Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.27 Nitai: “Now I am attracted to those instructions imparted to me by the Personality of Godhead, Govinda, because they are impregnated with instructions for relieving the burning heart in all circumstances of time and space.” Prabhupada: desa-kalartha-yuktani hrt-tapopasamani ca haranti smaratas cittam govindabhihitani me So this word hrt-tapa upasamani… Hrt means heart, and tapa means miseries or burning, heat. Tapa means burning heat. If there is fire and there is heat, sometimes it is intolerable. So hrt-tapa means the burning fire blazing within the heart. So that is always. Anyone who is in this material world, he has got this disease, burning fire within the heart, anyone. That means severe anxiety, everyone. Even a small bird, he is also full of anxiety. You give him some grains. It will come. It will eat. At the same time, it will look this way, that way, this way, full of anxiety. Although there is food, he is eating, still, there is anxiety, “Somebody may come, kill me.” So everyone is full of anxiety. That is the material nature. Nobody can say “I have no anxiety.” That is not possible. If he says like that, he is a liar. That is not possible. Is anyone here who can say that he or she has no anxiety? Of course, when you take to Krsna consciousness, there is no anxiety. That is the distinction. Anxiety there is, but to relieve this anxiety one has to take to Krsna consciousness. Otherwise not. You cannot get relief. (child says, “Prabhupada”) Yes. (laughter) So you may say that “Sometimes we have got anxiety, and sometimes we are very nice.” So even accepting that, Arjuna says, desa-kala-artha-yuktani. Desa, kala, the time and space within this material world, and artha means purpose, everything, any time… Arjuna does not say that “sometimes.” At any time, if we are materially attached, then this hrt-tapa must be. Hrt-tapa means burning fire, blazing fire within the heart. It will continue. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says that visaya-bisanale, diba-nisi hiya jwale. This means anyone who is engaged in these material affairs, Visaya… Visaya means material necessities. Everyone has got material necessities: ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna, how to eat, how to sleep, where to sleep, where to get apartment, where to secure money to get food, and how to secure sex pleasure, where it is available, man or woman, and how to defend. “I have got so much bank balance. It may not be taken away. I have got this property.” In this way everyone is suffering. That’s a fact. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says, visaya-bisanale, diba-nisi hiya jwale: “The heart is burning.” The same word. It is in simple Bengali, and this is in Sanskrit. Visaya-bisanale, diba-nisi hiya jwale, juraite na koinu upay. So if a man simply goes on suffering like this, then he is not a human being. Human being means if there is suffering, he must try to alleviate it, to mitigate the suffering. That is human being. That is… Nature gives us this human form of body, intelligence, that if there is danger, if there is anxiety, he tries to get out of it. The animals also do, but they cannot do very nicely. Just like animals are slaughtered. So they know when they are put into one, what is called, pound and they know that they will be slaughtered, but they have no means to get out of it. So the human being can do that. If I foresee, “There is some danger, I can make some way to get out of it.” That is human intelligence. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says that “Although I had the intelligence to get out of these material anxieties, the blazing fire within the heart, but I did not take it.” And what is that? Now, hari-nama prema-dhana… Devotees: Golokera… Prabhupada: Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana, rati na janmilo kene tay. This is the remedy. Golokera prema-dhana, this hari-nama-sankirtana, chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, this sound vibration, it is not material. Suppose if I would have advised my disciples that “You chant ‘Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John,’ ” this movement would not have spread. (laughter) How long one can chant this “Mr. John, Mr. John”? Therefore it is the proof, that all over the world, we have got about hundred centers. Everywhere, hundred, two hundred, three hundred disciples are there. They’re chanting, dancing, with Hare Krsna mantra. Why? Because it is not material sound vibration. This is the proof. Don’t think that Hare Krsna chanting and chanting the name of Mr. John is the same, no. This is the proof. You can go on chanting twenty-four hours, Still, you will not feel tired. This is the golokera… This is the proof, that this hari-nama-sankirtana, golokera prema-dhana, it is the property for loving. It is the thing which will lead you how to love God, prema-dhana. You will gradually develop your propensity to love Krsna. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam: “All glories to the chanting of Hare Krsna mantra.” Why? Now, bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. In this material life there is a fire always. Bhava-maha-davagni. Davagni means the forest fire, the fire in the forest. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, nobody has got any business to do that. But still, there is fire. It takes place. Everyone knows. Automatically, by the collision of dry branches of bamboo and others there is electricity and dry leaves that set fire, in this way, a big fire. So similarly, in this material world nobody wants that there may be fire and we all burn. No, nobody wants. But it happens. There is another Bengali song like that. Sukhera lagiya ei ghare bandhinu agune puriya gelun(?): “I constructed this house to live very happily. Unfortunately, there was set fire. Fire was set and everything finished.” So this is material world. We should always know. So Arjuna says that “When I remember the teachings of Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita, then it relieves me. Then it relieves me.” Hrt-tapa upasamani. Hrt-tapa, that blazing fire within the heart, immediately becomes relieved. So that is also fact. Bhagavad-gita… Whenever you are perplexed, you read Bhagavad-gita you will immediately get relief. That’s a fact. Gandhi also said that. Gandhi was a politician. Although he could not understand Bhagavad-gita neither he could understand Krsna, still, he said that “When I read, I get great relief.” He was always very busy, so many political problems always coming. So there was no spiritual understanding of these politicians. Sometimes they take the spiritual shelter, so-called, for getting some benefit out of it so that his political movement may be increased or enhanced. So we do not wish to discuss, but Bhagavad-gita, even if you read without any actual knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita, still, you will feel relief. Still you will feel relief. Just like if you go to the fire, you will feel some warmth. That’s a fact. Even you do not know how to enjoy fire, still, because you are near the fire, you will get some warmth. So Bhagavad-gita is like that. Even if you do not understand, by simply hearing the words of Krsna… Simply we chant this, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], and gradually you do that… satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati If we discuss Bhagavad-gita amongst the societies of the devotee… That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, mad-bhaktesu abhidhasyati. Bhagavad-gita should be discussed amongst the devotees. Sometimes we discuss Bhagavad-gita amongst the non-devotees. That is due to higher order, higher order—Guru Maharaja asked that “You go and speak.” So we are doing that. Actually, Bhagavad-gita is to be discussed amongst the devotees. So our hard task is that first of all we have to make one devotee and then let him understand Bhagavad-gita, our double task. Because nobody wants to become devotee. So we are canvassing door to door, country to country, village to village, “Sir, please come in our temple. We shall give you nice prasadam. You simply chant Hare Krsna and hear something about Krsna.” So still, people will not come. Still, they will not come. We have to canvass. We have to do so many things. That is the influence of maya. Maya is so strong that unless one is very much determined, maya will be very strong for him. So still, if we understand that this life is meant for understanding Krsna or to advance in Krsna consciousness, if this much we understand, then also, our life is successful. But we do not take it seriously. We do not take it seriously. That is the difficulty. Actually, as Narottama dasa Thakura says, that visaya-bisanale, diba-nisi hiya jwale, juraite na koinu upay, “My heart is always burning on account of this material condition of life, and I did not make any means to get out of this entanglement”… So everyone should be intelligent. Intelligent person will admit that his heart is always burning. That’s a fact. Now, if we want to get out of it, then, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises, all the acaryas advises, and here Arjuna also… Arjuna directly listened to Krsna, and he says, “This is my practical experience, that when I…” He was a politician, a fighter. He had so many anxieties. So he used to remember the instruction given by Krsna directly to him. So that instruction and when we read Bhagavad-gita, that instruction, these two instructions, they are not different. Don’t think that “Krsna was present before Arjuna, but in my presence there is no Krsna. Simply I have got this book.” But you should know that the book and the instruction there in the Bhagavad-gita and Krsna, they are absolute, one. There is no difference. We can take advantage of Krsna’s presence by reading Bhagavad-gita. I have narrated several times the story of a brahmana in South India. He was illiterate, and he was reading Bhagavad-gita. So his friends, village friends, they knew that “This man is illiterate. How he can read Bhagavad-gita?” So they were criticizing. “Hello, brahmana. How you are reading Bhagavad-gita?” So he did not say anything because he knew that “These friends are criticizing me because I am illiterate. He knows.” So when Caitanya Mahaprabhu came there, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was attracted. He was illiterate, and he was reading Bhagavad-gita, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu was attracted. Just see. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “My dear brahmana, what you are reading?” So he also could understand that “Here is a person who has not come to criticize me. He is serious.” “Yes, sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gita, but I am illiterate. I am illiterate.” “Then what you are reading?” “No, I am simply turning the pages. I cannot read anything.” “Then why you are reading if you cannot?” “No, my Guru Maharaja ordered me. My Guru Maharaja asked me that ‘You shall read Bhagavad-gita daily, eighteen chapters.’ ” Guru maharaja knew that he is illiterate, but still ordered. This is called guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya, ar na koriho mane asa **. This is called firm faith in guru. Guru ordered him that “You read.” Guru must know him, that he is illiterate. So what he will read? Why guru is ordering him? But because he had firm faith in guru and he was trying to read, Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to see him. Just see. How this line is important: guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya, ar na koriho mane asa **. Ar means anything more, you don’t try to understand. Whatever your guru says, you just try to carry it out. So what is the next line? Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete… Pusta-krsna: Sri-guru-carane rati… Prabhupada: Sri-guru-carane rati, ei se uttama-gati **. Don’t try to make very good advance by manufacturing your own way. Simply, sri-guru-carane rati, ei se uttama-gati. That is first-class. That is Vedic instruction. Vede gay janhara carito. The Vedas says, yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah [SU 6.23] To understand Vedic literature means one must have firm faith in Krsna and firm faith in guru, not that “My guru is not so learned, so let me capture Krsna directly.” That is useless. That is useless. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151] One can get the seed of the plant or creeper of bhakti, how? Guru-krsna-krpa. By the mercy of guru and by the mercy of Krsna, not that krsna-krpa. First guru-krpa, then krsna-krpa. So this brahmana attracted the attention of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was illiterate, and he could not read even one word. What is the truth in it? The same thing. Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya **. He took guru’s order very seriously, that “My Guru Maharaja has ordered me, and I must carry out. Never mind I cannot read. Let me open the pages and see. That’s all.” So he was doing that. So others criticized him that “This man is illiterate. What he is reading?” But Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not criticize. Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “Oh, what you are reading, My dear brahmana?” So he explained, that “This gentleman has not come to criticize me.” So Caitanya Mahaprabhu knew that “He is a perfect knower of Bhagavad-gita.” Still, He inquired, “Well, if you are not reading, then how you are crying? I see there are tears in your eyes. What is the meaning?” Then he admitted, “Yes, sir. Yes. That is.” “Why you are crying?” “No, as soon as I take this Bhagavad-gita in my hand a picture comes before me that Arjuna is sitting on the chariot ordering Krsna, and Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is carrying out his order and driving the chariot. So that makes me amazed. Therefore I am crying, that ‘How Krsna is merciful, that He accepted a menial service for His devotee. He is so kind.’ ” Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately embraced him: “Yes, brahmana, your reading of Bhagavad-gita is perfect.” So it doesn’t matter whether one is illiterate or literate. Everyone has got these ears. So we should hear from the realized person, guru Vaisnava, not professional, no. That will not help us. tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah [Bg. 4.34] Tattva-darsinah. Tattva-darsinah means one has seen the truth, not superficially knowing. One who understood that this is the truth, so go there and submit there. Pranipatena. Prakrsta-rupena nipatena. Fully surrender there and then question, then try to inquire if you cannot understand. First of all, first business is pranipata: “Sir, I surrender unto you.” Sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam prapannam. Arjuna also did so. “My dear Krsna, we are talking like friends. This will not solve the problem. Therefore I am submitting unto You as Your disciple.” Sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam prapannam. “I surrender unto You. Now You can teach me.” Because as soon as you accept guru, you have to hear him, surrender, full surrender. You cannot unnecessarily argue. Of course, if there is any doubt, you can question submissively. But not that, “I shall test my guru, how he is learned.” That will not help. One must surrender. So tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34] Arjuna did that. Therefore Arjuna learned the Bhagavad-gita, and it was always relief for him when he was perplexity. Haranti smaratas cittam. Haranti. What is that haranti? Hrt-tapa. Hrt-tapa, the blazing fire within the heart, within the core of the heart, immediately becomes minimized, haranti. Smaratas cittam. As soon as I remember, my consciousness, my heart, core of heart, becomes immediately relieved. How it is relieved? Why it is relieved? Govinda abhihitani me: “Govinda instructed.” Govinda means Krsna. Govinda means Krsna. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. Govinda. isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1] Govinda is sarva-karana-karanam. So that Govinda is instructing to Arjuna personally. How fortunate is Arjuna. But Krsna is so kind that if you actually serious to understand… So just like this brahmana took instruction from his spiritual master and began to read Bhagavad-gita, and he realized what is Krsna, what is Govinda, similarly, if we take seriously the instruction of our spiritual master and try to read Bhagavad-gita according to his instruction, then gradually we shall realize Krsna. And if you simply realize Krsna, what is Krsna… That is not difficult. Krsna is personally speaking about Himself. You haven’t got to speculate like nonsense. Just like Gandhi speculated, “I do not believe that ever any person like Krsna lived.” Do you know that? This is Gandhi’s statement, and he is mahatma. The mahatma’s definition is there in the Bhagavad-gita: mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manasah [Bg. 9.13] That is mahatma, not to take advantage of Bhagavad-gita. Of course, there are… So we do not want to criticize anyone, but sometimes it so happens. Big, big scholars, big, big politicians, they misguide people. That is the position of India. So many big, big leaders and politician and so-called swamis and yogis, they have exploited people by bluffing, and now India’s position is: it is neither spiritual nor material. (laughter) That’s all. Dhuno ke pap.(?) Just like it is, the example is, if there are two boats and if you place your leg this boat and that boat, the position is very precarious. (laughter) Neither in this boat, neither that boat. Fully. So our position is that. We are learning technology, and the western countries, they are advanced in technology always hundred years more. Some years ago there was a big exhibition in Delhi. The show was that India had manufactured cycle and sewing machine. That is their proud. The cycle, I think, two hundred years ago (laughs) was manufactured in the western countries and so also sewing machine. So India was very much proud, that “Now we have got cycle.” When they are manufacturing big, big 747 airplane, we are manufacturing cycle. (laughter) Just see. Medicine also. Technology, that is also technology. They are advanced in… They were meant for this… They have got brain. They can advance in material civilization because fully… So we cannot compete. We cannot compete, although it is, this technology is the business of the sudras. Technology is not the occupation for the brahmanas, ksatriyas, or vaisyas, no. In our country still, there are blacksmith, weaver, oil crusher. Still they are in the village. But they are sudras. So this technology means craftsmanship. That is not knowledge. That is not knowledge. Just like I do not know how this microphone is working. If it is wrong, some man who knows the art, he repairs it immediately. That does not mean he has got knowledge. That particular department, he has got knowledge, that’s all. Knowledge means that one who knows God. That is knowledge. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. This is knowledge. So the western countries, they have taken—advancement of knowledge means manufacturing a big motor car. That’s all. That is also good. But simply for manufacturing motor car, simply for driving motor car, if we forget our real business, God realization, then it is ruinous. Mudha. Mudha, then we become mudha. This life, human life, it is not cats’ and dogs’ life. It is human life. Athato brahma jijnasa. One can realize the Absolute Truth if he is inquisitive. Brahma-jijnasa. Just like you are advancing by inquiring. Jijnasa. Jijnasuh sreya uttamam. Jijnasuh. This is human life. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Uttama means which is not material, which is beyond material… Ut-tama . Ud-gata-tama yasmat. Tama means darkness. Here they are so- called scholars, big big professor, scientist, and… but they are in the darkness, tama. Tama means darkness. They do not know what they are. Ask any scientist, any philosopher, “What you are?” He will say, “I am this body. I am Indian. I am American. I am white. I am black. I am this. I am that. I am Christian. I am Hindu.” He will say. But all these designation is outward, external. Eho bahya, age kaha ara. But everyone is going on, big, big man, identifying himself with this body. So they are all fools, tama, in darkness. yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13] So according to Vedic civilization, any person, he may be very big man, but if he does not know beyond his body, then he is no better than animal. This is Vedic version. So we should not remain animal, this human life. As Arjuna said… There are so many problems. In the Bhagavad-gita Arjuna was taught by Krsna, yudhyasva: “Fight!” He never said, “Sit down, my dear Arjuna. You are My friend. Please sit down and sleep on this chariot, (laughter) and I will do everything. I am God.” This is going on. “God will do everything for me, and I will sleep. That’s all.” This is going on. “If God does not do anything for me, then I don’t want God. He must be my order-supplier.” This is going on. This is going on in the name of religion. “God, give us our daily bread. If you don’t supply, I don’t want You.” That’s all. Everyone. So something is better than nothing. If one goes to God for asking bread, at least he is better than the rascals who at all do not go to God, atheist class. That is… They are admitted. catur-vidha bhajante mam janah sukrtino ’rjuna arto jijnasur artharthi jnani ca bharatarsabha So we should take this instruction of Arjuna that govinda abhihitani me: “Govinda has narrated the mystery of Bhagavad-gita unto me, and when I remember, not read, the instruction, immediately there is minimizing the…” Smaratas cittam, hrt-tapa upasamani. Upasamani means relief immediately. So read Bhagavad-gita. Our this Krsna consciousness movement is based on this Bhagavad-gita. We do not manufacture anything. Yata mata tata patha. This is rascaldom. This is rascaldom, that if you manufacture some way for relief, that is not possible. Because you are imperfect, how you can manufacture? Your senses are imperfect. You cannot manufacture. If you manufacture, then you will simply waste your time. Then real religious life means dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19], to abide by the orders of Bhagavan, the Supreme Person. Sri Bhagavan says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] “You simply always think of Me, man-manah, you become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your obeisances. Then you are sure that you are coming back to Me.” Very simple method. If you chant Hare Krsna… and here is Krsna present. Just offer Him obeisances and worship Him, decorate Him, give Him nice food. In this way you become devotee of Krsna. Then your life is successful. Where is the difficulty? Anyone… We are opening so many temples. Why? This rascal will come, offer obeisances, hear something about Krsna, offer something for worshiping Krsna, and chant Hare Krsna, So do that. Your life is successful. Thank you very much. Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New York, March 6, 1975