[final proofreading pending] ¶
Harikeśa: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Mahārāj Prabhupāda! Chapter 7, text 3 ¶
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
[Bg. 7.3]
[break] [02:42] ¶
Prabhupāda: ¶
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya
prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara
śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
It is part of our routine that for our foreign students we have preaching sessions from 7.30 am to 8.30 am in English and in the evening we try to speak in Hindi from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm. I do not have much practice for speaking in Hindi but I am Indian so I can speak a little. ¶
So before I explain this Bhagavad gita sloka there is some good news which I want to share with you. This temple that you all say is a very beautiful one, the reason behind this Mr. Kashiramji Saraf and his wife, Smt Geeta Devi. And when I first came to Vrindavana in 1971, this gentleman on his own accord wished to donate this land to me. Then by the Lord’s will, the donation was done and at that time I did not have any money also. Anyway by begging all over the world we have spent at least fifty lac rupees on this. At that time Mr Kashiramji had kept some part of the land in the front for his own use but after seeing this temple he was very happy and he has said that this land also belongs to us. This space can be used as we want, it is ours. On that land we are now going to make a gurukul. And the expenses incurred in building this gurukul will be met by Mr Visvambhar Nathji Agarwal, who is sitting next to me. He will give at least one lac rupees, and more also. I will start the gurukul tomorrow. This Krishna consciousness movement, you all know something about this already, we are preaching Lord Krishna’s name all over the world. The other name for this is Hare Ka movement. ¶
Big big scholars are writing books and articles on this movement. Professor Judah, from the Berkeley University has written a big book “ Hare Krishna and Counter Culture”, very scholarly book. Similarly this movement is being slowly liked by everyone. And these are the words of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Prithvi te ache nagar adi gram sarvatra prachar hobe mor naam. This was his prophecy that in all the villages and towns all over the world, nagar adi, there will be preaching all over and it is happening also. They are accepting Indian culture with great respect. We will discuss this later on. Let us talk about the Lord’s pastimes now, as today is His appearance day also. We should discuss something on that. ¶
So, birth of the Lord, ajo ‘pi sann avyayātmā, the Lord is ajanma, the Lord is never born nor, we are parts and parcels of the Lord, we are born. Bhagavad-gītā says, na jâyate mriyate vâ, if we who are parts and parcels of the Lord are neither born nor do we die, then how can the Lord be born? So the Lord himself has said, ¶
ajo ‘pi sann avyayātmā
bhūtānām īśvaro ‘pi san
Though the Lord is unborn, He takes birth. This is the inconceivable power of the Lord. Today is his appearance day, not only today, every day is His appearance day. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said, just like the sun we see everyday in the morning and we think that this is the birth of the sun or the rising of the sun. But the sun is there in the sky all the time but when we see him we think, the sun is rising now. Similarly in the unlimited cosmic manifestation, the Lord’s appearance day is going on all the time, His pastimes. Not only appearance but all the Lord’s pastimes in Vrindavana, Mathura and Dwaraka, all these pastimes are eternal pastimes [nitya-lilâ]. It is not that the Lord appeared five thousand years ago and is not existing today. No! The Lord is there till today. Just like you do not see the sun in the night time, it does not mean that the sun has left the sky or is not in the sky. The sun is there always in the sky. That is why the Lord says, janma karma me divya yo jânâti tattvata. So the appearance day of the Lord is not an ordinary event, it is transcendental, divine. ¶
yo jânâti tattvata.
tyaktvâ deha punar janma
naiti mâm eti so ‘rjuna
Just by understanding the appearance of the Lord in reality, you can be assured that he has achieved perfection and he is liberated. Just by knowing about the appearance of the Lord! ¶
Janma karma me divya yo jânâti tattvata
The Lord has used this word “tattva” a number of times. Even here in the sloka which was recited by them just now He says the same thing, ¶
manuyâ sahasreu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatâm api siddhânâ
kascin mâ vetti tattvata
This Absolute Truth, we need to understand the Lord in reality (factually), not an ordinary mood. And how to understand this Absoulute Truth has also been explained by the Lord, ¶
bhaktyâ mâm abhijânâti
yâvân yas câsmi tattvata
In three or four places this word “tattva” has been used. In the first place the Lord has said, Janma karma me divya yo jânâti tattvata. And here He is saying, yatatâm api siddhânâ, those who have achieved perfection like yogic perfection. Actually the meaning of perfection is one who has attained the knowledge of the Absolute Truth- that is perfection. First of all amongst thousands and crores of people, a few may try to achieve perfection. Not every one does. That is why the Lord says, ¶
manuyâ sahasreu
kascid yatati siddhaye
And out of those who have achieved perfection, someone will understand the Lord as the Absolute Truth? kascid yatati siddhaye. So Lord Krishna if someone mistakenly thinks that He is born in Mathura in the same way that we are born, that is not reality, the truth. In reality! First we need to understand, just like the Mayavadis think the Lord has no form and when he descends He accepts an illusory body. This is not the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is that there is no difference between the body of the Lord and His soul. They are one. That is why the Lord says, ¶
avajânanti mâ mûhâ
mânu tanum âúritam
para? bhâvam ajânanto
The Lord’s body and soul are one, unlike our body and our soul which are separate. Our body is called ketra and soul is called ketra-jṣa. The Lord as said this also, that, ¶
ketrajṣa câpi mâ viddhi
sarva-ketreu bhârata
The living entity (soul) is the owner of this body, but the real owner is Supersoul (Paramâtmâ). Just like there is a house there is an occupier and an owner. So the owner of our body is the Lord, but He has given us this body based on our desires but this body actually belongs to the Lord. That is why the Lord has one another name, Hkesa. In another place the Lords says, ¶
iúvara sarva-bhûtânâ
hd-dese ‘rjuna tihati
bhrâmayan sarva-bhûtâni
yantrârûhâni mâyayâ
This machine, this body is a machine. I am not this body. I am, dehino ‘smin yathâ dehe, we have been seated on the machine. Who has seated? mâyayâ, Mayadevi who is one of the potencies of the Lord, is ordered by the Lord that, this person desires such and such body so give him such and such body. That is why the Lord says, yantrârûhâni mâyayâ. ¶
iúvara sarva-bhûtânâ
hd-dese ‘rjuna tihati
bhrâmayan sarva-bhûtâni
We get one machine and we make use of that machine to move about here and there and then according to our desires and our karma (fruitive activities), ¶
karma daiva-netrea
jantur dehopapattaye
So for so many lifetimes we accept one body, then leave it to accept another body. So in this human form of life if we can understand the Lord in reality, in truth, jânâti tattvata, then we do not to accept any more material body. This is scientific knowledge. jṣâna te ‘ha sa-vijṣânam, you all know this. ¶
So this appearance day of the Lord, the Lord is unborn. The Lord comes because, paritrâya sâdhûnâ and vinâúâya ca duktâm. He has two acts to perform. First, to protect the pious and secondly, to kill the demons. The Lord is Absolute. Advay jyan His destruction and protection is the same thing. The one who is destroyed by the Lord is also delivered simultaneously. You all know this that, those whom the Lord kills with His hands, just like He killed big big demons, they were liberated at that very moment. So that is why the Lord is called “all good”. Whatever He does is for our benefit only. That is why the devotees of the Lord knows that if for some reason they are put into dire straits then they must know that this is the Lord’s mercy, this they should understand. ¶
tat te ‘nukampâ su-samikamâo
bhuṣjâna evâtma-kta vipâkam
The devotee of the Lord never finds faults with the Lord. Although they may be put in uncomfortable situations even then they offer their gratitude to the Lord, that it is Your mercy. This is the outlook of a devotee of the Lord. ¶
So the Lord is appearing today but the Lord does not appear only today. Just like the sun does not take birth only on one day. This is his daily activity if not in this cosmic manifestation, then in one of the unlimited cosmic manifestations. In every cosmic manifestation there is Vrindavana and in all these unlimited Vrindavana’s, the Lord’s appearance and activities are happening daily. These are the daily pastimes of the Lord. This is called nitya-lilâ. Srila Sanatana Goswami has deliberated on this, that those who, as the Lord has said, understand the Lord activities in reality, tyaktvâ deha punar janma naiti, he does not take birth again after quitting this material body. Our Vedic civilization is based on how to conquer the repetition of birth and death, punar janma jayâya, nothing else. Not to gratify our senses. Whatever fruitive actions (karma), knowledge (jñāna), the Karmis will take birth again. Jñāna, yoga and bhakti, those who tread on these paths, what is the reason for that? To conquer the repetition of birth and death, punar janma jayâya, nothing else. ¶
We are in this material world that has four kinds of suffering. janma-mtyu-jarâ-vyâdhi-dukha-donudarsanam. We are all big big scientists, philosophers, philanthropists and we want to solve all the problems of life. The Lord says, all these problems are immediate in nature, these will go on. The real problems of life are janma-mtyu-jarâ-vyâdhi. So if we want to solve the problem so that we are not reborn again then for not to be born again, the Jñāni’s say that they will merge into the Brahman. It is not difficult for the Lord to merge them with Him but the Vaiavas or the devotees of the Lord do not want to merge with the Lord. He wants to be engaged forever in the service of the Lord. So the Lord also says, mâm eti. mâm eti means that if someone wants to merge then they can merge with the Brahmajyoti (bodily effulgence) of the Lord. Otherwise he can go to His eternal pastimes in Vaikuntha, in Goloka Vrindavana and be engaged in the service of the Lord. But there is a problem in merging into the bodily effulgence (Brahmajyoti) of the Lord. And that is sat-cit-ananda, you don’t get ananda (bliss) there. Only eternity is accomplished. But by only achieving eternity one is not blissful. That is why the scriptures says, ¶
ye ’nye ’ravindâka vimukta-mâninas
tvayy asta-bhâvâd avisuddha-buddhaya
Those who are not liberated but are falsely under the impression that they are (liberated), their intelligence is not purified, because till you do not reach the Lord, that liberation does not last. Why? ¶
âruhya kcchrea para pada tata
patanty adho ’nâdta-yumad-aghraya
You know that many big big sanyasis say, brahma satya jagan mithyâ, they renounce this world saying it is false. And after a few days in this life time itself they entangled in politics or some such similar work because only liberation will not work. ¶
brahma-bhûta prasannâtmâ
na socati na kâkati
sama sarveu bhûteu
mad-bhakti labhate parâm
if one stops at the brahma-bhûta (merging with the Absolute) stage then it is of no use, one has to advance further. That advancing which needs to be done is bhakti (devotional service), mad-bhakti labhate parâm. So after being a jnâni and a yogi, if one becomes a bhakta then their liberation is perfect, they go back to Godhead. These are some thoughts. The Lord has come to teach us all this. ¶
yadâ yadâ hi dharmasya
glânir bhavati bhârata
dharmasya glânir means when we forget the Lord. This is dharmasya glânir. Our religion, the Lord himself says, dharma tu sâkd bhagavat-pratam. We cannot concoct our own real religious principles. Just like nowadays it is a fashion that I concoct a religion and you concoct a religion. These are not the real religion. These are all kaitava, cheating religion. That is why it is said in the Bhagavatam, Dharma projjhita kaitaba atra, this cheating religion is to be thrown out. What is the real religion? dharma tu sâkd bhagavat-pratam, whatever the Lord says, that is real religion. What does the Lord say? ¶
sarva-dharmân parityajya mâm eka saraa vraja
This is religion. This is what the Lord comes to teach us in every millennium. Today is the appearance day of the Lord, please accept what the Lord is teaching, make your life successful, this is our subject for preaching, Krishna consciousness movement and that is why we travel all over the world and people like it, accept it. What to talk about the Indians, they know all this already. Please be merciful and give us your blessings that we are able to propagate the pastimes of the Lord all over the world as we are doing now. Thank you very much! Hare Krishna! ¶
[Most indistinct talk below] ¶
Prabhupāda: [asks the gentleman next to him:] will you have prasadam in the afternoon here? ¶
Gentleman: how long are you going to be here in India? (Vrindavana). ¶
Prabhupāda: I will start this gurukul and go! ¶
Gentleman: building? So a month or twenty days? ¶
Prabhupāda: what? ¶
Gentleman: a month or two? ¶
Prabhupāda: yes, one month! ¶
Gentleman: ok she will be back by then…..inaudible. ¶
Prabhupāda: so shall we start the building? ¶
Gentleman: yes! When I come in the daytime, I will discuss with you the small nitty-gritty’s which are left. ¶
Prabhupāda: ok! ¶
Prabhupāda: just behind, the Krishna Balarama pastimes took place! ¶
Gentleman: it is going to take place? ¶
Prabhupāda: no! he is preaching that Krishna Balaram came here. There is a place here, just behind this temple. ¶
Gentleman: will we get that also? ¶
Prabhupāda: what? ¶
Gentleman: is he giving it away? ¶
Prabhupāda: no! he is saying that that is the place where the pastimes of Krishna and Balaram actually happened. ¶
Prabhupāda: Kapoorji? ….Hurry up! ¶
Prabhupāda: [to another gentleman (in Bengali):] why don’t you say something? ¶
Gentleman: what should I say! ¶
Prabhupāda: something little! ¶
Gentleman: There will be drama performance now. ¶
Prabhupāda: oh there is drama now? ¶
Gentleman: it is not nice to speak in between. ¶
Prabhupāda: No! No! ¶
Prabhupāda: I want that we should start the gurukul, temple and houses here itself. [aside:] speak in Hindi or what will they understand? Please tell him to speak in Hindi. ¶
Gentleman: inaudible. ¶
Prabhupāda: ok ok! ¶
Prabhupāda: you have come to this temple for the first time? ¶
Gentleman: what? ¶
Prabhupāda: come first time here? ¶
Gentleman: no I have come many times. ¶
Prabhupāda: ok! ¶
Gentleman: I have come many times. ¶
Prabhupāda: Geetaji has come here? ¶
Gentleman: geetaji has not come after the inauguration of the temple. ¶
Prabhupāda: No! ?? in front of me. ¶
Gentleman: was she there for the inauguration? ¶
Prabhupāda: Yes! ¶
Gentleman: the soul is very happy! Very happy! ¶
Prabhupāda: it is yours only! ¶
Gentleman: the soul is very happy! I am saying it from my heart. ¶
Prabhupāda: no, everyone says, that the temple is very beautiful. ¶
Gentleman: my (buying the) land has borne the results now. ¶
Prabhupāda: it already did so, when you donated the land. ¶
Prabhupāda: this tamal tree, a lot of people told me to cut it down. I said, no! ¶
Gentleman: No, prabhu! This is the beauty of the temple, it is the beauty of the temple. Yes, it is the beauty of the temple prabhu, we must not even consider such a thought. You refuse to cut it down, in your absence they may cut it down. ¶
Prabhupāda: No! No! ¶
[Break] [end] ¶