Initiation Lecture
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New York, July 28, 1971

Prabhupada: …athapi manaso muni-pungavanam. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo [Bs 5.34]. The sky is so vast. This is material sky. We cannot even travel all over the sky. The modern scientist says that you go to the end of the sky cover, it will take forty thousands of years by the light year. This sky is only insignificant portion of the whole sky. You have no information of the whole sky. Nobody has information, the unlimited. The balance sky is spiritual sky. So if you have got any plane which is running on the speed of mind and air… You know the speed of mind, it can run millions of miles in a second. So, if you have got any airplane which runs on the speed of mind, panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso, either on the plane of air speed or even the mind speed, and you go on with that mind speed, koti-sata-vatsara, not only forty thousand years, but millions and hundreds of millions of years, and not forty thousand years, koti-sata… Koti means ten million. Koti, hundred millions koti means. One lakh equal to…, ten lakh is equal to one million. Ten millions, koti, and multiply by hundreds. For that period, if you go on with the speed of mind, still you’ll find, avacintya-tattva, inconceivable. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam. And that plane made of not ordinary man. Muni-punga, highest learned, I mean to say, scientist, philosopher. Still avacintya tattva.

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam so ’py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs 5.34]

Still it will remain avacintya-tattva.

Avacintya means beyond our conception. Even though you are able to go in high speed, and for so many years, still Krsna remains avacintya-tattva. Nobody can find out where is Krsna’s abode, Goloka Vrndavana. Therefore, the Mayavadis, in desperate frustration, they say that Krsna is impersonal, because they want to approach Krsna by mundane activities, by mental exercise, mental gymnastic. Krsna is not available in that way. Krsna is available only to His devotees. Krsna is the property of His devotee.

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam so ’py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs 5.34]

That’s all right. (chants japa with devotees)

Devotee: Radha-bhavani

Prabhupada: Radha-bhavani, “always thinking of Radharani.” You know the rules and regulation? The rules and regulations?

Radha-bhavani: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxicants and no gambling.

Prabhupada: Thank you. (japa chanting continues)

Devotee: Nimai-sundara dasa.

Prabhupada: Nimai-sundara. Nimai-sundara is Lord Caitanya’s name. Nimai-sundara dasa, you are servitor of Lord Caitanya. (japa continues)

Devotee: Mayapura-sasi dasa.

Prabhupada: Mahaprabhu?

Devotee: Mahaprabhu-sasi dasa.

Prabhupada: Mahaprabhu Sasi?

Devotee: Mahapura-sasi.

Prabhupada: Mayapura.

Devotee: Mayapura-sasi.

Prabhupada: Mayapura-sasi is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s another name. Sasi means moon, and Mayapura is the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. Hare Krsna. You know the rules and regulations? The rules and regulations?

Devotee: The rules?

Prabhupada: Yes (pause). All right. (japa continues)

Devotee: Navadvipa dasa.

Prabhupada: Yes, very good. Navadvipa is the place of Lord Caitanya, and you are servitor of Lord Caitanya. Come on. (japa continues)

Devotee: Visvambhara.

Prabhupada: Visvambhara. Visvambhara is another name of Lord Caitanya. Visvambhara dasa. Come on. You know the rules and regulations? Hare Krsna.

Devotee: (offers pranama mantras in background)

Devotee: Jagannatha-suta.

Prabhupada: Jagannatha-suta is Caitanya… Prabhu. His father’s name is Jagannatha. Suta means son. Jagannatha son. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s father’s name was Jagannatha Misra. So you know the rules and regulations. What are those?

Jagannatha-suta: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling.

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Come on. (japa)

Devotee: (chants pranama mantras)

Prabhupada: So those who are initiated now, you’re path is now open to Krsna’s abode. Satam prasanga: by association of devotees. Satam, satam means devotees. Sat, sat means, that exists eternally, is called sat. Krsna is sat, om tat sat. So devotees are also sat. So satam prasanga, by association… Prasanga means very intimate association. Sanga means association, and pra means still elevated or intimate association. Krsna’s words, Krsna’s teachings, Krsna’s topics, they become very palatable in the association of devotees. In the association of nondevotees one can not understand Krsna, neither it becomes very palatable. Bhagavad-gita is well known in your country, since a very long time. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gita in your country, Indian and foreign editions. Many. But nobody could become a Krsna conscious, a Krsna’s devotee, because they were not discussed amongst the devotees. They took it, Bhagavad-gita, as table talks or some sort of philosophical… They could not seriously understand Krsna, because the writing or discussing or discourses took place amongst the nondevotees. Satam prasangat. But if you actually (indistinct) Krsna, then you have to talk of Krsna amongst devotees. We are opening different centers just to give people chance. They may have intimate association with the devotees. Satam prasangat mama virya-samvido. Virya-samvida. Virya means full potency. Mama virya-samvida bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah. Hrd means heart and karna means ear. Rasayanah means pleasing, very pleasing, tasteful, rasayanah.

So satam prasangam mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah. First of all, in order to take to Krsna consciousness one has to be engaged about Krsna. Just like Bhagavad-gita, Krsna is preaching a philosophy to Arjuna. People try to understand. That is Krsna katha. That Krsna katha becomes effective when they’re discussed within the circle of devotees. Satam prasangan mama virya-samvido. Actually it is full of potency. Just contrary to this, there is another injunction by Sanatana Gosvami: Avaisnava-mukham girnam punyam hari-kathamrtam na suryatram. When Krsna katha, Krsna topics, is discussed by a person who is not a vaisnava, dedicated life to Krsna, that is not to be heard. Avaisnava mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam sravanam na kartavyam. One fashionable speaker is teaching Bhagavad-gita. Just like the other day a rascal came. He, he’s announcing that he’s the authority of Bhagavad-gita. You know that rascal? Very well. Yes. He wanted to study from Sanskrit from the rascal. You could not understand that I see. So sastra says, sravanam na kartavyam. One should not hear from. Why? Krsna katha is nice. Why should not be heard from a person who is not a devotee, but he may be scholar? But Sanatana Goswami says, sravanam na kartavyam. Never. So the reason the example here is given, sarpocchistam payo yatha. Milk, everyone knows milk is very nourishing food, but as soon as it is touched by a serpent it is poison. You can say “Milk is very nice. What is the wrong if it is touched by the serpent?” But Sanatana Goswami warns that it is not to be touched, because it has become now poison. Instead of milk it has become poison. So you should be very careful not to discuss. It is meant for the kanistha adhikari, those who are neophytes. They may be affected, but those who are strong enough, advanced, they are not affected. But that is different thing, generally.

So we should not discuss Krsna katha with a person who is a nondevotee. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has also said like that. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was enquired by one nice householder devotee, “What is the general behavior of a Vaisnava?” He immediately answered, asat-sanga-tyagi vaisnava-acara: “One has to give up the association of asat.” Sat, I have told you, sat means devotee, and asat means nondevotee. Asat-sanga… Simply to give up the association of nondevotees. That is vaisnava-acara. How a Vaisnava should behave, how he should maintain his standard, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says in one word: asat-sanga-tyagi avaisnava-acara. Just like Krsna says, satam prasanga mama virya-samvido. One can develop Krsna consciousness in association with devotee. The same thing Caitanya Mahaprabhu said in a different way, asat-sanga-tyagi, not to associate with nondevotees. That is vaisnava-acara. So in future we shall be very careful, all the devotees, not to talk with rascals, nondevotees. It will be impure, it will have poisonous effect, and that will kill Krsna consciousness. I do not know how this man was allowed to stay here for so many months. Nobody could detect that here is a serpent?

So you should be very careful in future. That is very easy to understand, who is a serpent. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said, because one may inquire, “Who is asat? How can I understand?” asat eka stri-sangi krsnabhakta. Asat means who is attached to, very much attached to woman. You see that man, he was posing himself as yogi, and he is living with one woman. It was God’s grace that he came with that woman so that he disclosed himself. By Krsna’s grace. Asat eka stri-sangi krsnabhakta. Stri-sangi. One should not be attached to any woman except his wife. Then he becomes asat. Asat eka stri-sangi krsnabhakta. So we should be very careful, asat, who is asat. It doesn’t matter if one is very highly educated; still he should not be associated. Canakya Pandita has given instruction that vidhayalam krto ’pi san (?) tyaja durjana-samsargam. Durjana-samsargam, association of rascals, nondevotees; tyaja, give up. “Oh, he is very learned scholar in Sanskrit, but vidhalayam krto ’pi san, in spite of his being very learned scholar, you should kick him out.” Vidhalayam krto ’pi san. How is that? Yes, he is giving example, manina bhusitah sarpah kim asau na bhayankarah. A serpent, you know some serpent has got jewels on the head. Does it mean a serpent with jewel on hood is not ferocious because he has got jewel? He’s as ferocious as ordinary serpent. That these things we should know. So I do not know how this man was given shelter in our temple. Nobody could understand that “Here is a serpent,” and he was accepted as Sanskrit scholar. So you should be very much careful about this thing in future.

Thank you. (break—followed by lecture excerpt)

You are spirit soul. Woods and stone will not give you any pleasure. That is not possible. You are not wood and stone. You are spirit soul. You must have spiritual food. Therefore, in America especially, despite all material opulences, they…, you are becoming confused and frustrated and disappointed. Because wood and stone will not satisfy you. You must have spiritual food. That is Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Thank you everyone. Hare Krsna. (end)