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Prabhupäda: Come on. Hm. What is that?
Devotee: Sanskrit.
Prabhupäda: Bhägavata? So from the very beginning, oà namo bhagavate, janmädy asya yataù [SB 1.1.1].
Pradyumna: (chants oà namo bhagavate väsudeväya and then the verse one word at a time with devotees and Çréla Prabhupäda repeating until Çréla Prabhupäda stops him at the word abhijïaù.)
Prabhupäda: (chants whole verse one word at a time with devotees repeating) Like that.
Devotee: (indistinct)
Prabhupäda: Yes.
Pradyumna: Janmädy asya yato 'nvayäd... [SB 1.1.1].
Prabhupäda: No, first of all let them practice. (chants whole verse one word at a time with devotees repeating) Read like that.
Pradyumna: (chants whole verse one word at a time with devotees and Çréla Prabhupäda repeating)
Prabhupäda: Again. (Pradyumna repeats whole verse one word at a time with devotees and Çréla Prabhupäda repeating) Next you. (devotee recites whole verse one word at a time with devotees and Çréla Prabhupäda repeating) Hm. Kértanänanda Mahäräja. Janmädy [SB 1.1.1]. (Kértanänanda recites with devotees and Çréla Prabhupäda repeating until the word tene when Çréla Prabhupäda interrupts) This, this word abhijïaù or abhijïaù (pronounces differently), both ways you can pronounce. So it is easier for you, as it is spelling abhijïaù, or abhijïaù, as you like. Yes. (Kértanänanda continues with Çréla Prabhupäda and devotees repeating) Thank you. Viñëujana Mahäräja. (Viñëujana recites with Çréla Prabhupäda and devotees repeating) Karandhara Prabhu. (Karandhara recites with Çréla Prabhupäda and devotees repeating) You. (devotee recites with Çréla Prabhupäda and devotees repeating) Any more? Anyone else? Hm. (Çréla Prabhupäda chants verse twice, one line at a time and devotees repeat)
So, if you chant these mantras, at least one in one day, your life will be glorious. This mantra, bhägavata-mantra, not only Bhägavata, every Vedic literature is a mantra. Transcendental sound. So practice resounding this mantra. So we have taken so much labor to put in diacritic mark, all the words, word meaning, utilize it. Don't think that these books are only for sale. If you go to sell these books and if some customer says, "You pronounce it," then what you will do? Then he will understand, "Oh, you are for selling, not for understanding." What do you think? Eh? So therefore it is necessary now, you have got nice books, each and every çloka, verse, should be pronounced. Therefore we have given this original verse in Sanskrit, its transliteration with diacritic mark—these marks are universally accepted amongst the scholars. So all the scholars of Sanskrit, they agreed to use this mark for pronouncing Sanskrit language.
Sanskrit language is very important, honored all over the world. Especially in Germany, they are very much fond of this Sanskrit. There are many German scholars who can speak in Sanskrit language for hours. They are so serious student of Sanskrit. One of my Godbrothers, he is now in Sweden, he used to speak that "When one Indian student used to come to our country from London" In British days Indians would go to London, and he would take a degree there, and he would become a big man. That was the system. So while coming back home, naturally they used to visit other European countries. So in Germany they used to test the Indian student, how far he knew about his own culture. So this, my Godbrother, his name was Ansulye (?), now he's Sadänanda Swami, so he said that as soon as we saw that the student did not know anything of his Indian culture, immediately rejected him, "That is useless."
So if, those who are Indians, especially present in this meeting, that if you want to glorify your country, then you present this Vedic literature. You cannot excel the western countries by so-called technological knowledge. That is not possible. They are far advanced. Hundred years advance. Whatever machine you may discover, that machine was discovered one hundred years ago in western countries. So you cannot. Anything. So if you want, Indians, to glorify your country, then present this Vedic culture heart and soul, and Just like I am trying to do it. So how people are accepting it? There is substance. Before me so many swamis came in this country, they could not present the real thing. They wanted some money and went away. That's all. Our, this Kåñëa consciousness movement is not that. We want to give something to the western countries. That is our purpose. Not we have come to beg, we have to give them something. That is my mission. They come here to beg, "Give me rice, give me dahl, give me wheat, give me money," but I have come here to give something of Indian culture. That is the difference.
So you European, American students, you take full advantage of this Vedic culture. I am therefore so much laboring hard that we, before my leaving this body, I may give you some books who you can enjoy after my death. So utilize it. Utilize it. Read every çloka nicely, try to understand the meaning, discuss amongst yourselves. Nityaà bhagavata-sevayä. That is our mission. Nañöa-präyeñv abhadreñu nityaà bhagavata-sevayä [SB 1.2.18]. Abhadra, we have got so many dirty things within our heart. So these dirty things can be cleansed simply by Kåñëa consciousness. There is no other method.
çåëvatäà sva-kathäù kåñëa
puëya-çravaëa-kértanaù
hådy antaù stho hy abhadräëi
vidhunoti suhåt satäm
[SB 1.2.17]
nañöa-präyeñv abhadreñu
nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
bhagavaty uttama-çloke
bhaktir bhavati naiñöhiké
[SB 1.2.18]
This is the process. Çåëvatäà sva-kathäù kåñëa, Kåñëa is within your heart. Kåñëa is trying to help you from within and from without. From without, He is presenting His form in this temple. You can take the advantage of serving Him. He is sending His representative, spiritual master, to speak you directly about Kåñëa, and He is ready to help you from within as Paramatma. Kåñëa is so kind. He wants that you are all suffering in this material existence, Kåñëa comes as He is, and He canvasses, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So bhägavata-sevayä, nityaà bhägavata-sevayä [SB 1.2.18], cleansing the heart. Ceto-darpaëa-märjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This is the process. We are part and parcel of God, Kåñëa, so we are pure, we have become impure on account of material contamination. So we have to purify ourselves and the process is to hear about Kåñëa. That's all.
çåëvatäà sva-kathäù kåñëa
puëya-çravaëa-kértanaù
hådy antaù stho hy abhadräëi
vidhunoti suhåt satäm
[SB 1.2.17]
This temple, these ISKCON centers are open, just to give everyone the chance of hearing about Kåñëa so that his dirty heart may be cleansed. This is the purpose. We have no other purpose. We are not opening these centers for some material benefit. No, we want to give to the whole world the spiritual enlightenment without which they are suffering. And this human form of body is especially meant for this purpose to understand our spiritual position.
Janmädy asya yataù [SB 1.1.1], that is the first Vedänta-sütra. The Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the natural commentary on Vedänta-sütra. Vedänta-sütra philosophy was expounded by Vyäsadeva, Mahämuni. And thinking that in future so many fools and rascals will misuse the Vedänta-sütra as so-called Vedantists, and send all people to hell, therefore he personally wrote this commentary on Vedänta-sütra, the Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Bhäñyaà brahma-süträëäà vedärtha paribhåàhitaù **. This is bhäñya. Bhäñya means commentary. Therefore he begins from the first aphorism of Vedänta-sütra, janmädy asya yataù [SB 1.1.1], athäto brahma jijïäsä, jévasya tattva-jijïäsä. Jévasya tattva-jijïäsä, jéva, those who are conditioned souls, their only business is to enquire about self-realization. The piling of woods and stone is not advanced civilization. My Guru Mahäräja used to say, käöh päthare mistri. If you are simply engaged how to have a skyscraper building, then we become craftsmen only, how to handle woods and stones, that's all. So much success but what we'll do with this woods and stones? You are spirit soul. Woods and stone will not give you any pleasure. That is not possible. You are not wood and stone, you are spirit soul, you must have spiritual food. Therefore in America especially, despite all material opulences, there you are becoming confused and frustrated and disappointed. Because woods and stone will not satisfy you. You must have spiritual food, that is Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
Thank you very much. Hare Kåñëa. (end)