Bhagavata means from the word bhagavan. Bhagavan means the person who has got all the six opulences in full. He is called Bhagavan or God. In most scriptures of the world there is idea of God, but actually there is no definition of God. But in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, because it is science of God, there is definition, what do you mean by God. The definition is that one person who has got six opulences in full, He is God. What are the six opulences? Aisvarya. Aisvarya means wealth. And samagra, aisvaryasya samagrasya, complete wealth. Complete wealth means, just like we are sitting here, say, twenty-five or fifty men. Everyone has got some wealth in bank balance. But if some one of us can exceed the bank balance of every one of us, he is called samagra. Now try to understand what is the definition of God. There are many rich men, not only here in your country, in other countries also. So take the whole world as a whole, and if you scrutinize who is the richest man, you will hardly find one who is the richest of all. There is a competitor, another. But here the definition is the richest. Nobody can compete with Him, the richest. Then, aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. Viryasya means strength. You have got some strength, I have got some strength, but another man may be stronger than you and me. Another man is stronger than he. So nobody can say that "I am the strongest," and nobody can say, "I am the richest." So aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah. Yasasah means fame. Labha-puja-pratisthah. This materialistic life means we want some profit, we want some fame, and we want some good name. If I see that my name is stamped in the history, I think, "Oh, I am My life is successful." But what is the history? Your name means your body, your photo of this body. But as soon as you leave this body, what you will do with this name? You are going to another body, another name. So aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. Viryasya means strength. So one should have the complete power of riches, complete power of strength, complete fame. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47), and complete beauty. And jnana, complete knowledge, and vairagya, complete renouncement. If you can find out somebody that nobody is richer than him, nobody is more famous than him, nobody is stronger than him, nobody is wiser than him, nobody is more beautiful than him, and nobody is more renouncer than him, when these six opulences you will find, without any competition, that is God. This is the definition of God.

So everything should be understood very distinctly, what do we mean by God, not that a third-class man comes and he proclaims himself, "I am God." This is our foolishness. Why shall I accept a third-class man as God? At the present moment everyone is very much anxious to become God and cheat you. There are so many so-called swamis. They are coming, and they are preaching that "You are God. I am God." Then who is God? Everyone is God? No. Therefore you will find in the Vedic literature definition of God. Here is definition of... Just apply this definition. If you find somebody, that he is corroborating with this definition of God, then he is God. Otherwise he is a nonsense. God is not so cheap thing. You find out a person that nobody can be found richer than him, nobody can be found stronger than him, nobody can be found more famous than him, or beautiful than him, or wiser than him, or renouncer than him.

So this analysis, this definition, analytical study of God, is very nicely made by the sages, ancient sages of India, Bharata-varsa, and they have studied the qualification of the demigods just like the sun-god, the moon-god, the heavenly god, this god, that god. There are so many. You are also god, I am also god, in this sense, that every one of us has got little, little, these opulences. Everyone, you have got some wealth. It is not that you have no wealth, but you cannot claim that you are the wealthiest. That is not possible. As you have got also some strength, you have got also some fame, you have got also some beauty, you have got some also wisdom, you have got some renunciation. Little, little. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme, therefore all the qualities of God can be found in each and every living entity in minute quantity. So you can claim that you are also minute god, but you cannot claim that you are Supreme God. This is the definition of God! So the science of God, or our relationship with God and our dealings with God, is called bhagavata-dharma, occupation with God..., dealings with God. But Srimad-Bhagavatam means how we can learn.

First of all, we have to understand what is God, what I am, what is my relationship with God. And as soon as the relationship is established, then there is dealings. And as soon as there is dealing, then there is some profit. There must be some profit. Just like a businessman, another businessman, they first of all make some connection, that "You are supplier. I am..." I mean to say. What is called? "Receiver." Because a businessman, one businessman sells. Another businessman purchases. "So you are purchaser. I am seller." So our agreement is made that "I shall supply you. You shall purchase." This is called relationship. In every dealings we must have first of all the relationship. Then, when there is relationship established, then next stage is to deal according to that relationship. And when the dealing is perfect, then we get the desired result. So either in business field or in other relationship, friend and friend, wife and husband, master and servant, father and son... You can take any, accept any form of relationship. There must be a standard of dealing, and there must be a result out of that. This is called Bhagavata-dharma. You must know what is your position, you must know what is God, and you must know what is your relationship with God. Then you must deal with God in that way. Then you get the desired result. This is perfection of life. It is called bhagavata-dharma.

So what is our relationship with God? I have already explained that the six opulences are there in God in full and the same six opulences are in me, but in particle. Just like the ocean water. It contains tons, millions of tons salt, ocean water, salt. You take a drop of ocean water. You analyze. You will find a grain of salt also. The salt is there also. Similarly, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, what is our relationship? Relationship is

We are always in miseries, but if I ask you or you ask me "How are you," I will say, "Oh, it is very nice." What is very nice? We are sitting here. The heat is so extensive, everyone is feeling inconvenienced. But if you ask me, "Sir, how are you," I will say, "It is very nice." This is called maya. We are always under some tribulation, always, either now it is very hot, it is warm, and after few months, it will be too cold. So either you are in cold or you are in heat. So these are miseries. If not heat and cold, it is all right, atmosphere, oh, there is something, mental misery. If there is no mental misery, there is some bodily misery. If there is no mental misery, bodily misery or natural misery, then somebody must... At least, there is mosquito misery, the bug misery. So if you analyze your life, it is full of miseries, full of miseries.

Therefore, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but because we have separated ourselves from God... Because we are speaking of God... Very... People are interested, "Oh, the Swamiji is speaking of God. God is dead." This is nonsense. You are living. "Everyone is living. Simply God has died." You see? This is, this philosophy is going on. Therefore bhagavata-dharma, one has to study from the very beginning of life. Otherwise we shall learn this philosophy, that "God is dead." So Prahlada Maharaja says, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. This occupation of dealing with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, should be learned from the very beginning of life. Just like one of our student comes, Eddy(?). He is always with his father, and he is learning bhagavata-dharma. He is also bowing down, seeing his father and other Godbrothers of his father. He is learning. We also learned in that way, in our childhood. So from the very childhood one should be taught what is bhagavata-dharma. Otherwise there will be unwanted population, and the world will become a hell.

Just like at the present moment we practically experience. Everywhere there is discontentment, there is scarcity. Just like from India we thought that "When I go to America and other western countries, I will see that every man is very rich man and every man has got a very nice apartment and is enjoying life." But actually, when I come here I see that there are many poor men, there are many miserable men here also. Only the proportion is different, but the actual fact is the same, either in India or in America or in Canada or in everywhere. The same thing. Proportion different. Therefore, if we want... Prahlada Maharaja says that

The bhagavata-dharma, Prahlada Maharaja says, kaumara acaret... If not a very small child, but as soon as one is four or five years old... Kaumara means from five years old to fifteen years. That period of life is called kaumara. So one should learn this bhagavata-dharma from the beginning. Just like we send boys, children, to schools for training, similarly, the children should be trained for learning bhagavata-dharma. Unfortunately, nobody is interested. He was... Prahlada Maharaja also was in difficulty. His father... Even his father was against him because he was teaching this bhagavata-dharma, and the teachers were complaining to his father, "Sir, your son, we do not know how he has learned this bhagavata-dharma. He is simply teaching. As soon as he gets some opportunity he makes this education of God consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, to other children. So what to do with your son?" The father asked, "Where you have learned this? Tell me." Those topics will come later on. Now here Prahlada Maharaja, as soon as he saw some opportunity that the teacher is out of the class, he will call all the boys, "My dear friends, this bhagavata-dharma, this understanding God consciousness or Krsna consciousness, should be learned from the very beginning of life." "Why? Let us play. Why bhagavata-dharma now? All right, if there is Krsna consciousness movement, when we shall get older or when the time of death will be nearing, we can study at that time bhagavata-dharma."

But Prahlada Maharaja said, "No." Kaumara. Why kaumaram? Now, durlabham manusam janma. You are calculating that when you'll get old, at that time you shall try to understand what is Krsna consciousness. But what is the guarantee that you are not already old enough? Who can say? The next moment I can die. Old age means nearing death, but there is no such guarantee that one shall die at eighty years old or hundred years old. Death can take place at any moment. Therefore a sane man will understand that we are always old enough because there is no guarantee. Durlabham. And this manusam janma, this human form of life is called durlabha. Durlabha means very rarely obtained, after many, many evolutionary process, either you take the anthropologists' theory how human body has developed or you take from Vedic literature. But the difference is that anthropologists, they say, "There is no soul. The organic matter is developing in different ways." But Vedic literature says it is not the organic matter, but it is the soul. The soul is a person, is individual, and he is transforming different types of bodies from one body to another, transmigrating. This we have explained several times.

Just we were experiencing. This child who is playing, he is now, he has got a small body. Similarly, when he will get a body like his father, he has to change so many bodies, so many bodies. So the body will change but he, the soul, will remain the same. And now, at the childhood, or in the womb of his mother, or when the body is just like his father, or when the body is just like his grandfatherthe same thing, soul, will continue. So therefore soul is permanent and the body is changing. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririnah [Bg. 2.18]. This body is temporary. Temporary. Either this childhood body or boyhood body or youthhood body or mature body or old body, they are all temporary. Every moment, every second, we are changing. But the soul within the body, that is permanent. So this body, Prahlada Maharaja says, durlabham manusam janma: "Now, after many many births..."

Perhaps you do not know. There are nine million types of aquatic animals. So we have to pass through all these nine millions. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. And laksa-vimsati, 200,000's. I am sorry, not nine millions; 900,000. And then two millions species of plant life, vegetable life, we have to pass through. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati, krmayo rudra-sankhyakah. And eleven hundred thousands species of worms and reptiles. Sthavara laksa-vimsati krmayo rudra, paksinam dasa-laksanam. And there are ten hundred thousands of species of the birds. So similarly, there are three million types of four-legged animals. And the human species of life are only 400,000 species, or types, as you say. In this way the total is 8,400,000's of types of bodies, and we have to pass through, by transmigration, from one body to another, another, another, another. Now we have got this civilized form of body. Prahlada Maharaja says that it is very rare opportunity. We should not misuse this body just like other animals. Then it will be our foolishness.

Durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam. When we have got this human form of body, then we shall live more than the cats and dogs? No. Adhruvam. Adhruvam means this body also will not exist. Adhruvam. It is not eternal. This soul is eternal, but the body is not eternal. But although it is not eternal, the distinction between this body and the animal body is that although it will not exist... As a dog's body will not exist or a cat's body will not exist or the bird's body will not exist, similarly, this body also will not exist. That's a fact. But arthadam: but if you like, you can attain the highest perfection of life in this body. That is the opportunity. Therefore, from the very beginning, a child should be given opportunity how to make his life perfect. That is Vedic civilization.

Srimad-Bhagavatam says that "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a spiritual master, one should not become a guardian, one should not become a husband..." In this way they have given a long list. Who? Who is that one? "One who cannot give his dependents relief from death." Samupeta-mrtyuh. Na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyuh: "One who cannot make free his dependents." What is that freedom? "Freedom from the cycle of birth and death." He should not become a father or mother or spiritual master, like that. And Prahlada Maharaja is also instructing in this way, that "This human form body should be utilized fully for understanding our real position, our relationship with God, and our transaction, our dealings, and the basis of our relationship with God, and what is the real goal of life." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that the real goal of life is prema pum-artho mahan, prema, to attain love. Of course, in this material world, so many things are going on in the name of love. But actually there is no love. They are all lust. But going on in trade in the name of love. Love is possible only with Krsna, or God. Prema pum-artho mahan. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu's... Not any other thing.

Dharma artha kama moksa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. Generally, people understand eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. That is the lowest grade of life. A little higher grade of life, they try to understand about some religious principle, and they are generally become religious for some gain, some material gain. Just like in the churches or in the temples they go. They ask some benefit from God, "O God, give us our daily bread." Or somebody goes to temple, asks some benefit. So dharma, artha, kama. Why they ask some benefit? Now, just to satisfy their senses, that's all. They have no other aim. Dharma artha kama and moksa. And when they are dissatisfied or frustrated in sense gratification, then moksa, they want to become one with God. So dharmartha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41]. These are the general demands. The lower class of men, they are simply demands of the body, something eating, something eating, defending and mating. And the higher class, little elevated, they are after religiosity and some material gain and sense gratification, or utmost, to become one with the Supreme. But they have no other idea generally. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "No, above that there is another thing." That is prema, to love God. That is transcendental.

So Krsna consciousness is the topmost, topmost knowledge how to love God and thereby enjoy life. Because we want to love. Unfortunately The other day I was instructing my students that "You just get yourself married." Now, they were confused. Somebody said, "Where to get a nice girl?" Just see. Everyone wants to love, but frustration. The girls will say, "Where is a nice boy?" So the tendency of love is there in everywhere, either in animal or in man, but the lovable object is missing. Missing. That is Krsna. If you try to love Krsna, then your life will be fulfilled: "Oh, here is lovable object." Prema pum-artho mahan. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is considered to be most munificent personality. Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. Oh, Rupa Gosvami is offering Him his obeisances, "My dear Lord, You are the most magni..., munificent..." [break] Why? Krsna-prema-pradaya te: "You are distributing love of God, love of Krsna." Krsna-prema-pradaya. So we want to love somebody, but we are being frustrated. But if you try to love Krsna, either as master or as friend or as the Supreme or as husband or lover There are so many relationships. Just try to establish, find out, what is the relationship with Krsna, and this science is being taught in the matter of Krsna consciousness. Thank you very much. Any questions? [break]

Srotriyam means one who has perfectly heard the science of God from authoritative sources in disciplic succession. That is the qualification. Srotriyam, and brahma-nistham means not that simply he has heard, but the result is that he is firmly fixed up in God consciousness. These two qualifications. You have to find out that whether this man is coming from disciplic succession, srotriyam... Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, evam parampara-praptam: [Bg. 4.2] "By this disciplic succession, this science of Bhagavad-gita was learned." So you have to approach the spiritual master who is coming down from that disciplic succession. Then he is bona fide. Not only... He may be coming, but if he has not understood, then simply accepting will not do. Then the next symptom is srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. Brahma-nistham means he is firmly fixed up. Nobody can deviate from his point of steadiness. These are the general. There are many other definition in different... And the disciple also, he must have also qualification to approach a spiritual master. It is not that because you have got a bona fide spiritual master, therefore you will be benefited. You must be also qualified.

What is that qualification? What is the disciple's qualification? That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Sreya uttamam. Everyone is engaged for some temporary benefit, everyone in this world, you will find. Everyone is very busy. When you say, "Please come to our temple," "Sir, I am very busy." What is his business? The business is eating, sleeping, and mating. That's all, his business.