670415 - Lecture CC Adi 07.108-109 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1967

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

670415CC-New York - April 15, 1967 - 27:09 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . Vedic literature, it is scriptures. It is compiled by the Lord Himself. Religion means the regulation of the Supreme Lord. That's all. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like for proper execution of this material world there are certain rules and regulation of the king, of the state, similarly, to execute properly the supreme will of the Supreme Lord there are certain rules and regulation. That is called religion. This is the meaning of religion. Religion does not mean that "My religion says this," "Your religion says this," "Your religion says this." Religious means whether you are properly executing the will of the Supreme. That's all. This is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).

The nonsense rascals, they cannot manufacture religion. Religion cannot . . . just like ordinary citizens, they cannot make laws for the state. Suppose if you make a law. Who will care for your law? Don't take advantage of the innocent people and make your own religion and make a group and try to exploit them. This is all nonsense.

Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Dharma means the regulation of the Supreme. So we have to know. That is religion. So any religion which is directing to obey the Supreme Lord, that is bona fide. And anything minus, or "Not to Kṛṣṇa but to me," this is a nonsense rascaldom. You see?

So before studying Vedānta, we should understand this fact. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is therefore stressing on this point, that there is no cheating, there is no mistake, there is no illusion, there is no imperfectness. Then we can make progress. If we are doubtful: "Oh, Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by some Kṛṣṇa, somebody. He was learned man, philosopher. So I can point out my own point . . ." No. Not like that. So:

upaniṣat-sahita sūtra kahe yei tattva

mukhya-vṛttye sei artha parama mahattva

(CC Adi 7.108)

This is . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that all the Upaniṣads, all the Vedic literature, Vedānta-sūtra, they, they are composed in that way. Therefore, mukhya-vṛttye sei artha parama mahattva: "Therefore, if you take directly the meaning, that is the superexcellence of your understanding." Directly. Don't try to foolishly interpret. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā the first verse is:

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre

samavetā yuyutsavaḥ

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva

kim akurvata sañjaya

(BG 1.1)

"My dear Sañjaya, my sons, māmakāḥ, my sons and Pāṇḍava, the sons of my younger brother, Pāṇḍu, they assembled in the battlefield which is also a pilgrimage. Then what did they do?" This is the simple. But the nonsense rascals, they are eschewing some meaning, "Oh, kuru-kṣetra means 'body,' and dharma-kṣetra means this or this . . . pāṇḍava means 'the five senses.' " So many nonsensical . . . even Gandhi has done this. What Gandhi is? Gandhi's nothing. You see? So they are . . . these rascals are doing and misleading persons.

I've recently written one written to Dr. Radhakrishnan that "You are going to retire. Now join this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. You have written your Bhagavad-gītā, and you don't believe Kṛṣṇa as Supreme Lord, God. Therefore by reading your Bhagavad-gītā people have become godless. So you better rectify your mistake.

Now join this." I've written state letter to Dr. Radhakrishnan. "So if you want to, I mean to say, compensate the greatest sin you have committed in your Bhagavad-gītā, then you join this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement and rectify yourself." "Not to Kṛṣṇa." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not approve this. Kṛṣṇa says:

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru

mam evaiṣyasi

kaunteya asaṁśayaḥ

(BG 18.65)

"O My dear Arjuna, you just surrender unto Me. You worship Me. You offer your obeisances unto Me. You always think of Me." This is straight. The straight meaning, "Me," Kṛṣṇa is saying. Therefore we should offer our respect to Kṛṣṇa. We should worship Kṛṣṇa. We shall think of Kṛṣṇa. We shall chant of Kṛṣṇa. This is the straight meaning. But the commentator says: "Oh, not to Kṛṣṇa." Just see. "Not to Kṛṣṇa."

So this nonsensical commentation is . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, mukhya-vṛttye. Mukhya-vṛttye, directly as you understand it. If I say: "My dear such and such, give me a glass of water," now you interpret, "Oh, Swāmījī wants water. Oh, he has taken water. Let me supply this or that," interpretation. What is the use of interpreting? I'm asking for water. Give me water. Call a spade a spade.

This should be the . . . this should be the understanding of Vedānta. Because all foolish nonsense—they are interpreting, "Such-and-such person's commentation of Vedānta-sūtra." Because they were trying to manifest and expose their thinking power that, "I think that this should be like this." What nonsense you are? What you can think? You think as it is.

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. Don't think otherwise. As it is. In the Upaniṣads, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: "Everything belongs to God." Believe it as belongs to God. Don't interpret. Then you'll understand Vedas. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñcit jagatyāṁ jagat (Īśo mantra 1): "Anything, any minute thing in this material world, everything belongs to that Supreme Lord." Who can deny it? Why do you interpret? Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: "So you enjoy as He orders you."

You are not forbidden to enjoy. Just like we say that illicit sex relation not ordered, er, not allowed. You should take it because it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Dharmāviruddho kāmo 'smi aham (BG 7.11): "The sex desire which is sanctioned by religion, that is I am." That is Kṛṣṇa. Sex desire to fulfill—it does not mean that like cat, we are free. What is this freedom? That freedom has cats and dogs. They are so free that on the road they have sexual intercourse. You have not so much freedom. You have to find out a parlor, er, apartment. So do you want that is freedom? This is not freedom. This is, I mean to say, going to hell. This is not freedom.

Therefore Vedic literatures enjoins that if you want sex life, then you become householder. You marry a nice girl, and then you have got very good responsibility. This, this concession, sex life, is allowed so that you have to serve the all others. That is the responsibility. Now there are four divisions of social order—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. The brahmacārī does not, I mean to say, earn anything.

They depend on the society. Sannyāsī—depend on the society. Vānaprastha—depend on the society. Only the householder who is living with wife and children, he has got the whole responsibility to provide these brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī. You see? In India still, if a brahmacārī, if a sannyāsī goes to a householder, immediately offers something. So they do not want more, but they want little for their maintenance of this body and soul together. It is the duty of the householder.

So unless one becomes responsible householder, how he'll execute his responsibility? If he thinks, "Oh, what is the use of keeping a cow when the milk is available in the market? Oh, sex life is so cheap. Why shall I take the responsibility of marrying?" This is going on. This is going on. Just like cats and dogs.

So the cats and dogs cannot understand Vedānta philosophy. First condition. It is not meant for the cats and dogs; it is meant for human being. So we should be human being first of all. Then we shall try to understand. Our life is so wretched that it is less than cats and dogs, and we try to understand Vedānta philosophy. It is not possible.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says mukhya-vṛttye, direct meaning, as it is said. That is beauty of understanding. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1): "The supreme source from which everything emanating, that is Brahman." What is the interpretation? There is no interpretation. Supreme . . . there must be some supreme source. That is quite philosophical and logical, that I have my . . . this bodily existence has a source, my father. My father has a source, his father, his father . . . go on. There must be one supreme source. That is God. Simple to understand. Is it very difficult to understand?

The supreme cause, He is God. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is described in Brahma-saṁhitā, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Kāraṇa means "cause," and sarva means "all." There are cause, cause, cause and effect, cause and effect, cause and eff . . . when you reach to the supreme cause, He's Kṛṣṇa. He's Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa confirms it in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ.

(aside) Have you got Bhagavad-gītā?

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante mām . . .

(BG 10.8)

In the Tenth Chapter you'll find this word, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. So things should be accepted as they are.

(aside) Have you got it?

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Read it.

Satsvarūpa: "I am the origin of all. From Me all proceeds. Knowing this, the wise worship Me, endowed with conviction."

Prabhupāda: This is. He's the origin of everything. Now, if somebody says: "Oh, what the commentation there?"

(aside) What is that commentation? Is there any commentation, or simply translation?

Satsvarūpa: Shall I read that?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Satsvarūpa: Read the commentation?

Prabhupāda: No, that particular verse, ahaṁ sarvasya . . . is there any commentation?

Satsvarūpa: Yes, there is.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Satsvarūpa: "The teacher speaks now as the Lord. As . . ."

Prabhupāda: "Teacher." Still, he'll not say "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa-phobia. (laughter) You see? He's always thinking, "If I say 'Kṛṣṇa,' oh, then I'll be in trouble." This is the demonic tendency, and that is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). The rascals and the lowest of the mankind, narādhama, and the asses and the, I mean, the nonsense—mūḍha means ass; simply work for others. He has no self-interest. Ass. So mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ. "A person who is as rascal as an ass," mūḍhāḥ, na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtina, "and always engaged in sinful activities, and the lowest of the mankind and demon, he does not," I mean to say: "surrender unto Me, accept Me."

"Oh, there are many educated persons . . ." Just like Dr. Radhakrishnan, he also says, he also, "Not to Kṛṣṇa." Then what about his education? Oh, that is also replied, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: "Oh, he's educated—so-called. The māyā has plundered his all knowledge." That means although . . . he's an educated fool. There are educated rascals. They have got some university degrees, but actually they are rascal, less than an ass.

So that is also described: māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. They have acquired some knowledge, undoubtedly, but the essence of the knowledge is taken away by māyā. Essence of the knowledge. Just like I give you milk, but I churn it. I take the butter out, and I give you milk. It is just like that. If milk is administered while taking out the butter, that is also a cheating, because milk means to take fat. Fat we require. For our proper maintenance of the body, we require fat. So milk-drinking means eating fat. So if the fat is already taken away, what is this milk?

So similarly, knowledge means to—athāto brahma jijñāsā—to understand Brahman. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything, and everything emanates from Me." Iti matvā bhajante mām, budhā. Budhā means one who is in the topmost platform of knowledge. That is called budhā. Therefore Lord Buddha is called Buddha. Budhā means one who is in the topmost platform of knowledge. He's called budhā. Budh-dhātu. Budh-dhātu means to know, to understand, or to have knowledge. So budhā. Budhā means one who is actually buddha, or budhā, he worships Kṛṣṇa, because he knows perfectly well that He is the origin of everything. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anadir adir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

There are so many īśvaras, controller, but Parameśvara, or the Supreme Lord, supreme controller, is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. People may misunderstand, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, we have seen Him. He's a historical person. How He can be the supreme controller? He's just like a man. He's a man like us." No. He's sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. He's not like a man like you. His form is spiritual, blissful, eternal. "How it is eternal? We have known that He is born." That Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9): "How I am born, what are My activities, if anyone knows . . ." Then what he becomes? Oh, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar: "He becomes immediately liberated."

So He's not so easy to understand. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is born in Mathurā. His father is Vasudeva. Oh, He . . ." No. He's unborn. He's unborn, but I am seeing that He's born. Just like sun is unborn. I am seeing that at five o'clock sun is born in the eastern side of New York City. This is my foolishness. Sun is never born. He's always there. It is my imperfectness that I am seeing that sun is born this hour. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is never born. Kṛṣṇa is just like sun.

So as they are, if we want to understand . . . acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet (CC Adi 17.308, Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 5.22): "Things which are beyond your conception," avāṅ manasā gocaraḥ, "beyond your expression, beyond your knowledge, don't apply your so-called argument and reason." That is Vedānta study. If, if you do not understand, put question to your spiritual master, try to understand. But as a matter of fact, you should know, "What is stated here, that is all right. It is due to my imperfectness of knowledge I cannot just now understand it. Let me ask my spiritual master and let me understand it properly."

But a thing as it is, that is all right. We must take it. Mukhya-vṛttye. Mukhya means "as it is." Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (Īśo mantra 1).

What commentation you can give? If the Vedas says, Īśopaniṣad, that "Everything belongs to God," how can you deny it? What is your argument? What is your . . .? You cannot deny it. Similarly, all these Vedic sūtras, Upaniṣad, Vedānta, anything should be understood . . .

gauna-vṛttye yebā bhāṣya karila ācārya

tāhāra śravaṇe nāśa haya sarva kārya

(CC Adi 7.109)

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu is directly challenging Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī belonged to the Śaṅkara-sampradāya, Śaṅkara school of thought. Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is directly challenging that gauna-vṛttye yebā bhāṣya karila ācārya. Ācārya means Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya has made a commentary which is called Śārīraka-bhāṣya of Vedānta-sūtra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says this Śārīraka-bhāṣya, gauna-vṛttye, indirectly . . . just like we are accustomed to do: "I think the meaning should be like this," grammatical or this way or that way, jugglery of words.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly accuses Śaṅkarācārya that the commentary which he has made indirectly, if we read that commentary or if we hear that commentary, then tāhāra śravaṇe nāśa haya sarva kārya, then anyone who is hearing or understanding, trying to understand the Śārīraka-bhāṣya, he is going to hell. He's not only wasting his time, but he's going to hell. Sarva nāśa. Sarva nāśa means "all auspicity lost."

Why? Why lost? Lost because as soon as you indulge in the reading of the Śaṅkara-bhāṣya, the whole program is you have to think that "I am God." So if I am God, then who is else God, that I have to worship? That means the prospect of devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is killed forever. Such rascal will never be able to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore he says, haya sarva nāśa. He is being murdered, you see, because he never will come. He'll always think, "I am God."

Just like . . . who was speaking? Yes, yes, Nikhilananda. He has discussed in that Vivekananda's speech that man is God. But somebody asks, "Why he has become dog?" "Oh," he says: "I do not know." So God says: "I do not know." He's such a God. And that is clearly written. Have you got that book? God . . . God . . . God . . .

The followers of Śaṅkarācārya say that, "I am God. There is no other God. Every one of us God." "Then why you have become dog?" "Oh, that I do not know." Is that God's, I mean to say, answer? If I ask if you are God, if I answer you, "Why you are dog?" you say: "I do not know," so are you God? God does not know?

Well, God description is there in Parāśara-sūtra that He is full of all knowledge. That is God. And God says: "I do not know"? How he is . . .? What kind of God he is? That is clearly stated there. Why you have become dog? "I do not know. But I am God." He knows, "I am God," but he does not know why he has become dog. That is his knowledge. You'll find so many fallacies like this. How do you know that you are God? "That also I do not know." What is this? Is this any argument? But God definition is that:

aiśvaryasya samāgrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇāṁ itī bhagan ganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Means Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is, is, He has got complete aiśvarya, wealth, He has got complete fame, He has got complete knowledge, He has got complete beauty and He has got complete renunciation. By these six complete, I mean to . . . opulences, the God is there.

So if you find somebody that He's full in six opulences . . . so we find Kṛṣṇa. If you find in the history . . . whole history of the world till now, you won't find any other person more than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is God. Therefore He is God. Find out from the history if anybody is more than Kṛṣṇa.

So this is . . . these are the definition, these are the knowledge. We have to follow these. Then we become perfect. Don't try to follow the rascals and nonsense. Then you'll go to hell.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Any question? (end)