Prabhupada:

dharmasya hy apavargyasya
nartho 'rthayopakalpate
narthasya dharmaikantasya
kamo labhaya hi smrtaḥ;
[SB 1.2.9]

kamasya nendriya-pritir
labho jiveta yavata
jivasya tattva-jijñasa
nartho yas ceha karmabhiḥ;
[SB 1.2.10]

What is the aim of life? This is described here, dharmasya hi apavargyasya. The human life begins when he accepts religion. That is the beginning of human life, and that is the difference between human life and dog's life. The dog is engaged always for eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. The hog is also engaged always searching after where is food. Although the food is stool, he is busy. And as soon as his body is little strong by eating stool, immediately sex life, without any distinction whether it is mother or sister or daughter. It doesn't matter. This is hog's life, by nature's example.

Therefore sastra says that ayaṁ deha,

nayaṁ deho deha-bhajaṁ nrloke
kaṣṭan kaman arhate viḍ-bhujaṁ ye
[SB 5.5.1]

This human form of life, deha-bhajam... The cats and dogs and hogs, they have also accepted a body. And the trees, the plants, the insects, the birds, beasts—everyone has got body, material body. Karaṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya [Bg. 13.22]. I have explained it. According to the infection of the modes of material nature, one is getting a type of body, nature's way. Prakrteḥ; kriyamaṇani guṇaiḥ; karmaṇi. The same example: if you contaminate some disease, you'll have to suffer or you'll have to accept that disease. So similarly, this is the nature's way. If you are associating with a certain type of quality of the material nature, you are preparing your body for that purpose.

prakrteḥ; kriyamaṇani
guṇaiḥ; karmaṇi sarvasaḥ;
ahaṅkara-vimuḍhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

We are very much proud of our body. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am prime minister," "I am this," "I am that." The dog is also very much proud. "I am greyhound," "I am this bulldog," "I am this." Yes. Everyone is proud, however nasty body he may live. The hog is also very proud. Although he is eating stool and living in a very filthy place, but if you want to drag him from that place, he will, "Che che che, no, no, I don't want... I am very happy here." There is a story in the Bhagavata that once Brahma was cursed and he become a hog in this world. No, Indra. Because Indra was very offending, so he was cursed. He became a hog. So Brahma thought that "In the absence of Indra the kingdom of heaven is not managed very nicely, so let me go an bring him again, excuse." So when he came, he asked the hog that "Come with me." "Where?" "To the heaven." "Oh, I cannot go. I have got my responsibility. I gave got my responsibility. I cannot go."

So this is the position. Everyone is very happy. This is called maya's influence. Unless a hog feels happy, how he can live in this abominable life? This is called prakṣepatmika-sakti, covering. If one man knows or..., that "I was king in my previous life. Now I have become a poor cobbler" or something like..., then he will become mad. So therefore he forgets. Death means forget. Because the living entity does not die. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. There is no death. Death means forgetting everything of my past life. That's all. Just like we forget. At night, when we dream, we accept another body, and we forget this body. And in the daytime we forget the night dream body and accept this body. We have got daily experience. So death means forgetting the past life. Otherwise, there was past life. That's a fact. But as we forget daily night body in the daytime and day body at nighttime, so similarly, we are changing our body according to the infection of the quality or material nature, and we are entangled in this material world. Although we are part an parcel of Krṣṇa, God, or we ar sons of God, but unfortunately, we have come in contact of this material modes of nature. This is going on.

Therefore Krṣṇa comes. Krṣṇa is the father of everyone. He canvasses, "My dear children, why you are rotting in this material world? Come back."

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-papebhyo
mokṣayiṣyami ma sucaḥ;
[Bg. 18.66]

This is the message of Bhagavad-gita. So dharma means to understand my relationship with God. That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like a good citizen means who knows the relationship with the state. That is good citizenship. Bad citizenship means who doesn't care for the state. That is criminal. They are put into the prison house. So similarly, the living entities, they are part and parcel of God. But when they are not ready or prepared to abide by the laws of God, they are put into this material world. Beginning from Brahma, abrahma-bhuvanal lokaḥ; punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16], they are rotating in this way. So dharma means to abide by the laws of God. Just like good citizen means to abide by the state laws. Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitam [SB 6.3.19].

So here it is said, dharmasya hy apavargyasya [SB 1.2.9]. Apavarga and pavarga. This material life is pavarga. Pa-varga means... Those who are acquainted with grammar... There are vargas, ka-varga, kha-varga, ca-varga, ta-varga. Similarly pa-varga. Pa-varga means pa, pha, ba, bha, ma, five. So pa represents parisrama, labor, hard labor. This material world, you have to work. Either you are human being or a hog or dog or cat, it doesn't matter. You have to work. And very severe work so that foam will come within your mouth. Pha. Then pa, pha, ba. Ba means vyarthata, baffledness. And bha means bhaya, always fearful, "What will happen next? What will happen next?" And in this way, ma-mrtyu, maraṇa. This is called material life. There is no more gain, simply pa pha ba bha ma. That's all. This is material life. And apavarga means just the opposite, to nullify this pavarga business.

So here it is said, dharmasya hi apavargyasya. Religion means to how to get out of these pavargas. That is dharma. Bhagavata says, dharmasya hy apavargyasya na arthaḥ; arthaya upakalpate. Generally, people go to church, to temple, for some material benefit. Therefore sastra says, "No, no. Dharma is not meant for that purpose." People have become materialistic more and more because, just like in our country, "If you want economic development, then why you should go to temple?" The communist theory is also like that, that "If you want material happiness, why you are going to church and accepting, 'O God, give us our daily bread'? The bread, you manufacture. You just work for it." In one side, it is good. But this is also fact, that without God's mercy, you cannot get even bread. Although bread you can manufacture, but the ingredients of the bread, the wheat, that is not in your hand. You cannot manufacture in the factory. That is in the hand of prakrti, nature, and prakrti is working under the control of the Supreme Lord. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, mayadhyakṣeṇa prakrtiḥ; suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. So it is prakrti's business to control food supply when people become godless. That is prakrti's business. Because prakrti... These statements are there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in the story of Maharaja Prthu. So prakrti said that "Because people have become godless, demons, I have restricted my supply." Therefore everything depends on the mercy of the Lord.

So therefore dharma means to abide by the laws of God—that is dharma—so that you can get our of the entanglement of this pavarga. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya na artha upakalpate. Not for economic development. Don't go to the church, can't go to the temple for your economic development. Although in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, artaḥ; artharthi jñani jijñasuḥ;, catur-vidha bhajante maṁ sukrtino 'rjuna: "Four kinds of men, those who are arta, distressed, artharthi, in need of money, they come to Me." That is also good. But that is not the meaning of dharma. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. You have to execute religious system only to get out of the entanglement of this pavarga. That is the purpose. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya narthaḥ; arthaya upakalpate. Not for economic development. In our Vedic literature you will never find these things, that economic development. Of course, the economic development, in the sastra there are, in the Vedic literature, to sacrifice. Yajñarthe karmaṇo 'nyatra. Yajñad bhavati parjanyaḥ; parjanyad anna-sambhavaḥ; [Bg. 3.14]. That is there. But that is not the purpose. Real purpose is how to get out of the entanglement of pavarga. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya na arthaya upakalpate. Then you can say, "We require some money." Yes. You require none. That's all right. Economic development, there is need. So therefore it is said, na arthasya dharma ekantasya kamo labhaya hi smrtaḥ;, that you require money. Because you have got this body, you have got to gratify your senses. That is right. But not for sense gratification, only for sense gratification. No. Dharmasya na arthasya, arthasya. The money which you get, that is not meant for sense gratification. Dharmaikantasya. Actually who is religious, who is interested in religion, for him, this economic development, getting money, is not meant for sense gratification. Narthasya dharmaikantasya kamo labhaya hi smrtaḥ;.

But we have got demands of our body. What to do? Kamo labhaya. The kama is there, demands of the senses. So therefore it is said, kamasya nendriya-pritiḥ;. You can get the supply of the necessities of your senses as much as you require. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: yuktahara-viharasya yogo bhavati siddhiḥ;. Yuktahara. You should eat what is actually needed by you. Don't eat more. A human being, there is... Certainly we are eating. But we are eating... A Krṣṇa conscious person eats krṣṇa-prasadam. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Our business is to eat... We don't say that you are vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it does not make very much difference. Ye pacanty atma-karaṇat bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ papaḥ; [Bg. 3.13]. If you eat only for yourself, for sense gratification, it doesn't matter whether you are vegetarian or nonvegetarian. You are simply eating sinful results of your life. Ye pacanty atma-karaṇat, yajñarthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ; [Bg. 3.9].

So our business is, so far we are concerned, Krṣṇa conscious people, we are not advocates of vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Of course, vegetarianism is very good, even for health's sake. But we do not take vegetables even if it is not offered to Krṣṇa. That is our principle. If Krṣṇa said that "You give Me nonvegetarian diet," then we can eat also. But Krṣṇa does not say. Krṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. So we are preparing so many nice foodstuffs with this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. We can prepare many, many hundreds of preparation of this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, and we can offer Krṣṇa and then take prasadam. That is all right. The human life is not meant for sense gratification. Sense gratification—my food is Krṣṇa prasadam. Why shall I go to restaurant? And this is tapasya. Eating is not stopped, but don't eat anything which is not krṣṇa-prasadam. That is Krṣṇa consciousness. If you, for satisfaction of your tongue, you get money and satisfy your tongue, that is forbidden. It is said that kamasya na indriya-pritiḥ;. You have demand. You have to, demand of the body. You have to eat something. You have to sleep somewhere. You must have some sense gratification. You must protect yourself from attack of others. That is all right. But don't do all these things for sense gratification. This is the injunction of the sastra.

Just like Arjuna fought. Arjuna fought not for sense gratification. He fought for satisfying Krṣṇa. Because Arjuna, first of all, he was trying to satisfy his senses. He said to Krṣṇa, "My dear Krṣṇa, they are all my relatives. The other side: my grandfather, my brothers, my nephews, my son-in-laws. Oh, how can I fight with them?" This consideration was for sense gratification. He was thinking that "In this way I shall be satisfied." Personally. But there was no question of satisfying Krṣṇa. But when he understood that his business was to satisfy Krṣṇa, then he agreed. Krṣṇa inquired, "Whether you have now decided to fight or not?" He said, "Yes." Naṣṭo mohaḥ; smrtir labdha: "I have now got back my memory, and my moha, illusion, is now lost." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73]. "I shall fight." So this fighting was service to Krṣṇa. It is not sense gratification. Rather, when he was trying to become nonviolent, very good man, not to fight, sacrifice for the other party, that was sense gratification.

This is the distinction between bhakti and karma. Karma is sense gratification, and bhakti is satisfying the Lord. The same thing. Therefore people cannot understand what is the difference between a bhakta and a karmi. Karmi is satisfying his own senses, and the bhakta is satisfying Krṣṇa's senses. There must be some sense gratification. But when you satisfy Krṣṇa, that is called bhakti. Hrṣikeṇa hrṣikesa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Hrṣika means senses, purified senses. That I explained the other day, that

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrṣikeṇa hrṣikesa-
sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

Bhakti does not mean stop your work. Bhakti does not mean sentimental fanaticism. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means to engage all your senses for the satisfaction of the proprietor of the senses. That is called bhakti.

Therefore Krṣṇa's name is Hrṣikesa. Hrṣika means senses. And hrṣika isa, He is the controller of the senses. Actually, our senses are working not independently. We can understand it. Krṣṇa is directing. Sarvasya cahaṁ hrdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ; smrtir jñanam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. Mattaḥ; smrtir jñanam apohanaṁ ca. A scientist is working because Krṣṇa is helping him, not that he is independently working. That is not possible. But he wanted in that way. Therefore Krṣṇa is giving him facilities. But actually, Krṣṇa is working. These are explained in the Upaniṣads. Without Krṣṇa working, without seeing, without Krṣṇa's seeing, you cannot see. Just like the sunshine is explained in the Brahma-saṁhita.

yac-cakṣur eṣa savita sakala-grahaṇaṁ
raja samasta-sura-murtir aseṣa-tejaḥ;
yasyajñaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami

Therefore, sun being one of the eyes of Krṣṇa, because the sun rises there, because sun is seeing, therefore you are seeing. You cannot see independently. You are so much proud or you eyes. What is the value of your eyes if there is no sunlight? You cannot see. Even this electricity, that is derived from sun. So actually when Krṣṇa sees, you can see. That is the position.

So our senses... In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, sarvataḥ; paṇi-padaṁ tat. Sarvataḥ; paṇi-pada... Everywhere Krṣṇa has His hands and legs. What are that? My hands, your hand, your leg—that is Krṣṇa's. Just like if somebody says I have got branches all over the world. So those branches are working on the management of the supreme person. Similarly, Krṣṇa also. Krṣṇa is therefore called Hrṣikesa, Hrṣikesa. So business is... Bhakti means when we engage our hrṣika, our indriyas, our senses, in the service of the proprietor of the senses. That is our perfect life. That is our perfect... But as soon as we desire to use our senses for the gratification on the senses, that is called karma. That is called material life. So therefore, for a bhakta there is nothing material. That is isavasyam idaṁ sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. The bhakta sees that everything belongs to Krṣṇa. Isavasyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyaṁ jagat, tena tyaktena bhuñjitha. Everything belongs to Krṣṇa. Therefore whatever Krṣṇa gives us... Just like a master. Master allots something to the servant, "You can enjoy this." That prasadam. Prasade sarva-duḥ;khanaṁ hanir asyopaja... This is the life. If you become Krṣṇa conscious, if you understand that "Everything belongs to Krṣṇa, even my hands and legs, they also belong to Krṣṇa, all the parts of my body, they belong to Krṣṇa, then it should be used for Krṣṇa," that is called bhakti.

anyabhilaṣita-sunyaṁ
jñana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krṣṇanu-
silanaṁ bhaktir uttama
[Brs. 1.1.11]

That Krṣṇa did, er, Arjuna did. He wanted to satisfy his senses by not fighting, but he agreed after hearing Bhagavad-gita that "Yes, Krṣṇa is the Supreme Person."

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ; sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matva bhajante maṁ
budha bhava-samanvitaḥ;
[Bg. 10.8]

These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gita. That is the preliminary study of spiritual life. And if we are actually convinced of the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, then we surrender to Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa wants that. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That He wants. When we actually take to this process, this is called sraddha. Sraddha. That has been explained by Kaviraja Gosvami, what is the meaning of sraddha.

sraddha-sabde visvasa kahe sudrḍha niscaya
krṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya
[Cc. Madhya 22.62]

This is called sraddha. Sraddha means firm faith. What is that firm faith? Firm faith means that... Krṣṇa says that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇam [Bg. 18.66]. When you take this conclusion, "Yes, by surrender to Krṣṇa, by surrendering unto the lotus feet of Krṣṇa, everything is done very nicely," this is called sraddha. And the more you increase this sraddha, the more you become perfect.

This is the Krṣṇa consciousness movement, beginning with this sraddha. Adau sraddha. If you don't believe... You are reading Bhagavad-gita three hundred years but don't believe that "I have to surrender to Krṣṇa," then what is the use of reading Bhagavad-gita? All these rascals, they are reading Bhagavad-gita but they have no concern with Krṣṇa, forget Krṣṇa. This is reading of Bhagavad-gita useless waste of time. Useless waste of time. If you do not understand the meaning of Bhagavad-gita, why you are...? Srama eva hi kevalam. That has been explained in the previous verse.

dharmaḥ; svanuṣṭhitaḥ; puṁsaṁ
viṣvaksena-kathasu yaḥ;
notpadayed yadi ratiṁ
srama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]

If you do not understand Krṣṇa, if you do not surrender to Krṣṇa, then you are simply wasting your time. There is no meaning of writing big, big comments on Bhagavad-gita, uselessly waste you time and waste others' time. This is the real point, sraddha. Krṣṇa said, by surrendering to Krṣṇa everything will be done. Ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-papebhyo mokṣayiṣyami. So if one has no sraddha, faith, on this instruction of Krṣṇa, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji [Bg. 18.65], then there is no use, simply waste of time.

If we come to this point, adau sraddha... This is called sraddha. Then the next stage is adau sraddha tataḥ; sadhu-saṅgaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. If one has..., one is convinced that "Surrendering to Krṣṇa, my all business will be perfect," this is called sraddha. Then we have to seek out who are engaged in Krṣṇa consciousness, sadhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. Sadhu means Krṣṇa conscious person. Sadhu does not mean having a big beard and nice dress or saffron-colored dress. That is not sadhu. Sadhu is described in the Bhagavad-gita, api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyaḥ; [Bg. 9.30]. That is sadhu, who has no other business than to serve Krṣṇa. He is sadhu. He is sadhu because he has accepted the principle, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66]. Sadhur eva sa mantavyaḥ; samyag vyavasito hi saḥ; [Bg. 9.30]. You cannot say, "Oh, he has got some bad principle in his life. Although he is worshiping Krṣṇa wholeheartedly, but he has got some defect." Therefore Krṣṇa says, api cet su-duracaraḥ;. Even if he has got so many defects of his life, because he has dedicated his life for Krṣṇa's service, sadhur eva sa mantavyaḥ; [Bg. 9.30]. So if you have got sraddha that by surrendering to Krṣṇa your all purpose of life will be practical or fruitful, then you have to associate with such persons who are engaged in the service of Krṣṇa, sadhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. Adau sraddha tataḥ; sadhu-saṅgaḥ;. Therefore our this movement is called International Society for Krṣṇa Consciousness.

So actually, one by one, as people are coming to the association of the society, automatically he is becoming Krṣṇa conscious. That is practical. Adau sraddha tataḥ; sadhu-saṅgaḥ;. This is sadhu-saṅga. Sadhu-saṅga does not mean to associate with some saffron-colored men. Sadhu-saṅga means to associate with Krṣṇa conscious person. This is sastra. Adau sraddha tataḥ; sadhu... This is Rupa Gosvami's direction, that if you want to develop your love for Krṣṇa, this is the process. Because real purpose of life is not dharma, artha, kama, mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. And that will be explained here. Jivasya tattva-jijñasa. What is the Absolute Truth? What is the aim of life? Then this is the process. Adau sraddha tataḥ; sadhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriya. Practically we have seen. These boys and girls, Europe and America, they first of all came to me, and they associated, abided by my orders. Then automatically they wanted to be initiated. We are doing that. Every day we are initiating some new devotees. So this is called bhajana-kriya. You'll be automatically anxious. If one associates with sadhu, then he will be automatically anxious to accept bhajana-kriya, initiation. Then you have to rise early in the morning, you have to offer maṅgala-arati, you have to do this, you have to do that. Twenty-four-hours program is there. That is called bhajana-kriya. Adau sraddha tataḥ; sadhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriya tato 'nartha-nivrttiḥ; syat [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. Anartha means useless habits. Just like one smokes. It is useless habit. By bad association one becomes a smoker, one becomes a drunkard, one becomes a meat-eater, one becomes a gambler. These are anarthas. So everyone in this age, everyone is associated with these anarthas. But if he takes to krṣṇa-bhajana, bhajana-kriya, then anartha-nivrttiḥ; syat. Practically you can see. These boys and girls, they are no more meat-eaters, they are no more taking any intoxicants, they are no more gambler. No more illicit sex hunters. No. Everything stopped. This is our prin... This is called mukti. This is called mukti. As soon as you get rid of these bad sinful activities, you are mukta. That is called mukti. And after mukti, tato niṣṭha, then we have got firm conviction: "Yes, Krṣṇa consciousness is the only business." Tato niṣṭha, tato ruciḥ;. Then you increase your taste. Tato niṣṭha athasaktiḥ;. Then you become attached to Krṣṇa.

That is the beginning of Krṣṇa consciousness, bhakti-yoga. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Mayy asakta-manaḥ; partha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-asrayaḥ;. When you increase your attachment for Krṣṇa... That is required. Increase... You have got attachment for your family, for your body, for your society, for your country, everything. That's all right. But you have to convert them. You have to increase attachment for Krṣṇa. That is called bhakti-yoga.

mayy asakta-manaḥ; partha
yogaṁ yuñjan mad-asrayaḥ;
asaṁsayaṁ samagraṁ maṁ
yatha jñasyasi tac chrṇu
[Bg. 7.1]

Krṣṇa says in the Seventh Chapter, in the beginning.

So everything is there. If we actually want to make our life perfect, the directions are already there in our... We have got the Vedic knowledge, treasurehouse of spiritual knowledge, and the Bhagavad-gita is the gist, is the summary. Gitopaniṣad. It is called Upaniṣad. If you simply study Bhagavad-gita as it is, without foolishly interpreting it... That will spoil. Don't interpret. Just like you are given paramanna, or kṣira. Everyone knows what is kṣira, milk and rice cooked together with sugar, very nice foodstuff. But if you add with it several grains of sand, it becomes useless. You can add it, simply a few grains of sand—we spoil Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Sri Sanatana Gosvami has advised how to save yourself from this rascaldom. He says, avaiṣṇava-mukhodgirṇaṁ putaṁ hari-kathamrtam, sravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Putaṁ hari-kathamrtam. Hari-katha. Krṣṇa is speaking Bhagavad-gita; therefore it is called hari-katha, krṣṇa-katha. So Sanatana Gosvami says, "If it is uttered by avaiṣṇava, who is not a devotee, he is a professional man, so-called scholar and politician, don't hear it. Don't hear it." Avaiṣṇava: "Because he is not a Vaiṣṇava." Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgirṇaṁ putaṁ hari-katha. Hari-katha means Krṣṇa's words. They are very purified. That's all right. But sravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Why? Because sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yatha payaḥ;. Just like milk. Milk is very good food, but if it is touched by the tongue of a serpent, it becomes poison. If you eat that kind of milk, your life will be finished. Similarly, our only request is that don't try to read Bhagavad-gita commented by unauthorized so-called scholars or politicians. Simply read Bhagavad-gita as it is. Simply accept what Krṣṇa says. Then you will be benefited.

Krṣṇa says, dharma-kṣetra. Not Krṣṇa says. Sañjaya uvaca. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre. No. Dhrtaraṣṭra uvaca. Dhrtraṣṭra says,

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samaveta yuyutsavaḥ;
mamakaḥ; paṇḍavas caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya
[Bg. 1.1]

He is asking his secretary. He was blind man. So he was asking his secretary, "My dear Sañjaya, after my boys, mamakaḥ;, and paṇḍavaḥ;, the sons of my younger brother Paṇḍu, samaveta yuyutsavaḥ;, they assembled for fighting in the dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre... [Bg. 1.1]." Dharma, kuru-kṣetra is still there. Everyone knows. And it is dharma-kṣetra. Everyone knows. Then where is the difficulty to understand dharma-kṣetra kuru-kṣetra mamakaḥ; paṇḍu? But if you foolishly interpret, "Dharma-kṣetra means this, and kuru-kṣetra means that, and paṇḍavaḥ; means that," you spoil the whole thing. That is going on. Otherwise there is no difficulty. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samaveta yuyutsavaḥ; [Bg. 1.1]. Actually, it is historical fact, Mahabharata. There was fight between two cousin-brothers. They, "No. Paṇḍava means this and this. Kuru-kṣetra means this and... This means this." In this way, things are being spoiled. So we are misled in that way. Actually, if we read Bhagavad-gita as it is, as a devotee... Because without being devotee, nobody can understand Bhagavad-gita. Because in the Bhagavad-gita in so many places it is stated, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvataḥ; [Bg. 18.55]. Bhaktya, only through devotion, only becoming a devotee, you can understand Krṣṇa. Otherwise you cannot. Nahaṁ prakasaḥ; sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtaḥ;: [Bg. 7.25] "I am not exposed to anyone." Yoga-maya-samavrtaḥ;. "Only bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]."

So this is the way. And this life is meant for that purpose. That is the advice of the Vedas. Vedais ca sarvaiḥ;... [break] So Arjuna is inquiring from Krṣṇa, and He says, janmady asya yataḥ; [SB 1.1.1]. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ; sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. So Bhagavad-gita is real Vedanta. And if one understands Bhagavad-gita as it is, he is really Vedantist. Veda means knowledge, and anta means the last word. So last word of knowledge is Krṣṇa. Bahunaṁ janmanam ante jñanavan maṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. If one does not understand Krṣṇa and does not surrender to Krṣṇa, he is simply uselessly wasting his time. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature. Therefore in the Srimad-Bhagavata it is said, kamasya nendriya-pritiḥ;. Kamasya nendriya-pritir labho jiveta yavata [SB 1.2.10]. Simply take so much as you will need, not for sense gratification. That is the process. Don't take more, don't take less. Yuktahara-viharasya. Sastra does not advise you that you starve, unnecessarily you starve. No. Krṣṇa has condemned one who unnecessarily starves. You take foodstuffs. But don't take anything which is forbidden. Take krṣṇa-prasadam. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam [Bg. 9.26]. Don't try to satisfy your senses. The senses will be satisfied. There are so many varieties of food, krṣṇa-prasadam. That you will... These Europeans and Americans, they used to take meat. Now if you give them, bribe that "You take again meat..." Because they have learned to cook so many nice foodstuffs. Ask any one of them. Paraṁ drṣṭva. Paraṁ drṣṭva. When you get better thing, nivartate, then you give up which is not very good.

So this bhakti-yoga, Krṣṇa consciousness, is so nice that if you take it very seriously, if you enter into the mystery of this bhakti-yoga... It is not all mystery, it is very open. Then naturally, paraṁ drṣṭva nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. And that is required. Vairagya.

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ; prayojitaḥ;
janayaty asu vairagyaṁ
jñanaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]

We have discussed this verse. So our only request is that don't take this Krṣṇa consciousness movement as some sentimental religious propaganda. No, no. It is not religious. It is scientific. It is to save the human society from gliding down to the abominable condition. Adanta-gobhir visataṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ; punas carvita-carvaṇanam [SB 7.5.30]. Bhagavata says, adanta-gobhiḥ;. Na te viduḥ; svartha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. Adanta. The verse is: matir na krṣṇe parataḥ; svato va. Matir na krṣṇe parataḥ; svato va mitho 'bhipadyeta grha-vratanam. Those who are grha-vrata, means simply materialistic or simply this life, this body, "I am this body, and the offsprings of this body, they are my kinsmen. I have to maintain them," or expanding: "They are my kinsmen, they are my family men, they are my nation," this is called grhamedhi. So such grhamedhi, matir na krṣṇe, they cannot understand what is Krṣṇa consciousness. Matir na krṣṇe parataḥ; svato va.

Parataḥ; means by instruction or superior persons. Parataḥ;. Svataḥ;, by reading himself. Mitho 'bhipadyeta, or holding big, big meeting. They cannot understand. Why? Because grha-vrata. Grha-vratanam. What is the business of grha-vrata? Adanta-gobhir visataṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ; punas carvita-carvaṇanam [SB 7.5.30]. By being unable to control the senses, creating another body. Another body, the sense gratification. Either as god or demigod or as dog or as hog or as human being, as tree or insect. The business is ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna. Punaḥ; punas carvita-carvaṇanam [SB 7.5.30]. Punaḥ; punaḥ;. The same thing he is doing. He does not know the real business is how to get out of this entanglement of pavarga, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. He does not know. There is no science, there is no education. There is only education in the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore you have to, if you want to save the world, if you want to save the human civilization, you have to make to this proposition of Bhagavad-gita, learn it scientifically, and make your life successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

721021SB.VRN