Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "The Blessed Lord said, I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvaku."

Prabhupada:

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur ikṣvakave 'bravit
[Bg. 4.1]

So we are beginning today speaking on Bhagavad-gita, the preliminary scientific study of this science of Godhead. Bhagavad-gita means Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavan means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhaga, we generally know, bhagya, opulence, fortune, a man is called bhagyavan. This bhagyavan word comes from the word bhaga, Bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence, six kinds of opulences: wealth, strength, influence, education, wisdom, beauty, and renunciation. These are opulences. If a man is wealthy, he's attractive. He attracts. Any man, very wealthy, he attracts. Similarly, if he's very strong, if he's very influential, if he's very learned, wise, if he's very beautiful... He or she, it doesn't matter. Or if he's a great renouncer, one who has renounced everything for public benefit, naturally we have got attraction. So in this material world we find some wealthy man, some rich man, some strong man, some beautiful man, some wise man, one renounced man, but they are only fragmental. Fragmental, very small quantity. Any man... You can take a rich man. He may be very rich man, but, in comparison to the other persons in the material world, but nobody can claim that "I am the richest man." No. That is not possible. Nobody can claim. "I am the wisest man," nobody can claim. "I am the strongest man," that is also, nobody can claim. However one strong may be, he is under the rules and regulation and material nature. He cannot go beyond that. Therefore you cannot find Bhagavan, or the Supreme Person, possessing all these opulences. That is not possible.

But here it is said, bhagavan uvaca. That means He's the richest, He's the strongest, He's the most beautiful, the wisest, and the most renounced order of life. Krṣṇa. When He was present in this material world, on this globe, He proved by His actions. So far His richness is concerned,... At this age, in this age, at the present moment, if a person can provide his family nicely, nice apartment or nice house, good dress, good food, he's considered to be very successful man. Because in this age... It is said in the sastra, dakṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. Kuṭumba. Kuṭumba means family. If one can provide his family very comfortably, he is considered as very expert. But the family maintenance is done by the cats and dogs also. They also maintain their family, their wife, children, very nicely, according to their standard. But this age is so fallen that if one, even one is not married, the preliminary necessities of life, eating, sleeping, sex life and protection from fear... These are the preliminary necessities. So the age is so fallen that people have no eating substance even. We know, everyone, how things are going on. People are hungry, no eating substance. And what to say of sleeping? Or what to speak of...? Nobody's married timely, either boys or girls. And nobody's secure. Nobody knows what will happen next moment. This is called Kali-yuga.

Kali-yuga means mandaḥ; sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutaḥ; [SB 1.1.10]. Prayeṇalpayuṣaḥ; kalav asmin yuge janaḥ;. Asmin yuge, kali-yuge, alpa ayuṣaḥ;, they are living very short time. The duration of life (is) reducing. Anyone can know. His forefather, his grandfather, lived for, say, hundred years. His father lived for eighty years. And he's going to live for sixty years. In this way, the duration of life will be reduced up to twenty years. That is already foretold. If a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered very old man. That day is coming. Because how they will live? There is no eating, there is no sleeping. There is no fixture of this program. These are required. Annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. Simply by dry lecture, how they will feel happy? There must be sufficient food grains so that people may live happily, the animal may live happily. Especially in India you will see. No animal is fatty, either cat, dog or cow. They have no eating. So annad bhavanti bhutani. They must be given sufficient food, annad. Krṣṇa does not say that "You fast and chant Hare Krṣṇa." He does not say. Krṣṇa is not so impractical. He says, "Eat very nicely, keep very nicely, and chant Hare Krṣṇa. Make your life successful." That is Hare Krṣṇa consciousness movement. Krṣṇa consciousness movement is not one-sided. It is all-embracing. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Krṣṇa consciousness movement wants to see everyone happy. Without being happy, how you can remain peaceful? That is not possible.

Therefore bhagavan uvaca. You take lessons from Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, perfect, all-perfect. What he will do by hearing this rascal or that rascal? Try to hear from the Supreme Personality without any fault, without any deviation. There are four kinds of defects in conditional life: to commit mistake, to be illusioned... Bhrama, pramada, vipra-lipsa. To cheat, propensity for cheating. And imperfection of senses. So we are all infected with these four deficiencies of life, material condition of life. Therefore mukta means one who is liberated from these defects. Those who are infected with these defects, they cannot give you perfect knowledge. That is not possible. Imperfectness of senses—how he can gather perfect knowledge? They can simply say, "Perhaps," "It may be," "Most probably." That's all. Theories. Nobody can say, "It is like this." Just like in the Vedas it is said how many different varieties of lives are there. Jalaja nava-lakṣaṇi sthavara lakṣa-viṁsati, krmayo rudra-saṅkhyakaḥ;. Exact number, that so many varieties of lives are there. Nine hundred thousand species life in the water. Jalaja nava-lakṣaṇi sthavara lakṣa-viṁsati. Two million varieties of trees, plants, like that. Krmayo rudra-saṅkhyakaḥ;. Eleven lakhs varieties of insects. Pakṣiṇaṁ dasa-lakṣaṇam. There are ten, one million types of birds. Similarly, three million types of animals, and four hundred thousand different types of humankind. Everything is exactly calculated. That is called Vedic knowledge. Because it is... How the perfection of knowledge comes? Here it is said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavan aham [Bg. 4.1]. Krṣṇa says. Aham avyayam. The knowledge is perfect. Avyayam. Avyayam means "that cannot be diverse or deviated." Perfect. Avyayam. Without any deviation. Therefore if you want to know perfect knowledge, then you have to hear from Krṣṇa.

Therefore bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan means the most powerful, most influential, the supreme wise, most beautiful, most learned, most renouncer. Just see Bhagavan's renouncement. If we construct a building, how much attached we become to that building. But Krṣṇa has constructed this whole universe. Whole universe means... We have no idea what is the universe. We have no idea what is this planet. We are trying to go to the moon planet. We have no exact idea even of the moon planet. And there are innumerable planets. Vasudha. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. Each planet is of different type, different climate, different facilities, different standard of life. And there are ananta, innumerable planets. You cannot count even. So this is only one universe, and there are millions of universes. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. So Krṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is creator of these all universes. Still, He does not come here. He comes occasionally. But He does not claim. You utilize. He has given to you. "You living entities, you wanted to enjoy this material world. All right, I give you. Enjoy." Beginning from Brahma, down to the ant, they're enjoying, and they're creating their own karma-phala. Karmaṇa daiva-netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. And because he's creating his karma-phala, he's getting another body. Sometimes the ant's body, sometimes Brahma's body, sometimes cat's body, sometimes American body, sometimes Indian body, sometimes monkey's body. In this way, we are wandering all over the universes. This is called disease, material disease. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duḥ;kha-doṣanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9].

So one who is wise, one who is learned, he should try to understand how to get out of this cycle of birth and death, repetition of birth and death. Now you have got this American body, very nice—rich nation's body. And we have got Indian body. That's all right. But what is the next life? That the people do not know. Just like you prepare by education for the future life. What you are preparing for the next life? They do not know, there is no..., whether there is life or not. Such a fool we are that we do not know. Therefore we have to hear from the perfect person, Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa says, dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. That is the first instruction. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaraṁ yauvanaṁ jara, tatha dehantara-praptiḥ;.

So this is the beginning of spiritual education. Dehantara-praptiḥ;. We have to change this body, transmigrate from this body to another body. That's a subtle way, but no university teaches how the soul is transferred from one body to another, what kind of body you are going to get next. There is no such science. But that is the real problem. Therefore we have to hear from Krṣṇa, Bhagavan, the Supreme, the person who can give you perfect knowledge. That is the process. If you really want knowledge, you have to hear from Krṣṇa. And Krṣṇa is so kind, He came personally.

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanaṁ srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]

He comes. He's so kind. He comes, He gives personally instruction, and He leaves the instruction recorded. Just like Bhagavad-gita. This Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krṣṇa to Arjuna, and it was recorded by Sañjaya, by the grace of Vyasadeva. And then Vyasadeva put the conversation in the Mahabharata. Mahabharata means "The History of Greater India." That is Mahabharata. The whole planet is called Bharata, Bharatavarṣa. And the history of the whole planet is called Mahabharata. In this Mahabharata, this Bhagavad-gita is set in for the knowledge of the all human being. It is not meant for the Hindus, for the Indians, for the brahmaṇas, for the... No. It is meant for everyone to take perfect knowledge from Krṣṇa and be happy. If you want to become happy actually, then Krṣṇa's instruction you accept. We are already fallen. Now if we want to save ourselves from this fallen condition, take instruction from Krṣṇa and do not try to deviate, do not try to interpret in your own whimsical way, in a rascal way. Simply try to understand what Krṣṇa says. That's all. Then your life will be perfect.

Therefore Krṣṇa says, "Try to understand this Bhagavad-gita in this process." What is that? Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. "I first of all spoke to the sun-god, Vivasvan." Vivasvan. The sun is there. Nobody knows what is there in the sun. The so-called scientists, philosophers... But there is possibility to talk with the sun-god personally. That is possible. You can also go. You can also talk, provided you become qualified by Krṣṇa's grace. Krṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He can go anywhere. It is not that because the fiery planet... Sun planet is fiery planet. The body there, the body is made of fire there. Just like here the body's made of earth. Similarly, there are planets where the body's made of water, the body's made of fire, because these are the material elements. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuḥ; [Bg. 7.4]. Either earth, water, fire, air... They are all material things. So I may have got a suitable body to live in this material, or this earthly planet. The fish has got a certain body to live in the water. You cannot live in the water. The fish cannot live on the land. That does not mean that it is impossible to live in the water. Similarly, because you cannot live in the fire, that does not mean for others it is impossible. This is foolishness. This is foolishness. The sun planet is there. It is made of fire. The bodies are so suitably made that those who have got this body, they can live there. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. Vibhuti. The atmosphere is different in every planet. Just like the atmosphere in the water is different from the land, but we know there are living entities within the water, on the land, on the air, within the earth, within the ether. Everywhere there is. Sarva-ga. Therefore living entity is called sarva-ga. The body is differently made. The spirit soul is the same. Your spirit soul, my spirit soul, is the same. But your body is called American body, my body is called Indian body. That is the difference. Just like you have got a different dress. I have got a different dress. Vasaṁsi jirṇani yatha vi... The body is just like dress.

So first spiritual knowledge is this, that "I am not this body." Then the spiritual knowledge begins. Otherwise there is no possibility of spiritual knowledge. Yasyatma-buddhiḥ; kuṇape tri-dhatuke sva-dhiḥ; kalatradiṣu bhauma ijya-dhiḥ; [SB 10.84.13]. One who is thinking, "This body I am. This, I am, myself," he's a rascal, animal. That's all. This rascal animalism (is) going on all over the world. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brahmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya." This is rascaldom. You have to go above this. Then there is spiritual knowledge. That is bhakti-yoga.

maṁ ca yo 'vyabhicareṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

Ahaṁ brahmasmi. This is required. So in order to understand this yoga system, bhakti-yoga... Because only by bhakti-yoga you can come to the spiritual platform. Ahaṁ brahmasmi. Nahaṁ vipro... Just Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, nahaṁ vipro na kṣatriya... What is that sloka?

Devotee: Kiba vipra kiba nyasi...

Prabhupada: "I am not a brahmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a sudra. I am not a brahmacari, I am not a grhastha, I am not a vanaprastha..." Because our Vedic civilization is based on varṇa and asrama. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu denied all these things: "I do not belong to any one of these." Then what is Your position? Gopi-bhartuḥ; pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ;: [Cc. Madhya 13.80] "I am eternally servant of the maintainer of the gopis." That means Krṣṇa. And He preached: jivera svarupa haya nitya-krṣṇa-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is our identification. We are eternal servant of Krṣṇa. Therefore the servants who have rebelled against Krṣṇa, they have come to this material world. Therefore, to reclaim these servants, Krṣṇa comes. And Krṣṇa says,

paritraṇaya sadhunaṁ
vinasaya ca duṣkrtam
dharma-saṁsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
[Bg. 4.8]

Krṣṇa comes. He's so kind.

So let us take advantage of Krṣṇa's coming here, leaving behind Him this Bhagavad-gita, and read it perfectly, and make your life perfect. That is Krṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a bogus movement. It is a most scientific movement. So outside India, these European, Americans, they are taking advantage of it. Why not these Indian youths? What is the wrong there? This is not good. Let us join together, start this Krṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, and deliver this suffering humanity. That is our purpose. They are suffering for want of knowledge. Everything is there, complete. Simply by mismanagement... Simply by the... It is being managed by the rogues and thieves. Take. You become perfect in Krṣṇa consciousness and take the management and make your life successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Krṣṇa. (pause) So you can announce that I shall speak here every... (end)

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