Bhagavata-dharma means, as we have discussed yesterday morning, that Krsna Himself is explaining bhagavata-dharma. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru mam evaisyasi [Bg. 18.65]. The real aim of life is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. They do not know it. Na te viduh. Generally, people do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnuh. All the Vedic mantra says. The Rg Veda mantra says, om tad visnoh paramam padam. That is the... Everyone must meditate upon Lord Visnu. Meditation means to think of Lord Visnu within the heart. I think we have seen many pictures that isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61], the Supreme Lord is sitting in everyone's heart, and that Lord's murti form is Visnu-murti. So dhyana, yoga, all this means to concentrate the mind in Visnu-murti. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yogi, what is their business? Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa. Concentrating the mind, meditating upon the Visnu-murti. Nowadays, they have invented some system of yoga, some light, something like that. But that is not the sastric injunction. Sastric injunction is to think of Lord Visnu within the heart. He's already there, and we have to search out. That is called meditation. That is called dhyana.

But in this Kali-yuga it is little difficult. Why little? It is very, very difficult to sit down in one place and meditate upon Lord Visnu within the heart. Not only sit down in one placeit is recommended that we should sit down in a sacred place and in a secluded place. Not that it is a fashion, some hundreds of men sitting together and meditating. What meditating? That is not the process. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita it is recommended to sit down in a sacred and secluded place. That is called dhyana. And sitting in a right-angle posture and the eyes half-closed. Not fully closed. If you fully close then you will sleep. I have seen so many yogis snoring, sleeping. Yes. Naturally, if you close your eyes and you have no subject matter to think, what will be this, you will sleep, that's all. That is not yoga system. You have to sit down in a secluded place, in what is called, yoga-asana, straight body and not sleeping, half-open eyes and looking over the tip of the nose. There are so many methods. That is called meditation. But this kind of meditation is very, very difficult in this age. If one can perform, it is welcome, but it is very difficult. In the Kali-yuga, if I sit down to meditate upon, then I shall think of my family, my business, my friend, so many things. It is not possible. Therefore sastra recommends,

So we have to follow the injunction of the sastra. We cannot manufacture our own ways of spiritual advancement. That is not possible.

So one who requires to go to the world of light, he requires a guru. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh [SB 11.3.21]. Jijnasuh means inquisitive. Everyone is jijnasuh. We go to the market to purchase something, we are also jijnasuh there. "What is the price of this? What is the price of that?" That is also inquiry. But not, inquiry is not like that, as we go to the market and other material markets. That is also, inquiry is the lifebut material inquiry. Jijnasuh sreya uttamam. Sreya, sreya means ultimate goal of life. In the material world, there is no question of sreya; it is all preya. There are two things, preya and sreya. Immediate benefit, that is called preya. Just like child. If you ask child to sit down and read book, he would not like. If you offer one lugdu, he will immediately accept. A small child, we see, you have seen: we distribute biscuits and immediately, the small child, immediately he knows how to take it and put it in the mouth. This is called preya, "dear." They do not know anything else. If you give him poison, he will like to eat. This is child's nature. So if you ask the child, "Now you sit down and read books and write," he would not like. That is called sreya. To become educated is good for him for future, but he doesn't like. But if we give our lugdu, immediately he'll accept. This is the distinction between sreya and preya.

So we must be interested in sreya, not preya. Preya is sense gratification. The material life, sense gratification is only required. This is material world. Yan maithunadi grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. This sreya, or this preya, very dear things, ultimately, sex life, maithunadi... [break] ...married, the same sex life. Then he gets some children. Then he again grandsons. They go on. Yan maithunadi. Here, the happiness is centered around that sex life. Kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham. And as soon as he enters into sex life, iva duhkha-duhkham, one after another, one after another, one after another. So this is preya. But sreya is now to approach the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. Therefore here it is said, yatha hi purusasyeha visnoh padopasarpanam, how to be engaged in the worship of the lotus feet of Lord Visnu. That is possible. This sreya means sense gratification, culminating in sex life. That is available. That will be explained in the next verse.

So aindriya sukham, sense pleasure, that is available everywhere. Even cats and dogs, they have got sense pleasure. But human life is not meant for that purpose. Human life is meant for, this is the idea: yatha hi purusasyeha visnoh padopasarpanam. This is required. They do not know it. Prahlada Maharaja another place said, na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. Generally, those who are not trained up by guru, they do not know the svartha-gatim is Visnu. Durasaya. They are trying to be happy with this external energy. Bahir-artha, bahir, bahir-anga-sakti. Bahir-anga-sakti means this material world. So one who does not know what is the goal of life, they are interested in this bahir-anga-sakti, external energy. Therefore guru required. how to get him delivered from the clutches of external energy. Therefore guru required. One who is interested to get out of these activities of external energy, tasmad gurum prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21], for him, guru is required. Don't make a guru as a fashion. That is useless. Then you get some guru who can manufacture gold, and you are interested in gold, so that kind of guru will be... No. Here it is said, tasmad gurum prapad..., tad-vijnanartham sa gurum [MU 1.2.12]. Tad-vijnana means spiritual science. For that purpose, one requires a guru. Not for any other purpose.

So Arjuna also showed by example. Although he was talking as friend, he submitted to Krsna, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. Arjuna was talking directly with Krsna. But because the relationship was affectionate friendship, there could not be any serious talk. Therefore Arjuna submitted that "Krsna, we are talking like friends; it will never come to any serious. Now I accept You as my guru." Sisyas ye 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam. Karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah [Bg. 2.7]. "I am now perplexed." So when one is actually in knowledge, he feels perplexed. Athato brahma jijnasa. Unless one feels perplexed in this materialistic way of life, his human life is imperfect. One must feel that this material world, actually it is not happiness. Just like Sanatana Gosvami approached Caitanya Mahaprabhu that gramya-vyavahare pandita, satya kari mani. "I am minister, I am also born of a brahmana family." In India the brahmanas are addressed as panditaji. So he says, gramya-vyavahare pandita kaha ei pandita: "Just like ordinary relationship, village friendship, they call me pandita." Pandita means learned. "I also accept that I am pandita. But actually I am not pandita." Why not? Apanara hitahita kichui nahi jani: "I do not know what is the goal of my life." Ask anyone what is the goal of life. He may be Ph.D., D.A.C., he does not know. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know. Therefore if one is serious about understanding the value of life, the goal of life, he should approach a guru. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Prapadyeta. Prapadyeta means to surrender. Not that guru should be approached for challenging. No. If you challenge then you'll be cheated. First of all, you must find out a person who if you can surrender there. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. Tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg. 4.34]. Pranipat, surrender, that is required first. If you think somebody that he's not worth surrendering, then don't make him guru. Don't make a fashion. First of all you test that "Whether I can surrender?" Pranipatena. Then try to understand. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya. Not only surrendering, but also render service so that guru may be pleased that "This disciple is very humble, meek and giving service." Anywhere, even in material world, if you want to take something from somebody, if you please him by service, it is very easy. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasa [SB 11.3.21].

So he says, yatha hi purusasyeha visnoh padopasarpanam yada esa sarva-bhutanam. Why one should seek after Visnu? Tad visnoh paramam padam. Because yada esa sarva-bhutanam priya. Everyone's dearmost. That we have forgotten. Actually Visnu or Krsna, He's dearmost. He's also friend of everyone. When we understand this secret, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram suhrdam sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. Suhrdam: He's actual friend. We go to friends for some help, but if we accept the natural friend, Krsna, then there is no scarcity. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Therefore we should learn how to love Krsna, or Visnu. That is the aim of life.

Thank you very much. (end)