720529 - Lecture BG Introduction - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1972

720000BG-LOS ANGELES - Date unknown

So, I shall speak on Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. The purpose of saying Bhagavad-Gita As It Is is explained that there are many editions of the Bhagavad-Gita. They are interpreted in their own way, giving up the spirit of Bhagavad-Gita. So this particular name, 'As It Is' significant, perhaps there is no other edition of Bhagavad-Gita where it is written 'as it is.' In this connection, Professor Dimock of Chicago University has written a forward, and he very much appreciates the theme. He says, "Swami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gita from this point of view, and that is legitimate." He accepts that Bhagavad-Gita As It Is is legitimate presentation of the great book of knowledge. He also says, "More than that, in this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Krsna devotee interprets his own texts." So, about Krsna, the devotees actually can interpret about Krsna book. Others, if they are not devotee, how they can interpret on Krsna? Just like a member of a family can say very nicely about the head of the family, how outsiders can say about the family? That is not possible. Similarly, about Krsna, a Krsna devotee can speak nicely. Not others. Others have no right to speak about Krsna, and Krsna also, admits Arjuna as the right student of Bhagavad-Gita. In the beginning, Krsna says that, "I have selected you as my student because you are my friend and you are my devotee." So, in other words, we can understand that Bhagavad-Gita can be understood who has intimate relationship with Krsna. This is, Krsna says, "You are my dear friend." That he has intimate relationship with Krsna. Without becoming a devotee, nobody can be intimately related with Krsna. These are the factors to be understood. So, this Bhagavad-Gita was spoken five thousand years ago to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. The science of understanding God is there in this Bhagavad-Gita. Bhagavad-Gita is the science of God. Everything has got some science. Scientific book, to understand that particular subject matter. Similarly, there are different types of concepts of God. Generally, they take it as an idea but we don't take it as idea. We take God as concrete fact. Just like you are seeing me, I am seeing you. This is concrete fact. Similarly, a God can be seen by you, and God is already seeing you. There is no doubt about it. But you can see also God. That process we have to understand, how to see God. That process is mentioned in all the Vedic scriptures. That is called bhakti-yoga, that process. Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-Gita. If anyone wants to know Krsna, what he is, then one has to accept the process of bhakti-yoga. There are different types of yogas. Yoga means linking oneself with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, speculating yoga will not help us. You have to take concrete yoga. Concrete yoga is Krsna Consciousness. So, we are giving our introduction of the Bhagavad-Gita that one has to understand Bhagavad-Gita as it is directed in the Bhagavad-Gita. There is direction. How to read Bhagavad-Gita. People are reading Bhagavad-Gita without taking the direction. This we have explained in the manner that if you take some medicine, there is some direction on the bottle, that this is the dose. You take so many drops so many times. That is direction. Similarly, for understanding Bhagavad-Gita actually, you have to accept the direction as given by the author himself, Krsna. He says that, long long ago, some forty millions of years ago, He first spoke this Bhagavad-Gita to the Sun-God. Sun-God transmitted the knowledge to his son, Manu. And Manu transmitted the knowledge to his son, Iksvaku.

So, the raja-rsis, they are all kings. Manu is king, Maharaja Iskvaku is also king, and the Sun-God Vivasvan, he is also king. He is the king of the Sun planet. His grandson Iskvaku became the king of this planet, Maharaja Iskvaku. In this dynasty, which is known as Raghu-vamsa, Lord Ramachandra appeared. This is very old monarchical family. Iskvaku. vamsa, Raghu vamsa, vamsa mean family. So formerly, the kings, the head of the administrative executive, they used to learn the thesis or the injunction given by God. So according to Bhagavad-gita, only a devotee of Krsna, a person who is intimately related with Krsna, he can understand what is Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gita from Krsna, he addressed him as Parambrahman... He understood Krsna as Parambrahman. Parambrahman means the Supreme Truth. Absolute Truth, Parambrahman. Brahman, the living entities, they are also called brahman, but living entities are not Parambrahman. Parambrahman means Supreme. So Arjuna addressed him as Parambrahman, and Paramdharman. Paramdharman means the resting place of everything. Everything is resting on the energy of the Supreme Lord. Therefore he is called Paramdharman. Just like all these planets are resting on the sunshine. Sunshine is the energy of the Sun globe. Similarly, this material energy is Krsna's energy. And everything is material or spiritual. Everything is resting on Krsna's energy. The resting place is Krsna's energy. In another place, Krsna says maya tattam... Krsna says that, "In my impersonal feature, I am spread everywhere." All pervading. God is all pervading by his impersonal feature, namely his energy. The example is given, just like heat is the energy of fire. Through fire it spreads by it's heat and light. The fire is one place, but the heat and light is spreading. Similarly, Krsna is in his own abode, which is called Goloka Vrndavana. There is a planet in the spiritual world, the topmost planet. As the topmost planet within this universe is called Brahmaloka. Similarly, in the spiritual sky, there is the topmost planet which is called Goloka Vrndavana. That is Krsna's place. Krsna is there. But He can expand himself by his different types of energies and by his different types of incarnations. It does not mean that when Krsna was present on this planet, Krsna was absent in Goloka Vrndavana. No. It is not like that. Just like I am now present here, I am absent in my apartment. Krsna is not like that. Krsna can be present everywhere. At the same time, he can remain in his own abode. That is described in the Brahma-samhita. Although he is in his abode, which is known as Goloka Vrndavana, he can expand himself everywhere. Everywhere. And actually he has done it. So we must know how he has expanded. In which way he is in contact with us. That is the science. In Bhagavad-gita, these things are explained. So Krsna is addressed here as Paramdharman. The resting place of everything. Everything is resting. Krsna also says Everything, material manifestations, is resting on him. But I am not there. These contradictory things. Everything is resting on him, but I am not there. But it is not contradictory. It is very simple to understand. Just like, all the planets, they're resting on sunshine. But the Sun is far away from the planets. Some millions of miles away.. But resting on the sunshine means resting on the Sun. That's a fact. Therefore Krsna says... Pavitram means uncontaminate. When we come to this material world, we are also spirit soul, brahman, not exactly as good as Parambrahman, Krsna, but is still, because we are part and parcel of Krsna, we are also brahma. Pavitram. Pavitram means pure. Just like the particle of gold is also gold. If gold is pure, the particle also, pure. So Krsna comes to this world, we also come to this world. But we are contaminated. But Krsna is not contaminated. The example is, just like in the prison house, there are many prisoners but if the king, or some king's representative, minister, goes into the prison, to inspect things, how things are going on, it does not mean that the king or his minister is also a prisoner. He is not prisoner. But we, living entities, we have been entangled with these material modes of nature. But Krsna never becomes involved in these modes of material nature. Therefore he is called pavitram paramam. Absolute. Pure. bhavan. bhavan means pure. And purusam. Purusam he is addressed as a person. God is never imperson. God is person. Exactly a person like you and me. And when He appeared on this planet exactly like a human being, two hands, two legs, walking like human being, talking, behaving like human being, everything. So God is Purusam. Purusam means man. I mean to say, male. Not female. Male. Without becoming male one cannot be enjoyer. In another place it is stated that Krsna is the Supreme Enjoyer. As soon as the word is used, enjoyed, he must be purusam, male. So that is described. Arjuna understood him. He is a purusam. Param Purusam, the Supreme Person. In another place Krsna is described as Purusottam,. The best of the males. So, purusam sasvatam. sasvatam means eternal. The Mayavadi philosopher, they think that the Absolute Truth is impersonal. Arjuna is being advised by Krsna, "What is God?" The conception of God, however we may speculate, it cannot be perfect because God is unlimited. All pervading. We are limited. So actually unless God Himself, He reveals Himself to the devotee, it is not possible to understand what is God. Therefore, God Himself, Krsna, is speaking about Himself, the processes is: One has to increase attachment for Krsna. We have got now attachment for material things, and we have to divert that. Our position is that we must have attachment for something that is fact. So now, on the bodily concept of life, we have got attachment to this body, and anything pertaining to this body, we have got attachment. Just like I have got attachment for my wife. Why? There are millions and thousands of women beautiful women. I have no attachment for them. But my attachment for my wife, even though she may not be very beautiful, is a fact. Why? Because due to her relation with my body. Similarly, I have got attachment for my country, I have got attachment for my home, my, so many things, because I am thinking I am this body, and anything in connection with this body, I am thinking mine. So at the present, my conception of 'I' and 'My' is wrong. Therefore, if we divert that attachment to Krsna, then we can understand Krsna, or God, perfectly well. Krsna is just like Sun, when there is sunshine, you can see the Sun and yourself also. Without sunshine, in the darkness of night, neither you can see the sun nor yourself. Therefore the process is... Developing Krsna Consciousness... This is the yoga. Yoga means connected. That yoga should be practiced in connection with Krsna. Therefore he said, mad asraya. Mad means me, or mine. Asraya means taking shelter. So either you take shelter of Krsna, or Krsna's representative. Of course it is not possible for us to take shelter of Krsna because Krsna is not present at the present moment. But His representative is there. So one has to take shelter of His representative. And practice bhakti-yoga, concentrating his mind on Krsna. This is called Krsna Consciousness. One has to take shelter of a person who's life is devoted to Krsna and under his direction, we have to practice how to develop Krsna Consciousness, and then Krsna will be revealed. The revelation, proportionate revelation is proportionate advancement in seeing Krsna directly.