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By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Devotees Chanting Hare Krishna in a Street Procession in Florence

“Asatī means a woman who has become a prostitute. A prostitute has no reputation for good womanly qualities. Similarly, the tongue, which is given to the human being for chanting the Vedic hymns, will be considered a prostitute if it is engaged in the matter of chanting some mundane nonsense.” [SB 2.3.20-21]

Our spiritual life begins from the tongue (Jihvādau). Atah śrī-krishna-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaih, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adah [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. These senses—these mundane, blunt senses—cannot receive or understand what is Krishna; what is Krishna’s name; what is Krishna’s form; what is Krishna’s pastimes; what is Krishna’s paraphernalia; so many things. na bhaved grāhyam indriyaih. These senses cannot do it. But when the one sense, the tongue, is engaged in devotional service… The tongue is engaged in devotional service means engaged in chanting Hare Krishna. This tongue is especially given to you for that. The dog and the cat cannot chant Hare Krishna, but you can because God has given you the opportunity.

A chaste woman means that she is meant for her husband. Similarly, a chaste tongue means which is engaged in chanting Hare Krishna and tastingkrishna-prasādam. That is chaste tongue.

So if you can simply engage your tongue in chanting Hare Krishna and tasting krishna-prasādam, then you become perfect. Simple thing! There is no difficulty. Whenever there is time, chant Hare Krishna. And when you feel hungry, take krishna-prasādam and live here peacefully. Don’t talk rubbish. Then life is successful. Is there any difficulty?

We are trying to give you krishna-prasādam. We are giving you chance to chant Hare Krishna. That is our duty. So you take advantage of it, and make your life successful. Otherwise, it is jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta.Dārdurikā means a frog. The frog’s tongue is very busy in croaking. But it is inviting death, “Please come here. I am sitting here.” So similarly, by talking nonsense, we allow our span of life being diminished by the sunrise and sunset, but if we talk about the Supreme Personality of Godhead (urugāya-gāthāh), then our life cannot be taken away. It cannot be decreased.

It will be eternal simply by doing these two things – chanting Hare Krishna and eating prasādam. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. If we simply engage the jihvā, the tongue, in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, then we can see God, eye to eye.

[The above is an excerpt from a lecture delivered on June 17, 1972 in Los Angeles]