Lecture – March 18, 1973, Calcutta

This is Vedanta. Veda means 'knowledge'; anta means 'end'

Prabhupada: ...he is speaking about knowledge, perfect knowledge. Knowledge received from common man or any person within this material world, infected with four kinds of defects, cannot be perfect. The so-called scientists, philosophers, mental speculators or dramatists or writers, as we experience, their talkings all are nonsense-this is our challenge-because the basic principle of their knowledge is ignorance, ajnana. Big, big scientists, they simply theorize, and they try to support their theories with the words, "it may be," "perhaps."

That is not perfect knowledge. As soon as you say "it may be," that means you have no perfect knowledge. As soon as you say "perhaps," that means you have no perfect knowledge. So all these scientists and philosophers, they use these words: "it may be," "perhaps." Therefore we have to receive knowledge from a perfect person.

A perfect person means who is not illusioned, who does not commit mistakes. All of us, we commit mistakes, but a perfect person does not commit mistakes. This is the difference between perfect and imperfect. We are illusioned to accept something in place of something else. Just like the example is given by some philosophers to accept the rope by mistake as a snake. This is called illusion. To vision water in the desert, this is due to our imperfection. So a person who is liberated, or not under the control of the material nature, he is not illusioned, neither he commits mistakes. Another defect is our senses are imperfect.

We use our senses under certain conditions-just like we have our eyes, but we can see only when there is sunlight or electric light; otherwise our eyes are useless. Therefore we haven't got perfect eyes. But one who has got perfect eyes, he can see past, present and future. Imperfection of senses. And we, conditioned souls, although we admit that we have imperfect senses, we commit mistakes, we are illusioned-still we take the place of teachers. That is cheating. That is cheating. If you know that you are imperfect, why should you take the place of a teacher? That is cheating: bhrama, pramada, karanapatava, vipralipsa [Cc Adi 2.86].

So these defects are completely absent, conspicuous by absence: nirasta-kuhakam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam [1.1.1] it is said about the Absolute Truth as nirasta-kuhakam. Kuha, kuha means illusion, imperfectness. So in the Absolute Truth there is no such imperfectness: nirasta-kuhakam, dhamna svena sada nirasta-kuhakam. Sada. Sada means once he was defective, now he has become nirasta-kuhakam-no, not like that. The Absolute Truth is always sada nirasta-kuhakam. Dhamna svena satyam param dhimahi. That Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking, and He is speaking: jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam [Bg 7.2].

Sa-vijnanam-with practical experience, or by experimental knowledge also, jnanam. Jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam. Sa-vijnanam idam vaksyamy asesataḥ-incomplete, incomplete. Yaj jnatva: "If you try to understand this knowledge, what I am speaking to you, Arjuna," yaj jnatva neha bhūyo, "in this material world," bhūyo, "again," anyaj jnatavyam avasisyate, "you will have anything more to know." This is Vedanta. Veda means "knowledge"; anta means "end."

So if you receive knowledge from the supreme perfect Personality of Godhead, Krsna, then that is the end of knowledge:

Krsna. Yasmin vijnate sarvam eva vijnatam bhavanti. This is Vedic injunction. If you simply try to understand what Krsna is speaking… To understand Krsna is very difficult-that is not possible. We are so small that it is not possible to analyze Krsna and understand Him. But if you simply try to assimilate what Krsna says, then you become perfect person.

Then Krsna says,

Actually we are born fools and rascals. We are coming, evolution, from the animal life. The Darwin's theory says that we are coming from monkeys-so far we have heard that either monkeys or cows or lions. Human form of body is promoted. One who is coming through tamo-guna, he comes from monkeys, as Mr. Darwin says. So those who are coming in sattva-guna, they come from the cow, and those who are in the rajo-guna, they come from the lion. Whatever it may be, it is a fact that through evolutionary process the last birth must have been animal life, pasavaḥ trimsal-laksani [Visnu Purana]-thirty lakhs of species and forms of animal forms-then we get this human form of life. So actually, when we are born uncivilized we have no knowledge. The same thing-ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam,

as the animals are interested: eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. These are the animal propensities, or necessities of life. But when as we become gradually civilized we take our birth in India especially, it is not so easy. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, bharata-bhūmite haila manusya-janma yara : it is very rare; don't spoil your life imitating animals.

It is a very valuable life, human form of life in the land of Bharata-varsa. We have practically seen-although India is so fallen-still, when you speak of Krsna consciousness, hundreds and thousands people come to hear. I have experienced in Bombay, Calcutta and other places, by nature they are inclined to become Krsna conscious. Unfortunately, outward influences are curbing down this natural instinct of Bharata-varsa. So it is very, very regrettable. We are naturally God conscious, Krsna conscious, but by artificial means we are being cut down. Therefore Krsna says,

Krsna consciousness means making progress for perfection of life, siddhi, siddhilabh, siddhas. Siddhas means mukta, theoretically mukta; they are called siddhas. There is a Siddhaloka. There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. All the inhabitants of that planet, they are all mystic yogis. They can fly from one planet to another without any instrument. Siddhaloka.

So every human being, especially the civilized man, can become siddha. Siddha means to understand his constitutional position. That is siddhi. Because the animals…, the animal does not know what is his constitutional position. He thinks that he is the body, but actually he is not the body; he is spirit soul. The human form of life, this consciousness, this ignorance, can be removed, and he can understand that aham brahmasmi, "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." And when he comes to the point of understanding that he is not body, he is soul, then he is called brahma-bhūta [Bg 18.54].

Before that, so long he is in bodily concept of life, he is jiva-bhūta. These are the difference. When you are bodily conscious of life we are called jiva-bhūta, mamaivamso jiva-bhūtaḥ [Bg 15.7]. The spirit soul is always part and parcel of God. That's a fact. God is brahma, parabrahma, and we are also brahma. It is a fact. Those who realize it, aham brahmasmi, that is siddhi; that is perfection.

So nobody is trying to understand. In specially in Bharata-varsa this culture was very strong, although there are different parties, different acaryas-but their only purpose is self-realization. Either you follow Sahkaracarya or Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, many acaryas… We may differ in our final conclusion, whether the Ultimate Truth is person or imperson-that is not very important thing-but all of them are trying to realization of the self, siddhi. The yogis, the jnanis, the bhaktas, even the karmis, they are also trying to become sidd…, siddha, siddhilabh. But the difference between the bhaktas and the others, namely karmis, jnanis and yogis-there is little difference. What is the difference? The bhaktas are peaceful; others are disturbed.

They are very troublesome. They have accepted very troublesome method. Karmi, it is also very troublesome; jnani, that is also very troublesome; and yogis, that is also very troublesome; and the bhaktas, in the Ninth Chapter it is said, su-sukham kartum avyayam [Bg 9.2]. Su-sukham: very pleasing to execute. The path of devotional service is very easy and pleasing. Why it is easy and pleasing? Sravanam kirtanam visnoḥ [SB 7.5.23]: you have to simply hear. You haven't got to exercise, you haven't got to press your nose or make your head down and your legs up and starve and so many other things. It is very easy. Simply sit down where you are and hear about Krsna.

Krsna-katha is so pleasing if you hear it from a realized person, satam prasahgan, not professional. If you hear Bhagavatam from professional man you'll never understand, because that is different sphere. But if you hear from a realized person, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [Munḍaka Upanisad 1.2.12], then it becomes very pleasing. Where? Pleasing to the ear and pleasing to the heart. Hrt-karna-rasayanaḥ.

If we hear from self-rea lized person, and after that if you try a little bit, taj-josanad-at least you consider taj-josanad-asu, very soon, asv apavarga-vartmani. Apavarga-vartmani means "towards the path of liberation." Pavarga and apavarga. Pavarga means the path of bondage, and apavarga means the path of liberation. [break] [end]

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