Prabhupada: Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this Krsna Consciousness Movement. We are speaking here for the last one week, so it is very encouraging that we are reviving the dormant Krsna consciousness of our brothers and sisters in India.

This Krsna Consciousness Movement is to be learned from the very childhood. So far personally we are concerned, my father taught me this Krsna consciousness from the very childhood. My father was a great Vaisnava, and I had the opportunity of taking birth in that family. So he gave me lessons of this Krsna consciousness from the very beginning of my life. He gave me mrdanga. He engaged a teacher for learning mrdanga playing. Sometimes my mother was irritated. But somehow or other, I got the inspiration from my father worshiping a small Radha-Krsna Deity. So Prahlada Maharaja says, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. Actually the students, the children, should be given chance to become Krsna conscious. That is the duty of the state, that is the duty of the parents, that is the duty of the guru, that is the duty of kinsmen. That is the instruction given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat, pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat, na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. This human form of life, as Prahlada Maharaja says, durlabham manusam janma. Durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. This human form of life is obtained after many, many millions and millions of births, evolutionary process. We have already discussed this point. So that is the Vedic civilization, that a human being should be given chance to understand this Bhagavata-dharma, Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness means Bhagavata-dharma.

So Prahlada Maharaja recommends, kaumaram acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha. From the childhood. It is not that it is reserved for our old-age occupation. Sometimes we think like that, that "At the present moment we are young. Let us enjoy life. And at the old age, when you are old enough, preparing for death, at that time we may try to understand what is Krsna consciousness or Bhagavata-dharma." But Prahlada Maharaja says no. The children should be taught from the age, as we send our children to school in minor age, similarly we should send our children to understand this Bhagavata-dharma. I am very pleased, I have seen practically in this Delhi that the Muslim children are given instruction of Koran from very early age. Actually, this should be done for everyone. I am very pleased. Not I am pleased, I may please or not, but that is the way of life. A human child should be given instruction about Krsna consciousness from the very beginning, and that was our Vedic system, brahmacari. Brahmacari should go to the house of the teacher or spiritual master at the age of five years old, and he should remain there for twenty years to understand the value of life. And the brahmacari would accept any kind of menial work for satisfying the spiritual master. It is stated that nicayeva, just like menial servant. The brahmacaris, they come from very respectable family, from brahmana family, ksatriya family especially, but they are instructed that "You should accept the order of the spiritual master just like menial servant." And in young age, they do not mind. They do not have any false prestige, that "I am coming from such-and-such respectable family, my father is so rich." Even Lord Krsna, He accepted this brahmacari asrama. When Sudama Vipra met Him when He was king in Dvaraka, so friendly talks, Krsna reminded Sudama Vipra, "My dear Sudama, do you remember that one day we went to the forest to collect fuels, and there was heavy rain and we could not come out. And then we stayed the overnight on the top of the tree. Then next day Guru Maharaja came and he took our..., rescued us. Do you remember that?" Sudama Vipra said, "Yes, I remember." So even Lord Krsna, what to speak of others. This was the system, to teach from the very beginning of life this Bhagavatam.

So Prahlada Maharaja's recommendation is very genuine. That is the Vedic system. But he was unfortunately born in an asura family. His father was a great asura. Asura means godless. He had also undergone severe austerity to achieve the power. He was defeated by the demigods. So he left his home and underwent severe austerities so that the whole universe became trembled and Brahmaji came to appease him, "What do you want?" He said, "I want to become immortal." So Brahmaji said, "How can I give you the benediction of immortality, because myself I am not immortal?" Everyone has to die in this material world, either one may be Brahma or a small ant. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. "So this is not possible. I cannot make you immortal."

Then very diligently, he said, "All right, then no man will kill me."

"All right, accepted."

"No demigod will kill me."

"Also accepted."

"I shall not die at daytime."

"That's all right."

"I shall not die in night."

"That's all right."

"No animal can kill me."

"That's all right."

"No weapons can kill me."

"That's all right." In this way, he thought that "I am very intelligent and I am cheating Brahmaji. Indirectly, by different way, I have now become immortal."

So he also underwent great austerities, but for material enjoyment. He wanted to live forever in this material world. So he was never interested to teach his children about Krsna consciousness. But Prahlada Maharaja, fortunately, when he was in the womb of his mother, at the care of Narada Muni, he understood the Krsna consciousness, because if you associate with a sadhu, the saintly person, then saintly person has nothing to do but simply deliver the knowledge, transcendental knowledge of Krsna consciousness. They have no other duty. Just like Ambarisa Maharaja, he was king but a great Vaisnava. So about him it is stated, sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane [SB 9.4.18]. He was king, very responsible king, emperor of the world, but he cultivated this Krsna consciousness that he fixed up his mind, sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor, always fixed up on the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. If you fix up your mind, concentrate your mind on the lotus feet of KrsnaKrsna is here presentthen your mind becomes locked up. It cannot think anything else. Therefore Ambarisa Maharaja, he fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Krsna.

And vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. When you have to talk, let us not talk all nonsense. Vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. Let us talk about Bhagavad-gita, let us talk about Srimad-Bhagavatam or any book which is describing the transcendental name, fame, glory, quality, pastime of Lord Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness. Simply we have to change the process of our life, but unfortunately we are not interested. We shall waste our time in the morning, two hours, by discussing on politics and reading newspaper, what has happened. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. What is the news in the newspaper? The same thing. Somebody has murdered something, there is some car accident, one body has done this. The same thing repeatedly we are hearing. There is no other news. But we want to hear the same thing daily, the same newspaper items. Therefore, in the sastra it is said, punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. Just like you chew something. Generally we chew that sugarcane. Now I have chewed it, I have taken out all the juice, and then I have thrown it away. If somebody comes, "Oh, let me taste it, what is there?" And another man comes. Is that very good intelligence? We have tasted this material world. Everyone has tasted. It is full of miseries. Tri-tapa yantrana. Tri means three and tapa means miserable condition of life. Tri-tapa. Adhyatmic, pertaining to this body and mind. Sometimes I am feeling some pain on my body, there is fever or some other ailment, the mind is not in order, this is called adhyatmic. Similarly, adhibhautic. Just like Pakistan is ready to attack us. If not Pakistan, then there are many other enemies. Even there are many other living entities, just like mosquito, fly, bugs. So adhibhautic: another living entity giving us trouble. And adhidaivic. Just like this famine, flood, pestilence, so many things which you cannot control.

So this is the position of this material world. Tri-tapa yantrana trisura. You have seen the picture of Goddess Durga, she is piercing the trisura on the chest of the asura, and he is suffering, his struggle for existence, fighting with the lion, rajo-guna. So this is the position of the material world, and the certificate is given by Krsna, the Lord Himself, that this place is duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Duhkhalayam, always full of miseries. So the human form of life is meant for understanding what is my position. In the animal life we cannot understand that we are in a very, very miserable condition of life in this material world. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says, manusam, durlabham manusam janma, tad apy adhruvam. It will not stay. You can say, "All right, there is suffering. Let me suffer for some time, I shall get next life again or I shall be finished." But Prahlada Maharaja says, "Why do you think like that? Why you want to die like cats and dogs? Just acquire the benefit which you can have in this human form of life, Krsna consciousness." Manusam. Durlabham manusam janma, tad apy adhruvam. Although it will not stay, but it is arthadam. Arthadam means you can achieve the highest goal of life.

What is that highest goal of life? The highest goal of life is not to have a skyscraper building constructed in my life or have big balance in the bank. No. That is not highest goal of life. The highest goal of life is indicated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is also statement of Prahlada Maharaja, na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. Persons who are very much attached to the external world, durasaya bahir-artha... This external world is called bahiranga sakti, the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So here it is just like mirage, just like people...or the not people, animal, running after water in the desert. In the desert, there is some reflection of heat, and the animals think there is water. And they run after water, the water also going ahead and the animal also going ahead. In this way, when he is too much tired, he falls down and dies. Tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayam.

So this material world is not our actual place of happiness. We should understand this. And the human form of life is meant for that purpose. Just like Sanatana Gosvami, he appeared before Caitanya Mahaprabhu to solve this question, 'ke ami', 'kene more jare tapa-traya'. That is intelligence. Intelligence means one should be inquisitive about his goal of life. In the Bhagavata also in another place, the instruction of Rsabhadeva, that parabhavas tavad abodha-jato. Abodha-jato, everyone is born ignorant. So in ignorance, whatever you will act, that is our defeat; that is not our gain. The gain is only when you develop Krsna consciousness. That is the only gain in his human form of life. Otherwise, whatever you gain, that is lost. Srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. Simply wasting time, time and energy. So Prahlada Maharaja says that "My dear friends..." He was teaching his class friends who were five years old, and he said that durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. "Our duty is, so long the next death does not appear, we should develop our dormant Krsna consciousness." We should not wait. Just like Pariksit Maharaja. Pariksit Maharaja was given time, seven days. He was cursed by a brahmana boy that "Maharaja, you shall die within seven days, bitten by a snake." So immediately, because he was emperor, so he understood that "I shall have to die." So he prepared himself. For seven days he tried to understand what is his relationship with Krsna, or God. That is imitated at Bhagavata-saptaha. But actually, Bhagavata is not to be studied imitating Pariksit Maharaja for seven days. No. In seven days we cannot understand even one verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam, what to speak of the eighteen thousand verses. That is not possible. But it has become a fashion. Bhagavata says, nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Nasta-prayesu abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. It is not for seven days; it is for all the life. Pariksit Maharaja had no time more than seven days. Therefore he finished the whole Bhagavata hearing in seven days. The another instruction is that Pariksit Maharaja had notice for seven days' duration of life, but we do not know whether seven days or seven minutes. It may be I am speaking now, immediately I can stop, because I am completely under the control of the material nature. You know perhaps that one big officer of Indian government, I think he was the Commander in Chief or something like that, he was eating in the feast in Japan, and on the table he died while eating. There was some trouble in the throat by eating fish, and some trouble was there, and he suffocated, died immediately.

So we cannot say whether we are going to live for seven days or seven minutes or seven hours. There is no guarantee. Immediately you can die. Therefore our duty is, before the next death comes, we must develop our Krsna consciousness. We must be very serious. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says,

So it is not very difficult business, simply we'll have to agree, "Yes, Krsna. So long I did not surrender unto You. Now I immediately surrender unto You." Just like Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he sang a very nice song, that arpilun tuya pade nanda-kisora. Manasa deho geho jo kichu mora. He says that "Whatever I possess." First thing his mind, manasa. Just like Ambarisa Maharaja. First of all we have to give our mind to Krsna because mind is the creative force by which we become entangled. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that mind is the enemy or mind is the friend. If you can create your mind your friend, then there is immense profit Krsna conscious. And if you create your mind enemy, the mind will drag you in so many things, you will forget your duty and responsibility of human life. Therefore yoga system, practicing yoga means controlling the mind. Controlling the mind. But the easiest process of yoga system is that you simply think of Krsna always, then the perfection of yoga.

Krsna says it:

So Prahlada Maharaja says that yad eva. Yad eva, yatha hi purusasya iha visnoh padopasarpanam, yad esa sarva-bhutanam priya atmesvarah suhrt. He has particularly mentioned the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. Krsna is the original person of Visnu-tattva. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. So He is the origin of the three demigods, Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara. Mattah sarvam pravartate. Brahma is born of Visnu, and Siva is born of Brahma. Therefore... And Visnu is born of Krsna. Therefore He is the original person. Atmesvarah, atmesvarah visnoh. Priya atmesvarah suhrt. Krsna says that He is suhrt. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati. Krsna says. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva [Bg. 5.29]. One should know that our best friend is Krsna. And atmesvarah, and He is the Lord of me. I am atma and He is Paramatma, atmesvarah. Therefore, ultimately... Now when there is danger, when there is danger, now we take care of our protection immediately. Atmanam sarvato rakset. Everyone is busy to protect himself. Why do we eat? Just to keep our body fit. And why do we keep our body fit? Because I can think nicely or I can realize myself. That is the purpose of keeping the body fit, not for eating. Yuktahara-viharasya yogo bhavati siddhi-da. The real motive of life is to understand or self-realize. One has to understand what I am.

So we have to keep this body not for eating but for keeping ourself fit to understand what I am. That is the purpose of life. So here Prahlada Maharaja says first of all we can understand what I am. And when you understand, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7], "I am the eternal part and parcel of Krsna." Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. This is self-realization, to understand one's own position, what I am. It is very simple. We have to accept it. The Bhagavad-gita says that "I am...," that "The living entity is My part and parcel." In another chapter He says, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim para, jiva-bhutah maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. So this atma, I am atma, I am part and parcel of Krsna. Prakrti. I am not purusa. I am not bhokta. This is the self-realization. So Prahlada Maharaja explains that, that yatha hi purusasya iha visnoh padopasarpanam. Our only duty is to worship Lord Visnu. That is the Vedic injunction, tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah.

So Prahlada Maharaja instructs that we should immediately engage ourself in satisfying Visnu. That is the program of human civilization. Human civilization means one who accepts the varnasrama-dharma, because that is a program gradually one can understand his relationship with Visnu. Tad visnoh paramam padam. Here Prahlada Maharaja also says, visnoh padopasarpanam. Why Visnu? That is explained here, that yad eva sarva-bhutanam priya, sarvesvarah atma. Everyone is very much attached. Now suppose there is some fire incidents at home. A man will forget all his wife and children; he will come out immediately to save himself, because we love ourself very much. It is a fact. Self-preservation is the first law of nature. We forget. Sometimes it does happen, one man has come out when there is fire in the house. And after coming out, he is crying, "Oh, my son is left. Son is left inside." Why? Why you left your son? Because you think, everyone thinks, that "My atma is very dear to me. "And why atma is dear to him? Because the atma is the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, ultimately comes to the Supreme Lord. He is our dear, but we have forgotten. We have forgotten. Prahlada Maharaja reminds. Priya atmesvarah suhrt. And He is actually suhrt, the best friend. Don't consider that here in this material world some friend is helping you or somebody is helping you. No. They cannot be suhrt. They have got some interest. Here in this material world it is business. If I become your friend, it means that I have got some ulterior motive to take some benefit out of your favor. Therefore you flatter. Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah [Bg. 7.20], the same process is to worship the demigods. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Kamais tais tair hrta jnanah yajante anya-devatah.

So here in this material world, either you worship some demigod or worship some leader or worship some friend, the ulterior motive is that you want to get some benefit from him, that's all. Therefore he is priya. But Krsna, when you speak of Krsna, there is no such business. Just like you love your atma very dearly, your life. Similarly, Krsna being the atmesvarah, the sum total of all atma, therefore ultimately Krsna or Visnu is our dear. Not only that; He is suhrt. Krsna is always thinking. In the Upanisad also there is a verse that the Supersoul and the individual soul, they are sitting as friends on this tree, or body. The one is eating the fruits of that tree and the other is witnessing. So what business has God, Krsna, to witness your activities? No, He has got business because He wants to take you back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore He is suhrt. Atmesvarah suhrt. Nobody is better friend than Krsna, He is always thinking how this bewildered individual soul can be brought back to home, back to Godhead. He personally comes, therefore, canvassing. Sarva-guhyatamam. "The most confidential part of knowledge I am giving you, Arjuna, that you surrender unto Me. That is better." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam [Bg. 18.66]. He is canvassing door to door. He is coming from Vaikuntha, from Vrndavana, to teach us how you can become friend of Krsna in Vrndavana, how you can become mother of Krsna, how you can become father of Krsna. Here the jnanis, they try to be equal with Krsna, but a devotee can become the father of Krsna. What is the value of equality? It is greater than equality. Krsna is so kind, He accepts His devotee as father and He accepts his punishment also. Just like Krsna accepted the punishment of Mother Yasoda very willfully. He wants that. He likes that. Because everyone goes to God, Narayana, Visnu, and prays with adoration and respect. But Krsna wants that one may think of Him as inferior to him. Just like Nanda Maharaja was thinking, "He is my child, have to protect." Krsna is giving protection to everyone, but Nanda Maharaja is thinking that "I have to give protection to Krsna." This is the devotee's position. So He is so nice friend that whatever enjoyment you want in this material world, that will break. If you have got a son, either the son will leave you or you have to leave your son. But if you accept Krsna as your son, this is eternal relationship. You will never be cheated. If you accept Krsna as friend, you will never be cheated. If you accept Krsna as lover, you will never be confused. So therefore Krsna is actually atmesvarah suhrt. Prahlada Maharaja teaching that, that "Just take to this Bhagavata-dharma." Actually you want to love Krsna, but by the intervening of maya, you are loving something else. That will not make you happy. You just try to love Krsna.

Then in the next verse he says,

So Prahlada Maharaja says that even we accept that is happiness in relation to your senses, sense enjoyment, sukham aindriyakam... Aindriyakam means in relationship with the senses. He says, sukham aindriyakam daitya. He is addressing his friends as daitya because they are born of atheistic family. Daitya and deva. Deva means born of Vaisnava family, and daitya means born of demon family. So he is particularly addressing daitya. He is teaching among the daityas because preaching is required among the daityas. Those who are devas, they know; they do not require any preaching. They know that krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. The ultimate, tad visnoh paramam padam, they know it. But the daityas who do not know it, their preaching is required. So Prahlada Maharaja is instructing, "My dear daityas, my dear daitya friends," that "you are busy after the sense gratification. That has become your only business, how to gratify the senses." Sukham aindriyakam daitya deha-yogena dehinam. Deha-yogena. So that your happiness has already been fixed up on the creation of your particular type of body. Just like a man is born or a dog is born. So according to the dog's body, he will have particular type of sense enjoyment. If one has got the hog's body, so according to that body, he will be inclined to eat stool. If you offer a hog one side stool and one side halava, he will prefer to take the stool, not this halava, because his body has been made for that type of happiness. Just try to understand; it is very scientific. The standard of happiness is according to the body you have got. So Prahlada Maharaja says that this sense gratification process is already fixed up. You cannot increase it or decrease it. That is stated here. Sarvatra labhyate daivad. Daivat means by the arrangement of the Supreme. That is arranged. Sarvatra labhyate, sense gratification. Now take for example the hog. He is also busy in sense gratification. He is eating stool and becoming fatty, and as soon as there is sex desire, without any discrimination he enjoys many she-hogs, never mind sister or mother. Because the life is so made that he will enjoy in this way.

So Prahlada Maharaja says that according to the body, your happiness and distress or enjoyment. We do not know what is our happiness. According to body, I think this is the standard of happiness. Somebody thinks that "By eating such-and-such thing, I will be happy," just like the hog. And somebody thinks "No, this is not." One man's food, another man's poison. So everything is food and everything is poison according to the body. One thing is poison for me, but the same poison is food for others. That is for enjoyment. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says that don't bother about that thing to satisfy your senses; that is already fixed up according to your body. Instead of wasting your energy in that way for so-called happiness, you just try to understand what is Krsna consciousness, what is Bhagavata-dharma. Just engage your energy. It is very nice instruction. People are busy all over the world for having a certain type of sense gratification. Prahlada Maharaja says, "Don't bother yourself for that. It is already there; you will get it."

In another instruction by Narada, he says,

So Prahlada Maharaja's instruction is very nice. We shall talk more next day. Now thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)