don't hear from non-devotee

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We should strictly follow this injunction and never try to hear from Mayavadis, impersonalists, voidists, politicians or so-called scholars. Strictly avoiding such inauspicious association, we should simply hear from pure devotees. Srila Rūpa Gosvami therefore recommends, sri-guru-padasrayaḥ: one must seek shelter at the lotus feet of a pure devotee who can be one's guru. Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises that a guru is one who strictly follows the instructions of Bhagavad-gita: yare dekha, tare kaha, 'krsna'-upadesa (Cc. Madhya 7.128). A juggler, a magician or one who speaks nonsense as an academic career is not a guru. Rather, a guru is one who presents Bhagavad-gita, Krsna's instructions, as it is. Sravana is very important; one must hear from the Vaisnava sadhu, guru and sastra. (More...)

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Dharmyaddhi-yuddha. There are two kinds of fighting. Dharma-yuddha... Dharma-yuddha means right, righteous fighting, and adharma-yuddha means political. That is... One politician, he wants to keep his position; he engages the people in fighting, declares war. That is another thing. But when right thing, violence is required. So Arjuna... Krsna is encouraging Arjuna in dharma-yuddha, not unnecessarily killing in the slaughterhouse. Do not misunderstand Krsna. The rascals, they misunderstand. By killing, by his whims, he gives the evidence of... Another rascal, although he is learned professor, he says that because this man has killed on the basis of Bhagavad-gita, therefore Krsna is immoral. Just see. This is going on. Without understanding Bhagavad-gita, even a so-called learned scholar also talking of Krsna as immoral: He has encouraged killing. Just see. Such envious persons. And he is teaching Bhagavad-gita. This is going on. (More...)

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So the process should be to receive the knowledge by disciplic succession, not sporadically hearing sometimes this scholar, hearing sometimes this scholar. "I interpret in my scholarship." No. This thing will not. Our process is, as directed by Sanatana Gosvami, avaisnava-mukhodgirna-pūta-hari-kathamrtam. Hari-katha is amrta. Amrta. But still, it should not be received when it is uttered by some avaisnava. (More...)

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There is a Spiritual Sky. There is another nature that is beyond manifestation and non-manifestation. But how will you know that there is a sky where the planets and inhabitants are eternal? All this knowledge is there, but how will you make experiments? It is not possible. Therefore you have to take the assistance of the Vedas. This is called Vedic knowledge. In our Krsna Consciousness Movement, we are accepting knowledge from the highest authority, Krsna. Krsna is accepted as the highest authority by all classes of men. I am speaking first of the two classes of transcendentalists. One class of transcendentalist is called impersonalist, Maya-vadi. They are generally known as Vedantists, led by Sahkaracarya. And there is another class of transcendentalist, called Vaisnavas, like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnusvami. Both the Sahkara-sampradaya and the Vaisnava-sampradaya have accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sahkaracarya is supposed to be an impersonalist who preached impersonalism, impersonal Brahman, but it is a fact that he is a covered personalist. In his commentary on the Bhagavad-gita he wrote: "Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this cosmic manifestation." And then again he confirms, "That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, is Krsna. He has come as the Son of Devaki and Vasudeva." He has particularly mentioned the names of His father and mother. So Krsna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all transcendentalists. There is no doubt about it. Our source of knowledge in Krsna Consciousness is directly from Krsna, Bhagavad-gita. We have published Bhagavad Gita As It Is, because we accept Krsna as He is speaking without any interpretation. That is Vedic knowledge. Since the Vedic knowledge is pure, we accept it. Whatever Krsna says, we accept. This is Krsna Consciousness. That saves much time. If you accept the right authority or the source of knowledge, then you save much time. For example, there are two systems of knowledge in the material world, inductive and deductive. From deductive, you accept that man is mortal. Your father says man is mortal, your sister says man is mortal, everyone says man is mortal-but you do not experiment. You accept it as fact that man is mortal. If you want to research to find out whether man is mortal, you have to study each and every man, and you may come to think that there may be some man who is not dying, but you have not seen him yet. So in this way your researching will never be finished. This process is called in Sanskrit, aroha, the ascending process. If you want to attain knowledge by any personal endeavor, by exercising your imperfect senses, you will never come to the right conclusions. That is not possible. (More...)

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So therefore bhagavan uvaca. We have to hear from Bhagavan, not from rascals. Then your knowledge is perfect. If you hear from rascals, then you become rascal. Don't hear from any rascal. Hear from Bhagavan and take it and accept it. Then gradually your existence will be purified. Just like if somebody comes... Recently it so happened. There is a big Mayavadi sannyasi in India. His name is Akhandananda Swami. Perhaps you know. Did you know? No. Anyone? Anyway, he is a Mayavadi sannyasi. So Acyutananda Swami went to sell some books in their camp. So his disciple requested him, "Why don't you ask some question from Swamiji?" So he said, "What I have to ask from him?" He was so convinced that "What this rascal can say to me? I know. I have heard from Krsna." This is knowledge. So if you stick to Krsna and hear from Him, you haven't got to hear from any rascal, any rascal. Then you will waste time. Don't hear from any rascal. (More...)

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In this verse the words prahradam grahayam asa are important. The words grahayam asa literally mean that they tried to induce Prahlada Maharaja to accept the paths of dharma, artha and kama (religion, economic development and sense gratification). People are generally preoccupied with these three concerns, without interest in the path of liberation. Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahlada Maharaja, was simply interested in gold and sense enjoyment. The word hiranya means "gold," and kasipu refers to soft cushions and bedding on which people enjoy sense gratification. The word prahlada, however, refers to one who is always joyful in understanding Brahman (brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannatma). Prahlada means prasannatma, always joyful. Prahlada was always joyful in worshiping the Lord, but in accordance with the instructions of Hiranyakasipu, the teachers were interested in teaching him about material things. Materialistic persons think that the path of religion is meant for improving their material conditions. The materialist goes to a temple to worship many varieties of demigods just to receive some benediction to improve his material life. He goes to a sadhu or so-called svami to take advantage of an easy method for achieving material opulence. In the name of religion, the so-called sadhus try to satisfy the senses of the materialists by showing them shortcuts to material opulence. Sometimes they give some talisman or blessing. Sometimes they attract materialistic persons by producing gold. Then they declare themselves God, and foolish materialists are attracted to them for economic development. As a result of this process of cheating, others are reluctant to accept a religious process, and instead they advise people in general to work for material advancement. This is going on all over the world. Not only now but since time immemorial, no one is interested in moksa, liberation. There are four principles-dharma (religion), artha (economic development), kama (sense gratification) and moksa (liberation). People accept religion to become materially opulent. And why should one be materially opulent? For sense gratification. Thus people prefer these three margas, the three paths of materialistic life. No one is interested in liberation, and bhagavad-bhakti, devotional service to the Lord, is above even liberation. Therefore the process of devotional service, Krsna consciousness, is extremely difficult to understand. This will be explained later by Prahlada Maharaja. The teachers Sanḍa and Amarka tried to induce Prahlada Maharaja to accept the materialistic way of life, but actually their attempt was a failure. (More...)

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Prabhupada: Oh, that's all right. That's all right. Never mind. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, asat-sahga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara [Cc Madhya 22.87]. Asat-sahga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara. He, in one line, He said that "First of all, Vaisnava, his business is to avoid the company of asat." Asat means those who are materialistic interested. Asataḥ. Asato ma sad gama. This is very important thing. We have established this Krsna consciousness society-means that to avoid the asat-sahga, to avoid the... Of course, we are preaching Krsna consciousness amongst the people who are interested in material subject matter. But we are not associating with them. We are associating with Krsna, because we don't talk anything except Krsna. We are not interested with their business. Everyone is interested with his own business. Similarly, we are interested with our own business, Krsna consciousness business. Even if we go to a materialistic person, we canvass, "Kindly become our member. Kindly read this book. Purchase this book." So we are not going to take their activities. We are trying to bring them in our activities. (More...)

So asat-sahga-tyaga, vaisnava-acara. The Vaisnava, he should be always careful not to intermingle, means not to take up their ideas and thoughts. No. That is vaisnava-acara. Asat-sahga-tyaga, ei vaisnava. And why they should be avoided? Asat eka stri-sahgi, krsna-abhakta. Who is asat? Asat means those who are very much attached to sense gratification. Sense... The culmination of sense gratification is sex life. So those who are too much attached to sex life, stri-sahgi, and krsna-abhakta, and not devotee of Krsna, they are asat. So those who are actually serious to make advance in spiritual life, they should avoid the asat. (More...)

So if we discriminate like this, then we shall be advancing. Apavarga-vartmani. Taj-josanad asu apavarga-vartmani sraddha bhaktir anukramisyati. Just like if we are diseased, there is infectious disease, epidemic, so we should be careful not to be infected by the infectious disease. Sri Sanatana Gosvami said in Bhakti..., I mean to say, Hari-bhakti-vilasa... He has written one book, "The Behavior of the Vaisnava," Hari-bhakti-vilasa. So in that book he has recommended, avaisnava-mukhodgirnam pūtam hari-kathamrtam, sravanam naiva kartavyam [Padma Purana]. He has said that "One who is not Vaisnava by his behavior, by his action, by his mode of life, if he speaks something from sastra, especially hari-katha..." Hari-katha means Bhagavad-gita, the Puranas, out of which the Bhagavata, Mahapurana. So we should not hear from a professional reader, or avaisnava, or Mayavadi. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has warned, mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa [Cc Madhya 6.169]. If we hear Bhagavad-gita-that is krsna-katha, hari-katha-we should not hear from the Mayavadis or avaisnava. Then it will not be effective. (More...)

There are so many Mayavadis and avaisnava, they practically do not accept Krsna even the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they dare to speak on Bhagavad-gita. Just see the fun. He does not accept Bhagavad-gita as it is, and he wants to comment and give his tika. So you'll never derive any benefit. Therefore here it is said, satam prasahgat. You should hear Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam from the devotees, not from a third-class man. No. Third class means those who are materialistic. So therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has warned that mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa. If you happen to hear from a Mayavadi, impersonalist, who does not accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or does not know what is Krsna, if such person reads Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, you will never derive any benefit. You can go on hearing them for hundreds of years; still, you will never understand what is Krsna. That is forbidden. Sanatana Gosvami has forbidden, that avaisnava-mukhodgirnam pūtam hari-kathamrtam. Hari-katha, talks, discussion on Hari, or Krsna, that is amrta. Amrta means nectarine. If one hears, then he gets his amrta. Amrtatvam. (More...)

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So animitta bhagavati bhaktiḥ siddher gariyasi. That is better than siddhi. Siddhi means self-realization or Brahman realization. Therefore Krsna says also. What Krsna says and what Kapiladeva says, they are the same thing. Therefore here it is also said, bhagavan uvaca. And in the Bhagavad-gita also you will find, bhagavan uvaca. Never said krsna uvaca or kapila uvaca, because They are Bhagavan. So those who are self-realized soul, who know what is Bhagavan, so instead of speaking kapiladeva uvaca, he says, Vyasadeva says... Srimad-Bhagavatam is compiled by Srimad Vyasadeva. So as Bhagavad-gita also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sanjaya, and then, from Sanjaya heard Vyasadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahabharata... So he says, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan uvaca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary man says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavan or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavan. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect. (More...)

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In this regard, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura warns all devotees engaged in broadcasting the Krsna consciousness movement not to speak to the impersonalist Mayavadis who are always determined to oppose such theistic movements. The world is full of Mayavadis and atheists, and the political parties of the world take advantage of Mayavada and other atheistic philosophies to promote materialism. Sometimes they even back a strong party to oppose the Krsna consciousness movement. The Mayavadis and other atheists do not want the Krsna consciousness movement to develop because it educates people in God consciousness. Such is the policy of the atheists. There is no benefit in feeding a snake milk and bananas because the snake will never be satisfied. On the contrary, by taking milk and bananas the snake simply becomes more poisonous (kevalam visa-vardhanam). If a snake is given milk to drink, its poison simply increases. For a similar reason, we should not disclose our minds to the serpent Mayavadis and karmis. Such disclosures will never help. It is best to avoid association with them completely and never ask them about anything confidential because they cannot give good advice. Nor should we extend invitations to Mayavadis and atheists nor accept their invitations, for by such intimate intermingling we may become affected by their atheistic mentality (sahgat sanjayate kamaḥ). It is the negative injunction of this verse that we should refrain from giving anything to or accepting anything from the Mayavadis and atheists. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has also warned, visayira anna khaile dusta haya mana: "By eating food prepared by worldly people, one's mind becomes wicked." Unless one is very advanced, he is unable to utilize everyone's contribution to further the Krsna consciousness movement; therefore on principle one should not accept charity from the Mayavadis or atheists. Indeed, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has forbidden devotees to associate even with ordinary men who are too addicted to material sense gratification. (More...)

Therefore Krsna said that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. This cult, who will understand unless he is devotee? A jnani, yogi cannot understand. It is not possible. Because they are not bhakta, they cannot understand Krsna. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg 18.55]. Krsna never says, "By jnana or by yoga, by karma one can understand Me." No, that is not possible. Therefore jnani, yogi, karmi, they cannot understand. Therefore they are misled. Maya-mohita. Nabhijanati mam ebhyaḥ param avyayam [Bg 7.13]. Tribhir gunamayair bhavaiḥ. Nabhijanati: they cannot understand. Mam ebhyaḥ param avyayam. So Krsna says, therefore, "Preach this cult amongst the devotees." He never said that "Preach this cult amongst the karmis, amongst the jnanis, amongst the yogis." Because they are very unfortunate; they cannot understand Krsna. Mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa [Cc Madhya 6.169]. One who comes in touch with the Mayavadi... Mayavadi means one who thinks Krsna is also in maya. That is called Mayavadi. "Krsna's body is also maya." They are called Mayavadi. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu warns that mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: anyone who listens to the commentary of the Mayavadi philosopher, then his fate is doomed. He is finished. He will never be able to understand bhakti philosophy. It is so poisonous. (More...)

So samsayatma vinasyati. So it is our business to be very, very careful from understanding spiritual life or devotional life from nondevotee class of men. Nondevotee means one who does not accept Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is nondevotee. Krsna abhakta ara. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asked by His one devotee, grhastha devotee, that "What is the primary function of a devotee?" So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said in two lines: asat-sahga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara [Cc Madhya 22.87]. Asat. Asat means those who are nondevotees. They are asat. They are asat. Why asat? Because they will remain in this material world. Therefore they are asat. And those who will go to the spiritual..., those who will be promoted to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead, they are sat, om tat sat, because they are being promoted to the eternal kingdom. That is sat. This is the distinction between asat and sat. Those who will perpetually remain within this material world, they are called asat. The karmis, jnanis and yogis... Yogis, they... Just like... What is that big yogis? That rsi, great rsi? (More...)

The materialist wants to derive some material benefit from his so-called hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Undoubtedly such an audience, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the professional men, can derive some material benefit, but t

The hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam performed by the professional men is different from the transcendental hearing of Maharaja Pariksit. Maharaja Pariksit was a soul realized in the Absolute Truth, Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. The fruitive materialist is not a realized soul; he wants to derive some material benefit from his so-called hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Undoubtedly such an audience, hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from the professional men, can derive some material benefit as desired by them, but that does not mean that such a pretense of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam for a week is as good as that of Maharaja Pariksit. (More...)

It is the duty of the sane to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam from a self-realized soul without being duped by professional men, and one should continue such hearing till the end of one's life so that one can actually have the transcendental association of the Lord and thus be liberated simply by hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam. (More...)

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