Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.15

[loud noise of fireworks in background]

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

cetaḥ khalv asya bandhāya muktaye cātmano matam guṅeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye [SB 3.25.15]

[01:36]

"The stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditional life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the consciousness of liberation."

Prabhupāda:

cetaḥ khalv asya bandhāya muktaye cātmano matam guṅeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye [SB 3.25.15]

Two words: bandhana, bondage, and mukti, liberation. So people in ignorance, dull-headed, mūḍha, they do not know what is mukti and what is bandhana, what is liberation and what is bondage. They do not to know. Just like animals. The animal, he does not know, the dog, that "I am bound up in this dog's body. This is bondage. This is not my life." He does not know. Similarly, a human being, if he does not know what is bondage and liberation, then he's animal. From animal life, this human life is evolved for understanding this: what is mukti and what is liberation.

So mukti and liberation, if you keep your consciousness materially affected... Guṅeṣu saktam. Material world means the three qualities, tri-guṅa, guṅamayī. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, guṅamayī, mama māyā. 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.]

Tribhir guṅamayair bhāvaiḥ. We are being conducted in this material world by three guṅas: sattva-guṅa, rajo-guṅa, tamo-guṅa. Out of these three guṅas, the sattva-guṅa is the best: knowledge, the qualification of brāhmaṅa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg 18.42].

[Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṅas work.]

One who has developed sattva-guṅa, then the following qualification will be found in him: he'll be truthful and controlled of the mind, of the senses, satyaṁ śamo damas; titikṣā, tolerant; ārjava, simplicity; jñānam, jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, practical application of knowledge in life; āstikyam, āstikyam, to have full faith in the authority of the Vedas. That is called āstikyam. Āstikyam and nāstikyam.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained what is nāstikyam and what is āstikyam. According to Vedic understanding, anyone who does not believe in the Vedas, he's called nāstika. Just like Buddha philosophy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, veda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika. Veda. Lord Buddha, he defied Vedic authority. His mission was different. He wanted to stop animal killing. Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. The Supreme Lord became so much afflicted by, terribly, people being attached to killing animals, as they are now doing also. So He was compassionate to stop animal killing in the so-called sacrifice. But in the Vedic sacrifices, in some cases, there is recommendation of animal killing. That animal killing does not mean killing the animal and eat. No. It was a test. An old animal was put into the sacrificial fire, and the animal would come in new body, young. That is animal... But to give, to test the Vedic mantra, whether it is properly chanted. Then the result will be that if you put one old body it will come new body. So such kind of brāhmaṅa is not available in this age, Kali-yuga, yājñika-brāhmaṅa. They, by mantras, they could, they would ignite fire. Fire was not required matches. By mantra. Simply by mantra, the old body of an animal will turn to be young.

But because the yājñika-brāhmaṅa cannot do that... There is no yajña. Not possible. Therefore this kind of yajñas are prohibited in this Kali-yuga. In the Kali-yuga the only one yajña is this saṅkīrtanam. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32].

[In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṅa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṅa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.]

Those who are intelligent person, they know this kind of yajña will not be successful. Because people do not know, they cannot chant the mantras rightly, neither there is facility. So many things. Therefore in this age, dull age, the only concession is to perform saṅkīrtana-yajña. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīr... And yajña means to worship the Supreme Lord, Viṣṅu. Yajñaiḥ. Varṅāśramācāravatā puruṣeṅa paraḥ pumān viṣṅur ārādhyate [Cc Madhya 8.58].

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṅu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṅa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṅas and āśramas.’]

Ārādhyate. Real purpose is to worship the Supreme Lord, Viṣṅu. Nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṅam. Therefore performances of yajña is required.

So this yajña, in this age, Kali-yuga, is chanting of Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana, congregationally, as we chant: Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma... This is performance of yajña. So by performance of this yajña, the result will be that ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṅaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṅāmṛtāsvādanaṁ ...paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṅa-saṅkīrtanam [Cc Antya 20.12]

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it isBy chanting Lord Kṛṣṅa's name... That is also confirmed in the śāstra: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51].

[My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.]

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said by Śukadeva Gosvāmī... There are so many faults in this age. Some of them are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. As I was describing yesterday that durbhikṣa, anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ [SB 12.2.9], ācchinna-dāra-draviṅā gacchanti giri-kānanam [SB 12.2.8]. The Kali-yuga will be so much disturbing that people will be harassed especially by three things. Anāvṛṣṭi: there will be practically no rainfall. It is stated that there will be cloud in the sky. When there is no rainfall, people will be hankering after. Just like sometimes we hanker after rain in summer season, looking after, "When rainfall will come?" The people will be disappointed. There will be cloud, there will be thundering bolt, but there will be no rain. This time will be like that. Anāvṛṣṭi. Anāvṛṣṭi and durbhikṣa. And if there is anāvṛṣṭi, scarcity of rain, certainly there will be no food grain production, as it is now we are feeling, food grain production—eight rupees' kilo, rice. So why? The food grain is shortage. So anāvṛṣṭi durbhikṣa and kara-pīḍitāḥ: and people will be harassed by government taxation, kara-pīḍitāḥ. Government will... Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. It is said, "The government means a gang of rogues and thieves." That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They'll plunder. The rogues and thieves, they seek opportunity secretly, and government, by law, they will plunder. And still, they will go on as big minister. This is all stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So people will be so harassed in this age that out of disgust they will give up their family life. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṅā gacchanti giri-kānanam. Svīkāram eva hi udvāhe. There will be no marriage. This is also Vedic culture, to get married. But there will be no marriage. One woman, one man will live together by agreement. And as soon as the agreement is finished, they'll be separated. That is now very prominent in Western countries. Svīkāra eva hi udvāhe. There is no such thing... Just like the father of the girl, they'll find out a suitable boy, and the father of the girl, they will also find out... In this way... The horoscope... Formerly, these things were very current. Without there is, I mean to say, coincidence of the horoscope, that "This boy and this girl would live very happily," by horoscopic calculation, then marriage would not take place. Then the family consideration: whether the boy is coming from suitable family or the girl is coming from su... So many things were there. Then the marriage would ta...

But that kind of marriage is practically already stopped. Here, at the present moment, means simply agreement: "I like you. You like me. That's all right. Let us live together." Svīkāra eva hi udvāhe. Dāmpatye ratim eva hi: Husband and wife relationship means sex. There is no other purpose. As soon as there is some difficulty in sex enjoyment, they will be separated. These are all mentioned. Lāvaṅyaṁ keśa-dhāraṅam [SB 12.2.6]. Now, in the Western countries, here also, they're keeping long hair. So that will be beauty. Lāvaṅyaṁ keśa-dhāraṅam. Lāvaṅyam means luster of the body. The people will think, "If I keep long hair, then I have become very beautiful." The hippies, you see, long beard, long hair. They are thinking, "We have become very beautiful." So these are all stated. Sūtram eva hi vipratve. A brāhmaṅa means having a two-paisa-worth of thread. That's all. Thread. Simply to possess one thread, one becomes brāhmaṅa. Simply by changing the dress from white to saffron color, one becomes sannyāsī. No. There are duties of sannyāsīs or the brāhmaṅa or the gṛhastha, vānaprastha. There are duties.

So in this way Kali-yuga is polluted. Everything is contaminated, polluted. So it is called the ocean of faults. Because the life is meant for liberation. If one is not interested in liberation, simply for sense gratification, that is conditional life. They do not know it. But here it is stated that cetaḥ khalu asya bandhāya muktaye cātmano matam. The consciousness is the main principle, either for conditional life or for liberation. Consciousness. We are proposing Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement means liberation. Liberation. What liberation? Liberation means to stop repetition of birth and death. They do not have idea even that birth and death can be stopped. They think it cannot be stopped. Mo... Big, big scientists, they cannot stop. Bhagavān Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that you should keep in your front four different types of miserable condition. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg 13.9].

[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]

You may be very advanced in scientific knowledge, but what is..., where is the possibility of stopping these four principle of miserable condition of life? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. They are not interested. But when we can stop these four principles of miserable condition, namely, no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age, that is called liberation. You can have it. Simply you have to clear your consciousness. You have to clear your consciousness. How to clear? Now, guṅeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya. If you become conscious of these three material modes of nature, then it is for bondage. Rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye. And when your consciousness is Kṛṣṅized, simply think of Kṛṣṅa, then it is liberation. Clear idea.

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is to keep the mind and consciousness always in Kṛṣṅa, puṁsi. Puṁsi. Puṁsi. Puṁsi means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's a person. He's a male, not female. Puṁsi. Puruṣaḥ. Puruṣaḥ, not strī. When Kṛṣṅa was realized by Arjuna, he addressed Him, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam [Bg 10.12].

[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]

God is puruṣa, not female. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. Everything is enjoyed by the supreme puruṣa. We are also prakṛti. That is also stated. We are not puruṣa. This dress may be... That is māyā, illusion. Actually, we are puruṣa, and prakṛti means... Here the so-called woman is also puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. The women, they are also thinking how to enjoy. And man is also thinking how to enjoy. Therefore imitation puruṣa. But actually, they're prakṛti.

It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām [Bg 7.5].

[Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.]

The living entities, they are prakṛti. And they are trying to be puruṣa, enjoyer. This is material world. Therefore they are attached to the three guṅas, because they want to enjoy this material world, artificially trying to become puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. As such, they are attached to this material world. And material world means guṅa, tri-guṅa. And according to attachment, they're getting different types of bodies.

That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāraṅaṁ guṅa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Bg 13.22]. Why there are different types of bodies? Why one living entity is dog and why one living entity is first-class brāhmaṅa? Because kāraṅaṁ guṅa-saṅgaḥ asya. The one who has got a learned brāhmaṅas' body, that means he has associated with the modes of nature goodness. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. This is elevation. If one is in the modes of goodness, then he can understand gradually what is God, what is Kṛṣṅa. Otherwise, in the modes of passion and ignorance, nobody can understand what is God. Not only that. Even from material prosperity, if one is situated in the modes of goodness, then he can be elevated to the higher planetary system—Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka, Satyaloka. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ [Bg 14.18].

[Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.]

So these are needed. So anyway, even if you go to the Brahmaloka, that is not also perfection. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg 8.16].

[From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.]

There is no benefit. Because there also the four principles of miserable condition, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg 13.9], they are there, even in the Brahmaloka.

Brahmā also dies. Brahmā also takes birth. You know it. Brahmā, he also took birth, from the lotus flower generated from the navel of Viṣṅu. So there was birth. And when Brahmā will die, whole material cosmic manifestation will be finished. So he has also birth and death and old age and disease. And the small ant or insect, it has also the same disease, old age, birth and death. So one has to become free from this bondage, because we are eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate [Bg 2.20]. Bhagavad-gītā says. The living entity never takes birth, never dies. Then why even Brahmā is dies? Brahmā is also dying. That is material life. That is bondage, bandhana. Guṅeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya.

So one should not think that "I have got millions of millions of years' duration of life. Therefore I am liberated." No. Brahmā, he has got millions and millions of years as one day, twelve hours, our twelve hours. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṅo viduḥ [Bg 8.17].

[By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahmā's one day. And such also is the duration of his night.]

So he is also subjected to birth and death. That is conditional life. So we have forgotten this. We Indians, bhāratīya, we have got these advantages, the perfect knowledge given by the Vedic literature, by great ṛṣis, and Bhagavān Svayaṁ Kapiladeva, Bhagavān Kṛṣṅa. And we are neglecting. We have become so unfortunate. There is a poet has said that ātman dhana vilaye diye bhikṣa mage porer kache[?]: "We have lost our own culture. Now we are beggar. We are going to foreign countries to beg something." Of course, I have gone to foreign countries not to beg, but to give. Others go there to beg: "Give me grain. Give me money. Give me soldier." But we have not gone. We have gone to give them. Therefore these European, Americans are attracted—because I am giving them, not taking from them. That is the difference. They have seen many, big, big persons go to the foreign countries only to beg, but nobody goes there to give.

So the Indian culture is so rich that you can give to the whole world. Whole world. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

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.]

They are getting life. The Kṛṣṅa consciousness means getting life. They are exhausted with this materialistic way of life. They are getting some new life. That is wanted. Because muktaye. We living entities, we are, by nature, liberated. There is no question of birth and death, old age and disease. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg 15.7]. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Lord. So how there can be birth and death and old age and disease? Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Kṛṣṅa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ... [Bs 5.1]

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

Anādi. There is no question of birth and death. So we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, we are also of the same nature, equal in quality, not in quantity. So why should we suffer this birth and death? Therefore in the beginning of Kapiladeva's instruction He said, yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ cato niḥśreyasāya me. That is yoga. What is that? That is explained, that ādhyātmika, to save the soul. The soul is entrapped in this body, material body, and to save it. No more death, no more birth, no more old age. That is wanted. That is perfect yoga.

So how this perfect yoga can be achieved? That is explained in this verse. Puṁsi, rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye. If you, your consciousness is become..., is attached to Kṛṣṅa, only thinking of Kṛṣṅa, that will give you liberation. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg 9.14].

[Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.]

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: "Always chanting about Me." Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... And yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ, and endeavoring with great determination. Just like you see in this temple: they rise early in the morning, at four o'clock. Immediately after taking bath, being prepared, they offer the maṅgala-ārātrika at five o'clock, kīrtana, then study. There are rules and regulation. That is called bhajana-kriyā. "A bhajana... In the mind, I am thinking of..." No. You cannot do so. You must go through the process, bhajana-kriyā.

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā tato rucis ...tato bhāva... sādhakānām ayaṁ premṅaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ [Cc Madhya 23.14-15]

[In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṅa consciousness.]

If you want to awaken your dormant love for Kṛṣṅa... There is, because we are part and parcel. Just like father and son: there is natural love. But somehow or other, son is out of home and forgotten. Father, of course, thinks, "My such-and-such son has gone out. If he comes back..." So Kṛṣṅa thinks like that. Because we are sons of Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa is more anxious to get us back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore He comes and says, "You rascal, give up all these engagements." Sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

"You have manufactured so many dharmas: deva-dharma, samāja-dharma, deśa-dharma, this dharma, that dharma, Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, this... No! Simply surrender unto Me." That is dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ek... Kṛṣṅa comes to teach us. Kṛṣṅa is very, very anxious.

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata... tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7]

Kṛṣṅa comes Himself; Kṛṣṅa leaves behind Him His word. Vapu and vāṅī. Vāṅī means the words. That is also Kṛṣṅa. That is also... Just like we do not see Kṛṣṅa now. We can see Kṛṣṅa if we actually advance. Here is Kṛṣṅa. But they will say, "Oh, this is an idol. This is an idol. This is not Kṛṣṅa." But Kṛṣṅa, if you think that you have not seen Kṛṣṅa, so Kṛṣṅa is present by His word also, Bhagavad-gītā. That is vāṅī, kṛṣṅa-vāṅī.

So this, this stage can be achieved when one is advanced in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that Kṛṣṅa is present as the Deity, Kṛṣṅa is present by His words in Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṅa is present as the taste in the water, Kṛṣṅa is present as sunshine, Kṛṣṅa is present as moonshine, Kṛṣṅa is present in the sound. This potaka, He is also present there. Śabdaḥ khe. The śabda, or the sound, Kṛṣṅa says that "I am the sound."

So Kṛṣṅa is present everywhere. One has to gain the knowledge how to see Kṛṣṅa. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is mukti. If you remain always in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that means you are on the liberated stage. And that is called bhakti-yoga.

śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam... [SB 7.5.23]

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

This Deity worship is arcanam. Chanting is vandanam. Dāsyam, to work for Kṛṣṅa, go and see people, preach Kṛṣṅa consciousness, distribute books. In so many ways Kṛṣṅa consciousness can be... So everything is being done. People may take advantage of it. Then immediately he becomes muktaye. The consciousness, Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that is mukta.

māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṅa bhakti-yogena yah 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.]

If we are engaged in devotional service, bhakti-yoga, then we are liberated. Māṁ ca... Kṛṣṅa says. Māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṅa [Bg 14.26]. Without any stoppage, continuously, something in Kṛṣṅa. Māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṅa bhakti-yogena.

There are so many ways of bhakti-yoga.

śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam... [SB 7.5.23]

Any of them you take, that is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. The mainly is śravaṅam. Just you are hearing. This is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā. This is śraddhā, that "Here people are talking about Kṛṣṅa. Why not hear us? Let me hear." That is śraddhā, little faith. You have come here with a little faith. That increasing of that faith is advancement of Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is required. Ādau śraddhā. First of all little faith: "Let us see." Then sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu-saṅga. They are, the sādhus, the devotees, who are living in the temple, if you associate with them, talk with them about Kṛṣṅa, then you'll be benefited. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc Madhya 23.14-15]. Then gradually bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā. Actually engaged in service, officially being initiated to take service of the Lord, that is called bhajana-kriyā. And bhajana-kriyā means anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then anartha, all these rascal habits, namely illicit sex and intoxication, meat-eating and gambling—nivṛtti, no more.

That is the test that whether you are actually initiated. If you are still attached to these... Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktiḥ... If you are not detestful to all these nonsense habits, then you must know that you are not making any progress. You are not making any progress. Because this is the result: anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. If you are actually making advance in bhajana-kriyā, then these attachment will be finished. No more. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg 2.59].

[The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.]

Not by force, but appreciating something better condition of life, one rejects all this nonsense. That is advancement. Bhajana-kriyā. By bhajana-kriyā, by being initiated and executing the bhajana, now, one just be detestful. Then niṣṭhā. Tato niṣṭhā, firm faith. Tato ruciḥ. Ruci means taste. You cannot do without it. Just like the drunkard: he cannot remain without drinking. Similarly, a devotee is also drunkard. He cannot remain without Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is called ruci, taste. Tato ruciḥ athāsaktiḥ. Then attachment. That is required.

Sakta, sakta or āsakti, same thing. If our attachment is for this material enjoyment, that is bondage. That means we have to accept another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [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.]

You cannot avoid. Because if you infect some disease, then you must suffer from it. If you infect. That is a practical knowledge. If you infect some disease... So kāraṅaṁ guṅa-saṅgaḥ. As soon as you infect this tamo-guṅa, rajo-guṅa, you have to, what is called, immune from infection. That immunity is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And if you are not immune, you are subjected to the infection, then you must get another body of the same quality. Kāraṅaṁ guṅa-saṅgaḥ asya. So to remain free from the infection of these guṅas, then we have to engage ourselves in the bhakti-yoga. That is stated.

māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṅa bhakti-yogena yah sevate sa guṅān samatītyaitān... [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.]

Then he is immune to the infection of these guṅas.

So this is the process, and we have to learn it by sādhu-saṅga [Cc Madhya 22.83].

[The root cause of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṅa is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Kṛṣṅa awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.]

Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā tato rucis tataḥ athāsaktiḥ... [Cc Madhya 23.14-15].

In this way, there will be āsakti and bhāva. Then you attain the perfectional stage. That is called ecstatic stage of love of Godhead. And then you cannot remain without Kṛṣṅa. And then that bhāva increase. Just like the mahābhāva. That mahābhāva is not possible in the ordinary human being, but it is possible for the gopīs, for Rādhārāṅī. They cannot live without Kṛṣṅa. That is the highest stage of perfection, or liberation.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. Prabhupāda ki jaya. [end]