751228 - Lecture BG 07.02 Hindi - Sanand

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

751228BG-SANAND - December 28, 1975 - 48:24 Minutes

(Hindi translated into English)

Prabhupāda:

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

(BG 7.2)

The Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is talking about Himself, says: "Increase your attachment and love for Me." Mayy āsakta-manāḥ, you will be able to acquire knowledge of the Absolute Truth by doing so.

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

We must take the shelter of the Lord. The Lord, if someone says that the Lord is not in front of our eyes, so how can I take shelter of Him? So in the fourth chapter the Lord has said:

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

You can take shelter of the Lord or otherwise of the disciplic succession coming from the Lord, from one disciple to another. Just like the Lord first instructed Brahmājī, then Brahmājī instructed Nāradajī, then Nāradajī instructed Vyāsadeva and then Vyāsadeva instructed his disciple, Madhvācārya etc, so in this way through disciplic succession we acquire knowledge about the Absolute Truth. Avaroha-panthā, descending process. Not ascending process, that is not possible. Those persons who indulge in mental speculation and try to reach God, it is difficult for him to realize God. Kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām. It is very troublesome for them. And if one acquires knowledge about the Lord from the Lord himself, through disciplic succession. So there are four sampradāyas, Brahma-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya and Śrī-sampradāya and Kumāra-sampradāya. So if you acquire knowledge through this disciplic succession then it is complete. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ, then there will be no doubt and it is complete knowledge because:

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

Mad-āśrayaḥ, the Lord or the ācāryas who are in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord, if we take shelter of them then our knowledge of the Absolute Truth will be complete and beneficial. There will be no doubt, whether God has a form or is formless or void or deity form of the Lord. There are a lot of issues on which we have doubts. If through disciplic succession, we follow the instructions of the ācāryas for gaining knowledge of the Absolute Truth then that knowledge is complete. That is why the Lord himself says, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānamidaṁ, in this chapter the Lord is explaining about himself to us, this is complete knowledge and is also scientific, sa-vijñāna.

Jñāna and sa-vijñāna, in English it is called theoretical knowledge. Just like great scientists declare that a particular 'thing is made up of some substance. Then they experiment in the laboratory and show how combining a few substances can make this thing. So one thing is theoretical knowledge and the other is scientific knowledge. That there is a Lord who exists--this is theoretical knowledge and that there is actually a Lord who exists whom we can meet, whom we can talk to, from whom we can take instructions—that is scientific knowledge. So we can get complete knowledge, from the Lord through the books and scriptures and through the medium of advanced devotees to whom the Lord has spoken, this is also a possibility. This is called scientific. I do not make this up, the Lord himself says:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

Come. So that platform when you can talk with the Lord, that is a special situation to be in, ataḥśrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ.

We cannot perceive the Absolute Truth thorough our material senses, which we possess now. These material senses have to be transformed from the mundane senses to the transcendental senses, that is beyond any material senses. We have transcendental senses but they have been covered. The mundane senses, earth, water, fire, sky, air, the Lord will explain this further on, these mundane senses, just like the Lord has senses, we too have senses. Just like there is the father, he has his senses and his son also has senses. It is not that the son has senses but the father does not. It is not so. So our material senses are covered over, by material substance. Just like our body is covered by cloth. The real body is beneath the cloth. Similarly the real me is inside this material body.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

So this knowledge when understood along with the science behind it is called realized knowledge. So realized knowledge of the Absolute Truth, realized knowledge of the soul, and realized knowledge of Brahman, is one and same thing. The Lord is himself imparting knowledge about the Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma-jijñāsā. This human form of life is for gaining knowledge about Brahman, transcendence. There is no need to gain any other knowledge. What knowledge can you gain? Only knowledge of Absolute Truth! Athāto . . . this human body is for. So the Lord, Parabrahma, Kṛṣṇa: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān.

He himself says. That is why the Lord says, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam, "I am explaining this to you scientifically." Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam, idaṁ vakṣyāmy.

The Lord is himself saying, then what remains to be said? To gain knowledge one needs to go to a spiritual master, a teacher, an old man. But the Lord himself, the Lord full in six opulences, the master of all knowledge:

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥśriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

One who possesses all knowledge, He is telling us. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam, idaṁ vakṣyāmy

"I am telling you." Aśeṣataḥ, He did not leave anything incomplete, "Everything completely I will tell." So what is the difficulty in gaining this knowledge of Absolute Truth? The Lord is himself coming as He is, to impart this knowledge and if you say He is not telling me, He is telling Arjuna. But even if He told Arjuna, whatever He told him is all written. So the way Arjuna understood Him, you also understand Him, then the Lord is in front of you, factually. The Lord is always in front of you: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ, hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati.

The Lord is not far away, He is seated in your heart. Only that to talk to Him, you have to become qualified, those qualities, what is it called—gain the qualification. To talk to the Lord, we need to first deserve. What is that 'deserving? Devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. If something thinks that the Lord is a stone, a metal, idol worship, lots of people say what will we achieve by going to the temples as the Lord is omnipresent, then why go to the temple? Their viewpoint is that the Lord is there everywhere but not only in the temple. But that is not a fact as if the Lord is there everywhere then He is also in the temple. So what is the problem in going to the temple? But there are a few people who speak like this. There is no need to accept their viewpoint. The Lord is there in the temple and by going to the temple, we worship the Lord, bhagavad-upāsanā: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī.

We should worship the Lord, by offering a leaf, flower or a fruit. So in this way slowly attachment will develop and one can understand what the Lord is all about.

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā

If you acquire real knowledge of the Lord, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord himself, if you acquire this knowledge in totality:

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

It is also written in the Vedas, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati.

If you can just understand the Lord alone, then all other kinds of knowledge is automatically understood by you. If you can understand the Lord then you will achieve Brahman realization, Paramātmā realization and everything else.

Yaj jñātvā, if you can understand the Lord then you understand the rest also, there is no need for separate endeavor. The Lord himself says, yaj jñātvā, "if you understand Me, as I am", then, na iha, in this world there is nothing else remains further to be known, your knowledge will be complete.

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

So if knowledge of the Lord is so simple, one needs to understand Kṛṣṇa only to acquire complete knowledge, if we state this ideology then all the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa are in complete knowledge and do not need to acquire any other knowledge. But this knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is not so simple. It is very difficult. That is why the Lord says:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

To understand in the ordinary sense, that a person named Kṛṣṇa had appeared, was born in Mathura and brought up by Nanda Mahārāj and Yaśomatī. This is also a type of knowledge and there is lot of meaning in this knowledge too. Not only it has meaning but it is also very beneficial. If one understands only this much about Kṛṣṇa that Lord Kṛṣṇa out of His causeless mercy appeared here and was born as the son of Vasudeva and was brought up by Nanda Mahārāj, this is also great knowledge. But this knowledge is also very difficult to achieve. Some people think that this Kṛṣṇa, is some person and some even say that, we don't accept that a person called Kṛṣṇa was present here. Big politicians speak like this, they read the Bhagavad-gītā but they do not understand Kṛṣṇa the person who spoke the Bhagavad-gītā. They deny His existence. So the Lord himself says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, out of thousands of men, there is only one. That is why there is a need for preaching as nobody understands the Lord. But in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we only canvass that, here is the Lord Kṛṣṇa and His father's name is this and He stays in stays here, the number is this, you go to Him. This we state very clearly. We don't speak nonsense, we speak clearly. This is mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that–don't misinterpret the Bhagavad-gītā and preach. Speak just like the Lord has spoken, yāre dekho tāre kaho kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. You become a spiritual master. You speak in the same manner as the Lord has spoken, you need not learn more, you do not to become very learned for this. Just speak what the Lord has spoken and you become a spiritual master, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says this.

amara ajnaya guru haya tara ei desha

jare dekho tare kaha krsna upadesa.

That's all, we say this, we are fools, we are not very much learned but we do one thing for sure, this Bhagavad-gītā of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa consciousness which we are preaching all over the world, we only speak what the Lord has spoken, that's all, nothing else. The Lord says:

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru

We also say the same, that all the time meditate on the Lord, and who is the Lord—Kṛṣṇa and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, worship the Lord, offer obeisances to Him, become His devotee. There is no need to be very learned for doing this. All knowledge is there in this. That is why the Lord says:

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

There is no need to show your unnecessary expertise on this matter. It is enough if you understand, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru.

If you understand this alone, you have acquired complete knowledge. This is what the Lord is saying. The Lord says in the end, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁśaraṇaṁ vraja.

If you have just this knowledge that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord himself and our only duty is to surrender at His lotus feet. That's all. If you can acquire this knowledge alone then there is no need to acquire any more knowledge at all. This knowledge is also very difficult to attain. It is very simple. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord himself and we need to surrender unto Him—it is a very simple knowledge. But it is a great misfortune for those who think—"What kind of a Lord is this? I am God. Why should I offer my obeisances to Him?" These people do not go to the temple. In Vṛndāvana there are thousands of temples. These people who think themselves to be God, they do not go to see the Lord in the temples. They think that they are God, why should I go to any temple? That is why the Lord says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, this knowledge that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord himself, Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam:

ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam

indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge

So to have this knowledge is a matter of great fortune. Those who are not fortunate they do not have even this knowledge, they treat it as ordinary knowledge. That is why the Lord says:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye

What is perfection? The perfection is to understand oneself. What I am? This is perfection, knowledge of the Absolute Truth. So after acquiring this knowledge, especially nowadays who is interested in acquiring knowledge of the Absolute Truth. They acquire that much knowledge by which they can earn a few hundred or a thousand rupees and live merrily—to acquire this kind of knowledge the go to school and college. But who goes to acquire knowledge of the Absolute Truth? And who teaches it also? That is why the Lord says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, everyone goes to acquire such knowledge that can help them to earn a livelihood and who wants the knowledge of the Absolute Truth? That is why He says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, everyone acquires knowledge to earn a livelihood like dogs and hogs—such knowledge they want to acquire. That is why the scriptures forbid that to acquire this kind of knowledge, to work hard all day long—that is not human life.

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke

kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye

Working so hard all day long for getting two pieces of bread and enjoy sense gratification, is this human life? They forbid. No. Ayam dehaḥ, nṛloke, this is done by dogs and hogs. That is why He says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, nobody is interested especially in kaliyuga, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ hy upadrutāḥ.

Very very slow. So that is why the Lord has said that this knowledge of the Absolute Truth is not for everyone, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye.

And if one achieves perfection, gains knowledge of the Absolute Truth, even then you cannot understand the Supreme Lord, yatatām api siddhānāṁ.

Even those who have achieved perfection even such persons cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

They do not know the Absolute Truth as it is. That is why the Lord is himself saying as to how we can understand Him as He is, He is telling us Himself.

So next verse.

Ordinarily we understand things that are material, just like this earth, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, great scientists, soil experts see what can be grown in a particular type of earth, what is there in this earth- gold or coal, study the whole science. In this world science is explained by studying the material elements. That is why the Lord has first explained about these material elements, that bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, these five elements, earth as land, water is there in the form of ocean, fire, air and sky. These are subtle, gross to subtle. Otherwise it from subtle to gross. More subtler than this, subtler than the sky is, mind and ego. All these views, the Lord is saying, all these material elements: bhūmir āpo nalo vāyuḥ, khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

Intelligence is material, mind is material, sky is also material, these are all material—ahaṅkāra, false ego. Our being in this material body and having a material body, I think I am Indian, someone else thinks I am American, others think that I am brāhmaṇa, other thinks I am kṣatriya, all these ego's are false ego. The real ego is Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This ego relating to the body is false ego; this is not the real ego. This is mundane ego. This is not transcendental ego. The transcendental ego is that, " I am servant of God." Not Hindu, Muslim, Indian, American, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya—gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ

Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches this—"I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a sanyasi, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya, I am not a śūdra, I am not, I am not. He declined to accept the eight divisions of the varṇāśrama institution. He said: "I am none of these." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi—Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains the meaning of this. So who am I, if I am not any of these? So in reply to this Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuḥ, the one who maintains the gopī damsels, with whom they have contact—Lord Kṛṣṇa, the servant of the servant of the servant (of the Lord), hundred times their servant, that is our position, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ.

This is the quality of a Vaiṣṇava. The servant of the Lord, does not try to become the direct servant of the Lord immediately. He becomes the servant of the servant of the Lord. Prahlāda Mahārāja when he was offered by Nṛsiṁhadeva any benediction, "Son you have suffered a lot, please ask for any benediction." So, Prahlāda Mahārāja asked for this, that "Mahārāja, you are going to bestow your benediction anyways, and I have taken birth in a demoniac family. Our nature is to ask, give me more, give me more, give me more. You want to give me a benediction and we as a dynasty believe in only accumulation. So this is a coincidence but I do not want this because I have seen that when my father became angry even the demigods were afraid. This property and this reputation you have destroyed in one second. So why should I ask for these things which can be destroyed in one second? If you want to bestow your mercy upon me then make me the servant of your servant." This was the prayer of Prahlāda Mahārāja. So this is worshipable for us, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ.

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhus teaching and this is the teaching of the Vaiṣṇava tradition. So what I mean to say is, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahareṣu kaścit yatati siddhaye. Siddha. Siddha means one who has complete knowledge of the Absolute Truth, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā.

Those who have realized the Absolute Truth in reality, their soul is joyful because they have realized their real identification as to who am I! Now they are mistaken, I am brāhmaṇa, I am kṣatriya, I am Indian, I am American, these are all illusions. When they are in real knowledge, "I am spirit", then the soul is joyful. Then there is no lamentation. What is the meaning of being joyful? na śocati na kāṅkṣati, there is no hankering or lamentation. What can one ask for? Everything is material and what do we have to do with material things? So it is said in the scriptures by Kuntīji, she addressed the Lord as akiñcana-gocaram. Akiñcana, those who are materially exhausted, those who are not hankering after anything in the material world, You are there for them. akiñcana-gocaram. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said at one place, that devotional service is Niṣkiñcana. So the Lord is Niṣkiñcana gocaram. So for one who is materially exhausted, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya.

Those who are materially exhausted, and only love God:

niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya

pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya

They want to cross over the ocean of material existence, the don't want to stay in this material world, for them:

sandarśanaṁ viṣayiṇām atha yoṣitāṁ ca

hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato py asādhu

All this is there in the scriptures. So if you are in the platform of brahma-bhūta, then you do not have false ego that I am this or I am that. No! they understand that just having knowledge of the Absolute Truth, no:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

For one who has knowledge of the Absolute Truth, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ, then they do not discriminate. They know that all of us are parts and parcels of the Lord, mamaivāṁśo, we are all spirit. So spiritual knowledge, we are all spirit souls anyway. It is not that through austerities we become spirit. No! we are spirit anyways. We are covered over spirits. We need to reach the platform of brahma-bhūta, self-realization of Brahman, that I am not matter, I am spirit—I should have this knowledge—this is knowledge, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam.

So, after self-realization of Brahman, then, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, and then devotional service starts, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. These are some statements. That is why the Lord says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahareṣu kaścit yatati siddhaye. To be self-realized is itself difficult and after becoming self-realized one must remain in that transcendence, and to remain in that transcendence is devotional service.

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

Just having knowledge of the Absolute Truth is not enough, one must remain on the platform of transcendence and what is that platform Devotional service.

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

There is no contact with the modes of material nature, then only is the self-realization proper. If we are in contact with the modes of material nature, suppose I have become a brāhmaṇa, in the modes of material nature—sattva, rajo and tamo guṇa. So the brāhmaṇa is situated in the sattva guna. And even if I become a brāhmaṇa, even then I am not liberated, that is also a material platform. We need to go above that, śuddha sattva. śuddha sattva means Vaiṣṇava, knowledge of the Absolute Truth. That is why the Lord says:

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

After self-realization of Brahman is, being situated in that platform and if that is there, then devotional service. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. Being situated in that platform, we can attain knowledge of the Absolute Truth.

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ

The same 'tattvatah! The Lord says here:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

When do you get to know Him in truth?

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ

So if you want to understand the Lord as He is then this process of devotional service:

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

You have to execute this process. This has been said by Prahlāda Mahārāja. When his father asked him, "What is the nicest thing that you have learnt? Please tell me." Then he said: "Mahārāja, I know only that the best thing is:

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

This is the best thing. We should constantly hear about the pastimes of the Lord śravaṇaṁ, by regularly hearing over a period of time, Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. If you constantly hear about the pastimes of the Lord, Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, then, puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Whether you understand or not if you simply hear about the glories of the Lord, you will become pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Those who chant the glories of the Lord and those who listen to it, both of them will become pious. And when you become pious and are free from all sins then:

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ

That is why hearing and chanting is very important. All the time in such gatherings, it is not possible to have such gatherings all the time, so all of you can sit at home with your children chant the glories of the Lord and read Bhagavad-gītā and don't talk nonsense. Just like the Lord has said, hear it and speak about it. Then your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

śrī-prahrāda uvāca

kaumāra ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

You have all heard the name of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a Vaiṣṇava from birth, from the time he was in the womb of his mother, Mahā-Bhāgavata Vaiṣṇava, Mahājana. It is said in the scriptures:

mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ,

dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ

To understand the religious principles in truth is a little difficult and simple also. It is simple in this way, Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. What is religion? The simple explanation for this is—whatever the Lord says, follow His directives—that is religion. It is not difficult. But we are not connected with the Lord. The Lord has no mouth, hands, legs—so how can He speak? And how do I hear? Only I have hands and mouth and the Lord is formless. So who will speak and who will listen? But the fact is, what is religion? Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam.

So if we listen to what the Lord has to say, then it is religiosity. Otherwise it is all irreligion. Those who do not listen to God's directives, just like there is a State, there is a government. Whatever the government says is the law. In big cities the government orders "keep to the right," "keep to the left". In India it is "keep to the left" and in America it is "keep to the right". So this order of the government is the law. You cannot manufacture, you cannot manufacture laws in your home. That is not law. Similarly whatever the Lords says—that is religion. Otherwise why would the Lord say, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁśaraṇaṁ vraja.

All these nonsense religions that you have manufactured, this is not religion. Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion and other such religions, many different kinds of religions. These are not 'religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje.

Such a religion is a true religion following which you develop devotion for God. That is religion. And those religions following which God is totally blown away, that is not religion. That is cheating religion, dharma kaitaba. It is said in the Bhāgavatam, dharma projjhita kaitaba atra.

This cheating religion has to be kicked out, projjhita mean prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ujjhitas. Just like when you clean with a broomstick you throw away the dust, get rid of it, in the same way, any religion which is not connected with God should be kicked out. This is a scriptural injunction. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām. Prahlāda Mahārāja was following those religious principles that he had learned from Nāradajī. So Prahlāda Mahārāja used to go to school, his father was first class demon. He would say: "Who is this God? I am God! Which God are you praying to? Which God are you worshipping? I am God. Which God is greater than me?" This was the fight between the father and the son. And the son, poor thing, was a five-year-old child, what could he tell his father? He was first class demon. So he would say: "Father, why do you say such a thing? There is God above you." This was the fight going on with him. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, those who are truly religious will preach the glories of the Lord. This is the sign of a religious person. It is not that one becomes religious, one cannot be religious if he has no connection with the Lord. And if you happen to become religious then śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ, whatever you have heard about the Lord, then the heart will want to share that with the rest of the world. śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ, whatever you have heard, chant the same.

This is the symptom of a devotee of the Lord. Poor Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was a five-year-old child, where could he go and chant? So when the schoolteachers would go away to attend to some household duties, in that spare time he would along with his classmates, call them and chant the glories of the Lord. So the classmates would say: "What have we got to do with religion now?" Let us play 'kit kit , be merry. He said: "No, No, No this is not correct." So he said: Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. At this age, five years when a person can talk something, hear something and read something, it starts at the age of five. Before that there is no clarity. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is teaching us this, "Friends, all of you hear, these pastimes of the Lord!" and he says, dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Not any religion, only Bhāgavata-dharma. What is Bhāgavata-dharma? Whatever the Lord says that is dharma. Like the Lord says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁśaraṇaṁ vraja.

That is religion, to surrender at the lotus feet of the Lord. That is called religion, the rest is all cheating. It is material, mundane. Bhāgavata-dharma is transcendental. Work as per the directives of the Lord that is Bhāgavata-dharma. The preaching mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is spreading of this Bhāgavata-dharma. I have requested you many times, this is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. What?

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa-upadeśa

"With my permission you all become spiritual masters. Wherever you are staying you protect the people." Tāre means make them liberated. You liberate them. If an ordinary person says that I am not so well read, don't know much, have not heard much, how can I become a spiritual master? How can I liberate others? So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, it is not a difficult thing to do. You don't have to manufacture anything, a religion. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha'kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Lord Kṛṣṇa himself, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. Lord, whatever He has said, just repeat it to others. Then you can become a spiritual master. Becoming a spiritual master is not so difficult, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ.

The Lord says that this Bhagavad-gītā was heard by great saintly kings through the process of disciplic succession, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam.

He spoke to the kṣatriyas. In India there is sun dynasty, moon dynasty. So the Lord spoke to the sun dynasty, to sun god. Vivasvān manave prāha manur, and sun god spoke to Manu, who in turn spoke to Ikṣvāku. This Bhāgavata-dharma has been coming through this disciplic succession. And sa kālena yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa, when this disciplic succession was broken and foolish persons started interpreting the Bhagavad-gītā in a nonsensical way, it was destroyed. yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa, that yoga was destroyed. That is why the Lord told Arjuna, "I am telling you. You listen and then propagate the message," Why are you telling me? I am not a Vedantist, nor a brāhmaṇa, nor a sanyasi! Why are you telling me? What will I understand? Bhakto 'si, you are My devotee. That is why I am telling you. Only you will understand this. No one else will understand. Bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti, you are very closely related to Me, you are My friend, My devotee. That is why I am telling you this. So we need to preach this Bhāgavata-dharma and if anyone says that they have not heard from the Lord then Arjuna . . . (break) (end)