Evening Darśana in Hindi – December 4, 1976, Hyderabad

Prabhupada: [Transl. Nowhere it is like that. They spread Christian religion by spending so much money. Eh? Still they are spending. So much business fund is there. Thousands and millions of rupees they give away to Bible society. Just to preach.]

Indian man: [Transl. One reason for their flourishing is that they have no discrimination in their consideration. Just like from our inner conscience….]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Difference…There must be difference between a fool and a learned's consideration. Mūrkhaya upadeso hi prakopaya na santaye … [Canakya Panḍita] or If a foolish person is advised nice instruction, he becomes angry. But which consideration we should accept, that which is coming down through disciplic succession, that we have to decide. Then we will be benefited. And if we put forward our consideration, what we understand as right, that will not do. It will not be successful. This is the position. The Supreme Lord said evam parampara, sa kaleneha mahata yogo nastaḥ paran-tapa [Bg 4.2]

[Transl. That consideration, that yoga itself is lost. Therefore the Supreme Lord again re-established that parampara through Arjuna. He also declared who are qualified to come in this yoga parampara. bhakto 'si me sakha ceti rahasyam hy etad uttamam [Bg 4.3]

[Transl. That parampara is possible only by the devotees of the Supreme Lord. Not by the scholars and politicians. Not possible. Arjuna was neither a scholar nor a useless fellow. He was a fighting soldier. A ksatriya. The Lord accepted him in the parampara. Bhakto'si me, because you are my devotee therefore I am imparting you this knowledge. So Arjuna was authorised in the parampara and Arjuna understood and accepted that "You are Parabrahman-The Supreme Personality of Godhead. As Arjuna did if the Supreme Lord is accepted as Parabrahman, then it will be successful.]

[Transl. So when Arjuna says that He is Parabrahma, and some politician comes and says that our Krsna is something else, some imagination. Like that the Supreme Lord is not someone's imagination. This is going on. Each and every person makes his own imagination. Imagination. God is imagination. If someone imagines God, concocts God then how He is God? Big, big svamis say that whatever you imagine that is all right. The Supreme Lord calls them mūdha or foolish. So whatever a mūdha imagines is all right? avajananti mam mūḍha [Bg 9.11] [Transl. What we imagine has no value. Krsna is reality. So we are mūdha. Is our imagination all right? This is going on.]

Indian man: [Transl. Why do we imagine then?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Imagining is the function of the mind. Imagining and rejecting. That is the mind's job. What else does it do? It imagines one thing and then after two minutes it rejects it.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. The function of the mind is restlessness only.]

Indian man: [Transl. It is just like a small boy.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Then what is the use of his imagination? It's useless. If the mind is restless then what use is one's imagination? He is an animal. There will be no benefit from imagination. The real truth is beyond the sphere of mental speculation. There is no value of mental concoction. All useless.]

Indian man: [Transl. Just like a small boy also thinks…]

Prabhupada: [Transl. He thinks, but who takes it? Only asses take it. Does anyone take his children seriously? Just like a child demands from his mother "Mother, give me the moon." Moon. How can she bring him moon? So she brings a mirror and shows him the reflexion of the moon in it. The child becomes satisfied that he got the moon. That's all. Because he imagines therefore he has to be deceived. Even the parents deceive him. What to do? Otherwise he will cry.]

Indian lady: [Transl. Some people inquire why Ramayana has not been published in Krsna Consciousness Society?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Who says so?]

Indian lady: [Transl. They say that so many volumes of Srimad Bhagavatam have been published...]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Only a fool speaks like that. And one who knows he would say Rama and Krsna are one. There is no need of speaking Ramayana separately. It it stated in Bhagavad-gita that among warriors, I am Ramacandra. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said. Ramacandra is also God, Krsna is also God. There is no difference. There are so many literatures to publish.

[Transl. They cannot even understand only one literature and if all the literatures are spoken they will die. Only Bhagavad-gita they cannot understand. There are so many other literatures like Valamiki-Ramayana, Mahabharata and so on. We do explain whenever opportunity arises. But Bhagavad-gita alone contains everything. So who says that we don't speak about Ramayana? That means they don't know who is Rama, who is Krsna? One who knows he understands that the Supreme Personality of Godhead sometimes comes as Rama and sometimes comes as Krsna.

[Transl. Ramadi mūrtisu, the Supreme Lord has innumerable incarnations, not Rama alone. Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha and so on. So many. That is God-the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although the Supreme Lord is present as innumerable incarnations, He is one.

[Transl. He has unlimited forms. Just like an ocean has got so many waves, but the ocean is one. The ocean is not separate though there are countless waves. The ocean is one. Similarly the Supreme Personality of Godhead is one, but He incarnates in varieties of forms. Tisthan, always present. Therefore we must study sastra and contemplate on it. Then we will have real knowledge.

[To guest: [Transl. Are you leaving? Kindly come again Judge sahib.]

[Transl. It is the essence of all sastra. Read it, understand it and you will obtain all scriptural knowledge. It is recommend in Kali-yuga, that in Kali-yuga people will not be able to read so many sastra. Therefore simply study Bhagavad-gita which was personally spoken by the Supreme Lord. But they have distorted it. Only one literature yet it is distorted. That is the difficulty. With a spontaneous mood and in a simple language the Supreme Lord has explained everything. Still it has been distorted. It's so unfortunate.

[Transl. The battle of Kuruksetra is a history. It is there in Mahabharata. Mahabharata means Greater India. But these people totally deny it saying there was never a battle like that. What a big rascaldom! They deny the history.What can be done? Mahabharata is a Greater Indian history. In that history the battle of Kuruksetra took place. The place known as Kuruksetra is still present. There is a railway station by that name on the way to Punjab. Big, big acaryas accept it. And one politician comes and says that there is nothing, Kuruksetra is an imagination and there is no Krsna. That's all.]

[Transl. What can you do about that? Big, big acaryas like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, they have highly regarded it. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and all the best of personalities in India accept it. And some foolish person says something…Now in Calcutta there is one Dr. Chatterjee, he says that Sita and Rama are brother and sister. Just see! Such learned persons are present in our country! And people have started following him. Dr. Chatterjee has said. Now is this Dr. Chatterjee a learned or foolish? Think about it. This is going on. It is described in our Vedic literatures about the topics of Sita-Rama, about the battle between Rama-Ravana, an elaborate description is found. And these people mislead by saying They are brother-sister.]

[Transl. This is Kali-yuga. Everyone will present their own opinion, because they have no connection with sastra. They simply invent their own opinion. And they further say that all opinions are right. This person is highly respected as liberal. If somebody says all paths are right, he is considered very liberal. And if one says that only one path is right, then he is conservative. Therefore we declare that what Krsna said is right, and everything else is wrong. You accept or not that's your wish, but this is our declaration. It is working. Those who say all paths are correct, many such sadhus, yogis have gone to Europe and America but none of them have created a single devotee of Krsna. Not even a single in the history.]

[Transl. We say that there is only one opinion and that is right. Not thousand. We didn't compromise that all paths are good. Our declaration is there is only one God-Sri Krsna. And what the Supreme Lord says is right. There is no need of compromising. Stick to the words of Krsna then you will be successful. Why should you make compromise? We never make any compromise. Whatever is spoken in the Bhagavad-gita that is correct. If you like you take and if you don't like you don't take.]

Indian man: [Transl. God exists in many forms?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. That's all right. What business you have got with many forms? Krsna says mam ekam. [Bg 18.66] Why should you not take that? Why should you go to God has many forms? No, no. Why do you say like that? God said mam ekam. God has many forms that I have already explained. But you take this form of God. That is your business. Krsna. Otherwise how He is God if He has not got many forms? That I already explained. advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rūpam [Bs 5.33]

Indian man: [Transl. Limitless.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Limitless. How will you approach limitless? Mam ekam. Take Me. This will make you perfect. You reject God's words and say God has many forms and run after Them. Is it intelligent? When God tells directly mam ekam saranam braja, He has many forms undoubtedly, how you will go to many forms? He says… As He says mam ekam, take Me alone. That is your business. There is no doubt He has many forms. But how will you go after many?]

Indian man: [Transl. It is only in Bhagavad-gita where the Lord has emphasized this that I am God. No other book.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Because He is God.]

Indian man: [Transl. And that is from His lips. What more?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. When God Himself declares, He comes, it's there in the history. Krsna appeared in Mathura and performed His pastimes in Vrndavana. And in Kuruksetra… The places are still existing. Why are you giving it up? What is the reason? Many Gods! Then go to many Gods! Is it easy to go behind many or stick to one? In Europe, America, what is it called…Supermarket. You go to one shop you will get everything there. Supermarket. Then what is the need of going to ten places?]

[Transl. This is the root. You pour water in the root it will reach everywhere. You supply food to the stomach the entire body will be nourished. pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam. [SB 4.31.14]

[Transl. No need to put rasagulla to the eyes, one will be blind. Put in the stomach. We have our senses. Put rasagulla in the ears, something in the eyes. Is it the process? Or you put rasagulla here in the mouth and it will reach everywhere? Which is right? If someone argues that within the body there are many holes, so why only in this hole? [mouth] Why not in the other holes? Will it work? He is an ass. Put in any hole! Different holes are meant for different purposes. But when you have to eat you have to put food through only one hole. Mam ekam. If you want to come in contact with the Supreme Lord then mam ekam. Not that the Supreme Lord has millions of forms…supply food to all holes. That's the act of an ass. When God Himself says mam ekam, why don't you accept it? This is simply rascaldom.]

Indian man: [Transl. Saranam means…Mam ekam saranam vraja. What is the meaning of saranam?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. You are learned. You don't know the meaning of saranam? You don't know anything. That means you don't know anything.]

Indian man: I want to ask.

Prabhupada: Why you ask? [Transl. You don't know the simple meaning of saranam?]

Indian man: [Transl. Like that I know.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. If you know then why are you playing mischief? This is all mischief. Simply wasting time.]

Indian man (2): [Transl. If you have got any doubt you clear it.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Do not waste time.]

Indian man (2): [Transl. This is why the Lord has been asked for Madhusūdana who clears all the doubts. So you ask any doubt.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Give up the mentality of being too smart. The phrase "Hari-saranam" or surrender to Hari is often mentioned.]

Indian man (2): [Transl. You surrender yourself. That's all. Surrender. If ego goes away everything will be right.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Everyone writes "Hari-saranam" to their respective worshipable Lord. And if you ask what is the meaning of saranam then who will make you understand? The Supreme Lord says mam ekam saranam vraja. It's your free will whether to surrender to Him or not.]

yathecchasi tatha kuru [Bg 18.63]

[Transl. The Supreme Lord never forces. Why force? He does not interfere with your independence that He has given. He instructs you that you come to My shelter and you will be benefited. Whether to come or not that is your choice. What is the use of arguing about this? The Lord says saranam vraja, now it depends upon you whether you like to surrender or do not surrender.]

Indian man: [Transl. In the last chapter, eighteenth chapter, if I am not mistaken, the Lord has said this that "Those who don't want to hear Me, don't tell My instructions to anyone."]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Yes. He has said. idam te natapaskaya [Bg 18.67]. One who is not austere, don't tell him. He will not be able to understand.]

[aside: Find out this verse.

Indian man: [Transl. If you got reservoir, don't go to the tank.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. idam te natapaskaya. He has forbidden. Don't tell one who is not austere. He will not be able to understand.]

Indian man: I think it is 68 or 70.

Prabhupada: Yes. Yes.

Devotee: idam te natapaskaya nabhaktaya kadacana.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Na abhaktaya. One who is not a devotee, who is a demon… There are two kinds, one is devotee and one is demon. Idam te…one who has no austerity, na abhaktaya, who is not a devotee, then?]

Devotee: na casusrūsave vacyam…

Prabhupada: [Transl. One who is not interested to hear, then?]

Devotee: na ca mam yo 'bhyasūyati……

Prabhupada: [Transl. Na ca mam yo'bhyasūyati. One who is envious of Me. Why should I surrender to Krsna? That is enviousness. One who is not austere, who is not a devotee and who is envious of Me, don't tell them. Such asses will not understand. He has forbidden. But we take the risk and preach even to the ass-like people.

[Transl. Kindly hear. You will be benefited. And in return they even try to beat us. Still it's all right. We consider, let them hear the topics of the Supreme Lord. This happens. The Supreme Lord prohibits preaching to these rascals. But we go to such rascals. They are ready to beat us. But we are servants. We think let them hear. We would rather be beaten. This is our mission. The Lord has prohibited. Therefore those who preach for them the Lord said,

[Transl. Nobody is dearer to Me than he who, in spite of so many obstacles, goes out and preaches this science.]

Indian man: [Transl. Either for a business…Even if one chants My name as a business, it's all right.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. There is no question of business. Where is business?]

Indian man: [Transl. No, like someone prints books and so forth.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Books are printed for preaching. Those who print books for business their books don't sell. And those who print books for preaching their books sell like anything. We sell about five to six lakhs rupees worth of books daily. Is there any history in the world that religious books worth of five to six lakhs are sold every day? How many businessmen are there whose daily collection is five to six lakhs? Why do business?]

Indian man: Svamiji why body and spirit are not compatible? While in the body why we are not able to relish the self?

Prabhupada: Not compatible…Spirit is within your body. You are talking. The spirit soul you are talking. Why do you say it is not compatible? Your body is there and you are still talking. And as soon as you will go the same mouth will be there, but it will not talk. The same ear will be there but you will not hear. So why do you say it is incompatible?

So long the spirit is there within your body you are talking, you are hearing, you are challenging. But as soon as the spirit will go then it is…If I kick on your face you will not tell anything. Because the spirit is there within the body you are so proud challenging God. And as soon as the spirit is over everything is finished. It is not incompatible. But it can exist in the body but it is different. Just like you are existing with your shirt; the shirt is different from you. But still you are keeping yourself within the shirt.

You are utilising the shirt for your movement. And as soon as you are out of the shirt it has no meaning. That you have to understand. But if you understand the shirt is yourself then you are a fool. That is what people are doing. This body has nothing to do with the spirit. But they are accepting the body as spirit.

Indian man: Unity with the body…Spirit with the body is life, separation is death.

Prabhupada: [Transl. This is the first lesson the Supreme Lord is teaching.]

[Transl. They don't understand this. The spirit transmigrates from one body to another. And there are 8,400,000 forms of body. You can be transfered to any body. There is no knowledge. Today I have got this nice beautiful body, but tomorrow I may get the body of a dog. So what I am doing for that? To save me from transmigrating from this beautiful human body to the body of a dog. What you are doing for that? You are sleeping. Let it happen whatever happens. Let us enjoy. That is not human life. That is cats and dogs life. Cats and dogs, they do not know what is going to happen in the next life? If we waste our human life that way like cats and dogs, that is a greatest loss. Sa eva go-kharah.

Indian man: [Transl. By having a human life still we are going below the standard of beasts.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. They do not know what is the standard of life of a human being. What is the distinction between the dog's life and a human life? That he does not know. There is no education. How the dog's body and human body is distinct, that they do not know. There is no education. Where is that education? To educate people that human life is distinct from the dog's life. Where is that education? The dog also eating and we are teaching how to eat. The dog, without being taught how to eat, is eating. Eating, sleeping, sex and defense, there is in the dog also.]

[Transl. But we are educated for this. Then what is the difference between a dog and me? There is no education. We are distinguishing, human civilization, the dog is lying on the street and I am living on the high skyscraper building. They think this is advancement. They do not consider while I am sleeping, the sleeping of dog and sleeping of myself is the same. Rather the dog is not dreaming vicious, but I am dreaming some vicious dream. Where is that education that human life is distinct from the dog's life? There is no education. The dog is jumping with four legs and we are running with four wheels.

[Transl. That's all. That is the difference. They think "We have got four wheeled motorcar therefore we are civilized." But what is the difference of business? He is jumping with four legs and we are jumping with four wheels. That's all. Is that civilization? At the present moment they do not know what is the standard of civilization?]

Indian man (2): [Transl. Svamiji what are the minimum things the human beings can follow daily? Because everything is written in Bhagavad-gita. But at least what rules and regulations one can follow in a minimum period of time?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. We advise you to read Bhagavad-gita twenty four hours a day.]

Indian man (2): [Transl. No, the main subject matters…]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Nothing main…The actual main thing is Bhagavad-gita. Give up everything and read Bhagavad-gita. What is the difficulty? Answer? We simply do that. We have no other business. We are preaching this Bhagavad-gita throughout the whole world. What is our difficulty? Is there any difficulty?]

Indian man (2): [Transl. No difficulty.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Then? Then why are you asking for specific timetable?]

Indian man (2): [Transl. The principle subject…]

Prabhupada: [Transl. The principle subject is that you are not this body. You are spirit. This is the principle subject. You don't know, we don't know. We think we are this body. Just like a dog thinks he is the body. We also think like that we are this body. "We are Indian, we are American, we are Hindu, we are Muslim." These are bodily identifications. Actually I am not this body. Who knows this? They simply identify themselves… Who are you? I am Hindu, I am Muslim, I am family man, I am Indian, I am black, I am white, all these are identification of the body. Who identifies himself as a soul? Nobody knows. At least this much you should know. All are foolish. This is the very first instruction that the Supreme Lord imparts. dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram [Bg 2.13]

[Transl. Asmin dehe, dehina. Within this body the owner of the body resides. Try to understand this only. Just this much. Then everything else will be cleared. Understand this. Think it over. The Supreme Personality of Godhead clearly said in Bhagavad-gita, asmin dehe, dehina. Dehina means the owner of the body. If even a boy is asked, pointing to his finger, what is this? He will reply, "this is my finger." He won't say "I am this finger." He won't say that. Naturally. Then who are we? No research about that. We are busy with the finger. Everybody would say this is my body. This is my coat. Wash it nicely with soap, but don't feed anything to myself. How long can it go on like this? This is going on. This is my coat, wash is with soap nicely. But about me we are not worried. We are in darkness.]

[Transl. Nobody knows about it. He doesn't know who he is. But he knows his coat very well. By washing the coat with soap will you be benefited? This is going on. Simply wash the coat with soap. And for me I am hungry. That is why we cry we are hungry, "we are hungry, we are hungry". How there will be peace? The person who is wearing the coat he is hungry and the coat is being washed nicely with soap. What will he gain? Try to understand this point. That I am not the coat but I am the owner of the coat. Try to understand this. This is the main point. They don't understand this and simply brag I am this coat, I am this coat. I am this shirt.]

[Transl. Just see in the world so much fighting is going on. I am Pakistani, I am Hindustani, I am American, I am Russian. All these are identification of the coat. The whole world is foolish. Therefore this Krsna Consciousness movement is very much needed to teach all the fools. In the very beginning the Supreme Lord has said "You are not this coat you fool. You are the owner of the coat." If one understands this one point he will understand everything. But he won't understand. He would rather say I am the coat. I am the shirt. You try to explain in different ways that you are not the coat but you are the owner of the coat, he won't understand it. Just like you tell a dog "Brother dog, you are not this body."]

[Transl. Will he understand this? He will bark bhau, bhau, bhau. This is our position. We try to explain to them, but they simply bark at us, "Why are you coming and disturbing?" This is the position. Mūrkhaya upadeso hi prakopaya na santaye… [Canakya Panḍita]. You tell a dog "Brother dog, you are not this body." He will simply bark at you. Bhau, bhau, bhau, Why did you come here? Actually he doesn't have the capacity to understand at all. If the human beings are also like that then what is the difference between the human beings and dogs? Stubborn. Then what is the difference between the dogs and us? It is a very big problem.]

Indian man: In the fifth chapter God has written like no difference between a dog, dog-eater and so on.

Prabhupada: Hmm. Panḍitaḥ sama-darsinaḥ. [Bg 5.18]

Indian man: In the fifth chapter.

Prabhupada: [Transl. What did He say? You are not this coat. You are spirit soul. To see the soul is the platform of equal vision. The same soul is present within the body of the dog and the body of a human being. The coat is different. Just like your coat is different from his. And his coat is different from you. That does not mean you are coat. The seer will see that though the coats are different the person within the coat is same. This is called equal vision. The meaning of the equal vision is not to see the external coat but to see the person within the coat. There is a gentleman within the coat. That's why he has equal vision. Who is learned?]

[Transl. A learned brahmana is there, he is very learned, he is sitting, a dog is sitting, is that equal vision? Is he learned who sees a brahmana and a dog equally? No. He does not see the body of the brahmana nor the body of the dog. He sees the soul within the body of the brahmana and also within the body of the dog. Therefore he has equal vision. If somebody says I consider a brahmana and a dog as same, he is a mad man. One who does not see the coat, he is learned. He sees the person within the coat therefore he sees with equal vision. Otherwise if someone says I treat a brahmana and a dog equally that means he is crazy. He is seeing the external body only. He is not seeing the person within the body.]

[aside: Please come. Come this side.]

This is self-realization.

This is called self-realization.

[aside: Please come. Come closer.]

[Transl. So study Bhagavad-gita very nicely. The answers of all your questions are there. Great knowledge. The Supreme Lord is personally speaking. Read it carefully. Don't be too learned that Kuruksetra means like this, Panḍava means like that. Give up such foolishness. Follow what the Lord has said. That will be effective. If you try to become too intelligent then you are already a fool and you will be worse than that. Interpretation is required when something is not understood.]

[Transl. When we can clearly understand the thing then where is the need of giving interpretation? There is no need of that. Just like this is a pillow. Everyone knows this is a pillow. What is the need of interpretation? If somebody interpreats that pillow means 'Phillow'. Isn't it foolishness? Everyone knows it is a pillow then why do you interpret? Arthavada. To give some interpretation. Everybody knows there is a place called Kuruksetra where the battle took place. But they give interpretation. This is called foolishness. Everyone knows this is a pillow means it is a pillow. The meaning of the pillow is this and that.]

[Transl. All forms of knowledge are already there please follow it as the Supreme Lord has instructed. By that you will be benefited. There is no gain in the jugglery of the words. Teach this to everyone at home including your children and all of you can become a guru. Anyone who imparts proper knowledge, he is a guru. The storehouse of knowledge is Bhagavad-gita. You explain the Bhagavad-gita to your children. They will be benefited and you will be benefited. Not that you have to go to London to preach. If you can, do it otherwise you preach to your friends, family members and neighbors.]

[Transl. This is Krsna Consciousness mission. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission that everyone become a guru. Distribute proper knowledge to everyone as far as you can. Not that everyone has to go out of India. No, preach at home, but preach the real thing. Do not adulterate. You become too intelligent and start to speculate. What is the use of that? Give that which will benefit others.]

Indian man: [Indistinct]

Prabhupada: That's all right. There are many men who do.

Indian man: How to concentrate the mind?

Prabhupada: [Transl. Practice. The mind will go here and there. You bring and engage it. This is called practice. The business of the mind is restlessness. Therefore practice the yoga system to control the mind. Yoga means to control the senses. To bring the mind under control. If you don't control your mind, then the mind is your enemy. And if you control your mind then it is your friend. Simply you have to train it. Just like a son. If you give him good education then he is well trained. And if you spoil him he will become your enemy. One who cannot control his mind for him the yoga system is recommended. And one who is a devotee, he always fixes his mind at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. That's all. He is a perfect yogi.]

[Transl. A person who always engages his mind at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord he has perfected all yoga system. He is a first class yogi. The Supreme Lord Himself says this yoginam api sarvesam. Therefore in Kali-yuga one should always fix his mind at the lotus feet of the Lord. Such a person will attain perfection.]

sa vai manaḥ krsna-padaravindayor
[SB 9.4.18]

[Transl. Unless one is a devotee he cannot do like that. Therefore the Supreme Lord is declaring in Bhagavad-gita, man-mana bhava… [Bg 18.65]

Indian man: Fasting is also not emphasized in the Gita. Only fixing the mind.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Fasting means not to eat in the restaurant but eat prasada of the Supreme Lord. This is fasting. Food which is offered to Krsna is called prasada. Eat that. Don't take food stuff from the market. Hare Krsna. Jaya.]

[Transl. To obtain the Supreme Lord the only way is to use the tongue. It is said like that. Through one can attain the Supreme Lord. It is stated in the sastra,]

[Transl. It is not possible to find the Supreme Lord by all the other senses. Suppose you want to see the Supreme Lord you cannot see Him with your present eyes. You have got ears but you cannot hear Him properly. All the senses are failure. But there is only one sense by which you can be successful. What is that? The tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Many people ask, what is the process? Through tongue you achieve the Supreme Lord.]

[Transl. You cannot see God with your eyes, with your ears, with your legs, but only by your tongue. This is the point. If you control the tongue then you will not eat anything other than prasada. And do not speak anything other than topics of the Supreme Lord. That's all. You can attain the Supreme Lord.]

Indian man: To vibrate.

Prabhupada: [Transl. That is the function of the tongue. To taste something and to vibrate. These two things if we can control that with our tongue we won't speak anything else and we won't eat anything that is not offered to the Lord. You practice these two things you will achieve God.]

Indian man (2): [Transl. Most of the time it depends on the association. In the school, in the shop, you associate with certain people and that influences your mind. So most of the time if one can associate with vaisnavas then it will have a good impact on his thought.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. How can one achieve God without the association of the devotees?]

Indian man (2): [Transl. Cannot achieve. sahgat sanjayate …[Bg 2.62]]

Prabhupada: [Transl. How will you learn stealing without associating with thieves? You mix with the thieves and you will learn stealing very nicely. Similarly you meet with the Lord's devotees and you will become a devotee. sahgat sanjayate kamaḥ]

Indian man (2):

Prabhupada: [Transl. Therefore we are creating association so that people get an opportunity to associate with devotees. They will come and stay here. They will watch the Lord's arati, take Prasad, and hear the Lord's topics. By doing like this, adau sraddha tataḥ sadhu-sahga [Cc Madhya 23.14] he will achieve the Lord. It is step by step process. Just like you have come, this is sraddha. Now enhance it by sadhu-sahga or associating with devotees. Then proceed further, bhajana-kriya. Go further, anartha-nivrttiḥ. Go forward, nistha. Then go further, ruci. Go further, asakti. Go still further, bhava. You attain the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

[Transl. If one attains bhava stage he attains the Supreme Lord. That is the mature stage. To attain the bhava stage,]

Indian man (2): [Transl. What is the meaning of this line Svamiji?]

[Transl. I read it in some book in Bengali.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. All energies are invested in the holy name. The holy name is God. namnamakari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis, [Sri Siksastaka 2] all energies are invested in the holy name. If you chant the holy name without any offense you will see God face to face. Jaya. Hmm? What he says?]

Devotee: He says that Madhvacarya has written so many books. Ramanujacarya has written so many books.

Indian man (3): Madhvacarya and Ramanuja Svami have written about forty books based on the Vedas.

Prabhupada: We have also published more than eighty books. What I have written is more than anyone. Don't you see? Books there may be many books, but the subject is Krsna. That's all.

[Transl. You write thousands of books but if the subject is Krsna then it is alright. Otherwise they are useless. Throw them away. Just to convince different types of men, Krsna, not anything else. You may write books many but the central point is Krsna. You find any book you will find simply Krsna book. Nothing else. Similarly any book written on the subject of Krsna that is alright.

[Transl. The books in which there is no Hari is described, na tad vacas citra-padam very nice book grammatically, figuratively, metaphorically, very nice book, citra-padam. Vacas means words. na tad vacas citra-padam harer yaso na pragrnita but there is no description of the Supreme Lord. tad vayasam tirtham that is just like garbage which is enjoyed by the crows. Vayasam means crow. tad vayasam tirtham usanti manasa in that place the white swan does not go. Where the crows take pleasure the white swan does not go there. Is it not? Swan requires very nice water, very flowery garden, chirping birds etc. Swan will be there.

[Transl. And the crows will be there where all garbage are thrown. All nasty things, they enjoy there. As there are divisions between the birds, similarly there are divisions between the men. Those who are devotees they will take pleasure in the transcendental literature and those who are crows they will take pleasure in, what is that? Detective novels, detective stories meant for the crows. And this is meant for the swan. There are two classes of birds, white swan and the black crows. Similarly there are two classes of men. White swans take pleasure in the books where Krsna is described and black crows will take pleasure in the detective stories.]

Indian man (3): [Transl. Svamiji, according to Ramayana one cannot have knowledge without a guru.]

Prabhupada: Eh?

Indian man (3): [Transl. One cannot know Krsna or the Supreme Lord without the via media of somebody.]

Indian man (2): Lord Krsna is the Jagadguru!

Prabhupada: [Transl. Even to become a thief one needs a guru. Then to meet God don't you need a guru? One needs a guru to do an abominable work and such an important task of meeting the Supreme Lord don't you require a guru? That is foolishness. Anything you do you require a guru.]

Indian man (3): [indistinct] [Transl. Moreover if we worship the demigods also according to…]

Prabhupada: kamais tais tair hrta-jnanaḥ, prapadyante 'nya-devataḥ [Bg 7.20] [Transl. One who is a fool… A foolish person worships the demigods. What do you want to be? A learned or a fool?]

Indian man (3): Not a fool.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Then why are you taking the name of the demigod?]

Indian man (3): [Transl. What's the meaning?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. This is the meaning. kamais tais tair hrta-jnanaḥ. Whose knowledge has been stolen. The Supreme Lord Himself said, if you want to spoil your knowledge go ahead and do it. Who stops you? [aside: Hare Krsna. Do as you like.]

Indian man (3): Who are the demigods and who is the Supreme Lord?

Prabhupada: [Transl. Krsna says,

[Transl. Krsna reveals everything. By your foolishness you cannot understand so what can be done?]

Indian man (2): We can not say demigods.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Those who worship the demigods they are foolish. The Supreme Lord has said, kamais tais tair hrta-jnanaḥ prapadyante 'nya-devataḥ [Bg 7.20] [Transl. If you want to remain a fool, you remain. Who stops you?]

Indian man (2): [Transl. Too many things have been given in the Vedas, but the practical appliance God has given.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Just like in the road a constable waves his hand and all vehicles stop. If a fool thinks that he is the Governor. The constable raises his hand and big, big landlords, businessmen they have stopped. If one thinks that this constable is God, will he become God? Practically he waved his hand and the vehicles of Judge, Magistrate and others have stopped. So if a foolish person thinks he is all in all, will he be all in all? Actually a fool will think he is everything. But one with knowledge knows that his father's, father's, father is not the Governor. Similarly those who consider the demigods to be everything they are also like them who think the constable as everything, as God.]

[Transl. Therefore such persons are addressed as Hrta Jnana or whose knowledge has been stolen. Simply by seeing a little power they accept them as everything. He doesn't know the prowess of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is like accepting the constable as everything. He doesn't know that the Supreme Lord is full of six opulences. He has no information. It is like "frog in the well" logic. The frog has never seen an ocean therefore it thinks its well is everything. Whatever water is there in the well that's everything. Therefore it is called frog in the well logic. There is a frog in a well. He thinks his three feet water is everything. Therefore it is called Hrta Jnana or knowledge is lost. Similarly one who considers the ordinary demigodos as God, he has no knowledge. That's why nowadays we accept cheap Gods. Somebody says I am God. He produces some gold. Doesn't produce, simply magic and he becomes God.]

[Transl. If by producing gold one becomes God then why we should go to a person who produces 50 gms of gold? Why not go to that person who has created thousands of gold mines? Gold, there is so much gold in this ordinary one planet. So who knows how much gold there is in millions of planets? In the upper planetary system the roads are made of pearls. These descriptions are there. Then why should I accept someone as God who produces 50 gms of gold? There are thousands and millions of planets where roads are made with diamonds and pearls. Should I accept Him as God or someone who makes 50 gms gold? Therefore Hrta jnana, no knowledge. He is a fool, he doesn't know real God. Where there are no trees, when someone sees castor oil plant, he thinks it is the biggest tree. He is ignorant. Therefore he is called Hrta Jnana.]

Indian man (2): [indistinct]

Prabhupada: We take Bhagavad-gita.

Indian man (2): [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Madhvacaraya denies Bhagavad-gita? That's why Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya or any acarya will accept Bhagavad-gita. What is the difference? Does Madhvacarya say that Krsna is not God? Does he say? Then where is the difference? That's all right. You may not read all the books. Why you not understood? If you accept Krsna as the Supreme Lord then you belong to Madhvacarya. After reading all Madhvacarya books if you are in darkness whether Krsna is God or not then what is the use of reading?

Indian man: It is special text.

Prabhupada: Yes it is special text for a person who has understood it. Otherwise it is simply a lump of matter. Krsna is one bundle of books. For a learned scholar it has value and what is the value to an ass who is simply bearing the bundle of books. Simply carrying the books is not knowledge. You must know what is there in the books. That is knowledge. And carrying so many books as an ass…I know the books. You should know the subject matter what is delineated there. Simply I am carrying so many books. What is the use?

Indian man: Gita is considered as the essence of all the Vedas, Upanisads and puranas as far as I understand.

Prabhupada: yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati, [Munḍaka Upanisad 1.3]: ["By understanding God, we understand all other things."] [Transl. If you understand Krsna then you understand all Vedic knowledge.]

Indian man: I did not read Bhagavad-gita completely.

Prabhupada: Bhagavad-gita kincid adhika or little more. It is for this age. Krsna spoke Bhagavad-gita in this age. Just in the beginning of Kali-yuga, because the people of Kali-yuga are less intelligent. He is personally speaking the whole purport of Vedas.

Indian man (2): It is considered for all yugas, for all time.

Prabhupada: All yugas, all time.

Indian man: At the time of creation, at the time of dawn the Lord spoke this to Vivasvan, the sun god. And to Iksvaku and Manu. Like that it was lost this knowledge. Again the Lord has told to Arjuna and through Arjuna to mankind in general.

Indian man (2): Rama also…

Indian man: There is no difference between Them.

Indian man: It is for all time.

Indian man: That's what I feel.

Indian man (3): [Transl. The essence of all the Vedanta sūtras is Srimad Bhagavatam.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. The essence of all Vedanta is certainly Srimad Bhagavatam. And Srimad Bhagavatam contains all the descriptions of Krsna. sarva-vedanta-saram hi sri-bhagavatam isyate. Srimad Bhagavatam is the essence of all the Vedas.]

Indian man (2): [Transl. I believe between Rama and Krsna there is no difference. Rama is also God, Krsna is also God.]