721123 - Lecture BG 02.18 - Hyderabad

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

721123BG-HYDERABAD - November 23, 1972 - 33:19 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . they are serving the whole body, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme whole and we are His parts and parcels; therefore our duty is to serve Him. This is our constitutional position. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). We cannot become Kṛṣṇa. We are eternally Kṛṣṇa's servitors, part and parcel.

This is real conclusion: qualitatively one. Just like this finger, you can call it body, but it is part and parcel of the body. Similarly, the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, you may call "God," but he's not the Supreme God. Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

So anāśinaḥ aprameyasya. Anāśinaḥ: it cannot be destroyed. Although it is very minute, aprameyasya . . . you cannot measure. You have no such measuring method, that you can measure the soul's breadth and . . . length and breadth. In geometry, they finish it, "Point has no length and breadth." But that is not the fact. A point has also length and breadth, but we cannot measure it. Aprameya. Similarly, there is length and breadth of the soul also. That is also mentioned in the Vedic literature.

(aside) Go little back side.

It is said in the Purāṇas:

keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya

satadhā kalpitasya ca

jīvo bhāgasya vijñeyaḥ

sa anantāya kalpate

(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9)

The spirit soul is measured, first of all, divide the tip of your hair into one hundred parts, and then take one part again, and again divide it into one hundred parts. That portion is the measurement of the soul. Or, in other words, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of your hair.

Now, we have no measuring instrument. Therefore, because we have no measuring instrument, although the soul is there within this body, we cannot find it out. Although the soul and the Supersoul both are situated within the heart, and the heart is the center of all vitality, energy of this body . . .

That is accepted. But we have no eyes to see the soul or the Supersoul because these material eyes are blunt, imperfect. You cannot see so many things. I cannot see even my eyelids, the nearest, and I cannot see which is far, far away, distant place.

So all our senses are imperfect. By imperfect senses you cannot see the spirit soul. You cannot see even the spirit soul; how you can see the Supreme Soul, God? That is not possible. You have to purify your senses. Then you can see. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136).

The present blunt senses, material senses, all are imperfect. Even we hear the Lord's name, nāmādi, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi . . . just like we are chanting. One who is spiritually advanced, he's enjoying this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name. But those who are blunt, they will see, they will think, "What these people are chanting?" Because he has no power to hear. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi.

But realization of Śrī Kṛṣṇa begins by hearing. That is the method. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). If you hear about Kṛṣṇa, if you chant about Kṛṣṇa, then gradually your heart will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). By chanting and hearing, the dirty things within the heart will be cleansed. Then you will understand what is your position in relationship with God. You'll understand what is God.

Therefore in this age especially, Kali-yuga, because people cannot perform any other austerities . . . they're unable. They're so dull. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is the position of the people of this age. Prāyeṇa alpa āyuṣaḥ. Generally, their span of life is very short. It is decreasing, day by day.

As our forefathers lived ninety years, hundred years, now we are not living up to such extent of ages. Generally, people are dying . . . in India, the average age is thirty-five years. In other countries, maybe little more. But gradually it is decreasing, and it will decrease to such a point that even a . . . if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, then he'll be considered as grand old man. That, that day will come.

So this age . . . therefore śāstra says, prāyeṇa alpa āyuṣaḥ. Generally, almost everyone is short-living. Prāyeṇa alpa āyuṣaḥ kalau asmin yuge janāḥ. Asmin yuge, kalau, they are very short-living. Then again, mandāḥ: all rascals. Mandāḥ, third class; no first-class men. Practically no brahminical qualification. All śūdra qualification.

Therefore mandāḥ. Sumanda-matayaḥ. And if one comes forward to be spiritually enlightened, he accepts something bogus, which has no meaning, without any reference to the śāstras. Therefore mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. They have got a opinion, and that is going on. You may have any opinion. That is all right. This foolishness is going on in this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ.

Manda-bhāgyāḥ: and most unfortunate. Everyone is practically unfortunate. Nobody has certainty what he will eat tomorrow, or in the evening. Everywhere. Don't think only it is only in India. In America. When I went there, I thought everyone is very rich. There are so many poor men. They are lying on the street. The street-lying population is everywhere, either in India or in America or in England. I have seen.

The first-class, second-class, third-class men will remain there. You may however try to make everyone first class, the division, first class, second class, third class, will go on. That is nature's arrangement. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). And disturbed. Just like today's strike, unnecessarily. Disturbance. So many disturbance everywhere, all over the world, because the population has degraded. Degraded. They must be like that. This is the way.

Therefore, anyone is interested for spiritual advancement, he should take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, which is principally chanting.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

In this age, you cannot practice yoga, mystic yoga practice, meditation; it is not possible. It is very difficult. You cannot arrange for big, big sacrifices. That is also not possible. Therefore three times it is said: nāsty eva nāsty . . . you cannot take to the yogic principle; you cannot take to the ritualistic ceremonies; you cannot take to the temple worship also. It is very difficult.

Kalau na . . .

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ

tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

(SB 12.3.52)

This is the injunction of the śāstra, that in the Satya-yuga, when people were said to live for one hundred thousands of years, at that time yogic principle, meditation, was possible. And in the Tretā-yuga, the performance of big, big sacrifices was possible, because things were available, there were yājñika brahmins. In this age, practically there is no yājñika-brāhmin who can perform yajña. No competent brāhmin. Therefore performance of sacrifices is not possible.

The only performance of sacrifice is this, as we are performing—Hare Kṛṣṇa festival. That is stated: yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana. In this age, Kali-yuga, no other sacrifices are . . . is possible. Only sacrifice . . . this is sacrifice, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana, just like we are doing, in a small scale. But it can be done in larger scale. But people are not interested. People are not interested. They have lost all brain.

Su-medhasaḥ, and alpa-medhasaḥ. These two words, two words are used in the śāstras. Alpa-medhasaḥ. Medhā means brain substance. So those who are alpa-medhasaḥ, they, means less brain substance. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Alpa-medhasaḥ, less intelligent, less brain substance, they worship different demigods. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20).

The anya-devatās are there, but who are attracted to worship other demigods? Those who are lusty. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ. These are the statements in the Bhagavad-gītā, you know. Those who are lusty, and, being lusty, they have lost their senses. Hṛta-jñānāḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he says, hṛta-jñānāḥ naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ. No intelligence. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante 'nya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām.

So in this age, this is simply waste of time. If you actually interested in spiritual advancement of life, if you divert your attention in so-called worship of this demigod, that demigod, this demigod, then you'll simply waste your time. There will be no advancement. And even you become perfect in worshiping the demigods, then what will be your profit? The profit will be yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25): you can go to the planets where the demigods live.

But the planets and this material world, everything will be annihilated. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām (BG 7.23). Suppose you are promoted to the Brahmaloka. That is also antavat. It will be finished, because by the end of Brahmā's duration of life, everything within this universe will be finished. Therefore antavat. That is not permanent. But if you manage to go back to home, back to Godhead, then yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Then that is perfect life.

So anyone who is not interested in perfect life, they'll be allured by this so-called demigod worship. Antavat tu phalam. But those who are intelligent . . . these are the activities of the alpa-medhasaḥ. But one who is su-medhasaḥ, su-medhaḥ, one who has got good brain substance, for him, in this age it is recommended, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

(SB 11.5.32)

Kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa, or kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati. The one, the incarnation of God, who will chant always "Kṛṣṇa," that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, iti kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. Tviṣā, by complexion, He's akṛṣṇa, "not kṛṣṇa," "not black." Kṛṣṇa appeared blackish. Not blackish as we imagine. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya. Kṛṣṇa, although He's blackish, He is attractive more than millions of Cupids. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.30).

So anyway, Kṛṣṇa appears in four colors—red, black, yellow and white—in different ages. So in this age, Kali-yuga, Kṛṣṇa appears as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, yellow color. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. Akṛṣṇa may be red. Akṛṣṇa may be white. But this akṛṣṇa means pīta, yellow. Because other akṛṣṇa, red and white, was in the Satya-yuga and Tretā-yuga. Therefore here akṛṣṇa means the yellow.

Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32): He's always surrounded by His intimate devotees. He's surrounded by many devotees. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, wherever He was going, thousands and thousands of people were following His saṅkīrtana, but especially He, He was always surrounded by five special devotees:

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya

prabhu nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara

śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

He's Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; His expansion, Nityānanda; His incarnation, Śrī Advaita Prabhu; His internal energy, Gadādhara, and His external, marginal energy, Advaita Prabhu, er, Śrīvāsa.

But He has got another energy, which is called external energy. External energy cannot come in front of God, Kṛṣṇa. This is māyā. Just like darkness cannot come in front of the sun.

kṛṣṇa—sūrya-sama, māyā andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

(CC Madhya 22.31)

This material world is dark. It is called tamaḥ. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. The Vedic instruction is, "Don't remain in this material world. Come to the spiritual world." Spiritual world. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-kotiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam, tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtam (Bs. 5.40). So come to the Brahman platform, brahma-jyotir. Don't remain within this darkness. So therefore in this age:

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

(SB 11.5.32)

This is intelligence, to chant saṅkīrtana. Bahubhir militvā kīrtayati: assemble in big assembly, just like we are trying to introduce. It is very easy. Chant, thousands and thousands of people. Never mind what he is. It doesn't matter whether he's learned or fool, rich or poor, or black or white, or brāhmin or śūdra. No consideration. Come together. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Your brain will be cleansed. It is so easy. It is so nice and so perfect.

According to the instruction of the Vedas: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Repeatedly, in every Vedic literature. And practically, Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced practically. And He asked every Indian to go outside India and preach this cult, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. But we are not doing that. We are going outside our country to beg only, not to give. And here is a prime gift. You can give all over the world. Your country will be glorified. They're anxious for this.

Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction: "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the globe, everywhere this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or Lord Caitanya's name, will be celebrated." (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) That is being done. There is immense field for introducing this Hare Kṛṣṇa cult all over the world. That is practical.

Unfortunately, although Caitanya Mahāprabhu entrusted the matter to every Indian . . . not that (only) to the Bengalis, because He appeared in Bengal. He never said for the Bengalis. He said, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). "On this holy land of Bhārata-varṣa, anyone who has taken his birth as a human being, he should make his life perfect." Janma sārthaka kari'.

You cannot preach without making your life first of all perfect. If I remain imperfect, I cannot preach. One must be perfect. That is not very difficult. We have got direction of great sages and saintly persons and God, Kṛṣṇa, Himself. So to make our life perfect is not at all difficult. We are simply neglecting. That is our misfortune. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10).

Because we are manda, manda-mataḥ, we are accept some bogus logic, bogus "ism," and wasting our time. We should take from the śāstra the real path. Then we shall become intelligent. Su-medhasaḥ. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). The short-cut method. Intelligent class of men will take this saṅkīrtana movement for his spiritual elevation of life. It is a fact. It is scientific. It is authorized.

So don't neglect. Take this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa heart and soul, and anywhere . . . niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. There is no rules and regulation that, "You have to chant at this time or that time, in this position or that position." No. Because it is especially meant for these fallen conditioned soul, there is no hard-and-fast rule.

Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ (CC Antya 20.16, Śikṣāṣṭaka 2). The name, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, is as powerful as Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference with Kṛṣṇa and His name. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. Therefore there is no distinction between Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's quality, Kṛṣṇa's entourage, Kṛṣṇa's pastime, from Kṛṣṇa. Everything is Kṛṣṇa.

If you hear about Kṛṣṇa, then you should know that you are touching Kṛṣṇa by aural reception. If you see Kṛṣṇa the Deity, that means you are seeing personally Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. He can accept your service, any way, because He is everything. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). His energy. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. Everything's Kṛṣṇa's energy. So if we are in touch with Kṛṣṇa's energy, with a little knowledge, we are directly in touch with Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

And as you become constantly in touch with Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you become purified. Purified. Just like if you put one iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmer, and at last it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is fire. It is no more iron rod. Similarly, if you keep always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become Kṛṣṇized. This is the process. Then everything becomes purified; then your spiritual life is manifested. Then your life is successful.

So the first beginning is, here, as it is said by Kṛṣṇa, antavanta ime dehāḥ: don't be attached with this body. The body is material, but even this body is material, it can be spiritualized by the same process, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Spiritualized means when this body will forget the materialistic activities. This body, you can utilize for sense gratification. Just generally people are doing—eating, sleeping, mating and drinking and so on. So you can utilize this body. That is material. But if you engage this body for the service of the Lord, it becomes spiritualized.

As I have already explained, the iron rod, constantly in touch with fire, it becomes, at end, it becomes red hot. That is fire. At that time, it acts like fire. You touch that red-hot iron rod anywhere, it will burn. Similarly, this body can be spiritualized, although it is material body. How? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234).

māṁ ca vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

Brahman. Brahmā-bhūyāya kalpate. It at once becomes Brahman. Brahmā-bhūyāya kalpate. How? Avyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate.

Therefore this process, arcana. Everyone is engaged only in Kṛṣṇa's service. They are, from the beginning of the day, four o'clock, they are rise from the bed; they offer maṅgala-ārātrika. You are seeing practically. We are demonstrating the Kṛṣṇa con . . . how one can become Kṛṣṇa conscious perfectly. Therefore we have brought this Deity. Anyone can do it at home. Where is the difficulty? If these Europeans and Americans, they can do, our Indians, which is our heritage, we are born in this land of Bhārata-varṣa, we cannot do it? But we are neglecting. We are so fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). We have become so unfortunate that we cannot take to this process.

So whatever we have done, done, that's all right. But now this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there. Everyone should take it very seriously and make his life perfect.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Acyutānanda: (reading questions) ". . . Kṛṣṇa, they accept that Kṛṣṇa is in every living entity, and therefore they say that by serving humanity and your fellow man, that that is serving Kṛṣṇa. Is that correct?"

Prabhupāda: If you remain in a room, to serve the room, does it mean that serving you? You are within a room. Simply cleansing the room, does it mean serving you? The present moment, what they are doing? Just like my Guru Mahārāja used to say that a man has fallen on the water, and one brave man came. He said that, "I shall save this man."

"And he also jumped in the water and brought his coat and shirt and he said: "Now the man is saved." Is it saving the man? So similarly, the service of humanity means they are serving the body. Where is the soul? They do not know how to serve. Just like washing the cage, and the bird within the cage, it is starving (imitates bird): "kanh-kanh-kanh."

So they do not know what is service. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). They are thinking this body. That is, that is . . . we are explaining this morning: antavanta ime dehāḥ. This body is perishable. It is material. What is the use of serving it? However you serve it, it will destroy. Try to save the soul who is put into this body and embarrassed.

That is real service. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to save the soul. The body, however you try to save it, it will, antavanta ime dehāḥ, it will end—today or tomorrow or after some years. You cannot save it. Save the soul. Nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. The śarīriṇaḥ, the soul, which is within the body, that is nitya, eternal.

Now, although it is nitya, it is fallen in certain condition of this material body, that it appears to be dying. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). He's under the tribulation of birth, death, old age and disease on account of this material body. Therefore, if you actually want to give service to the humanity, then give service to the soul.

And if you give service to the soul, automatically the body is also served. But if you stress on the body, without . . . therefore, despite all arrangements for humanitarian work, the human society becoming worser and worser. Why? That is not service. They do not know how to serve. Illusion.

Real service is this: Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to arouse the Kṛṣṇa con . . . dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness in every living entity. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. To make him aroused in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is real service. So what is going on in the name of service, that is not service. That is simply washing the coat and shirt. That's all. (break)

Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) (end)