Arrival Lecture
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Calcutta, March 20, 1975

Prabhupada: Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnusvami, Nimbarka— they are all devotees of Krsna, they have established so many temples, and Gandhi says there was no such person. And how much poor study he had, and still, he is the leader. When?

Sruta-kirti: London, just four days ago.

Prabhupada: Four days ago. [break] So this time within two months from 26th February?

Devotee: Twenty-fourth January.

Prabhupada: Twenty-fourth January to 15th March—less than two months—I had the opportunity to go round about the world. From Bombay I went to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to Tokyo, Japan; from Tokyo to Honolulu, Honolulu to Mexico City, then Venezuela. Caracas… Caracas?

Karandhara: Yes.

Prabhupada: I forget name also. (laughs) South America. Then I was to go to Trinidad, West Indies, but there was no time. The West Indies people came to see me. Mostly they are Indians. And then Miami, then from Miami to Atlanta, Atlanta. From Atlanta to Dallas, our Gurukula, then to New York, then to London, and from London to Bombay again.

Sruta-kirti: Tehran.

Prabhupada: Tehran. Yes. I forgot. He has come. Here is the Tehran representative. Yes. So there was very nice meeting in Tehran. Many scholar, Muhammadan, came to see me. So everyone is understanding the importance of this movement. So in Tehran I discussed about chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that there are many names. Namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktih. Krsna’s name, manyfold. So I pleaded to the Muslim audience that “You can chant the name of Allah also. Not necessarily that you have to chant the Krsna name, but any name indicating the Supreme Lord can be chanted.” Because in the sastra it is said, harer nama, harer nama, [Adi 17.21] the holy name of the Lord. But it must be the name of the Lord. Actually, Krsna has thousands of names, and His names are enumerated by His activities. Just like Krsna accepted to become the son of mother Yasoda; therefore He is called Yasoda-nandana. Krsna accepted Vasudeva as His father, or Nanda Maharaja; therefore He is called Nanda-nandana, Vasudeva, or Devaki-nandana. Krsna acted as the charioteer of Arjuna; He is called Partha-sarathi. So Krsna’s name means attached with the activities along with His devotees. This is Krsna’s name. So if the Muhammadans’ aim the Supreme Lord, Allah akbar, “God the great…” Just like we say Parabrahma. Brahman means the biggest, brhatvat brhannatvat. On account of being very big, including everything, that God’s another name is Parabrahma. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. Arjuna addressed Krsna as Parabrahma. So Allah akbar means Parabrahma.

So we do not make any distinction that this type of religion is better than that type of religion. Any religion which teaches how to love God, that is first-class religion. That is the injunction of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje ahaituky apratihata yena atma samprasidati [SB 1.2.6]

Srimad-Bhagavatam does not name any particular type of religion. It says, “That religion, that system of religion, is first class,” sa vai pumsam paro dharmah, “transcendental.” This “Hinduism,” “Muslimism,” “Christianism,” they are all prakrta, mundane. But we have to go, transcend this prakrta, or mundane conception of religion—“We are Hindus,” “We are Muslim,” “We are Christian.” Just like gold. Gold is gold. Gold cannot be Hindu gold or Christian gold or Muhammadan gold. Nobody… Because a lump of gold is in the hand of Hindu or in the Muslim, nobody will say, “It is Muslim gold,” “It is Hindu gold.” Everyone will say, “It is gold.” So we have to select gold, not the Hindu gold or Muslim gold or Christian gold. When Lord Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], He did not mean this Hindu religion or Muslim religion. These are designated. So we have to come to the platform where it is pure; there is no designation. Aham brahmasmi: “I am part and parcel of Krsna.” This is real religion. Without this conception, any kind of designated religion, that is prakrta. That is not transcendental.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is transcendental, paro dharmah. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. Para means above, above the so-called religious system. So this is not our manufactured thing. It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in the beginning, dharmah projjhita-kaitavah atra: “Any kind of kaitavah, pretentious or false, illusory…,” kaitavah. Kaitavah means cheating. “Cheating type of religion is rejected, thrown away,” projjhita. Prakrsta-rupena ujjhita. Just like we sweep over the floor, we take the last particle of dust and throw it away, similarly, to become Krsna conscious means we have to give up all these so-called or cheating type of religious system. Because experience has shown that following the so many different designated religious systems, nobody has attained the platform of how to love God. Nobody has attained. This is practical experience. It is Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He introduced. But Lord Krsna gave hint that “This is real religion, mam ekam saranam vraja. This is religion.” Any other religion, system of religion, which does not train the followers, how to love God, that is cheating type of religion. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, prema pum-artho mahan. And Bhagavata says also. Real achievement of success in life is how to love God, or Krsna. That is the highest perfection of life.

So lokasya ajanatah. The foolish people, they do not know it. Lokasya ajanatah vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam. Because people, they do not know what is religion, what can give them actual relief, therefore vidvan, Vyasadeva, vidvan, Vedavyasa, vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam… The satvata-samhitam. Srimad-Bhagavatam is satvata-samhita.

anartha upasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje lokasya ajanatah vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam

People are suffering from anartha, unwanted things. They do not know how to get relief from this entanglement. Therefore vidvan, the most learned scholar, Vyasadeva, compiled Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhagavate maha-muni-krte. Maha-muni is Vyasadeva. So this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to preach this satvata-samhita. Samhita means Vedic scripture. Satvata-samhita. So people are responding, especially in the Western countries. In Africa also, they are responding. Many Africans, they have become Vaisnava now. That is the latest news. And they are receiving very well.

So by Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s grace, with the cooperation of the Western youths, this movement is going on. I have traveled all over the countries, as I reported, and everywhere I saw, I was very much pleased that sankirtana is going on. And it is improving. It is not declining. That is my greatest encouragement, that even in my absence, things are going on very nicely, improving. That is very hopeful. Not only that—from the Gurukula we are training small children. There are about more than hundred children in Dallas. They are rising early in the morning, attending mangala aratik, boys and girls not more than ten years, not more than five, six years. So that is very hopeful. In future they will become nice Vaisnava. And many children are taking birth. They are very nice devotees. In last, in our Sripada Atreya-rsi’s small child, about six months old, as soon as I shout out, “Hare Krsna,” immediately he’ll… He’ll laugh. Very nice. There are many such children. So all these children, they are Vaisnavas. Sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrastah sanjayate. That is the… They are given chance to take birth in the family of Vaisnava father and mother. From the very beginning of life, they are getting encouragement. We had such opportunity. Somehow or other, we have come to this stage. Similarly, these children, they are getting opportunity from the very beginning of their life. So on the whole, it is very hopeful that in the Western countries… Not only Western countries—especially Western countries—we have sown some seed, that a community, Vaisnava community, is now established. That is very hopeful, a Vaisnava community, and they are, in America, they are now addressed, “American Hindus,” these American boys and girls. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this much has been done, and they are improving more and more. They are serving Krsna. Pranair arthair dhiya vaca. This, our Gurukrpa Maharaja, has contributed large sum of money for our Vrndavana construction, and this time also, I have brought a very large sum of money, about fifty lakhs. So this will be utilized for Krsna’s business. And these people, Western people, they are serving this cause with life, pranair; arthair, by money; dhiya, by intelligence; and by words.

pranair arthair dhiya vaca sreyah acaranam sada etavaj janma-saphalyam dehinam iha dehisu

This is success of life, that we should fully engage our life, our money, our intelligence and our words for the service of the Lord. That is called sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]

So time is very bad at the present moment everywhere, especially in India. Of course, India’s original culture is all right. But unfortunately, our modern leaders, they are killing the original culture. They want to introduce Western culture. Now it is openly there are beef shop, wine shop. So what can be done? It is Kali-yuga. Everything is possible. But those who are intelligent—krsna yei bhaje sei bada-catura—they should take to this Krsna consciousness movement and be successful of this human form of life. Hari hari bifale, janama gonainu, manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya, janiya suniya bisa khainu. Anyone who is not taking to this Krsna consciousness movement, surely he is taking poison knowingly. That is the fact. Everyone, harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna [SB 5.18.12], no qualification. The so-called education has no meaning, no value. So it is not a whim that one may take to Krsna consciousness and one may not. No. It is compulsory. One must take to Krsna consciousness; otherwise his life is spoiled, srama eva hi kevalam.

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah notpadayed ratim yadi srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]

One may think of executing his religious principles very nicely, but if he does not awaken his dormant love for Krsna, then all activities in that direction is supposed to be simply waste of time, simply waste of time, spoiling. Janiya suniya bisa khainu.

So our request to everyone, especially who are a little bit inclined… (end)