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Pradyumna: "Narada Muni mentions this sadhana-bhakti in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Seventh Canto, First Chapter, 30th verse. He says there to King Yudhisthira: 'My dear King, one has to fix his mind on Krsna by any means.' That is called Krsna consciousness."

Prabhupada: Yena tena prakarena manah krsne nivesayet. The practice means somehow or other, you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Krsna, as Maharaja Ambarisa did. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor [SB 9.4.18]. Practice in such a way that you'll be able to think of the lotus feet of Krsna twenty-four hours, without any stop. That is the first-class yoga. Immediately you become a first-class yogi. You don't have to practice the meditation, samadhi, dhyana, dharana, asana, pranayama, this astanga-yoga. Without practicing astanga-yoga, you simply practice the one simple thing, simply thinking of the lotus feet of Krsna always; then you become a first-class yogi. It is not our statement. Krsna's statement.

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gata antaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]

He's first-class yogi. Who? "Who is always thinking of Me within his heart." Sraddhavan. "With faith and love, he's always thinking of Krsna." He's first-class yogi. So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that, if we take it seriously, then immediately, on the first stage, we become a first-class yogi. Immediately, without any bodily endeavor, mystic exercise. No need. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible. The yoga practice, in your Western countries, it is very popular; but that is a farce. Yoga practice is very difficult, especially in this age. Krte yad dhyayato visnum [SB 12.3.52]. Yoga practice was being done in the Satya-yuga. People were very strong; they used to live for many, many years. They could practice yoga. Here we do not know when we shall die. There is no, I mean to say, fixed-up time. At any moment, we can die. Padam padam yad vipadam [SB 10.14.58]. We are simply in the midst of dangerous condition. At any moment. Just like when you were coming from that Mr. Choudhuri's house, immediately there would have been a motor accident in this Vrndavana. Immediately. So padam padam yad vipadam. Here, especially in this Kali-yuga, the time is very bad. At any moment there can be any turmoil and we can die at any moment. Therefore, the recommendation is:

harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Cc. Adi 17.21]

You are chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If you..., I die chanting Hare Krsna, it is a great opportunity. So this practice, kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31], this is the only sadhana. Sadhana-bhakti. Chant always Hare Krsna mantra, fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Krsna, and it will be very easily possible to make your life perfect. Go on.

Pradyumna: "It is the duty of the acarya, the spiritual master, to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Krsna. That is the beginning of sadhana-bhakti."

Prabhupada: Yes. The acarya or the spiritual master's duty is to give direction to the disciples how he can fix up his mind always on the lotus feet of Krsna. He should... He knows how to engage a particular devotee in a particular type of service. Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. The... We are, everyone has got some particular talent. So it is the duty of the spiritual master to engage his disciple's talent in the service of the Lord so that constantly he can think of the Lord. This is spiritual master's duty. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given us an authorized program for this purpose, centered around the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra. This chanting has so much power that it immediately attaches one to Krsna. That is the beginning of sadhana-bhakti. Somehow or other, one has to fix his mind on Krsna. The great saint Ambarisa Maharaja, although a responsible king, fixed his mind on Krsna, and similarly, anyone who tries to fix his mind in this way will very rapidly make progress in successfully reviving his original Krsna consciousness."

Prabhupada: Because fix up mind on the lotus feet of Krsna is yoga. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Who is yogi? Dhyanavasthita, always thinking of Krsna, Krsna's lotus feet. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa... Tad-gatena manasa, absorbed in the thought of Krsna. This is yoga system. Some way or other, if you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Krsna, that is perfection of yoga. Yoginam api sarvesam [Bg. 6.47]. That is the verdict of all sastras. So by fixing up your mind on the lotus feet of Krsna, immediately you become first-class yogi. There is no doubt about it. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Now this sadhana-bhakti, or practice of devotional service, can also be divided into two parts. The first part is called regulative principles. One has to follow these different regulative principles by the order of the spiritual master or on the strength of authoritative scriptures."

Prabhupada: Yes. The regulative principles means that you don't manufacture anything. Regulative principle means authorized -- as they are mentioned in the authorized scriptures and as it is confirmed by the spiritual master. Because we do not know. When it is confirmed by the spiritual master, yes, it is right. Sadhu guru, sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya, tinete kariya aikya. The same statement of Narottama dasa Thakura. Sadhu, principles which are followed, sadhu-marga-anugamanam. We cannot follow asadhu-marga. We must follow sadhu-marga. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We cannot follow an upstart, manufacturing some song, manufacturing some ideas. We cannot follow that. What is authorized song, we shall sing. What is authorized method, we shall follow. Sadhu-guru-sastra-vakya. Sadhu and guru means on the basis of sastra. And sastra means the statements of sadhu and guru. Therefore sadhu and guru and sastra, they are identical. So they must be corroborated. If somebody's sadhu is speaking against sastra, then he's not sadhu. If somebody's guru, if he's going against sastra, then he's not guru. And sastra means the original guru and sadhu. What do you mean by sastra? Just like in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam means we are studying the character of original sadhu and guru. Just like Prahlada Maharaja, Prahlada-caritra, Dhruva-caritra, Ambarisa-caritra, the Pandavas, Bhisma. So Bhagavata means the glories of Bhagavan and bhaga, devotees. That's all. This is Bhagavatam. So sadhu-guru-sastra-vakya, tinete kariya aikya.

So this is sadhana-bhakti. We must take instruction from the spiritual master. Adau gurvasrayam, sad-dharma-prcchat. Who requires a spiritual master? One who is inquisitive of sad-dharma, not asad-dharma. Sad-dharma-prcchat. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. A man requires a spiritual master when he's inquisitive to know about the transcendental subject matter. A spiritual, a spiritual master... To accept a spiritual master is not a fashion. Just like we keep a dog, pet, similarly, if we keep a spiritual master, pet spiritual master, to get sanction of all my sinful activities, that is not accepting spiritual master. Spiritual master means tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. You should accept a spiritual master where you think that you can surrender yourself fully, and offer his, your service. That is spiritual master. Sadhu-marga-anugamanam. Sad-dharma-prcchat. So spiritual master is required for a person who is interested in the transcendental subject matter. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Tad-vijnana, that vijnana, the science of spiritual life. One who is interested in the science of spiritual life, not that to keep a spiritual master as a fashion. No. One must be serious. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. First of all, one must know in which subject matter he's inquisitive, in material things, or in spiritual matters. If he's actually interested in spiritual matter, then he should search out a proper, bona fide spiritual master. Gurum eva abhigacchet. Must find out. It is not option. It must. Must, you cannot avoid it. Without bona fide spiritual master, you cannot go a step forward. Go on.

Pradyumna: "...and there can be no question of refusal. That is called vaidhi, or regulated. One has to do it without any argument. Another..."

Prabhupada: Yes. You cannot argue with the spiritual master. First of all, you have to select a spiritual master where you can completely surrender. And as soon... Just like Arjuna surrendered to Krsna. When he saw that "The questions which have arisen in my mind, it cannot be solved by ordinary person," therefore he selected. He told Him that "I can understand, without Your Lordship, nobody can mitigate all the doubts in my mind." Tasmad gurum prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam [Bg. 2.7]. Therefore original spiritual master is Krsna. Krsna is original spiritual master. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. Krsna first instructed Brahma, Adi-kavi. From Brahma, we have got these Vedas, Vedic knowledge. Therefore, Krsna is the original spiritual master. Aham evasam agre. Before creation, Krsna was there. Aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. Krsna is the origin of all the devas. Devas means Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara, then all other demigods. So, in this way, Krsna is the original spiritual master. Just like He's the spiritual master of Arjuna. So study of Bhagavad-gita means if you follow the footprints of Arjuna, then you are also as good as Arjuna. Not as good; I mean to say, that your knowledge is perfect. Perfect in this sense: that Arjuna accepted Krsna as Param Brahma; you accept Krsna as Param Brahma; then your study of Bhagavad-gita is perfect. And if you make your so-called erudite scholarship, commentary, "It is not to Krsna," then you are spoiled. Your life is spoiled, your study is spoiled. Sadhu-marga-anugamanam.

So if you want to study Bhagavad-gita, you follow what Arjuna says. Where is the difficulty? What Arjuna has said about Krsna, that is already there in the Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna said, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, sasvatam purusam adi [Bg. 10.12]. You accept Krsna. Why do you try to make minus Krsna Bhagavad-gita? This is rascaldom. That is not study of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita as it is. Study Bhagavad-gita as it is; then you'll be benefited. And actually we are seeing that. We are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is all over the world, and it is becoming successful. Not adulteration. That is spoiling. Adulteration means... The example is given..., it was given by my Guru Maharaja that there is a cup of sweet rice, and you mix with some grains of sand. Then it is, whole thing is spoiled. You cannot comment on Bhagavad-gita according to your whims. Krsna did not leave Bhagavad-gita to be understood by your commentation. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is. You'll be benefited. That is sadhu-marga-anugamanam.
Vrndavana, November 13, 1972

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