species life. So they’re all sanatana. All these living entities are sanatana. But on account of their forgetfulness, being diverted, misled by the illusory energy… Mayaya apahrta-jnana. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

na mam prapadyante mudhah
duskrtinah naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana…
[Bg. 7.15]

Their jnana, their knowledge, has been taken away by maya. Therefore they do not understand Krsna. Na mam prapadyante mudhah. Because they are foolish rascal, therefore maya has taken their knowledge, and therefore na mam prapadyante, “They do not surrender unto Me.” Therefore Krsna’s last instruction is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].

So we shall gradually discuss all these points. The preliminary is that the present moment, although we are trying to be united, United Nations, united society, united religion, united… So many things we are trying to be united. Communism, united community. But this unity can be possible only when we are actually learned in Krsna consciousness.

vidya-vinaye sampann
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]

One has to become learned. And the process of learning is not very difficult. It is very easy, especially for the men of this age. That is this chanting of Hare Krsna maha-mantra. If you chant this Hare Krsna maha-mantra, is it very difficult for you? God has given you tongue. We are talking so many things, whole day and night. But if we utilize this tongue for chanting Hare Krsna mantra, what is the loss there? That is the injunction of the sastras. Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha, harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached this cult.

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava maha-davagni-nirvapanam… [break]
…ka vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardanam pratipadam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam
[Cc. Antya 20.12]

So this Krsna consciousness movement is spreading this cult of Krsna understanding. And we have got very good scheme for communism.

As I have stated here in this… “The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Srimad-Bhagavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, on the entire energy of the living beings.” This is spiritual communism.

The communist cult is concentrating on the state. That is also limited. Not only on the state, there are so many limitations. Actual communism is this:

vidya-vinaye sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]

Panditah sama… When we see equal, not only the learned brahmana, the learned brahmana or the elephant or the cow or the dog or the candala. No matter. Whatever the bodily condition is there, the spiritual condition is the same. Panditah sama… This samata, this communism, equality, is perfect. Their modern theory of communism, that “I am good, my brother is good, and all bad,” this is not communism. When we, we shall see that “I am good, my brother good, the dog is good, the cat is good, the Englishman is good, the every living entity’s good,” that is communism. That is perfect communism.

So this Krsna consciousness movement, or the Bhagavata-dharma, that is ideal communism. You’ll find in Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Seventh Canto, Narada Muni’s instructing to Maharaja Yudhisthira about this communism that a grhastha, before taking lunch, he must see that every insect, every lizard, every cat, every rat… [break] …

a snake in that house must have been fed, must have taken their food. This is so hospitable that the householder, the owner of the house, not only sees that his wife, children, servants are well fed, but even the rats, cats or the insect or the lizard. Or even the snake has got his food. This is the ideal of communism.

Because when you are pandita, learned, you cannot distinguish that “This is animal and this is human being.” You can treat them different because their consciousness But on the basic principle the living entity, any living entity, doesn’t matter whether he’s animal or man, he’s part and parcel of Krsna. So you cannot kill one living entity for the satisfaction of the tongue of other… (end)