Prabhupada: (leads chanting, etc.)

variyan eṣa te prasnaḥ;
krto loka-hitaṁ nrpa
atmavit-sammataḥ; puṁsaṁ
srotavyadiṣu yaḥ; paraḥ;
[SB 2.1.1]

srotavyadini rajendra
nrṇaṁ santi sahasrasaḥ;
apasyatam atma-tattvaṁ
grheṣu grha-medhinam
[SB 2.1.2]

So Parikṣit Maharaja questioned. So Sukadeva Gosvami... "What is my duty? Now I am going to die within seven days, what is my duty?" So he enquired about Krṣṇa because Parikṣit Maharaja, born in a Vaiṣṇava family, Arjuna's grandson... Paṇḍavas, they are Vaiṣṇavas and devotee of Krṣṇa, so from the childhood he had the opportunity to worship Krṣṇa. He was playing with Krṣṇa Deity, so naturally he was inclined to hear about Krṣṇa. So he enquired, "What is my duty? Shall I simply hear about Krṣṇa, or something else?" So on hearing this question, Sukadeva Gosvami is congratulating, variyan eṣa te prasnaḥ;: [SB 2.1.1] "Oh, your question is very wonderful, very welcome, variyan." Variyan means "very welcome," what I have given, variyan. "Glorious, yes. Glorious prasnaḥ;, because you have enquired about Krṣṇa."

So variyan eṣa te prasnaḥ; krto loka-hitaṁ nrpa: [SB 2.1.1] "My dear king, this question is all-auspicious for all the people of the world." If you simply enquire about Krṣṇa or hear about Krṣṇa, even though we do not understand, but that vibration of Krṣṇa... Just like we are chanting "Hare Krṣṇa," we may not understand what is meaning of Hare Krṣṇa, but still, because it is transcendental sound, it is auspicious. Wherever you chant Hare Krṣṇa, they may hear or they may not hear, it is auspicious for them. So we are sending our men for street saṅkirtana. It doesn't matter whether people are eager to hear it or not, but it is auspicious. It will create an atmosphere which is very, very congenial to the human society. That should be our principle. Not that because we are chanting, nobody is taking care, we shall not be disappointed. Our, this saṅkirtana movement is so nice that simply by chanting, the vibration will create an auspicious atmosphere, variyan eṣa te prasnaḥ; [SB 2.1.1]. Now you can practically see, those who are old members... So I began in this New York in that storefront simply by chanting. So I did not bribe you American boys and girls to come after me. This is the only asset was chanting. That in Tompkinson square park, this Brahmananda Swami he first came to dance in my chant. (laughter) He and Acyutananda, that was the first dancing of our Krṣṇa conscious movement. (laughter) Yes. And I had no mrdaṅgas. That was a, what is that?

Devotee: (indistinct) drum.

Prabhupada: Drum, little drum. So I was chanting Hare Krṣṇa for from two to five, three hours, and so many boys and girls were coming and joining, and there was first photograph in the Times, New York Times, they appreciated, and people also appreciated. So this chanting, the beginning was only chanting. There was no, nothing more. At that time there was no program of prasada distribution. That, later on it came. So we should always be confident that this chanting is not a vibration of this material world. This is not vibration of material world. Narottama dasa Ṭhakura says, golokera prema-dhana hari-nama-saṅkirtana. It is imported from the spiritual world. It is completely spiritual. Otherwise how it is possible? Sometimes the so-called yogis, they say that chanting... In Bombay there is a so-called rascal, he says, "The chanting of Hare Krṣṇa mantra and chanting of Coca-cola is the same." He is such a rascal. He does not know that this is not a vibration of this material world. But one who has no knowledge, they think that "What is the meaning of this chant, 'Hare Krṣṇa, Hare Krṣṇa'?" But they can practically see that we can go on chanting day and night, still we shall not become tired, but any other material name you take, after chanting three times you will feel tired. That is the proof. You can go on chanting day and night, you will never feel tired. So these people, poor people, they have (no) brain to understand.

Anyway, the chanting is so auspicious, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given His benediction, ceto-darpaṇa-marjanaṁ bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. We are suffering in this material world because we are not cleansed of our understanding or of our heart. The heart is not cleansed. So this chanting will help us to cleanse the heart.

srṇvataṁ sva-kathaḥ; krṣṇaḥ;
puṇya-sravaṇa kirtanaḥ;
hrdy antaḥ; stho abhadraṇi
vidhunoti suhrt satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Chanting is so nice that as soon as you take to chanting, or hear about Krṣṇa—the chanting is also hearing about Krṣṇa—so immediately the cleansing process begins, ceto-darpaṇa-marjanaṁ [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And as soon as our heart is cleansed, bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapaṇam, then we become free from the blazing fire of this material existence. So chanting is so auspicious, therefore Parikṣit Maharaja here, Sukadeva Gosvami says, variyan eṣa te prasnaḥ; krto loka-hitaṁ nrpa [SB 2.1.1]. In another place also, Sukadeva Gosva..., Suta, Suta Gosvami says, yat krtaḥ; krṣṇa-samprasno yayatma suprasidati. When the great saintly persons in the Naimiṣaraṇya enquired about Krṣṇa, he replied like that. Yat krtaḥ; krṣṇa-samprasnaḥ;: "Because you have enquired about Krṣṇa, it will cleanse your heart, yenatma suprasidati. You will feel a very transcendental bliss, comfort, within your heart."

So variyan eṣa te prasnaḥ; krto loka-hitam [SB 2.1.1]. Loka-hitam. Actually our, this movement is the prime welfare activities to the human society, loka-hitam. It is not a business. Business means my hitam, my benefit only. It is not. It is Krṣṇa's business. Krṣṇa's business means Krṣṇa is for everyone; therefore Krṣṇa's business is meant for everyone. We therefore welcome everyone. There is no distinction. "Come here and chant," loka-hitam. And a sadhu, a saintly person should always think of loka-hitam. That is the difference between sadhu and ordinary man. Ordinary man, he thinks only of himself, or expanded himself, for family, for community, for society, for nation. These are all expanded selfishness. Expanded. When I am alone, I am thinking of my benefit only. When I am little grown up, I think of my brothers and sisters, and when I am little advanced, I think of my family. Little advanced, I think of my community. Little advanced, I think of my country, my nation. Or I can think of the whole human society, internationally. But Krṣṇa is so big that Krṣṇa includes everyone. Not only human society, animal society, bird society, beast society, tree society—everything. Krṣṇa says, ahaṁ bija-pradaḥ; pita: [Bg. 14.4] "I am the seed-giving father of all these forms." There are 8,400,000 different kinds of forms. Krṣṇa claims "They, all of them, are My part and parcel living entities, but they are now covered by different dress only. But they are living entities." This is Krṣṇa consciousness vision.

Therefore one who is actual Krṣṇa conscious, paṇḍita, paṇḍitaḥ; sama-darsinaḥ;... [Bg. 5.18]. Paṇḍitaḥ;, he does not see the outward dress; he sees the living entity encased in this particular type of body. So he has no concern with the body. Therefore a sadhu always thinks of everyone's benefit. Just like Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami. Of the Gosvamis it is said, lokanaṁ hita-kariṇau tri-bhuvane manyau. Because they were benefactor for all kinds of living entity, therefore they were honored tri-bhuvane, in three worlds. Tri-bhuvane. Lokanaṁ hita-kariṇau. Nana-sastra-vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau. A sadhu's business is for the benefit of all living entities. A sadhu does not like to cut even a tree, because he knows, "Here is a living entity. He is standing here for many years by his karma, and he has to continue this for many years more. So he cannot avoid this because it is nature's law." Just like if you are put into prison for six months, nobody can save you, nobody can make you less, one day less than six months. So we get our particular type of body, we have to remain in that body for a certain period by the laws of nature. So by cutting the body—the living entity does not die—but because we check the continuation of his period, therefore we become sinful. You cannot cut even a tree without Krṣṇa's purpose. Without Krṣṇa's purpose we cannot kill even an ant, we cannot cut even a tree, then we shall be liable to punishment. So a sadhu sees that "Here is also a living entity." Paṇḍitaḥ; sama...

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmaṇe gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
paṇḍitaḥ; sama-darsinaḥ;
[Bg. 5.18]

Paṇḍita does not make any discrimination that "Here is an animal, here is a man." No, he sees, "The animal is also part and parcel of Krṣṇa. He has got a different body, and the man also, he is also a part and parcel of Krṣṇa, he has got a different body. Karmaṇa, according to one's karma, he is put into different type." So loka-hitam.

Now, this krṣṇa-samprasnaḥ;, the question and answer about Krṣṇa, if we simply hear, that is recommendation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sthane sthitaḥ; sruti-gataṁ tanu-vaṅ-manobhir. You remain (in) your position, but you try to hear about Krṣṇa. That is recommended. Simply you come in this temple and try to hear about Krṣṇa, sthane sthitaḥ; sruti-gataṁ tanu-vaṅ. That will purify. Krṣṇa-kirtana, Krṣṇa's name is so powerful, simply if you hear "Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa," you become purified. You become purified. Therefore it is said, variyan eṣa te prasnaḥ; krto loka-hitaṁ nrpa, atmavit-sammataḥ; [SB 2.1.1]. Atmavit. It is not that I am only eulogizing. Atmavit-sammataḥ;. All great personalities who is self-realized, atmavit. Atmavit means one who knows atma. General people, they do not know atma. But atmavit means one who knows atma, ahaṁ brahmasmi, "I am spirit soul, I am not this body," and one who is well-acquainted about this atma-tattva. So unless one becomes aware of this atma-tattva, whatever he is doing, he is being defeated. They are seeing... Generally people, they are thinking that "I am now constructing this big skyscraper building. I am successful. I have become Rothschild, I have become Paul(?)." That is not atma-vit. Atma-vit... Because he is materially opulent, that does not mean atma-vit. That's a subject matter that will be discussed in the next verse, apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]. One who cannot see his atma: grheṣu grha-medhinam. They are compact in this materialistic way of life, grheṣu grha-medhinam. Their condition is very... Actually this is the position of the whole world. They are not atma-vit. They do not enquire atma-tattvam; therefore they are less intelligent. Therefore I say that we, our propaganda is to make people more intelligent. They might not have taken it very nicely. They thought that "This poor swami has come to make us intelligent." But actually that is the fact. That is the fact. This is not intelligence, that, bodily concept of life, "I spoil my whole life for bodily comforts, and then after giving up this body, I become a cat and dog." Then what is that intelligence? Is that very good intelligence? Actually it has happened. I do not wish to discuss. Our Godbrother, Sridhara Maharaja, says... He was speaking from a paper that one of our great politician, very, in India, he has now become a dog in Sweden. It is published. There were enquiries about some prominent men in India, and he has answered, and one of the answer is, "Such-and-such politician, he is now one of the two dogs of a gentleman in Sweden." You see. So this time, in this life I may become very big man, or big politician, big diplomat, big businessman, but next life, after your death, it is your big, your greatness of this material will not help you. That will depend on your work, and nature will offer you a certain type of body, you'll have to accept. Of course you will forget. That is the concession given by nature. Just like we do not remember what we had been in our past life. If I remember that suppose I was a king in my past life, now I have become a dog, then how much suffering it will be. Therefore by nature's law one forgets. And death means this forgetfulness. Death means this forgetfulness.

So this is a great science. People do not know it. Our Krṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific, authorized, so our business is to enlighten people as far as possible, and at the same time we must remain enlightened. We may not be again covered by the darkness of maya. That we should be... That you can keep yourself very fit not to be covered by the maya. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etaṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. If you very strictly adhere to the principle of Krṣṇa consciousness, then maya will not be able to touch you. That is the only remedy. Otherwise maya is always looking after the opportunity, loophole, how she can capture you again. But if you remain strictly in Krṣṇa consciousness, maya will not be able to do anything. Mam eva ye prapadyante. Daivi hy eṣa guṇa-mayi mama maya duratyaya. It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of maya. It is very difficult. But Krṣṇa says, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etaṁ taranti te: [Bg. 7.14] if one is strictly adhering to the lotus feet of Krṣṇa, always... Therefore our, this program is twenty-four hours thinking of Krṣṇa. Satatam. Satataṁ cintayo krṣṇa. Kirtaniyaḥ; sada hariḥ; [Cc. Adi 17.31]. These are the recommended. So if we simply think of Krṣṇa... If you cannot do anything, simply think of Him. That is the highest meditational perfection. So always chant Hare Krṣṇa mantra, be in touch with Krṣṇa in so many ways, then you are secure. Maya will not be able to touch you. And if we can somehow or other pass our days and at the time of death we remember Krṣṇa, then the whole life is successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

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