681118 - Lecture Festival Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1968

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

681118LE-LOS ANGELES - November 18, 1968 - 81:47 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (sings)

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

This is a prayer offering obeisances to the six Gosvāmīns, direct disciples of Lord Caitanya. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau. The six Gosvāmīns' names are Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī . . . vande rūpa-sanātana raghu-yugau. And there are two Raghus: one Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and one Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī.

According to whole Vedic system, there are four castes: brahmin, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. So this Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī belong to the . . . of course, a Vaiṣṇava is never śūdra, but in social standard they belonged to the kṣatriya or śūdra. Therefore he is named as dāsa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.

So the six Gosvāmīns . . .

(pause)

Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, and two Raghunātha Gosvāmī, and three, four, and then Jīva Gosvāmī and Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. Six Gosvāmīs. Practically, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left behind Him that eight ślokas, Śikṣāṣṭaka, which you have seen. I have translated in my first volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

On the basis of those eight verses, the Gosvāmīns wrote literatures, volumes of books. From Vṛndāvana they were dispatched after the disappearance of the Gosvāmīns. They left so many books, handwritten, that when they were dispatched it was a full cartload, a big cartload, you see. Just imagine how many books they wrote. They were great scholars, and many varieties of books of bhakti school, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they wrote.

So these Gosvāmīns were engaged, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana, chanting and dancing. Kīrtana means chanting, and nartana means dancing. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana, utkīrtana. Utkīrtana means very loudly, not softly. So this loud kīrtana was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya. So this disturbance, this complaint, was current even in His own time.

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was introducing this kīrtana system, so many brahmins of Navadvīpa, they complained to the Muhammadan magistrate—at that time the government was Muhammadan government, Pathan—to the Kazi that, "This boy . . ."

Caitanya Mahāprabhu was that time seventeen-years, eighteen-years-old boy, but He was very popular by introducing this saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting and dancing. And He said that simply by chanting and dancing, as we are saying, one will achieve the highest perfectional stage. So the brahmins were working as priest, they thought that their business will not go on.

They prescribed so many ritualistic performances, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was saying simply by chanting one can achieve the highest perfection. So they were disturbed, and they lodged complaint to the then magistrate, Kazi, Maulana Chand Kazi. His name was Maulana Chand Kazi. You know, when a Muhammadan is learned and religious he gets the title Maulana.

So that magistrate, Chand Kazi, was very learned scholar, not only in Muhammadan scriptures, but he was a great scholar Hindu scripture also. Just like in British period in India, there were many responsible English officers, just like high court judge, civil service. They were very vastly learned in Sanskrit.

One Mr. Woodruff, Justice Woodruff, Englishman in Calcutta high court, oh, he was very great scholar, Sanskrit scholar, and he translated all the tantric śāstras. So scholarly people are always there. It doesn't matter they do not belong to any class of men. Scholars are scholars, saintly persons are saintly persons.

So this Chand Kazi was a great scholar, and the brahmins lodged complaint that, "This boy, Nimāi Paṇḍita . . ." Caitanya Mahāprabhu was known at that time Nimāi Paṇḍita. His mother's given name was Nimāi. And because He was also very great scholar, in sixteen years old he defeated many scholars. One scholar came from Kashmir. He was . . . his name was Keśava Kāśmirī; he defeated all scholars of India. But when he came to Navadvīpa he was defeated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a great scholar. He was scholar in logic especially, nyāya. So He was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita. Paṇḍita means learned scholar. Especially brahmins are called paṇḍita because generally, the brahmins are expected to be great scholars. So unfortunately, later on the paṇḍita title was there, but some of them were great fools. Perhaps you know, our late prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru . . .

Perhaps you've heard his name, Nehru. He came to your country, I think, during President Eisenhower's time, and in some meeting some American gentlemen or boys, I do not know, they asked him to explain some of the verses from Bhagavad-gītā. And he, I mean to say, admitted that he was not a scholar in Bhagavad-gītā. So . . . but his title was there, paṇḍita. Generally, the brahmins are given this title paṇḍita on account of their scholarship in Vedic literature.

So Nimāi Paṇḍita . . . Nimāi Paṇḍita, yes, so complaint was lodged against Him, and He disobeyed the order of the Kazi, civil disobedience, and there was a great incidence. Then the Kazi became His admirer, follower. That is a long story. So the Gosvāmīns, six Gosvāmīns, they picked up Lord Caitanya's eight verses and they wrote so many books.

The Gosvāmīns are coming. (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

So these Gosvāmīns were chanting and dancing, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. So we are creating the descendants of Gosvāmīns here in the Western countries. You are also chanting and dancing, following the footprints of the Gosvāmīns, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau.

And they were chanting and dancing not dry. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi: dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. You cannot chant and dance for a long time unless you are dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. That is the specific qualification of the dancer and chanter. If you ask somebody to chant and dance for one hour, he'll get tired. But this chanting and dancing is so nice that these Gosvāmīns, they can go on chanting and dancing for twenty-four hours. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi. Because they were dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Dhīra, dhīra means gentle, and adhīra means ruffians, not gentle. So they were affectionate and popular both to the gentle as well as ruffians, these Gosvāmīns. Everyone liked them. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that unless one is a staunch atheist, everyone will like this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement.

As an evidence, people are receiving these boys who are chanting and dancing. Out of their love they are contributing something, they are purchasing magazines. So this is sympathy, sign of love. So they are not, of course, very big business magnate or politicians; they are common men. But it is appealing to the common people. There is no doubt about it.

So these Gosvāmīns were also very popular amongst all classes of men. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau. Because they were also benefactor. They were doing something which is beneficial to the mass of people. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau. Nirmatsarau means not envious. We are not envious to anyone.

Yesterday I received one letter from Rāyarāma. He wanted my permission to make some propaganda in our magazine Back to Godhead against animal slaughter, butchery. So I replied that why should we be against a class of men who are known in the society as butcher?

Actually, everyone is butcher. Actually, so-called gentlemen who are, I mean to say, supporting these butchers, they are also butchers. According to Manu-saṁhitā, there are eight kinds of butchers. The man who is killing the animal, the man who is ordering to kill the animal, the man who is skinning the animal, the man who is purchasing the meat, the man who is cooking, the man who is eating, they are called all butchers.

Just like if there is a murder case and there is a conspiracy, so it is not the man who has directly killed some person he is arrested, but everyone who is in the conspiracy, they are all arrested. That is the common law. So in that sense everyone is butcher.

Besides that, because a person is killing some cow or some animal, we are calling butcher. But mostly they are killing their soul. Anyone who is unconscious, who is ignorant of his spiritual identity, identifying himself with this body and misusing this opportunity of human form of life simply for animal sense gratification, they are also butchers. If killing of some living entity is butchery, then how great a butcher is he who is killing himself?

He is killing an animal, but he is killing his self. Ātma-hā. Ātma-hā, self-killing, out of ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance. Any sinful activity is done out of ignorance. So ignorance is no excuse. The butcher is killing animal because he does not know what is the effect of this killing. Similarly, persons who do not know what is the value of this human form of life and simply spoiling it just like animals, they are also butchering themselves.

There is a nice instructive verse in Sanskrit. One saintly person was giving his blessings to different kinds of persons. So he first of all saw one boy, he was a prince, son of a king. So he blessed him, rāja-putra, "My dear prince," ciraṁ jīva, "you live forever." Then he saw one brahmacārī, a disciple of a spiritual master, he said, mā jīva muni-putraka, "Oh, you are the disciple of a saintly person. You do not live. You die immediately."

Rāja-putra ciraṁ jīva. "Oh, the prince, son of a king, you live forever; and you are a brahmacārī, muni-putra, a son of a saintly person, so you die immediately." Then there was a saintly person, and he said to the saintly . . . he offered his blessings to the saintly person, jīva vā mara vā sādhoḥ. Sādhoḥ means saintly person, sādhu. "My dear saintly person, either you live or you die, as you like." And there was a butcher. He told for the butcher, mā jīva mā mara iti: "You neither live nor die."

So what is the significance of these four kinds of blessings? The significance is that he blessed the rāja-putra, royal prince, to live forever because whatever enjoyment he's having, this is for this life. Next life is very horrible for him, next life. Just like generally in the opulent countries like America and other European countries—they are materially very opulent—they do not care for anything.

They do anything, whatever they like, because they are very much proud of their material opulence. But they do not care what they are going to be next life, you see. Therefore so long they live, that is good for them. As soon as they die, they are going to the darkest region of the hell. Therefore the prince, the king's son, was blessed, "You live forever."

And so far the brahmacārī, brahmacārī or the son of a muni, he is undergoing penance, austerities, fasting, not very comfortable life. So he was blessed that "You die immediately." Because by his pious activities he has elevated himself so high that as soon as he dies, he goes to Vaikuṇṭha, kingdom of God. Therefore the sooner he dies is better. So muni-putra, ma jīva muni-putraka.

And so far saintly person, sādhu, he said, jīva vā mara vā. A saintly person, "Either you live or die, the same thing. Because you are serving Kṛṣṇa in this life, and as soon as you die, you will serve Kṛṣṇa directly. So it is all the same." And so far the butcher is concerned, he said, mā jīva mā mara, "You don't die, don't live." "Don't live" means "You are living in such a wretched condition, killing every day.

Horrible life. Your living is horrible, and if you die, you are going to the darkest region of the hellish condition. So both life, living or dying, it is very horrible for you. So you don't live, don't die." (laughs) So that is the blessing to the butcher, "Don't live, don't die." Living condition is also horrible, and after death it is also horrible.

But unfortunately, every one of us is committing butchery without understanding self-realization, what is self, "What I am." Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says that, "Try to understand yourself." Athāto brahma jijṣāsā. This human form of life is meant for searching out, understanding, inquiring about Brahman. We are all brahmas. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, therefore we are all brahma.

So if we do not inquire what is Brahman, then that is suicide. In the human form of life, if you do not make inquiries what is Brahman, athāto brahma jijṣāsā . . . jijṣāsā means inquiry. This is the first aphorism in the Vedānta-sūtra, that atha. Atha means "thus." Ataḥ, ataḥ means hereafter. "Hereafter" means that we have passed through 8,400,000's of species of life—now we have got civilized form of human body, now it is the time to inquire what I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God.

So in every human society there is such inquiry and there is some answer also. So cultivating this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, is essential. If we do not take to these inquiries, simply if we engage ourself in the animal propensities . . . because this material body is animal body, but the consciousness is developed. In the animal body or in the lower than animal body—just like trees and plants, they are also living entities—the consciousness is not developed.

If you cut a tree, because the consciousness is not developed, it does not protest. But it feels the pain. That is scientifically proved by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. It feels. But the feeling is not so strong. But if you kill one animal, it protests, because the consciousness is developed. Similarly, if you kill a man, that protest is still vehement, because the consciousness is still more advanced.

So in this way, in different forms of life we are developing different types of consciousness. Just like this child, because it has got a certain type of body, its consciousness is not so developed. But when this body will be grown up, when this girl will be young, then her consciousness is also will be different.

Not will be; it will develop. Similarly, our consciousness should develop. The perfection, the ultimate goal, the limit of development is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The consciousness is developing one after another in different bodies, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that is the ultimate development.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jṣānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). This is the definition how consciousness reaches its perfection. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. That perfection is reached after many, many births. Just like aquatics, plants, trees, reptiles, birds, beasts, then uncivilized human form of body, then civilized form of body, and especially the Vedic style of body. That is considered to be the highest perfectional body. And Vedic perfectional stage also achieves the highest goal when it is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest goal of life. We should always remember. And Bhagavad-gītā says, bahūnāṁ janmanaṁ ante jṣānavān māṁ prapadyate. After many, many births of evolution, one after another, one after another, one after another—that evolution is going, every moment—so when one is perfectly wise, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jṣānavān.

Jṣānavān means perfectly wise. Jṣāna means knowledge, and vān, vān means one who has. The Sanskrit word vān . . . just like bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who has. So Bhagavān means one who has got six kinds of opulences in full.

Every Sanskrit word has got its root meaning. It is not . . . just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got His root meaning. Kṛṣṇa, "the greatest." Kṛṣ, and ṇa means negation. There are different meanings, but this is one of the meanings. Another kṛṣṇa meaning is "all-attractive." So God is great. That very idea is perfectly expressed in the word kṛṣṇa. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jṣānavān. Jnanavān means who has attained, who has possessed, who is in possession of highest wisdom. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jṣānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19).

And what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Kṛṣṇa says: "One who surrenders unto Me. One who comes to Me and surrenders, 'My dear Kṛṣṇa, I now understand that You are my eternal protector, You are my eternal friend, You are my eternal maintainer. I forgot You, now I understand. So I come to You and surrender. Please give me protection.' " This is called śaraṇāgati. So he is wisest man, and he continues to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jṣānavān māṁ prapadyate. What is that mām? If Kṛṣṇa says: "Unto Me," so "unto Me," Kṛṣṇa is everything. Because He is the Supreme Lord, therefore He is everything. But what sort of? Vāsudeva. That form of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means the son of Vasudeva. That means the Kṛṣṇa of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, who appeared Himself as the son of Vasudeva, Vāsudeva. Son of Vasudeva is known as Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). And Vāsudeva is all-pervasive. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is expansion of Vāsudeva's energy.

So one who understands . . . in the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4): "Everything, whatever you see, I am there. It is My expansion." Mayā tatam idam. Tatam means expanded. "I have been expanded everywhere." Just like this watch, this is also Kṛṣṇa. This is also Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvāda philosophy, they misunderstand that if Kṛṣṇa has expanded to become this watch, to become this pot, to become this light, to become this room, to become this cloth, then Kṛṣṇa is finished; no more Kṛṣṇa. That is impersonalism.

But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa exists. That is also confirmed by the Vedas. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). The Absolute Truth is so perfect that if perfectly taken from the perfect—everything is taken—still He's there. Just like this is a watch. If you take its hands, if you take its glass, if you take its machine, then what remains there? Nothing. It becomes zero. But Kṛṣṇa is so full and complete, if you take millions of Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa is still there. That is Kṛṣṇa's omnipotency.

God is omnipotent. They do not understand what is this omnipotency. They say some words, "almighty," "omnipotent," but they do not understand what is this omnipotence. Just like even from material example we can see that the sun planet diffusing—I do not know how much temperature, what is the degree of that temperature—diffusing for millions and millions of years.

Still, the temperature is the same. If it is possible to a material thing which is an insignificant creation of God, if the sun is so much omnipotent . . . not omnipotent, the sun's light or the sunshine is from, derived from Kṛṣṇa's spiritual potency. But we can see that it is so much potent that diffusing sunshine for millions of years. There is no decrease of temperature.

So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19) means Vāsudeva expands Himself in so many universes, so many planets, so many paraphernalia, still, He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātmā bhuto (Bs. 5.37). He is enjoying in His planet Goloka Vṛndāvana, and still, He is all-pervasive. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam jagat avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4).

So when one comes to this understanding that Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, He keeps Himself always intact although He is all-pervasive . . . vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Mahātmā means great soul. Just like you have heard the name of Mahatma Gandhi in our country, but the definition of mahātmā in Bhagavad-gītā is different. A mahātmā is not a politician.

A mahātmā is not for the Indians and not for the Americans or any certain limited circle. Mahātmā is not like that. Of course, the Indian people awarded the title "Mahatma" Gandhi, but mahātmā means a different. Mahātmā's definition is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. There it is stated, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daiviṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ (BG 9.13). A mahātmā is under the shelter of the internal potency of God.

There are two kinds of potencies. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You should read Bhagavad-gītā very carefully. You'll understand everything. Aparā and parā. These are stated. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca . . . bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). The Lord says, material world, what is this material world? This material world is composition of earth, water, air, fire, ether. And . . . this is gross elements, gross ingredients.

But there are finer, subtle ingredients: mind, intelligence, ego. So these eight gross and fine elements which is the material world, that is expressed in the Bhagavad-gītā that bhinnā me prakṛti aṣṭadhā, "These eight kinds of prakṛti, nature, is my separated inferior energy." Apareyam, this is inferior. They are inferior.

Itas tv anya me prakṛtiṁ parā. Besides these eight elements, there is another prakṛti, another nature, which is superior. And what is that? We can see earth, water, fire, air, and of course, mind we can feel, intelligence we can feel, ego also we can feel. There is feeling, although we cannot see because they are subtle. And what about the other? That is expressed in the Bhagavad-gītā, jīva bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5), "My dear Arjuna, they are these living entity." Some of the nonsense philosophers, they are identifying the soul with the mind, with intelligence, with ego, but they are all material. The soul is different. So this is daivī prakṛti, spiritual nature. The material nature and spiritual nature.

So mahātmā means, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmās, those who are mahātmā, they take shelter of the spiritual nature, and those who are durātmā or kśūdrātmā . . . mahā means great, and just opposite to mahā means . . . opposite to mahā is kśūdra, small. Just like somebody is very liberal and somebody is very miser. So mahātmā is broad, broader-minded, broader soul, whose soul has become broader. How you can become broader?

If you dovetail yourself with the supreme broadest, then you become broader. Otherwise you become smaller. So this is the difference between mahātmā and kśūdrātmā. People are generally, they are doing something for his own body, something for his society, something for his family, something for his country. So you can expand your activities, but unless you expand your activities to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become the smaller. So:

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ

bhajanty-ananya manaso

(BG 9.13)

So mahātmā means Kṛṣṇa conscious, who is unalloyedly attached to the loving transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa. Bhajanti mām ananya manaso, this is the definition of mahātmā. Anyone who is cent per cent engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, he is mahātmā. Not by stamping, that "You are mahātmā, I am mahātmā." No. This is the definition of mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ. Daivī prakṛti means they are no more interested with this material world. They are interested with the spiritual energy.

Because we are spiritual energy. We are . . . the same energy. We are seeking after the same energy. Just like water can mix with water. Oil cannot mix with water. If you put a drop of oil with water, the oil will remain separate. But if you put a drop of water with water, immediately mixes. Similarly, we are spirit soul. As soon as we are in the spiritual world, in spiritual activities, then we are one. There is no discordance.

There is no opposing elements. But so long we exist in the material world, everything opposing. Everything opposing. Therefore it is struggle. Struggle for existence. Suppose if you are thrown into the sea, however expert swimmer you may be, it is struggle. It is struggle for existence. But if you are on the land, there is no such struggle. You live natural life.

Similarly, mahātmā, those who have become broader by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa after many, many births . . . bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Ante means after; janma means birth. And fully understanding that everything is Kṛṣṇa, everything is display of Kṛṣṇa's energy.

So Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy, there are two things. So we are praying, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Hare means we are praying to the energy, the internal energy, the spiritual energy, Rādhārāṇī. Hare. We are praying, "Hare, O the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is always with energy. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8).

Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, has many, multifarious energies. Whatever we are seeing, it is all manifestation of His energy. So we are praying both to the energy. We are praying to the material energy also—material energy also, perverted reflection of the spiritual energy.

Actually, there is no material energy. Everything is spiritual. But when the spiritual energy is covered by ignorance . . . just like when the sky is covered by cloud it becomes dark. Similarly, spiritual energy, when it is covered by material energy . . . the cloud has no separate existence. It is also creation of the sunshine. Similarly, the material energy has also no separate existence. It is also creation of Kṛṣṇa, but it appears and disappears. The spiritual energy remains.

So when we dovetail ourself with the spiritual energy, then we become perfect. That is our perfection. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is dovetailing ourself with the spiritual energy and thus become perfect. And this human form of life is meant for that purpose. So we are following the six Gosvāmīs. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau.

Always chanting and dancing and chanting . . . what is chanting? Not any slogan, but "Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare." This is chanting. Chanting does not mean that you chant like some parrot. No. Chanting "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana. Śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Kīrtanam, chanting, and śravanam, hearing, what? There are so many subject matters of chanting and hearing. No. Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu

So chanting and hearing, this was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya and followed by the six Gosvāmīns, and we are also following in the footprints of the six Gosvāmīns. Therefore we should offer our respectful obeisances, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva gopālakau. We offer our respectful obeisances to Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, and to Raghunātha Gosvāmī and Jīva Gosvāmī and Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances)

Come on.

Where you have been, Vāmanadeva?

Vāmanadeva: I'm working. I have a job . . .

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Vāmanadeva: . . . making furniture, working with wood. I'm learning a lot, so I can make nice thrones.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) That's all right. So any question?

Woman: Is there anyone similar to Joan of Arc in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Woman: Are you familiar with Joan of Arc? She was a saint.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Woman: Is there any person in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam similar to her? Study.

Prabhupāda: You want to see Joan of Arc in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Why don't you take Joan of Arc of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Any activities of devotees, that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. What do you mean by Bhāgavatam? Bhāgavatam, Bhāgavatam, Bhāgav, this word comes from Bhagavān. Bhāgavata, bhāgavad-śabda.

The word is Bhāgavata. And pertaining to Bhāgavata is Bhāgavata. So Bhāgavata can be expanded to any unlimited. So anything in relationship with God, that is Bhāgavatam. So if Joan of Arc, she was in relationship with God, she is also Bhāgavatam. You should expand Bhāgavatam in that way. Yes.

Madhudviṣa: Recently it said in the newspaper where the scientists were sending a sputnik around the moon. I have read in your Easy Journey to Other Planets that no matter how many endeavors they make, they will never reach these other planets. Is this . . .?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is not the process of reaching. This is childish. That also I have made statement, this is childish. You cannot go to the moon planet in that way. It is not possible. They'll simply create story, but they'll never be successful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Will we know Kṛṣṇa as well by thinking always how can we spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Is this the . . . be good to know Kṛṣṇa as much as if you study thoroughly the Vedas?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Siddhānta boliyā citte nā kara alasa (CC Adi 2.117). You have to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. There are so many books. The Gosvāmīs were doing that. In the next verse . . . I have explained one verse. The next verse is nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau (Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 2). They were very much expert in studying very scrutinizingly all Vedic literatures. So, of course, reading or hearing. You may not have time to read, but try to read. If you have no time, you are hearing. We are publishing, we are publishing literature, books. I am trying to speak to you. That is also understanding, studying Kṛṣṇa science. Rather, hearing is better reception.

If you hear . . . that Vedas are therefore known as śruti. Śruti means it is received through hearing. Real process is hearing. And this age, Kali-yuga, people cannot study so much. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was called by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, He presented Himself that, "What can I understand, Vedānta-sūtra? I am a fool. Therefore My spiritual master has ordered Me to simply chant."

So this chanting will help you. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23). Simply by studying, becoming bookworm, you cannot advance. The real secret is—that is stated in the Vedas—unflinching faith in God and spiritual master. Then things will be revealed from within. How much strength we have got to study all these books? But Vedas says, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau: if one has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in the spiritual master, tasyaite kathitā hy arthaḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ, to him only the Vedic knowledge becomes revealed.

And this is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord Kṛṣṇa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajataṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10): "Those who are engaged in My service with love and affection," buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I personally give him intelligence," yena mām upayanti te, "by which he can come to Me." In another place, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11): "In order to show these devotees special favor," teṣāṁ evānukampārtham aham ajṣāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy, "I personally dissipate their darkness within the heart."

Everything, the mind is full of darkness; therefore we are conditioned. So Kṛṣṇa, from within, He drives away the darkness of ignorance. Aham ajṣāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy . . . aham ajṣāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva, just like that.

So He is within you. If you are sincere to Him and to the instruction, following, then everything will come out automatically even if you don't read. This is the special significance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we want simply sincere soul; then everything is there, you study or no study.

But for preaching work, studying required. If you are . . . because you have to meet so many opposing elements, so if you can give some reference from books of authority. But even if you don't give references, you can speak logically, you can place arguments logically.

So Kṛṣṇa will help. Kṛṣṇa is within you. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is without. He's without and within, both. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When Kṛṣṇa was standing before Kuntī and He also entered within the womb of Uttarā to save Parīkṣit Mahārāja, so Kuntī said that, "I see that You are within and without. Still, You are unseen." God is within and without, but the rascals cannot see. They say: "Where is God? Can you show me?" But He is always everywhere, within and without.

So one has to train himself how to see. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, premāṣjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). One has to anoint the eyes with love of God. Then he can see. Premāṣjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Santaḥ, saintly person. Sant. Just like your San Francisco, the Sant is Sanskrit word, santaḥ. The saint word is Sanskrit word. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Those who are saints, sants, they always see God within and without. They have got eyes to see. What is that special eyes? That is love of God, that's all.

Viṣṇujana: Lord Jesus Christ said that if you would see God, your eye must be single. Was he referring to that same statement that love of God is that single eye?

Prabhupāda: That means your one eye will be lost? What do you mean by that?

Viṣṇujana: Just he stated it that . . .

Prabhupāda: No, what do you understand by that? Your eyes will be single, is that the . . .? Then what do you mean? What do you understand by this statement?

Viṣṇujana: I understand that your attention would be one-pointed on God.

Prabhupāda: That's it! That's it. When you actually see God, you cannot see anything except God. That is God-seeing. That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe, nā dekhe tāra mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). A highly-elevated devotee, first-class devotee, he sees trees or the animals are moving, nonmoving, so many varieties, but he does not see their form. Everywhere he sees Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact.

Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayayaḥ yaḥ (BG 14.4). "There are millions of varieties of forms of life, but I am the seed-giving father." So a devotee sees, "Oh, here is a son of Kṛṣṇa. Here is a son of Kṛṣṇa. Here is a son of Kṛṣṇa. Here is a son of Kṛṣṇa."

So if you love somebody, as soon as you see his son, you immediately remember who's son he is. Therefore he sees the tree but immediately remembers, "Oh, it is Kṛṣṇa's." He sees a dog; he immediately sees Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, he is Kṛṣṇa's." He sees a watch; oh, he immediately sees, "It is Kṛṣṇa's." Therefore he is single-eyed, Kṛṣṇa. That's all. He has no other, any other vision. Everything Kṛṣṇa's.

Therefore he wants to take everything towards Kṛṣṇa, "Please come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are missing. You are Kṛṣṇa's. Why you are identifying with this nonsense? Why you are thinking American—American, Indian, or this or that? You are Kṛṣṇa's. Come to Kṛṣṇa." This is our propaganda. We want to give eyes to the people. They are blind and their leaders are blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānas na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what is their ultimate goal of life, this Kṛṣṇa, God. So what Lord Jesus Christ says, it is right.

So have saṅkīrtana. Or any other question? Hare Kṛṣṇa.

(kīrtana) (prema-dhvāṇī) Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances)

(aside) Stop it. (end)