720905 - Lecture SB 01.02.07 - New Vrindaban, USA

Lectures by Date, 1972

720905SB-NEW VRINDAVAN - September 5, 1972 - 52:31 Minutes

(Video - 06:31)

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

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto One, Chapter 2, text 7. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

Prabhupāda: Anyone else? Any ladies?

So, yesterday we were discussing the . . . what is the first-class religious system. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). The test is, people are very much enthusiastic to fight, "My religion is better." "I am Hindu. Our religion is very good." Somebody says, "No, we are Christian, we are . . . our religion is very good." Somebody Muhammadan. This fighting is going on. In European history there was fight, crusade, between religious group. In our country, in India, there was fight between Hindus and Muslims. What is the meaning of this fight? Actually when one is God conscious, he knows God, that where is the chance of fighting?

Yasya deve parā. . . Because one should be . . . if actually one is God conscious, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā (SB 5.18.12). The Vedic literature gives us information that actually if one is a devotee of God . . . God is one. God cannot be two. It is not that Hindus have got one God and Christians have got another God. No. God cannot be two. Then there cannot be any competition of Gods - "I am God." Just like nowadays it has become a fashion, so many gods, rascals, are coming, "I am God." He says, "I am God," "I am God," "I am God." Now how many Gods are there?

No, God is one, eko brahma dvitīya nāsti, that is the Vedic injunction. Just like the sun. Sun is one, from our practical example. You cannot say that "This is American sun" and "This is Indian sun," or "It is African sun." Sun is one. See, if a creation of God is one, and it is so powerful . . . Sun is one of the creation of God. There are millions of suns. We can see one only. So if one sun created by God can do so much work, can distribute so much heat and light, just imagine how much powerful is the creator of the sun. This is common sense.

So we get information from Bhagavad-gītā . . .

(aside) Rūpānuga, you can come here.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

(BG 10.8)

Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. Whatever we see, whatever there is, they are all emanation from God. That is the verdict of Vedānta-sūtra also. Simple. If you want to know what is God, the Vedānta-sūtra informs us very, in two words, very simple, "God, or the Absolute Truth, is that who is the source of everything." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The original source from whom everything is coming, He is God. Very simple definition. Anyone can understand. If you find out . . . that is our enqu... Philosophy means to enquire, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to enquire.

Now this life, this human form of life is especially meant for enquiring about the Absolute Truth. In animal life we cannot do. There are big, big animals, tigers and lions and elephants, and big, big trees also, they are also living entities. Big, big whale fish within the ocean, very gigantic. Big, big mountains... Mountains, they have got also life, but they cannot enquire about God. That is not possible. You can enquire about God in this human form of life. That's all.

Therefore in any civilized society, there is an enquiry of God; that is called religion. One may be . . . or in degrees there may be different. Just like in India, they are also making enquiry. Not now, not at the present moment. They have given up. But hundreds and thousands of years ago... Not thousand; even two hundred years ago, India was so inquisitive about enquiring about God.

Even one Chinese gentleman, he has written one book, philosophical, that is recommended—I forgot the name, title of the book—that is studied in New York University in the religion class. In that book he has written that if you want to know about God, if you want to know about religion, then you must go to India. Yes. That's a fact. Because in no other country the great sages and saintly person engaged themselves so seriously about understanding God. Therefore the Vedānta-sūtra is there.

So we should know that God is one. God is not different. There cannot be any competition of God. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There cannot be any superior truth than God. Therefore God is called the great. God is called the Absolute. So religion means, first-class religion means, how the followers have developed the understanding of God. That is first-class religion. Not that how many animals we can sacrifice or how many times we can... So many rituals and so many other things are there in every religion. But the . . . we have to test by the result, phalena paricīyate.

Everything... Just like we have studied so much, a scientific man, but there is examination. If one passes the examination, then it is understood that he has studied nicely. That is our common sense. In school, colleges, everywhere. If I cannot pass the examination, and if I advertise myself, "Oh, I have studied this, I have studied that," then what is the value of that? Suppose a man is doing business.

So if we see that by doing business he has acquired some money, he has become rich, then we can understand that he is successful businessman. But if he, he is a poor man, and he says, "I have done this, I have done that, I have done that," you can say so, but we want to know by the result. Phalena paricīyate. That is a Sanskrit version. But we have to understand by the result, phalena, what result you have got, what the value of your examination paper you have, how much mark you have received.

Similarly, we can declare ourself very religionist, great religionist, follower of great religion, but what is this? What is . . .? How much you have developed your sense of God consciousness, how much you have learned to love God. Just like in your Western countries, Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for God's . . . can . . . he was charged that he was preaching something blasphemous. But he was a devotee of God. He, he preached to the people that "There is kingdom of God. You love God, and go to the kingdom of God." Simple truth. That is the actual business of human life. This human life is meant for understanding God, because we are part and parcel of God and we have forgotten.

Just like the same thing, I have given several times example, a person, he belongs to a rich father, but somehow or other he has left home and he is loitering. In your country this example is very applicable. So many boys, they have left their rich father, rich family, and lying down on the street. I have seen. Why? Maybe some reason, but he is not expected to lie down on the street, because he has got rich father, at least rich nation, your American nation.

Similarly, when we become puzzled and confused and want to live independently of God, the richest father... Who can be richer than God? God means the richest. No one can be richer than Him. That is another definition of God.

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇāṁ itī bhaga ganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Bhāga, bhāga means fortune, one who is opulent with six kinds of fortunes. We can understand it very well. Just like in our, in this material world, if one man is very rich, he's attractive. Everybody speaks about him. Even he is a nonsense number one, if he has got money, everyone will speak about him. At least in this age it is going on. Nobody considers of anything, but if somehow or other one becomes very rich, he becomes a popular figure.

So God must be richest. Here, within this material world, we can claim, "I am richer than that," but somebody is richer than me. I cannot claim that "Nobody is richer than me." That is not possible. We shall find out less rich than me and we can find out more rich than ourselves. Two things we can. But when you come to God, you will find nobody is richer than Him. Therefore God is called great, "God is great."

Similarly, not only in riches, aiśvarya, sa samagrasya, vīryasya, in power also. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ, in reputation also, in fame. Just like everyone, it may be you belong to some religion, I belong to..., but everyone knows that God is great. That is reputation. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ, and śrī, śrī means beauty. God is the most beautiful. Just like, see Kṛṣṇa here, you have got Kṛṣṇa's figure here, how beautiful He is. God must be.

He is young, always. An old man cannot become beautiful. That is stated in the Brahmā-saṁhitā, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). That is the description of... Ādyaṁ purāṇa, He is the original person, the oldest of all, but He is nava-yauvanam, just like a beautiful boy, say sixteen or twenty years old.

So that is beautiful, the most beautiful. And the most wise, jñāna. Nobody can be wiser than God. These are the description given by Parasara Muni, father of Vyāsadeva. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ, jñāna-vairāgya (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47), and at the same time renounced. Now God has created this universe, God has created the cosmic manifestation, innumerable universes, but He is not interested in it. He is interested because He has created. He has given us facility to live here, but He is not coming here to enjoy this. He has got better . . . or He doesn't care for all these opulences. That is another qualification of God.

So this human form of life is meant for understanding God, and scientifically, with full knowledge. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore we are preaching this Bhāgavata discourse. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, what is the nature of God? That has been described, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). God, God is cognizant.

He knows everything. He is a senscient being. Not that a dead stone. If God is not senscient being, if God is not a person, how so many powerful persons, senscient persons, coming from Him? If the father is not intelligent, how the sons and daughters can become intelligent? A dog cannot give birth to an intelligent person. A person who is intelligent, he can give birth to intelligent children. This our practical experience.

Therefore this description of God, aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ, we should try to understand what is God. If you can find out a person who is superior in everything, in wealth—in strength, in beauty, in fame, in knowledge, in renouncement, He is God. Don't capture any fourth-class God. If you are intelligent, try to understand what is the meaning of God and try to understand.

So here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is said that that is first-class religion—what is that?—which gives opportunity to the followers how to love God. Why should we not? If God is great, if our father is so great, why should we not love? We flatter somebody here, having a, say, a few millions of dollars, we flatter, and who is the richest of all, we should not love Him? Why? What is the reason?

And actually He is supplying everything, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is supplying all necessities of life to all living entities, beginning from the ant to the elephant. So why not to us? We have dedicated our whole life for the service of God, so God is giving food to the ant, to the elephant, why not to us? So don't think that you will starve in God consciousness. You will never starve. You go on with your duty, loving God and preaching love of God, you will always be opulent, be sure. A ordinary man, if you work for him, he gives you salary, good salary. And we are working for God, we don't all get salary? How is that? (laughter) We must get. If you are really lover of God, worker for God, don't think of your economic condition. It will be supported.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). He personally supplies whatever necessities are there. Just like a father, small child who is completely dependent on the parents, the parents look after the comfort. The child does not ask the parent, because he cannot speak also. So he is simply depending on God, simply depending on parent. Simply, if you simply depend on God, there is no question of your economic problem. Be sure. This is common sense.

So there is scarcity of devotees of God at the present moment. People have rejected God. Somebody is saying, "God is dead." Somebody is accepting a rascal as God. Somebody is declaring himself as God. No. Try to understand God scientifically and become a devotee, a lover of God, your life will be successful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not that "my God," "your God," "this religion," "that religion." God is one and religion is one. What is that religion? Love of God. That's all. There is no other, second religion. This is the religion.

Therefore God comes and says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Don't be after so-called religion. You become a lover of God, you are first-class religionist. That's all. That is taught by God, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ... This is religion. And if you don't love God, if you simply love dog, and how you can be religious?

So that is taught, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaje, this very word is used because God cannot be seen at the present moment with our material eyes. God cannot be touched with our material hand. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Adhaḥ kṛta akṣaja jñānaṁ yatra: with our material eyes, material hands, material senses, we cannot understand what is God. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136).

(aside) Don't make sound.

Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi, God's name, God's form, God's quality, God's pastime, God's paraphernalia and so many things, na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. Indriya means senses.

Our present senses are blunt, imperfect. They are defective with so many faults. Everyone can understand that I am very much proud of my eyes. I want to see God, but I cannot see my eyelid. When I block my eyes, I cannot see what is this little fragment of the skin, and still I am proud, I want to see God. Just see. You have to qualify yourself, then you can see God. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when entered the Jagannātha Temple, He immediately fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord." And other person says, "What is this nonsense? A wooden, not even very beautiful form, and He is . . ." So because he hasn't got eyes.

One who has got eyes to see God, he does not see anything except God. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). You have to anoint your eyes with love of God, then you will see that God is present everywhere. God is present in the tree, God is present in the animal, God is present in you, God is re . . . present in your family, in your... You cannot say. Actually that is the fact.

So religion means how to get that eyes, how to get that hand, how to get that leg so that I can appreciate God. That should be the process of human civilization. Not that how I can compete with tiger, how I can compete with cats and dogs. That is not religion. Religion means how you have developed your love of God, how we are seeing God in every state, everywhere. God is everywhere, that's a fact. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu cayāntara-stham, God is within atom also. These are the description in the Vedic literature.

eko py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ

yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.35)

So the scientist, they are finding out so many miracles within the atom, but here Vedic information is that within the atom there is God. Find out God. Without God, without the spirit, nothing material can develop. Just like we have got experience, just like father and mother, they unite, there is secretion in the womb. But if there is the spiritual spark, then the woman becomes pregnant; the body is formed. If the spiritual spark is not there, you can have sex life hundreds and thousands of, but...

Therefore the theory—the fact, not theory—that unless a spiritual spark enters into the matter, the matter cannot develop. At least we can experience that as soon as the spiritual spark is out of the lump of matter, big elephant, it is dead, finished. Therefore the Vedic injunction, that aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35), this big universe is developed because the Karanaśaya . . . the Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu has entered within this vision. Viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42).

So God is the supreme spirit. If you individually study this individual spirit, as you are, I am... We must know, because we are sparks, God is the original fire. We are sparks. Qualitatively the spark and the fire the same thing. The spark is very minute, small, and the big fire is very great. But this . . . you can study by studying yourself, that because I am spirit soul, I have entered into this lump of matter, therefore this body has developed, this body is moving, the body is working, it is so important, Mr. Such-and-such professor's body or scientist's body. But as soon as that spiritual spark is over, it is nothing but a lump of matter; you can kick it out.

So God is everywhere; simply we have to make our these blunt eyes . . . just like education. I am seeing a motorcar, but a advanced motor engineer, he sees also the car, the difference of seeing. If there is some defect in the car, I cannot do it. But one engineer, one who knows, a mechanic, he knows, immediately touches and the car runs. Similarly, we should know that by education, by culture, by knowledge we can understand God, not by fictitious, by concoction, "Oh, I accept this God. I accept that God."

So that education can be very quickly done. Otherwise it is very difficult to understand God. There are so many philosophers in the world, so many scientists, they are declining. Because they could not find what is God, they are denying. Just like my inefficiency of my eyes, I see that beyond this wall I cannot see. I say, "Oh, there is nothing beyond this wall." But I (indistinct). That is my lack of education. Not that there is nothing beyond this wall. My imperfect eyes cannot see, my imperfect senses cannot realize. But you can make your senses perfect to see God by a process. What is that? Bhakti-yoga.

That is explained by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). In one place Kṛṣṇa has said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3) "Out of many millions of persons, one is very much anxious to make his life perfect." Everyone is not. They are simply working like cats and dogs. That's all. Nobody is interested how to make life perfect.

Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, out of millions of person, one becomes interested how to make this life perfect. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3), and out of many such perfect person who has made his life perfect, out of many such person, kaścid jana..., kaścit vetti māṁ tattvataḥ, knows God.

So God-knowing is not very easy job, but it can be made easy by a process, which is called bhakti-yoga. That is explained here:

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

If we apply our vāsu . . . bhakti-yoga unto Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa—Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati. So Vāsudeva is not ordinary person; He is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To show us mercy, He descends. That is His mercy.

So vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7), if you take to devotional service . . . what is that devotional service? It is also very easy. It is not very difficult thing. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). If anyone comes in this temple, simply...

(aside) Sit down.

Simply offers a little obeisances, just bow down, māṁ namaskuru. And if you think of these Deities, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, in this way, those who have become devotees, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī, you worship. These four principles, if you adopt, that is bhakti-yoga. That is bhakti-yoga.

But the bhakti-yoga can be kept active by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Just like you are hearing, I am speaking. This is kīrtanam. And you are hearing, both we are benefiting.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nive...

(SB 7.5.23)

These are the nine different procedures of bhakti-yoga. The first thing is śravaṇam. If we simply keep these Deities here, we may see. But if we don't hear about Him, then it will be happening. Then it will be happening. Just like in India it has become. Because they have given up the process of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, therefore they are feeling now . . .

Everywhere, not only India, everywhere, because they have given up bona fide śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, hearing and chanting about God, it has become a burden, and they are trying to sell the temples and churches. So don't stop. If you stop this śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, then you have to..., gradually you will diminish in your devotional service. That is called bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga begins from śravaṇam, from hearing. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ.

So Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā that if we want to know Kṛṣṇa, God, then it has to be known through bhakti-yoga, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Not by other means. Then Kṛṣṇa would have declared that you can understand God by haṭha-yoga or jñāna-yoga or dhyāna-yoga or karma-yoga. There are so many yogic principles. But Kṛṣṇa summarizes all the yoga system in the Sixth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo . . .

(BG 6.47)

The first-class yogī is he who is constantly, twenty-four hours, thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa also says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "Think of Me always."

So our process, the bhakti-yoga process, is very simple, we chant this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare (devotees join in chanting). So as soon as we chant Kṛṣṇa, this name, this holy name, and as soon as we hear about Him, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately we remember what is Kṛṣṇa, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, smaraṇam. Smaraṇam means remembering. In this way, if we continue always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, remembering about His name, fame, quality, pastimes, then your life is perfect.

That is described here, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). Bhakti-yoga. This is bhakti-yoga: hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, offering obeisances, to become friend, to become servant, and dedicate everything to Kṛṣṇa. These are the different process of. You accept all, or one, two, three, as you can. And even if we accept one only, then your life will be perfect. If you simply come here and hear, your life will be perfect. If you do not worship, if you simply come—therefore we are opening centers all over the world—if you simply come here and kindly hear what we are speaking about God, your life will be successful. Simply by śravaṇam.

Just like example is Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he had only seven days time of his life—that is the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He simply heard. He listened carefully about Kṛṣṇa, and he became perfect. He simply listened; he had no other business. Similarly Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply described, chanted about Kṛṣṇa—he became perfect.

Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was being punished and chastised by his father in so many ways, but he was simply remembering Kṛṣṇa—he became perfect. Hanumān, he was not even a man, he was animal, but his only business was to serve Lord Rāmacandra at any risk. He jumped over the ocean. He did not know any Vedānta philosophy; he was an animal. But he dedicated his life to serve Lord Rāmacandra. He took the risk of jumping over the sea.

So in this way there are nine different process of bhakti-yoga. You can utilize all of them or you can utilize some of them, but if you stick to one only even, then your life will be successful. How life will be successful? That is also stated here, janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7). By bhakti-yoga process, your original knowledge will be revived.

What is that original knowledge? Original knowledge is that God is the supreme father, I am His eternal son, or eternal servant, as you... Son is always servant, because son, real son is obedient and servant is also obedient. And as we have got distinction here, servant and son, in the absolute world there is no such distinction. A son is as good as the servant and servant is as good as the son. That is absolute world. Don't think, "Why shall I become a servant?" No, whatever you like, you can become, but in relationship with God everything is one. There is no such distinction.

So janayaty āś . . . this is jñāna, this is knowledge, that God is great, I am very insignificant, small. My business is to serve. This is jñāna, this is knowledge. This is knowledge. If simply we can understand this little philosophy, that God is great, I am very small . . . we have got experience here. Just like the government is great and we are small, so whatever the order is government, the government wants somebody, "Come and join this Draft department," you have to join, do it, because you are small.

So we can see in our practical life, the great puts the little into his service. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. Just like we are powerful human being, we are killing so many animals because they are weak. Otherwise it is not possible that you can live at the expense of poor animals. Because they are weak. So similarly, in God's relationship, there is no such thing that if you remain subservient to God, He will kill you. No. He will protect you. He is protecting everyone, but if you become obedient devotee of God, there is special protection.

Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa declares in the Bhagavad-gītā, "My devotee will be never be vanquished." He'll give protection. He is giving protection everyone, but a protection general, and protection special, for the devotee special protection. Just like a very nice gentleman, he loves everyone, but he gives special protection to his own children.

So in this way try to understand the philosophy of God. That is bhāgavata. Bhāgavata discourse means to understand the philosophy of God. So this process. The religion means . . . first-class religion means one who has learned to love God. That is first-class religion. And how to love God, how to practice that love? That is bhakti-yoga. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7).

Vairāgyam, the word, two things required in human life = knowledge and renunciation. Renunciation—try to understand what is renunciation—just like we, the members of the Kṛṣṇa Society, we have renounced all material activities. That's all. That is renouncement. Our activities are surrounding only about Kṛṣṇa. We do not do anything except Kṛṣṇa business. We are publishing magazine—that is Kṛṣṇa. We are publishing books—that is Kṛṣṇa.

We are going to the press—that is for Kṛṣṇa. We are going to the market—that is for Kṛṣṇa. We are cooking—that is for Kṛṣṇa. We are living—only for Kṛṣṇa. We are dancing for Kṛṣṇa. We are chanting for Kṛṣṇa. So we have renounced... The same things are there in the material life—publishing book or going to the press, typing or microphone or dancing, chanting—these are... But they are not for Kṛṣṇa; that is for sense gratification.

So vairāgya means no more working for sense gratification. That is vairāgya. That is renouncement. Only for working Kṛṣṇa, for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, that is called vairāgya. And to attain this vairāgya, renouncement, one requires sufficient knowledge. That is called jñāna. So this knowledge and renouncement, two things required in human life. Just like in your country, some of the younger generation, they have renounced. That's a good qualification, but they have no knowledge. Renouncement and knowledge must be combined. Then your life is successful. Simply renouncement, you cannot stay. You renounce, again accept, again accept.

So these two things can be achieved very easily. That formula is given here, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu (SB 1.2.7). Āśu means very quick. Just like these American, European boys, especially I have mentioned, four years ago they had no knowledge of God. Now they have got knowledge of God and they have renounced all nonsense. They have no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating. This is renouncement.

So this renouncement and knowledge can be acquired simply this method of bhakti-yoga. What is that? Thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā, to become His devotee, to worship Him, and to offer Him obeisances. Only four things. That is called bhakti-yoga. If you adopt it gradually you will understand God, and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much.

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