730127 - Lecture BG 07.01 - Calcutta
Prabhupāda: We are reciting from Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter (BG 7.1). The yoga system is called attachment for Kṛṣṇa, or kṛṣṇa-yoga. yoga means connecting, link, and if we always keep ourself connecting link with Kṛṣṇa, then we become the topmost yogī. There are many kinds of yogīs. Generally the yogīs, they think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead always within the heart. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti 'yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). This is the yogī's business. Yogī's business does not mean simply have some gymnastic or bodily exercise and keep the body fit for sense enjoyment. That is not the purpose of yoga. yoga means connecting.
We are now . . . or we are now disconnected. Or it is not disconnected; we are now forgotten our intimate relationship with God. We cannot be disconnected. That is not possible. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, there cannot be disconnection. Just like father and son. The son may go out of home, forget his father and mother for many years, but the connection between the son and the father and the mother is never disconnected. That is not possible. As soon as the son comes home, although the son was absent for many, many years, the father receives him, the mother receives him with affection. And immediately the paternal relationship, affection, immediately established.
This is our position. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. When I speak "Kṛṣṇa," means God. You know, all. It is not very difficult for Indians. So because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, there cannot be disconnection. Therefore it is a stage of forgetfulness. Instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, we have expanded our love for so many things. Somebody's loving his body, somebody's loving his family, somebody's loving his society, community, nation, or the human society. We are trying to . . . we must love. There is no escape. I must love somebody, because the propensity's there.
So the original love is for Kṛṣṇa. But because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, therefore our love is distributed in so many ways. But we are frustrated. We, we are not happy; neither the person whom we love or the country whom we love or the society which I love, they're also not happy. Because everything is misplaced. Everything is misplaced. Just like if you water on the top of the tree or every leaf, every branch, every twig, you cannot keep the tree very fresh. But if you water on the root of the tree, it keeps fresh, always.
- yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena
- tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ
- prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ
- tathā sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā
- (SB 4.31.14)
This is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, instruction given by Nārada Muni to Pracetasas. Those who have read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they know how he was explaining. So this example is very nice. Yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena: if you water on the root of the tree, automatically the trunk, the branches, the twigs, the leaves, the flowers, fruits, everything is refreshed. Another example is also there in the next line: prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. As by supplying food to the stomach all the indriyas, all the senses, become refreshed, energetic, similarly acyutejyā, by loving Kṛṣṇa, Acyuta . . . Acyuta is another name of Kṛṣṇa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). Kṛṣṇa is addressed as Acyuta. So acyuta-ijyā, by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, by satisfying Kṛṣṇa, you can satisfy everyone. This is the process.
So here, this process is explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself. The śāstra says this is the process. But still Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself the process. The process is mayy āsakta-manāḥ. One has to increase his attachment for Kṛṣṇa. We have got attachment for so many things. We have to divert the attachment towards Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam (BG 7.1). This is the yogaṁ. Yuñjan. One has to perform, execute, mad-āśrayaḥ. This yoga can be executed when we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means either you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-āśrayaḥ. In two ways you can take it, the meaning. Mad-āśrayaḥ. One who does not know except Kṛṣṇa, he's also mad-āśrayaḥ. And one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, that is also mad-āśrayaḥ.
So one has to become a devotee, or to take shelter of a pure devotee to practice the yoga system. Ādau gurvāśrayam. That is our system. That is our system. That is the Vedic system. The Vedic system is:
- tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
- samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
- (MU 1.2.12)
So to practice this yoga, any yoga, you have to take shelter of somebody who knows how to practice this yoga. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Then the result will be asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Then, without any doubt and in complete awareness, you'll understand the process. And in complete awareness of Kṛṣṇa, your life is successful. Simply if you know Kṛṣṇa, if you try to understand Kṛṣṇa, and fortunately if you know Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. What is the success of life? The success of life is that we are wandering throughout the universe.
- ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
- guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
- (CC Madhya 19.151)
We are transmigrating from different bodies. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. In Padma Purāṇa, the gradual process of evolution is there. This evolution theory put . . . forwarded by Darwin, that is nonsense. Because the Darwin's theory is evolution of this body. In one sense, it is . . . but it is incomplete. Actually we are getting different types of body according to our association with the different modes of material nature. The material nature is being conducted by three modes: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So those who are in the modes of material nature, in the modes of goodness, their body is different. Just like brāhmin. Simply getting the body of brāhmin is not sufficient. One has to learn how to become brāhmin. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. But there is opportunity.
If one is born in a brāhmin family, he has got the opportunity to develop the brāhmin qualities. Similarly, if one is born in the family of a kṣatriya, he gets the opportunity of kṣatriya spirit. Similarly vaiśya. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). But the quality and actual action. Just like a boy is born of a medical practitioner, he has got greater chance of becoming, becoming a medical student, medical practitioners. But simply by getting birth as a son of medical practitioner is not sufficient. He has to take education. So cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Kṛṣṇa does not say: "By birth." By acquiring the qualities and action. One must have the brahminical qualities and act as a brāhmin; then he'll be accepted as brāhmin.
So we are transmigrating according to our karma, different forms of life. The reason is, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅga, as you are associating with the guṇas, with the material qualities. So one has to increase his attachment for Kṛṣṇa by becoming nirguṇa. Everything is going on under the modes of material nature. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. That is the instruction. One has to become above the . . . transcendental to these guṇas. And what is that process? The process is mad-āśraya. When you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's pure devotee, then you become transcendental. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Who? Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26).
So mad-āśraya means . . . kṛṣṇa-yoga means bhakti-yoga. If you want to learn Kṛṣṇa, if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you have to take this process, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam. And if you practice this yoga, kṛṣṇa-yoga, or bhakti-yoga, then you become the topmost of all yogīs. That is also stated in the Sāṅkhya yoga chapter of Bhagavad-gītā:
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (BG 6.47)
So you have to keep always Kṛṣṇa within your heart. Kṛṣṇa is already within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna (BG 18.61). He's already there. Simply you have to qualify yourself to see that Kṛṣṇa is here. That is called kṛṣṇa-yoga, or bhakti-yoga.
So there are many instances.
- premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
- santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
- yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.38)
Those who have developed this mayy āsakta-manāḥ, means to develop your love for Kṛṣṇa. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: premā pum-artho mahān. Generally people are attached to four principles of salvation: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Ādi 1.90). But actually you have to go beyond mokṣa. Beyond mokṣa means brahma-jñāna, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this body. I am spirit soul, Brahman." Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman, and we are all Brahman, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are not Paraṁ Brahman. That is not possible. Paraṁ Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. As we'll find in the Tenth Chapter: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa is addressed as Paraṁ Brahman. Arjuna is never addressed as Paraṁ Brahman. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entity. He's para. He's Parameśvara. Īśvaraḥ parama-īśvara, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). There are two words: ātmā, Paramātmā; īśvara, Parameśvara. So Kṛṣṇa is para. Brahman, Paraṁ Brahman.
So people are after realization of Brahman, Brahman realization. Brahman realization is not very difficult for a intelligent man, because one can understand that he's Brahman, he's not this body. That is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, in this body, there is the proprietor of the body. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram iti abhidhīyate. This body is kṣetra, is field of activities according to our karma. But the proprietor of the body, the soul, he's Brahman. He's spirit soul. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). That Brahman, that spirit soul, is never annihilated after the destruction of this body. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre.
So we have to understand this fact. This is the business of human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Everyone should be inquisitive to learn about Brahman, the spirit soul. Not like animals. The animals, they have got no inquiry about Brahman. They simply eat, sleep, beget some offspring and, in due course of time, die. That is not the business of human being. The business of human being is different. That is advised by Prahlāda Mahārāja:
- kaumāra ācaret prājño
- dharmān bhāgavatān iha
- durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
- tad apy adhruvam arthadam
- (SB 7.6.1)
Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān. Children, kaumāra . . . kaumāra means from fifth year to the fifteenth year. These ten years, the boys and girls, especially boys, they should be instructed about religion. Now our government is secular. There is no question of teaching the children about religion, dharmān. Because dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ (Hitopadeśa). If you don't teach your children from the beginning of life about religion, then you are creating so many animals. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Not only here, everywhere, the whole world, they are . . . their universities are producing some animals, that's all. Therefore there is so much chaos and confusion all over the world. Varṇa-saṅkara.
So if you want to be happy really, if you want to make your life successful, human life, then you have to take this principle of mayy āsakta manāḥ. You have to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a sectarian religion; it is the fact. Unless the human society take to this principle of increasing their attachment . . . we have got . . . at last, we increase our attachment for dogs and cats. So attachment is there. Now this attachment has to be employed on Kṛṣṇa.
That yoga system, kṛṣṇa-yoga system, is described in this Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter: mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ mām (BG 7.1). Asaṁśayam, "Without any doubt." In any other process, you cannot understand what is God in full sense. That is not possible. By speculating process . . . there are so many speculators, theosophist, theologist, philosopher, Māyāvādī. They are speculating about God by . . . but that, by that process, by speculative process, you cannot understand God. That is not possible. Panthās tu . . . it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā:
- panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo
- vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām
- so 'py asti yat prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve . . .
- (Bs. 5.34)
If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, or God, by the speculative process, not only for one year, two year . . . panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi. Not mental speculation, but on the aeroplane running on the speed of vāyu, or air, or mind, the speed of mind—still, by traversing many crores of years, you cannot reach. Still it . . . it remains avicintya, inconceivable. But if you take to the process of this kṛṣṇa-yoga, or bhakti-yoga, then you can become aware of Kṛṣṇa very easily.
Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). To understand Kṛṣṇa superficially, that is not sufficient. That is also good, but you must have tattvataḥ what is Kṛṣṇa actually. That knowledge can be achieved—bhaktyā, by this kṛṣṇa-yoga. Otherwise:
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
- kaścid yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
- (BG 7.3)
There are so many human beings all over the world. Mostly, they're like animals—without culture. Because, according to our Vedic culture, unless one takes to the institution of varṇa and āśrama, he's not a human being. He's not accepted. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Who is accepting this varṇāśrama? No. Chaotic condition.
So in that chaotic condition you cannot understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: out of many, many thousands and millions of people, one takes to the scientific institute of varṇāśrama-dharma. That means followers of the Vedas, strictly. Out of these persons who are following the Vedic principles, mostly they're attached to karma-kāṇḍa, ritualistic ceremonies. So out of many millions of persons engaged in ritualistic ceremony, one becomes advanced in knowledge. They are called jñānī, or speculative philosopher. Not karmīs, but jñānī. So out of many millions of such jñānīs, one becomes mukta, liberated.
Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). This is liberated stage. One who is Brahman realized soul, he has nothing to lament or nothing to hanker. Because in the karmī stage we have got two diseases: hankering and lamenting. Whatever we have got, if it is lost, then I lament: "Oh, I got this and that and it is now lost." And whatever we do not possess, we hanker after. So for possessing, we hanker, we work so hard. And when it is lost, we again lament and cry. This is karmī stage.
So brahma-bhūtaḥ stage . . . jñāna stage means he has no more lamenting or hankering. Prasannātmā: "Oh, I am . . . ahaṁ brahmāsmi. What I have got to do with this body? My business is to cultivate transcendental knowledge, brahma-jñāna." So in that stage, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). That is the test. He has no lamenting. He has no hankering. And he's equal to everyone. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
He has no distinction. So in this way when one is situated, then mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54), then he comes to the devotional platform. And when he comes to the devotional platform, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55), then he's able.
So this kṛṣṇa-yoga is the only process to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhāgavata also it is said: evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). One can become jolly by practice of this bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Kṛṣṇa-tattva-jñānaṁ jāyate, mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. Unless you are liberated, you cannot understand what is God. In the nonliberated condition, you cannot understand what is God or what is Kṛṣṇa. And if you engage yourself in the bhakti-mārga:
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
These are the bhakti processes.
Śravaṇam. The first business is hearing. Tad-vijñānārtham. Vijñānārtham. If you want to know some science, you must hear from the authorized person. Similarly, our process is to hear from Kṛṣṇa, the most authorized person. Not only our; all the ācāryas. Mostly ācāryas, they advented in your country, South India: Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, all of them. So in your country, in your part of India, they are very fortunate. And they can . . . sometimes it is described the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is South Indian literature. I think in my Bhagavad-gītā one Professor Dimock, he has given an introduction of this Bhagavad-gītā, and he has mentioned Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as South Indian literature. Actually it is not. It is Vedic literature. It is meant for everyone. But because from South India all the ācāryas, especially Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, they distributed the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, people, they understand this Bhā . . . Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is from South India. So anyway, it doesn't matter.
So our this preaching of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is meant for everyone. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ (BG 14.4). Sarva-yoniṣu. Not only He's for human being, but He's for every living entity, sarva-yoniṣu. There are 8,400,000 forms of life—trees, birds, beasts, aquatics, human being. So many. They're all . . . Kṛṣṇa claims, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: "The material nature is the mother of all these forms, and I am the bīja, seed-giving father." So Kṛṣṇa is not only for Indians or for the Hindus or for the brahmins. Not like that. Or for the śūdras. No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. That is.
Therefore, because Kṛṣṇa is for everyone, therefore these Americans, the Europeans, Canadians, Africans, they're taking to Kṛṣṇa. The same thing, as I begun: because our relationship is father and son, how it can be disconnected? One might have forgotten, but as soon as the forgetfulness is removed, immediately understand—"Oh, I am Kṛṣṇa's." That this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to invoke the dormant Kṛṣṇa's love in every human being. And this is the duty of the Indians. Caitanya Mahāprabhu prescribed this duty:
- bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, within these five hundred years, He inaugurated the saṅkīrtana movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, from Bengal. You know. So His order is . . . it is not that because Caitanya Mahāprabhu advented Himself in Bengal, He requested the Bengalis. No. He said, especially to the Indians: bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth on the land of Bhārata-varṣa as human being, he should make his life perfect and distribute the knowledge to the others, who are in ignorance. Because transcendental knowledge, spiritual knowledge, that is only in India. That is a fact. That is nowhere else. Even one Chinese educationist, he has admitted that, "If we want to know what is religion, then we have to approach India." There is no other source.
So my request is that we Indians, we shall take this order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very seriously. People are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is immense field for preaching this philosophy all over the world. You can see the example, the European and American boys, how they have been attracted, how they are singing in ecstasy. They have taken it seriously. So in India I don't find all young men are so serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, but I invite that "Come and join this movement, make your life successful by understanding the Kṛṣṇa philosophy, and try to distribute it all over the world."
This is necessity of the present day. It is not sectarian, or crooked philosophy; it is meant for my brother and my sister, not for anyone else. No. It is meant for everyone. And this knowledge can be distributed specially if the Indians take it seriously. They are doing. There are . . . you'll find many sannyāsīs. The . . . Indians should have done it. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, bhārata-bhūmite manu . . . but because there is scarcity of Indian philanthropist to do this business, so we are pushing on this movement through the Americans. But actually there is no such difference. Actually, American or Indian, for Kṛṣṇa consciousness we have no such distinction. Anyone. Everyone is Kṛṣṇa's, and Kṛṣṇa is for everyone.
So this is called sanātana. It cannot be disconnected. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Kṛṣṇa came personally to distribute this knowledge.
- yadā yadā hi dharmasya
- glānir bhavati bhārata
- abhyutthānam adharmasya
- tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
- (BG 4.7)
Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya (BG 4.8). Kṛṣṇa came to establish what is real religion, not cheating religion. Cheating religion will not help us. Why I say, "cheating religion"? Because it is said in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Kaitava means cheating. You cannot make people happy by presenting some cheating religion. That is the injunction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Real religion. What is the real . . . real religion? Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the codes given by God. That is dharma. You cannot make this dharma, that dharma. Dharma is one. God is one. And you have to follow that one principle, how to approach Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti.
So dharma is to approach Kṛṣṇa, and the process is bhakti. And Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme God.
- īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
- anādir ādir govindaḥ
- sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
- (Bs. 5.1)
He's the cause of all causes. This is the śāstric injunction. So if you take this movement very seriously, the world will be happy, we'll be happy, personally or socially or economically, politically . . . that's a fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If we accept Kṛṣṇa, simply Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything asaṁśayam, without any doubt; samagram, in fullness. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3).
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. And we have got many books, you can see. We have got at least twenty books of four hundred pages for explaining Kṛṣṇa. Either you try to understand Kṛṣṇa through these books . . . otherwise, you can understand Kṛṣṇa, very simple thing: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and you'll understand.
- ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
- śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
- ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
- . . . paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
- (CC Antya 20.12)
So join saṅkīrtana movement. It is very important. Paraṁ vijayate. If you want victory of your life, join this movement. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅ . . . kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). These are the recommendation. So the simple truth is, you be . . . become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and your life is successful. Not only your life is successful; if you preach in your family, in your society, in your community or internationally, they also become benefited.
So I thank you very much for your giving time. But my only request is that all of you try to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantraand, if possible, read Kṛṣṇa book, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Don't read Bhagavad-gītā where the attempt is to kill Kṛṣṇa. Don't read. Then it will be spoiled. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). Sarva-nāśa. If you hear the rascal commentary that, "Kṛṣṇa means this, Kurukṣetra means this, body . . . Pāṇḍava means this," in this way if you drag some concocted meaning, then you'll never understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. You'll simply spoil your time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That is simply wasting time. Read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇa says: "I am the Supreme."
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
Kṛṣṇa says that, "I am the origin of everything." And Vedānta says the Brahman, Absolute Truth, is that janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), wherefrom everything is emanating. And here Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). All the ācāryas, they have admitted this.
Even Śaṅkarācārya, who is not Vaiṣṇava—still he accepts, sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa devakī-nandana. He has admitted. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no doubt. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, here is Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Try to understand, and your life will be successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
- 1973 - Lectures
- 1973 - Lectures and Conversations
- 1973 - Lectures, Conversations and Letters
- 1973-01 - Lectures, Conversations and Letters
- Lectures - India
- Lectures - India, Calcutta
- Lectures, Conversations and Letters - India
- Lectures, Conversations and Letters - India, Calcutta
- Lectures - Bhagavad-gita As It Is
- BG Lectures - Chapter 07
- Audio Files 30.01 to 45.00 Minutes