Initiations and Lecture – March 17, 1972, Bombay

720317IN-BOMBAY [20:08 Minutes]

So unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God?

Prabhupada: …God consciousness at the present moment…

[break] …"all-attractive." This is the Sanskrit word meaning, "all-attractive," param brahma. So unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? So,

Aisvaryasya: God must be the richest of all. God must be strongest than all. God must be the most beautiful. God must be the wisest of all. In this way, if we analyze what is the meaning of God according to sastra, or all-attractiveness, then Krsna, Lord Krsna, is the perfect symbol.

So our Vedic literature accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not only at the present moment, but in the past also, great sages like Vyasadeva, Narada, Asita, Devala. Later on all the acaryas, just like Sri Ramanujacarya, Sri Madhvacarya, Nimbarka, Visnu Svami and, latest, five hundred years ago, Lord Caitanya-all of them accepted krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Bhagavad-gita is there. Five thousand years ago this Bhagavad-gita instruction was given to the world. There also Krsna gives His own description personally, because we may mistake. Simply by studying books we cannot understand, although all the Vedic literatures, they aim at Krsna. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15], and in the Rg Veda it is…, the mantra is om tad visnoḥ paramam padam sada pasyanti sūrayaḥ [Rg-veda 1.22.20].

So Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead… Visnu is also expansion of Krsna, even Maha-Visnu, the original Visnu. Out of three purusa-avataras-Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, Ksirodakasayi Visnu-the original Visnu is Krsna.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is pushing on the consciousness. The Krsna consciousness means the original consciousness. At the present moment our consciousness is diluted, or rather polluted, with so many consciousness. We are thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am African." But if actually we come to the original consciousness, then we become free. We have got students from all parts of the world, but they do not think in terms of this bodily concept of life. That is our first education: dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg 2.13].

The bodily concept of life is not perfect civilization; rather, it is animal civilization, because animal, they think that they are this body. So if human being also thinks that he is this body, so that is not very good recommendation. In the sastras it is said:

So the whole trouble in… This material world is troublesome, but the trouble is increased when human society is run on the concept of bodily identity. So this Krsna consciousness movement is especially meant for preaching Bhagavad-gita as it is. It is not a manufactured movement. We are simply preaching the message of Krsna as they are described in the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita, the first lesson to Arjuna was to understand that "I am not this body." He… Arjuna, when he was thinking in terms of his bodily relationship with his family members, so this was condemned by Arjuna…, er, Krsna. Krsna said, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg 2.11]: "You are talking just like a very learned man, but no learned man thinks like that. You just try to understand." Then He began Bhagavad-gita:

So this is the first education, that one should understand that he is not body; he is spirit soul. The Vedic word is aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman, spirit soul." Unless this consciousness is allowed, the human society is considered by the great sages as animal society. So this consciousness of bodily concept of life has increased very much all over the world; therefore this education of Bhagavad-gita, there is great need of it. So we are explaining this philosophy every evening, and today we have got the chance of founding this institution in Bombay. We all welcome you, because you are sympathetic and participating in this movement.

So let us now begin the function.

[08:25]

Now chant the mantra. [devotees chant responsively]

Syamasundara: Should that initiated boy be sitting here?

Prabhupada: Yes, yes. You can call them. They are [indistinct]. Now once more. [devotees chant responsively]

[aside:] That's all right.

Do it again, acamana.

Syamasundara: Three. One, and then one, then put in the water, then pass it back.

Devotee: Then pass it back?

Syamasundara: Then pass it back.

Prabhupada: [indistinct] Very good. You have done it?

Syamasundara: Yes.

Prabhupada: [devotees chant responsively]

Thank you very much. [devotees chant japa]

[aside:] You can give one.

[11:32]

[break] …the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very much interested in brahmanical civilization and cow, brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca [Visnu Purana 1.19.65]. Why specifically cow and brahmana is mentioned? This means that unless there is this varnasrama system in any civilization and there is no cow protection, that is not human civilization.

Namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca: the first consideration is brahminical culture and protection of the cow. Because cow protection is especially mentioned, and brahminical culture, the two things are meant for advancing spiritual consciousness. Because one has to go, transcend, even brahminical culture, sattva-guna. And to support the brahminical culture, cow protection is essential.

Without milk you cannot develop the finer tissues of your brain, and without developing the finer tissues of brain it is not possible to understand what is God, what we are, what is our relationship, with blunt..., alpa-medhasam. It is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita, tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam [Bg 7.23]: a little brain substance cannot help one to advance in spiritual consciousness.

Therefore this cow protection and expansion of brahminical culture is essential throughout the whole world. But we should not think that brahminical culture is only limited within India. No. Krsna says, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasaḥ [Bg 4.13]. What is created by Krsna, or God, that is not for a particular country or particular nation. It is meant for everyone. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei 'guru' haya [Cc Madhya 8.128].

So this brahminical culture, what we are spreading, this Krsna consciousness movement, is brahminical culture. So these boys and those who are initiated, they are offered the sacred thread. Not immediately. Just like there are two students present here: one will be given the hari-nama initiation, and the other will be given sacred thread ceremony. The idea is that we invite everyone; it doesn't matter where he is born, because this is universal. Krsna claimed, sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg 14.4], "In any species of life, whoever there is, I am the seed-giving father," aham bija-pradaḥ pita. In another place Krsna said that mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuḥ papa-yonayaḥ [Bg 9.32]. We may consider somebody as papa-yoni, but Krsna says that "If he takes shelter of Me," te 'pi yanti param gatim.

So this movement is very important, because we are giving chance everyone to become Krsna conscious. And by becoming Krsna conscious, automatically he acquires the brahminical qualification and Vaisnava qualification. So the first initiation is given, hari-nama. They are allowed to chant Hare Krsna with the promise that they will observe the principles: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling. Intoxication means we prohibit even drinking tea, coffee or smoking cigarette. They observe it. Therefore after testing one… [break]

[16:08]

[kirtana] [Prabhupada offers prema-dhvani prayers]

Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [kirtana]

Devotees: Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! All glories to Srila Prabhupada. [end]