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[[Category:1971 - Lectures]]
<div class="lec_code">710331LE.BOM</div>
[[Category:1971 - Lectures and Conversations]]
[[Category:1971 - Lectures, Conversations and Letters]]
[[Category:1971-03 - Lectures, Conversations and Letters]]
[[Category:Lectures - India]]
[[Category:Lectures - India, Bombay]]
[[Category:Lectures, Conversations and Letters - India]]
[[Category:Lectures, Conversations and Letters - India, Bombay]]
[[Category:Lectures - General]]
[[Category:Audio Files 45.01 to 60.00 Minutes]]
[[Category:1971 - New Audio - Released in June 2016]]
<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=Category:Lectures - by Date]]'''[[:Category:Lectures - by Date|Lectures by Date]], [[:Category:1971 - Lectures|1971]]'''</div>
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Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your participating in this meeting, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very much authorized. It is nothing like concocted mental speculation. It is authorized on the basis of Vedic knowledge, specifically, directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago when there was no history of other religion. In the modern age, any religion you can take into consideration, they are not older than 2,600 years. But so far this Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago.
<div class="code">710331LE.BOMBAY - March 31, 1971 - 45:36 Minutes</div>


We should consider what are the religion of the world 2,600 years ago because modern history cannot place before you any chronological list of religious evolution within 2,600 years. There was human society before 2,600 years. And what was their religion? We think, from Vedic evidences, the whole world was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There was one God, Kṛṣṇa; one scripture, Bhagavad-gītā; one consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and one work, service of the Lord. From Mahābhārata, the great history of India, we can understand that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was ruled by one flag, this Vedic culture. Gradually it deteriorated, as we have practical experience. Twenty years ago there was no Pakistan, but now Pakistan is existing. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. This Bhārata-varṣa name was after the king Mahārāja Bhārata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after the king Mahārāja Bhārata—he was a great king—he also left his kingdom at the age of twenty-four years, very young boy, for searching after spiritual realization, self-realization. That is the way of Vedic culture or Indian culture. Not that up to the last point of our death we shall stick to the worldly affairs. The Vedic culture divides the whole society into four social orders and four spiritual orders. The four social orders is division of intelligence. The most intelligent class of men are called the brāhmaṇas. And next than the brāhmaṇas are the kṣatriyas. It is all calculated on the basis of intelligence. There are different kinds of people all over the world on account of more or less intelligence. So brāhmaṇa means the most intelligent class of men. The scientists, the poets, the philosophers, like that. The religionists, they are called brāhmaṇas. And the administrator class is called the kṣatriyas, and the productive class are called the vaiśyas, and the laborer class, or the working class, is called the śūdra. That is natural division.


In the Bhagavad-gītā... We are trying to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to preach Bhagavad-gītā. We have not invented something, but we are preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation. Therefore, because we are presenting pure Bhagavad-gītā, people are accepting it very quickly. Unfortunately, before this in the Western countries there was so many translation of Bhagavad-gītā, but everyone's attempt is to make Kṛṣṇa—minus Bhagavad-gītā. They are commenting Bhagavad-gītā without Kṛṣṇa; kingdom of God without God. That is their attempt. But we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. We are presenting in that way. We are presenting Kṛṣṇa in the Western world. When I first went there the people were saying, "God is dead." Exactly in the same way as in our country also. We have been misled by so-called leaders. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. There is a statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
<mp3player>https://s3.amazonaws.com/vanipedia/full/1971/710331LE-BOMBAY.mp3</mp3player>


<div class="lec_verse">
na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ<br />
durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ<br />
andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās<br />
te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ<br />
[[SB 7.5.31]] </div>


Prabhupāda: (sings ''Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava'') (''prema-dhvani'') (devotees offer obeisances)


But actually we are misled by the so-called blind leaders. They have no vision what is the actual goal of life. Not only in a particular country—everywhere the same mischief is going on. Therefore, as a blind man, if he leads other blind men, there will be catastrophe, similarly, because we are led by blind men, the whole world is in catastrophe. Nobody is in peace. Everyone is unsatisfied in spite of so much material education, advancement of material education, because the missing point is Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [[SB 7.5.31]] .  
Śyāmasundara: Would everyone kindly, at this time, be seated. Please move back and sit down, everyone, please. Thank you. Please, everyone sit down. Everyone would like to hear the transcendental words of His Divine Grace.


So the Vedic literatures, the Vedic civilization, is pointing out to Viṣṇu. As you know in the Ṛg mantra, Ṛg Veda: tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are actually intelligent, brāhmaṇas, they are looking after self-realization, making the target on the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. That is the missing point. In the Bhagavad-gītā we are taught by the Lord Himself to give us enlightenment, what is the aim of life. That aim of life the Lord Kṛṣṇa says Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [[BG 15.15]] . The ultimate target of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Bhagavad-gītā's teaching. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam.  
Those who are standing are blocking the way of at least five other people. All of those who are sitting, move back, please move back, so everyone can see and hear His Divine Grace. Please. Everyone be seated, all of these people.


<div class="lec_verse">
Prabhupāda: (chants ''maṅgalācaraṇa'' prayers)
sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo<br />
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca<br />
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ<br />
vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd cāham<br />
[[BG 15.15]] </div>


:''om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā''
:''cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ''


Unfortunately, we do not understand or do not try to understand or do not like to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. If we try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then we have to accept a certain prescribed process. Not that because one is very erudite scholar academically, because one has got some degrees of the university he will be able to understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not like that. Even a very layman, illiterate man, without any understanding of the Vedas, if he is a devotee, he can understand Bhagavad-gītā, whereas a person, very erudite scholar, with reputation, he cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. I shall cite one example when Lord Caitanya was traveling in the South India. When He was in the Raṅganātha temple of South India, one brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā, and his friends and neighbors knew that the brāhmaṇa was illiterate. He could not know even what is written there, but still he was trying to read Bhagavad-gītā. So some of his friends were criticizing him: "Hello, brāhmaṇa. How you are reading Bhagavad-gītā? " He knew that "They are criticizing," so he remained silent. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that he was reading Bhagavad-gītā with transcendental ecstasy. He therefore approached him, "My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" The brāhmaṇa could understand that this gentleman, or this sannyāsī— Caitanya Mahāprabhu at that time was a sannyāsī— He was not joking. He was serious. So he informed Him, "My dear sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā, but I am illiterate. My Guru Mahārāja asked me to read Bhagavad-gītā a few chapters daily, although he knew that I am illiterate. So I am trying to read Bhagavad-gītā, but I cannot actually read it." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "But I sometimes see that you are in full ecstasy and sometimes you are crying." He said, "Yes, sir. I feel some ecstasy." "What is that?" He said that "As soon as I take this Bhagavad-gītā in my hand I feel that Kṛṣṇa is the chariot driver of Arjuna. So I feel that how Kṛṣṇa is kind that He has accepted a menial service of His devotee. He is driving the chariot and Arjuna is ordering Him, senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta: [[BG 1.21]] 'My dear Kṛṣṇa, Acyuta, please put up my chariot between the two soldiers.' And He is carrying out the order. So when I see that Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He can become an order carrier of His devotee, that is giving me feeling, and I am therefore crying." Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced him and said, "My dear brāhmaṇa, you are actually reading Bhagavad-gītā. " That is the fact. If after reading Bhagavad-gītā we do not realize what is Kṛṣṇa, what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, what is our duty towards Kṛṣṇa, and what is the ultimate goal of life, then it is useless study. It has no meaning. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa prescribed it, how to read Bhagavad-gītā. Don't try to read Bhagavad-gītā made by some commentator who has no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. One who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he has no business to comment on the Bhagavad-gītā.
:''śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale''
:''svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam''


That is the purport stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You'll find in the Fourth Chapter, Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna,
:''he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate''
:''gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te''


<div class="lec_verse">
:''tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari''
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ<br />
:''vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye''
proktavān aham avyayam<br />
vivasvān manave prāhur<br />
manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt<br />
[[BG 4.1]] </div>


:''vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca kripa-sindhubhya eva ca''
:''patitanam pavanebhyo vaishnavebhyo namo namah''


<div class="lec_verse">
:''śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda''
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam<br />
:''śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda''
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ<br />
sa kāleneha (mahatā)<br />
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa<br />
[[BG 4.2]] </div>


:''hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare''
:''hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare''


So Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, this Bhagavad-gītā was first spoken by Me to the sun-god, Vivasvān. Vivasvān spoke to his son Manu. And Manu, by his turn, spoke to his son Mahārāja Ikṣvāku." So if you take the history of Manu, then it becomes 400,000's millions of years ago Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. So Bhagavad-gītā is not a new thing. If we accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, if we believe in the words of Bhagavad-gītā, or Kṛṣṇa, then Bhagavad-gītā is the oldest. It is not a new thing. It was long, long ago spoken to the sun-god Vivasvān. The sun-god, the president or the predominating Deity in the sun planet, is known as Vivasvān. So we have to study Bhagavad-gītā as it is by the paramparā system. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [[BG 4.2]] . Not that whimsically somebody purchases a book from the market and he takes his pleasure to make an interpretation of his own intelligence. Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa. He did not leave it for being interpreted by an ordinary man. There is no need of explaining Bhagavad-gītā in a different way.  
Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your participating in this meeting, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very much authorized. It is nothing like concocted mental speculation. It is authorized on the basis of Vedic knowledge, specifically, directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago when there was no history of another religion. In the modern age, any religion you can take into consideration, they are not older than 2,600 years. But so far this ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is concerned, it was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago.


Just like in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā we understand the statements very clearly:
We should consider what were the religion of the world 2,600 years ago, because modern history cannot place before you any chronological list of religious evolution within 2,600 years. There was human society before 2,600 years. And what was their religion? We think, from Vedic evidences, the whole world was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There was one God: Kṛṣṇa; one scripture: ''Bhagavad-gītā''; one consciousness: Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and one work: service of the Lord.


<div class="lec_verse">
From ''Mahābhārata'', the great history of India, we can understand that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was ruled by one flag, this Vedic culture. Gradually it deteriorated, as we have practical experience. Twenty years ago there was no Pakistan, but now Pakistan is existing. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. This Bhārata-varṣa name was after the king Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after the king Mahārāja Bharata—he was a great king—he also left his kingdom at the age of twenty-four years, very young boy, for searching after spiritual realization, self-realization.
dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre<br />
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ<br />
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva<br />
kim akurvata sañjaya<br />
[[BG 1.1]] </div>


That is the way of Vedic culture, or Indian culture. Not that up to the last point of our death we shall stick to the worldly affairs. The Vedic culture divides the whole society into four social orders and four spiritual orders. The four social orders is division of intelligence. The most intelligent class of men are called the ''brāhmiṇs''. And next than the ''brāhmiṇs'' are the ''kṣatriyas''. It is all calculated on the basis of intelligence. There are different kinds of people all over the world on account of more or less intelligence.


The meaning is very clear. Dharma-kṣetre: the land of pilgrimage, the holy land of pilgrimage; kuru-kṣetre: the land which is known as Kurukṣetra. It is not fictitious. It is actual fact. Still there is Kurukṣetra, and people go there to perform religious ritualistic ceremonies. And in the Vedas it is written clearly, kurukṣetre dharmam ācaret. That is the statement of the Vedas. So from time immemorial this Kurukṣetra, land of Kurukṣetra is known as dharma-kṣetra. So what is the difficulty to understand dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre [[BG 1.1]] ? There is no difficulty. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous commentator says that " Kurukṣetra means this body." Where is the chance of interpreting like that, " Kuru-kṣetre is meaning body"? In no dictionary you will find that kuru-kṣetra is meant by body. Neither there is any chance. Interpretation is required when you cannot understand the word very clearly. In that case you can interpret. Just like the example is gaṅgāyāṁ ghoṣapali: "There is a neighborhood which is known as ghoṣapali on the Ganges." Now one may question how on the Ganges, Ganges is water, there can be a neighborhood? Then you can interpret that "It is not on the Ganges water, but it is on the bank of the Ganges." Then there is chance of interpretation. But when you can clearly understand that "The thing is like this: Kurukṣetra is a place, and that is a place of pilgrimage," why should you interpret that Kurukṣetra means the body? In this way Bhagavad-gītā is being misinterpreted. In the Ninth Chapter, when Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [[BG 1.1]] , one great commentator, very erudite scholar, he says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa; it is to the unborn principle which is within Kṛṣṇa." But he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and he has the audacity to comment on the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is not different from within and without. Kṛṣṇa, being Absolute, there is no such difference. As we have got difference, I, the spirit soul, is different from my body, but Kṛṣṇa is not like that. There is no such difference that Kṛṣṇa's soul and Kṛṣṇa's body. Kṛṣṇa is complete whole, pūrṇa. There is no such difference. The person who does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, if he tries to comment upon the transcendental knowledge imparted by Kṛṣṇa, that is simply impudent. So in this way, if we try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then we become liberated, we become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the objective of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa therefore says, "Arjuna, I am trying to deliver this knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā unto you because you are My devotee." Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam [[BG 1.1]] . "Without you, nobody can understand what is the mystery of this Bhagavad-gītā knowledge."
So ''brāhmiṇ'' means the most intelligent class of men—the scientists, the poets, the philosophers, like that. The religionists, they are called ''brāhmiṇs''. And the administrator class is called the ''kṣatriyas'', and the productive class are called the ''vaiśyas'', and the laborer class, or the working class, is called the ''śūdra''. That is natural division.


Therefore we should understand that Bhagavad-gītā is meant for a person who is a devotee and dear to Kṛṣṇa, not for the demons, who are against Kṛṣṇa. The demons are trying to kill Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kaṁsa: his only business is making plan how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Just like Rāvaṇa: his only business is how to kill Lord Rāma. So there are two classes of men. One class of men is called demigod, devatā, and the other class is called demon. And who is demon and who is devatā? Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved deva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. One who is devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, he is called deva, demigod. All the demigods like Sūrya, Candra, Indra, and many others, they are all appointed servants of Kṛṣṇa. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, therefore, it is said,
In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' . . . we are trying to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to preach ''Bhagavad-gītā''. We have not invented something, but we are preaching ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is, without any malinterpretation. Therefore, because we are presenting pure ''Bhagavad-gītā'', people are accepting it very quickly. Unfortunately, before this, in the Western countries there was so many translation of ''Bhagavad-gītā'', but everyone's attempt is to make Kṛṣṇa minus ''Bhagavad-gītā''. They are commenting ''Bhagavad-gītā'' without Kṛṣṇa; kingdom of God without God. That is their attempt. But we are presenting ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is.


<div class="lec_verse">
In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. We are presenting in that way. We are presenting Kṛṣṇa in the Western world. When I first went there, the people were saying, "God is dead," exactly in the same way as in our country also. We have been misled by so-called leaders. ''Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ''. There is a statement in the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'':
ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya<br />
yāre yaiche nācāya se taiche kare nṛtya<br />
[[CC Adi 5.142]] </div>


:''na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ''
:''durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ''
:''andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās''
:''te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ''
:([[SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]])


Very simple language: "The only master, only īśvara, parameśvara, is Kṛṣṇa." That is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā also:
But actually we are misled by the so-called blind leaders. They have no vision what is the actual goal of life. Not only in a particular country; everywhere the same mischief is going on. Therefore, as a blind man, if he leads other blind men, there will be catastrophe, similarly, because we are led by blind men, the whole world is in catastrophe. Nobody is in peace. Everyone is unsatisfied in spite of so much material education, advancement of material education, because the missing point is Viṣṇu. ''Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum'' ([[SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]).


<div class="lec_verse">
So the Vedic literatures, the Vedic civilization, is pointing out to Viṣṇu. As you know in the ''Ṛg'' ''mantra'', ''Ṛg'' ''Veda'': ''tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ''. Those who are actually intelligent, ''brāhmiṇs'', they are looking after self-realization, making the target on the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. That is the missing point. In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' we are taught by the Lord Himself to give us enlightenment, what is the aim of life. That aim of life the Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself says in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'': ''vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam'' ([[BG 15.15 (1972)|BG 15.15]]). The ultimate target of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is ''Bhagavad-gītā'''s teaching. ''Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam''.
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ<br />
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ<br />
anādir ādir govindaḥ<br />
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam<br />
[Bs. 5.1] </div>


:''sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo''
:''mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca''
:''vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ''
:''Vedānta-vid Vedānta-kṛd cāham''
:([[BG 15.15 (1972)|BG 15.15]])


In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is confirmed, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [[SB 1.3.28]] . Even Śaṅkarācārya, whom we call impersonalist, he has accepted in his comment on Bhagavad-gītā that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing as the son of Devakī and Vasudeva." Similarly, all other ācāryas- Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī , Nimbārka, and lately, Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Of course, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is both ācārya and Kṛṣṇa Himself. Apart from His being Kṛṣṇa, if we take the part which He played as ācārya, that is, He also accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeṣa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. So we are to follow the ācāryas, not these casual interpretations, interpreters, to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Then we will be misled. We cannot understand. Because Kṛṣṇa says that "The mystery of Bhagavad-gītā will be understood by you because you are My very dear friend." So... "Because you are My devotee." So unless one is devotee, how one can understand Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa says plainly in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yas cāsmi tattvataḥ: [[SB 1.3.28]] "Only through devotional service one can understand." Although Kṛṣṇa has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā jñāna, yoga, karma, and other things, dhyāna, but He specifically recommends that simply by devotional service you can understand Him. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, the same thing is confirmed:
Unfortunately, we do not understand or do not try to understand or do not like to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is. If we try to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is, then we have to accept a certain prescribed process. Not that because one is very erudite scholar academically, because one has got some degrees of the university he will be able to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā''. It is not like that. Even a very layman, illiterate man, without any understanding of the ''Vedas'', if he is a devotee, he can understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'', whereas a person, very erudite scholar, with reputation, he cannot understand ''Bhagavad-gītā''.


<div class="lec_verse">
I shall cite one example when Lord Caitanya was traveling in the South India. When He was in the Raṅganātha temple of South India, one ''brāhmiṇ'' was reading ''Bhagavad-gītā'', and his friends and neighbors knew that the ''brāhmiṇ'' was illiterate. He could not know even what is written there, but still he was trying to read ''Bhagavad-gītā''. So some of his friends were criticizing him: "Hello, ''brāhmiṇ''. How you are reading ''Bhagavad-gītā''?" He knew that, "They are criticizing," so he remained silent.
evaṁ prasanna-manaso<br />
bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ<br />
bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam...<br />
[[SB 1.2.20]] </div>


But Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that he was reading ''Bhagavad-gītā'' with transcendental ecstasy. He therefore approached him, "My dear ''brāhmiṇ'', what you are reading?" The brāhmiṇ could understand that this gentleman, or this ''sannyāsī''—Caitanya Mahāprabhu at that time was a ''sannyāsī''—He was not joking; he was serious. So he informed Him, "My dear Sir, I am reading ''Bhagavad-gītā'', but I am illiterate. My Guru Mahārāja asked me to ''Bhagavad-gītā'' . . . to read ''Bhagavad-gītā'' a few chapters daily, although he knew that I am illiterate. So I am trying to read ''Bhagavad-gītā'', but I cannot actually read it."


Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. It is a science. It is not a mental speculation or whimsical theorizing, that "God may be like this, God may be like that," and different philosophers will differ from one another. It is not like that. It is a great science. As two plus two equal to four, nobody can make it "Two plus two equal to five" or "Two plus two equal to three." Anywhere, science is science, fact. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā you cannot interpret differently. Just like "Two plus two equal to five"—that cannot be. You have to accept "Two plus two equal to four."
But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: "But I sometimes see that you are in full ecstasy, and sometimes you are crying." He said: "Yes, Sir. I feel some ecstasy." "What is that?" He said that, "As soon as I take this ''Bhagavad-gītā'' in my hand I feel that Kṛṣṇa is the chariot driver of Arjuna. So I feel that how Kṛṣṇa is kind, that He has accepted a menial service of His devotee.


So if you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you will be benefited. Our process of preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is only that we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation. And you are practically seeing that all over the world this Bhagavad-gītā principles, Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord, is being accepted. All these boys and girls who are dancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, four years ago, four years back, they never heard of Kṛṣṇa. Of course, some of them knew Bhagavad-gītā, because Bhagavad-gītā is very widely read. But because Bhagavad-gītā was not properly presented, although for the last hundred or two hundred or more than that years, Bhagavad-gītā is widely read all over the world, there was not a single Kṛṣṇa-bhakta. But since Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, within four years there are hundreds and thousands of Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. That is our point, that you present the thing as it is, without any adulteration. Just like milk, pure milk, if you supply, automatically there will be many customers. But if you sell milk adulteration, adulterating with water, you can cheat somebody for some time, but you cannot cheat all for all the time. That is not possible. So it is now necessary. It is India's culture. People are hankering after this culture, Kṛṣṇa culture. So you should prepare yourself to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then India will conquer all over the world by this Kṛṣṇa culture. Be... Rest assured. We are hankering after help from others. Our government men go there in America: "Please give us wheat. Please give us money. Please give us soldiers." Simply begging business. But here is a thing which (you) can give to them. Simply begging does not glorify your country. Try to give something to the others, to other countries. That is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (applause)
He is driving the chariot, and Arjuna is ordering Him, ''senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta'' ([[BG 1.21-22 (1972)|BG 1.21]]): 'My dear Kṛṣṇa, Acyuta, please put up my chariot between the two soldiers.' And He is carrying out the order. So when I see that Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He can become an order-carrier of His devotee, that is giving me feeling, and I am therefore crying." Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced him and said: "My dear ''brāhmiṇ'', you are actually reading ''Bhagavad-gītā''."


Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,
That is the fact. If after reading ''Bhagavad-gītā'' we do not realize what is Kṛṣṇa, what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, what is our duty towards Kṛṣṇa and what is the ultimate goal of life, then it is useless study. It has no meaning. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa prescribed it, how to read ''Bhagavad-gītā''. Don't try to read ''Bhagavad-gītā'' made by some commentator who has no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. One who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he has no business to comment on the ''Bhagavad-gītā''. That is the purport stated in the ''Bhagavad-gītā''.


<div class="lec_verse">
You'll find in the Fourth Chapter, ''Bhagavad-gītā'', Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna:
bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra<br />
janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra<br />
[[CC Adi 9.41]] </div>


:''imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ''
:''proktavān aham avyayam''
:''vivasvān manave prāhur''
:''manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt''
:([[BG 4.1 (1972)|BG 4.1]])


We are meant for doing welfare activities to the whole world. We are not meant for exploiting. We have something to give to the whole world. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says, "Everyone who has taken birth as a human being of this, in this country, Bhārata-varsa..." Specifically He said,
:''evaṁ paramparā-prāptam''
:''imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ''
:''sa kāleneha'' (''mahatā'')
:''yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa''
:([[BG 4.2 (1972)|BG 4.2]])


<div class="lec_verse">
So Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna: "My dear Arjuna, this ''Bhagavad-gītā'' was first spoken by Me to the sun-god, Vivasvān. Vivasvān spoke to his son, Manu. And Manu, by his turn, spoke to his son Mahārāja Ikṣvāku." So if you take the history of Manu, then it becomes 400,000's millions of years ago ''Bhagavad-gītā'' was spoken.
bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra<br />
janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra<br />
[[CC Adi 9.41]] </div>


So ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is not a new thing. If we accept ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is, if we believe in the words of ''Bhagavad-gītā'', or Kṛṣṇa, then ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is the oldest. It is not a new thing. It was long, long ago spoken to the sun-god Vivasvān. The sun-god, the president or the predominating Deity in the sun planet, is known as Vivasvān.


Without being human being, nobody can perfect his life. Animal, they cannot make perfect his life. It is not possible. By nature they are stopped. But a human being, he can perfect his life. And especially in India there is treasure of knowledge, Vedic knowledge. Why you neglect it? And the summarized knowledge is Bhagavad-gītā. So if we simply try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, we understand immediately the science of God. And because we are all parts and parcels of God, we are actually hankering after uniting with God. That is our seeking. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt ( Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12) . God is ānandamaya, and we, being part and parcel of God, or Kṛṣṇa, we are also ānandamaya. But we are seeking ānanda in a different atmosphere, in the material atmosphere. Therefore we are being baffled. The only remedy is that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you will be happy.  
So we have to study ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is by the ''paramparā'' system, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, ''evaṁ paramparā-prāptam''. Not that whimsically somebody purchases a book from the market and takes his pleasure to make an interpretation of his own intelligence. ''Bhagavad-gītā'' was spoken by Kṛṣṇa. He did not leave it for being interpreted by an ordinary man.


So it is the duty of every Indian to understand this science. It is a science, and spoken by the Lord Himself, and understood by all the ācāryas. Kṛṣṇa says ācāryopāsanam. We have to understand things through the ācāryas. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. One who is not following the footsteps of the ācāryas, he cannot understand anything. Kṛṣṇa also says tad-vijñānārtham. No, Kṛṣṇa... That is said in the Kaṭhopaniṣad: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12] . Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [[BG 4.34]] . So everywhere the same instruction is there, that "You approach a person who is coming in disciplic succession," evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [[BG 4.34]] , "and try to learn Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Your life will be sublime. Your life will be successful." That is our mission. We have given so many important books. We have got magazines. If you want to understand through intelligence and philosophy, we have got volumes of books we can deliver. You try to understand. If you simply read our book Kṛṣṇa in two parts, I am sure you will become Kṛṣṇa conscious, undoubtedly. Or if you feel that you cannot read or you have no money to purchase book, never mind. Lord Caitanya has given you very simple path: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If you chant this mantra with faith and devotion, without any offense, but simply by chanting you will realize yourself, you will realize God, Kṛṣṇa, and your life will be successful. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [[BG 4.34]] . These are the statements of Vedic literature. Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one can cleanse his heart of all the dirty things. And as soon as the dirty things are moved, then you become liberated. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. Immediately the blazing fire of material existence is extinguished.
There is no need of explaining ''Bhagavad-gītā'' in a different way. Just like in the beginning of the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' we understand the statements very clearly:


These are the processes recommended in the Vedas. We are simply preaching the authorized principles of the Vedas, and we request you all to accept it. Not accept it blindly, but take it with all your reason and intelligence. Just like Caitanya-caritāmṛta says,
:''dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre''
:''samavetā yuyutsavaḥ''
:''māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva''
:''kim akurvata sañjaya''
:([[BG 1.1 (1972)|BG 1.1]])


<div class="lec_verse">
The meaning is very clear. ''Dharma-kṣetre'': the land of pilgrimage, the holy land of pilgrimage; ''kuru-kṣetre'': the land which is known as Kurukṣetra. It is not fictitious; it is actual fact. Still there is Kurukṣetra, and people go there to perform religious ritualistic ceremonies. And in the ''Vedas'' it is written clearly, ''dharma'' . . . ''kurukṣetre dharmam ācaret''. That is the statement of the ''Vedas''. So from time immemorial this Kurukṣetra, land of Kurukṣetra, is known as ''dharma''-''kṣetra''. So what is the difficulty to understand ''dharma''-''kṣetre kuru-kṣetre''? There is no difficulty.
caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra<br />
vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra</div>


Unfortunately, some unscrupulous commentator says that "Kurukṣetra means this body." Where is the chance of interpreting like that, "Kuru-kṣetre is meaning 'body' "? In no dictionary you will find that ''kuru-kṣetra'' is meant by body. Neither there is any chance. Interpretation is required when you cannot understand the word very clearly. In that case you can interpret.


It is not that we are forcing something. By force you cannot do anything. That is artificial. That is not... But it is a fact that in everyone's heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness because that is pure consciousness. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, naturally, just like father and the son, there is an eternal relationship. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we have got eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is now covered by the dirty things of māyā. But as soon as we remove, we cleanse these dirty things from our heart, then immediately we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is our relationship with spirit.  
Just like the example is ''gaṅgāyāṁ ghoṣapali'': "There is a neighborhood which is known as ghoṣapali on the Ganges." Now one may question how on the Ganges—Ganges is water—there can be a neighborhood? Then you can interpret that, "It is not on the Ganges water, but it is on the bank of the Ganges." There, there is chance of interpretation. But when you can clearly understand that, "The thing is like this: Kurukṣetra is a place, and that is a place of pilgrimage," why should you interpret that Kurukṣetra means the body? In this way ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is being misinterpreted.


<div class="lec_verse">
In the Ninth Chapter, when Kṛṣṇa says, ''man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru'' ([[BG 9.34 (1972)|BG 9.34]]), one great commentator, very erudite scholar, he says: "It is not to Kṛṣṇa; it is to the unborn principle which is within Kṛṣṇa." But he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and he has the audacity to comment on the ''Bhagavad-gītā''. Kṛṣṇa is not different from within and without. Kṛṣṇa, being absolute, there is no such difference. As we have got difference, I, the spirit soul, is different from my body, but Kṛṣṇa is not like that. There is no such difference that Kṛṣṇa's soul and Kṛṣṇa's body. Kṛṣṇa is complete whole, ''pūrṇa''. There is no such difference. The person who does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, if he tries to comment upon the transcendental knowledge imparted by Kṛṣṇa, that is simply impudent.
nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya<br />
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya</div>


So in this way, if we try to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is, then we become liberated, we become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the objective of ''Bhagavad-gītā''. Kṛṣṇa therefore says: "Arjuna, I am trying to deliver this knowledge of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' unto you because you are My devotee." ''Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam'' ([[BG 4.3 (1972)|BG 4.3]]). "Without you, nobody can understand what is the mystery of this ''Bhagavad-gītā'' knowledge."


Everyone's heart, there is Kṛṣṇa bhakti. Otherwise, how these Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Japanese, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We have Muhammadans also. Many Muhammadans, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is to be understood that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love for Kṛṣṇa, is existing in everyone's heart. It is simply to be awakened. Nothing more. How it is awakened? Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. if you simply give your aural reception to the Kṛṣṇa kathā. Kṛṣṇa kathā means what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, the Bhagavad-gītā, and Kṛṣṇa kathā means speeches and words which are spoken about Kṛṣṇa. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also Kṛṣṇa kathā, and Bhagavad-gītā is also Kṛṣṇa kathā. One is directly spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa, end one is spoken by Lord, I mean to say, Vyāsadeva, the great saint Vyāsadeva, about Kṛṣṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You preach this Kṛṣṇa kathā to everyone and then you become a spiritual master under My order."
Therefore we should understand that ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is meant for a person who is a devotee and dear to Kṛṣṇa, not for the demons, who are against Kṛṣṇa. The demons are trying to kill Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kaṁsa: his only business is making plan how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Just like Rāvaṇa: his only business is how to kill Lord Rāma. So there are two classes of men. One class of men is called demigod, ''devatā'', and the other class is called demon. And who is demon and who is ''devatā''? ''Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved deva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ''. One who is devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, he is called ''deva'', demigod. All the demigods like Sūrya, Candra, Indra and many others, they are all appointed servants of Kṛṣṇa. In the ''Caitanya-caritāmṛta'', therefore, it is said:


So if we strictly follow these principles, if we simply say what Kṛṣṇa says, what Kṛṣṇa desires... Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [[BG 18.66]] . If you cannot do anything, simply speak to your friend, "My dear friend, please surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." You surrender first of all yourself and speak to others, "Please surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." Your life becomes sublime and successful.  
:''ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya''
:''yāre yaiche nācāya se taiche kare nṛtya''
:([[CC Adi 5.142|CC Adi 5.142]])
 
Very simple language: "The only master, only ''īśvara'', ''parameśvara'', is Kṛṣṇa." That is confirmed in the ''Brahma-saṁhitā'' also:
 
:''īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ''
:''sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ''
:''anādir ādir govindaḥ''
:''sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam''
:(Bs. 5.1)
 
In the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' also it is confirmed, ''ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam'' ([[SB 1.3.28|SB 1.3.28]]). Even Śaṅkarācārya, whom we call impersonalist, he has accepted in his comment on ''Bhagavad-gītā'' that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing as the son of Devakī and Vasudeva." Similarly, all other ''ācāryas''—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka and, lately, Caitanya Mahāprabhu . . .
 
Of course, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is both ''ācārya'' and Kṛṣṇa Himself. Apart from His being Kṛṣṇa, if we take the part which He played as ''ācārya'', that is, He also accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. ''Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeṣa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam'' (''Caitanya-manjusa'').
 
So we have to follow the ''ācāryas'', not these casual interpretations, interpreters, to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā''. Then we will be misled. We cannot understand. Because Kṛṣṇa says that "The mystery of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' will be understood by you because you are My very dear friend." So . . . "Because you are My devotee." So unless one is devotee, how one can understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'' and Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible.
 
Kṛṣṇa says plainly in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', ''bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yas cāsmi tattvataḥ'' ([[BG 18.55 (1972)|BG 18.55]]): "Only through devotional service one can understand." Although Kṛṣṇa has explained in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ''jñāna'', ''yoga'', ''karma'' and other things, ''dhyāna'', but He specifically recommends that simply by devotional service you can understand Him. ''Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ''. In the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' also, the same thing is confirmed:
 
:''evaṁ prasanna-manaso''
:''bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ''
:''bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam''
:([[SB 1.2.20|SB 1.2.20]])
 
''Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam''. It is a science. It is not a mental speculation or whimsical theorizing, that "God may be like this, God may be like that," and different philosophers will differ from one another. It is not like that. It is a great science. As two plus two equal to four, nobody can make it "Two plus two equal to five" or "Two plus two equal to three." Anywhere, science is science, fact. Similarly, ''Bhagavad-gītā'' you cannot interpret differently. Just like "Two plus two equal to five"—that cannot be. You have to accept "Two plus two equal to four."
 
So if you try to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is, then you will be benefited. Our process of preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is only that we are presenting ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is, without any malinterpretation. And you are practically seeing that all over the world this ''Bhagavad-gītā'' principle, Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord, is being accepted.
 
All these boys and girls who are dancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, four years ago, four years back, they never heard of Kṛṣṇa. Of course, some of them knew ''Bhagavad-gītā'', because ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is very widely read. But because ''Bhagavad-gītā'' was not properly presented, although for the last hundred or two hundred or more than that years, ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is widely read all over the world, there was not a single ''kṛṣṇa-bhakta''. But since ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is being presented as it is, within four years there are hundreds and thousands of ''kṛṣṇa-bhaktas''.
 
That is our point, that you present the thing as it is, without any adulteration. Just like milk, pure milk, if you supply, automatically there will be many customers. But if you sell milk adulteration, adulterating with water, you can cheat somebody for some time, but you cannot cheat all for all the time. That is not possible.
 
So it is now necessary. It is India's culture. People are hankering after this culture, Kṛṣṇa culture. So you should prepare yourself to present ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is. Then India will conquer all over the world by this Kṛṣṇa culture. Be . . . rest assured. We are hankering after help from others. Our government men go there in America: "Please give us wheat. Please give us money. Please give us soldiers." Simply begging business. But here is a thing which you can give to them. Simply begging does not glorify your country. Try to give something to the others, to other countries. That is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:
 
:''bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra''
:''janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra''
:([[CC Adi 9.41|CC Adi 9.41]])
 
We are meant for doing welfare activities to the whole world. We are not meant for exploiting. We have something to give to the whole world. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says: "Everyone who has taken birth as a human being of this, in this country, Bhārata-varsa . . ." Specifically He said:
 
:''bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra''
:''janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra''
 
Without being human being, nobody can perfect his life. Animal, they cannot make perfect his life. It is not possible. By nature they are stopped. But a human being, he can perfect his life. And especially in India there is treasure of knowledge, Vedic knowledge. Why you neglect it? And the summarized knowledge is ''Bhagavad-gītā''.
 
So if we simply try to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is, we understand immediately the science of God. And because we are all parts and parcels of God, we are actually hankering after uniting with God. That is our seeking. ''Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt'' (''Vedānta''-''sūtra'' 1.1.12). God is ''ānandamaya'', and we, being part and parcel of God, or Kṛṣṇa, we are also ''ānandamaya''. But we are seeking ''ānanda'' in a different atmosphere, in the material atmosphere. Therefore we are being baffled. The only remedy is that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you will be happy.
 
So it is the duty of every Indian to understand this science. It is a science; it is not a dogma thing, bluffing thing. It is a science, and spoken by the Lord Himself, and understood by all the ''ācāryas''. Kṛṣṇa says ''ācāryopāsanam''. We have to understand things through the ''ācāryas''. ''Ācāryavān puruṣo veda'' (''Chāndogya Upaniṣad'' 6.14.2). One who is not following the footsteps of the ''ācāryas'', he cannot understand anything. Kṛṣṇa also says ''tad-vijñānārtham''. No, Kṛṣṇa . . . that is said in the ''Kaṭhopaniṣad'': ''tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet'' (MU 1.2.12). Kṛṣṇa says, ''tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā'' ([[BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]).
 
So everywhere the same instruction is there that, "You approach to a person who is coming in disciplic succession," ''evaṁ paramparā-prāptam'' ([[BG 4.2 (1972)|BG 4.2]]), "and try to learn ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as it is. Your life will be sublime. Your life will be successful." That is our mission. We have given so many important books. We have got magazines. If you want to understand through intelligence and philosophy, we have got volumes of books we can deliver. You try to understand. If you simply read our book Kṛṣṇa in two parts, I am sure you will become Kṛṣṇa conscious, undoubtedly.
 
Or if you feel that you cannot read or you have no money to purchase book, never mind. Lord Caitanya has given you very simple path: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If you chant this ''mantra'' with faith and devotion, without any offense, but simply by chanting you will realize yourself, you will realize God, Kṛṣṇa, and your life will be successful.
 
''Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam'' ([[CC Antya 20.12|CC Antya 20.12]]). These are the statements of Vedic literature. Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mantra'', one can cleanse his heart of all the dirty things. And as soon as the dirty things are moved, then you become liberated. ''Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam'': immediately the blazing fire of material existence is extinguished.
 
These are the processes recommended in the ''Vedas''. We are simply preaching the authorized principles of the ''Vedas'', and we request you all to accept it. Not accept it blindly, but take it with all your reason and intelligence. Just like ''Caitanya-caritāmṛta'' says:
 
:''caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra''
:''vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra''
:([[CC Adi 8.15|CC Adi 8.15]])
 
It is not that we are forcing something. By force you cannot do anything. That is artificial. That is not. But it is a fact that in everyone's heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because that is pure consciousness. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, naturally, just like father and the son, there is an eternal relationship. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we have got eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is now covered by the dirty things of ''māyā''. But as soon as we remove, we cleanse these dirty things from our heart, then immediately we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is our relationship with spirit.
 
:''nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya''
:''śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya''
:(''Hari-bhakti-vilāsa'')
 
Everyone's heart, there is ''kṛṣṇa-bhakti''. Otherwise, how these Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Japanese, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We have Muhammadans also. Many Muhammadans, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is to be understood that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love for Kṛṣṇa, is existing in everyone's heart. It is simply to be awakened. Nothing more.
 
How it is awakened? ''Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya''. If you simply give your aural reception to the ''kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā'' means what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', and ''kṛṣṇa-kathā'' means speeches and words which are spoken about Kṛṣṇa. The ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is also ''kṛṣṇa-kathā'', and ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is also ''kṛṣṇa-kathā''. One is directly spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa, and one is spoken by Lord . . . I mean to say, Vyāsadeva, the great saint Vyāsadeva, about Kṛṣṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You preach this ''kṛṣṇa-kathā'' to everyone, and then you become a spiritual master under My order."
 
So if we strictly follow these principles, if we simply say what Kṛṣṇa says, what Kṛṣṇa desires . . . Kṛṣṇa says: ''sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja'' ([[BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]). If you cannot do anything, simply speak to your friend, "My dear friend, please surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." You surrender first of all yourself and speak to others, "Please surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." Your life becomes sublime and successful.


Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (applause) (end)
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (applause) (end)
{{GL_Footer|{{PAGENAME}}}}

Revision as of 02:22, 30 August 2020

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada



710331LE.BOMBAY - March 31, 1971 - 45:36 Minutes



Prabhupāda: (sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) (prema-dhvani) (devotees offer obeisances)

Śyāmasundara: Would everyone kindly, at this time, be seated. Please move back and sit down, everyone, please. Thank you. Please, everyone sit down. Everyone would like to hear the transcendental words of His Divine Grace.

Those who are standing are blocking the way of at least five other people. All of those who are sitting, move back, please move back, so everyone can see and hear His Divine Grace. Please. Everyone be seated, all of these people.

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers)

om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye
vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca kripa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo vaishnavebhyo namo namah
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your participating in this meeting, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very much authorized. It is nothing like concocted mental speculation. It is authorized on the basis of Vedic knowledge, specifically, directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago when there was no history of another religion. In the modern age, any religion you can take into consideration, they are not older than 2,600 years. But so far this Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago.

We should consider what were the religion of the world 2,600 years ago, because modern history cannot place before you any chronological list of religious evolution within 2,600 years. There was human society before 2,600 years. And what was their religion? We think, from Vedic evidences, the whole world was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There was one God: Kṛṣṇa; one scripture: Bhagavad-gītā; one consciousness: Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and one work: service of the Lord.

From Mahābhārata, the great history of India, we can understand that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was ruled by one flag, this Vedic culture. Gradually it deteriorated, as we have practical experience. Twenty years ago there was no Pakistan, but now Pakistan is existing. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. This Bhārata-varṣa name was after the king Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after the king Mahārāja Bharata—he was a great king—he also left his kingdom at the age of twenty-four years, very young boy, for searching after spiritual realization, self-realization.

That is the way of Vedic culture, or Indian culture. Not that up to the last point of our death we shall stick to the worldly affairs. The Vedic culture divides the whole society into four social orders and four spiritual orders. The four social orders is division of intelligence. The most intelligent class of men are called the brāhmiṇs. And next than the brāhmiṇs are the kṣatriyas. It is all calculated on the basis of intelligence. There are different kinds of people all over the world on account of more or less intelligence.

So brāhmiṇ means the most intelligent class of men—the scientists, the poets, the philosophers, like that. The religionists, they are called brāhmiṇs. And the administrator class is called the kṣatriyas, and the productive class are called the vaiśyas, and the laborer class, or the working class, is called the śūdra. That is natural division.

In the Bhagavad-gītā . . . we are trying to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to preach Bhagavad-gītā. We have not invented something, but we are preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation. Therefore, because we are presenting pure Bhagavad-gītā, people are accepting it very quickly. Unfortunately, before this, in the Western countries there was so many translation of Bhagavad-gītā, but everyone's attempt is to make Kṛṣṇa minus Bhagavad-gītā. They are commenting Bhagavad-gītā without Kṛṣṇa; kingdom of God without God. That is their attempt. But we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is.

In the Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. We are presenting in that way. We are presenting Kṛṣṇa in the Western world. When I first went there, the people were saying, "God is dead," exactly in the same way as in our country also. We have been misled by so-called leaders. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. There is a statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ
(SB 7.5.31)

But actually we are misled by the so-called blind leaders. They have no vision what is the actual goal of life. Not only in a particular country; everywhere the same mischief is going on. Therefore, as a blind man, if he leads other blind men, there will be catastrophe, similarly, because we are led by blind men, the whole world is in catastrophe. Nobody is in peace. Everyone is unsatisfied in spite of so much material education, advancement of material education, because the missing point is Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).

So the Vedic literatures, the Vedic civilization, is pointing out to Viṣṇu. As you know in the Ṛg mantra, Ṛg Veda: tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are actually intelligent, brāhmiṇs, they are looking after self-realization, making the target on the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. That is the missing point. In the Bhagavad-gītā we are taught by the Lord Himself to give us enlightenment, what is the aim of life. That aim of life the Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself says in the Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). The ultimate target of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Bhagavad-gītā's teaching. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam.

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ
Vedānta-vid Vedānta-kṛd cāham
(BG 15.15)

Unfortunately, we do not understand or do not try to understand or do not like to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. If we try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then we have to accept a certain prescribed process. Not that because one is very erudite scholar academically, because one has got some degrees of the university he will be able to understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not like that. Even a very layman, illiterate man, without any understanding of the Vedas, if he is a devotee, he can understand Bhagavad-gītā, whereas a person, very erudite scholar, with reputation, he cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā.

I shall cite one example when Lord Caitanya was traveling in the South India. When He was in the Raṅganātha temple of South India, one brāhmiṇ was reading Bhagavad-gītā, and his friends and neighbors knew that the brāhmiṇ was illiterate. He could not know even what is written there, but still he was trying to read Bhagavad-gītā. So some of his friends were criticizing him: "Hello, brāhmiṇ. How you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He knew that, "They are criticizing," so he remained silent.

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that he was reading Bhagavad-gītā with transcendental ecstasy. He therefore approached him, "My dear brāhmiṇ, what you are reading?" The brāhmiṇ could understand that this gentleman, or this sannyāsī—Caitanya Mahāprabhu at that time was a sannyāsī—He was not joking; he was serious. So he informed Him, "My dear Sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā, but I am illiterate. My Guru Mahārāja asked me to Bhagavad-gītā . . . to read Bhagavad-gītā a few chapters daily, although he knew that I am illiterate. So I am trying to read Bhagavad-gītā, but I cannot actually read it."

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: "But I sometimes see that you are in full ecstasy, and sometimes you are crying." He said: "Yes, Sir. I feel some ecstasy." "What is that?" He said that, "As soon as I take this Bhagavad-gītā in my hand I feel that Kṛṣṇa is the chariot driver of Arjuna. So I feel that how Kṛṣṇa is kind, that He has accepted a menial service of His devotee.

He is driving the chariot, and Arjuna is ordering Him, senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta (BG 1.21): 'My dear Kṛṣṇa, Acyuta, please put up my chariot between the two soldiers.' And He is carrying out the order. So when I see that Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He can become an order-carrier of His devotee, that is giving me feeling, and I am therefore crying." Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced him and said: "My dear brāhmiṇ, you are actually reading Bhagavad-gītā."

That is the fact. If after reading Bhagavad-gītā we do not realize what is Kṛṣṇa, what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, what is our duty towards Kṛṣṇa and what is the ultimate goal of life, then it is useless study. It has no meaning. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa prescribed it, how to read Bhagavad-gītā. Don't try to read Bhagavad-gītā made by some commentator who has no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. One who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he has no business to comment on the Bhagavad-gītā. That is the purport stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

You'll find in the Fourth Chapter, Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna:

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāhur
manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
(BG 4.1)
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha (mahatā)
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa
(BG 4.2)

So Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna: "My dear Arjuna, this Bhagavad-gītā was first spoken by Me to the sun-god, Vivasvān. Vivasvān spoke to his son, Manu. And Manu, by his turn, spoke to his son Mahārāja Ikṣvāku." So if you take the history of Manu, then it becomes 400,000's millions of years ago Bhagavad-gītā was spoken.

So Bhagavad-gītā is not a new thing. If we accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, if we believe in the words of Bhagavad-gītā, or Kṛṣṇa, then Bhagavad-gītā is the oldest. It is not a new thing. It was long, long ago spoken to the sun-god Vivasvān. The sun-god, the president or the predominating Deity in the sun planet, is known as Vivasvān.

So we have to study Bhagavad-gītā as it is by the paramparā system, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam. Not that whimsically somebody purchases a book from the market and takes his pleasure to make an interpretation of his own intelligence. Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa. He did not leave it for being interpreted by an ordinary man.

There is no need of explaining Bhagavad-gītā in a different way. Just like in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā we understand the statements very clearly:

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya
(BG 1.1)

The meaning is very clear. Dharma-kṣetre: the land of pilgrimage, the holy land of pilgrimage; kuru-kṣetre: the land which is known as Kurukṣetra. It is not fictitious; it is actual fact. Still there is Kurukṣetra, and people go there to perform religious ritualistic ceremonies. And in the Vedas it is written clearly, dharma . . . kurukṣetre dharmam ācaret. That is the statement of the Vedas. So from time immemorial this Kurukṣetra, land of Kurukṣetra, is known as dharma-kṣetra. So what is the difficulty to understand dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre? There is no difficulty.

Unfortunately, some unscrupulous commentator says that "Kurukṣetra means this body." Where is the chance of interpreting like that, "Kuru-kṣetre is meaning 'body' "? In no dictionary you will find that kuru-kṣetra is meant by body. Neither there is any chance. Interpretation is required when you cannot understand the word very clearly. In that case you can interpret.

Just like the example is gaṅgāyāṁ ghoṣapali: "There is a neighborhood which is known as ghoṣapali on the Ganges." Now one may question how on the Ganges—Ganges is water—there can be a neighborhood? Then you can interpret that, "It is not on the Ganges water, but it is on the bank of the Ganges." There, there is chance of interpretation. But when you can clearly understand that, "The thing is like this: Kurukṣetra is a place, and that is a place of pilgrimage," why should you interpret that Kurukṣetra means the body? In this way Bhagavad-gītā is being misinterpreted.

In the Ninth Chapter, when Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 9.34), one great commentator, very erudite scholar, he says: "It is not to Kṛṣṇa; it is to the unborn principle which is within Kṛṣṇa." But he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and he has the audacity to comment on the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is not different from within and without. Kṛṣṇa, being absolute, there is no such difference. As we have got difference, I, the spirit soul, is different from my body, but Kṛṣṇa is not like that. There is no such difference that Kṛṣṇa's soul and Kṛṣṇa's body. Kṛṣṇa is complete whole, pūrṇa. There is no such difference. The person who does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, if he tries to comment upon the transcendental knowledge imparted by Kṛṣṇa, that is simply impudent.

So in this way, if we try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then we become liberated, we become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the objective of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa therefore says: "Arjuna, I am trying to deliver this knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā unto you because you are My devotee." Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam (BG 4.3). "Without you, nobody can understand what is the mystery of this Bhagavad-gītā knowledge."

Therefore we should understand that Bhagavad-gītā is meant for a person who is a devotee and dear to Kṛṣṇa, not for the demons, who are against Kṛṣṇa. The demons are trying to kill Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kaṁsa: his only business is making plan how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Just like Rāvaṇa: his only business is how to kill Lord Rāma. So there are two classes of men. One class of men is called demigod, devatā, and the other class is called demon. And who is demon and who is devatā? Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved deva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. One who is devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, he is called deva, demigod. All the demigods like Sūrya, Candra, Indra and many others, they are all appointed servants of Kṛṣṇa. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, therefore, it is said:

ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya
yāre yaiche nācāya se taiche kare nṛtya
(CC Adi 5.142)

Very simple language: "The only master, only īśvara, parameśvara, is Kṛṣṇa." That is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā also:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Bs. 5.1)

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is confirmed, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Even Śaṅkarācārya, whom we call impersonalist, he has accepted in his comment on Bhagavad-gītā that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing as the son of Devakī and Vasudeva." Similarly, all other ācāryas—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka and, lately, Caitanya Mahāprabhu . . .

Of course, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is both ācārya and Kṛṣṇa Himself. Apart from His being Kṛṣṇa, if we take the part which He played as ācārya, that is, He also accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeṣa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam (Caitanya-manjusa).

So we have to follow the ācāryas, not these casual interpretations, interpreters, to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Then we will be misled. We cannot understand. Because Kṛṣṇa says that "The mystery of Bhagavad-gītā will be understood by you because you are My very dear friend." So . . . "Because you are My devotee." So unless one is devotee, how one can understand Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible.

Kṛṣṇa says plainly in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yas cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55): "Only through devotional service one can understand." Although Kṛṣṇa has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā jñāna, yoga, karma and other things, dhyāna, but He specifically recommends that simply by devotional service you can understand Him. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, the same thing is confirmed:

evaṁ prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ
bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam
(SB 1.2.20)

Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. It is a science. It is not a mental speculation or whimsical theorizing, that "God may be like this, God may be like that," and different philosophers will differ from one another. It is not like that. It is a great science. As two plus two equal to four, nobody can make it "Two plus two equal to five" or "Two plus two equal to three." Anywhere, science is science, fact. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā you cannot interpret differently. Just like "Two plus two equal to five"—that cannot be. You have to accept "Two plus two equal to four."

So if you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you will be benefited. Our process of preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is only that we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation. And you are practically seeing that all over the world this Bhagavad-gītā principle, Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord, is being accepted.

All these boys and girls who are dancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, four years ago, four years back, they never heard of Kṛṣṇa. Of course, some of them knew Bhagavad-gītā, because Bhagavad-gītā is very widely read. But because Bhagavad-gītā was not properly presented, although for the last hundred or two hundred or more than that years, Bhagavad-gītā is widely read all over the world, there was not a single kṛṣṇa-bhakta. But since Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, within four years there are hundreds and thousands of kṛṣṇa-bhaktas.

That is our point, that you present the thing as it is, without any adulteration. Just like milk, pure milk, if you supply, automatically there will be many customers. But if you sell milk adulteration, adulterating with water, you can cheat somebody for some time, but you cannot cheat all for all the time. That is not possible.

So it is now necessary. It is India's culture. People are hankering after this culture, Kṛṣṇa culture. So you should prepare yourself to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then India will conquer all over the world by this Kṛṣṇa culture. Be . . . rest assured. We are hankering after help from others. Our government men go there in America: "Please give us wheat. Please give us money. Please give us soldiers." Simply begging business. But here is a thing which you can give to them. Simply begging does not glorify your country. Try to give something to the others, to other countries. That is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra
(CC Adi 9.41)

We are meant for doing welfare activities to the whole world. We are not meant for exploiting. We have something to give to the whole world. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says: "Everyone who has taken birth as a human being of this, in this country, Bhārata-varsa . . ." Specifically He said:

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra

Without being human being, nobody can perfect his life. Animal, they cannot make perfect his life. It is not possible. By nature they are stopped. But a human being, he can perfect his life. And especially in India there is treasure of knowledge, Vedic knowledge. Why you neglect it? And the summarized knowledge is Bhagavad-gītā.

So if we simply try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, we understand immediately the science of God. And because we are all parts and parcels of God, we are actually hankering after uniting with God. That is our seeking. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). God is ānandamaya, and we, being part and parcel of God, or Kṛṣṇa, we are also ānandamaya. But we are seeking ānanda in a different atmosphere, in the material atmosphere. Therefore we are being baffled. The only remedy is that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you will be happy.

So it is the duty of every Indian to understand this science. It is a science; it is not a dogma thing, bluffing thing. It is a science, and spoken by the Lord Himself, and understood by all the ācāryas. Kṛṣṇa says ācāryopāsanam. We have to understand things through the ācāryas. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2). One who is not following the footsteps of the ācāryas, he cannot understand anything. Kṛṣṇa also says tad-vijñānārtham. No, Kṛṣṇa . . . that is said in the Kaṭhopaniṣad: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34).

So everywhere the same instruction is there that, "You approach to a person who is coming in disciplic succession," evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), "and try to learn Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Your life will be sublime. Your life will be successful." That is our mission. We have given so many important books. We have got magazines. If you want to understand through intelligence and philosophy, we have got volumes of books we can deliver. You try to understand. If you simply read our book Kṛṣṇa in two parts, I am sure you will become Kṛṣṇa conscious, undoubtedly.

Or if you feel that you cannot read or you have no money to purchase book, never mind. Lord Caitanya has given you very simple path: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If you chant this mantra with faith and devotion, without any offense, but simply by chanting you will realize yourself, you will realize God, Kṛṣṇa, and your life will be successful.

Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). These are the statements of Vedic literature. Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one can cleanse his heart of all the dirty things. And as soon as the dirty things are moved, then you become liberated. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam: immediately the blazing fire of material existence is extinguished.

These are the processes recommended in the Vedas. We are simply preaching the authorized principles of the Vedas, and we request you all to accept it. Not accept it blindly, but take it with all your reason and intelligence. Just like Caitanya-caritāmṛta says:

caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra
vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra
(CC Adi 8.15)

It is not that we are forcing something. By force you cannot do anything. That is artificial. That is not. But it is a fact that in everyone's heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because that is pure consciousness. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, naturally, just like father and the son, there is an eternal relationship. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we have got eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is now covered by the dirty things of māyā. But as soon as we remove, we cleanse these dirty things from our heart, then immediately we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is our relationship with spirit.

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa)

Everyone's heart, there is kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Otherwise, how these Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Japanese, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We have Muhammadans also. Many Muhammadans, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is to be understood that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love for Kṛṣṇa, is existing in everyone's heart. It is simply to be awakened. Nothing more.

How it is awakened? Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. If you simply give your aural reception to the kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā means what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, the Bhagavad-gītā, and kṛṣṇa-kathā means speeches and words which are spoken about Kṛṣṇa. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also kṛṣṇa-kathā, and Bhagavad-gītā is also kṛṣṇa-kathā. One is directly spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa, and one is spoken by Lord . . . I mean to say, Vyāsadeva, the great saint Vyāsadeva, about Kṛṣṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You preach this kṛṣṇa-kathā to everyone, and then you become a spiritual master under My order."

So if we strictly follow these principles, if we simply say what Kṛṣṇa says, what Kṛṣṇa desires . . . Kṛṣṇa says: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If you cannot do anything, simply speak to your friend, "My dear friend, please surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." You surrender first of all yourself and speak to others, "Please surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." Your life becomes sublime and successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (applause) (end)