661212 - Lecture BG 09.23-24 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1966

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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661212BG.NY - December 12, 1966

Prabhupāda:

ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā

yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ

te 'pi mām eva kaunteya

yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam

(BG 9.23)

Now, worship of the Supreme Lord and worship of other demigods, that is being discussed in this verse by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Actually, there is no need of worshiping any demigod beside the Supreme. But in the lower stage . . . just like the other day we have discussed. Because we cannot immediately give up our concept of material existence and material happiness and material distress—we take into consideration very seriously, without any spiritual life, or without any idea of spiritual existence—therefore sometimes recommended in the Vedic literature that "For this purpose you can worship this demigod." Just the, just like the other day I gave you the example that those who are diseased, they are recommended to worship the sun-god.

There are different kinds of desires. One who wants beautiful wife, he has been recommended to worship Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva. In this way, there are hundreds of demigods, and we have got hundreds of desires. Just like one who wants to eat flesh, oh, he's advised to worship Goddess Kālī, because the Vedic literature will not allow to have a regular slaughterhouse. No. That cannot be. But still, those who want the facility of eating flesh, they are advised that "All right, you worship Goddess Kālī and sacrifice a goat before the goddess, and eat it." But there is a great list of formulas to make that, I mean to say, sacrifice of goat, not that I take a goat or cow to the slaughterhouse and cut it. No, that is not allowed. The idea is to restrict him, not to encourage him.

Just like, not your country, in our country, there is prohibition. In some cities there is strictly prohibition: no wine can be available. But still, there are wine shops, under government license. So this wine shop does not mean to encourage citizen to come and drink wine. No. The idea is to restrict. To restrict. Those who cannot live without liquor, for them, there is some concession. Because one must live, after all. Similarly, one who cannot avoid meat-eating, for him, that demigod, Goddess Kālī . . . but unfortunately, some foolish persons, they have advertised by Goddess Kālī worshiping, he has become God. These are all foolishness.

This recommendation . . . here it is said by Lord . . . (indistinct) . . . te 'pi mām eva kaunteya: "That worship of different demigods is indirectly offering worship to Me, because they are My representatives." But avidhi-pūrvakam. Avidhi-pūrvakam means "it is not prescribed." Avidhi-pūrvakam. It is, what is called, in English, which is not legal. Illegal.

Devotee: Prohibited.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Not prohibited. Something which is not allowed by law, but sometimes some concession is given. So anyway, it is clearly stated here, avidhi-pūrvakam. But vidhi-pūrvakam, also. Vidhi-pūrvakam means under regulation.

Just like in your body. In your body you have to take special care of your stomach, the digesting machine for your foodstuff. If your digestion is all right, then the energy will be supplied equal to the all parts of the body. So that is necessary. But at the same time, it is not prohibited, that you should not take care of the hand, which is a part of your body. That's all right. Similarly, to worship demigods may be accepted if people know that these demigods are authorized agents of the Supreme Lord. There is acceptance of Supreme Lord.

But those fools who do not accept the Supreme God and misunderstand that "This particular type of demigod is all in all," oh, they are doing nonsense. They are doing nonsense. They are keeping, placing, so many competitors of the Supreme Lord. That is avidhi-pūrvakam. Avidhi-pūrvakam. That is illegal. Nobody can be competitor of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is known as asamordhva. Asama-ūrdhva. Nobody is greater than the Supreme Lord, and nobody is equal, on the same level.

Everyone, whatever he may be, however powerful he may be, they are all living entities. There are innumerable living entities, and some of them are, by degree, one is powerful more than the other. So in the material world we can see that Brahmā, Lord Brahmā, is the most powerful demigod. Similarly, Lord Śiva is also next to Brahmā or equal to Brahmā. Somebody says he's more than Brahmā. Whatever it may be. So Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā are considered to be the most powerful demigods, but still, it is prohibited that one should not think of them as equal to the Supreme Lord. It is strictly prohibited in Vaiṣṇava Purāṇas. It is said like this: yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devam.

yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ

brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ

samatvenaiva vīkṣeta

sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam

(CC Madhya 18.116)

"Any person who keeps on the same level demigods like Brahmā-Rudra"—that means Brahmā and Lord Śiva—"with Nārāyaṇa"—Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Lord—yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ . . . they are very big, big demigods, but even they cannot be placed on the equal level of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord. Yas tu samatvena vīkṣeta: anyone says that, "To me everyone is the same, he is pāṣaṇḍī." He is pāṣaṇḍī means nonfaithful, unfaithful, unbeliever. He is pāṣaṇḍī. Sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam. He's unbeliever. He has no faith in God. He's an unbeliever.

So if we worship demigods as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, then it is all right. But if we accept a particular type of demigod as he is the Lord, then that is irregular. That is not . . . that is not accepted here in the Bhagavad-gītā, avidhi-pūrvakam.

ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ

bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca

na tu mām abhijānanti

tattvenātaś cyavanti te

(BG 9.24)

The Lord says: "I am the only enjoyer, beneficiary, of all kinds of sacrifices." Ahaṁ hi bhoktā. Ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā. Bhoktā means enjoyer. Just like in the office or in the factory, so many workers, they are working day and night, producing money, but who is the bhoktā? Who is the enjoyer? The enjoyer is the proprietor. They are not enjoyer. They are laborer. They are worker.

Similarly the, the, any kind of worship, any kind of sacrifice, any kind of charity, any kind of penance, any kind of austerity, any kind of philosophical discussion, any kind of meditation . . . there are so many things recommended for self-realization or the Supreme Absolute Truth realization. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says: "Of all those processes, the ultimate beneficiary is I am, Myself, Lord Kṛṣṇa." Ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā prabhur eva ca. "Master." Prabhu means master. Na tu mām abhijānanti: "People do not know Me," na tu mām abhijānanti, "that 'Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Enjoyer, the Absolute Enjoyer.' "

We are all enjoyed. There are two things: enjoyer and the enjoyed. Just like a crude example can be given that the husband and wife. The husband is supposed to be the enjoyer, and the wife is supposed to be the enjoyed. But the enjoyment is the same for both. But if you make division, it is understood that husband is predominator and the wife is predominated. So here prabhu, prabhu means He's the predominator. And everyone is predominated. Everyone. Therefore, those who are predominated, their duty is to satisfy the predominator. And when the predominator is satisfied, both the predominator and the predominated gets the equal result.

So the Vaiṣṇava philosophy . . . they want to remain predominated by the supreme predominator. And the Māyāvāda philosophy, the monist, they want to merge into the predominator. Their idea is to become themselves predominator. When they fail to become predominator in this material world . . . we are all trying to become predominator. Everyone is trying. Bhoktā. "I shall . . ." Competition is going on. You are predominator, say, for one thousands of worker or office clerk—your office is so big—so I want to make my office bigger than you. So I want to become greater predominator than you. This is our competition is going on.

But none of us is actually predominator. We are all predominated. And because we do not know that, "I can never be a predominator," therefore I am under illusion, māyā. The real predominator is the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā prabhur eva ca. He is the predominator. Na tu mām abhijānanti. People, they do not know. They want to become predominator themself. That is not possible. By nature, he's not so. I want to be predominator, but actually, I am being predominated by my desires, by my lust, by my anger, by my avarice and so many good qualities. They are controlling me. I am angry, so I tell you something nonsense. You see? So that . . . I am predominated by the anger principle, kāma-krodha.

So therefore one who knows that, "I am not predominator; I am predominated . . ." Suppose I am, I am the head of the family. I am thinking that "I am head of the family." But I am being controlled by the family members. I want to satisfy my wife. I want to satisfy my children. And if they are unsatisfied, then there is disruption in my family. Suppose I want to become the president. So my business will be to keep the citizens satisfied. Otherwise, next vote, I shall not get the post. So I am being predominated by the voting powers. But I am thinking that "I am predominator." This is called illusion. Nobody is predominator. He's predominated by some other principle.

Therefore, one who knows this . . . one who does not know, na tu mām abhijānanti, one who does not know, tattvena ataś cyavanti te, they fall down, under the illusion, cyavanti te. And one who knows that "I can never become the predominator, I shall always remain the predominated . . ." If I do not become predominated voluntarily by the Supreme Lord, if I do not surrender unto Him and voluntarily agree to be predominated by the Lord, then I shall be predominated by the elements of material nature, this kāma, krodha, lobha, lust, desire, anger, enviousness, so many things. They'll predominate me. The senses will predominate me.

Actually, we are, at the present moment, we are servants of the senses. My senses dictate something. I am obliged to do it. I cannot avoid it. A simple thing—as soon as my tongue dictates, "Please smoke," oh, immediately I have to take one cigarette. Immediately. If somebody does not smoke, then he asks permission. Sometimes . . . we do not smoke. Sometimes some gentleman comes and he becomes too much agitated by not smoking, say, five minutes or ten minutes. He asks permission, "Swāmījī, can I smoke?" He's being predominated. He does not know. He's thinking that "I am smoking," but he does not know that smoking is eating him. He's thinking that "I am enjoying LSD," but LSD is killing him. This is the position. It's killing him.

So because he does not know that who is the predominator, therefore cyavanti, he's falling down. He's falling down. So best thing is intelligence. Best intelligence is to accept Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, as the predominator and be predominated by Him. That is our natural life. One who does not know, he falls down. Na tu mām abhijānanti tattvena . . . tattvena, by truth. Simply to know Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa was somebody born in India, and He was very powerful and He was very intelligent. He has written Bhagavad-gītā . . ." But we do not know actually what Kṛṣṇa is.

And this Society especially meant to broadcast the knowledge about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have named particularly this Society the Society for Krishna Consciousness. There is the . . . people do not know it. They are writing commentaries on Kṛṣṇa's book, but they are speaking nonsense, because they do not know Kṛṣṇa. Tattvenātaś cyavanti te: "They fall down from the truth." This is . . .

So therefore we should try to know Kṛṣṇa by paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa is delivering His instruction to Arjuna, and if we understand as Arjuna understood—that is mentioned in the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā—then we can understand Kṛṣṇa to some extent. We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa in full. That is not possible, because He's unlimited, and we are limited. So our power will fail to understand Kṛṣṇa fully. But if we understand something, something about Him . . . just like in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find:

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

(BG 4.9)

"My dear Arjuna, anyone who simply knows how I take My birth and how I am working," janma karma me divyam, "transcendentally, that person becomes immediately liberated." How is that? Now, tyaktvā deham: "After quitting this body, he never comes again to this material world." Then where does he go? Mām eti: "In My kingdom."

So simply by knowing how Kṛṣṇa, He is unborn, how He's taking birth, and the Supreme, how He's working like us—these two things, if we know simply about Kṛṣṇa . . . how do we know? Therefore the Vedic injunction is, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12).

If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you must approach a person who knows Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to know Kṛṣṇa by your own imagination. People are trying to know Kṛṣṇa by his faulty imagination. In that way Kṛṣṇa cannot be known.

So if we want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you have to know Kṛṣṇa as Arjuna knows. Because Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, what He is. Otherwise, he would not have changed his decision. His decision was not to fight, but he changed his decision. He fought because he understood Kṛṣṇa. Understood Kṛṣṇa.

So here it is stated, na tu mām abhijānanti: "People do not know that I am the beneficiary, I am the enjoyer, of everything. I am the Lord of everything. Therefore everything should be done for Me. Everything should be offered to Me. That will make him happy, peace." We are hankering after peace, but we do not know what is peace. We are unnecessarily, illegally claiming over lordship on Kṛṣṇa's property. How we can be in peace?

The material agent, the material energy, is there. Suppose if I encroach upon others' property, will it be peaceful? The police action is already there. Why the police is there? So that one may not encroach upon others' right. Police is there. The law and, what is called, law order, law and order department, department of law and order.So they are . . . why that is? That everyone should be, I mean to say, free to enjoy his right. So you cannot encroach upon others' right.

But here, in our material conception of life, our only business is to encroach upon the right of others. That is our business. We are all encroaching on the rights of others. That is our business. So how you can expect peace? I do not allow even a poor animal to live. I am encroaching upon his body. The poor animal is living at the cost of God, but I am encroaching upon his right. And still, we want to establish our right. We encroach upon others' property, others' land, and we want peace. How there can be peace? Our business is to encroach upon others' property, and we want to be peaceful? That there cannot be peaceful.

The police action is there—similarly, the material nature is the police action of the Supreme Lord. As the state is protected by the department of law and order, similarly, this whole universe is protected by the stringent laws of nature. If we violate, the stringent laws of nature will not excuse me. Even a children, if he transgresses the law of nature, if he touches fire, the fire will not excuse because he is child. No. Ignorance is no excuse.

Similarly, everything, the Prabhu, the Supreme Lord, God, is the proprietor of everything. Ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca. Na tu mām abhijānanti. They do not know that God is the proprietor of everything, so they are encroaching upon God's property, and nature is punishing. This is our position. You cannot avoid.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

(BG 7.14)

The law of nature is very strong and stringent. Just a small example: a child, touching fire. Oh, fire does not excuse. Just see how much stringent law of nature. So law of nature is very stringent.

So everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, and we do not know it and therefore we are encroaching upon the property of Kṛṣṇa, and law is . . . the law of nature is punishing us. This is going on. Then if you want to stop this, then you have to surrender to the Lord. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Anyone who surrenders unto the Supreme, he becomes away from the stringent laws of nature. He becomes peaceful. He becomes happy.

One who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is happy. He is peaceful. He does not do any harm to anyone, not even to the ant, what to speak of other animals. He enjoys according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa, and enjoys very nicely. So his life becomes peaceful, happy and everything. That is desire of life. He becomes qualified with all the good qualities.

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ

(SB 5.18.12)

Anyone who becomes Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all the good qualities automatically develop. Develop. They develop.

Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. And one who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has no good qualification at all. Why? Mano-rathenāsati dhāva . . . because he is hovering over the mental plane. He has no more any touch with the spiritual plane. So long we are on the material plane, or gross bodily plane, or subtle mental plane, oh, we have to suffer. We have to go to the spiritual platform, and that spiritual platform is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to change the consciousness from material platform, from mental platform, from intellectual platform, to the platform of Kṛṣṇa. That is our program, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So if we become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is no chance of falling down. If we do not become, then there is always chance of falling down, down, down, down, down.

Thank you very much. (end)