Lecture in Hindi – April 19, 1974, Hyderabad

Prabhupada: The Lord appears here and says: man-mana bhava mad-bhakto [Bg. 18.65], think of me constantly. man-mana mad-bhaktah, become my devotee. the Lord says that become My devotee not of anyone else. This should be understood. If someone says that I am a devotee of someone or something else. That will not do. The Lord is saying man mana bhava mad-bhakto, become My devotee.

Everyone is a devotee of someone or something always. Some people are devotees of their household. Some are devoted to their country. Some are devoted to their society. Some are devoted to the bottle, everyone is some kind of a devotee. No one can exist without being devoted to something or someone.

Because their real business is to become devoted, however they choose to become devoted to everything else, up to a dog, but not God. They have to become devotees anyway, but they don't want to become devotees of God. This is their disease, their ailment. Therefore, the Lord says regarding all those who are devoted to anything else, daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14], so maya makes them sleep, saying; "why become a devotee of God? Become my devotee, become a devotee of all these demigods". Kahksantaḥ karmanam siddhim yajanta iha devataḥ [Bg. 4.12], this is how we are entangled."

Karmanam siddhim, by approaching different demigods one achieves perfection very quickly. What kind of perfection do they achieve? Material things, just as described in the scriptures, if you wish for something, you can worship such and such demigod, you shall get it. It has been described so in the scriptures and this is how it actually happens. So, Kahksantaḥ karmanam siddhim yajanta iha devataḥ [Bg. 4.12] . All these demigods belong to this material world. The Lord however, is not from this material world. just like Sankaracarya has said, narayanaḥ paraḥ avyaktat, avyaktat anya sambhavah, Lord Narayana is unmanifest, He is beyond this mahat-tattva, total material creation. So, this everyone knows, mohitam nabhijanati [Bg. 7.13], but still they choose to remain illusioned. They don't wish to advance. Now, the business of the Lord is being described by Himself. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7], when a person gives up religion, religion means devotional service. The Lord said this in conclusion sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg, 18.66], this is dharma. So, as the Lord is telling, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14], this is the real dharma and everything else is just dharma for the time-being.

Just like this body we have. As long as we have this body, we will think that we are Hindus, Muslim, Christian or this or that dharma and as soon as we give up this body? Or something else may happen, then there is no guarantee that we will get the human form of life. According to our karma we will get the body, today I may be Hindu, Muslim or Christian, if tomorrow according to my karmas if I get a body in the animal species. Then all our religion is finished. So, the real religion is to surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.

Which as the Lord Himself says, mam eva ye prapadyante [Bg. 7.14], this devotional service is never destroyed. However, much devotional service is performed in this life. If it is completed then one is sure to go back to Godhead tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna [Bg. 4.9] and if it is not fully accomplished and some of it is left out sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41], this yoga, those who fall away from this bhakti yoga, they don't lose anything. If they take to devotional service but for some reason couldn't reach perfection, false back to the hands of maya. This is possible because maya is very strong. It defeats us again and again. Therefore, we have to become strong ourselves. How can we become strong like that? mama maya duratyaya mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14] so, if we hold on tightly to the lotus feet of the Lord, then maya will not be able to influence us. This is the solution. Such an easy a solution. To attain liberation, the Lord says mama maya duratyaya mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. There are big, big sannyasis who try to become free from maya, the jnanis, they take sannyasa, give up their homes, perform severe austerities, some go to the Himalayas, some to the forests. So, many things they do. Why? To become free from maya, brahma bhuta, to attain the knowledge of brahman. And here the Lord is saying mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. if only one surrenders unto my lotus feet, just that that moment he becomes free from maya. Without delay, within a second, so many people ask us, that how much time does it take for a person to attain perfect devotional service?

Not even a second. The real business is surrender. if one simply approaches the Lord and says, O my Lord I stayed as maya's servant for such a long time, servant of maya means servant of one's own senses, kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesas [Cc. Madhya 22.16], the senses we have always make us do things which we should not. So, I remain a servant of my senses for so long kamadinam kama krodha lobha, I remained a servant of lust, anger and greed for such a long time. I attained no satisfaction neither the master I was serving.

This is the law within this world. You just consider, Gandhiji was such a great persona and served the nation so much. He completely became a servant of the nation. But in the end, he was shot down by his own countrymen. Now, you see someone like Gandhiji, who can serve like him? Then what to speak of us. However, much we try to serve no one will be satisfied. They will never say that; O you have served so much, now please rest, you don't need to work anymore. If you go and ask your wife in your old age, that my dear I have tried so hard to serve you and satisfy you, now I shall go to Vrndavana and stay there, everyone will become upset. Why are you going to Vrndavana, this is to be done, that needs doing, so much is left for you to do.

That's why, surrender. Anyone who can understand that for such a long time I stayed a servant of my lust and anger, and served the world by no one became happy. Neither they were satisfied neither am I. That's why my Lord I am at Your lotus feet, from today I am your servant. I was always meant to be your servant, but I was forgetful of my position. Just by doing this the person become liberated. If from his heart, truthfully, he says, that My dear Lord from today I am your servant. I have been Your servant forever but oblivion made me servant of someone else. This is called, mama maya duratyaya mayam etam taranti te [Bg, 7.14]. So, at any moment, any moment if we bow our head at the lotus feet of the Lord and just say, "my dear Lord for so many days I kept on serving others, neither my servant nor myself got any satisfaction. Now, my eyes have opened. Now, if I will serve anyone, it shall only be you. Please accept me". Just by saying this much his liberation is guaranteed. This is very easy.

Now, the question comes that if it is so easy, they why don't everyone do it? If it is as easy as just opening our heart in from of the Lord, "I am Your servant, please make me do whatever you like." Then what is the difficulty? Does anyone lose any respect upon becoming a devotee? No. Just see, we are rendering service unto the Lord. We have learned this and we are going around the whole world teaching the same thing, become a servant of the Lord. And there is no magic that we show. It is not like we manufacture gold or show some other kind of magic, it is not like that, no we don't have this propensity. We simply say that Bhagavan krsnastu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28], the Lord has said sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], and I am requesting you all that please, all of you become devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage in His service. That's all we ask from those who we preach. Wherever we go, everyone offers respect, upon becoming a servant of Krsna, the Supreme Godhead, our respect doesn't decrease. Moreover, the respect increases. Here we may think that to become servant of someone means accepting that person as one's master. And I remained a servant, so my respect will be reduced. No, if you become servant of God, then you respect will increase manifold.

Daivi hi esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg 7.14], but that will not happen. Regardless of how strong maya is, there shall be no influence. He will not let anything happen. That is why it has been said that who don't wish to become the servant of God? The Lord Himself says, na mam duskrtino mūḍhaḥ prapadyante naradhama [Bg. 7.15], you can see this elevated status. Who doesn't want to become servant of God? They have been named. He says first of all duskrtinah, na mam duskrtinah, duskrti means those who engage constantly in sinful activities. Such a person is known as duskrti, krti, krti means a person who has good brain substance. He is very intelligent but uses his intelligence in thinking how to commit sin. So, such kind of persons, na mam duskrtino prapadyante. The Lord has already said that one should surrender unto His lotus feet to attain all liberation. Maya will free you, but they don't take it up. Why? The reason is that they always engage in sinful activities. So, duskrtinah, who else doesn't surrender, mūḍhaḥ. Big, big scholarly acharyas have given long explanations on this verse. You all don't have time to listen to those commentaries. Neither do we have the time, but we are trying to explain it to you in a simple manner.

So, duskrtina, duskrtina means those who constantly engage in sinful activities, that's all. Another one is mūḍhaḥ, mūḍhaḥ means one who is like an ass. Why? Why is he called an ass? Because an ass has less intelligence? It works hard all day and carries clothes on its back for the washerman until the point that it goes limp. And what does it get in return? A handful of grass. The donkey doesn't have the intelligence to think that this much grass he can get it from anywhere. What is the point of working so hard for the washerman? This intelligence the ass doesn't have. So, it loads up two tonnes of clothes because the washerman gives it grass. Therefore, it should haul all those clothes. Such a person is known as an ass.

So, the ordinary karmis they work all day and night. They all earn a lot of money. But same as the washerman's ass, this person he also eats only a couple of chapatis. Even though a rich person but he will not eat golden chapatis, he will eat chapatis same as everyone else, chapatis made of wheat. So, one should be intelligent enough to see that if by the mercy of the Lord he is getting the same two chapatis then what is the use of working so hard?

If for the household, I get something I should be satisfied in that. Why not use the rest of the time to discuss about God? This intelligence they don't have. They don't have time for this. Every day in the morning we hold class here but people don't have the time to attend. They have time to attend everything else but not for hearing about God. Such people in the scriptures have been compared as mūḍhaḥ. The real objective of the human form of life, to understand God, understand oneself and to understand the relationship between oneself and God, athato brahma jijnasa, this is the goal of human life. They have given up all these things and engage in working hard like dogs. And what do they get in return? Two chapatis, mūḍhaḥ, na mam prapadyante duskrtino mūḍhaḥ [Bg. 7.15].

Who else? Na mam duskrtino mūḍhaḥ prapadyante naradhamaḥ [Bg. 7.15], then comes naradhama, it means the person who is the lowest of mankind. Why? The human form of life is meant for rendering devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But that we have given up. And are enthusiastic about every other activity. For devotional service and trying to understand God we have no time. Therefore, naradhama. Such human beings, another is krpana etad viditva ya prayati sa brahmana etad aviditva ya prayati sa krpanam [Garga Samhita]. When a person properly uses this human form of life, one can attain the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they don't wish to act in that way. That is why they are called naradhama.

Another class of men in this category are called mayaya apahrta jnana, someone may say, that you say such things. But we are seeing o many big-big scholars, they don't belive in God, they believe that they themselves are God. So, what to say about them? After all they are such big scholars. Then the Lord says in this connection, that they may appear to be scholars but the real knowledge that is attained after learning so many things, that knowledge has been stolen by maya, the illusory energy. Maya apahrta, just like if you have something valuable, a diamond. You are sitting here thinking that you have that diamond is safely locked away at home. That may be but when you go home you see that someone has stolen away your precious jewel.

In this way, these people are known as scholars but they don't understand God. Such people cannot be called scholars, scholarship or vidya means finally a person is able to understand God. Such a person will properly be accepted as a scholar. Bahūnam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19], who can surrender in this way? Those who have performed austerities for man lifetimes and have attained perfect knowledge only they can surrender unto God, Vasudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. So, these people who are so called learned persons who have degrees of M. A., Ph.D., even then they fail to understand God. Still talk about taking out God. Saying that all of us are Krsna, all of us are God. That is why it has been said apahrta-jnana, maya, those who knowledge has be take away by maya. All these people, why are they like that? That somone is grossly foolish, some lowest of mankind, some have their knowledge stolen by maya, The Lord answers in this regard, asuri bhavam asritaḥ [Bg. 7.15], because they have taken to demonic propensity. What is this demonic propensity? Atheism, they don't believe in God. Who is God? We are God, there are so many Gods roaming about in the streets. Why do you go to the temple for searching out God. Big, big swamis speak in this way. Demonic, this is called demonic mentality, asuri bhava. This is their mentality, asuri bhava. The mentality is to two kinds demonic and godly, daiva asura eva ca [Bg. 16.6].

So, those who are devotees of God, they are godly, godly mentality and those who are not devotees, those who don't believe in God they are demonic. So, there are two types of people. In this world there are-daiva asura eva ca visnu-bhaktaḥ bhaved daiva asuras tad-viparyayaḥ-those who are not devotees of God, they are known to be demons. So, having this demonic mentality they become sinful and perform useless labor all day long. They don't know the purpose of human form of life. And the so-called knowledge they have A B C D, the result of such knowledge is stolen by maya. There is no benefit of having degrees like MA or Ba. Because the real intelligence for them has been stolen by maya. Asuri bhavam asritaḥ [Bg. 7.15]. So, what is the solution, we see such people all around us, throughout the whole world. Then who will engage in devotional service? That is answered by God. What does He say?

He says that there are four types of people who are not sinful but engage in pious activities, sukrti. Therefore, the scriptures recommend doing good deeds, engage in pious activities. One should perform sacrifices, give donations, perform austerities, bathe in the Ganges, go for pilgrimages and not speak lies. Not to eat nonsense here and there, only accept sattvic food, this is the meaning of sukrti, those who don't commit sin. The way scriptures recommend, the same way they behave and therefore they are known as sukrtinah. That is why one should abide by the religious scriptures; this will lead to understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And if we don't follow the procedures suggested in the scriptures. Act whimsically and wish for anything and start doing anything. Then it will certainly not lead to one's reaching the Supreme Godhead. And as long as one's relationship with the Supreme Lord is not established one will have to keep roaming around in the eight million four hundred thousand species of life. Sometimes as a creature of water, sometimes an ant, sometimes an elephant, sometimes a demigods, sometimes a human being, sometimes a raksasa. That's all. Sometimes they may become Brahma but sometimes an insect., So, we are stuck in this cycle of birth, death, old age and disease. Therefore, in the scriptures it has been said, engage in pious activities, do good deeds. By doing good deeds one will clear his consciousness and upon having a clean consciousness one will be able to understand God and His life will become successful.

So, sukrti. In Kali yuga the people are so fallen that they cannot perform any pious activity according to the recommendation of the scriptures. Mandaḥ sumanda-matayo , their intelligence has become most lazy and so is their wit. Mandaḥ sumanda-matayo. So, manda-bhagya, they are not very fortunate either. Even if they resolve to engage in devotional service, some raksasa says that he is God, now that person is stuck with this raksasa, manda-bhagya. So, such are the difficulties in kali yuga. That is why in kali yuga it has been recommended in the scriptures,, because the human beings in this age are particularly fallen, they will not be able to perform extreme hardships and austerities. So, such a human being should only be given one thing, and what is that?

In Kali yuga people will not be able to perform big yajnas, give donations, perform austerities and other severe activities, the people are all fallen. That is why it has been said three times kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha . There are many other activities recommended in the scriptures that one should perform yajna, dana and tapasya but they will not be able to do so. The people in this age will be too fallen. Then what should be done? Simply at all times :

One should chant this mantra, and you all can see that people are being benefitted. All these western boys and girls with us. They chant just as we recommend following all the rules and regulations. Hence, they are advancing. This is the only remedy in kali yuga harer nama harer nama.

Thank you very much. [end]