Nitai: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "In that position of self-realization, by practice of knowledge and renunciation in devotional service, one sees everything in the right perspective; he becomes indifferent to material existence, and the material influence acts less powerfully upon him."

Prabhupada:

jñana-vairagya-yuktena
bhakti-yuktena catmana
paripasyaty udasinaṁ
prakrtiṁ ca hataujasam
[SB 3.25.18]

The conditioned state of life means influence of material nature. When we are very much influenced by the material nature... We have already discussed: guṇa. Karaṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya [Bg. 13.22]. Material nature means the three guṇas, three material qualities: ignorance, passion and goodness. Goodness is better than the other two qualities, ignorance and passion. But mostly, especially in this age, they are conducted or influenced by the modes of ignorance and passion. People do not know what is the aim of life. Just like they are called sudras. Sudras means they do not know what is the aim of life. Just like animal. Animal does not know what is the aim of life. That is ignorance. And passion is power, creative power, or working for sense gratification. That is called passion. And goodness means knowledge. One can see what is what.

So we have discussed in the last verse how one becomes liberated.

tada puruṣa atmanaṁ
kevalaṁ prakrteḥ; param
nirantaraṁ svayaṁ-jyotir
aṇimanam akhaṇḍitam

Aṇimanam, aṇu. We are minute particle of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mamaivaṁso jiva-bhutaḥ; [Bg. 15.7]. We are not Krṣṇa, but Krṣṇa's part, minute part. That minute part also we have discussed—one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. So when we realize this, that "I am not God, but I am godly. I have got the quality of God..." I have given the example also: just like the sea and the drop of water of the sea. So chemically, the drop of water of the sea is the same quality. There is no change of taste or other chemical composition. Similarly, we should understand fully that we are simply qualitatively one with God, but quantitatively, God is great and we are very minute particle. This is self-realization. Therefore part and parcel. Mamaivaṁso jiva-bhutaḥ; [Bg. 15.7]. The all living entities, Krṣṇa says, "They are My part and parcel."

Part and parcel, we have several times explained. Just like in my body there are different parts, but the business of the part is to satisfy the central point, stomach. The leg is working, the hand is working, the eyes, the ears, everyone is working. Why working? To satisfy the stomach. The Hindi, there is a pe kaste, sat.(?) So similarly, we should work for Krṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Krṣṇa, therefore we should work for Krṣṇa. I can repeat the same story again: udarendriyaṇam. The indriyas, the different parts of the body, because they were working hard, and the stomach within the abdomen, he's simply eating, so they went on strike: "We shall no more work. This part is only simply..., this man is simply eating, and we are working. We shall not work." They stopped work. The indriyas, they stopped work. So gradually they became weak. So when next meeting, they saw that "We have become weak," therefore again decided that "Let us supply food to the stomach."This is sense.

So this godless society, the rascal society, who is, which has forgotten that we have to serve Krṣṇa, that is called dharmasya glaniḥ;. When the society forgets Krṣṇa and stops Krṣṇa's service, that is called dharmasya glaniḥ;. Real dharma means the characteristic. Dharma does not mean some rules and regulations. So just like sugar. Sugar, the characteristic of sugar is to become sweet. The characteristic of chili means to become hot. If sugar becomes hot and chili becomes sweet, then nobody cares for it. Similarly, our characteristic is to serve Krṣṇa. And when we serve anything other than Krṣṇa, that is our diseased condition of life. Just like this hand is meant for picking up something eatable and put it into the mouth. If it is unable to do it, then it is diseased. If the fingers and hands cannot pick up nice foodstuff and put into the mouth, then it is diseased condition. Similarly, when we are unable to serve Krṣṇa, or we do not serve Krṣṇa, we serve... Serving we are. That is a fact. We cannot become master. Nobody... Can anyone say that he is master? He's not serving anyone? Everyone is serving. That's a fact. Either you are serving your family or society or country or office or so many service. If anyone hasn't got to serve anything, then he picks up a master, a cat and dog, and serves him. Because service is my nature. But we are missing where to put the service. That is Krṣṇa. That is, that is Krṣṇa.

So when we understand that we are missing... We are serving, but we are having no pleasure. Kamadinaṁ kati na katidha palita durnidesaḥ;. We are serving... Instead of serving Krṣṇa, I am serving my lusty desires. Kama-lobhadi. If I go to serve any office, I am not going to serve that particular person, proprietor of the office, but I require some money. Therefore I am serving. So I am serving the money, not the person. Therefore it is said, kama-lobha. Lobha. We serve the... Service must be... Krṣṇa is the master. Ekale isvara krṣṇa ara saba bhrtya [Cc. Adi 5.142]. Only master is Krṣṇa, and anyone—all demigods or man or animal or trees or—anything, they are all servants. This is the position. And when one realizes this position, that "I am eternal servant of Krṣṇa, particle, part and parcel of Krṣṇa. My duty is to serve Krṣṇa," then it is called self-realization. Not that ahaṁ brahmasmi, "I become Bhagavan." How you become Bhagavan? If you are Bhagavan, if you are actually the supreme powerful, then why you are in miserable condition under maya? Does Bhagavan come under maya? No. Krṣṇa says, mama maya. Maya is the maidservant of Krṣṇa. And we are servant of maya. So how we can become maya, uh, Bhagavan? This is common sense. Had I been Bhagavan, then why I have become servant of maya?

Therefore we are engaged in the service of maya in so many phases and different names. Somebody's serving country, somebody's serving society, somebody's serving family, office, this, that, so many. This is maya's service. Now, when we come to our senses, that "I am..., so long I was engaged in maya's service. Now I have to engage myself in Krṣṇa's service," that is self-realization. That is described here that jñana-vairagya-yuktena. [SB 3.25.18] Jñana-vairagya. This is knowledge, that "I am servant of Krṣṇa. I am nobody's servant." This is jñana. Because I am in illusion, I am, for nothing, without any benefit, I am serving so many... Kamadinaṁ kati na katidha palita durnidesaḥ;. Kama-lobha. I am serving this kama, lobha, moha, matsarya, but without any benefit, without any pleasure. So when we come to this stage, to know, that is called jñanam. And as soon as you become jñani, actually in knowledge, then what is the next step? Vairagya. "No more I am serving anyone. I shall serve only Krṣṇa. That's all." This is called vairagya. Jñana-vairagya.

Therefore in the Bhagavata it is said,

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

If one is engaged in the service of Vasudeva, Krṣṇa, this knowledge also comes. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunaṁ janmanam ante jñanavan maṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, if one is actually jñani, seeking after knowledge, then he comes to this conclusion. What is this? Vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhaḥ; [Bg. 7.19]. This is mahatma, not anyone who is defying Krṣṇa and he's trying to become Krṣṇa. He's not mahatma; he's duratma. Mahatma means, vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. And knowing this, maṁ prapadyate. That is mahatma. Don't mistake mahatma, who is mahatma. What is the symptom of mahatma?

mahatmanas tu maṁ partha
daiviṁ prakrtim asritaḥ;
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñatva bhutadim avyayam
[Bg. 9.13]

He's mahatma. You cannot manufacture mahatma. This is the qualification of mahatma: vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], who knows that Krṣṇa is everything. Krṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. He is mahatma. And his business is mahatmanas tu maṁ partha daivim... [Bg. 9.13]. He is under the daivi-prakrti. There are two kinds of prakrtis: para-prakrti and apara-prakrti. Apara-prakrti means this material world, and daivi-prakrti is the spiritual world. So immediately, as soon as he understands this philosophy of life, that "I am uselessly serving this material world or the society, friendship, country and so on, so on, without serving Krṣṇa," that is called jñana, knowledge. And as soon as one comes to this knowledge, that knowledge is, that position is called brahma-bhuta [SB 4.30.20] stage. Brahman realization.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: brahma-bhutaḥ; prasannatma na socati na kaṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as one comes to this platform of knowledge, then he becomes prasannatma. "Oh, why I am serving these nonsense? I forgot that I am a spirit soul, minute particle of Krṣṇa. My business is to serve Krṣṇa." Just like... I have already explained. Part and parcel means serving the whole. That is called part and parcel. Any example you can take. In office there are so many workers, but they are working for satisfaction of the whole. Similarly, the whole is Krṣṇa. Anything, we individually or anything, they are meant for Krṣṇa's satisfaction. Isavasyam idaṁ sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. Upaniṣads. Isavasyam idaṁ sarvam. Anyone who has understood that everything belongs to Krṣṇa, Isa... Isa means Krṣṇa. Isa or isvara. There are so many isvaras or isa, but Isvara, real Isvara, is Krṣṇa. Isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; [Bs. 5.1]. And Krṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattaḥ; parataraṁ nanyat [Bg. 7.7]. There are many isvaras, or isas. That is all right, but "Nobody is greater than Me." That is Krṣṇa. Krṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. So this is jñana. So as soon as one comes to this conclusion, that "Krṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am Krṣṇa's part and parcel. I have got the same quality as Krṣṇa has got, but He is Prabhu, I am servant. He is master, and I am servant," this is perfect knowledge. Then jñana-vairagya-yuktena bhakti-yuktena [SB 3.25.18].

So bhakti means when one has attained real jñanam. Without real jñanam, nobody can become bhakta. The foolish person says that bhakti's meant for ajñani, or less intelligent. No. Bhakti is meant for the most intelligent person. Because bahunaṁ janmanam ante jñanavan maṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. You become experienced, very, very experienced, after many, many years. So it is not many, many years, but many, many births, one actually becomes jñani. And what is that jñana? Vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. That is jñanam. So long you cannot understand Krṣṇa, or Vasudeva, you should understand yourself that you are still fool. You may advertise yourself as very jñani, but you are fool. That is the shastric conclusion. Because if you are actually jñani, then you should have surrendered to Krṣṇa. That is also stated in another place in the Bhagavad... Mayaya apahrta-jñanaḥ;.

na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ;
prapadyante naradhamaḥ;
mayayapahrta-jñana
asuraṁ bhavam asritaḥ;
[Bg. 7.15]

Who does not surrender to Krṣṇa? These classes of men. What is that? Duṣkrtinaḥ;, always acting sinful activities. Because those who are sinful, they cannot understand Krṣṇa. Bahunaṁ janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. Or yeṣam anta-gataṁ papam. One who is completely free from papa, he can surrender to Krṣṇa. He can be engaged in devotional service.

So to become free from papa, sinful life, one may say that "It will take many years..." Because yeṣam anta-gataṁ papaṁ jananaṁ puṇya-karmaṇam. Unless we act piously, it is not possible to become free from impious, or sinful, life. But there is very simple process. What is that process? Krṣṇa says that process:

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

Ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-papebhyo mokṣayiṣyami. If you simply surrender to Krṣṇa, sarva-dharman... Sarva... There are many dharmas, or many activities or function. Some of them are pious; some of them are impious. There are two kinds. So Krṣṇa says, "You give up, pious and impious, both." That is sarva-dharman. Because we are acting piously and impiously. So you can give up both pious activities and impious activities. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was thinking that "Fighting with my brother, it is impious." So Krṣṇa was insisting that "You must fight." So how Arjuna could take impious activities? Because Krṣṇa's service is above these pious and impious activities. That is called sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. Just like the gopis. The gopis went to Krṣṇa at mid..., midnight, by simply hearing the flute of Krṣṇa. So young girl, going to Krṣṇa at midnight, this is impious activities. According to sastra, according to moral, it is impious activities. But because it was done for Krṣṇa, it is understood as the most pious. Recommends. Who recommends? Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargeṇa ya kalpita. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He was sannyasi. He was very, very strict. And no woman could come near Him to offer respects. He was very strict about woman. And now, He's saying, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargeṇa ya kalpita: "What can be more wonderful process of worship than as it was conceived by the gopis?" The six Gosvamis also: gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhur vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. So, so although it looks apparently that gopis went to Krṣṇa to dance with Him, that is not very moral, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that is the highest method of worshiping Krṣṇa.

So this requires jñanam. Therefore this is called transcendental knowledge, how serving Krṣṇa, one becomes transcendental to all these pious and impious activities. That requires knowledge.

maṁ ca yo 'vyabhicareṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

Pious and impious... Piety or impiety, they are within these material guṇas, qualities, good and bad. And Krṣṇa's service is transcendental, above good and bad. So that is called real knowledge, and if one is fortunate enough to understand this knowledge, then immediately he becomes detached to these material pious and impious activities. Bhaktiḥ; paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. That is called vairagya. Jñana-vairagya. Bhakti-yuktena. Without bhakti, there cannot be jñana and vairagya. Actually, the human life is meant for jñana and vairagya, for two things. Otherwise, we remain animal. The animal cannot attain any jñana, neither animal can attain any vairagya. That is animal qualification. But a human being, he has the opportunity to come to the stage of jñana and vairagya.

Jñana means to understand that "I am not this material body. I do not belong to this material body. I am a spirit soul. I am part and parcel of Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit, and I belong to the spiritual world. Therefore my business is to finish this material world business and go back to home, back to Godhead." This is jñana, knowledge. Therefore we have to understand Krṣṇa. If we have to go somewhere, we must know where we are going. Because we are serving here. Now, another program has to be made to serve Krṣṇa and live there in the spiritual world. So we have to understand Krṣṇa very nicely. That... And if you can understand Krṣṇa... Janma karma me divyaṁ yo janati tattvataḥ; [Bg. 4.9]. To understand Krṣṇa in truth, that is not very easy task. That is very, very difficult task. Even the muktas cannot understand Krṣṇa. Manuṣyaṇaṁ sahasreṣu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Siddhi means mukti, liberation. Kascid yatati. Who is trying for liberation? Nobody's trying. But still, there are somebodies who are trying for liberation. So Krṣṇa says, yatatam api siddhanam [Bg. 7.3]. After being liberated, those who are trying to understand Krṣṇa, some of them can understand Krṣṇa in truth, tattvataḥ;. Therefore you have to understand Krṣṇa tattvataḥ;, what is Krṣṇa.

So if you can understand Krṣṇa... Janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. Krṣṇa says that "If you can understand Me, how I come here, how I come, I play the part of a human being and teach the whole world, Bhagavad-gita, what is My mission, why I come, everything, where is My residence, what is My father's name..." People are searching after God, but God is canvassing, "Please understand Me. Here I am." But people will not understand. So what God will help you? How can He help you? He says everything. Now, "I come from My Vaikuṇṭha, or spiritual world." Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanaṁ srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. "At that time I come. And I teach. And what do I teach? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]." This is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot make Hindu dharma, just like you cannot make any law. This is... Suppose the government is there. Now, you cannot say that "We Hindus, we have made this law," "We Muslim, we have made this law," "We Parsees, we have made this law." No. What all law is given by the government you have to accept, either you are Hindu, Muslim, or Christian and Hin... It doesn't matter. Therefore dharma means to accept the law of God. Not that you manufacture something. Therefore in the Bhagavata it is said, dharmaḥ; projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. All cheating type of dharma is rejected, kicked out. Because real dharma is what is given by God. And what God says? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam... [Bg. 18.66]. This is real dharma. This is real dharma.

So we have to learn this, what Krṣṇa says. We have to understand Krṣṇa by tattva, by truth. Then we become liberated. That is called jñana-vairagya. And as soon as you become learned scholar about Krṣṇa, then you become immediately detached to this material world, and... Jñana-vairagya-yuktena bhakti-yuktena [SB 3.25.18]. Then real bhakti begins. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:

brahma-bhutaḥ; prasannatma
na socati na kaṅkṣati
samaḥ; sarveṣu bhuteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

Bhakti begins there, where jñana-vairagya is complete. Not that foolish person... But one can say that "In our society there are not many very learned scholars." No, there are learned scholars. But even there are fool... Just like the children. A child, he also chants and dances, so he will attain this jñana and vairagya. The other day I was asking the boy. He's not very learned scholar. So I asked him, "What is Krṣṇa?" He immediately said, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." That is jñana-vairagya result. Bahunaṁ janmanam ante jñanavan maṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. He was already got the knowledge. What you have to learn it, after many, many births, a child, a boy, has already learned it. Here is the boy. He said, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then what is that? Similarly, instead of endeavoring jñana and vairagya artificially, you accept what Krṣṇa says. Immediately you become jñani and vairagi. Immediately.

So our Krṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that even a child can be on the highest position of jñana and vairagya—if he takes the word of Krṣṇa by association, good association. Saṅgat sañjayate kamaḥ;. So this Krṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for giving chance to people to take the advantage of association of jñani and vairagi. Not fools and rascals, but jñani and vairagi. Jñana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12] Bhakti-yuktena ca atmana [SB 3.25.18]. Then, what is the result? Paripasyaty udasinaṁ prakrtim, prakrtiṁ ca hataujasam. Now prakrti has no more any influence. No more attraction for cinema. No. No more attraction for cigarette. You see practically. These are young men from Europe and America. Because they have taken to Krṣṇa consciousness, they have no more any attraction for meat-eating, cigarette or cinema. No. This is called vairagya. How they attained this vairagya? Only for this bhakti. Bhakti-yuktena.

So the real purpose of life is to attain jñana and vairagya. This is the meant for human life. Because we are suffering in this material condition on account of ignorance, no jñana. I am not this body, but I am thinking "I am this body," "I am American." I am not actually so. I am thinking "American," "I am Engli...," "Pakistani," "I am Hindustani." And fighting. This whole world is going on on this ajñana. Because I am not this body. But the whole world is being conducted this ajñana. And there is no vairagya. Very much attached. The so-called family, society, love and... Everything will be finished as soon as this body is finished. No more love, no more family, no more attraction. So this is going on—ajñana and attachment. Moha, illusion. Ato grha-kṣetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8].

So this ahaṁ mameti, this is ajñana. So when one is jñani, then this influence of material nature, ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8], will be reduced to nil. That is, it is said, prakrtiṁ ca hataujasam. "Now no more prakrti can disillusion me that I am this body, and in bodily relation everything is mine." This ajñana, ignorance, is immediately mitigated, and he becomes free. Brahma-bhutaḥ; prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. "Then I do not belong to all these things. Why I am falsely inclined to all these things? So it will come, how?" This bhakti-yuktena. If you take to bhakti-yoga, these things automatically...

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

How he became so powerful jñani? It is very difficult to understand, how a small boy, and he's saying Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personalty of Godhead? Not only he—even a small child. There is another small child, only five years old. He goes to preach, "You know what is Krṣṇa?" And somebody says, "No, I do not know." "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." Anyway she has learned, that is jñana. But that is a fact. I may not know to analyze what is fire, but my father has said, "This is fire. Don't touch it. It will burn." So that's all right. He may be child, but he has got the real knowledge. Similarly, by hearing process, sruta-parampara... Evaṁ parampara-praptam imaṁ rajarṣayo viduḥ; [Bg. 4.2]. If you go through the process of disciplic succession, hearing from the authorities, you may be fool, I may be fool, but because I am hearing from the authority, my knowledge is perfect. My knowledge is perfect. Just like I may be imperfect. I don't say that I am perfect. But I am speaking to the whole world, "Krṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." The same thing. As the child says, as the boys says, I am also saying the same thing. But it is becoming effective because this is the fact. This is the fact. I don't make any miracles or create any gold or this or that. No. These boys and girls, they are captivated to me not by miracles, but by chanting Hare Krṣṇa. Because this is the fact.

So Krṣṇa consciousness is not very difficult thing. You try to understand Krṣṇa.

janma karma me divyaṁ
yo janati tattvataḥ;
tyaktva dehaṁ punar janma
naiti...
[Bg. 4.9]

This will be the effect. If you simply try to understand Krṣṇa by this Krṣṇa consciousness movement,... You can understand by chanting only Hare Krṣṇa mantra, but if you think yourself that you are very learned scholar, scientist and philosopher, we have got dozens of books like this. You can read. And try to understand Krṣṇa. Simply by understanding Krṣṇa, you'll be successful in your life.

Thank you very much. (end)

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