740207 - Lecture BG 04.01 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740207BG-VRNDAVAN - February 7, 1974 - 61:27 Minutes

(poor recording)

Prabhupāda:

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāha

manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt

(BG 4.1)

Yesterday this yoga system . . . anything attempting to understand the Absolute Truth, it is called yoga, yoga system, mainly. This Bhagavad-gītā is bhakti-yoga. It is a conversation between the Lord and the devotee. Arjuna is a devotee, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So when there is serious conversation between the devotee and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then what should be the subject matter of conversation? Suppose if a big businessman is talking with his secretary seriously, so anyone can suggest what is the subject matter of this conversation. It must be about business. When a big businessman, talking with his business secretary, what would be the subject matter of the talking? It must be business. Similarly, bhakti means the transaction between the Lord and the devotee. Bhakti is the dealings: sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana.

The whole Vedic system as propounded by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. Actually, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15): "The Vedic subject matter is to understand Kṛṣṇa." And who can understand Kṛṣṇa? That is explained by Kṛṣṇa: bahunam janmanam ant . . . er:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

To understand Kṛṣṇa, or God, is not very easy subject matter. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: "Out of many millions of human beings," kaścid yatati siddhaye, "hardly one may be trying for perfection of life." Hardly—not all. There are millions and millions of persons all over the world, but some of them come here in Vṛndāvana to achieve perfection. It is a fact. Not that everyone is eager to make his perfect life . . . (indistinct) . . . everyone is working very, very hard, like asses, dogs, to enjoy sense gratification: eating, sleeping, mating, defending. This is their business. So out of many such persons . . . we have traveled all over the world, all Western countries—they're only busy for this purpose: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. So out of many, many millions of such persons, try to understand what is the value of life, how to make the life perfect: manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye.

And those who are trying to achieve perfection, most of them are trying to understand the Absolute Truth, karma-kāṇḍi, by performing yajñas, charitable work, opening schools, colleges, hospitals—pious activities. Karmīs . . . karmī means those who are aspiring to execute pious activities. Those who are acting for impious activities, they are called vikarmīs—they are not karmīs. karma, vikarma, akarma. Vikarmī means those who are acting against the principles of Vedic instructions—they are vikarmīs. And karmīs means those who are working according to the direction of Vedas to achieve higher standard of life. They are karmīs. So karmīs, vikarmīs mostly—taking all as working under the direction of Vedas accepted. So out of many millions of such karmīs, one becomes jñānī. Jñānī means one who has understood the spiritual position—he is jñānī. And that is perfection, or siddhi. And some of them are yogīs. They are also trying for aṣṭa-siddhi: aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva. There are eight kinds of yogic systems, er, yogic perfections.

So karmīs are trying to achieve the perfection by elevating themselves to the higher planetary systems: Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapaloka, Brahmaloka. Jñānīs are trying to go further, to merge in the Brahman effulgence—impersonal Brahman. Everyone is trying for siddhi—siddhaye—and the yogīs, they are also trying to achieve eight kinds of yoga-siddhi: to become smaller than the smallest, to become lighter than the lightest, to become bigger than the biggest. And whatever they like, immediately to achieve: īśitva, vaśitva, prāpti. So they are . . . everyone is trying for siddhaye, siddhi:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

(BG 7.3)

Ordinary persons then come to the right platform from karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa—they are all trying for siddhis, kaścid yatati . . . not all, but some of them.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

(BG 7.3)

And those who have achieved perfection in the karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa yoga practice, mystic art, yatatām api siddhānāṁ, they do not know Kṛṣṇa. But kaścid, out of them—many of them, millions of them—one can understand Kṛṣṇa.

So to understand Kṛṣṇa is not so easy thing. Kṛṣṇa can be understood by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, not by this karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, yoga-kāṇḍa, upāsanā-kāṇḍa. No. That will be explained: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa never said that, "One can understand Me by practicing karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kāṇḍa or mystic yoga practice." No. Kṛṣṇa never said. So Bhagavad-gītā is the knowledge by which you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore here it is said, imaṁ vivasvate yoga. This yoga means not that eightfold mystic yoga. This yoga means bhakti-yoga. And you'll find also in this Bhagavad-gītā that the first-class yogī—jñāna-yogī, karma-yogī, dhyāna-yogī, hatha-yogī—out of many such yogīs, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ, out of many . . . (indistinct) . . . yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā. Āntarātmanā—within the core of the heart, who has accepted Kṛṣṇa only to think of, mad-gatenāntarātmanā. Śraddhāvān, with faith and persistence. Bhajate māṁ—bhajate means bhakti. Bhakti comes from the word bhaj-dhātu, so this word has been used, bhajate māṁ, it means "engaged in devotional service." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā—"a person who is keeping Me always within the core of the heart."

The best example are the gopīs. They, they had no other business than to keep Kṛṣṇa always within the heart. gopīs requested Kṛṣṇa, "Please, if You get out from our hearts then we can concentrate to our household duties. These yogīs and munis and great saintly persons, they are trying to keep You within the heart, and we request You, "Kindly go out of our hearts so we can concentrate on our household duties." " They wanted to do it, but they could not. This is gopīs position. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā (Caitanya-manjusa): there is no more better method of worship than what was done by the gopīs, because gopīs always kept Kṛṣṇa within their hearts. So therefore they are the most perfect yogīs, because Kṛṣṇa said: yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā bhajate māṁ sa me yuktatamo (BG 6.47). So they are the perfect. Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3).

In the Vṛndāvana-dhāma, to practice that yoga system, following the footsteps of the gopīs, that is stated by Śrīnivāsācārya in the prayers of the Gosvāmīs: tyaktvā . . . (indistinct) . . . tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat (Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 4). Maṇḍala-śreṇīṁ. Maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ. Maṇḍala-pati means great leaders, political leaders, social leaders—they are called maṇḍala-pati. Still in Indian village, the chief man is called maṇḍa, in Bengal. So maṇḍala-pati. There were many villagers, and above them there was one maṇḍala-pati. So Rūpa Gosvāmī was minister, naturally he had connections with many maṇḍala-patis. Maṇḍala-patis used to come to see him—political leaders, ministers. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ—not one, two maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ was coming to see him for interview, but aśeṣa, many. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat: he gave up, became a mendicant. He did not like, "What is this nonsense, seeing these maṇḍala-patis?" So he gave up. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Then what did he become? One gives up something and accepts another thing. One cannot remain vacant. If you give up something, then you must take something. That is also described. What is called?

Devotee: Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇe . . .

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: Bhūtvā dīna . . .

Prabhupāda: No.

Devotee: Gopī-bhāva . . .

Prabhupāda: That is nice. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you find something better, then you can give up the inferior. If you get rāsagullā, then you can give up gur. You have something sweet, gur, but if you take rāsagullā, like that, then you will prefer to give up gur and take rāsagullā. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. To give up means to accept something better. So all these ministers—Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī—tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati. They are aristocratic association, all ministers, zamindars, big men. They used to sit down with them, talk with them, eat with them. That was the system. But he gave up:

tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat

bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau

(Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 4)

And they accepted . . . they thought it better to become a beggar, a mendicant: tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Tucchavat, "Insignificant." You know that then he must have taken some valuable things. What is that? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau, accepted kaupīna and kanthā. And you see in Vṛndāvana there are many imitation of Rūpa Gosvāmī—kaupīna and kanthā. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement means to reclaim the downtrodden mass of people, bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā, becoming compassionate upon them. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement means to become compassionate to the poor people. Poor people means that those who are poor in spiritual understanding, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are poor. They are thinking they are very big men, but they are the poorest, because they are losing the chance of understanding Kṛṣṇa in this human form of life. They are thinking this motorcar or this big, high palatial buildings and bank balance, big business profits—that is the aim of achievement. No. That is not the aim of achievement. The aim of achievement it to athāto brahma-jijñāsā—to understand Brahman. That is the aim of life. But they are not interested in that aim of achievement; therefore very, very poor. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu's business, or mission, is to reclaim these poor human beings—those who are not interested in spiritual understanding.

So Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī wanted to help Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; therefore they also resigned their exalted posts of ministers, and bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna. Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered them to go to Vṛndāvana and excavate the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahā . . . Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Vṛndāvana means it is the gift of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. So they came here and became mendicants—simply loincloth, one water pot. You have seen the pictures. Why? Dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā: to give contribution of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Vidagdha-mādhava, Lalita-mādhava, so many other books—later on, Jīva Gosvāmī, Ṣaṭ-sandarbha—so that these poor people may take advantage of these books and may develop their dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is their gift to the human society. But from material point of view they all of a sudden became kaupīna-kanthāśritau, and they were ministers. How they could live? It is not possible. We have taken sannyāsa, but still we are covering this body, sitting in a comfortable room, because we are not practiced to accept such severe type of renouncement that the Gosvāmīs did. But it is yukta-vairāgya. We should not imitate unnecessarily—dress is like Rūpa Gosvāmī, but cannot give up biḍi. (laughter) Not that type. I cannot give up the attraction of biḍi, how I can give up the life of a materialistic man?

So abruptly to jump to imitate Rūpa Gosvāmī is not possible. This is another gift of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, that don't imitate Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. Better gradually try to learn, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu suggested, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir (SB 10.14.3). "Don't try to change your garments all of a sudden. Better remain situated in your position, but try to hear about the Supreme Lord from the realized soul." Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir. In this way gradually you will be able to conquer the Supreme Lord, Ajita. Kṛṣṇa is Ajita—nobody can conquer Kṛṣṇa—but if you simply hear of Kṛṣṇa, then gradually you will be able to conquer Kṛṣṇa. This is the process: kṛṣṇa-kathā. Hearing of kṛṣṇa-kathā is so important: sṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you hear about Kṛṣṇa from sanmukharitāṁ, not from the—how would you say—professional men, who are talking of Kṛṣṇa to make a business, profession, to maintain family. Not that kind of hearing. Sanmukharitāṁ—those who are actually realized, not Kṛṣṇa businessmen, those who are making business with Kṛṣṇa. To hear from them will never benefit you. But you have to hear from really realized soul . . . (indistinct)

So that is called sanmukharitāṁ bhavadīya. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva sanmukharitāṁ bhavadīya (Brahma-stotra). Therefore sat-saṅga is very, very important—hearing about Kṛṣṇa.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

(SB 7.5.23)

First thing is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, Lord Viṣṇu. So they are actually the persons who are realized Kṛṣṇa, interested to hear about Kṛṣṇa: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). The yogīs, karmīs, jñānīs, they are not interested about hearing Kṛṣṇa; they are trying to become Kṛṣṇa. And that is another māyā. Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa—it is not possible. To become Kṛṣṇa is ludicrous. Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, He never tried to become Kṛṣṇa. He was Kṛṣṇa from the very beginning. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa killed the Pūtanā demon when He was three-months-old child. So He had no chance practicing mystic yoga to become Kṛṣṇa. Nowadays it has become a fashion to become God by mystic yoga. That kind of God is not Kṛṣṇa. To try to become Kṛṣṇa—that means he was not Kṛṣṇa; now by mystic yoga he has become Kṛṣṇa. This theory is most ludicrous theory. Kṛṣṇa cannot be . . . one cannot become Kṛṣṇa by some mystic yoga process. So we are not talking of that Kṛṣṇa, that God, who has become God by mystic power. Nobody can become, but they are thinking, vimukta-māninas, they are thinking that, "I have become Nārāyaṇa. I have become Kṛṣṇa. I have become God." In the Bhāgavata it is said, vimukta-māninas—"thinking that . . . (indistinct) . . . I have become God." You will find many, many persons, they are thinking that, "Now I have become God." This is another māyā, you see. This is māyā, because Bhāgavata says:

aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ.

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas

tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ

(SB 10.2.32)

Their intelligence is not yet purified. Not yet purified, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād: "Because they cannot understand You, because they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, therefore their intelligence is not yet purified," aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa, "Therefore in spite of their practicing austerities and penances very severely, undergoing," āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ, "although they achieve the Brahman effulgence, impersonal Brahman understanding," āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ, "again they come there," patanty adho—"he falls down." Falls down. There are many examples that they go very high up, learned scholars, sannyāsīs—maybe Brahman-realized or not realized, they call themselves Brahman—but again they come down to the platform of politics. So paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho (SB 10.2.32)—falls down. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ—they could not worship the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, therefore they have no standing, no standing and life. He wants variegatedness, life. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. Ānanda means you have varieties. Just like if I alone sit down in this room, that is one kind of ānanda, but when so many devotees come and we speak and talk with them about Kṛṣṇa, that is better ānanda, real ānanda. Ānanda means with m . . . if I speak alone, that is also ānanda, but if I speak with many—in a festival, in a function—that is better ānanda.

So the jīva is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. By practice he wants ānanda. So nirviśeṣa-vādī—to live alone in the sky—that is not ānanda. We have experience when flying in the airplane, after some hours you want to get down, (laughs) because this impersonal sky becomes suffocating. Or you go in the sea—I have got all experience—(laughs) (laughter) after three days, four days in the sea we are hankering, "Where is land? Where is land? Where is land?" Not only that, that Russian aeronaut, when he went up into the sky he was trying to find out, looking down to the earth, "Where is Moscow?" That was published in the papers. So a living entity without varieties of ānanda—he cannot enjoy. That is real ānanda. It is artificial to become alone, without any society, friendship and love. That is not ānanda. That is not ānanda. But because we have got very bad experience of this society, friendship and love in this material world, the Māyāvādīs, materialists, imagine another ānanda—to make it zero. Because we are getting bad experience of this material varieties, therefore they want to make it zero. But zero—we cannot remain in the zero. That is also another difficulty. So when he goes to the zero, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ. Zero means neutral stage between spiritual and material. Material world is the reflection of the spiritual world, and spiritual world, the real varieties of ānanda. So the impersonalists, because they cannot get information of the spiritual varieties—Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance—they think that this rāsa dance is also material, māyā; therefore we call them Māyāvādīs: everything māyā. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes also māyā—therefore Māyāvādīs. So to understand Kṛṣṇa—just we have tried to explain little bit—it is not very easy:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

So this yoga system, where we can understand the spiritual varieties of Kṛṣṇa's activities, that can be understood by bhakti-yoga: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Here it is said:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

So one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ, in truth. But that tattvataḥ can be understood by bhakti-yoga:

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ

tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā

viśate tad-anantaram

(BG 18.55)

When who has understood Kṛṣṇa in truth, then he becomes a fit candidate to enter into the spiritual kingdom.

(break) . . . original form, ahaṁ evāsam evāgre (SB 2.9.33): "Before the creation, I was there." Kṛṣṇa's form is not material form, because before material creation He was there. Then how His form can be material? Therefore any person who considers Kṛṣṇa as material, His body also material—he is a mūḍhā: avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). That mūḍhā thinks Kṛṣṇa, because He is playing just like a human being, therefore He is one of us, one of us. The rascals, they try to imitate Kṛṣṇa. How you can imitate Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is not an ordinary human being. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). The Māyāvādīs, because they are impersonalists, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa therefore they think that, "I am also Kṛṣṇa. I am also Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa can say mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya, I can also say that." But how he can say? First of all, you show the activities of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa killed the Pūtanā Rākṣasī when He was three months old. Kṛṣṇa, as a cowherd boy, was going daily to the forest, and He was killing Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Dhenukāsura—so many asuras. Kṛṣṇa lifted the Govardhana Hill. What is your record of activities? Simply by meditating you have become Kṛṣṇa? This is not . . . this is māyā. Therefore yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin vetti (BG 7.3). He does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and he is thinking that, "I have become Kṛṣṇa by . . . (indistinct) . . ." That is not possible.

Therefore one has to learn the yoga system by which you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Before learning Kṛṣṇa . . . you cannot become even by learning Kṛṣṇa. By learning Kṛṣṇa you can become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, not Kṛṣṇa. That is nonsense. If anyone says: "Now I have become Kṛṣṇa. Why shall I go to see the temple of Kṛṣṇa? I am Kṛṣṇa," so they are in māyā; they are not. Therefore this yoga system, how to understand Kṛṣṇa, is described by Kṛṣṇa in this Fourth Chapter:

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

(BG 4.1)

This system was spoken to sun-god Vivasvān. That means the sun-god is also His devotee. Not only sun-god, all the demigods—they're all devotees of Kṛṣṇa; therefore they are called demigods. And those who are not devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they are called demons. There are two classes of living beings. One class is called the devas:

viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ daiva smṛto

āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ

(Padma Purāṇa)

Those who are devotees of Viṣṇu—Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa are the same thing—they are called demigods, daivatas. And āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ, and just the opposite number. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu: he was not devotee of Kṛṣṇa but against the devotees of Kṛṣṇa; therefore he is called asura. Rāvaṇa, he was very powerful, but he was not in favor of Lord Rāmacandra—therefore he was a demon, rākṣasa. So whatever high qualifications he may possess, if you are not a devotee, you are a demon. This is the conclusion of the śāstra. The demons cannot understand Kṛṣṇa—only devatās, the devotees, they can understand. And Kṛṣṇa says that, "This yoga system—bhakti-yoga system—was first explained by Me to the sun-god." Sun-god or any other god—moon god, or there are many planets—the demigods are there: ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). They are in sattva-guṇa. They are situated in the higher planetary systems. And this yoga system was being distributed by the paramparā system, disciplic succession, as it is stated here, that vivasvān manave prāha (BG 4.1). This Vivasvān, sun-god, he explained this system of yoga to his son Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, and Vaivasvata Manu again explained this yoga system to Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku is the first king of the sūrya-vaṁśa on this planet, Ikṣvāku—raghu-vaṁśa. In that dynasty Lord Rāmacandra appeared. So Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. Then Mahārāja Ikṣvāku explained to his disciple or son. Son or disciple, there is no difference. There are two kinds of disciplic succession: by dynasty or by mantra-viddhi . . . (indistinct) . . . sons—sons and disciples—they are not different, because they receive the knowledge from the real father, or spiritual master. So, there is some purport if you want to read it?

Devotee: Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gītā . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . monarch or president, simply to exact taxes. He's for the real benefit of the citizens. So Bhagavad-gītā is not a book on bhakti-yoga for a person only, individual. No. It is meant for the whole mass of people, the whole human society, the leader of the human society or the leader of the family. Everyone should understand Bhagavad-gītā very nicely and distribute the knowledge to his subordinates. The father should know the purport of Bhagavad-gītā and distribute the knowledge to his sons, daughters, family members. Similarly, the king or the president, he must also know Bhagavad-gītā. Just like vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt (BG 4.1). It is not a subject matter that I read it privately and keep it private. It is meant for distribution to the human society. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is seriously meaning this: that the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā must be spread all over the world—as it is, not with malinterpretation. So that is being done in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for the benefit of all citizens.

Go on.

Devotee: (reading from Bhagavad-gītā) "Human life . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: Because the human life is meant for this purpose. Human life is not meant for imitating the cats and dogs. Athāto brahmā-jijñāsā (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.1): this life is meant for understanding the Supreme Brahman. Therefore this knowledge must be spread in schools, colleges—everywhere. But that is not being done . . . (indistinct) . . . the leaders or misleaders, unfortunately, at least in India they should have done it, because now the present political situation in the Congress, they are following the example of—at least they are supposed to follow—the examples of Mahatma Gandhi. The Mahatma Gandhi . . . you have seen the photograph of Mahatma Gandhi—he is taking Bhagavad-gītā in his hand with heart and soul. Why aren't they teaching Bhagavad-gītā? In the current status of political situation, where is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā? And if it is being taught, it is by malinterpretation. That is the defect. Bhagavad-gītā should be taught all over the world. I requested Mahatma Gandhi before starting . . . (indistinct) . . . that, "Mahatma Gandhi, you are very devotee of Bhagavad-gītā. Now you have got your svarāja, let this svarāja management be taken care by your disciples. You teach Bhagavad-gītā. People will accept it because you have got position. People respect you." But he did not do it. And I gave him hint also, that "If you do not do it, you may be killed by your . . ." And that was done.

So Bhagavad-gītā is so important—not only in India, all outside India, all over the world. It is meant for the human society. Kṛṣṇa is not meant for the Indians or Hindus and like that, sanātanists. Of course, he is for sanātanists, but they do not know what is sanātana. Sanātana means "eternal," but they have made a sectarian that, "These people are sanātanists." Sanātanist means those who are interested in eternal life. They are sanātanists. The jīva is sanātana, Lord is sanātana, and there is another word, that is called sanātana-dharma. Sanātana. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo (BG 8.20). Sanātana. So the relationship between the supreme sanātana, Kṛṣṇa, and the subordinate sanātana, the living entities in the sanātana-dharma . . . that is called sanātana-dharma. The sanātana-dharma means this bhakti-yoga—sanātana-dharma. But they do not know. Sanātana-dharma means having a stick in the mouth in the forest. So sanātana will be explained:

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke

jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ

(BG 15.7)

paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo

vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ

(BG 8.20)

So this science which teaches people sanātanaḥ to meet the supreme sanātana at the place where it is known as sanātana—that is sanātana-dharma. So sanātana-dharma, therefore it is meant for all human beings. The science which teaches his eternal relationship, the human being's eternal relationship with the supreme sanātana—that is sanātana. It is not a sectarian function. No. Of course, there is sectarian. Just like we have also got the function: chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. So that is really sanātana-dharma, to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31).

Then?

Devotee: (reading from purport) "And the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens by education, culture and devotion. In other words, the executive heads of all states are intended to spread the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the people may take advantage of this great science and pursue a successful path, utilizing the opportunity of the human form of life.

"In this millennium, the sun-god is known as Vivasvān, king of the sun, which is the origin of all planets within the solar system. In the Brahmā-saṁhitā it is stated:

yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ

rājā samasta-sura-mūrttir aśeṣa-tejāḥ

yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kālacakro

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.52)

Let me worship . . ."

Prabhupāda: The sun planet is moving. In the Śrīmad . . . all the . . . it is about 16,000 miles per minute, the rotation. It is not fixed-up. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kālacakro . . . (indistinct) . . . Sun is also moving. It is not fixed-up. So yasyājñayā. Therefore he is devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa taught him the bhakti-yoga. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kālacakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. The sun is also under the control of Kṛṣṇa.

Then?

Devotee: (reading) " 'Let me worship,' Lord Brahmā said, 'the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who is the original person, and under whose order the sun, which is the king of all planets, is assuming immense power and heat . . .' "

Prabhupāda: Sun is the king of all planets, all planets. Because without sunshine we are all black, just like this night. We have got . . . very proud of our eyes, "Can you show me God?" So with defective eyes we remain, but when the sun-god rises before our eyes we can see; therefore . . . what else?

Devotee: ". . . king of all planets is assuming immense power and heat. The sun represents the . . ."

Prabhupāda: Aśeṣa-tejāḥ—immense heat and light. Then?

Devotee: "The sun represents the eye of the Lord and traverses its orbit in the obedience to His order."

Prabhupāda: Yes. God is seeing through the sun; therefore sun is the eye. We may do something very secret, but daytime the sunlight is there—even within your room. How you can keep it secret? So you cannot conceal anything from the eyes of God. That is not possible. You can cheat the police or the state by some secret things, but you cannot do anything. Not only as sun He is seeing, but He is sitting within your heart: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). Now how you can hide yourself? You cannot play hide and seek with Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. (laughter) Go on.

Devotee: "The sun is the king of all planets, and the sun-god (at present of the name Vivasvān) rules the sun planet, which is controlling all other planets by supplying heat and light. He is rotating under the order of Kṛṣṇa, and Lord Kṛṣṇa originally made Vivasvān His first disciple to understand the science of Bhagavad-gītā. The Gītā is not, therefore, a speculative thesis for the insignificant mundane scholar but is a standard book of knowledge, coming down from time immemorial. In the Mahābhārata we can trace out the history of the Gītā as follows:"

tretā-yugādau ca tato vivasvān manave dadau

manuś ca loka-bhṛty-arthaṁ sutāyekṣvākave dadau

ikṣvākuṇā ca kathito vyāpya lokān avasthitāḥ

(Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 348.51–52)

"In the beginning of the Tretā-yuga millennium this science of the relationship with the Supreme was delivered by Vivasvān to Manu. Manu, being the father of mankind, gave it to his son Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, the king of this earth planet and the forefather of the Raghu dynasty, in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā existed in the human society from the time of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku."

"At the present moment we have just passed through 5,000 years of the Kali-yuga, which lasts 432,000 years. Before this there was Dvāpara-yuga (800,000 years), and before that there was Tretā-yuga (1,200,000 years). Thus, some 2,005,000 years ago, Manu spoke the Bhagavad-gītā to his disciple and son, Mahārāja lkṣvāku, the king of this planet earth. The age of the current Manu is calculated to last some 305,300,000 years, of which 120,400,000 have passed. Accepting that before the birth of Manu the Gītā was spoken by the Lord to His disciple, the sun-god Vivasvān, a rough estimate is that the Gītā was spoken at least 120,400,000 years ago—and in human society it has been extant for two million years. It was respoken by the Lord again to Arjuna about five thousand years ago. That is the rough estimate of the history of the Gīta, according to the Gītā itself and according to the version of the speaker, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It was spoken to the sun-god because he is also a kṣatriya and is the father of all kṣatriyas who are descendants of the sun-god, or the sūrya-vaṁśa kṣatriyas. Because Bhagavad-gītā is as good as the Vedas, being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this knowledge is known as apauruṣeya, superhuman. Since the Vedic instructions are accepted as they are, without human interpretation, the Gītā must therefore be accepted without mundane interpretation. The mundane wranglers may speculate on the Gītā in their own way, but that is not Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā has to be accepted as it is, from the disciplic succession, and it is described herein that the Lord spoke to the sun-god, the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, and Manu spoke to his son Ikṣvāku."

Prabhupāda: The people are not able to hear it. People are so impatient that they cannot hear it even.

Guest: What are you requesting?

Prabhupāda: We are requesting simply by hearing: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir (SB 10.14.3). If one simply hears, never mind if he remains in his own position—either gṛhastha, sannyāsī or brahmācari, it doesn't matter—just let him hear. But he cannot patiently hear. That is the qualification observed in me by my Guru Mahārāja when he accepted me as celā. At that time he recommended that, "This boy hears. He does not go away." That was my qualification. And I was also hearing him. I could not follow him—still I was trying to hear. That was my . . . "Let me hear." I used to hear his speaking, not to understand. Even I cannot understand what he has spoken—still not—but I used to hear him; therefore he accepted me. Hearing is so important. People cannot even hear, especially. They have become so disturbed, impatient; he cannot hear. It is pinching. The hearing becomes pinching. Māyā kicks him, "Get out, get out." (laughter)

All right, have kīrtana.

(Prabhupāda leads kīrtana) (prema-dhvani) (end)