Prabhupada: (devotees repeating) Oṁ namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sixth Canto, Chapter One, verse number seventeen.

sadhricino hy ayaṁ loke
panthaḥ; kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ;
susilaḥ; sadhavo yatra
narayaṇa-parayaṇaḥ;
[SB 6.1.17]

"The path followed by pure devotees, who are well behaved and fully endowed with the best qualifications, is certainly the most auspicious path in this material world. It is free from fear, and it is authorized by the sastras."

So this is the summarization of our Krṣṇa consciousness movement, that the path followed by pure devotees. Pure devotees means who has no material desire. That is pure devotee. Anyabhilaṣita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Sunya means zero, one who has made all material desires zero. That is the way. In the Buddha philosophy it is called nirvaṇa. Nirvaṇa means make zero, sunyavadi. But we cannot remain in the sunya. That is not possible. Sunyavadi-nirvaṇa means to give up material desires. It is not possible to give up desires. That is not possible. To give up desires means I am dead body, a stone. If I have got life, if I am not a stone, there must be desires. Where is the living entity who has no desires? That is not possible. If we kill somebody to make him desireless, that "If you are killed, then there will be no more desire," no, the desire will continue in the subtle body. Even one is finished, this material body... Sometimes they commit suicide out of frustration, that "This desire is not fulfilled. Let me commit suicide." No. That is ignorance. Desires continue in the subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego. And to fulfill the desire, Krṣṇa will give you another body. If we make a desire, it must be fulfilled and Krṣṇa will give you facilities. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantraruḍhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. Desire is so strong. So how to make it zero? That is not possible. To make it zero means no more material desire. That is to make zero material desires. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].

That is more lucidly explained in the Narada-bhakti-sutra. Desire means we should give up the desire of this bodily designation: "I am Indian; you are American," "I am Hindu; you are Christian." These are all designation of the body. I... Accidentally I am born in India; therefore I call myself Indian. You are accidentally... Not accidentally. Some way or other born in... You are American. Accidentally somebody takes birth in the Hindu family; he becomes Hindu. Accidentally he takes birth in the Christian family; he becomes Christian. These are all designation. So when we give up this designation, that is desirelessness. Designation. Everyone is acting. They are fighting. They are making so many plans. Why? "We are Indian" or "We are American," "We are Russian, and the Russian must exceed the Americans," "Americans must exceed..." This is going on on the platform of designation. When we change the platform and we simply desire how to serve Krṣṇa, that is desirelessness. Otherwise not that desirelessness means I become zero. That is not possible. Because I am a living being, I am living soul. How can I be desire... [break] ...want to be designationless, then come to the association of such persons who are susilaḥ; sadhava yatra narayaṇa-parayaṇaḥ;, persons who are simply interested in serving Narayaṇa. Narayaṇa parayaṇa means... Parayaṇa means they're always ready to abide by the orders of Narayaṇa. Narayaṇa... "Those who have taken the path of Narayaṇa, devotional service, as their life and soul." They are called narayaṇa-parayaṇaḥ;.

So what is the qualification of narayaṇa-parayaṇa? It does not require any qualification to become narayaṇa-parayaṇa, but if you become voluntarily narayaṇa-parayaṇa... Narayaṇa-parayaṇa means my life is now dedicated for Narayaṇa. Narayaṇa, Krṣṇa, Viṣṇu, they're the same. So that is qualification, if you simply take it as vow that "From this day my life is dedicated to Narayaṇa, Krṣṇa." Sarvopadhi vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. As soon as we take this vow, that "From this day my life is dedicated to Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa wants everyone to surrender. I surrender unto the...," from that day you become free from all designation. Simply this determination, that "From this day I belong to Narayaṇa, or Krṣṇa. Whatever He wants..." That is the teachings of Bhagavad-gita So long Arjuna... That is a superficial picture. Arjuna is always for Krṣṇa, but just to teach us, he became for his family. He became... In the warfield, when there was to be fighting, he became to the family side and he said, "My dear Krṣṇa, how can I fight with my family? They are my brothers, they are my nephews, they are my grandfather, they are my teacher, the other..." Because it was a family fight, five brothers and hundred brothers. So at the warfield he became perplexed, that "I am fighting with my family. The fight means to fight with enemies. How is that? What kind of war it is? Eh? I have to fight with family." He said, Krṣṇa, "So who has taught this kind of fighting, Krṣṇa, to kill his own brother, his nephews and...?" Therefore that means he leaned to the family side. This is designation. This is designation. Because he belonged to the Kuru's family he took side of the family. But after hearing Bhagavad-gita, after understanding Krṣṇa, when he came to the conclusion that "I must be with Krṣṇa's side, not to the family side," then he became perfect. After hearing thoroughly Bhagavad-gita, he... Krṣṇa said, "Now what you will do? To the family side or My side?" Yathecchasi. That freedom is there. Yathecchasi: "Whatever you like, you can do. I have given my instruction."

That freedom is there always. The Krṣṇa or His representative, the spiritual master, he can give you good instruction, good advice, but to do it or not to do it, that is your option. That is your option. You decide yourself. That is the... Krṣṇa said, yathecchasi tatha kuru: [Bg. 18.63] "I am not interfering with your independence. I am dealing as your spiritual master, and you accepted Me as your spiritual master." Krṣṇa was accepted, Arjuna, siṣyas te 'ham: "Krṣṇa, no more friendly talk. I accept You as my spiritual master." Siṣyas te 'haṁ sadhi maṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. "What kind of disciple?" Now, prapannam, fully surrendered: "Now whatever You will say, I'll do." This is siṣya. Siṣya I have several times explained, sas-dhatu. Who voluntarily accepts the ruling of a person, he is siṣya. And otherwise, "You go on talking whatever nonsense you can. I'll do my own business," that is not siṣya. Siṣya means siṣyas te 'haṁ sadhi maṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. Tad viddhi praṇipatena [Bg. 4.34]. That is siṣya.

So Krṣṇa taught him Bhagavad-gita. Then, still, He gave him the freedom, yathecchasi tatha kuru: [Bg. 18.63] "Now Arjuna, I have instructed you everything. Now you decide what to do." It is not force. Reply was that now, naṣṭo moho smrtir labdha: "My illusion is now over. I have got... I am now remembering what I am." That remembering means "I am not belonging to this family." Tvat prasadad madhusudana. Smrtir labdha. Smrtir. This is... In the material world we have lost our memory that "I am part and parcel of Krṣṇa, and my duty is to serve Krṣṇa." This is our position. This is called illusion. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of this finger? To abide by the order of the body. I want: "Finger, you stand like this"; the finger is standing. "You come here," "Yes." That is part and parcel. That is part and parcel. So if we are part and parcel of Krṣṇa, our only duty is to serve Krṣṇa. There is no other duty. But we have created so many duties, and that is designation.

So we can be designationless when you live with the pure devotees of Krṣṇa. Therefore it is said that susilaḥ; sadhavo yatra. That path is very nice. Akuto bhayam, fearlessness. Where? Now, susilaḥ; sadhavo yatra: "Where well-behaved saintly persons are there." Well behaved. It is the first word, susila. Sila means character, very nice character. A devotee cannot be bad character. Because Krṣṇa is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhama pavitram [Bg. 10.12]—pavitra means pure—so impure cannot approach Him. That is not possible. If you want to enter fire, you must be fire. And if you are not fire, then you will burn. So first of all we have to revive, because Krṣṇa... The example is given that Krṣṇa is the big fire and we are sparks of fire. We are also fire, very small. The sparks of fire can play, can remain within fire, and it is beautiful: "Phat! Phat!" There is spark. You have seen while fire is going on. It is very beautiful. And as soon as this "Phat! Phat!" falls down, separate from the..., it is extinguished. No more fire. It is black charcoal, that's all. So if we want happiness, then we have to dance with Krṣṇa. But you cannot dance Krṣṇa if I am not pure. Krṣṇa is pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavan. Pavitra means the supreme pure. If you want to take pleasure in the company of Krṣṇa and dance rasa dance, then you have to become pure, purified. That is sarvopadhi vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], to free from all designation. Narayaṇa parayaṇa. Narayaṇa society or Krṣṇa society, the same thing.

So this is very nice verse, substance of Krṣṇa consciousness movement, that those who are conducting this movement, they must be susila, very well behaved. Nobody can find out any fault. That is susila, well behaved. The behavior should be so nice. That is the test how you have become Krṣṇa conscious. That is the test. Spotless. You study Caitanya Mahaprabhu's behavior, character, He's ideal. Throughout His whole life you'll not find a spot. You read Caitanya-caritamrta. Find out some fault, that "Here is Caitanya... Sri Krṣṇa Caitanya is faulty." No. That is susila. And that is sadhu. Sadhava. Sadhava means sadhu, saintly person. What is saintly person?

titikṣavaḥ; karuṇikaḥ;
suhrdaḥ; sarva-bhutanam
ajata-satravaḥ; santaḥ;
sadhavaḥ; sadhu-bhuṣaṇaḥ;
[SB 3.25.21]

This is the definition of a sadhu. What is that? Titikṣava, very, very tolerant. Just see Christ, ideal character. How tolerant he is. He was being crucified; still he is merciful. Similarly, anywhere, those who are actually sadhu, saintly persons, they are very tolerant. Kṣama-rupa tapasvinam. That is the qualification of sadhu: titikṣava. At the same time karuṇika, merciful. The others are torturing him, but still he is merciful.

That is the qualification of sadhu. Titikṣava karuṇika. Why? Suhrdaḥ; sarva-bhutanam: "He is friend of everyone." There is no distinction that "He is American," "He is Indian," "He is Christian," "He is Hindu," "He is dog," "He is cat," "He is man..." No. He is kind to everyone. Why we are preaching "No meat-eating"? If you stop meat-eating, then the poor animals will be saved. So what business we have got with the animals? Suhrdaḥ; sarva-bhutanam. A saintly person is friend to everyone. "Why unnecessarily an animal should be killed?" That is his feeling. You can eat animals because by nature this is the arrangement, that ahastani sa-hastanam. Even we eat vegetable, that is also killing. But because I have to kill somebody to eat, that does not mean that I can kill my child also. That is also going on. There is discrimination. Similarly, our principle is that we are kind, merciful, to everyone. But we have to eat, so we eat Krṣṇa prasadam. Because after all, Krṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So if He eats something, the responsibility is His. But we are not advocate of vegetarianism or nonvegetarianism. No. That is not our business. We are Krṣṇa-ites. What Krṣṇa said, we have to do. Therefore sadhu, suhrt. Suhrdaḥ; sarva-bhutanam. Sadhu is not enemy. Ajata-satrava. He does not create enemy, but the world is such that if you become devotee, even your father will be enemy. Prahlada Maharaja, five-years-old boy, what was his fault? He became a devotee and his father was prepared to kill him. This is world. So he does not create an enemy, but these demons, rascals, out of their jealousy they become our enemy. Otherwise our process is not to make enemy. We invite everyone, "Please come here, take prasadam, chant Hare Krṣṇa, dance, and go home." Where is enmity? (laughter) But still, they'll become enemy. This is the world. But if he lives with the sadhava, susila, and follows the rules and regulation, then he also becomes sadhava. Saṅgat sanjayate kamaḥ;. Just like if you mix with a drunkard, thieves and rogues, then you also become a drunkard, thief, similarly, if we live with the sadhu, sadhava, then you become sadhu.

So the Krṣṇa consciousness movement is simply giving chance to people without any discrimination, "Please come. Become Narayaṇa-parayaṇa, devotee, and automatically you'll become susila and sadhu." As soon as—that is the test—you become a devotee, narayaṇa-para, then automatically you become suṣila and sadhava. And if you become well behaved and sadhava, committing no sinful activities, sadhava, and simply serving Narayaṇa, or Krṣṇa, then for our elevation or salvation, that is the panthaḥ; kṣemo akuto-bhayaḥ;. Akuto-bhayam. Now we are fearless. If on the devotional path, then you have no fear. Why? Now, Krṣṇa takes charge of you. Krṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktaḥ; pranasyati: [Bg. 9.31] "Kaunteya, Arjuna, you can declare throughout the whole world that one who has become My devotee, he will never be vanquished." Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktaḥ; pranasyati. You get immediately Krṣṇa's help. So if we depend completely on Krṣṇa, Narayaṇa, Narayaṇa-para, then automatically we become sadhu, automatically we become well behaved, and automatically we are protected. Therefore this path is the best way of advancing in our life and go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much. (end)

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