Everything is there in the sastra. If you simply refer to sastras for the right source of knowledge, then you get. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya. If you do things without reference to the sastras, then Lord Krsna says, na siddhim sa avapnoti: "You will never get perfection." Na sukham: "Neither happiness."

He wanted to know from the son what best knowledge he has received. He said, "This is the best knowledge." Tan manye adhitam uttamam: "I think he has learned very nice thing. His education is first class." Who? Now, "Who is always engaged in sravanam kirtanam visnu, who is always engaged in chanting and hearing about the glories of Lord Visnu."

"Anyone who thinks that the Supreme Personality of Godhead Narayana is as good as the demigods, he's a rascal, he's a fool." Sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam. And the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah yajante anya-devatah: [Bg. 7.20] "Those who are worshiping other demigods, they are hrta-jnanah. Their knowledge is lost." That requires a very big explanation. So one thing is that you should never place or put the demigods on equal footing with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is a great offense.

There are nine different process. They are one, but it appears like different. Just like you are hearing, I am speaking, but both of them are the same, because while you are hearing, I am also hearing. So they are absolute. But still, as it is convenient, you can accept any one of them and you advance in devotional service.

(aside:) Don't make that sound. Iti pumsarpita visnau bhaktis cet nava-laksana. Iti. Again he says, "All these services, when rendered to Lord Visnu," the bhaktis cet nava-laksana, "nine different types of devotional service," kriyeta bhagavaty addha, "those who are engaged in such services," tan manye adhitam uttamam, "I think they are the most advanced learned. That is the end of education." Tan manye adhitam uttamam.

"Such persons immediately becomes liberated from the bondage of three modes of material nature." Sa gunan samatityaitan. Great philosophers, great yogis, they are undergoing severe type of austerities. Why? Just to get out of the clutches of these three modes of material nature, the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Everyone is being conducted under the influence of these different types of material nature. Even in this material world, goodness, that is also bondage, and what to speak of passion and ignorance. So Krsna says anyone who is engaged in devotional service, immediately, sa samatityaitan gunan. Etan gunan means these three qualities of material nature, brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. That is real stage of aham brahmasmi. Sankaracarya taught his philosophy, to develop your consciousness to the platform of Brahman understanding. When one understands himself that "I am not this body, I do not belong to this material world. I am spirit soul," that is Brahman understanding. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. At that time he becomes very jolly. So there are many different process of austerity to come to this platform of Brahman understanding, but if one is engaged in this devotional service, sravanam kirtanam visnu, he is to be understood as already on the Brahman platform. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says, "I think such person has studied completely. His knowledge is perfect." Tan manye adhitam uttamam.

When he heard, the atheist father, "Oh, this boy is speaking nonsense," you see, he became very much angry. Rusa. Rusa means became too much angry. Rusa-prasphuritadharah. His lips were throbbing. He was so angry. Immediately called the teachers, "Come on!" Guru-putram uvacedam rusa, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipaksam srayatasata. "I gave my child, my boy, to be educated by you. What sort of education you have given him? He is talking nonsense, devotional service. I wanted to make him politician, diplomat, tricky, and you have taught him sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]?" You see? That is still going on. That is still going on. When I wanted to start this movement in India, I approached many friends, "Sir, you have got four boys. Give me one boy. I want to make him devotee." They refused. "Oh," he will say, "Swamiji, what will be the benefit by becoming devotee? After all, he has to earn his livelihood." (laughter) Nobody agreed. Nobody agreed. Everyone wants that his son should be hard working, just like hogs and dogs, and satisfy senses. That's all. Everyone wants. That is civilization. Nobody wants that his son should be a devotee. They will not tolerate that. If somebody's son comes to us to become devotee, I have experienced, the father and mother immediately come: "Oh, Swamiji, what you are doing?" But his son becomes hippiehe will tolerate. That he will tolerate. But he becomes devotee"Oh, we can't tolerate. How can we...?" You see? This is the nature. This is the nature. If one son is going astray by drinking, "Oh, young men, they can do that." But he becomes a devotee, he immediately becomes warned, "Oh, what danger is...!" (laughter) "He is going to be a devotee." This is the nature of demons. If the father, mother, are demons, how you can expect nice child? You see? That is the defect of the modern civilization. Therefore the whole world is unhappy. There is need of devotees, need of real brahmanas. That is wanted. Therefore this Krsna consciousness movement... Even a certain little percentage of people becomes Krsna conscious, the whole face of the world will change. It is so nice.

So the teacher said, "Sir, we have not taught this. I do not know how your son has learned all this devotional service. By nature he is so like that." Prahlada was doing that. Because the teachers were very much cautious that "This Prahlada has got tendency to become a devotee," so they were very careful. But Prahlada Maharaja, what he did do, as soon as there is tiffin hours, all the teachers gone, he would immediately call all the class friends and stand up on the bench and speak on bhagavad-bhakti. Perhaps you have seen that picture. That teaching is there. If there is time we shall..., how he was teaching his class friend to become devotee. Just like our boys going on the street try to teach all others how to learn devotional service. This is our business. Prahlada Maharaja is our acarya, former acarya. So following his footsteps, we have to do that. Everyone did that, preaching. Preaching is required. People are in ignorance. They do not know what is God, what is his relationship with God. Therefore preaching is necessary. So Prahlada Maharaja was doing that. Therefore the teacher said that naisargikiyam matir asya rajan niyaccha manyum: "Don't be unnecessarily angry upon us. We did not teach him. By nature he is like that."

Grha-vratanam: "those who have taken it as vow to be happy in this material world." Therefore they are called grha-vrata. Grhastha... There are two words in Sanskrit language. One is grha-stha, and one is grha-vrata or grha-medhi. Grhastha means grhastha-asrama. As soon as... Those who are conversant with Vedic language, they know. Asrama means something in connection with God. That is called asrama. So grhastha-asrama means one may live with family, children, wife, children, friendsthat's all right. Live. Whatever life is suitable for you, you accept. But you change Krsna consciousness. Cultivate Krsna consciousness. That is asrama. Therefore it is called brahmacari-asrama, grhastha-asrama, vanaprastha-asrama, sannyasa-asrama. This is varnasrama, four varnas and four asramas. We are wrongly called Hindus. This is a wrong designation given by the Muhammadans. We don't find this word in any Vedic literature, "Hindu." It is a foreign word. Real word is varnasrama. Varnasramacaravata purusena para puman. That is Vedic civilization, four varnas and four asramas. Four varnas means brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, and four asrama means brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. One who follow this system of civilization, they are called varnasrami. So the "Hindus" is a foreign name given to these Indians by the neighborhood Muhammadans. Actually, Hindu is not to be found. So when we call ourselves Hindus, that is misconception of Indian civilization. Real concept of Indian civilization, Vedic civilization, is varnasrama dharma. In the Visnu Purana it is said,

So here it is said, grha-vratanam. Grha-vrata means those who have taken this family life or material life as all in all. That's all. Vrata. Vrata means vow. "I shall improve my family condition, I shall improve my social condition. I shall improve the international condition or political condition." All these things, they are called grha-vratanam. They have no idea that beyond this life there is another life. Therefore they are stuck up with this idea. They are called grha-vrata. Generally, at the present moment, everyone is grha-vrata. That's all. They simply want "How to improve my economic condition." That's all. Individually, socially, family wise, internationally or nationally, that is their aim. They are called grha-vrata. So Prahlada Maharaja said, because he knew that his father is number one grha-vrata, atheist number one, and materialist number one, so when he inquired, "How you developed Krsna consciousness?" he said immediately, flatly, to his father, "My dear father, don't worry. You will never will have Krsna consciousness. (laughter) Because you are so much attached to this materialistic way of life, be sure you will never increase your devotion to Krsna. Be sure. Don't be agitated." Yes. Matir na krsne parato svato va mitho 'bhipadyeta grha-vratanam. "Those who have taken this vow, for them there is no possibility of increasing or culturing Krsna consciousness. There is no possibility." These boys who have come to me, and they have become so nice devotee, because they are not grha-vrata. They have no interest with this material world. That is their first-class qualification. Therefore they have come to Krsna consciousness. If anyone wants to make his economic position developed by Krsna consciousness, don't do that. There is no possibility. Of course, Krsna is very kind. If anyone wants... Just like Dhruva Maharaja wanted to develop his economic condition. Krsna gave him. Krsna gives. He is very kind. But that is not the purpose of developing Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness should be pure, simply to serve the Lord.

So Prahlada Maharaja first of all said, "My dear father, anyone whose vow is to live in this material world very comfortably, although there is no possibility of comfort..." This is called maya. But they are trying to be comfortable. They are trying to be comfortable. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. They have seen that Roman Empire was lost, Greek Empire was lost, Mogul Empire was lost; still, they tried for British Empire, and it has failed. They are called punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. The things which have been thrown away after chewing, again chewing the same thing, that is called grha-vratanam. You cannot make any permanent settlement within this material world. That is not possible. The nature is made so, whatever you do, for the time being you relish that "I have done something, I am now very comfortably situated," and so on, so on, but time will come, you will be kicked off from your position. You will be again thrown into the wilderness. Therefore they do not know. That will be explained also. They do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know. They are foolish. Andha yathandhair. Their foolish leaders also misleading them.