720823 - Lecture SB 01.02.20 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720823SB-LOS ANGELES - August 23, 1972 - 45:28 Minutes

(Govindam prayers playing)

Prabhupāda: (sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) (prema-dhvani) Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. (devotees offer obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Text number 20. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

(SB 1.2.20)

Prabhupāda: Now ladies. Ladies. (ladies chant) That's all. Now read the word meaning.

Pradyumna:

evam—thus; prasanna—enlivened; manasaḥ—of the mind; bhagavat-bhakti—the devotional service of the Lord; yogataḥ—by contact of; bhagavat—regarding the Personality of Godhead; tattva—knowledge; vijñānam—scientific; mukta—liberated; saṅgasya—of the association; jāyate—becomes effective.

Translation: "Thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by loving service to the Lord gains liberation from material association, mukti, and comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead."

Prabhupāda: Hm. So bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. Vijñāna means science. It is not concoction, speculation, it is a science. Just like mathematic is a science: "Two plus two equal to four." You cannot make two plus two equal to five according to your whims. No. Anywhere you go, it doesn't matter, because it is science, so either in America or in India or in England, everyone will accept, "Two plus two equal to four." That is science. Science is true everywhere. Not that, "I can imagine my God according to my whims; you can imagine your God . . ." That is going on. No. How you can imagine? There is no question of imagine.

This bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam, this truth, this science, can be understood by a person who is mukta-saṅga. Mukta-saṅga, means freed from material association. He can understand. Mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. And the condition is evaṁ prasanna-manasaḥ.

When you are enlightened, engladdened . . . because so long we are in the jurisdiction of ignorance and passion, there cannot be any jubilant. There cannot be any enlightenment. Therefore you have to come to the platform of goodness. As it is stated in the previous . . .

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ

kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye

ceta etair anāviddhaṁ . . .

(SB 1.2.19)

Cetas, everything is working within the heart, the whole thing. Heart is the central point of this body. So when the heart is not punctured by the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, and you become situated on the modes of goodness, then you become jubilant. Jubilant means he can understand at that time that "Why these people are working so hard like cats and dogs?"

The human life is meant for understanding what is God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is meant for simply understanding what is God. The animal life, they cannot understand. That life is different. But the human life is developed, consciousness is developed. He can understand. This is called goodness. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ.

How one becomes intelligent? He can study . . . when he is on the platform of goodness, he can study the nature that, "Why I shall work so hard for getting all my material necessities?" This is being supplied by nature. The birds and beast, they are getting their food, they are getting their mates, they are being protected in their own way; they have got a sleeping nest, apartment. So even an animal, even a small ant . . .

We sit down in the garden, we see, even the small ant it has got family, it has got home, it has got eating. Everything is there, from ant to the elephant. Who is supplying? They have no business. They do not do any business. They have no profession. But they are getting their necessities of life.

Therefore, intelligent person . . . this is . . . goodness means intelligence, prakāśa. And ignorance means darkness. In darkness, we cannot see what is what. So goodness means light. Anyone can see that there are 8,400,000 species of life or forms of life. They are getting their food. They are getting their shelter. They are satisfying their sex. They are also defending without any extra endeavor. By nature, they are doing their own way.

So why human being, so-called civilized human being, is so much harassed for these four things? We have got better intelligence. We shall be, rather, more comfortable without struggling for existence than the animals. But our struggle for existence is greater than their struggle of existence. What is this civilization? This is not civilization. Everyone wants peaceful, calm life.

Even those who are struggling so hard, big business magnate, still, at the weekend, they find out some secluded place, nice place, without trouble. That is the nature. That human nature should be like that, that "Why should we work so hard, simply for eating, sleeping, mating?" This is a wrong type of civilization. But at the modern age, the human society is so made that one has to work like ass, whole day and night, simply for satisfying these four necessities of life.

That is also not guaranteed. We thought that in your country . . . when I was in India, I was contemplating coming to your country. I thought that, "America is very rich. There is no problem for eating, sleeping, mating." Actually there is nil. There is no problem. But the civilization is so made that there is no shelter. They are lying down on the park, on the street. Why?

There was no necessity, but they have created such civilization that a certain section of people are voluntarily, or being obliged, lying down on the street, on the park, no dress, no food, no fixed . . . fixed-up sex life. Everything is topsy-turvied. Everything is topsy-turvied. But this is not civilization. This is not civilization. Then how they can understand God? Their mind is always disturbed and full of anxiety.

So first of all you have to come to the stage of tranquillity. Prasanna-manasa. Evaṁ prasanna-manasaḥ. Prasanna-manasa means always jubilant. That is . . . that can be achieved by this process: bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ, by devotional service, no by no other process. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). One can be jubilant only by practicing bhagavad-bhakti-yoga.

There are many other yoga system—karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga. Everything you endeavor for spiritual enlightenment, that is called yoga. So there are different types of yoga, but real yoga is bhagavad-bhakti, devotional service. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yoginām api sarveṣām: "Of all the yogīs . . ." There are different types of yoga system and different types of yogīs also. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Of all the yogīs . . ."

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

"That yogī who is devotee and always thinking of Me, or thinking of Kṛṣṇa within the heart . . ." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā, śraddhāvān, faithful; bhajate. This is bhajana: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So he is first-class yogī who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and thinking of Kṛṣṇa within his heart, first-class yogī. That is bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. And if he does it nicely, according to the rules and regulation, in the beginning, then he becomes prasanna-manasa, prasanna-manasa, enlightened, engladdened. There is no more any lamentation or hankering. This is the sign.

Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). Then you can understand what is God. God is not so cheap, "Come on, I shall show you God. You haven't got to follow any rules and regulations." People want to be cheated; therefore there are so many cheaters. They take advantage of it. Because they want everything very cheap. That is not possible. This is the stage, prasanna-manasa. Then you can understand what is God. Bhagavat-tattva-vi . . .

Because it is a science. If somebody says: "Come on, I shall teach you the science of chemistry within a second. Give me some money," is it possible? If somebody says: "I shall teach you mathematics. Come on, give me some money . . ." So why these rascals are misled? If . . . it is a science; it is not sentiment. It is science. There was . . .

Understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without reference to these scientific books, Vedic literature, it is simply a disturbance, simply rascaldom. Simp . . . because they are creating disturbance, always, cheating some people. They are cheated. They do not get anything. Create some disturbance. That is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī:

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir

utpātāyaiva kalpate

(Brs. 1.2.101)

Utpāta. Utpāta means disturbance. So many rascals, without reference to the Vedic literature, revealed scriptures, Śruti-smṛti. These are Vedic literatures, śruti-smṛti-purāṇa, pañcarātra-vidhi. Without reference to the all these books, if anyone poses himself that he has understood God and devotional service, it is simply disturbance, creating disturbance. That's all. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi . . . because it is a science. How you can manufacture it? It is not that thing.

Therefore any religion without scientific understanding through philosophy, it is simply sentiment; it is not religion. And philosophy without religious understanding is mental speculation. That is also useless. Philosophy which does not search ultimately what is truth, what is God, that philosophy is mental speculation. And the knowledge of God without philosophy is simply sentiment. They should be combined.

To understand God, our relationship with God, our duty, everything should be understood scientifically. Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. Therefore this word has been used, vijñānam. Viśeṣa-jñānam. Jñānam, ordinary knowledge, and vi, when the this word is added, vi, meaning viśeṣatā, particularly, for practical application . . . this vijñānam.

So this vijñānam, this science, can be understood by mukta-saṅga, who is freed from the lower modes of material nature, especially tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. So do not be befooled by so many rascals that bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam, the science of God, understanding is so cheap that anyone can give you by simply one day's association with some rascal. You see? This is not so possible. Yes, it has to be studied, it has to be practiced. It has to be realized.

So this vijñānam is being stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore in the beginning, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). All rascaldom going on under the name of religion, cheating religion, they're completely kicked out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Simply on scientific understanding we are presenting what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not for sentimentalist.

Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "In the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.3) it is said that out of many thousands of ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for perfection of life. Mostly they are conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus they are engaged always in lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and sleep. Out of many such man-like animals, there is actually a man . . ."

Prabhupāda: Man-like animals. They show with two hands, two legs, but actually they are animals. Four-legged. Two legs have been transformed into two hands.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "Out of many such man-like animals, there is actually a man who knows the responsibility of human life and thus tries to make life perfect by following the prescribed duties. And out of many . . . and out of such many thousands of persons who have thus attained success in human life, one may know scientifically about the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So it is not so easy to understand Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3): "Those who have endeavored for perfection of life, out of many such person, one can hardly understand Kṛṣṇa." It is not so easy. But it is by Kṛṣṇa's grace. Kṛṣṇa, being very compassionate with these fallen souls of this age, He appeared as Lord Caitanya and distributed Kṛṣṇa.

That is His prerogative. That is His right. If Kṛṣṇa wants to distribute Himself freely, that is a different thing. Otherwise, it is not so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa. Just like to earn one million dollar is not so easy. But if you are fortunate, you meet somebody who can distribute million dollars at a time, that is a different thing.

Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was recognized by Rūpa Gosvāmī, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53): "My dear Lord, You are the most munificent of all incarnation. The other incarnation, people could not understand; but You are freely distributing Yourself." Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne. Kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ. Therefore we have to follow the footsteps of Rūpa Gosvāmī, rūpānuga. Then we can understand Lord Caitanya. And if we get favor of Lord Caitanya, we can very easily understand Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "In the same Bhagavad-gītā (BG 18.55) it is also said that scientific knowledge of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is understood only by the process of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga . . ."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here also it is confirmed: bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. It is not said: "By mystic yoga, by haṭha-yoga, by jñāna-yoga, by karma-yoga." No. Bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. If you want to understand the science of God, then we have to adopt this devotional service. Not by other yogas. Otherwise, in Bhāgavata it would have been said, "By karma-yogataḥ, by jñāna-yogataḥ, by haṭha-yogataḥ, by dhyāna-yogataḥ."

No. It is clearly said, bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ mukta-saṅgasya jāyate (SB 1.2.20). If you are still after jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, God. It is clearly said. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is clearly said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55): simply through devotional service.

So if you want to know God, then you have to follow the prescribed rules and regulation of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. It is very simple. It is made very easy, especially in this age: simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It's so made easy, but we are so unfortunate that we do not take advantage of this. Etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ (CC Antya 20.16, Śikṣāṣṭaka 2).

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu laments, "My dear Lord, You are so compassionate and merciful upon us that in this age You have descended in Your . . . as Your name, and one can chant this name without any regulation." Without any regulation. Niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ (CC Antya 20.16). Any time, any circumstances, one can chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Kṛṣṇa has become so liberal.

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi: "My dear Lord, although You are so much merciful upon me, still, I am so unfortunate." Etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam, "I am so unfortunate," durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani na, "I could not be attached to chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Oh, I am so unfortunate." You see? The things have been made so easy, actually, but unfortunate class of men, they cannot take to it.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (devotees offer obeisances) (break)

(kīrtana) (Prabhupāda plays gong) (break) (end)