Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. In the previous verse it has been said, tattvatah. Not superficially. If we study Krsna superficially, then I shall accept another rascal, competitor of Krsna. Because we do not know what is Krsna. Mudhah. Avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11]. Therefore in the Caitanya-caritamrta it has been described,

In the Brahma-samhita, the greatness of Krsna is described. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. If we study Brahma-samhita...

This is another explanation of Krsna's greatness, that by His one plenary expansion, eko 'py asau racayitum, one plenary expansion is maintaining the whole material creation. Eko 'py asau racayitum. Just to create this material world. One plenary expansion. Eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim [Bs. 5.35]. Not only one, but millions of jagad-anda, universes. By His one plenary...

In Bhagavad-gita also it is confirmed,

So this is greatness of Krsna. This Maha-Visnu is only kala-visesah. Visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-visesah. Kala means portion of the plenary portion. That is called kala. Amsa means plenary portion. And kala means... So all the incarnation of Visnu... And Krsna described in the Srimad Bhagavad, Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Third Chapter. And at the conclusion it is said, ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Krsna's name is also there, but just to make distinction between all the avataras and Krsna, it is concluded: ete, all of them are, ca amsa, some of them are plenary portions, some of them, portion of the plenary portion. In this, they are situated. But the name Krsna which is there, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam... That is stated.

So we have to study. If we are serious student of Krsna, then in the sastras everything is there. So when we understand the greatness of Krsna, then we become more attached. More attached. The greatness attracts. Suppose a man is very exalted position. He attracts the attention. Similarly, if we know the greatness of... One who does not know the greatness of Krsna, he thinks Krsna, "Yes,... That kupa-manduka-nyaya, Doctor Frog: "Maybe little greater than me. That's all." Avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11]. Such person thinks Krsna as one of them, and therefore it has become a very fashionable thing to become Krsna's avatara, very cheaply. No. They do not know actually what is Krsna's position.

Krsna's position, if one understands, then he is liberated person. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. He's liberated person. Even in this body. Simply by knowing how great Krsna is. Simply by knowing this fact, how Krsna... Then one understands that mattah sarvam pravartate. Iti matva bhajante mam... Then our bhajana for Krsna's service will become very much fixed-up and determined. Budha bhava-samanvitah [Bg. 10.8]. This is bhava. Bhava means... One can understand very easily. When you are fully conscious of something, greatness, "Oh, Krsna is so great," that is called bhava. That can be understood. It is not very difficult. Because in the sastras everything is there about Krsna. Simply we have to take it, accept it.

And if we do not believe sastras, then there is no, I mean, use of understanding Krsna. Sastra-caksusa. You have to see... Krsna is adhoksaja, beyond the perception, sense perception. But through the sastra we can understand little bit of Krsna. It is very difficult to know. We cannot understand. Krsna is unlimited. We are limited. Still, whatever limited power we have got, we can understand Krsna if we follow the sastra, sadhu and guru. Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya tinete kariya aikya.

So this bhava stage has to be attained. It is not that artificially we come to the bhava stage. No. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodha man-maya mam upasritah [Bg. 4.10]. These are the qualifications. Krsna is personally saying. Not all of a sudden we can understand Krsna. Vita-raga. The first qualification is to be detached from... Our present qualification is we are too much attached to this material sense enjoyment. Material life means sense enjoyment. Therefore we have to reduce the sense enjoyment by tapasya. Tapasya. Sense enjoyment is not controlled all of a sudden. Tapasa brahmacaryena tyagena sauca...saucena yamena niyamena [SB 6.1.13]. These are the statements. But if you take the devotional service, then everything become very easy to follow, tapasa. Brahmacaryena [SB 6.1.13].

Just like we are advising our student not to have illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This is tapasya. Because everyone is prone to all these things. Everyone likes illicit sex. Everyone likes to eat meat. Loke vyavayamisa-madya-seva nitya hi jantoh. Jantoh, jantu means animal, or ignorant person. A person who has no knowledge, he also a jantu, animal. So vyavayamisa-madya-sevah. Sex life and meat-eating, amisa, and madya-sevah, intoxicant, and natural tendency. Pravrttir esa bhutanam. This is pravrtti. They have got inclination. That is material life. Amisa-madya-sevah. But they have to be controlled by tapasya. That is tapasya. If because I have got this inclination, I have got a desire to drink or have intoxication, therefore I shall take it.... There is a Bengali song, cakse yadi lage bhala kena dekha na:(?) "Now if I, my eyes like to see it, why shall I not see?" This is sense enjoyment. This is animalism.

But when you can control them, that is humanity. Therefore laws are made for the human being, not for the animals. I have several times explained. When there is law on the street, "Keep to the left," it is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs and cows. Say, if the cat, dog, goes to the left or right against the police direction, he's not punished. Because he's animal. Or a child. If he trespasses. But if an adult person transgresses the law, he'll be punished. So the human life has got responsibility.

What is that responsibility? Tapasya. Here it is said, jnana-tapasa putah, purified. Jnana, knowledge, and tapasya. Then he's purified. Not that "You can do whatever you like. It has nothing to do with the religion." There are so many rascals" program. "You can eat anything. You can do anything, and still you become a Vedantist." This kind of rascal Vedantists are going on. But here it is said by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, jnana-tapasa. Jnana-tapasa puta mad-bhavam. Without knowledge, without tapasya, you cannot make any spiritual progress. Not by simple words. That is not possible. Because in the previous verse it has been said that janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. So how one can come to Krsna? Mam eti. That is being described. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodha man-maya mam upasritah [Bg. 4.10]. Mam upasritah, to take shelter of Krsna. To become a devotee of Krsna, to become Krsna conscious.

Therefore we are canvassing. We are going door to door, country to country, continent to continent, city to city, village to village, "Please become Krsna conscious." We are teaching them how you can be happy, vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah [Bg. 2.56], how you can be a man of knowledge. That is our business. It is not very difficult. The examples are here. These Europeans, American boys and girls, four or five years ago, they were different persons. But how they have taken to it? People are surprised. Because they have followed what we have said according to the sastra. They have followed, and they are following. They are trying to follow, sincerely. Therefore they are making progress.

So anyone who will follow these principles, how to come the stage of bhava... Budha bhava-samanvitah. There is process. Rupa Gosvami has said how to come to the stage of bhava. Bhava means just the immediate stage before the stage of love of Godhead. That is the perfection. Prema pum-artho mahan. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us to become mad after God, Krsna. That is perfection of love. That is perfection. Just... Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed by His example how He was mad after Krsna. He's Krsna Himself, but He's teaching us how to become bhava, budha bhava-samanvitah. He taught us.

Therefore Rupa Gosvami offered his respect to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne. "Sir, You are Krsna, but You have now assumed the name of Sri Krsna Caitanya." Krsna Caitanya. Krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne. "And You are so munificent." Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. So this bhava stage can be attained if we follow Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's way of life. And what is that? Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu's way of life? His way of life He has described in His Siksastaka: param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. He personally performed sankirtana-yajna, and He taught everyone

Very simple thing. It does not cost anything. If you chant Hare Krsna mantra, there is no loss on your part. It does not cost you. It does not make you obliged to undergo so many severe penalties. No. You can chant at any moment. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31].

We have seen practically. These boys, although they are very young, you'll find they have got these beads. I have asked them to chant always. They are chanting as far as possible. So this, this process has to be adopted. If you're actually serious to understand Krsna. And if you do not try to understand Krsna, then you are making suicide. Atma-han. They have been described in the sastra: atma-han. If I cut my throat, my self, then who can save me? So people do not understand it. And Narottama dasa Thakura, who understands, he has sung, hari hari biphale janama gonainu, manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya, janiya suniya bisa khainu. So it is our duty, of course, as servant of Krsna, to awaken everyone to Krsna consciousness by this process of sankirtana movement, but people should take it very seriously, that without taking to Krsna consciousness, one is making suicide, he's cutting his own throat, or drinking poison. If you like to drink poison, no can, nobody can check you. That's a fact. If you want to cut your throat, your own self, nobody can check you.

But this is not very good business. We have got this human form of life to understand Krsna. That is the, our only business. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching. And Krsna is teaching personally in the Bhagavad-gita. Why should we not take advantage of these things and make our life successful? Why we should be so much foolish? But they are. I do not why they are not taking to Krsna consciousness. They'll take to so many other bogus things, but they will not take Krsna.

Anyway, if one is serious, then he has to follow this principle. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah [Bg. 2.56]. Bhaya-krodhah. Bhaya means fearfulness. That is one of the qualifications of conditioned life. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna. Four things. So long we are in conditioned stage, this material body, these things are demands. To eat and to sleep and to become fearful, defend, defend and, ahara-nidra, and maithuna, sexual intercourse. These are the four demands of this material body.

And everyone is busy. How to eat... You'll find in Bombay city so many restaurants. Every step a restaurant. Eating. That is going on. Every city, all over the world. Everywhere. Eating. And then sleeping. Nice apartment. And then defense measure. And then very happily have sexual intercourse. These are the demands.

So tapasya means to reduce these. That is tapasya. Tapasya... This is the general demand of the body, and if you want to be free from this material bondage, then you have to undergo tapasya. Tapasya means these demands of the body voluntarily reducing and coming to the point of nil. That is liberation. That is tapasya. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodha man-maya mam upasritah [Bg. 4.10]. But here, very nicely Krsna de... It can be, tapasya can be executed very easily if one becomes man-maya, always thinking of Krsna. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Man-maya.

And mam upasritah, and taking shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna. Mam... Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. As soon as you become submitted... Samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh. This is the description given in Bhagavata. Anyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, Murari... Krsna's another name is Murari. He's punya-yasah. If we chant Krsna's name, then at least we become pious. Because we are all sinful. By chanting Hare Krsna mantra offenselessly, you immediately become purified. If you do not commit again sinful activities.

Therefore there are ten kinds of offenses. If we avoid the offenses and chant, then immediately we become mukta-purusa. Immediately. But our habit we have got, to commit sinful activities. So this is not... Namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. If one thinks that "I am chanting Hare Krsna mantra, so my sinful resultant actions are now nullified. Now again let me do it. Again I shall nullify." This is greatest offense. This is greatest offense. Out of ten offenses, this is the greatest offense. Namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhih.

So everything requires sincerity. Otherwise things are not very difficult. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodha man-maya mam upasritah, bahavah [Bg. 4.10]. Krsna says, bahavah. Not that one or two. Anyone... "Many who have adopted this means..." Then jnana-tapasa putah: "By knowledge and tapasya, they became purified, and then..." What is that? Mad-bhavam agatah. Then come to the stage of bhava. So to learn this art one, must be first... Just like we are hearing. If one determines, so why not adopt this means? Vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah [Bg. 2.56], jnana-tapasa putah. "Why I am suffering?" Krsna is advising. Why not take this step? Then Krsna will help you. As soon as you decide to accept this means, Krsna will help you. Krsna will help you... He'll give you good assistance.

So Rupa Gosvami is giving us direction how to come to the bhava stage. Adau sraddha. First of all, first thing is sraddha. Sraddha means faith, firm faith. Sraddha has been explained by Caitanya-caritamrta:

If I have got intention, "Why not this? Why not that? Why not this? Why not that?" then that is not sraddha even. That is not sraddha. Sraddha means firm conviction. So sraddha-sabde... So adau sraddha.

Then next stage is: tatah sadhu-sangah. If you have got sraddha, "Yes, I want Krsna in this life. I must do anything required," then that determination is called sraddha. Then if you want to develop that determination, then you should associate with sadhu. Who is sadhu? Sadhu... Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. That is sadhu. Api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak.

It doesn't matter if he has got some bodily faults. He's accustomed in a different atmosphere. Even though he has got some habituated faults. But if his only qualification is firmly fixed up in devotional service to Krsna, he's sadhu. Sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. Krsna says. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. Titiksava. Sadhu is titiksava. He has to tolerate so many things, criticism, opposing elements.

Because sadhu cannot sit down idly. Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. He is engaged fully in Krsna's service. So Krsna's service is not sitting idly. Krsna wants to spread the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita everywhere. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

But we are sacrificing this birthright, Bharata-varsa. Oh, we are misled in such a way that we are forgetting, trying to forget Krsna: "Throw away these sastras. Throw away these ... Throw away... And put all impediments to the Krsna conscious movement." This is our misfortune. Actually, every Indian is Krsna conscious. Sometimes they ask me in foreign countries that "How many Krsna conscious people are there in India." And cent percent, all. Even Mohammedans. What to speak of the Hindus.

So we should take this opportunity, Krsna consciousness. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. This association, society, of sadhus, who have dedicated their life for understanding Krsna, for serving Krsna, they are sadhu. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu... tatah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya. By sadhu-sanga [Cc. Madhya 22.83] means next stage is how to adopt devotional life.

These boys, these girls, gradually they came. First of all they were hearing, Then they came forward, "Please make me your disciple." That means "Under your direction my bhajana-kriya will go." This is called bhajana-kriya, under the direction of the spiritual master. Then anartha-nivrttih syat. Anartha means things which are not wanted. We are accustomed to so many things, rascal things, which is not at all wanted. But we have been accustomed. By bad association.

Take, for example, one smokes. Nobody learns smoking from the birth. By bad association one learns how to smoke. Similarly drinking, similarly meat-eating. Because from the birth we require milk, not meat-eating. But then after all we understand that "Beef is very nice. There must be a beef shop." And... This is going on. You see? These are anarthas, not required. You require simple food: rice, wheat, little milk, vegetable, and little sugar. That's all. You don't require all these nonsense. But you have been habituated.

But if we become bhajana-kriya, you come to the practice of devotional service, naturally you have to give up. Because we accept a disciple to engage in the bhajana-kriyafirst of all he must give up these anarthas. So these anarthas, one cannot giving up smoking or drinking, but actually, if he takes to devotional service, he can very easily give up. He can very easily give up. There are so many examples. It is not story. So if there is bhajana-kriya sincerely, then the anartha-nivrtti automatically becomes. Then you become clean. Here it is said, jnana-tapasa putah, purified. Jnana-tapasa.

Knowledge is there that "I am a spirit soul. I am part and parcel of Krsna. And Krsna is the Supreme. Therefore my business is to serve Krsna." This is jnana. And if one does not know this, he is rascal. That's all. No jnana. This is jnana. Therefore it is confirmed by Krsna: bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. Jnana means he must surrender to Krsna. That is jnana.

And so long one does not reach to this point, surrender to Krsna, he's a rascal. That's all. Mudha. Na mam prapadyante mudhah, duskrtino naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. That is his qualification. One who has not surrendered to Krsna, then he is duskrtinah, mudhah, naradhamah... "No, no. He's M.A., Ph.D." Mayayapahrta-jnanah. His knowledge has no value. Useless. Mayayapahrta-jnanah. Srama eva hi kevalam. That is the verdict of the sastras.

Then attachment. As soon as you get attachment for Krsna, naturally, vita-raga, you give up attachment for your material life. Vita-raga. Unless you have got attachment for Krsna, you cannot up attachment of this material sense gratification. That is not possible. Param drstva nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. By force, you cannot train a person that "You must be refraining from all these things." No, it is not possible. Vita-raga means when you increase raga for Krsna, then you can become vita-raga. Param drstva ni... That if you get rasagulla, you can give up gur. Gur is also sweet, and rasagulla is sweet. But if somebody says that "Why you are eating gur...?" Or something else. "Here is nice rasagulla." Similarly, unless we get better things... Better things...

Krsna is better thing, there is no need of proof. These European boys and girls, they have not come to me for better money. Because money is considered the best thing in the world, but they have enjoyed all these things. Therefore they are no more after money accumulation. They are after Krsna. Param drstva nivartate. They can earn. They have dedicated their life. They're doing everything for me. They could earn in their country thousands of dollars. Thousands of doll... Any man can earn any day twenty-five dollars minimum. And twenty-five dollars means two hundred and fifty rupees per day. So they can get so much money. Why they have sacrificed everything? They have sacrificed their money. They have sacrificed their intoxication habit. They have sacrificed their illicit sex life. They have sacrificed their gambling life. Why? Param drstva nivartate. Because they have understood little trayate mahato bhayat.

Such things, the Krsna consciousness movement. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah [Bg. 2.56]. And you become fearless. You fearless. Even so many incidences happened in this spot, why they are fearless? Because they had attachment for Krsna. This boy was threatened for life, but still he stood, fearless. Vita-raga... (end)