761204 - Lecture and Conversation Hindi - Hyderabad

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

761204ED-HYDERABAD - December 04, 1976 - 75:24 Minutes

(Hindi translated into English)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) . . . in Europe they have spent so much on propaganda of Christian religion, they are still spending. Whatever foreign funds are available, lakhs and crores of rupees is given to the Bible Society for preaching purposes all over the world.

Guest: Whatever is happening is because there is no difference of opinion amongst them. Just like we are fault finding.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) . . . murkhaya upadesa hi prakopaya na santaye, but what principles we must accept, that comes in discipline succession. Then that will be auspicious for us. And if we present our thoughts, what we understand, that will not work. That will never be successful. This is the thing. The Lord says:

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

sa kāleneha mahatā

yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa

(BG 4.2)

When the thoughts perish, the yoga also perishes. That is why the Lord through Arjuna again reestablished the disciplic succession. And He also states who can come in this line of disciplic succession.

bhakto 'si priyo si me

rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam

(BG 4.3)

That disciplic succession can be of the devotee of the Lord only. Not scholars and politicians.

Guest: No, no.

Prabhupāda: That cannot be. Arjuna was neither a scholar nor a Vedantist.

Guest: (laughs)

Prabhupāda: He was a fighting soldier, a ksatriya. He was included in the disciplic succession, bhakto 'si me. Because you are My devotee, hence I am giving this to you. And He authorised Arjuna in to the disciplic succession and how Arjuna understood that has also been stated. Arjuna says that You are Para-brahman. So like Arjuna we should accept the Lord as para-brahman.

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

(BG 10.12)

Then that will be our success. Arjuna says that the Lord is para-brahman and if a politician says that our Kṛṣṇa is something else as per our imagination. Can Kṛṣṇa be as per the imagination of someone? This is going on. Each person is imagining on his own, imagine God. Is the Lord subject to somebody's imagination? Then how can He be the Lord? And the big big swamis says that whatever you have imagined is all correct. And the Lord says mudha, an ass. If a foolish person imagines something, is that correct? Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11), I imagine Kṛṣṇa . . . (indistinct) . . . he says i am a fool, so is my imagination correct? this is going on.

Guest: Why do they imagine?

Prabhupāda: Hmm? The business of the mind is to imagine something and reject it. This is the business of the mind. It has no other business. He will imagine something and then after two minutes reject it.

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa

pramāthi balavad dṛḍham

(BG 6.34)

The business of the mind is to be flickering.

Guest: If there is a small child . . .

Prabhupāda: So what is the value of his imagination? It is useless. The flickering mind's imagination is of no use. It is an animal. There is no benefit in imagining. The real thing is, that which is beyond mental concoction. Mental concoction has no meaning, it is all useless.

Guest: The small child doesn't know.

Prabhupāda: He knows but who accepts this. Only the foolish accept his word . . . (indistinct) . . . a small child asks his mother, "Mother I want the moon." So give me the moon, can he get the moon ever? The mother shows him the reflection and says here take the moon. He thinks he got the moon. That's it. Because he concocts he has to be cheated. The parents also cheat, what can be done. Otherwise he will cry.

Lady Guest: Some people think that in Kṛṣṇa consciousness why is Ramayana not taught?

Prabhupāda: Who is the ordering this?

Lady Guest: They ask that Bhagavatam and others has been printed.

Prabhupāda: Foolish persons speak like this. And the ones who know, know that Rama and Kṛṣṇa is the same. There is no need to speak on the Ramayana separately. In the Bhagavad-gītā He has said that amongst the fighters I am Ramachandra. So the Lord says that Lord Ramachandra and Kṛṣṇa are the same. There is no difference. There are many books that one can talk on. They are not able to understand one book, if we start speaking on all the books they will die. They are unable to understand one Bhagavad-gītā. Valmiki Ramayana, Mahabharata, there are so many books, are we to teach all of them? We speak on them when there is an opportunity. But everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Who is saying that Ramayana is not being spoken? One who doesn't know that who is Rama and who is Kṛṣṇa. They speak like this. One who knows that the Supreme Lord sometimes appears as Rama and sometimes as Kṛṣṇa.

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(BS 5.39)

Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu, the Lord has innumerable forms, is it only Rama? Rama, Narasimha, Varaha, etc, there are many forms. That is what makes Him Bhagavan! Although having many forms, the Supreme Lord is one. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (BS 5.33), there are innumerable forms. Just like in the ocean there are many rivers flowing in, but the ocean is one. Ocean is not—rivers are many, but the ocean is one. Similarly the Supreme Lord is one but has innumerable forms. Tiṣṭhan, one who is always existing. That's why scriptures have to be read, knowledge should be gained from them. Then you will acquire correct knowledge.

(aside) You are leaving? Please come again.

Read the conclusions of all scriptures very nicely, understand them, then you will gain knowledge of the scriptures. It has been given for Kali-yuga, that one will not be able to ready many scriptures in Kali-yuga, this Bhagavad-gītā has been spoken by the Lord Himself from His lotus mouth, understand that, assimilate that . . . (indistinct) . . . the problem lies therein. The Lord is speaking in a simple way, in a beautiful prose, and . . . (indistinct) . . . we are not able to assimilate that even. That is our great misfortune.

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre

samavetā yuyutsavaḥ

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva

kim akurvata sañjaya

(BG 1.1)

The battle of Kuruksetra is in the history, it is there in the Mahabharata. Mahabharata means "Greater India". And they dismiss this saying, this battle never took place. What a great rascaldom this is. They deny history. What can be done? Mahabharata is greater Indian history. In that the battle of Kuruksetra took place and Kuruksetra exists till today. There is a station for this also those who have travelled on way to Punjab have seen. And the prominent ācāryas also accept this fact. And a politician says that the battle of Kuruksetra never took place, this is all imagination, there is no Kṛṣṇa, then what can be done about this? All the great ācāryas Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, had all given credence to this, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all leading personalities of India accept this fact. And a foolish person in the middle of all this says this.

Now in Calcutta, there is one Dr. Chaterjee who says Sita and Rama are brother and sister. This is the thing. There are such kind of learned scholars in our country. Lot of people follow this, that Dr Chaterjee has said so. Now this Dr. Chaterjee is he learned or a fool? One must think about this. This is all going on. There is description about Sita and Rama in our Vedic scriptures and the fight between Rama and Ravana, there is detailed description about this. And these people have said, there is nothing like this, they are brother and sister.

This is Kali-yuga, everyone manufactures their own opinion which has nothing to do with the scriptural injunctions and everyone says that all these opinions which are there are all correct. This is considered of very highly, all embracing, that all opinions are correct. If someone speaks like this then he is very big hearted. And if someone says that no there is only one correct opinion, then he becomes a conservative. But we say that whatever Kṛṣṇa says is correct, rest is all not. You accept this or not, that is your wish, but we say this only. We are progressing on this basis. And those who say that all opinions are correct, big big swamis, yogis a lot of whom have gone to Europe, America, they were not able to make even a single devotee of Kṛṣṇa. not even one, in the history it is not there! And we say there is only one path, no other, thousands are becoming devotees. We will not compromise that every path is all right. We say that there is only one God, Sri Kṛṣṇa and whatever Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks is correct, that's all. If you want you accept or else leave. There is no need of compromising, stick to the words of Kṛṣṇa and you will be successful. Why should you make compromise? We never make any compromise. whatever is spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā that is correct. If you like you take, if you don't like you don't take.

Guest: If God exists in may forms . . .

Prabhupāda: God is many?

Guest: God exists in many forms

Prabhupāda: That's all right. What business you have with many forms, Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekaṁ, so why should you not take that? Why should you go to "God has many forms"?

Guest: . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: No no why do you say like that -God says mām ekaṁ. God has many forms, that I have already explained. But you take this form of God, that is your duty, Kṛṣṇa. God has other, how He is God, if He has no many forms? That I have already explained, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (BS 5.33).

Guest: Limitless.

Prabhupāda: Limitless, so how will you go to the limitless, mām ekaṁ, accept Me, this will make you successful. We leave God, and we run after the fact that God has many forms. Is this an act of a man of intelligence? When God is saying directly mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), He has many forms undoubtedly. But how you will go to the many forms? He says, as He says, take Me alone. That is your business. There is no doubt, He has many forms but how you will go after many forms?

Guest: it is only in the Bhagavad-gītā where the Lord has emphasised this that I am God, no other book.

Prabhupāda: Because He is God.

Guest: And that is from His lips.

Prabhupāda: When the Supreme Lord is Himself saying this after adventing here, it is there in the history that Kṛṣṇa appeared in Mathura, lived in Vrindavana, in Kuruksetra, accept all this. You reject all this. What is the reason? God is many, so go after that many then. Is it correct, simpler to run after many or to follow one?

In Europe and America, what it is called, supermarket. Go to one shop, you will get everything, supermarket. Then what is the need to go to ten different places to shop? Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8), this is the root. Water the root, the water will reach all the parts. Put foodstuffs into the stomach and all the body parts will be nourished. Prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ (SB 4.31.14) One doesn't have to put rasagulla into the eyes, he will become blind, give it to the stomach. We have the material senses, give it into the ear, eye, hands, is that the process? Give the rasagulla in one place, here, it will reach all the parts. What is correct? If someone puts up an argument that the body has so many holes, so why put it in that hole, put it in any hole! So will the job get done? This is the act of an ass, put it in any hole. The different holes are meant for different purposes but when you will eat, there is only one hole, mām ekaṁ. If you want to connect with the Lord, mām ekaṁ. Not that the Lord has many forms, everything is correct. This is the act of an ass. When the Lord Himself says mām ekaṁ, why don't you accept that? This is rascaldom.

Guest: Śaraṇaṁ means what? Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). What is the meaning?

Prabhupāda: Yes. meaning? You are pandita, you don't know the meaning of pandita?

Guest: Śaraṇaṁ has lots of . . .

Prabhupāda: You don't know anything. That means you don't know anything.

Guest: Is it, I want to ask . . .

Prabhupāda: Why you ask? He doesn't know the meaning of śaraṇaṁ?

Guest: We know.

Prabhupāda: If you know why do you indulge in rascaldom?

Guest: Śaraṇaṁ is . . .

Prabhupāda: This is all rascaldom. Just wasting time.

Guest: . . . (indistinct)

Guest: If you have got any doubt you clear it.

Prabhupāda: Don't waste time.

Guest: This is why the Lord has been ? Madhusudana. Clears all the doubts. So you ask any doubt.

Prabhupāda: . . . (indistinct)

Guest: . . . (indistinct)

Guest: You surrender yourself, that's all.

Guest: Śaraṇaṁ means surrender.

Guest: Śaraṇaṁ means surrender. If the ego goes above, everything right.

Prabhupāda: Everyone writes, hari śaraṇaṁ, to his desired Lord and if you ask what is the meaning of śaraṇaṁ, then who can explain to you? The Lord says, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), it is up to you whether you come to My shelter or not, yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63), as you wish. The Lord does not force. Why will He force? The Lord has given you independence, He does not touch that. The Lord is preaching that you surrender unto Me, that is beneficial to you. And to surrender or not that is your wish. What is the use of arguing? The Lord says śaraṇaṁ vraja, it now depends upon you, whether you like to surrender or not, that is your business.

Guest: In the last chapter, eighteenth chapter, if i am not mistaken the Lord has said this, those who don't want to hear Me, don't tell them, don't tell My message to everyone.

Prabhupāda: Yes! Idaṁ te nātapaskāya (BG 18.67), for one who is not austere, don't tell him, he will not be able to understand. Find out this verse.

Guest: And if you have got a reservoir you wont go to the tank.

Prabhupāda: Idaṁ te nātapaskāya (BG 18.67), for one who is not austere, don't tell him, he will not be able to understand.

Guest: I think it is 68 or 70.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Devotee: Idaṁ te nātapaskāya nābhaktāya

Prabhupāda: Nābhaktāya, one who is not a devotee, is a demon. There are two things, one a devotee and the other a demon. Idaṁ te nātapaskāya one who is not austere, nābhaktāya, one who is non devotee, then?

Devotee recites: Na cāśuśrūṣave vācyaṁ.

Prabhupāda: One who is not interested to hear also, then?

Devotee: Na ca māṁ yo 'bhyasūyati.

Prabhupāda: Na ca māṁ yo 'bhyasūyati, one who is violent towards Me . . . (indistinct) . . . one who is not austere, one who is a non devotee, who is violent towards Me, don't tell him. That ass will not be able to understand. He instructs not to preach to them. but we take risk and preach to these asses also, that you hear, it will be beneficial for you. They are ready to hit us, but still we say ok, but at least hear about the Lords's pastimes. The Lord has instructed that don't preach to these rascals. But we go to these rascals, who are ready to attack us, but we are servants and preach to them, doesn't matter we will take the beatings. This is going on. But the Lord has instructed against this. But those who preach, for them the Lord has said, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Those who are preaching despite all these obstacles, there is no one more dearer to Me than him.

Guest: Either for business, He says this even, that if someone takes My name even for business that's ok.

Prabhupāda: It's not a question of business . . . (indistinct)

Guest: No, like someone prints a book, something else, like that.

Prabhupāda: Printing books for preaching.

Guest: To earn money they print books.

Prabhupāda: Those who print to do business, their books don't sell. And those who print to preach, their's sell. Our books sell daily five to six lakhs rupees. is there any where in the history that spiritual books sell for five six lakhs rupees daily? How many businessmen are there whose business is five to six lakhs daily? What business he will do?

Guest: Swamiji, why body and spirit are not compatible?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Guest: Why body and spirit are not compatible? While in body why we are not able to . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Not compatible. Spirit is using your body. You are talking, spirit soul, you are talking. Why do you say it is not compatible? Your body is there and you are still talking. And as soon as you will go the same mouth will be there but it will not talk. The same ear will be there but you will not hear. So why do you say it is incompatible? So long the spirit is there within your body you are talking, you are hearing, you are challenging. But as soon as spirit will go, then it is, if I kick on your face you will not tell anything. Because the spirit is there within the body therefore you are so proud of challenging God. But as soon as spirit is over your everything is finished. It's not incompatible but it can exist but it is different. Just like you are existing with your shirt. The shirt is different from you but still you are keeping yourself within the shirt. You are utilising the shirt for your movement. But as soon as you are out of the shirt, it has no meaning. That you have to understand. But if you understand the shirt is yourself, then you are a fool. That people are doing. This body has nothing to do with the spirit. But they are accepting this body as spirit.

Guest: Unity with the body, spirit with the body is life, separation is death . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: This is what the Lord is explaining right in the beginning.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

(BG 2.13)

They don't understand this also. The spirit goes from one body to another. And there are 8,400,000 forms of bodies. You can be transferred to any body. There is no knowledge that today I have got this nice beautiful body and tomorrow I may get the body of a dog. So what I am doing for that to save me from transmigrating from this beautiful human body to the body of a dog? What you are doing? Just sleeping, oh! let him happen! let us enjoy. This is going on. That is not human life. That is cats dogs life. Cats dogs do not know what is going to happen next life. If we waste our human life in that way like cats and dogs that is the greatest loss. Sa eva go-kharaḥ, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

Guest: By having a human life still we are going beyond, below the standard of a beast.

Prabhupāda: One who does not know what is the standard of life of a human being, what is the distinction between the dogs life and human,that he does not know, there is no education. How the dogs body, humans body is distinct, that they do not know. There is no education. Where is that education to educate people that human life is distinct from dogs life. Where is that education? The dog also eating and you are teaching how to eat. The dog without being taught how to eat, he is eating. Eating, sleeping, sex and defence, that is there even for the dog and we are educated for this. Then where is the difference between the dog and me. There is no education.

They are distinguishing human civilisation, the dog is lying on the street, and I am living in a high skyscraper building. They think this is advancement. They do not consider that while I am sleeping the sleeping of dog and sleeping of myself is the same. Rather the dog is not dreaming of, I am dreaming of? Where is that education that human life is distinct from dogs life? There is no education. The dog is jumping with four legs and we are running with four wheels, that's all. That is the difference. They think that we have got four wheels motor car therefore I am civilised. But what is the difference of business? He is jumping with four legs and you are jumping with four wheels, that's all. Is that civilization? At the present moment they do not know what is the standard of civilization.

Guest: Swamiji, a human being what all can he do daily, because everything is given in the Bhagavad-gītā but what regulative principles can be followed in the minimum time?

Prabhupāda: We will say that you read Bhagavad-gītā for twenty four hours.

Guest: If you can talk on the most important topics out of that . . .

Prabhupāda: There is nothing like important, less important. the real important thing is this Bhagavad-gītā. Leave everything and read Bhagavad-gītā. What is the difficulty in that? Tell me! We do that only. We have no other business. All over the world we preach Bhagavad-gītā. What is the difficulty for us in that? Is there any difficulty? Then why do you?

Guest: There is no difficulty. But if you could speak on the main topics . . .

Srila Prabhuapada: There is no such thing as main topic. The main topic is that you are not this body. You are spirit, this is the main topic, that you do not know. We do not know. We think we are the body. Just like the dog thinks that I am the body. We also think that we are this body, i am Indian, I am American, I am Hindu, I am a Muslim, these are all designations of the body. The main thing is that I am not this body, who knows this fact? He gives his identity as, who are you, I am a Hindu, I am a Muslim, I am this family, I am Indian, I am black, i am white, all these are bodily designations. But who gives soul as his identity? Nobody knows this even! At least understand this much! The main topic. The Lord states this in the beginning itself, that:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

(BG 2.13)

Smin dehe dehinah the person inside this body is the owner of this body. Understand this one fact alone. And then you can understand further, first understand this fact. Contemplate on this, the Lord states this in the beginning itself. Smin dehe dehinah, dehinah means to whom the body belongs. If a child is asked, he will say it is 'my finger'. He will not say 'I am the finger'. He will not say like that naturally. So who is that 'me' that he does not know . . . (indistinct) . . . it is 'my body' everyone will say. This is "My coat". Apply some soap on the coat and i remain hungry. So how long this will go on? This is going on. This is "My coat". Apply lots of soap on the coat. And regarding our subject matter, remain in illusion, in darkness. Nobody knows. What am I, that no one knows. And he knows the coat very well. So if you apply soap on the coat, will you be benefitted? So this goes on, applying soap on the coat. and I remain hungry. That is why he screams, I am hungry, I am hungry, I am hungry, I am hungry. where will he find peace? The person who is wearing the coat goes hungry. and the coat is being generously soaped. So how will he be benefited? Understand this much that I am not the coat, I am the wearer of the coat. Understand this one point. This is the main point. But you don't want to understand. only this that I am the coat, I am the coat. I am the shirt.

See the world around, why are there so many wars? I am Pakistani, I am Indian, I am American, I am Russian. All these are coats. The world is foolish that is why there is great need for Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, everyone is foolish, to educate them. The Lord states in the beginning itself that you are not the coat, you ass. You are the person who wears the coat. If you understand this one point, then you can understand everything else. But they will not understand, no, I am a coat, I am a shirt. You explain to them in various ways that you are not the coat, you are the wearer of the coat, he will not understand. Explain to the dog that, dear dog, you are not this body, will he understand? He will bark, bhow! bhow! (laughter) This is our position. we explain, they ask you haven't taken the boarding, why have you come here? This is the position. Murkhaya upadesa hi prakopaya na santaye, explain to the dog, that you are not his body, he will bark further bhow! bhow!, why have you come here. But he has no capacity to understand. That is why if man also remains like that then what is the difference between him and the dog. Adamant that I not this, I am the body. Then what is the difference between him and the dog. It is a difficult problem.

Guest: In the fifth chapter Lord has written, no difference between dog, candala, like that, elephant.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18)

Guest: In the fifth chapter.

Prabhupāda: What can be done? You are not the coat, you are spirit soul. So one who sees the spirit soul he sees that the soul which is there in the dog is also there in the human being. The coat is different. Just like the coat is different from him, his coat is different from him, that doesn't mean that you are coat. So for one who sees, the coats maybe different from each other but the one inside the coat is a human being. This is sama darśi. sama-darśinaḥ is one who doesn't see the coat, but sees whats inside the coat. There is a gentleman inside the coat. That is why he is a sama-darśinaḥ, otherwise the pandita says:

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini'

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

(BG 5.18)

There is a brahmana pandita, a great pandita, he is also siting, a dog is also sitting, sama-darśinaḥ, is he a pandita? He sees brahmana and dog equally. No! He doesn't see the body of a brahmana, he doesn't see the body of a dog. He sees that there is a spirit soul within the brahmana and a spirit soul within the dog also. That is why he is sama-darśinaḥ. And if someone says that I see a brahmana and dog as equal then he is a mad man. (laughter) One who does not see the coat, that is a pandita. One who sees the person within the coat, that is why he is a sama-darśinaḥ. But if someone says that I see a learned brahmana and a dog as equal, then we will say he is a mad man. He is seeing the body. He is seeing the person who is within the body.

Please come. Please come.

Atma darsana, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣum (BG 18.54), atma darsana.

Please come. All of you please come forward.

So read Bhagavad-gītā very nicely. It has the answers to all questions and all knowledge. The Lord is speaking Himself. You read it very carefully. Don't try to become over learned that the meaning of Kuruksetra is this, the meaning of Pandavas is this. Give up all this foolishness. Understand it the way it has been described by the Lord. that will help. If you try to become too learned, then you are already foolish and you will become more foolish.

There is a need to interpret something when you don't understand it. When we can understand the meaning perfectly then where is the need to interpret it further? There is no need. This is called pillow. Everyone knows it is a pillow. To interpret that a pillow is a hillow, what is the meaning of that. This is foolishness or not? Everyone knows it is a pillow. Then why do you interpret another meaning of this, arthavada. Everyone knows that Kuruksetra is a place, where a war took place. they interpret this also. This is such a big foolishness. Everyone knows this is a pillow, thats all. The meaning of pillow is this, that.

The wealth of knowledge is available, accept it as the Lord has explained. That will be beneficial to you. There is no advantage in jugglery of words. Teach everyone at home, teach the children. Everyone can become a guru. One who can give proper knowledge is a guru. The storehouse of knowledge is the Bhagavad-gītā. Speak the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, to your children. That will be beneficial to them and beneficial to you. It is not that you have to travel abroad for this. If you can do so, do it. Otherwise there are your friends, family, community, explain to them. This is the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that all of you become guru and impart proper knowledge to others, as much as you can. It's not that everyone has to outside India to preach. No! Teach at home but teach proper knowledge, not false knowledge. Then it will work. If you become too learned and start speaking nonsense, then what is the benefit in that? Do what is beneficial to the human beings.

Guest: . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: That's all right. there are many . . . (indistinct)

Guest: How to concentrate the mind?

Prabhupāda: Practice. Mind will run here and there, catch it and bring it back. This is practice. It is the business of the mind to run away, cancala, flickering. That is why one needs to practice yoga. Yoga indriya samyama, to control the mind. If you don't control the mind then it is your enemy. If you control your mind then it is your friend. Simply you have to train it like a boy. If you provide proper education then he is your friend. And if you spoil him, then he will become your enemy. For one who cannot control his mind, for him there is this yoga system. And the devotees they keep their mind fixed on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. He has all yogic perfections.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yukta-tamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

One who constantly fixes his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord, he has all yogic perfections, first class yogi, the Lord Himself says this, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. Therefore in the Kali-yuga one must constantly fix his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, that gives all yogic perfections. sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18), only a devotee can do this. That is why the Lord states in the Bhagavad-gītā man manah.

Guest: Fasting is also not emphasised.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guest: Fasting is also not emphasised in the Gita. Only fixing the mind.

Prabhupāda: Fasting simply means don't eat in the restaurant, eat prasadam. This is fasting. Food which is offered to Kṛṣṇa you take it. Don't take foodstuffs from the market. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya!

Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, to attain the Lord, it is said, jihvā, to attain the Lord, the tongue, it is said in the scriptures, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ, one cannot attain the Lord through all the material senses which one possesses. You want to see the Lord. You cannot see the Lord with these eyes. And you have ears too, you cannot hear properly. It will be a failure though all the material senses. But there is one material sense through which it is possible for you. What is that? Jihvā, tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, many persons will ask what is this process. One will meet the Lord through the tongue and one will not see the Lord through eyes, ears, hands, legs, but from the tongue he will see. This is the fact. Because if you control the tongue then we will not eat anything than the Lord's prasadam and we will not speak anything else except the Lord's pastimes, that's all. You will attain the Lord.

Guest: To chant His name.

Prabhupāda: This is the business of the tongue, to taste and to speak something. If we can control these two things, we will not speak anything other than the Lord's pastimes with this tongue and will not touch what is not the Lord's prasadam to the tongue. These two austerities you perform and you will attain the Lord

Guest: Most times the association that we get of people, in shops, in schools, most of the association being that of non Vaisnavas, the effect of them is there more. if we can keep more of saintly association then . . .

Prabhupāda: Without saintly association how will you get association of the Lord?

Guest: We will not get.

Prabhupāda: If you don't associate with a thief, how will you learn how to steal? Meet with the thief and you will learn how to steal perfectly. Similarly meet with the devotees of the Lord and attain devotional service to the Lord. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥv(BG 2.62)

Guest: Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate (BG 2.62). Krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati (BG 2.63).

Prabhupāda: That is why we are making this association so that a person gets the opportunity to associate with saintly persons. He will come here, stay here, he will see the arati of the Lord, he will eat Lord's prasadam, he will hear the Lord's pastimes, in this way gradually, Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15), he will attain the Lord. This is step by step. Just like you have all come here because you have faith. Progress further on this, associate with the saintly persons here. Progress further then bhajana-kriyā, progress further anartha-nivṛtti, progress further, niṣṭhā, progress further ruci, progress further āsakti, progress further bhāva, you attain the Lord. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ(BG 10.8) . . . (indistinct) . . . budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). When you reach the stage of bhāva, then you attain the Lord. Then you are determined. To come to the stage of bhāva so many stages are there.

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-

saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā

tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt

tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

athāsaktis tato bhāvas

tataḥ premābhyudañcati

sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ

prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ

(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15-16)

This is a chronological order. Will one attain the Lord out of the blue? It is not so cheap.

Guest: What is the meaning of this Swamiji, sarva sakti name diya koriya vibhaga. Read it in some book in Bengali . . .

Prabhupāda: The name is invested with all potencies. The name is non different from the Lord. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis (CC Antya 20.16, Śikṣāṣṭaka 2), the potencies of the Lord are in the name. One should chant the name offenslessly . . . (indistinct) . . . hmm? What he says?

Devotee: He says Madhvacarya has written so many books, Ramanujacarya has written so many books . . .

Guest: All saints, Madhvacarya and Raghavendra Swami of Mantralaya have written more than 40 books.

Prabhupāda: So we have more than 80 books. Perhaps I have written more than anyone. Don't you see? Book there may be many but the subject is Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15), you may write thousands of books but it the subject matter is Kṛṣṇa then everything is all right. Otherwise it's all a waste. Throw it away. Just to convince different types of men, Kṛṣṇa not anything else, you may write books many but the central point is Kṛṣṇa. If you find any book you will find simply Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Nothing else! Similarly any book written on the subject of Kṛṣṇa that is all right, or:

na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo

jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit

tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham . . .

(SB 1.5.10)

The book in which there is no Hari is described, na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ very nice book grammatically, figuratively, metaphorically, very nice, citra-padaṁ vacaś, vacaś means words, na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo na pragṛṇīta, but there is no description of the Supreme Lord, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham, that is just like garbage, it is enjoyed by the crows, vāyasaṁ means crows. Uśanti mānasā (SB 1.5.10) in that place the white swan does not live. Where the crows take pleasure the white swan does not go there. Is it not? Swan requires very nice water, very flowery garden, chirping birds . . . (indistinct) . . . swan will be there. And the crows will be there where all garbage are thrown, all nasty things, crows will be there. As there are divisions between he birds, similarly there are division of men. Those who are devotees they will take pleasure in this transcendental literature and those who are crows they will take pleasure in what is that detective upanyasa, jasoosi kahani, crows, meant for the crows. But this is meant for the swans. There are two classes of birds, the white swan and the black crow. Similarly there are two classes of men, the white swan will take pleasure in these books where Kṛṣṇa is described and the black crows will take pleasure in the jasoosi literature.

Guest: Swamiji it is said in the Mahabharata and Ramayana that without guru there can be no knowledge . . .

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guest: Kṛṣṇa, God cannot be known without the via medium of someone.

Guest: Lord Kṛṣṇa is a jagat guru.

Guest: But He has said in that, that . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) . . . to steal also one needs a guru. To attain the Lord is not a guru required? To commit such a abominable act one needs a guru and to accomplish such a great task, to attain the Lord, a guru is not required? Foolish persons say like this. Whatever you may do, one needs a guru.

Guest: (indistinct) . . . and moreover if we worship demigods . . .

Prabhupāda: Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20) one who is foolish he will worship other demigods. what do you want to be, a foolish person or a pandita? eh? Foolish person? Then why do you take the names of other demigods. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ, hṛta-jñānāḥ, one whose knowledge has been destroyed, the Lord Himself says this. If you want to destroy your knowledge do so. Who is stopping you?

Guest: Here He says . . . who is real god and who are demigods?

Srila Prabhuapada: Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa says everything but being foolish you don't understand, then what can be done?

Guest: We cannot say demigod . . .

Prabhupāda: Nya-devatāḥ, one who worships nya-devatāḥ is a fool, the Lord says this. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ, if you want to remain foolish, remain, who is stopping you?

Guest: Do not go after the flowery words of the Vedas. Vedas also . . . (indistinct) . . . God has given.

Prabhupāda: In the road a constable shows his hand and all the cars stop. So if a foolish person thinks that this is the government, that constable shows his hand and big big zamindars—businessmen, they all stop their cars. So if they think that that constable is God, then will he become God? Practically if he raises his hand like this and big big judges, magistrates stop their car, so if a foolish person takes him to be the all in all, will he become? Foolish persons will think like this. But one who knows that there is someone above him, someone above him also, many are there above. Similarly those who think that the demigods are God, are like the people who think that the constable is the government, he is the government. That is why it is said to be hṛta-jñānāḥ, sees a little power and thinks it to be all in all, because he doesn't know the power of God, sees the constable and thinks him to be all in all. One who doesn't know, has no knowledge about the ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa bhagavān. The same kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya, one who hasn't seen the ocean, will think that the well is all in all. The water in the well is everything. That is why it is called Kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya. The frog in that well thinks that the three feet water is everything. That is why hṛta-jñānāḥ, he is deprived of knowledge. One who considers an ordinary demigod to be the Supreme Lord, he does not have knowledge of who the Lord is. That is why there is cheap God around us nowadays. Someone says I am God, creates some gold, doesn't create but does some magic, he is also made God. If to make gold is the yardstick to become God then why go after someone who makes one ounce of gold. Go after the one who has made thousands of gold mines. No one knows how much gold mines are there on this ordinary earth planet and this is just one planet. There are crores and crores of planets. In the upper planets the paths are made up of? This is there in the history. So why should we accept one who makes one ounce of gold as God? There are thousands and crores of planets where the paths are made of diamonds, rubies, accept Him as God . . . (indistinct) . . . so hṛta-jñānāḥ, deprived of knowledge, foolish person, doesn't know who God is. Where there are no trees, he thinks it to be the biggest, ignorant. That is why it is said hṛta-jñānāḥ.

Guest: Swamiji, forgive me, you are a descendant of Madhvacarya, you are coming from that pitha? What's wrong in providing original texts?

Prabhupāda: Original text is Bhagavad-gītā.

Guest: No, Madhvacarya also original text . . .

Prabhupāda: Madhvacarya denies Bhagavad-gītā?

Guest: No. His original text, other than your . . .

Prabhupāda: That's all right, Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, any acharya will accept Bhagavad-gītā. Where is the difference? Does Madhvacarya say that Kṛṣṇa is not bhagavan? Does he say? Then where is the difference?

Guest: There is no difference but actually . . .

Prabhupāda: That's all right you may not read all the books . . .

Guest: Because Veda is not understood . . .

Prabhupāda: Why don't you understand? If you accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord then you belong to Madhvacarya. And after reading all Madhvacarya literature, you remain in darkness whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not then what is the use of reading?

Guest: Because those precious text are not propagated . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes it is precious text only for the person who has understood it. Therefore it is simply a lump of matter. Just like one bundle of books, one is learned pandita, it has value. And what is the value to the ass who is simply bearing the bundle of books?

Guest: No, no. Those books also propagating the glorious of Kṛṣṇa . . .

Prabhupāda: Simply carrying the books is not knowledge. You must know what is there in the book. That is knowledge. I am carrying so many books, and an ass . . . (indistinct) . . . you know the subject matter what is delineated there, then you will know. Simply i am carrying so many books, what's the use?

Guest: Gita has been considered as the essence of all the Vedas and the Purāṇas.

Prabhupāda: Yasmin vijnate sarvam eva vijnatam bhavanti, if you understand Kṛṣṇa then you understand all Vedic knowledge.

Guest: Swamiji, may i ask one? Sri Kṛṣṇa in Dvapara yuga. this is Kali-yuga, is there any difference of yuga for . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Who does not say, everyone says, bhagavad-gita kincid adhita.

Guest: Yuga difference will not be there.

Prabhupāda: It is for this, Kṛṣṇa spoke Bhagavad-gītā in this age, just beginning of Kali-yuga because the people of Kali-yuga are less intelligent, He is personally speaking the whole purport of Vedas.

Guest: So it is considered for all yoga, all the time . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes all yogas, all the time.

Guest: At the time of creation, at the time dawn the Lord is already told to the Vivasvan the sun god and to Iskvaku and Manu. And like that it was lost this knowledge again the Lord has told to Arjuna and through Arjuna to mankind in general.

Guest: Rama also . . .

Guest: Yes same there is no difference between them.

Guest: So it is for all times . . .

Guest: That's what i feel

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: The essence of all Vedas, sarva Vedānta sara srimad bhagavatam srite . . . param drstva nivartate. The essence of all Vedānta is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Guest: There is no differentiation between Rama and Kṛṣṇa, that is what i think. It is only from what i understand Rama is also God, Kṛṣṇa is also God . . .

Prabhupāda: Cut into pieces . . . please all of you go and see arati. (break) (end)