Saturday, February 25, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Pakistan Editorial Says War With India Inevitable
Pakistani Editorial Says Nuclear War with India "Inevitable" as Water Dispute Continues
Written by John Daly
Friday, 09 December 2011 00:42
Every now and again, one reads an editorial that stops the reader in his tracks.
On 8 December, with the headline "War Inevitable To Tackle Indian Water Aggression," Pakistan’s Urdu-language Nawa-e Waqt, issued such a screed.
Nawa-e Waqt bluntly commented on India’s Kashmiri water polices and Islamabad’s failure up to now to stop New Delhi’s efforts to construct hydroelectric dams in Kashmir, “India should be forcibly prevented from constructing these dams. If it fails to constrain itself, we should not hesitate in launching nuclear war because there is no solution except this.”
Potential nuclear war over water rights – such sentiments ought to light up switchboards from New Delhi to Washington.
Needless to say, the fact that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers is cause for concern.
Nawa-e Waqt is a privately owned, widely read conservative Pakistani Islamic daily with a circulation around 125,000 and is heavily critical of the U.S. and India. To put Nawa-e Waqt’s circulation in context, consider that the conservative Washington Times has a current estimated circulation of 50,000.
So, what has the editorial board of the Nawa-e Waqt so excited?
Indian dam building in the disputed area of Kashmir. Compared with much of South Asia, Kashmir has many rivers and relatively few people.
Bashir Ahmad, a geologist in Srinagar, Kashmir commented grimly about the Indians’ future intentions, “They will switch the Indus off to make Pakistan solely dependent on India. It’s going to be a water bomb.” A more dispassionate report by America’s Senate last February offered still a similar assessment, noting, “The cumulative effect of (the dam) projects could give India the ability to store enough water to limit the supply to Pakistan at crucial moments in the growing season” before concluding that dams are a source of “significant bilateral tension.”
How many dams and hydroelectric reports? The Senate report counted 33 hydroelectric projects in the border area, a number that Pakistani analysts nearly double to 60, which according to the state’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, will add an extra 3,000 megawatts to the national power grid by 2019.
Pakistan’s vulnerability is underwritten by the fact that, like Egypt it exists around a single great river, although the Indus is nearly twice the Nile’s size when it reaches the sea. The Indus provides water to over 80 percent of Pakistan’s 54 million acres of irrigated land, via a canal system largely built by the British.
A further potential diplomatic tar-pit is that Afghanistan plans to build 12 dams on the Kabul river with a combined storage capacity of 4.7 million acre-feet, which Pakistan frets will further diminish the Indus water supply, quite aside from the fact that Indian support for these dams will increase India's hydro-influence in the region.
The Kabul River Basin (KRB) is the most important river basin in Afghanistan and contains half the country's urban population, including the city of Kabul. While New Delhi has not directly confirmed its support for the facilities, the proposed hydroelectric projects represent one of India’s largest assistance interests, with $1.3 billion invested in infrastructure projects.
So, is there any way out before the missiles fly?
The 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan can not only assist in easing tension, but provide a template for developing an Afghan-Pakistani agreement on the Kabul river. The treaty, which has survived three wars, explicitly outlines how both India and Pakistan can use cross-border rivers and deals in particular with the tributaries flowing from Kashmir to form the Indus.
The IWT is considered one of the world's most successful trans-boundary water treaties, as it addresses specific water allocation issues and provides unique design requirements for run-of-the-river dams, which ensure the steady flow of water and guarantee power generation through hydro-electricity. The IWT also provides a mechanism for consultation and arbitration should questions, disagreements, or disputes arise.
All foreign governments interested in avoiding further military conflict in South Asia should impress upon both New Delhi and Islamabad the ongoing value of their 51 year-old water agreement and urge them to resolve their conflicts within its framework.
By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com
Written by John Daly
Friday, 09 December 2011 00:42
Every now and again, one reads an editorial that stops the reader in his tracks.
On 8 December, with the headline "War Inevitable To Tackle Indian Water Aggression," Pakistan’s Urdu-language Nawa-e Waqt, issued such a screed.
Nawa-e Waqt bluntly commented on India’s Kashmiri water polices and Islamabad’s failure up to now to stop New Delhi’s efforts to construct hydroelectric dams in Kashmir, “India should be forcibly prevented from constructing these dams. If it fails to constrain itself, we should not hesitate in launching nuclear war because there is no solution except this.”
Potential nuclear war over water rights – such sentiments ought to light up switchboards from New Delhi to Washington.
Needless to say, the fact that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers is cause for concern.
Nawa-e Waqt is a privately owned, widely read conservative Pakistani Islamic daily with a circulation around 125,000 and is heavily critical of the U.S. and India. To put Nawa-e Waqt’s circulation in context, consider that the conservative Washington Times has a current estimated circulation of 50,000.
So, what has the editorial board of the Nawa-e Waqt so excited?
Indian dam building in the disputed area of Kashmir. Compared with much of South Asia, Kashmir has many rivers and relatively few people.
Bashir Ahmad, a geologist in Srinagar, Kashmir commented grimly about the Indians’ future intentions, “They will switch the Indus off to make Pakistan solely dependent on India. It’s going to be a water bomb.” A more dispassionate report by America’s Senate last February offered still a similar assessment, noting, “The cumulative effect of (the dam) projects could give India the ability to store enough water to limit the supply to Pakistan at crucial moments in the growing season” before concluding that dams are a source of “significant bilateral tension.”
How many dams and hydroelectric reports? The Senate report counted 33 hydroelectric projects in the border area, a number that Pakistani analysts nearly double to 60, which according to the state’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, will add an extra 3,000 megawatts to the national power grid by 2019.
Pakistan’s vulnerability is underwritten by the fact that, like Egypt it exists around a single great river, although the Indus is nearly twice the Nile’s size when it reaches the sea. The Indus provides water to over 80 percent of Pakistan’s 54 million acres of irrigated land, via a canal system largely built by the British.
A further potential diplomatic tar-pit is that Afghanistan plans to build 12 dams on the Kabul river with a combined storage capacity of 4.7 million acre-feet, which Pakistan frets will further diminish the Indus water supply, quite aside from the fact that Indian support for these dams will increase India's hydro-influence in the region.
The Kabul River Basin (KRB) is the most important river basin in Afghanistan and contains half the country's urban population, including the city of Kabul. While New Delhi has not directly confirmed its support for the facilities, the proposed hydroelectric projects represent one of India’s largest assistance interests, with $1.3 billion invested in infrastructure projects.
So, is there any way out before the missiles fly?
The 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan can not only assist in easing tension, but provide a template for developing an Afghan-Pakistani agreement on the Kabul river. The treaty, which has survived three wars, explicitly outlines how both India and Pakistan can use cross-border rivers and deals in particular with the tributaries flowing from Kashmir to form the Indus.
The IWT is considered one of the world's most successful trans-boundary water treaties, as it addresses specific water allocation issues and provides unique design requirements for run-of-the-river dams, which ensure the steady flow of water and guarantee power generation through hydro-electricity. The IWT also provides a mechanism for consultation and arbitration should questions, disagreements, or disputes arise.
All foreign governments interested in avoiding further military conflict in South Asia should impress upon both New Delhi and Islamabad the ongoing value of their 51 year-old water agreement and urge them to resolve their conflicts within its framework.
By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.2.30 and Purport
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.2.30
sa bhūta-sūkṣmendriya-sannikarṣaḿ
manomayaḿ devamayaḿ vikāryam
saḿsādya gatyā saha tena yāti
vijñāna-tattvaḿ guṇa-sannirodham
SYNONYMS
saḥ — he (the devotee); bhūta — the gross; sūkṣma — and the subtle; indriya — senses; sannikarṣam — the point of neutralization; manaḥ-mayam — the mental plane; deva-mayam — in the mode of goodness; vikāryam — egoism; saḿsādya — surpassing; gatyā — by the progress; saha — along with; tena — them; yāti — goes; vijñāna — perfect knowledge; tattvam — truth; guṇa — the material modes; sannirodham — completely suspended.
TRANSLATION
The devotee, thus surpassing the gross and the subtle forms of coverings, enters the plane of egoism. And in that status he merges the material modes of nature [ignorance and passion] in this point of neutralization and thus reaches egoism in goodness. After this, all egoism is merged in the mahat-tattva, and he comes to the point of pure self-realization.
PURPORT
Pure self-realization, as we have several times discussed, is the pure consciousness of admitting oneself to be the eternal servitor of the Lord. Thus one is reinstated in his original position of transcendental loving service to the Lord, as will be clearly explained in the following verse. This stage of rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord without any hopes of emolument from the Lord, or any other way, can be attained when the material senses are purified and the original pure state of the senses is revived. It is suggested herein that the process of purifying the senses is by the yogic way, namely the gross senses are merged in the mode of ignorance, and the subtle senses are merged in the mode of passion. The mind belongs to the mode of goodness and therefore is called devamaya, or godly. perfect purification of the mind is made possible when one is fixed in the conviction of being the eternal servitor of the Lord. Therefore simple attainment of goodness is also a material mode; one has to surpass this stage of material goodness and reach the point of purified goodness, or vasudeva-sattva. This vasudeva-sattva helps one to enter into the kingdom of God.
We may also remember in this connection that the process of gradual emancipation by the devotees in the manner mentioned above, although authoritative, is not viable in the present age because of people's being primarily unaware of yoga practice. The so-called yoga practice by the professional protagonists may be physiologically beneficial, but such small successes cannot help one in the attainment of spiritual emancipation as mentioned herein. Five thousand years ago, when the social status of human society was in perfect Vedic order, the yoga process mentioned herein was a common affair for everyone because everyone, and especially the brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya, was trained in the transcendental art under the care of the spiritual master far away from home, in the status of brahmacarya. Modern man, however, is incompetent to understand it perfectly.
Lord Śrī Caitanya, therefore, made it easier for the prospective devotee of the present age in the following specific manner. Ultimately there is no difference in the result. The first and foremost point is that one must understand the prime importance of bhakti-yoga. The living beings in different species of life are undergoing different terms of encagement according to their fruitive actions and reactions. But in the execution of different activities, one who secures some resources in bhakti-yoga can understand the importance of service to the Lord through the causeless mercy of the Lord, as well as that of the spiritual master. A sincere soul is helped by the Lord through meeting a bona fide spiritual master, the representative of the Lord. By the instruction of such a spiritual master, one gets the seed of bhakti-yoga. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that the devotee sow the seed of bhakti-yoga in his heart and nurture it by the watering of hearing and chanting the holy name, fame, etc., of the Lord. The simple process of offenselessly chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord will gradually promote one very soon to the stage of emancipation. There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord. The first stage is the offensive chanting of the holy name, and the second is the reflective stage of chanting the holy name. The third stage is the offenseless chanting of the holy name of the Lord. In the second stage only, the stage of reflection, between the offensive and offenseless stages, one automatically attains the stage of emancipation. And in the offenseless stage, one actually enters into the kingdom of God, although physically he may apparently be within the material world. To attain the offenseless stage, one must be on guard in the following manner.
When we speak of hearing and chanting, it means that not only should one chant and hear of the holy name of the Lord as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa (or systematically the sixteen names Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare), but one should also read and hear the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of devotees. The primary practice of bhakti-yoga will cause the seed already sowed in heart to sprout, and by a regular watering process, as mentioned above, the bhakti-yoga creeper will begin to grow. By systematic nurturing, the creeper will grow to such an extent that it will penetrate the coverings of the universe, as we have heard in the previous verses, reach the effulgent sky, the brahmajyoti, and go farther and farther and reach the spiritual sky, where there are innumerable spiritual planets called Vaikuṇṭhalokas. Above all of them is Kṛṣṇaloka, or Goloka Vṛndāvana, wherein the growing creeper enters and takes repose at the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead. When one reaches the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa at Goloka Vṛndāvana, the watering process of hearing and reading, as also chanting of the holy name in the pure devotional stage, fructifies, and the fruits grown there in the form of love of God are tangibly tasted by the devotee, even though he is here in this material world. The ripe fruits of love of God are relished only by the devotees constantly engaged in the watering process as described above. But the working devotee must always be mindful so that the creeper which has so grown will not be cut off. Therefore he should be mindful of the following considerations:
(1) Offense by one at the feet of a pure devotee may be likened to the mad elephant who devastates a very good garden if it enters.
(2) One must be very careful to guard himself against such offenses at the feet of pure devotees, just as one protects a creeper by all-around fencing.
(3) It so happens that by the watering process some weeds are also grown, and unless such weeds are uprooted, the nurturing of the main creeper, or the creeper of bhakti-yoga, may be hampered.
(4) Actually these weeds are material enjoyment, merging of the self in the Absolute without separate individuality, and many other desires in the field of religion, economic development, sense enjoyment and emancipation.
(5) There are many other weeds, like disobedience to the tenets of the revered scriptures, unnecessary engagements, killing animals, and hankering after material gain, prestige and adoration.
(6) If sufficient care is not taken, then the watering process may only help to breed the weeds, stunting the healthy growth of the main creeper and resulting in no fructification of the ultimate requirement: love of God.
(7) The devotee must therefore be very careful to uproot the different weeds in the very beginning. Only then will the healthy growth of the main creeper not be stunted.
(8) And by so doing, the devotee is able to relish the fruit of love of God and thus live practically with Lord Kṛṣṇa, even in this life, and be able to see the Lord in every step.
The highest perfection of life is to enjoy life constantly in the association of the Lord, and one who can relish this does not aspire after any temporary enjoyment of the material world via other media.
sa bhūta-sūkṣmendriya-sannikarṣaḿ
manomayaḿ devamayaḿ vikāryam
saḿsādya gatyā saha tena yāti
vijñāna-tattvaḿ guṇa-sannirodham
SYNONYMS
saḥ — he (the devotee); bhūta — the gross; sūkṣma — and the subtle; indriya — senses; sannikarṣam — the point of neutralization; manaḥ-mayam — the mental plane; deva-mayam — in the mode of goodness; vikāryam — egoism; saḿsādya — surpassing; gatyā — by the progress; saha — along with; tena — them; yāti — goes; vijñāna — perfect knowledge; tattvam — truth; guṇa — the material modes; sannirodham — completely suspended.
TRANSLATION
The devotee, thus surpassing the gross and the subtle forms of coverings, enters the plane of egoism. And in that status he merges the material modes of nature [ignorance and passion] in this point of neutralization and thus reaches egoism in goodness. After this, all egoism is merged in the mahat-tattva, and he comes to the point of pure self-realization.
PURPORT
Pure self-realization, as we have several times discussed, is the pure consciousness of admitting oneself to be the eternal servitor of the Lord. Thus one is reinstated in his original position of transcendental loving service to the Lord, as will be clearly explained in the following verse. This stage of rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord without any hopes of emolument from the Lord, or any other way, can be attained when the material senses are purified and the original pure state of the senses is revived. It is suggested herein that the process of purifying the senses is by the yogic way, namely the gross senses are merged in the mode of ignorance, and the subtle senses are merged in the mode of passion. The mind belongs to the mode of goodness and therefore is called devamaya, or godly. perfect purification of the mind is made possible when one is fixed in the conviction of being the eternal servitor of the Lord. Therefore simple attainment of goodness is also a material mode; one has to surpass this stage of material goodness and reach the point of purified goodness, or vasudeva-sattva. This vasudeva-sattva helps one to enter into the kingdom of God.
We may also remember in this connection that the process of gradual emancipation by the devotees in the manner mentioned above, although authoritative, is not viable in the present age because of people's being primarily unaware of yoga practice. The so-called yoga practice by the professional protagonists may be physiologically beneficial, but such small successes cannot help one in the attainment of spiritual emancipation as mentioned herein. Five thousand years ago, when the social status of human society was in perfect Vedic order, the yoga process mentioned herein was a common affair for everyone because everyone, and especially the brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya, was trained in the transcendental art under the care of the spiritual master far away from home, in the status of brahmacarya. Modern man, however, is incompetent to understand it perfectly.
Lord Śrī Caitanya, therefore, made it easier for the prospective devotee of the present age in the following specific manner. Ultimately there is no difference in the result. The first and foremost point is that one must understand the prime importance of bhakti-yoga. The living beings in different species of life are undergoing different terms of encagement according to their fruitive actions and reactions. But in the execution of different activities, one who secures some resources in bhakti-yoga can understand the importance of service to the Lord through the causeless mercy of the Lord, as well as that of the spiritual master. A sincere soul is helped by the Lord through meeting a bona fide spiritual master, the representative of the Lord. By the instruction of such a spiritual master, one gets the seed of bhakti-yoga. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that the devotee sow the seed of bhakti-yoga in his heart and nurture it by the watering of hearing and chanting the holy name, fame, etc., of the Lord. The simple process of offenselessly chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord will gradually promote one very soon to the stage of emancipation. There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord. The first stage is the offensive chanting of the holy name, and the second is the reflective stage of chanting the holy name. The third stage is the offenseless chanting of the holy name of the Lord. In the second stage only, the stage of reflection, between the offensive and offenseless stages, one automatically attains the stage of emancipation. And in the offenseless stage, one actually enters into the kingdom of God, although physically he may apparently be within the material world. To attain the offenseless stage, one must be on guard in the following manner.
When we speak of hearing and chanting, it means that not only should one chant and hear of the holy name of the Lord as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa (or systematically the sixteen names Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare), but one should also read and hear the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of devotees. The primary practice of bhakti-yoga will cause the seed already sowed in heart to sprout, and by a regular watering process, as mentioned above, the bhakti-yoga creeper will begin to grow. By systematic nurturing, the creeper will grow to such an extent that it will penetrate the coverings of the universe, as we have heard in the previous verses, reach the effulgent sky, the brahmajyoti, and go farther and farther and reach the spiritual sky, where there are innumerable spiritual planets called Vaikuṇṭhalokas. Above all of them is Kṛṣṇaloka, or Goloka Vṛndāvana, wherein the growing creeper enters and takes repose at the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead. When one reaches the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa at Goloka Vṛndāvana, the watering process of hearing and reading, as also chanting of the holy name in the pure devotional stage, fructifies, and the fruits grown there in the form of love of God are tangibly tasted by the devotee, even though he is here in this material world. The ripe fruits of love of God are relished only by the devotees constantly engaged in the watering process as described above. But the working devotee must always be mindful so that the creeper which has so grown will not be cut off. Therefore he should be mindful of the following considerations:
(1) Offense by one at the feet of a pure devotee may be likened to the mad elephant who devastates a very good garden if it enters.
(2) One must be very careful to guard himself against such offenses at the feet of pure devotees, just as one protects a creeper by all-around fencing.
(3) It so happens that by the watering process some weeds are also grown, and unless such weeds are uprooted, the nurturing of the main creeper, or the creeper of bhakti-yoga, may be hampered.
(4) Actually these weeds are material enjoyment, merging of the self in the Absolute without separate individuality, and many other desires in the field of religion, economic development, sense enjoyment and emancipation.
(5) There are many other weeds, like disobedience to the tenets of the revered scriptures, unnecessary engagements, killing animals, and hankering after material gain, prestige and adoration.
(6) If sufficient care is not taken, then the watering process may only help to breed the weeds, stunting the healthy growth of the main creeper and resulting in no fructification of the ultimate requirement: love of God.
(7) The devotee must therefore be very careful to uproot the different weeds in the very beginning. Only then will the healthy growth of the main creeper not be stunted.
(8) And by so doing, the devotee is able to relish the fruit of love of God and thus live practically with Lord Kṛṣṇa, even in this life, and be able to see the Lord in every step.
The highest perfection of life is to enjoy life constantly in the association of the Lord, and one who can relish this does not aspire after any temporary enjoyment of the material world via other media.
Monday, December 5, 2011
"The Folly Of Our Age"
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.25
September 30, 1972, Los Angeles
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
athasau yuga-sandhyayam
dasyu-prayesu rajasu
janita visnu-yasaso
namna kalkir jagat-patih
Translation: "Thereafter, at the conjunction of two yugas, the Lord of the creation will take His birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of Visnu Yasa. At this time the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers."
Prabhupada: So there are some remarkable points in this verse. Dasyu-prayesu rajasu. Rajasu means government. Raja, king, or government. So monarchy is now abolished practically all over the world. Now it is democratic government. So this so-called democratic government or Communist government, as they are going on, they will become rogues and thieves, dasyu-prayesu. All the rogues, thieves, plunderers, they will capture. Because it is by vote. So dasyu... Just like plunderers, rogues, they on the point of revolver, they take away your money, so they will take vote on the point of revolver. Actually, it is happening. In Korea it so happened, that sometimes the Communists are coming in power, and sometimes the capitalists coming in power, America and Russia. So poor people, as soon as there is Communist government, they are under the influence: "If you don't do this, then you'll be shot." By force. The people do not know what is government generally. They want to live peacefully. They want a secure place. So that is not their business, modern government. Their only business is how to collect tax and divide it amongst the government servants. That's all.
So this is the beginning of Kali-yuga. Only we have passed five thousand years, but the duration of Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. So only we have passed five thousand years. In this way... This is called sandhya, junction. I have already explained that junction means day and night. Day passing, night is coming, that is called junction. Morning passing, noon coming, that is another junction, meridian. So early in the morning and during sunset and in the middle, joining of noon, morning and noon, these are called tri-sandhya. Tri means three. Three kinds of junction. So everyone has got this tri-sandhya of his life. Just like in our life. When we were babies, children, that is the beginning. Say, up to fifteen years, sixteen years, that is one portion, sandhya, junction. Then another junction, youthhood; then another junction, old age. This is the nature's way. There must be three periods of anything material.
So this Kali-yuga has already begun. So in the beginning sandhya, junction, Lord Buddha's description is given already. Lord Buddha will cheat the atheist class of men. God is very kind. So sammohaya sura-dvisam [SB 1.3.24]. Those who are atheists, just to bewilder them: "Yes, there is nothing after death, it is all zero, but you worship me," Lord Buddha said. "Yes, sir, we shall worship you." So the only business, God's business is, "This rascal may some way or other worship Me." Because they are rascals. So here Lord Buddha by policy induced them to worship Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is incarnation of God. Kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira. His philosophy is "No, there is no God, but you worship me." But the policy is to worship God. But they do not know. They are thinking that "We are worshiping somebody, some great soul," but he does not know that he is God, incarnation of God.
So similarly, when people will be so much degraded that they will not be able to understand anything about God... That time is coming gradually. Already the time is there. People are not at all interested in God's business. In your Western world all the churches are vacant. Nobody is interested now in church. Especially in Europe, we have seen... In your country also. So people are being degraded, godlessness. Because godless means animal. What is the difference between animal and man? The animal cannot be instructed anything about God. It is not possible for them to understand. But a man, however degraded he may be, if he is trained up, he can understand about God. Just like five years ago, you did not know about Krsna. But because you are being trained up, because you are human being, therefore you are taking to Krsna consciousness. Which was unknown to you five years ago, now you are taking it to very seriously. Why? Because you are being trained up.
Similarly, God consciousness is there, dormant in every living entity. But the perception varies according to the development of body. Just like child. You say something serious, say, about sex life, they do not understand. But the same child will understand sex life when the consciousness is developed. Similarly, in this material world, our consciousness is covered, God consciousness. So there are different species of life. Just like the aquatics in the ocean. There are so many living entities. But if you preach there Krsna consciousness, it is not possible Their number is far greater than human being. Still, they have no capacity. Next development, plants and trees, there also, no sensation. You cut the trees, no protest, because there is no sensation. There is practically consciousness... There is consciousness, very slight. Sir Jagadish Candra Bose has proved that when you cut tree, he feels, and that is recorded in what is called, that machine? So everyone has got consciousness. Living entity means there is consciousness. But they have their consciousness only for eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. There is consciousness amongst the fish. Their consciousness is so strong, two miles away if some big fish is coming, they can understand. Immediately they can take precaution defending. These are all described.
So different animals in different species of life, they have got one type of consciousness very strong. Just like you can see the vultures. It is a low-graded animal. But it goes four miles above the earth and it can see where is a dead body. You cannot do that. You cannot see even twenty yards after. But the animal, another animal, the vulture, he can see... From four miles away he can find out where there is a dead body. So this consciousness of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is common. In one animal or, it is very strong. In another man, animal, it is not so strong. But this consciousness is there. But this God consciousness is not there except in human being.
So the human society is becoming so degraded that they are trying to forget God. That is their advancement of civilization. The more you deny existence of God and become a so-called rascal scientist, then you are advanced. This is the position. So this position will degrade so much after, say, 400,000's of years, gradually degrading, that at time, Krsna will come in His incarnation as Kalki. At that time the Kalki's business will be simply to kill. That's all. No more. No more preaching of Krsna consciousness. Simply kill them. That is Kalki avatara. That Kalki avatara is given the father's name. This is called sastra. This is called scripture. Four hundred thousand's after, 400,000's of years after, Kalki will come. Now, His father's name is given there. Just like Lord Buddha's mother's name is there. So you cannot imitate that "I am Kalki avatara." You have to give evidence, what is your father's name. Just see. This is called sastra. Any rascal comes, "Oh, I am Krsna. I am this avatara and that avatara," but where is the evidence from the sastra? We cannot accept. Just like any gentleman comes, we want to see the credential. Just like in politics, when some ambassador comes to a new country, then he has to officially present his credential so that he will be accepted that "This gentleman is representative of such and such country." That is nice. Unless you give credentials, identity, how I can accept you? So... But people have become rascal. Anyone comes, he says that "I am incarnation of God," because the people are rascals, they accept another rascal. But if you follow the sastras and scriptures, then you will find all the avataras, their credentials are there -- What is the father's name, what is the name of the place he takes birth or appears, what is his business. So... What is the time. Everything is given there. So why should you be misled?
So we accept incarnation of God when all the descriptions are corroborated in terms of the authorized sastra. Otherwise we reject. That is our business. So in this verse... Why we accept Vedic scripture as solid truth? Because there is no mistake. Otherwise, how it is predicting that yuga-sandhyayam, "In the last conjunction of the yugas, there will appear the Lord"? Kalkir namna, namna kalkih. "His name will be Kalki. But He is not ordinary person." Namna kalkir jagat-patih. "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is not ordinary man. And His father's name is..." Janita visnu-yasasah. "His father's name will be Visnu Yasa." The Yasa title are there in India still. One Mr. Yasi (Joshi) corresponds with us. So the Josha, or Joshi, this title is already there. So they are brahmanas. Here, all the descriptions are not there, but in other place, all the descriptions are there. Not only his father's name, name, His village or the place, Sambhal. There is still a place Sambhalpur in India. So everything is there. We should not be misled that "Here is another avatara, here is another avatara, here is... So many avataras." No. So this is called sastra: what will happen after 400,000's of years, that is mentioned. Future. Just like Lord Buddha's name was there. Bhavisyati yuga-sandhyayam. Bhavisyati. Bhavisyati means "He will come." He was not visible. This is sastra. Sastra means tri-kala-jna. The writer of sastra should be a full cognizant of past, present, and future. That is called unmistakable. Past, present, and future. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that "I know past, present, and future."
So that is God or God's scripture. Past, present, and future. This Bhagavata was written by God Himself, Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva is incarnation of Krsna. That we have described, eleventh or some avatara. So the Kalki will appear. The sastra is giving indication that after such and such year. And another point is this dasyu-prayesu rajasu. The..., more and more the government will be just like thieves and rogues. We are already experiencing. Now a new law has been passed in India that nobody can keep property more than five to seven lakhs of rupees. So people's incentive to earn money is now being cut down. Formerly it was freedom that you can earn your money as much as you like. Now if you think that "I will earn money, hundreds and thousands of money," but what is the use? The government will take away. That means you will be lazy. The economic development will be checked. Because one who works so hard for economic development because he is under the inspiration that "The more I earn, I will be able to enjoy more." But when this impression is given that "More we earn, it will be taken by government, and I will not be able to enjoy it," naturally he will not work.
So there are so many difficulties. But these difficulties will increase. It will not decrease. They are making so many plans to minimize the difficulties. But actually, because they are fools and rogues, they cannot make anything improvement. They have become involved in more difficulties. That Narottama dasa Thakura has sung, sat-sanga chadi' kainu asate vilasa te-karane lagila ye karma-bandha-phansa. We do not consult the sastra or the unmistakable way of improvement. We manufacture our own concoction. And therefore we are becoming more and more entangled. We do not take right direction. That is our folly in this age. We do not accept authority. We want to become authority ourself: "I am authority." Everyone wants to become authority. And that is being supported by so-called swamis, "Yes, you can manufacture your own religion."
But that is not the process. You cannot manufacture your own religion. Religion is given by God. Religion means the law of God. That's all. So how you can manufacture your law? That is not possible. Even if you do manufacture, what is the benefit? It will not be accepted. It will not work. Suppose if you manufacture some law at home, will it be accepted by the public? No. Nobody will accept. So similarly, this Kali-yuga is so dangerous that gradually we are becoming involved in more difficulties. That is the way of Kali-yuga. The symptom of Kali-yuga is disagreement, fight, quarrel. Kali means this quarreling, fighting, unnecessarily fighting. Just like recently in India we have seen. Formerly there was Hindu-Muslim riot, sporadic riot in some village. Say, some fifty men this side, some fifty men that side, they fought, say, for two hours, and it is finished. Again they are friendly. Now, since India has become independent, the Muslims have become Pakistan and the other part... They are not all Hindus. Suppose Hindus, they have become Hindustan. They organizedly fight. Now recently, last year, they fought and spent millions of dollars unnecessarily. This is going on. This is called Kali-yuga. Unnecessarily they will disagree, unnecessarily they will fight and spoil energy, spoil money. This is called Kali-yuga. The brain is so crazy that they do not consider that "Why you are fighting? Why you are spending money?"
Just like in your country and Russia, they are spending millions of dollars for one crazy thing, going to the moon planet. Just see. Simply wasting time and money. That's a fact. Three or four years ago, some press representative asked me, "What is your opinion," in, I think, San Francisco, "about this moon expedition?" So I asked the reporter, "Shall I flatter you or shall I tell the truth?" So he said, "Tell the truth." "Simply wasting time and money, that's all." This is the truth. Now I think they have realized, and your senate is denying any money for moon expedition. Is it not? Somebody was telling me.
So anyway, actually, human life is meant for some other purpose -- God realization. Because this is not possible in other lower animals. And we get this chance by evolutionary process. We come to this human form of life, civilized form of life. Now we should know what is God, who is the supreme controller, who is the supreme source of everything. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is the life for inquiring about Brahman, the Supreme, the great. But we are neglectful. This is called Kali-yuga. And we are so much degraded... Gradually, we are becoming degraded. So 427,000's of years, if we again come and go, come and go... Because after... Dehantara-praptih, tatha dehantara-praptih. If you continue transmigration from one body to another, then you will have to meet that age. But before meeting that age, try to understand Krsna. This is our movement. Then, in this life in this very life, after giving up this body, you haven't got to come here again. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. No more coming to this rascal world. Go back to home, back to Godhead.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972
September 30, 1972, Los Angeles
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
athasau yuga-sandhyayam
dasyu-prayesu rajasu
janita visnu-yasaso
namna kalkir jagat-patih
Translation: "Thereafter, at the conjunction of two yugas, the Lord of the creation will take His birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of Visnu Yasa. At this time the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers."
Prabhupada: So there are some remarkable points in this verse. Dasyu-prayesu rajasu. Rajasu means government. Raja, king, or government. So monarchy is now abolished practically all over the world. Now it is democratic government. So this so-called democratic government or Communist government, as they are going on, they will become rogues and thieves, dasyu-prayesu. All the rogues, thieves, plunderers, they will capture. Because it is by vote. So dasyu... Just like plunderers, rogues, they on the point of revolver, they take away your money, so they will take vote on the point of revolver. Actually, it is happening. In Korea it so happened, that sometimes the Communists are coming in power, and sometimes the capitalists coming in power, America and Russia. So poor people, as soon as there is Communist government, they are under the influence: "If you don't do this, then you'll be shot." By force. The people do not know what is government generally. They want to live peacefully. They want a secure place. So that is not their business, modern government. Their only business is how to collect tax and divide it amongst the government servants. That's all.
So this is the beginning of Kali-yuga. Only we have passed five thousand years, but the duration of Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. So only we have passed five thousand years. In this way... This is called sandhya, junction. I have already explained that junction means day and night. Day passing, night is coming, that is called junction. Morning passing, noon coming, that is another junction, meridian. So early in the morning and during sunset and in the middle, joining of noon, morning and noon, these are called tri-sandhya. Tri means three. Three kinds of junction. So everyone has got this tri-sandhya of his life. Just like in our life. When we were babies, children, that is the beginning. Say, up to fifteen years, sixteen years, that is one portion, sandhya, junction. Then another junction, youthhood; then another junction, old age. This is the nature's way. There must be three periods of anything material.
So this Kali-yuga has already begun. So in the beginning sandhya, junction, Lord Buddha's description is given already. Lord Buddha will cheat the atheist class of men. God is very kind. So sammohaya sura-dvisam [SB 1.3.24]. Those who are atheists, just to bewilder them: "Yes, there is nothing after death, it is all zero, but you worship me," Lord Buddha said. "Yes, sir, we shall worship you." So the only business, God's business is, "This rascal may some way or other worship Me." Because they are rascals. So here Lord Buddha by policy induced them to worship Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is incarnation of God. Kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira. His philosophy is "No, there is no God, but you worship me." But the policy is to worship God. But they do not know. They are thinking that "We are worshiping somebody, some great soul," but he does not know that he is God, incarnation of God.
So similarly, when people will be so much degraded that they will not be able to understand anything about God... That time is coming gradually. Already the time is there. People are not at all interested in God's business. In your Western world all the churches are vacant. Nobody is interested now in church. Especially in Europe, we have seen... In your country also. So people are being degraded, godlessness. Because godless means animal. What is the difference between animal and man? The animal cannot be instructed anything about God. It is not possible for them to understand. But a man, however degraded he may be, if he is trained up, he can understand about God. Just like five years ago, you did not know about Krsna. But because you are being trained up, because you are human being, therefore you are taking to Krsna consciousness. Which was unknown to you five years ago, now you are taking it to very seriously. Why? Because you are being trained up.
Similarly, God consciousness is there, dormant in every living entity. But the perception varies according to the development of body. Just like child. You say something serious, say, about sex life, they do not understand. But the same child will understand sex life when the consciousness is developed. Similarly, in this material world, our consciousness is covered, God consciousness. So there are different species of life. Just like the aquatics in the ocean. There are so many living entities. But if you preach there Krsna consciousness, it is not possible Their number is far greater than human being. Still, they have no capacity. Next development, plants and trees, there also, no sensation. You cut the trees, no protest, because there is no sensation. There is practically consciousness... There is consciousness, very slight. Sir Jagadish Candra Bose has proved that when you cut tree, he feels, and that is recorded in what is called, that machine? So everyone has got consciousness. Living entity means there is consciousness. But they have their consciousness only for eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. There is consciousness amongst the fish. Their consciousness is so strong, two miles away if some big fish is coming, they can understand. Immediately they can take precaution defending. These are all described.
So different animals in different species of life, they have got one type of consciousness very strong. Just like you can see the vultures. It is a low-graded animal. But it goes four miles above the earth and it can see where is a dead body. You cannot do that. You cannot see even twenty yards after. But the animal, another animal, the vulture, he can see... From four miles away he can find out where there is a dead body. So this consciousness of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is common. In one animal or, it is very strong. In another man, animal, it is not so strong. But this consciousness is there. But this God consciousness is not there except in human being.
So the human society is becoming so degraded that they are trying to forget God. That is their advancement of civilization. The more you deny existence of God and become a so-called rascal scientist, then you are advanced. This is the position. So this position will degrade so much after, say, 400,000's of years, gradually degrading, that at time, Krsna will come in His incarnation as Kalki. At that time the Kalki's business will be simply to kill. That's all. No more. No more preaching of Krsna consciousness. Simply kill them. That is Kalki avatara. That Kalki avatara is given the father's name. This is called sastra. This is called scripture. Four hundred thousand's after, 400,000's of years after, Kalki will come. Now, His father's name is given there. Just like Lord Buddha's mother's name is there. So you cannot imitate that "I am Kalki avatara." You have to give evidence, what is your father's name. Just see. This is called sastra. Any rascal comes, "Oh, I am Krsna. I am this avatara and that avatara," but where is the evidence from the sastra? We cannot accept. Just like any gentleman comes, we want to see the credential. Just like in politics, when some ambassador comes to a new country, then he has to officially present his credential so that he will be accepted that "This gentleman is representative of such and such country." That is nice. Unless you give credentials, identity, how I can accept you? So... But people have become rascal. Anyone comes, he says that "I am incarnation of God," because the people are rascals, they accept another rascal. But if you follow the sastras and scriptures, then you will find all the avataras, their credentials are there -- What is the father's name, what is the name of the place he takes birth or appears, what is his business. So... What is the time. Everything is given there. So why should you be misled?
So we accept incarnation of God when all the descriptions are corroborated in terms of the authorized sastra. Otherwise we reject. That is our business. So in this verse... Why we accept Vedic scripture as solid truth? Because there is no mistake. Otherwise, how it is predicting that yuga-sandhyayam, "In the last conjunction of the yugas, there will appear the Lord"? Kalkir namna, namna kalkih. "His name will be Kalki. But He is not ordinary person." Namna kalkir jagat-patih. "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is not ordinary man. And His father's name is..." Janita visnu-yasasah. "His father's name will be Visnu Yasa." The Yasa title are there in India still. One Mr. Yasi (Joshi) corresponds with us. So the Josha, or Joshi, this title is already there. So they are brahmanas. Here, all the descriptions are not there, but in other place, all the descriptions are there. Not only his father's name, name, His village or the place, Sambhal. There is still a place Sambhalpur in India. So everything is there. We should not be misled that "Here is another avatara, here is another avatara, here is... So many avataras." No. So this is called sastra: what will happen after 400,000's of years, that is mentioned. Future. Just like Lord Buddha's name was there. Bhavisyati yuga-sandhyayam. Bhavisyati. Bhavisyati means "He will come." He was not visible. This is sastra. Sastra means tri-kala-jna. The writer of sastra should be a full cognizant of past, present, and future. That is called unmistakable. Past, present, and future. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that "I know past, present, and future."
So that is God or God's scripture. Past, present, and future. This Bhagavata was written by God Himself, Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva is incarnation of Krsna. That we have described, eleventh or some avatara. So the Kalki will appear. The sastra is giving indication that after such and such year. And another point is this dasyu-prayesu rajasu. The..., more and more the government will be just like thieves and rogues. We are already experiencing. Now a new law has been passed in India that nobody can keep property more than five to seven lakhs of rupees. So people's incentive to earn money is now being cut down. Formerly it was freedom that you can earn your money as much as you like. Now if you think that "I will earn money, hundreds and thousands of money," but what is the use? The government will take away. That means you will be lazy. The economic development will be checked. Because one who works so hard for economic development because he is under the inspiration that "The more I earn, I will be able to enjoy more." But when this impression is given that "More we earn, it will be taken by government, and I will not be able to enjoy it," naturally he will not work.
So there are so many difficulties. But these difficulties will increase. It will not decrease. They are making so many plans to minimize the difficulties. But actually, because they are fools and rogues, they cannot make anything improvement. They have become involved in more difficulties. That Narottama dasa Thakura has sung, sat-sanga chadi' kainu asate vilasa te-karane lagila ye karma-bandha-phansa. We do not consult the sastra or the unmistakable way of improvement. We manufacture our own concoction. And therefore we are becoming more and more entangled. We do not take right direction. That is our folly in this age. We do not accept authority. We want to become authority ourself: "I am authority." Everyone wants to become authority. And that is being supported by so-called swamis, "Yes, you can manufacture your own religion."
But that is not the process. You cannot manufacture your own religion. Religion is given by God. Religion means the law of God. That's all. So how you can manufacture your law? That is not possible. Even if you do manufacture, what is the benefit? It will not be accepted. It will not work. Suppose if you manufacture some law at home, will it be accepted by the public? No. Nobody will accept. So similarly, this Kali-yuga is so dangerous that gradually we are becoming involved in more difficulties. That is the way of Kali-yuga. The symptom of Kali-yuga is disagreement, fight, quarrel. Kali means this quarreling, fighting, unnecessarily fighting. Just like recently in India we have seen. Formerly there was Hindu-Muslim riot, sporadic riot in some village. Say, some fifty men this side, some fifty men that side, they fought, say, for two hours, and it is finished. Again they are friendly. Now, since India has become independent, the Muslims have become Pakistan and the other part... They are not all Hindus. Suppose Hindus, they have become Hindustan. They organizedly fight. Now recently, last year, they fought and spent millions of dollars unnecessarily. This is going on. This is called Kali-yuga. Unnecessarily they will disagree, unnecessarily they will fight and spoil energy, spoil money. This is called Kali-yuga. The brain is so crazy that they do not consider that "Why you are fighting? Why you are spending money?"
Just like in your country and Russia, they are spending millions of dollars for one crazy thing, going to the moon planet. Just see. Simply wasting time and money. That's a fact. Three or four years ago, some press representative asked me, "What is your opinion," in, I think, San Francisco, "about this moon expedition?" So I asked the reporter, "Shall I flatter you or shall I tell the truth?" So he said, "Tell the truth." "Simply wasting time and money, that's all." This is the truth. Now I think they have realized, and your senate is denying any money for moon expedition. Is it not? Somebody was telling me.
So anyway, actually, human life is meant for some other purpose -- God realization. Because this is not possible in other lower animals. And we get this chance by evolutionary process. We come to this human form of life, civilized form of life. Now we should know what is God, who is the supreme controller, who is the supreme source of everything. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is the life for inquiring about Brahman, the Supreme, the great. But we are neglectful. This is called Kali-yuga. And we are so much degraded... Gradually, we are becoming degraded. So 427,000's of years, if we again come and go, come and go... Because after... Dehantara-praptih, tatha dehantara-praptih. If you continue transmigration from one body to another, then you will have to meet that age. But before meeting that age, try to understand Krsna. This is our movement. Then, in this life in this very life, after giving up this body, you haven't got to come here again. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. No more coming to this rascal world. Go back to home, back to Godhead.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
East And West Should Cooperate
East And West Should Cooperate
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6
July 23, 1973, London
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
[SB 1.2.6]
Translation (not on tape) "The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self."
Prabhupada: This is a speech of Suta Gosvami in Naimisaranya. Formerly, great sages used to assemble in the forest of Naimisaranya. Those who are Indians, they will know Naimisaranya. There is a station, Nimsara, still. And it is near Lucknow. Still it is very nice place. So there was a great meeting of saintly persons. As nowadays ordinary persons meet together to find out the ways and means for people's prosperity, formerly the great saintly persons, sages, brahmanas, they used to meet, and they used to give formula to the people, to the king, that "You follow this. You will be happy." This was the system, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. So the brahmanas will give the direction, and the ksatriya king would execute it. And the vaisyas will produce foodgrains. Vaisya-karma svabhava-jam. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. For vaisyas, three work, three kinds of occupation: first of all, agriculture, produce food, and then, give protection to the cows. Because cow is important animal, cow protection is very necessary. So krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44]. And where there is scarcity of food, transport food there, make business. These three things for the vaisyas.
So there was meeting. So in the meeting... That meeting was held after the departure of Krsna. So the question was that "After departure of Krsna, who has taken charge of this world for proper discharge of religious principles?" So the reply was that "Krsna has left this world, but here is the Srimad-Bhagavatam. That will give you direction." Srimad-Bhagavatam is the sound representation of Krsna. As Bhagavad-gita is the sound produced, vibrated by Krsna personally, similarly Srimad-Bhagavatam is written by Vyasadeva under the direction of his spiritual master, Narada, about Krsna. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised to preach the message of Krsna. That is His cult.
yare dekha tare kaha ‘krsna'-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]
This is the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And He wanted all the Indians to help this movement.
bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
This is the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He has advised every Indian... Bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma. Every human being born in India, they should take up this cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They can take it. Because by birth they have got the right because this Bhagavatam is produced in India, Bhagavad-gita is produced in India. That is the glory of India. So the sons of India, those who are Indians, those who are proud of becoming Indian, they should take up this mission. Janma sarthaka kari'. First of all make your life successful by understanding what is Bhagavad-gita and what is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Janma sarthaka. If you are yourself unsuccessful in the mission of your life, you cannot preach anything. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says janma sarthaka kari': "After making your life successful." That means by understanding the value of Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, you preach this knowledge all over the world.
Because such knowledge is wanting all over the world. The Western countries, they might have advanced in material technology, technical knowledge, but they have no knowledge about the science of God. That is lacking. So the East and West, they should cooperate. They cooperate. You have got some knowledge; I take advantage of it. I have got some knowledge; you take advantage of it. This is cooperation. This is cooperation. So especially now, people all over the world, they are trying to imitate the Western type of civilization. That is not bad. Do it. But you also do something so that Westerners may also take your knowledge. That is cooperation. So why you are silent in that point? Therefore, because Indians or Indian government has failed to do this duty, India is known as beggar country all over the world. I am traveling. "Oh, you are from India? It is very poverty-stricken country." This is the designation of India. Actually it is so. In comparison to Western country, India is very poor, very poor.
So there is no need of remaining poor. You can make your economic development. This is required. Dharmartha-kama-moksanam. Human life means four things he must develop. First thing is dharma. He must know what is religion. Every human being -- not Indians or Europeans or Americans. That is the prime duty of every human being. Without following the religious principles, then he is not human even. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. If the human society... It doesn't matter what kind of religion you follow. It doesn't matter. But you must follow. (aside:) Sit down properly. Don't go out now and come. They, that is the duty, dharma. Dharmena hinah. Human civilization begins when there is religious conception of life. Therefore all over the world -- it doesn't matter whether Europe, America or India or China, Japan -- there is some kind of religion. There is some kind of religion -- either Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion, Buddhist religion. These are the prime religions of the world.
Now, here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are discussing about religion. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah.
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
[SB 1.2.6]
Everyone wants to be happy. Atma. Atma means body, atma means mind. Atma means atma, soul, also. So somebody is trying to be happy bodily. That is also atma. But that is very temporary. And somebody is wanting the peace and prosperity or tranquillity of the mind. That is also atmarama. Atmarama means everyone is wanting to remain happy and peaceful in his atma. So those who are gross, they are trying to be happy bodily. They are called karmis. And those who are little advanced, they are trying to be happy mentally. They are called jnanis. Karmis, jnanis. And those who are trying to be happy spiritually, they are called yogis. So yogis, there are different kinds of yogis. But the first-class yogi is bhakti-yogi. Bhakti-yoga. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
He is first-class yogi. Who is first-class yogi? Mad-gatenantar-atmana, "who is always thinking of Me." Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is Krsna's advice in the Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah: "Always think of Me." It is not difficult. You think of Krsna. You have got Krsna's form. That is first-class meditation. Krsna says, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. Thinking of Krsna, antar-atmana, within the core of heart. Sa me yuktatamo matah. He is first-class yogi. So we are teaching that, how to become first-class yogi. "Chant Krsna, Hare Krsna, and hear." Immediately... All Krsna's -- Krsna's form, Krsna's qualities, Krsna's pastimes, Krsna's paraphernalia, Krsna's opulence -- everything will be subject of your thinking. This is called first-class yoga.
So here also, what is spoken by Krsna in Bhagavad-gita, that is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Here it is said, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. Para and apara. Para means superior or transcendental. There are two kinds of prakrtis: para-prakrti, apara-prakrti. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gita. Material, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca. Material things, earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, ego. Prakrtir me astadha, bhinna prakrtir me astadha. Krsna says, "They are My prakrti. My nature, My energy." Similarly, Krsna says, next verse, apareyam: "This material prakrti is inferior. But beyond this material prakrti, there is a superior prakrti." What is that? Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat: "That is living entity." So living entity is also prakrti, another energy of Krsna. Just like this material world is one creation, material creation. Similarly, there is spiritual energy also. Krsna has multi-energies. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. Na tasya karyam... This is Vedic injunction. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. God has nothing to do with His hands and legs. He is so powerful that He has got so many energies... Just like big man here, he does not do anything with his hands, but he has got so many assistants. As soon as he wants to do something, immediately it is done. If it is possible for ordinary human being, how much energy is in stock of Krsna, and how He can perform everything perfectly. Svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca. Everything comes out nicely. So much energy is there. Inconceivable energy. That is God.
So that energy is divided into three. Material energy, spiritual energy and marginal energy. We are marginal energy. We living entities, we belong to the marginal energy, tatastha-sakti. Marginal means we can remain in the material energy or in the spiritual energy. Now, at the present moment, every one of us, we are under the control of the material energy. You can understand it very easily. Just like government. The government, that is one energy working. Similarly, the prison house, that is also another energy working. And the citizens, that is also another, another energy working. But the citizens are marginal. They can remain outside the prison walls and inside the prison walls. Therefore they are called marginal. When you are abiding by the laws of the government, you are free. You are not abiding by the laws of the government, you are within the prison house. So you are at liberty. Either... That is your choice. Government has got university, as well as the criminal department. Government does not canvass, rather government canvasses that "You come to the university. Be educated. Be advanced." But it is our choice, we sometimes go to the prison house. It is not government's fault.
Similarly, those who have come to this material world, they are all supposed to be criminals, disobedient to the laws of God. Therefore there is dharma, to teach people that "You take to religious principle, gradually become purified, and come back again to the spiritual world. That is your real abode." Here it is foreign. Here it is foreign, and you are under so many tribulations. Just like if you are in the prison house, there you cannot expect any comfort of life. That is not possible. It is meant for inflicting miseries upon you so that you can understand that you are criminal, you should not do like this and come here again. That is the process going on. Similarly, here also in this material world, we are always under troublesome condition. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga. So that we may come to our sense, if there is any possibility of making a solution of this miserable condition of life... But we are so callous, just like animals. They do not know. The animals are kept in the room for being slaughtered. They do not know. They are eating grass and very happy. Not happy. Some of them know that "We are going to be killed." They cry. But there is no escape. What can be done? But human life is not like animals. They must know that "We are in threefold miserable condition of life, adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. And we do not want these all miserable condition. We want to be happy. We want to be peaceful. How to do it?"
That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita:
daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
It is very difficult. You are trying to be happy by adjustment of material conditions, but that is not possible. Maya is very strong. She'll not let you become happy under material condition. That is not possible. Then how one can become happy? Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. As soon as you become obedient, surrender to Krsna, you become transcendental to the laws of material nature. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. Those who are mahatmas, they are not under material condition. They are under spiritual guidance. Daivim prakrtim asritah. And what is their symptom? Bhajanty ananya-manasah. Without any diversion, they are engaged in bhajana. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. This is bhajana.
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
There are nine kinds of bhajana. Hearing -- just like you are hearing about Krsna -- this is bhajana. So we are giving this opportunity. We are opening hundreds of branches so that people may take advantage of hearing about Krsna. That is bhajana. You don't do anything. If you simply come here... We are holding class. If you simply come and hear, you will advance in spiritual consciousness. Simply by aural reception. Sravanadi-suddha-citte. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. We cannot understand God, Krsna, by our present senses. Therefore His name is adhoksaja. Here this is the verse, it is said, yato bhaktir adhoksaje. Adhoksaja. Adhoksaja. Krsna's another name is Adhoksaja. Aksaja means direct perception. Just like somebody says, "I want to see." This is called aksaja. Aksa means eyes or senses. So He is not perceived by these blunt material senses. Therefore He is known as Adhoksaja. Adhah-krta aksaja-jnanam yatra, where this direct experimental knowledge is defeated. You cannot understand God by your this blunt material experience. No. That is not possible. Therefore we have to submit. We have to surrender.
Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. If you want to know, then first of all is pranipata. Pranipata means prakrsta-rupena nipata. Just like we have got the system, the disciples they fall flat, straight, and offer respect to Deity or to the spiritual master. This is called pranipata. Prani... Prakrsta-rupena nipata. The first thing is pranipata. You have to find out somebody where you can surrender fully. That is the beginning of spiritual life. Tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg. 4.34]. First condition is pranipata. Pranipatena pariprasnena. You can inquire. You can ask questions, after you have fully surrendered, not before that. Don't waste your time. It will not act. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking with Krsna like friends. When Arjuna said, "Oh, the other side, they are all my kinsmen. How can I kill them? Oh, it is not possible," Krsna said, "No, you are ksatriya. It is your duty to fight. It doesn't matter the other party is your own kinsmen." Ordinary question, answers. In this way, questions and answer, questions and answer were going on. But at last, when by such questions and answers, friendly talk, nothing was solved, then Arjuna said, sisyas te ham sadhi mam prapannam: "My dear Krsna, in this way the problem will not be solved. I am becoming Your disciple. I am not talking anymore as friend." Sisyas te 'ham: "I become Your disciple." Because you cannot argue with guru. That is pranipata.
Therefore we must have a guru where exact knowledge is coming, without any mistake. Because we cannot argue. So we must find out such guru, where perfect knowledge is coming. Just like... Therefore guru is... Acaryam mam vijaniyat. Guru must be perfect representative of Krsna. So acaryam mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit: [SB 11.17.27] "Do not neglect the acarya." Na martya-buddhya: "Don't consider him as ordinary human being." Asuyeta. If he sometimes chastises you, don't be envious: "Oh he is also man, I am also man. Why he is talking like that?" No. Nasuyeta martya-buddhya. These are the instructions. This is called pranipata. So Arjuna accepted this process, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: "My dear Krsna, now, from this moment, I am Your sisya. I am Your sisya. I become Your disciple. Now You teach me." The Bhagavad-gita was taught to Arjuna, because he became a sisya.
So if we actually want the solution of the problems of this material existence, as it is said, yayatma suprasidati... Yaya atma suprasidati. Supra... Su means "very nicely"; prasidati, "becomes satisfied." Everyone is trying to be satisfied, peaceful in his mind. But that is not being happen. How it will happen? The direction is given here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. That is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether you are following Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion or any religion. It doesn't matter. Dharma means religion. That is English translation. But actually dharma means which you cannot change. Religion, the so-called religion, is a sentiment. Today you are Hindu; tomorrow you become Muslim. Or today you are Muslim; tomorrow you become Christian. That kind of conversion, change, is not religion. Because the man remains the same. Simply by his changing the rubber stamp, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," that does not make any benefit. Therefore our movement is Krsna consciousness. We don't talk of any religion. The consciousness should be changed. The material consciousness should be changed into spiritual consciousness. That is our propaganda. It is meant for Hindu, Muslim, Christian, anyone. White, black, yellow, everything. Because it is the function of the soul. Soul is not black, white, yellow. Soul is spirit. So one has to realize that "I am spirit soul. I am not Indian nor American nor Englishman nor German nor white nor black. This is my bodily description. I am not this body." This is the beginning of spiritual understanding.
Therefore Suta Gosvami says, "That type of religion which actually gives spiritual education, and by spiritual education one develops his forgotten love of Godhead." Love of Godhead is there in every one of us. It is now forgotten. We have to simply awaken it. Otherwise how these English boys, these American boys, the Canadian boys or gentlemen, they are taking to Krsna consciousness so seriously? It is not something artificial. The Krsna consciousness was there. It is being awakened under certain prescribed method. That's all. Sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. This is the process. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. Caitanya-caritamrta says that "This Krsna consciousness is there, dormant, in everyone's heart. It is already there." Sravanadi-suddha-citte: "If you kindly hear about Krsna and your heart becomes purified, the original dormant Krsna consciousness is immediately awakened."."
So this is the process. Therefore Bhagavata recommends, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah: "That type of religion is first class who has accepted this process how to awaken Krsna consciousness." Adhoksaja. Yato bhaktir adhoksaje. What kind of bhakti? Ahaituki, without any motive, without any motive. Because generally we go to temple or perform religion with a motive, some material purpose. But bhakti should be without any motive, ahaituki, no cause. Apratihata, and it cannot be checked. It is not that because one is Christian or one is Muhammadan or one is outside the Vedic culture, he cannot become Krsna conscious. No. Ahaituky apratihata. Apratihata means nothing can check. Anything material impediment, is not able to check Krsna consciousness. Ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati. If you follow this method how to awaken your Krsna consciousness, then automatically your atma will be satisfied, oh. Just like Mrs. Sharma was describing, "Now I am so happy." She is not an ordinary woman. She is very rich. She has got business. But she is finding happiness here. This is practical example. This is practical example. Yayatma, yayatma suprasidati.
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "Take this responsibility of preaching Krsna consciousness all over the world, those who are Indians." Now there are many Indians in London. You take this movement very seriously. It is your duty to spread this movement. At least, you do it in European countries. Now here is a chance, good chance. Come here, participate with the movement, become Krsna conscious yourself, and preach it. That will be Indian's glory. Otherwise simply beg. You will remain simply beggars, that's all.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 -- London, July 23, 1973
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6
July 23, 1973, London
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
[SB 1.2.6]
Translation (not on tape) "The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self."
Prabhupada: This is a speech of Suta Gosvami in Naimisaranya. Formerly, great sages used to assemble in the forest of Naimisaranya. Those who are Indians, they will know Naimisaranya. There is a station, Nimsara, still. And it is near Lucknow. Still it is very nice place. So there was a great meeting of saintly persons. As nowadays ordinary persons meet together to find out the ways and means for people's prosperity, formerly the great saintly persons, sages, brahmanas, they used to meet, and they used to give formula to the people, to the king, that "You follow this. You will be happy." This was the system, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. So the brahmanas will give the direction, and the ksatriya king would execute it. And the vaisyas will produce foodgrains. Vaisya-karma svabhava-jam. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. For vaisyas, three work, three kinds of occupation: first of all, agriculture, produce food, and then, give protection to the cows. Because cow is important animal, cow protection is very necessary. So krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44]. And where there is scarcity of food, transport food there, make business. These three things for the vaisyas.
So there was meeting. So in the meeting... That meeting was held after the departure of Krsna. So the question was that "After departure of Krsna, who has taken charge of this world for proper discharge of religious principles?" So the reply was that "Krsna has left this world, but here is the Srimad-Bhagavatam. That will give you direction." Srimad-Bhagavatam is the sound representation of Krsna. As Bhagavad-gita is the sound produced, vibrated by Krsna personally, similarly Srimad-Bhagavatam is written by Vyasadeva under the direction of his spiritual master, Narada, about Krsna. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised to preach the message of Krsna. That is His cult.
yare dekha tare kaha ‘krsna'-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]
This is the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And He wanted all the Indians to help this movement.
bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
This is the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He has advised every Indian... Bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma. Every human being born in India, they should take up this cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They can take it. Because by birth they have got the right because this Bhagavatam is produced in India, Bhagavad-gita is produced in India. That is the glory of India. So the sons of India, those who are Indians, those who are proud of becoming Indian, they should take up this mission. Janma sarthaka kari'. First of all make your life successful by understanding what is Bhagavad-gita and what is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Janma sarthaka. If you are yourself unsuccessful in the mission of your life, you cannot preach anything. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says janma sarthaka kari': "After making your life successful." That means by understanding the value of Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, you preach this knowledge all over the world.
Because such knowledge is wanting all over the world. The Western countries, they might have advanced in material technology, technical knowledge, but they have no knowledge about the science of God. That is lacking. So the East and West, they should cooperate. They cooperate. You have got some knowledge; I take advantage of it. I have got some knowledge; you take advantage of it. This is cooperation. This is cooperation. So especially now, people all over the world, they are trying to imitate the Western type of civilization. That is not bad. Do it. But you also do something so that Westerners may also take your knowledge. That is cooperation. So why you are silent in that point? Therefore, because Indians or Indian government has failed to do this duty, India is known as beggar country all over the world. I am traveling. "Oh, you are from India? It is very poverty-stricken country." This is the designation of India. Actually it is so. In comparison to Western country, India is very poor, very poor.
So there is no need of remaining poor. You can make your economic development. This is required. Dharmartha-kama-moksanam. Human life means four things he must develop. First thing is dharma. He must know what is religion. Every human being -- not Indians or Europeans or Americans. That is the prime duty of every human being. Without following the religious principles, then he is not human even. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. If the human society... It doesn't matter what kind of religion you follow. It doesn't matter. But you must follow. (aside:) Sit down properly. Don't go out now and come. They, that is the duty, dharma. Dharmena hinah. Human civilization begins when there is religious conception of life. Therefore all over the world -- it doesn't matter whether Europe, America or India or China, Japan -- there is some kind of religion. There is some kind of religion -- either Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion, Buddhist religion. These are the prime religions of the world.
Now, here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are discussing about religion. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah.
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
[SB 1.2.6]
Everyone wants to be happy. Atma. Atma means body, atma means mind. Atma means atma, soul, also. So somebody is trying to be happy bodily. That is also atma. But that is very temporary. And somebody is wanting the peace and prosperity or tranquillity of the mind. That is also atmarama. Atmarama means everyone is wanting to remain happy and peaceful in his atma. So those who are gross, they are trying to be happy bodily. They are called karmis. And those who are little advanced, they are trying to be happy mentally. They are called jnanis. Karmis, jnanis. And those who are trying to be happy spiritually, they are called yogis. So yogis, there are different kinds of yogis. But the first-class yogi is bhakti-yogi. Bhakti-yoga. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
He is first-class yogi. Who is first-class yogi? Mad-gatenantar-atmana, "who is always thinking of Me." Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is Krsna's advice in the Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah: "Always think of Me." It is not difficult. You think of Krsna. You have got Krsna's form. That is first-class meditation. Krsna says, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. Thinking of Krsna, antar-atmana, within the core of heart. Sa me yuktatamo matah. He is first-class yogi. So we are teaching that, how to become first-class yogi. "Chant Krsna, Hare Krsna, and hear." Immediately... All Krsna's -- Krsna's form, Krsna's qualities, Krsna's pastimes, Krsna's paraphernalia, Krsna's opulence -- everything will be subject of your thinking. This is called first-class yoga.
So here also, what is spoken by Krsna in Bhagavad-gita, that is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Here it is said, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. Para and apara. Para means superior or transcendental. There are two kinds of prakrtis: para-prakrti, apara-prakrti. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gita. Material, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca. Material things, earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, ego. Prakrtir me astadha, bhinna prakrtir me astadha. Krsna says, "They are My prakrti. My nature, My energy." Similarly, Krsna says, next verse, apareyam: "This material prakrti is inferior. But beyond this material prakrti, there is a superior prakrti." What is that? Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat: "That is living entity." So living entity is also prakrti, another energy of Krsna. Just like this material world is one creation, material creation. Similarly, there is spiritual energy also. Krsna has multi-energies. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. Na tasya karyam... This is Vedic injunction. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. God has nothing to do with His hands and legs. He is so powerful that He has got so many energies... Just like big man here, he does not do anything with his hands, but he has got so many assistants. As soon as he wants to do something, immediately it is done. If it is possible for ordinary human being, how much energy is in stock of Krsna, and how He can perform everything perfectly. Svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca. Everything comes out nicely. So much energy is there. Inconceivable energy. That is God.
So that energy is divided into three. Material energy, spiritual energy and marginal energy. We are marginal energy. We living entities, we belong to the marginal energy, tatastha-sakti. Marginal means we can remain in the material energy or in the spiritual energy. Now, at the present moment, every one of us, we are under the control of the material energy. You can understand it very easily. Just like government. The government, that is one energy working. Similarly, the prison house, that is also another energy working. And the citizens, that is also another, another energy working. But the citizens are marginal. They can remain outside the prison walls and inside the prison walls. Therefore they are called marginal. When you are abiding by the laws of the government, you are free. You are not abiding by the laws of the government, you are within the prison house. So you are at liberty. Either... That is your choice. Government has got university, as well as the criminal department. Government does not canvass, rather government canvasses that "You come to the university. Be educated. Be advanced." But it is our choice, we sometimes go to the prison house. It is not government's fault.
Similarly, those who have come to this material world, they are all supposed to be criminals, disobedient to the laws of God. Therefore there is dharma, to teach people that "You take to religious principle, gradually become purified, and come back again to the spiritual world. That is your real abode." Here it is foreign. Here it is foreign, and you are under so many tribulations. Just like if you are in the prison house, there you cannot expect any comfort of life. That is not possible. It is meant for inflicting miseries upon you so that you can understand that you are criminal, you should not do like this and come here again. That is the process going on. Similarly, here also in this material world, we are always under troublesome condition. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga. So that we may come to our sense, if there is any possibility of making a solution of this miserable condition of life... But we are so callous, just like animals. They do not know. The animals are kept in the room for being slaughtered. They do not know. They are eating grass and very happy. Not happy. Some of them know that "We are going to be killed." They cry. But there is no escape. What can be done? But human life is not like animals. They must know that "We are in threefold miserable condition of life, adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. And we do not want these all miserable condition. We want to be happy. We want to be peaceful. How to do it?"
That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita:
daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
It is very difficult. You are trying to be happy by adjustment of material conditions, but that is not possible. Maya is very strong. She'll not let you become happy under material condition. That is not possible. Then how one can become happy? Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. As soon as you become obedient, surrender to Krsna, you become transcendental to the laws of material nature. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. Those who are mahatmas, they are not under material condition. They are under spiritual guidance. Daivim prakrtim asritah. And what is their symptom? Bhajanty ananya-manasah. Without any diversion, they are engaged in bhajana. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. This is bhajana.
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
There are nine kinds of bhajana. Hearing -- just like you are hearing about Krsna -- this is bhajana. So we are giving this opportunity. We are opening hundreds of branches so that people may take advantage of hearing about Krsna. That is bhajana. You don't do anything. If you simply come here... We are holding class. If you simply come and hear, you will advance in spiritual consciousness. Simply by aural reception. Sravanadi-suddha-citte. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. We cannot understand God, Krsna, by our present senses. Therefore His name is adhoksaja. Here this is the verse, it is said, yato bhaktir adhoksaje. Adhoksaja. Adhoksaja. Krsna's another name is Adhoksaja. Aksaja means direct perception. Just like somebody says, "I want to see." This is called aksaja. Aksa means eyes or senses. So He is not perceived by these blunt material senses. Therefore He is known as Adhoksaja. Adhah-krta aksaja-jnanam yatra, where this direct experimental knowledge is defeated. You cannot understand God by your this blunt material experience. No. That is not possible. Therefore we have to submit. We have to surrender.
Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. If you want to know, then first of all is pranipata. Pranipata means prakrsta-rupena nipata. Just like we have got the system, the disciples they fall flat, straight, and offer respect to Deity or to the spiritual master. This is called pranipata. Prani... Prakrsta-rupena nipata. The first thing is pranipata. You have to find out somebody where you can surrender fully. That is the beginning of spiritual life. Tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg. 4.34]. First condition is pranipata. Pranipatena pariprasnena. You can inquire. You can ask questions, after you have fully surrendered, not before that. Don't waste your time. It will not act. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking with Krsna like friends. When Arjuna said, "Oh, the other side, they are all my kinsmen. How can I kill them? Oh, it is not possible," Krsna said, "No, you are ksatriya. It is your duty to fight. It doesn't matter the other party is your own kinsmen." Ordinary question, answers. In this way, questions and answer, questions and answer were going on. But at last, when by such questions and answers, friendly talk, nothing was solved, then Arjuna said, sisyas te ham sadhi mam prapannam: "My dear Krsna, in this way the problem will not be solved. I am becoming Your disciple. I am not talking anymore as friend." Sisyas te 'ham: "I become Your disciple." Because you cannot argue with guru. That is pranipata.
Therefore we must have a guru where exact knowledge is coming, without any mistake. Because we cannot argue. So we must find out such guru, where perfect knowledge is coming. Just like... Therefore guru is... Acaryam mam vijaniyat. Guru must be perfect representative of Krsna. So acaryam mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit: [SB 11.17.27] "Do not neglect the acarya." Na martya-buddhya: "Don't consider him as ordinary human being." Asuyeta. If he sometimes chastises you, don't be envious: "Oh he is also man, I am also man. Why he is talking like that?" No. Nasuyeta martya-buddhya. These are the instructions. This is called pranipata. So Arjuna accepted this process, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: "My dear Krsna, now, from this moment, I am Your sisya. I am Your sisya. I become Your disciple. Now You teach me." The Bhagavad-gita was taught to Arjuna, because he became a sisya.
So if we actually want the solution of the problems of this material existence, as it is said, yayatma suprasidati... Yaya atma suprasidati. Supra... Su means "very nicely"; prasidati, "becomes satisfied." Everyone is trying to be satisfied, peaceful in his mind. But that is not being happen. How it will happen? The direction is given here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. That is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether you are following Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion or any religion. It doesn't matter. Dharma means religion. That is English translation. But actually dharma means which you cannot change. Religion, the so-called religion, is a sentiment. Today you are Hindu; tomorrow you become Muslim. Or today you are Muslim; tomorrow you become Christian. That kind of conversion, change, is not religion. Because the man remains the same. Simply by his changing the rubber stamp, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," that does not make any benefit. Therefore our movement is Krsna consciousness. We don't talk of any religion. The consciousness should be changed. The material consciousness should be changed into spiritual consciousness. That is our propaganda. It is meant for Hindu, Muslim, Christian, anyone. White, black, yellow, everything. Because it is the function of the soul. Soul is not black, white, yellow. Soul is spirit. So one has to realize that "I am spirit soul. I am not Indian nor American nor Englishman nor German nor white nor black. This is my bodily description. I am not this body." This is the beginning of spiritual understanding.
Therefore Suta Gosvami says, "That type of religion which actually gives spiritual education, and by spiritual education one develops his forgotten love of Godhead." Love of Godhead is there in every one of us. It is now forgotten. We have to simply awaken it. Otherwise how these English boys, these American boys, the Canadian boys or gentlemen, they are taking to Krsna consciousness so seriously? It is not something artificial. The Krsna consciousness was there. It is being awakened under certain prescribed method. That's all. Sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. This is the process. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. Caitanya-caritamrta says that "This Krsna consciousness is there, dormant, in everyone's heart. It is already there." Sravanadi-suddha-citte: "If you kindly hear about Krsna and your heart becomes purified, the original dormant Krsna consciousness is immediately awakened."."
So this is the process. Therefore Bhagavata recommends, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah: "That type of religion is first class who has accepted this process how to awaken Krsna consciousness." Adhoksaja. Yato bhaktir adhoksaje. What kind of bhakti? Ahaituki, without any motive, without any motive. Because generally we go to temple or perform religion with a motive, some material purpose. But bhakti should be without any motive, ahaituki, no cause. Apratihata, and it cannot be checked. It is not that because one is Christian or one is Muhammadan or one is outside the Vedic culture, he cannot become Krsna conscious. No. Ahaituky apratihata. Apratihata means nothing can check. Anything material impediment, is not able to check Krsna consciousness. Ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati. If you follow this method how to awaken your Krsna consciousness, then automatically your atma will be satisfied, oh. Just like Mrs. Sharma was describing, "Now I am so happy." She is not an ordinary woman. She is very rich. She has got business. But she is finding happiness here. This is practical example. This is practical example. Yayatma, yayatma suprasidati.
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "Take this responsibility of preaching Krsna consciousness all over the world, those who are Indians." Now there are many Indians in London. You take this movement very seriously. It is your duty to spread this movement. At least, you do it in European countries. Now here is a chance, good chance. Come here, participate with the movement, become Krsna conscious yourself, and preach it. That will be Indian's glory. Otherwise simply beg. You will remain simply beggars, that's all.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 -- London, July 23, 1973
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