Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.6
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Hyderabad, August 18, 1976

Srila Prabhupada’s Speech at The Opening of the Hyderabad Temple

Prabhupada:

anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje lokasyajanato vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam

This is a description of Vyasadeva. Vidvan. Even from literary point of view, if you see the contribution of Vyasadeva, it is not possible in any age. So many books. Four Vedas, Vedanta-sutra, Upanisads, Puranas, and the most important contribution is the Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is his last contribution. Under the instruction of his spiritual master Narada Muni he contributed Srimad- Bhagavatam, amalam puranam. Amalam puranam means there is no material contamination. Srimad-Bhagavatam. Dharma-artha-kama-moksa, there are material contaminations. But above this is the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore in the beginning of Srimad- Bhagavatam, Vyasadeva introduces dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam vastavam vastu vedyam atra [SB 1.1.2]. Srimad-Bhagavatam… Dharma-artha-kama-moksa. There are some contamination, cheating. But all these things are thrown away, projjhita. Prakrsta-rupena ujjhita. So Sridhara Svami has given his comment on this. Atra moksa-vancha api nirastam. Moksa-vancha, to become one with the Supreme. That is also another cheating. So Sridhara Svami has given his comment, very reliable comment.

So dharma-artha-kama-moksa. People are busy, at least those who are human beings. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. Beginning with dharma. Economic development, artha. Dharma-artha-kama, sense gratification. And at the end, moksa. Above moksa is bhakti. Moksa is described in the Bhagavad-gita,

brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]

Without being on the platform moksa, nobody can enter into the bhakti. It is a misconception that bhakti helps moksa. Somebody says, it is not the opinion of the sastra. Bhakti begins when one is already liberated. Moksa. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54] Without Brahman, without Brahman realization, aham brahmasmi, there cannot be jubilation, prasannatma. This is the sign. What is prasannatma? Na socati na kanksati. The material disease is everyone is hankering after something which he hasn’t got. And when he loses that thing, he’s lamenting. These two business. Socati kanksati. So brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54], when one is actually self-realized, brahma-bhutah, na socati na kanksati. This is the symptom. Then samah sarvesu bhutesu. Then it is possible to see equally everyone. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18].

So that is liberated stage. So when one has come to the liberated stage, from there he can begin mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. Bhakti means the activities of the liberated stage. That is not material things. So this Krsna consciousness movement is little difficult to understand because these activities are for the persons who have already attained moksa. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is stated,

mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]

So do not misunderstand that bhakti is lower than something else. There are karma, jnana, yoga, bhakti. Bhakti is the ultimate. So if you want to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, take from His instruction, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55] If you want to know Krsna or the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. The Absolute Truth is realized from three angles of vision: impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma, and ultimately Bhagavan. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. So if you want to understand Bhagavan… Brahman realization is possible. Aruhya krcchrena param padam [SB 10.2.32]. This param padam, Brahman realization… And Paramatma realization: dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. But if you want to realize the last phase of the Absolute Truth it requires bhakti. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55].

manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye yatatam api siddhanam kascin mam vetti tattvatah [Bg. 7.3]

This is the word used by Krsna personally. Nobody understands Him, tattvatah, what He is actually. We understand superficially, “Krsna was born in Mathura, and He was the son of Vasudeva, and so on, so on.” But one has to understand Krsna tattvatah: in truth. And Krsna says janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti, he immediately becomes lib… If you understand simply Krsna, tattvatah, then immediately you become liberated. The result is tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9] We are changing our bodies, bhutva bhutva praliyate. We are accepting… People do not know even this. We have talked with many big, big professors in Europe, in Moscow also. And they say, “Swamiji, after the annihilation of this body, everything is finished.” But we get instruction from the Bhagavad-gita, na hanyate hanyamane sarire nityah sasvato ’yam [Bg. 2.20].

So we are missing our own culture that we do not take very much care to understand Bhagavad-gita As It Is. We make our wrong interpretation and spoil the whole thing. These habits should be stopped. Otherwise our culture is almost already lost. Then this bharatiya culture… It is very important culture. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that

bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara [Cc. Adi 9.41]

Para-upakara. The bharata-bhumi is meant for doing good to others. Bharata-bhumi is not meant for exploiting others. This is not bharatiya mission. Para-upakara. So every Indian…That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. Because every Indian is born Krsna conscious, naturally he has got instinct. Don’t destroy it. Don’t destroy it. That is our request. You have got already. We have seen practically, whenever we hold some festival in Calcutta, Bombay and other big cities, thousands of people, twenty thousand, fifteen thousand, thirty thousand people come. They are hankering. So if we simply introduce this Krsna consciousness movement, you’ll very soon see that the face of India is different. Anarthopasamam saksat. We have captured so many anartha. Anartha means meaningless life. Anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje lokasyajanatah. The foolish people, they do not know it. Therefore vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam. The satvata-samhita is Srimad-Bhagavatam. So let us combinedly preach the teachings of Bhagavad-gita.

Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhagavad-gita ends sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66] This is the end of Bhagavad-gita’s instruction, that “Give up all nonsense, just take shelter under My lotus feet.” If you hesitate that “If I give up everything…” You haven’t got to give up everything, but you have to understand the meaning of life. Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gita, he did not give up his profession as a military man. But what was the change? The change is Krsna inquired from Arjuna: “What is now your decision? I have spoken to you everything about jnana and guhya-guhyatamam. Now you consider upon it and whatever you like you do.” Yathecchasi tatha kuru. So upon this Arjuna replied nasto mohah. “My illusion is now over.” Nasto mohah smrtir labdha. “My memory is now returned.” Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73], “I shall act according to You.” This is Krsna consciousness. Try to understand what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gita. You haven’t got to give up everything. You can be engaged in everything but if you utilize everything according to the instruction of Krsna then it will be successful. Otherwise it will be failure. So we have tested all these things, how many programs and plans we have made and everything has failed. Why not try to take the instruction of Bhagavad-gita, the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and try to utilize it for practical life. And it will be successful. There is no doubt about it. I am speaking from my practical experience.

Now these foreigners, they are neither Hindus nor Indian nor brahmanas. How they are taking? They are not fools and rascals. They are coming from respectable family, educated. So we have got our centers in Iran also. In Tehran, I am just coming from there. We have got so many Mohammedan students, and they have also taken to it. In Africa they have taken to it. In Australia they have taken to it. All over the world. So that is the Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

This is the prediction of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As many town and villages are there all over the world, this Krsna consciousness movement will be spread. So there is no credit for me, but it is only a teeny attempt, and humble attempt. So if one man could do, if you say, some success, why not all of us? Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given power of attorney to all Indians. Bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. He’s speaking to the manusya, not to the cats and dogs. So manusya-janma yara janma sarthaka kari’. First of all, try to understand what is the purpose of life. That is called janma sarthaka. Janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara. Go. Everywhere there is very good demand for Krsna consciousness.

So everyone should be prepared, everyone should understand Bhagavad-gita. Of course, it is not possible for everyone to go. Still, if one understands… That is also Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s order. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He says everyone of you become a guru. How can I become guru? I am not very learned scholar, I have no education. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says no. Even though you are not very much educated or not born of a very high family, you simply, yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128] That’s all. You become a guru. Krsna-upadesa. Don’t adulterate it, but as Krsna says, you say. You become guru. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s… So I have tried that. I have tried to follow the Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instruction, and I am presenting Bhagavad-gita As It Is. There is no magic, there is no jugglery and people are taking. If you do that everyone will be happy, the world will be happy and India’s glory will be spread all over the world.

Thank you very much. (end)