Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.20 Devotee: anyonyam asit sanjalpa uttama-sloka-cetasam kauravendra-pura-strinam sarva-sruti-mano-harah “Absorbed in the thought of the transcendental qualities of the Lord, who is sung in select poetry, the ladies on the roofs of all the houses of Hastinapura began to talk of Him. This talk was more attractive than the hymns of the Vedas.” Prabhupada: [break] …Caitanya Mahaprabhu, while He was chanting and dancing in Benares. So he criticized Him, that “What kind of sannyasi He is? He does not take to the studies of Vedanta. He simply indulges in chanting and dancing with some sentimental people.” He was criticizing. So one devotee of Lord Caitanya informed Him that “You are being criticized, Sir. We cannot tolerate it. Neither we can reply. He’s a great Vedantist. So better we shall give up our life.” Then the meeting was arranged between the Vedantist… Actually Vedanta, Veda means the knowledge. Vetti veda-vidah jnani. The vid-dhatu. Those who know Sanskrit dhatu, verbal form… So, so there are different forms of one root. Just like the real root is vid-dhatu. Now it, it is sometimes spoken as vetti. Sometimes it is called vida. Sometimes it is called vinte(?). Sometimes it is called vindati, vindate. There are different forms of the same root, vid-dhatu. So when which forms should be used, the grammarians, they know it. Sanskrit language is very difficult language. One has to learn the grammar portion of it only for twelve years. Then he becomes expert grammarian. And when one becomes nice grammarian, he can read any literature, different department of knowledge, Ayur Veda, Dhanur Veda, Yajur Veda, Jyotir Veda. So many Vedas. So real Vedas means knowledge. I’ve already explained when I was in 1968 in London, in the Conway Hall… That is published in Isopanisad. So Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vidah jnana(?). Jnana, jnana means knowledge. So veda-anta. Anta means end. There is everything of our material life, as for the beginning and at the end. So here in this material world, every one of us, we come here ignorant, like animals, no knowledge. There are so many varieties of living entities. Gradually, by evolution, we come to the human form of life, when our consciousness is developed. We can understand higher knowledge. And that is called Veda. So Veda does not mean it is meant for the cats and dogs. Vedas means knowledge, this knowledge, is meant for the human beings. Vedic… Therefore Indian civilization, based on Vedic knowledge, is estimated so high, perfect. Perfect scheme system for human society, based on Vedic civilization. Everything is correctly visioned, and the ideas are given by persons who are above material contamination. Mukta-purusa. Mukta-purusa means one who is not affected by the material incompetency. There are material incompetencies. We commit mistakes. We are illusioned. Our senses are imperfect. And sometimes… Sometimes not. Always. We want to cheat. These are the defects of material knowledge. And one who is above these material incompetencies, he’s called mukta-purusa. So one has to become mukta-purusa. That is called Vedic knowledge. That is called Vedanta. Vedanta-sutra. Athato brahma jijnasa. So Vedanta means the, the ultimate platform of acquiring knowledge, up to this. So that “up to this” is Krsna. That if you talk of Krsna, Krsna consciousness, then you talk of all the Vedas. Sarva-sruti-mano-harah. You talk of Vedic knowledge, but if you simply talk of Vedic knowledge, it becomes dry, speculative. But if you talk of Krsna and Krsna’s lila, Krsna’s pastimes, then it becomes simultaneously discussion of Vedic knowledge, at the same time, very beautiful. Therefore Krsna is described here: uttama-sloka. Krsna is never described by ordinary verses. Uttama-sloka. Uttama-sloka means… Uttama means also liberated. Ut. Ut means transcendental, one who has crossed, ud gata. Ut. Ut means one who has gone to the other side. Tama. Tama means this darkness. This world, this material world… Just like it is dark now. Therefore the country on the part of the world which is always covered by darkness… Already there is darkness, and if again that country does not get the facility of sunshine, it is considered that that country is condemned. It is shastric injunction. Any country which does not get the full facility of sunshine, it is to be considered condemned. I think I remarked this long ago, when I first came in the television. They asked me in London that “What is your conception of hell?” And “This is hell, London.” Not conception. Practically… Always dark, moist, drizzly. No sunshine. Cloudy, misty. Simply big, big buildings. That’s all. So there must be clear sunshine. So why this material world (aside:) (indistinct) Devotee: (indistinct) Prabhupada: Why this material world is called tama? Because everyone is in ignorance. He does not know what is the value of life. Everyone. In other words, all fools and rascals. Just like big, big scientists. They are theorizing that life is made out of matter. How much ignorance it is. All these Darwin’s theory, chemical evolution. Simply they are basing that from matter life has come. But where is the… One gentleman in California University, he’s Noble Prize holder. He came to lecture. So our disciple, Svarupa Damodara, he’s also Doctor of Chemistry. So when the professor explained that from such and such chemicals combination life starts, he said: “If I give you the chemicals, can you make life?” In that big assembly. So he has to reply: “That I cannot say.” So what is the use of such knowledge? You are taking Nobel Prize, holding Nobel Prize on the basis of certain theorizing knowledge, and when you are challenged: “Now you produce with these chemicals,” you say: “That I cannot say.” So this is going on. Anyway, human life is meant for knowledge. That’s a fact. Therefore athato brahma jijnasa. And what knowledge? Knowledge does not mean how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, and how to defend. That is not knowledge. These things are there in the animals. The animals also know very well how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life and how to defend. No. That is not… Human life is meant for different business, and that is brahma-jijnasa. So brahma-jijnasa, if one begins the life of brahma-jijnasa, brahma-jnana, and when it ends in understanding Krsna, that is perfection of life. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. The, the one who is actually jnanavan, in knowledge, such person… Not so-called. There are two classes of men. One class of men is called jnanavan, and another class of men is called mayaya apahrta-jnana. All these words you’ll find in the Bhagavad-gita. This is not my manufacture. So mayaya apahrta-jnana means he’s rascal number one, but he’s thinking that he’s vastly learned. He has advanced his knowledge so much. Simply he is puffed up falsely. That is called mayaya apahrta-jnana. Or jnanavan means one who has actually knowledge. So what is the difference between the two, one how has got actually the knowledge, and one who’s simply falsely puffed up that he has got knowledge? What is the…? How you’ll find difference, that here is a man who has got real knowledge, and here is a man, rascal, but he’s very much puffed up? So it is very easy to find out. At least for us. That is a fact. This is our criterion. Just like you can find out the currency note, which one is genuine and which one is not genuine. There are some signs. This is an example. Similarly our criterion is, from the Bhagavad-gita, from sastra, that we find these two verses in the Bhagavad-gita. What is this? One thing is: na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah [Bg. 7.15] The raksasa, asuram bhavam asritah… Asuram bhavam asritah means one who does not accept the supremacy of God. “What is God? I am God. I am God.” Such… These rascals are called mayaya apahrta-jnanah. Na mam prapadyante. They do not surrender to God, or Krsna. They pose themselves as God. So as soon as we find anyone does not surrender to Krsna, does not understand Krsna, he is rascal. Anyone. It doesn’t matter. That is the first test. Then you come to the details. As soon as you find someone, somebody, that he does not understand what is God, or his relationship with God, or, and what is the ultimate object of life, he’s a rascal. And as soon as you find somebody, that he has surrendered to Krsna… Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19] How he has surrendered? Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. “Vasudeva, Krsna, is everything.” Actually, He’s everything. The whole world is combination of two energies, material energy and spiritual energy. And Krsna is the source of two energies. Therefore ultimate Krsna is the cause of all causes. This is the summary study. Sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1]. isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1] So if you go… Just like we are presenting so many books about Krsna. Simply we have tried to explain Krsna with all these translations, nothing but Krsna, how to understand Krsna. So here it is called: sarva-sruti-mano-harah. Krsna is very pleasing to hear. Krsna is the reservoir of all pleasure. When we get our attachment for hearing about Krsna, then at least we can consider that we have become free from material contamination. When we get attachment simply for hearing Krsna, nothing else, all nonsense, then you should understand that you have become liberated. These are the test. Everyone can get this position. Because there is process. If you follow the process, then you come to the real stage. So adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. The beginning of this process is sraddha. Just like you have come here with a conception of faith, that “Here is Krsna consciousness movement. Let us hear something about this movement.” This is sraddha. Adau sraddha. This is the beginning. Unless one has faith, or attach… Not attachment, faith only. So adau sraddha. Then you mix with the devotees. So we are opening so many branches just to give opportunity to the people to mix with us. Come with us. Radha-krsna bolo sange calo ei-matra bhikha cai. We, we don’t want anything from anyone. We don’t want any political independence, social reformation, or humanitarian benefit. Nothing. We simply request people, “Please chant Hare Krsna and come with us.” That’s all. We don’t expect anything from anybody else. This is our position. Radha-krsna bolo sange calo. You chant… Also we are chanting on the street, Hare Krsna. You also join with us. Radha-krsna bolo. And so long we go, you come with us. Ei matra bhikha cai. We don’t want anything more. This is, this is not a business, that you have come on the street to chant and to make some business. No. That is for your benefit. So Krsna consciousness movement is very important movement at the present moment. Not only at the present moment. For all the time, past, present and future. But at the present moment, the members of the International Society, they have taken it very seriously to propagate this Krsna consciousness movement all over the world, and we are getting very good result. At least to our labor we are getting good result, all over the world. There is no question of discouragement. So go on. This is our… Yad uttama-sloka-cetasam. The heart must be always filled up with Krsna consciousness. That is called uttama-sloka-cetasam. So in this way, go on with Krsna consciousness movement. Everyone will be happy. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
London, May 24, 1973