Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) "Translation: Prahlada Maharaja continued: One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, luster, influence, physical strength, diligence, intelligence and mystic yogic power, but I think that even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one can satisfy the Lord simply by devotional service. Gajendra did this, and thus the Lord was satisfied with him."

Prabhupada:

manye dhanabhijana-rupa-tapaḥ;-srutaujas-
tejaḥ;-prabhava-bala-pauruṣa-buddhi-yogaḥ;
naradhanaya hi bhavanti parasya puṁso
bhaktya tutoṣa bhagavan gaja-yutha-paya
[SB 7.9.9]

So these are material assets. (aside:) It's not working? (bumps microphone) Hm? Wealth, dhana... Nobody can captivate Krṣṇa by all these material possessions. These are material possessions: money, then manpower, beauty, education, austerity, mystic power and so on, so on. There are so many things. They are not capable of approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krṣṇa personally says, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. He doesn't say all these material possessions, that "If one is very rich man, he can have My favor." No. Krṣṇa is not a poor man like me, that if somebody gives me some money, I become benefited. He's self-sufficient, atmarama. So there is no need of any help from anyone else. He's fully satisfied, atmarama. Only bhakti, love, that is required.

Bhakti means to serve Krṣṇa. That is without any purpose. Ahaituky apratihata. That bhakti, unalloyed... Anyabhilaṣita-sunyaṁ jñana-karmady-anavrtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Everywhere this is the statement of the sastra, that bhakti should be unalloyed.

anyabhilaṣita-sunyaṁ
jñana karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krṣṇanu-
silanaṁ bhaktir uttama
[Brs. 1.1.11]

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat paratvena nirmalam
hrṣikeṇa hrṣikesa
sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

There are so many other definition. And if we have bhakti, love for Krṣṇa, then we don't require huge amount of money or strength or education or austerity. Nothing of the sort. Krṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. He doesn't require anything from us, but He wants everyone that because he is part and parcel of Krṣṇa, He wants to see that everyone is obedient to Him, everyone loves Him. That is His aspiration. Just like the father is very rich man. He doesn't require any help from his son, but he aspires that his son should be obedient and lover. That is his satisfaction. That is the whole situation. Krṣṇa has created... Eko bahu syama. We are vibhinnaṁsa-mamaivaṁso jiva-bhutaḥ; [Bg. 15.7]—part and parcel of Krṣṇa, every one of us. So everyone has got some duty. Krṣṇa has created us, expecting something to be done by us for satisfaction of Krṣṇa. That is bhakti. So that, our opportunity, is obtained in this human form of life. We should not waste our valuable time in any other occupation or business. Simply inquire and be ready how to serve Krṣṇa. Anukulyena krṣṇanusila Anukula. Not your satisfaction but Krṣṇa's satisfaction. That is called anukula, favorable. Anukulyena krṣṇanusilanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. And anusilanam means activity, not that "In trance I am in meditation." That is also Something is better than nothing, but real devotional service is activity. One must be active, and the best activity is to preach the glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the best activity. Na ca tasmad manuṣyeṣu kascid me priya-krttamaḥ;.

So our this movement is based on practical activity. Whatever talent you have got, whatever little strength you have got, education you have got... You haven't got to learn anything. Whatever you have got, in whatever position you are, you can serve Krṣṇa. Not that you have to learn something first and then you can serve. No. The service itself is learning. The more you try to render service, the more you become advanced how to become experienced servant. We don't require any extra intelligence. Otherwise... The example is gaja-yutha-paya. The elephant, the king of the elephants, he satisfied. He's an animal. He's not a brahmaṇa. He's not a Vedantist. Maybe very big, fatty animal, but after all, he's animal. Hanuman was animal. There are many such things. Jaṭayu was a bird. So how they satisfied? The Jaṭayu fought with Ravaṇa. Yesterday you saw. Ravaṇa was kidnapping Sita devi, and Jaṭayu, the bird, he was going, flying. Ravaṇa knew how to fly without machine. He was very, very materially powerful. So the Jaṭayu attacked him on the sky: "Who are you? You are taking away Sita. I shall fight you." So Ravaṇa was very powerful. He was defeated, Jaṭayu, but he fought. That is his service. Never mind defeated. Similarly, we have to fight. Those who are opposing Krṣṇa consciousness movement, we have to fight with them to our best capacity. Never mind if we are defeated. That is also service. Krṣṇa sees the service. Defeated or victorious, depend on Krṣṇa. But fighting must be there. Karmaṇy evadhikaras te ma phaleṣu kadacana. That is the meaning. You have to work for Krṣṇa sincerely, intelligently, and victory or defeat, it doesn't matter. Just like Jaṭayu was defeated fighting with Ravaṇa. His wings were cut off. Ravaṇa was very strong. And Lord Ramacandra, He did his last funeral ceremonies because he was a devotee. This is the process, not that we have to learn something extra. Whatever capacity we have got, let us decide to render service to the Lord. It doesn't require that you must be very rich or very beautiful, very bodily strong. Nothing of the sort. Sa vai puṁsaṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihata [SB 1.2.6]. In any condition, your devotional service should not be stopped. That should be the principle, that we are not going to stop, any circumstance. And Krṣṇa is prepared even to accept a little flower, little water. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ [Bg. 9.26]. He doesn't say, "Give me very luxurious and palatable dishes. Then I'll..." He'll be satisfied. No. The real necessity is bhakti. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati. This is real necessity—bhaktya. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas ca... [Bg. 18.55].

Therefore we have to develop our bhakti, love for Krṣṇa. Prema pumartho mahan, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised. People are after dharma artha-kama mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90], but Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "No, even if you become liberated, mokṣa, that is not the qualification to get favor of Krṣṇa." Prema pumartho mahan. Pancama-puruṣartha. People are trying to be very religious. That is good. Then economic. Dharma artha. Artha means economically very rich, opulent. Then kama, very expert in sense enjoyment. And then mukti. This is general demand. But Bhagavata says, "No, these things are not qualification." Dharmaḥ; projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Sridhara Swami has said that mukti is also another cheating. Why mukti? Krṣṇa does not demand that "Unless you are mukta, liberated, you cannot serve." No. You can serve in any condition. Ahaituky apratihata. Not that because first of all we have to become liberated... Because as soon as you begin bhakti, you are already liberated. The platform is so great that a bhakta, without any other ultra-motive, he's already liberated. Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate.

maṁ ca ya 'vyabhicareṇi
bhakti-yogena yaḥ; sevate
sa guṇan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

Immediately.

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

If Krṣṇa takes charge of vanquishing all your reaction of sinful life, that means immediately you are mukta, you are liberated.

Liberation means... We are entangled in this material world because we are creating one after another entanglement. Nunaṁ pramattaḥ; kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Because we are in such a position that we have to act obversely, not properly, even if you do not desire... Even if you are very careful not to kill even an ant, still, unperceptibly, imperceptibly, you, while walking, you kill so many ants. And don't think that you are not sinful for that purpose. You become sinful. Especially those who are nondevotees, they must be responsible for killing so many small creatures while walking or while... There is waterpot, you have seen. So many small animals are there. Even by moving the waterpot, you kill so many living entities. While igniting fire in the oven, there are so many living entities. You kill them. So consciously, unconsciously, we are in such a position in this material world that we have to commit sinful activities even if we are very, very careful. You have seen the Jains, they are after nonviolence. You'll find they keep a cloth like this so that the small insects may not enter the mouth. But these are artificial. You cannot check. In the air there are so many living entities. In the water there are so many living entities. We drink water. You cannot check it. It is not possible. But if you keep yourself fixed up in devotional service, then you are not bound.

Yajñarthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ; [Bg. 3.9]. If your life is dedicated for yajña, for serving Krṣṇa, then the inevitable sinful activities which we commit without any knowledge, we are not responsible. Manye mithe krtaṁ papaṁ puṇyaya eva kalpate (?). So our life should be dedicated simply for Krṣṇa consciousness. Then we are safe. Otherwise we must be entangled with so many reaction of our activities and bound up in the repetition of birth and death. Mam aprapya nivartante mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani [Bg. 9.3].

nunaṁ pramattaḥ; kurute vikarma
yad indriya-pritaya aprṇoti
na sadhu manye yato atmano 'yam
asann api klesada asa dehaḥ;
[SB 5.5.4]

The safest position is let us always be engaged in Krṣṇa consciousness. Then we make spiritually advance and safe from the reaction of sinful life.

So Prahlada Maharaja thought it that, although he was born in a family, asura family, ugra, ugra-jatam, still, if he decides to serve Krṣṇa, Lord Nrsiṁhadeva, with bhakti, following the footprints of gaja-yutha paya, the king of elephant... He was animal. You know the story, that he was attacked by a crocodile in the water. So there was struggle for existence between the two, and after all, the crocodile is the animal in the water. He had great strength. And the elephant, although he's also very big, powerful animal, but he was not a animal of the water. So he was very helpless. So at last, he began to chant the holy name of the Lord and prayed, so he was saved. He was saved, and because the crocodile caught up the leg of the elephant, he was also saved because he was Vaiṣṇava. And this animal, crocodile, he was under the feet of a Vaiṣṇava, so he was also saved. (laughter) This is the story, you know. So therefore, chaḍiya vaiṣṇava seva. He indirectly gave service to the Vaiṣṇava, and he also became delivered.

So bhakti is so nice thing that very easily you can get favor of the Supreme Personality. And if Krṣṇa is pleased upon you, then what remains? Everything you get. Everything you get. Yasmin vijñate sarvam eva vijñataṁ bhavanti. Easiest way to please Krṣṇa... You don't require much money, much education, and nothing of the sort. Simply you require your heart: "O Krṣṇa, You are my Lord. You are my master eternally. I am Your servant eternally. Let me be engaged in Your service." That is Hare Krṣṇa, Hare Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa Krṣṇa, Hare Hare/ (devotees chant) Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is the meaning of Hare Krṣṇa mantra: "O Krṣṇa, O energy of Krṣṇa, I am Your servant. Somehow or other I have now fallen in this material condition. Kindly pick me up and engage me in service." Ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ maṁ viṣame bhavaṁ budhau. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching us. Bhavaṁ budhau. This material world is just like a great ocean, bhava. Bhava means repetition of birth and death, and ambu means ambudhau, means in the sea, in the ocean. So we are struggling hard for existence in this ocean. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ayi nanda tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ mam: "I am Your servant eternal. Somehow or other I have fallen in this ocean and struggling. Pick me up." Ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ mam viṣame bhavambudhau krpaya. By Your causeless mercy...

ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ maṁ viṣame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-paṅkaja-sthita-dhuli sadrssaṁ vicintaya
[Cc. Antya 20.32, Sikṣaṣṭaka 5]

This is bhakti-marga, devotional service, to become very humble, meek, always pray to Krṣṇa, "Kindly consider me as one of the particle of the dust of the lotus feet of Your Lordship," this very simple thing. Man-mana. In this way think of Krṣṇa, become His devotee, offer obeisances and whatever patraṁ puṣpaṁ, little flower, water, you can provide, offer to Krṣṇa. In this way live very peacefully and be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

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