720218 - Lecture - Visakhapatnam

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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720218LE-VISAKHAPATNAM - February 18, 1972 - 30:36 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . and participating in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new movement. It is the oldest. From historical point of view, at least five thousand years old, when Kṛṣṇa introduced this consciousness, that is, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, which took place at least five thousand years ago. And if we believe śāstras, then it is not only four or five thousand years, but it is older than forty millions of years. Not forty; four hundred millions of years.

Because Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). In the beginning, He told this yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god. And the sun-god transmitted this message to his son, vivasvān manave prāha, to his son, Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. The age of Vaivasvata Manu calculating, it is about four hundred millions of years ago. Then manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt: Manu, he explained this yoga system to Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku happened to be the forefathers of the kṣatriya family in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared.

So Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. The system of Bhagavad-gītā, the yoga system explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, was understood by the paramparā system.

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo (viduḥ)

sa kāleneha (mahatā)

yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

(BG 4.2)

Lord Kṛṣṇa says that in course of time, this yoga system has been lost because the paramparā system became broken. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that, "I am initiating you to begin that paramparā system again, because it is now, the link is broken. So I want to begin that system through you."

So the question is why Kṛṣṇa selected Arjuna to explain this paramparā system. There were many learned scholars five thousand years ago, many Vedāntists, many great sages. But Kṛṣṇa selected Arjuna, a military man, a gṛhastha, and dealing with ordinary things, fighting for his own interest. Why he was selected? That is also explained by Kṛṣṇa: bhakto 'si priyo 'si (BG 4.3).

This is the only reason. "Although you are not Vedāntist, you are not supposed to be a great scholar because you are a military man, you are gṛhastha, but still I have selected you, because you are My dear friend and bhakta." Without being bhakta, who can become Kṛṣṇa's dear friend? "So therefore, I am speaking to you this confidential." Rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam. It is very mysterious. The first thing is that without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, bhakta, and dear friend . . .

Kṛṣṇa, we can establish our relationship with Kṛṣṇa in so many ways. There are five rasas. They are called śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa and mādhurya-rasa. Of course, in this material world also we find these five rasas in a perverted reflection. Originally, it is between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. So Arjuna was related with Kṛṣṇa in sakhya-rasa—as friend, a devotee as a friend. Anyone can become related with Kṛṣṇa. We have got our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa because we are all parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa.

Just like the father and the son is eternally related. A son may become rebellion to the father, but the relationship of father and son cannot be broken. Similarly, we are also related with Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other, that we have forgotten. That is our present position. That is called māyā. Māyā means when we forget our relationship with Kṛṣṇa and we establish so many false relationships. Now at the present moment I am thinking, "I am Indian," somebody is thinking, "I am American," somebody is thinking, "I am Hindu," somebody is thinking, "I am Muslim." These relationships are all false, māyā.

Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says at the end, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is real relationship. That is our real position. That is real mukti. And in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is stated—mukti is defined—what is that? Muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpena vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti means give up your false designation. That is mukti. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins from this mukta stage. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa gave us information what is mukti. Mukti is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam. That is mukti. And Lord Caitanya, when he was instructing Sanatāna Gosvāmī, he began from this point: what is that real constitutional position of the living entity. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was asked by His disciple Sanatāna Gosvāmī that, "Actually what I am?" The exact Bengali verse, he says that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita.

Guest: Ke āmi, kene āmāya.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He . . . the first question was, "What I am? Why I am placed in this miserable condition of life in the material world, suffering three kinds of miserable condition?" Grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita. He was prime minister of Nawab Hussain Shah, he was great learned scholar, and in Sanskrit, in Arabic language; a very respectful personality. But he is placing his difficulty to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, "Ordinarily these people, they speak of me that I am very learned man. But actually I do not know what I am."

That is our position. We are advancing in material civilization, in science, philosophy and so many so-called religious principles. But actually we do not know what we are, what I am. Any scientist, ask him, "What is after death? What happens after death?" I think hardly any scientist will give you clear idea. That is not possible, because their basic principle of understanding education is wrong. Dehātma-buddhiḥ: I am this body.

Everyone is fighting. The Pakistani is fighting with Hindustani. Twenty years ago, there was no Pakistani. But due to this false identification of body, a section has become Pakistan. Similarly, long, long ago there was only Vedic culture. Five thousand years ago there was no other culture except this Vedic culture, Āryan culture. But later on, all these so-called system developed. The Christian religion, the Muhammadan religion or the Buddhist religion, they are all later on. Nobody can give history more than two thousand five hundred years. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at least if you take the historical reference of Kurukṣetra battle, it is five thousand years old at least.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins where Kṛṣṇa ended. He said to Sanatāna Gosvāmī that jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109): the real identity of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is our real identity. But we are identifying in so many ways. Not only am I identifying that, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmin," "I am Christian," "I am Muhammadan," "I am so on, so on," at last, "I am God." At last . . . that is the last snare of māyā. These are all māyā, this false identification.

And the last false identification, when I falsely say that I am God. This is going on. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said: "You give up all these nonsense theories. You simply surrender unto Me, and I will give you protection. I will give you protection." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Because anything done without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is sinful. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yam-karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). So either you act piously or act sinfully, you become bound up by the reaction of such pious or impious activities. But if you act for Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no such bondage.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a concocted thing. It is . . . we have got authority from the Vedas. We have authority from Kṛṣṇa. We have got authority from Bhagavad-gītā. We have got authority by the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, all of them, even Śaṅkarācārya, although we differ in some points with Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya has admitted Kṛṣṇa, bhagavān sa svayam kṛṣṇa, he has stated. Devakīnandana.

He has specifically mentioned Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī and Vasudeva, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nārāyaṇa paraḥ avyaktāt. I think those who have read Śaṅkara's comment on Bhagavad-gītā, they know all these things. So Kṛṣṇa is admitted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all the bona fide ācāryas. And all scholars up to date, everyone, and confirmed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). And in the Brahma-saṁhitā, Vedas:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇah

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

And Kṛṣṇa says also in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7): "My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no other superior being than Me."

aham sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

(BG 10.8)

Those who are devotees, they are not fools; they are actually a man in knowledge, budhā bhāva-samanvitaḥ. Bhāva-samanvitaḥ means that, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so great. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is bhāva. But this bhāva comes after many, many births. It is not so easy.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

Without knowing Kṛṣṇa in truth—not in false, but in truth—the bhāva is not possible. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā:

bahunam janmanam ante

jñānavān mam prapadyante

vasudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ

(BG 7.19)

That mahātmā which are . . . who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, su-durlabhaḥ, it is very rare. To become kṛṣṇa-bhakta, koṭisyapi mahā-mune. Muktānām api siddhānām, koṭisyapi mahā-mune. That is the verdict of the śāstra. And Kṛṣṇa also said it is very, very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa.

But Kṛṣṇa Himself as Lord Śrī Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is distributing Kṛṣṇa. He is distributing Himself. Therefore, it has become so easy that these foreigners, these Europeans and American boys . . . they are not very advanced in age; all young men. All my students and followers in Europe and America, they are ninety-nine percent all young men, young girls. They are not old, rejected person. They are the flowers of the country.

They have joined this movement, and they have taken it seriously. Seriously in this sense, that whenever a body comes to me for becoming my disciple, my first principle is that, "You must give up illicit sex life. You must give up meat-eating, fish-eating, egg-eating, all this nonsense. You must give up gambling. You must give up all kinds of intoxication up to the point of drinking coffee, tea, and smoking." They give up. Therefore, they have taken seriously. Why seriously? These young boys, they have got so many desires in their heart; still they are taking to it. It is Lord Caitanya's mercy. It is Lord Caitanya's mercy, because they are following the principles of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). He established Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but rascals and fools began to imitate Him and decry Him. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because He came as human being, so many persons represented that, "I am God. I am Kṛṣṇa. I am this." No. God is one. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

Nobody can become greater than God or equal to God. Therefore, God's another name is Asamordhva. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Nobody can be equal with God, nobody can be greater than God. Everyone must be . . . ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142), that is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. God is only one, Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is servant. Of course, God's servant and God, there is little difference. Because sometimes servant has got greater power than God; that is different thing. But actually nobody can be greater than God, nobody can be equal to God.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are not manufacturing anything. We simply place it that, "Here is Kṛṣṇa. You are searching after God." When I first went to America, they were speaking that, "God is dead." Even church, in the church, the priest in the church, they were sermoning that God is dead. But when I began chanting in the Tompkinson Square alone, underneath a tree, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," these boys and girls began to assemble. So next day there was a big publicity in a paper with my picture and all this crowd, that they say that, "We thought God is dead, but here we see the Swāmījī has brought God again in his kīrtana, in his chanting." They admitted. The New York published in all their papers.

So God cannot be dead. Not that everyone can be God. God is one, and that is Kṛṣṇa.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇah

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

These are the Vedic authorities accepted by the ācāryas. Therefore it has become easy for me to convert so many boys and girls in the foreign countries. Not only Christian, Jews, but there are many Muhammadans, Africans. In Africa also we have got branches. And recently I went to Africa, the Africans are also chanting exactly like these European and Americans. So this benediction, this foretelling of Lord Caitanya, is actually going to be fulfilled.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grama

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

So my request is that it is experiment that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can be spread all over the world, and there are many, many customers still awaiting. So if we actually want to do welfare to the people of the world, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:

bhārata bhumite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

So India, India at least, those who have taken birth as human being, never mind what he is, he has got special privilege. This land is called puṇya-bhūmi. A not ordinary living entity can take birth in this land, Bharata-varṣa. We have got this opportunity. And according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, if we take advantage of the Vedic literature, Veda, Purāṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā. These Veda Purāṇas are meant for the human being. We should study these Veda Purāṇas and know what is what, what is God, what I am, what is this world. In this way, we must fructify, make our life successful, and then preach this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

It is not very difficult. Anyone can do, provided he does not make the mistake, adulterating the statements of Bhagavad-gītā. Those who are adulterating, interpreting in a different way this Bhagavad-gītā, they are very mischievous. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa has already declared, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Those who are not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, they have been described by Kṛṣṇa Himself as duṣkṛtinaḥ, mischievous; narādhama, the lowest of the mankind; mūḍhā, asses, rascals. And if somebody says . . . we find so many learned scholars, they do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then what is their position? Kṛṣṇa says: "Yes, māyaya apahṛta-jñānā." They are learned, so-called learned, but their knowledge has been taken away by māyā.

So this is the essence of Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15), to understand Kṛṣṇa. And kṛṣṇa-bhakti is there in everyone's heart. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kar says:

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa)

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart. Just like we see the child, three-years-old child, she is dancing in ecstasy. We have got many children like that, they are chanting. There is no need of higher education to understand. Simply give oral reception to this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana (Prārthanā). This hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana is not this material vibration like radios and television. It is imported from the Goloka Vṛndāvana. Therefore, if we are pure, if we chant this vibration, immediately we will be touching Kṛṣṇa. Immediately.

Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense . . . there are ten kinds of offenses. Apart from that offenses, if you simply chant, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12): immediately your heart will be cleansed of all nasty, dirty things. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam. And you will get immediately freed from this.

Just now one of my students was speaking to me before coming to this, that somebody was asking him, "How you are free from all anxieties?" They see. One priest, and . . . as I was traveling from Hawaii to . . . no, from Los Angeles to Hawaii, one gentleman—he is a priest—he asked me, he began to talk in the airplane for at least half an hour. He said: "Swāmījī, how is that your disciples look so bright-faced?" Yes, they are bright-faced. One priest in Boston, he regretted, he issued regret that, "These boys, they are our boys, they are mad after God, but we could not give them."

So this is practical. Why practical? Because we are following the principles. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam (CC Antya 20.12). Bhava-mahā . . . immediately, the second you will start it, as soon as you go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, immediately you become free from . . . bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. Everyone is . . . material existence means full of anxieties. That is material existence. And Prahlāda Mahārāja was asked by his father, "What best thing you have learned, my dear boy?" He said that "If you want to cut down your material anxiety, then you must take surrender unto the God." Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). You must surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

So there are evidences, there are gurus, there is no scarcity of knowledge; it is very simple, and there is no loss. So our request, our only appeal to the people is that you just follow the principles laid down by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

You cannot execute all expensive yajñas or you cannot meditate. That is not possible. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum (SB 12.3.52). That meditation was possible in the Satya-yuga, kṛte. And tretayaṁ yajato makhaiḥ, and costly performance of sacrifices was possible in the Tretā-yuga. And dvāpare paricaryāyām, in the Dvāparā-yuga, it was possible to construct costly temples and worship the Deity there. But in the Kali-yuga, kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Kali, in the Kali, this age, you have to simply take this process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Then all your desires will be fulfilled and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (applause) (end)