721018 - Lecture NOD - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

721018ND-VRNDAVAN - October 18, 1972 - 51:02 Minutes

Indian man: Na na, ta na. Mane oi mukhe hoto. Niyam kore hoto. Bandha hoye gelo. (No no, it's not like that. I mean to say, it used to happen in the front. It used to happen on a regular basis. Then it stopped.)

Prabhupāda: Rupa Gosvami ki Damodar chara thaken? (Does Rupa Goswami feel inconveniences at Damodara?)

Indian man: Apni bujhben na. (You are not understanding.)

Prabhupāda: Ami bujhechi apnake. (I have understood quite well.)

Indian man: Mane ekhane . . . (Means here . . .)

Prabhupāda: Jekhane kirtan hok, Damodarer kache jabe. (Wherever the kirtan will happen, it will happen near Damodara.)

Indian man: Hya, hya ei. (Yes, this is okay.) (laughs) (break)

Pradyumna: (reading) ". . . cannot steadily remain either in sense enjoyment or in renunciation. Change is going on perpetually, and we cannot be happy in either state because of our eternal constitutional position. Sense gratification does not endure for long, and it is therefore called capala-sukha, or flickering happiness. For example, an ordinary family man who works very hard day and night and is successful in giving comforts to the members of his family thereby relishes a kind of mellow, but his whole advancement of material happiness immediately terminates along with his body as soon as his life is over.

"Death is therefore taken as the representative of God for the atheistic class of men. The devotee realizes the presence of God by devotional service, whereas the atheist realizes the presence of God in the shape of death. At death, everything is finished, and one has to begin a new chapter of life in a new situation, perhaps higher or lower than the last one."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important point. The atheist class men, they say: "Can you show me God?" There are statements of atheist class, or sannyāsī even, that he demanded his spiritual master, "Whether you can show me God?"

So God cannot be seen by such demand. In the śāstras it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is present by His name, by His form, by His pastimes, by His paraphernalia, by His quality. Anything about Kṛṣṇa is non-different. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name, it is the same. There is no difference.

In the materialistic view, there is difference between the substance and the name. Just like water. If you are thirsty, simply if I chant "water, water, water," it will not quench your thirst. You require the substance, water. So similarly, a . . . a person's photograph or a statue is different from the person. If there is a photograph of a certain gentleman and if you want to do business with the photograph, it is not possible. You'll have to seek for the actual person.

But in case of Kṛṣṇa, it is not like that. Kṛṣṇa the person and Kṛṣṇa's name, Hare Kṛṣṇa, the same thing. It is not that we are chanting "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa" and this Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is different. No. Nāma rūpe kṛṣṇa avatāra. The name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa the person, identical.

Just like we are worshiping the form of Rādhā-Govinda, Rādhā-Mādhava, Rādhā-Dāmodara. So this form, atheists will say that, "This is statue." But a theist person, who knows Kṛṣṇa, he will see this form of Kṛṣṇa not different from the original person Kṛṣṇa. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered the Jagannātha temple, He immediately fainted: "Here is My Lord." Others who are going in the Jagannātha temple, they are seeing something made of wood.

Therefore śāstra forbids, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir sa eva narakaḥ (Padma Purāṇa). Arcye śilā-dhīr. Arca-mūrti, the form worshiped in the temple, if somebody thinks it is made of wood, it is made of stone, that is nārakī-buddhiḥ. No devotee will say. Only the nondevotee, atheist class of men, will say it, that "They are worshiping wood. They are worshiping stone." But devotee knows that His worshipable Lord is present here personally. It is a question of revising, or reforming, the perception. The whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness process is reforming or purifying the senses.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

(CC Madhya 19.170)

Bhakti means to purify the senses.

premāñjana cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti

yaṁ śyāmasundaranam acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.38)

Real devotee, santaḥ, saintly persons, their eyes are purified by the ointment of love of Godhead. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). They are seeing Kṛṣṇa or his worshipable God . . . Kṛṣṇa has many forms. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. Kṛṣṇa has His form as Lord Rāmacandra, as Varāha, as Kūrma, as Nṛsiṁha. Ananta-koṭi. Innumerable forms He has got. All of them are Kṛṣṇa.

So a devotee, on account of his eyes being smeared with the ointment of love of God, he sees Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours within his heart. That is the vision of the devotee. Atheist class will say, "Where is God?" because he has no eyes to see the God. But a theist class, or a devotee, he sees God, or Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours. He does not see anything else. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, sthāvara jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). A devotee, mahā-bhāgavata, highly advanced devotee, he sees trees, but he does not see the tree; he sees Kṛṣṇa. How? Has he gone mad? No. Actually he sees.

But what is this tree? The tree, outwardly, is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Your body, my body, the tree's body, the dog's body, the cat's body—what are these bodies? The bodies are made of the external, material energy. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). The material elements, they are simply Kṛṣṇa's external energy. So as soon as a devotee sees anything material, he sees immediately the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and along with the energy of Kṛṣṇa, he sees immediately Kṛṣṇa. Reactory. With reference to the context.

Just like you are reading some portion of a book. As soon as there is some reference, immediately you see the person. Suppose you are phoning, talking on telephone with somebody. As soon as hear the body, as soon as hear his sound, immediately you see your friend. It is not very difficult to understand. Simply one has to know the person or one has . . . must have the knowledge. So one who has got knowledge, perfect knowledge of the constitution of this material body, he does not see the body, he sees Kṛṣṇa.

So anything, sthāvara jaṅgama . . . sthāvara means moving, and jaṅgama . . . sthāvara means "not moving," and jaṅgama means "moving." There are two classes of living entities. Some of them are moving and some of them are not moving. So a devotee either sees a living entity moving or a living entity's not moving, he does not see the outward covering, but he sees within, the spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and without, the body, the material body, he sees Kṛṣṇa's energy. And because everything is in reference with Kṛṣṇa, therefore he sees Kṛṣṇa only and nothing else.

So this is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Sthāvara jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). He does not see the external form, but he sees the actual essence of the person, and therefore he sees Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed:

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

(BG 5.18)

Paṇḍitāḥ, those who are actually paṇḍitas, learned, knowledge, they see everyone on the equal level. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Vidyā-vinaye-sampanne. He sees one very learned scholar, brāhmiṇ, and sees a cow, sees one elephant, sees one dog, sees one dog eater, the lowest of the human kind, but he's sama-darśinaḥ. He sees every one of them as spirit soul, the body as Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore he has no different vision for different person. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāh . . . paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).

This is called Brahman realization vision. Brahman realization, God.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

This is brahma-bhūtaḥ vision. A paṇḍita. Actually, when one becomes learned scholar, he becomes Brahman realized. That is the meaning of brāhmin. Brāhmin is one who has realized the Brahman.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

So before beginning of pure devotional life, one must be Brahman realized. That is pure bhakti. That is actual, actually the platform of devotional service. Means one must be above the brahminical qualification, a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava . . . mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. One who attains the devotional service, parām, parā bhakti . . .

There are three stages of devotional life. Arcye śilā-dhīr . . .

arcāyām eva haraye

yat pūjāṁ śraddhayehate

na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu

sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

(SB 11.2.47)

A person who is worshiping the Deity in the temple with all regulative principles, arcāyām eva haraye yat pūjāṁ śraddhaya, with devotion, he's executing the service, but he does not know how to respect a devotee. Na tad-bhakteṣu. He has concentrated his mind on the arcā-mūrti, Deity form of the Lord, within the temple. That is very nice. But if he does not know how to worship a devotee, na tad-bhakteṣu, cānyeṣua, and he does not know how to elevate other persons, sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ, such kind of devotee is to be considered as material, prākṛta. Gradually one has to become aprākṛta.

So there are different stages of devotional service. So everything is explained in the scripture. Now our point was that how to see Kṛṣṇa in everything.

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

(CC Madhya 17.136)

By these blunt material senses, we cannot appreciate or we can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It has to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ. One must be relieved from all designation. So long one thinks that, "I am Hindu," "I am Christian," "I am Muhammadan," "I am this," "I am brāhmiṇ," "I am śūdra," "I am kṣatriya," "I am man," "I am a woman," "I am black," "I am white," these are all designation. One has to become freed from all these designations. That is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ.

If you see God, Kṛṣṇa, from the Hindu angle of vision, if you see God from Christian angle of vision, then you cannot see God. That is not seeing God. You have to become free from all these designation. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us, nāhaṁ vipra na ca nara-patir na yatir vā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: "I am not a Brahmin. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a vaiśya. I am not a śūdra. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a gṛhastha. I am not a brahmacārī." Then "What You are?" Because within these eight categories you are living. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: "I don't belong to all these categories." "Then what You are, Sir?" Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsa (CC Madhya 13.80): "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs."

So unless you come to this stage, free from all designation, you cannot serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa accepts service from the devotee. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa is not beggar, that He has come to your place and asking some food from you. No. But Kṛṣṇa accepts your food provided you are a devotee. That is Kṛṣṇa. You can offer Kṛṣṇa patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ.

You do not require to become very rich man. The poorest of the poor can offer Kṛṣṇa something. What is that? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ: little flower, little fruit, a little leaf, a little water. Everyone can collect a little flower, a little water. And from any part of the world. Not that Kṛṣṇa can be worshiped in India, Kṛṣṇa can be worshiped in Vṛndāvana. Wherever Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, that is Vṛndāvana. Otherwise, if Kṛṣṇa is not worshiped, that is not Vṛndāvana.

So how Kṛṣṇa is worshiped? Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me these things with bhakti, with devotion, with love," tad aham aśnāmi, "then I eat it." Not that a abhakta will offer something and Kṛṣṇa will accept. No.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

(CC Madhya 19.170)

This is the definition of bhakti in the . . . in the Nārada Pañcaratra, that when one is freed from the designation, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam . . . "Sir, I am a brahmin. Therefore I can offer You something." No. Kṛṣṇa is not exposed to anyone except to the devotee. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Kṛṣṇa is covered by yogamāyā. He's not revealed to any . . . anyone, except to the devotees.

There are many other instruction in the śāstras. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). That I explained. Kṛṣṇa is not approachable by our these blunt senses, material senses, with designation. Unless one is freed from all designation . . . just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructs, "I am not a brahmin, I am not a śūdra, I'm not a kṣatriya, I'm not a brahmacārī, I'm not a gṛhastha, but I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, who is the maintainer of the gopīs." Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsa.

So Kṛṣṇa is not visible to the atheist class of men. Kṛṣṇa's only visible to the devotees. And the devotee sees Kṛṣṇa, and nothing but Kṛṣṇa, and twenty-four hours. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is . . . a devotee sees Kṛṣṇa while he's worshiping only, and other times he's not seeing. No. He's seeing twenty-four hours. But the atheists, they ask, "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa? Can you show me God?" The reply is, "Have you got the eyes to see Kṛṣṇa?" It is not so easy, Kṛṣṇa. In the Brahmā-saṁhitā it is said:

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām

so 'pyasti yat-prapadya-sīmny avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.34)

Govinda. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo. Pantha means road. If you walk over the path of Kṛṣṇa . . . suppose Kṛṣṇa, there is Kṛṣṇaloka. Above this material universe, there is another, spiritual sky, paravyoma. It is called paravyoma. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ 'vyakta 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature. As this is material nature, there is spiritual nature. And in that spiritual nature there are innumerable spiritual planets. They are called Vaikuṇṭha planets. And the highest Vaikuṇṭha planet is called Kṛṣṇaloka, or Goloka Vṛndāvana.

This Vṛndāvana is replica of that original Vṛndāvana. When Kṛṣṇa comes on this planet or within this universe, He comes in this Vṛndāvana. This is called Bhauma-Vṛndāvana. Of course, there is no difference between Bhauma-Vṛndāvana and Paravyoma-Vṛndāvana.

So if we want to see Kṛṣṇa, then we must be freed from designation. That is the process. Not only designation, but from all kinds of desires.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

(Brs. 1.1.11)

These are the definition given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, Madhva-Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, we are follower of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and others, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī.

śrī-rūpa-sanātana-bhaṭṭa-raghunātha

śrī-jīva-gopāla-bhaṭṭa-dāsa-raghunātha

ei chay gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa

tān-sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grās

(Nāma-saṅkīrtana 4, 6)

Unless one has followed strictly the path of the ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs, we cannot accept him as guru. Because Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, ei chay gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa: one who has followed strictly the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī, of course, he lived very simply, mendicant: a small loincloth and simply underneath a tree. But simply by imitating his loincloth one does not become Rūpa Gosvāmī. One has to follow the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Then he's called rūpānuga. Unless you become rūpānuga, you cannot understand the Gauḍīya philosophy. Ei chay gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa.

So this is called paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ (BG 4.2). If you follow the path of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī . . . not that simply by imitating his cloth. You must follow in principle all the rules and regulations given by . . .

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

(Brs. 1.1.11)

This is the definition given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

So one must be freed from all material desires. You cannot earn your livelihood by showing the Deity. This was not the business of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī did not do any business by showing the Deity. Therefore you have to follow strictly the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Then you become Rūpānuga Vaiṣṇavas. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says: "One who is following the principles of the Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, tāra mui dāsa, I accept him as spiritual master." Tān-sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grās.

ei chay gosāi yabe braje kailā vāsa

rādhā-kṛṣṇa nitya-līlā karilā prakāśa

(Nāma-saṅkīrtana 8)

So rādhā-kṛṣṇa nitya-līlā karilā prakāśa. By the . . . writing so many books, hundreds of books, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, especially Jīva Gosvāmī . . . Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau (Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 2). They wrote, they wrote books for the benefit of the whole world. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau.

They did not write books only for the Hindus or for the persons who are in India or in Vṛndāvana. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau, nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. They were very, very expert. You'll find in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, wherever Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated something, immediately he has given reference from the śāstras. He did not manufacture anything which is against the śāstras. That is rūpānuga, rūpānuga-vaiṣṇava.

So in order to see God, in order to serve God, we have to follow. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he has said:

rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti

kabe hāma bhujhaba se yugala-pīriti

(Gaurāṅga Bolite Habe)

Rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti. Unless one becomes very, very much eager to follow the path of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he cannot understand what is the love affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Without following the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī, if we want to understand what is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, then we shall understand a boy, ordinary boys' and girls' affairs. That is not Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore in the śāstra it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Do not try to understand Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa with these blunt eyes and senses; try to understand through the instruction of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī.

śrī-rūpa-sanātana-bhaṭṭa-raghunātha

śrī-jīva-gopāla-bhaṭṭa-dāsa-raghunātha

So this is the process. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated into English, Nectar of Devotion, is very important book. It is the science of devotional service. If you want to be engaged in devotional service, then you must read the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. And then we shall be able to see God. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). By following the rules and regulation and the direction laid down in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, we shall be gradually elevated to the platform of loving God.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī therefore says, ādau śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. First of all, faith. That is the basic principle. And this word, śraddhā, has been described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Kavirāja Gosvāmī:

śraddhā'-śabde—viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

(CC Madhya 22.62)

This is called śraddhā that, "If I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then all business of my life is done." This is called śraddhā. Not that sometimes I worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, sometimes Lord Śiva, sometimes goddess Kali, sometimes this, sometimes that. That is not śraddhā. Śraddhā means sudṛḍha niścaya viśvāsa. What is that viśvāsa? Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. If I worship only Kṛṣṇa, then all other duties are performed, automatically.

The example is just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, the transmission of the water is automatically done to the other branches, leaves and everything. If you supply food to the stomach, then the energy is distributed automatically to the eyes, ears and other parts of the body. Similarly, if you simply offer Kṛṣṇa surrender and worship Him, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), then you worship all other demigods. You don't have to exert yourself for worshiping other demigods. That is automatically done. Therefore the whole concentration should be given to Kṛṣṇa.

That is the specific significance of Vṛndāvana. In Vṛndāvana, simply Kṛṣṇa worshipable. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. That is the vision of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ārādhya, worshipable Deity, worshipable God, is vrajeśa-tanayaḥ, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam (Caitanya-maṣjusā). As Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, similarly His place, Vṛndāvana, is also worshiped.

Ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū vargeṇa kalpitā: there is no more better form of worship than it was conceived by the damsels of Vraja. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. And the books, authoritative literature, to understand Kṛṣṇa and His service is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 12.13.18). Śrī-caitanya-mahaprabhor matam idam (Caitanya-maṣjusā). This is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is exactly following the principles of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, yāre dekha tāre kaha upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128).

So the atheist class, they cannot see Kṛṣṇa. They ca . . . they'll see Kṛṣṇa at a certain time. What is that? That is ex . . . described in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). When there will be death, when death will take away all our possessions, at that time we can see Kṛṣṇa. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was atheist. He could not see God. He was godless. But at the last, he saw God in the form of Nṛsiṁha-deva. That is also being father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Otherwise it was not possible.

So God is everywhere. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ . . . (break) That's all. Otherwise you can see God everywhere. He is within the atom, what to speak of other things. Simply you have to smear your eyes with the ointment of love of God, Kṛṣṇa. And if you want to come to that stage, then you have to follow the instruction given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee (1): If one makes arrangement during this lifetime for others to render service to Kṛṣṇa, but if the whole purpose of his arrangement is to simply maintain his family, and if he's still attached to sense gratification, at the time of death, even though he has attraction for sense gratification, will he attain a higher birth in a family of Vaiṣṇavas in his next life, or anything like this?

Prabhupāda: No. Those who are engaged in devotional service, if they cannot finish their business in this life, they are given chance next life to get birth in a Vaiṣṇava family. Not all. Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjayate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). Those who could not finish, yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ, bhakti-yoga, if he falls down while executing, he has no loss because, even if he falls down, his life, next life is guaranteed in a nice family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe.

Either in rich family or in a devotee's family. So both ways, he gets the chance of having a human form of life. And if he's born in a Vaiṣṇava family, naturally he becomes Vaiṣṇava. And if he takes his birth in a rich family, he has no problem for his bread. So he can exclusively engage himself in devotional service—provided he gets the assistance of a bona fide spiritual master. So your answer . . . is that question, question is answered?

Devotee (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (1): Like if someone has a temple and he maintains a Deity for his personal sense gratification . . .

Prabhupāda: That, that's all right. He is kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. So gradually he'll be elevated to the madhyama-adhikārī, and then uttama-adhikārī. So in Kṛṣṇa's service, either he does this way or that way, there is no loss. It is only gain. That is the statement of Nārada. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi, ko vā āptaḥ abhūd amuṣya kim (SB 1.5.17).

Even one falls down, there is no loss, because he'll get a chance next life to begin from the point where he failed. So there is no loss. Whereas others, because they did not know what is Kṛṣṇa, simply worked very nicely, they . . . they, they are fruitless life. There is no gain. Ko vārtha āpto abhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ. Even if one executes his occupational duties very nicely, because he's not devotee, what is the gain of his life? He does not gain anything. These are the version in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yes?

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is the highest principle of the Gosvāmīs, by following which one will be sure of attaining love of Śrī Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Gosvāmī is controller of the sense, controller of the mind, controller of the tongue, controller of the genital, controller of anger . . . so many things he has to control, then he becomes gosvāmī. Vāco-vegaṁ krodha-vegam udara-vegam upastha-vegaṁ manaso-vegam, etān vegān viṣaheta dhīraḥ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt (Upadeśāmṛta 1). After becoming gosvāmī, he can make disciples all over the world.

Devotee (2): Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, today is the beginning of ūrjā-vrata. Can you describe what that is, ūrjā-vrata, how it should be observed?

Prabhupāda: What is this?

Gurudāsa: They want to know ūrjā-vrata.

Prabhupāda: Uh.

Gurudāsa: He wants you to describe what it is.

Devotee (3): And how should we observe it.

Prabhupāda: Ūrjā-vrata, you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours one month. (laughter) That's all.

Gurudāsa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes. Don't sleep, don't eat. This is ūrjā-vrata. Can you execute?

Devotee (3): I don't know. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śāradīyā: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I may have missed a point about the atheist. He sees God at the time of death. Does he see the form of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death?

Prabhupāda: No. As the form of death. Kṛṣṇa has many forms. So death is also Kṛṣṇa's form. Ye yathā mām prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). One who has become inimical to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa appears as enemy. Just like He appeared as Narasiṁhādeva to Hiraṇyakaśipu. So Hiraṇyakaśipu was very great personality. He was father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. So ordinary man, they fear the death. That fearful death, meeting with the fearfulness, is their meeting with Kṛṣṇa. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa . . . (break) (end)