Pandal Lecture – March 17, 1972, Bombay

720317LE-BOMBAY [30:32 Minutes]

So let us cooperate to understand Krsna, that's all

Devotee: …absolutely quiet.

Prabhupada: [leads jaya radha-madhava] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

[06:30]

Prabhupada: Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this Krsna consciousness movement. It is already known to you that we are trying to spread this Krsna consciousness all over the world. I was ordered by my spiritual master to go to the Western countries and spread this Krsna consciousness movement. So in 1965, in the month of September, I went to New York with forty rupees in my pocket.

But gradually-this is a long history-in a very short time this movement has spread all over the world by the cooperation of my American disciples, both boys and girls. Now we have got more than ninety branches all over the world, and we have come here in Bombay to open this center in this place where we are now sitting. So by your cooperation we wish to develop this center into a very large institution for spreading Krsna consciousness.

This Krsna consciousness movement is very important at the present moment. It is important in this sense: that throughout the whole world, I have traveled, everyone is practically without God consciousness. This means that this human form of life, which is achieved after many, many births, labdhva su-durlabham bahu-sambhavante [SB 11.9.29].

Bahu-sambhavante: after many, many births. There are 8,400,000 species of life-aquatics, then plants, trees, insects, birds, bees, then uncivilized human being, then civilized human being. In this way, especially in India we are considered to be very advanced in culture and religion, still. I read one book written by one Chinese gentleman. It is recommended in the New York University for studies in comparative, philosophical and religion class. In that book this Chinese gentleman writes that "If you want to know about religion and culture, then you have to go to India."

So our background, this Vedic civilization, is very great. We should remember it always. Now these boys, American boys, European boys, they have come to India not to see your industrial improvement or economic development. They have seen enough of these things in their own country. They are highly economically developed, industrially, so they have nothing to learn about these things from India. They have come here to understand Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness. Even the yogic activities, asta-siddhi-yoga, practically by mechanical arrangement they almost come to the perfection of yogic principles. Just like the yogi, by his laghima-siddhi he can fly in the space.

But they are also flying by sputniks and other aeronautics. But that is not very important. Real important thing is God consciousness. That is the present necessity throughout the whole world, because by nature's own way this human form of life is offered to understand "What I am? What is God? What is this material world? What is our interrelation? Why I am suffering threefold miserable condition of life? Whether there is any remedy?" Of course, everyone is trying to mitigate the miserable condition of life, but it is being attempted not in the right way. In Bhagavad-gita it is said,

Sukham atyantikam: we are spiritual sparks, part and parcel of God, and Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita [Bg 15.7], mamaivamso jiva-bhūtaḥ: "The living entities are My part and parcel." Not only the living entities-this material world also. This is also part and parcel.

Actually it is explained in the Visnu Purana very nicely:

This akhilam jagat, entire cosmic manifestation, is the resultant action of two energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: prakrti. One prakrti means material energy; another, spiritual energy. Bhūmir apo analo…, bhinna me prakrtir astadha [Bg 7.4]. Astadha, eight [indistinct], eight kinds of energies: earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, ego. These are inferior energies of the Supreme Lord, and the superior energy we are-the living entity.

So we are also prakrti, and the material nature is also prakrti. We are also prakrti; we are not purusa. Purusa is Krsna, or the Supreme Lord, and everything prakrti, or energy. So whatever manifestation we see, it is the introduction of the different energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In the Vedas also it is stated,

So there is a great science, and we have got this in India. And in the Bhagavad-gita everything is very nicely explained, and for further understanding there is Srimad-Bhagavatam. So Bhagavad-gita is spoken by Krsna, and Srimad-Bhagavatam is spoken by Vyasadeva about Krsna. Vyasadeva begins Srimad-Bhagavatam, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. This vasudevaya means Krsna. That is explained by Sridhara Svami. We shall take up this explanation from tomorrow. We shall begin Srimad-Bhagavatam from the beginning, janmady asya yataḥ: the original source of all emanations, as it is stated, described in the Vedanta-sūtra, janmady…, athato brahma-jijnasa [Vedanta-sūtra 1.1.1].

So these krsna-katha, knowledge about Krsna, is very wide and vast, so one should try to understand Krsna. And especially in India we can understand it, because culturally we are Krsna-ites, but we have forgotten. We are not forgetting our culture, but it is so nice that foreigners in Europe and America, Canada, Japan, Australia, they are taking it very serious, Krsna consciousness.

So this is an attempt, this camp is an attempt to invite our countrymen. We have already done such festival in the Cross Maidan, and I was very glad to see twenty to thirty thousand people were daily assembling for ten days, and they were very kind upon us. In spite of all inconveniences they used to come, and they wanted that the program should have been extended. But we could not do so; we were searching after some place. So Krsna somehow or other has given us this place. So let us cooperate to understand Krsna, that's all.

This is our business. We have no other business to understand Krsna, but there is a great benefit if we can understand Krsna. Krsna says Himself in the Bhagavad-gita,

But we have to understand Krsna in truth, not by fiction or imagination or concoction. In truth what is Krsna.

The result is tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti. If you can understand Krsna, the result is that you stop the repetition of birth and death, old age and disease. That is very good. Krsna says, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti.

If you understand Krsna, then after leaving this body no more transmigration to another material body. Punar janma... Janma, birth, takes place of this material body, not of the soul. The soul, na jayate na mriyate va: the soul never dies or takes birth. The so-called birth is the birth of this body. Therefore anyone who understands Krsna, he does not take anymore this material body, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti. Then where does he go? Because soul is eternal, I am eternal, you are eternal. We are passing through different phases of material body. So by understanding Krsna, tyaktva deham punar janma: no more material birth. Then where does he go? Mam eti: he goes back to home, back to Godhead.

This is the sum and substance of Krsna consciousness movement. The idea is that the living entity, this part, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, he is in contact of this material world, and the disease is,

Because we are in this material body there is birth, there is death, there is disease and there is old age. So our advancement of education has not discovered anything which can stop birth, death, old age and disease. That is not possible. Not only in this planet, but you go even to the higher planet, there is no excuse from this material condition.

That is stated. Even if you go to the Brahmaloka,

So try to understand that this human form of life is especially meant for stopping this botheration of repeated birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot stop it by so-called material advancement of knowledge. That is not possible. So this prerogative of the human being must be given to them. That is the greatest welfare activities. People do not know how to do good to others. They temporarily, they get some relief; but that will not give him actually comfort of life. Here is the greatest relief: Krsna consciousness. If anyone simply understands Krsna, he gets relief from all botheration.

So this contribution to the human society is from India. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has ordered that anyone who has taken birth in India as a human being, not as an animal, bharata-bhūmite manusya-janma haila yara…Anyone who has taken birth as a human being on this holy land of Bharata-varsa,

Just make…, make your life successful. We have got all the Vedic literatures how to make our life successful. So unfortunately we are neglecting our great spiritual assets, and we are enamored by the so-called material civilization. That is the present condition of India. But I see after traveling three times all over the world, I see that there is a great demand for Krsna consciousness all over the world. They are no more interested in so-called gloss[?] of yoga-siddhi and so-called Vedanta-siddhi. They want something factual.

So I request that those who are intelligent persons, especially Indian, especially young men, they should come and join this Krsna consciousness movement and spread this Indian culture, or Vedic culture, throughout the whole world. That will enhance the glories of India. You cannot compete with the Western countries by so-called industrialization or economic development. You will always be hundred years back from their advancement. But if you want some credit of your country, then try to spread this Krsna consciousness movement.

Make your life first of all successful by understanding what is Krsna consciousness movement, and then hundreds of you may go to the foreign countries outside India to preach this great philosophy. You will be honored; your country will be glorified. So single-handed I have tried a little, and I am very glad to inform you the response is very great. So similarly you should go, many of us. Then India's glories will be very much magnified, that I can assure.

So how to make your life successful by understanding our Vedic culture we shall present as far as possible from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. I have been honored by the managing committee of this festival that I shall speak in Hindi in the morning and I shall speak in English in the evening. And if so…. In the Cross Maidan, also Calcutta, Madras, Delhi, our festival, this Hare Krsna movement festival, was very, very successful in all these cities. In your city also it was very successful in last May.

Now we have come to this place. It is not very, I mean to say, exposed, just like Cross Maidan; it is written in the name. But you can come here very easily and encourage us to explain what is Krsna consciousness. And from tomorrow regular meeting work will begin, and we shall be very much thankful to you if you come and cooperate with us.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.

Devotees: All glories to Srila Prabhupada. [end]