730102 - Lecture NOD - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730102ND-BOMBAY - January 02, 1973 - 43:21 Minutes

(audio distortion)

Pradyumna: (reading) "The process of devotional service as it is recommended in The Nectar of Devotion will gradually elevate one from the material condition of life to the spiritual status, wherein the devotee becomes purified of all designations."

"The senses can then become uncontaminated, being constantly in touch with bhakti-rasa. When the purified senses are employed in the service of the Lord, one becomes situated in bhakti-rasa life, and any action performed for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa in this transcendental bhakti-rasa stage of life . . ."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Yes.

Pradyumna: ". . . can be relished perpetually."

Prabhupāda: So Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is giving us the process how to elevate one's self from this material platform to the spiritual platform. That is devotional service. Devotional life means purifying the present conditional life, contaminated life, life under the influence of the three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So if we become unaffected by these three guṇas . . . just like it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā nistrai-guṇya bhavārjuna (BG 2.45).

One has to become above the three guṇas—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. In the material existence, the sattva-guṇa is considered to be first class, the rajo-guṇa is considered to be second class, and the tamo-guṇa is considered to be third class. But even if we remain in the sattva-guṇa, that is also not transcendental platform.

Sattva-guṇa means brahminical qualification: satya śama dama titikṣa ārjava jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). These, these are the symptoms of sattva-guṇa. But rajo-guṇa—tejo īśvara bhāvaś ca yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. Just like kṣatriyas: they're very powerful; they want to control; they are not afraid of fighting. These are kṣatriya qualifications. Rajo-guṇa. Creative power. They want to expand their kingdom, ruling over the people, taxing the people. These are the qualification of the rajo-guṇa. And tamo-guṇa means śūdra: ignorance and lazy. That is tamo-guṇa. These are the symptoms. They have no activity. They cannot become independent, because they are very lazy.

brāhmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they have their independent life, but the śūdras, they are dependent. Therefore śūdra . . . just like a dog. A dog, if he has no master, it is street dog; it has no value. It must be chained by a very big master. That is his life. And he very voluntarily agrees: "Come here," "Yes." So paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). Paricaryā, to satisfy the master.

So our this bhakti process is also the same. Sometimes we are criticized: "slave mentality." Yes, we want voluntarily to become slave—of Kṛṣṇa. We are, at the present moment, we are slave of the senses. Kāma krodha lobha moho mātsarya. Kāmādi. Kāmādi means kāma, desire to enjoy. And if our enjoyment, if our desire is not fulfilled, then we become krodhi, angry; lobhi, moha mātsarya. The material existence means we are servant of so many sense gratificatory processes. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). We are now engaged to act sinfully. Any kind of sinful activity we can accept. Why? Yad indriya prītaya āpṛnoti. Simply for sense gratification. That's all. We are prepared to take any risk only for sense gratification.

But we do not know that we are taking great risk, great risk. Because there is another life. After death, there is life. The modern people, they do not understand it. Therefore śāstra says, na sādhu manye: "These kind of activities are not very good." Na sādhu. It is not honest. This is not good. Yato ātmano ayam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We have got this body. That is kleśada. Just like we are feeling warm, therefore we want this fan, because the . . . on account of this body, we are feeling warm, or sometimes chilly. So if I feel chilly, then I have to stop this fan. I'll have to cover this body. So all our pains and pleasure are due to this material body. That we do not understand. Śāstra says, asann api. Although this body's temporary, but it is kleśada, it is full of miserable condition: ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika.

So for our past karma, we have created this body and we are suffering. Therefore our mission should be not to create another body. And finish all sufferings in this body and do not create another material body. That is actually our duty. But we have no education. We have no information. Our leaders are blind, foolish. They are leading us to misuse this valuable life of human form. This is our position. They are misleading us.

Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). They are impressing in us that "You are this body. You are born in this country. So your country, your nation is worshipable. Why you are after Kṛṣṇa? This is all bogus." This is our position. "Don't be after Kṛṣṇa. Just try to satisfy the senses of your body to the best capacity. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy life. And next life? Oh, next life . . . that . . . don't care." The atheist philosopher, Cārvāka Muni, says, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kuto punar āgamano bhavet: "Don't care for next life." This is going on now: atheism. Big, big professors, educationists, they're also in this opinion. I have traveled all over the world. One Russian professor said: "Swāmījī, after this life, there is no . . . everything is finished." But that's not the fact. That is the defect of modern education. There is life. There is life. Otherwise why there are so many varieties of life? We should consider that.

So bhakti, bhakti means to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). To understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, that is bhakti. Or by bhakti, by devotional service, you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa cannot be understand . . . understood by karma, jñāna, yoga. Partially they can understand, but not fully. Karma, jñāna . . . therefore Kṛṣṇa especially mentions, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Na karmaṇā na jñānena na yogena. Nāhaṁ vasāmi vaikuṇṭhe yoginaṁ hṛdayeṣu. yoga process or jñāna process can elevate . . . of course, we become . . . the Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that out of millions of karmīs, one jñānī is first class, because he understands things as they are, that "I am not this body. I am Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi."

So therefore he's better than millions of karmīs who are simply working like an ass and dogs. They do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. They do not know what is the next life, what is the aim of life. They do not know. They are simply working for sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And doing all kinds of sinful activities. Yad indriya-prītaya. The only aim is how to satisfy senses. That is karmī.

So out of such millions of fools who are working hard . . . they have been described just like asses. The asses work very hard for the dhobī, for the washerman, not for himself. He does not work for himself. Therefore the karmīs are called asses, mūḍhāḥ. The ass is satisfied with a morsel of grass and working very hard for the washerman. This is ass's qualification. The śāstras, they have selected some animals: śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19).

The . . . generally, population, general population, they are just like dogs, śva; viḍ-varāha, the stool-eater, hog. Śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra, camel. And kharaḥ, and ass. They have been selected. So . . . just like . . . why they are compared with the dog? Because the dog is searching after a master. Without master, he cannot live.

So those who cannot live independently, they are just like dogs. There are so many things, explanation. Viḍ-varāha. Viḍ-varāha means no distinction of eating. Anything. Any damn thing, any nonsense thing, up to stool, they can eat. They are . . . they are called viḍ-varāha. And uṣṭra. Uṣṭra means that he's eating his own blood, thorny twigs. The uṣṭra, you know, the kharaiḥ, I mean, the camel, in the desert there is only thorny twigs. Because there are uṣṭras . . .

There is no other animal. And there are some date trees also, for the human being. Kṛṣṇa has provided everything. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Even in the desert Kṛṣṇa has provided food. So this uṣṭra, this camel, they like to eat these twigs, thorny twigs. And as soon as they chew the thorny twig, blood oozes out from the tongue, and it is mixed, and it makes a nice taste. So he's thinking that twigs are very nice, these thorns are very nice.

Similarly, this material existence, it is simply thorny life. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Every step. Here is our friend, Mr. Cakravartī. He was going to business, and immediately there was accident. The whole thing became turned into something else. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. We do not understand this, that every step there is danger. This material life is so dangerous. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām. Na teṣām, who are they? Who do not face this padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ mahat-padam. One who has taken shelter. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58).

So the bhakti, bhakti cult . . . everyone should take. Because that is natural. Natural. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Bhakti's not unnatural. Other things unnatural. That is the statement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). Eternally you are servant of Kṛṣṇa. But we have accepted the service of māyā instead of Kṛṣṇa. And we are thinking we are independent. We are being kicked out every moment by māyā, and still I am thinking, "I'm God. I'm independent" This is called illusion. He's being slapped always, he's being kicked by māyā—still he's thinking that he's independent, he's God, he's big, he's minister, he is something, something, something. This is called māyā. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is called moha. So bhakti means to become freed from this moha, illusion. That is bhakti.

So dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Ādi 1.90). People are after these four things. Dharma. Dharma, generally, they try to become religious for some material gain, artha. Material gain. And why artha is required? Because kāma, to fulfill our desires, for lusty desires. We require money. Dharma-artha-kāma. And when we are frustrated in enjoying this material world, then we try to become mokṣa, merge into the existence of Brahman, brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā, when you are frustrated. So that kind of mokṣa . . . of course, it is nice. But bhakti is beyond mokṣa. Mokṣa means brahma-bhūtaḥ, to understand that "I am Brahman." That is mokṣa. That is mukti. "I'm not this matter. I'm not this body." That is called mokṣa.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

After being liberated from this material contamination, that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not this matter, I am Brahman . . ." That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. In the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage one is joyful, prasannātmā. That is the symptoms of brahma-bhūtaḥ. Prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Na śocati na kāṅkṣati.

Because he has nothing to do with material world, therefore sometimes it is said: "It is mithyā," because I have nothing to do. It may be very important thing, but unless you realize Kṛṣṇa, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām, by devotional service, even by lifting yourself to that stage, transcendental stage of Brahman realization, there is chance of falling down. That is the verdict of, I mean to say, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ

patanty adhaḥ anādṛtaḥ-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

(SB 10.2.32).

Because they could not search out the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they have to come down again to this material existence, which they left as mithyā. But their . . . because there is no shelter on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, this brahma-bhūtaḥ stage also not secure. One has to fall down. We have seen many big, big sannyāsīs, very learned scholars, sannyāsīs, they take part in politics, sociology. Because they could not catch up real Brahman, therefore they come again to this material existence. So Śrīdhara Swami, the great commenter on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he says, in connection with the second verse, First Chapter, First Canto:

dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ

vāstava vastu vedyam atra . . .

(SB 1.1.2).

So Śrīdhara Swami says, atra mokṣavisandi api nirastam: to desire for mokṣa is also not ultimate goal of life. Ultimate goal of life is to accept the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Actually who is jñānavān, he'll take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. If not in this life, he'll have to come to this status. Therefore nirviśeṣavadi, impersonalists . . . Kṛṣṇa says, kleṣaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta cetasām. Avyakta. Kṛṣṇa is vyakta. But one who is not after this vyakta, he's after impersonal Brahman, their labor is still more hard than the bhaktas.

So the bhakti-mārga means directly giving you the ultimate goal of life—Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. People do not know that what is the aim of life. The aim of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the aim of life. But they have no information. There is God. "Who is God? Who is Viṣṇu?" No information. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). So without understanding Viṣṇu, without understanding Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all other attempts, they are not successful. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ.

Without understanding Kṛṣṇa, if one is thinking that "I have become liberated," that is vimukta-maninaḥ. He's thinking like that. Actually he's under the clutches of māyā. He's thinking like that. Why? Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Because his intelligence is not yet clear. Still it is contaminated by māyā. Therefore āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛtaḥ-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. They . . . they take too much hardship for rising to the Brahman platform, nirviśeṣa Brahman platform. Kṛccha sādhana. Their austerities, penances are very severe. Taking shelter underneath a . . . as Śaṅkarācārya exhibited himself: he was living underneath a tree, thrice, four times taking bath. Very kathin (difficult) vairāgya. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. But if they do not approach Kṛṣṇa, then there is chance of falling down. There is chance of falling down again into this material world.

Because we are living entities, we want variety. As I have explained several times, just like if you go in the sky . . . the sky is very brilliant, all shining, but still you'll not like it. You'll come down. You'll want to come down again, because you want variety. So if you go very high in the sky, if you actually enter into some planet where there is varieties of life, then you become satisfied. Otherwise, if you remain only in the sky, nirviśeṣa, nirākāra, then you'll hanker after: "Where is viśeṣa? Where is varieties? Where is variety?" This is natural. Therefore śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa param . . .

You can go very high with your aero . . . aeroplane, but if you don't get any shelter in the sky, then you'll have to come back. As they are doing. They're trying to go to the moon planet, not in the sky. The sky, you can remain in the sky. Why you are coming back? No, that is not very pleasing. That is not very pleasing.

So bhakti-mārga means that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). You can understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. "As He is" means He's not a human being like you or me. He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sac-cid-ānanda vigraha.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

That is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. If we understand Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11), then we don't understand Kṛṣṇa. We understand Kṛṣṇa's māyā, not Kṛṣṇa. Nāhaṁ sarvasya prakāṣaḥ yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood, because He's covered by yogamāyā. He can be understood only by the devotees.

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti

yam śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.38)

So the bhakti-mārga means we want real life, eternal life, and varieties also. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Ānanda cannot . . . variety is the mother of enjoyment. Without variety, you cannot feel enjoyment. That is not possible. Suppose if I simply give you a lump of flour. Will you enjoy? But the same flour, you make kachorīs, siṅgāra, lucī, purī and this and . . . oh, you'll enjoy. The ingredient is the same, but when it is variety, it is enjoyable. Similarly, spiritual varieties . . . the impersonalists, they being fed up with this material varieties, they want to make it zero. But that will not help us. In zero we cannot be happy, because we are, by nature, we want to enjoy. Enjoy means there must be varieties. The same flour, but you pick up some different varieties of flour and keep it, oh, you'll enjoy—"Oh, it is very nice." Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given so many varieties.

So the varieties of life. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis (Bs. 5.37). Ānanda-cinmaya. These varieties, this is material variety. We cannot enjoy here, but there is spiritual variety. That is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ. Just like Kṛṣṇa Himself is expanding Himself as gopīs, as cowherds boys, as calves and cows and trees in Vṛndāvana. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis. They are all ananda-cinmaya-rasa, expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād (CC Adi 1.5). So we want liberation, but not liberation in the impersonal existence. That is . . . that is not very safe. We must enter into the spiritual varieties of life. That is Kṛṣṇaloka; that is Vaikuṇṭhaloka, especially Kṛṣṇaloka. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). He's Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His body is not like us. He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. But He has got form.

So Brahman realization means partial understanding of the sat portion of sac-cid-ānanda. Paramātmā realization means realization of para, of the cit potency. But ānanda realization means to become associated with Kṛṣṇa. That is ānanda, varieties, rāsa-līlā. Kṛṣṇa is playing with the cowherds boys, Kṛṣṇa is dancing with the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa is enjoying the association of His mother, His father, His friend. Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena (SB 10.12.11). The Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Brahman effulgence. Those who are trying for brahma-sukha, here is the point. Śukadeva Gosvāmī: itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. The origin. Brahmano 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. "Impersonal Brahman is situated on Me." Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). So we get information.

We have to realize these things, what is Kṛṣṇa. That . . .

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām apisiddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

To understand Kṛṣṇa is not very easy thing. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Out of many, many millions who are trying to become successful in the mission of life . . . manuṣyāṇāṁ saha, kaścid yatati siddhaye. Siddhaye. Siddhaye means, to become siddha means to become brahma-bhūtaḥ, to understand that, "I am not this material body. I am brahmāsmi." That is siddhi. And yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3): out of many such siddhas who have realized Paramātmā or Brahman, out of many such millions of people, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so difficult subject matter.

But He's so kind also that He is giving us instruction personally in the form of Bhagavad-gītā what He is. What He is? He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7): "My dear Arjuna, don't labor hard, simply that there is something beyond Me." Sometimes they say that "There is still more, beyond Kṛṣṇa." But Kṛṣṇa says: "No, there is nothing beyond." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya, mayi sūtre gaṇā iva: "Everything is resting on Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). The Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janma sthiti laya, where it is staying, where it is being conducted, that is Brahman. So Kṛṣṇa answers this question that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). He's the Supreme Brahman. Therefore Arjuna accepted Him: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). We are Brahmans, but we are not Param Brahman. Param Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. We are ātmā, but we are not Paramātmā. Paramātmā is Kṛṣṇa. So in this way . . .

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti mām . . .

(BG 7.3)

So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We have to understand Kṛṣṇa through the paramparā, disciplic succession, not by our A-B-C-D knowledge. That is not possible. One has to accept the disciplic succession, line. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That guru . . . guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative, Kṛṣṇa's . . . sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. Sākṣād dharitvena.

Because guru is representative of Kṛṣṇa, therefore he should be respected as good as Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. But because a guru is respected as Kṛṣṇa, the guru does not think that he has become Kṛṣṇa. No. That is foolishness. He's the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore . . . just like most confidential secretary, he acts as the master. His signature, his settlement will be accepted by the master. Similarly, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya prasādād na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. We have to select the right representative of Kṛṣṇa and accept him as guru. And if I please him, then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased.

There is no need of . . . somebody, they say that, "Kṛṣṇa is not present. How shall I please Him?" No. Kṛṣṇa's representative is present. You please him. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo, yasya. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). This is the process. Yathā deve tathā gurau. Tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante. This is the process. Ādau gurvāśrayam. That is Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī giving his . . . in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, ādau gurvāśrayam. If you are actually interested to understand Kṛṣṇa and kṛṣṇa-bhakti, the first business is ādau gurvāśrayam: you take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master who is representative of Kṛṣṇa.

And how we can understand the representative of Kṛṣṇa? That is not very difficult. Because what Kṛṣṇa says, if the representative says the same thing, then he's representative. It is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If His representative says that, "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa," he's representative. That's all. He does not become, himself, Kṛṣṇa. Then he's bogus. A faithful servant will never say that, "I am the master." "I am servant"—although he's as good as the master. Similarly, a guru is sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. He, he is the most confidential, dear servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. That's all. He does not know anything but Kṛṣṇa.

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu presenting Himself: gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). A guru is always the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. He does not represent himself direct servant. How he can be direct servant? But if you are in the disciplic succession of the servitude, servant of the servant of the servant, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), then you become representative. And there is no difference between the original guru, Kṛṣṇa, and the latest guru Kṛṣṇa. Because the aim is the same. Kṛṣṇa personally says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

And who is representative of Kṛṣṇa, he'll say the same thing: "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). The guru will say, "Yes, you become always Kṛṣṇa conscious." Man-manā. Kṛṣṇa says man-manā. A guru says, "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." The same thing. There is no difference. You become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You always think of Kṛṣṇa. You always chant of Kṛṣṇa. You always speak of Kṛṣṇa. You do not know anything but Kṛṣṇa. Simply this life is required.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people to become Kṛṣṇa . . . Kṛṣṇa conscious means . . . Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. The four things. You just become always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. You just become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You just offer your obeisances unto Kṛṣṇa. And you just worship Kṛṣṇa. And accept Kṛṣṇa, giving up any other engagement. Because real dharma is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66)? Why He says, "Give up all other so-called dharmas"? They are not dharmas. And the Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra (SB 1.1.2): "The cheating type of dharma is kicked out from this Bhāgavatam." Cheating type. Real dharma, what is that real dharma? Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). What Bhagavān says. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). This is real dharma.

So we request everyone . . . it is very scientific. It is authorized. We are not talking nonsense. Authorized. We are taking the version of Kṛṣṇa. We are taking the version of the Vedic conclusion. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Vedas, study of Veda means to understand Kṛṣṇa. One who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he's simply wasting his time.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

You can execute your dharma, your occupational duty, very nicely. That's all right. But if you do not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are simply wasting your time and working hard for nothing. This is the verdict.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very genuine, and it is very easy. Especially in this age. That is also authorized statement of Śukadeva Gosvāmī: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). He has described . . . because in this age—in this age is called Kali-yuga—there are so many impediments. People are fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). They are disturbed. So many botheration. It is very difficult to realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But there is very short-cut way recommended: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare you become uncontaminated of this material contamination and thus, being freed from material contamination, you become eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)