Bhakti-Yoga as the Sublime Religious Principle

А. Ч. Бхактиведанта Свами Прабхупада · Дели · 1971

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[prema-dhvani prayers]

Defining true religion and bhakti

Prabhupāda: Mr. Justice Rangarajan, Justice Misra and Lalaji, Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Today, this evening, we are especially enlightened by the nice speech delivered by Justice Rangarajan, little describing about bhakti-yoga. Actually, we are discussing this bhakti-yoga for the last few days.

So bhakti-yoga is the sublime religious principle of the human society. The human society is not human society without sense of religious principle. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ [Hitopadeśa].

That is the distinction of human society and animal. In the animal society, there is no religion.

But in the human society, may be in any part of the world, there is some concept of religion, may be Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion, Buddha's religion, Jewish religion, and so many others.

But according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is a test of religion. The test of religion is how much one has advanced in his love for God.

SB 1.2.6स वै पुंसां परो धर्मो यतो भक्तिरधोक्षजे ।अहैतुक्यप्रतिहता ययाऽत्मा सुप्रसीदति ॥ ६sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmoyato bhaktir adhokṣajeahaituky apratihatāyayātmā suprasīdatiThe supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.

Religion means you must have peace of mind, tranquillity. That is religion. It is not a formality or dogmas. It is the ultimate goal of life.

History of Prahlada and demons

So this bhāgavata-dharma long, long ago was sometimes discussed by Prahlāda Mahārāja, a great devotee, a boy devotee, five-years-old boy, and he was a great devotee, although born in an atheistic family.

His father was a great atheist, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇya means gold, and kaśipu means soft cushion. That means complete materialist. The materialist want these two things: woman and money.

So Hiraṇyakaśipu was very expert in this business. But fortunately he had a great son, Prahlāda Mahārāja.

So this Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was in the womb of his mother, he had the chance of hearing about bhāgavata-dharma from Nāradaji.

You have heard that there is always fight between the atheist and the theist, or the demigods and the demons, sura asura. So sometimes there was a fight between the asuras and the devas.

The asuras became defeated, and Hiraṇyakaśipu left the battle.

So as it sometimes appears..., happens in the war, the wife of Hiraṇyakaśipu was captured by the demigods, and she was being taken away, although she was pregnant.

So Nārada Muni met on the way, and he asked the demigods, "Oh, what you are doing this? You are taking away one pregnant woman? What is this?" So Indra replied that "We are not going to do any harm to the woman.

But we are concerned with the child within his [her] womb. Because that child is born of Hiraṇyakaśipu, he must be a greater demon. So as soon as the child is born, we shall kill it.

Therefore, we are taking this woman." Then Nāradajī said that "This child is not an ordinary child. He is mahā-bhāgavata. So you do not try this attempt. Just release her. I will take her."

So Nāradajī is authority, so demigods accepted his advice, Vaiṣṇava. The demigods are also Vaiṣṇava. Demigods means there are two kinds of population all over the universe: daiva asura eva ca.

One class is called daiva, devata, and the other class is called asura. So who is asura and who is a deva? Viṣṇu-bhakta bhaved daiva asuras tad viparyayaḥ [Padma-purāṇa].

That is the definition who is the asura and who is a deva. Only the Vaiṣṇava, they are demigods. And who are not Vaiṣṇava or anything else, tad viparyayaḥ, he is a demon.

In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, asuri bhāvam āśritāḥ. BG 7.15न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः ।माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ॥१५॥na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥprapadyante narādhamāḥmāyayāpahṛta-jñānāāsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥThose miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.The asuri bhāva is defy the existence of God. "Who is God?

I am God." Hiraṇyakaśipu was a typical example of this demon. As soon as his son, five years old, he would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, he immediately object, "Why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?"

So that is the nature of the demon, to protest always against the theist or godly Vaiṣṇavas. This is not new; it is always there. This world is so made that the predominance of demonic principle is very much aggressed[?].

Just see, even a father, a demon father could not tolerate the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra by his five-years-old son. Therefore, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised,

CC Adi 17.31তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥ ৩১ ॥tṛṇād api su-nīcenataror iva sahiṣṇunāamāninā māna-denakīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”

Tolerance and spiritual intelligence

There will be disturbances. One who is going to engage himself in devotional service, he may be disturbed, because that is the way of this material world. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that tolerate. How toleration?

Tṛṇād api sunīcena, humbler than the straw on the street or grass. Everyone is walking over the grass, but it does not protest. Tolerates. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇuna.

Prahlāda Mahārāja was typical example of this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's śikṣā. This Hiraṇyakaśipu father tortured Prahlāda Mahārāja in so many ways, but he tolerated. He tolerated. There are many other examples.

Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. The only fault was that he was preaching God consciousness. Ṭhākura Haridāsa, he was Muhammadan, but he took to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and the Kazi...

At that time, there was Muhammadan government.

The Kazi called him, "Oh, you are so fortunate, you have taken your birth in Muhammadan family and you are chanting Hindu God's name?" So he replied, "Sir, what is the fault there?

Some of the Hindus also take to Muhammadan religion. So what is the fault there?" "Oh, you are talking before me? You are protesting?" So he was flogged with cane in twenty-two bazaar, but he tolerated.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, don't think it is going very easily. We have to tolerate. Actually we are tolerating so many things, but we cannot stop it. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's advice,

The saṅkīrtana movement must go on. Despite all obstacles put before us, it must go on. That is determination. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 7.28].

That is the instruction of Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ, unflinching faith. And the Vedas say, Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23yasya deve parā bhaktiryathā deve tathā gurautasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥprakāśante mahātmanaḥ

Through bhakti you can understand Vedas. Yasya deve parā bhaktir, bhakti, yathā deve tathā gurau. Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said the same thing:

CC Madhya 19.151ব্রহ্মাণ্ড ভ্রমিতে কোন ভাগ্যবান্ জীব ।গুরু-কৃষ্ণ-প্রসাদে পায় ভক্তিলতা-বীজ ॥ ১৫১ ॥brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīvaguru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja“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 Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.

Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva. This bhakti cult is not for everyone. It is meant for the most fortunate person, most intelligent person, bhakti cult.

Kṛṣṇa said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate Bg. 7.19. So after many, many births cultivating knowledge, when it comes to the supreme platform, then he can understand bhakti.

Then he surrenders himself unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says... This is the instruction of bhakti-yoga. I shall read a few lines.

Spiritual education and the soul

SB 7.6.1श्रीप्रह्राद उवाचकौमार आचरेत्प्राज्ञो धर्मान् भागवतानिह ।दुर्लभं मानुषं जन्म तदप्यध्रुवमर्थदम् ॥१॥śrī-prahrāda uvācakaumāra ācaret prājñodharmān bhāgavatān ihadurlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janmatad apy adhruvam arthadamPrahlāda Mahārāja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life — in other words, from the tender age of childhood — to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.SB 7.6.2यथा हि पुरुषस्येह विष्णोः पादोपसर्पणम् ।यदेष सर्वभूतानां प्रिय आत्मेश्वरः सुहृत् ॥२॥yathā hi puruṣasyehaviṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇamyad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁpriya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛtThe human form of life affords one a chance to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings.

SB 7.6.3सुखमैन्द्रियकं दैत्या देहयोगेन देहिनाम् ।सर्वत्र लभ्यते दैवाद्यथा दुःखमयत्नतः ॥३॥sukham aindriyakaṁ daityādeha-yogena dehināmsarvatra labhyate daivādyathā duḥkham ayatnataḥPrahlāda Mahārāja continued: My dear friends born of demoniac families, the happiness perceived with reference to the sense objects by contact with the body can be obtained in any form of life, according to one’s past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained without endeavor, just as we obtain distress.

Prahlāda Mahārāja, he could not get to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness because he was born in atheist family, guarded, well guarded, and father was always alert that "My son may not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." But he was taking opportunity in the school.

So he was five-years-old boy, and his class fellows also of the same age. So he used to induce them, "My dear friends, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." We have got a little girl, perhaps you have all seen, Sarasvatī.

She was admitted in a school in Bombay. And because there was no Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting, she began to cry, "No, I shall not be in this school." Practical.

There was [indistinct], she was organizing all the children to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

But they began something else, so she said, "No, I am not going to this school." So śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sañjāyate Bg. 6.41. This child must be executing devotional service in her past life.

Therefore she has got the opportunity, a Vaiṣṇava father and Vaiṣṇavī mother. And from the very beginning of her life she is becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is advising his friends, "My dear friends..." The friends were replying, "Now we are children, we shall play. Why you are asking us the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

This is the business of the old men." "No," Prahlāda Mahārāja said. "No, it is not the business of the old men. You should learn it from the very childhood." Kaumāram.

Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha SB 7.6.1: the first thing is that human life is for cultivating dharma, religion. The other day I explained that dharma and religion is not the exactly synonymous.

Dharma means which you cannot leave. Dharma, the example I gave the other day, just like sugar cannot give up the quality of sweetness. Similarly, the water cannot give up the quality of liquidity.

The fire cannot give up the quality of heat and light. Similarly, every living entity has his original characteristic, which is called dharma.

That characteristic is described by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. This is the characteristic. Svarūpa. Svarūpa means original constitutional position.

That is called svarūpa. And mukti means to be situated in that original condition. That is the statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ SB 2.10.6. That is mukti.

As soon as you give up your artificial way of life and you become situated in your original position, that is called mukti. That is... In other words, mukti means brahma-bhūtaḥ.

That is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātma Bg. 18.54. When one realizes Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. At the present moment, we are jīva-bhūtaḥ.

We are identifying ourself with matter, with this body: "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Christian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am black," "I am white." These are all designations. This is not my real identity.

My real identity is ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul." So Bhagavad-gītā says that, BG 18.54ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति ।समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ॥५४॥brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmāna śocati na kāṅkṣatisamaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣumad-bhaktiṁ labhate parāmOne who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.

Without being brahma-bhūtaḥ, actual devotional life does not begin. It is not that by devotional service one... Of course, you can take both way.

But according to Bhagavad-gītā, it is to be understood that anyone who has taken to this devotional service, he is already in the stage of brahma-bhūtaḥ.

BG 14.26मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते ।स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥२६॥māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇabhakti-yogena sevatesa guṇān samatītyaitānbrahma-bhūyāya kalpateOne who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

Mukti means to become transcendental to the three guṇas. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. So bhāgavata-dharma is in the transcendental platform. It is not material.

Sankirtana and the brahma-bhuta platform

There are two kinds of dharmas: material and spiritual, because we are combination of matter and spirit at the present moment. So long I want to enjoy this material world or to satisfy my senses...

This material body means combination of senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. So the platform where we are concerned with the senses, that is called karma, karma platform.

Just like people are working very hard day and night in the city. The purpose is to gratify the senses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham SB 7.9.45. So that is karma.

Then, indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ Bg. 3.42.

When you come to the activities of the mind—psychology, metaphysics, philosophical speculation—that is another stage; that is better than this stage, karmī.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has approved that out of many thousands of karmīs, one jñānī is better. And out of many thousands of jñānīs, one mukta is better, liberated.

One who has realized that "I am not this matter, I am Brahman," he is better. He is mukta. Mukta means one... Brahma-bhūtaḥ, he understands. He no more identifies himself with these material activities.

That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu approves that out of many thousands of karmīs, one jñānī is better. And out of many thousands of jñānīs, one mukta is better.

And out of many thousands of mukta, hardly you can find any bhakta. Bhakta... So the position of bhakta is very sublime. This is transcendental position, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate Bg. 14.26.

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, this mukti is given very easily by introducing the saṅkīrtana movement. He personally writes.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He wrote only eight verses, which is known as Śikṣāṣtaka, eight verses. And all the Gosvāmīs, they wrote volumes of books on these eight verses. He wrote only eight verses.

So He says that by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first benefit will be ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [ That is cultivation of knowledge. It will automatically come, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, if one chants offenselessly.

There are ten kinds of offenses. If one chants this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra offenselessly, then immediately he becomes liberated. Nāmābhāsa, mukti.

And when he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in ecstasy, then he is in deep love of God. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He showed the example: He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and was fainting and He was crying.

And He writes in His eight ślokas, CC Antya 20.39যুগায়িতং নিমেষেণ চক্ষুষা প্রাবৃষায়িতম্ ।শূন্যায়িতং জগৎ সর্বং গোবিন্দ-বিরহেণ মে ॥ ৩৯ ॥yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇacakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitamśūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁgovinda-viraheṇa me“ ‘My Lord Govinda, because of separation from You, I consider even a moment a great millennium. Tears flow from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I see the entire world as void.’

He was feeling separation of Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, so intensely that He was thinking one moment as twelve years. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. So these are mahābhāva.

Great transcendental ecstasy can be achieved simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or bhakti-yoga, Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends, kaumāra ācaret.

Kaumāra means the age from five years to fifteen years. So in all schools and colleges this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra should be taught.

If you actually want to advance your nationality, India, then you must take to this culture. That will glorify your country. You cannot compete the Westerners by technology. That is not possible.

They are meant for that purpose. You are meant for different purpose. Your special advantage is that you were born in this land of Bhārata-varṣa after many, many births, after many, many pious activities.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, CC Adi 9.41ভারত–ভূমিতে হৈল মনুষ্য–জন্ম যার ।জন্ম সার্থক করি’ কর পর–উপকার ॥ ৪১ ॥bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yārajanma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra“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.So still, although India is poverty-stricken, they say...

Wherever I go, they take that I am coming from a very poor country. We are advertised in that way, because whenever our big men go there, ministers, for begging something.

So we have been taken, accepted, as the beggars' country. But in the Berkeley University, when one Indian student protested that I am spreading this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement... The only protest was by an Indian student.

He said, "Swāmījī, what benefit will be there by spreading this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement?" In another place, a girl asked me, "Swāmījī, what is God?" So I asked her, "Are you Indian?

You should be ashamed of being called as Indian, because you are asking what is God. You are coming from India, the land of God, and you do not know what is God." So this is our position.

The land where Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared, just ninety miles from Delhi in Vṛndāvana-Mathurā, we are not concerned. I have seen it personally. I do not discuss... I do not want to discuss these things.

But my point is that this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, CC Adi 9.41ভারত–ভূমিতে হৈল মনুষ্য–জন্ম যার ।জন্ম সার্থক করি’ কর পর–উপকার ॥ ৪১ ॥bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yārajanma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra“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 bhāgavata-dharma should be taught to our children.

There is no use of calling ourself that we are secular. What does it mean? Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ [Hitopadeśa]. If you have no dharma, then what is the difference between you and the animal? You must have.

That is the advice of Prahlāda Mahārāja also.

Human life and transmigration

Prahlāda Mahārāja appeared some millions of years ago, and he was a five-years-old boy, Vaiṣṇava. He says, kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. Prājñaḥ means one who knows very perfectly things, prājñaḥ.

Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha SB 7.6.1. There are different types of dharma, but he specifically mentioned dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Iha means in this life, in this human form of life.

Why in this life? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. This life, this human form of life, is very difficult to obtain again. You do not know what life you are going to accept next.

There is no certainty, because when you die, then you cannot be puffed up that "I don't care for God. I am God." Then you are under the grip of the material nature.

BG 3.27प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः ।अहंकारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥२७॥prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāniguṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmākartāham iti manyateThe spirit soul bewildered by the inﬂuence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.

Then you cannot... You are caught up. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā Bg. 7.14. Then it will be just what kind of body you should have. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa SB 3.31.1, under superior administration.

Just like in the government service there is service record. And according to the service record, one is promoted or degraded. Similarly, there is record in the God's accountant department, statistic department.

Every moment, upadraṣṭā anumantā, God is within you, He is seeing all your activities. If you desire something, God will remind you. So that is good record.

So all this record will be considered about your karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye.

It will be decided that "This particular or this individual soul, he has to accept such-and-such body." Daiva-netreṇa jantur.

Then that soul is transferred to the father's semina, and the father injects the semina in the womb of the woman.

And then in the first night, by emulsification of the two seminas, there is a form like a pea, and that pea grows into the body. This is the secret of different types of body.

So we do not know, we are not certain that what kind of body I am going to get next, but we will have one body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati Bg. 2.13.

As I am getting one type of body from another type... In my this life, I was a child, I was a baby, I was a boy, I was a young man, now I am old man. As I am changing my body differently...

I was a small child, I can remember personally. When I was about six months old, I was lying down on the lap of my eldest sister. She was at that time married, and she was knitting. I remember.

I was seeing how she was knitting. I can remember. But where is that body? Then another body, another body, another body. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ Bg. 2.13.

Similarly, when I give up this body, then I must accept another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But that I do not know.

That will be considered by higher authorities, daiva-netreṇa, exactly as I told you that the service record is checked by higher authorities and he is promoted. So how one can know where one has gone?

We keep one man's statue, but we do not know where the man has gone, where the soul has gone. But we keep the statue as if he is staying there. This is called illusion.

We do not know where my leader has gone, but I am worshiping the leader's statue on the street, and it has become the place for passing stool on his head by the crows, and we are worshiping.

But when you go to worship in the temple, it is idol worship. We are worshiping the statues, but when you go to worship in the temple, "That is idol worship."

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, therefore, advises that this bhāgavata-dharma education must be given from the childhood. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha SB 7.6.1. Because durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma.

But if you take to this bhāgavata-dharma, then there is no loss.

Spiritual leadership and divine orders

There is no loss. Because Kṛṣṇa says that even if you cannot execute the bhāgavata-dharma fully in one life... Because we are not guaranteed.

Guaranteed, of course, if we follow strictly as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, that janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ.

If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa—how He appears, how He takes birth, how He disappears, why does He come, what are His activities—if you simply study these Kṛṣṇa activities, then the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti Bg. 4.9.

Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa. This is bhāgavata-dharma. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, being compassionate to the all fallen conditions of this age, He said that,

CC Madhya 7.128যারে দেখ, তারে কহ ‘কৃষ্ণ’ উপদেশ ।আমার আজ্ঞায় গুরু হঞা তার’ এই দেশ ॥ ১২৮ ॥yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśaāmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa 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.”

He says that "On My order, every one of you, especially Indians, you become a guru on My order." So "I am a fool.

How can I become a guru?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu says āmāra ājñāya, "You simply carry out My order." There is no difficulty to become a guru if you simply carry out without any adulteration the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

What is that order? That is not very difficult. Because He says, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Anyone you meet, you simply repeat what Kṛṣṇa has said.

That is bhāgavata-dharma: what Kṛṣṇa has said. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja Bg. 18.66*. Mad-yājī, mad-bhakta*. So Kṛṣṇa says... This is kṛṣṇa-upadeśa.

He has given upadeśa in the Bhagavad-gītā in many ways—karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga.

But His special instruction is, the most confidential instruction is, He said to Arjuna, "Because you are My friend, therefore I am giving you this most confidential instruction." What is that?

Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru Bg. 18.65. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is the confidential instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. So it is not difficult.

You haven't got to manufacture a religion. Because you cannot manufacture religion. That is not possible. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam SB 6.3.19. Just like the state can give you law; you cannot manufacture law.

Similarly, any ordinary man, he cannot manufacture religion. Religion means the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is religion.

So this religion, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja Bg. 18.66, directly spoken by the Supreme Lord. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends this.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu also does not give any manufactured religion. This Caitanya cult is not a manufactured religion. It is also following. This is the process of religion.

Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. We have to get the religious principle by the disciplic succession, not that I become an authority automatically and I manufacture religion. That is not religion.

So Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised that "Simply instruct what Kṛṣṇa has said." Kṛṣṇa has also said the same thing: ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati [Bg 18.68]. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ [Bg. 18.69].

"Anyone who is engaged in preaching the cult of Bhagavad-gītā, no one is dearer to Me than he." [break] ...in preaching... [break] That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult.

He says, marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanān: "You just break My heart by not being visible." The Vaiṣṇava devotees, they are not very much anxious to see God. They know, "Why God shall come to me?

He is so busy, He has got so many business. Let me do my duty." The Gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana... Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, as I repeated the śloka, govinda-viraheṇa me. He was simply feeling separation.

He never said that "I have seen God." He never said. Similarly, Gosvāmīs, the ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs, they are also following the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ.

Simply searching out, "Where Rādhārāṇī? Where You are? Where the Lalitā, Viśakha, where you are? Where is Nanda-sūna, the son of Mahārāja Nanda, Kṛṣṇa? Where you are all?"

Śrī-govardhana-[kalpa]-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ: "Are you near Govardhana Hill or on the bank of Yamunā?" But they never said, "I have seen Kṛṣṇa." They never said.

Not that "Oh, last night I saw, Kṛṣṇa was dancing." Not cheap devotee. Be great, follow. Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, ei chaya gosāñi yāra, mui tāra dāsatāṅ' sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grāsa

Another place he says, rūpa-raghunātha-pade ha-ibe ākutikabe hāma bujhaba se yugala-pīriti

These Gosvāmīs, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, liberated devotee, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they teach us how to worship Kṛṣṇa in separation, feelings of separation.

he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥśrī-govardhana-[kalpa]-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau[Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 8]

Just like mad after God, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" This is called bhāgavata-dharma. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end] .