720317 - Lecture Initiation - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720317IN-BOMBAY - March 17, 1972 - 20:08 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . God consciousness at the present moment . . .

(break) . . . "all-attractive." This is the Sanskrit word meaning, "all-attractive," paraṁ brahma. So unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? So:

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥśriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

saṇṇāṁ iti bhaga gana

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Aiśvaryasya: God must be the richest of all. God must be strongest than all. God must be the most beautiful. God must be the wisest of all. In this way, if we analyze what is the meaning of God according to śāstra, or all-attractiveness, then Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the perfect symbol.

So our Vedic literature accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not only at the present moment, but in the past also, great sages like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala. Later on all the ācāryas, just like Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Śrī Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī and, latest, five hundred years ago, Lord Caitanya—all of them accepted kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Bhagavad-gītā is there. Five thousand years ago this Bhagavad-gītā instruction was given to the world. There also Kṛṣṇa gives His own description personally, because we may mistake. Simply by studying books we cannot understand, although all the Vedic literatures, they aim at Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ (BG 15.15), and in the Ṛg Veda it is . . . the mantra is oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ (Ṛg-veda 1.22.20).

So Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead . . . Viṣṇu is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa, even Mahā-Viṣṇu, the original Viṣṇu. Out of three puruṣa-avatāras—Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu—the original Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vila-jā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.48)

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pushing on the consciousness. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the original consciousness. At the present moment our consciousness is diluted, or rather polluted, with so many consciousness. We are thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am African." But if actually we come to the original consciousness, then we become free. We have got students from all parts of the world, but they do not think in terms of this bodily concept of life. That is our first education: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). The bodily concept of life is not perfect civilization; rather, it is animal civilization, because animal, they think that they are this body. So if human being also thinks that he is this body, so that is not very good recommendation. In the śāstras it is said:

yasyātma-buddhi-kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhiḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij

janeśv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

(SB 10.84.13)

So the whole trouble in . . . this material world is troublesome, but the trouble is increased when human society is run on the concept of bodily identity. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is especially meant for preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is. It is not a manufactured movement. We are simply preaching the message of Kṛṣṇa as they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā, the first lesson to Arjuna was to understand that, "I am not this body." He . . . Arjuna, when he was thinking in terms of his bodily relationship with his family members, so this was condemned by Arjuna . . . er, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11): "You are talking just like a very learned man, but no learned man thinks like that. You just try to understand." Then He began Bhagavad-gītā:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

So this is the first education, that one should understand that he is not body; he is spirit soul. The Vedic word is ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman, spirit soul." Unless this consciousness is allowed, the human society is considered by the great sages as animal society.

So this consciousness of bodily concept of life has increased very much all over the world; therefore this education of Bhagavad-gītā, there is great need of it. So we are explaining this philosophy every evening, and today we have got the chance of founding this institution in Bombay. We all welcome you, because you are sympathetic and participating in this movement. So let us now begin the function.

Now chant the mantra. (devotees chant responsively)

namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bāhyābhyantaram śuciḥ

(Garuḍa Purāṇa)

śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu

Śyāmasundara: Should that initiated boy be sitting here?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. You can call them. They are . . . (indistinct) . . . now once more. (devotees chant responsively)

namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

(aside) That's all right.

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ

śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu

Do it again, ācamana.

Śyāmasundara: Three. One, and then one, then put in the water, then pass it back.

Devotee: Then pass it back?

Śyāmasundara: Then pass it back.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) . . . very good. You have done it?

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (devotees chant responsively)

namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ

śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu

Thank you very much. (devotees chant japa)

(aside) You can give one.

(break) . . . the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very much interested in brahmanical civilization and cow, brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65). Why specifically cow and brāhmaṇa brāhman is mentioned? This means that unless there is this varṇāśrama system in any civilization and there is no cow protection, that is not human civilization.

Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca: the first consideration is brahminical culture and protection of the cow. Because cow protection is especially mentioned, and brahminical culture, the two things are meant for advancing spiritual consciousness. Because one has to go, transcend, even brahminical culture, sattva-guṇa. And to support the brahminical culture, cow protection is essential.

Without milk you cannot develop the finer tissues of your brain, and without developing the finer tissues of brain it is not possible to understand what is God, what we are, what is our relationship, with blunt . . . alpa-medhasām. It is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23): a little brain substance cannot help one to advance in spiritual consciousness.

Therefore this cow protection and expansion of brahminical culture is essential throughout the whole world. But we should not think that brahminical culture is only limited within India. No. Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). What is created by Kṛṣṇa, or God, that is not for a particular country or particular nation. It is meant for everyone. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei "guru" haya (CC Madhya 8.128).

So this brahminical culture, what we are spreading, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is brahminical culture. So these boys and those who are initiated, they are offered the sacred thread. Not immediately. Just like there are two students present here: one will be given the hari-nāma initiation, and the other will be given sacred thread ceremony. The idea is that we invite everyone, it doesn’t matter where he is born, because this is universal. Kṛṣṇa claimed, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4), "In any species of life, whoever there is, I am the seed-giving father," ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pita. In another place Kṛṣṇa said that māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). We may consider somebody as pāpa-yoni, but Kṛṣṇa says that "If he takes shelter of Me," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim.

So this movement is very important, because we are giving chance everyone to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, automatically he acquires the brahminical qualification and Vaiṣṇava qualification. So the first initiation is given, hari-nāma. They are allowed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa with the promise that they will observe the principles: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling. Intoxication means we prohibit even drinking tea, coffee or smoking cigarette. They observe it. Therefore after testing one . . . (break)

(kīrtana) (Prabhupāda offers prema-dhvani prayers)

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) (kīrtana)

Devotees: Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya! All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)