Sannyāsa Initiation Lecture

Prabhupāda: Etāṁ sa āsthāya. Etāṁ sa āsthāya. [SB 11.23.57] Next?

Akṣayānanda: Parātma-niṣṭhām?

Prabhupāda: Parātma-niṣṭhām. This sannyāsa life means simply devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no other business. We have got, according to our varṅāśrama system, varṅa and āśrama: brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and āśrama, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. As we were discussing, viṣṅoḥ pādopasarpaṅam. The whole system is how to approach the lotus feet of Viṣṅu. So this is the last ceremonial performance. Etāṁ samāsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām. Parātma-niṣṭhām, Viṣṅu, to keep firm faith in Him. So it is not a new thing. Pūrvatamair upāsitāṁ mahadbhiḥ. Before us there were so many exalted ācāryas—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṅu Svāmī, Nimbārka and, in our line, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So our process is to follow the predecessor ācārya. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186].

[Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated self-realized person. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.]

That is the way. So although you are young men—there are many difficulties to keep sannyāsa—but if you keep faith, full faith in Kṛṣṅa, the māyā will not be able to touch you. Daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī 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.]

Māyā is very strong, but if we—mām eva ye prapadyante—if we keep ourself fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṅa, māyā will not be able to counteract this process.

So you should always keep yourself fixed up in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. It is not very difficult. Strictly follow the rules and regulation and chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra as many times... For a sannyāsī, you should increase. Then you will be fixed up. And go on preaching. Preaching is also not very difficult, because you haven't got to manufacture anything. Everything is there, and it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also took sannyāsa very early age, twenty-four years old only. So He has practically shown by His activities how to preach Kṛṣṅa consciousness all over the world. And He gives order to everyone, āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]:

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

"In whichever country you may live—it doesn't matter—try to deliver them by becoming their guru." The sannyāsa is supposed to be guru of all other divisions—brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. Sannyāsa is the topmost stage. So if you become guru, teacher, remembering the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then you will never fall down. He will save you.

And how one becomes guru? That is also very easy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṅa upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. You haven't got to manufacture anything. Simply you try to repeat the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, kṛṣṅa upadeśa. Not only Bhagavad-gītā; there are many other instructions. Especially Bhagavad-gītā. So if you simply carry the message of Bhagavad-gītā, then you become guru. Don't manufacture anything. Then it will be spoiled. Simply stick primarily... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām 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.]

You can..., everyone can say this. Kṛṣṅa says that "You always think of Me." So you can repeat only. You can say to others, "My dear sir, please think of Kṛṣṅa." It doesn't require very much education. Simply just like a peon carry the message: "Sir, you always think of Kṛṣṅa." Man-manā. Then you become guru.

If you follow it strictly—you also think of Kṛṣṅa yourself, and you teach others, "My dear sir, my only request is that you think of Kṛṣṅa"—nobody will kill you. Everyone will... If he doesn't follow, he will appreciate you: "Oh, these sannyāsīs are very nice. They are advising to think of Kṛṣṅa." Then you become guru. Simple thing. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. And anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṅa, gradually he becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṅa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "You worship Me." Here is the temple, and anyone can worship Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa is satisfied simply with a little flower and little water. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26].

[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]

It is not expensive. Anyone can bring little flower, little fruit, little tulasī leaf, and offer to Kṛṣṅa. Māṁ namaskuru. If you cannot do anything, simply offer your obeisances: "Kṛṣṅa, I am so poor, I cannot even secure a little fruit, flower and water." That is not possible. Everyone can secure this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam and offer to Kṛṣṅa and offer your obeisances.

So you have to teach only these things. Where is the difficulty? You do it personally and teach them. Then you become guru. It doesn't require to learn big, big, I mean to say, grantha like Vedānta. This is not possible in this Kali-yuga. If possible, you can study Vedānta and other. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us... When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī inquired from Him that "You are a sannyāsī. You are not studying Vedānta, and simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa. What kind of sannyāsī You are?"—this question was put by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī to Caitanya Mahāprabhu—Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "My dear sir, I am a great fool." Guru more mūrkha dekhi karila śāsana [Cc Ādi 7.71]: "My guru saw Me a great fool number one; therefore he has chastised Me." What is that? That " 'You cannot read Vedānta. You chant Hare Kṛṣṅa.' So My Guru Mahārāja has ordered Me like that. But by chanting only, I get ecstasy, I realize, like that."

So the idea is Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not a mūrkha, fool. He is God Himself. And besides that, even in His līlā, pastimes as human being, He was a great learned scholar. His name was Nimāi Paṅḍita. He was not ordinary. He's paṅḍita. His education is proved when He explained ātmārāma śloka in sixty-four ways.

ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṅo hariḥ [SB 1.7.10]

This one verse He explained in sixty-four ways. Just see His learning. Not only that, when He was sixteen years old only, there was a great paṅḍita came to Navadvīpa. His name was Keśava Kāśmīrī. He conquered over all parts of the country..., India at least, because there was no possibility to go outside India. But He defeated him in one śloka when He was a boy. So He was not a fool, rascal. That is not the fact. But He represented Himself as a fool because we are fools. In this age we are all fools and rascals. What we shall read Vedānta and understand Vedānta? We have got practical experience how the so-called Vedāntists go to foreign countries and mislead them, and they learn how to eat meat and wine. This is their Vedānta knowledge. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew it very well that all the rascals, they will call them vedānti and do all nonsense. So don't become falsely a vedānti. Real vedānti means vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

If you simply know Kṛṣṅa and surrender unto Him, then you become a vedanti, real vedanti. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg 15.15].

So always keep... This kind of duty was entrusted by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to the Indians.

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.]

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, that every Indian should learn what is this Kṛṣṅa consciousness and preach it all over the world. That is His order. But our Indians are not taking care of it. Therefore it doesn't matter, Indian or European or American, who will carry the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he will be benefited, he will be glorified. So don't be hesitating, because the soul is neither Indian or American. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Every one of us, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, and our position is Brahman. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg 18.54].

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

So from that platform you go on preaching Kṛṣṅa consciousness. By executing the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu you'll be glorified, the country will be glorified, the whole world will benefit.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya... [end]