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740421SB.HYD
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.7

Hyderabad, April 21, 1974
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
Translation: "By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world."
Prabhupada:
So the mission of human life is to acquire knowledge, jnanam, and vairagyam, detachment. Jnanam means real identification, "What I am." In the conditioned stage of life we are passing on our days not in jnanam but ignorance, just like the animals. The animals, they have no jnanam. They are pulling on their life with the bodily concept of life. The dog is thinking, "I am dog. I am this body." He does not know whether he is "dog" or "cat". These names we have given him. But he knows it well that "I am this body." So this is not jnanam. This chance is available when we are no longer cats and dogs but human being. Then we can understand that "I am not this body." This is the difference between cats and dogs and human beings. The cats and dogs, they do not know that they are not the body. They are spirit soul. That they do not know. They know simply that "I am this body, and the necessities of body must be fulfilled somehow or other." That is their business. Whole day and night, they are working just to fulfill the necessities of his body, because there is no jnanam.
But in the human form of life, that is not the business. Therefore the Vedanta-sutra says, athato brahma jijnasa: "This life, human form of life, which is achieved after evolution of 8,400,000's of forms of life..." It is called labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante [SB 11.9.29]. Idam sariram. This human form of body is achieved, bahu-sambhavante, after achieving many, many other lower forms of life. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. So many different forms of life we had to pass through to come to the standard of human life. Therefore this life is not meant for spoiling like cats and dogs. This is jnanam. The spoiling the life like cats and dogs means ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna... eating, sleeping, defending and sexual intercourse. These are the bodily demands. Samanyam etat pasubhir naranam. These are common formulas for the cats and dogs and the human being. But what is the meaning of human being? The human being is eligible to understand what is the value of life, what is the problem of life, how to make the solution. That is human life. Not that simply passing our days like cats and dogs working very hard.
Kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye. In the sastras this is warned again and again. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. This human form of life is not meant for satisfying the senses, kaman kastan, with great difficulty. Now, eating is necessary, but a hog, he eats the most abominable thing, stool, but whole day and night he is searching out, "Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool?" So similarly, if human civilization is so made that simply for eating one has to work so hard day and night, so it is as good as the hog's life; it is not human life. Human life should be peaceful. They should get their foodstuff very easily, eat very nicely, save time for Krsna consciousness. That is human life, not like hogs and dogs, simply searching after... But if we create such civilization like cats and dogs and hogs, then Krsna will give us the chance to work day and night simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is the position now. We wanted it.
In Bombay we have got now six buildings full of tenants. So they are little disturbed because now we have taken possession of the land. They are thinking that "Swamiji will drive me, drive us some way or other." I told them that "I have got no children with me; neither my former family is coming to live. If I, suppose, vacate these houses, then I will fill up with my devotees. So why don't you become devotee? I don't charge anything from you." But that they are not agreeable. This is the position. Even if we offer that "You come with us, live with us peacefully, take little prasadam and chant Hare Krsna," they will not agree. We have got hundred branches all over the world. At least, there are ten thousand men. Just as we do not work, we simply chant Hare Krsna and get some prasadam... So there is no scarcity. There is no scarcity. Yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22].
So actually, there is no scarcity of food. Krsna is so kind. God is so kind. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. He is feeding many, many millions and trillions of living entities. In Africa there are millions of elephants. Who is feeding them? Krsna is feeding them. So these economic questions, overpopulation question, these are not actually problems. Problem is scarcity of God consciousness. This is the problem. Therefore we are suffering. It is not my manufactured word. It was said by my Guru Maharaja. He said that "I don't find any scarcity in the world except the scarcity of understanding Krsna. That's all." So this jnanam... This is jnanam. Jnanam means that "I don't belong to this material world. This... My body is material, but I am different from the body." This is jnanam. So the necessities of my body, it must be supplied. It should not be neglected. But we should not be busy simply for the necessities of the body. We are spirit soul. The spirit soul has got its necessity. We must fill up that. Then we will be happy.
So this can be done, as it is prescribed here that,
The first thing, jnanam and vairagyam... This human form of life is meant for jnana and vairagya. Jnana means vairagya, and vairagya cannot be achieved without jnana. These two are relative terms. So jnanam means that "I am not this body, and my relationship with my body, they are also not my necessities." This is called jnana. And as soon as we understand that the simply necessities of my body are not required, that is called detachment, or vairagya. Without jnanam, we are simply thinking that we must satisfy the senses. Body means the senses. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah [Bg. 3.42]. So in the bodily concept of life, or in ajnana, this ignorance, our business is to satisfy the senses, that is called ajnanam, aham mameti [SB 5.5.8], sense gratification.
This whole world is going on on the basis of sense gratification. A man and a woman, or a male or female, they develop this idea of sense gratification. Therefore as soon as a girl is grown up or a boy is grown up, the father, mother get them married, because the sense of sense gratification is very strong. Therefore the system is, Vedic system is, or any..., this human civilization system is, to get them married. So pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam [SB 5.5.8]. So as soon as they are married, so tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh, that sense of sense gratification becomes too much tied up. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim. We have got already attraction. A man has got attraction for woman; woman has got attraction for man. Now, as soon as they are united, that attraction becomes more and more strong. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. Then atah grha, as soon as they are married and united, they require one apartment, grha; atah grha, ksetra, then land for cultivating for producing foodstuff. Ato grha-ksetra-suta, children; apta, friends. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih, and money. Janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8].
In this way the living entity becomes entangled and his sense of aham, "It is... I am this body and this property is mine," this sense increases, moha. It is called moha. Moha means actually nothing belongs to him. As soon as death will come, he has to change this body. Tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. He has to change the body. As soon as he changes the body, then everything is finished. His property, his wife, his children, his country, his society, everything, mrtyuh sarva-haras ca aham. Krsna comes as mrtyu. Krsna comes as Sri Krsna, Syamasundara, dvi-bhuja Muralidhara. He comes occasionally, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7], for the devotees. The devotees want to see Him. Therefore He comes. But for the nondevotees, He also comes, but they cannot see. But Krsna comes as death. Then they can see, "Here is Krsna." Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham [Bg. 10.34]. They're... Like Nrsimhadeva. Nrsimhadeva... God was challenged. Prahlada Maharaja was devotee. He was chanting Hare Krsna mantra, and his father revolted: "Why you should chant Hare Krsna? Where is Krsna? Where is God?" This is the atheistic temperament. They'll simply defy God, or Krsna.
So the atheistic and the theistic persons are always there. But the theistic persons, they see always God. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. That is the theistic. Santa, those who are theistic, advanced in devotional service, they are called santas, saintly person, premanjana, because they have developed love of Godhead. In the previous verse it has been described, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. That culture required. You may belong to any type of religion. It doesn't matter. You may become Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or brahmana, ksatriya... Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. But if you are a religious person, the test is how much you have developed love of Godhead. Then it is tested. "Yes, you are nice." Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. That is the test. Otherwise it is useless. You may be Hindu, Muslim or... Whatever stamp you like, you can have it. But the real test is whether you have developed love of Godhead. That is wanted.
So that required. By love of Godhead you can see God every moment. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva [Bs. 5.38]. Sadaiva means twenty-four hours. People ask, "Whether you have seen God?" To see God is not difficult job. Simply you have to qualify yourself, love of Godhead. Then you can see. This is the formula. And if have not developed Krsna consciousness, God consciousness, then also, you can see God in your own way, as prescribed in the sastras. Just like Krsna says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh [Bg. 7.8]. Krsna says, "I am the taste of the water." So you are drinking water, and as soon as you drink, if you think that "Here is the taste of water, here is Krsna," is it very difficult? Not at all difficulty. Prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh. If you forget while drinking... Nobody can forget. But even intentionally you forget. So how you can check not seeing the sunshine and the moonshine? How it is possible. They say that "Have you seen God?" But why... You have seen also God, because Krsna says, prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh: "I am the sunshine." So who has not seen sunshine? So you have to begin seeing like that. Then if you remember Krsna, that is also seeing. Seeing, spiritual seeing, does not mean simply to see by the eyes. Spiritual seeing means by chanting you can see, by describing you can see. Because Krsna is Absolute. Absolute. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. In either of these items, either you hear of Krsna, then you are seeing Krsna. When you chant about Krsna, then you are seeing Krsna. When you are thinking of Krsna, you are seeing Krsna. This is the process. This is called bhakti-yoga.
Therefore it is said vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah [SB 1.2.7]. If you learn how to practice bhakti-yoga, and that is upon Vasudeva, Krsna... Vasudeva... And bhakti-yoga therefore says, sravanam kirtanam visnoh. Not sravanam kirtanam of the politician. That will not help you. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. If you hear about Krsna, if you chant about Krsna, if you think about Krsna, if you offer worship to Krsna, if you engage yourself with some service to Krsna, if you offer everything for Krsna, you'll see Krsna always, twenty-four hours. This is the process. Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah [SB 1.2.7]. This is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means always be engaged in Krsna consciousness. Satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah [Bg. 9.14]. That is stated in the Bhagavad... Satatam kirtayanto mam. These boys and girls who are in bhakti-yoga, they are satatam kirtayanto krsnam. They are going... Sometimes we go to make membership with these books. So we have to speak about Krsna. Satatam kirtayantah. They are cooking for Krsna. They are dancing for Krsna. They are singing for Krsna. They are talking for Krsna. They are going round the world for Krsna. Everything for Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness and bhakti-yoga. Everyone can adopt these principles. Where is the difficulty? Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah [SB 1.2.7]. In this way, if you practice bhakti-yoga, or Krsna consciousness, practice Krsna consciousness, then the result will be janayaty asu, very soon...
Because big, big jnanis, yogis, they are trying to become detached from the attachment of this material world. Yoga system means yoga indriya-samyamah. They are practicing yama niyama asana dhyana dharana pranayama, all these, pratyahara. This yogic system, mystic yoga system, what is the meaning? Meaning: detachment, not other. Nowadays it has been taken, yoga practice means to become healthy. But actually, yoga practice is not for that purpose. Yoga means to connect with the Supreme. That is yoga. So there are different types of yoga, but in the Bhagavad-gita it is said,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
The first-class yogi, who is? Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana: "Who is always thinking of Me, Hare Krsna." Chant Hare Krsna, and you always think if Krsna. Smaranam. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam [SB 7.5.23]. This is bhakti-yoga, the simple practice, that if you chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, tongue, your tongue is locked up and your hearing process is locked up. That is samadhi, immediately, absorbed in the thought of Krsna. Samadhi.
Yoga practice means samadhi, comes to the samadhi point. This is samadhi. Bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam tayapahrta-cetasam, samadhau na vidhiyate. But those who are too much materially attached, bhoga aisvarya, material opulence... Bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam tayapahrta-cetasam. Apahrta, bewildered. They are thinking by this material enjoyment, by material opulence, they will be happy. Therefore it is called apahrta-cetasam. They cannot. But if you practice this bhakti-yoga, vasudeva... The whole Krsna consciousness movement is vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah [SB 1.2.7]. That's all. Why? Now, jnanam and vairagyam. Jnanam means we are misidentifying that "I am this body, and the bodily emanations, my sons, my daughters... I have got bodily relation with my wife. Therefore my wife, and the productions, the sons, then grandsons, then daughter-in-laws, then son-in-laws..." In this way, we are clustering round. So that should be not rejected at once, but it should be taken into Krsna consciousness. Then even there is attachment, that is called yukta-vairagya, yukta-vairagya. That is enunciated by Srila Rupa Gosvami, that
anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate
This vairagyam, if I cannot... But vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah. Then vairagya will be there. In every family, you can worship Vasudeva, Krsna. Where is the difficulty? Vasudeva will not occupy a very spacious room. Here is Vasudeva, Krsna. Even a small place, you can install Deity, Vasudeva. And offer. You are eating... Yajnarthe karmano 'nyatra. Offer Krsna yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih. After all, you have to cook. Nobody, no house is there, no man is there who is not cooking. Everyone is cooking. But cook it for Krsna, all nice prasadam. This is bhakti-yoga. Install Deity. It is not that simply in the temple the Deity should be installed. Why not at your home? Everyone can do that. Krsna can come within your room, a small Deity, although He is virat-purusa. Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan. He can become greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is His greatness.
So everyone can bhakti-yoga practice, simply under the guidance of proper spiritual master who knows the science of Krsna. From him you take lesson. And it is not difficult, this bhakti-yoga practice. Actually, this was the practice in India in every home. There was Deity. At least, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, they had Deity, Radha-Krsna, Sita-Rama, or Laksmi-Narayana, or Narayana sila. Every house, it was being worshiped. But we have lost our culture. Vasudeve bhakti-yogah..., bhakti-prayojitah. We have lost this culture. Revive it. Don't lose this opportunity of human life. Practice bhakti-yoga and be Krsna conscious, and make your life successful. That is our mission. We are teaching. It is not a business, that "Give me some money; I will teach you." It is open. We are asking everyone, "Chant Hare Krsna mantra." What is the difficulty? There is no loss. You haven't got to pay anything. Simply as these boys have learned to chant and dance, krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. This is the Gosvamis' teachings,"Chant Hare Krsna mantra." And why should you go to see dancing elsewhere? Dance at home. Make family organization in that way. You will be happy. Then you will understand what is your position.
This is the main mission of human life, to understand his position. Sanatana Gosvami, the first disciple of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he, when approached Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Benares, Varanasi, Kasi, so he was minister, prime minister of Nawab Hussein Shah, very great man. But when he met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he decided to retire from the service and join Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Krsna consciousness movement. So about them it is said, tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat. They were very big, big leaders of the mandala-pati. Mandala-pati means big, big leaders of the society, because they were ministers, all zamindars. All big, big businessmen they used to see, they used to visit, because minister's business... So he was associating with highly aristocratic families and societies, but they gave it up. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati..., sada tuccha-vat. Tuccha-vat means very... We are seeking after aristocratic society's association, to become big man, but these Gosvamis, although they were ministers, they decided, tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati..., sada tuccha-vat. Then what did they become? Bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kanthasritau: "For the benefit of whole human society, they took the mendicant's dress." Just like in our political movement, Mahatma Gandhi also took the mendicant's dress, loincloth, these Gosvamis also... That is Indian culture.
So in a renounced... This vairagya, vairagya. Political vairagya is different. The political vairagya is that "I don't want things, anything, anything for me, but for my son, for my grandson, for my countrymen, for my this, that." Not like that. This vairagya means vasudeve: "I don't want anything personally for me, but I want everything for Vasudeva." This is the difference between political mendicant and the spiritual mendicant. So these Gosvamis were spiritual mendicants, vairagya. That vairagya... Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya. Dina. Dina means this poor mass of people. They are very poor. Because they have no knowledge what is the aim of life, therefore poor in knowledge. Poor means one who is poor in knowledge. Material poverty, that is no consideration. That is coming and going. Tams titiksasva bharata. That has been advised, that if you are little... Nobody is actually happy, even if you have got enough money. But still, there is unhappiness. But that they cannot understand. But actually, poverty is want of knowledge. Therefore the acquiring knowledge, that is real richness. That is real richness. That is called brahmana. Brahma janatiti brahmanah. Therefore brahmana is respected by even the king. That was the system in India. Because they were rich in knowledge.
So richness of knowledge is required, jnanam and vairagya. Vairagya required, because we have been entangled in this materialistic way of life. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. Tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. Another life, another body. I do not know what kind of body. Then another chapter. In this way our life is going on. Therefore we must have detachment from this materialistic way of life, changing one body to... But people are so ignorant, they do not take it very seriously. They think, "Let us go on. Eh, we don't mind. Whatever happens happens." That is not required. You must have knowledge. This knowledge is imparted from the very beginning of Bhagavad-gita. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11]. People are talking very, very big, big talks, but all around this body, all around this body. Asocyan. Gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. About this body nobody is very serious if he is a pandita. If he is a fool, rascal, then he is simply involved in the bodily problems. So that is called jnana. But this jnana can be achieved very easily. How? How it is easily?
That is also said in the Bhagavad-gita. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam. Ah, no...
If you engage yourself in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, Vasudeva, then Vasudeva, Krsna, is within you. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. He is already there. Not that you have to find out Vasudeva from anywhere. Vasudeva is everywhere. He is also within. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. Vasudeva is within this universe, within your heart, or even within the atom. So Vasudeva is every... Simply you have to find out. So how you can find out? Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam [Bg. 10.10]. As soon as you engage yourself in the service of Vasudeva with love and faith... That is being taught in Krsna consciousness. With love and faith. Then Vasudeva is already there. He knows what you are. You cannot cheat Him. When He understands that now you are serious about knowing, He says, dadami buddhi-yogam tam: "I supply buddhi-yoga." Buddhi-yoga, that is yoga. The yoga, buddhi-yoga, means bhakti-yoga. Because it is said, dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te. This buddhi-yoga means "by which one can approach Me." It is clearly explained in another, Eighteenth Chapter, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Therefore buddhi-yoga means bhakti, or bhakti-yoga. Because without bhakti, you cannot understand Krsna. And here Krsna says, "I give him buddhi-yoga, intelligence. My dear devotee, you kindly do this. You will come to Me."
So you do not require... As soon as... Therefore it is called ahaituki. A devotee is understanding everything without any cause. How it is? Because Vasudeva is giving intelligence. Tesam evanukampartham aham ajnana-jam tamah, nasayami [Bg. 10.11]. So a devotee, sincere devotee, do not think that he is not in knowledge. He is perfect in knowledge because the knowledge is being imparted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead from within. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1]. As He did. He gave intelligence to Lord Brahma how to create this universe. Similarly, He will give intelligence to you also if you become sincere in serving Vasudeva. This is explained. Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah, janayaty asu [SB 1.2.7]. And as soon as you are getting knowledge, naturally you will be reluctant to this material sense enjoyment. Material world means sense enjoyment, and spiritual world means not sense enjoyment for personal sense enjoyment, but enjoyment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the... We have to learn, one after another, what is difference between material and spiritual. That is explained in Caitanya-caritamrta very nicely in two lines, atmendriya-priti-vancha tare bali kama [Cc. Adi 4.165]. Lusty desires, or kama, materialism, what is that? Now, atmendriya-priti-vancha, when one wants to fulfill his own desires of the own senses, that is called kama. And krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare prema nama. The same thing, when you want to satisfy Krsna, then you become devotee.
You see the behavior of Arjuna. He wanted to satisfy in the beginning his own senses. "My dear Krsna, if I kill my grandfather, my teacher Dronacarya, my grandfather... No, no, it is impossible. I cannot do that. My brothers are...' That means he wanted to satisfy his senses. But when Krsna instructed him Bhagavad-gita, He inquired from Arjuna, "Now what is your decision?" Yathecchasi tatha kuru [Bg. 18.63]. Then he said that nasto mohah smrtir labdha tvat-prasadat: "By Your grace, now my all illusion is over. I have got my original Krsna consciousness." What is that? "My business is to satisfy You, not my senses." Then he became devotee. This is the... Vasudeve bhagavati. If you engage yourself in the service, regulative principles... In the beginning you must follow the regulative principles. Then spontaneous love, then you will get.
So these things should be arising.
This is already there in you; simply you have to awaken it. This Krsna consciousness is already there in everybody. It is not that it is an artificial thing. Love for God is there already because we are part and parcel of Him. It is now covered, covered by material association. Acchedita. Just like the mirror is covered by dust, you cannot see, but you polish it, you will see your face, similarly, this bhakti-yoga process is polishing the mirror of your heart, and when it is nicely polished, you will see what is your position, what you are, what is your business, how you shall be happy. Everything will come out.
Therefore our request is that you take this Krsna consciousness movement very serious and try to apply yourself in the service of Vasudeva. The very simple thing... If you cannot do anything, you follow the instruction of Krsna. As Krsna says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. You are drinking water. While drinking water, as soon as you taste, the sweet taste, you simply remember, "This is Krsna." Is it very difficult task? Not at all. Simply you have to agree. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh [Bg. 7.8]. And as soon as in the morning you see the sunshine, "Oh, here is Krsna." As soon as in the evening you see the moonshine, "Oh, here is Krsna." And what to speak of when the Vedic reciters, brahmanas, are chanting, om tad visnoh paramam padam..., in the morning, "Oh, here is Krsna. Here is omkara." In this way you simply think of Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness, and your life will be successful.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

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