Prabhupada: (devotees repeat) Oṁ namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Six, Chapter One, verse number fifteen.

kecit kevalaya bhaktya
vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;
aghaṁ dhunvanti kartsnyena
niharam iva bhaskaraḥ;
[SB 6.1.15]

So karma, jñana, yoga, then bhakti. So karmaṇa, karma niyahara na tantritaṁ bhaviṣyati(?). We have discussed this. By karma you cannot nullify another... [break] Everyone has got that tendency. The sastra gives them chance to act, fruitive activities, because while working, working, one day it will come when he will be not interested, working any more. Then athato brahma jijñasa, jñana. Jñana also, theoretical. It has been seen that theoretical knowledge, even one has come to the platform of Brahman... Aruhya krcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ; patanty adho [SB 10.2.32]. There are many examples. Simply theoretical knowledge will not help us. Our main aim is how to become perfect.

So by karma we cannot become perfect perpetually. Just like I have given several times the example that in spite of so much education and universities and advancement of civili..., nobody is perfect in the modern civilization, not even honest. In spite of education, so much learning... I have given this example many times. This is tested in the airport, that everyone is examined about his dishonest. That means nobody is honest. So this will not help. If you want to make the world perfect, then not by karma, neither by mental speculation. That is not possible. The only means is bhakti, especially in this age. In this Kali-yuga people are very much embarrassed. Mandaḥ; sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutaḥ; [SB 1.1.10]. Manda-bhagya. Even nobody is happy in his family life, so unfortunate, manda-bhagya. That is practical. So these things will not help, especially in this age.

So Sukadeva Gosvami suggested for kecit, "somebody," not all. This Krṣṇa consciousness understanding is very easy, at the same time very difficult. So therefore here it is said, kevala bhaktya. Kevala means only bhakti, without any jñana, karma, yoga. That is kevala bhakti. That is pure devotion, bhakti. Tan manye adhitam uttamam. Prahlada Maharaja, when he was asked by his father that "What the best thing you have learned? What is the best thing?" he said this: kevala bhakti. Kevala bhakti.

sravaṇaṁ kirtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ;
smaraṇaṁ pada-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dasyaṁ
sakhyam atma-nive...
[SB 7.5.23]

If we simply stick to these principles of kevala bhakti, even simply by hearing, sravaṇaṁ... Just like we are holding class everywhere, in every center. If somebody simply hears attentively, he'll be perfect. This is bhakti, simply hearing. Or sravaṇaṁ kirtanam, or describing or chanting the holy name, he'll be perfect. Sravaṇaṁ kirtanaṁ viṣṇu... But Viṣṇu, about Lord Viṣṇu, Krṣṇa. Srṇvataṁ sva-kathaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; puṇya-sravaṇa-kirtana [SB 1.2.17]. If you simply hear and chant, then you will be purified. One who is chanting and one who is hearing, both of them will be purified. And gradually, as soon as one is purified, he becomes pious. If you argue that "Somebody is hearing for so many years," so then there is question of offense. Offense, ten kinds of offense, you know. While you are initiated the ten kinds of... So even one is in offense, still, if he continues hearing and chanting, he will be purified. It is so nice thing. This is kevala bhakti.

But there should not be any motive. That you should be very careful. Anyabhilaṣita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11], no motive. Bhakti, bhaj-dhatu, simply pure desire, "How I shall serve Krṣṇa?" Then he is mukta. Immediately he is liberated. One who has this fixed-up mind, that "How I shall render service to Krṣṇa?" and if he tries his best, then he becomes immediately mukta unless he changes his decision. That is... Every time is possible. Even one is mukta, liberated, he can be also fallen down unless he is very strong in his determination. Maya is always there. Daivi hy eṣa guṇamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. But if one is determined that "I shall stick to the service of Krṣṇa," maya will not touch. That is kevala bhakti. If sometimes it appears that he has deviated out of past habit, that is excused. Api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyaḥ; [Bg. 9.30]. But not intentional. We should not fall down and deviate from our path of devotional service intentionally. That will not... That is very great criminality. We must try our best, kevalaya bhaktya.

So kecit. Kecit means this determination is very difficult. Therefore it has been said here, kecit, "somebody," not all. Not all can get that determination. But everyone can get determination, provided he likes. It is not determination is monopolized by a certain man. Anyone who determines that "I shall simply serve Krṣṇa," that simple determination will save him. Kevalaya bhaktya. And kecit kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ; [SB 6.1.15]. Bhaktya, bhakti, devotion, to whom? Vasudeva. Vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhaḥ; [Bg. 7.19]. If one determines that "Vasudeva is everything..." Actually Krṣṇa is everything. Maya tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-murtina. In everywhere. Isavasyam idaṁ sarvam yat kiñcid jagatyaṁ jagat [Iso mantra 1]. Everywhere there is Krṣṇa's relationship, because without Krṣṇa, nothing exists. Maya tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyaktya, mat-sthani sarva-bhutani [Bg. 9.4]. Everything is resting on Krṣṇa. Isavasyam idaṁ sarvam. This is Krṣṇa conscious. Without Krṣṇa... So that is the fact, but when you come to this understanding, then you become perfectly Krṣṇa conscious. Without Krṣṇa, nothing can exist.

So vasudeva-parayaṇa-agham. Agham means sin, sinful reaction of life. Dhunvanti, "one washes." Just like dirty thing, if you bring bucket of water and wash it, then everything cleansed immediately. So this process of chanting is so nice that ceto-darpaṇa-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. It cleanses the heart, misunderstanding that "I am this body. I belong to this nation. I belong to this community. I belong to this religion." No. "I belong to Krṣṇa," that's all. This is ceto-darpaṇa-marjanam. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krṣṇa dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is real knowledge, real perfection, as soon as one comes to this conclusion, that "Krṣṇa is mine, and I am Krṣṇa's," simply this understanding. Ceto-darpaṇa-marjanam. So by this consciousness automatically all reaction of sinful life becomes washed. Aghaṁ dhunvanti kartsnyena, totally. How? How it is possible? "He has accumulated sinful reaction of life for so many births, and simply...?" Yes, it is possible. "How?" Now, niharam iva bhaskaraḥ;. When there is, what is called? Frost.

Devotee: Fog.

Prabhupada: Fog, yes. When there is fog, you try so many ways; it cannot go. Then, if somehow or other sun rises, immediately finished. Immediately clear. That is our motto in the Back to Godhead: "Godhead is light and nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead, there is no jurisdiction of darkness."

krṣṇa surya-sama maya andhakara
yahaṅ krṣṇa tahaṅ nahi maya adhikara
[Cc. Madhya 22.31]

As soon as there is sunshine, immediately the fog is... It's practical.

So somehow or other, Krṣṇa, if we get Krṣṇa arisen in our heart... Sa vai manaḥ;-krṣṇa-padaravindayoḥ; [SB 9.4.18]. If we simply concentrate our mind, that is real meditation, to think of Krṣṇa—man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji maṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]—then everything will be cleansed automatically. Krṣṇa says in the...

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

Krṣṇa is there already, just like friend. Krṣṇa is always ready to give us instruction so that we can get out of this miserable condition of life. Krṣṇa is ready. He is coming to give you instruction. Simply you have to follow; then everything will be all right.

So this is the only way. Otherwise in this age severe austerity, tapasya, celibacy, charity, and so on, recommended. Tyagena satya-saucabhyaṁ yamena niyamena va. These are the methods, gradual process of transcendental life. But in this age, especially in this Kali-yuga, it is very, very difficult, almost impossible. So best thing is take to this Krṣṇa consciousness, kevalaya bhaktya, simply this understanding, that "Krṣṇa is my eternal master; I am Krṣṇa's eternal servant. So let us exchange our feelings of master and servant. Then I shall be perfect."

Thank you very much. (end)

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