Bhagavad-gita 7.2
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Nairobi, October 28, 1975

Prabhupada:

jnanam te ’ham sa-vijnanam idam vaksyamy asesatah yaj jnatva neha bhuyo ’nyaj jnatavyam avasisyate

Jnanam, knowledge. Krsna says to Arjuna that “I am giving you perfect knowledge.” This is our process. We receive knowledge from the perfect person. There is no use getting knowledge from imperfect person. That is useless waste of time. And who is perfect person? Who does not commit any mistake, who is never illusioned, whose senses are not imperfect, and who is not a cheater. These are the qualification. (aside:) The children… These are the symptoms of perfect person. First thing is he does not commit mistake. Throughout the whole world you study big, big men. They committed mistake. Hitler committed mistake. Gandhi committed mistake. Churchill committed mistake. Because “To err is human,” however big you may be, you cannot avoid mistakes because you are not liberated.

So these are the signs of becoming perfect man, that he does not commit mistake, neither he is illusioned. Illusion means to accept something as something. That is illusion. Just like we are accepting this body as myself. If you ask me, “What you are?” “I am Indian. I am brahmana. I am this. I am that.” So what are these? These are all bodily concept of life. This is illusion. Illusion means I am not this body. You have got experience when a man dies, his relatives and children cry, “My father is gone.” But actually the father, the sons who knew the body of the father as the father, that was illusion. Now, after death he is coming to understand that “My father is gone.” Why? Your father is lyi… It is lying there—the same hand, legs, heads, coat, pant—everything is lying there. Why do you say that your father has gone away? That means the real father he has never seen. He has seen the illusion of his father. This is called illusion. Is there any doubt? I am seeing you. What I am seeing, you? I am seeing your body, your shirt, coat, pant. That’s all. But as Krsna said, that dehino ’smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13], within this body the real person is there, just like within the shirt and coat the real person is there, so but the real person we never see. We see the shirt, coat, pant, and we take the shirt, coat, pant as this man. This is called illusion, to accept something for something else. The son did not know who is father. He is going on, calling the shirt, coat, pant of the father as “father.” This is called illusion. To commit mistake and to become illusioned, and even if we try to become perfect, our senses are imperfect.

Just like we are very much proud of our eyes. Somebody, they say, “Can you show me God?” Now, how you will see? “Now, with my eyes.” But your eyes are imperfect. That he will not admit. He forgets that “So long the light is there, I can see. My pride for possessing the eyes is valid so long the light is there. As soon as there is no light, in spite of possessing the eyes, I cannot see.” So you can see under certain condition. If there is sunlight, then you can see. If there is no sunlight you cannot see. So what is the value of your seeing? Imperfect eyes.

So similarly, our eyes are imperfect, our all senses are imperfect. We gather knowledge by the sense, five knowledge-gathering senses and five working senses and mind. So if the senses are imperfect, then how can I gather real knowledge? And without getting real knowledge, if I preach, that is cheating. If you have no knowledge, then… Just like so many scientists, philosophers, they are cheating. Actually they have no knowledge that life cannot be produced by chemical combination; still, they are cheating people throughout the whole world that life can be produced by chemical combination. And this cheating is accepted. So there are so many other things. They are claiming they have gone to moon planet, this, that. But according to sastra, they are all cheaters. All cheaters. They cannot go. It is not so easy thing. Just like to enter your African city, African country, there are so many rules and regulations, immigration. And you want to go to the Candraloka without any restriction. Just see. Candraloka is the planet of the demigods. There the people live for ten thousands of years, they are so advanced. Their comforts are many thousands better than this standard of comfort. And you want to go there without any passport and without any visa. From common sense, can you enter anyone’s country simply because you have got aeroplane? But these things are going on.

So to accept knowledge from these rascals who commit mistake, who are illusioned, who are cheater, whose senses are imperfect, is useless waste of time. This is the shastric injunction. We should receive knowledge from the perfect. So in all respect, who can become the perfect than Krsna? Krsna is accepted by Vedavyasa, by Narada, by Arjuna, big, big stalwart scholars and personalities, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like this Bhagavad-gita. This Bhagavad-gita is recorded by Vyasadeva. The talks were between Krsna and Arjuna, and it was recorded by Vyasadeva’s disciple, Sanjaya. And Vyasadeva, while writing Mahabharata, he put this dialogue within the Mahabharata. So why Vyasadeva put this conversation between Krsna and Arjuna in his authoritative book Mahabharata? Mahabharata means “greater India.” Bharata means Bharatavarsa. This planet was being called Bharatavarsa. So Mahabharata, the history of the whole planet. So Vyasadeva giving the history. Mahabharata is also Vedic literature. Mahabharata, Ramayana, the eighteen Puranas, Vedanta-sutra, four Vedas, and then Upanisad, they’re all Vedic literature. So Mahabharata is authorized Vedic literature. And within the Mahabharata this Bhagavad-gita is there. Therefore it is Vedic literature. So unless it is authorized perfect knowledge, why Vyasadeva should put in his Mahabharata? Therefore it is perfect knowledge. Because it is spoken by the most perfect personality, Krsna, there is no question of mistake, there is no question of illusion.

You can attain this also, state of life, liberated life. We have heard so many times, “liberation,” or “mukti.” Mukti means one who has no defects as mentioned. That is mukti. Mukti does not mean one thinks himself that “I have become Bhagavan. I have become now…” Vimukta-maninah. They have been called as rascals, wrongly thinking that they are vimukta. Vimukta-mani. Ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. There are so many rascals, they are thinking that they have become mukta, liberated Narayanas. They’re thinking like that. Ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. So why they are…? Now, if they have become liberated, so advanced, and feeling that they have become Narayana, so what is the objection? The objection is ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavat [SB 10.2.32]. They do not know what is Narayana, these rascals. Sankaracarya admits, narayanah parah avyaktat: “Narayana is not a being within this material world.” That is Narayana. And they have become Narayana, namo narayanaya. Narayana is so cheap thing? Therefore sastra says, ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. These rascals, they are thinking they have become Narayana, but they do not know what is Narayana. Ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. Why they do not under…? Tvayy asta-bhavat. They never tried to understand what is really God. They thought, “God is very cheap thing. Everyone can become God.” So therefore they have become vimukta-maninah.

Real mukti is described in the Bhagavata. Mukti means muktir hitvanyatha rupam. Muktir hitvanyatha rupam sva-rupena vyavasthitih. When one is cured of his madness and he is situated in healthy state, that is called mukti. So here in this material world everyone is mad. Somebody is thinking, “I am king.” Somebody is thinking, “I am minister.” Somebody is thinking, “I am president,” “I am this,” “I am Narayana,” so on, so on, so on, all madmen, all madmen, because it will be finished. His so-called conception of becoming this and that will be finished within few years. But he is eternal. He is thinking the temporary situation of becoming an American, Indian, or minister, or president, or this or that, how long it will stay? It will stay, say, ten or fifteen or fifty or hundred years. That’s all. But he is not for hundred years. He—nityah sasvato ’yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. But the rascal does not know. He is thinking, “By chance, I have become minister or president or this or that. For some years this is my position.” Dehatma-buddhih. So that is the difference between mukti, mukta and bandha, bondage and liberation.

So liberation means to be situated in his own real position. That is called li… So what is our position? If we become little sober, if we become little sober, then we can understand what is my position. So that is called meditation, or dhira. Dhiras tatra na muhyati. (aside:) What is that? Closing?

Brahmananda: The people are coming in and out of the door here. If we close the door, then…

Prabhupada: Out of the door?

Brahmananda: The front door is just here.

Prabhupada: No, no. You can keep it open. Come here. There is so much place. Let them go. But children may not go. So just try to understand that I am thinking, “I am such big man,” “I am minister,” “I am president,” “I am this,” “I am Narayana,” up to the last stage, “I am Narayana.” But if we soberly think that “If I am Narayana, then I must be the controller. I must be controller (of) everything, but why I am controlled by the toothache? As soon as there is some pain in the tooth, I voluntarily go to a dentist to be controlled by him. Then how I become Narayana?” In this way, if one studies his life, whole, that, he’ll find it that he’s fully controlled by something more, fully controlled. And that control is of the material nature. Who can say that he is not controlled by the material nature? That is not possible. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. Material nature will oblige you. You are very nice, good-looking young man. Material nature will not allow you to remain as very good-looking young man. You must become old man. Your teeth must fall down. Your hairs must grow gray and you’ll look ugly. Why? But he does not think. This is called ignorance, ajnana.

Therefore Krsna says, jnanam te ’ham sa-vijnanam: “I’ll speak to you about jnana.” Everyone is in ajnana and falsely thinking that he is some very important person. This is ajnana. Real jnana, as will be explained here, is to receive from Krsna. So Krsna is giving knowledge in the Bhagavad-gita. He’ll speak in later chapters that “The real jnana is to surrender unto Me.” This is real jnana. Krsna will say in the Eighth Chapter, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate: [Bg. 7.19] “After many, many births…” So today I may be minister, and tomorrow, after death, I may become a dog. But that is not in my control. You cannot say that “I am minister. I am this. I am that. I am high court judge or very important man. So I am ordering material nature. Although I shall die, next life I shall become again high court judge or Narayana, something.” No. That is not possible. You are fully under control. You have given a license to enjoy or suffer in this body, and in this body, as soon as it is finished, karmana daiva-netrena jantur… [SB 3.31.1], and then you get another body.

So this jnana, even this jnana, the change of body is not there. Throughout the whole world, big, big professor, big, big educationist, they do not believe in the next birth. 99.9 percent, they do not. But this is a fact. There is. Tatha dehantara-praptih. Krsna says. And we understand this also. Krsna gives this example: dehino ’smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. This child is becoming kumara; a kumara is becoming boy; boy is becoming young man; young man is becoming old man. So these changes are going on; still, he does not know that “After this old body is finished, I shall have to accept another body.” So this is ignorance. Therefore we have to take knowledge from the most perfect Personality of Godhead, Krsna. This is real knowledge.

So jnanam te aham sa-vijnanam. Sa-vijnanam means with practical application. As there is theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge in scientific advancement, so simply theoretical knowledge will not help me. Theoretically I may know that I am not this body, but practically it must be known. If not, if I am not this body, then I am soul. Then I am working here in this world only for my body. What I am doing about my soul? That is knowledge. Suppose I have got this coat and pant and hat. If he simply tries, dry clean the coat and do not put any food in the stomach, how long this civilization will go on? Starving. So the whole world is in disturbed condition because there is no spiritual food, only material cleansing the shirt and coat. That is going on. Like cats and dogs, they are interested with the body.

So sa-vijnanam… Actually we must know what we are and what is my real business. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. You should carefully note it that when I understand that I am not this material body, aham brahmasmi, I am spirit soul, I am Brahman… Krsna is Parabrahman, and we are Krsna’s part and parcel. We are also Brahman. Not that by knowledge I become Brahman. I am already Brahman. By ignorance I am thinking not Brahman. Aham brahmasmi, “I am spirit soul; I am spirit.” That is my actual position. And when you understand your actual position and act accordingly, that is called mukti. Muktir hitvanyatha rupam sva-rupena vyavasthitih. When you understand that we are not this body… We are working whole day and night like cats and dogs, the hogs. The hog is also working day and night. Hog, what is his business? “Where is stool?” That’s all. “Where is stool? Where is stool?” And as soon as he gets stool, he eats it, become fatty because stool contains all the vitamins. That is the essence of all good food that you take, and the essence is rejected. But it is scientifically true. Perhaps doctor will admit. Stool contains all hydrophosphates. Is it not? Then who is going to eat stool? Hydrophosphates is very good for brain, but now eat. Therefore these hogs very easily become fat. You see? So does it mean that we shall work very hard where to find out where is stool and then become fat and somebody will eat me? This is not civilization. Civilization is that you must know what is your real position and act accordingly, and then you become liberated. Sva-rupena vyavasthitih. That is perfection of your life. Don’t be misled by the bodily concept of life. That is condemned. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this point.

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]

Anyone who is acting on the bodily concept of life, sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13], they are no better than the cats and dogs. That is going on all over the world. “I am Indian,” “I am American,” “I am African,” “I am this”—bodily, all bodily. “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am Christian,” “I am black,” “I am white,” “I am fat,” “I am thin.” That’s all.

So that jnanam, theoretical, and vijnanam, sa-vijnanam vaksyami, Krsna will teach, “Take this jnanam.” The most perfect personality. So this is our business. But do we…? We don’t care for Krsna. We do not know Krsna and what to speak of taking knowledge from Him. The knowledge is there, but we are so fool that we do not take knowledge from Bhagavad-gita. We manufacture our own knowledge. This is called maya. Maya is so strong that she’ll not allow to take real knowledge from the real person, but we shall read volumes of books who are defective with their four kinds of imperfectness, namely they commit mistake, they are illusioned, they are cheater and their senses are imperfect.

So this is the first business, that “Where we shall take knowledge?” Tad-vijnanartham. Vedic lesson is that tad-vijnanartham gurum eva abhigacchet: “You should go to guru.” Just like Arjuna has accepted Krsna as guru. When Arjuna was puzzled, he surrendered to Krsna. Sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam prapannam: “I am ksatriya. It is my duty to fight, but I am declining. Although You are requesting me to fight, still I am declining. So I am puzzled. Anyway, I can understand You can drive away my, this puzzling position. Therefore I am becoming Your sisya.” Sisyas te ’ham. “I become Your disciple. I am not going to argue with You on equal footing.” Sisya means he is always subordinate. Whatever the guru will say, he will accept. That is the guru and sisya. So Krsna became guru and Arjuna became a sisya, disciple, not friend. Of course, he knew what is Krsna. So sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam prapannam. So similarly, we have to find out guru for perfect instruction. That is the only way. Otherwise we shall keep ourself in ignorance, in mistake, in illusion, in imperfectness and so many other things.

So this is the injunction of the Vedas, that “If you want real knowledge, you must go to guru.” “Now, there are so many gurus. So whom shall I…? Where shall I go?” No. You shall go to a guru— samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12] You shall go to a guru who is brahma-nistham, a great devotee. He is guru, not a so-called guru, gold-making guru. (laughter) Then another cheater. You see? So the Vedic injunction is brahma-nistham. That is guru, one who has full knowledge in Brahman. Athato brahma jijnasa. So here also in the Bhagavad-gita you’ll find who is guru. Tattva-darsinah. Tad-vijnana… Tattva-darsinah, one who has seen the truth. Never says this magic player, no. Tattva-darsinah. This is the greatest magic, brahma-nistham. That is the greatest magic, how to become fixed up in Brahman. That is called brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you become brahma-nistham, fixed up in Brahman, then all your miserable condition finished. Prasannatma. That is the sign. Everyone is trying to be very happy. So that you can be by brahma-nistham, by understanding that you are Brahman.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]

These are the preliminary stages to enter into the kingdom of devotional… Mad-bhaktim labhate param. After being… After going through this process—brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu [Bg. 18.54], then you come to the transcendental platform, and that is business of brahma-bhutah stage.

So jnanam means to understand oneself and practically, samanam vijnanam, sa-vijnanam, with vijnana, practical application, idam vaksyami and Krsna is saying. He is not ordinary human being. As soon as we think of Krsna as ordinary human being we become more rascal. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam: [Bg. 9.11] “Because I am speaking this Bhagavad-gita, the ultimate knowledge, these rascals sometimes think of Me as I am ordinary human being.” And therefore they interpret in their own way, “What Krsna has said, the meaning is like this,” as if Krsna left the whole book to be interpreted by another rascal. No. You cannot interpret. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any interpretation. So if we take Bhagavad-gita as it is—and everything is there clear—don’t interpret like fools and rascals, then you’ll get real knowledge. Jnanam. Jnanam te ’ham sa-vijnanam. Practical. Vaksyamy asesatah. So we must have understood that… This is another meaning, that tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]

So Krsna is showing practically by accepting His friend, very dear friend, as His disciple. That means he is showing who is guru. Guru is Krsna and one who understands Krsna. That is guru. Don’t accept these rascals and fools as guru, who denies Krsna. He is not guru. He is cheater. Krsna is showing, and Arjuna is accepting, sisyas te ’ham, “I become your sisya.” That means Krsna is the original guru. And one who speaks on behalf of Krsna, he is guru. That is guru. This is the test: whether he is aware of Krsna. Then he is guru. Otherwise he’s not guru. First of all you understand that. So that is mahatma. Krsna has said, sa mahatma sudurlabhah. That is mahatma. Who mahatma?

bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]

“After many, many births of cats and dogs and trees and this and that,” so many, eight million, “when one comes to this knowledge,” vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], “Krsna is everything,” sa mahatma sudurlabhah, “he is guru.”

So guru means… Vedic injunction is you must go to a guru. Now, it may be difficult, who is guru. That is also Krsna showing a…, “I am guru.” Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] “There is no more any better person than Me.” And He has proved it. He has proved it. Krsna, so long He was on this platform, on this earthly planet, He proved that He was the greatest personality, greatest persons… Read history and you will see. He proved Himself from His childhood. When He was three months… He is neither old nor… But He was playing just like human child on the lap of mother Yasoda. The Putana came to kill Him. So that child… You will read all this from Bhagavatam, how He killed that big Putana, when He was seven years old how He lifted Govardhana Hill. So although He was playing just like ordinary human child, human boy or hu…, but sometimes He was showing His almightiness. That is Krsna. That is God.

So jnanam te ’ham sa-vijnanam idam vaksyamy asesatah, and yaj jnatva. If you try to understand Krsna or knowledge from Krsna, yaj jnatva… Yaj jnatva neha. Na iha: “in this material.” Yaj jnatva neha bhuyo ’nyaj: “You will have nothing to learn.” Because he understands, vasudevah sarvam idam: “Everything is Vasudeva.” So Vasudeva will give him all knowledge about science, about politics, about philosophy, about astrology, astronomy. Everything will come out. You haven’t got to go to some other expert in some particular type of knowledge. But if a devotee, Krsna devotee… He knows everything, all department of knowledge. Just like we are challenging that “You cannot make any life by combination of chemicals.” Why? Because we know from Krsna what is what. Therefore we can challenge. We are not fools. We are challenging that “If you can prepare one egg only…” It is very easy. You can take any egg and analyze what are the chemicals. Then bring that chemical, put together and give it to the incubator and produce a chicken. Then I shall know that chemical combination can produce life. Eh? What is your opinion, doctor?

Doctor: They are trying…

Prabhupada: Huh? Is there any chemist here?

Doctor: A Mr. Feli was here.(?)

Prabhupada: They’re simply cheating. Simply cheating. It is not possible. But we know that life cannot be produced by any chemical combination because we understand from Bhagavad-gita that mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7] The jiva, the living entities, is part and parcel of Krsna. So how it can be prepared by chemical composition? It is not possible. There are so many things. So therefore Krsna says that “If you study knowledge which I am giving to you,” yaj jnatva, “perfectly, then,” na iha bhuyah anyaj jnanam, anya, “other department of knowledge will be manifest automatically. You’ll know everything.” This is the secret. Yaj jnatva neha bhuyo ’nyaj jnatavyam avasisyate. You haven’t got to learn departmentally anything else. Just see. This is the benefit. This is the benefit of Krsna consciousness, that you haven’t got to work hard to understand other department of knowledge. You simply try to take this knowledge and you’ll be perfect. This is Krsna consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. Jaya gurudeva!

Brahmananda: Are there any questions?

Indian woman: (Hindi)

Prabhupada: (Hindi) sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam prapannam. “I have surrendered to You. You give me knowledge.” That’s all.

Indian man: When did you become the spiritual leader of Krsna consciousness?

Prabhupada: What is that?

Brahmananda: He’s asking when did you become the spiritual leader of Krsna consciousness?

Prabhupada: When my Guru Maharaja ordered me. This is the guru-parampara.

Indian: Did it…

Prabhupada: Try to understand. Don’t go very speedily. A guru can become guru when he’s ordered by his guru. That’s all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.

Indian woman 2: (Hindi)

Prabhupada: (Hindi) Sadhi mam prapannam. “I am surrendered to You. Whatever You say, I shall carry out.” That’s all.

Indian man: When did he tell you to…?

Prabhupada: What is the business, when did he tell me? And why shall I disclose to you? It is so very insignificant thing that I have to explain to you?

Indian man: No, I am just curious when…

Prabhupada: You should be curious within your limit. You should know that one can become guru when he is ordered by his guru, this much.

Jnana: Srila Prabhupada, if we think about our spiritual master, is that as good as thinking about Krsna?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Brahmananda: If we think about our spiritual master, is that as good as thinking of Krsna?

Prabhupada: Yes, because it is said, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah: ** “If you can please your guru, then you please Krsna.” So if you make always this plan, “How to please my guru,” then you’ll please Krsna. What is that?

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, it is said in the Bhagavad-gita that if one thinks at the time of death, if he thinks of Krsna, he goes to Krsna. What if one thinks of his spiritual master?

Prabhupada: He will go to Krsna, because spiritual master is also going to Krsna. (laughter) Now these questions should be on the subject matter which we have discussed. Don’t bring outside question. Then there…, it will be no end. This is not the process. When we invite question—on the subject matter which we have spoken. Anyway, any other question?

Indian man (2): Srila Prabhupada, in Back to Godhead, on page five, it is said that Sri Vallabhacaryaji, a devotee to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, wrote commentary on Srimad-Bhagavata, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected his commentary, and then He said that He is not prepared to listen to his commentary, and he gives certain other comments.

Prabhupada: Not certain other comment. The Vallabhacarya, he brought his Subodhini-tika, and he was great admirer of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and he said that “I have written one commentary which is far better than the comments given by Sridhara Svami.” So that was disapproved by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If you disapprove previous acarya or if you become more intelligent than previous acarya, then you are not acarya. This is… This was Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s… He disapproved. Our process is evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. We cannot disregard. Sridhara is the original commentator of Bhagavata. If you say that “I am better than Sridhara Svami,” then you immediately become rejected. If I say… Just like there are some people, they create some avatara, and they say, “This avatara is better than Krsna”— immediately rejected. Immediately. He must know his value. This was… Caitanya Mahaprabhu said svami, Sridhara Svami, so he also sarcastically remarked, svami na mane yei jana vesyara bhitare tare kariye ganana. Svami means husband also. So if some woman says that “I don’t care for my husband,” Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “Then he’s a prostitute. She is a prostitute.” This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You cannot disregard svami. Not that… They were very friendly, so you can take it as friendly, jokingly, that “You are so proud that you are disregarding Sridhara Svami. Then you are no better than prostitute.”

Indian man (3): (indistinct)

Prabhupada: What is that? He is talking too much. Hm?

Brahmananda: He says that from the Vedas we know that Krsna is unlimited, especially when He was performing His rasa-lila with the gopis. So if Krsna is unlimited, why did he not…?

Indian man (3): …manifest Himself all over the world so that all living entities would have equal chance to go back home?

Brahmananda: Why did He not manifest Himself all over the world so that all living entities could have equal chance…?

Prabhupada: Yes, He manifested all over the world, but you have no eyes to see Him. That is your defect. Krsna is present everywhere. But just like sun is present in the sky. Why don’t you see now? Huh? Answer this. Do you think the sun is not in the sky? Do you think that sun is not there? So go on the roof and see the sun. (laughter) Why you prove yourself a rascal, that “No, no, there is no sun”? Will it be accepted by learned men? Because you cannot see the sun, there is no sun? Will it be accepted by any learned scholar? At night you cannot see the sun, so if you say to any learned man, any, who knows things, “No, no, there is no sun,” so will he accept that? He will say that “Sun is there. You rascal, you cannot see.” That’s all. “You just get out of your rascaldom. Then you’ll see.” Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25], Krsna said. He is not exposed to the rascals, but one who knows, he is seeing.

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti yam syamasundaram acintya-guna… [Bs. 5.38]

The devotees always see Krsna. For him, He is always present. And for the rascals, He cannot be seen. That is the difference. So you have to become nonrascal; then you will see. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61] In everyone’s core of the heart Krsna is present. But do you know that? Can you see? Can you talk with Him? He is within your heart, He is present. But He talks with whom? Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, dadami buddhi-yogam tam [Bg. 10.10]. He talks with the devotee who is twenty-four hours engaged in His service. These are stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Don’t you read Bhagavad-gita? So everything requires qualification. So this Krsna consciousness movement means we are trying to make the people qualified to see Krsna. Without being qualified, how can you see? That requires qualification.

Indian man (4): Swamiji, the Lord Krsna is showing visva-svarupa.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian man (4): So can you show me something about that visva-svarupa?

Prabhupada: You ask me? So am I Krsna? (laughter) Why you are asking foolishly? That means you do not know Krsna. You are thinking me as Krsna. That you are foolish man.

Indian man (4): No, I am not calling you are Krsna.

Prabhupada: Then why you are asking to show visva-rupa?

Indian man (4): Visva-svarupa because Krsna…

Prabhupada: Visva-svarupa will be shown by Krsna, not by not me. I am not Krsna.

Indian man (4): No, I am not saying you are Krsna. But you have said you are something about the…

Prabhupada: I am Krsna’s servant. What Krsna says, I am carrying. That’s all. That is my position. I am peon. When the peon delivers one thousand rupees or shillings to you, it is not his money. The money is paid by somebody, but I honestly deliver to you. That’s all.

Indian man (4): But Krsna has not given you power as guru?

Prabhupada: Yes, yes.

Indian man (4): So you can show?

Prabhupada: So I am not so powerful that I can show the visva-rupa. He has given me this power, that “You go and speak to the foolish rascals that I am Bhagavan,” (laughter) that much power. Yes. That is my power. I can say to you that “Krsna is Bhagavan.” That’s all. I never become equal to Krsna.

Indian man (5): Srila Prabhupada, why do most people in this Kali- yuga worship Lord Siva instead of worshiping Lord Krsna? Because Krsna known as God…

Prabhupada: Because they can get immediate money from Siva. That is the reason. Lord Siva is the proprietor or the supreme person within this material world, and he is asutosa, very easily pleased. Therefore materialistic person go to him for some material benefit, and he gives. That’s all.

Indian man (6): But Lord Siva is the greatest Vaisnava.

Prabhupada: Yes, everyone is Vaisnava. He is the greatest Vaisnava. Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh. Unless he is Vaisnava, how he gets this power? The power comes from the original person. Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15]. So unless one is Vaisnava, he has no power. All right.

Indian man (2): Srila Prabhupada…

Prabhupada: You have questioned once, not twice.

Jnana: Srila Prabhupada…

Prabhupada: You have already done question.

Indian man (2): Srila Prabhupada…

Prabhupada: You have also, done. Don’t take all the time. Let others say.

Indian man (7): Yes. At the time of Caitanya Mahaprabhu was accepting sannyasa order, He refused to take the name of…, He was being given by his guru, and He accepted to keep Krsna Caitanya as His name, which was a brahmacari name. Why was that so?

Prabhupada: Hm ? What is that?

Brahmananda: When Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa, His guru offered Him one name, but He refused and preferred to keep the name Krsna Caitanya which is a brahmacari name. Why was this?

Prabhupada: Because he took sannyasa from a Mayavadi sannyasi, and Mayavadi sannyasis, they think of themselves that they have become Narayana. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu refused to accept that theory, that He is Narayana. He preferred to remain a brahmacari than to become a false sannyasi and claim to become Narayana.

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupada: Yes?

Indian man (8): Prabhupada, when we do our chanting, the chanting beads contain 108 beads. Why is this, and why do we chant sixteen rounds?

Prabhupada: Not sixteen rounds. You can chant unlimitedly.

Indian man (8): No, minimum

Prabhupada: Minimum because they cannot chant more than that, therefore minimum. Otherwise kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31]. So you must have a fixed amount of kirtana. That is called tapasya, that “We must finish at least this much, if not more.” Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. Sankhya-purvaka. By numerical strength one should chant. That is called vow. This is the idea. So these Europeans, Americans, they cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura, who was chanting 300,000 times. So we do not advise to imitate. Really do something. One name is sufficient. If you can chant one name only, that is sufficient. But that is not possible. So to understand the value of name at least we must have some numerical strength. All the Gosvamis used to do that. We follow their footprints. Thank you. Now chant Hare Krsna.

Devotees: All glories to Srila Prabhupada. (end)