760104 - Lecture - Nellore

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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760104LE.NELLORE - January 04, 1976 - 30.22 Minutes

Prabhupāda: Uh . . . Mr. Reddy and Ladies and Gentlemen, I cannot speak in Telugu. Kindly excuse me. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very old, at least five thousand years old. And if we take history before that, then it is at least forty millions of years old. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness was spoken by Kṛṣṇa before the Battlefield of, Battlefield of Kurukṣetra took place. Kṛṣṇa instructed this same Bhagavad-gītā philosophy to the sun god. He says in the Fourth Chapter,

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāhur

manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt

(BG 4.1)

Sa kāleneha, yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa.

So this transcendental science, bhakti-yoga, means to surrender unto the Supreme Lord. This is the simple thing. God is great and we are small. God is prabhu and we are aṇu. We have got the God's quality as part and parcel, mamaivāṁśa jīva-bhūtaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that "These jīvas, they are My part and parcel." So gold mine and gold earring, both of them are gold - but the quantity of gold in the earring and the quantity of gold in the mine is not the same. This is right understanding. There are two classes of philosophers. One is thinking that "I am one with the Supreme"—monism, or brahma-līna—and the Vaiṣṇava, they are thinking that "We are different from God"—that is the fact—"and God is great, and we are very, very small, minute fractional part of God." So bheda abheda.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu summarizes that bheda and abheda both. In quality we are abheda, but in quantity we are bheda. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. That is the fact. If I am equal to God or if I am God, then how I have become a dog? So this is a controversial going on. But from Bhagavad-gītā, as God explains Himself . . . He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). He is the Supreme. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā described by Lord Brahmā, he says,

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(BS 5.1)

Kṛṣṇa also says . . . the Vedānta says that the Absolute Truth is that from where everything emanates, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). And Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything." Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ.

So we have to follow mahājana, because we are teeny living entities. We cannot speculate. This is nonsense. Speculation is nonsense. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso (BS 5.34). If we speculate, we shall never reach the Absolute Truth. That is not possible. Because our power is very limited. How long I shall speculate? This is called kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya. Just like a frog in the well is informed by his friend, "My dear friend, Mr. Frog, or Dr. Frog, I have seen a big, vast mass of water, Atlantic Ocean." The frog, he has never seen the Atlantic Ocean, so he is speculating, "Atlantic Ocean? The well is three feet round. It may be four feet." "No, no. It is very . . ." "All right, five feet? Six feet? Ten feet?" So how long he will speculate? There is no comparison. Similarly, the greatness of God we cannot speculate. That is not possible. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (BS 5.48). Brahmā . . . there are millions of Brahmā and millions of brahmāṇḍas, and they are coming with the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo. That Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is breathing millions of brahmāṇḍas and Brahmās during the breathing period, such Mahā-Viṣṇu is also āṁśa-kāla. Svāṁśa, and then part of svāṁśa. So govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham.

So it is not possible to understand the nature of God, or Kṛṣṇa, by our teeny speculation. It is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes down to explain Himself: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). This is dharmasya glāni, godlessness. This is called dhar . . . everyone is dependent. In the modern civilization, especially in the Kali-yuga, everyone is dependent, but he is thinking that he is independent. That is the folly. In minute to minute, step to step, he is completely dependent, but still he is thinking, "Independent." He is speculating independently to understand what is God. So especially mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10). This Kali-yuga they are very slow or bad, manda. And sumanda-matayo, and they accept some "ism." Sumanda-matayo. And create some mat, matavādī. But this will not help us. We must know that we are dependent. We are dependent on the laws of material nature, and the material nature is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa.

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ

sūyate sa-carācaram

hetunānena kaunteya

jagat viparivartate

(BG 9.10)

So these things are there. Unfortunately, we do not take care of it. Bhagavad-gītā, I think, throughout the whole world . . . at least in India, in every house, every home, there is Bhagavad-gītā. But we do not understand Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune. This is our misfortune. This is dharmasya glāni, that Kṛṣṇa explaining, the śāstra explaining that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), but we do not understand. And mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). This is due to misfortune. Manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a teeny little attempt to convince people, that "You are searching after God. Take. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. Take His address. Take His father's name. Take His mother's name. Why you are searching? Here is God." This is our mission. So we haven't got to manufacture anything, because every information is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. And especially Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has explained. What is Kṛṣṇa, He has explained. And Kṛṣṇa has explained. Then where is the difficulty to understand God? There is no difficulty.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission . . . we are carrying out the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. What is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants, that people are suffering for lack of God consciousness, so preach God consciousness all over the world. (aside) Don't talk. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, especially to the Indians, He says,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

Bhārata-bhūmi, those who are born in India, their business is to do welfare activities throughout the whole world. Because the whole world is in darkness about understanding the Supreme Person with whom we have got very intimate relationship, because we are part and parcel. Just like your son is part and parcel of your body. Somehow or other, if he forgets and goes out of home, you are anxious to see that your son comes back. A son may have become mad. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa, He is the son of . . . Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living entities. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrt . . . ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4): "I am the seed-giving father." So Kṛṣṇa is very, very anxious to take us back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa's desire. Therefore He comes personally, He sends His representative. He leaves behind Him Bhagavad-gītā, so we can take advantage and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our real happiness. Any man who is wandering in the foreign countries without any shelter, without any security, his happiness is when he goes back to home, back to Godhead.

So we living entities, we are here in this material world. We are loitering in different bodies. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Now I am Indian or American. I am very great leader, Indian leader or American. Next moment I may become a dog or cat. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ is absolute. There is no question of . . . karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). As we are working, creating a mentality—just like if I am infecting some disease, then I have to suffer from that disease. So similarly, this material world is consisting of three modes of nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa and mixed. So we are infecting according to our activities. The first-class position is to become a qualified brāhmaṇa: śamo damo satyaṁ śaucaṁ titikṣa ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So that is the best quality. And next the kṣatriya quality, next the vaiśya quality . . . cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). So according to the infection of different qualities, we are preparing the next body, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). This is karma. You work as a brāhmaṇa, you work as a kṣatriya, svakarma, according to your capacity, quality. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā, guṇa. These guṇa . . . as we are associating with the qualities and acting, then we are creating a body next life. So next life, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ . . . (BG 2.13). As we pass from one form of body even in this life, from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth-hood, youth-hood to old age . . . Kṛṣṇa begins His instruction with this point, that we must know what we are. We are not this body. If we remain in the bodily concept of life, then we are no better than cats and dogs. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicit

janeṣu abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

(SB 10.84.13)

So India especially, we have got so much advantages, so many Vedic literatures, and instruction by Kṛṣṇa, instruction by Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. So we can very easily make our life perfect. In other countries they cannot. They haven't got the advantage. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that those who are born in India, special privilege, they should take advantage of this infallible experience of the great sages, saintly persons, even by God personally. Why you should neglect this? Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said that "Make your life perfect. Take very seriously the instruction of the Vedic literature, and understand the position and preach this cult all over the world." That is para-upakāra. Not that "I have understood that I am not this body, ahaṁ brahmāsmi." No. You preach how you are brahmāsmi, how you can remain in the Brahman platform. Simply understanding will not do, theoretical. Jñānaṁ vijñānam. This theoretical knowledge is good, but there must be practical application. Then it is . . . then it will stand.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

That means simply to understand that "I am Brahman" will not endure. You must keep yourself as Brahman in the Brahman platform. And what is that? Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. You must act as a Brahman. That is mad-bhakti, Kṛṣṇa said. And in another place Kṛṣṇa says,

māṁ cāvyabhicāriṇi

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

That is . . . after Brahman stage . . . brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Absolute Truth. So if you simply come to the Brahman stage, param pada, that will not endure. There is every chance of falling down. Just like you go in the sky in eighteen thousand miles per hour, and so on, so on. Just like these people are trying to go to the moon planet. If you get shelter in moon planet or any other planet, then you will be able to stay. Otherwise, come back again. They are coming back. They are going . . . it is well advertised they are going to the moon planet. Then why they are coming back? Why you should come back?

So the idea is that simply in the Brahman, impersonal stage—just like sky, nirviśeṣa—you can go eighteen miles, eighteen thousand miles speed, but if you don't get a shelter, then you'll have to come back again. This is the risk. So you must get shelter. So the Bhāgavata therefore advises that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). You can go very high in the sky, but if you don't get any shelter in any other planet . . . so similarly, you can make your spiritual progress, understanding of Brahman, but if you do not get any shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll fall down. That is a fact. We have seen many sannyāsīs, they give up this material world, that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Then, after some years, he comes down again this mithyā jagat to open schools and hospitals. And if this world is mithyā, then why you are interested with the schools and hospitals? That means they could not get any Brahman realization. They again come to taste. So therefore śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). One can rise up to the paraṁ pada, brahma pada, but patanty tataḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho. Adho means this material world. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. They could not take shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (BS 5.40). This Brahman is the rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa, just like the sunshine is the rays of the sun god, the sun planet.

So unless we come to the point of taking shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, our life is imperfect. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. He says ultimately that "My dear Arjuna, because you are My very dear friend, I am giving you the most confidential knowledge." What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is most confidential. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is the same, because Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa reminded that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, but the duṣkṛtina mūḍha narādhama, they could not understand it. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu came again as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa to teach how to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that—His mission is especially to the Indians, those who are born in India—that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128).

This, this instruction was given in South India, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was traveling in South India. So many people . . . He was attractive, and . . . "Sir, take me with You. Sir, take me with You." He traveled in the villages, villages, very extensively. Especially He traveled in South India. So at that time this instruction was given to some South Indian brāhmaṇa: "My dear sir, better stay here. Don't come with Me. You try to preach My philosophy. You haven't got to come with Me." So He said, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā, that "Why you want to come with Me? My mission is this. If you want to help Me, then you become a guru under My instruction. You become a guru." "Sir, I have no education. I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am this. I am that. How can I become guru?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128): "Where you are living, you just try to deliver them. But you become a guru." "How I shall become?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa: "Simply you instruct what Kṛṣṇa has said, that's all. Then you become guru. You don't require any other qual . . ." "No, I am not a brāhmaṇa; I am śūdra, I am this or . . ." That is also all right, because He said to Rāmānanda Rāya when . . . he was śūdra. He was talking with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but he was very learned devotee. So he was feeling hesitation, that "Caitanya Mahāprabhu's coming from very high-grade brāhmaṇa, and He is sannyāsa. His position is very exalted. I am a śūdra. How I can advise Him?" He was questioning, and Rāmānanda Rāya was answering. So the answer-giver is in superior position, so he hesitated. So while he was hesitating, Caitanya Mahāprabhu encouraged him,

kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsī kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya

(CC Madhya 8.128)

He said, "It doesn't matter whether you are a brāhmaṇa or a śūdra or . . . these are all bodily conception of life. You become above the bodily conception of life. You simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa." Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā.

To understand Kṛṣṇa is not so easy thing.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti . . .

(BG 7.3)

It is not so easy. But it can be very easy, provided we take this bhakti-mārga. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Very easy. And what is bhakti? Bhakti is man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Four things: "Always think of Me," Kṛṣṇa says. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. You can think of Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? It doesn't require that you have to pass your Ph.D. examination; then you can think of Kṛṣṇa. No. Anyone, even a child, can think. Man-manā. And who can concentrate on Kṛṣṇa unless he is a devotee? So man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "You worship Me." Māṁ namaskuru. "By executing these four principles of life you will come back to Me"—mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68)—"without any doubt." So it is not at all difficult. Had it been difficult . . . I am collecting my disciples throughout the whole world, and we condemn them according to our . . . "They are mlecchas, yavanas." Maybe they are mlecchas, yavanas, but Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that even mlecchas, yavanas, they can be purified.

kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā

ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ

ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ

śudhyanti . . .

(SB 2.4.18)

They can become purified by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So we are suffering in this material world on account of forgetting Kṛṣṇa. This is the root cause—forgetting Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the seed-giving father of everyone," and we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. We have forgotten our father. This is the disease. So in order to cure this disease . . . to awaken them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the best welfare activity in the world, para-upakara. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that. Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. India's mission is not that we colonize in other country and exploit them, and bring money and become a lord. No. India's mission is how to revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the whole world. That is India's mission. Revive Kṛṣṇa con . . . revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, and then distribute this knowledge. This is Indian mission.

So it was . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu has entrusted this missionary work to everyone. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). So there is good field for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They want it. They are reading our Kṛṣṇa conscious books very nicely. We are selling not less than 100,000 worth books, daily. They are purchasing. So I wish that in India people should take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be . . . every one of you should become Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go to the outside countries and preach this. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa consciousness does . . . you haven't got to manufacture something by your fertile brain, speculating. That is useless, nonsense. Simply you take what Kṛṣṇa has said and preach it. You become a guru and you deliver the whole world.

Thank you very much. (applause) (end)