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720218LE.VIS
Lecture
Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972 Prabhupada: ...and participating in this Krsna consciousness movement. This Krsna consciousness movement is not a new movement. It is the oldest. From historical point of view, at least five thousand years old. When Krsna introduced this consciousness, that is, in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra which took place at least five thousand years ago. And if we believe sastras, then it is not only four or five thousand years but it is older than forty millions of years. Not forty, four hundred millions of years. Because Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, Fourth Chapter, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. In the beginning, He told this yoga system of Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god. And the sun-god transmitted this message to his son, vivasvan manave praha, to his son, Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. The age of Vaivasvata Manu calculating, it is about four hundred millions of years ago. Then manur iksvakave 'bravit. Manu, he explained this yoga system to Maharaja Iksvaku. Maharaja Iksvaku happened to be the forefathers of the ksatriya family in which Lord Ramacandra appeared. So Krsna says, evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. The system of Bhagavad-gita, the yoga system explained in the Bhagavad-gita was understood by the parampara system.
Lord Krsna says that in course of time, this yoga system has been lost because the parampara system became broken. Therefore, Krsna said to Arjuna that "I am initiating you to begin that parampara system again because it is now, the link is broken. So I want to begin that system through you." So the question is why Krsna selected Arjuna to explain this parampara system? There were many learned scholars five thousand years ago, many Vedantists, many great sages. But Krsna selected Arjuna, a military man, a grhastha, and dealing with ordinary things, fighting for his own interest. Why he was selected? That is also explained by Krsna, bhakto 'si priyo 'si [Bg. 4.3], "This is the only reason. Although you are not Vedantist, you are not supposed to be a great scholar because you are a military man, you are grhastha, but still I have selected you because you are My dear friend and bhakta." Without being bhakta, who can become Krsna's dear friend? "So therefore, I am speaking to you this confidential." Rahasyam hy etad uttamam. It is very mysterious. The first thing is that without becoming a devotee of Krsna, bhakta, and dear friend... Krsna, we can establish our relationship with Krsna in so many ways. There are five rasas. They are called santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa, and madhurya-rasa. Of course, in this material world also we find these five rasas in a perverted reflections. Originally, it is between Krsna and His devotee. So Arjuna was related with Krsna in sakhya-rasa, as friend, a devotee as a friend. Anyone can become related with Krsna. We have got our eternal relationship with Krsna because we are all parts and parcels of Krsna. Just like the father and the son is eternally related. A son may become rebellion to the father, but the relationship of father and son cannot be broken. Similarly, we are also related with Krsna. Somehow or other, that we have forgotten. That is our present position. That is called maya. Maya means when we forget our relationship with Krsna and we establish so many false relationships. Now at the present moment, I am thinking "I am Indian," somebody is thinking "I am American," somebody is thinking "I am Hindu," somebody is thinking "I am Muslim." These relationships are all false, maya. Therefore, Krsna says at the end, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is real relationship. That is our real position. That is real mukti. And in Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is statedmukti is definedwhat is that? Muktir hitvanyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]. Mukti means give up your false designation. That is mukti. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu begins from this mukta stage. Lord Sri Krsna gave us information what is mukti. Mukti is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam, that is mukti. And Lord Caitanya, when he was instructing Sanatana Gosvami, he began from this point: what is that real constitutional position of the living entity. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He was asked by his disciple Sanatana Gosvami that actually what I am? The exact Bengali verse, he says that gramya-vyavahare pandita.
Prabhupada: Yes. He... The first question was, "What I am? Why I am placed in this miserable condition of life in the material world, suffering three kinds of miserable conditions?" Gramya-vyavahare kahe pandita. He was prime minister of Nawab Hussain Shah, he was great learned scholar, and in Sanskrit, in Arabic language, a very respectful personality. But he is placing his difficulty to Caitanya Mahaprabhu that "Ordinarily these people, they speak of me that I am very learned man. But actually I do not know what I am." That is our position. We are advancing in material civilization, in science, philosophy, and so many so-called religious principles. But actually we do not know what we are, what I am. Any scientist, ask him, "What is after death? What happens after death?" I think hardly any scientist will give you clear idea. That is not possible, because their basic principle of understanding education is wrong, dehatma-buddhih, I am this body. Everyone is fighting. The Pakistani is fighting with Hindustani. Twenty years ago, there was no Pakistani. But due to this false identification of body, a section has become Pakistani. Similarly, long, long ago there was only Vedic culture. Five thousand years ago there was no other culture except this Vedic culture, Aryan culture. But later on, all these so-called system developed. The Christian religion, the Mohammedan religion, or the Buddhist religion, they are all later. Nobody can give history more than two thousand five hundred years. But Krsna consciousness, at least if you take the historical reference of Kuruksetra battle, it is five thousand years old at least.
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu begins where Krsna ended. He said to Sanatana Gosvami that jivera 'svarupa' haya-nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109], the real identity of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of Krsna or God. That is our real identity. But we are identifying in so many ways. Not only am I identifying that "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmana," "I am Christian," "I am Mohammedan," "I am so on, so on," at last, "I am God." At last... That is the last snare of maya. These are all maya, this false identification. And the last false identification, when I falsely say that I am God. This is going on. Therefore, Krsna said, "You give up all these nonsense theories. You simply surrender unto Me and I will give you protection. I will give you protection." Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66]. Because anything done without Krsna consciousness, that is sinful. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam-karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. So either you act piously or act sinfully, you become bound up by the reaction of such pious or impious activities. But if you act for Krsna in Krsna consciousness, then there is no such bondage. So this Krsna consciousness is not a concocted thing. It is... We have got authority from the Vedas. We have authority from Krsna. We have got authority from Bhagavad-gita. We have got authority by the acaryas, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, all of them, even Sankaracarya, although we differ in some points with Sankaracarya. Sankaracarya has admitted Krsna, bhagavan sa svayam krsna, he has stated. Devakinandana, he has specifically mentioned Krsna, the son of Devaki and Vasudeva, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Narayana parah avyaktat. I think those who have read Sankara's comment on Bhagavad-gita, they know all these things. So Krsna is admitted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all the bona fide acaryas. And all scholars up to date, everyone, and confirmed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And Srimad-Bhagavatam, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. And in the Brahma-samhita, Vedas,
And Krsna says also in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. "My dear Dhananjaya, there is no other superior being than Me."
aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah [Bg. 10.8] Those who are devotees, they are not fools, they are actually a man in knowledge, budha bhava-samanvitah. Bhava-samanvitah means that "Oh, Krsna is so great. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is bhava. But this bhava comes after many, many births. It is not so easy.
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye yatatam api siddhanam kascin mam vetti tattvatah [Bg. 7.3] Without knowing Krsna in truth, not in false but in truth, the bhava is not possible. And Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-gita,
That mahatma which are..., who has accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, su-durlabhah, it is very rare. To become krsna-bhakta, koti (indistinct). Muktanam api siddhanam, koti (indistinct). That is the verdict of the sastra. And Krsna also said it is very, very difficult to understand Krsna. But Krsna Himself as Lord Sri Caitanya, Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is distributing Krsna. He is distributing Himself. Therefore, it has become so easy that these foreigners, these Europeans and American boys, they are not very advanced in age, all young men. All my students and followers in Europe and America, they are ninety-nine percent all young men, young girls. They are not old, rejected persons. They are the flowers of the country. They have joined this movement, and they have taken it seriously. Seriously in this sense that whenever a body comes to me for becoming my disciple, my first principle is that you must give up illicit sex life. You must give up meat eating, fish eating, egg eating, all this nonsense. You must give up gambling. You must give up all kinds of intoxication up to the point of drinking coffee, tea, and smoking. They give up. Therefore, they have taken seriously. Why seriously? These young boys, they have got so many desires in their heart, still they are taking to it, it is Lord Caitanya's mercy. It is Lord Caitanya's mercy because they are following the principles of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself. Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. He established Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but rascals and fools began to imitate Him and decry Him. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because He came as human being, so many persons represented that "I am God, I am Krsna, I am this," no. God is one. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Nobody can become greater than God or equal to God. Therefore, God's another name is asamaurdhva, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Nobody can be equal with God, nobody can be greater than God. Everyone must be... Ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya [Cc. Adi 5.142], that is the statement in the Caitanya-caritamrta. God is only one, Krsna, and everyone is servant. Of course, God's servant and God, there is little difference. Because sometimes servant has got greater power than God, that is different thing. But actually nobody can be greater than God, nobody can be equal to God.
So the Krsna consciousness movement, we are not manufacturing anything. We simply place it that here is Krsna, you are searching after God.
When I first went to America, they were speaking that God is dead. Even church, in the church, the priest in the church, they were sermoning that God is dead. But when I began chanting in the Tompkinson Square alone underneath a tree, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, these boys and girls began to assemble. So next day there was a big publicity in a paper with my picture and all this crowd that they say that "We thought God is dead, but here we see the Swamiji has brought God again in his kirtana, in his chanting." They admitted. The New York published in all their papers. So God cannot be dead. Not that everyone can be God. God is one, and that is Krsna.
These are the Vedic authorities accepted by the acaryas. Therefore, it has become easy for me to convert so many boys and girls in the foreign countries. Not only Christian, Jews, but there are many Mohammedans, Africans. In Africa also we have got branches. And recently I went to Africa, the Africans are also chanting exactly like these European and Americans. So this benediction, this foretelling of Lord Caitanya is actually going to be fulfilled.
So my request is that it is experiment that this Krsna consciousness movement can be spread all over the world and there are many, many customers still awaiting. So if we actually want to do welfare to the people of the world, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,
So India, India at least, those who have taken birth as human being, never mind what he is, he has got special privilege. This land is called punya-bhumi. A not ordinary living entity can take birth in this land, Bharata-varsa. We have got this opportunity. And according to Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction, if we take advantage of the Vedic literature, Veda, Purana, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, anadi bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli gela, ataeva krsna veda purana karila. These Veda Puranas are meant for the human being. We should study these Veda puranas and know what is what, what is God, what I am, what is this world. In this way, we must fructify, make our life successful, and then preach this message of Krsna consciousness.
It is not very difficult. Anyone can do provided he does not make the mistake adulterating the statements of Bhagavad-gita. Those who are adulterating, interpreting in a different way this Bhagavad-gita, they are very mischievous. Therefore, Krsna has already declared, na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Duskrtinah. Those who are not surrendered to Krsna's lotus feet, they have been described by Krsna Himself as Duskrtinah, mischievous. Naradhama, the lowest of the mankind. Mudha, asses, rascals. And if somebody says... We find so many learned scholars, they do not surrender to Krsna, then what is their position? Krsna says, "Yes, mayaya apahrta-jnana." They are learned, so-called learned, but their knowledge has been taken away by maya. So this is the essence of Vedas. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. To understand Krsna and krsna-bhakti is there in everyone's heart. The Caitanya-caritamrta kar says,
The Krsna consciousness is there in everyone's heart. Just like we see the child, three years old child, she is dancing in ecstasy. We have got many children like that, they are chanting. There is no need of higher education to understand. Simply give oral reception to this transcendental vibration. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare. Narottama dasa Thakura says, golokera prema-dhana hari-nama-sankirtana. This hari-nama-sankirtana is not this material vibration like radios and television. It is imported from the Goloka Vrndavana. Therefore, if we are pure, if we chant this vibration, immediately we will be touching Krsna. Immediately. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said. If you chant Hare Krsna mantra without any offense... There are ten kinds of offenses. Apart from that offenses, if you simply chant, then Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], immediately your heart will be cleansed of all nasty, dirty things. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. And you will get immediately freed from this.
Just now one of my students was speaking to me before coming to this that somebody was asking him, "How you are free from all anxieties?" They see. One priest, and... As I was traveling from Hawaii to..., no, from Los Angeles to Hawaii, one gentlemanhe is a priesthe asked me, he began to talk in the airplane for at least half an hour. He said, "Swamiji, how is that your disciples look so bright faces?" Yes, they are bright faces. One priest in Boston, he regretted, he issued regret that "These boys, they are our boys, they are mad after God but we could not give them." So this is practical. Why practical? Because we are following the principles. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Bhava-maha, immediately, the second you will start it, as soon as you go on chanting Hare Krsna mantra, immediately you become free from... Bhava-maha-davagni. Everyone is... Material existence means full of anxieties. That is material existence. And Prahlada Maharaja was asked by his father, "What best thing you have learned, my dear boy?" He said that "If you want to cut down your material anxiety, then you must surrender unto the Lord." Hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta [SB 7.5.5], you must surrender to Krsna. So there are evidences, there are gurus, there is no scarcity of facility, it is very simple, and there is no loss. So our request, our only appeal to the people is that you just follow the principles laid down by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Cc. Adi 17.21] You cannot execute all expensive yajnas or you cannot meditate, that is not possible. Krte yad dhyayato visnum [SB 12.3.52]. That meditation was possible in the Satya-yuga, krte. And tretayam yajato makhaih. And costly performance of sacrifices was possible in the Treta-yuga. And dvapare paricaryayam. In the Dvapara-yuga, it was possible to construct costly temples and worship the Deity there. But in the Kali-yuga, kalau tad dhari-kirtanat. Kali, in the Kali, this age, you have to simply take this process, chanting Hare Krsna mantra. Then all your desires will be fulfilled and your life will be successful. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (applauseend)
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/general/visakhapatnam/february/18/1972 Previous: Lecture -- Delhi, December 13, 1971 Next: Speech at Gaudiya Math Center -- Visakhapatnam, February 19, 1972
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