So the foolish people, they do not know it. It is practical. Just like I went to your country with forty rupees, and now I am getting money, as much as I want. This is practical. No businessman can earn with forty rupees and within ten years forty crores. There is no instance in the history. This is the... Prito 'ham. Because Krsna is the proprietor of all riches. That is Bhagavan. Bhagavan is not that when amongst His foolish disciples, He declares Himself Bhagavan, and when there is some toothache, He goes to the physician to help Him. Bhagavan is not like that. Bhagavan is self-sufficient. So everything is full. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). So riches also... Not that Bhagavan, the Supreme Person, He is poor man, daridra-narayana. No. He is full of riches. He can give you as much wealth as you want. And bhakta, a devotee, of course, does not want anything from Krsna. That is suddha-bhakta. But Krsna supplies him wealth when he requires. There is no need of asking Krsna. Some way or other, it will come. Just like a small child, dependent on the parents, whatever he requires, he does not ask from the parents, "Give me this." The parents know that this child wants this food, this cloth, this comfort, anything.

So this is the secret of bhakti. A bhakta does not endeavor for anything except devotional service. Karma, jnana, yoga, these things are very popular. By karma, by activities, you can earn money and fulfill your material desire. That is called karma. And then jnana. Jnana means to understand that "I am spirit soul; I am not this material body." And then there is another sphere of activities. That is spiritual activities, jnanam. And then yoga. Yoga means whatever you want, asta-siddhi, anima, laghima, prapti, isita, vasita, whatever... This is yoga. So karma, jnana, yoga. These are the different processes of opulence. Now, Krsna is the Supreme. Here it is said, kama-purah asmi aham. "You desire something. So I'll fulfill your desire." Kama-purah. "I shall fulfill your desire. Why you are bothering? You just become My devotee." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. [Bg. 18.66] "I shall fulfill all your desires. Why you are endeavoring? There is no need of endeavoring. You chant Hare Krsna, and whatever you want, you'll get it." This is wanted.

So kama-purah.

So vasudeve bhagavati... To full... Surrender to Krsna means to become spiritually active. Sometimes the Mayavadi philosophers, they think that when we become Brahman realized, we become one with the Supreme; then all our activities stop. No, that is (not) the fact. The fact is we are now materially active, and when we finish our material activities, then our spiritual activity begins. You cannot make the living entity as inactive. That is not possible, because we are living; we are not stone. How I can be inactive? That is not possible. Inactivity is for the stones and irons. But we are not stones and irons. Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. These Mayavadi philosophers, they think to stop activity is the highest perfection. No. Our philosophy is stop foolish activities and begin real activities. That is bhakti. Bhakti is not stopping activity. Therefore we are engaging our devotees in so many activities. They are all spiritual activities. Spiritual activity is known as bhakti.

So,

So here Nrsimhadeva addressing, prahlado bhadra, perfect gentleman. In India it is called bhadraloka. Bhadra means a perfect gentleman, bhadraloka. That is the general etiquette, to address somebody as bhadraloka. Especially in Bengal it is very common word, bhadra. And the other parts also. So bhadra means perfect gentleman. Just see. Prahlada was perfect gentleman. A devotee is perfect gentleman. Why? Now, because he has developed all good qualities. That is bhadra. A devotee cannot be abhadra. He must be bhadra. That is perfection. Therefore a devotee is never rude to anyone. When Rupa Gosvami was here, some very learned scholar to talk with him sastrartha, talking on sastra. So when he approached Rupa Gosvami, he asked that "I want to talk with you about sastra." And he said, "I am not a very learned man. How can I talk with you? You are so learned man." So he said, "If you think that you are not learned, then you give me in writing that "I am not learned." So he immediately gave him: "All right, take it. I am not learned." (laughs) So when he was going away with that cheat, that "He is the most learned scholar, and Rupa Gosvami's defeated," then Jiva Gosvami was standing outside. He said, "What is that paper?" "No, your uncle has written frankly that he is not learned. I am learned." "All right, talk with me." Then he defeated him.

So sometimes devotees are so gentle. If such foolish person comes to talk, unnecessarily waste of time, "All right, you take in writing that I am not a learned. Go away." You see? This is another bhadra. Instead of wasting time with a rascal, better give him a paper: "Go away, sir." (laughter) And therefore Lord Siva is called Asutosa. So many demons go to bother him: "Give me this. Give me that." And his name is Asutosa.. He gives him immediately: "All right, you take it. Go away. Don't bother." (laughter) Therefore his name is Asutosa.. Very soon he becomes... Somebody prayed, "Sir, give me this benediction, that I shall... On anyone's head I shall touch, immediately head will go away." So Lord Siva said, "All right, you go away. You take this benediction and go away." Then he wanted to touch the head of Lord Siva, that "Let me test whether it is good or not." Then he was in danger. So sometimes Lord Siva is put into danger because he... People, therefore, go to worship Lord Siva to take anything he wants. Ravana also was a very great devotee of Siva. Asuras, they are very great devotees of Lord Siva to take material facilities. But if you... Of course, it is said, akamah sarva-kamo va [SB 2.3.10]. But anyone who goes to Krsna, he does not want anything like this, that "I shall put my hand to anyone's head, and it will go."

So Prahlada is bhadra. He's not that type of devotee. He doesn't want anyone's inconvenience, bhadra. So how he became bhadra? Because he's devotee. It is said, yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah [SB 5.18.12]. As soon as you become a perfect devotee, all the good qualities of the demigods will develop automatically. We have already studied the story of the vyadha. He was a hunter, and by the grace of Narada, when he became a devotee, he was not ready to kill even an ant. In the beginning his profession was hunting. He was very much pleased to kill the animal half. Sometimes the Muslims, they kill the animal simply, and it throbs and sufficient blood come also. They like that. So the hunters, some of the hunters, they also kill the animal half. So they take pleasure. I have seen in my own eyes in Calcutta. One hotel man was cutting the throat of a chicken and half-cut, and the half-dead chicken was jumping like this, and the man was laughing. His little son, he was crying. I have seen it. He was crying. Because he's innocent child, he could not tolerate. He was crying. And the father was saying, "Why you are crying? Why you are crying? It is very nice." Just see. So without being devotee a man will become cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, in this way go to hell. And devotee cannot tolerate. We have studied in the life of Lord Jesus Christ. When he saw that in the Jewish synagogue the birds were being killed, he became shocked. He therefore left. Jes... He inaugurated the Christian religion. Perhaps you know. He was shocked by this animal-killing. And therefore his first commandment is "Thou shall not kill." But the foolish Christians, instead of following his instruction, they are opening daily slaughterhouse.

So unless one becomes a perfect devotee, he cannot become a bhadra, gentleman. That is not possible. Naradhamah. Krsna says. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Unless one is a devotee, he is a duskrtina, most sinful man, naradhamah, and the lowest of the human being. These are the qualification. So one has to become devotee. If you want to become bhadra, gentleman, you must take to Krsna consciousness. Otherwise it is not possible. Otherwise it is not possible. You are not Krsna conscious, at the same time gentlemanthat is a false thing, pretender. A bhadra... Here it is said, bhadra. Prahlada bhadra bhadram te [SB 7.9.52]. And when you become bhadra, gentle, perfect, qualified gentleman, then everything is auspicious for you. There is no inauspicity. Bhadram, everything. The bhadram... Here Vira-raghavacarya, he explains this word, bhadram anista-nivrttih: "no more anything inauspicious." Bhadram. Anistam nivrttih istam praptis ca. Two things, that is bhadram. Very nice, Vira-raghavacarya's explanation. Bhadram anista-nivrttir istam praptih. Istam means "whatever you desire," because a bhadra, a gentleman, cannot desire anything which is bad. A gentleman will not pray to Krsna, "Please give me facility for eating meat." He'll..., mean, devotee never prays like that. Therefore abhadra-nivrttih. He never prays to Krsna, "Please give me facility of drinking." No. Because he's bhadram. But abhadra will pray, will go to the goddess Kali: "Mother, give me your prasadam meat." Abhadra. Why should we eat meat? Abhadra. Therefore this explanation is very nice, bhadram anista-nivrttih. Anista... If you eat meat, that means you become implicated in sinful activities. You have to be killed by your enemy, and he will eat you, or you become a goat or a hog or a cow, and your other person will kill you. Just like nowadays this contraceptive, abortion, killing the child is going on, so the same man, again he is killed by the so-called father and mother. It will act. Karmano 'anya... Yajnarthe karmano 'nyatra karma-bandhana. Unless you act for satisfying Krsnayou become bhadrathen whatever you'll do, there will be reaction. This is nature's law. You cannot escape. If you have killed an animal, then you must be killed by that animal. Mamsa. Mamsa means mam sa khadati. When I eat meat, mamsa, it means, "This animal also will eat me again." This is mamsa. Mam sa khadati. Is it all right?

So we should not think independent. We must become bhadra. Then all auspicity will come. These two words, if you can understand... Prahlada bhadra bhadram te [SB 7.9.52]. If you are not bhadra, then you will remain always abhadra, raksasa or asura. And here it is said, 'prito ham te asurottamam: "You are the best of the asura family." Because Prahlada was born of a father, Hiranyakasipu, and the most ferocious asura, so he cannot escape the relationship with his father, with reference to his father. "How can I say that I am not son of a...?" There is that asura, mean, facility or disadvantage. But he is uttama. He surpassed that platform. How it is possible? Now, because Krsna is pleased upon him. Prito 'ham. Although he is born in an asura family, low-grade family, but because Krsna is pleased upon him, he becomes immediately bhadra. This is the facility. So those who speak that the, these Europeans and Americans cannot become Vaisnava, they are mistaken. If Krsna is pleased upon them, immediately they become the best of the brahmanas. Here it is said, prito 'ham: "Never mind you are born in the family of asura, but because I am pleased, you are all-purified. You don't be disappointed." It is only... We require to please Krsna. Then everything is all right. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah. Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita, "Never mind he is born in the papa-yoni. It doesn't matter. But...," te 'pi yanti param gatim, "because he has taken shelter of My lotus feet..."

So don't be depressed. Try to please Krsna. That's all. That is our only business. That is our only business, whether Krsna is satisfied or not. Then it is, everything, all right. Prito 'ham. Prito 'ham. Here it is said, prahlada bhadra bhadram te prito 'ham: [SB 7.9.52] "I am fully satisfied upon you." Try to satisfy Krsna. Then everything is auspicious. And then Krsna will... Instead of begging from Krsna, Krsna will beg from whatever you want: "What you want, please tell Me." The devotee never wants, but Krsna is anxious. Here it is said, varam vrnisva: "You take whatever you like." So if you simply please Krsna, He'll canvass, "My dear devotee, whatever you want, you take. You can take from Me." Varam vrnisva. "So why shall I beg from You?" Now, kama-puro asmi: "Whatever you desire, I can fulfill. I am so powerful." Kama-puro asmy aham nrnam. Nrnam, ordinary person. Because a devotee is above the nrnam. So, so long we are, remain in the material condition, we have so many kamas, desires. But as soon as we come to the spiritual platform... Because there everything is ready, why shall I be desiring to have this thing or that thing? Everything is ready. Everything is ready. That is spiritual platform. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu [Bs. 5.29]. Kalpa-vrksa. Everything, everything you want, it is ready immediately because there is Krsna only, and He is always ready. What is that song? Gopijana-ranjana. Sing this song.

So the conclusion is that try to please Krsna. Then your life is successful. Don't try... Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [SB 1.5.18]. We have tried to improve our condition of life, even becoming the demigods, but don't think the demigods are without danger. We have learned from history, Bhagavata, the Puranas, Indra was so many times perplexed. Even Brahma was perplexed. You cannot avoid dangerous position within this material world even if you are a person like Brahma. That is not possible. But if you become a devotee of Krsna, then everything is all right. So our business should be not to become very, very great person within this material world, because that will never be possible. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate, upary adhah [SB 1.5.18]. In the higher planetary system or lower planetary system, whatever you desire, you can get a big position but never safety, never peacefulness. You'll never get. Do you think that in our this modern world... There are many, many Birlas and other, Tatas. Do you think they are happy? (end)