Bhagavad-gītā 7.1--Hindi – October 26, 1973, Bombay

Pradyumna: "Now hear, O son of Prtha, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt." [Bg 7.1]

Prabhupada: So, which language I shall use? English or Hindi? If I speak in Hindi...

Guest: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: But if I speak in Hindi they'll not understand. As you say. Hmm? Majority? [laughter] Shall I speak in English? [Hindi] Thank you. So they want me to speak in Hindi, We got permission? [Hindi] [laughter] So, shall I speak in Hindi? [laughter] Hey?

Devotee: A little of both? Maybe a little of both?

Prabhupada: Both [indistinct] ...little? Hmm. … saccidananda, this Hare Krsna movement was started by Lord Krsna five thousand years ago. Even before then it was started some 400 millions of years ago.

imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit
[Bg. 4.1]

According to this calculation, by including the lifespan of Manu it comes to around 400 millions of years ago when Lord Krsna spoke of Krsna bhakti to the sun god Vivasvana, this sun that you see every day, even in that planet there is a king. There also there are subjects and the name of the king is Vivasvana, his name has been given in the scriptures. In all the lokas up to goloka and within every single planet all over the creation there is also a king like this and there are subjects. There are animals and also the means for travel everywhere even in the sun planet. Now a days the scientists cannot even imagine that someone can go to the sun planet. There everyone exists even though their bodies are made of fire.

The living entities residing within the sun planet are of demigodly nature and their bodies are made of fire whereas our bodies are made of earth. So, there are five material elements in this way bhūmi or earth, then there is fire, air and earth. This body which we have all are composed of different compositions of these five elements. Just as someone may have more fire, pitta, as per the ayurvedic consideration. Someone may have too much kapha. In this way there are different compositions of compositions of these elements in every body. Therefore it is not right to think that the sun planet is vacant, no. there are people present there just as there are people present here.

So, Lord Krsnacandra gave this knowledge of Bhagavad-gita to the sun god Vivasvana but now that disciplic succession is lost. Aside: please leave it alone and prevent talking in between. We are discussing something important so please listen…

So, God is Himself saying,

So this Bhagavad-gita… Bhagavad bhakti, Bhagavad-gita means bhagavad bhakti, devotional service. Bhagavad-gita is not a book of the politicians. It is not meant for showing it to the public to achieve their political end, no Bhagavad-gita is only meant for the devotees. There are many types of people such as jnanis, karmis yogis and there are devotees also. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gita jnana, yoga and karma everything is discussed but in conclusion Bhagavad-gita gives the principle of devotional service unto the Supreme Lord.

This is the principle of devotional service - always think of me, become my devotee, and man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji, worship me and mam namaskuru, offer your obeisances unto Me. These four things. Just like here we have the deity of God, everyone can keep the deity of God at their homes, there is no difficulty. And these four activities are the means, what is that? As soon as we see the deity we get an impression in our hearts, therefore, take darsana of the Lord, man-mana.

Then mad-bhaktah how can a person think of God without becoming His devotee? So, he becomes a devotee and a devotee means a person who remains always engaged in the service of the Lord, constantly. Just like Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has said krsnera samsara kari chadi anacara. One should give up this anacara or inappropriate behaviour. The need is to become pure, God, Bhagavan is Supreme Pure and those who wish to go to Him they also need to become pure, they shouldn't remain impure.

In the Bhagavad-gita it has been said yesam tv anta gatam papam those who have completely exhausted their impious activities, those who are completely without sin, yesam tv anta gatam papam jananam punya karmanam and who can become free from all sin? Those who perform only pious activities. Those who have completely given up committing any sin-such people can become free from all sinful reactions. It does not at all mean that one may perform some pious activity once and then some impious activity. No, one has to give up all sin and act only piously.

So, this is called jananam punya karmanam te dvandva moha nirmuktah bhajante mam drdha vratah, such people who engage in only in pious activity and are completely free from sin. Such people dvandva moha nirmuktah, which means that who God is? What is His form? Is He impersonal, all such doubts are illusory, moha, and when someone becomes free from all such illusions, then he realizes that this two-handed flute holding Krsna is God, Krsnastu Bhagavan svayam, they understand it.

Even though sometimes demigods are also addressed as Bhagavan. Just like Lord Shiva is addressed as Bhagavan but the original Bhagavan who is the origin of all isvara parama Krsna, Krsnastu Bhagavan svayam and everyone else is his servant and the original Bhagavan Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krsna, Himself. This is the verdict of the scriptures, therefore Bhaktivinoda thakura is saying that: krsne samsara kara chadi anacara. We have the tendency of expand our families, samsara, now that we are in this material world, trying to enjoy

This is why we begin in the body of Brahma. The first time we arrive in this material world we start with the body of Lord Brahma and gradually with the degradation of our activities we keep going down until we take birth as a worm in the stool. Therefore, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said: ei rūpe brahmanḍa bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. All the living beings who are wandering in this way sometimes they are Brahma sometimes Indra, sometimes Candra and gradually they keep on falling. They may become a very well-known rich businessman. But such is the degradation of one's karma. One has to fall. There are eight million four hundred thousand species of life

But all of this is happening due to the degradation of one's karma. As soon as one become just a little careless, he falls down. There are eighty million four hundred thousand species of life, jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsatiḥ. And falling in this way through the cycle of birth and death, one sometime becomes an insect, sometimes a brahmana, sometimes a sūdra, sometimes an animal sometimes a demigod.

Therefore, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmanḍa bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva, upon wandering in this way for a long, long time if the jiva gets the chance. Chance of what? "Guru guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija." If a person is fortunate then he meets a spiritual master. And by the Krsna's mercy-the person who has become frustrated wandering in this cycle of the material nature prays to the Lord, "My dear Lord, please bless me and deliver me."

Krsna sends a bona fide guru in his life. That is why it has been said guru Krsna, Krsna's mercy is there, Krsna is seated within every living entities' heart "isvaraḥ sarva-bhūtanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]." The Supreme Personality of Godhead is seated within everyone's heart. He is witnessing their activities, of all these fools who have appeared here to enjoy this material world. He should be given as much as he likes and when he becomes disgusted he will come running to me.

That is why the scriptures, the Bhagavad-gita says bahūnam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19], after many, many such lifetimes of wandering within this material world, when they attain the real knowledge-vasudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. They attain the shelter of the Supreme Lord. The real principle is to attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Person. The Lord Himself declares, when He was personally present in this world :

So, if someone wants real happiness then he should give up all this nonsense craving for sense gratification and take shelter of My lotus feet and I will give you everything. There will be no scarcity for your enjoyment. Those who are devotees of the Supreme Lord they have no dearth of anything. Just like a common man may keep a servant and upon receiving his service we take care of his needs thinking that he is engaged in our service, so we should make sure that he has whatever he needs.

Similarly, the behaviour is there with the Supreme Lord. Those who are engaged in his service who can they have any scarcity? The Lord Himself kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktaḥ pranasyati [Bg. 9.31], those who are My devotees they will never suffer. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that whatever plan one has made for enjoying in this material world one should execute I but should put Krsna in the center, and should give up all anacara or capricious activities. Then one will become actually happy.

Then there will be no distress, krsne samsara kara chadi anacara. By anacara we mean the four principle sinful activities which should be given up striyaḥ sūna dyūtam panam yatradharmas catur-vidhaḥ [SB 1.17.38]. First one should give up illicit sex, one should not be involved with any other woman except one's own wife, this is the verdict of the scriptures. Canakya Pandita has given the definition of an actual learned person, pandita, he has given three criteria matrvat para-daresu, such a person considers every other person's wife as his own mother. This is our vedic principle which is why the brahmacari should address as 'mataji' mother. If someone is involved with a woman outside of his marriage, it is a great sin. This has to be given up by anyone who is looking to attain the Supreme Lord and if one is hoping to go to hell, then that is another thing. One may happily go there.

So, these should be given up, so after illicit sex, striyaḥ sūna, and useless animal killing, meat is not the food of humans. The humans are supposed to eat the remnants of the Supreme Lord, maha prasada. Krsna says patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26], so in this way one should accept only bhagavat prasada, reject illicit sex, all kinds of intoxication up to drinking tea, coffee, cigarette and all kinds of intoxicating substances and alcohol should be given up for sure.

So, striyaḥ sūna panam, pan mean one should give up even pan. This has been given in the scriptures. Therefore, one should purify oneself in this way and engage in chanting and hearing the names of the Lord. Aside: why is this girl laughing? Ok, ok alright, very intelligent girl.

So, one should give all of this up. Would anyone die upon rejecting these things? No. So, one should give up these materialistic habits and associate wit the saintly persons and one will easily be able to forget just like these American and European boys and girls, many, many of them, tens of thousands. They have given up everything and if you go to our centres in American every center has no less that two, three or four hundred such devotees. All of them have become completely pure.

So, this is what we preach-Krsna is God, one should center his life around Krsna, one should meditate upon His instructions, one should serve Him as much as one can, dress His deities very nicely and offer Him sumptuous feasts. Of course the Lord is not famished as if He will eat everything that is offered to Him. You all will be the beneficiaries of all the remnants. In this way one should live his life and should give up all these sinful activities. This is how one will become happy, such is the preaching of our Krsna consciousness, nothing else.

This is for everyone, not just for the brahmanas or the scholarly people, or just for Hindus and not Muslims. One should give up all these four sinful acts and engage constantly in serving and thinking about the Supreme Lord, and chanting His holy names thus, engage in devotional service.

If one has money he should construct a palatial temple for the Lord, serve Him nicely and offer opulent bhoga to Him. All of this is the properly of India and that we hav given it all up is the cause of the degradation of our country. I am trying to teach the same thing to everyone, please accept it.

Thank you all very much.