750107 - Lecture SB 03.26.30 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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750107SB-BOMBAY - January 07, 1975 - 47:32 Minutes

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

saṁśayo 'tha viparyāso

niścayaḥ smṛtir eva ca

svāpa ity ucyate buddher

lakṣaṇaṁ vṛttitaḥ pṛthak

(SB 3.26.30)

(break) (03:19)

"Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence."

Prabhupāda:

saṁśayo 'tha viparyāso

niścayaḥ smṛtir eva ca

svāpa ity ucyate buddher

lakṣaṇaṁ vṛttitaḥ pṛthak

(SB 3.26.30)

So, the modern psychologists, they have divided the function of the mind: thinking, feeling, willing, and then other subdivisions. That is known as the science of psychology. But intelligence . . . above mind there is intelligence. I don't think in the modern science there is any analytical study of the intelligence function. But in the Vedic literature there is analysis of the intelligence. They are described here: saṁśaya, doubtfulness.

The saṁśaya, saṁśayātmā vinaśyati . . . in the Bhagavad-gītā there is a statement: "Those who are doubtful about the existence of God," vinaśyati, "they are finished." Their progress is finished. Saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. That niścayātmā, that is very good, to believe, to have faith, niścaya, by full assertion. Just like Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So if by your intelligence you become doubtful, "Whether Kṛṣṇa is able to give me protection?" then you are finished. Saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. But if you have faith in Kṛṣṇa's words, niścaya, When Kṛṣṇa says that if I surrender unto Him, He will give me protection, there is no doubt about it, that is called faith, niścayātmikā. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ. Buddhi, intelligence, vyavasāyātmikā, niścayātmikā, that is very good.

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir

ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca

buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām

(BG 2.41)

Avyavasāyinām, those who have no faith, doubtful, they have got different branches of activities. But one who has got faith, niścayātmikā, "Yes, here Kṛṣṇa says that He will give me protection. Let me surrender," then his life becomes successful.

This is beginning of successful life. Ādau śraddhā, this śraddhā, or this niścayātmikā buddhi, or vyavasāyātmikā buddhi, is the beginning of spiritual life. If one has no faith in the words of the authorities, then he has no hope. Saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. Vinaśyati means he does not get any chance to enter into spiritual life. We are in the material world. We are . . . vinaśyatsu. We are in an atmosphere of being finished. That everyone, we know. This body . . . I am concerned with this body, and the body is to be finished. But the soul is not finished. Therefore our bhakti-mārga . . . how one can make progress in bhakti-mārga? If we have got faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), if we apply our intelligence, niścayātmikā, then our spiritual life begins. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (CC Madhya 23.14-15). These are the different methods to make advance in spiritual life, especially in bhakti-yoga, devotional life.

So ādau śraddhā. Kṛṣṇa says these are on the intellectual platform. Sometimes intellectual platform is taken as sentimental. But if it is rightly taken, somebody believes, even Kṛṣṇa . . . Kṛṣṇa's statement, they are not sentimental. They are vijñāna-sahitam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt, jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave (BG 9.1). Yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. This is the statement in Bhagavad-gītā. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ (BG 7.2). Pravakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ, yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. That aśubha, inauspicious, we do not understand. We have taken inauspicious thing as auspicious. This is called māyā. We accept something māyā, or illusion, or vivarta. We accept something for something. The example is given: there is a rope, and due to my ignorance or insufficient knowledge, I take it as a snake. This is my insufficient knowledge. The snake is fact and the rope is fact. But when we take the rope as snake, that is ignorance, or the snake as rope, that is ignorance. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "We are accepting snake . . . er, rope as a snake. But there is no snake." But we, Vaiṣṇava philosopher, we say, "No, there is snake and there is rope. But when we accept the rope as snake, that is māyā." Similarly, there is spiritual world and there is material world. But when we accept the material world as everything, that is māyā. That is illusion.

There is spiritual world. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20): "There is another bhāva, nature." What is the nature? Sarveṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati: "When the material world, this cosmic manifestation, the phenomenal world, will be finished, that will stay. That will not be finished." There are many example. Just like mirage in the desert: sometimes you see there is vast mass of water in the desert. The animal runs after the water, being thirsty, but there is no water. Therefore the animal dies. But human being should not be like the animal. They should raise their standard. They have got special consciousness. They can raise their standard of understanding by these literatures, Vedic literatures given by God. Vyāsadeva is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, so he has given us the Vedic literature. Therefore his name is Vedavyāsa, incarnation of God, Vedavyāsa. Mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā paraiḥ (SB 1.1.2). There is no need of speculating. Just follow Vyāsadeva in the disciplic succession. Vyāsadeva's disciple is Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni's disciple is Vyāsadeva. So in this paramparā system, if we receive knowledge, then that is perfect knowledge. So we have to accept it. Niścayātmikā.

Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says that spiritual life can be advanced, the first principle is utsāha. Utsāhāt. Utsāha means enthusiasm: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). I will accept it and work enthusiastically on the principle, as Kṛṣṇa says." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), and we have to do it, execute it enthusiastically: "Yes, I shall always think of Kṛṣṇa." Man-manāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says directly, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "You just become My devotee." So we have to be enthusiastic, "Yes, I shall become Kṛṣṇa's devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Kṛṣṇa says, "Worship Me," so we should be very much enthusiastic to worship Kṛṣṇa, offer maṅgala-ārati, rise early in the morning. These are all enthusiasm, utsāha. Those who are not enthusiastic—lazy, lethargetic—they cannot advance in spiritual life. Simply sleeping, they cannot make. One must be very, very enthusiastic, positive. Utsāhād dhairyāt. Dhairya means patience, not that "Because I have begun devotional service with great enthusiasm . . ." So you are already on the perfectional platform, but if you become impatient, that "Why I am not becoming perfect? Sometimes why māyā is kicking me?" Yes. That is habitual. That will go on. It will stop. Niścayāt. Dhairyāt, niścayāt, that "When Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), now I have given up everything. I have no other occupational duties—simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. So when I have taken to it, then niścaya, Kṛṣṇa will surely give me protection." That is called niścaya. Don't be disappointed. Kṛṣṇa is not a false speaker. He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi.

So we should have firm faith, niścaya. Niścayāt, utsāhād, dhairyāt, niścayāt. But niścayāt; at the same time, you should not sit idly. You should work according to the direction of the spiritual master. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. "Now Kṛṣṇa has given me assurance. Now let me sleep. Everything will come automatically." No. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt (Upadeśāmṛta 3). The spiritual master says, "You must do this," you must do that. That is called tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. Not that "Now I am initiated and . . ." That is going on in so many places. The guru says, "You think of me. Everything will be all right." I do not wish to name, but a very big āśrama, they simply sit idly, and the guru has advised that "Think of me," that's all. This is not Vaiṣṇava principle. Vaiṣṇava principle is you must act according to the order of spiritual master. That is also an order. But the Vaiṣṇava spiritual master orders according to the śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya, ār nā koriho mane āśā (Śrī Guru vandanā). This is the instruction of our ācārya.

So this is called vyavasāyātmikā buddhi. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhi, niścayātmikā buddhi, means with good faith that "I must execute it. That is my life and soul." If we take that, then our life is successful. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ (Gurvastaka 7). Guru is accepted identical with Kṛṣṇa. Haritvena. It is accepted in all the śāstras, Vedic literature, tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. And those who are devotees, pure devotees, they accept like that. So why they accept? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Guru is very dear to Kṛṣṇa because under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, by the paramparā system, he is training, "You do like this. This is paramparā system. Do not deviate." Because he is training people according to the desire of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is desiring that everyone should surrender unto Him. That is His desire. So guru's business is to train people how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, not to become Kṛṣṇa. That is foolishness. You cannot become Kṛṣṇa. Your respect is as Kṛṣṇa because you are doing the most confidential service of Kṛṣṇa. But if you think that you have become Kṛṣṇa, then he is not guru. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya.

sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair

uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ

kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya

(Gurvastaka 7)

This sākṣād-dharitvena, equal to Kṛṣṇa, why? Priya eva tasya. Because he is very, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Now, how he has become dear to Kṛṣṇa? Because he is preaching the same principle as Kṛṣṇa wanted.

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ

mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati

(BG 18.68)

na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu

kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ

(BG 18.69)

Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who is preaching this confidential cult . . ." Mad-bhakteṣu abhidhāsyati. Bhakteṣu means "amongst the devotee." Who will understand Kṛṣṇa, and who will surrender to Kṛṣṇa, unless he is bhakta? Therefore, guru's business is first of all to make him bhakta. Then he will be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and surrender to Him. He has got very double business. Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhakteṣu abhidhāsyati: "This cult, who preaches, anyone who preaches this cult of bhakti-yoga amongst My devotees . . ." He is selecting, "devotees." He never says the jñānīs, yogīs. The jñānīs, yogīs will not be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. From the very beginning they think they have become Kṛṣṇa. Vimukta-māninaḥ. They think like that. Actually, it is not. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap thing that one can become Kṛṣṇa. One can become Kṛṣṇa's most confidential servant—that is possible. But one cannot become Kṛṣṇa. That is another illusion, māyā.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This cult, who will understand unless he is devotee? A jñānī, yogī cannot understand. It is not possible. Because they are not bhakta, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa never says, "By jñāna or by yoga, by karma one can understand Me." No, that is not possible. Therefore jñānī, yogī, karmī, they cannot understand. Therefore they are misled. Māyā-mohita. Nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ. Nābhijānāti: they cannot understand. Mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. So Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, "Preach this cult amongst the devotees." He never said that "Preach this cult amongst the karmīs, amongst the jñānīs, amongst the yogīs." Because they are very unfortunate; they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). One who comes in touch with the Māyāvādī . . . māyāvādī means one who thinks Kṛṣṇa is also in māyā. That is called Māyāvādī. "Kṛṣṇa's body is also māyā." They are called Māyāvādī. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu warns that māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa: anyone who listens to the commentary of the Māyāvādī philosopher, then his fate is doomed. He is finished. He will never be able to understand bhakti philosophy. It is so poisonous.

Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has warned not to hear from avaiṣṇava about Kṛṣṇa. There is a very famous Bhāgavata reader in Bombay. He is a pakkā avaiṣṇava. But he is going on, and he is infusing poison—means those who are hearing him, they will never be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. They will never be able. It is so poisonous. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī says, avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, na śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa): "Avaiṣṇava, who is not Vaiṣṇava, who is not devotee, if he speaks about Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, nonsense . . ." He will speak nonsense. So it is not good. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam: "You should never hear." On principle you should avoid hearing from such rascals. This is the injunction of Sanātana Gosvāmī. "Why? He is speaking Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Why one should not hear? Bhagavad-gītā is very nice." That's all right. He gives the example, sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Milk . . . everyone knows milk is very good food. But if it is touched by the lip of a serpent, then it is finished. Then it is finished. He will die. If you take such milk, then your destiny is to death.

That is very important point, that Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he advised . . . many person used to come to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but he was first of all examined by His secretary whether he is actually fit for talking with Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Otherwise, he will simply waste His time. So one brāhmaṇa from East Bengal came with some literature. Many people used to write something. So when it was examined by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he said, "No." Then he explained how the literature was defective. He pointed out. These are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Then he saw the person was submissive; he did not protest. Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī advised him that "You . . ." Bhāgavata paḍā giya bhāgavata sthāne: "You go to a bhāgavata, person bhāgavata, and read or hear Bhāgavata from him. Otherwise you will be misled, doubtful."

So saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. So it is our business to be very, very careful from understanding spiritual life or devotional life from nondevotee class of men. Nondevotee means one who does not accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is nondevotee. Kṛṣṇa abhakta āra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was asked by His one devotee, gṛhastha devotee, that "What is the primary function of a devotee?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in two lines: asat-saṅga-tyāga, ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra (CC Madhya 22.87). Asat. Asat means those who are nondevotees. They are asat. They are asat. Why asat? Because they will remain in this material world. Therefore they are asat. And those who will go to the spiritual . . . those who will be promoted to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead, they are sat, oṁ tat sat, because they are being promoted to the eternal kingdom. That is sat. This is the distinction between asat and sat. Those who will perpetually remain within this material world, they are called asat. The karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs . . . yogīs, they . . . just like . . . what is that big yogīs? That ṛṣi, great ṛṣi?

Devotee: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi? Swami Tuk?

Prabhupāda: No, no, not this swāmī. He was very angry.

Devotee: Durvāsā.

Prabhupāda: Durvāsā, yes. Durvāsā Muni, he was a very, very big yogī. He was such a big yogī that he could go anywhere, even the spiritual world. The yogīs can go, travel. There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. These are called siddhis, yoga-siddhi: aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti. Nowadays there are so many yogīs, but they are not siddhas. They cannot display all these yoga-siddhis. Simply by some exercise, gymnastic, they become yogī. That is . . . gymnastic is required in the beginning for controlling the mind. But the yoga-siddhi is different. That require perfect yoga practice—aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi, īśitā, vaśitā.

So there is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. In that Siddhaloka, the inhabitants are by nature siddhas. They can fly in the sky. From one planet to another planet they can go. There is siddhi, there is laghimā-siddhi, to become lighter than the air. So they can fly in the air without any burden. These are Siddhaloka. So even these Siddhalokas, the inhabitants who are by nature born perfect in yoga-siddhis, they also could not enter into the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. And karmīs, they go up to the heavenly planet. And jñānīs, they may go up to Brahman effulgence. Paraṁ padam. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya kṛcch . . . they elevate themself very high, so much so that they enter the spiritual world, paraṁ padam. Paraṁ padam, the spiritual world. Really paraṁ padam means the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. But paraṁ padam, because this Brahman effulgence is also bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, the Brahman effulgence is also called sometimes paraṁ padam. But those who are aspiring to merge into that paraṁ padam, Brahman, they are actually not vimukta, vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking, "Now we have become liberated." Māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means the position is different, but he is thinking that "I have become now perfect."

So why, if they have gone to the spiritual world and stays in the Brahman effulgence, and still they are māninaḥ, not certain? Yes. Why? Because they cannot stay there. This is very logical argument and statement of the Vedic literature. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They fall down because they do not get ānanda. Spiritual effulgence is simply eternity. So suppose if you live eternally without any ānanda, how long you will like to live like that? Is it possible? That you cannot do. Suppose somebody lives eternally in the sky without any death. Rather, he will try to commit suicide. It is not possible. It is not possible. Just like we have got experience: if you remain for very long time—I have got experience—in the sea or in the air, you feel very uncomfortable. You want to land down, land down, another air station, another port, and feel very uncomfortable. The airplane men, they come down and they take rest on the ground. It is not our nature, because it is impersonal. In the air there is no variety, simply air. Similarly, in the sea there is no variety, simply water. So it becomes suffocating. Similarly, those who are aspiring to go to the Brahman effulgence . . . Brahman effulgence is spiritual world, certainly, but there is no variety. There is no Kṛṣṇa's enjoying with the cowherds boys or Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. You cannot find there. You simply remain in the Brahman effulgence.

But because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa wants enjoyment, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), ānandamaya, so we part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we also want ānanda. So to remain in the Brahman effulgence is not ānanda. It is eternity only. It is not ānanda. Therefore on account of absence of ānanda, they come down again to enjoy this material ānanda. We have got many experience of persons. The Māyāvādī sannyāsī, they take sannyāsa, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but after some time they come to take parts in politics. Why? Is jagan mithyā, why you are taking to politics? Because they could not get ānanda. Nirviśeṣa, nirākāra—simply philosophizing, but there was no ānanda. "Therefore let me go to the jail by political activities. There is ānanda." (laughter) Yes, they do, practically. Yes. So they will take ānanda in the jail, not with Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). This class of men, although after severe penance and austerities, āruhya kṛcchreṇa, very severe penance and austerities performing . . . the Māyāvādī sannyāsī, those who are really following the principles, their life is very strict, stricter than the Vaiṣṇavas'. So in spite of such strict observance of rules and regulation and rising up to the Brahman effulgence, because they do not get ānanda . . . ānanda is there with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇaloka. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). Kṛṣṇa is enjoying in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, expanding Himself in so many gopīs, so many cowherds boys, so many trees, plants, water, land—everything Kṛṣṇa's expands. Here also it is Kṛṣṇa's expansion, this material world, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. That is bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. That is separated energy. Apareyam, this is inferior. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. That information is there. There is another prakṛti, parā-prakṛti. And what is that parā-prakṛti? What is the sample? Jīva-bhūta, living entities. That prakṛti is living, and this prakṛti is dead. That is the difference. Anyone can understand. There also, the trees, they are living tree. Here also living tree, but covered by the material body, his life is not manifested. Just like why we cannot go to other planet? Because I am covered by these material elements. But when I am not covered by the material elements, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), then I can go everywhere, automatically. Just like Nārada Muni goes everywhere. He has no impediment.

So everyone can possess that status of life. So this is niścaya. If we understand Kṛṣṇa philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, rightly, then there will be no doubt, by intelligence. Without intelligence, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Dull-headed, poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Actually, those who are thinking they are jñānīs, they are not jñānīs. They are still in māyā, darkness, because they think that they have finished their business; now they have become liberated. They have become Nārāyaṇa. Instead of separate Nārāyaṇa, each, every one them is Nārāyaṇa. They address amongst themselves, "Nārāyaṇa." And that is their foolishness. At least you must show the four hands of Nārāyaṇa. Where is your four hand? You are begging, and you are Nārāyaṇa? What kind of Nārāyaṇa you are? Now daridra-nārāyaṇa they have manufactured. "Yes, I am Nārāyaṇa, but daridra-nārāyaṇa." But we do not know daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. He is the husband of Lakṣmī.

So they manufacture all these concocted ideas. Therefore it is called māninaḥ. They are thinking they have become liberated. Vimukta-māninaḥ. They are ordinary living being, but they can befool some foolish persons. But they are not liberated. They are under the spell of māyā. Māyā is dictating. Just like in the material world, māyā is dictating, "Now you are prime minister," "Now you are president," "Now you are very rich man, so your life is . . ." (break) Then you can surrender. Yes. Mattaḥ . . . actually, He is na mattaḥ paratara . . . that is fact. Even Śaṅkarācārya accepts, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa is not a living being of this world." But his followers, they are thinking, "I am Nārāyaṇa." You see? They do not know even their original philosophy. It is clearly written by Śaṅkarācārya, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. So . . . and in the śāstra it is said, yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, ekatvena or samatvenaiva vīkṣeta sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam (CC Madhya 18.116). Pāṣaṇḍī. Unbeliever, atheist, infidel, faithless—they are called pāṣaṇḍī. So anyone who thinks Nārāyaṇa on the same level with such exalted demigods like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ samatvenaiva vīkṣeta, if he puts Nārāyaṇa on the same level, sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam: he is pāṣaṇḍī.

So these pāṣaṇḍīs are flourishing in this Kali-yuga on account of our these doubts. What is that? Saṁśaya, this saṁśaya. So the first business of spiritual life is to become free from saṁśaya. Because saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. We should accept the statement of the śāstra, we should accept the statement of authorities, and make our life following. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). That is actually paramparā system, as Kṛṣṇa says, as Kṛṣṇa's devotee says, His authorized agent says. Then our life will be successful. Otherwise, saṁśayātmā vinaśyati (BG 4.40).

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)