before he came to west, not a single devotee

Big, big scholars, they have speculated about Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. Misled, they could not understand. Just like a big politician, Gandhi, he also has Bhagavad-gita in his hand, but he never spoke throughout his whole life that Krsna is worshipable. He never spoke. Have you seen that he has advised that Krsna is worshipable? Never. Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is also so big scholar. He has commented on Bhagavad-gita. Rather, he says, "It is not to Krsna." When Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg 18.65], Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "It is not to Krsna." That is the difficulty. Because they have no mercy of Krsna upon them, they cannot understand Krsna. Naham prakasaḥ sarvasya yogamaya-samavrtaḥ [Bg 7.25].    (More...)

This is a verse, it is said, "My dear Lord, Your lotus feet," padambuja-dvaya, "can be understood by a person who has received a little favor of You." Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi: "One who has received little favor, he can understand You." And what for others? "For others," na ca anya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan, "if they speculate for millions of years, still, they will not be able to understand." Just like in your country Bhagavad-gita was being read for the last two hundred, three hundred years. So many scholars, so many Indian scholar or American, they have written Bhagavad-gita. But not a single person understood Krsna. Not a single person. But now, when they are reading Bhagavad-gita As It Is, they are understanding by the mercy of God. The mercy is shown if you follow the process, authoritative process. Prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi. One who has received a little, minute quantity of the favor of Krsna, he can understand Krsna. And others, if they go on speculating for millions of years, they will not be able to. This is a fact. Therefore He is called Adhoksaja. So our Krsna consciousness movement is the authorized process by which you can understand Krsna, the Supreme Lord. By other methods it is not possible. Krsna personally says,    (More...)

So it is the business of the guru to clear up these designations, dirty things. Therefore, vande gurūn isam. Guru, first offering, because he is the agent of Krsna. Krsna said that "You give up all these designative dharma; take to real dharma." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg 18.66]. "That is your real business." But even Krsna... Krsna does not fail, but Krsna does not force. So even upon the request of Krsna we do not give up our designation. This is the difficulty. Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja, and nobody, practically, except the Panḍavas and few other devotees, nobody took it seriously. And what to speak of now. They are talking of Bhagavad-gita, scholars of Bhagavad-gita, but without Krsna. That is their business. These demons, they are preaching Bhagavad-gita without Krsna. Nobody preaches about Krsna. Nobody says what Krsna wants. Sarva-dharman parityajya. Krsna wants this, but they are misinterpreting in different way and diverting the attention of the people most foolishly, that... In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna is the center. So this is going on. You know; you are coming all from foreign countries. Bhagavad-gita is popular in your country, at least amongst the scholars and theosophists and theologists, going on, for the last two hundred years at least. But nobody understood Krsna. That is the difference. Now for the last, say, five or ten years, because we are presenting Krsna as it is, it has become very easy for you to accept it. Unadulterated Krsna.    (More...)

So if you don't go through Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it will be very difficult to understand Krsna. That is practical. Just like you young boys and girls from Western countries. You have taken up Krsna so seriously. Why? Because we are trying to understand Krsna through Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So we should follow this principle. There will be no difficulty to understand Krsna. And as soon as you understand Krsna, your life is successful. Of course, we cannot understand Krsna fully. As far as possible, at least if we understand that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this much is sufficient. This much is sufficient. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattaḥ parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg 7.7]. Aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg 10.8]. Aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. These things are there, already stated, but the so-called scholars and politicians, they misinterpret in a different way and mislead the people. That is going on. Therefore, in spite of Bhagavad-gita being read all over the world for the last two hundred years, not a single person became a devotee of Krsna. This is the defect. So let us try to understand Krsna through Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and as we have repeatedly said, that through Caitanya Mahaprabhu you understand Krsna and spread this cult all over the world. People are suffering for want of knowledge of Krsna.    (More...)