730719 - Lecture BG 01.23 - London

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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730719BG-LONDON - July 19, 1973 - 28:24 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse)

yotsyamanan avekse 'ham

ya ete 'tra samagatah

dhartarastrasya durbuddher

yuddhe priya-cikirsavah

(BG 1.23)

yotsyamānān—those who will be fighting; avekṣe—let me see; aham—I; ye—who; ete—those; atra—here; samāgatāḥ—assembled; dhārtarāṣṭrasya—the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; durbuddheḥ—evil-minded; yuddhe—in the fight; priya—well; cikīrṣavaḥ—wishing.

Translation: "Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra."

Prabhupāda: Dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddher (BG 1.23). Durbuddhi. To usurp others' property is durbuddhi, mischievous. Why one should encroach upon others' property? That is not good. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam (ISO 1). This is the Vedic instruction that, "You accept only what is given to you. Don't encroach upon others' property." This is peaceful. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, so whatever Kṛṣṇa gives you as prasādam, as His favor, you accept it and be satisfied. This is the basic principle of peace in the world. But because people are not educated in that way, everyone is wanting more and more and more and more. There is no satisfaction. So that is durbuddhi.

The Vedic culture is that, "You be satisfied with your position." There is no question of starving in any position of life. People are trying to make economic development, but according to śāstra, it is not possible to develop your economic position simply by endeavor. You are destined to have some portion mixed up with happiness and distress. That is the nature. Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). These are four principles of human activities. First beginning is dharma. dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. That is dharma.

So people do not know who is the Supreme and what is His order. So what kind of religion? They take dharma as religion, faith, a superfluous faith only. But that is not dharma, religion. dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). That is the meaning of dharma: obedience to God. There is no conception of God, and what to speak of obedience. But this is the simple meaning of religion: obedience to God. That's all, three words. God is the supreme proprietor, God is the maintainer: bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).

Therefore we are maintained, we are predominated, we are servant, we should remain obedient to God. This is religion. Where is the difficulty? Unfortunately, they do not know what is God, what is His command, what is religion. They do not know. They manufacture. And because they do not know the simple process, they are called durbuddhi: not very nicely intelligent. A rascal, in other words.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is plainly said mūḍha. Mūḍha means asses, rascal. He does not know his own interest. He is called mūḍha, ass. Just like ass, ass is whole day working with tons of cloth on his back, but he does not . . . not a piece of cloth belongs to him. This is ass. And he is working so hard only for a morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. But he is thinking that "This gentleman, washerman, is giving me food." This is ass.

Such food can be available anywhere and everywhere, but he is thinking like that and working so hard. So karmīs are like that. He will eat two cāpāṭi or four cāpāṭis, but he is working day and night. If you want to see him, he will say: "Oh, I have no time." He does not think at any time that, "I am interested to eat four cāpāṭis, which can be very easily available. So why I am so working so hard?"

But that sense does not come. He is working, working, working, "More money, more money, more money, more money, more money." The Bhāgavata says: "No, no. This is not your business." The four cāpāṭis is already destined to you—you will get, any circumstances. You don't waste your time simply under some false impression of economic development. Don't waste your time. You cannot get more, you cannot get less. That is already there. So you utilize your time for understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is your business. People will not accept it, "Oh, this is waste of time. Attending the class of Bhagavad-gītā, this is waste of time. By this time I could have earned hundreds of dollars." That is their business. That is called durbuddhi, durbuddhi, not very intelligent. All mūḍha, asses.

Real intelligent person is he who is satisfied what Kṛṣṇa has given him, "If Kṛṣṇa wants, He will give me more. Let me become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Let me study about Kṛṣṇa. Let me chant about Kṛṣṇa. Let me hear about Kṛṣṇa. Let me see with my eyes Kṛṣṇa, the Deity Kṛṣṇa. Let me engage my hands in worshiping Kṛṣṇa, in cleansing the temple, my hands. Let my legs be engaged in going to the temple." In this way all our senses should be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is our real business. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Tasyaiva hetoḥ: "For that purpose only." Which purpose? Which we could not achieve after wandering the whole universe, up and down.

The living entity is wandering, by transmigration from one body to another, up and down. Sometimes he is becoming Brahmā even. Brahmā, Indra, Candra, he can become. One can become. By pious activities, you can be raised to the position of Brahmā, Indra, Candra, demigods, big, big demigods. And by impious activities you can go down to become the worm of a stool. This is going on. This is called bhramatām upary adhaḥ. Upari adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means down, and upari means up. So ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Who are going to up, upper planetary system? Sattva-sthāḥ: those who are qualified brāhmaṇas, strictly following the principles, satya śamo dama tittiska ārjava eva ca jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42).

If you follow these principles—controlling the senses, truthful, clean, full of knowledge, believing in the śāstra and God, and vijñānam, practical application of knowledge in life, vijñānam . . . simply to know is useless. You must practically apply in life. That is called vijñānam. Practical examination. Those who are science students, in B.Sc., they have to give . . . pass theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge also. Simply theoretical knowledge, "So much hydrogen, oxygen makes water," that is theoretical. But when you mix up hydrogen, oxygen gas, and actually prepare water, that is called practical. So that is science. Science means simply theoretical knowledge is not sufficient. Observation and experiment, experimental knowledge. That is called vijñānam.

So by practical knowledge you should be well acquainted with God. That is brāhmaṇa's business. So sattva-sthāḥ, those who are strictly following the brahminical principles, they will be situated in upper planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). But a Vaiṣṇava is above these. Mad-yājino yānti mām (BG 9.25). Those who are following these principles with an aim for higher planetary system, they can go, elevated. Similarly, those who are trying to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa, they can also go. It is not very . . .

This process, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to help people to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. It is not very difficult. Why it is difficult? Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Try to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, not vaguely. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We think of God. So why don't you accept Kṛṣṇa? He says and śāstra says, the ācārya says, Vyāsadeva says, Nārada says, your Guru Mahārāja says. Why not accept? Why rascaldom? Why you are searching after any other God? Here is God. Name, address, activities, everything is there, authorized statement of the Vedas. So is there any difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa? But these rascal will not take it.

Persistent. "Oh, why Kṛṣṇa can be accepted? I have got a God, manufactured." This is misfortune. Durbhaga, durbuddhi, miscreant, rascal. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). These are the qualification of persons who do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa: miscreants, mischievous, sinful, mūḍha, rascal, asses, narādhama, lowest of the mankind. These are the qualification. So they are all durbuddhi.

Human life is meant . . . this is an opportunity to understand Kṛṣṇa.

hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu

manuṣya-janama pāiyā

rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā

jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu

This is Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's song. Anyone who is not trying to understand Kṛṣṇa . . . not even trying, what to speak of worshiping Him, giving Him service. And Kṛṣṇa says simply by trying to know Him, one becomes liberated. Simply by trying; not perfectly. Even imperfectly. Because he is endeavoring to understand Kṛṣṇa, that very activity will make him liberated. That very activity. It is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. He is so great, unlimited. How we can understand Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa cannot understand Himself. Or Ananta cannot understand.

So . . . actually, that is the fact. We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. But still, whatever Kṛṣṇa says about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, if we accept so much, then we immediately become fit for going back to Godhead, back to home. Simply. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means in truth. The tattvataḥ cannot understand. Even siddhas, those who are perfect . . .

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

Nobody can understand, even if he is siddha, perfect. Perfect means not spiritually perfect; means materially perfect. Or even spiritually, partially perfect. Brahma-jñānī, they are partially perfect. Paramātmā-jñānī, yogīs, they are also partially perfect. Not completely perfect. Completely perfect is the devotees. Only devotees, they are completely perfect. Others, the jñānīs and yogīs and karmīs . . .

Karmīs are . . . they are rascals. Jñānīs, they are partially perfect because they can understand the eternity portion of the Supreme Lord, brahma-jñāna. That is eternity portion. And paramātmā-jñāna is the cid-aṁśa, knowledge, or personally seeing God as the four-handed Viṣṇu. So that is also perfect knowledge, er, imperfect knowledge. That when He comes to know Bhagavān, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), then there is perfect knowledge. Ānanda.

Because when one comes to the understanding of personal God, there is ānanda. In other features, there is no ānanda. There is eternity, there is knowledge, but there is no ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). That is the Vedānta-sūtra. One is by nature ānandamaya. We are searching after ānanda, bliss, but we do not know where to get bliss. We are trying to get bliss in this material world by eating meat, eating wine, drinking wine, by sex. They are trying to get ānanda. That is not ānanda. Ānanda is . . . what is satyānanda.

These ānandas, these pleasures—flickering, for few minutes, for few hours—that is not ānanda. Ānanda means satyānanda, real ānanda. Real ānanda. What is that real ānanda? Brahma-sukha. That ānanda is in exchange with the Supreme Brahman. Brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). That is anantam, unlimited ānanda. Therefore ramante yoginaḥ anante (CC Madhya 9.29).

Therefore those who are actually yogīs, bhakti-yogīs—there are different types of yoga—so they ramante, they enjoy, ramante yoginaḥ anante, along with the ananta, Unlimited. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. When you join with Kṛṣṇa in His rāsa dance as gopīs, or as cowherds boy, play with Him, or become His father and mother, Yaśodā, Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodā-rāṇī, or His . . . become servant, or even become like water, Yamunā, or land in Vṛndāvana and trees or fruits or flowers, any way, or cows and calves . . .

Join with Kṛṣṇa. Then you get ānanda, real ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). That is the description in all Bhāgavatam, how the Kṛṣṇa's associates are enjoying life. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: "These boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, oh, they are not ordinary boys." Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ: "They have amassed the effects of pious activities for millions and trillions of births. Now they have come to play with Kṛṣṇa."

So that opportunity is there in bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa is anxious to take you back. Why you are wasting time, economic development? What economic development you'll do? You cannot get more than what is destined to you. That is not possible. Then everyone would have been big man, big, educated, very beautiful. Econ . . . pious activities, the effects of pious activity, is to get nice opulence, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26): birth in very high family, janma; aiśvarya, opulence, riches; education; śrī . . . śruta, śruta means education, highly learned. These things are effects of pious activities. You get nice family, you take your birth in nice family, rich family, aiśvarya, you get good education, you become very beautiful. These are the effects of pious activities. Similarly, the effects of impious activities, the opposite.

But they are all material. They are destined. Whatever you have got by pious or impious activities, that you cannot change. It is not possible. But you can change your position, this material position, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can change. Other things you cannot change. If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become first-class Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Either you are black or white, it doesn't matter. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Other things we cannot change. This is not possible. Sarvatra.

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido

na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ

tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ

kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā

(SB 1.5.18)

Kālena, by time, whatever you are destined you will get. Don't bother about so-called economic development. So far food is concerned, Kṛṣṇa is supplying, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān, even cats and dogs and ants. Why not you? There is no need of bothering Kṛṣṇa, "God, give us our daily bread." He will give you. Don't bother. Try to become very faithful servant of God, "Oh, God has given so many things. So let me give my energy to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is required.

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, "I have taken so much, life after life, from Kṛṣṇa. Now this life let me dedicate to Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "This life I will not let it go uselessly like cats and dogs. Let me utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya . . . (cut) (end)