Bhagavad-gita 6.46-47 Devotee: “A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogi.” Prabhupada: Yogi, that is the highest perfectional material condition of life. There are different grades of life within this material world, but if one establishes himself in the yoga principle, especially in this bhakti-yoga principle, that means he’s living in the most perfectional stage of life. So Krsna is recommending Arjuna, “My dear friend Arjuna, in all circumstances, you be a yogi, remain a yogi.” Yes, go on. Devotee: “And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” Prabhupada: Now, here it is clearly stated that of all yogis, there are different kinds of yogis. Astanga-yogi, hatha-yogi, jnana-yogi, karma-yogi, bhakti-yogi. So bhakti-yoga is the highest platform of yoga principles. So Krsna says here, “And of all yogis.” There are different kinds of yogis. “Of all yogis he who always abides in Me,” in Krsna. Me means Krsna says “in Me.” That means one who is keeping always in Krsna consciousness, “abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service is most intimately united with Me in yoga, and is the highest of all.” This is the prime instruction of this chapter, Sankhya-yoga, that if you want to become perfect yogi of the highest platform, then keep yourself in Krsna consciousness and you become the first-class yogi. Devotee: “The Sanskrit word, bhajate, is significant here.” Prabhupada: This word bhajate appears in the original Sanskrit verse, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47] This bhajate, this bhajate, this word, Sanskrit word, it comes from the root bhaj, bhaj-dhatu. It is a verb, bhaj-dhatu. Bhaj means to render service. Bhaja. So this very word is used in this verse, bhaj-dhatu. That means one who is devotee. Who renders service to Krsna unless he is devotee? Suppose you are rendering service here. Why? You can render service anywhere, you get thousand dollars or two thousand dollars every month. But here you come and give your service without any payment. Why? Because out of love of Krsna. Therefore this bhaj, this service, loving service, is based on love of Godhead. Otherwise why one should waste his time for nothing? Here these students, they are engaged in so many things. Somebody is gardening, somebody is typing, somebody is cooking, somebody is cooking, somebody is doing something else, everything. But it is in connection with Krsna. Therefore the Krsna consciousness is prevailing, always, twenty-four hours. That is the highest type of yoga. Yoga means to keep your consciousness intact with Visnu or Krsna, the Supreme Lord. That is the perfection of yoga. Here it is automatically, even the child can do it. The child is coming along with his mother and bowing down, “Krsna, I bow down.” So he is also Krsna conscious. A small child, he’s clapping. Why? “Hey Krsna.” So anyway, everyone is remembering always Krsna. Keeping Krsna consciousness. Even a child here is the highest yogi. It is not our boastfulness. It is stated in authorized scripture like Bhagavad-gita. We don’t say that we have created these words for our boastful. No, it is a fact. Even a child can keep in the highest platform of yoga practice in this temple. That is the highest gift of this Krsna consciousness movement. Go on. Devotee: “Bhajate has its root in the verb bhaj which is used when there is need of service. The English word “worship” cannot be used in the same sense as bhaja. Worship means to adore, or to show respect and honor to the worthy one. But service with love and faith is especially meant for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Prabhupada: Yes. Worship and rendering service, they are different. Worship means there is some motive. I worship some friend or some big man. I have some motive, that this big man is a very big businessman and if I can please him then he may give me some business, I’ll derive some profit. So the worship of demigods is like that. They worship different demigods for some particular purpose. That is condemned in the Bhagavad-gita, you’ll find it in the Eighth Chapter. Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah prapadyante ’nya devatah [Bg. 7.20] Those who have lost their sense, bewildered by lust, they go to worship demigods with a motive. So when we speak of worship, there is motive. But when we speak of service, there is no motive. Service is love. Just like mother renders service to the child. There is no motive. It is love only. Everyone can neglect that child, that mother cannot. Because there is love. Similarly bhaj-dhatu, where there is question of service, there is no question of motive. That is perfection of Krsna consciousness. And that is recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. First-class religious principle. What is that? Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. This bhakti, this bhaja, the same root, that system of religious principle is first-class. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhoksaje. By performing which one can develop his God consciousness or love of God. That’s all. If you can develop your love of God, you follow any religious principle, doesn’t matter. But the test is how much you are developing your love for God. But if you have got some motive that by practicing this system of religious system, my material necessities will be fulfilled, that is not first- class religion. That is third-class religion. The first-class religion is that by which you can develop your love of Godhead. Ahaituky apratihata. Without any cause and without any impediment. That is first-class. That is being recommended. This yoga system, Krsna consciousness, even you take it from religious side, this is first- class. Because there is no motive. They are not serving Krsna to supply them this or that. There may be this or that, that doesn’t matter. They are engaged in—but there is no scarcity of this and that. They get everything. Don’t think that becoming Krsna conscious one becomes poor. No. If Krsna is there, everything is there, because Krsna is everything. But we should not make any business with Krsna, “Krsna give me this, give me that.” Krsna knows better than you. Just like a child does not demand from the parents, “My dear father, my dear mother, give me this or give me that.” The father knows what is the necessity of the child. So this is not very good business to ask God, “Give me this, give me that.” Why shall I ask? If God is all-powerful, He knows my wants, He knows my necessities and that is also confirmed in the Vedas. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. That single one God is supplying all necessities of millions and trillions, innumerable, there is no count, living entities. So we should try to love God. Not demand anything. Demand is already supplied. Even the cats and dogs are getting their necessities. They don’t go to the church or ask anything from God, but they are getting. So why a devotee shall not get? If a cat or dog can get his necessities of life without demanding from God, why shall I demand from God, that “Give me this, give me that.” No. We shall simply try to love Him. That will fulfill everything. That is called highest platform of yoga. Go on. Devotee: “One can avoid worshiping a respectable man or demigod, and he may be called discourteous, but one cannot avoid serving the Supreme Lord without being thoroughly condemned. Every living entity is a part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and as such every living entity is intended to serve the Supreme Lord by his own constitution.” Prabhupada: Yes. That is natural. If I am part and parcel of God my duty is to serve. This example I have given you many times. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of this finger? The duty of the finger is to serve the whole body, that’s all. If I am feeling something itching, immediately finger is working. If I want to see, the eyes immediately work. If I want to go the legs immediately take me. So as this bodily part and part, limbs, are helping me, the whole thing, and I am eating, and the stomach, I am eating only. Similarly God is meant for simply receiving service from all other parts. Not to serve. The service, if the limbs of the body serves the whole body, the energy automatically comes to the parts of the body. Similarly if we serve Krsna, we get all our necessities, energy, automatically. Yatha taror mula-nisecanena. The example, just like pouring water on the root of the tree, the energy is immediately supplied to the leaves, to the twigs, to the branches, to everywhere immediately. Similarly simply by serving Krsna or God you supply all other parts, you serve all other parts. There is no question of serving differently. The … everything automatically comes. Sympathy not only for human being, even for the animals the sympathy comes. God consciousness, Krsna consciousness is so nice. Without God consciousness, without Krsna consciousness, without Krsna consciousness, the sympathy for other living entities is very limited. But with God consciousness, with Krsna consciousness, the sympathy for other living entities is full. That is the system. Go on. Devotee: “Failing to do this, he falls down. The Bhagavatam confirms this as follows: ‘Anyone who does not render service and neglects his duty unto the Primeval Lord, who is the source of all living entities, will certainly fall down from his constitutional position.’ ” Prabhupada: Yes. ya esam purusam saksad atma-prabhavam isvaram na bhajanty avajananti sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah This is also very nice example. The Bhagavata says that we are all parts and parcels of the Supreme. If we do not serve the Supreme, then we fall down from our specified place. What is that? The same example can be given, that this finger, if it becomes diseased and cannot render service to the whole body, it simply gives pain. The other aspect of the part and parcel, try to understand. If the part and parcel cannot render service regularly, that means it is painful. So any person who is not rendering service to the Supreme Lord, he’s simply giving pain to the Supreme Lord. He’s simply giving trouble. Therefore he has to suffer. Just like any man who is not abiding by the laws of the state, he’s simply giving pain to the government and he’s liable to become criminal. He may think that “I’m very good man” but because he’s violating the laws of the state, he’s simply torturing the government. This is simple. So anyone who is not serving, any living entity who is not serving the government, he’s painful. Because he is painful, therefore Krsna comes. He feels pain. That is sinful, if you give pain. The same example. Sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah. And as soon as one thing is very painful, just like the government keeps all these painful citizens into the prisonhouse. Collect together. “You live here, you are nonsense, you criminals. Live here. Don’t disturb in the open state.” Similarly all these criminals who have violated the laws of God, who have simply given pain to the Lord, they are put in this material world. All these. And, sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah, he falls down from the specified place. Just like the same example, if your finger is painful only, the doctor advises, “Oh, Mr. your finger has to be now amputated. Otherwise it will pollute the whole body.” So sthanad bhrastah, it is fallen down from the specified place. So we have fallen down. Being rebelled against the principles of God consciousness, we are all fallen down. So if we want to revive our original position, we must be placed again into that service attitude. That is the perfect cure. Otherwise we shall suffer pain and God will be suffering pain on account of us. Just like if your son is not good, you suffer and the son suffers. Similarly, we are all sons of God. So when we are painful, God is also painful. The best thing is to revive our original Krsna consciousness and be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is natural life and that is possible in the spiritual sky or the Goloka Vrndavana. Go on. Devotee: “In this verse also, the word bhajanti is used. Bhajanti is applicable to the Supreme Lord only, whereas the word ‘worship’ can be applied to demigods or to any other common living entity. The word avajananti…” Prabhupada: Avajananti means neglecting. “What is God? I am God? What is God? Why shall I serve God? This is avajananti. Just like criminal, “Ah, what is government? I can manage my own affairs. I don’t care for government.” This is called avajananti. But you cannot. If I say “I don’t care for government,” all right, you can say that, but the police department is there. It will give you pains, it will punish you. The material nature will punish you with threefold miseries. Go on. Devotee: “The word avajananti used in this verse of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is also found in the Bhagavad-gita. Avajananti… Prabhupada: Mam mudhah. The Srimad-Bhagavatam, this word is used, avajananti sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah. Similarly the same word is used in Bhagavad-gita: avajananti mam mudhah. Mudhah means rascals. Only rascals, they think that…do not care for Me. Rascals. He does not know that he will suffer but he dares to say like that, “I don’t care for…” that is avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam, param bhavam ajanantah [Bg. 9.11]. Without knowing the supreme position of the Lord. Cheaply, cheaply they select God. God has become so cheap. “I am God, you are God.” What is the meaning of God? Do you know? If I am God, you are God, then what is the meaning of God? So, avajananti, this word is very appropriate. Avajananti means neglectful, don’t care. But they are mudhah. Mudha means senseless, without any knowledge. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Go on. Devotee: “Only the fools and rascals deride the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna. Such fools take it upon themselves to write commentaries on the Bhagavad-gita without any attitude of service to the Lord. Consequently they cannot properly distinguish between the word bhajanti and the word worship. So the culmination of all kinds of yoga practice lies in bhakti-yoga. All other yogas are but means to come to the point of bhakti-yoga. Yoga actually means bhakti-yoga. All other yogas are progressions toward this destination. From the beginning of karma-yoga to the end of bhakti-yoga is a long way to self-realization. Karma-yoga without fruitive results is the beginning of this path. When karma-yoga increases in knowledge and renunciation the stage is called jnana-yoga. When jnana-yoga increases in meditation on the Supersoul by different physical processes and the mind is on Him it is called astanga-yoga. And when one surpasses the astanga-yoga and comes to the point of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, it is called bhakti-yoga.” Prabhupada:Yes, the gradual progress of yoga system. Karma-yoga to jnana-yoga. Karma-yoga means ordinary activities, fruitive activities. Ordinary activities means sinful activities also, but karma-yoga does not mean sinful activities. Only good, pious activities or prescribed activities. That is called karma-yoga. Then, by performing karma-yoga one comes to the platform of jnana-yoga, knowledge. And from knowledge to this astanga-yoga, eightfold yoga system—dhyana, dharana, pranayama, asana—like that, those who are practicing the astanga-yoga. Then from astanga-yoga concentrating the mind on Visnu come to the point of bhakti-yoga. And when one comes to the bhakti-yoga platform, that is the perfectional stage of yoga. And this Krsna consciousness means from the very beginning, directly, that bhakti-yoga. Go on. Devotee: “Factually, bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal, but to analyze bhakti-yoga minutely, one has to understand these other minor yogas. The yogi who is progressive is therefore on the true path of eternal auspiciousness. One who sticks to a particular point and does not make further progress is called by that particular name.” Prabhupada: Yes. Now, if somebody is practicing jnana-yoga, if he thinks that this is finished, that is wrong. You have to make further progress. Just like we have given many times the example, there is a staircase. You have to go to the highest floor, which is, say hundredth floor. So somebody is on the fiftieth floor, somebody is on the thirtieth floor, somebody is on the eightieth floor. So if by coming to the particular eightieth, fiftieth or eightieth floor, one thinks, “This is finished.” Then he is not progressing. One has to go to the end. That is highest platform of yoga. The whole staircase can be called a yoga system, connecting, link. But don’t be satisfied by keeping yourself on the fiftieth floor or eightieth floor. Go to the highest platform, the hundredth or hundred-fiftieth floor. That is bhakti-yoga. Go on. Devotee: “But if one is fortunate enough to come to the point of bhakti-yoga, it is to be understood that he has surpassed all the different yogas.” Prabhupada: Now, if somebody instead of crossing the steps, he is given chance of the elevator, within a second he comes to the top. So if somebody says, “Why shall I take advantage of this elevator? I shall go step by step.” He can go. But there is chance. If you take this bhakti-yoga, immediately you take the help of the elevator and within a second you are on the hundredth floor. This is the process. Direct process. You can go step by step, following all other yoga systems. But you can take directly. Lord Caitanya has recommended that in this age, people are very short living. They are disturbed, they are full of anxiety, therefore by His grace, by His causeless mercy, He is giving you the lift immediately come to the bhakti-yoga by chanting Hare Krsna. Immediately. You haven’t got to wait. Immediately take. That is the special gift of Lord Caitanya. Therefore Rupa Gosvami prays, offers respect to Lord Caitanya: namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te [Madhya 19.53]. “Oh You are the most munificent incarnation because you are giving directly love of Krsna. To attain love of Krsna one has to pass through so many steps and stages of yoga system, and You are giving directly. Therefore You are the most munificent.” So actually that is the position. Go on. Devotee: “Therefore, to become Krsna conscious is the highest stage of yoga, just as when we speak of the Himalayas, we refer to the world’s highest mountains, of which the highest peak, Mount Everest, is considered to be the culmination. It is by great fortune that one comes to Krsna consciousness, on the path of bhakti-yoga and is well situated according to the Vedic directions. The ideal yogi concentrates his attention on Krsna who is called Syamasundara, beautifully colored as a cloud. His lotus-like face effulgent as the sun and His dress brilliant with earrings and His body flower garlanded. Illuminating all sides is His gorgeous luster which is called the brahmajyoti. He incarnates in different forms, such as Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha and Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He descends like a human being as the son of mother Yasoda and is known as Krsna, Govinda, and Vasudeva. He is the perfect child, husband, friend, master, and He is full of all opulences and transcendental qualities. If one remains fully conscious of these features of the Lord, he is called the highest yogi. This stage of highest perfection in yoga can be attained only by bhakti-yoga, as is confirmed in all Vedic literature.” Prabhupada: Bhakti, in the Bhagavad-gita you’ll find, that bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. In the beginning Krsna says that out of millions of people, one may understand Me actually, factually. And that same factually word is used in the Eighteenth Chapter, that “If one wants to know Me,” Krsna or God, “then he has to go through the process of bhakti-yoga.” Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. That is clearly said. In the Vedas also it is said, simply through bhakti, devotional service, you can attain to the highest perfectional stage. Other yoga system there must be mixture of bhakti. But bhakti-yoga is unadulterated devotion. Therefore this direct process of bhakti-yoga is recommended for this age because they haven’t got sufficient time to execute all the paraphernalia any other system of yoga. Thank you very much. [break] Devotee: When we sing bhaja sri-krsna-caitanya, we’re saying “worship Sri Krsna Caitanya”—we say bhaja, so… Prabhupada: Bhaja, yes. Bhaja means just be engaged in His service. That is, worship automatically comes there. When you are engaged in service, the worshipment is already there. Devotee: worshiping, it’s for direction in devotional service. Prabhupada: Yes. That should be the only motive. Our motives with Krsna, Lord Caitanya has taught us, that when you pray, you should not pray for anything material. Lord Caitanya prays to the Lord in this way: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye. “My dear Lord,” jagad-isa. Jagat means the universe and isa means controller. So the controller of the universe, jagad-isa. Instead of saying Krsna or Rama, this can be understood by any layman. That because there must be somebody controller, he is jagad-isa. The controller of the whole universe. So He’s saying, “My dear controller of the universe,” or the Lord. Na dhanam na janam na sundarim na kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye. “I do not pray from You any amount of wealth or any number of followers or any nice beautiful woman.” These are material claims. People generally want to become a very great leader within this material world. Somebody is trying to become a very rich man like Ford or Rockefeller, somebody is trying to become the President, somebody is trying to become such thing and such thing, to become a very good leader so that many thousands of people may follow. So these are material demands. “Give me some money, give me some followers, and give me a nice wife,” that’s all. But Lord Caitanya refuses. He says “I don’t want all these things.” Na janam na dhanam. Dhanam means wealth and janam means follower. Na sundarim kavitam, “or beautiful wife.” Then what for you are worshiping? What for you are becoming devotee? He says mama janmani janmanisvare. He’s not asking for even liberation. Because the yogis, they want liberation, they have got demand. The materialists, they also have got demand, “I want this, I want that, I want that.” So the so-called spiritualists, they also demand liberation. That is also demand. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that “I don’t want anything of this nature. Simply I want to be engaged in your service.” Janmani janmani— birth after birth. That means, he does not say also, that “Stop my this, disease of birth and death.” This is the stage of bhakti-yoga. There is no demand. Simply the only prayer is that You engage me in your service. So our, this chanting Hare Krsna is also the same thing. This is also taught by Caitanya—Hare Means addressing the energy of the Lord and Krsna, the Lord, Rama, the Lord. Why? Please engage me in your service, that’s all. That should be the demand. Please engage me in Your service. Because the whole disease is that we have forgotten to serve God. Because we are thinking, “I am God. What is any other God that I have to serve? I am myself God.” That is the only disease. The last snare. First of all I try to become President, Minister, Rockefeller, Ford, this, that, when I fail, then I want to become God. That is another President, you see? So in the bhakti-yoga there is no such demand. Simply to serve. When all Presidentship fails, then I demand the highest Presidentship, to become God. You see? The demand is there, the disease is there. They cannot know that, that my disease is still there. I am demanding to be the highest. But bhakti-yoga is just the opposite. To become servant. Servant of the servant. Just opposite. There is no question of demanding to become the Lord or the President or this. I want to serve, that’s all. And that is the crucial test. Service is the original nature. Now in this material world also you are serving. If you want to become the President then I have to promise so many times to the voters that “I’ll give you service.” Without promise of service, there is no question of presidentship. So actually my position is to render service. Either I become President or Minister or this or that. That they cannot understand. In spite of my becoming the highest executive person, President—Oh, I have to give service to my people, otherwise immediately they dethrone me. Therefore my real position is service. But service here is so dangerous, if there is little discrepancy of service, the President is immediately fired. Why your President Mr. Kennedy was fired. Because some people did not like that you are rendering nice service. That is the root fact. So you cannot satisfy here by service. Our Gandhi in India, he was also killed. He gave service throughout the whole life, but people at the time did not like. “Oh, you are not rendering their service.” This is the position. Therefore one should be intelligent enough to know that no more service to these material objectives. I must give my service to the Supreme Lord. That is the perfection of life. Devotee: Why are you teaching about Krsna consciousness? Prabhupada: Because you have forgotten. That is your natural position. You have forgotten the service of Radha-Krsna, therefore you have become the servant of maya. You are servant of maya, your senses. Therefore I am teaching, that “You are serving your senses, now you turn your service to Radha and Krsna, you’ll be happy. Service you have to render. Either Radha-Krsna or maya, illusion, senses. Everybody is serving to the senses. Is it not?” But he’s not satisfied. He cannot be satisfied. Therefore I am giving them the right information. That service you have to render. But instead of serving your senses, please serve Radha-Krsna, then you’ll be happy. Your position of servant remains the same, but I’m offering a good service. If you don’t serve Radha-Krsna, then you have to serve your senses, maya. So your service position will remain. Even if you don’t serve Radha-Krsna. Therefore the best instruction is that instead of serving your senses, your whims, please serve Radha- Krsna, you’ll be happy. That’s all. Devotee: Prabhupada? Before this question was asked you were talking about the slokas that Lord Caitanya left for us. I can’t understand, on one hand he says that we don’t want to be delivered from this material ocean, we just want to serve. Then in one of the other slokas he pleads with Krsna to deliver him from this ocean of death and fix him up as one of the atoms of His lotus feet. This seems to be a contradiction to me, I can’t… Prabhupada: What is that contradiction. Please explain. Devotee: Well, it seems like, you explained before that we shouldn’t try to pray to be delivered from this material ocean. We should just try to serve Krsna wherever we are. …delivered from the ocean of death. Seems to be a plea to take him out of this material ocean. Prabhupada: Na dhanam na janam, mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki. Let me be situated in Your service. This is the prayer. And another prayer is: ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram patitam mam visame bhavambudhau krpaya tava pada-pankaja-sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya. Another, that “You simply fix me up as a dust on Your lotus feet.” So in one sloka he says, “You fix me up as the dust of Your lotus,” What is the difference? There is no difference. Devotee: Prabhupada, we were reading earlier this morning in Bhagavad-gita, on the universal form of Krsna when He revealed Himself to Arjuna, and He said that celestial beings and devotees and the demons were fearful when they saw this universal form. How is it that devotees of Krsna like demigods can be fearful even if they see Visvarupa? Prabhupada: Because they cannot love Visvarupa. Is that all right? Can you love Visvarupa? If Krsna comes before you with Visvarupa, (laughs) you’ll forget your love. Don’t try to love Visvarupa. Love Syamasundara, that’s all. We have seen Krsna in Visvarupa during wartime. I remember I think in 1942, December, date I forget. I was just eating and there was siren of bombing in Calcutta. So the arrangement was as soon as there will be siren of bombing the government selected a place, shelter room, this room in your house will be shelter room. So we had to go into that shelter room and the bombing began—chiiiii-gown. So we were seeing that Visvarupa, you see, at that time. So I was thinking of course, that this is also Krsna’s another form. But that form is not very lovable form. (laughter) So a devotee in love, wants to love Krsna in His original form. This Visvarupa is not His original form. He can appear in any form, that is His all-potency. But the lovable form is Krsna, Syamasundara. Suppose a boy’s father is a police officer. So if the father comes as a police officer firing a revolver, even the child will forget loving father. You see? So naturally the child loves father when he’s at home just like father. Similarly we love Krsna as He is— Syamasundara. The Visvarupa was shown to Arjuna to warn the rascal humanity. Because Krsna said, “I am God.” Imitating Krsna, so many rascals declaring that “I am God.” Therefore Arjuna said, “Please show me your Visvarupa.” So that these rascals may also ask him to show his Visvarupa. So if you are God, please show me your Visvarupa. That they cannot. Yes? Devotee: Should we not be respectful to maya as the energy of Krsna. Prabhupada: If you are respectful to Krsna, you are respectful to everyone. That is the qualification of a devotee. You are respectful even to an ant and what to speak of maya? Maya is one of the important energy of Krsna. Why should you not respect maya? Maya, Durga, we pray,“Durga”—srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasy [Bs. 5.44]—when we pray Durga, we pray Krsna immediately. Because we have to see Krsna everywhere. We see the activities of maya. So we have to see Krsna immediately—“Oh, this maya is acting so nicely under the direction of Krsna.” So offering to the police officer means offering respect to the government. So long the man is in the office, we offer respect. And without office. A gentleman offers respect either in office or not office. That doesn’t matter. But actually if you offer to a policeman, maya means acting as police force. That means you offer to the government, respect to the government. This is the offering of respect. Govindam adi-purusam. srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durga icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.44] This Durga, this material energy, so powerful, it can create, it can annihilate, it can maintain. But she’s acting under the direction of Krsna. So I am offering my respectful obeisances to Govinda under whose direction she is acting. So when you offer respect to maya means we offer respect to Krsna immediately. Yes. Devotee: Again, Prabhupada, from the reading this morning… Prabhupada: No, no question of morning. All right, you can ask but the question and answers should be in the reading matter. Otherwise there will be no end of question and answer if you bring all the matters. You see. Anyway, you can finish that. Yes, any question? Devotee: You mentioned that the gopis, Krsna’s friends, are playing with Him and they are said to have done very much pious deeds in their past lives. I understand that they are eternal associates… Prabhupada: No, some of them are eternal associates, some of them are promoted to that eternal association. Suppose if you go and become an associate, playmate of Krsna. So your position also becomes, now, eternal. If simply the eternal associates of Krsna can play with Him, not others, then what is the meaning of your becoming Krsna conscious? You can become also. How? By pious deeds of many many lives. You can also become promoted to that position. Krta-punya-punjah. Actually in the whole Vrndavana in this material world, the Vrndavana, mostly the associates of Krsna are these conditioned living entities who are promoted to that Krsna conscious perfectional stage. They are first of all allowed to see Krsna in the planet where Krsna’s pastimes is going on. And then they are promoted to the transcendental Vrndavana. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavata: krta-punya-punjah. They are all promoted. But even they are promoted, they are not eternal associates. Is it clear? Hare Krsna. So? Any other question? Devotee: Prabhupada? Is it possible for one to engage himself in bhakti-yoga without rendering service to Krsna? Let’s say someone who… Prabhupada: Without Krsna, where is bhakti? Devotee: Well, someone is worshiping Lord Buddha or Lord Jesus… Prabhupada: That is not bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is simply in connection with Krsna. Bhakti-yoga cannot be applied to anyone, anything else. How Buddha philosophy can be dovetailed with bhakti-yoga? Bhakti-yoga means to understand God. Bhakya mam abhijanati. You’ll find in the Bhagavad-gita, Eighteenth Chapter. By bhakti-yoga you can understand Lord, the Supreme Lord, God. But in Buddha philosophy there is no God? That you know? So where is bhakti-yoga? Devotee: In the case of Christians, some of them worship Jesus Christ. Prabhupada: That is bhakti-yoga. Because they accept God. Unless you accept God there is no question of bhakti-yoga. So Christian religion is also Vaisnavism because they accept God. Maybe in the, some stage different from this. There are different stages of God realization also. The Christian religion says “God is great.” Accept! That is very good. But just how great God is, that you can understand from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. But there is acceptance that God is great. That is therefore that is beginning of bhakti. You can apply that bhakti. Even the Mohammedan religion. That is also bhakti-yoga. Any religion where God is the target, that is applied in bhakti. But when there is no God or impersonalism, there is no question of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means bhaja jayukti bhaja-sevaya(?). Service. Service means three things: the servitor, the served, and service. One must be present who will accept service. And one must be present to render service. And in the via media, the process of service. So bhakti-yoga means service. If there is nobody to accept the service, then where is the bhakti-yoga? So any philosophy or religious principle where there is no acceptance of God, the Supreme, there is no application of bhakti. Yes. Devotee: Prabhupada, I heard it said that the spiritual master will always come back until his devotees, his disciples, have achieved God realization. Can you explain that? Prabhupada: Yes. But don’t try to take advantage of it. (laughter) Don’t try to give trouble to your spiritual master like that. Finish your business in this life. That is especially meant for those who are slack. His devotee, his disciple should be serious in serving spiritual master. If he is intelligent he should know that “Why should I act in such a way that my spiritual master has to take the trouble to reclaim me again? Let my business be finished in this life.” That should be the right way of thinking. Not that, “Oh I am sure my spiritual master will come, let me do all nonsense.” No. So if you have got any, I mean to say, affection for the spiritual master, then you should finish your business in this life so that he may not come again to reclaim you. Is that all right? Don’t take advantage of this business. Rather, be serious to finish your business. That is a fact. There is an instance of Bilvamangala Thakura. Bilvamangala Thakura was in his previous life, elevated to almost prema-bhakti, highest platform of devotional service. But there is always chance of falldown. So somehow or other he fell down. And next life he was born in a very rich family as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: sucinam srimatam gehe. So he was born in a rich brahmana family, but he became, naturally as rich boys become attached to woman- hunter. So it is said that his spiritual master instructed him through his prostitute. At the right moment, his spiritual master said through that prostitute, “Oh, you are so much attached with this flesh and bone. If you had been attached so much with Krsna, how good you could have achieved.” Immediately he took to that position. So that responsibility is for the spiritual master. But we should not take advantage of that. That is not very good. We should try: yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. We should not try to put our spiritual master in a position that he has to reclaim me from prostitute’s house. But he has to do it. Because he accepts his disciple, he has got the responsibility like that. Yes? Silavati: You said that as long as one is engaging in sex life one cannot become a yogi. Prabhupada: Yes. Silavati: Yet the other day you were extolling the virtues of household life and you said, and you named some of the great acaryas that were householders and you said… Prabhupada: Yes, that is bhakti-yoga. In this ordinary yoga system as it will be explained in this chapter, one has to strictly follow the life of celibacy. But in the bhakti-yoga system the whole idea is that you have to fix up your mind in Krsna. So whatever position, householder life does not mean to indulge in sex enjoyment. A householder may have wife, may have sex life, but that is for having children only, that’s all. A householder does not mean he gets license to legalize prostitution. That is not householder. Householder can simply have sex life to beget nice child, that’s all, no more. That is householder life; completely controlled. Householder does not mean whenever he has got this machine and he can use it. No. Householder, husband and wife, both Krsna conscious, engaged in Krsna conscious business, but when they require a child, Krsna conscious, that’s all. That is also voluntary contraceptive method. One or two or three children, that’s all, no more. So householder life does not mean sex life without any restriction. But for spiritual life one who wants to advance in spiritual life, either you accept this bhakti-yoga system or this astanga-yoga system or jnana-yoga system, sex indulgence unrestricted is never there. Sex indulgence means you have to come back again. If you try to enjoy the senses, that is materialistic way of life. Materialistic way of life is that I have got nice senses, let me enjoy the senses to the fullest extent. That is materialistic way of life. Just like cats, dogs, and hogs. The hogs, whenever they are sexually inclined, they don’t care for whether it is his mother or sister or this or that. You see? That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [Bhag. 5.5.1]. Vid-bhujam, vit means stool and bhujam means eater. So the stool-eater’s sense gratification is not meant for this human form of life. Stool-eater means these hogs. The hogs sense gratification is not meant for this human form of life. Restriction. Therefore in the human form of life there is marriage system. Why? What is the marriage and prostitution? Marriage system means restricting sex life. Marriage system does not mean that you get a wife, ah, without any payment you go on unrestricted sex life. No, that is not marriage. Marriage means to restrict your sex life. He’ll hunt for sex life here and there—no, you cannot do that. Here is your wife and that is only for child. It is restriction. There are four things: loke vyavayam… Vyavaya—sex life, and meat- eating. Amisa. Amisa means eating meat, fish, eggs. So, vyavaya means sex. Sex and meat-eating, non-vegetarian diet. Mada-seva, intoxication. Mithya sa jantuh. Every conditioned soul has natural inclination. Pravrtti. But one has to control that. That is human life. If you put yourself in the waves of natural inclination, that is not human life. You have to restrict. The whole human life is meant for learning restriction. That is human life. That is perfect Vedic civilization. Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam. One has to purify his existence. What is that existence? I am spirit, ever existing, eternal. Now I have contaminated this matter, therefore I am suffering. So I have to purify. Just like you have to get free from the diseased condition. When you get fever you take treatment. Not unrestricted enjoyment. The doctor says, “Don’t do this, don’t do this, don’t do this.” Similarly this human form of life is to get out of this diseased condition of life having a material body. If we don’t restrict then where is the treatment? Where is the cure? The whole system is restriction. Tapo divyam. Just to concentrate one’s activities in austerities, penances, for transcendental realization. That is human form of life. But there are different orders of social society: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. The whole process is to restrict. But grhastha, householder means giving a little license who cannot completely restrict sex life. That’s all. Grhastha does not mean unrestricted sex life. If you have known this married life like that, that’s a wrong conception. You have to control if you want to get out of this diseased condition of life. You cannot get out of disease and unrestrictedly go on enjoying your senses. No. That is not possible. Yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti na sadhu manye yata atmano ’yam asann api klesada asa dehah [Bhag. 5.5.4] Those who are indulging unrestrictedly in sense enjoyment civilization, that is not good. Because that will lead him to accept next again this material body. Maybe human body or animal body or any body. But he has to accept this body. And as soon as you accept this body then you’ll have to undergo the threefold miseries of the body. Birth, death, old age, diseases. These are the symptoms of threefold miseries. So people, one has to understand scientifically these things but they are neglecting. So therefore continuing suffering. They do not care for suffering also. Just like the animals, they are suffering, but they do not care for it. they forget. So practically this sense gratification civilization means animal civilization. A little polished, that’s all. Devotee: Prabhupada? Is the samadhi which is the perfection of this eightfold yoga system the same as the samadhi of bhakti-yoga? Prabhupada: Yes. Samadhi means to absorb the mind with Visnu. That is samadhi. So if you absorb your mind with Krsna then it is samadhi. [break] Any inquiry? He’ll ask. All right. Young boy: Swamiji? You said that if you eat too much you will pay. But how about the devotee? How about when they eat too much prasada? Prabhupada: You want to eat more? Young boy: I just want to know how. Prabhupada: You think you are eating more? So you can eat more. Yes, you can eat more. Yes, it is medical advise, that there are two kinds of mistakes in eating. Over-eating and under-eating. So under-eating mistake for old man is very good. And over-eating mistake for boys, that is good. So you can overeat. I cannot. Young boy: How about Tamala and Visnujana? (laughter) Prabhupada: He cannot. You can. You can eat as much as you like. Free pass. (laughter) Yes. Visnujana: Prabhupada? In the material world there are instruments to measure different kinds of energy. How does one measure, what kind of instrument, how does he develop it, to measure the spiritual energy? Prabhupada: Material energy, your question is, just like energy in electricity? Visnujana: We can measure that with certain instrument. But what is the instrument for measuring Krsna’s spiritual energy? Prabhupada: That instrument you have got. This mrdanga and the cymbal. Just vibrate. It is very simple instrument. The instrument is your tongue. Chant Hare Krsna. You have got the, everyone has got, you haven’t got to purchase. The instrument is your ear. Simply hear vibration. You have got all the instruments with you. You haven’t got to purchase or hire from anywhere. You have got the tongue and you have got the ear. Chant Hare Krsna and use this instrument to hear. Finished. All perfection is there. It doesn’t require to be educated scientist and philosopher, this or that, nothing. Simply you chant Hare Krsna and hear. Everything is there. Everyone has got these instruments. You haven’t got to pay any tax. You use electrical energy you have to pay for it. But here you have got everything complete. Purnam idam purnam adah [Isopanisad, Invocation]. Everything created by God is complete. Don’t you see this earth? Take the aggregate existence of this earth. It is complete. There is sufficient water stock in the sea and oceans. The sunlight is acting, evaporating the water and it is turned into ocean. Then it is overcast all over the land and there is production. And there is river flowing down. You stock your water tank high, and there are mountain heads, there is stock of water and all year the river is flowing, supply water. Don’t you see how nice brain it is? Can you pour water? If you want to evaporate hundred gallons of water you have got to make so many necessary arrangements. And here, millions of tons water is taken away immediately from the ocean and sea and turned into cloud, light cloud so that it may not fall down immediately. You see? Not like a tank. And it is reserved on the head of the mountain and it is sprayed all over the land so everything is there. You require water to produce grains, vegetables. So everything is there. Purnam adah purnam idam [Isopanisad, Invocation]. Because it is manufactured by the complete intelligent brain, everything is complete. Similarly your body is also complete for spiritual realization. You haven’t got to search any other external. Simply this yoga system is that, to understand that completeness. Everything is complete. Your foodstuff is complete, your arrangement is complete, your human body is complete. Just you try to utilize it and you become completely liberated from this all pangs of life. Sabda. The Vedanta-sutra, simply by sound vibration one can get liberation. So this sabda, sabda means sound. Sabda. You see? So the machine is already with you, everyone. Just utilize it. this simple method. Chant Hare Krsna and hear. That’s all. Yes. Devotee: What is it… misunderstand about Krsna’s plenary expansion Visnu? Prabhupada: Yes. Krsna can expand Himself. Just like you are sitting here. You are not in your apartment. Because you are conditioned. When you are in spiritual, liberated, you can also expand. But Krsna, because He hasn’t got material body, He can expand in million forms. He can sit here, He can sit there. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61], He’s sitting everyone’s heart. Everyone, by His expansion. Although He is one He can expand. That is because He is great. Just like the sun is great. Therefore if you at noontime you send telegram to your friend who is five thousand miles away, “Where is the sun?” He’ll say, “On my head.” And you’ll see that sun is on your head. Why? because he is great. So Krsna being great, He can remain everywhere at one time. That is expansion. You take the example. What is sun? That is a minute creation of Krsna. If sun can remain on everyone’s head simultaneously, although one may be five thousand, then thousand miles away, Krsna cannot remain? Why don’t you use your reasoning power? Is the sun greater than Krsna? No. Krsna can create millions of suns. If sun has got such power, why not Krsna? Then you do not understand Krsna. So Krsna, akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. He can expand, that you’ll find in the Thirteenth Chapter. That ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata. Ksetra, ksetra-jnam. Just like you are a spirit soul. You are the proprietor of this body. I am proprietor of this body, you are proprietor of your body. But because I am sitting within this body, but Krsna is the proprietor of all bodies because He is sitting everywhere. Just like this house may be owned by me or somebody else. That house may be owned by him. But the whole America is owned by the state. Similarly when there is question of greatness, that is possible, that expansion. And because I cannot expand, frog philosophy, therefore Krsna cannot expand, that is nonsense. We are thinking always in terms of my position. How it is possible for Krsna to expand because I cannot expand . What you are? What is your position? Why do you compare Krsna with you? Yes, Krsna can expand. So many examples are given. Don’t think because you cannot expand, therefore Krsna cannot expand. that is the defect of nonsensical philosophy. They formally say “God is great.” But, when actually he thinks, “Oh, how much great He should be? I cannot do this. How Krsna can do.” But formally, “Oh, God is great.” They have no idea how God is great. That we’ll find in Bhagavad-gita. Therefore the superexcellence of this science of God. Akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. If you want to know how God is great then you have to take reference of this Vedic literature. No other literature. Devotee: Prabhupada? We know that His divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati always sat very erect and it is stated here in the Bhagavad-gita that one should sit erect. Will this aid us in our concentrating on chanting our japa, if we try to concentrate, if we sit erect while chanting? Prabhupada: No, no, it doesn’t require any sitting posture. But if you can sit, it helps you. It helps you. If you can sit straight like this, it will be very nice, it can help, yes, you can concentrate in chanting and hearing. Therefore these things are required. But we are not very much particular about this. But he was brahmacari, he could sit like that. That is the sign of brahmacari. He was not a false brahmacari, but he was real brahmacari. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Los Angeles, February 21, 1969