Prabhupada:

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

We have been discussing the instruction of Suta Gosvami, what is the purpose of life. Jivasya tattva-jijñasa. The only business of the human being is to inquire about the Absolute Truth, tattva-jijñasa. And that tattva has been explained in the previous verse:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaṁ yaj jñanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]

So the Absolute Truth is one. There is no doubt about it. But according to our angle of vision, we appreciate the Absolute Truth in different ways, although the Absolute Truth is one. Somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman, and somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as localized Paramatma, Supersoul, and somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the last word, Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the matter of understanding the Absolute Truth.

So our Gosvami Bhavananda has explained about the Absolute Truth, Krṣṇa. Krṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Bhagavan iti. But who is Bhagavan? That has been also explained. Bhagavan means ṣaḍ-aisvarya-purṇa, complete in six opulences. He is Bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence. Just like we say bhagyavan. This bhagyavan word comes from bhaga. Bhaga bhavarthe sri-karṇa(?), bhagya. And van is vatup, asty arthe vatup(?). If somebody possesses something, this affix vat or mat is used. So bhagavan means one who has opulences. So Bhagavan, Krṣṇa, when He was present on this planet, nobody could excel His opulences. That's a fact. Everyone knows. People want to enjoy. That is natural tendency, the association of woman. Here also we see that very, very rich men, they want to associate with nice, beautiful woman. In the Western countries I have seen. In Paris there are many clubs. So the club business is to go and enjoy the association of nice beautiful woman. So everyone knows it. So tendency is there. That is also richness. So that richness I have already explained. Here in the material world the same thing is represented pervertedly, not in actual position. Therefore we are frustrated.

So there are two kinds of philosophers. The mental speculators, empiric philosophers, they therefore reject that this should be zero. Here the association of woman is so abominable that it should be rejected. But they have no information that this association of woman and man is so, I mean to say, opulent in the spiritual world. Otherwise how Krṣṇa is associating with the gopis? Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari. Gosvamis, the six Gosvamis, about their life, they are described by Srinivasa Acarya, tyaktva turṇam aseṣa-maṇḍala-pati-sreṇiṁ sada tuccha-vat. Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussein Shah, most opulent. So naturally the minister must have association with big, big zamindars, lords, aristocratic family. But about them it is said, when they joined Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement, resigning from their ministership, so that is described by Srinivasa Acarya, tyaktva turṇam aseṣa-maṇḍala-pati-sreṇiṁ. Maṇḍala-pati means big, big zamindars, aristocrats. So tyaktva, gave up their association. Just like we flatter here. If we can mix with a very big rich man, we consider very fortunate. But these Gosvamis, they gave up, tyaktva turṇam aseṣa, not only one, two. Because they were ministers, everyone is coming to flatter him, all big, big zamindars. But he gave up that association. Tyaktva turṇam aseṣa-maṇḍala-pati-sreṇiṁ sada tuccha-vat. Tuccha means very insignificant. Then what they became? Bhutva dina-gaṇesakau karuṇaya kaupina-kanthasritau. Dina-gaṇesakau, just to show favor to the poor souls, dina-gaṇesakau. Gaṇa. Gaṇa means people in general. So just to show them favor, accepted the life of a mendicant. Tyaktva turṇam aseṣa-maṇḍala-pati-sreṇiṁ sada tuccha-vat bhutva dina-gaṇesakau karuṇaya kaupina-kanthasritau. Kaupina-kantha. That is the last stage of sannyasa, paramahaṁsa stage: a loin cloth and an underwear, kaupina-kanthasritau.

But we have got practical experience that if somebody from very exalted post becomes a renouncer, he cannot tolerate that. We have seen it. In Calcutta there was a big man. You have heard. Mr. C. R. Das, Gandhi's lieutenant, he gave up his practice. In those days he was..., fifty years ago he was earning fifty thousand rupees. So that is not joke. So he became mendicant. All Gandhi's followers, they became mendicant. Without becoming mendicant, you cannot do any welfare activities. That is the Vedic process, sannyasa. So but he could not live. After giving up his job as a lawyer, he could not live for more than one year, because he was living very opulently and all of a sudden he became a mendicant. He could not tolerate. That we have seen. But here we see that the Gosvamis, they were also very big men, ministers, but how they lived? Tyaktva turṇam aseṣa-maṇḍala-pati-sreṇiṁ sada tuccha-vat bhutva dina-gaṇesakau karuṇaya kaupina-kanthasritau, gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari. Gopi-bhava. They were living simply by thinking of the ecstatic love of gopis. Gopi-bhavamrta. That is compared with an ocean. As the ocean is beautiful, constant flowing of waves, similarly, the ocean of bliss of the gopis relationship with Krṣṇa, these Gosvamis were always absorbed in that. Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhur vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. So Krṣṇa's opulence, Krṣṇa's dealings with the gopis, they are not ordinary things.

ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis
tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhiḥ;
goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami
[Bs. 5.37]

He got His pleasure potency. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). The Supreme Absolute Truth is the reservoir of all pleasure. Anandamayo 'bhyasat.

So Brahman realization, Paramatma realization and Bhagavan realization. If you realize Bhagavan, then you realize Brahman and Paramatma. Just like if you have got one lakh of rupees, ten rupees or fifty rupees are already there within, similarly, if you understand Krṣṇa, Bhagavan, then you understand automatically what is Brahman and what is Paramatma. But if you simply stick to Brahman realization or Paramatma realization... The jñanis, they are interested in Brahman realization, and the yogis, they are interested in... [break] ...realization cannot be continued if you do not realize the other two things, namely Paramatma and Bhagavan. Cit and ananda. Simply realization of sat, oṁ tat sat, will not satisfy you because you are part and parcel of the sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaḥ; [Bs. 5.1]. Vigraha means form. So you are also form. Because you are part and parcel of the form, therefore you have got a form. The form may be different in the material world. Krṣṇa therefore claims all forms. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayo yaḥ; [Bg. 14.4]. Sarva-yoniṣu. There are different, 8,400,000 forms of living entities, and Krṣṇa claims, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayo yaḥ;, "As many forms are there," tasaṁ mahad yonir brahma ahaṁ bija-pradaḥ; pita, Krṣṇa says, "I am the seed-giving father."

So Krṣṇa is father for all living entities. They are simply struggling here in this material world under different desires, and therefore they are getting transmigrating from one body to another, and in this way they are wandering within this material world. That is their real disadvantageous position. Therefore Krṣṇa says the real problem is janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duḥ;kha-doṣanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. This is the real problem. Whole spiritual process should be executed to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is real problem. So Krṣṇa therefore comes, that "Why you are rotting in this material world?" Manaḥ; ṣaṣṭhani indriyaṇi prakrti-sthani karṣati. "Why you are struggling so hard?" For ananda. Everyone is struggling for ananda, but he does not know whether ananda is there. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Krṣṇa, the Supreme Absolute Truth, He is the reservoir of ananda Therefore you will see Krṣṇa's picture always in ananda. Wherever you see Krṣṇa... Krṣṇa is in the battlefield, still, He is smiling, ananda. He is not morose. Arjuna is morose. But He is not morose. Because he is anandamayo 'bhyasat.

So everything is there. The pleasure which we are hunting here within this material world, everything is there, full, full ananda. You can enter into the anandamaya-lila. That He practically demonstrates in Vrndavana. He is playing with His cowherd boyfriends, He is dancing with the gopis, He is playing as a child to His father and mother Yasoda. He has got conjugal love with Radharaṇi. Everything is there. Therefore here it is said, tac chraddadhana munayo jñana-vairagya-yuktaya, pasyanti [SB 1.2.12]. You can see all this anandamaya-lila, atmani, within yourself. How? Tac chradda, chraddadhanaḥ;. Sraddha. This sraddha means... I have already explained many times. It is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta, sraddha-sabde visvasa kahe sudrḍha niscaya [Cc. Madhya 22.62]. This is called sraddha, when you firmly believe. Sraddha-sabde visvasa kahe sudrḍha. Without any shaking. Not shaking platform. Firmly. What is that? Krṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya. If you become a devotee of Krṣṇa, then all perfection is there. This is called sraddha. Because Krṣṇa says at the last stage of His instruction in the Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Saraṇaṁ vraja: "Voluntarily you surrender unto Me. Then I take charge of you." Ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-papebhyo mokṣayiṣyami ma sucaḥ;. "There is no question of considering. Do it immediately." That Krṣṇa says.

So if one accepts this principle, then that is called sraddha. Here it is said... Because after Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavata was written... So one who accepts Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead by understanding Bhagavad-gita as it is, not by malinterpretations, as it is, then that is called sraddha. Sraddadhana munayaḥ;. As soon as you become a surrendered soul, then you become one of the munis, great-minded, wide-minded, muni, mahatma. Munayaḥ;. And why kind of sraddha? Now, jñana-vairagya-yuktaya. Two things must be there—jñana and vairagya. I have already explained that actually our aim of life, human life, is to acquire knowledge and vairagya. Simply talking of knowledge is useless. There must be vairagya also. Therefore Sripada Saṅkaracarya, he never liked simply talking. "First of all become a sannyasi." That was his propaganda. "Then you talk." So jñana-vairagya. One who is actually jñani, he must be vairagi. Vairagi means vigata-raga. We are not ragi. Raga means attachment. We are materially attached, and when you become actually jñani, then you should be materially detached. That is called jñana-vairagya-yuktaya. Tac chraddadhana munayo jñana-vairagya-yuktaya, pasyanty atmani catmanam [SB 1.2.12]. Atmani, within his mind and within his self, he sees the Paramatma. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ; [SB 12.13.1]. Perfect yogi always sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead within himself.

Premañjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ; sadaiva hrdayeṣu vilokayanti, yaṁ syamasundaram [Bs. 5.38]. The question was, "Why Krṣṇa is black?" But that black is described in the Brahma-saṁhita, syamasundara. Here one who is black, nobody likes to see, naturally. But Krṣṇa is black, at the same time the most exquisitely beautiful. That we cannot adjust. In another place it is said, asitambuda-sundaraṅgam. Asitambuda-sundaraṅgam. Asitambuda-sundaraṅgam. His body is just like black cloud. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamaniya. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamaniya. We understand Kandarpa, the Cupid, as very beautiful, but if you millions of Kandarpas act together to increase the beauty, that is also not comparable with Krṣṇa's beauty. So these contradictory terms cannot be understood unless one has got the ointment of love of Godhead. Premañjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. Añjana. Añjana we understand, a kind of ointment. Premañjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ; sadaiva hrdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. So the first beginning is sraddha, tac chraddadhana munayaḥ;. Adau sraddha. If you have got this faith... This is the...Bhagavad-gita is just to create the preliminary faith to understand God. That is the only... That is Bhagavad-gita.

Because we do not know. We cannot understand God with these blunt senses. Ataḥ; sri-krṣṇa-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiḥ; [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. The present senses, they are simply after material gratification. So how they can understand Krṣṇa? That is not possible. Therefore it is said, jñana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. You can understand after jñana. Jñana means brahma-bhuta [SB 4.30.20], one who understands ahaṁ brahmasmi: "I am not this material body; I am spirit soul." So brahma-bhutaḥ; prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. Now we are designated by this bodily relationship: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brahmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am black," "I am white," "I am strong," "I am weak," "I am fatty," "I am thin," so many. These are all designation. So one has to become free from the designation. That is jñana. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Upadhi. This upadhi. The bodily conception of life is called upadhi.

So sarva upadhi, when you become completely freed, no more thinking like American, Indian, brahmaṇa, sudra, no... "I am eternal servant of Krṣṇa." Gopi-bhartuḥ; pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave His identification in this way: "I am not a brahmaṇa, I am not a sudra, neither I am a king, neither I am a vaisya, neither I am a sannyasi. I am nothing of this." Because this material designation, varṇa-asrama. Four varṇas, brahmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaisya, sudra, and four asramas, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. So anybody must be within these eight categories. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that "I don't belong to any of these categories." Nahaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir na ca yatir va. Then what you are? Gopi-bhartuḥ; pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. "Gopi-bhartuḥ;, the maintainer of the gopis, gopi-bhartuḥ;, and the master of the gopis, Krṣṇa, pada-kamalayoḥ;, lotus feet—I am His servant, dasa, and his servant, his servant, his servant, his servant, his servant, his servant, in this way servants' servant." The more you become servants of servant, then you are liberated. Here this material world they want master. He is master: "I am his master, I am his master, I am his master." They are trying to become master. It is just the opposite—to become servant. This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy, how to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, oh, hundred times servant [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Because this philosophy is understood by becoming a servant, not by becoming a master. That you will not. That is called jñana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. Because so long wants to become a master, he is still in ajñana because he cannot be master. How he can be master? Real master is Krṣṇa. Bhoktaraṁ yajña-tapasaṁ sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. How you can be master? Can you become more than Krṣṇa? He is sarva-loka-mahesvaram.

So this is jñana, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu enunciates, not to become master or God, to become servant of the God. Not only servant, but servant, servant, servant, servant, hundred times downward. Then you become perfect. That is the demand of Krṣṇa, that you first of all become servant. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇam [Bg. 18.66]. Because that is your real position. Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms it. Jivera svarupa haya nitya-krṣṇa-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. This is our position. This is jñana. Anyone who is claiming other that this is not in knowledge. He is ajñana. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita—I have several times repeated—bahunaṁ janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births trying to become the master, when actually he becomes jñanavan, then jñanavan maṁ prapadyate. This is the sign, when he surrender to Krṣṇa. That is real knowledge. That knowledge is not sentiment. Because bahunaṁ janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. After experiencing many, many births that "I am the master, I am God, I am this, I am that," so when he actually jñanavan, maṁ prapadyate, vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti.. [Bg. 7.19]. When he understands, "Oh, Vasudeva, Krṣṇa, is the origin or everything," that is real jñana. That is real jñana.

Therefore it has said, jñana-vairagya-yuktaya. Then you have to become vairagi to your puffed up consciousness that "I am master, I am God, I am this, I am that." No. That is called jñana and vairagya. Jñana-vairagya-yuktaya. And again it is confirmed, bhaktya. As soon as the bhakti word is used, there is no question of becoming master. Bhakti is used via media between Bhagavan and bhakta. The dealings of Bhagavan and bhakta is called bhakti. Bhakti, bhaja-dhatu. Bhaja-dhatu sevayam. Sevayam. Seva mean there is a sevaka and there is a master, sevya, one who is worshiped and one who serves. Then the process is called bhakti. Here it is also said, bhaktya. What kind of bhakti? Bhaktya sruta-grhitaya. Sruta, by hearing sruti, or Vedas. Completely on the basis of Vedic knowledge, that bhakti, not sentimental. Sentimental bhakti is also there, because the acceptance of Krṣṇa is there. Therefore there is some value. But real bhakti, Sri Jiva Gosvami has commented that bhakti based on understanding of Vedanta-sutra is perfect, on the basis of jñana, knowledge, and vairagya. That is... And Krṣṇa has also said, brahma-sutra-padais caiva hetumadbhir viniscitaiḥ; [Bg. 13.5]. Brahma-sutra means Vedanta-sutra.

So actually the Vedanta-sutra, everything is bhakti. But unfortunately, people have taken Vedanta in a different way, after the Sariraka-bhaṣya. But all the acaryas, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, they have all, they have commentated on the Vedanta-sutra. So Vedantist does not mean simply the Mayavadis. Actually Vedantists are the devotees. Because veda anta. Veda means knowledge, and anta means the last word. The last word is bhagavan. That is Vedanta. Here it is said, brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. If you understand by studying Vedanta simply Brahman realization, that is not perfect. If you understand Paramatma realization by studying Vedanta, that is also not perfect. When you come to understand Bhagavan, that is perfect. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ; [Bg. 15.15]. By studying Vedanta or all Vedic literatures, if you do not understand Krṣṇa, then srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8].

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

These things are required, jñana and vairagya. That is very easily achieved. Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ; prayojitaḥ;. If bhakti-yoga is adopted unto the Supreme Personality of God, Vasudeva, then very soon janayaty asu... Asu means very soon. Jñana-va iragyam ahaitukam.

The example you can see. These European and American boys and girls, how they have become vairagi? They have got immense opportunity for material enjoyment. Material enjoyment means money and woman. That is the standard of material enjoyment. So these boys, these girls, they have got enough. The money is thrown on the street. And woman is loitering on the street. You can pick up as many as you like. You see. That is the Western countries. But they have left everything. That is vairagya Why? Jñanam. They have obtained the real knowledge. Krṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. As Bhavananda Maharaja said. They are firmly fixed up. Krṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam, "Let us sacrifice our life for Krṣṇa." That is real jñana and vairagya. Bhaktya. This is to be understood, bhaktya. Because without bhakti, there is no admission in the kingdom of God. That is not possible. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas casmi tattvataḥ;
tato maṁ tattvato jñatva
visate tad-anantaram
[Bg. 18.55]

Visate means enter. One is admitted in the spiritual world... Paras tasmat tu bhavaḥ; anyaḥ;. There is spiritual world. There is another world. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanaḥ; [Bg. 8.20]. That sanatana-dhama you cannot enter without being a bhakta. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Those who enter that spiritual world, Brahman, nirviseṣa-brahman, because they are lacking in bhakti, they again falls down.

That is stated in the Bhagavata. Aruhya krcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ; patanty adhaḥ; anadrta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ;. Ye 'nye 'ravindakṣa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayaḥ; [SB 10.2.32]. There are certain persons, they are thinking, "Now I have become liberated." Ye 'nye 'ravindakṣa vimukta-maninaḥ;. Vimukta-maninaḥ; means "thinking that they have become liberated." But avisuddha-buddhayaḥ;, their intelligence is not yet clear. So what is the result? Suppose one realizes Brahman realization. He is not mukta? Yes, he is mukta. That's all right. But the intelligence is not yet purified. Why? Aruhya krcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ; [SB 10.2.32]. After undergoing sever austerities and penances, they rise up to the Brahmaloka, paraṁ padam. Patanty adhaḥ;, again falls down, again falls down. Why? Anadrta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ;. Just like the impersonal sky. You can go in the sky with your seedy airplane, but if you don't get a shelter in any planet, you will have to come again. Just like this moon planet-goers, going and coming. Why don't they stay there? So it doubtful whether they are going.

So anyway, this is the position of the nirviseṣa-vada. Because they do not enter in one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets... Because they are not bhaktas, they are not admitted. Without being bhakta, nobody is allowed to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Just like here in the sky there are millions and millions of planets, similarly, in the brahmajyoti there are also millions and millions of planets. They are called Vaikuṇṭhaloka. But in those Vaikuṇṭhalokas only bhaktas are admitted, not the nondevotees. They can go to the Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka is combination of the spirit souls. But spirit soul means part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, who is anandamaya. So they do not get that ananda. They simply are elevated to the position of eternity. But eternity without ananda. Just like you just imagine: suppose you are given a very nice place. You are ordered that "You live here eternally, but don't allow nobody else. You can live alone." How long you will live? Because as a living entity, as part and parcel of Krṣṇa, you want ananda. So ananda, you require society, friendship and love. That is ananda. That is not impersonalism. That is personalism. So unless you enter to the personal activities of Krṣṇa, there cannot be ananda. There cannot be. Unless you are qualified to dance with Krṣṇa or to play with Krṣṇa, to become father of Krṣṇa, mother of Krṣṇa, and enjoy the anandamayam, ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhiḥ; [Bs. 5.37], you cannot be happy. Therefore aruhya krcchreṇa. The brahma-pada, the Supreme, paraṁ padam, it is called paraṁ padam... Aruhya krcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ; patanty adhaḥ; [SB 10.2.32]. Adhaḥ;. They fall down. Therefore we see sometimes, big, big sannyasis, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithya, they give up this world, take sannyasa, but after some time they come to politics, to sociology. Why? If the jagat is mithya, why you are interested in politics and sociology an welfare acts? That means anadrta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ;: He could not get ananda without being in touch with the lotus feet of Krṣṇa. Therefore they come this ananda. Ananda. Aruhya krcchreṇa. This is practical.

So simply Brahman realization is not perfect. Simply Paramatma realization is also not perfect. When you realize Bhagavan, then you realize Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan simultaneously. That is ananda. That is ananda. That is available as it is. Pasyanty atmani catmanaṁ bhaktya sruta-grhitaya. Sruta-grhitaya, hearing. Therefore Rupa Gosvami says,

sruti-smrti-puraṇadi-
pañcaratra-vidhiṁ vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
[Brs. 1.2.101]

One who does not understand the bhakti philosophy through sruti, through Veda, smrti... Just like Bhagavad-gita is smrti. Sruti-smrti-puraṇadi [Brs. 1.2.101], and Narada-pañcaratra. Without reference to these books of knowledge, if one becomes a so-called devotee, that is not accepted by Rupa Gosvami. Here also it is said, bhaktya sruta-grhitaya. Sruta-grhitaya, knowledge, full knowledge, through Vedas, bhaktya, with devotion. Dry Vedic knowledge makes you impersonalist, only a partial realization. Therefore bhakti must be there. Bhakti means without any result or karma and jñana. Anyabhilaṣita-sunyaṁ jñana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. People are interested with dharma, artha, kama, mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. But Bhagavata says that above that, dharmaḥ; projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam... Dharma, artha, kama, mokṣa, they are cheating, because they are not giving directly the devotional service to the Lord. Dharma, artha, kama, mokṣa. Therefore Vyasadeva says, dharmartha-kama-mokṣa, dharmaḥ; projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaraṇaṁ vastavaṁ vastu vedyam atra [SB 1.1.2].

So if we want to understand the real reality, vastava-vastu, that is Krṣṇa, then this is the process. What is that?

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

You have to receive through the channel of parampara system, bhakti. Evaṁ parampara-praptam imaṁ rajarṣayo viduḥ; [Bg. 4.2]. Parampara. Adau gurvasrayam. Therefore we have to accept a guru who is coming in the parampara. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is parampara. Because the parampara was lost, Krṣṇa again said Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna. So as Arjuna understood, if you understand Bhagavad-gita as Arjuna understood, if you understand Krṣṇa, then your understanding of Krṣṇa is perfect. And if you invent some imaginary meaning, then you are srama eva hi kevalam, waste of time. So don't do that. Try to understand Krṣṇa as He is, as He speaks Himself about Himself, that "I am like this." What is the difficulty? If Krṣṇa says, if God says, "I am like this," why you are manufacturing ways and means to understand God, uselessly wasting time? God is giving His name, God is giving His address, God is giving His activities. Everything is there. Why don't you understand God? Why you are researching? This is called srama eva hi...

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

So don't waste time in searching out what is God. God is canvassing you, "I am God, here." Bhaktya sa... Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji maṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65].

So this Krṣṇa consciousness movement is not a manufactured way. It is simply the standard. Krṣṇa says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji maṁ namaskuru. We are preaching this philosophy. It is not difficult. Anyone can do it. Anyone can do it. It is not that I am playing something wonderful. What Wonderful? They talk about this, that I have done something wonderful. I do not know any wonderful thing. I only know to present Krṣṇa as He is. That's all. This is the secret. So anyone can understand Krṣṇa as He is from Bhagavad-gita or from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Why do they search out? Why they should invent some means? This is useless waste of time.

Thank you very much. Hare Krṣṇa. (end)

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