750925 - Lecture BG 07.01 Hindi - Ahmedabad

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

750925BG-AHMEDABAD - September 25, 1975 - 40:05 Minutes

(Hindi translated into English)

Prabhupada:

śrī bhagavān uvāca

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

(BG 7.1)

Śrī bhagavān uvāca. It is not said here, ka uvāca, bhagavān uvāca, because the meaning of Ka is Bhagavān and Bhagavān means Ka. Kas tu bhagavān svayam. In Srimad-Bhāgavatam, all the incarnations of the Lord, the main incarnations, Sḻta Gosvāmi has explained them in detail and at the end is concluding that, all the names of the Lord that, I have mentioned, rāmādi-mḻrtiu kalā-niyamena tihan, the Lord has innumerable incarnations Rāma, Nsiha, Varāha, etc. Ete cāa-kalā pusa, some of them are plenary partial expansions of the Lord and the others are expansions of the expansions, of the Lord. The expansion of the expansion is called kalā. The original Bhagavān, kas tu bhagavān svayam. God Himself is Ka. One who is a-aisvarya-pḻra-bhagavān is Ka.

Sri-bhagavān uvāca, Ka is Himself explaining, as He is. This Bhagavad gita, the Lord Himself appeared, to explain what He is. No one can understand God by the process of speculation. Mano-dharma, by speculation no one can understand, because the Lord is unlimited and our intelligence is limited. So our sense perception, imperfect knowledge, we cannot understand the Lord through our . . . (indistinct) . . . this is not possible. That is why those who engage in mental speculation—God must be like this, the God is formless, the God has a form, there is no God, God id dead, now I am God—all these speculations are nonsense. Because we are conditioned souls, we have four defects. First defect is, we commit mistakes. Great leaders commit mistakes because in this life of ours to commit mistake is natural. And pramāda, illusion, to mistake one thing for another. Just like we think the body is the self, body is the soul. Especially the non-believers of God think that, "I am this body." I am an Indian, that is me. I am American, that is me. But the scriptures say, that you are not this body. The Lord himself says in the Bhagavad gita, Dehino 'smin yathā dehe, 'smin dehe, the soul that is inside the body, is the real thing. The body is the outer dress, we had discussed this matter yesterday. This is called illusion, to mistake one thing for another. So bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsa, to cheat others, this is also one of our tendencies. I do not have any knowledge and I have become a leader. So he becomes a misleader, andhā yathāndhair upaniyamānā. One who has no knowledge is blind himself, so how can he guide another blind person? This is impossible. So bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsā, karapāava, that is all our senses are imperfect. Just see, we have eyes but due to old age it has become more imperfect and we need to use glasses to see. And it is not certain that on wearing these glasses I can see properly. Similarly all the knowledge that we acquire through our senses is not complete. There are a lot of defects in that. So to acquire knowledge, it is said in the scriptures: tad-vijṣānārtha sa gurum evābhigacchet.

We should approach a spiritual master to acquire knowledge, real knowledge. Who is a spiritual master? He is God himself and one who acquires knowledge from God is a spiritual master. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said this, that āmāra ājṣāya guru haṣā tāra' ei desa.

In whichever country you are situated, in that country itself even if you do not venture out of it, whichever city you are in, whichever house you are in, whichever family you are in, you become the spiritual master. Spiritual master means giving knowledge to others. This ignorance in which we have all fallen, that is why the definition of a spiritual master is:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

This is the job of a spiritual master, to uplift him from ignorance and bring him into knowledge, to bring him out of darkness into light. This is the job of a spiritual master. So this is the duty of everyone, if not much, at least family wise. So within our own family, our children, the dependants like wife, son etc., become their spiritual master. Increase the span a bit, become the spiritual master of the society, community, country. So how to become a spiritual master? So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said in this connection:

āmāra ājṣāya guru haṣā tāra' ei desa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha "ka"-upadesa

Ka, whatever He has said, Ka is the real spiritual master Bhagavān, bhagavān uvāca. That is why it is said here, bhagavān uvāca, there is no other spiritual master superior to Him. So although Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Ka himself, but He was preaching as a devotee incarnate. So He does not say: "I am saying this." His order is this, a spiritual master orders—say this, what is that? Yāre dekha, tāre kaha "ka"-upadesa.

Ka, whatever He has spoken, preach that, then you will become a spiritual master. And if you speak nonsense, then there will be no fruits borne, there will be no benefit. The real message is that, whatever Ka speaks, you accept that and you tell the world about it. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission that:

pthivite āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

This was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, He is Lord Ka himself, ka-vara tvik. He explained as ka, explained a lot in the Bhagavad gita, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām eka saraa vraja.

Man did not understand, he was mislead, a lot of men misled. That is why Caitanya Mahāprabhu although He was Ka himself, He came in the form of a devotee, bhakta sakti. So He explained the same thing. Ka said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām eka saraa vraja and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that whatever ka says hear it and accept it. It is the same thing. And we also say the same thing with the permission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, nothing other than this that—Ka who had come before is dead and now I am Kṛṣṇa, I am the incarnation, I am God—no nothing like this. We are saying the same old thing that, Ka is God, surrender at His lotus feet, remember Him always, always meditate on Him, be devoted to Him, become His devotee, pay obeisances to Him, worship Him. Whatever the Lord has said Himself, we are presenting it to you again, sri-bhagavān uvāca. The word Bhagavān means, bhaga means aisvarya. Wealth is a opulence, strength is a opulence, knowledge is a opulence, beauty is a opulence, renunciation is a opulence and fame, these are all opulence's. One who is the complete owner of all these opulences, He is known as Bhagavān. So the Lord is explaining Himself to us, all of you, what is God. In the whole world someone says God is not there, some say He is there, there is a lot of discussion but they do not have any factually knowledge. That is why God is explaining, what He is, that:

mayy āsakta-manā pārtha

yoga yuṣjan mad-āúraya

asaaya samagra mā

yathā jṣāsyasi tac chu

"Hear from Me." Let there be no doubt, free from all doubts, if you want to acquire complete knowledge about the Lord, then hear from the Lord. This is from the seventh chapter of the Bhagavad gita, where the Lord has Himself explained, you have all read it. So what is the first thing He says, mayy āsakta, increase your attachment to Me. We have attachment. What is attachment we all know, we are attached to wealth, we are attached to woman, family, society, nation, we are attached to all these. The Lord says, mayy āsakta, that attachment you increase for Me. Increase your attachment for Me. Increase this yoga. Practice this yoga. mayy āsakta-manā pārtha, this increasing of attachment for God, just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught, what is attachment! govinda-virahea me:

yugāyita nimeea

caku prāvyitam

úḻnyāyita jagat sarva

govinda-virahea me

This is called attachment,that by not seeing the Lord, by not seeing Ka, Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Bhagavān Ka, in the mood of Srimati Rādhārā, is preaching. This is the mood of Rādhārā, govinda-virahea me. What is happening? yugāyita nimeea, one moment of time seems like one yuga. One moment is equal to twelve years. yugāyita nimeea, cakuā prāvyitam, tears are pouring out of his eyes like torrents of rain. Yugāyita nimeea, caku prāvyitam, úḻnyāyita jagat sarva, the whole world is void and vacant. Why? Govinda-virahea me, I am not able to see Govinda. This is called attachment. This attachment, Rādhārāni's attachment is not possible to find in everyone. This is called mahā-bhāva but we must have a little bit of attachment, only then will our life be successful. The subject matter of the preaching of Caitanya Mahaprabhu is only this, premā pumartho mahān.

Dharma, artha, kāma and moka are called Pururtha but this is not Pururtha, something beyond this also. What is that? Premā, to achieve love of Godhead. This is the real perfection. Because we do not have love for God, we have distributed this love in the material world. When we collect this love again and offer at the lotus feet of the Lord, that is called mayy āsakta-manā pārtha yoga. We have to practice this yoga, the Lord is teaching. And how to practice this yoga? Mad-āúraya. We have to take shelter of the Lord or the shelter of His unalloyed or pure devotee, mad-āúraya. There could be two meanings for this—My direct shelter or you take shelter of one who has taken shelter of Me. Mad-āúraya. Only then will this yoga be complete.

mayy āsakta-manā pārtha

yoga yuṣjan mad-āúraya

asaaya

If you execute devotional service in this manner then without any doubt. Everyone has a doubt when it comes to the topics relating to the Lord. Ask anyone, what do you understand by the word "God"? Nobody will give a correct reply. Everyone is in doubt. Whether He is there or not, form or formless, many doubts! So the Lord says, if you practice this devotional service mad-āúraya, under My shelter or under the shelter of My devotee then asaaya, there will be no doubt. Then you will be sure—this is God. and samagram, samagram means that the Lord is present everywhere, iúvara sarva-bhḻtānā hd-dese 'rjuna ti hati. Lord is in the form of Brahman, Lord is in the form Paramātmā, Lord is in His personal form, a person Ka. Ka is the Lord himself, Kas tu bhagavān. All these doubts and how and where are the expansions of the Lord is all explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti sabdyate. The Absolute Truth, in the Bhāgavatam we have been taught:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattva yaj jṣānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti sabdyate

If you understand Ka, then asaaya, samagram, then you will understand the Paramātmā realization and Brahman realization also. It will not be difficult to understand this. So it is correct for us, as the Lord says mayy āsakta, how to increase the attachment for the Lord. This should be our endeavor. So the solution to increase this attachment has been given by the Goswami's of Vrindavana, who were the direct disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu sri-rḻpa, sanātana, bhaa-raghunātha, sri-jiva, gopāla-bhaa, dāsa-raghunātha, the six Goswami's. Of them Sri Rupa Goswami is considered to be the principal man. So Rupa Goswami says that to increase the attachment for the Lord the solution is this, he says in Bhakti-rasāmta-sindhu. He says in that, what is that? Ādau sraddhā, ādau sraddhā, just like all of you have come here. Why have you come? It is faith that all right, this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is there, let us hear a little what they have to say. This is called faith. This faith is the basic principle. And when this faith is further strengthened then it is called nihā, firm faith. The ācāryas of Gauya Vaiavas has explained the word sraddha as:

sraddhā'-sabde visvāsa kahe sudha niscaya

ke bhakti kaile sarva-karma kta haya

This is called sraddhā. The Lord says: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām eka saraa vraja.

One who truly believes that only by surrendering at the lotus feet of the Lord, one's life will be successful—this is called faith. Before this there is no faith. One who has complete belief that, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām eka saraa vraja.

The Lord is saying, who will do this? One who has faith that, yes! what the Lord is saying is correct. This is what we should do. This is called faith. That is why Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami is explaining this word sraddhā, sraddhā-sabde visvāsa, Ka says that, "I will protect you in every way." Ah tvā sarva-pāpebhyo mokayiyāmi, so this unflinching trust, sudha niscaya, Ka is saying that He will protect us in every way, ok I will surrender at the lotus feet of the Lord. This is called faith. Ādau sraddhā. Then we have to protect this faith. We develop sentimental faith and we do not protect it properly, then it may break. So to keep this faith unbreakable, ādau sraddhā tata sādhu-sago. Those who are saintly persons, who is a saintly person? A person is saintly, if he is a devotee of the Lord. Ānanya-bhāk, not an ordinary devotee, one who knows nothing other than the Lord. He is known as saint. The Lord says such a person is a saint:

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavya

samyag vyavasito hi sa

Who? Ananya-bhāk, he doesn’t know anything, other than Ka he knows nothing else. Kas tu bhagavān svayam, surrender at the lotus feet of Ka, service to Ka, worship of Ka, obeisances to Ka—those who do this, they are called saintly persons. There are descriptions of saintly persons elsewhere. But the Lord has described the qualities of saintly persons and that is those who know nothing other than Ka, he is a saintly person. Like Arjuna, he is ananya-bhāk devotee of the Lord, that is why he is a saintly person. sādhur eva sa mantavya. So we should associate with saintly persons. So association of saintly persons is not difficult. If you cannot find any saintly person then Arjuna is a saintly person, listen to what he has to say. How has he accepted the Lord. Arjuna says in the tenth chapter:

para brahma para dhāma

pavitra parama bhavān

purua úāúvata ādya

Arjuna accepted this. So accept it like Arjuna did. Then Arjuna names the authorities who accept this also, it is not that because You are my friend I have called you para brahma, no! Vyāsadeva says You are para brahma, Nārada says You are para brahma and Asita, Devala, Vyāsa, great ācāryas and great rishis, they all say. At that time there were no ācāryas . And later on, like in India, we follow in the footsteps of the ācāryas to advance further. Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka and Viusvāmi, all these ācāryas also said, Kas tu bhagavān svayam. Sakarācārya also believed Ka to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sa bhagavān svayam Ka, this has been accepted by Sakarācārya also.

So ācārya-upāsanā, we should follow in the footsteps of the ācāryas and the saintly persons. Sādhu mārganu gamanam, just like the saintly persons. Mahājano yena gata sa panthā, that is why to increase this faith you need to associate with the saintly persons. We are opening centers all over the world, what is the reason? I am making saintly persons there and giving everyone a chance, "Come and associate with these saintly persons." Associate with the saintly persons, this is the subject matter of our preaching. On one hand to prepare (make) saintly persons and give others a chance, "Come and associate with the saintly persons," ādau sraddhā tata. Sādhu-sago, and if the association with the saintly persons is all right then bhajana-kriyā, then he will have a desire also that, "I want to chant (engage in devotional service)." These people chant, these Europeans and Americans, these children, they are dancing and singing for the Lord, so you should also do the same because we have forgotten all this, jal aṣjali we have done. So I have brought these people here, for some days associate with them, saintly association. ādau sraddhā tata sādhu-sago, if the saintly association is right then bhajana-kriyā. bhajana-kriyā is, as said in the scriptures ādau gurvāúraya sad dharma pcchat sādhu mārganu gamanam, these are all processes and this is called bhajana-kriyā. And if we do bhajana-kriyā, what will it result in? Nartha-nivtti syāt. All the unwanted habits that we have acquired, all this material civilization means only superfluous activities. There is no need for something but we have taken to it anyways. Just like smoking cigarettes, is there any need for this? By not smoking a cigarette does a man die? Just see thousands and crores of rupees are spent on a cigarette factory. This is superfluous activity. Similarly take one by one a few things and you will see that there is no need for them at all and we are entangled in these only, unwanted. That is why it is said in the Srimad Bhāgavatam, Anarthopasama sākd bhakti-yogam adhokaje. Anarthopasama, all these superfluous activities in the world. The meaning of human life is to have a plain living, live a simple life, save time and spend it asking what is our relationship with the Lord, who is God, who am I, why am I suffering in this world and is there a solution to this or not—athāto brahma-jijṣāsā, this is very important for us. But we have forgotten all this and have got stuck in these superfluous activities. Anartha, that which does not have any meaning but we are entangled in these only. Anartha, if the devotional service is done correctly then as our attachment for the Lord increases, these unwanted habits would be given up.

See, these American and European devotees, they are from the very beginning engaged in illicit sex, meat eating, right from their childhood their mother and father mix the meat powder in water and feed them. So what can these poor things do. And intoxication, father and mother are drinking, the children are sitting. They are given soda water and told to drink it. So they learn. This is the culture of their country. And see now, since they have become devotees of Ka, they have given up everything, completely given up. They are children, in their youth, the mind will waver naturally but it does not happen. Not any of them. All of them, no one says, "Prabhupada, there is a good cinema we want to see, please give us some money!" No. They have given up everything. This is called anartha-nivtti, giving up of unwanted habits. Why get stuck in something which we don’t really require? No! if we engage in devotional service then it will result in giving up of unwanted things. Ādau sraddhā tata sādhu-sago, and by associating with the saintly persons, Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ, according to the association we keep, our desires will manifest. If you associate with the drunkards then you will learn how to drink nicely. And if you associate with the saintly persons then you will yourself become a saintly person, soon. So that is why there is the need for associating with the saintly persons.

ādau sraddhā tata? sādhu-sago 'tha bhajana-kriyā

tato 'nartha-nivtti syāt

After nartha-nivtti syāt, then nihā, nihā, fixed up. Tato ni?hā rucis tata, rucis means taste. These people cannot give up because they have got the taste. Even not taste, they are also attached. This is called āsakti, tato nihā rucis tata athāsaktis.

This is the stage of attachment. Tato bhāvas, sādhakānām aya prema prādurbhāve bhavet krama.

This krama, this is krama pantha, on how to engage in devotional service of the Lord. And only if we engage in devotional service will our life be successful. Because if we have real love for God and then if we don’t see Him, úḻnyāyita jagat sarva, then the world becomes void and vacant, like for Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This means that only by loving God will you be able to go to Him, there is no other way. And that is why the Lord descends, Ka—"Why are you rotting here?" dukhālayam aúāúvatam, for millions of births you are only suffering. One life finishes and then tathā dehāntara-prāptir, the next body starts and there is no guarantee, now suppose you have an Indian body and someone has American body, we think we are great leaders. But when you give up this body you have to take another body. That is why the atheists, do not take into account the previous births and the future births. That is troublesome. But by not taking, what is achieved? Will the material nature spare them? No. kāraa gua-sanga asya sad-asad-janma-yoniu, the way you have associated that kind of birth you have to take. This is the law of nature.

prakte kriyamāni

gu?ai karmāi sarvasa

ahakāra-vimḻhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

They say they are the "doers", they are independent. No. No. Completely under the grip of material nature.

daivi hy e gua-mayi

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etā taranti te

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a religious movement. Religion is always there. The meaning of religion is different. We see in the dictionary, "Religion is a kind of faith." It is not a question of faith! It is compulsory duty, that is religion. Characteristic, that is religion. Just like if you take chili it is pungent, that is it's religion and sugar is sweet, that is it's religion. Similarly everything substance has a characteristic. That characteristic is called religion. So we are all living entities, what is our characteristic? This is said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jivera "svarḻpa" haya—kera "nitya-dāsa", this is the characteristic. We are the eternal servants of the Lord, that is our characteristic. And when we forget that, we remain servants but not the servant of the Lord but servant of māyā. We don't get rid of servitorship. So that is why we become servant of society, servant of son, servant of daughter, servant of woman, servant of community, servant of nation, we remain servants but not the servant of the Lord. This is the only difference. We are not the masters. See America is such a strong state but that Nixon made some little mistake, he was the servant, he was kicked out, that's all. So he was thinking he was the master, No he is a servant. All are servants. So this definition given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jivera "svarḻpa" haya—kera "nitya-dāsa", he is the servant of Ka but being enamored by illusion he thinks, "I am the master, I am God." This is called illusion, this has to be given up. You will be happy only if you give it up. And for this Lord says, mayy āsakta-manā pārtha, we have to increase our attachment for the Lord. This is the subject matter of our preaching, bhakti-pareúānubhava-viraktir anyatra syāt.

This is called mukti, muktir hitvā anyathā rḻpa sva-rḻpea vyavasthiti.

This is called mukti. This, hitvā anyathā, we are in innumerable forms, the servant of him or her, we are servants of thousands of things. Giving up all this, hitvā anyathā rḻpa, sva-rḻpea, our constitutional position is ka-dāsa. Bhaktivinod Thākur, a great devotee ācārya has sung a song, māyāra vase, yāccha bhese', khāccha hābuubu, bhāi.

You are being carried away, you are being carried away by the waves of Maya and you are suffering as a consequence. Accept this fact once, that you are the servant of Ka, all the sufferings will end. This is why Ka comes, when we forget that we are the servants of Ka, that is called, dharmasya glānir, that is glānir.

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

tadātmāna sjāmy aham

When we forget that we are the servant of the Lord, that is a discrepancy in religion. That is why the Lord, that, dharma-sasthāpanārthāya who comes, what is that religion? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām eka saraa vraja.

"Whosoever's servant you are now, servant of this religion, servant of that religion, give up all this, you are actually My servant, surrender at My lotus feet."

When will this knowledge be acquired?

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ

(BG 7.19)

So this subject matter of our preaching, you are all Gujaratis, you are naturally devotees of the Lord, accept this nicely and it should be preached all over the world nicely. There are takers for this, it is not otherwise. You are seeing. Preach this in an organized way, cooperate it with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this is my only request.

Thank you very much.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Hari Bol! Jaya!