"You Have To Approach An Acarya"
Prabhupada: So we have been discussing for the last few days about the process of knowledge. So we have discussed already amanitvam, humbleness. Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa. Ahimsa, non-violence. So ahimsa ksantih, tolerance, arjavam, simplicity. These things we have already discussed.
Now another important thing is acaryopasanam. If you want to make progress, then you have to approach acarya. Just like if you want to be educated, you go to school, you go to college, you go to university, similarly, if you want to be advanced in knowledge... knowledge means not this material knowledge. Actual knowledge is to advance in spiritual knowledge.
Just in this Bhagavad-gita the beginning of knowledge was instructed by Krsna that "I am not this body." Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]." I am encaged in this body. I am not this body. Unfortunately at the present moment, this is accepted knowledge, bodily concept. "I am." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmana," "I am ksatriya." This is going on. Actually the knowledge begins when one understands I am not American, "I am not Indian," I am not brahmana," "I am not ksatriya." Then what you are? Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanu-dasa: "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Krsna, the provider of the gopis," Gopi-bhartuh. That is my real identification. Not this body.
So to understand this knowledge one has to approach acarya. Acarya means one who knows the purpose of Vedic literature, sastra. Asrnoti yah sastram. And practices and teaches his disciple. He knows. Acarya means knows. One who knows the purpose of Vedic literature, he practices in his life, and he teaches his disciple. He is called acarya. So acarya upasanam. Before worshiping the Lord... Just like here Krsna said in the beginning, acaryopasanam, and in the middle he says, mayi cananya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicarini. So before engaging yourself in devotional service to the Lord, you must first of all worship acarya, acaryopasanam. One cannot become a devotee personally. Just like some rascals say, "What is the use of accepting guru?" Of course, they have got very bad experience.
But who is acarya? Acarya means one who has received the Vedic knowledge through the parampara system. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. He is acarya. Acarya cannot be manufactured, self-made. No. He must come down from the disciplic succession. He is acarya. You have to approach such acarya who is coming in disciplic succession. acaryavan puruso veda. One who is under the shelter of acarya, he knows things. So Krsna recommends also here that if you actually want to become in knowledge, if you want to have real knowledge, then you must worship acarya. Acaryopasanam. This is Vedic system. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12].
It is not that "If I like, I can go to a guru; if I don't like I can learn the books at home and learn everything." No, that is not possible. Practically... Just like if you purchase some medical book and study at home and if you begin to practice, you will be called a quack. You will not be recognized by the government. You will not get the practitioner's registration. You will not. Unless you have passed through the medical college, your medical examination, you will not be accepted, even if you say that "I have read all the books." Similarly, if you simply think that "I have read... As we see generally, "Oh, I have read Bhagavad-gita hundred times." But you ask him what is Krsna, he cannot say. Because he has not approached the acarya. This is the difficulty. He might have read Bhagavad-gita a thousand times, but he will not understand a single word because he has not approached.
Therefore Vedic literature says tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Abhigacchet." This word is used when the sense is "You must." This is vidhi-lin form of verb, gacchet, abhigacchet. You must. There is no excuse. You cannot learn. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. If you want to know uttamam subject matter... Ut, ut means udgatam, transcending. Tamah means this material world. This material world is tama, darkness. But if you are interested in the matter which is transcendental to this material world, that means spiritual world, then tasmad gurum prapadyeta, you must surrender to a guru.
Jijnasuh sreya uttamam. Not ordinary jijnasuh. Just like we go to the market, "What is the rate of this share? What is the rate of rice? What is the rate of dahl?" Not that kind of jij... Brahma jijnasuh. Athato brahma jijnasa. This human life is meant for inquiring about Brahman, not this rice, dahl, share market. No.
So jijnasuh sreya uttamam, what is the highest perfection of life, he requires to approach a guru. It is not a fashion. It is not a fashion that "I have made my guru, such and such Swami." But what you have learned? You cannot learn because you are not at all jijnasuh. You do not know how to inquire, neither the guru you have met, he does know how to reply. Such kind of guru and disciple will not help. The disciple must be also serious to understand about the spiritual subject matter. That is knowledge, brahma-jijnasa. One who is inquisitive to know about the Absolute Truth, he requires to approach a guru. That is jnana. Jnana means brahma-jnana. Aham brahmasmi. This is jnana. And if I am American, that is not jnana. That is ajnana. "I am Indian," "I am brahmana," "I am this," "I am that," "I am black," "I am white," "I am fat," "I am thin." These are all ajnana, ignorance. You are neither fat nor thin nor black nor white nor American, but you are spirit soul. You have to know that. Aham brahmasmi: "I am spirit soul. I am eternal servant of Krsna." That is knowledge. And for this knowledge you must approach, acaryopasanam.
Saucam, cleanliness. That is very essential. This morning I was talking with Tamal Krsna Gosvami. Cleanliness is... As soon as you give up cleanliness, you become mleccha and yavana. Mleccha, yavana, these two names have come into Vedic sastras, one who is unclean." Why there was always misunderstanding between the Hindus and the Muslims? I am talking of practical life. Because the Muslims were very unclean and the Hindus are supposed... now Hindus are less than Muslim, less than Muslim. And still, they are claiming... Saucam. They are most unclean at the present moment, so deteriorated. Publicly it is being advertised, "Here is beef shop. Come on. Equality. Equality by eating beef, drinking wine." Now this is coming. Saucam. Saucam. Cleanliness. Cleanliness is next to godliness. You must take twice bath at least. It is required. And in tropical countries like India, there is no difficulty taking bath three times. Of course, if your body does not permit... But that is Saucam, to clean. Saucam. Saucam bahyabhyantaram.
apavitrah pavitro va
sarvavastham gato 'pi va
yah smaret pundarikaksam
sa bahyabhyantaram sucih
The brahmana is called therefore suci. He is always clean, taking three times bath, cloth washed, mouth, hands, legs, all clean, with tilaka. That is brahmana. Saucam. This is externally. And internally you have to become also saucam. Bahyabhyantaram. Bahya mean externally you have to cleanse yourself with water, soap or earth. And internally you have to be cleansed by chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Because if you remain unclean within the heart, simply by washing your external body and cleansing your cloth, that is not complete cleanliness. That may be called hygienic. But real cleanliness is internally and externally. Yah smaret pundarikaksam sa bahyabhyantaram sucih. So you have to cleansed yourself externally and internally.
By remembering, yah smaret pundarikaksam, the lotus-eyed Krsna, if you always think, that is suci. And in Bengali there is a word, poetry, muci haya suci haya yadi krsna bhaje. If one is Krsna conscious, even if he is born in a cobbler's family, muci... In India there are two things, muci and suci. Suci means perfect brahmana, and muci means cobbler, the shoemaker. So muci haya suci haya yadi krsna bhaje. If one becomes Krsna conscious, even if he is born in the family of a muci, camara, he can become a brahmana. And suci haya muci haya yadi krsna tyaje. And if he gives up Krsna, even if he's born in a brahmana family, he becomes a muci.
Muci means the skin expert. If he is simply busy, "I am this skin, brahmana skin..." Your behavior? "No, that doesn't matter. So that means skin expert. Just like muci knows how to distinguish whether it is cow's skin or goat's skin or this skin.
No. One must be Krsna conscious. Then he is cleansed. Sa bahyabhyantaram sucih. Yah smaret pundarikaksam. This is Krsna consciousness. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. One who is always thinking of Krsna -- Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama -- he is suci. He is no more muci. Muci haya suci haya yadi krsna bhaje. Sthairyam atma-vinigrahah.
Controlling the senses, atma-vinigrahah. That is called swami, gosvami. If you can control your senses... Vaco-vegam krodha-vegam. If you can control your force of talking nonsense... Because generally we talk nonsense. So if you can control your talking of nonsense things, then you will become controller of talking. Vaco-vegam krodha-vegam. Naturally because we are generally affected with rajas-tamo-guna, raja-guna especially and tamo-guna, we become angry all of a sudden. So we have to control that. Vaco-vegam krodha-vegam manaso-vegam. Mind is very restless. So you have to control the mind. You cannot allow the mind to do anything and everything, but it must be controlled. Sthairyam atma-vinigrahah. Indriyarthesu vairagyam. Indriyarthesu.
For the matter of sense gratification you have to practice vairagya. Indriya. Our all the indriyas -- eyes, tongue, nose -- they are very much, I mean to say, affected or attracted. Eyes, always attracted by beauty. "I want to see very beautiful thing." But you can control the eyes when you practice to see the beautiful feature of Lord Krsna and Radharani. Therefore the Deity should be very nicely decorated so layman like us may be attracted by the beauty of Radha-Krsna. Gradually, he will forget to see any other beauty. This is the practice of indriyarthesu. Indriyarthesu vairagyam.
Actually the whole life is meant for understanding vairagya, renouncement. Human life is not meant for becoming more and more attached to the material enjoyment. Human life is meant for tapasya, vairagya. Here it is said, vairagyam, anahankara, and false prestige, false identification. "Oh, am this. I must do this." That is... In the beginning it is taught, amanitvam, anahankaram. And then janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. We are very much busy to make solution of the problems of life. Political problems, economical problems, social problems. They are also problems. But real problem is janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi, that you have to take birth, you have to die, and when you are in life, you have to suffer from diseases, jara-vyadhi, and you have to become old. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha. These are really problems. But who knows that these are the real problems? They have taken it, accepted it.
Krsna says, "This is knowledge." If you are scientifically advanced how to stop death, how to stop birth, how to stop old age, how to stop disease, then you should know that you have advanced in science. Otherwise what is this? If you have made a horseless carriage motorcar, that is not advancement. It is advancement, but it is not the solution of the problem. The solution of problem is, human life, is to how to stop death.
Therefore sastra says that nobody should become guru, nobody should become father, nobody should become husband -- in this way there is a list -- na mocayed yah samupetya mrtyum, if one cannot help his student or his son or his subordinate to stop death. Actually this is the problem Na mocayed yah samupetya mrtyum. We are under the clutches of death. "It is as sure as death." So this human life is meant for stopping this death. But if you don't see that this is the problem, that is ajnana. That is ignorance. If you don't accept this is the problem, if you simply think "My problem is how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend... These problems are already solved, even by the birds and the beasts. These are not the problems. They are already set up. Real problem is here: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam.
Another problem is asaktih. We are very much attached to our so-called home, so-called wife, children. And here is, jnana means that asaktir anabhisvangah, asaktir. You should, therefore, at a certain age, according to Vedic civilization, one is forced to give up this attachment. Naturally, one is attached to wife, children, home. But Vedic civilization says, that is all right from... Up to fifty years, you can remain attached. But pancasordhvam vanam vrajet. After your fiftieth year, you must give up your family life. Vanam vrajet. Go to the forest for tapasya. That was the system. Here at the present moment, everywhere, all over the world, when he is going to die, still he is attached to his political life, social life, family life. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. You must be detached. Vairagyam. Anabhisvangah. Putra-dara-grhadisu. Family life. Putra means children. Dara means wife. Grha means home. Putra-dara-grhadisu. Asaktir anabhisvangah. Nityam ca sama-cittatvam istanistopapattisu.
In this way you have to be situated on the devotional service. Devotional service is not sentiment. Just like Krsna, after describing so many stages of advancement of knowledge, then he says, mayi ca ananya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicarini. Ananya-yogena. Always... Yoga means linking up. Always linking up with Krsna. Mayi. Krsna says mayi, "Unto Me, Krsna." Mayi ca ananya-yogena bhakti-yogena. So you can become attached with Krsna if you are dovetailed in the service of Krsna, not casually, but constantly. Mayi ca ananya-yogena bhakti-yogena avyabhicarini. Acyabhicarini means without break, always, constantly. Satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah [Bg. 9.14].
In another place Krsna says, satatam kirtayanto mam [Bg. 9.14], "always glorifying Me." This is Krsna consciousness movement. Always we have to glorify Krsna. We should go, meet people, preach, and glorify Krsna. We beg for Krsna. We print books for Krsna. We distribute book for Krsna. We type for Krsna. We eat for Krsna. We sleep for Krsna. So everything should be dovetailed with Krsna. That is called ananya-yogena, without any break, constantly, twenty-four hours in Krsna consciousness. Avyabhicarini.
Vivikta-desa-sevitvam aratir jana-samsadi [Bg. 13.11]. Aratir jana-samsadi, not very much attached with general public, because they are not Krsna conscious. We can meet them as far as possible, as far as required. Not that we have to sit down and talk all nonsense with these general people. No. Aratir jana-samsadi, and vivikta-desa-sevitvam [Bg. 13.11]. Naturally, we shall be inclined to avoid such company. But preaching work, we have to go. Not to associate with him, but to give your association to him. That should be the principle. Because you have learned something about devotional service, you should give your experience to such person, but not to accept their behavior. If you keep this in view, then you will be preacher. And if you become victimized by his association, then you are doomed. You should give him the opportunity of your association, whatever you know, whatever you have learned about bhakti-yoga. When you go to meet a person, you should try to inform him, "This is Krsna consciousness. You also take to it." As Caitanya Mahaprabhu... Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna-upadesa' [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna-upadesa'.
This is real business. Adhyatma-jnana-nityatvam. Spiritual knowledge. That is eternal knowledge. It will not break. If you learn spiritual knowledge, a little of it in this life, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat, then you will be saved from the greatest danger. Tattva-jnanartha-darsanam. If you want to become philosopher, then you philosophize for understanding the tattva-jnana. And what is tattva-jnana?
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]
That is tattva-jnana. Truth. What is that truth? Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti. To understand about Brahman, to understand about Paramatma, to understand about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is tattva-jnana.
So if you want to become philosopher, then philosophically you try to understand what is brahma-tattva, what is Paramatma-tattva, what is Bhagavan-tattva. Etaj jnanam, this is jnana. Not these degrees, MA, Phd. These are all decoration of the dead body. If you do not understand what is the value of life, you do not understand what is tattva, what is Brahman, what is Paramatma, what is God, if you do not become cleansed, if you do not become a devotee, as they are stated, if you have no acarya, you have no guru, then you are in darkness. Krsna concludes here. Etaj jnanam, "All these items described, this is jnanam." Iti proktam. It is accepted, prokta. Ajnanam yad ato 'nyatha: "And just any other thing besides these things, they are ajnanam."
So you compare. You call any educated person. Just like I told you several times, that that Professor Kotovsky, big man in Russia, he said "That there is no life. After finishing this body, everything is finished." Just see how much ajnanam. He does not know. So the whole world is going on under ajnanam. If they accept this Krsna consciousness movement, there is chance of having jnanam. Otherwise they remain in ajnanam. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973
Thank you
Hey guys,
Usually I would not post the same message to all my blogs – but there are different people that visit each one of them, and I thought that I really wanted to share this with all of you; forgive me.
There have been times in my life when all seemed lost; I just wanted to end my life right then and there. Were it not for friends and support I would not have made it thought. How many of us have had such thoughts and feelings of anger, loss, confusion – and how many of us have turned to our friends and thanked them for helping us through those times?
I have been in those very situations where I thought there was nothing for me to do. I did find the way out and the answers needed via my friends. They gave me the tools needed to do it myself! I thank them!
My teaching Guru, Srila Prabhupada
My dear friends, Pandava, Chandra, Sura!
And all the others who I am forgetting to name, I thank for you time and selfless effort in helping one get back to Godhead!
"Rascal! Surrender!"
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.35
Mayapura, October 15, 1974
Nitai: "And yet others say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on, in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation."
Prabhupada:
bhave 'smin klisyamananam
avidya-kama-karmabhih
sravana-smaranarhani
karisyann iti kecana
This is a very important verse. Bhave asmin. Asmin means "this," and bhave, "the material world." Bhava means to grow, means... Grow means which has taken birth. That requires grow. In the material world, there are six kinds of changes: first of all birth, then grow, then stay for some time, then producing some by-product, then diminishing, dwindling, and then vanish. These are the six kinds of changes. Just like this body. It has taken birth at a certain date, and it has grown, that the child is growing. And growing, it will stay, not immediately vanish. It will stay. And while staying, it will create some by-product. From this body, so many sons and daughters will come, by-product. Even tree, they produce also, everyone. Then it becomes old, no more strength, and when it is very old, finish. These are called sad-vikara. That is on account of this body.
So after finishing this body, then I am not finished; I am there. I am, this gross body, finished, but I am within this subtle body -- mind, intelligence and ego. The subtle body carries me to another gross body. These so-called scientists, medical men, they cannot see the subtle body, although one has to accept. Just like I have got mind, you have got mind -- but I cannot see your mind; you cannot see my mind. I have got intelligence; you have got intelligence. Everyone knows. But you cannot see my intelligence; I cannot see your intelligence. They are very subtle. So, and beyond that, the spirit soul is still subtle, so minute quantity. So what these material scientists will see? They cannot see the mind, intelligence, ego, and what to speak of the soul? Therefore they say, "This body is everything, and there is nothing more." But actually that is not the fact. The fact is that the spirit soul is very, very small. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madya 19.140]. Kesagra, the tip of the hair, agra-bhaga, front portion, front portion, sata-bhagasya, you divide into... Can you do it? Take one hair and divide into hundred parts? No, that is not possible. But if... The direction is there. If you can, you can do it. Sata-bhagasya. Then again take one part of that sata-bhaga, one hundredth part, again make it hundred parts.
So it is not possible, impossible by the so-called scientists. But how to learn? Then you have to learn from the authority, "It is like this," that much. It is not under your experimental knowledge. That is not possible. Because your knowledge is so imperfect, you cannot deal with these things. But these rascals, they think... Because they cannot deal with these things, they think that the matter is the cause of life. That's all -- matter, material. But that is... They have not been able to do so. Take matter in the laboratory, chemicals, and produce a small with hands and legs and eyes. We see every night, a small, very, very small, but still, it has got hands, legs and everything, eyes. Otherwise how they are coming to the light? Very small.
So... So we are getting bhava, bhava from that small insect up to the Brahma. Abrahma-bhuvana-stambha,(?) abrahma stambha. Everyone. That is called bhava. There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and we are finishing one body, entering another body. Tatha dehantara-praptih. Krsna says. Either you have to reject Krsna's word or you have to reject all this so-called scientific research. But we have... We are pledged to Krsna consciousness. We cannot reject Krsna's word. So it is accepted that tatha dehantara-praptih. Now, Krsna says that you have to accept another body. Everyone has to accept. Now, He does not say that "After this body, the next change will be this body." He does not say. He does not say. So... Because that will depend, as it is said here, avidya-kama-karmabhih. Avidya. The... Every living entity is within this material world under avidya. Avidya-karma-samjnanya trtiya saktir isyate.
There are many potencies of God, Krsna. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. Many millions. So they have been summarized into three. What is that? The external potency, internal potency, two, and third, marginal potency. The marginal potency and internal potency, they are of the same quality. There are same quality. And there is another potency. That is called external potency. What is that external potency? Now, avidya-karma-samjnanya trtiya saktir isyate. Visnu-saktih para prokta ksetrajnakhya tatha para [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. Visnu-sakti, the Lord's potency, is para. That is spiritual. Visnu-saktih para. And... Visnu-saktih para... Visnu-sakti. And ksetrajnakhya tatha para. And ksetrajnah, the living entities... The ksetrajna is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, idam sariram ksetram ity abhidhiyate. And one who knows this ksetra... Ksetrajna ity abhidhiyate. These are stated in the Bhagavad-gita. So the living entity is ksetrajna. So ksetrajna is also para. But besides these two sakti, there is another, trtiya sakti, which is avidya, everything in ignorance.
Here in this material world everyone is in ignorance -- everyone, even Brahma. Brahma, he was ignorant, but he was given knowledge by Krsna. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. Adi-kavi means Brahma. So the Vedic knowledge, tene brahma... Brahma means this Vedic knowledge, sabda-brahman. So there was one creature, Brahma only, but he was educated. How he was educated? Hrda. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Because, at that time, there was no other way but to transfer the knowledge from within. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam yena mam upayanti te. That is caitya-guru, Krsna, Paramatma. So Brahma was also educated. That means beginning from Brahma down to the small insect, they are all in ignorance, all fools and rascals. That is the constitutional position. Nobody should be proud of his knowledge. Everyone is a rascal, everyone. Here it is said, klisyamananam avidya-kama-karmabhih. So Brahma is desiring that "If I can get the opportunity, the post of Brahma, and I can create a big universe..." He was also thinking like that. And the small insects, it is also thinking like that -- "If I can create a small hole within the room, then I can live very peacefully and eat." The same propensity. As Brahma is thinking to create an universe, you are thinking to create an skyscraper building, the ant is thinking to create a hole within the room -- the quality of the work is the same.
But because we are fools, that these things are material... It will not stay. On account of ignorance, we are thinking that "This will be very nice. This will be very nice. This will be very nice. This will be..." Kama-karmabhih, creating some kama, desire, and working in that way. Therefore klisyanti. To become Brahma, that is not very easy thing. Brahma is such a big post, very qualified, highly advanced in austerities, penance. He is given... He's also a living entity. Just like in your America, you are also a citizen, and President Nixon or Ford, he's also citizen. But by dint of his ardent labor and diplomacy, this way, tha..., he has captured that post. But he's an ordinary citizen. Just like President Nixon. Now he's dragged down. He's no more president. Ordinary citizen. Similarly, if you like you can also become Brahma. Kama-karmabhih.
Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, brahma-janme nahi mora asa, kita-janma hao yatha tuwa dasa. This is Bhaktivinoda Thakura's song, that "Let me become one insect where there is Your devotee, because if I fall down on the dust of the devotee, my life will be successful." Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, kita-janma hao yatha tuwa dasa, bahir-mukha brahma... Brahma-janma is not easy. It is very difficult. But if Brahma is bahir-mukha -- bahir-mukha means not devotee of Krsna -- it is possible. Because we are in ignorance, maya, at any time we can forget Krsna. Therefore we have to always be engaged in Krsna consciousness so that we may not forget Krsna. And that is stated here, sravana-smarana-arhana. Sravana means hearing, And smarana means memorizing, and arhana means worshiping the Deity. If you engage yourself always in this business... Our, all these centers are being opened only for this business -- chanting, dancing, worshiping -- so that we may not forget Krsna. So sada tad-bhava-bhavitah [Bg. 8.6]. If we are always engaged in thinking of Krsna, then there is chance at the end of life -- ante narayana-smrtih. Then there is chance. Everything has to be practiced. Just like if you want to dance in the stage, so you have to perform many rehearsal, how to dance, how to dance, how to dance. Then, if you become expert dancer, then when you dance on the stage, you get acclaim: "Ah." (makes sound of applause:) "Phut, phut, phut, phut." "Very good dancer." But that "very good dancer," you cannot say, "I go immediately to the stage, and I become a good dancer." That is not possible. If one says, "No, no, no, I don't... I shall not attend the rehearsal. You give me the stage. I shall..." No, no. No director will allow him. He's a rascal. He's a rascal. You cannot become all of a..., a nice dancer without practicing it.
So real purpose of life is ante narayana-smrtih. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante... [Bg. 8.6]. If at the time of death you can remember, you can memorize Krsna, then your life is successful. Smarana. So it has to be practiced. (aside:) Where...? You have got that? You could not? Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa. Kirata...
Devotee: It's in the Second Canto, Fourth Chapter.
Prabhupada: Ah, he knows. Second Canto, Fourth Chapter. So asmin bhave. This is the problem. These rascals, they do not care to understand. They are so absorbed in ignorance. Just like some of the, what is called, smugglers. Smugglers, they go on with their work. They do not know... Some of them know also that "We'll be punished. We'll be arrested." Still, they go on. That is the difficulty. A thief knows that "If I am arrested for these criminal acts, I'll be punished." He knows it. And perhaps he has been punished several times. But still, he commits the same thing. Still, he steals. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30].
So why? Ignorance. Ignorance. So therefore this very word is used, avidya. He never thinks... He is so much absorbed in ignorance that he has no time to think that "Repeatedly I am stealing, and repeatedly I am arrested, and I am punished. I sent to jail. Why I am doing this?" Result is not very good. Just like a person too much sexually inclined. He suffers in so many venereal diseases, undergoes operation, and still, he goes to prostitute, again does the same thing. This is avaidha-stri-sanga, illegitimate. And legitimate also. After sex, the woman is pregnant, and she has to suffer for ten months. And at the time of delivery it is very dangerous sometimes. And the man also, after he gets the child, he has to take care of the child. He has to work hard to give education. This is proper, proper sex. The proper sex there are so many difficulties. And what is the..., what to speak of the improper sex? You kill the child. You take contraceptive. You make this; you make that. Therefore sastra says, bahu-duhkha-bhajah. After sex life, oh, there are so many troubles, bahu-duhkha-bhajah, simply trouble, either legitimate or illegitimate, simply trouble. Trpyanti neha krpana. But because he is a rascal, ignorant, he's not satisfied, again does the same thing. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. Again. This is called bhava-roga. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham, kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham [SB 7.9.45]. Iva duhkha-duhkham. Simply trouble. Therefore Vedic civilization is to train these small boys to remain brahmacari, not to take trouble. But if one is unable, he's allowed. So on being trained up in the beginning as brahmacari, he does not stay for many years in the family life. He retires very soon and becomes vanaprastha, then sannyasa. That is the training.
So here it is said, klisyamananam. They are... Everyone is suffering -- birds, beasts, animals and trees, plants, and even Brahma, even Indra. Indra is also not safe. He is always anxious: "Nobody, competitor, may come." So here in this material world everyone is klisyamana, suffering, at least with anxiety. Sada samudvigna, asad-grahat. Tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. Everyone in this material world -- always anxiety. Klisyamananam. Therefore it is called... Asmin bhave klisyamananam. Why klisyamananam? Why they are always suffering in anxiety? Avidya-kama-karmabhih. Because they are rascals. Therefore Krsna is giving so much stress: "You rascal, give up all this business. You surrender unto Me," because everyone is rascal. That is Krsna's very good mercy. He's the supreme father. Therefore directly He says that sarva-guhyatama: "This is the most confidential knowledge I am giving you: rascal, you give up everything and simply surrender unto Me." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Yes. That is required.
So Kunti says that "You have come to teach rascals like this and engage them in this business: sravana, smarana, arhana." Sravana. Because this is bhakti. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. But they are so rascals, as soon as they, the Vaisnavas begin, sravanam kirtanam visnoh, the rascal swami will say, "No, any name, sravana, will do. Any name. Why Visnu? Oh, Kali." You know. In Bengal there is a party, kali-kirtana. What is this nonsense, kali-kirtana? In the sastra there is no such thing as kali-kirtana. Kirtana means sravanam kirtanam visnoh, Visnu-kirtana. But these rascals have discovered because they are very fertile brain and they can discover so many things. Yata mata tata patha: "I have discovered this." What is this? Kali-kirtana, durga-kirtana. So... But sastra does not say. Caitanya Mahaprabhu does not say. Sastra says, harer nama: the holy name of Hari, Krsna, not any other name. Not any other name.
So sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. When there is question of sravanam, arhanam and..., these things are of Visnu. Where is that verse? Yat sravanam yat kirtanam...? So this... Yes. So this sravanam kirtanam has been described by Sukadeva Gosvami in Canto, Second, Chapter Four, very nicely. He says,
yat-kirtanam yat-smaranam yad-iksanam
yad-vandanam yac-chravanam yad-arhanam
lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmasam
tasmai subhadra-sravase namo namah
Very nicely explained. Sukadeva Gosvami, before speaking Srimad-Bhagavatam, he's offering his obeisances to Krsna. What is that? "I offer my obeisances," tasmai, "unto Him." Subhadra-sravase: "Simply hearing of Him is subhadra." Not abhadra; subhadra. Subhadra-sravase namo namah. So Sukadeva Gosvami -- yat-kirtanam yat-smaranam. Either you glorify Krsna There are so many glorifications. The whole Bhagavata is glorification. So you have got... This is... This is the glorification by Sukadeva Gosvami: yat-kirtanam yat-smaranam. Either you glorify or simply you meditate upon Him... Yat-smaranam. Yad-iksanam. Simply if you sit down in front of the Deity and go on seeing, bas, do nothing, simply see: "How nicely dressed is Krsna. How nicely dressed is Radharani," simply if you see, it is said, yad-iksanam, yad-iksanam. Sravanam kirtanam. If you have no capacity to chant or if you have no such fixed-up mind -- your mind is so disturbing that you cannot fix up your mind in Krsna -- then the chance is given: "Here is Deity. You simply see. Simply see." And if you are engaged in the service, there is good chance of seeing always, twenty-four hours. While you are cleansing the floor of the temple or the room, you are seeing. You are dressing -- you are seeing. You are bathing -- you are seeing. You are offering food -- you are seeing. This is the process.
So people are so rascal, they do not come even to see. They are so fallen down. They do not come. "Oh, what is this, Deity worship? Idol worship. Idol worship." They will worship Gandhi's statue and this statue, that statue, but when they are asked that "Come here and see the Deity worship nicely," "No, this is idol worship." We... I have seen in Calcutta that Sir Asutosh Mukherjee's statue there is in the Chowrangi square. So in the morning, these ordinary sweepers, they'll cleanse the statue with their brush, because the whole year, the crows have passed stool on the face. So it has become a very solid stool, fixed up. So... I have seen it, brushing like this. This is their arcanam. This is allowed. And if you worship the Deity, bathe the Deity, this is idol worship. And that municipal brush, sweeping brush, and on the face of Sir Asutosh Mukharjee, brushing, that is very good. Just see how much rascal they are! In the morning this business is done. And in the evening all big, big men will come and flower him, garland him, full of garlands. And after evening, they'll go away, and again, next morning, the crows will pass stool. That kind of worship is accepted. And if we install Deity of Krsna and worship Him nicely -- "These are for the fools and rascals, less intelligent." And he's very intelligent. This is going on all over the world. They are worshiping Napoleon. They are worshiping... I have seen in Paris, Napoleon's statue. "France and Napoleon, one." I asked them, "Where is your Napoleon? France is there, but where is your Napoleon?"
So these things are going on all over the world. Why? Now, avidya. The disease is avidya-kama-karmabhih. So people are so much embarrassed with this avidya-kama-karmabhih. And to educate them, to rescue them from these clutches of avidya-kama-karmabhih, is this sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. That is the sum and substance. So that is explained in this verse also by Sukadeva Gosvami, yat-kirtanam yat-smaranam yad-iksanam. Kirtanam smaranam, and if you are unable to do that... Just like these children. They cannot meditate, but simply they sit down and see Krsna: "Here is Krsna. Here is Radharani." That is also... A small child, he also gets the benefit. An animal gets the benefit -- simply by seeing. Yad-vandanam. And if you are still more intelligent, then offer prayer. Either of these: yad-vandanam yac-chravanam yad-arhanam. The similar parallels(?), the arhanam. If you are expert, trained by your spiritual master how to worship, that is arhanam. And sravanam, the same thing. Yad-vandanam, offering prayers. Some way or other...
Therefore I say that the Christians, they're also Vaisnavas; the Muslims, they're also Vaisnava, very, mean, lower stage, because they're offering prayer. Yad-vandanam. They offer prayer: "O God, give us our daily bread." They do not know very much, but the beginning is there. Beginning is there because they have approached... Catur-vidha bhajanti mam sukrtino 'rjuna. That going to the church or going to the mosque, that is also pious activities. One day they'll come out pure Vaisnava, one day. But that beginning is good. But atheism -- "Don't go to church. Don't go to temple. Don't go to mosque" -- this propaganda is very, very dangerous to the human society. Something do... Try to understand. That education, that a child is sent to school. Let him learn simply A,B,C,D. It doesn't matter. So one day, if he's interested, he may become very good scholar. But to give up religion altogether, secular, simply open factory, bolts and nuts, and work hard and drink and take meat... What is this civilization? What is this civilization? Therefore we are suffering. Again bhava.
Here it is said that avidya-kama-karmabhih. By ignorance, they are thinking by opening factories they will be happy. That is avidya. He does not know that this is ignorance. Why you should open factory? That is... This is called ugra-karma. There is no need of opening factory. You have got land. Here are so many lands. You produce your food grains. Annad bhavanti bhutani. You eat sumptuously food grain, milk, and that will be available without any factory. The factory cannot produce milk or food grain. The present scarcity of foodstuff means everybody is engaged in the city, producing bolts and nuts. Who is producing food grain? This is the solution of economic problem. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Therefore we are trying to engage our men to produce their own food. Be self-sufficient so that these rascals may see that how one can live very peacefully, eating the food grains and milk, and chant Hare Krsna. This is our mission. We don't deny this food. They are after daridra-narayana-seva, but why daridra-narayana? Why not chief Narayana, or the rich Narayana? Everyone should be engaged -- Bhagavat-prasadam. We don't make any distinction, daridra-narayana or rich Narayana, dhani-narayana. Everyone, you come on. Take prasadam.
So this process of Krsna consciousness should be very vigorously propagated all over the world. Simply by seeing the Deity, simply by joining Hare Krsna mantra chanting, sravanam kirtanam... Here it is said, yat-kirtanam. The kirtana word is first used. Simply by kirtanam. Yat-kirtanam yat-smaranam. If you perform kirtana, then you'll be able to think of Krsna, that "I have danced two hours, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. What is the meaning?" That is smarana, again smarana, "Krsna." He may think that "Foolishly, I have chanted for two hours, ‘Krsna, Krsna.' " That means again smaranam, Krsna caught up. Then yad-iksanam. So just like people are purchasing our Krsna book. Because Krsna movement is going on, so they are purchasing out of curiosity: "What is this Krsna? Let us see." Yad-iksanam. "Let us see the book." And immediately he will see the picture, Radha-Krsna. Yad-iksanam. And if they open the book, they'll see more. Yad-iksanam. Then there is vandanam. There are so many prayers, glorifying Krsna. Then sravanam. Others will hear. Somebody will read. Then if he's fortunate enough, he'll become Krsna conscious. Yad-arhanam: he'll be engaged in the worshiping of Deity.
So lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmasam. These processes, sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam van... [SB 7.5.23], so perfect that as soon as you take them..., not all of them, either all of them or some of them or at least one of them, then what happens? Lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmasam tasmai subhadra-sravase namo namah: "I am offering worship to that Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply by remembering Him, simply by glorifying Him, simply by seeing You, so many things happen." So Sukadeva Gosvami, the authority... He is one of the authorities, Vaiyasaki. Balir vaiyasakih. Out of twelve authorities, Sukadeva Gosvami is authority. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We have to follow the authority. So he says by..., simply by performing these processes, sravanam kirtanam visnoh, then what you are? Lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmasam: "This material contamination will be washed off." Lokasya sadyah. When washed off? Immediately, sir, immediately, no waiting, sadya. This is Krsna consciousness movement.
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