730921 - Lecture - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730921LE-BOMBAY - September 25, 1973 - 38:03 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, the father of saṅkīrtana movement within two hundred years. He was ācārya and a householder, gṛhastha. He was very responsible officer, magistrate, householder, but he was a great devotee. Not only devotee—ācārya in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu disciplic succession, ācārya. So he sung, ye-dina gṛhete, bhajana dekhi', gṛhete goloka bhāya (Śaraṇāgati 31.6): "The day whenever we find there is bhajana," means worshiping the Supreme Lord, "at that time immediately the house becomes Vaikuṇṭha." Actually, that is so. Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana is not material things. Just like Kṛṣṇa is not material. Kṛṣṇa . . . as Kṛṣṇa can stay in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, and still He can stay everywhere . . . aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. That is Kṛṣṇa.

In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated:

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ

yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ . . .

(Bs. 5.35)

Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, is everywhere by His one plenary portion, which is known as Paramātmā. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. That Paramātmā is situated in every universe, aṇdāntarastham, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. As Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu He is presented in every universe, and as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu He is within everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Not only within the heart of everyone, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham, He is within the atom. That is Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's place, Goloka Vṛndāvana, that is also spread everywhere. How that Goloka Vṛndāvana becomes spread? As soon as there is devotee. Yes.

Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ (Padma Purāṇa). Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe na ca yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu: "I do not stay in Vaikuṇṭha-loka or within the heart of the yogīs." Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ: "I stay there where My devotees are chanting about Me, about My glories." This is the process. Immediately . . . goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is Kṛṣṇa's power, omnipotency. Omnipotency. We pray God, "Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent."

So that is fact. God can be present anywhere simultaneously, omnipresent. Similarly, there is no difference between God and His place. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam (Caitanya-manjusa). As Kṛṣṇa is worshipable, ārādhya, similarly His place is also ārādhya, worshipable. So as He is all-pervading, similarly, His place is also all-pervading. So how things can be changed into Vaikuṇṭha? That is by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ.

So the bhaktas, they are also so powerful that by chanting the holy name of God, they make the supreme all-powerful Lord descend in that place. Therefore the statement of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that ye dine gṛhete bhajana dekhi, se dine gṛhete goloka bhāya . . . so we can change our home also into Vaikuṇṭha. We can change our home. It is not difficult. Because as Kṛṣṇa can be all-pervading, Vaikuṇṭha is all-pervading. But we have to simply realize it by the authorized process. Everyone, we can change our home into Vaikuṇṭha.

So there is another statement of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi anācāra. To turn your home into Vaikuṇṭha is not very difficult job. Simply you have to adopt the method. Kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi anācāra. Anācāra means sinful activities. You cannot associate with God if you become sinful. That is not possible. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam: "One who is completely free from sinful life," te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28), "He can worship Me." So therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we do not recommend that "You give up your occupation, you become a sannyāsī, give up your wife and children." No.

That is not our movement. In amongst ourself here there are sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. Everyone is there. Everyone can worship Kṛṣṇa. There is no such thing that, "This class of men, only the brāhmaṇa or the sannyāsīs or brahmacārī or Hindus . . ." No. Kṛṣṇa is open for everyone. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Even lower born, born in the lower-grade family, he is also open. Simply one has to adopt the means.

That is recommended by . . . there are many songs. Locana dāsa . . . Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he also says:

viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana

kabe hāma herabo śrī vṛndāvana

(Lālasāmayī Prārthanā 3)

Viṣaya means sense enjoyment. Sense enjoyment. So one has to give up this practice of sense enjoyment. Then he becomes purified. There is no prohibition for eating, but there is prohibition of eating things are rejected, which are rejected, amedhya. Eating is not stopped, but you cannot eat anything which does not . . . which is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa. That is called anācāra. If you eat something which is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa . . . because our life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness life, means to be always eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. As the servant eats the remnants of foodstuff left by the master, similarly, we are servants of Kṛṣṇa, we also eat, but we eat remnants of foodstuff which is left by Kṛṣṇa. That is called prasādam, mahā-prasādam.

So we have to, I mean to say, mend our life in such a way that kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara, chāḍi anācāra. We have to give up anācāra, forbidden things, sinful things. Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ (SB 1.17.38). There are four kinds of sinful activities. Basic principle of sinful life is avaidha, illicit sex life. Avaidha stri-saṅga. Striyaḥ sūnā, unnecessary animal killing; pāna, drinking, intoxicant; and gambling. We have to give up these four principles. Then our life becomes pure. If we give up these four principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then we become perfect. How it is? You can see the examples. These European, Americans, they were accustomed to all these practices. That is their daily affair. But they have given up this. Now you see how they are saintly.

So the thing is not very difficult, but one has to accept the principles. Then one lifes becomes perfect. They do not know what is perfection of life. People are thinking that material advancement is perfection of life. No. That is not perfection of life. Because even if you make nice material arrangement, you cannot enjoy it. At any time you shall be kicked out. Where is your perfection? Suppose you have very nice apartment, very nice, good bank balance, very nice wife, children, everything is all right. But is there any guarantee that you can enjoy them? Is there any guarantee? At any moment you shall be out. This is not perfection. First of all make guarantee that, "Whatever I am preparing for, very happy life in this material . . . they will be permanent. I will not be kicked out." Then it is perfection. But there is no such guarantee.

Therefore this is not perfection of life. Perfection of life is that when there is guarantee of no more birth, no more death, no more old age and no more disease. That is perfection. That can be achieved by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not by material way. Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti. If you want to be eternal, blissful, eternally blissful and full of knowledge, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), then we have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other way. There is only way. Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). If you are serious about perfection of life, then one has to take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayam: "Without any doubt, you shall come to Me."

And what is the principle? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakti mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. Four things: "Simply always think of Me," man-manā; "you become just My devotee," mad-bhakta; "just worship Me . . ." So is it very difficult task to think of Kṛṣṇa and to worship Him, to become His devotee and to offer obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, just like we are doing this, in this evening? This is the process. We are thinking of Kṛṣṇa by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We are offering obeisances to the Deity and at least trying to become bhaktas. Man-manā bhava mad . . . mad-yājī, and worshiping. What is the worshiping? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). It is not difficult. Little flower, little fruit, little water, anyone can collect.

But the thing is a dog obstinacy: "I shall not do it." That is the thing. Otherwise it is very easy thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if we adopt it, our life becomes successful. That is the perfection of life. That we are teaching. But there is a dog's obstinacy that they will not adopt: "No." This is our defect. Otherwise, the process is very simple. Everyone can adopt it in every country, every man. There is no distinction that, "This class of men can adopt, and that class of men can . . ." No. Just like the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, it is now being chanted all over the world, and they are becoming Vaiṣṇava, these European, American boys. Then where is the difficulty? But the difficulty is our obstinacy. If one is obstinate, he is determined, then it is very difficult.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Only these classes of men: duṣkṛtina, always engaged in sinful activities; mūḍha, rascal . . . na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, and lowest of the mankind. Because human life is meant for worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hari hari! bifale janama goṅāinu (Iṣṭa-deve Vijñapti 1): "My life is spoiled." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. So we are trying to stop drinking poison knowingly.

viṣayā viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale,

taribāre nā koinu upāya

golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana,

rati nā janmilo kene tāya

These are the Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's . . . big . . . they were stalwart ācāryas.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for everyone's benefit. It is the topmost humanitarian movement to make everyone happy, to make everyone immortal, to make everyone peaceful, to make everyone . . .

(break) . . . without being wise, nobody can surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Mūḍhas, rascals, they cannot. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. These are the qualification, who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Duṣkṛtina, narādhama. "Oh, how he is narādhama? He is M.A., Ph.D., D.H.C., T.H.C. How he is narādhama?" Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: his knowledge has no value because he does not know Kṛṣṇa.

These M.A., Ph.D.'s will not help me. Śaṅkarācārya said, na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṇe: "By your grammatical jugglery of words nonsense, you cannot be saved." Bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha-mate: "You rascal, just engage yourself in the loving service of Govinda." This is Śaṅkarācārya's advice, although he was impersonalist. Kṛṣṇa says that "Who does not worship Me," naradhāma, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, "they have no knowledge." Because if he remains in the real point a rascal, then what is the value of his knowledge? There is no knowledge. Therefore bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births of struggling for existence like this, if one becomes actually wise, jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. This is intelligence. This is intelligence. "Kṛṣṇa, from this day, I surrender. So long I was forgotten. I did not know that my only business is to surrender to You." So any moment you surrender, immediately you are protected.

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

(BG 18.66)

"Don't bother. Everything is there." Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31).

So this is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to make fools and rascals and sinful men to become wise. If you take advantage of it, you will be glorified and we shall be glorified. This is our process. And actually it is happening. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is pāpi tāpi yata chila, harināme uddhārila, tāra sākṣī . . . (Iṣṭa Deve Vijñapti 3). You want evidence? Jagāi and Mādhāi. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered two Jagāi and Mādhāi. Now you can see how much Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is strong—many thousands of Jagāi-Mādhāis are being delivered.

So His movement is greater than Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, personally He delivered two Jagāi-Mādhāi. Now, by His movement, thousands Jagāi-Mādhāis are being . . . this is the practical. And it is very easy. It is not very difficult. Anyone can take. But if we take knowingly poison, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu, who can protect you? So it is our appeal to everyone that take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Even if you cannot give up your bad habits, sinful activities, still, you take the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and your life will be glorified.

Thank you very much.

(break)

(answering question)

It is just like without eating, if you question that how one is satisfied by eating food. A hungry man, if you give him food, he will say, "Yes, I am satisfied." There is no question of "How?" If you eat . . . if you are hungry, if you eat, you will feel satisfaction. It is automatic. Similarly, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you will understand. Not from outside. How? You can see how these boys and girls, they are feeling satisfaction. Similarly, if you chant also, you will feel satisfaction. There is no question of "How?" It is so, exactly (as) when you are hungry, if you eat, you will feel satisfaction. It is practical. It is stated in the . . . therefore,

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ

pavitraṁ paramam idam

pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ

su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam

(BG 9.2)

Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. It is not theoretical. If you practice, you will see, pratyakṣāvagamam. And it is very easy to perform. So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you will understand. Exactly like that if you eat, then you will feel satisfaction. Simply theoretically discussing how it become, we can say to you . . . it will not be understood. You chant, you will understand. Practical. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam. This is the process. Any other question?

Indian man (1): To make it more clear to me what I feel, that it is something like not realizing that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the real reason. To chant the name, it will be something like we have instances in our old śāstras and books and histories, that . . .

Prabhupāda: What do you mean by old?

Indian man (1): I mean the history, those stories . . .

Prabhupāda: That story, that stories . . . you do not know the science. Why you are talking like nonsense? What do you mean by old? It is eternal. There is no question. Avyayam. Nityaḥ śāśvataḥ. You do not know.

Indian man (1): Therefore they used to pray to God before they used to go to commit theft, and they used to come back again to worship the God and to please Him that yes, they were not caught.

Prabhupāda: So do you think we are dacoits?

Indian man (1): No, but . . .

Prabhupāda: Then what do you think? Why did you question this? Why do you question these nonsense things?

Indian man (1): That praying to God without . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is better than you, because you do not know what is God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ . . .

(BG 9.30)

Who is worshiping God but his character is not good, he is sādhu. And those who are talking and no connection with God, he is mūḍha, duṣkṛtina, narādhama. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have to talk through the medium of śāstra. It is said, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. He is sādhu because he has taken . . . he has come to the right place, bhagavad-bhajan. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. He will not remain such thief.

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā

śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati

kaunteya pratijānīhi

na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

(BG 9.31)

If one has actually taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will never be lost, even though you find for the present he is not well-behaved. That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā. Even a thief, even a rogue, even a sinful man takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follows the rules and regulation, for the time being you may find there are some faults, but it will vanish very soon. Just like the electric fan, it is moving. You make the switch off, you will find still moving. But it will stop moving very soon, because the switch is off. Similarly, if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, if you find that still he is not well-behaved, that is not very important thing. He has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is important thing. Because this superficial external misbehavior will stop. There are many śāstras' example.

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer

patet tato yadi, bhajann apakva

yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ

ko vārtha āpto abhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ

(SB 1.5.17)

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, even one takes by sentiment, still he is profited. And person who are very honest in executing his duty but does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, śāstra says, ko vārtha āpto abhajatām: "What does he gain?" He does not gain anything, because he is bound up by the resultant action of his karma.

So it is a great science. One has to understand. Then . . . but for the present . . . of course, a kṛṣṇa-bhakta never takes the profession of a dacoitry. We have no such evidence. Rather, dacoits were made very great devotees. There are instances. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Even if he is dacoit, but kṛṣṇa-bhakta," sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30), "He is to be considered sādhu." So it is the certificate of Kṛṣṇa. What can I do? (laughter)

(break) Ārati.

Devotees: Preform Kirtana.

Prabhupāda: (prema-dhvani) Dekhiye Sardarji, ek to aur ek lamp idhar chahiye nahi to usko hi idhar kar dijiye. (So Sardarji, we need one more lamp here or else just shift that lamp to this place.)

Guest: Accha. Nahi, udhar ek aur laga dete hai. (Okay. No, we will place one more there.)

Prabhupāda: Bas, thik hai. Ap log sab yehi mohalle me . . . (That's okay. You all stay in this locality . . .) (end)