Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 4.14

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

na māṁ karmāṅi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg 4.14]

[break] [02:42]

Translation: "There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work."

Prabhupāda:

na māṁ karmāṅi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg 4.14]

Last night we discussed,

cātur-varṅyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13]

[According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.]

There are two condition of life. Actually, conditioned life and non-conditioned life, liberated life and conditioned life, that is real nomenclature, liberated life and conditioned life. Conditioned life means this material world. We are conditioned by the laws of material nature. Just like we are trying to go to the moon planet, but we are conditioned; we cannot go. There are so many impediments. This is the nearest planet. Still, because we are conditioned, we cannot go. No free access. Otherwise, a living entity name is sarva-ga. Sarva-ga sthāṅur acalo 'yam [Bg 2.24].

[This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.]

Sarva-ga means a living entity can go anywhere. As we see, there are so many planets. Why we cannot go? There are means also. We are flying in the air, but we cannot go. This is called conditioned life. There are so many instances. Just like even on this planet if you want to go to other countries, say, America, you have to fulfill so many conditions—passport, visa, then P-form and so many other forms. Not easily. This is called conditioned life. We have no freedom to move.

And there is another life, which is life of freedom. Just like Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni travels everywhere. He goes in the spiritual world; he comes in the material world. In the material world he can go in any one of the planets. Sometimes by yogic practice we can go also, but not so easily. So there is a life of freedom. That is spiritual life. Nitya-mukta, the living entities who are living, who are residing in the spiritual world, their number is greater than the conditioned soul. Just like some of our friends or citizens, they are in the jail. Their number is not as many as there..., we are free. Similarly, the number of free living entities in the spiritual world is greater than the number of the conditioned souls. A few only, we are conditioned. And this conditioned means karmāṅi. Karmaṅā daiva-netreṅa jantur dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1].

[The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body.]

As we are doing work, fruitive activities, under the influence of a particular type of modes of nature, we are getting different types of bodies, and there are 8,400,000's forms of bodies, and we are rotating. Because we do not know, we have forgotten how to become free from this cycle of birth and death and transmigration of the soul. This is called karma. Yajñārthāt karmaṅo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg 3.9].

[Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṅu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.]

Therefore in the human form of life we must perform yajña. Yajña means to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Yajñārthe, for the sake of the Supreme Lord, for satisfying Him, that is our business.

So to do that business, in the previous verse it has been prescribed that the human society should be divided into four classes of men. There are, but they should be systematically divided. Just like in any office there are departments. Without departmental work, nothing can be successful. Anywhere you go, either in the law court or in the office or anywhere, there must be department. Similarly, the human society must be divided into four divisions. Not four division—eight divisions, varṅāśrama.

In the Vedic literature there is no such thing as Hindu dharma or Muslim dharma or Christian dharma or Buddha dharma. These are recent manufacture. Actually, Vedic instruction is to divide the whole human society into four varṅas and four āśramas. That is Vedic dharma, sanātana-dharma. It is called sanātana-dharma. A living entity has got the chance of getting this human... Labdhvā sudurlabhaṁ bahu-sambhavānte [SB 11.9.29].

[After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Kṛṣṅa consciousness is possible only for a human being.]

Bahu-sambhavānte means after many, many births. This present rascal civilization does not know that how with great difficulty we have come to this human form of life after so many evolutions. The Darwin's theory of evolution, there is some idea, but it is not clear, not scientific. They are trying to prove that scientific; that is not scientific. But the evolution theory is there, 8,400,000's species of life, jalajā nava-lakṣāṅi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati [Padma Purāṅa], like that. Bhramadbhiḥ. We are rotating in this way.

So the human form of life must be systematized, not live like animals. So therefore if in the human society there is no this systematic division of persons... The aim is one. It is not that because one is in the lower division, he does not get the benefit. No. Just like in the state, in an organized state, as we have seen in foreign countries, especially in USA, very organized state, everyone has got the facilities, it doesn't matter whether he is rich man or poor man. Everyone has got.

Similarly, this cātur-varṅyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam [Bg 4.13], brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra...

It doesn't matter one is śūdra or one is brāhmaṅa, but everyone has got the facility to become connected in relationship with the Supreme Lord.

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim [Bg 9.32]

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

Parāṁ gati, that is open for everyone. It is not that because one is śūdra or one is caṅḍāla, he is not allowed to enter into the kingdom of God, only the brāhmaṅas are allowed. No, it is not like that. The same thing, same example, that in the body there are four divisions: the head division, the arm division, the belly division and the leg division. It is not that only the head get the facilities of living condition. No. Everyone. But there must be division. That is scientific. Otherwise the human life will be spoiled. That I have tried to explain last night. There must be division, because it is ordained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How we can violate? There must be the brahminical class, the kṣatriya class, the vaiśya class and the śūdra class. Then everything will be maintained very proficiently.

Because it is karma, karma-yoga. The material world means you work, and you enjoy or suffer the result of your work. This is material world. Everyone is given facility, but it is karmānubandhanaḥ, karmānubandhanaḥ, just a facility for the living entities who wanted to enjoy this material world. This material world is not wanted. Everyone should live in the spiritual world. There is spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg 8.20]. There is no birth and death. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma [Bg 15.6].

[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]

Everything is there. People do not know it.

Therefore the karma should be systematized, and it should be regulated by brahminical culture, by kṣatriya culture, by vaiśya culture, by śūdra culture. But Kṛṣṅa says that "Don't think... Because I have prescribed this for the systematic life of all the conditioned soul, it does not mean I am also one of them." Kṛṣṅa is not one of them. And some foolish rascal, they say that "Kṛṣṅa is also bound up by the laws of karma." No. Kṛṣṅa is... Not only Kṛṣṅa, but Kṛṣṅa's devotees also. That is stated here: iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg 4.14]. Simply by knowing, simply by knowing that Kṛṣṅa is transcendental. Kṛṣṅa gives us prescription how to live in this conditional state, but He is not one of us. He is not one of us. He is above, transcendental. Therefore He says, na māṁ karmāṅi limpanti. Because Kṛṣṅa is fighting in the battlefield... He is not fighting; He is directing. Still, you may call that He is inducing Arjuna to fight. But that does not mean He is becoming entangled in the karma-phala. Na māṁ karmāṅi limpanti [Bg 4.14].

[There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.]

Apāpa-vidham. Kṛṣṅa is killing so many demons. He is not bound up by karma. Similarly, if we also become devotee of Kṛṣṅa, and if we abide by His order, then karma-phala cannot touch us. This is bhakti.

Karmāṅi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs 5.54].

[I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who burns up to their roots all fruitive activities of those who are imbued with devotion and impartially ordains for each the due enjoyment of the fruits of one's activities, of all those who walk in the path of work, in accordance with the chain of their previously performed works, no less in the case of the tiny insect that bears the name of indragopa than in that of Indra, king of the devas.]

That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma karmānu-phalam-abhājanti. There are millions and millions of living entities,beginning from the king of heaven, who is..., whose name is Indra, yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma, beginning from that Indra, and there is one worm that is called indra-gopa, very small; you have to see with microscope. Very small, insignificant living entity. And that Indra, the king of heaven, is very important living... So beginning from that indra up to this Indra, everyone is bound up by the fruitive resultant action of his karma. This is called karma-phala. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma karmānu phala-bhājanam, going on under the laws of karma. Karmāṅi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājāṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

The go... Just like Arjuna was hesitating to fight because he thought that "I shall be entangled in the karma-phala if I kill my family men and my grandfather, my teacher." So he was thinking. That was good consideration, pāpa-puṅya. But because he fought for Kṛṣṅa, because he satisfied Kṛṣṅa, he was not bound up. Yajñārthāt karmaṅo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg 3.9].

If you do anything for your satisfaction, then you become entangled in the karma-phala. But if you do anything for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṅa, there is no karma bondage. This is the secret. That is clearly stated. Na māṁ karmāṅi limpanti. He is the Supreme. He can direct, but He is not under the direction. He is free.

Similarly, those who are Kṛṣṅa's devotees, they are also free. Yo mām. Yo mām abhijānāti. Abhijānāti means one who knows that "Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is not ordinary human being; He is nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13],

[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]

He is the supreme living entity amongst all living entities. He is the supreme living being amongst all living beings"—that is abhijānāti. Abhijānāti: know with complete experience, not superficially. Iti mām..., yo mām abhijānāti. Abhijānāti means "Knows Me perfectly well, that 'Kṛṣṅa is transcendental.' " And that is also explained by Kṛṣṅa,

māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṅa bhakti-yogena sevate sa guṅān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg 14.26]

[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]

So those who are engaged in the bhakti-yoga, unflinching bhakti-yoga, unalloyed bhakti-yoga, such person is above this material entanglement. Material entanglement is within the modes of material nature. That is brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa, eight division. From material condition, if you want to be promoted to the spiritual platform, then these are the regulative principles. Either you become brāhmaṅa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra, or brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsa, and gradually develop your spiritual constitutional position and be transferred to the transcendental position... Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg 8.20]. That is the process. But if you live in the conditioned life like animals, then you continue the life of animals—eating, sleeping, mating and defending, and struggle for existence. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṅi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg 15.7]. Then you struggle within this material world forever. Sometimes you become the king Indra, and sometimes you become that germ indra. This is karma-phala. This is karma-phala.

But we are so ignorant of this law of karma, we are thinking, "Now this position of American or Indian or this or that, for fifty years or sixty years, utmost—that is one, everything, all in all. There is no more life." Yes. I have talked with many big, big professors. They are under the impression: atheism, voidism, that after death there is nothing; everything is void, finished. Atheism. Bhasmi-bhūtasya dehasya kunaḥ..., kutaḥ punar āgamanaṁ bhavet [Cārvāka Muni]: "The body is burned into ashes. Who is coming again?" This is atheism. Because the atheist, they cannot see that how the soul is transmigrated by the subtle body from one body to another. They have no... Gross. Gross materialists. So we should not follow the gross materialists, but we should follow the perfect leader, Kṛṣṅa, who says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

This we must follow. That is human civilization.

Therefore he prescribes that brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Either you become brāhmaṅa or follow the instruction of the brāhmaṅas, then your life is perfect. Both things are there. If you like to be brāhmaṅa, that you can become also. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya [Bg 9.32].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Because in this age everyone is a śūdra, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ... [Skanda Purāṅa]

[In the Age of Kali everyone is born a śūdrā.]

There is no culture. There is no brahminical culture, kṣatriya culture. Therefore all together, they are simply śūdras. So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is to raise the śūdras or less than that. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Plural number. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. The pāpa-yoni... Also stri-murti[?] is also pāpa-yoni; śūdra also pāpa-yoni, vaiśya also pāpa-yoni. It is... Kṛṣṅa says. But everyone is open to come to Him. Everyone. It doesn't matter.

And there are less than that. Less than, they are called caṅḍālas. They are also mentioned in the Bhāgavata: kirāta-hūṅāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ [SB 2.4.18], ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ. Again, less than that. Yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ śudhyanti. They can be purified. They can be purified. Prabhaviṣṅave namaḥ. The Lord Viṣṅu is so powerful that He can make anyone a purified Vaiṣṅava. That is His special... It is not that because one is kirāta-hūṅāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā or pāpa-yoni, he cannot be elevated. He can be elevated. That is possible. Because guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13].

If you make him qualified like a brāhmaṅa and work like a brāhmaṅa, then he can be elevated. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. We are trying to educate anyone, it doesn't matter. Because kirāta-hūṅāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā [SB 2.4.18. Anyone, ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ. Anyone can be elevated.

So who will do that? Kṛṣṅa says that "Anyone can be elevated." Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. So who will do that? Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said... Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṅa. Now,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra [Cc Ādi 9.41]

[One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.]

Indian. This is the duty of the Indian, bhārata-bhūmi. One who has taken birth in the holy place of this Bhārata-varṣa, it is huge duty: make his life perfect and do welfare activities for others. This is India's business. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order.

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra [Cc Ādi 9.41]

[One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.]

India is meant for para-upakāra, not for exploiting others. That is not India's business. That may be for the fools and rascals in other countries, but in India is dedicated. Therefore in India Kṛṣṅa comes, in India Lord Rāmacandra comes.

But they have now taken it very cheaply. All rascals and fools and rogues, they are claiming that "I am Kṛṣṅa. I am Rāma." They have taken because India has fallen. Because there is no brahminical culture, they cannot understand these rascals, that the fools and rascals, they are claiming to be Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is so cheap? No. That is our misfortune, that instead of Kṛṣṅa, we are accepting some imitation, rogue Kṛṣṅa. This is our misfortune. But we should not do that. There is Kṛṣṅa. Here is Kṛṣṅa, in His words. Kṛṣṅa is Absolute. He is not different from Kṛṣṅa. The words of Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa, there is no difference. When you read Bhagavad-gītā, if you feel like that, that "Here Kṛṣṅa is speaking before me," then your life is successful. Kṛṣṅa is speaking. Actually, it is a fact. It is a fact. It is not that "Kṛṣṅa is no longer here. Five thousand years He spoke; therefore this Bhagavad-gītā has become null and void." This is nonsense. Kṛṣṅa can speak at every moment, every second. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs 5.38].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṅa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.]

Those who are santas... Therefore it is said here, iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. Does He say that "Simply in this age"? No. At any time. Iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. One who understands Kṛṣṅa at any time, at any place, iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg 4.14],"

[There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.]

he comes liberated person, simply by this understanding that Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Lord. He is not bound up by the laws of karma and He is not conditioned by this material nature.

Kṛṣṅa says, daivī hy eṣā guṅa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg 7.14].

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

Mama māyā. Māyā is under His control. Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ [Bg 9.10].

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ. Prakṛti is working under His direction, under His superintendence. So we should know Kṛṣṅa like that. We should not... Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg 9.11].

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

Because He is speaking like a man, we are thinking that Kṛṣṅa came, and Kṛṣṅa is now dead, and His instruction is also dead, obsolete. No, that is not. Kṛṣṅa is ever-existing, nityo nityānām. We are also ever-existing. We are covered by this material body, but Kṛṣṅa is not covered by the material body. He comes in His original body. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg 4.6].

[Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.]

Yuge yuge sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

So Kṛṣṅa comes to save us and gives us His instruction so that after His disappearance from this world, people will take advantage of His instruction and make his life perfect. This is Bhagavad-gītā.

But if we misuse our intelligence and do not take advice from Kṛṣṅa and manufacture so many plans for prosperity, that will all fail. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṅo mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ [Bg 9.12].

[Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.]

That is moghāśā. Mogha means frustrated. They will be frustrated. Moghāśā. Anyone who does not take the direction of Kṛṣṅa, then whatever he is hoping, that will be frustrated. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṅaḥ. And whatever he is planning, "I will do like this, he will do like that," that will not stay. Because the māyā is there. Daivī hy eṣā guṅa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā. Māyā will kill all your plans. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14].

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

And if you follow Kṛṣṅa and do accordingly, then you will not be frustrated. Your life will be successful. This is the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā.

Therefore we are trying our little efforts how to establish the truth described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So here we should know in this chapter, Kṛṣṅa said that cātur-varṅyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13].

Na māṁ karmāṅi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā. Why Kṛṣṅa has to work? Kṛṣṅa hasn't got to work, because He is self-sufficient. If we want something, we conditioned soul, we have to work very hard for it. But Kṛṣṅa, He can by simply will, He can create the whole universe. So why should He work? Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṅaṁ ca... This is the Vedic information. The Supreme Absolute Truth, God, has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṅaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8].

[The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Nothing is equal to Him or greater than Him. He acts in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His unlimited, variegated potencies. Each potency acts quite naturally in sequences, providing Him full knowledge, power and pastimes.]

Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc Madhya 13.65, purport]. His energies are multi. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. It is multi-energy is working so nicely that we are seeing that it is automatically being done. Not automatically. Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10],

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

under His direction. But the machine..., but the energy is so subtle, it appears like "Oh, it is has been..., become automatically." But it is not being done automatically. There is superintendence. But parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca.

Just like if you paint one nice rose flower, you have to apply your energy and the brush and the color very particularly, very carefully. Then still, it is not as good as the natural flower. But do you think that natural flower has come automatically? No. There is brain of Kṛṣṅa also. But the brain is so sharp, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī, it has come automatically. Don't think that there is no brain. There is brain, sufficient brain, but not like your brain. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. This is Kṛṣṅa. You should try to understand Kṛṣṅa in that way. We should try to understand everything. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says that raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ [Bg 7.8].

[O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.]

This is Kṛṣṅa's energy. How the moon is shining, 200,000 miles away, still, the shining is so perfect? Can you make any lamp like that? Have you got such brain? Then how you can compare yourself with Kṛṣṅa? Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. But He has got the power. You can create one imitation moon or imitation sun, but that is not in your power. But still, you are so falsely proud of your scientific knowledge. What scientific knowledge you have got? So in this way, if we study Kṛṣṅa, then we can understand that, as Kṛṣṅa says, na māṁ karmāṅi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā. Karma-phale spṛh. He hasn't got... Why He should have any desire? He can create anything, without any effort, simply by His willing. Simply by His willing. Sa īkṣata, sa asṛjata. These are the Vedic information. Simply by His glancing, there was the whole material cosmic manifestation.

So if we understand Kṛṣṅa like that... Therefore Kṛṣṅa says study Kṛṣṅa. Study Kṛṣṅa. And Kṛṣṅa is describing Himself. There is no difficulty. You can study Kṛṣṅa. If you know now, "What Kṛṣṅa says is all right," simply if you know definitely, then iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti, simply by knowing this, karmabhir na sa badhyate, he is no more under the condition of this fruitive resultant action. He is free. So why don't you do that? So nice thing. Simply study. Now how can I study? Here is Krsna's instruction, you study and you become devotee. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

Don't require education. If you cannot read, if you are illiterate, it doesn't matter; you hear. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama saṁ..., vidaḥ, saṁvidaḥ. You hear from the realized soul. God has given you ear, you can hear. It doesn't require education. Formerly everyone was taking education simply by hearing. There was no book. Therefore all the Vedic knowledge is called śruti. Śrutibhir apanya.[?] Śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Śruti. So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is opening centers just to give you chance to hear about Kṛṣṅa. Only hearing. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ [SB 10.14.3].

[Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.]

Simply by hearing, you become perfect. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. At the time of point of his death, he had no time to perform any yajña or any big, big things. He simply heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam carefully—śrī-viṣṅoḥ śravaṅe parīkṣid abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane [Cc Madhya 22.136]—and he became perfect simply by hearing.

So we have got so many nice things, our Vedic literature, and they are all summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā. If we simply hear, by simply hearing Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then if we understand Kṛṣṅa, yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3],

[If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all controllers, one can understand everything else.]

then what happens? No more... Iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate. There is no more entanglement in the karma. Because so long we will be entangled in the karma, we will have to transmigrate from one body to another. And we do not know how long we have to rotate in this way. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṅḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva [Cc Madhya 19.151].

[According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṅa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṅa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.]

Everyone is rotating in this way. Out of that, one who is very, very fortunate, then guru-kṛṣṅa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja: by the grace of guru and Kṛṣṅa he gets the seed of devotional service. Then, if he waters it... Mālī hañā kare sei bīja āropaṅa. Just like if you get a seed of nice flower, if you sow it and water it, it will grow, similarly, the seed, śraddhā, that "Kṛṣṅa consciousness is very nice..." This is seed, but if you pour water... What is that watering? Śravaṅa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana [Cc Madhya 19.152].

[When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of śravaṅa and kīrtana [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout.]

If you simply hear and you chant also, that is the watering of the seed. Then it will grow. And one day it will grow a big tree or big plant, and it will reach Kṛṣṅa's... This is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. You will find.

So do not take this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement very lightly. Take it seriously and try to understand, and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]