Dayananda: "... so blaspheming the Lord's devotee. The only way one can be forgiven of this highest offense is by a pure devotee of the Lord. So considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level or..."

Prabhupada: In the sastra it is said that if you commit some offense to Krsna, He excuses, but if you commit offense to His devotee, He never excuses. Personal offense to Krsna can be excused by Krsna. He is so merciful. The Durvasa Muni, he offended Maharaja Ambarisa and he went up... He was so powerful that he went to Visnuloka to see Visnu for being protected because the sudarsana cakra was after him. So Visnu said, "Oh, this is beyond My power. I cannot excuse you. You have to go to Ambarisa Maharaja and ask his pardon. Otherwise there is no excuse." So that Durvasa Muni, he was a great yogi and brahmana, and he was very proud, so he came back and fell down on the feet of Ambarisa Maharaja. Then he was excused. You see? Ambarisa Maharaja was a ksatriya, a king. He was neither yogi, but he was a great devotee. So this yogi, Durvasa Muni, he wanted to supersede him, that "He is ordinary ksatriya king, and because he is advertised that he is a devotee, I shall teach him some lesson." So that was the quarrel between the... The king was very nice, he never picked up quarrel, but this old man picked up quarrel and he was chastised by Visnu like that. Yes. Go on.

Dayananda: "...considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level or to understand that there are many Gods. There is only one God..."

Prabhupada: This is a misconception that especially in your country, in the Western countries, it is advertised that the Hindus have many Gods. We are not concerned with the Hindu-Muslim; we are concerned with Krsna. So actually in the Vedas accepted one God. Eka brahma dvitiya nasti. There is no second. God cannot be two. God is one. It is a misconception, there are many Gods. There are Mayavadi philosophers, they say that "You worship any demigod. It is the same thing." They misinterpret the Bhagavad-gita sloka, ye yatha mam prapadyante: [Bg. 4.11]. "You can worship Me in any way." The Mayavadi philosophers, there is a great missionary activities in India. They have got their branch here also. They propagate that "You may worship any demigod, goddess Kali or this or that. Everything is all right." No. God is one, and that is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan [SB 1.3.28]. Even incarnation of God, they are part and parcel. They are bigger part. Just like we are, living entities, we are also part and parcel, Visnu-tattva, they are also part and parcel, but nobody can excel Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. That is the verdict. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. There are so many evidences, Krsna is the Supreme. And Krsna Himself says, mattah parataram nasti: "There is no more superior than Me," in the Bhagavad-gita. So God is one, and that is Krsna. Go on.

Dayananda: "Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master." At first we must accept a spiritual master and then we must become initiated by the spiritual master. So to neglect the orders of...

Prabhupada: Unless one is prepared that "I am accepting somebody as my spiritual master. I must accept whatever he says," if there is any doubt, that "I cannot accept his words verbatim," then one should not accept him as spiritual master. That is hypocrisy. One must be first of all convinced. Therefore it is the duty of the spiritual master and the disciple to associatethat is the injunction of Sanatana Gosvamifor some time, and both of them should study. The disciple should study, "Whether I can accept this saintly person as my spiritual master." And spiritual master also will see, "Whether I can accept this boy, this person, as my disciple." That is the way. But sometimes the time is reduced. That doesn't matter. But the principle is this, that before accepting a spiritual master you can examine him, you can scrutinize him, but not after him, after accepting. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking with Krsna just like friend, on equal level. But when he saw that the solution is not yet done, then he surrendered unto Him. Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. So after accepting as spiritual master there was no talking on the equal level. But the point where he could not understand, he put some question. Just like when He was preaching, teaching him about the yoga system, so the yoga system is controlling the mind. So Krsna, Arjuna flatly said, "My dear Krsna, it is very difficult for me." Cancalam hi manah krsna pramathi balavad drdham: [Bg. 6.34] "Oh, it is not possible. You are teaching me this hatha-yoga system by exercising, controlling mind. It is not possible for me." So that was not an important thing, to practice yoga. One who practices this Krsna consciousness yoga... Then Krsna assured him, "It doesn't matter. You practice. If you like, you can practice. But real yogi is he..." He explained,

Dayananda: "Interpreting... Minimizing the authority of scriptures or Vedas." The authority of scriptures or Vedas are also absolute. This is the literary incarnation of the Lord. The Vedas or the scriptures are literary incarnation of the Lord.

Prabhupada: The example is the same, just like the conchshell. In the Vedic injunction is that you should not touch dead animal's bone. If you touch, you become impure. But Vedas say the conchshell is pure. So that is being practically observed. We followers of Vedic injunction, we are using conchshell in the Deity room because Vedas says it is pure. You cannot argue, "Oh, one place you said that conch..., the bone is impure. Oh, here I can show you the book. You have said like that." Oh, that nonsense will not do. Whatever is said is all right. You have to accept that. Even it is contradictory, you have to accept. That is called no interpretation. That is wanted. There is meaning, but through your brain at the present moment you cannot understand. That is another thing. But you cannot say like that: "Oh, one place you have said this conch, yes, bone of an animal is impure, and now you are saying the conchshell is pure. It is contradictory." So that will not do. Therefore it is said you cannot interpret in that way. That is offense. Then you will not be able to make progress. Yes. Yes.

Dayananda: The next is demons are for killing, but in this age ninety-nine percent of the population are demons, so it is not possible...

Prabhupada: If you kill them, then there will be no population. (laughter) There will be nobody to pay tax. Yes. Go on.

Dayananda: So as much as possible, let us try to instruct the innocent and... [break]

Prabhupada: Actual aim of spiritual lifeto come to the stage of loving God. That is real spiritual life. If one wants to take to spiritual life for some other gain, that is not. That is offense, that "I will chant Hare Krsna mantra. So my income is now one thousand dollar. It will be three thousand dollar." Not like that. It may be reduced (laughter) sometime. (laughs) Just like our Dayananda is... His income is now reduced by chanting Hare Krsna, but he is not giving up. That is wanted. You see? Sometimes it is found that in incidents you will find in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, yasyanugrhnami harisye tad... Therefore sometimes people do not come to worship because generally they say, "The Visnu worship, or Vaisnavas, they are generally poor. So I don't want to be poor." Yes. I was thinking like that. (laughter) When my Guru Maharaja ordered me... When I was manager in Bose's laboratory, so he ordered me. So I thought, "Oh, I cannot do this. I cannot accept this sannyasa." But he was so kind, and he is so kind still. Then he forced me, that "You must do it," taking, pulling my ear, he brought me to this line. In the beginning I was not willing. So it is his causeless mercy upon me. That I can understand now. I can understand now how much I have been relieved by accepting this life. So sometimes we find that our income is reduced.

Dayananda: "To become inattentive while chanting the holy name." One must remain attentive.

Prabhupada: Yes. This is very important. When you will chant, you'll hear also. Then your attention will be there. And you are chanting and you are thinking something else, oh, that is also another offense. You should be careful. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. If you cannot hear, then you will chant loudly, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So you must hear. That is wanted. Otherwise you will be inattentive. That is offense. Go on.

Dayananda: "Attachment to material things in spite of chanting the holy name."

Prabhupada: Yes. That attachment means by chanting holy name we have to decrease the fever. But if we increase the fever, attachment... Material attachment means increasing the fever. And we are trying to detach from the, because our conditioned life is continuing because we are so much attached to the materialistic way of life. So by the by, as we chant, we shall try ourself. That means simple life. Unnecessarily we should not increase our demands of life. Then it will be nice. Go on. Finish.

Dayananda: (devotees repeating) Vande aham... [break]

Prabhupada: So Dr. Rao, your spiritual name is Ramananda. Yes. This Ramananda, he was also Raya, Ramananda Raya, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya and governor of Madras. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu picked up a very important persons, the Six Gosvamis, Ramananda Raya, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, like that, eight or ten direct disciples. And later on, they preached the whole thing. In the Bhagavad-gita there is a verse, yad yad acarati srestha itaras tad anuvartate [Bg. 3.21]. If a srestha, if an important man, acts in some way, others follow. That is natural. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya we are meeting and you have got great responsibility, because you came here to take your doctorate degree. That's very nice. When one of my Godbrothers went to England during my Guru Maharaja's time, so Lady Wellington, she challenged that Godbrother that "Your men from India, they come here, and we give them some degree, and they become big men there. So what you have got to teach us?" That was her challenge. Actually, that has become the mentality of Indians at the present moment, that "One has to go to the foreign countries, take some technological degree, and them impart the knowledge in India. Then we become big... And let us sacrifice our own culture." That is the mentality now. So your example... You have got by the grace of Lord some foreign degrees. If you present this Krsna consciousness movement in India, many persons will follow. So you think in that way and try to understand our philosophy. You are very nice boy. And India's condition is not very satisfactory at the present moment. They are misled. So I came here with that purpose also, that "This movement I cannot start. They will not accept. But if I go to America, if the Americans accept and they preach, then they will be accepted." So that position has somehow or other come, so you together... It is not meant for either for American or Indian; it is meant for the whole human society. They are suffering grievously for want of this consciousness. So every one of us has got a great duty to broadcast this knowledge of Krsna consciousness. Bhagavad-gita... Our Krsna consciousness movement is based on Bhagavad-gita. It is very widely read all over the world. Simply the rascals, they have misinterpreted. Now we have to give the right interpretation and present what is Krsna consciousness. That is our duty. So I know that you'll soon return to India, so Lord Caitanya and Lord Krsna is giving you a great responsibility. Try to serve them to your best capacity. Thank you. So this is your beads? Yes. Hare Krsna.

Gunamayi: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no... (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Thank you. So take your... So what is your name? [break] I asked this, what is your name? Georgina? No, now what is your spiritual name? Immediately forgot? (laughter) Gunamayi. Gunamayi. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. Gunamayi means qualities, full of qualities. So this material nature is, has got three qualities, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. This is also gunamayi. And the spiritual nature also has got three qualitiessandhini, samvit, and... What is called, other?

Devotee: Hladini.

Prabhupada: Ahladini, yes. Sandhini, samvit, and ahladini. So both of them are gunamayi. The spiritual nature is horrible for the conditioned soul, but she is not horrible for Krsna. Krsna says, mama maya, daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya [Bg. 7.14]. So everyone Krsna's..., related with Krsna is not, he or she is not horrible. Just like a police department is horrible for the criminals and not for the President. The President is not afraid of the police department because the police department is under his control. Similarly, this material nature with three qualities, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna, it is horrible for the conditioned soul. Therefore, if anyone surrenders to Krsnamam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam tarantiimmediately he overcomes the horrible feature of this material nature. Otherwise, if one does not come to Krsna consciousness, if one does not surrender to Krsna, this material nature is horrible. So therefore in both ways the spiritual nature or the material nature, they are gunamayi. And the difference is that when one is conditioned, he is under the material nature gunamayi, and when he is liberated, he is under the spiritual nature gunamayi. But both of them are gunamayi.

Devotee: Yes, yes. We have daksina.

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. So who will keep this? You give. Now perform the yajna and let us finish. Yajnaih sankirtanaih prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Real yajna is Hare Krsna mantra. (end)