Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tac chraddadhana munayo
jñana-vairagya-yuktaya
pasyanty atmani catmanaṁ
bhaktya sruta-grhitaya
[SB 1.2.12]

"The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedanta-sruti."

Prabhupada: (interrupts and corrects one devotee's chanting of the verse:) We are repeating so that by hearing the sound, you can practice. You should be attentive. By... (chanting resumes)

Very good, thank you. Yes. She has done better than all of you. All right. (chanting resumes) (Prabhupada interrupts again:) Yes. That's all.

So people, they sometimes say, "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" These questions sometimes we meet. So the answer is here. Yes, you can see God. Everyone can see God. I am also seeing God. But there must be the qualification. Just like God is there... Suppose a motorcar is there, something is wrong there. Everyone is seeing. But one engineer or mechanic, he sees differently. Therefore we have to go there. "What is the wrong in this car? It is not running." He immediately touches some machine part; it runs. So these rascals, they do not know that "How I can see God if I have not the qualification?" The machine has gone wrong, I am seeing the machine. And the engineer, the mechanic, he is also seeing the machine. But his seeing and my seeing is different. He's qualified to see. Therefore when the machine has gone wrong, immediately he touches some part, it runs. So if for a machine we require so much qualification, and we want to see God without any qualification? Just see the fun. Without any qualification. Rascal, they are so rascal, so fool, that they want to see God with their nuisance qualification.

Krṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gita: nahaṁ prakasaḥ; sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtaḥ;: [Bg. 7.25] "I am not exposed to everyone. Yogamaya, yogamaya is covering." So how you can see God? But this rascaldom is going on, that "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" God has become just like a plaything. "Here is God. He is incarnation of God." Na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ; prapadyante naradhamaḥ; [Bg. 7.15]. They are sinful, rascals, fools, lowest of the mankind. They inquire like that: "Can you show me God?" What qualification you have acquired, that you can see God? Here is the qualification. What is that? Tac chraddadhana munayaḥ;. One must be first of all faithful. Faithful. Sraddadhanaḥ;. He must be very much eager to see God, actually. Not that as a proclivity, frivolous thing, "Can you show me God?" A magic, just like God is a magic. No. He must be very serious: "Yes, if there is God... We have seen, we have been informed about God. So I must see."

There is a story in this connection. It is very instructive; try to hear. One professional reciter was reciting about Bhagavata, and he was describing that Krṣṇa, being very highly decorated with all jewels, He is sent for tending the cows in the forest. So there was a thief in that meeting. So he thought that "Why not then go to Vrndavana and plunder this boy? He is in the forest with so many valuable jewels. I can go there and catch the child and take the, all the jewels." That was his intention. So, he was serious that "I must find out that boy. Then in one night I shall become millionaire. So much jewelries. No." So he went there, but his qualification was that "I must see Krṣṇa, I must see Krṣṇa." That anxiety, that eagerness, made it possible that in Vrndavana he saw Krṣṇa. He saw Krṣṇa the same way as he was informed by the Bhagavata reader. Then he saw, "Oh, oh, you are so nice boy, Krṣṇa." So he began to flatter. He thought that "Flattering, I shall take all the jewels" (laughter). So when he proposed his real business, "So may I take some of your these ornaments? You are so rich." "No, no, no. You... My mother will be angry. I cannot..." (laughter) Krṣṇa as a child. So he became more and more eager for Krṣṇa. And then... By Krṣṇa's association, he had already become purified. Then, at last, Krṣṇa said, "All right, you can take." Then he became a devotee, immediately. Because by Krṣṇa's association...

So some way or other, we should come in contact with Krṣṇa. Some way or other. Then we'll be purified. Kamad bhayad dveṣyat. Just like the gopis... The gopis came to Krṣṇa being captivated by His beautiful features. They were young girls, and Krṣṇa was so beautiful. So actually, they came to Krṣṇa being lusty, but Krṣṇa is so pure that they became first-class devotees. There is no comparison of their devotion. Because they loved Krṣṇa with heart and soul. That is the qualification. That is the qualification. They loved so much Krṣṇa that they didn't care for family, for reputation. When they were going at dead of night... Krṣṇa's flute was there, and they were all fleeing. Their father, their brother, their husband: "Where you are going? Where you are going in this dead of night?" They didn't care. They neglected their children, their family, everything: "We must go to Krṣṇa." So this is required. We must be very, very eager so that... And many gopis who were forcibly stopped, going to Krṣṇa, they lost their life. Just see how much eager they are. So this eagerness is wanted. Then you can see God. Either you become lusty or a thief or a murderer or whatever it may be. Some way or other, if you develop this eagerness, that "I must see Krṣṇa," then Krṣṇa will be seen.

So here is... The first thing is how much eager you are to see Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa will respond. If you are actually eager to see Krṣṇa... It, the reason may be different, either you are lusty or to steal His ornament. Some way or other, you become attracted to Krṣṇa, then your business is successful. Rupa Gosvami has advised that... He says in a poetry. It is on the matter of the gopis talking. One gopi is advising another gopi that "My dear friend..."

smeran bhaṅgi-traya-paricitaṁ saci-vistirṇa-drṣṭiṁ
vaṁsinyastadhara-kisalayam ujjvalaṁ candrakeṇa
govindakhyaṁ haritanumitaḥ; kesi-tirthopakaṇṭhe
ma prekṣiṣṭhastava yadi sakhe! bandhu-saṅge 'sti raṅgaḥ;

The idea is that one gopi is advising another gopi, "My dear friend, there is one boy. His name is Govinda. He is standing on the bank of Yamuna near the Kesi-ghaṭa, and He's playing on His flute. And He's so beautiful that especially during full moon night, please do not go there." (laughter) Why? "Now, because if you have got intention to enjoy in this material world with your family members, wife, children, husband, please do not go there." Smeran bhaṅgi-traya-paricitaṁ saci-vistirṇa-drṣṭim. Bhaṅgi-traya. "Krṣṇa always stands in three-curved way with His flute. That is Krṣṇa's tri-bhaṅga-murari." Tri-bhaṅga. Three places, He is bent. So,

smeran bhaṅgi-traya-paricitaṁ saci-vistirṇa-drṣṭiṁ
vaṁsinyastadhara-kisalayam ujjvalaṁ candrakeṇa
govindakhyaṁ haritanumitaḥ; kesi-tirthopakaṇṭhe
ma prekṣiṣṭhastava yadi sakhe! bandhu-saṅge 'sti raṅgaḥ;

"If you think that you will enjoy more your life in this material world, then you do not go there. You do not go there."

The idea is that if you once see Krṣṇa, then you will forget all this nonsense material enjoyment. That is seeing Krṣṇa. No more. Svamin krtartho 'smi varaṁ na yace [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. "My dear Lord I don't want anything." Dhruva Maharaja... Dhruva Maharaja went to see Krṣṇa to get the kingdom of his father, but when he saw Krṣṇa, Viṣṇu... Viṣṇu offered, "Now, whatever benediction you want, you take." He said, svamin krtartho 'smi varaṁ na yace, "My dear Lord, I have no more any desire." That is Krṣṇa seeing. That if you want to see Krṣṇa for some business, that "I shall see Krṣṇa..." Just like... Of course, if you are eager to see Krṣṇa, the motive may be different, but somehow or other, due to your eagerness, you'll see Krṣṇa. That is the only qualification.

In another poetry Rupa Gosvami says, krṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matiḥ; kriyataṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. The, our this Krṣṇa consciousness, I have taken this from this word krṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matiḥ;. This is actual translation in Sanskrit or... Krṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matiḥ;. So Rupa Gosvami advises that "Krṣṇa consciousness, if it is possible, please purchase. Don't delay." Krṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matiḥ; kriyatam. "Purchase immediately!" Krṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matiḥ; kriyataṁ yadi kuto 'pi. "Where it is available? It is very nice thing." "Yes, it is available. You can purchase. The movement is going on." "And what is the price?" "Price?" "It is such a nice thing; you have to pay price." "Yes, there is price." "What is that?" Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mulyam: "Simply your eagerness. That is price. This price you have to pay." Then you get Krṣṇa. Immediately. Krṣṇa is not poor. And the Krṣṇa-seller, the Krṣṇa devotee, he is also not poor. He can distribute Krṣṇa free. And he's doing that. Simply you have to purchase by your eagerness. That is wanted. Tatra laulyam. "Oh, eagerness? I have got eagerness." "Oh, it is not so easy." Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mulyaṁ janma-koṭi-sukrtair na labhyate: "This eagerness cannot be achieved even by pious activities for millions of births." If you simply go on doing pious activities... Because without being pious, you cannot approach Krṣṇa. So if you go on doing simply pious, janma-koṭi-sukrtaiḥ;... Sukrti means pious activities, simply pious. Still, this eagerness is not awakened.

So this eagerness is very important thing. But it can be awakened by the association of devotees. Therefore we are giving chance to everyone to invoke that eagerness. Then you will see God eye to eye. It is not difficult. Tac chraddadhana munayaḥ;. Those who have developed that eagerness, faith, that "I must see Krṣṇa in this life..." This life is meant for seeing Krṣṇa. It is not meant for becoming dogs and hogs. Unfortunately, the whole civilization is going on, they are being trained to become dogs and hogs. It is the only institution that is teaching people how to see Krṣṇa. This is the only institution, this Krṣṇa consciousness movement. It is so important. Tac chraddadhana munayo jñana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. By eagerness, automatically you will be enriched with knowledge and detachment. Knowledge does not mean, "Now we have discovered this atomic bomb." That is not knowledge. What knowledge this is? People are dying. You have discovered something which will accelerate death. But we are giving some knowledge to stop death. That is Krṣṇa consciousness. This is knowledge. Jñana-vairagya-yuktaya. And as soon as you get this knowledge, automatically you become detached to all this nonsense material happiness.

Hare Krṣṇa. Thank you very much. Hare Krṣṇa. (devotees offer obeisances) Chant Hare Krṣṇa. (end)

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