A Person Condemned for Murder, The Justice of the Peace Cannot Be Blamed

Visnujana: 21: “O Partha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?” Purport: “Everything has its utility, and a man who is situated in complete knowledge knows how and where to apply a thing for its proper utility. Similarly violence also has its use, and how to apply violence rests with the person in knowledge. Although the justice of the peace awards capital punishment to a person condemned for murder, the justice of the peace cannot be blamed because he orders violence to another according to the codes of justice. In the Manu-samhita,...”

Prabhupada: Manu-samhita, yes.

Visnujana: “...the lawbook for mankind, it is supported that a murderer should be condemned to death so that in his next life he will not have to suffer for the great sin he has committed. Therefore the king’s punishment of hanging a murderer is actually beneficial. Similarly when Krsna orders fighting, it must be concluded that violence is for the supreme justice, and as such, Arjuna should follow the instruction, knowing well that such violence committed in the act of fighting for justice is not at all violence. Because at any rate the man, or rather, the soul, cannot be killed. For the administration of justice, so-called violence is permitted. A surgical operation is not meant to kill the patient, but is for his cure. Therefore the fighting to be executed by Arjuna under the instruction of Krsna is with full knowledge, and so there is no possibility of sinful reaction.”

Prabhupada: This is the distinction between violence and nonviolence. People are very much advocate of nonviolence, but they are committing, according to their estimation, they are committing every moment violence. But from higher standard there is practically no violence and the things which apparently appear to be violence, if it is properly executed... Just like under the order of high court judge, one body is being executed. So that is not violence. A justice of higher order is not meant for committing violence. It is justice. Similarly, when, under the direction of the supreme justice, Krsna, anything is done, apparently, although it appears violence, it is not violence. It is justice. This is to be understood. Go on.

Visnujana: 22: “As a person puts on a new garment, giving up old ones, similarly the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless one.” Purport.

Prabhupada: In a different way, in varied ways, Krsna is trying to make us understand the constitutional position of the soul. Yes.

Visnujana: “Change of body by the atomic individual soul is an accepted fact. Even some of the modern scientists who do not believe in the existence of the soul but at the same time cannot explain the source of energy from the heart, they have to accept continuous changes of body which appear from childhood to boyhood and from boyhood to youth and again from youth to old age. From old age the change is transferred to another body. This has already been explained in the previous verse. Transference of the atomic individual soul to another body is also made possible by the grace of the Supersoul. The Supersoul fulfills the desire of the soul as one friend fulfills the desire of another. The Vedas, such as the Mundaka Upanisad, as well as the Svetasvatara Upanisad...”

Prabhupada: Svetasvatara.

Visnujana: “...confirm this concept of two kinds of souls by comparing them to two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds, the individual atomic soul, is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird is simply watching his friend. Of these two birds, although they are the same in quality, one is captivated by the fruits of the material tree, while the other is simply witnessing his activity. Krsna is the witnessing bird and Arjuna is the eating bird. Although they are friends, one is still the master and the other is the servant.”

Prabhupada: That is the eternal relationship. These are confirmed in Vedic literature just like Svetasvatara Upanisad, Mundaka Upanisad. The system is whatever is mentioned in the Vedas, that is authoritatively accepted. That is the Vedic understanding. If there is some evidence in the Vedas... Just like in law court, if there is some section in the lawbook, then the lawyers, the judge, accept it. “Yes, it is like this.”

Similarly knowledge. Vedas means knowledge. So perfect knowledge is there. Therefore if the evidence is there in the statement of Vedas, that is the proof. Sabda-pramana. There are three kinds of evidences. Pratyaksa, direct sense perception, and sabda-pramana, evidence from the Vedic statement, and anumana, aitihya, historical or hypothesis. So out of all evidences, the evidence which is called, derived from Vedic statement, that is accepted as most authoritative.

Therefore Mundaka Upanisad and Svetasvatara Upanisad, they are Vedas. There is statement that two birds are sitting on the same tree. The tree is compared, the body is compared with the tree. And two birds, namely the Supersoul, Krsna, and the living entity, individual soul, they are sitting together. And one is eating the fruit of the tree and the other is simply witnessing. This is our position. The other friendly bird, Krsna or Supersoul, is giving us opportunity to act with this body as I like. He’s giving us opportunity. Ksetra-jna. I am the proprietor of this body. I have been allowed to utilize this body as I like. And the facility is given by the Supersoul.

So if I like, I can utilize this body for higher grade of life. Krsna will give us all facilities. And if I like, I can utilize this body for lower grade of life. Krsna will give us facilities. So He’s always friendly. And He gives us also friendly advice, that “Don’t act independently. Just act in Krsna consciousness under Me. Then you’ll be happy.” That is His actual instruction. But the living entity does not care for the instruction of the Supersoul. He wants to act independently, and he has to suffer the consequence. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita in the Fourth Chapter. Yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra loko ’yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. Yajna means Visnu or Krsna. Whatever you do, or what... Not whatever you do. You have to do only for Krsna. Yajnarthe karma. Whatever you act. Never mind. Whatever you do. But you have to act for Krsna. Yajnarthe karma anyatra. Otherwise, karma-bandhanah, you’ll be bound up by the reaction. The same example: just a person acting on behalf of some superior authority, government, personally he has no responsibility because he is acting on behalf of the supreme authority. Just like a manager or agent, attorney. Just like we signed one lease agreement.

That Mr. Brown, he is acting as attorney on behalf of the landlord. So he has no responsibility. He is acting in landlord capacity or landlord consciousness. He is trying to save the interest of the landlord as far as possible. But if there is any mistake, the landlord will suffer or gain. He has nothing to do. Similarly, if we work in Krsna consciousness, if there is something wrong... Because we can act two ways, wrongly or rightly. That’s all. If we do rightly, it is all right. Even if we don’t do it rightly, wrongly, still, it is right because the cause is the Supreme. Yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra loko ’yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. The best, safest way of acting is to act in Krsna consciousness or under the order of Krsna. Or if somebody says “Where is Krsna?” No. Krsna is there. Just like Bhagavad-gita is there, and the explanation of Bhagavad-gita by the representative of Krsna is there. So Krsna, being absolute, His representative, His words are nondifferent from Him. We should not think that “Krsna is not in my presence.” As soon as Bhagavad-gita is there and as soon as we understand Bhagavad-gita as it is, that means we are hearing directly Krsna. So if we do according to the instruction of Krsna, as Arjuna did, then there is no reaction. We are free. Yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra....

[excerpt from Bhagavad-gita 2.20-25--Lecture, Seattle, October 14, 1968]

What do you mean by God?

Prabhupada: The first thing is that what do you mean by Krsna. That is to be understood. Krsna means God. So if you have no objection to chant the name of God, then there is no difference of opinions. Now first of all, I may ask you, “What do you mean by God?”

You are chanting the holy name of God, and people may ask you, “What do you mean by God?” Because especially nowadays... (aside) No, there is matches? That’s all. Come near. So first question will be, “What do you mean by God?” If I, or anybody, asks you, “What do you mean by God?”

Moustafa: I cannot explain, because now...

Prabhupada: But that you must explain. If you are chanting the name of God, then you must know what do you mean by God.

Moustafa: When I feel, I will get spiritual, my feeling...

Prabhupada: Spiritual, what do you mean by spiritual?

Moustafa: It means I put everything that is bad and dirty inside and I make it out, all of them.

Prabhupada: What is inside and what is outside?

Moustafa: Outside? I don’t know what is inside.

Prabhupada: Then you do not know. You do not know outside, inside.

Moustafa: When I do wrong, for example. When I do lie, when I do something, when I see wrong.

Prabhupada: Wrong, one thing is wrong in my country, and that is right in your country. Just like animal slaughter is wrong according to our Vedic civilization. Unnecessary animal slaughter is forbidden. But in your country or in other Western countries, they kill so many animals. So what is wrong, what is right? Who will decide?

Moustafa: That’s the reason I don’t kill animals and I don’t eat meat. For three years now.

Prabhupada: That’s very good, very good idea. When we want God, to understand, we must try to understand what is God. What do you mean by God? The God definition is given in the dictionary, what is that? “Supreme being, supreme controller.” So how do you understand that supreme controller?

What do you mean by supreme controller? In this way we should try to understand what is the idea carried by the word God. We have got, in our Vedic language, we have got definition of God, thataisvaryasya samagrasyaviryasya yasasah sriyahjnana-vairagyayais caivasannam bhaga itinganah“God” means He must possess all the wealth.

Just like in Persia you have got so many wealthy persons, but nobody can claim, even the Shah cannot claim, that he possesses all the wealth. That is not possible. Persia. Do you follow what I say? So this is one of the items, that God is the richest, or He possesses all the wealth. Similarly, He possesses all the strength, He possesses all the beauty, He possesses all knowledge, and He is the renouncer also, the most exalted renouncer. Although He possesses so many things, He is renounced. Just like this universe is the property of God, but He has given to you, all the living entities. “Now you wanted to enjoy, enjoy it to your best capacity.” He doesn’t interfere. “All right, you go on.” And we are trying to enjoy this material world to our best capacity.

Just like in Iran, you are trying to enjoy by exploiting the oil. Similarly, somebody is exploiting. It is all God’s property. He doesn’t interfere. “All right, enjoy.” This is renouncement. His property, He does not come to interfere. God knows how this universe is made. So many big, big scientists, they are trying to understand what is the constitution, how this universe is made, how it is created. Nobody knows, but He knows. Just like you have got this body, I have got this body, but we do not know everything of this body. I do not know how many hairs are there. Is it not?

So, so many things. I am eating, and it is transformed into blood, and it is directed towards brain, towards other parts of the body and we are working very strong, but we do not know how things are happening. Although I am claiming I am this body, I am my body. But God knows every particular, any... anvayad itaratah. How the stone is made, He knows. How this flower is colored, He knows. That is called wise, wisdom. Vedaham samatitani. He knows. That is God. He is the possessor of all wealth, all knowledge, all beauty, all strength, all influence. In this way you have to understand God.

Atreya Rsi: His question is “How can I have more faith in God?”

Prabhupada: The more you know about these things.

Atreya Rsi: You must inquire.

Prabhupada: Yes. Oh, very good. Then is bigger than you. Very good. There is a verse in Caitanya-caritamrta, siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa iha ha-ite krsne. To know, we have got limited knowledge, we cannot understand full what is God, but still we must try to understand what is God.

This is the general definition of God. Suppose you take one item, God is rich, richest. Try to understand how He is richest, what is the topmost idea of all richness. Whether God possesses that richness. He possesses, but we do not understand. In this way we have to study, and all the saintly person have studied Krsna, about these six things. They have analyzed the characters and symptoms and they have found isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Not blindly, but studying thoroughly about these qualities of God, they have decided isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. So you have to study God. Not that we accept God anybody and anything, no. Siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa. Don’t be lazy to understand God. The more you understand, the more you become a devotee.

Atreya Rsi: He says, “I am very anxious to become a good devotee.”

Prabhupada: Yes, you can become, everyone can become. The more the dirty things within the heart is cleansed, more one becomes a devotee. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Madhya 19.167]. You have to make zero all dirty desires. Then it is pure.anyabhilasita-sunyamjnana-karmady-anavrtamanukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama [BRS 1.1.11]That is bhaktir uttama.

[Excerpt from .....Room Conversation--August 8, 1976, Tehran]

God and The Law of Karma

[from The Laws of Nature: An Infallible Justice]

The Isopanisad states that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is “perfect and complete.” Part of the Lord’s complete arrangement for this material world is his process of creation, maintenance, and destruction. Every living being in this material world has a fixed schedule of six changes: birth, growth, maintenance, the production of by-products, diminution, and destruction. This is the law of material nature.

A flower is born as a bud. It grows, remains fresh for two or three days, produces a seed, gradually withers, and then is finished. You cannot stop this by your so-called material science. To try to do so is avidya, ignorance.Sometimes people foolishly think that by scientific advancement man will become immortal. This is nonsense. You cannot stop the material laws. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita (7.14) Lord Krsna says that the material energy is duratyaya, impossible to overcome by material means.

Material nature consists of three modes, or gunas: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, and tamo-guna, or the modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance. Another meaning of guna is “rope.” Rope is made by twisting fiber in a threefold process. First the fiber is twisted in three small strands, then three of them are twisted together, then again three of those are twisted together. In this way the rope becomes very strong. Similarly, the three modes of nature—goodness, passion, and ignorance—are mixed, after which they produce some by-product. Then they are mixed again, and then again. Thus they are “twisted together” innumerable times.In this way the material energy binds you more and more.

By your own efforts you cannot get out of this bondage, which is known as pavarga. Pa-varga is the fifth set of letters in the Sanskrit Devanagari alphabet. It contains the letters pa, pha, ba, bha, and ma. Pa stands for parisrama, “hard labor.” Every living entity in this world is struggling very hard to maintain himself and survive. This is called the hard struggle for existence. Pha stands for phena, “foam.” When a horse works very hard, foam comes out of its mouth. Similarly, when we are tired from working very hard, our tongue may become dry and some foam forms in our mouth. Everyone is working very hard for sense gratification—so much so that foam is coming from their mouth. Ba represents bandha, “bondage.” In spite of all our efforts, we remain bound up by the ropes of the material modes of nature. Bha stands for bhaya, “fear.”

In material life, one is always in a blazing fire of fear, since no one knows what will happen next. And ma represents mrtyu, “death.” All our hopes and plans for happiness and security in this world are ended by death.So, Krsna consciousness nullifies this pavarga process. In other words, by taking to Krsna consciousness one attains apavarga, where there is no hard struggle for existence and no material bondage, fear, or death. Pavarga symptomizes this material world, but when you add the prefix “a” to pavarga, that means it is nullified.

Our Krsna consciousness movement is the path of apavarga.Unfortunately, people do not know of these things, and therefore they are wasting their lives. This modern civilization is a soul-killing civilization; people are killing themselves because they do not know what real life is. They are simply living like animals. The animal does not know what life is, so he simply works under the laws of nature, undergoing gradual evolution. But when you get this human form of life, you have a responsibility to live in a different way. Here is a chance for you to become Krsna conscious and solve all problems. But if you don’t—if you continue to act like animals—you will again have to enter the cycle of birth and death and transmigrate through 8,400,000 species of life. It will take many, many millions of years to come back to the human form of life. For example, the sunshine you are seeing now you will not see again until after twenty-four hours.

Everything in nature moves in a cycle. So if you lose this opportunity of elevating yourself, then again you must enter the cycle of transmigration. Nature’s law is very strong. Therefore we are opening so many centers so that people may take advantage of this International Society for Krishna Consciousness and elevate themselves.It is important to take to Krsna consciousness immediately, because we do not know how much time is left before death. When your time in this body expires, no one can stop your death. The arrangement of material nature is so strong. You cannot say, “Let me remain.” Actually, people sometimes request like that. When I was in Allahabad, an old friend who was very rich was dying. At that time he begged the doctor, “Can’t you give me at least four more years to live? I have some plans which I could not finish.” You see. This is foolishness. Everyone thinks, “Oh, I have to do this. I have to do that.” No. Neither the doctors nor the scientists can check death: “Oh, no, sir. Not four years, not even four minutes. You have to go immediately.” This is the law.

So before that moment comes, one should be very careful to become realized in Krsna consciousness. You should realize Krsna consciousness very quickly. Before your next death comes, you must finish your business. That is intelligence. Otherwise you will suffer defeat.The Isopanisad states that whatever emanates from the complete whole—the Supreme Lord—is also complete in itself. Therefore if you want to take advantage of your life and become Krsna conscious, there is complete facility. But you have to come to the point of taking up the practice. Krsna consciousness is not theoretical; it is practical. All experiments have already been performed.

So, as indicated in the Isopanisad, there is a complete facility for the small complete units—ourselves—to realize the supreme complete, Krsna. We are complete units, but we are small. For example, in a big machine there is a small screw, and the perfection of that small screw is to be fitted in its proper place. Then it has value. But if it becomes unscrewed from the machine and falls down on the floor, it has no value. Similarly, we are perfect as long as we are attached to Krsna; otherwise we are useless.To realize the complete means to realize what our relationship with the complete is. And all forms of incompleteness are experienced only on account of incomplete knowledge of the complete. We are thinking, “I am equal to God. I am God.” This is incomplete knowledge. But if you know, “I am part and parcel of God, and therefore I am equal to God in quality,” that is complete knowledge.

The human form of life is a chance to revive the complete manifestation of the consciousness of the living being. You can revive this complete consciousness by the process of Krsna consciousness. But if you don’t take advantage of this complete facility, you are killing yourself, committing suicide. As it is said in the Isopanisad, “The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance. ” So don’t be the killer of your soul. Utilize the complete facility of your human life to become Krsna conscious. That is your only business.

Abortion- Being Evicted From Your Apartment

Bhagavad-gita 2.12--London, August 18, 1973 [Excerpt...]

...There is no limit how many living entities are there. If you search out, after passing stool, if you search out stool, you’ll find millions of living entities, germs. Even from the hole of your room, there is small hole, and there are ants, hundreds and thousands will come out.

So similarly, within the hole, within the earth, within the air, within the fire even, there are germs, worms in the fire. These rascals, they do not know. They simply think... Because nitya, nitya means ever-existing. So in the fire the living entities does not die. They sterilize. “Now it is sterilized.” That is all nonsense. Sterilized means the body is killed, but not this... There is abortion. The body is killed. Contraception... The body is killed. But the soul, he’s not killed. If you make some inconvenience to the soul, who has taken shelter in the womb, and you kill the body, then he’ll have to search out another body. This is going on. Just see how the rascal civilization is going on. They’re thinking they’re killing. This way killed, that way killed. No. You, it is sinful because you create inconvenience to that particular soul.

He was taking shelter, karmana daiva-netrena jantur dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. By his karma he was given shelter to develop a body, and if you kill that body, that means you go against the order of the Supreme. Daiva-netrena, suppose you are destined to occupy some room, and somebody does not allow you to enter that room, is it not criminal? It is criminal, unlawful detention, unlawful... It is unlawful, even in the state.

Similarly, a living entity is developing one body, and if you kill that, you become immediately criminal, punishable. And the living entity who is checked to develop the body, he’s put into inconvenience, he’s also sinful. He’s also sinful. Therefore it may be simply he’s wandering from one womb to another, one womb to another. Because he committed that sinful activity abortion. Now the man who causes his abortion, he also being punished, that “You’ll never see the light of this world. You’ll simply have to live one womb to another, one womb to another. Go on.” So nature’s punishment is like that. But these foolish people they do not know.

Imperfect Senses

Bhagavad-gita 7.1
--London, March 9, 1975


Nitai: “Now hear, O son of Prtha (Arjuna), how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.”

Prabhupada:sri bhagavan uvacamayy asakta-manah parthayogam yunjan mad-asrayahasamsayam samagram mamyatha jnasyasi tac chrnu [Bg. 7.1]The Lord, Bhagavan... Bhagavan means the most powerful, almighty, with six opulences. That is Bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence, and van, this word, is used in the sense of possession.

Just like generally we say bhagyavan. We Indians, we know. Bhagyavan means fortunate. This word bhagya comes from bhaga. Bhaga, and in relationship with bhaga the word comes: bhagya. And van means “one who possesses.” Asty arthe vatup. The Sanskrit word, when the meaning is to possess, then one affix is added which is called vat, bhaga-vat. And the first word of the bhagavat-sabda is bhagavan.

So we are trying to understand Bhagavan, which is explained by Bhagavan Himself, Bhagavan, God. You cannot understand God, or Bhagavan, by your speculation. Any one of us, our senses are defective. Just like we are very much proud of our eyes to see. Sometimes some rascal says, “Can you show me God?” He does not think that how far his eyes are capable to see, but he wants to see God. Our senses are conditional. So long the electric light is there, we can see. If it is immediately dark, we cannot see. Then what is the value of this seeing? But we are very much proud of seeing. Similarly, we have our defective senses and we accept something which is not fact. That is called illusion. And we commit mistake, every one of us.

There is no man in the world who can say, “I did not commit any mistake in my life.” That is not possible. “To err is human,” it is said. So we have got four defects. We commit mistake, we are illusioned, bhrama-pramada... Just like we accept this body as myself. “I am this body.” “Who are you?” “I am Mr. such and such,” “I am Indian,” “I am American,” “I am Englishman,” “I am white,” “I am black,” “I am fat,” “I am thin.” In this way we give description of our body. But we do not know what I am. This is called illusion. And commit mistake, we have got experience. Many times we have committed mistake, blunder, in our life.

So bhrama-pramada-karanapatava. Karanapatava means... Karana means the senses through which we act. Just like we catch up through the hand. This is called karana. So karana, these are imperfect. I am catching with my hand, but if the hand is paralyzed... So long we are not paralyzed, our machine is going nicely, we can catch. Otherwise, we cannot catch. This is condition. We can catch under certain condition. So therefore our senses are imperfect. Karana apatu. Apatu means imperfect. Bhrama-pramada-karanapatava, and another defect is vancana, or cheating. I am so much defective; still, I want to impress others that I have got full knowledge.

How you can have full knowledge if you are so defective? Just like a diseased man. He cannot say, “I am perfect in health.” That is not possible. Similarly, if we are defective in so many ways, and if I want to become teacher or preacher to give you the truth, then how can I give? This is not possible. So we cannot hear from anyone who is defective. That is not pure knowledge, that is not perfect knowledge. If we hear from some defective, who theorize, “I think,” “In my opinion,” “Maybe,” “Perhaps...” These are nonsense speaking.

So almost everyone, the so-called scientists, philosophers, they simply theorize, “I think.” Who are you, you are thinking like that? You are imperfect.So we cannot accept the theories or the statement of some defective person. We should hear from the person who is not defective, perfect. Therefore our process of hearing or getting knowledge is from the perfect person. That is called Krsna consciousness. We are hearing Bhagavad-gita, we are getting knowledge from Bhagavad-gita, because Bhagavan Himself speaking. Therefore here it is said... Although it is said by Krsna... Everyone knows that Krsna spoke Bhagavad-gita, and Vyasadeva recorded it and then put it into the Mahabharata, this statement. But here Vyasadeva purposely says... One may not misunderstand that this knowledge is imperfect. Therefore he says, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan uvaca means there is no defect. You can accept it as it is and you get the full knowledge. This is the meaning of bhagavan uvaca. Many times he has said. So bhagavan uvaca, and He is speaking about Himself, Bhagavan, Krsna, coming here.

Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7].paritranaya sadhunamvinasaya ca duskrtamdharma-samsthapanarthayasambhavami yuge yuge [Bg. 4.8]Bhagavan comes for this purpose, to let people know what is Bhagavan, not this so-called rascal incarnation. Just try to understand what is Bhagavan. If Bhagavan... Bhagavan means the six opulences in full.aisvaryasya samagrasyaviryasya yasasah sriyahjnana-vairagyayos caivasannam bhaga itingana Aisvarya means wealth, riches. One who is the greatest rich man. Every one of us... There are so many rich men, we are present here. But nobody can say, “I am the richest in the world.” That is not possible. So one who can say and prove that he is the richest in the world, he can be accepted as Bhagavan, not these rascals, cheap Bhagavan. Cheap Bhagavan we don’t accept. We accept Bhagavan Ramacandra, Bhagavan Krsna, because They did something which is impossible to be done by any human being. We are not going to accept cheap Bhagavan.

So Bhagavan means who is the richest, who is the most famous, who is the most..., who is the strongest, who is the most beautiful, who is the most wise, and who is most renounced. Just like Krsna. Krsna says that bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor of all the lokas. Lokas means where the people or living entities live. So there are so many planets. Everywhere there are living entities. Om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam. There are Bhurloka, Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Satyaloka, Brahmaloka. Seven, fourteen planetary system. Then down: Tala, Atala, Vitala, Talatala, Patala, Rasatala. There are so many. This is only one universe. There are millions of universes.

Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Koti, we Indians understand, millions. There are millions of universes. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. And each and every universe there are millions of planets, and each planet is different from the other.Just like the moon planet. You are going to live there, but you cannot live there, because it is, the scientist says, two hundred degrees below zero, the temperature. So it is different atmosphere. Similarly, in the solar, the sun planet, you cannot go there. But Krsna can go there. That is Krsna, that is God. Because Krsna is not like us. Neither His body is like us.

Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. And He went to the sun planet. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, Fourth Chapter. He says, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Just like here Bhagavan says, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam. This is a yoga. Similarly, this yoga system was spoken to the sun-god. Mayy asakta-manah..., yogam, what is that?Pusta-krsna: Imam vivasvate...Prabhupada: Imam vivasvate yogam [Bg. 4.1]. Imam yogam, the same thing as Krsna is speaking to Arjuna, the same thing was spoken to sun-god. Imam vivasvate. Vivasvate: “unto Vivasvan.” Vivasvan.

The president of the sun planet is known as Vivasvan. His name is given. Just like we know who is the president of United States or India, similarly, those who are advanced in knowledge, they know who is the predominating deity or president of that planet. That requires knowledge. So Krsna said that “I spoke to the sun-god, Vivasvan.” So we cannot enter into the sun planet. That is not possible. It is so fiery. Temperature is so high. But Krsna can go. Otherwise how Krsna went and spoke to the sun-god? It is stated. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. We do not interpret the meaning that “Krsna, not this Krsna, that...,” and all, so many nonsense things. No. Simple meaning is that if Krsna instructed the sun-god, Vivasvan, then He went there as He comes here. That is natural conclusion. And because He entered the sun planet and He did not burn down into ashes, therefore His body is different. Because if we go, if we enter such high temperature, immediately we are finished. What to say about speaking.So Krsna spoke. These are natural, as it is, conclusion. You cannot interpret.

So therefore conclusion is: Krsna’s body is different from us. One who does not know, rascal, he thinks that Krsna is like ourself. Krsna, how He can be like ourself? If He entered the sun planet and spoke to the president of the sun planet, then His body is different. Therefore Krsna says, avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam: [Bg. 9.11] “Because I look just like a human being, the rascal think of Me, I am an ordinary man.” Therefore the conclusion is: one who thinks of Krsna as one of us, he is a fool, he is a rascal. Krsna’s body is explained in the sastra, Vedic. What is that body? Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1].ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhistabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutogovindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.37]These are the Vedic information.

So Krsna has body, but not a body like us. That is stated in the Vedas. Apani-pado javano grahita pasyaty acaksuh. Pasyaty acaksuh. He has no eyes, but He sees. Then what is that seeing power? That means He has got a different type of eyes, but He has got His eyes. He is not nirakara, but not akara like us. His body is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Sat, cit, ananda. Sat means eternal, and cit means full of knowledge, and ananda means full of bliss. So His body is made of such qualities. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1].

Then you can compare your body. If we compare, if I think of my body, it is not sat. Sat means eternal. This body will be finished. So it is not sat. It is asat. Sat means which exists, and asat means which does not exist. Therefore, how you can say Krsna’s body and my body is the same? No.Then cit. Cit means knowledge, and our body is full of ignorance. We cannot understand knowledge. We have no knowledge immediately what is beyond this wall. If you ask me what is beyond this wall, then I will have to ask some of my disciples, “What is there beyond this wall?” Therefore it is not cit, not full of knowledge. But Krsna knows, He says in the Bha..., vedaham samatitani: “I know everything past, present, and future.” When Arjuna enquired... Krsna, Arjuna, he is also playing just like Krsna’s friend. So he enquired for dissipation of the ignorance that “My dear Krsna, You are saying that You spoke this philosophy, Bhagavad-gita, formerly to the sun-god.” Without asking Him, “How did You go? How did You return?” he simply asked that “Krsna, I know that You are my contemporary. We are of the same age. And how can I believe that millions and trillions of years ago You spoke to sun-god?”

So the answer was that “My dear Arjuna, at that time because you are My friend, you were also there, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten.” Therefore He is full of knowledge. We cannot say what we did in our childhood. We have forgotten. This is one of our qualification, forgetfulness. But Krsna says that “You have forgotten. Because you are living being, your nature is to forget. But because I am the Supreme Lord, I have not forgotten.” Therefore His knowledge is perfect.And then ananda. Ananda means pleasure, blissfulness. He is always... Krsna, while He was present on this planet, He showed how to dance with the gopis. He was always full of ananda. Here we have got Krsna. He is ananda-murti. He is not nirananda, without blissfulness. He is always with His consort, Srimati Radharani. And He is playing flute and Radharani is dancing. This is ananda.

So where is our ananda? We imitate Krsna, but we are not able to enjoy because we are in this material body. In this way from Bhagavad-gita, if we study Bhagavad-gita nicely, then we can understand what is God. Otherwise you can go on speculating for millions of years or for many, many births, you cannot understand what is God. There are so many societies, theological societies, this, theosophical societies, but what do they know about God? They do not know, neither can know. It is not possible, because they are thinking with their imperfect senses?

How you can have the idea of the perfect, of the unlimited, by your imperfect speculation? That is not possible.Therefore the sastra says, athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi, janati tattvam. Tattva means the Absolute Truth. “You are Absolute Truth. Who can understand the Absolute Truth without Your mercy?” Therefore Krsna is merciful to Arjuna, and therefore He said... Sri bhagavan uvaca, mayy asakta-manah partha: “My dear Arjuna, if you simply concentrate or meditate upon Me, Krsna...” Mayy asakta. Mayi asakta. Mayi means “unto Me, Krsna.” Mayy asakta-manah, “Those who are attached to Me, that is perfect yoga.” That is yoga. The yogis... You have heard the names of so many yogis, meditation. The meditation is good, but most of them do not know what is meditation. Most of them. How? Now, they do not meditate upon Krsna. Meditation means to fix up one’s mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. First of all they do not know who is the Personality of Godhead. But the yoga practice, according to sastra, is that. Here it is: mayy asakta-manah partha yogam. This is yoga. In other Vedic literature that is also stated, the same thing.

Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yogi means who meditates. It is the business of the yogis to meditate. But if you do not know upon whom to meditate, then what is the meaning of your yoga? Therefore I have seen practically in America. There are so many yoga societies. They close their eyes, and I do not know what they are meditating, but I have seen, they are snoring. (laughter) And what they will do? (makes snoring sound) (laughter) This is yoga system. So don’t be misled by these bluffers’ yoga system. Don’t be misled. Here is yoga, Krsna, because yoga means to meditate upon the Supreme, dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa, mind fully absorbed, and they see Krsna or Narayana, the same thing. Soyam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavairvedaih sanga-pada-kramopanisadair gayanti yam sama-gahdhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginoyasyantam na viduh surasura-gana devaya tasmai namahThis is Vedic mantra. So yoga means to think of Krsna. That is yoga. So it is also confirmed in the Sixth Chapter. We are reading Seventh Chapter. Krsna says... Krsna taught Arjuna how to practice yoga. Then He concluded His teaching on the yoga that,yoginam api sarvesammad-gatenantar-atmanasraddhavan bhajate yo mamsa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47]Who is the first-class yogi? There are many different types of yogi. But who is the topmost yogi? Yoginam api sarvesam. Who is that? Mad-gatena antar-atmana: “One who is thinking of Me always.” That is perfect yoga.

So that statement, that “One who is thinking of Me always, he is perfect yogi,” so that is now being explained. It is the conclusion of the Sixth Chapter, and in Seventh Chapter Krsna explains how you can think of Krsna twenty-four hours. This is being explained. Therefore He says, mayy asakta-manah partha. How you can think of somebody else unless you are very much attached to him? Just like a boy is attached to some girl or a girl is attached to some... That is natural. So when he becomes too much attached, he always or she thinks always. Otherwise it is not possible. To come to this attachment platform you have to learn how to love Krsna. Otherwise how it is possible?

Unless you love somebody, how can you think of him twenty-four hours? That is not possible.So this mayy asakta, Krsna is summarily... But the acaryas, they have defined how we can... We have got attachment. Every one of us got this propensity or the quality of attachment to others. The wife is attached to husband; husband is attached to wife. The son is attached to the father; father is attached to the son. Everyone. That attached you increase, then to your family, to your community, to your society, to your country, to your nation. The attachment is there. You cannot say that “I have no attachment for anything.” That is not possible. When... Sannyasi.

Sannyasi mean sat nyasi. One who has given up attachment for this false material world... That is the philosophy of Sankaracarya. He says, brahma satyam jagan mithya. Therefore he is advising that “You have got attachment for this material world. This is false.” Brahma satyam. Jagan mithya. He simply explains the negative side. But brahma satyam: “Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, is truth.” So attachment for that. You cannot give up the attachment spirit, but you have to change the attachment. That is freedom. We have got so many attachments for this material world. You have to transfer that attachment for Krsna. Therefore Krsna says mayy asakta-manah partha. He doesn’t say that “You give up your attachment.” How you can give up your attachment? That is not possible. He says, “Just transfer the attachment to Me.”So all of a sudden to transfer the attachment to Krsna and give up our all attachment for this material world, that is called renounced order of life. But Krsna says, “You do this,” but it is not so easy. It is not so easy. Therefore we have to go to the person... Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This is the sast..., Vedic injunction, that in order to learn that art, how to transfer your attachment to Krsna, you must approach to guru. He will teach you.

So this Krsna consciousness movement means that we are teaching people how to give up this material attachment and become attached to Krsna. Attachment cannot be given up. That is not possible. Attachment should be purified. That is wanted. That is... Therefore the bhakti definition is, given by Narada Muni,sarvopadhi-vinirmuktamtat-paratvena nirmalamhrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]Now, our attachment is on account of these designation. What is that designation? “I am American,” “I am Englishman,” “I am Indian.” These are all designation because the soul is neither Indian nor American nor this nor that. Soul is pure. Pure spirit soul. These are material designation, according to the body.

So if we become purified, sarva upadhi-vinirmuktam, that is called mukti. Mukti, the definition of mukti, means hitva anyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih. Because we are staying at the present moment in this material state, we have got so many material attachments. That is, we are staying in a different way. We are living in the bodily concept of life, and in relationship with this body we have got so many different attachments. So mukti means when you do not stay in the bodily concept of life, you stay in your original state of life, that is called mukti. Mukti does not means that one has to acquire so many hands, so many legs. No. It is the change of consciousness. That is mukti.Just like Arjuna did. He was conscious... In the beginning of the fight he was conscious of his relatives, of his family, means bodily. But when he understood Bhagavad-gita from Krsna, he said, “Yes,” karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]. In the beginning he denied to fight, but when he understood Bhagavad-gita, he agreed, “Yes, I shall fight.” Karisye vacanam tava. “I am now full conscious.” Nasto mohah: “This attachment, bodily attachment, is now finished. Krsna, it is now finished.” Nasto mohah smrtir labdha. Because we forgot, I have already said that we are forgetful. This is our another nature. “Now my forgetfulness is gone,” tvat-prasadat, “by Your mercy. You have taught me Bhagavad-gita, so by Your mercy my two things—that bodily attachment and misconception of life—is now gone. Now I know that I am Your servant. I am Your eternal servant, and it is my duty to carry out Your order. Therefore I agree.” Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]. “I shall now execute. You want me to fight, no consideration of my relatives or family. I shall fight with them.” This is the conclusion of Arjuna.So similarly, if you want actual life, this is a... This is a bhrama, or mithya life, this material concept of life, that “I am this body, and this family is mine, this country is mine, the community is mine. I have got to do for my family, I have got to do this, I have to got...,” so many. This is due to attachment, and this is all false attachment. Therefore we have to transfer the attachment to Krsna. That is called mayy asakta-manah partha. This is yoga system, how to transfer this attachment to attachment to Krsna. This is called bhakti-yoga. And this is the first-class yoga. (aside:) You sit down there or stand there. Mayy asakta-manah partha. This is to be practiced.

This yoga should be practiced, how to increase attachment for Krsna. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan.You have to practice this yoga. How? Mad-asrayah: “Under Me. Or under My representative.” Mad-asrayah. Mat means “Me,” and asrayah means “taking shelter of.” So either... But if you say, “Where is Krsna?” No. Mad-asrayah means another thing: “One who has taken of My shelter.” That is devotee, mad-asrayah. So either you take... That is not possible because Krsna is not here present. He is present, but we have no eyes to see. Although He is present here in this Deity, He is present here, but because we have no eyes to see, we are thinking, “This is made of stone,” and some rascal will say that “They are going to see some stone.” Because we have no eyes to see. So we have to learn the art, how to see Krsna, how to see Krsna.

So that practice, mad-asrayah, if we want to learn this art, we have to take the shelter of the Gosvamis or the devotees.So Rupa Gosvami says how this asakti can be increased. He gives formula. Mad-asrayah. Krsna said, “Either you take shelter of Me directly or to a person who has taken shelter of Me.” Just like electric power. Electric house, powerhouse, may be long away, but if the electricity is coming through some wire, and if you touch, immediately you will..., immediately in touch with the powerhouse.

So either you touch the powerhouse or an wire, insig..., who is empowered by the powerhouse, you touch, you get the electricity. This is called parampara system. Mad-asrayah. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2], yogo nastah paran... These are all explained. So mad-asrayah. As soon as we... Because Krsna is not visible at the present moment. He is visible, but we cannot see. So we take asrayah, shelter of His devotee.

Therefore Srila Rupa Gosvami gives his formula how to become attached to Krsna. First he says, adau sraddha. First of all, faith, the beginning. Just like you have come very kindly to this temple with some faith that “Here is the Krsna consciousness movement. Let us go there and see what they are doing,” out of inquisitiveness or something. So this is little faith. Now you have to increase this faith. This is required. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. How you can increase the faith? Those who are actually engaged in Krsna consciousness, in devotional service, associate with them. Don’t think that at home you will be perfect. That is not possible. At home there is no such facilities. Here you will get the facilities. Here the devotees, they are actually following the instruction of mad-asrayah, one who has taken the shelter. They are rising early in the morning. And at home you will think, “Oh, what is early in the morning?” (laughter) “Let me enjoy sleep.”

So there is no such facilities at home. Therefore this institution is started. If you are serious about Krsna consciousness, if you are serious about increasing attachment for Krsna, then you should come and live with the devotees. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. And atha bhajana-kriya. The sadhu-sanga... Now they are chanting, they are having mangala-arati, they are decorating the Deity, and so many things. Everyone who will associate, you will see. And then he will be inclined to be initiated.

This is our practical experience. They will submit, “Please let me be initiated.” This is called bhajana-kriya. Bhajana-kriya means if he is serious about bhajana-kriya, how to worship, then anartha-nivrttih syat. Anartha means we have learned so many nonsense things. They can be summarized in four items: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. So anartha-nivrttih syat. If you accept bhajana-kriya, the activities of devotional service, then these things will be vanished. Then, when you are purified, as I have said, that sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], when he is free from all these material bad habits, he is mukta. He is liberated. Then adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ’tha bhajana-kriya, tato ’nartha-nivrt..., tato nistha. Then your faith... Beginning was the faith. This faith becomes established. You can... Nobody can move you. Tato nistha. Tato rucih. Then you get some taste, how Krsna consciousness is sweet. Tato nistha rucis tatah, athasaktih. Then attachment. Unless you get taste, how you can be attached to Krsna?So these are the processes.

So Krsna is saying, summarized. They are explained by the mad-asrayah, those who are devotees. So in this way we have to increase our attachment for Krsna. And when we increase our attachment for Krsna, then Krsna says, asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu [Bg. 7.1]. Now everyone has got some doubt, whether there is God or not, whether God is person or imperson, whether He is something... He has no idea. In any religion you take, ask him, “What do you know about God?” That he cannot explain. Because he is not in the platform, how he can be understand God? That is not possible. It is not... But we are confident what is God, what is His father’s name, what is His name, what is His address, everything. No samsaya, no doubt. Everything complete. Asamsayam. We are confident that we are going to Krsna, back to home, back to Godhead. There is no doubt, asamsayam and samagram. Sama means full. What is God meant? Asamsayam... (end)

Krsna and His Associates

Arrival Lecture--
Gainesville, July 29, 1971

Prabhupada: We see you chanting the maha-mantra. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted that in every village, town, country on the surface of the globe this sankirtana movement will be spreading. So we are very much obliged to you that in this remote place, which is thousands and thousands miles away from Lord Caitanya’s birthplace, Navadvipa, and you are carrying out, to fulfill His desire, chanting Hare Krsna mantra. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu—the picture is there—assisted by four others, Panca-tattva. Krsna appeared in five principles.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, and Nityananda Prabhu is His immediate expansion, and Advaita Prabhu is incarnation. Gadadhara Prabhu is internal potency, and srivasadi, Srivasa is heading the list of His devotees. Srivasa represents the marginal potency of Krsna.So sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda means Krsna complete. Just like when we speak of a king, “king’’ does not mean king is alone. He, somebody says the king is coming here, it is to be understood that king with his associates coming. King does not come alone. Whenever a..., the king goes, he goes with his secretary, minister, commander, so many other people. King is never alone. There must be queen also, and queen’s associates.

Similarly, Krsna, the supreme king, how He can be alone? He’s not alone. He’s always with His associates. Therefore you see Krsna’s picture, Vrndavana picture. He’s with His associates—a cowherds boy, a cowherds girl, Krsna’s father Nanda Maharaja, Mother Yasoda. But Krsna is not alone. Supreme..., any person, he can not be alone. Just like we are here, we are not alone. We are so many friends, so many associates. So person does not mean alone. Person means with associates.

This Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda, worshiping Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu means to worship Him with His associates, Panca-tattva. Panca-tattvatmakam krsnam bhakta-rupa-svarupakam.Krsna has appeared as a devotee. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna, the Supreme Lord, ordered that “You give up all engagements. Just surrender and I’ll give you protection.’’ But people sometimes misunderstood Him. There are many so-called commentators on the Bhagavad-gita. They mislead people by giving some wrong commentation on Krsna.

One big scholar in India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he gives comments on a verse where is direct order of Krsna, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], that “You become My devotee, always think of Me, offer your obeisances unto Me.’’ But Radha..., Radhakrishnan comments in a different way. “This obeisances is not to the person Krsna.’’ Just see. Such a big scholar, he is misinterpreting, “Not to the person Krsna.’’ In this way, Bhagavad-gita, although widely read all over the world, in all countries, they are being mislead by improper commentary. So we are therefore trying to present Bhagavad-gita or Krsna as He is. And by the grace of Krsna, it is coming out successful.

For thousands of years Bhagavad-gita was being read in foreign countries by big, big scholars, philosophers, but there was not a single devotee of Krsna. But we have started this movement, not even five years old, we have got sixty branches, and there are thousands and thousands of devotees. Why? The secret is that we have not cheated people, we have not adulterated. If you put something for sale in the market which is very pure, automatically you’ll get many customers. Automatic. Because the thing is pure. If you sell pure milk, just from the farm, there will be many hundreds of customers immediately, and if you sell adulterated, homogenized water mixed milk, the milk will be sold, but not very many customers ordinarily. So anything pure will attract. That is natural.

Pure love, pure foodstuff, anything pure. Pure gold. In economics also. It is said, “Bad money drives away good money.’’ If you put bad money, just like nowadays the currency is some paper, paper currency, so drives away good money. Good money means gold coins. They are not to be seen. That’s economic law. As soon as you put bad money, the good money will vanish.So try to present Krsna as He is. People will be attracted, because everyone has got Krsna’s intimate relationship. We are all part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva bhuta, all living entities, not only human being, other than human being, everyone, all living entities. They have got different bodies only, according to their different desires and inclinations. Otherwise, every living entity from..., beginning from Brahma down to an insect, a small ant, they are all living entities, and they are all parts and parcel of Krsna, or God. We are all part and parcel of God. Therefore, just like you are part and parcel of your parent, so there is some intimate relationship with your parents. It cannot be broken, even if you are absent from home for many years. Still, when you go home, meet your parents, the old relationship—affectionate father, mother and son—immediately you’ll revive. It does not take much time—because the son was long, long away from father, and he has come back, he takes another hundred years to establish the relation. No. As soon as the father and the son is together, the natural relationship immediately revives. Similarly, Krsna is the original father, God is the original father. We are all His sons. Somehow or other we have left home. We have tried to enjoy material sense gratification.

Krsna has given us full facility. But we are not happy. That is not possible. Because we are separated from our original position, therefore we can not be happy. I give you one example. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of your body or my body, your body. If this finger is separated from this body it has no value, but if it is attached with this body, it has value. Similarly, we being part and parcel of God, Krsna, if we’re detached from God then we cannot be happy. That is a fact. There are many examples. Just like a baby, the part and parcel of the mother, crying, so many people trying to pacify the baby, taking on the lap, but still it is crying. But as soon as the baby is on the breast of the mother, immediately happy. Naturally. The baby knows, “Now I have come to the right place.’’ Although it cannot speak, it cannot express, but the natural position, as soon as realized.

Therefore Bhagavad-gita says brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you become brahma-bhuta... Brahma-bhuta means you are brahma; now your position is jiva-bhutah, materially attached. That is called jiva-bhuta. Materially dressed. Brahma, spirit soul, materially dressed. That is called jiva-bhuta. Jiva-bhuta means struggle for existence. Manah-sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. Prakrti-sthani, in the material nature they are struggling hard for existence, because that is artificial life. The same jiva, when comes to Krsna consciousness, it is called brahma-bhuta, brahman realization, self-realization. “I am Krsna’s.’’ That is self-realization.

Just like the same child, crying. “I am now on the lap of my mother,’’ it is happy. Similarly, when you come to Krsna consciousness, then you can become happy. Otherwise, go on crying for millions of years on different laps or different bodies. You cannot be happy.So this movement, Krsna consciousness movement means making people directly in contact with the Supreme. Therefore immediately they’re happy. I have got thousands of letters from my disciples. They’re feeling so much obliged that “We have got our life. We were hopeless.’’ Actually, that is the position. Without Krsna, without Krsna consciousness, we are all hopeless, confused. So I am very happy to see so many nice boys and girls assembled here. So take to this process.

We have got sufficient literature—books, magazines. And the simple method is, even if you do not read, suppose you are not educated, illiterate, you can not read, and still you can reach Krsna. Bhakti, devotional service is not dependent on any material condition. Because one man is very rich, he can get Krsna? No. Because one man is very poor, he cannot get Krsna? No. That’s not right. Because one is Hindu or Indian, he can get Krsna, not others? No. That is also not. Krsna is unconditionally for everyone. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: sarva yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. Otherwise, how He can be God? If He is a Hindu God, just like they describe in the dictionary that Krsna, a Hindu God—that is nonsense. Krsna is for everyone. Krsna does not say that “I am a Hindu God.’’ But these rascals say Krsna is Hindu God. This is going on.

You see in the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says, sarva yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. “In all species of life.’’ Sambhavanti murtayah. There are as many different forms of life. Tasam mahad yoni, brahma: “Their mother is this material nature, and I am their seed-giving father.’’ Krsna says that. So how can Krsna be Indian or Hindu or this or that? No. Krsna is for everyone. And the proof is that five years ago in the Western countries nobody knew what is Krsna. How they’re taking Krsna in so loving attitude? This is the proof that Krsna is for everyone, and everyone is for Krsna.Try to understand this philosophy. Don’t be mislead. It is not a sectarian religion. It is the fact. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya.

The author of Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa Kaviraja, he says, nitya siddha krsna bhakti. Krsna-bhakti, our love for Krsna, is eternal fact. Everyone has got love for Krsna. Now, somehow or other it is covered. But that has to be awakened. Just like covered fire. Sometimes fire is covered by the ashes, and if you’ll fan over the fire and put some new charcoal, again the fire will awaken, very bright. So similarly, somehow or other, our love for Krsna is covered by these material designations: “I am American,’’ “I am Christian,’’ “I am Hindu,’’ “I am Muslim,’’ “I am this,’’ “I am that.’’ These are all ashes. The fire is the spirit soul.

So if you rightly fan it over, and you’ll see very soon, the fire will come out again. So how fanning? Sravanadi-suddha-citte. You kindly hear about Krsna suddha-citta, without any embarrassment, without being biased to something else. Suddha-citte. If you... then Krsna consciousness, or love for Krsna, will automatically awaken, simply by hearing. That is happening. What we are doing? We are chanting everywhere “Hare Krsna,’’ and people are coming for hearing. We’re not bribing them that “You take some money and become a member of the Krsna consciousness movement.’’ Rather they are paying. So how it is happening, unless that Krsna consciousness (is) within him? Try to understand that. Everyone, it doesn’t matter when he is born, what he is, what profession he’s not—whatever he may be. Simply if he hears about Krsna.

Just like after very, very long time, if you hear something which was very intimately known to you, you immediately become attracted: “Oh, that sound is again coming.’’ You see. Similarly, Krsna is our original father. As soon as we hear about Krsna, naturally we shall be inclined to hear about Him more and more. So the more you hear, the more you become advanced in Krsna consciousness, and more our life becomes successful. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.So I’m very glad that you are so many boys and girls taking interest in Krsna consciousness.

So please come here. You have got a very nice place. Discuss about Krsna. Try to understand Krsna through philosophy, through science, through your intelligence—not that blindly—and you will be surely understanding what is Krsna. And as soon as you understand Krsna your life is successful. You become happy in this life, and if you execute properly Krsna consciousness, then next life you’ll go immediately to Krsna for eternal blissful life of knowledge, sac-cid-ananda vigrahah. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah: “Anyone who knows Me in fact, in truth, the result is tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. That person, after giving up this body, he never comes again to this material world.’’ This material world, so long we have got desire to enjoy this material world, Krsna will give you different bodies, as you like. You can have your body in America, you can have your body in China, you can have your body in Russia, or in the moon planet—wherever you like. You simply desire, and it will be fulfilled in your next life.

Desire means if you strongly desire till the point of your death, then next life your are going to get. That is nature’s arrangement. So why should we desire for any other life? We should desire to go back to Krsna, tyaktva deham punar janma [Bg. 4.9], then you’ll not get any material body. Then punar janma naiti, he does not get this material body. Then what happens to him? Mam eti: “He comes to Me.’’ Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita. And as soon as you go there, you become associate of Krsna in so many loving relationships. You can serve Krsna passively, as Vrndavana land, as tree, as water, so many, as flowers, as fruits. This is called santa rasa. And next you can serve Krsna. If you like to serve Krsna, you can serve Him as servant. Next, you can become friend of Krsna, as a boyfriend or girlfriend. Next, you can become father and mother of Krsna.

Yasoda and Nanda, Nanda Maharaja, there’re serving Krsna, accepting Krsna as their on, because the son is served. Son takes service from the parents. So devotees, they do not like to accept Krsna as father. They would like to have Krsna as their son. Father means to exact “Father give me this. I want. Mother give me this’’—to take service. And to accept God as son means to give service.So devotees, they want to give service only. They do not want in exchange from Krsna anything. That is pure love. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was teaching like that.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye: “My dear Lord, I do not want from You any amount of riches, dhanam; janam, any number of followers.’’ Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitad, “not very nice, beautiful, attractive wife. I do not want all these things.’’ Because materially we want all these things. All these people are struggling very hard. What for? For riches. “Money, money. Where is money? Where is money?’’ And then, as soon as he has got some money, then he wants to be minister, or president, or governor. Janam, followers, there will be so many followers. Na dhanam, na janam. And very beautiful wife or husband for sense gratification. These things are wanted for materially ambitious people. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “I don’t want all these things.’’ He’s teaching, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye. Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi: “I simply want that I may take My birth anywhere, it doesn’t matter, but let Me become Your servant. Let Me become Your devotee.’’ That is the aspiration of pure devotee.

So as soon as we shall require any material things, the Krsna will give us opportunity. But that is not very good proposal. In the material life, either your very rich man or demigod, or in the higher planetary system, or as insect or any royal person anywhere, the threefold miseries of material existence there must be. Every intelligent man should be aspiring for Krsna only and should be satisfied as Krsna likes him to do. That’s all. This is Krsna consciousness movement. You try to understand. Take to it. You’ll be happy. That is our proposal.So if anyone has got some question, you can ask.

Devotee (1): Anyone have any questions?

Woman Guest: It seems that most of the devotees are young people, persons under thirty, under twenty-five. Why is this so? Why hasn’t the movement spread? Is this a deliberate thing, or why do you feel it hasn’t spread to parents or to older people?

Prabhupada: Why the young people go to university?

Woman Guest: I’m sorry?

Prabhupada: Why in the university you’ll find all the students are young boys and girls? Why?Woman

Guest: That’s the age of education.

Prabhupada: That’s the age of Krsna consciousness (laughter). Old fools, they cannot change their opinion. (laughter)

Woman Guest: Why just in the last five years?

Prabhupada: Because they have got now. Before this there was no such thing. Now they have got it, they’re coming.

Woman Guest: Were you trying before then?Prabhupada: No. Before there was no such movement in your country.

Woman Guest: I know, I know. But why did you just now...

Prabhupada: So now they have got the thing. They are wanting it. As they have got it, they are coming.

Devotee (2): How do you develop a service attitude in Krsna consciousness?

Devotee (1): (repeats) How do you develop a service attitude?

Prabhupada: By service. In the material world, if you give service you become tired. But transcendental world, if you give service, you more become enthusiastic. Yes, more service. That is happening. I do not pay these boys. Rather, they pay me, and they engage the service. They pay and serve. In the material world, as soon as you stop payment there is no service. Why? Because they, by serving Krsna, they get transcendental pleasure. So the more you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, the more you become enthusiastic. There is no question of becoming tired. Just like I am old man. I have come from India. My age is seventy-six years. So still I am enthusiastic. Still I am going everywhere, all over the world. Why? Krsna’s service is so nice. Even old man like me, he gets energy to work. And that’s also without any salary. Krsna’s service is so nice that you try to engage yourself more and more. Then you’ll get more and more Krsna conscious, more enthusiasm. And this is spiritual. This is spiritual. Ahaituky apratihata. This service cannot be checked by any material condition. That I have already explained. Other service, material service, will be checked by material conditions. But transcendental loving service of Krsna will never be checked by any material condition. That is the test.

Woman Guest: Does the Krsna movement recognize other types of service to human beings like the social workers? Teaching...

Prabhupada: Yes, this is best service to human beings, to make them Krsna conscious.

Woman Guest: Is there room in the movement for other persons who are indirectly serving Krsna rather than chanting Hare Krsna all day?

Prabhupada: No, the process is, just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, the water is distributed to the leaf, branches, twigs, and they remain fresh. But if you water on the leaf only, the leaf will also dry, and the twig will be also dry. If you put your foodstuff on the stomach, then the energy will be distributed to your finger, to your hairs to your nails and everywhere. And if you take foodstuff in the hand and do not put in the stomach, it will be useless waste.

So all this humanitarian service has been wasted because there is no Krsna consciousness. They’re trying so many ways to serve the human society, but they’re all being frustrated in useless attempt, because there is no Krsna consciousness. And if people are trained to become Krsna conscious, then automatically everyone will be happy. Any one who will join, one, anyone who will hear, anyone who will cooperate—everyone will be happy. So our process is natural process. You love God, and if you (are) actually expert in loving God, naturally you love everyone.

Just like Krsna conscious person, because he loves God, he loves the animals also. He loves birds, beasts, everyone. But so-called humanitarian love means they’re loving some human being, but the animals are being killed. Why they do not love the animals? Because imperfect. But the Krsna conscious person will never kill an animal or give trouble to animal even. But that is universal love. If you love only your brother or sister, that is not universal love. Universal love means you love everyone.

That universal love can be developed by Krsna consciousness, not by otherwise.Woman Guest: I know some of the devotees have had to sever relationships, so to speak, with their material world parents, and it gives them some degree of grief, because their parents don’t understand. Now what do you tell them to kind of make this easier?Prabhupada: Well, a boy who is in Krsna consciousness, he is giving the best service to his parents, families, countrymen, society. Without being Krsna conscious, what service they are giving to their parents? Mostly they are separated.

But, as Prahlada Maharaja was a great devotee and his father was a great nondevotee, so much so that his father was killed by Nrsimhadeva, but Prahlada Maharaja, when he was ordered by the Lord to take some benediction, he said that “I am not a merchant, Sir, that by giving You some service I’ll take some return. Please excuse me.’’ Nrsimhadeva was very much satisfied: “Here is a pure devotee.’’ But the same pure devotee requested the Lord, “My Lord, my father was atheist, and he has committed so many offenses, so I beg that my father may be liberated.’’ And Nrsimhadeva said, “Your father is already liberated because you are the, his son. In spite of all his offenses, he is liberated, because you are his son. Not only your father, but your father’s father, his father up to seven generations, they are all liberated.’’ So if Vaisnava appears in a family, he liberates not only his father, but his father, his father, his father, his father, in that way. But that is the best service to the family, to become Krsna conscious. Actually, it has happened.

One of my students, Karttikeya, his mother was so much fond of society that usually when he wanted to see his mother, mother says “Sit down. I am going to the dancing party.’’ That was the relationship. Still, because he, this boy, is Krsna conscious, he was talking of Krsna to his mother many times. So at the time of death the mother asked the son, “Where is your Krsna? He is here?’’ And she immediately, she died. That means at the time of death she remembered Krsna, and immediately she was delivered. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. At the time of death if one remembers Krsna, then life is successful. So this mother, on account of the son, Krsna consciousness son, she got liberated, without actually coming to Krsna consciousness. So this is the benefit.

Woman Guest: What about the children of new devotees now? The devotees will soon be having children in the next...

Prabhupada: They will be also Krsna conscious. We are maintaining, raising all these children. There are so many children in our society. We have got... There is school. We are preparing special school study books for them. We are taking care of them nicely.

Woman Guest: I wondered, are you sending them, or do you advocate sending them to secular schools, or have you made arrangements...?

Prabhupada: No, no. We admit without application. There is no need of application. You’ll please come and stay with us, that’s all. Our door is open. We are rather appealing to the person, “Please come.’’ In ordinary institution you have to put your application. When it is sanctioned, then you are admitted. We are canvassing, “Please come, please come, please come.’’ Still they are not coming.

Woman Guest: That isn’t exactly what I meant. I just wondered if you made arrangements with the government to...

Prabhupada: Yes, we’re trying for that.Woman Guest: It’s still under way now?Prabhupada: To get our institution in New Vrindaban, the government has said that “You make such and such building.’’ So we have no money, but still we are trying. So as soon as the government conditions are fulfilled, we’ll get government cooperation also.Woman Guest: Thank you.Prabhupada: That’s all. (end)

Unadulterated Krsna

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.1
--Mayapur, March 25, 1975

Prabhupada:

vande gurun isa-bhaktanisam

isavatarakantat-prakasams ca

tac-chaktihkrsna-caitanya-

samjnakam [Cc. Adi 1.1]

Krsna Caitanya is Krsna. That was observed by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. He composed one hundred verses praising the glories of Lord Caitanya, but because Caitanya Mahaprabhu was playing the part of a devotee, He threw away the slokas, because “This is not for Me.” That was Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s humbleness. But the devotees know that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself. Sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya. Radha-Krsna combination of Sri Caitanya...

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu means Radha and Krsna combined. In the beginning there is Krsna, and then Krsna divided into two, Radha and Krsna. And then again combined, that is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini saktir asmadekatmanav api (bhuvi pura) deha-bhedam gatau taucaitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam... [Cc. Adi 1.5]

So the Gosvami’s siddhanta, that Krsna is one. There is no rivalry with Krsna. God is one. Eka-brahma dvitiya nasti. There cannot be many Gods. So when God, Krsna, wants to enjoy His pleasure potency, that is Radharani. So He manifests Himself, manifests His energy... His energy and He, there is no difference. Sakti-saktimator abhedah. The sastra says sakti and the saktimat—means one who possesses the sakti (sakti means power, potency)—they are equal. There is no difference. Just like the sun. Sun is the powerful, and the sunshine is the power. So there is heat in the sun and there is heat also in the sunshine. There is light in the sun and there is light in the sunshine also.

Therefore qualitatively they are one so far heat and light is concerned. But the temperature of the sun and the temperature of the sunshine may be different. May be not. Actually there is difference. This is the basic principle of all philosophies. Acintya-bhedabheda. Acintya means inconceivable, bheda means different, and abheda means nondifferent. The whole situation... The one is there, God, but He has expanded Himself in different way. Eko bahu syam.So that is described here. Krsna-caitanya-samjnakam. Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He has expanded Himself as gurun. The guru, the spiritual master, he’s also Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktah **. In all the sastras, guru is accepted as Krsna. Saksad-dharitvena. Saksad means directly. Just like you offer your devotion, respects, to guru. So that respect is offered to Krsna. Guru also does not think himself that he is Krsna, but he collects the devotional services of the disciples to offer to Krsna. This is the process. We cannot approach Krsna directly. We should approach through guru. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. That is the injunction of the sastra, that one should approach the guru who can transfer the service from the disciple to the Supreme Person.

So... Therefore the first offering is guru, vande gurun. Then guru creates many devotees. Guru’s business is to canvass on behalf of Supreme Lord. That is guru’s business. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], so, “You give up all material, engage...” Sarva-dharman means in the material world we have created so many so-called duties. This is our material disease. People are interested in material engagements and they have created different varieties of engagements. Sociology, communism, and this “ism,” that “ism,” philanthropism, altruism, internationalism, nationalism—many, many duties they have created. That is all material. Krsna, out of His causeless mercy... (children crying) ... Out of His causeless mercy, He comes, He descends. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. Glanir, this is glanir. Human life is meant for one thing, athato brahma jijnasa, to inquire about the Supreme Absolute Truth. But instead of doing that, they have created so many “isms.” That is their misfortune.Real business is athato brahma jijnasa. This human life, nature, gives us the opportunity to inquire about the Absolute Truth.

We have got the intelligence. The cats and dogs, they have no intelligence to inquire about the Absolute Truth. The trees, the plants, the aquatics, the animals, the beasts, the uncivilized man—so many, 8,400,000 forms and species of life. Out of that, the civilized men, the Aryans... Arya. Arya means the person who has got godly qualification. This is the meaning of Aryan. Aryan, advanced. Aryan does not mean godless society. They are non-Aryans. Real Aryan means... Because we are part and parcel of God, naturally we have got, in minute quantity, the qualities of God. That is natural. But on account of our material association, those qualifications are covered now by upadhi, by various designations. This is our material disease. Material disease means... Just like a gold is covered by dirty, dirty things. Similarly, we are actually gold, because part and parcel of Krsna. We are a small Krsna, very small, but we are also the same quality. But it is covered. This is our disease.

And these coverings are going on in different names—socialism, communism, and this “ism”—so many. “I am Indian,” “I am American,” “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am white,” “I am black”—these are all designations.So it is the business of the guru to clear up these designations, dirty things. Therefore, vande gurun isam. Guru, first offering because he is the agent of Krsna. Krsna said that “You give up all these designative dharma; take to real dharma.” Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66]. “That is your real business.” But even Krsna... Krsna does not fail... But Krsna does not force. So even upon the request of Krsna we do not give up our designation. This is the difficulty.

Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja, and nobody practically, except the Pandavas and few other devotees, nobody took it seriously. And what to speak of now. They are talking of Bhagavad-gita, scholars of Bhagavad-gita, but without Krsna. That is their business. These demons, they are preaching Bhagavad-gita without Krsna. Nobody preaches about Krsna. Nobody says what Krsna wants. Sarva-dharman parityajya. Krsna wants this, but they are misinterpreting in different ways and diverting the attention of the people most foolishly, that...

In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna is the center. So this is going on. You know, you are coming all from foreign countries. Bhagavad-gita is popular in your country, at least amongst the scholars and theosophists and theologists. Going on, for the last two hundred years at least. But nobody understood Krsna. That is the difference. Now for the last, say, five or ten years, because we are presenting Krsna as it is, it has become very easy for you to accept it. Unadulterated Krsna. Before this, everything was presented adulterated. Therefore there was no effect.

So if you push on this movement, unadulterated Krsna, it will go on. It will go on. And as soon as you adulterate Krsna, it will not go on. It will not be effective. You may be very good scholar or very good politician or this or that, but you’ll never understand what is Krsna. Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]. If you want to pollute Krsna, Krsna will never be revealed to you. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. So by the grace of Krsna you have taken the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna. It is great fortune for you. So do not adulterate Krsna. That is my request. Try to understand Krsna. And to understand Krsna, the Krsna Himself taught... That was also difficult. Then Krsna as Krsna Caitanya (is) teaching us how to approach Krsna. That is Caitanya-caritamrta. Caitanya means spiritual, living, and carita means character.

So Caitanya-caritamrta means that the supreme living force, Krsna. The living force is Krsna. Therefore we contradict the so-called scientific theory that life has come from chemicals, matter. No. We are trying our best. We have engaged our scientist students. They have already..., one student has already written one small book, The Scientific Basis of Krsna Consciousness, and we are going to publish another book. I have given instruction to the scientist students. What is the heading of that?

Devotees: Life Comes From Life.

Prabhupada: Yes, Life Comes From Life. That is the fact. These modern so-called scientific theory that life comes from matter, that is not fact. Because our original person, Krsna, said, aham sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8]. Aham, this aham word is applicable to a person, person. And person means living force. So Caitanya-caritamrta means that living force is a person, and His caritra, His characteristic, this is Caitanya. And that is amrta. Amrta means not dead matter. Mrta means dead, and amrta means not dead, living force. So he is living force; his characteristics are also living force; and they are, because living force, they are amrta. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20].

We have got experience what is living force and what is dead matter. That we have got experience. And that is further explained by Krsna, that living force means na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], na jayate na mriyate kadacit. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that living force is not finished even after the annihilation of this body. Very nice statement by Krsna. We can understand living... In the life, when we are alive, the body is moving, we can understand what is living force. And we can understand further when the body does not move—that difference, why the body was moving and why the body is not now moving. If we simply study this difference of position we can understand what is living force. It is not very difficult. Simply we have to understand, “Now this living force is gone out of this body; therefore the body is no longer moving and it is a dead matter.” This is this...

So this Caitanya-caritamrta means we are talking of the living force, not of the dead matter. We should always remember. So the guru belongs to that living force. And Isa, Isa means controller. So everyone, that living force. Gurun, isa, isa-bhaktan, isa-bhaktan and isam. So they are all living force. The Lord, His devotee, His representative, everyone, they belong to the spiritual platform, living force. Caitanya-samjnakam. Caitanya means living. That personification of all living forces is Krsna Caitanya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. People mistake Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu because by misfortune they understand Krsna Caitanya as a devotee or just like so-called sadhu or yogi, like that. That is mistake. Krsna Caitanya means the original living force, Krsna.

So Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, he understood Him. Srila Rupa Gosvami, he understood Him. Similarly, the followers of Rupa Gosvami, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, and all the Gosvamis, they will understand Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And one who understands or follows the path enunciated by Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for them Krsna is very easily obtained. This is called Caitanya-caritamrta. If you follow Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu... Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission is described by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari. Purana-purusah, I just now forget the verse. Yes:vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranahsri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dharikrpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye [Cc. Madya 6.254]So Sri Krsna Caitanya is the same Krsna, Purana-purusah. Adyam Purana-purusah. Purana-purusa means Krsna, the original Personality of Godhead, very old. Purana means very old.

So, vairagya-vidya-siksartham. Because we are suffering here on account of so many designations, so Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to purify us from all these nonsense designations. That is called vairagya-vidya. Raga means attachment. So... And viraga. This false attachment we have to give up. That is practically being manifested by practical life, how to love Krsna, how to approach Him. That is the characteristic of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And therefore He is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Eleventh Canto, krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam [SB 11.5.32].

Krsna-varnam: He belongs to the same category, Krsna. Or He is describing Krsna always. His only business is to describe Krsna. But His complexion is not Krsna, akrsna. Akrsna. Akrsna means white. Because Krsna had many colors. One of the colors was pita, golden, golden avatara. So, tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam. This sangopangastra-parsadam is described here, that gurun, isam, isa-bhaktan, isavatarakan tat-prakasams ca tat-chaktih. This is sangopanga.So study this Caitanya-caritamrta. Now we have got this English edition, very elaborately described, following the footsteps of our Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada.

So there is no such edition of Caitanya-caritamrta, very elaborately described. But it can be understood by the advanced student. It can be... And so... Advanced, you can, anyone, you can become advanced. Advanced means at least one should understand that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you simply understand these two words, that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you are advanced. It is not very difficult. Everything, all Vedic literature, they are meant for understanding Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. So if you simply understand... What is that understanding? That Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have written in our Krsna book, “Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” If you become convinced, then your study of Vedas—finished. Tepus tapas te sasnur arya [Bhag. 3.33.7].

Anyone who understands Krsna... What is that understanding? Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] “My dear Arjuna, there is no more superior authority or person or truth than Myself.” Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. These few words, if you simply understand... Blindly or openly, it doesn’t matter. Because if you touch fire, either blindly or openly, it will act. It will act. It is not that because I blindly accept Krsna as the Supreme Person, that will not act. No, it will act. Even if you have accepted Krsna blindly, it will act. Because the thing is the same.

Either you accept in open eyes or blind eyes. So similarly, if you accept this theory—it is not theory; this is fact, that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead—these few words, then you are advanced student, immediately. Take it from me, that simply this conviction, that “Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” then you are advanced student in spiritual life.So all these persons associated with Krsna, Sri Krsna Caitanya, Sri Nityananda, Sri Advaita, and Gadadhara and Srivasa, all of them, they are one. One in this sense, they are all interested how to push on Krsna consciousness. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He’s trying personally, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Srivasa, Gadadhara, they are trying to help. So..., and to approach all these five supreme persons, you require the help of guru. Therefore the guru is offered first the respectful prayers, vande gurun. And gurun, bahu-vacana, plural number, that many gurus. But they are not many; they are one, guru-tattva. Just like Krsna has many forms, but that does not mean Krsna is different. No. Krsna is one. Similarly, guru, there may be many gurus, it doesn’t matter, but their philosophy must be one: to teach everyone that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So there may be thousands of gurus, but the guru’s business is to teach the disciple that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the test of guru. If guru is teaching something else, nonsense, then he is not guru. Gurur na sa syat. Sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. A brahmana, he is very expert in his business, in Vedic culture, Vedic mantras, tantras. That is the test of the brahmana, that he is very learned. So sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. Visarada, very expert. Avaisnavo gurur na sa syat. But if he does not know what is Krsna or if he’s not a devotee of Krsna, he cannot become guru. Sad-vaisnavah svapaco guruh. But one person who is coming from the family of dog-eaters... The dog-eaters, they are considered to be the lowest of the human beings. So, sva-paca, sva means dog, and paca means eater or cooker. So svapaca, even a person is coming from the svapaca family, and if he’s a Vaisnava, if he’s a devotee of Krsna, he can become guru. On the other side, even born in a brahmana family and very expert in Vedic ritualistic performances, mantra-tantra-visaradah, he cannot become guru if he does not understand Krsna.

So therefore guru is very important because he has accepted Krsna... Tattva-darsibhih, he has seen the truth. So therefore guru is first offered... This is the test of guru. Guru does not become Krsna himself, but he canvasses door to door to induce that “You become devotee of Krsna.” This is sign of guru. Vande gurun isa-bhaktan. Isa-bhaktan. Then we shall describe later on.Thank you very much. (end)

Working For The Supreme Purpose

Bhagavad-gita 3.8-11--Seattle, October 22, 1968

Prabhupada: So we were discussing that everybody should work.

niyatam kuru karma tvamkarma

jyayo hy akarmanahsarira-yatrapi

ca tena prasiddhyed akarmanahyajnar

that karmano ’nyatraloko ’

yam karma-bandhanahtad-artham

karma kaunteyamukta-sangah samacara [Bg. 3.9]

Now, this is the formula of spiritual realization, that we should not stop our working capacities, the prescribed duties in which we are engaged. That is not to be stopped. If we stop work and spiritual realization, for spiritual realization we leave this world and go to the jungle or Himalaya and sit down there for meditation, for spiritual realization, oh, how many people will be ready to do this thing? No. This is not for mass people.

Lord Sri Krsna is prescribing something practical which can be adopted by everyone and all without any distinction. This point we have already discussed in the last day’s meeting, that whatever you may be, it doesn’t matter. You can realize the highest perfection of life provided you work under the regulation of yajna. Yajnarthat karmanah. There is no harm working, but the work should be done for the Supreme Lord, Yajna. Yajna means Visnu.

Because according to laws of nature, any work you do, it has got some reaction, and we are bound up by those reactions. Vedas also says, karmana baddhyate jantuh. Karmana baddhyate jantuh, that “All living entities, they are bound up in this material encagement on account of their different kinds of karma, or work.” But here is the point, that you shall not be bound up by the reaction of your karma if you act it on behalf of Yajna or Visnu or the Supreme Lord. That is prescription. Yajnarthat karmanah anyatra. Anyatra. If you do not work for that supreme purpose, then you will be bound up and your this encagement of body will continue.

This encagement of body will continue if you work on your own responsibility and not for the supreme purpose or the Supreme Lord Yajna, or Visnu. That is the secret. Yajna means yajna vai visnu iti srute. Srute. Srute means the Vedic literatures, the Vedic hymns. They prove it. Yajna means Visnu. Visnus tu sartham karma samacara. Therefore we have to work for the satisfaction of Visnu. That is called yajna.saha-yajnah prajah srstvapurovaca prajapatihanena prasavisyadhvamesa vo ’stv ista-kama-dhukThe proof of this sacrifice, yajna, is mentioned in the Vedic scripture. After the creation it was so announced that “If you want to be happy, you must perform sacrifices.” Sacrifices.The Vedic literature is created for guidance of the conditioned souls. Every living being who is in this material world is conditioned by the laws of material nature. And it is a chance.

This creation, and especially this human body, is a chance to get rid of this material entanglement, and the chance is open by acting for the satisfaction of Visnu. Saha-yajnah prajah srstva. Prajah. Prajah means the living entities. After being created, they were advised that “You perform yajna, or sacrifice for the satisfaction of Visnu.” That will... Anena, “by this,” prasavisyadhvam, “you increase your enlightenment.” Prasavisyadhvam. “And whatever you want, that will be satisfied by this yajna.” Devan... Yajna, that sacrifice. Devan bhavayatanena te deva bhavayantu vah, parasparam bhavayantah sreyah param avapsyatha.

Now, yajna is practically, according to the Vedic rituals, yajna, or sacrifice, is offered to different devas, demigods. There are hundreds and thousands of demigods mentioned in the Vedic literatures. And the whole portion is called upasana-kanda. Upasana-kanda means worshiping different demigods. But what are these demigods? The demigods are just like different parts of the whole body of the Supreme Lord. They are, so to say, just like the government of the king. There is one king, but there are many state officers.Just you can imagine that if for management of a city like New York, you have got so many departments. As soon as we go to these chambers, we get so many departments: criminal department, civil department, and so many departments.

So for management of these universal affairs, there are different departments also, so far we can get information from the Vedic literature. And each department, there is a particular director. And Brahma is considered to be supreme director of this universe. So this yajna, sacrifice, Vedic rituals, they are indicated to pay different taxes to different demigods. But the Supreme Lord is above all.

Therefore, if one performs sacrifice for the Supreme Lord, he is immune from other obligations. That is also mentioned.devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnamna kinkaro nayam rni ca rajansarvatmana yah saranam saranyamgato mukundam parihrtya kartam [SB 11.5.41]Now, as soon as a living being is born in this material world, he has got many obligations. (incomplete) ...(end)