730707 - Lecture Arrival - London

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730707AR-LONDON - July 07, 1973 - 11:26 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . given the facility of assembling in this nice house, this good boy George Harrison. We must give him all glories. We must be thankful to him that he has given us the facility, and Kṛṣṇa will bless him more and more. So far Gopījana-vallabha, Rādhā-Mādhava, our simple worshipable Supreme Personality of Godhead, Rādhā-Mādhava, He is always enjoying in company with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Rādhā-Mādhava. He does not go outside Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa, original Kṛṣṇa, He does not go even a step out of Vṛndāvana leaving aside the gopīs. Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya na padam evaṁ kutra gacchati. He does not go anywhere.

So people are making research to find out God. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said:

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām

so 'py asti yat-prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.34)

Govinda, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ. Those who are searching after God . . . those who are not searching, they are useless. Those who are searching, jñānī, jijñāsu, so they are searching after God, but if they try to approach God, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara, by . . . just like airplane. I have come here within twelve hours, from Calcutta to London. So not this airplane, but panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampra . . . vāyor athāpi. Vāyu.

If . . . this airplane is floating on the air, but if the air becomes aeroplane itself or the mind becomes . . . you know the speed of mind. You can go on the mind millions of miles within a second. That science has not yet discovered, how to go in the speed of mind. The yogīs know. The perfect yogīs, they can travel on the speed of mind. That is also material science. So even on the speed of mind or on the speed of the velocity of the air, if you try to go to approach God, find out where is God . . . and the time? Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara (Bs. 5.34). Not one day, two day or one hour, two hour, but many millions of years, koṭi-śata-vatsara. Koṭi-śata-vatsara, with the speed of mind or air velocity, if you go to find out God, still, avicintya-tattva, inconceivable. Inconceivable.

So Kṛṣṇa is not so easy to approach by the nondevotees. Vedeṣu durlabha. Or even by studying, durlabha. Durlabha means not approachable. Not approachable. Vedeṣu durlabha adurlabha ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). But to His devotees He's very easy. He's very easy. Just like the gopīs. Gopīs, they are village girls, not educated, not brāhmin, not Vedāntist. But Kṛṣṇa is within their palms, within their hands. So this bhakti-yoga is so nice that Kṛṣṇa, or God, who is unapproachable by any other method—however efficient it may be, it is not possible—only by love and devotion in service He can be approached.

It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā all system—jñāna-yoga system, haṭha-yoga system, -yoga system, rāja-yoga system. But at the end He says that "If anyone actually wants to know Me, that is bhakti." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. If anyone wants to know Kṛṣṇa as He is . . . Kṛṣṇa has different features, especially three: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11)—as impersonal Brahman, all-pervasive Paramātmā, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So if anyone wants to know actually what is Kṛṣṇa . . .

Of course, it is not possible to know Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa reveals to the devotee, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (CC Madhya 17.136), revelation. Just like Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. People should know. Why they are searching unnecessarily? Rascaldom. You cannot search out Kṛṣṇa, God, by speculation. If He reveals Himself by His causeless mercy, being merciful upon you, being pleased upon you, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. You cannot search out Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. So the process is explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself:

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ

tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā

viśate tad-anantaram

(BG 18.55)

If you understand Kṛṣṇa through this process, bhakti process, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11, CC Madhya 19.167), without any motive of material gain, that is called . . . that is beginning of bhakti. Bhakti means without any motive of material gain. That is bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. Śūnyam means zero. All material desires becoming zero, then bhakti begins. Then bhakti begins. Before that, there is no question of bhakti.

So bhakti science is very subtle science, but it is very simple thing to the bhaktas. One who knows things as it is, a very simple thing. Similarly, those who have taken to this bhakti-yoga seriously, for them it is very simple. For others it is very difficult. It is very difficult. Therefore we should go, approach to persons who are . . . tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).

We should approach person who knows the bhakti science and . . . yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). And by devotional service to Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, then bhakti science becomes revealed. Without revelation, nobody can understand bhakti science, and without understanding bhakti science, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: All glories to Prabhupāda. (end)