Prabhupada: What is that difficulty?

Hari-sauri: This was yesterday's verse, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: All right, just go on. What is that?

Devotee:

tvam adyaḥ; puruṣaḥ; sakṣad
isvaraḥ; prakrteḥ; paraḥ;
mayaṁ vyudasya cic-chaktya
kaivalye sthita atmani
[SB 1.7.23]

"You are the original Personality of Godhead who expands Himself all over the creations and is transcendental to material energy. You have cast away the effects of the material energy by dint of Your spiritual potency. You are always situated in eternal bliss and transcendental knowledge."

Prabhupada:

tvam adyaḥ; puruṣaḥ; sakṣad
isvaraḥ; prakrteḥ; paraḥ;
mayaṁ vyudasya cic-chaktya
kaivalye sthita atmani

So, we have to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead through authority, not by speculation. Speculation is no use.

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
na canya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan
[SB 10.14.29]

The Supreme Personality of Godhead can be known by a person who has got a slight favor of the Lord upon him. This is the Vedic version. Nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena. Atma, the Supreme Absolute Truth, cannot be understood... Nayam atma na pravacanena labhyaḥ;... By becoming a great debater one can understand the Supreme—that's not possible. Nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na bahuna srutena. Nor by a person who is very vastly learned or by a great scientist or philosopher, na medhaya—in this way we cannot understand. But one who is surrendered, he can understand. Arjuna is surrendered. In every case he surrendered to Krṣṇa. As soon as there is any problem... Problem or no problem, he surrendered. Not that "When there is problem I am surrendered, and when there is no problem I am independent." No. Always surrendered. That is Arjuna's position.

So we have to follow. People are searching after God. They do not know God. They are asking this question, "Can you show me God?" So, so many questions are there about God, but here is God, pointed out by Arjuna, a mahajana. Mahajano yena gataḥ; sa panthaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Why should you not accept? That is our Krṣṇa consciousness movement. "Why you are searching God. Here is God, as Arjuna says." Tvam adyaḥ; puruṣaḥ;: "You are the original person." Tvam adyaḥ; puruṣaḥ;. Puruṣa means enjoyer. God is not female. Sometimes they worship a female as God, like Durga, Kali, and so many others. But God is puruṣa. Everyone is prakrti. Prakrti means female. Everyone knows it. There are two things, prakrti and puruṣa. The puruṣa is the enjoyer, and prakrti is the enjoyed. Or, in other words, puruṣa is the predominator and prakrti is predominated. So we are prakrti. The Mayavada philosophy is that prakrti wants to become puruṣa. And that is not possible. Suppose a woman, if she dresses like a man, does it mean that she has become a man? No. Or a man dresses like a woman, does it mean that he has become woman? Simply by outward dress? No. Puruṣa, the only puruṣa is Krṣṇa. That is very nicely explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta: ekale isvara krṣṇa, ara saba bhrtya [Cc. Adi 5.142]. Only Krṣṇa is puruṣa. He's the enjoyer. All others, they are servants. This is the position. Never try to become the puruṣa or the master. That is very dangerous. Always remain prakrti. Prakrti means to be controlled or controlled, and puruṣa means the controller. So here is the supreme controller: tvam adyaḥ; puruṣaḥ; sakṣat. Not that "You were made by some means." Sakṣat, directly. Sakṣat. And isvara. Sakṣad isvaraḥ;. Not artificial isvara. Sakṣad isvaraḥ;.

So where is the difficulty to understand God, isvara, or the puruṣa? There is no difficulty. Krṣṇa personally says that mattaḥ; parataraṁ nanyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ; [Bg. 10.8]. So many things. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etaṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Everything is explained sakṣat, directly. Where is the difficulty to find out God? They are searching after God, making research, all nonsense speculation. This is our Krṣṇa consciousness movement, that "Why you are searching?" You say, "Can you show me God?" Why don't you see, "Here is God"? Why, just like the owl you have closed your eyes, not to see the sun? Sun is there. See. Open your eyes and see it. The whole world is going on that "There is no God" or "God is dead" or "Can you show me God?" And "I am God by meditation," "This way," "That way." This is going on. Whole world, especially at the present moment, it is a great disastrous condition, godless civilization. They won't accept the real God, and they'll create some artificial God and become God, "Everyone is God," like that. No.

Therefore if you want to be benefited, then you must take the shelter of mahajana, great personalities. Mahajano yena gataḥ; sa panthaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. If you are perplexed that "Who is mahajana? How can I find him?" that is also explained in the sastra. Mahajana, dvadasa-mahajana:

svayambhur naradaḥ; sambhuḥ;
kumaraḥ; kapilo manuḥ;
prahlado janako bhiṣmo
balir vaiyasakir vayam
[SB 6.3.20]

So where is the difficulty? Mahajano yena gataḥ; sa panthaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You follow the path of mahajana-Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Bhiṣma. There are grhasthas, there are brahmacaris, sannyasi. Brahma, Lord Brahma is mahajana; he's grhastha. Svayambhu, Narada, he's brahmacari. Svayambhur naradaḥ; sambhuḥ; [SB 6.3.20]—Lord Siva, he's also grhastha. Prahlada Maharaja, he's also grhastha. It doesn't matter whether you are grhastha or sannyasi or brahmacari. You must become actual representative of Krṣṇa. That is mahajana. And that is also not very difficult. How you can become representative of Krṣṇa? That is explained by Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

yare dekha, tare kaha 'krṣṇa'-upadesa
amara ajñaya guru haña tara' ei desa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

If you simply speak what Krṣṇa says, then you become His representative. Don't manufacture. Don't be over good at (indistinct) manufacturing. Simply to follow Krṣṇa and His representatives, then you become mahajana. Otherwise you are a nonsense. Muḍha. Na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ; prapadyante naradhamaḥ; [Bg. 7.15]. That is the test. One should be very very careful to follow Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never said that "I am directly servant of Krṣṇa." No. Gopi-bhartuḥ; pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasa-dasanudasaḥ;: "Servant of the servant of the servant of the..." The more you become servant of the servant, you are perfect [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. And as soon as you declare independence, you are rascal. This is the process. We should always remain most obedient servant of my master.

yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthaḥ;
prakasante mahatmanaḥ;
[SU 6.23]

Then it will reveal. The whole thing is revelation. It is not by experience, by scholarship. No: revelation. Ye yatha maṁ prapadyante. One who has surrendered proportionately, God reveals. Ye yatha maṁ prapadyante taṁs tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11].

So there is no difficulty to understand what is God. Here is Krṣṇa, the Supreme Lord-directly. I do not know why people are searching after God, why they do not know what is God. Just see. That means muḍha. Although God is here, still, he'll not accept. That is muḍha, naradhama. And why he's muḍha? Because naradhama. He does not take the process. He wants to manufacture something. Don't do that. Here Arjuna is mahajana, he's Krṣṇa's friend, he's always with Krṣṇa, and Krṣṇa recognizes him. Not that because one is always with Krṣṇa, therefore he knows Krṣṇa. No. That is not possible. Just like I have given this example many times, that I am sitting here, and the bug is also sitting here. That does not mean we are very confidential. No. Bug is different visions (business?), and my business different. And bug's business is biting. That kind of association will not help. Association means to develop love for the person. That is association.

dadati pratigrhṇati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva
ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ priti-lakṣaṇam

So we have to become associate of Krṣṇa, as Arjuna became. Always with Krṣṇa-eating with Krṣṇa, sitting with Krṣṇa, talking with Krṣṇa, joking with Krṣṇa, fighting with Krṣṇa—everything Krṣṇa. That is wanted. Not a single moment. Therefore Krṣṇa certifies, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: [Bg. 4.3] "My dear Arjuna, you are very dear to Me." Naturally if Arjuna is always with Krṣṇa, sitting with Krṣṇa, talking with Krṣṇa, consulting with Krṣṇa, joking with Krṣṇa, eating with Krṣṇa, so why he should not be very dear? Krṣṇa, does He remain with anyone unless he is very dear? So bhakto 'si priyo 'si me sakha ceti. So we have to become, we have to establish some relation with Krṣṇa—as servant, as a friend, as a son, as a father, mother, or like the gopis, madhurya-rasa, friend. That is also... Conjugal love. Krṣṇa is ready to associate with you in any way you like. Somebody likes Krṣṇa as friend, somebody likes Krṣṇa as husband, somebody likes Krṣṇa as paramour. So Krṣṇa is ready. Somebody likes Krṣṇa as son. So any way, Krṣṇa is ready. We have got these five relations in this material world. There is no other relation. And there are other relationship also. Krṣṇa also ready to accept... If you want Krṣṇa as enemy, yes, Krṣṇa is ready. He'll kill you. But that is also good for you. If you want to fight with Krṣṇa, yes, Krṣṇa is ready—everything. Akhila-rasamrta-sindhu. He can associate with you in any rasa, humor, you like. Krṣṇa's ready. Ready means that is natural. Because we are part and parcel of Krṣṇa, so the part and parcel must remain with Krṣṇa.

So you have to remain with Krṣṇa in some relationship. Here our relationship is through this external energy, maya. The relationship is there. Although we have tried to give up our relationship with Krṣṇa, but Krṣṇa has not given up. Krṣṇa is always with you. Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. He is within your heart. Why? Just to give you association. Now we are rebelled. You want to do something independently. Krṣṇa also has agreed, "All right. You do independently. But it is not possible for you to live independently. That is not possible. So I'll give you sanction for independent living." Just see how Krṣṇa is friend. You cannot live independently. That is not possible. Because you are aṁsa. Aṁsa means part and parcel. Just like this finger. Finger is finger so long he's with the body; otherwise who cares his finger? Suppose a finger is cut and thrown in the street. Who cares for it? The finger is important so long it is with the body. Similarly, we are always with Krṣṇa indirectly or directly. But here Arjuna sees sakṣat, directly. But we are forced to accept Krṣṇa indirectly, maya. Arjuna is mayaṁ vyudasya. He has no intervention by maya. And we have got intervention by maya. Therefore we cannot see Krṣṇa. But Krṣṇa is always there. Krṣṇa is always there.

isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ
hrd-dese 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantraruḍhani mayaya
[Bg. 18.61]

This rascal, he wants to wander within this material world in different capacities. Sometime he's demigod, sometime he's dog, sometime he's tree, sometime he's fish, sometime he is president, sometime he's a nonsense. In this way, in different ways, he is suffering in this material world, and Krṣṇa is with him, trying to get him back. And whenever there is opportunity, He's asking, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇam: [Bg. 18.66] "You rascal, why you are suffering in this way? You give up all this nonsense business. You simply surrender to Me." That is Krṣṇa's ambition, that "This rascal is suffering, so better give him good instruction."

Therefore Krṣṇa's coming. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. "These rascals have forgotten. All right, let Me go and convince them, try to bring them back." Therefore Krṣṇa comes: tadatmanaṁ srjamy aham. Paritraṇaya sadhunam [Bg. 4.8]. Those who are sadhu, devotees, they became immediately relieved by getting Krṣṇa. And those who are rascals, they had to be killed. But that killing is also good for them. Just like father—to some son he gives directly rasagulla, and to other son, slaps. But father is father, either slapping or giving rasagulla, he's father. Similarly, we should not be sorry when the father gives slaps, and we should not be overjubilant when father gives his rasagulla. Any condition. That is devotion. A devotee is never disturbed when the father gives slap or the master gives slap. Tat te 'nukampaṁ su-samikṣamaṇo bhuñjana evatma-krtaṁ vipakam [SB 10.14.8]. So any way, Krṣṇa is always ready to help me and to give me knowledge and to understand. Where is the difficulty? This is Krṣṇa consciousness movement. There is not at all difficulty. Simply because we do not take advice of Krṣṇa, we are suffering. This is the difficulty. This is the only difficulty. Where is the difficulty? No difficulty. Simply, if you simply think of Krṣṇa, you become advanced. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktaḥ;. Yoginam api sarveṣaṁ mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. There is no expenditure, no loss. The gain is great. Simply if you think of Krṣṇa: man-mana bhava mad-bhaktaḥ;. Where is the difficulty?

But we are so rascal that we do not take advice of Krṣṇa, we manufacture our own ways, the suffering goes on. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etaṁ taranti. This is maya. He's thinking that he'll make his own plan and be happy. That will never be possible. The only plan you have to accept—what is that? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇam [Bg. 18.66]. That is the only plan. You have to get yourself relieved from all other engagements. Simply engage yourself... Not immediately. First of all, you must ready: "Krṣṇa, from this day, I am now ready. Whatever You'll say, I'll do." That's... Immediately you become liberated. Liberated. How liberated? Liberation is achieved after so many years tapasya? No. Immediately. As soon as you surrender to Krṣṇa. How? Krṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-papebhyo mokṣayiṣyami. If we are sincerely surrendering to Krṣṇa, immediately... Our, this material sufferings, why? Due to our sinful activities. Sinful activities mean anything you do without any purpose to serve to Krṣṇa, that is sinful. That is sinful. Not that "In the material calculation this is very good work, the opening of hospital or this or that, very good work. And Deity worship and going to the temple is bogus." You may think like that. But that, your opening of hospital is sinful. That is going on nowadays. One becomes very great philanthropist, rejecting... They say, "What is the use of this temple worship?" The daridra-narayaṇa-seva. Narayaṇa has now become daridra. Formerly Narayaṇa was husband of the goddess of fortune. And now he has become daridra. So serve this Narayaṇa. This, they're manufacturing, concoction. This is not... That means sinful activities. Because he has manufactured something, that is sinful. Therefore Krṣṇa says plainly that "You rascal, you give up any other engagement, even if you think it is very pious activity, very philanthropic. You give up." Sarva-dharman. Sarva means whatever you think pious and whatever you think impious, both of them should be given up. Because there are two kinds of activities: pious or impious. And sarva includes pious and impious.

So you have to give up everything. Simply you have to become ready. "My Lord, I am now fully surrendered. Whatever You ask me, I shall do it." Then you are liberated person. Iha yasya harer dasye. That is Rupa Gosvami's instruction. Anyone who has determined like this that "I shall simply serve Krṣṇa. That's all." Iha yasya harer dasye karmaṇa manasa gira: by work, by mind, by body, or by words. One has decided like that, nikhilasv apy avasthasu jivan-muktaḥ; sa ucyate: in any condition of life, he's liberated. Any condition of life. Because that iha yasya harer dasye. Simply he's thinking of how to serve Krṣṇa, how to serve Krṣṇa. He is liberated. So what is there wrong or what is there difficulty? If you simply think of man-manaḥ;, always think of Krṣṇa: "What shall I do?" "Oh, yes. My representative is there. You take permission from him and do it." Where is the difficulty? There's no difficulty. But because we are muḍha, naradhamas, we are manufacturing and suffering.

Thank you very much. (end)

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