Text

New York, November 29, 1973

Purport

Pradyumna: "Translation. Suta Gosvami said: Arjuna, the celebrated friend of Lord Krṣṇa, was grief stricken because of his strong feeling of separation from Krṣṇa, over and above all Maharaja Yudhiṣṭhira's speculative inquiries." [SB 1.15.1]

Prabhupada: So evaṠkrṣṇa sakhaḥ; krṣṇo. Arjuna's name is Krṣṇa Sakha, and he is also called sometimes Krṣṇa, because Arjuna's bodily feature was almost similar to Krṣṇa's bodily feature. So, he was morose, being separated from Krṣṇa, and his elder brother was suggesting whether he was morose for this reason or that reason or this reason. Actually, he was unhappy on account of being separated from Krṣṇa. Similarly, not only Arjuna, all of us, we are also, as Krṣṇa, Arjuna, he is also a living entity, we are also living entity. So we are also unhappy, because we are separated from Krṣṇa. These modern philosophers or scientists, they may suggest that they may go on thinking otherwise that they can improve the world situation in their own way, but that is not possible. We are unhappy on account of being separated from Krṣṇa. They do not know that. Just like a child, a child is crying, nobody can say why he is crying, but actually a child is generally in crying condition being separated from the mother.

So the, not only it is the question of Arjuna or Krṣṇa, everyone of us. In the Upaniṣad it is said that Paramatma, Krṣṇa, and the living entity they are sitting on the same tree, samani vrkṣe. One living entity is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other living entity is simply witnessing, anumanta. So Krṣṇa, He's situated in everyone's heart, isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṠhrd-dese 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Because without His sanction, the living entity cannot do anything. Sarvasya cahaṠhrdi sanniviṣṭo [Bg. 15.15], Krṣṇa says that "I am seated in everyone's heart." So, the living entity wants to do something out of his own whims, Krṣṇa says, or Krṣṇa gives good consultation that "This will not make you happy, don't do this." But he is persistent, he will do it. Then Krṣṇa sanctions, Paramatma, "All right, you do it, at your risk." This is going on. Everyone of us (is) very intimately connected with Krṣṇa, and Krṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart. Krṣṇa is so kind, that He is simply waiting, "When this rascal will turn his face towards Me." He simply is, he is so kind. But we living entities, we are so rascal, we shall turn our face to everything except Krṣṇa. This is our position.

We want to be happy, with so many ideas. Everyone is making his own idea, "Now this is the..." But the rascals, they do not know that, what is the actual process for getting happiness, that is Krṣṇa. That they do not know. na te viduḥ; svartha-gatiṠhi viṣṇuṠdurasaya ye bahir-artha-maninaḥ; [SB 7.5.31]. You, you can see in your country, they are trying so many things, so many skyscraper buildings, so many motor cars, so many big, big cities, but there is no happiness. Because they do not know what is missing. That missing point we are giving. Here is, "You take Krṣṇa and you will be happy." This is our Krṣṇa consciousness. Krṣṇa and the living entity, they are very intimately connected. Like father and son, or friend and friend, or master and servant, like that. We are very much intimately connected. But because we have forgotten our intimate relationship with Krṣṇa, and trying to become happy in this material world, therefore we have to undergo so much tribulations. This is the position. Krṣṇa bhuliya jiva bhoga vañcha kare.

We living entities, we are trying to become happy within this material world, "Why you are in the material world, why not in the spiritual world?" The spiritual world, nobody can become the enjoyer, bhokta. That is only Supreme, bhoktaraṠyajña-tapasaṠsarva... [Bg. 5.29]. There is no mistake. There are also living entities, but they know perfectly well that real enjoyer, proprietor, is Krṣṇa. That is spiritual kingdom. Similarly, even in this material world, if we understand perfectly well that we are not enjoyer, Krṣṇa is enjoyer, then that is spiritual world. This Krṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to convince everyone that we, we are not enjoyer, enjoyer is Krṣṇa. Just like, this whole body, the enjoyer is the stomach, and the hands and legs and eyes and ears and brains and everything, these should be engaged to find out the enjoyable things and put it in the stomach. This is natural. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, or Krṣṇa, we are not enjoyer.

In every religion, it is accepted. Just like in Christian religion also it is said: "Oh God, give us our daily bread." Bread, we cannot manufacture. It must come from God. That is Vedic version also nityo nityanaṠcetanaṣ cetananam eko bahunaṠyo vidadhati kaman (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God, or Krṣṇa, He gives everything, necessities of life, as you like, but if you accept your enjoyable things as you like, then you'll become entangled. But if you accept things to be enjoyed by you, tena tyaktena bhuñjitha [Iso mantra 1], as Krṣṇa offers you, then you'll become happy. If you make, just like a diseased patient, if he wants to enjoy life in his own whimsical way, he'll continue his disease. But if he accepts the modes of life according to the directions of the physician, then he becomes free from So there are two methods, pravrtti and nivrtti. Pravrtti means "I have got inclination to eat this or to enjoy this. Why not? I shall do it. I have got my freedom." "But you have no freedom sir, you are simply..." That is maya. You have no freedom. We get experience, suppose there is very nice palatable food. If I think, let me eat as much as possible, then next day I'll have to starve. Immediately dysentery or indigestion.

So you cannot violate the laws of Krṣṇa, or laws of nature, that is not possible. You are not at all independent. Because these rascals, they'll not understand this. They are always thinking, we are independent. That is the cause of all unhappiness. Nobody is independent. How you can be independent? Nobody is independent, neither you can be independent, neither nobody is independent. That factual, who is independent? Here you are sitting, so many boys and girls, who can say "I am independent of everything"? No, nobody can say. So this is our mistake, and by misusing our independence we are suffering in this material world in so many ways. That has to be reformed. That has to be checked. That is Krṣṇa consciousness movement. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has preached, jivera svarupa haya nitya krṣṇa dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. We living entities, we are eternally servant of Krṣṇa. That is our position. But if we deny this position, "Now why shall I become servant of Krṣṇa? I am independent," then suffering begins, immediate. Krṣṇa bhuliya jiva bhoga vañcha kare, as soon as you desire to enjoy independently, immediately—that means immediately he is captured by maya.

krṣṇa bhuliya jiva bhoga vañcha kare
pasate maya tare japaá¹­iya dhare

It is very easy to understand. Just like if you don't care for the government laws, if you want to live independently, that means immediately you are in the clutches of the police force. You haven't got to create, it is already there. So our position is always dependent on God. We should understand this. This is Krṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura has a song,

manaso deho geho, yo kichu mora,
arpilun tuya pade nanda-kisora

This mistake is going on, that I am independent, king, and my soldiers or my society, community, family or—so many we have manufactured—but

dehapatya-kalatradiá¹£v
atma-sainyeá¹£v asatsv api
teṣaṠnidhanaṠpramattaḥ;
pasyann api na pasyati
[SB 2.1.4]

Just like a man fights, just like Hitler declared war, or so many wars are declared. This man is declaring, everyone is thinking, "I am independent." So, and we are thinking that we have got so many soldiers, so many atomic bombs, and so many aeroplanes, we shall come out victorious. Similarly, each and everyone of us, we are thinking, "I am independent, and my wife, my children, my society, they are my soldiers. If I am in danger, they will help me." This is going on. This is called maya. Pramattaḥ; teṣaṠnidhanaṠpasyann api na pasyati, because we have become mad after this so-called independence, independence of God, we are thinking these things will help us, will protect us, but that is maya. TeṣaṠnidhanam, everyone will be destroyed. Nobody will be able to give us protection. If real protection is wanted, he will have to take protection of Krṣṇa. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṠsaraṇaṠvraja [Bg. 18.66]. You rascal, you are thinking that so many things will give you protection. That will not be possible. You will be finished, and your so-called protector, and friends, and soldiers, they will be finished. You don't depend on them. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṠsaraṇam... [Bg. 18.66], you just surrender unto Me, I'll give you protection, ahaṠtvaṠsarva-papebhyo mokṣayiṣyami ma sucaḥ;. This is real protection.

Everyone is falsely thinking independent, but he is dependent. But he is depending on false platform. That is the mistake of this material civilization. They are thinking of protection from a (sic:) tiltering platform, material world. So we have to take shelter of Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa is very friendly to all of us. Therefore he comes down from Vaikuṇṭha to inform this, that is Bhagavad-gita. And that is elaborately explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is the only thing. So the crisis, people are faced with so many crises, problems. That I told in the airport. The reporter asked me "What is the solution of this crisis?" The solution is Krṣṇa consciousness, it is already there, but you rascal, you will not take it. Solution is already there. If the Arabians think that this oil is Krṣṇa's property and the others, purchasers, they also think, Krṣṇa's property, then they must agree also. America also must agree that this land of America is also Krṣṇa's property. If you think that the Arabian oil is Krṣṇa's property, God's property, we shall take it, by force. Then why the Arabians should not be allowed to come from the desert and live in America? But they (are) foolish, they will not come, they have got United Nations. But United Nations means simply committing mistake, mistake, mistake, mistake. That's all. That is their business. Why don't you united? Yes, this Arabian oil is Krṣṇa's property. Similarly the Australian land, or the African land, or this American land, so vast tract of land But "No, you can not come here, yow yow." They say, the immigration department. You see. Yow yow department.

So this nonsense, these rascals, all these politicians, they're spoiling the situation, but they are so big rascal, they'll not accept the solution. Take Krṣṇa consciousness, and everything will be solved. That's a fact. Muá¸ha, but they're so rascal, duá¹£krtina, and full of sinful activities, na maá¹ duá¹£krtina muá¸haḥ; prapadyante naradhamaḥ;, and lowest of the mankind. So always remember that our preaching work is dealing with these kind of men. Duá¹£krtina means full of sinful activities. Muá¸ha, rascals, naradhamaḥ;, lowest of the mankind and mayayapahrta-jñana, and they're thinking very much advanced in education, but fool number one maya has taken their away, real knowledge, mayayapahrta-jñana. Asuri bhavam asritaḥ;. Why all these things? Because they are Godless, only fault is Godless. Asuri bhavam asritaḥ;. Because they have taken the position (that) there is no God. These big, big scientists, they are trying to prove there is no God, "This creation is due from matter from chemical, the water has come from chemical combination, hydrogen, oxygen. These are the..." All foolish theories, and they are getting Nobel prize. They are getting Nobel prize. This is the position.

Therefore, from this verse, you should know evaṠkrṣṇa-sakhaḥ; krṣṇo bhratra rajña vikalpitaḥ;, nana-saṅka... These rascals, our Say our elder brother, advance, they're suggesting, "This the cause of," "this is the cause of," "this is the cause of," "this is the cause of." But the only cause is Krṣṇa, forgetfulness of Krṣṇa, that they do not know. The only cause.

krṣṇa bhuliya jiva bhoga vañcha kare,
pasate maya tare japaá¹­iya (dhare)

This is the cause. So try to preach this cult. But not that everyone will accept, but even a few percent, one percent of the whole population accept. Just like in the sky, there is one moon only and there are millions of stars. They're useless. What is the value of the millions of stars? But one moon, oh, dissipate the whole darkness of night. Similarly, at least those who have taken to Krṣṇa consciousness, you become, each of you become a moon and enlighten the world. These so-called glow-worms, they'll not be able to do anything. That's a fact. Don't remain a glow-worm. Just become a sun and moon. Then you will..., people will be happy, you will be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

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