So Prahlada Maharaja, he was not afraid. That will be explained in these verses, that when Lord asked him, "My dear Prahlada, are you afraid by seeing My, these features?" He replied, "My dear Lord, I am not at all afraid, but I am afraid of this material existence." That is very nice explanation; we shall come. Now, he says humbly... Vaisnava is always humble. He did not think that "Oh, all other demigods failed to pacify the Lord. Now it is my turn, so how great I am, that I am superceding all these great demigods." So this is the Vaisnava devotee's temperament, humble and meek. They, although they are always in the exalted position, they never advertise that "I am in exalted position." He is never puffed up. As you have read it, the author of Caitanya-caritamrta, such a great devotee, who could produce in his ripe old age such nice transcendental literature, which is certified by my Guru Maharaja as the postgraduate study of the devotees... So Bhagavad-gita is the study for the neophytes, those who are inquiring, those who are trying to understand the science of God, for them. That means it is primary study. And after studying Bhagavad-gita, just like the boys, after passing the school final examination, they are allowed to enter into the degree college, similarly, one who has understood Bhagavad-gita very nicely and taken up the instruction, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], such person is eligible to enter into the study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He accepts Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is a preliminary qualification.

The beginning of devotional service is to accept Krsna as the Supreme. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is also said that what is the beginning of devotional life. He has explained that sraddha. Devotion means... The Sanskrit word is sraddha, devotion, affection, affinity, attachment. So... Or faith. The faith word is generally understood. So what sort of faith? There are different kinds of faith. But Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami, he says that strong faith, not ordinary faith. Strong faith. What sort of strong faith? He has explained, sraddha sabde visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya: [Cc. Madhya 22.62] "That faith means unflinching faith without any deviation, with full understanding." What is that understanding? Krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya: "One who engages himself in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, Krsna, it is to be understood that he has seen all activities of auspicity." That means he has already finished or passed the examination of pious activities. Krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya. This is the beginning. Unless one takes it firmly that "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead..." And if anyone is engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krsna, then it is to be understood that he has done all pious activities. This is this faith, this kind of faith, unflinching faith. When we have got this unflinching faith, that is the beginning of Bhagavata life. Bhagavata life means devotional life, direct connection with the Supreme God. That is Bhagavata life.

So after one has got this unflinching faith, that "Simply by serving Lord Krsna, all religious activities or all pious activities are done," that faith is the last word of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is explained to Arjuna in so many ways. But ultimately, he comes to the point through Him Himself. When He explains the yoga system, He explains nicely the process, how to execute yoga performances, the sitting posture, the breathing posture and eating and sitting and place. Everything explained nicely. But at the end He says that,

So these things are taught, those who are attached to work, for them; those who are attached to philosophy, for them; those who are attached to yoga system, for them; and those who are devotees, for them it is certainly. So from all angles of vision, when one comes to the point that krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya, if one is engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krsna, then everything is perfect. That is the conclusion of Bhagavata. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. You... How you can test that the particular engagement in which you are occupied, whether it is successful or not? How it is to be tested? The Bhagavata gives you the formula. What is that, the formula? Now, samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. You just try to see whether by your work Krsna, the Supreme Lord, has become satisfied. If you see that He is satisfied, then whatever work you are doing, either you are philosopher or a businessman or a scientist, or anything, politician... There are so many occupational duties. But you have to test whether that is giving you real perfection. That test is that you have to see whether by your activity the Supreme Lord is satisfied. Then... This is a great science. This is Krsna consciousness science. Simply... Therefore we have to take shelter of an expert. Just like a student goes to a school, and if he works on exercises and he puts before the teacher, and if the teacher says, "Yes, it is good," then he is successful; similarly, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] you have to approach to a guru or representative of Krsna, and if he says, "It is all right," then you know that Krsna is satisfied. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. You have to approach such a person whose certificate will ensure that Krsna will be satisfied. You have to find out such person. Then your life is success. That will also... You will get according to your sincerity of purpose because Krsna is within you.

So after understanding Bhagavad-gita, if one becomes faithful that "I shall devote my life for service of Krsna," then he is eligible to enter into the study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. That means Srimad-Bhagavatam begins from the point where Bhagavad-gita ends. Bhagavad-gita ends at the point: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], one has to surrender fully unto Krsna, giving up all other engagements. Always remember, all other engagement means not that you have to give up. You... Try to understand that Krsna said that "You give up everything and surrender unto Me." So that does not mean that Arjuna gave up his fighting capacity. Rather, he took to fighting more vigorously. So "Give up all other engagement" means don't take the fruit of your engagement. Give up. Just sacrifice the fruit of the engagement. That is to be given to Krsna. This is surrender. Just like a good boy surrenders to his father means whatever he earns, the money, at the end of month he puts in the hand of the father: "Oh, this is my month's earnings"; similarly, we have to sacrifice the fruits of our labor to Krsna. This is the beginning of Krsna consciousness.

And to develop that Krsna consciousness, just like when you have passed preliminary examination in the school, then you have to further enlightenment, further progress of advancement of education, you enter into the college, degree college, similarly, after finishing or understanding Bhagavad-gita very nicely, if you are convinced about Krsna, then study Bhagavad-gita (Bhagavatam), where the beginning is: namo bhagavate vasudeva. Vyasadeva begins by surrendering himself to Bhagavan, Krsna. Bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. He is the origin of everything. Then Bhagavata begins. And one who has understood Bhagavata, or he has made his relationship well established with Krsna and is functioning in that relationship, then he is passed on the subject matter of Bhagavata, and then you begin Caitanya-caritamrta. That is postgraduate study. After getting your degree, as you try for your Ph.D. or M.A., similarly, Caitanya-caritamrta is like that, post-graduate study. And the author of the Caitanya-caritamrta, he places himself that "I am lower than the worm in the stool." Just see how humble. This is the nature of Vaisnava. That is not artificial. He says. Every Vaisnava thinks himself as very insignificant. Actually, every one of us is very insignificant in comparison to the Supreme Lord. What we are? Nothing. But if we establish our loving relationship, which is already there, then we will become the greatest. By relationship with the greatest, we become the greatest.

So artificially, if we become puffed up, "I am God," we shall always remain in the position of a dog. We shall never be God. But actually if we feel ourselves humble and meek servants of God, then we become more than God. Krsna is so kind that He keeps His devotees more honorable than Himself. And He recommends to the devotees that mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika: [SB 11.19.21] "My dear devotees, take it for granted that if you worship My devotees, that is more than My devotional service." Krsna recommends, and actually that is the fact, that Krsna is more pleased. Just like... It is very natural. Just like one gentleman he has got a little child, and if you try to please that little child, that gentleman automatically becomes pleased. You can please the child with two-cent-worth lozenges, and if the child is laughing and very pleased, his father immediately becomes pleased. But if you want to please the father, you will require at least two hundred dollars. So you can finish two hundred dollars' business with two cents. Similarly, devotees are so nice that if you give him anything... Krsna... Krsna is also so nice that He will be pleased if anything offer. You offer little water, little flower, little... And devotees are still higher. If you simply offer a devotee a little sweet words, oh, he is very pleased. You see? That is the nature of devotee. Devotee does not want anything from you. They simply want that you... Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he said... He has got a nice song that "If you simply chant Hare Krsna, oh, I become sold to you." Nityananda Prabhu also says like that. So to please a devotee is very nice. Therefore our process is to take shelter of a devotee. Directly we don't approach Krsna. Gopi-bhartur pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasa. Therefore in Vrndavana you will see everyone is praising Radharani because Radharani is very quickly pleased. And as soon as Radharani is pleased, Krsna is automatically pleased. This is the process.

So Prahlada Maharaja, although he is such a great devotee, he says that kim tostum arhati sa me harir ugra-jateh: "Oh, I am born of a father, demon." So naturally everyone presents himself in relationship with father. If your father is American, then you say, "I am American." If my father is Indian, I will say, "I am Indian." Similarly, he is born of a demon father, so he is presenting himself that "I am a demon. I am born of a demon father." Ugra-jateh. Ugra-jateh means... Ugra means violent. Demons are always violent. So "I am born of a violent father. How can I please the Lord? Brahma, Lord Siva, and so many other demigods, they have failed to please, to pacify the Lord in His angry mood, and I am born a demon, born of a demon father. So my position is so lower." Kim tostum arhati: "How can I please the Lord?" Ugra-jateh. Brahmadayah sura-ganah: "Where demigods like Brahma, munayo, great sages, and siddha..." Siddhas, they are the particular citizens of Siddhaloka. They are called Siddhas. There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. There is description in the Srimad-Bhagavatam of the Siddhaloka in the Second Canto. Siddhaloka is a planet where the inhabitants can fly in the air without any machine, without any airplane. Just like bird can fly in the air without any machine, so the denizens of Siddhaloka, they can also fly in the air without any machine, without any airplane, and they can go from one planet to another. They are called Siddha. Siddha means they have got eight kinds of perfection. The yoga system, those who are practicing yoga, their ultimate goal is to achieve eight kinds of perfection, not that simply exercising, finish. Actual yoga system means to attain eight kinds of perfection. What is that eight kinds of perfection? Oh, he can become the smaller than the smallest. I have several times explained. A perfect yogi, if you put him in lock-up, he will come out. He will become the smaller than the smallest and come out from the lock-up. I have seen it. So he can become greater than the greatest, smaller than the smallest, greater... Anima, laghima, prapti. He can get anything whatever he likes immediately. Prapti, siddhi, prakamya, isita, masita. There are so many kinds of yogic perfections. So these siddhas, they can travel from one place to another, even ordinary yogis, those who have perfected. They take bath in the morning in four different pilgrimages in India. That means thousands of thousands of miles away, and they finish it within one hour. They go and take bath, again come back. So these are yogic perfections. They are called siddhas.

So all the denizens of that particular planet, they are siddhas. Siddhas means they have got all the perfection of yoga practice. So they were also present, offering prayers; Brahma was present, Lord Siva was present, and great sages were present. All of them tried to pacify. And how they wanted to pacify? Sattvaikatana-gatayo vacasam pravahaih: They were very great learned men. Immediately they began to compose in Sanskrit verses so many nice prayers, and they were all full of goodness, modes of goodness. Sattvaikatana-vacasam pravahaih. Pravahaih means they prayed in such a fluent way, just like the river flows down without any gheck. That is the learned man. Just like a learned man will speak fluently for hours together, similarly, they were so learned scholars that they composed prayers in Sanskrit so nicely and began to speak just like flow of water. So he says, sattvaikatana-gatayo vacasam naradhitum: "Still, they could not satisfy the Lord." Naradhitum. Puru-gunair adhunapi pipruh: "Still, the Lord is not pacified. Still." Kim tostum arhati: "Then what can I do?" Where... There is an English word, "Where angels fail, the fools rush in." So "I am so lower. I am born of an atheistic father, demon. How can I please the Lord?" So this is the position.

So now how he will please the Lord we shall discuss in the next meeting. Thank you. So any questions?