690619 - Lecture SB 01.05.15-17 - New Vrindaban, USA

Lectures by Date, 1969

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

690619SB-NEW VRINDAVAN - June 19, 1969 - 49:25 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . not our Vaiṣṇava. If you save, you have to save this also. Yes.

Kīrtanānanda: Whole thing?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise keep everything.

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

vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca

śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam

sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ

śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

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

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

(aside) So you keep there. You can keep here. It is open? Yes.

jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte 'nuśāsataḥ

svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ

(SB 1.5.15)

So in our last meeting we have been discussing that śāstras, scriptures, if they simply deal with material activities . . . of course, material activities should be regulated to come to the spiritual platform. But if we do not come to the spiritual platform, simply some regulative principle on the material platform will not help us.

Religiosity means to prepare the ground, prepare the ground for being elevated to the spiritual platform. And just like it is said:

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

Dharma, religious faith—everything is very punctual. One is going punctually to the church or to the temple and executing all ritualistic ceremonies very rigidly, following the rules and regulation. But at the end, if he has not developed love for God, then, Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: "This is simply laboring, formalities." Caste priest, caste gosvāmī, caste spiritual master—simply a formality. But the objective is not Kṛṣṇa. Objective is material happiness. That sort of religiosity or following the regulative principle will not help.

So Vyāsadeva says, jugupsitam: "This is abominable, because if you simply stick to that principle . . . you are authority. People will understand that this is religion, nothing more."

Na manyate tasya nivāraṇam janaḥ, yad-vākyataḥ. Nanu yad pravṛtti-mārga nindate 'tha nivṛtti-mārge sarva-kriyā-tyāgena parameśvara-sukhasya rūpe anubhuteḥ kiṁ tad yaśaḥ-kathānenāpi tatrāha vicakṣaṇaiti, vicakṣaṇa ati-nipunaḥ kaścid eva nivṛttitaḥ sarva-kriyā-nivṛttya, asya bibhaḥ sukhaṁ nirvikalpaka-sukhātmākaṁ svarūpaṁ vedituṁ jñātum arhati.

One may be very expert in the matter of executing religious performances, but that does not mean he can be elevated to the spiritual platform.

vicakṣaṇo 'syārhati vedituṁ vibhor

ananta-pārasya nivṛttitaḥ sukham

pravartamānasya guṇair anātmanas

tato bhavān darśaya ceṣṭitaṁ vibhoḥ

(SB 1.5.16)

This may be little helpful to rise to the spiritual platform, but unless one is actually engaged in the service of the Lord, it cannot be achieved perfectly.

Then Vyāsadeva says, Nārada Muni says, tataḥ karuṇārthe vibhu anātmanaḥ deha-vimāna athaiva guṇaiḥ satyādibhiḥ pravartamānasya guṇair janasya darśaya bhavān iti. "Therefore you write literature in such a way that people will become attracted to Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord." Simply official understanding of Kṛṣṇa—"God is great" or "Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful"—but my attention is only how to improve my material condition . . .

So, this picture was given in our Back to Godhead—perhaps you all remember—that a bridegroom party was to go to the bride's home. In India the marriage party, bridesgroom party, the bride (bridegroom), his father, his relatives, go with the bridegroom, to the bride's home, and the marriage ceremony takes place there in the presence of all kinds of relatives. That is the system.

So the marriage was to take place in a different village some miles away, and in Bengal the land is full of rivers. The rivers are considered to be high roads. So it was settled that the bridegroom's party will start in the evening before the marriage day and reach there in the morning, and rest whole day, and in the evening the marriage will take place.

So they got up in a boat, and the boat was started and the, all the members of the bridegroom's party, the . . . they fell asleep. It was on the river. The breeze was very pleasing. And next morning when they arose, they saw they were standing on the same place. Then they were surprised, "How is that?" The boatman was asked: "How is that, we are in the same place? We have not proceeded even a few yards. How is that?" So the boatman said that, "We were plying the whole night. We do not know how it happened." Then one boatman found out that the anchor was not taken out. The anchor was fixed up, and the whole night they were plying meant the boat was round about the anchor only, moving, and it was . . . it did not go a step forward.

Similarly, if our anchor, that we want this material happiness, for which we can worship God, we may go to the temple, go to the church, offer our respect . . . arto arthārthī. That is accepted as good. But one has to go far above that position. That means if one, being distressed, approaches Kṛṣṇa, that "My Lord, I am in distress. Please help me," the qualification is good in this sense, that he, somehow or other, he has approached God. But his motive is not pure. His motive is material enjoyment.

So Vyāsadeva says: "This kind of instruction in your book will not help people to come to the standard of pure devotional service, which can save him from all material bondage." That is the whole purpose. Then what is to be done? The same thing, as Kṛṣṇa advises, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You haven't got to do anything. Simply be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here, of course, I am very pleased that the boys and girls who have come to me, they have immediately taken to Kṛṣṇa. But India . . . although the Bhagavad-gītā is the scripture of Hindus and the Indians, still, they are not so easy to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because their brain is puzzled. Somebody says that, "You worship goddess Kālī"; somebody says that "You worship Lord Śiva"; somebody says, "You worship Brahmā."

So mostly, in temples, in, I mean to say, temples which are meant for earning some money, they have got all types of deities. In one place there is Lord Śiva, one place there is Goddess Kālī, one place there is Rāmacandra, one place is . . . just like store. Store. You go to a store, and you'll find all kinds of goods are ready there. Whatever goods you want, you pay price and take. So that is another business, that "Whomever you may love, please come to my temple, pay something, and you see. Your god is there." You see? So . . . and there are some missionary activities also. They say that, "Whatever god you may worship, it is the same."

But our Vaiṣṇava philosophy does not say that. Vaiṣṇava philosophy says: "God is one." Not in . . . Vaiṣṇava philosophy, you do not think that it is a sectarian. This is based on Vedic conclusion. In the Ṛg Veda also it is said: "God is one." Tad viṣṇoḥ. Viṣṇu is paramaṁ padam. He is Supreme. Vedas does not say that Brahmā is supreme, or Lord Śiva is the supreme, or Goddess Kālī is supreme. No. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramam . . . this is Ṛg Veda mantra.

And so far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it is clearly said there by Kṛṣṇa. He says: "I am the Supreme. Nobody's greater than Me." We find in Brahma-saṁhitā also the same thing: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So actually in the Vedas the Supreme Lord is accepted—Viṣṇu, or Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa, different names of viṣṇu-tattva. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he also accepts, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ: "Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme." Nārāyaṇa.

So God is one, but there are different kinds of demigods. That is also a fact. They are accepted as different parts and parcels of God, as we are also. The demigods are also living entities. They are not viṣṇu-tattva. There are viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva and śakti-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva is the Supreme Absolute Truth, jīva-tattva is part and parcel, and śakti-tattva is the energy of God.

So the demigods . . . you can become a demigod. You can become, if you follow the process how to become, then you become one day the demigod in the sun planet. It is not difficult. You can become one day even Lord Brahmā. Just like you can become one day President Nixon, like him. That requires your qualification. But you can. But you cannot become Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa. That is not possible. God is one. You cannot become God, but you can become part and parcel of God, more powerful. That is possible.

Just like you are all Americans, but some of you can become a big officer in the government—the president, the secretary, the governor, but their position is better than ordinary man—similarly, the demigods are like that. They are different officers of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. These things are described in Bhāgavatam, that the sun rises under the order of the Supreme Lord. The moon rises under the order of the Supreme Lord. The ocean is not disturbing; it is calm and quiet . . . not calm and quiet; it is in its position by the order of the Supreme Lord.

So everyone is acting under the Supreme Lord. And Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa: "Yes, the Supreme Lord is only Kṛṣṇa." Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Āra, "Any other demigod or even viṣṇu-tattva, even Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu"—there are so many, I mean to say, manifestation of viṣṇu-tattva—"they're all subordinate to Kṛṣṇa." Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So here the point is that just direct people to Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord. Don't misguide them that, "Here is another god, here is another god, here is another . . ." The Bhagavad-gītā also, in the last instruction, Bhagavān says, mām ekam. Ekam means one. "Only surrender to Me."

So this is the verdict of all Vedic literatures. But if somebody thinks that, "I can worship Brahmā, I can worship Kālī, I can worship Śiva, or many other demigods, and still the same thing," this is impersonalist view. It is not a fact. Because according to them, "The Absolute Truth is impersonal. There is no question of personality. But because we cannot concentrate our devotional energy or attention in the impersonal feature, therefore let us imagine some form of God."

This is the, I mean to say, principle of the impersonalists. They imagine some form of God, and they get perfection. And ultimately they become impersonal, merge into the effulgence, brahma-jyotir. That is their philosophy. The Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy differs here. Our Bhāgavata says that ultimate truth, Absolute Truth, is a person. Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11). Vyāsadeva says that "You direct people, attention, to the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Now, the question may be that one may take to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without understanding the truth—by sentiment. Just like sometimes . . . it is mostly in this country. Some of the disciples, some of the students, they are coming, not that one has understood this philosophy very nicely and he is convinced; some of them are coming by sentiment: "All right, let me join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement."

So in that case what happens? Suppose one does not understand the philosophy, but he comes to join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then what is the effect? That is also clearly explained by Nāradadeva, that:

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer

bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi

yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ

ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ

(SB 1.5.17)

So Nārada says that, "Giving up all other engagements . . ." Just like it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā that, "Give up all other engagement. Simply surrender unto Me." So if somebody, out of sentiment, without understanding, out of sentiment surrenders, comes to Kṛṣṇa . . . here he had many duties to perform—his family life, his duty to the country, so many duties. Everyone has got so many duties. But one gives up all other duties, simply comes to Kṛṣṇa. Then what happens to him?

This is very important version of Nārada Muni. He says sva-dharma, "Everyone has got some occupational duty. So he gives it up according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa," and caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ, ". . . and begins devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then, after some time . . ." Just like many . . .

When I came, in the beginning, there were many , not many, a few, say within five or six, they were working with me, but now they are not working. So that is possibility. Because one may come by sentiment, then, after staying for some time, he may find it, "Oh, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Let me do something else." Or "Let me join in my previous occupation."

So Nārada Muni says that, "Even a person joins Kṛṣṇa consciousness, giving up all other occupational duties and, without being mature, falls down, some . . ." There are so many reasons one may fall down. Not only . . . actually, the reason is māyā. Māyā . . . māyā, it is a fight. To take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness means it is a fight against māyā. Māyā is trying to keep you captivated within this material world. But if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he . . . māyā has to give him up. Māyā cannot control anymore. That is not the jurisdiction of māyā.

Because you have read in the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14) "It is very, very, very difficult to get out of the grip of the strong māyā." It is not . . . but mām eva ye prapadyante: "If anyone comes to Me or surrenders unto Me," māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14), "he immediately becomes out of the jurisdiction of māyā."

So māyā is strong always. Just like I was explaining this morning what is māyā. Māyā is already there, side by side, Kṛṣṇa and māyā. Just like this light: this side is light; this side is darkness. Take this example. This light, the one side is very bright; another side is dark. So this darkness and this light is always side by side. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa and māyā . . . because māyā is one of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. When Vyāsadeva, by bhakti-yoga meditation, experienced the whole thing, what did he see? He saw Kṛṣṇa. Apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam (SB 1.7.4) "He saw the Supreme Person." Māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam: "And he saw also māyā on the back side." Just like when you, if you stand the light side, your shadow is not on the light side. The light . . . the shadow is on the back side.

So in our back side the māyā is there, although you are in front of Kṛṣṇa. So as soon as you become little slack in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately māyā is ready to capture. Māyā is always going side by side. As Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, the māyā is also all-pervading. As soon as there is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is immediately māyā.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare

pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

(Prema-vivarta 6.2)

Jāpaṭiyā dhare means embrace. What is that? What is called, to capture like this?

Devotee: Hug?

Devotees: Hug, hug. Embrace?

Prabhupāda: Embrace? Yes. So as soon as one, kṛṣṇa-bhuliyā, forgets Kṛṣṇa . . . forgetting Kṛṣṇa means sense enjoyment. Two things are there. One, the materialistic persons, they are engaged in the activities of sense enjoyment, forgetting Kṛṣṇa; and the transcendentalists, the devotees, they are, even though they have not forgotten, but they are not interested in sense enjoyment; they are interested in Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. This is māyā and Kṛṣṇa.

So māyā is always strong. As soon as we little slack in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, māyā will capture us in the same process. So here it is said, bhajann apakvo 'tha. If one is not very strong, not very much advanced, not mature, and falls down under the clutches of māyā again, so, Nārada Muni says, yatra kva vābhadram abhūt: "There is no," I mean to say, "loss." Abhadra means great loss or inauspicity. There is no . . . "It is still good, even if he falls down."

Why? Yatra kva vā abhadram amuṣya kiṁ ko vārtha āpto 'bha . . . "In comparison to the person who is simply sticking to the formalities of religious principles without any development of love of Godhead, simply following the routine work—in comparison to that person, this person who came to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, either by sentiment or some way or other but falls down, this man is better. This man is better. There is no," I mean to say: "any great loss. Rather, it is a great gain."

How it is gain? Kṛṣṇa has confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that yoga-bhraṣṭo sanjāya . . . śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). This question was raised by Arjuna, that "Kṛṣṇa, one person is engaged in bhakti-yoga. It is very good. If he can execute bhakti-yoga to the perfect point and becomes liberated, goes back to Kṛṣṇa, it is very nice. But if he falls down, then what is his position? He loses both things? He loses Kṛṣṇa consciousness and all this material enjoyment? Then he is nowhere?" Kṛṣṇa said, "No, no, no, no. It is not like that. His position is not like that. His position is better still, even if he has fallen down."

What is that? Now, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41): "If one, anyone, immaturely falls down, then in next life he will have the opportunity to take birth in very rich family or in a family of a," I mean, "real brahmin." Real brahmin means śuci, always pure. That is real brahminical qualification. Truthful, clean, wise, God consciousness—these are brahminical qualification.

We are giving thread ceremony to our disciples to recognize him that he has got the brahminical qualification. He has given up this meat-eating, illicit sex life, gambling and intoxication. He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. He is being purified gradually. He's trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's always pure. This is the recognition. This thread ceremony is recognition. But if we simply make it a show that, "Now I have got thread, I have become liberated. I may not do anything," and then again I fall down. The same principle is always going on, māyā and Kṛṣṇa.

Just like in India, those who are born in brahmin family, they are falsely proud that, "We are born in brahmin family. Now we are perfect. Now we can do any nonsense thing; still I am brahmin." And it is actually being done. They are doing works less than a śūdra, and still, they are passing on as brahmin. That is the cause of India's spiritual falldown.

Some people, they have exploited simply being born in high family. But actually that is not the position. Actual position is by quality. If one has got the quality of a brahmin, then he should be recognized as brahmin, as we are doing here. Here nobody is born in a brahmin family, but how we are offering him sacred thread? By the quality.

That is recommended by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī gives a very nice example in his Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, that yathā kāṁsyam . . . yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti rasa-vidhānena . . .

yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti

kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ

dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām

(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 2.12)

He gives that, "Just like by chemical process one can turn gun metal into gold, similarly, by the process of initiation, one can become dvija." Dvija means twice-born, or brahmin.

So the chance is given. If one falls down immaturely from the standard of bhakti-yoga, devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he gets next birth either in a very nice brahmin family or very rich family. So is not . . .? So what is the loss there, even if I fall? But that does not mean I shall wait for falling down. No. Just like in India, formerly, in medical college there were two designation—one as M.D. and another was L.M.S. So what is the distinction? Now, after passing the . . . after regularly attending the class, say, five or six years, if one passes the examination, he takes the title M.D., Doctor of Medicine, or something like that. And if he fails, then he is given the title L.M.S., Licensed in Medical . . . medicine and Surgery.

So after studying in medical college for the regular years, five or six years, so even if he fails, he is recognized, but not to the standard of that passed medical man, but he is given license: "All right, if you don't wish to study more, you get the license to practice." Licensed. Similarly, a devotee, a person in devotional service, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if he falls down by some reason or other, without being mature, then he has . . . he's not in loss.

He says, Nārada Muni says, that evaṁ tāvat tat karma-karmādi anartha-hetutva taṁ vihāya harer līlāiva bandhaniya tam. Therefore everyone should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we pass Kṛṣṇa consciousness examination at the end of our life, it is very good, but even if we fail, just like the medical man failing, as we can execute, we can work as a medical man, we get the license, just like to take birth in a nice family, that means again devotional service.

In India, a rich family means they must have their own private temple. Generally they have got private temple, all rich men. Now they are not constructing. Just like in your country, those who are rich, now they are not constructing any churches. They . . . everywhere, people are losing interest in religion. But in formerly, say, even twenty-five years ago, both the Hindus and Mussulman, if one becomes rich, immediately he tries to construct a temple or a mosque.

I have got personal experience. When I was doing medical business, one Muhammadan . . . his name was Abdullah. He was supplying me bottles. So he was very poor man, but by making business in bottle supply he became rich. So one day I asked him, "Abdullah, you have got now money. How you are going to utilize your money?" So he says, "Bābājī, ek masjid banāyange."

He said that, "My dear sir," that, "I have got an intention to construct a mosque." So people, either Christian or Jew or Muhammadan or Hindu, formerly they were religious and, according to their faith, they used to construct either synagogue or church or mosque or temple all over the world. Now they have lost interest. You see?

So to get birth in the family of a pure brahmin means he gets the association. Because in a brahmin family or a rich family the worship of Kṛṣṇa is there. Every brāhmaṇa family, according to Vedic culture, must worship Nārāyaṇa. Every brahmin family. If he is not worshiping Nārāyaṇa, then he's rejected from brahmin family. That was the stricture. And śrīmatām. Śrīmatām means rich family, very rich family.

So every rich family had a temple, private temple. Just like I was born in a family. Although I was not a member of that family, but I was born in a very rich family. They had a temple. Still that temple existing. When I last year went to India, I stayed in that temple. Acyutānanda, recently he was there. He informed me that he is staying in that temple. So that is the facility. We got the facility of this temple. Because we were born in that family, from the very beginning of our life we got the idea of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship. It is very nice.

So śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). So there is no loss. He begins again worship of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, either in the brahmin family or in the rich family. And ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ: "And if anyone does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, simply engages in his, I mean to say, prescribed duties as a brahmin or kṣatriya or a śūdra, and he's very strict moralist, he may get; he may not get also." There is . . .

Because this life, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yes, Vedas, Upaniṣad, kṣurasya dhara iti duratyayā. The people do not understand that how we are stationed. Any little difference, we may fall down. As there is chance of falldown from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is chance of falldown from any position. This human life, human form of life, should be very carefully and cautiously utilized. This verse I was explaining yesterday, labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). So Nārada Muni advises that, "Induce everyone to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Never mind if he . . . even if he falls down, there is no loss." This is the principle. If he becomes successful, oh, the greatest boon. That greatest boon is described in Bhagavad-gītā, saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ, highest perfection. Highest . . . saṁsiddhim. Saṁsiddhim means perfection; paramām, the supreme.

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

(BG 8.15)

So if we become successful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we achieve the greatest success of life. But even if we fall down, oh, there is no loss, because we are going to get birth in śucīnām, in nice brahmin family, or rich mercantile family, where it is supposed . . .

Nowadays, at the present moment, there is no brahmin, no kṣatriya, no vaiśyas. Everyone is a śūdra. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. The situation is different. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has made the thing very easy. Either you become brahmin or śūdra or kṣatriya or less than śūdra, caṇḍāla, or, or anything, it doesn't matter. Take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, and if you stick to this, and if you follow the regulative principles, your success is sure. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. And that is confirmed here by Nārada Muni, that "There is no loss even one falls down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform."

That does not mean we shall fall down. We must be very steady and rigid and with vow, dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28). Kṛṣṇa says that te dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ. How we can become fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam: "Anyone who is completely free from all sinful reaction . . ." Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. And who can be completely free from all sinful reaction? They are always engaged in pious activities. Such person . . . because if you engage yourself in pious activities, there is no chance of your being engaged in sinful activities.

So this activity, Kṛṣṇa consciousness activity, is not only pious; it is transcendental. So if you stay on this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the easy process, just like we are executing in New Vrindaban, chanting, dancing, eating bhāgavata-prasādam, hearing Bhāgavata or Bhagavad-gītā, trying to understand, simple process, it is not very difficult—and you are satisfied with little prasādam, never mind what it is—this process will make you stay on. So don't deviate. Whatever little regulative principles are there, they are not very difficult. Just stick to this principle, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, eat prasādam, and your life will be successful.

Here is the assurance by Nārada Muni that, "Even if he falls down, still, there is no loss. But the . . . on the other side, those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he's very regular businessman or regular worker, so many things, still, his gain is nothing." He . . . śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). He's simply laboring, because he has no connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The life mission, this human form of life mission, is to understand Kṛṣṇa and relation. He's neglecting that. He has no information; therefore he does not gain.

If you . . . suppose if you go to a place, to a . . . work, and you can earn money, as much as you like, and if you go there, and if you do not earn anything, you come empty-handed, so, as your mission becomes unsuccessful, similarly, if in the human form of life you are simply engaged in the animalistic way of life—eating, sleeping, mating and defending in a nice way than the birds and beasts—then you are not gaining anything.

Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ (SB 5.5.5). In many places these things are very nicely explained. Abodha-jātaḥ. We are born . . . we are born ignorant. A child is born ignorant. If the father, mother, guardians do not give him education, then his life is spoiled. The child has no fault. It is the fault of the guardians. Similarly, in this human form of life, if the state, the father, the teacher, the school, college and every, who are responsible for raising the child to knowledge, to become wise, if they do not take care and simply they have trained for eating nicely, sleeping nicely and mating nicely and defending nicely, then there is no gain. The life is the . . . a chance is missed.

Nārada Muni says that, "Without coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he's simply engaged in a polished way to this animalistic way of life—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—then he does not gain anything. On the other side, if a person without any knowledge, without any understanding, by sentiment takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and, being immature, if he falls down, there is no loss." This is the conclusion.

Thank you very much. (end)