770102 - Conversation A - Bombay

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

770102R1-BOMBAY - January 02, 1977 - 09:44 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . that a high-court judge, and he does not know what is God. How misfortunate he is. And he's speaking of God, "Surrender," all theoretical. They do not know what is surrender. If I say anybody that "Go to Dr. Patel and surrender unto him, and whatever he'll prescribe, you take it," but if he does not know what is Dr. Patel, then where he'll go, and what to surrender? This is their position. They speak big, big words but do not know where to go. It is not? What do you think?

Dr. Patel: They do not believe what you say . . .

Prabhupāda: Huh? That is the truth. Actually they do not know, and they cheat others, speaking about God. That is the difficulty. All rascals are doing that. And if I say, "All rascals," it is little harsh, but it has to be said. They do not know what is God, and they speak of God. Let them say frankly that "I do not know what is God." That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). If they are sincere, then after many, many births . . . kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta . . . (BG 12.5). They do not know, and they do not accept ācāryopāsanam. The ācārya says, Rāmānujācārya says, Madhvācārya says, big, big ācārya, Caitanya . . . they will not believe them. They will speculate in their nonsense speculation. This is the difficulty. Without going to the ācārya . . . tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the Vedic process, how one can know. But they will speculate. Ciraṁ vicinvan. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayaṁ jānāti tattvam . . . athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayam, leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvaṁ na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan (SB 10.14.29). One who has little mercy of God upon him, he can understand. But others, they can speculate for many, many births, still, they'll never be able. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayaṁ leśānugṛhīta jānāti tattvam. Leśānugṛhīta eva hi. Leśa. One cannot know God full. That is not possible, because you are limited; He is unlimited. Still, if one has learned, at least if one has accepted, "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. Bas," his knowledge is perfect. If he simply believes only this, that "Here is God," he can understand. They don't believe that Kṛṣṇa is God. "Eh . . . He may be very powerful . . ." so on. Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2), mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). These rascals will not believe. "So what is there for me?" Mūḍho nābhijānāti. If they remain persistently mūḍhas, who can make them understand? Very difficult . . . (indistinct) . . . Gandhi did not believe in Kṛṣṇa. Huh?

Dr. Patel: I don't know that. I think he . . .

Prabhupāda: You should know. You have read Gandhi's book.

Dr. Patel: He practiced Vaiṣṇavism. That is what my wife said. Always, daily, to worship.

Prabhupāda: This is not . . . I do not know where is taken this Gandhi's book, his Gītā lecture. Why don't you purchase them? Explain.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll get you some.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He mentioned that, that "My Kṛṣṇa is different imagination . . . my imagination of Kṛṣṇa is different." That is his position—He imagines. He has . . . spast bataya hai. He says it clearly. "My imagination of Kṛṣṇa . . ." How he can believe Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is preaching violence, and he's trying to draw nonviolence. The people will challenge, but he makes his own commentation, his own imagination. He said, "My imagination of Kṛṣṇa is different." This is his word, he has given. And actually he is the student of Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavad-gītā, and in his āśrama there is not a single picture of Kṛṣṇa. He does not believe in Kṛṣṇa. But believe or not believe, he was reading Bhagavad-gītā, had respect. That will give him some profit, there is no doubt. (break) Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam (BG 7.28). Everything is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā. I speak, therefore, to my disciples that, "You simply repeat like parrot Bhagavad-gītā and follow first your life. Don't try to become very big scholar, do interpretation. Remain foolish and believe in Kṛṣṇa. Then life is perfect." And actually that is happening. They never tried to eschew any . . . what is called, the English word? "Draw out some meaning." Eschew, or something?

Jagadīśa: Eschew is the right word.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jagadīśa: Eschew is the right word.

Prabhupāda: They do, everyone. The Tilak has done like that, Gandhi has done like that, Vinoba Bhave is doing that. Dr. Radhakrishna has done like that, Vivekananda has done, Aurobindo has done—everyone. Nobody would take directly, that "Here is God." What do you think? They have taken directly? Do they believe?

Dr. Patel: They believe in God.

Prabhupāda: No, believe in God, that is everyone doing. So what is their special credit? Why do they touch Bhagavad-gītā and say: "My imagination of God is different"? How cheating it is. If your imagination of God is different, why do you touch Bhagavad-gītā and declare yourself that "I am a student of Bhagavad-gītā. My life is also for Gītā"?

Dr. Patel: Even when Tilak . . . tilak says he follows Bhagavad-gītā always.

Prabhupāda: Everyone says that. But nobody says . . .

Dr. Patel: But he follows a part of it, not the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: Nobody says that, "Here is God: Kṛṣṇa." That is their fault.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (aside) You can bring the car down at ten o'clock.

Prabhupāda: Nobody says: "Here is God." That is, perhaps . . . we Vaiṣṇavas say, I am preaching. Perhaps I am first preacher to the world, that "Here is God."

Dr. Patel: Some of these great Vaiṣṇava ācāryas were doing interpretation of Bhagavad-gītā . . .

Prabhupāda: Then who is ācārya except the Vaiṣṇava ācārya? (laughter) All loafer class. All loafer class. They're not ācāryas. Except these Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, who is ācārya? They're not ācāryas. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān (SB 11.17.27).

Dr. Patel: But I read your Bhagavad-gītā, and after that, I read Rāmānuja's. They more or less the same . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Same thing. There is no difference between the ācāryas. Then how he becomes ācārya if there is difference of opinion? They cannot be ācārya. (end)