Bhagavad-gītā 9.24–26 , New York , 1966-12-14

Prabhupāda:

Because we do not know God in fact, simply understanding, "Oh, there is God," and little more advanced, "God is our order-supplier," that is not sufficient. You must know God, I mean to say, tat, tattvena, in truth, tattvena. That tattvena, in truth, as it is explained by Lord Caitanya, that is the highest explanation. He has given the fullest information. Of course, it is not possible to understand God to the fullest extension, but as far as possible as a human being can understand, that has been explained in the..., by Lord Caitanya about Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā about Himself. That is more than sufficient. And still more, Lord Caitanya has explained about Him. Kṛṣṇa has explained Himself that you require to surrender unto Him. Just like here also He says that ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā: "I am the beneficiary of all the activities of living entities." And bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca: "I am enjoyer, and I am the master."

So in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that the Lord advises people in general that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vra... [Bg 18.66]:

"Just try to surrender unto Me, and I shall give you all protection." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He's also Kṛṣṇa Himself. As a devotee, He's explaining Kṛṣṇa further. Not only surrender, but after surrender what are the activities, that is explained by Lord Caitanya.

So for the general, people in general, the first requisition is that they must learn how to surrender unto God. Tattvena na te abhijānanti: "They do not know what is the," I mean to say, "accurate situation of the Supreme Lord." Now here it is stated,

Now, the argument that "In whatever form you worship the Supreme..." This is the Māyāvādī theory, that "God is impersonal. Now, because we cannot worship or meditate upon something impersonal, therefore let us imagine something about Him and meditate upon that." Just like the impersonalist yogī. They put before them a lump of something and concentrate upon them. So here that theory is refuted by Kṛṣṇa. That impersonal conception of the Supreme and our imagination of God, that is not the way of approaching God.

He says clearly herewith that yānti deva-vratā devān: "Those who are worshiping the demigods..." The demigods have their different places in this material world. All the planets, heavenly planets... There are seven planetary systems up and seven planetary system down. So this is called Bhūrloka, earthly planet, and there are many planets on this system. So Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, then Brahmaloka, Satyaloka, like that—so many planets there are. So there are different kinds of living entity and different kinds of comforts. They are highly intelligent, more intelligent than the human beings. Therefore they are called demigods, almost God.

So here Kṛṣṇa says, "Those who are trying to worship the demigods, they'll go to the planets of the demigods." Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ [Bg 9.25].

Pitṛ-vratāḥ. There is a form of worship of the forefathers. So there is a particular planet. The worshiper of the forefathers, they go there. Pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ. And bhūtejyā yānti. Bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā. And those who are materialistic, those who want to worship these earthly things in this material..., not material world; everywhere, but bhūtejyā, especially material worship, so bhūtejyā, those who are worshiper of material elements, they go to... They remain in the material platform. Yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām [Bg 9.25]: "And those who are worshiping Me, Lord, they will come to Me." This is very nice, clear.

Now, suppose if you have purchased ticket for an intermediate station between California, San Francisco, and New York. So you shall have to get down in that station. So how can you expect that... You have purchased a ticket for intermediate station. How can you expect to go to California? Similarly, if you worship demigods, you can go up to that planet. As you worship, there are different arrangement in the system, in the creation of God, as you want. You have got freedom of action, and God awards you the result, whatever you want. But if you want to go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is, Kṛṣṇa planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana, then you have to worship Kṛṣṇa. Oh, there is nothing unreasonable. If you want to go to California, San Francisco, you have to purchase ticket for that.

Now, what is the difference between going to other planets and to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is? That will be explained. The... That is explained in a different place, that yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg 15.6]:

"The supreme platform, supreme planet, is that where going, nobody returns to this material world." Yad gatvā na nivartante. Nivartante means..., na nivartante, "does not return." Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg 8.16].

That we... Already we have discussed, that gata-gatim. Within this material world, even if you go to the higher planets, the planet of the moon, planet of the sun planet or heavenly planet, the Indraloka, Candraloka, so many there are, then, after finishing your result of pious activities, you have to come back again. Punar āvartinaḥ.

So we are sometimes going up, sometimes coming back again in this material world, sometimes going down. Just like we are changing different dresses. Sometimes I am..., I have got this body, Indian, sometimes you have got this body, American, and sometimes I may get the body of a dog or a hog or something else. I may get the body of demigod. As these changes of dresses are going on, cycle of birth and death, transmigration of the soul in different forms of life, similarly, there is transmigration of the soul in different planets.

So ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ... This system of going up and down should be stopped. That is the business of an intelligent person. Yad gatvā na nivartante [Bg 15.6].

We should try to go to that planet where going, no more coming back. That is Kṛṣṇaloka. That is Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual sky. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ [Bg 8.20].

Beyond this material sky there is spiritual sky. There are spiritual planets, and Kṛṣṇaloka is there. So Kṛṣṇa gives here hint that mad-yājino 'pi mām: "As others are going, trying to go in other planets, similarly, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, those who are absolutely worshiper of the Supreme Lord, they will come to Me. They will come to Me." Mām upetya tu kaunteya.

In other place... There are several places mentioned, this fact.

"Those who attain once to Me, they will never... They will have never to come again to this place of miseries." So here is the hint that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we remain always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our transference to that planet of Kṛṣṇaloka is guaranteed.

Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg 8.6].

We have discussed this verse that at the time of death my mental condition, whatever my mental condition is at that time, at the time of my death, I am just going to have a similar body, according to the mental condition at the time of my death. So if we are constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa, transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then naturally we shall be thinking of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. This is the practice. This is the practice.

Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitāḥ [Bg 8.6]. Unless you practice... Just like if you have to play on the stage, you have to perform several rehearsals, or if you have to appear in some examination, then you prepare yourself, what sort of question may be there, and so, similarly, if we at all want to transfer ourself to that planet, Kṛṣṇaloka, cintāmaṇi-dhāma [Bs 5.29], then we have to practice.

We have to practice in this life.

This human form of life is meant for practicing. Just like apprentice. Here, those who are even apprentice, they are already liberated because... Just [like] a nice student who is preparing himself, he is already passed. Passed means he is preparing himself in such a nice way that his passing of the examination is guaranteed. Similarly, if we take the trouble of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious always, then our transference to that planet..., mad-yājino 'pi mām, that is guaranteed. Bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām [Bg 9.25].

Now the question is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to perform Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is explained by the Lord in the next verse:

Now, you have to make friendship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you want to go to see somebody very great, then somehow or other, you have to make some connection with him, something. You have to introduce yourself in a way, in a friendly way, in a loving manner. Then it is possible to make connection with great personality. So if we want to transfer ourself to that supreme planet, Kṛṣṇaloka, then we have to prepare ourself how to love Kṛṣṇa. Love of God. If you are intimately in touch with God by love... We cannot conquer with all..., we cannot claim any favor from the Supreme unless we are in love.

So love means... There are six principles of loving. What is that?

How one can understand I love you, or you can understand that I love you? There is... There are six kinds of reciprocation, six kinds of exchange, reciprocation. What is that? Dadāti. One whom you love, you must give something. And you must take something from him. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. Bhuṅkte bhojayate: You must give him something to eat, and you must accept also what he gives to eat. And dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate, guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca: you must disclose your mind, and you must hear him. If your lover is also in some difficulty, he discloses his mind. So these six things, dadāti, giving, and pratigṛhṇāti, accepting, and bhuṅkte, to offer foodstuff and accept foodstuff, and disclose your mind and hear him also, these things...

So we have to deal with God in that way. Therefore, if you want to offer something... The beginning is offering. Offering. We must offer something. So what is that offering? If you... If somebody says that "I am very poor man. I cannot offer anything..." Because in India, of course, offering to the demigods, offering to some deity... That is very expensive job. There are list of goods. Now, suppose a poor man, he wants to offer something to God. Then what he has to offer? He... Here is a prescription given by the Lord Himself which can be offered even by the poorest man. What is that? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. A, a little bit of tulasī leaves or any leaf; puṣpam, a little bit of flower; patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam, a small fruit; and toyam, a little water.

Now, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, these four things can be available universally. Nobody is so poor that he cannot collect a leaf of a tree or a small fruit or a small flower and little water. It is universal; nothing expensive. So anyone, in any country, in any place, he can offer Kṛṣṇa these four things. There is no bar. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Four things: a small leaf... You can have any. There are so many trees. If you take one leaf, even if you are forbidden, if you ask that "I am going to offer this leaf to God," anyone will offer it. Patraṁ puṣpam, a little flower, and a small fruit and little water.

So Lord says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26].

The real thing is love. "Anyone who is offering Me these four things in love," tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam, "because he has brought these four things with love and devotion," then God says, Lord says, tad aham aśnāmi, "I eat. I eat," bhaktyā prayatātmanaḥ, "because with devotion, with faith and with love he has brought."

God is full. We should not think that "God is depending upon my this little flower or fruit. He is very hungry. When I shall offer this fruit and He'll satisfy His hunger." No. He's pūrṇam. But the qualification is that offering should be in love, in devotion. That He accepts. He accepts your devotion and love. So patraṁ puṣpam.

So anybody can worship Kṛṣṇa. This is universal. Patraṁ puṣpam... These four things can be... But one thing you should remember, that if we want to cheat Kṛṣṇa—"Oh, Kṛṣṇa wants only patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, so let Him have this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, and for myself, let me eat very sumptuously, the best thing"—that is cheating. Kṛṣṇa can understand. This is for the poorest man. But if you have got very nice things to offer to Kṛṣṇa, just offer. Any... Your love means you should offer to Kṛṣṇa the nicest, the choicest, the best thing.

Because everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So when you offer something best, choicest, that is your love only. Suppose you offer a fruit to Kṛṣṇa. Can you manufacture fruit? Oh, it is manufactured by Kṛṣṇa. It is God's gift. But if you place before Him some choicest fruit, some choicest flower, some choicest, I mean to say, thing, then that is your token of love that you think...

And in this material world... Suppose there is a very nice rose flower. Somebody takes it: "Oh, it is very nice rose flower. Oh, I shall take it and offer my girlfriend or boyfriend." That is sense gratification. That is sense gratification. The same flower, if you take it and think, "Oh, it is very nice flower. I shall offer to Kṛṣṇa," that is your service to the Lord. The flower is there. Simply change of consciousness. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The flower is there. You are there. The consciousness is there. This offering is there. Simply you have to change. That's all. You have to change. If you utilize things for sense gratification, then you go to the darkest region of this material atmosphere. And the same thing, if you offer to Kṛṣṇa, it becomes spiritual.

Now, after offering Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not taking it away. You are take... You are taking the prasādam. That means the whole thing becomes spiritualized. So in this way we can spiritualize the whole world, whole world, simply by changing our consciousness. We are... We are anxious for peace. This is the process of peace: you change your consciousness.

Don't accept anything for your sense gratification. Everything is there. It is supplied by the Supreme Lord. Everything is the property of the Supreme Lord. You are falsely claiming that you are the proprietor. You are not proprietor. How you can be proprietor? Suppose before you came to America from Europe... The land was there. And suppose sometimes you leave this land. Oh, the land will remain there. Or suppose I take my birth in America. So before my birth, the land was there. And after my death, the land will be there. If you trace out history, go on tracing, when the land was not there, you'll never find. Therefore the land is God's. Why do you claim that "This is my land"? The earth belongs to God. Everything belongs to God.

This consciousness should be changed if you at all want peace. If you encroach upon God's property and take it as your own thing and try to utilize for your sense gratification, you cannot expect any peace. Cannot expect any peace. Suppose you have stolen something from somebody else, and if you want to enjoy, you'll be always in trouble because the police search will be there, and as soon as you are caught, you'll be in trouble. Similarly, the nature is the police agent of God. As soon as you want to gratify your sense by utilizing the property of God, then you'll be in trouble. The nature will inflict miseries upon you. This is the law of nature.

It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

This guṇamayī, māyā, this material nature of three modes of nature, guṇamayī... Guṇa means modes of nature. This modes of nature means it is a combination of three modes: modes of passion, modes of goodness, modes of ignorance. So therefore it is called guṇamayī māyā. So daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. You cannot surpass the stringent laws of material nature. That is not in your power. Just like however stout and strong you are, when you are under police custody, oh, no strength will help you. You'll be offered all kinds of tribulation. Similarly, the nature is very strong.

So long we shall go on utilizing God's property illegally and encroach upon others', I mean to say, possession, then there cannot be any peace. If you want peace at all, then you have to accept that "Everything belongs to God, and I can use after offering Him: 'Accepting that this belongs to You, God, kindly... You have sent me all these things for my subsistence. Oh, it is Your thing. Kindly You first of all taste it. Then I shall take Your prasādam.' " This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord is supplying everything. He will not eat whatever is given to you. It is for you. Simply just acknowledge. Just acknowledge. Oh, can you not acknowledge even, "Oh, God, You have given us so nice things for eating. Please, You taste"?

Just like small child. He is provided by the father, but while eating, he offers the father: "My dear father, it is very nice thing. You taste." How much pleased will be the father, just imagine. The father knows that "The child has brought my things." But if the small child offers to the father, "Father, it is very nice. You eat," oh, father says, "Oh, it is very nice? All right, I shall eat it." This is love. This is love.

So here... How you can offer your love? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi [Bg 9.26].

And if God accepts your things and eats, then what do you want more? He becomes your the most intimate friend. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ [Bg 6.22].

If you can make God as your intimate friend then there is no, I mean to say, nothing wanted. You'll be fulfilled. You'll find yourself that "I have got everything." Yasmin sthito na guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate [Bg 6.22]. And if we become convinced that "God is my protector; Kṛṣṇa is my protector," then how much happy and peaceful we will be.

So this process Bhagavad-gītā recommends, that you offer. Doesn't matter. In the next śloka... Even if you cannot offer this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, then in the next śloka it is explained then whatever you can offer, offer something. Offer something. Just be in love with Him. Then just see how much peaceful you feel, how much tranquility you feel and how you are protected by Kṛṣṇa, how you avoid insufficiency, how you become pure and how you make your progress in spiritual life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Any question? [end]