711110AR.DEL
Arrival Lecture

New Delhi, November 10, 1971
Prabhupada: ...Caitanya Mahaprabhu, param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam: All glories for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna. So this is the verdict of Vedic literature also. When Pariksit Maharaja was talking with Sukadeva Goswami, he described the varieties of follies in this age of kali-yuga. But he pointed out that there is one great benediction in this age. Kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah. The faulty kali-yuga is just like an ocean of miserable condition, but there is one great opportunity. What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Krsna one becomes liberated, and he is elevated to the highest perfection of life. Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. So Lord Caitanya preached this Krsna sankirtana, and He ordered every Indian. It is the duty of every Indian. We should be very much proud of becoming Indian to take our birth on the holy land of India. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. Anyone who has taken birth in this holy land of Bharata-varsa, janma sarthaka kari': just make your life perfect and distribute the knowledge all over the world. Janma sarthaka kari kara para-upakara. Para-upakara. India is meant for doing welfare activities to the world, but we have forgotten that. We are trying to imitate the Western country and technology, and we have thrown out our Vedic treasure-house, our transcendental knowledge treasure-house. So my Guru Maharaja ordered me long, long ago, when I was twenty-five years old, my Guru Maharaja ordered me to go to the foreign countries and preach Lord Caitanya's message. But somehow or other I could not assimilate his order until I was seventy years old. But it was better late than never. So also I was trying how to make a successful tour for preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message. So by the grace of my Guru Maharaja and by your blessings, I went to the Western countries and had such a very good response, very good response. I went there empty handed with forty rupees in my pocket and free ticket, return ticket, by the Scindia Steam Navigation Company. And for one year I had no place to live, I had no money to eat; still I was going here and there. Then in 1966... I went in America in 1965. After struggling for one year, in 1966 I incorporated this Krsna consciousness, International Society for Krsna Consciousness. So some of our friends suggested, "Why not make 'God Consciousness Society'?'' and "No. 'Krsna Consciousness.' If I make 'God Consciousness,' that will be a big task.'' Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Therefore this distinctly should be the society for Krsna consciousness.
So these boys, when I started my class, 26 Second Avenue, some of these students were coming, and then I started my kirtana at the Thompkins Square Park, sitting on the ground floor. These boys and the girls were coming. That was the first publicity, make in the New York Times, about my kirtana, and gradually it developed. Next branch was opened at San Francisco, then at Montreal, then at Boston, Buffalo. In this way now we have sixty-five branches all over the world, and each branch there are maximum two hundred devotees like these, and minimum twenty-five devotees at least. And each branch... At Los Angeles we are spending $20,000 per month, which is in Indian exchange two lakhs of rupees. Similarly, we are spending $10,000 in New York. In this way we have to spend seven lakhs of rupees per month for maintaining all these men, and we have got big, big publication like this. When I went to the Western country I brought only three volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam in the temple of our Sri Krsna Sharma. He gave me shelter there, and I was publishing these books, and actually Lallaji also contributed something for my publication. So in this way I went there with three books. Now we have got over three dozen books, all beautifully published. We have given enough literature to understand Krsna. Krsna can be understood by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu very easily, simply by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra. Simply by chanting. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. But if you want to understand Krsna through philosophy and science, we have got three dozen books. So we can convince you in both ways. If you are illiterate, if you have no knowledge, chant Hare Krsna and you will get your life back. And if you think that you want to understand through science and philosophy, we have got three dozen books. Anyway, you come. That is our appeal. Don't take this movement very, I mean to say, neglectfully. It is very serious movement, Krsna consciousness movement, and it is the duty of all Indians, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted,
There is a great need for this movement. We want hundreds and thousands of preachers to go outside India and preach this cult. And there are customers ready. Wherever we are opening our branches, it appears as if they are awaiting our arrival. Immediately they take up. So there is very great opportunity. You cannot compete with the Western countries by your technology, however you may make some sewing machine or cycle or Ambassador car. They are hundred years ahead. You cannot make any competition by machine. If you can give them anything and glorify your country, then this is this movement, Krsna consciousness. Then they will admit that you have something. Wherever I go, they inquire, "Oh, India is poverty-stricken. Oh, you have come that part.'' India is advertised as poverty. Yes, in comparison to Western country it is simply poverty-stricken. We have not enough food, nor enough, I mean to say, house, and above all you have no milk. India, the land where we hear from Srimad-Bhagavatam that, that the, by the cows' milk in Vrndavana there was muddy ground. And in that India now there is powdered milk.
So my request is that young men, as young men from America, Europe, Canada... Now I am coming via Africa. I was in Nairobi, Mombassa. And the black men, they are also dancing. And they are asking the Indian people there, "Why did you not give us this sublime message so long?'' Because there are many Indians in Nairobi and Mombassa. Unfortunately, our swamis go there, make some collection, and preach that "I am God, you are God. Why you are searching God? Gods are loitering in the street,'' and "Make this gymnastic and you will become God in six months.'' These things are going on. But nobody was interested. Bhagavad-gita was taught in Europe and America for the last one thousand years, many big, big English edition. But never Krsna was presented as He is. But as soon it was presented, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the people are accepting. Immediately they are accepting. (indistinct) Otherwise, if you interpret Bhagavad-gita in your own way, concocted way... Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. By mental concoction, you have to come back to this asat.
So, I will not take much of your time. My appeal to you, to all of you especially, and with the help of these people, my request to you all ladies and gentlemen, (indistinct) please try to understand the potency of this Krsna consciousness movement and make your country... Because Krsna consciousness is in India, it is surprising that India is not serious about Krsna consciousness. I have read in one government paper, Krsna's (indistinct) or something black of origin. And people are sophisticated to worship Him. Such article has been published by the government. And average Indian can read Bhagavad-gita As It Is. This is our intelligence, and there in the government also. So it is very unfortunate that we are not taking care of our own treasure-house of knowledge, and we are trying to get knowledge from technology and be happy. This, there is no question of peace unless you understand Krsna. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:
That is the process of santim, and it is actually helping.
So we shall have more opportunity to explain Lord Krsna. Now questions... (indistinct questions and answers) (end)

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