Bhagavad-gita 10.8
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New York, January 7, 1967

Prabhupada: So we have caught up the original person, adi-purusa. We have found out the root of everything. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said,

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah [Bg. 10.8]

Krsna says that “I am the origin of everything.” Aham sarvasya prabhavah. Sarvasya. Sarvasya means including all big demigods like Brahma, Lord Siva, even Narayana and and Visnu. Everything, everybody, everything is…, the original person is Krsna.

Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva budhah [Bg. 10.8]. Budha means very learned man. One who is completely wise, no illusion. Such a person is budha. From budh. The word root is budh-dhatu. From budh-dhatu the names Lord Buddha has come, Buddha, from that root. So anyone who is well versed, complete in wisdom, he is called the budha.

And bhava-samanvitah. Budha, one must be very well versed, at the same time, completely in spiritual emotion, bhava. This bhava is the very high platform for coming to the perfection of life, bhava. That is also stated in Vedic literature, what is that bhava. Each and every word, if you try to understand scrutinizingly, they are very sublime. So one has to come to the stage of bhava, then he can attain… Bhava means transcendental emotion. Then he can understand what is love of God. Budha bhava.

Iti matva bhajante mam. Bhajante means one engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord in complete emotion. That is wanted. How that emotion is attained, that is also described by Rupa Gosvami, how one can attain that stage one after another. The first stage is sraddha. Sraddha means faith. Faith. Adau sraddha. If one has got this faith, then he can develop that faith to the highest perfectional stage of transcendental emotion, bhava, and then love of God.

So there is nothing to be depressed? All boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen who are in this meeting, they have got this faith, sraddha. It is understood. Otherwise why you have come here? Unless you have got little faith, you would not have come. And you are sparing your valuable time. This is the sign of faith. This is the first background. If one increases this faith, it can be developed to the highest perfectional stage, love of God.

So adau sraddha, how to increase. That is given direction by Rupa Gosvami. This faith, adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga. If you have little faith don’t try to demolish it. Try to increase it. Just like if there is little spark of fire, if you fan it, it increases. Increases. And you have several times… In this temple, when there is yajna performance we ignite fire. So we take a little small piece of wood and ignite it. Then gradually it becomes blazing fire. Similarly, this faith is just like little fire, and you have to fan it very nicely.

How? Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga. If you have got this faith, then don’t give up this connection. Please try to come here and try to understand us. Why you should try to understand us? Because we are speaking here about God, nothing else. No business, no politics, no nonsense. Therefore you should come here. Sadhu-sanga. This is called association with sadhu. Who is a sadhu? If somebody says “A man with red dress or a great beard or something…” There are so many conceptions of sadhu. But sadhu is described in the Bhagavad-gita by the Lord Himself, who is sadhu. He said api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. Sadhu is one who is unflinchingly engaged in loving service of the Lord. He is a sadhu. That is the test, who is a sadhu.

Sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30] Krsna says, api cet su-duracarah. Even though you find in some devotees some bad behavior, not standard, but because he is a devotee, he is constantly engaged in Krsna consciousness, therefore he is sadhu. Even though he has got some bad habits due to his past life, it doesn’t matter. Because this will stop. Because he has taken to Krsna consciousness, all nonsense habit will stop. The switch is off. As soon as one comes to Krsna, the switch which impelled one to bad habits, that becomes off immediately. So just like there is heat, heating, heater, electric heater. If you make the switch off, it still remains hot, but gradually, the temperature comes down and it becomes cool.

Similarly, if you have got faith and if you try to engage yourself in Krsna consciousness with association of devotees, not alone… Alone is not possible. Therefore we have established this International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Society is required. Sadhu-sanga. Just to give opportunity to persons who have got little faith to develop that faith into Krsna consciousness.

So adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga. These very nice boys, they have established this temple, and very nice murti, Jagannatha, Krsna, offering prasadam. They are offering prasadam at noon and in the evening after kirtana and every Sunday. So what is the difficulty there? And you come here, chant and dance. We don’t say that you make such exercise or press your nose or this or that. We simply say that “Come here, dance with us, chant with us and take prasada.” Is it very difficult? (laughter) It is not difficult. The most easiest process of transcendental realization. And by following this process, just see our students, how they have advanced. In very quickly, within short time. You bring any so-called followers of yoga society and try to compare with any one of our student, you’ll find he is far, far advanced. We challenge. (laughter) Why? Due to the sadhu-sanga. Sadhu-sanga. So adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga [Cc. Madhya 22.54]. (end)