SPD04-09 Bhagavad-gītā Lecture at Melbourne Town Hall, June 1974

[20:01 minutes]

[00:56] [Madhudvisa:] It is our glory if we spend our life and soul, our whole life, glorifying God,

[01:06] glorifying the holy Lord, Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

[Prabhupada enters hall]

[01:55] [Madhudvisa:] Everybody sing and dance, dance for Krsna!

[03:24] Everybody chant. Everybody chant.

[05:28] [Prabhupada:] ...complete knowledge. So if you read Bhagavad-gita you get complete knowledge.

[05:34] So what Bhagavan says?

[05:36] Idam tu te guhyatamam pravaksyamy anasūyave [Bg. 9.1].

[05:41] Bhagavan Krsna is teaching Arjuna. So in the Ninth Chapter He says, "My dear Arjuna,

[05:49] I am now speaking to you the most confidential knowledge," guhyatamam.

[05:57] Tamam means superlative. Positive, comparative and superlative.

[06:02] In Sanskrit, tara-tama. Tara is comparative, and tama means superlative.

[06:12] So here Bhagavan says, the perfect Personality of Godhead says, idam tu te guhyatamam pravaksyamy:

[06:21] "Now I am speaking to you the most confidential knowledge,"

[06:31] jnanam vijnana-sahitam.

[06:34] "The knowledge is with full knowledge, not that imagination."

[06:43] Jnanam vijnana-sahitam.

[06:46] Vijnana means "science," practical demonstration.

[06:52] So jnanam vijnana-sahitam, yaj jnatva.

[06:55] "If you learn this knowledge...,"

[06:59] yaj jnatva moksyase 'subhat. Asubhat.

[07:04] Moksyase means you get liberation, and asubhat means inauspicicity.

[07:11] Inauspicity. So our present life, at the present moment...

[07:18] "Present life" means so long we possess this material body, it is full of inauspicity.

[07:28] Moksyase asubhat. Asubhat means inauspicity.

[07:35] So what is that confidential knowledge? Now Krsna says, again stressing... [break]

[07:44] Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te, krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namine gaura-tvise namaḥ [Cc. Madhya 19.53].

[07:53] Srila Rūpa Gosvami, when he met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Prayag...

[08:01] There is a place, holy place in India, which is called Prayag.

[08:07] So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, after accepting His renounced order of sannyasa,

[08:13] He went to Prayag and other holy places. So Srila Rūpa Gosvami,

[08:22] he was minister of the government, but he gave up everything and joined

[08:29] this Hare Krsna movement with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

[08:34] So when he first met, and he offered this verse:

[08:40] namo maha-vadanyaya-

[08:43] vadanya means the most magnanimous-

[08:47] krsna-prema-pradaya te, krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namaḥ.

[08:54] To understand Krsna is very difficult job. Krsna has personally said in the Bhagavad-gita, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]:

[09:08] "Out of many, many millions of persons," not only in this age; in the past also… Manusyanam sahasresu,

[09:17] "Out of many millions of persons," kascid yatati siddhaye, "one is trying to become perfect."

[09:28] Generally, they have no knowledge what is perfection. Perfection they do not know.

[09:37] Perfection means to stop this process of birth, death, old age and disease.

[09:45] That is called perfection. Everyone is trying to be perfect,

[09:48] but they do not know what is perfection.

[09:52] Perfection means this: that when you are free from these four imperfection.

[10:01] What is that? Birth, death, old age and disease.

[10:06] Everyone. Nobody wants to die, but there is forcefully: you must die. That is imperfection.

[10:15] But these rascals, they do not know. They think that we must die. But no. Because you are eternal,

[10:23] you are not meant for death, but nature is forcing you, "Must die."

[10:30] [answering question] Yes. Krsna asked that "You rascal, surrender unto Me."

[10:41] You are all rascals. You surrender to Krsna. Then your life will be successful. Just see.

[10:53] This is the sum and substance of Krsna 's instruction.

[11:04] Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].

[11:11] Krsna is not asking only Arjuna;

[11:14] He is asking all us, all rascals, that "You are manufacturing so many things

[11:21] for becoming happy. You'll never be happy. Rest assured.

[11:26] But surrender unto Me and I will make you happy."

[11:29] This is Krsna consciousness. That's all. One line.

[11:37] So what can be done? Krsna is offering all opportunities, and we,

[11:46] humble servant of Krsna, we are trying to preach it.

[11:49] But the rascals will not accept it. What can be done? That is the difficulty.

[11:58] They want to continue to remain as rascals. That is... What can be done?

[12:07] This is the difficulty. Otherwise, everything is there, if we take it.

[12:14] Even a child can take benefit out of it, Krsna consciousness.

[12:17] That you have seen practically. But we'll not take it. That is the difficulty.