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661116BG.NY
Bhagavad-gita 8.14-15

New York, November 16, 1966
Prabhupada:
Last day we have been discussing the, how the impersonalists, they transfer themselves in the spiritual kingdom. The yogis and the jnanis, they are generally impersonalists. So for them, the processat the time of death, they vibrate the transcendental sound om, omkara, and by that way they transfer to the spiritual world, but they do not enter into the spiritual planet. This point we have discussed. And the risk is that if we do not have any rest in the spiritual planet, if we remain in the outer space only, then there is risk of coming down again in this material world.
The Bhagavata confirms it:
ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah
[SB 10.2.32]
It is said that "Persons who are interested of becoming liberated," ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninah, "simply by the concept of impersonal merging into the spiritual existence," so ye 'nye 'ravindaksa, "they consider themselves that they are liberated." That is also point of liberation, but the Bhagavata says that "Although they consider themself as liberated, the avisuddha-buddhayah..." Avisuddha means their knowledge is not very pure, not yet pure. Avisuddha-buddhayah. The result is aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah: [SB 10.2.32] "They can rise up to the Supreme Absolute platform by their penances and austerities, meditation." That is right. They can reach to that platform. Aruhya krcchrena. Aruhya krcchrena means "raising themselves, elevating themselves by severe penances to that platform," aruhya krcchrena param padam [SB 10.2.32], the Supreme Absolute platform. But patanty adhah: "They again fall down in this material world." Why? Anadrta: "Because they have not taken seriously about Your personal feature." Anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah: "Without worshiping Your lotus feet, the result is that they come down again in this material world."
Just like however you may rise in this material space, five thousand feet or any, if you have no rest in any planet, then naturally you'll come down again, naturally, because you have no rest. So in the spiritual effulgence, if we do not have any rest, then we are sure to come back again down. The reason isthat I have already explainedthat our life... We, as living entities, we are part and parcel of the Supreme, sac-cid-ananda. We want pleasure. So impersonal feature does not give us that pleasure which we want, which is our demand. That pleasure is available in the spiritual planets. If you enter in any of the spiritual planets, then that spiritual happiness and exchange of pleasure you can attain. Therefore the Lord says, Krsna, ananya-cetah satatam yo mam smarati nityasah: "A person without any deviation..." Ananya-cetah. Without any consideration of jnana, yoga, or any other process... Simply devotional process, simply surrendered process... "My Lord, I am Your eternal servant. Please give me Your service. Let me engage. Let me be engaged in Your service." This is called ananya-cetah. Ananya-cetah satatam. Satatam means always, twenty-four hours, cent percent, without any deviation. This is Krsna consciousness. If anyone is engaged in such Krsna consciousness, twenty-four hours and cent percent, then yo mam smarati nityasah, always remembering... Suppose if you are engaged in some work, naturally you'll be thinking of that particular work. When you go to your office and work, oh, you have to think always of the office business. That is quite natural. Similarly, if you engage yourself in the business of Krsna consciousness, naturally you'll be always thinking of Krsna. Therefore it is said, yo mam smarati nityasah: "Always remembering Me." Tasyaham sulabhah partha: [Bg. 8.14] "My dear Partha, Arjuna, for him I am very cheap." Sulabhah means very easily available.
God, Krsna, is called Ajita. Ajita means nobody can conquer God. Therefore His name is Ajita. Just like God has innumerable... He is unlimited, and His functions and activities are unlimited. And according to His activities, His names are also unlimited. So this is one of the names, Ajita. Ajita means "the personality who is never conquered." Nobody can conquer Him. Therefore His name is Ajita. So there is a very nice verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam,
Brahma is praying Lord Krsna in this way, that "A person," jnane prayasam udapasya, "giving up the futile endeavor to understand the Supreme by one's limited knowledge..." Give. Give up this attempt. Jnane prayasam. Jnane prayasam means that the theosophists, the philosophers, they are trying years after years, life after years"What is God? What is God? What is the Absolute Truth?" Just like we throw sputniks"How much the space is length and breadth?" This is frog philosophy. Just like several times I have recited: A frog is measuring the length and breadth of Atlantic Ocean. You see? A frog, whose life is within the well, three feet, three cubic feet, measurement, he's trying to measure what is the length and breadth of Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. Similarly, our attempt to measure how far this outer space isjust like that, futile. And what to speak of this, speak of this space, our measurement of our limited knowledge... With the limited knowledge, if we want to know how far, how much long and short is God, it is a futile attempt, futile at... It is not possible. So Bhagavata recommends, jnane prayasam udapasya: "Just give up this nonsense habit, to measure the Supreme." It is not possible.
So jnane prayasam udapasya. A person who has taken this determination, that "It is futile. It is useless to try to understand what is God by my limited knowledge," he's a..., he's an intelligent man who takes this decision. So jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva: "Just become submissive. Just try to understand your position that you are very insignificant segment in this material world or in the creation." Namanta eva: "Just become submissive." Jnane prayasam: "Giving up this endeavor to understand the Supreme by one's limited knowledge and just become submissive."
Then? What is the process? San-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam: "You just try to understand the Supreme from the reliable source." San-mukharitam. Sat-mukharitam. Mukharita means from the lips, from the lips of realized souls. Just like Arjuna is understanding about God from direct Krsna, from the lips of Krsna. Svayam padmanabha-mukham, mukha-nihsrtah. So this is the process. So similarly, if we understand about God through the lips of Arjuna or his bona fide representative, that is the process. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva: "Submissively, one who tries to understand the transcendental nature of God from the reliable source..." Sthane sthitah. Never mind what he is. Never mind what he is. Either Indian or European or American or Japanese or Hindu or Muslim, never mind. So sthane sthitah: "Just be situated in your place. That doesn't matter." Sruti-gatam: "Just try to understand through your ears by aural reception, aural reception." San-mukharitam, sruti-gatam. Sruti means this ear, reception through the ear. San-mukharitam sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. Then just try to practice it in your practical life. Tanu-van-manobhir ye prayasah ajita: "My dear Lord, You are unconquerable, but by this person, You become conquered, simply by hearing." It is such a nice process. God is not conquerable, but He becomes conquerable, He is conquered, by a devotee who gives up this nonsense process of understanding Him by his limited knowledge and becomes submissive. And just try to hear from the right source, and try to appear, apply in your life. Then you become a conqueror of the Supreme.
So similarly, Lord Krsna also says that tasyaham sulabhah. Sulabhah means "I am easily available." God is not easily available. It is very difficult. "But for a person who is constantly in Krsna consciousness," the Lord says Himself, "for him, I am easily available, easily available." So why don't you take up this process? There is another nice verse in the Brahma-samhita that... Just, I forget. The purport is that a person, if he tries to understand by his sensual process... This is called sensual, aroha-pantha. Aroha-pantha means trying to ascend, trying to ascend. There are two kinds of ways to understand knowledge. One process is aroha-pantha, ascending process, and another process is descending process. Descending process. What is that aroha-pantha? Aroha-pantha means that "I shall understand what is God by my own knowledge. I don't care for any authority, any books. I'll understand, I'll meditate, I'll think, I'll philosophize, and I'll understand what is God." This is called aroha-pantha. And against this, there is avaroha-pantha. Avaroha-pantha means getting knowledge from the authority.
There are two processes. Now, out of these two processes, the aroha-pantha, one who is trying to understand the Supreme by his own limited knowledge, for him, it is said in the Brahma-samhita,
panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam
so 'py asti yat prapada-simny avicintya-tattve
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.34]
Now, panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyah. By the ascending process, if anyone makes progress with the speed of mind and speed of air... You, you know the speed of mind, how it is powerful. You are sitting here, and you can think of thousands and thousands and thousands of miles away immediately. Just see the speed of mind. Similarly, the velocity of air is very thousands of miles in a second, velocity of air. So the example is given here that if anyone traverses on the path of ascending process with the velocity of mind and air... Panthas tu koti-sata-vat... And if he makes progress not only for one day, two days, three days, one monthkoti-sata-vatsara, millions and millions of years, if he goes in that speed... Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manasah [Bs. 5.34]. Vayu. Vayu means air. By the airplane or sputnik, or by the speed of the mind, if he makes progress... Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam. And not very ordinary man, but muni-pungava. Muni-pungava means the highest thoughtful. Pungava means the greatest, and a muni means thoughtful, thinker. If he goes on for millions of years in the speed of mind and speed of air, still, he will find still not knowable, not knowable. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam, so 'py asti yat prapada-simny avicintya-tattve [Bs. 5.34]. Still the subject matter remains inconceivable, inconceivable, not definite.
But here is the definite information. Just in the Bhagavad-gita we understand that ananya-cetah, ananya-cetah, without any deviation from this path of Krsna consciousness, without any deviation from the devotional service in submission, if anyone thinks always of Krsna... Krsna says, tasyaham sulabhah. Sulabha means "I am very easily available for him." Tasyaham sulabhah partha. "Why? Why You are so...? Why You become so cheap to this person?" Because nitya-yuktasya yoginah. "Oh, he is constantly... Twenty-four hours, he's engaged in My service. I cannot forget him." This is... This is the process. Just become submissive and attract the attention of God. Then you'll be successful. Just try to... My Guru Maharaja used to say that "Don't try to see God. You work in such a way that God will see you. God will take care of you. Don't try to see God." This is the process. "I want to see God. Oh, God please come and stand before me," oh, just like He's my servant. God is no one's servant. You have to oblige Him by your love, by your service. That is the process. Here it is..., tasyaham sulabhah partha. Anyone who is engaged in that way, in that submissive way, always, constantly, without any deviation, in Krsna consciousness, oh, for him, God is very cheap, although He's not..., He is unconquerable.
So take this process, Krsna consciousness. Very easy. This process is given to the humanity by Lord Caitanya, and Rupa Gosvami, the first disciple of Lord Caitanya, he appreciated it. He was a minister in the service of the..., then Muhammadan kingdom. And he become a disciple of Lord Caitanya. And when he first met Him, oh, he offered himself with this verse, nice verse,
"My dear Lord Caitanya, You are the most munificent personality, most charitable, the highest charitable person." Why? "You are delivering Krsna very cheaply. You are delivering Krsna very cheaply. Therefore nobody is comparable with Your charity." We want Krsna. The whole... We are hankering after Krsna, the most attractive, the most beautiful, the most opulent, the most powerful, the most learned and the most beautiful. That is our hankering. We are hankering after the beauty, the powerful, the learned. So raso vai. Krsna is the reservoir of everything. You just turn your attention to Krsna. You'll get everything, everything, whatever your want. Whatever you heart's desire, it will be fulfilled by this Krsna consciousness.
So this Krsna consciousness was given by Lord Caitanya. Therefore He's, I mean to say, recommended... He's called that namo maha-vadanyaya: "Oh, You are the most powerful, charitable personality. Nobody has given such a thingKrsna." Because we are all in want of Krsna. So that is the process given by Krsna Himself. And here Krsna says that "I am..." Tasyaham sulabhah partha: "I am... I become very cheap to him." Whom? "One who is constantly engaged in Krsna consciousness." And if you remain twenty-four hours in Krsna consciousness, thenjust like the impersonalists, the yogis, the jnanis, they transfer themselves to the spiritual world in the..., and merge into the impersonal effulgenceyou enter into the planet where Krsna is. Then what is the benefit? You can ask, "Well, suppose I do this and enter into the Krsna planet, then what is the benefit?" The benefit is stated in the next verse, mam upetya punar janma...
"My dear Arjuna, if anyone comes to Me," mam upetya, "by this process, by Krsna consciousness, then the result is," punar janma duhkhalayam asasvatam, na apnuvanti, "he does not get any more to come back into this material world full of miseries."
This material world is certified by the Supreme Lord, the creator, as duhkhalayam. Duhkhalayam means "the place of miseries." And how you can make it comfortable? Can you make it comfortable by your so-called advancement of science? No. It is not possible. But we do not know what is duhkha, or what is suffering. Real duhkha is, real suffering is, birth and death, old age and disease. But we have set aside. Because we cannot make solution of these things, we don't care for it. We are after sputnik and atomic bomb. That is our scientific advancement. Why don't you solve these important things, which is giving me always suffering? They have no power. So here is the solution, that Krsna says, mam upetya punar janma: [Bg. 8.15] "If anyone attains into My platform, then he does not come back again," punar janma, "rebirth again." Where? Duhkhalayam asasvatam: "This place, full of miseries, full of..."
Just try to understand that this place is full of miseries. There... In the modes of ignorance we cannot understand. Just like the cats and dogs and hogs, they cannot understand that what miserable condition of life they are pulling on, similarly, human... A human being is called rational animal. They are animal, but at the same time, they have got the rationality. But that rationality is being used in the purpose of animal propensities. That rationality is not being used how to get liberated from this miserable condition. That is a misuse of rationality. So here is the solution. Krsna says that "If anyone remains in Krsna consciousness, twenty-four hours, without any deviation, the result is that he comes to Me. And if he once comes to Me," mam upetya punar janma duhkhalayam asasvatam, napnuvanti [Bg. 8.15], "he does not get again rebirth of this miserable life." Why? Now, mahatmanah samsiddhim paramam gatah: "They are great souls, and they have achieved the highest goal of life."
So this is the highest goal of life. We should know our self-interest to achieve this highest goal of life, not temporary dolls. You see? Children are captivated by temporary dolls, but not a sane man... (end)

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