741227 - Lecture SB 03.26.18 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

741227SB-BOMBAY - December 27, 1974 - 45:20 Minutes

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

antaḥ puruṣa-rūpeṇa

kāla-rūpeṇa yo bahiḥ

samanvety eṣa sattvānāṁ

bhagavān ātma-māyayā

(SB 3.26.18)

(break)

"By exhibiting His potencies, the Supreme Personality of Godhead adjusts all these different elements, keeping Himself within as the Supersoul and without as time."

Prabhupāda:

antaḥ puruṣa-rūpeṇa

kāla-rūpeṇa yo bahiḥ

samanvety eṣa sattvānāṁ

bhagavān ātma-māyayā

(SB 3.26.18)

Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is exhibiting Himself in so many ways. That is summarized in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Just like the heat and light. Just like in the material world we have got experience, the whole system of the material world is going on under the heat and light. The sunshine is diffusing unlimited quantity of heat and light, and on this heat and light the whole material existence is there. That is scientific estimate. Because the sunlight is there—the heat and light is there—the whole planetary system is rotating, there is vegetation and varieties of fruits, flowers, varieties of manifestation. This is heat and light. Similarly, the example is given in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śakti

sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.22.53, CC Madhya 20.110)

Just like agni, fire, eka-deśa-sthita, is there is one place, localized. Agni does not move, but heat moves. That you have got experience. You have big fire in one place. The fire does not move, but you can feel the existence of fire by heat and light. Similarly, Bhagavān does not move. He has got immense power. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, CC Madhya 13.65, purport). He moves by His energy. That is the difference between the Māyāvāda philosopher and Vaiṣṇava philosopher. Vaiṣṇava philosopher says the Bhagavān is staying in one place. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). He is staying. In the śāstra we understand that Kṛṣṇa . . . vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya na padam ekaṁ gacchati (Yamala-tantra, quoted in Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.5.461): "Kṛṣṇa does not leave, even by a step, Vṛndāvana." He always remains there. So in the Brahma-saṁhitā also, it is stated that goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. He is always living in Goloka Vṛndāvana. He does not require to move. That is His inconceivable potency. Suppose I am sitting here. Suppose I have got to do something in my apartment. So unless I go there, that business cannot be performed. This is my position. But Kṛṣṇa, although He does not leave even by a step Goloka Vṛndāvana . . . He is always enjoying in company with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī: ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). His only business is ānanda, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1).

But He has got so many other businesses. So many. He has to . . . sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ, Kṛṣṇa says, that "I am situated in everyone's heart." And mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15): "And through Me the living entity is getting intelligence, remembrance." So just see how much busy He is. Everyone's heart, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ . . . īśvaraḥ sarva . . . eh?

Devotees: Sarva-bhūtānām.

Prabhupāda: . . . sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supersoul, it is said here, antaḥ puruṣa-rūpeṇa, the Supersoul. And the Bhagavad-gītā also confirms, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. He is situated in everyone's heart. In the Upaniṣads also, it is said that two birds are sitting in one tree. So one bird is eating the fruit, and the other bird is simply observing as witness. Anumantā upadraṣṭā—in the Bhagavad-gītā. So just imagine. There is no limit of the living entities. Sa anantyāya kalpate (CC Madhya 19.140). Anantyāya means there is no numerical count. Innumerable. Nityo nityānām. Nityānām, bahu-vacana, plural number . . . so there is no limit of these living entities. And still, Kṛṣṇa has to live within the heart of every living entity. Just see. And every living entity has different business. And He has to sanction and witness.

There is a common saying that, "Not a blade of grass can move without the sanction of God." Actually, that is the fact. Everyone has got different propensities, and he cannot do it without the sanction of God. This is God's business. Just see. Ananta-koṭi, innumerable jīva, and He has to give sanction and see his business and witness, also give the result. He is witness, and He has to give the result also. Because he is doing independently, he must enjoy or suffer the activities. That is going on. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. He has to give different types of body. Suppose I want to eat everything—never mind how much nonsense and nuisance it is. There are so many men, they eat everything. So he has to be offered the body of a pig—no discrimination, even stool accepted. So who is giving this body? Daiva-netreṇa: by superior observation. Kṛṣṇa is seeing that "This living entity wants a body so that he can eat anything, up to stool." So He has to judge; He has to give. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1).

So we are getting different types of body according to the . . . Kṛṣṇa does not give directly, but He is the Supreme Lord. He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. This is the Vedic information. He has nothing to do. Simply His order is sufficient. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

(BG 18.61)

So Kṛṣṇa orders only māyā that, "Give this living entity a body like a demigod," or a dog, or a pig, or a tree. So there are 8,400,000 varieties of body. He has to manage all these. How He is managing? Is He managing personally? No. He is managing through His potency, ātma-māyayā. Here it is said, ātma-māyayā. Samanvety eṣa sattvānāṁ bhagavān ātma-māyayā. Māyā means energy, energy, tricks. This is called māyā. So everything is being done by His potency. So the Māyāvādī philosopher, they says, "When Bhagavān is everywhere—His action is visible in every step, every atom, everywhere—then the original . . . where is the original form of Bhagavān? Everything is Bhagavān." That is called nirviśeṣavādi, nirākāravādi: "Bhagavān has no ākāra. He is finished. Because He is everywhere, therefore there cannot be any particular form of God." This is nirviśeṣavādi. That is material conception. Just like if we take something and make into pieces and throw it everywhere, the original form of that particular thing is finished. This is material conception.

But spiritual conception is different. Spiritual conception is stated in the Vedas, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa, and He has expanded Himself in so many ways, so many potencies, so many forms, but still, He is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot think that "Because Kṛṣṇa is expanded in so many forms and so many ways, therefore He is finished. There is no more Kṛṣṇa. This form of Kṛṣṇa is māyā." No. That is Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself . . . advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta-rūpam: you cannot count even. We are also forms of Kṛṣṇa, vibhinnāṁśa. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's form. That pantheism, they take it that "Kṛṣṇa's . . . everything is Kṛṣṇa's form, then where is Kṛṣṇa?" No. Kṛṣṇa is still Kṛṣṇa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca. He's still ādyam, puruṣam ādyam. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. He still remains ādi. So how He has expanded? That is stated here, bhagavān ātma-māyayā: by His internal potency. Bhagavān ātma-māyayā.

Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, CC Madhya 13.65, purport). The example is given: just that the sun is localized in one place, but he is managing the whole universal affair by his heat and light. That is potency. That does not mean . . . for time immemorial, sun is supplying unlimited quantity of heat and light all over the universe day and night. There is no stoppage. It is not that sun's heat and light has been stopped because it is night. It is night for us, but his heat and light is being distributed. It is distributed. But still, has the sun has diminished by a small quantity? If it is possible even for the material thing . . . sun is nothing but an insignificant material thing. There are millions of suns, millions and trillions of suns. That is admitted even by modern science. So this sun is only an insignificant portion of the sun category. This universe is the smallest. There are many big, big universes, and each and every universe, there is sun, there is moon, there is other things. And all these universes combined together is one-fourth energy of Kṛṣṇa. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

When Arjuna wanted to know about Kṛṣṇa's potencies, vibhūti . . . He said . . . He says in so many ways. Then, at last, He summarized:

athavā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

(BG 10.42)

"You just try to understand My potency in this way, that the whole material creation, cosmic manifestation, innumerable universes . . ." What are these universes? Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). In each and every universe there is a prime lord, or the creator, Lord Brahmā. So there are innumerable universes, and there are innumerable Lord Brahmās, innumerable Lord Śivas—everything innumerable. So yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya. And these innumerable universes are coming out from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣaḥ . . .

(Bs. 5.48)

Kalā-viśeṣa means kalā, and aṁśa . . . aṁśa is directly, and kalā is aṁśa of the aṁśa.

There are so many things to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). There are many siddhas. We are not siddhas. We are trying to be siddhas. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Not all. Just like here the bhakti-yoga is going on, how to become siddha. But who is interested? In Bombay there are millions of people, but who is interested? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: "There are millions and millions of human being, but out of them, one may be interested to become siddha." And if one is siddha . . . yatatām api siddhānām. And all those siddhas, those who are actually siddhas, they are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa, kaścit, out of . . . some. Out of them, somebody may be knowing Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore the Kṛṣṇa science is not so easy. It is not so easy. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā. Any person who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is guru; not others. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya.

kibā śūdra kibā vipra, nyāsī kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei 'guru' haya

(CC Madhya 8.128)

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya was talking about spiritual realization, so . . . Rāmānanda Rāya was from a śūdra family, and he was householder and governor of Madras, politician also. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was asking question from him and . . . this is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's līlā, mūkaṁ karoti vācālam (CC Madhya 17.80), how He is making a śūdra, gṛhastha, politician His guru, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's guru. So nobody can become Caitanya Mahāprabhu's guru, but he was playing the part. He was questioning, and Rāmānanda Rāya was replying. So just imagine how his position was exalted. So he was little hesitating, and when very intricate questions were put before him . . . he was quite able to answer. He was answering. So he was feeling little hesitation, "Sir, You are coming out of a very high brāhmaṇa family, and the most learned personality, and now You have taken sannyāsa, the supermost position in the human society."

Sannyāsa is very respectable position. Still it is honored in India. Anyone, where a sannyāsī goes, at least in the villages, they offer respectful obeisances and gives all kinds of comforts. Still now. According to śāstra, it is said if a sannyāsī is not offered respect or duly honored, the punishment is the man should fast at least one day. This is Vedic system. But there are many sannyāsīs taking advantage of this, so we are not concerned. Neither Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a false sannyāsī. He was real sannyāsī. And he was also real gṛhastha, Rāmānanda Rāya. So he was feeling little hesitation. To encourage him, Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said: "No, no. Why you are feeling hesitation? Why you are feeling inferior? You are guru." "Now, how I am guru?" "Now, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128)." Because to become a knower of Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary position. Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). One who has known Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary man. Yatatām api siddhānām. He is above all the siddhas even. "So why you are hesitating? You know kṛṣṇa-tattva; therefore I am asking from you." So this is the position.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that training the people who come to us to make him far, far above than the siddhas. Far, far above than the siddhas. And it is very easily one can become. One can hold this position of guru, who is . . . guru means who is above the siddhas. Kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya. One cannot become guru unless he knows kṛṣṇa-tattva. Not ordinary man. The yogīs, the karmīs, the jñānīs, they cannot become guru. That is not sanctioned. Because even one is jñānī, he has to learn Kṛṣṇa after many, many births; not in one life, but many, many life. If he persists to understand what is the Absolute Truth by his jñāna method, by his speculative method, then still he will have to change many, many births. Then one day he may be fortunate. If he comes in contact with a devotee, then it may be possible for him to understand Kṛṣṇa.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Who is prapadyate ? Who surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Unless one understands Kṛṣṇa perfectly, why one should surrender? Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Big, big scholars, they . . . "It is too much," they say: "It is too much. Kṛṣṇa is demanding, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is too much." This is not too much; this is the real position. If he is actually advanced in his knowledge . . . bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. That is not attainable in one life. If he persists in knowledge, understanding of the Absolute Truth, then, after many, many births, when he is actually in knowledge, then he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That kind of mahātmā . . . you will find so many mahātmās simply by changing the dress. Not that kind of mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. It is very difficult to find out such mahātmās, but there are. If one is fortunate, he can meet such mahātmā, and his life becomes successful. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has made the thing very easy, very, very easy. Therefore His name is Patita-pāvana. Patita-pāvana. Patita means fallen, and pāvana means purify. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's . . . therefore we follow Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We first of all sing or chant:

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

We beg mercy from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates. That is the way of worship in this age. You cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be sudurlabhaḥ. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). If you try to approach Kṛṣṇa . . . actually we are seeing that. The Bhagavad-gītā is being read by so many scholars, so many theosophists and theist, but they do not understand Kṛṣṇa. You will find it practically. So many big, big scholar, so many men, they say: "I read Bhagavad-gītā thrice in a day." And ask him about Kṛṣṇa—he does not know anything. You will find it practically. He will be very proud of reading Bhagavad-gītā. The politician, they take photograph, taking a Bhagavad-gītā in his hand, but ask him about Kṛṣṇa—he does not know anything. Ṣaṭ-khaṇḍa rāmāyaṇa paṛe 'sītā kāhār bābā' (laughter) "He has read all the Rāmāyaṇa, and he is asking, 'Well, can you say me whose father is Sītā?' " He does not know whether Sītā is mother or father.

So this is the position. Because he does not know who is guru and how to learn Bhagavad-gītā, therefore he is frustrated. Kṛṣṇa says:

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

Even Kṛṣṇa, He is friend of Arjuna, still Arjuna says, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Kṛṣṇa says . . . Arjuna says that, "Kṛṣṇa, no more friendly talking. I agree to become Your disciple." So when he agreed to become disciple of Kṛṣṇa, then He explained Bhagavad-gītā. Actually, one should not explain Bhagavad-gītā or any Vedic śāstra unless one has agreed to become a disciple. But devotees are so kind that they preach even amongst the nondisciples just to take them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, according to law, one should not speak beyond the jurisdiction of his disciple, because they will not understand. They will not follow the rules and regulation; how they will understand? Kṛṣṇa says, yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ pāpam: "One who is completely freed from all kinds of sinful activities." That is the primary qualification to understand Kṛṣṇa or understand Bhagavad-gītā.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

(BG 7.28)

Unless one comes to this position, there is no possibility of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So how outsiders will accept? If the outsider is requested, "Sir, you do not smoke," very small thing, then "Swāmījī is not very good. He puts so many restriction." And if somebody says: "No, no, you can drink, you can eat anything. It does not . . ." then he is very liberal. He is very liberal. So we are first of all putting these restriction: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. Intoxicant up to drinking tea and smoking cigarette, you have to give up. Anyone who comes to become my disciple, this is my first proposal that, "If you agree, then you come." It is not that you can do anything nonsense you like, and you become my disciple. No. Because one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa unless he is restricted from the sinful activities. And these are the basic principle of sinful activities: illicit sex and meat-eating, and gambling and intoxication. These are the four pillars of sinful life. And the whole world is addicted to these four things.

So we have to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness with great difficulty. When I went to America, I went by ship. So it stopped at the, what is that, Commonwealth Pier in Boston. So I was thinking that if "I say that 'No illicit sex, no meat-eating and no intoxication and no gambling,' so these people will immediately say, 'Please go home.' " (laughter) Yes. That is the position. It is . . . these are their daily affairs. These are their daily affairs in Western countries. And if you want to make them stop these things, they will think that, "This man is lunatic." But by Kṛṣṇa's grace, these boys, these girls, they agreed. That is Kṛṣṇa's grace. I did not expect that they will agree. In India they do not agree, and they are accustomed from childhood, from boyhood. So how they will . . . but Kṛṣṇa's grace is so nice, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is so great that they agreed, and they are pushing on this movement on this principle.

So why? This is due to the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Patita-pāvana. He can deliver the Jagāi-Mādhāi. And what is the process? The process is:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

If people are simply induced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra . . . just see, even a child, he is taking part. It is natural. There is no distinction between black and white, no question of language, nothing. You see practically. There is white child, black child—they do not know how to speak, but they are dancing and chanting. So this movement is so important. Somehow or other if you can engage them in chanting and dancing, the whole world will be united. What the United Nation has failed, this movement can do—if it is not checked by the rascals. But the rascals are ready to check this movement. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, God, Kṛṣṇa, is always ready to help us. How? Here it is said, antaḥ puruṣa-rūpeṇa kāla-rūpeṇa yo bahiḥ. He is inside and outside. Antaḥ, antaryāmī. Caitya-guru. He is acting as caitya-guru.

Kṛṣṇa is very much anxious because we are suffering and we are sons of Kṛṣṇa; we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He is unhappy to see that you are suffering. That is natural. If the son is suffering from ailment, the father also suffers, "How the son will be cured?" The son may not know it, but the father is suffering without having that ailment. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the . . . He is the father of all living entities. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. Kṛṣṇa says. It is not my word, but Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4): "All different forms of life," sambhavanti, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. So Kṛṣṇa is the father of everyone, and He is very much anxious for us, to get us back. Therefore He is ordering, "You rascal, why you have created so many 'isms'? Just surrender to Me. I will give you protection. Just surrender." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). For this purpose He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Dharma-glāni, discrepancies in the matter of religious principle, glāni . . . what is that glāni? The glāni is forgetfulness of God: "No God. I am God. You are God." This is glāni. But this is going on as dharma. This is Kali-yuga. What is not dharma, that is going on as dharma. Dharma means to understand God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). What is dharma? Dharma means the laws and instruction given by God. But at the present moment, what is God? "There is no God." Then where is dharma? Where is dharma?

So there is no dharma in the Kali-yuga. They are simply cheating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra, atra śrīmad bhāgavate (SB 1.1.2): "In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all cheating type of religious system is kicked out." What is that cheating type? "There is no God." Then where is dharma? "Dharma means you become honest." But they do not know that nobody can become honest without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Anyone who is devoid of God consciousness, he cannot be gentleman. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ.

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ

harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad . . .

(SB 5.18.12)

This is the test. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā:

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

(BG 7.15)

So this is the test: na māṁ prapadyante. Kṛṣṇa says: "Who does not surrender to Me? They are these classes of men." What is that? Duṣkṛtinaḥ: "Always engaged in sinful activities." Kṛti means meritorious. But they are engaged in manufacturing atom bomb, duṣkṛtinaḥ. Atom bomb means killing. But discover something by which man will not die. That they are dying—so you have discovered some instrument to die quickly. So that is duṣkṛtinaḥ. Merit, he has got merit, but misuse the merit. The death is there. He would have lived for, say, sixty years, and you drop atom bomb—in ten years or twenty years, finished. You cannot increase the duration of life. Therefore the so-called scientific, I mean to say, advancement, what is that? Duṣkṛtinaḥ: no benefit for the human society.

The real problem is, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Our real miserable condition of life is birth, death, old age and disease. Where is scientific help to mitigate these miseries? There is no stoppage of birth; there is no stoppage of death; there is no stoppage of disease. You can manufacture very good medicine for disease, but you stop disease. That is not possible. So our so-called meritorious activities in scientific research and education, they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as duṣkṛtinaḥ, mischievous activities. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. They are not actually beneficial, but they are mischievous. And why, mischievous, they are engaged, they are wasting their so much time in mischievous? Because mūḍhāḥ: they do not know what is the purpose of life. They are mūḍhas. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). They do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa because they are narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind. Why lowest of the mankind? Because this human life was given to him for understanding Kṛṣṇa, and he is wasting in other way. Therefore narādhamaḥ. "But they are so educated, university degree . . ." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ: "Their knowledge has no meaning. It is taken away by māyā." Because he does not understand Kṛṣṇa, what is the use of such knowledge? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Veda means knowledge. So if you actually advances knowledge, you must know what is Kṛṣṇa. But they do not know Kṛṣṇa. Rather, they are defying Kṛṣṇa.

So this is going on. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very important. Those who are intelligent, they will take to it and make his life successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol. (end)