Revatinandana: Chapter Four, verse thirty-nine, page 131.

Prabhupada: Page?

Revatinandana: One-hundred-thirty-one. "A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses, quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace [Bg. 4.39]." Purport: "Such knowledge in Krsna consciousness can be achieved by a faithful person who believes firmly in Krsna. One is called a faithful man who thinks that simply by acting in Krsna consciousness one can attain the highest perfection."

Prabhupada: Yes. Faith. There are different kinds of faith, but in Krsna consciousness the preliminary condition of faith is to believe that simply by serving Krsna, everything will be complete. Krsne... There is a verse in... (aside:) It is not working. (taps microphone)

Revatinandana: "This faith is attained by the discharge of devotional service, and by chanting,

Prabhupada: Controlling of senses means... That is also knowledge. Because this materialistic life means sense gratification, so we have satisfied our senses not only in this human form of life, but in other forms of life. So when one comes to the understanding that these sense gratification activities are useless, then he can understand. When one understands that "I have tried to satisfy myself in different kinds of sense gratification..."

Revatinandana: "But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures go to ruin and perish. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next."

Prabhupada: Yes. One who is doubtful, he has neither happiness in this world, and what to speak of the next?

Revatinandana: "Therefore, one who has renounced the fruits of his actions, whose doubts are destroyed by transcendental knowledge, and who is situated firmly in the self is not bound by works, O conqueror of riches." Purport: "One who follows the instruction of the Bhagavad-gita as it is imparted by the Lord, the Personality of Godhead Himself, becomes free from all doubts by grace of transcendental knowledge."

Prabhupada: Because everything is threadbare explained. You can have answer of all questions from this Bhagavad-gita, chapter by chapter. Everything is completely understood. Yes.

Revatinandana: "He, as a part and parcel of the Lord in full Krsna consciousness, is already fully conversant in self-knowledge. As such, he is undoubtedly above the reactions to whatever activities he may carry out." Verse forty-two: "Therefore, the doubts which have arisen in your heart out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, O Bharata, stand and fight."

Prabhupada: The doubt was there in the mind of Arjuna in the battlefield, and there was necessity for preaching Bhagavad-gita. Go on.

Revatinandana: "The yoga system instructed in this chapter is called sanatana-yoga, or eternal activities performed by the living entity. This yoga has two divisions of action, called sacrifices. One is called sacrifice of one's material possessions, and the other is called knowledge of self, which is pure spiritual activity. If sacrifice of one's material possessions is not dovetailed for spiritual realization, then such sacrifice becomes material. But one who performs such sacrifices for a spiritual objective or in devotional service, makes a perfect sacrifice. When we come to spiritual activities, we find that these are also divided into two: namely, understanding of one's own self or one's constitutional position, and the truth regarding the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who follows the path of the Bhagavad-gita as it is, as it is..."

Prabhupada: "As it is."

Revatinandana: "...of the Bhagavad-gita as it is can very easily understand these two important divisions of spiritual knowledge. For him there is no difficulty in obtaining perfect knowledge of the self as part and parcel of the Lord."

Prabhupada: Because the subject matter of Bhagavad-gita is to know five things, to know what are these living entities, what is God, what is nature, and what is time, and what is work. These five subject matters are there: God, the living entities, the nature, the time, and the work. These things are there.

Revatinandana: "And such understanding is beneficial for such a person, who easily understands the transcendental activities of the Lord. In the beginning of this chapter, the transcendental activities of the Lord were discussed by the Supreme Lord Himself. One who does not understand the instructions of the Gita is faithless and is considered to be misusing the fragmental independence awarded to him by the Lord. In spite of such instructions, one who does not understand the real nature of the Lord as the eternal, blissful, all-knowing Personality of Godhead is certainly fool number one. This ignorance of the so-called student of Bhagavad-gita can be removed by the gradual acceptance of the principles of Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is awakened by different, by different types of sacrifices to the demigods, sacrifice to Brahman, sacrifice in celibacy, sacrifice in household life, sacrifice in control of the senses, sacrifice in practicing mystic yoga, sacrifice in penance, sacrifice of material possessions, sacrifice in studying the Vedas, and sacrifice in observing the scientific social institution of varnasrama-dharma, or the divisions of the human society. All of these are known as sacrifice, and all of them are based on regulative action. And within all these sacrifices, the important factor is self-realization. One who seeks that objective is the real student of the Bhagavad-gita."

Prabhupada: Yes. Self-realization, "what I am." If one aims to that objective, then his study of Bhagavad-gita is nice. Yes.

Revatinandana: "But one who doubts the authority of Krsna falls back. One is therefore advised to study the Bhagavad-gita or any other scripture with a bona fide spiritual master, with service and surrender. A bone fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and there is not the slightest deviation from the instruction of the Personality of Godhead as it was imparted millions of years ago to the sun-god, from whom the instructions of the Bhagavad-gita has come down to the earthly kingdom."

Prabhupada: It is not very difficult. Just like in this Bhagavad-gita the Supreme Personality of Godhead says that He is the Supreme, and He is advising, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah: "Just try to think of Me only, always." Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah: "And become My devotee." Mad-yaji: "Just worship Me." Mam namaskuru: "Just bow down unto Me." So simply these four processes, if one can do, He says, mam evaisyasi asamsayah: [Bg. 18.65] "Surely, without any doubt, you shall come to Me."

Revatinandana: "One should, therefore, follow the path of the Bhagavad-gita as it is expressed in the Gita itself and beware of self-interested people seeking personal aggrandizement who deviate others from the actual path. The Lord is definitely the Supreme Person, and His activities are transcendental. One who understands this is a liberated person from the very beginning of his study of the Gita."

Prabhupada: Yes. Simply if you understand that "I have got also the, what is called, intuition to control, and God is the supreme controller," simply if you understand this, then immediately you become liberated, simply if you understand He is the supreme controller, He is the Supreme Person, simply this understanding. That is stated in the beginning of this transcendental knowledge. Janma karma (ca) me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. God also working. He is also creating; I am also creating. I am creating a sputnik, a toy planet, and God is creating innumerable, unlimited planets. That is the difference. I can also create something, but that is not as good creative power as God. But I have got some creative power. I have got the tendency for enjoyment. Similarly, God has got the tendency for enjoyment. So there is nothing different from you, God. Only the difference is that He is unlimited; I am limited. I am very small; He is very great. He is infinite; I am infinitesimal.

Revatinandana: "Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to the Fourth Chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavad-gita in the matter of Transcendental Knowledge."

Prabhupada: So we shall stop here? Hare Krsna. (devotees offer obeisances) Any questions?

Male devotee (1): When it listed, when in the Gita it listed the different kinds of sacrifices, it said that sacrifices to the demigods can bring us to Krsna consciousness. How is this?

Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. Because sometimes people are inclined to make some sacrifices to appease the demigods, so these prescriptions are there. Just like somebody is recommended that "If you want to be cured of your disease, then you worship the sun-god. If you want to get a very nice beautiful wife, then you worship Uma, the wife of Lord Siva." In this way... "If you want to be very learned, then you worship the goddess of learning." So these prescriptions are there in the Vedic literature, so people... Just like in the modern days they want to have all these things by material activities, so they are recommended in a different way, but the aim is the same.

Male devotee (2): Was there a Vaisnava calendar which originated in Vedic culture which is different from our calendar that we use today?

Prabhupada: Is there any calendar study just now, we? Why do you ask about calendar now? We are not discussing about calendar. When we discuss about calendar, you put that question. It is not very important question now. That means you are not attentively hearing. You are thinking of calendar. You should be very

Madhudvisa: Prabhupada, in the purport...

Prabhupada: Our question, inviting question, means we have discussed somethingif there is any difficulty, to clear that, not to bring some other question which can be put later on. Otherwise anyone can put any question. Oh, this is not an assembly of answering questions. This is assembly to understand what we are studying. Yes. Go on.

Madhudvisa: Prabhupada, in verse number forty-two, the purport of verse number forty-two, it divides spiritual activities into two, namely understanding of one's own self or one's constitutional position, and the truth regarding the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Is this first division Paramatma realization and the second division is realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

Prabhupada: Yes. That I have already explained, that our relationship with God is that I am infinitesimal, and He is infinite. This is knowledge. I am very small, and He is very great. "God is great." That is definition of every theistic man. So I cannot be equal with God. This is transcendental knowledge.

Madhudvisa: Then realization of the impersonal feature of the Absolute wouldn't be classified as a spiritual activity?

Prabhupada: Well, impersonalists, they have no spiritual activities practically. They have got some ritualistic performances to come to the platform of negativing this material condition. Just like to find out...

Female devotee (1): When in the Bhagavad-gita it says that the maha-mantra cleanses the heart and soul, does that mean that when you just, like automatically say the word it says that the maha-mantra cleanses the heart and soul, does that mean that when you just, like automatically say the words, just the sound, will that cleanse your heart? Or should you try and remember Krsna with every word and every sound?

Prabhupada: No. By simply chanting your heart will be cleansed. Yes. Go on chanting. Therefore we give regulative principle that one must chant at least sixteen rounds.

Female devotee (1): Should we try to go fast in order to get them done, in order to get the rounds done?

Prabhupada: The first thing is that you should chant without any offense. You see? In the beginning there may be so many offenses, but the chanting will be perfect when you are free from ten kinds of offenses. You can understand those ten kinds of offensesI have explained several timesfrom your Godbrothers. Yes. Yes. Yes?

Guest: I'm new here. I've never been here before, so forgive me if my questions are naive. But if all it requires is chanting to be pure, then why do you require musical instruments, an altar, and flowers and things of this sort?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Visnujana: If all that is required is chanting Hare Krsna, why do we have the pictures and the clothes and the instruments and the altar and Lord Jagannatha?

Prabhupada: Because we are personalist. We are not impersonal. This is spiritual varieties. You are talking of no varieties. Is it not? You were asking me, "Why there are so many varieties?" This is your plain question.

Guest: Not only that. Why are the heads shaved?

Prabhupada: That is another variety. So you want variety-less. Is it not?

Guest: No. I am asking why these are necessary. Why are they necessary?

Prabhupada: They are not necessary for a person who is advanced. But in the preliminary stage we have such necessities. This creates atmosphere, but at the same time, these varieties are not, I mean to say, material varieties. They are spiritual varieties. The place where we are trying to approach, Vaikuntha, there the inhabitants are like this. They have got this tilaka, they have got... Of course, we haven't got four hands, but they have got four hands. There are two hands also. And they are dressed like this. So these things are not material varieties as much as chanting is not material vibration.

Female devotee (2): Krsna says so many times, "You must surrender unto Me." Why do people say, "No, there's something else."

Prabhupada: Because they want something new. This is very old. There is a song by a great dramatist in India. He is singing, ekta navana kichu koro. That means "You do something, invent something new. You invent something new, and then you become very popular." You see? That is the way of modern thoughts. You invent something new. Not modern, this is going on. Just like there is version in the Vedic literature, na casav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam. If you want to be a muni or a sage, you must put forward some new theory. Otherwise he is not a philosopher. A philosopher is not counted a philosopher unless he defies all other philosophers and puts some new theory. And that is going on. Na casav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam. So whose philosophy you will accept? Every day you will find a new philosophy. So whom to follow?