Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.2 Prabhupada: mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam mahantas te sama-cittah prasanta vimanyavah suhrdah sadhavo ye Last night we had discussion on the first verse, Fifth Chapter, Fifth Canto, Srimad-Bhagavatam, that this human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam. We have to purify our existence. This is the mission of human life. At the present moment we are transmigrating from one body to another, and there are 8,400,000 species of life we are going through according to karma. Karmana daiva-netrena jantur deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1] How we develop a certain type of body, that is stated— everything is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam—by our karma. I have explained last night, it is just like infection. We are associating with different types of the modes of material nature. Generally there are three types of material nature, three qualities: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Now, you multiply these three by three: it becomes nine. And again you multiply nine by nine: it becomes eighty-one. It is mixture. Here these gunas, the qualities, are not pure. They are mixed up. Just like color mixing. Originally there are three colors: red, yellow and blue. And you mix it… Those who are color expert, they can display many thousands of colors. So similarly, in the nature’s way there are different colors or different gunas, and every one of us, we have got a particular type of guna with different desires, different plans, different so many things. Now, in the human form of life, you have got the chance to discriminate yourself or separate yourself from these colorful different species of life. That is the main duty of human form of life. Labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante. We do not know, we have forgotten that how many species of life we have come through, transmigrating from one after another. Therefore this human form of life is called labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante. After many, many births… We should not misuse it. Very responsible life. If you are misled, that is a dangerous civilization. That is going on. Dehatma-buddhi. As our chief guest Mr. Naidu(?) said, that deha means sarira, mind, and then spirit. Yes. In the Bhagavad-gita it is explained, indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah manasas tu para buddhir yo buddheh paratas tu sah [Bg. 3.42] First of all, we are interested with these senses. This body means the senses, different types of senses. Sense objects, the mind. They have twenty-four elements analyzed by the Sankhya philosophy. So when we think of our body, means we are interested with sense gratification. Then, a little forward, we are interested with the mind. First of all body, this gross body made of five, earth, air, fire, water, and ether. Then we become interested with the mental speculation, psychology—thinking, feeling, willing. So indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah [Bg. 3.42] Mind. The mental speculators, the jnanis, they are better than the karmis. Karmis means who are simply entrapped with this sensual gratification, that’s all. So, jnani, karmi, jnani, and yogi, and then, when one is interested with the spirit soul and spirit soul’s activities, then he is bhakta. That is… Actually the basic principle of activity is the soul. As soon as the soul is gone, there is no more activity, either mental activity or bodily activity. So if we want actually progress of life, then we must realize our constitutional position as the spirit soul, not as the mind, not as the body. Therefore sastra said, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13] Go-khara. Go means cow, and khara means ass. If one is under the bodily concept of life, atma-buddhi, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatu… This body is made of three dhatus: kapha, pitta, vayu. If we take this body, this bag made of bones and flesh and blood and urine and stool and so many other things, muscles… Kunape tri-dhatuke… This is a material bag. And if one takes this bag as he himself, then, according to that conception of life, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu… [SB 10.84.13] Kalatra means wife, and through wife there are children, society, friendship and love and so many things. Sva-dhih. And that is our own thing. Yasyatma-buddhih. The nationalism is also like that. Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih: and the land of birth as worshipable. Bhauma ijya-dhih. This bhauma ijya-dhih is nationalism. Of course, there is no such thing in the Vedic literature as nationalism. This is modern product. But this word is there, bhauma-ijya-dhih, the land of birth… That is also explained in some other Vedic literature, janani janma-bhumis ca svargad api gariyasi(?). People like it, but this is… All are on the bodily concept of life. So one has to go above. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah… [Bg. 3.42]. Lord Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, indriyebhyah param manah manasas tu para buddhih. That intelligence required. Just like Sanatana Gosvami, one of the chief disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was the chief minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, and he was born in a very high-class brahmana family, sarasvata family, and he was very learned scholar in Sanskrit and Urdu and Arabic, very learned scholar. So when he submitted himself after resigning his post as minister, submitted to Lord Caitanya, he put this question, that gramya-vyavahare pandita, tai satya mani. A brahmana… Still in our India, a brahmana is addressed as pandita. Brahmana means pandita. Brahmana-pandita, brahmana-vaisnava, that a… Learned scholar. So in the society he was addressed as “Panditaji.” So he protested against it. He said to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, gramya-vyavahare: “In ordinary behavior they call me ‘pandita.’ ” Gramya-vyavahare pandita, tai satya mani: “And I am such a fool that I accept myself also as a pandita.” It is his humbleness. He was pandita, certainly. But he says, “Why I am not pandita?” Because apanara hitahita kichui na jani: “I am such a learned scholar that I do not know what is actually good for me. This is my learning. And I have become a leader. I do not know what is the aim of my life, what is my identification. People address me as pandita, and I take it as fact. But actually I am not a pandita. I do not know what I am. I am thinking I am this body. I am thinking I am this mind.” So that is our position. yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13] We should know “What I am.” That is Vedanta-sutra. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is human life. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. These dharma, artha, kama, moksa, the Bhagavata has rejected. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ’tra [SB 1.1.2]. Atra, dharmadi-kama-moksa-projjhitah. Prakrsta-rupena ujjhita—thrown away. Srila Sridhara Svami, the most authorized commentator of Srimad-Bhagavatam, he said, atra moksa-vancha api nirastam(?). Dharmah projjhita-kaitavah atra, that is also kaitava. Kaitava means cheating. Above that, above moksa, that is spiritual platform. That is to be understood. brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54] After realizing Brahman identification, aham brahmasmi, that is called brahma-bhuta. And the symptom of that brahma-bhuta stage is na socati na kanksati. There is no more lamentation. So long we are in the bodily platform, there are two things prominent, lamentation and aspiration, hankering, two things. We hanker after things which we do not possess, and what we possess, if we lose, then we cry. This is our position. So if actually he’s Brahman realized, then he has no more hankering or lamentation. Na socati na kanksati. Then samah sarvesu bhutesu. Then, from that platform, you can think of equality, not on the material platform. It is not possible. So long we are in this material platform, bodily concept of life, then there will be distinction: “I am Indian,” “You are American,” “You are Englishman,” “You are this,” “…that,” so many things, so many designations. Therefore, if you want to rise up to the platform of spiritual realization, then the formula is sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170] That is the beginning. That means beginning is the brahma-bhuta platform. Brahma-bhuta… Same thing. It is, Narada-pancaratra, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam, and brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54], Bhagavad-gita, the same thing. Wherever you find the Vedic literature, the same thing. Therefore it is authority. There is no contradiction. In the material platform you write one book, I write one book, then I disagree with you, and you disagree with me. That is material platform. But in the spiritual platform, there is self-realized platform. There is no mistake, there is no illusion, there is no imperfect senses and there is no cheating. That is spiritual platform. So the Bhagavad-gita says, brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. The same thing is confirmed in the Narada-pancaratra: sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170] This is the platform we have to come, spiritual platform, wherein hrsikena… Hrsika means the senses, the material senses and the spiritual senses. So what is the spiritual senses? Spiritual sense is not senselessness. No. Purified senses. In the impurified senses I am thinking, “This body is Indian; therefore I am meant for serving India,” “This body is American; therefore I am meant for giving service to America.” This is upadhi. But spiritual sense means the sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam—“I am no more Indian, no more American, no more brahmana, no more sudra.” Then what I am? As Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, as Krsna also said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam… [Bg. 18.66] That is spiritual platform, that “I am no more belonging to this dharma or that dharma. I am simply surrendered soul to Krsna.” This is sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. If one can come to this platform of spiritual understanding, that “I am spirit soul. Aham brahmasmi. I am part and parcel of God…” Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. Krsna says, “All these living entities, they are My part and parcel.” Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati: [Bg. 15.7] “He is struggling for existence, being enwrapped by the mind and the body.” This is the position. So our Krsna consciousness movement is educating people that “You are not this body, not this mind, not this intelligence, but above this. You are spirit soul.” So Krsna confirms that mamaivamsa. So if Krsna is spirit, supreme spirit, then you are also supreme spirit. But the only difference is that He is the supreme; we are subordinate. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko yo bahunam vidadhati… This is Vedic injunction. He’s also living entity, we are also living entity, but He is supreme and we are subordinate. That is the difference. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. This is our position. This is self- realization. When you understand this, that “Krsna, or the Supreme Lord, or God, whatever you say, He’s the whole spirit soul, and we are fragmental portion of that spirit soul, and He’s the maintainer; we are maintained. He is the predominator; we are predominated,” So this is first realization. This is called brahma-bhuta. And if you make more advance in brahma-bhuta stage, then maybe after many births you can understand what is Krsna. That is the, ver… Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate. When one is perfectly jnanavan, wise, then his business is vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Then he can understand that Vasudeva, the son of Vasudeva, Krsna, is everything. That realization required. That is the perfection of Krsna consciousness. So this movement is very scientific, authorized, Vedic, and people are accepting them. Therefore I repeatedly request our Indian brothers, “Don’t neglect. Take this movement very seriously.” That is the only business of human life. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. That is… vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [Bhag. 1.2.11] Tattva-jijnasa, that is the main business. Now, what is that tattva? That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavata. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam: [Bhag. 1.2.11] “Those who are aware of the tattva, they say that tattva means the Supreme Absolute Truth.” Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam [Bhag. 1.2.11]. Jnanam, that knowledge, is advaya. Advaya means without any duality. But they are expressed in three different ways—Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan—brahmeti paramatmeti, according to the stage of understanding. Those who are in the lower stage—we cannot say lower—in the beginning stage, that is Brahman realization. And one who has made further progress, that is Paramatma realized. And one who has made further progress, that is Bhagavan realization. This is the verdict. So if you realize Bhagavan, then vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19] Then you’ll understand that Vasudeva, Bhagavan, He is Paramatma. He’s also Brahman. Rather, He is Parabrahman. That is confirmed by Arjuna after understanding Bhagavad-gita. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. Parabrahman, Brahman realization; Paramatma realization; and above Brahman and Paramatma there is Parabrahman. That is Krsna. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa… [Bg. 7.19]. Who can understand? One, if he… If one understands this, that Krsna is Parabrahman—vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]—He’s also Paramatma, He’s also impersonal Brahman—sa mahatma sudurlabhah: “He becomes the great mahatma.” Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. That mahatma is under the control of daivi-prakrti, spiritual energy. He’s no more under the material energy. As soon as he understands Krsna—vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]—he’s no more under material energy. daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14] This is the way. So this human form of life is very valuable, especially those who are born in India. Those who are born in India, it is automatically Krsna conscious. Unfortunately, we are killing that consciousness. This is our advancement of civilization. So our only request is that “Don’t kill yourself. Don’t commit suicide. Take this Krsna consciousness.” It is explained very nicely in the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna is explaining Himself. Why should we not understand Krsna? Why? Why we are spoiling our life? Of course, Bhagavad-gita is very popular book. Practically everyone reads. But unfortunately they do not… Most of them, they do not take Bhagavad-gita as it is. That is the difficulty. If you take Bhagavad-gita as it is, you become self-realized liberated soul. But the misfortune is that we become more than Krsna, and we want to comment Bhagavad-gita in our own way. That is our misfortune. (applause) That is our misfortune. So don’t be misfortunate. Be fortunate. Everything is there. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita. And here, in the Fifth Chapter, Fifth Canto, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the same thing is recommended by Rsabhadeva to his sons. The first paragraph we have discussed last night. The second paragraph, the Rsabhadeva says, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh [SB 5.5.2] If you want to be liberated from this entanglement of bodily concept of life and mental concept of life and become more and more entangled in the process of transmigration of the soul from one body to another… That is entanglement. And to come out of this entanglement is called mukti. That is mukti: no more material body, no more material mind— everything is spiritual. That is called mukti. So Rsabhadeva recommends that if you want mukti, if you want to come out of the entanglement of bodily concept of life and mental concept of life, then mahat-seva: associate with mahatmas. Mahat. Mahat means who are not crippled, who are broad-minded. Mahat-seva. You have to serve him. In the… One Vaisnava acarya, he says, chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba. If you do not agree to serve mahat… That is the Vedic injunction. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. This is the injunction. So mahat-seva, the same thing. Mahat-sevam dvaram. Dvaram means the way, the gate, the gateway. Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh [SB 5.5.2]. If you want to be free from this entanglement… It is very great shackle, repetition of birth and death, bhutva bhutva praliyate. One should understand this implication, how we are implicated. We are thinking, “Now I am very happy.” No, next moment you can become a low-graded body because karmana daiva… If we are acting in a different way, the nature’s way is to give you… Karanam guna-sango ’sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Guna-sanga. As we are associating, infecting the different types of material modes of nature, the body is ready immediately. Everything is explained. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6] At the time of death everything will be, I mean to say, the atmosphere of our death. So, sada tad-bhava-bhavitah. If you have acted like devas or bhaktas, then tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti: [Bg. 4.9] you can immediately transfer to the spiritual world, go to Krsna, go to Vaikuntha. Yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg. 9.25]. If you are thinking of some demigods whom you are worshiping, you can go there. Bhutejya yanti bhutani pitrn yanti pitr-vratah, mad-yajino ’pi yanti mam. If you think of Krsna, then you go immediately. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6] Everything is there. So why should we waste our time? Why we should be entangled in this bodily concept of life and become subjected to the transmigration of the soul from one body to another? We should be disgusted, this repetition of birth and death. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. One should be intelligent enough to understand, “Why I should be subjected to birth and death?” Nobody wants to die. Ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya. Nobody wants the threefold miserable condition of this material life, but it is forced upon us, and we are thinking “Independent.” That is foolishness. We are not independent. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. As you are associating with the different modes of material nature, the prakrti, material nature, by pulling your ear, “You’ll come on here. Take this body.” “No, I don’t want.” “No, that is not your discretion. Now you have infected, you see. You must take this body.” This risk is there. And just to forget ourself we sometimes say, “No, there is no life after death.” Why there is no life after death? You were a child. The child became a boy, the boy became a young man, the young man became an old man, and what is the old man? He must have a body, next body. That is not simply mental speculation. This is confirmed by the most exalted authority, by Krsna. Tatha dehantara-praptih. Dehino ’smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. As you have changed your body in so many ways from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then, similarly, dehantara-praptih. Now, Krsna does not say what kind of body you are going to get. That will depend on your work. Just like this is described as the dress. Now, if this dress is spoiled or torn, you have to purchase another dress. That will depend on your purchasing power. Similarly, after this dress is spoiled, no more usable, you have to purchase another body. That may be a dog’s body or a god’s body— that depends on your purchasing power. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita that yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg. 9.25]. There are deva-lokas, Indraloka, Candraloka, Brahmaloka, so many, millions of years’ age, a thousand times better standard of life. That also you can get. Yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah. And if you are in the karma-kandiya, then you can go to the pitr-loka. And bhutejya yanti bhutani: and if you remain a materialistic person, you remain here. And mad-yajino ’pi yanti mam: and if you worship Krsna, if you become a devotee of Krsna, then you go to Krsnaloka. So why should we waste our time? Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ’rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. Even if you go, promoted to the Brahmaloka, still, you have to wander within these so many planets, so many bodies. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151] In this way we are wandering, different 8,400,000 species of life in different planets. Out of many, many millions of living entities wandering in this way, if one is fortunate, he gets the seed of bhakti-yoga. Then his life is successful. So that bhakti-yoga—Krsna consciousness means bhakti-yoga—by the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu we are distributing. We are distributing not whimsically, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted it. bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara [Cc. Adi 9.41] This is injunction. This is also injunction of Krsna. What Krsna said, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said the same thing. The difference is that Krsna commanded as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu—He’s also Krsna—He’s teaching as a devotee of Krsna. That is the difference. The same thing. Krsna said that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], and Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128] He never said that “Whatever I am saying, you say.” No, this is not parampara system. A guru or a preacher or an acarya does not manufacture anything concocted. He says the same thing. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. That is the difference between acarya and a bogus man. A bogus man says something, that “Now I say like this.” No, who are you? No. Evam parampara-praptam, Krsna says. We have to accept that. So, therefore Rsabhadeva says that mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh [SB 5.5.2] If you want to be free from this entanglement, then mahat-seva. Who is mahat, mahat-seva? That is also stated in the sastra: svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh prahlado janako bhismo balir vaiyasakir vayam [SB 6.3.20] There are twelve mahajanas. Svayambhu, Lord Brahma; Narada Muni; and Sambhu, Lord Siva. Svayambhur naradah sambhuh [SB 6.3.20] Kapila, Kapiladeva, who gave us the Sankhya philosophy, Devahuti- putra Kapiladeva, Devahuti-putra; and Kumara, Catuhsana Kumara; Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. Manu… Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam, vivasvan manave praha [Bg. 4.1]. This Manu is mahajana. So we have to follow. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. You cannot manufacture. Then you are going to hell. Follow these big, big personalities. Then you’ll get. Therefore it is said, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh [SB 5.5.2]. Don’t manufacture. That is not… Krsna says mam ekam. You cannot say, “Then any path will be easy.” No. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. If you want to know Krsna, then you have to accept bhakti, nothing else. Krsna never says jnana or yoga or karma will help you. No, that will not help. That will entangle you more and more—again repetition of birth and death. But if you take bhakti-yoga as Krsna says, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]… He never says, Krsna, that “By mental speculation or by fruitive activities or by gymnastic of the yoga system…” No. Yoginam api sarvesam. Krsna has explained yoga system in the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. And He concludes, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47] “He’s first-class yogi who is always thinking of Me within the heart.” Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is perfection. Thank you very much. [break] Guest (1): Brahma-sutra, as propounded by Vyasa is one. It is only one. But after reading Brahma-sutra, the bhasyas, Sankara-bhasya, Madhva-bhasya, and Sri-bhasya as written by Ramanujacarya, all these things differ in many ways, and they leave us confused to know what is actually existing. Am I to follow this or that or this? Because “Jagat is mithya,” it is said by Sankaracarya. Madhvacarya says, “It’s not mithya. It is realistic.” It’s contradiction. And Ramanuja used another way of explanation, that he says, “It is that, and it is this.” And in that way, tava dasah aham, Madhvacarya says, “I am your slave.” Tava dasah aham, tava daso ’ham. But Sankaracarya says, “No. Atma itself is Paramatma. There is no question of his saying, tava daso ’ham.” Like that, jagan mithya, brahma satyam jagan mithya. And then we see, as propounded by Sankaracarya, as explained by Sankaracarya, the same it is said by Madhvacarya as jagat satyam and brahma satyam: “Both are satya.” And when Sankaracarya says that jagan mithya brahma satyam, the same Brahma-sutra it is taken up by Madhvacarya in a different way. He says jagan mithya, er, I’m sorry, jagat satyam and brahma satyam. And Ramanuja says in a different way again, most confusing, he says at some stage, “It is realistic, and at a different stage it becomes unrealistic.” So, in so many factors, I find that there are so many contradictions there. If you kindly clarify the matter in a very clear and straightforward manner, I will be and people will be much obliged to you. So Swamiji will have to say something about this, whether the world is temporary, or whether the world is unrealistic or not, or is it realistic. And if it is realistic, why Sankaracarya has said that it is mithya, and Ramanujacarya says, “At one stage it is realistic, and after some stage it becomes unrealistic”? And therefore I want clarification so that I can understand. Prabhupada: The Sankaracarya is accepted as Mayavadi because these Mayavadi philosophers, they think everything is maya; even Krsna is maya. So, our Caitanya Mahaprabhu… We belong to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu belongs to Madhvacarya-sampradaya. As I have already explained, there are mahajanas. So all mahajanas, they have got different sampradayas. Just like Lord Brahma, he has got his sampradaya; it is called Brahma-sampradaya. Similarly, Lord Siva has his sampradaya; it is called Rudra-sampradaya. Laksmiji has got his (her) sampradaya; it is called Sri-sampradaya. So sastra says that srutayo vibhinnah. You hear different types of philosophy from different sources. Na casav munir yasya matam na bhinnam. One cannot be accepted as a great saintly person unless he puts forward his own theory. Therefore mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We have to accept the mahajana. Now, apart from accepting mahajana, we have to use our senses also. Of course, unless we are advanced in our sensual speculation, that is also not possible. But one common sense is: if brahma-satyam, how jagat can be mithya? It is a common sense. The brahma satyam jagan mithya… This jagat is created by Brahman. Janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1]. Athato brahma jijnasa. Brahman means… What is that Brahman? The original source of everything. Janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1] Why jagat should be mithya? Huh? Suppose somebody has created this microphone with hard labor, and if I say, “This is all mithya,” is it very good thing? If Krsna has created… aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah [Bg. 10.8] Aham sarvasya prabhavah. Krsna says that “I am the origin of everything,” the same answer. Janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1] Who is that person from whom everything has come into existence? So if Krsna is fact, Brahman, then He says, aham sarvasya prabhavah, “I am the origin of everything,” how other things can be false? No. We do not accept this philosophy. If Krsna is truth, then this world is also truth. It may be temporary—bhutva bhutva praliyate—but it is not untruth. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore has criticized Sankaracarya, mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: “If you accept Mayavada philosophy, then your progress is doomed, finished.” This is the… So we are follower of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We do not accept this Sankara’s philosophy, that the world is mithya. No. It is fact. It is fact. Because unless it… But the vision is different. Vision is different. That is called maya. What is the fact? The fact: this world is created by Krsna, or God; therefore it is God’s property. But we are thinking our property. That is false. That is the meaning of Sankaracarya’s…, that you are thinking that it is your country. No. It is Krsna’s country. Isavasyam idam sarvam. Everything belongs to Krsna. Why you are falsely claiming your and fighting yourself? This is false. Not the world is false, but the acceptance of the world falsely, that is false. Not the world is false. That is fact. So we must have common sense to understand and understand through other sources also. As Madhvacarya says, “No, jagat satyam, that is fact.” How you can say this jagat is false? It is not false. Besides that, that Vyasadeva, he’s the compiler of Vedanta-sutra, and he has commented himself about Vedanta-sutra. That is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhasyam brahma-sutranam **. And at the end of each chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam, you’ll find, brahma-sutrasya bhasya. So, when the author is giving a commentary personally, we should accept that. Why others? So Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural commentary given by Vyasadeva. We should accept. And it begins… Because it is commentary on Brahma-sutra, therefore it begins with the sutra, Brahma-sutra: janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah svarat [Bhag. 1.1.1]. This is the explanation. So the conclusion is that we Vaisnavas, we do not say that this jagat is mithya. No. The jagat is satyam. Unless the jagat is satyam, how we are approaching God, the Absolute Truth through this material, I mean to say, world. How it is possible? You cannot approach the truth through false thing. That is not possible. Therefore our Gosvamis’ conclusion is that, prapancikataya buddhya hari-sambandhi-vastunah mumuksubhih parityago vairagyam phalgu kathyate This is the definition given by Sri Rupa Gosvami. The prapancikataya buddhya… This world is material. Therefore it is false. So… But hari-sambandhi-vastunah. But it has got connection with Hari. Hari has created. Krsna has created. How…? It is not without… How you can say, “without any relationship”? If I have created something, it has got…, I have got intimate relationship. Therefore the Rupa Gosvami says that “Any creation of the Lord, if we think it is material,” prapancikataya buddhya hari-sambandhi, mumuksubhih parityagah… Those who are… Because these Mayavadis, they are after mumuksa, so mumuksubhih parityagah, if they are giving up, then phalgu-vairagya. It is called phalgu-vairagya, false renunciation. The world is not false, but the so-called renunciation is false. But the real fact is… Rupa Gosvami says that, anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate Anasaktasya visayan. We are after sense enjoyment. That is called visaya. Visaya means the object of sense gratification. So we should not be very much eager to enjoy. God’s creation should be engaged for God’s enjoyment, not for my enjoyment. If we are trained up in this way, anasaktasya visayan, we can take prasadam. We have to eat also. But if we think that “These things are made for me. I have to eat,” then that is mithya. “This is given by God, given by Krsna, so let me offer it to Krsna: ‘Krsna, it is Your thing. You first of all taste. Then I’ll take it.’ ” Anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah. “As it is. But Your thing should be offered to You, and then I shall take.” That is yukta-vairagya. There are many other things that this kind of false identification… So many Mayavadis, they first of all say, brahma satyam jagan mithya, but after few days, again they come to this jagat and become interested in so-called material service because he could not realize Brahman. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah [SB 10.2.32]. They may rise up to the param padam, brahma-pada, but anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah, because they could not take up the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, they fall down. There are many instances, many sannyasis. They give up this world as mithya and again come to politics, again come to philanthropic work. Why? If jagat is mithya, why you are coming to politics and philanthropic work? That is aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. Again they fall down. So there are many controversial points. It may take long hours. But so far we are, Vaisnava are, concerned, we don’t accept that this world is false. No. Everything is meant for Krsna’s service. Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor. And He is the bhokta. So don’t try to enjoy this world. That is false. Everything engaged for Krsna’s—that is reality. So jagat is not unreal. Our attitude, our mentality, is unreal, that “The whole world is for my enjoyment.” No. The creator says, bhokta aham: “I am enjoyer.” Why you are claiming you are enjoyer? That is your false claim. So jagat is not false, but our claim to enjoy the jagat, that is false. So we have to convert it, that it is enjoyable by Krsna. Then you come to reality. Thank you very much. (applause) [break] All the poverty-stricken people may come to us. We shall supply prasadam. That is the solution. Come on. We shall supply you. Acyutananda: (reading question) “After physical death, the soul will take birth as per the samskaras, or past deeds. So what made the soul take birth in the very beginning?” Prabhupada: What is that? Very beginning? Acyutananda: “After the physical death of the body, the soul will take birth as per the past deeds.” Prabhupada: Yes. Acyutananda: So what made the soul take birth in the first place? Prabhupada: In the first place? Acyutananda: What is the first birth? What is the cause of the first birth. Prabhupada: Yes. That is stated in the Prema-vivarta: krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare As soon as… We are eternal servant of Krsna. As soon as we want to become master, that is the beginning of our first birth in the material world. We have got independence. Because, Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva bhutah [Bg. 15.7]—we are part and parcel of Krsna—so Krsna has got full independence, but we are minute; therefore we have got minute independence. Our business is to serve Krsna, but as soon as we give up this idea, we want to become master. That is the beginning of our material birth. Acyutananda: “India is the motherland for Krsna cult and needs no propaganda. You’ll be doing more service for the Krsna cult if you demonstrate against America for helping Christian missionaries in India. Please enlighten me.” Prabhupada: Krsna is for everyone. Krsna never says, “I am for Indian” or “for American.” Krsna says, sarva-yonisu kaunteya. (applause) sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti yah tasam brahma mahad yonir aham bija-pradah pita [Bg. 14.4] Krsna is father of all living entities in any form of life, not only human, but the cats, dogs, and everyone. He is the father of all living entities. Acyutananda: “Why doesn’t the Krsna conscious movement stop cow slaughter? Five thousand cows are slaughtered daily. Why?” Prabhupada: Then? Why? Acyutananda: Cows are slaughtered. Prabhupada: You are killing cows? Or what is that? Guest (2): Why doesn’t Krsna consciousness movement stop cow slaughter? Every day five thousand cows are being slaughtered. Prabhupada: Yes, we are teaching don’t eat meat. So don’t eat meat means don’t slaughter cows and goats and everyone. You are after stopping cow slaughter, but you are advocating goat slaughter. But we are not for any slaughter. Don’t eat meat, that’s all. Acyutananda: “If everyone becomes Krsna conscious, then how will they make a living?” Prabhupada: Krsna says, yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22] He is… Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. He’s supplying everyone. So we have got ten thousand disciples all over the world. Mostly they are Europeans and Americans and Australians. Their expenditure is very heavy. How Krsna is supplying, you can see. We are spending ten lakhs of rupees per month, and Krsna is supplying. Acyutananda: “Did you ever see the lotus Lord or feel His presence?” Prabhupada: Hm? What is that? Devotee: Do you ever feel Krsna’s presence, or see Him? Prabhupada: Yes, you can feel also. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. This is the formula of seeing Krsna: premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.38] If you have developed your love of Krsna, then you’ll see Him twenty-four hours. Just like you, if you love somebody, you’ll always think of him. That is natural. So the first qualification is whether you have developed that love for Krsna. Then you’ll see twenty-four hours. Acyutananda: “What is the easiest method of attaining moksa while in family life?” Prabhupada: What is that? Hamsaduta: (repeats question) Prabhupada: That is not recommended in the Vedic sastra (laughter). Especially Sankaracarya, he would not accept anyone unless he accepts sannyasa. He never accepts anybody. Acyutananda: “There are many religious movements, how does Krsna consciousness take priority?” Prabhupada: Because it is Krsna’s movement. He is the topmost. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7] Krsna says, “There is no more superior truth than Me.” Therefore Krsna consciousness is the supreme truth. There is no more superior truth than Krsna consciousness. Acyutananda: “When a person dies, his soul will take another body? Then why is the population today increasing?” Prabhupada: Because they are blocked-up, bottle-necked. They are not going back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is crowded. (laughter) Acyutananda: “Why does Krsna allow us to commit mistakes and later punishes us?” Prabhupada: That is His mercy. You want to do something bad, Krsna says, “Don’t do it,” but if you want to do it at your risk, Krsna allows, “All right, do it, and suffer yourself.” Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. He does not say anything. But if you want to do something else, do it at your risk. That’s all right. Chant Hare Krsna. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Hyderabad, April 11, 1975