Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.10.20 , London , 1973-05-24

Devotee: Chapter Ten, page 531.

Prabhupāda: Wait. Which one?

Dhanañjaya: It's Chapter Eleven, not Chapter Ten. Chapter Eleven.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Why do you dictate? He is reading something, but you change it. What is that?

Devotee: Page 531, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Text number 20, Chapter Ten. [break]

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Go on.

Devotee:

Prabhupāda: Others?

[break] ...chanting and dancing in Benares. So he criticized Him, that "What kind of sannyāsī He is? He does not take to the studies of Vedānta. He simply indulges in chanting and dancing with some sentimental people." He was criticizing. So one devotee of Lord Caitanya informed Him that "You are being criticized, Sir. We cannot tolerate it. Neither we can reply. He's a great Vedāntist. So better we shall give up our life." Then the meeting was arranged between the Vedāntist...

Actually, Vedānta..., Veda means the knowledge. Vetti veda-vidaḥ jñānī. The vid-dhātu. Those who know Sanskrit dhātu, verbal form... So, so there are different forms of one root. Just like the real root is vid-dhātu. Now it..., it is sometimes spoken as vetti. Sometimes it is called vida. Sometimes it is called vinte. Sometimes it is called vindati, vindate. There are different forms of the same root, vid-dhātu.

So when which forms should be used, the grammarians, they know it. Sanskrit language is very difficult language. One has to learn the grammar portion of it only for twelve years, then he becomes expert grammarian. And when one becomes nice grammarian, he can read any literature, different department of knowledge, Āyur Veda, Dhanur Veda, Yajur Veda, Jyotir Veda. So many Vedas. So real Vedas means knowledge. I've already explained when I was, in 1968 in London, in the Conway Hall... That is published in Īśopaniṣad. So Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vidaḥ jñāna. Jñāna, jñāna means knowledge. So veda-anta. Anta means end. There is everything of our material life, as for the beginning and at the end.

So here in this material world, every one of us, we come here ignorant, like animals, no knowledge. There are so many varieties of living entities. Gradually, by evolution, we come to the human form of life. When our consciousness is developed, we can understand higher knowledge. And that is called Veda. So Veda does not mean it is meant for the cats and dogs. Veda means knowledge, this knowledge, is meant for the human. Vedic... Therefore Indian civilization, based on Vedic knowledge, is estimated so high, perfect. Perfect scheme system of human society, based on Vedic civilization. Everything is correctly visioned. The ideas are given by persons who are above material contamination, mukta-puruṣa.

Mukta-puruṣa means one who is not affected by the material incompetency. There are material incompetencies. We commit mistake. We are illusioned. Our senses are imperfect. And sometimes---sometimes, not; always---we want to cheat. These are the defects of material knowledge. And one who is above these material incompetencies, he's called mukta-puruṣa. So one has to become mukta-puruṣa. That is called Vedic knowledge, and that is called Vedānta. Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

So Vedānta means the..., the ultimate platform of acquiring knowledge, up to this. So that "up to this" is Kṛṣṇa, that if you talk of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you talk of all the Vedas. Sarva-śruti-mano-haraḥ [SB 1.10.20]. You talk of Vedic knowledge, but if you simply talk of Vedic knowledge, it becomes dry, speculative. But if you talk of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's līlā, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, then it becomes simultaneously discussion of Vedic knowledge, at the same time very beautiful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is described here, uttama-śloka. Kṛṣṇa is never described by ordinary verses. Uttama-śloka. Uttama-śloka means... Uttama means also liberated. Ut. Ut means transcendental, one who has crossed, ud-gata. Ut. Ut means one who has gone the other side. Tama. Tama means this darkness.

This world, this material world... Just like it is dark now. Therefore the country or the part of the world which is always covered by darkness... Already there is darkness, and if again that country does not get the facility of sunshine, it is considered that that country is condemned. It is śāstric injunction. Any country which does not get the full facility of sunshine, it is to be considered condemned. I think I remarked this long ago, when I first came, in the television. They asked me in London that "What is your conception of hell?" And "This is hell, London." Not conception; practically. Always dark, moist, drizzly. No sunshine. Cloudy, misty. Simply big, big building. That's all. So there must be clear sunshine.

So why this material world...

[aside:] [indistinct]

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Why this material world is called tama? Because everyone is in ignorance. He does not know what is the value of life. Everyone. In other words, all fools and rascals. Just like big, big scientists, they are theorizing that life is made out of matter. How much ignorance it is. All these Darwin's theory, chemical evolution, simply they are basing that from matter life has come. But where is the... One gentleman in California University, he's Noble Prize holder. He came to lecture. So our disciple, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he's also Doctor of Chemistry.

So when the professor explained that from such-and-such chemicals combination life starts, he said, "If I give you the chemicals, can you make life?" In that big assembly. So he has to reply = "That I cannot say." [laughter] So what is the use of such knowledge? You are taking Nobel Prize, holding Nobel Prize on the basis of certain theorizing knowledge, and when you are challenged, "Now you produce with these chemicals," you say, "That I cannot say." So this is going on.

Anyway, human life is meant for knowledge. That's a fact. Therefore athāto brahma jijñāsā. And what knowledge? Knowledge does not mean how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life and how to defend. That is not knowledge. These things are there in the animals. The animals also know very well how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life and how to defend. No. That is not. Human life is meant for different business, and that is brahma-jijñāsā.

So brahma-jijñāsā, if one begins the life of brahma-jijñāsā, brahma-jñāna, and when it ends in understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of life. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. The, the one who is actually jñānavān, in knowledge, such person. Not so-called. There are two classes of men = one class of men is called jñānavān, and another class of men is called māyayā apahṛta-jñāna [Bg. 7.15]. All these words you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is not my manufacture.

So māyayā apahṛta-jñāna means he's rascal number one, but he's thinking that he's vastly learned. He has advanced his knowledge so much. Simply he is puffed up falsely. That is called māyayā apahṛta-jñāna. Or jñānavān means one who has actually knowledge. So what is the difference between the two---one how has got actually the knowledge, and one who's simply falsely puffed up that he has got knowledge? What is the...? How you'll find difference, that here is a man who has got real knowledge, and here is a man, rascal, but he's very much puffed up?

So it is very easy to find out, at least for us. That is a fact. This is our criterion. Just like you can find out the currency note, which one is genuine and which one is not genuine. There are some signs. This is an example. Similarly, our criterion is, from the Bhagavad-gītā, from śāstra, that we find these two verses in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is this? So one thing is:

The rākṣasa, āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ... Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ means one who does not accept the supremacy of God. "What is God? I am God. I am God." Such... These rascals are called māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Na māṁ prapadyante. They do not surrender to God, or Kṛṣṇa. They pose themself as God. So as soon as you find anyone does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he is rascal.

Anyone. It doesn't matter. That is the first test. Then you come to the details. As soon as you find someone, somebody, that he does not understand what is God or his relationship with God, or, and what is the ultimate object of life, he's a rascal. And as soon as you find somebody that he has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa... Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. How he has surrendered? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19] = "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything."

Actually, He's everything. The whole world is combination of two energies = material energy and spiritual energy. And Kṛṣṇa is the source of two energies. Therefore ultimate, Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes. This is the summary statement. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam.

So if you go... Just like we are presenting so many books about Kṛṣṇa. Simply we have tried to explain Kṛṣṇa with all these translation---nothing but Kṛṣṇa, how to understand Kṛṣṇa.

So here it is called sarva-śruti-mano-haraḥ. Kṛṣṇa is very pleasing to hear. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasure. When we get our attachment for hearing about Kṛṣṇa, then at least we can consider that we have become freed from material contamination. When we get attachment simply for hearing Kṛṣṇa, nothing else, all nonsense, then you should understand that you have become liberated. These are the test. Everyone can get this position. Because there is process. If you follow the process, then you come to the real stage.

So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. The beginning of this process is śraddhā. Just like you have come here with a conception of faith, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Let us hear something about this movement." This is śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. This is the beginning. Unless one has faith, or attach... Not attachment; faith only. So ādau śraddhā. Then you mix with the devotees.

So we are opening so many branches just to give opportunity to the people to mix with us. Come with us. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo saṅge calo ei-mātra bhikhā cāi. We, we don't want anything from anyone. We don't want any political independence, social reformation or humanitarian benefit. Nothing. We simply request people, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and come with us." That's all.

We don't expect anything from anybody else. This is our mission. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo saṅge calo. You chant... Also we are chanting on the street, Hare Kṛṣṇa. You also join with us. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo. And so long we go, you come with us. Ei mātra bhikhā cāi. We don't want anything more. This is, this is not a business, that you have come on the street to chant and to make some business. No. That is for your benefit.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement at the present moment. Not only at the present moment; for all the time, past, present and future. But at the present moment, the members of the International Society, they have taken it very seriously to propagate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world, and we are getting very good result. At least to our labor we are getting good result, all over the world. There is no question of discouragement. So go on.

This is our... Yad uttama-śloka-cetasām. The heart must be always filled up with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called uttama-śloka-cetasām. So in this way, go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone will be happy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Haribol Prabhupāda. [end]