730111 - Lecture NOD - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730111ND-BOMBAY - January 11, 1973 - 42:06 Minutes

Pradyumna: (reading) ". . . service, following in the footsteps of previous ācāryas, can be summarized in the following statement by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: 'First-class devotional service is known by one's tendency to be fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, serving the Lord favorably.' "

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Serving the Lord favorably. Not whimsically. Favorably. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). This is the exact word, ānukūla. Ānukūla means favorably, "What I want, you shall do." That is favorable. I want something and you do something else, that is not favorable. Favorable means what Kṛṣṇa wants, you do that.

So to come to this understanding, preliminarily . . . because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, or God, at the present stage, in our material condition of life. Material condition means forgetting our relationship with God. That is material condition. The, this is . . . therefore it is called māyā. Māyā means illusion, which has no existence, hallucination.

The same thing as we see tiger when dreaming, and crying: "Oh, here is tiger! Save me! Save me!" So this is called . . . this is the example of hallucination. There are many others. Just like water in the desert. Sometimes there is, due to reflection of the sun, it appears there is vast mass of water, and the animals, they go after it, the water. These are the . . . some of the examples of hallucination, illusion. So this hal . . . to be in the stage of hallucination, illusion, that is called māyā. This is called māyā. Mā-yā. Mā means "not"; yā means "this."

So we are in this condition now, in māyā. We can practically experience. I have several times explained. Just like while we are asleep we forget everything of our day's life, and during daytime, we forget everything what we saw in dream. So these two stages . . . so this is also dream, this is also dream, and I am the observer of the dream. Therefore I am the fact, and this is illusion. Both the conditions. So therefore the question arises: "Then what I am?" That is called brahma-jijñāsā.

Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to ask this question, "What I am?" And in . . . any intelligent man can understand that "I am simply dreaming. At night, I am dreaming something, forgetting night's dream, uh, day's dream. And in day, daytime, I am dreaming something; I am forget the night's dream. So actually both of them are dreams, and I am the observer. Then what I am?" This is the question. Athāto brahma jijñāsā This is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. One should be inquisitive. Unless one comes to this point of inquiring about himself, then what I am? Why I am dreaming this daytime and nighttime? What is my actual position? This is human life.

When one comes to this point of inquiring, "What I am?" that is the beginning of human life. Otherwise animal life. The animals, they do not know what I am, neither this question comes to them, "What I am?" He's thinking, "I am dog," "I am cat," "I am ass," "I am tiger," "I am this and that." Similarly, if we simply think like that, that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmin," "I am this," "I am that," that is animal life. That is animal life. When you come to this point, understanding, inquiring, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā . . . jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā naś ceha yat karmabhiḥ (SB 1.2.10). Kāmasya na . . . na indriya-prītiḥ, jīveta yāvatā.

This is the Bhāgavata philosophy. People are working very hard. Animal also working very hard, but in the human society there are four principles, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Ādi 1.90): religious life, then economic development, then sense gratification and then mokṣa, liberation. This is human life. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. The religious life you cannot find in animal society. In the human society, either he may be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha, Jews, anything, there is a kind of religious principles.

So that is the beginning of human life—religion, dharma. Then generally, because we are in the bodily concept of life, therefore economic development: "I want money. I want comfortable position, comfortable situation, so that I can eat, drink, sleep nicely." This is called economic development. So dharma, artha . . . then why I don't . . . why I want economic development? Now kāma. Because I have got my senses, I have to gratify it. I'll gratify my senses. When my children grow up, I also give them chance to gratify their senses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). So we think by sense gratification we shall be happy. That is called kāma. And when we are dissatisfied or frustrated by this process of sense gratification, economic development, then we give up. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This is all false. Now I shall merge into Brahman." This mokṣa.

But Bhāgavata says this is not life. This is not life. What is that verse? Dharmasya . . . dharmaikāntasya.

(aside) You have got the First . . . here? Yes.

Nārthāya upakalpate (SB 1.2.9). Na artha . . . dharma does not mean . . . people take to religious life for economic development. That . . . they think that by . . . that is also fact. So . . . but Bhāgavata says that the religious life does not mean economic development. Economic development does not mean to satisfy your senses. Then what shall I do? My . . . I've got my senses. There is demand of satisfaction for the senses. What shall I do? Therefore Bhāgavata says, kāmasya nendriya-prītir jīveta yāvatā (SB 1.2.10).

Kāmasya . . . just like you have to eat. That is the demand of your body. But don't manufacture varieties of menus. Eat only to live, not to live to eat. They have made it a point not to eat for living, but they're living for eating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, kāmasya nendriya-prītir (SB 1.2.10). Our indriya-prītir, our sense gratification, is eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. That is our indriya-prītir. So Bhāgavata says, "Yes, you're allowed to satisfy your senses so that you can keep fit yourself so . . . to execute higher procedure of life." And what is that higher procedure of life? That higher procedure of life is jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That tattva-jijñāsā, "What I am?" For this purpose you shall eat, you shall sleep, you shall satisfy your senses, you should defend yourself—to fulfill this mission of life, to understand what I am. Otherwise the animals are also doing that. Indriya-prītir.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was approached by Sanātana Gosvāmī. They were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, in Bengal. In those times there was a Pathan government, and they were responsible minister. One was chief minister, one was finance minister. Very responsible post, Rūpa Gosvāmī. And they almost became Muhammadans. Because formerly the brahminical society was very strict. If any brāhmin accepts service of another person . . . generally kṣatriyas. And he, they were Muslims. So they were, I mean to say, rejected from brahmin society, and they changed their name also—almost they became Muhammadans, Sākara Mallika and Dabira Khāsa—both the brothers, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī. And they met Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then they decided to resign from the government post and join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not new. It, it, it is continuing; it is going on since Kṛṣṇa appeared. And later on, five hundred years ago, Caitanya Mahāprabhu revived it, this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). So when they met Caitanya Mahāprabhu, both the brothers decided that, "Now we shall join Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. It is very nice movement." So, after resigning their posts, Rūpa Gosvāmī stealthily left the country and Sanātana Gosvāmī was situated . . . he formally wanted to resign the post, but the Nawab would not allow him to resign; therefore he was arrested. And somehow or other, he managed to come out of the prison and then join Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Benares.

So when he met, there was discussion of life's . . . value of life between Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Sanātana Gosvāmī. So Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all questioned this, that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita satya kari māni (CC Madhya 20.100): "Now the ordinary few friends, my countrymen, they consider me I am very learned scholar." He was very learned scholar actually. He was great scholar in Sanskrit and in Arabic language and Persian language. Because in those days there were Muhammadan kingdom. So actually they were very learned scholar, from . . . because we understand from their writings, later on, after becoming disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.

So actually they were paṇḍita, learned scholars, brāhmin, and learned scholar. But he was asking that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita satya kari māni: "These people, my neighboring friends, they call me as learned scholar. And actually I accept that I am scholar, I am learned paṇḍita. But I do not know what I am. This is my position. I am paṇḍita. They call me paṇḍita, learned scholar, and I accept it. But actually I do not know what I am, I am such a paṇḍita." So this is the position. You call any person, any scientist, any philosopher, any politician, any minister at the present moment and ask him, "What you are?" he'll fail to answer. He'll say: "Yes, I am Mr. Such-and-such," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am minister." He'll say like that.

This question was discussed with a great professor in Moscow. He said: "Swāmījī, after finishing this body, everything's finished, what I am. That's all. This is the position." But actually that is not. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all inquired this question, grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita. "Ordinary behavior, my neighbors, they call me very learned scholar, but I am such a scholar that I do not know what I am." Ke āmi kene more jare tāpa . . . "Why I am put into this miserable condition of life—birth, death and disease and old age?

And threefold miseries—ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika?" And the whole struggle is to minimize our miserable condition of life. The struggle is going on, whole day: work, day and night. What is the purpose? Ātyantika duḥkha nivṛtti: to minimize our miserable condition of life. "So why I am put into this miserable condition of life although I do not know . . . I do not want it? So what I am? What is my position?"

That is Bhāgavata decision. The . . . you don't forget yourself by simply satisfying your senses. Kāmasya nendriya-prītir (SB 1.2.10). Don't be satisfied simply when you see that your senses are satisfied. No. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. One should be forward to understand what he actually is. The same, same story, that I am simply seeing dreams, day and night. I am seeing, that's a fact. Law of identity, "I am." "Then what I am? I'm simply to see these dreams? What is my actual life?" That is tattva-jijñāsā.

(aside) What is that? Read it.

Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇanu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167).

So when we go deep into the matter, to inquire about ourself, what is my position, then we come to this understanding, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed to Sanātana Gosvāmī: jīvera svarūpa haya nityera kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108). That we have forgotten. Our constitutional position is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. So as soon as we come to this position . . . the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu begins from this point. When a living entity, when a person comes to the understanding, without any doubt, that he's eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, then his real life begins. Unless he understands this point, he's still in the hallucination of animal life. Jīvera svarūpa haya nityera kṛṣṇa dāsa.

Actually, we are engaged as servant always. Here, everyone who are sitting here, every one of us, servant: servant of the society, servant of the family, servant of the community, servant of the country, servant of the nation. In this way, we are servant. That's a fact. And we are serving. Everyone is serving. Nobody is actually enjoying; everyone is servant. That is the constitutional position of living entity. But they are serving hallucination. They are not serving the real fact. The constitutional portion is going on. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). Therefore one brāhmin, he approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead that "I have served the whole of my life . . ." Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ (Brs 3.2.35). Serving means we are serving the society, country, family, the . . . the essence is I am ser . . . not serving, I am satisfying my sense gratification. But I am pushing on this sense gratification in the name of service.

A man is working whole, whole day and night to maintain his family, considering himself that he is the master of the family. But he's the, actually he's the servant of the family. That is his real position. And servant of the family means he's servant of his senses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor du . . . (SB 7.9.45). They are . . . their happiness is that sex life. For enjoy that sex life, they are working so hard, day and night. Therefore he's neither serving the society, community, family, but he's serving his sense gratification. That's all. This is their service.

Therefore the Avantīpura brāhmin says that kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ (Brs 3.2.35): "My dear Lord, I have served my senses so abominably. I should not have served in that way. Still I have done." Just like sometimes we commit so many criminal activities to satisfy our senses, because we want money. So pālitā durnideśāḥ. My conscience says: "You don't do it." But, because I want to enjoy my senses, I must do it. I must do it. A thief knows that, "If I steal, I . . . then I'll be punished." He has heard from śāstra or he has known the state laws that, if one commits theft, he's punished. He knows it. And he has seen it, that one man has stolen, or committed theft, he's arrested, taken by the police. He has seen it. But still he commits theft. Why? Why?

Therefore it is a . . . that is my . . . I become habituated to serve the process of sense gratification in such low grade that what is not to be done, I still do it. Therefore he says, kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ (Brs. 3.2.35, CC Madhya 22.16), teṣāṁ mayi na karuṇā jātā. But anyone who serves for somebody—ask him, "Whether you are satisfied? I have served you so much." They'll never say. Just like . . . take the example—I've given this example many times—that who can serve his country than Mahatma Gandhi better? Nobody. But still he was shot dead. Still he was shot dead. His service was not acknowledged, recognized. Otherwise how he shot dead? There are so many cases. So many cases.

So this world, however faithfully you give service, it will be never recognized—because it is hallucination, illusion. You are serving your senses. You are not serving any person. You are serving your senses. So when one comes to this position, he understands that "I am actually servant, but I am posing myself falsely as master." That is real sense. Then whose servant I am? I am Kṛṣṇa's servant. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and demands: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have forgotten that. We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's service. That is māyā.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes again and again as Himself, as a devotee, or he sends His servitors, His Vaiṣṇava, to preach this cult, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "Educate people to serve Kṛṣṇa, to serve Me." Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. We are also preaching this cult, that "You serve Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). We are preaching this cult. So we are not manufacture anything. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing concocted. It is fact. Everyone is servant, but at the present moment he's serving māyā. So instead of serving māyā, let him serve Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

So that service, when one agrees to serve Kṛṣṇa . . . because nobody's agreeable to serve Kṛṣṇa. They will . . . Kṛṣṇa personally came, canvassed. How many people are serving Kṛṣṇa? Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11). "Oh, it is too much. Kṛṣṇa is asking that 'Give up everything and serve un . . . unto Him.' It is too much." People are taking, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā, because they are mūḍhas. They are thinking, "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall serve dog. I shall keep a dog and take him in the street. As soon as he stands, I shall stand. As soon as he passes urine . . ." (laughter) That is the position. If you don't serve God, then you have to serve god . . . dog, māyā. You cannot be . . . become without service. That is not possible. That is not possi . . . you must have to serve somebody. But you'll not be satisfied. By such service, you'll ne . . . the, the master whom you are serving, he will never be satisfied, neither you'll be satisfied. But if you serve actually the supreme master, Kṛṣṇa, He will be satisfied and you will be satisfied.

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ

yo me bhaktyā prayacchati

tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam

aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

(BG 9.26)

Kṛṣṇa says that, "You simply try to serve Me. Offer Me little water, little flower, little leaf." Anyone. Universal. Anyone can collect little water, little flower or little leaf and offer to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to accept your service in that way. What is the difficulty to serve Kṛṣṇa? But they will not do. This is māyā.

So one has to make his determination. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). This bhakti. Ānukūlyena means Kṛṣṇa wants—you serve, you supply. This is ānukūla. Now He says, Kṛṣṇa: man-manā bhava mad-bhakta. Now you become always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare . . . that is man-manā, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Because thinking of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. Kṛṣṇa is absolute.

As soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, as soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa, that means Kṛṣṇa is on your tongue, dancing: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa . . . abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ. Therefore by constant company with Kṛṣṇa, puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, then you become pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa. Simply by hearing, you become pious. You haven't got to arrange for great, great sacrifices, tons of ghees. No. Simply by hearing kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ, you'll be purified. These are the statements of great personalities, Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ

paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

(CC Antya 20.12)

Śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana is so nice that Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Why don't you become, always think of Kṛṣṇa? Where is the loss? If you are walking on the street or going on bus or on your car, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, what is your heavy loss? Is there any loss? Why don't you do it? Try it. There is no loss. And if there is any gain, why don't you try it—for nothing, without any loss?

These Europeans and American boys, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are more enlightened, so far material civilization is concerned. But in their country, almost all young men, as a hobby, they have taken a bead and chanting. Our, the George Harrison, the famous Beatle, he is supplying beads and bags to his friends—"Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And he has written in his record that, "Anyone who is a friend of Kṛṣṇa, I am his friend." What he has written?

Gurukṛpā: "Any friend of Kṛṣṇa is friend of mine."

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Gurukṛpā: "Any friend of Kṛṣṇa is friend of mine."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyway . . . so we Indians, why you are over-gentlemen? They're also gentlemen, they're also Europeans. But why you are afraid? Why you are ashamed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa "mantra even on working, even going on . . .? What is the harm? This is the purpose of Hare Kṛṣṇa "mantra movement, that anyone can chant. A child can chant. A old man can chant. A rich man can chant. A poor man can chant. There is no tax. But see the result. See the result. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

This is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order that, "Always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." The śāstra says:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

In this age, especially, we cannot execute any other process of religious method. This is . . . we can, but at the present moment, it is very difficult. The best thing is, as it is recommended in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa—many otherPurāṇas also, in Upaniṣad:

hare nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

And in the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find:

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ

yatatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ

namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā

tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca

(BG 9.14)

Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām. Anyone who is chanting, he's mahātmā. He's mahātmā. Chanting. So these, these boys, although they're very young, but because they're chanting always, they're mahātmās. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). So this is the process in this age. You can chant. There is no loss, but there is much gain. Why don't you try it?

So that is called bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Favorably. Kṛṣṇa says that "You become always thinking of Me." Man-manā. So you think of Kṛṣṇa—that is bhakti. That is ānukūla. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. Kṛṣṇa says, and we carry on the order, just like Arjuna did. Kṛṣṇa said that, "You kill. I want. The other party must be killed." He, first of all, he hesitated: "How can I kill my grandfather and nephews, my brothers, the other side? No, I cannot," when he was bodily conscious. But when he understood Kṛṣṇa's Bhagavad-gītā, he said, kariṣye vacanam: "Yes, I shall do it." That is ānukūla. That is ānukūla. In the beginning, he was becoming very good gentleman, nonviolent, but Kṛṣṇa chastised him:

kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ

viṣame samupasthitam

anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam

akīrti-karam . . .

(BG 2.2)

"Oh, you are proposing something which is the action of the anārya, not of the Āryans. So give up this klaibhyam, this deficiency, defect or . . ." What is called?

Devotee: Weakness.

Prabhupāda: ". . . weakness, weakness of your heart. Give it up." So then when he became His śiṣya, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7), at that time, as His śiṣya, He immediately chastised him: aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase. "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like a very learned man, but you do not know what is learning. You do not know."

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase

gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca

nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

(BG 2.11)

"This is not talk of the paṇḍita. Just learn what is paṇḍita, how . . ." Then, then when He began to teach him how to become paṇḍita, the first instruction was:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntaraṁ-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the soul. This is the beginning of spiritual understanding. How many people know? They do not know it. They think that "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am . . ."

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific movement, authorized movement, and there is a vast philosophy. We have published them, twenty big, big books we have published. So our only request is that you all conscientious people, advanced, educated persons, they should try to understand this movement as it is and join, make his life successful and teach others also. People are suffering for want of this knowledge, and they are being misled by so many rascals. Dehātma-buddhiḥ.

Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. In the Bhāgavata it is said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninas (SB 7.5.31). These people, they do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. The ultimate goal of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That they do . . . actually do not know. They do not know even what is God, and what the question of going back to Him, back to home, back to Godhead? They do not know everything, anything. There is God, there is home of God. As we say, generally, we give you the name of God, His address, His father's name—everything—but they will not accept it. "There is no God. God is dead," "I am God," "You are God," "God is loitering in the street." This is their theory. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. The blind men are led by blind leaders.

So we should not follow like that way. If we actually want success of life, then we must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. We must follow the greatest authority, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). We must follow. If you want success of life, everything is there, whatever you want.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa

(SB 2.3.10)

Whatever you want, you'll get. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

So Kṛṣṇa . . . ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa is giving assurance. There are so many things that, by understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you . . . your life is successful. The life, success of life is to stop this repetition of birth and death. That we also do not know. There is repetition of birth and death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Kṛṣṇa says in the beginning, asmin dehe dehi. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13).

Those who are actually educated, sober, they can understand that, that "Here is a man who's supposed to be dead, but he's not dead. He has transferred this body, that's all." Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. As I am transferring my body from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, youthhood to old body, similarly, as I have changed so many bodies, where is the difficulty to understand that after giving up this body, I'll get another body? And Kṛṣṇa is confirming. All the Vedic literature confirming: tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Another body. But we must know what kind of body I'm going to get. That is intelligence.

Body you must have to accept. As you have changed, as you accepted so many bodies, even in this life, then you have to accept another body. Now there are 8,400,000's of bodies. That you see. There are aquatic bodies, there are tree's bodies, plant's bodies, insect body, bird's body, beast's body—so many bodies. Eight million, four hun . . . so Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. He does not say what kind of body you'll get; He says dehāntaram. You'll get another body. So how that body, you'll have to make? That is in your hand in this life. You can prepare your next body in this body, just like you can prepare your future life in your youthhood by education, by culture. Then you can get a very nice post, very nice position, honored in the society. But if you spoil your life in childhood and youthhood, then you have no position in future life. Similarly, if you want to get next body, very nice, valuable body, so you prepare for that. You prepare for that. And how the preparation goes? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

(BG 9.25)

So you can prepare. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can worship demigods. The Candra, the moon planet, you are trying to go there. In this way you cannot go. But if you prepare in this life how to be promoted in the moon planet or sun planet or heavenly planet, then you prepare yourself. Yānti . . . not by force. You cannot go by your teeny Sputnik and enter into the sun planet. That is not possible. You have to prepare yourself in this life. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). These are the injunction. But Kṛṣṇa also says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, the highest planet of this universe, still you have to come back again. Mad dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate.

Therefore a . . . sane persons should try in this life how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the highest perfection of life. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Take advantage of this movement and be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)