710214 - Lecture CC Madhya 06.151-154 - Gorakhpur

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710214CC-GORAKHPUR - February 14, 1971 - 50:15 Minutes

Mālatī: This lecture was recorded in Gorakhpur, U.P., India, on the evening of February 14th, 1970.

Prabhupāda: Ataeva śruti kahe brahma-saviśeṣa: God, Brahma, the great. Brahma means the great. Bṛhatvād bṛhannatvāt. The Absolute Truth is the great and can expand also unlimitedly.

Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Rūpam: He has got His transcendental forms, ananta, unlimited. But they are all one. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam. Ādyam, the original; purāṇa, the oldest; puruṣam, person. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam.

Although He has got innumerable forms, they are advaita, they are one. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam Ādyam, original; purāṇa, the oldest; and puruṣam, the person. Nava-yauvanam. The oldest, but nava-yauvana, just beginning of youthful life. That is the description in the Brahma-saṁhitā.

And Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that brahma saviśeṣa. Saviśeṣa means person with varieties of energy. Not imperson. Ataeva śruti kahe. According to Vedic evidence from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, apāṇi pāda, he has proved that when the Upaniṣad says that, "The Absolute Truth has no hands and legs," this means that He has no material hands and legs. But He has His hands and legs.

(aside) Who is shouting? Why they do not come? Why they are shouting there? All right.

Then he says . . . Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura comments in this connection that:

ādau brahmer prākṛta hasta-pāda naya baliyā

pare śīghra cale evam sakala-vastu grahaṇa kare

In the beginning, the Veda says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no . . . not personality; Brahman. He is person, of course. We say personality, but this personality is not material personality. Śīghra cale evam sakala-vasta grahana kare: "He walks very quickly, and He can accept whatever is offered to Him." So these very statements in the Vedas confirm that He has hands and legs, but not hands and legs like us. Aprakṛta.

That we cannot understand. Aprakṛta. Prakṛta and aprakṛta. Prakṛta means things which are created, and aprakṛta means which are never created, sanātana. That we cannot understand. As soon as there is statement of the Absolute Truth's form, transcendental form, we think that He has a form like us. How it can be? That is quite reasonable. God cannot be possessing a form which is like us. No.

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). He descends, He comes down, as He is, ātma-māyayā. We accept this form given to us by the material energy. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). According to the association of particular type of guṇa, quality, we get a form. But Kṛṣṇa is not within the influence of the material qualities. His form is different.

ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇa vigraha yāṅhāra

hena-bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra

(CC Madhya 6.152)

The discussion was going with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a follower of the Śaṅkarite philosophy. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given Vedic evidences that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has His form, transcendental form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, but His form is not material. That is the opinion of Śaṅkarācārya. Nārāyaṇa para avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa, He is transcendental to this creation." So in . . . with reference to this material creation, He is impersonal. But when we speak of the spiritual world, He is a person, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇa, pūrṇānanda vigraha yāṅhāra.

Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Brahman is full of six kinds of opulences. Pūrṇa. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. And ānanda, and full of bliss. There is an English word, I think, "Variety is the mother of enjoyment." Enjoyment. Ānanda means enjoyment. Enjoyment cannot be impersonal; there must be varieties. That is enjoyment. You have got experience that when there is a bunch of flower of different colors, it is very enjoyable. And if there is only rose only, although rose is very nice flower, it is not so pleasing. With rose, some green foliage, some grass, inferior quality, it looks very beautiful.

So when there is question ānanda . . . because Kṛṣṇa has got form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal; cit, full of knowledge; and full of ānanda, bliss. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, Vedānta-sūtra says. The Lord is ānanda-mayo. This māyā-pratya, there is controversy between the Śaṅkarites and the Vaiṣṇavas. They say that māyā-pratya . . . this pratya, from Sanskrit verbal root, is affixed in two cases—when there is excess and when there is transformation. So either cases, the ānanda, or the blissful nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is extensive, unlimited. Prācurya. Prācurya means extensive.

So ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇānanda vigrahaḥ yāṅhāra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "One who has got transcendental form, full of ānanda . . ." hena bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra, "and you think of such Personality of Godhead as impersonal, how it is possible?" Without being person, there cannot be ānanda anubhava. Just like we are persons, we can feel pains and pleasure. Unless one is person, there is no question of enjoying ānanda.

So that is His challenge, that if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of ānanda, as it is stated in all the Vedic scriptures, especially in Vedānta-sūtra, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, then how He can be imperson? There is no possibility. And He gives other Vedic evidences also, that apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā that, "He has no hand; still, He accepts whatever is given to Him."

So there is no possibility of the Absolute Truth's being imperson. He is person. Hena bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra.

svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahma haya

niḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya

(CC Madhya 6.153)

The impersonalists say that the Brahman has no energy. The difference between Vaiṣṇava philosophy . . .

(aside) What they are talking? They are not coming here? You see?

Devotee: . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Then who is talking? Now, the Māyāvāda philosophers, their point of view is the Absolute Truth is imperson, and there is no different energy. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's challenge is that Absolute Truth has got multi-energies.

That is also stated in the Upaniṣads: parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, CC Madhya 13.65, purport). The Absolute Truth has multi-energies, innumerable energies. And such energies have been divided into three divisions. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva . . . na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to do.

Why He has to do? Because His energies are working. Therefore, He has energy. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4): "The whole universe in its avyakta-mūrti, nonmanifested form, I am." Ahaṁ tatam idaṁ sarvam. Aham. "But at the same time, aham is there." Aham means "I." And the word avyakta is there, "nonmanifest."

So Kṛṣṇa is manifest. Then what is this nonmanifest? The nonmanifest is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Mayā tatam idam . . . "By Me." If I say . . . I have got a big business, big factory. If the proprietor says, "I am all-pervading over this factory," that is right. Suppose one man has got a factory, say Birla. They say: "Birla Factory," "Birla Jute Mill," "Birla . . ." Birla's name is there. Although Birla is a person, he's not there. It is very easy to understand. Birla is a person. He is not present in that factory. But everyone says "Birla's factory." That means Birla's money, Birla's energy is there. If there is any loss in that factory, the suffering goes to Birla. Or if there is any gain in that factory, the profit goes to Birla. Therefore Birla's energy is there in the factory.

Similarly, the whole creation is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4). "I am all-pervading." But that does not mean in everything . . . everything there is Kṛṣṇa, His energy. He is represented by His energy. This is called simultaneously one and different. Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, this philosophy of Lord Caitanya. Acintya, simultaneously one and different. The Birla factory is not different from Birla, because his energy is working there. At the same time Birla is not there. Similarly, in this material manifestation, everything is God. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ.

In the Bhāgavata there is statement by Nārada. Idaṁ hi viśvam, the whole universe is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; but itara, but still, different from Him. This philosophy is very sound philosophy, "simultaneously one and different." That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "I am expanded; I am all-pervading." Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4): "Everything is resting on Me." Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there."

The Māyāvāda philosophy is, "If God, or Brahman, is all-pervading, then why there should be another, separate Brahman?" No. That is also confirmed in the Vedic literature: pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (ISO Invocation). Pūrṇasya. Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is complete. And if complete is taken from Him, still He is complete.

This is material idea, that if the complete has spread all over, then where is the separate existence of the complete? That is material idea. But the spiritual statement is, "If complete is taken from the complete, still the complete is complete." That you have to understand. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya.

Here in this material world we have got experience that if I have got one rupee in my pocket, and if that one rupee is taken from my pocket or it is expended, there is no more one rupee; it is spent, it is zero now. Or that one rupee has been distributed in purchasing several commodities, so the one rupee is distributed; there is no more separate existence of that one rupee. This is material idea. But according to Vedic scripture, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (ISO Invocation). If you take one rupee from that one rupee, still that one rupee is there.

That you cannot adjust in your teeny brain. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said acintya. It is not accommodated in our teeny brain. Therefore those who are teeny brain, or poor fund of knowledge, they think that when the Absolute Truth is distributed, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, then where is the person? But that is not the conception. The conception is He is unlimitedly powerful: ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇa, with all power.

He can create so many personalities Himself. Just like Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into 16,000 forms. When He married 16,000 wives, He expanded Himself in 16,000 forms. When He was dancing in rasa-līlā, He expanded Himself. Each gopī was thinking that, "Kṛṣṇa is dancing with me." So that is Kṛṣṇa's, or God's, unlimited potency. Not that if He expands, He becomes zero.

In the Brahma-saṁhitā also, it is stated, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Although He is living in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is all-pervading. For example, Kṛṣṇa says:

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ

yo me bhaktyā prayacchati

tad aham aśnāmi

bhaktyā upahṛtam

. . .tad ahaṁ bhaktyā upahṛtam

aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

(BG 9.26)

Now there are innumerable devotees who are offering Kṛṣṇa with love and faith, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. Just like in this temple, we are offering to the Deity according to the order of Kṛṣṇa some preparation made of patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. So He's accepting. He says that, "I accept. I eat."

But the atheist class says that He does not eat. Why? If Kṛṣṇa says: "I eat," what the atheist class of people has the right to say that He does not eat? He eats. So now not only in one temple or in one place, but millions and trillions of places, they are offering Kṛṣṇa, devotees. And Kṛṣṇa says: "I eat." So everywhere He is eating.

Now, just imagine how He has expanded Himself in millions and trillions of forms. He says: "I eat." And there are millions and trillions of devotees offering Him. Then everywhere He's eating. That's a fact. Yes. He can expand. But that does not mean that He is no more in Goloka Vṛndāvana. He is still there. He has expanded in millions and trillions of forms to accept the offerings of His devotee, at the same time, He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is Kṛṣṇa. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37).

Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca, vedeṣu adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). The Supreme Personality of Godhead is difficult to be approached by simple understanding of the Vedas. One has to become a devotee. Just like Bhagavad-gītā: It is simple. It is the entrance book for spiritual understanding. It is not very, I mean to say, highly theosophical or theological literature. That highly theological literature is Bhagavad-gītā . . . is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the natural commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra.

So in the Bhagavad-gītā we get all information how Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. Advaita . . . vedeṣu durlabha. Therefore one who does not read Bhagavad-gītā through a devotee . . . Kṛṣṇa . . . just like Arjuna is a devotee. He understands Bhagavad-gītā. Without going through a devotee, nobody can understand God or His statements. Thousands of people for thousands of years, reading Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not know Kṛṣṇa. Is it not a fact? Yes. So because they are not going through the proper channels, they are still . . .

Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Simply by trying to understand the Vedic literature, one cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vedeṣu durlabha. Durlabha means very difficult to approach. Adurlabha ātma-bhaktau. But ātma-bhaktau, those who are devotees, for them He is very easily accepted.

Take for example . . . now, you have gone to see a very high officer, say, the secretary of the government. You are waiting. You have sent your card, you are waiting. But you cannot enter the room without being permitted. But an ordinary orderly, his servant, he's thousand times going and coming. There is no restriction for him. He does not require any permission. He goes within because . . . and the message will come through him.

In Dvārakā . . . perhaps you have read in the Nectar of Devotion that Brahmā, Indra, they used to come to see Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's orderly . . . they were offering prayers, and Kṛṣṇa's orderly was requesting them, "Please make no noise." (laughter) They were offering prayers, Brahmā, Indra, and His personal servant was prohibiting him, "Please do not make noise. Sit down here." This is the position. So vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. Kṛṣṇa is not available, not approachable, simply by studying Vedas. He has to be obedient to the orders of the devotee. Here He says:

svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahme haya

niḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya

(CC Madhya 6.153)

That "Kṛṣṇa has got, by nature, innumerable energies, and they are divided into three: cit śakti and bahiraṅga śakti, antaraṅga śakti, and tatasta śakti." All the . . . parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. All the śaktis, or energies, they are summarized in three divisions. One is called spiritual energy, and the other is called material energy, and the rest is called marginal energy.

In the Bhagavad-gītā these three energies are stated. Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4): "These eight kinds of energies are My separated energy." How separated energy? Try to understand what is separated energy. Just like in the tape record, I sing or speak, it is recorded. But when the tape record plays, I do not speak, I do not sing, but it is my energy. It is working. That is separated energy. And when I speak directly, that is not separated energy. That is also the same thing.

So they are from Kṛṣṇa, the whole material . . . ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). "Everything is created from Me. I am the creator of everything." How He is creator? This bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano . . . these eight separated energies, that is the material energy. And apareyam, they are inferior because they are material energy; therefore, inferior energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "Beyond this, there is another, superior energy." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. "There is another, superior energy." What is that superior energy? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). These jīvas.

So jīvas are energies. How jīvas can claim that they are God? They are energy of God. There is the mistake of Māyāvāda philosophy. Energy and the energetic, although nondifferent, still, energy is not the energetic. Just like this light is emanating from the bulb. So the illumination is there both in the bulb and the light distributed. But you cannot say that this illumination is the bulb.

So Kṛṣṇa says that, "These are My bhinnā-prakṛti, material energy." The earth, water, air, fire, mind, intelligence, ego—the whole material creation is out of these eight energies. And the living entity, jīva-bhūta, that is parā prakṛti, spiritual energy.

The living entity is also spiritual energy. He has got His two energies, spiritual energy and material energy, another, marginal energy, which is also spiritual actually, but it is called marginal because individual. And this individual spiritual energy can select either to live under the material energy or the spiritual energy. Therefore it is called marginal energy.

Just like sparks of the fire, it can fall down on the ground and it can remain with the fire. Similarly, we living entities, we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or we are sparks of the fire. So we can fall down within the material energy and we can remain in the spiritual energy, as we like.

So when you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you live in spiritual energy, and when you are without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you live in material energy. When you live in the material energy, then your the illuminating quality, because you are fire, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, that is extinguished almost.

Therefore we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is practically extinguished. And again, the fire, spark, if he falls down on a dry grass, then gradually, the grass becomes blazing. So if we are . . . because in this material world there are three modes of material nature. If we are associated with goodness quality, then our spiritual energy again becomes blazing fire.

From the modes of goodness, purity, knowledge, the brahminical quality, satya śama dama titikṣa (BG 18.42), when you are put into that . . . the dry grass . . . although this satya śama dama, truthfulness or controlling the senses or controlling the mind, knowledge, toleration, these qualities, they are all material qualities. They are not spiritual qualities.

Don't think that if one is . . . one man is very truthful, that does not mean that he has attained spiritual quality. The spiritual quality is different thing. But these material qualities, satya śama dama titikṣa, all these, they can help you. They can help you to be situated in the transcendental, spiritual quality. But don't think that they are themselves spiritual quality. No. That is another.

So we, the sparks of the supreme fire, when we fall down in the dry grass, the spiritual quality or the fiery quality is there still, but it may also extinguish. Therefore, our transcendental position is śuddha-sattva. We have to always keep ourself in transcendental position by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, always being engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Then we are brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). That is our Brahman situation. Simply realization of Brahman is not all. You have to be always engaged in Brahman activities. Then there is possibility of remaining in the Brahman platform.

The Māyāvādī philosophers, as soon as they realize that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, they think that they are liberated. But no. That liberation is, I mean to . . . theoretical. That is not practical. Practical liberation is when you are situated in devotional service. Then there is no chance of falling down. If you simply think that "I have become Nārāyaṇa," or Nārāyaṇa position, that is falldown. There are innumerable examples.

So we are taṭasthā-śakti. The idea is . . . taṭasthā means marginal. We can fall down in the material world, and we can raise ourself in the spiritual world. This is our position. But we are energy, not the energetic. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that.

svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahme haya

niḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya

(CC Madhya 6.153)

He is giving evidence from Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Viṣṇu Purāṇa . . . there are eighteen Purāṇas. There are sattvika, rajasika, tamasika purāṇas. So sattvika Purāṇa is required for spiritual improvement. So He's giving evidence from the sattvika Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa. What is that?

viṣṇu-śaktir parā proktā

kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

(CC Madhya 6.154)

Viṣṇu śaktir parā proktā. All energies of Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, they are transcendental, parā, or aprakṛta, not prakṛta. Just try to understand what is transcendental śakti. Just like transcendental and mundane, or material. Material world is created by the transcendental desire of Viṣṇu. Just like in the Bible it is said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation. And Kṛṣṇa also says that this material . . . ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

atha vā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

(BG 10.42)

So ekāṁśena sthitaḥ, by His one part of energy, the whole material creation is there. He says, "I enter into this material world, and by expansion of My one part of energy, this material . . . whole material creation is there." There are many . . . yasmād bhavanti vibhavanti viśanti. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni bhavanti. Yato vā imāni. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). There are many Vedic statements.

Janmādy asya yataḥ. That means the creation of this material world is from the Supreme Lord. Now, that creative energy of Supreme Lord is not material. That is spiritual. The material means the material world is created by the spiritual energy. Therefore, the spiritual energy (was) existing before the creation of the material world. Therefore Viṣṇu's energy is not material. Viṣṇu's energy is spiritual.

Here it is stated that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā. Parā means spiritual; proktā, "it is said." Kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā. And kṣetrajña means these jīvas. In the Bhagavad-gītā, kṣetrajña . . . kṣetra and kṣetrajña. There are two statements in the Bhagavad-gītā, I think in the Thirteenth Chapter, that kṣetra is this body, and the owner of this body, you and me—we are different owners of different bodies—we are kṣetrajña. So the kṣetrajña-śakti . . . this is also śakti again. It is śakti. It is not the energetic.

So this kṣetrajña is also parā, spiritual. It is confirmation of the Bhagavad-gītā, that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā. The Lord's energy is spiritual, and another energy, which is known as kṣetrajña, or the jīvas, they are also spiritual energy. But energy, not the energetic. Kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā, avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate.

But there is another energy, which is . . . now, that is also spiritual in the original sense, the material energy, but that is avidyā, spiritual energy covered. Spiritual energy covered by something else. How that something else? That is . . . just like sun is covered by the cloud. The cloud is not separate from the sun. The cloud is created by the sunshine, so it cannot be separate from the sun. But its business is to cover the sun. When there is cloud, you cannot see the sun. Similarly, this material energy is not different from God.

There is another example. The same electricity, energy, one apparatus is heater and another apparatus is refrigerator, cooler. The energy is the same. The heater is also creation of the electric energy, and the cooler is also creation of the electric energy, but they are working differently, under different . . . for different purposes.

Another example can be given that the civil department and the criminal department of the government, the energy of government is there. The government is maintaining both the departments by the finance of the government. It is not that government is not financing the criminal department. The criminal department is also financed by the government. Similarly, this material world is the criminal department. It is also God's energy, but it is covered.

Here . . . just like what is the difference between criminal department and civil department? In the criminal department there is disobedience of the law of the government. There is nothing but disobedience. The members of the prison house are all disobedient citizens of the government. Similarly, in this material world, this material energy is also Kṛṣṇa's energy, but here, it is the place for the disobedient part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta).

Persons who are, I mean to say, very much energetic to forget Kṛṣṇa and try to lord it over this material energy, they are called conditioned soul, or imprisoned. We are all imprisoned within this durga. And the superintendent of this durga, or the fort, is called Durgā. Durgā-śakti. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). This material world . . .

But those who have no information how this durga is there, how this durga is there, they think that by worshiping, by pleasing Goddess Durgā, they'll be happy. No. Pleasing means you have to abide by the laws of the durga, material world. Otherwise, Durgā will take his (her) trident and pierce on the chest of the asura.

Durgā is controlling. The asura is also a living entity within this durga. So those who are asuras . . . those who are not cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are asuras. For them, the Durgā's trident is on the chest of the asura. You have seen that picture.

So you cannot get out of this durga simply by bribing, by satisfying. You have to satisfy Durgā in a different way. In a different way. Just like . . . these are very easy to understand, that if you are in prison house, if you satisfy the superintendent of jail, somehow . . . I have seen in Delhi that one man was . . . he was a very nice young gentleman, and he was typing. He was typing. So I was . . .

He was a fair gentleman, very nice looking young man. So I talked with him, "What is your cause of condemnation coming?" So he acted as a spy in some government secretarial department. So he was put into prison for ten years. But he was educated, he was intelligent, and he pleased the superintendent of jail. Therefore, instead of keeping him in ordinary cell, he was put into the office and type.

Now, try to understand. This prisoner, by his satisfying the superintendent of jail, he is little given concession not to be placed in ordinary cell, but he is working in the office as a type writer. Or he is given some . . . or there are many political prisoners, they are given first-class bungalow, first-class residence, and all facilities. But the superintendent of police has no power to release him. That is not possible. That is not possible.

Similarly, by bribing or by satisfying Durgā, you can get a comfortable position within this material world, but your real business is how to get out of it. That Durgā cannot give. Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti. So long you do not come to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa . . . mām eva prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Unless you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, there is no possibility of getting out of the clutches of māyā. That is not possible.

So we shall discuss further tomorrow. (cut) (end)