Gita study Mumbai 2012- 04.07-09 The three obstacles to knowing Krishna

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So we continue with the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
We will be discussing the section of the avatars. So this is the only section of the fourth chapter which talks about avatars or in fact the whole Bhagavad Gita which talks about the avatars. And it doesn’t explicitly use the word avatars while talking.
It basically talks about the concept. So till now in the fourth chapter Krishna has said that I give this knowledge and when the knowledge is lost, he is going to say that I have given you this knowledge again because the knowledge was lost. And he will talk about another principle after this.
So in 4.5 he says that I am omniscient. I don’t forget anything. Time does not remove my memory.
And that is, he takes it as explicit. Why is that? Because I exist beyond the realm of time. And then if you exist beyond the realm of time, then when and why do you come in the realm of time? That is a natural question that comes up.
So Krishna would answer that in the next two verses which are probably one of the most famous verses in the Bhagavad Gita. So yada yada. I shall explain that yada yada.
Nu yada means whenever and wherever. So it is geographically and chronologically. That’s why there is nu yada yada.
At all places and all times, whenever there is dharmasiddhani, there is decrease of religion. Bhavati, it happens to Bharata then. And naturally dharma and adharma are like the two sides of a weighing balance.
So when one side goes down, naturally the other side comes up. So when one side becomes heavier, the other side will actually have to go up. So like that, whenever dharma becomes lesser, adharma will actually become higher.
So Krishna is saying like abhyadhana madharmasi. When dharma goes down, adharma comes up. Then I appear in this world.
Dadhmanam sujamyaham. And Shri Prabhupada insets this point of the second meaning of yada. When he says that, actually he says in this or in the next.
Prabhupada in the next book talks about how there are so many incarnations of the Lord. And here in Manohar, he says this is bona fide represented in the form of a son or servant or himself in some days in surrised form. Basically what Prabhupada is saying is that this is the universal principle that whenever there is a decline of religion, God will appear.
And then he says it is not that God appears only once. He appears everywhere. And he will teach according to time, place, circumstances.
So now sujami at one level can mean creating. So Shri Prabhupada explains that why sujami cannot literally mean creation because Krishna’s forms are eternal. So sujami cannot mean eternal.
Sujami cannot mean creation because the forms are eternal. So in Chandni Chowk, when Krishna speaks the Bhagavad Gita, if we look at the overall flow of the Bhagavad Gita, the meaning is very clear. There is no doubt.
We will look later on in the Bhagavad Gita. Aham sarvasya prabhupade sanasya. So aham means I. Then Krishna says in 15.90 that there is no proof of I. There is one who understands me to be the highest truth and worships me.
This person knows all the Vedas. So if we look at the overall flow of the world, things will be clear. But there are places where Krishna allows Mayavadis to fiddle around if they want.
Because ultimately nityo nityanam cetunas cetanam, eko bhagunam kyo viddhati kama. So the one is maintaining the many. So that maintenance of the many is not just in terms of physical maintenance.
Yes, he is providing the rains and the grains by which all the human souls can maintain mental existence. But he is also providing souls material by which they can be maintained in their misconceptions. So if somebody wants to disbelieve in God, Krishna will provide them facility for that.
Sometimes the atheists ask, if God is providing rains, why does God provide rain on the ocean? If rains are meant to provide us water, then why are rains needed on the ocean? Yes, God provides rain on the ocean so that atheists can argue like this. That is the simple answer. Krishna, see whether rains come on the ocean or on the land, the point is that rains cannot come without exhaustive design.
Now, first principle is the principle of exhaustive design. Beyond that, there is the principle that according to the karma, things will work out. Things will work out and who knows as far as the science research is concerned, even the rains falling on the ocean water may also be purifying the ocean water in some ways.
There are some scientists who say that also. We cannot say that just because there is water, that means there is no need for fresh water, that water is salty. It might be needed, we do not know.
But even if we find out that there is no function of rains falling on the ocean, see, there are two different issues over here. We are slightly diverting into this important topic. In the universe, we will see some places where there is design and some places where there is chaos.
We do not see design everywhere in the universe. In fact, in advanced physics, there is a whole theory called chaos theory. Chaos theory means what they say is that the whole behaviour of particles is unpredictable.
You cannot have any equations or patterns to describe their behaviour. But what you can do overall is you can try to find out how this behaviour actually can be understood in terms of statistical patterns. So, they have this chaos theory.
So, it is true that certain parts of the universe may be behaving in ways that we cannot comprehend. So, whether they are completely chaotic or they are having order that we cannot discern, who is supposed to say that? The second possibility is also there. And even if certain parts of the universe are chaotic, still that doesn’t prove anything.
Because if say I come to a house and there are five rooms in the house and three rooms are extremely clean, spick and span. And two rooms are completely messy. So, now messy rooms can happen because there is no caretaker.
Or messy rooms can happen because there is some other purpose in which the caretaker is neglected. So, there are multiple possibilities, my rooms can be messy. But if there is even one room that is clean and well-ordered, then that clean room requires a clean room.
So, even if out of 100 parts in the universe, 50 parts are well-designed and 50 parts are chaotic. It’s not like that. Much, much more is well-designed.
But even if 50 parts were well-designed, then see a mess can happen because of the absence of a designer. Mess can happen because of some other person disrupting the design that somebody has made. Or mess can happen because of the negligence of a designer.
Just a mess doesn’t disprove the existence of a designer. But if there is design in any part of the universe, and if you can have a statistical probability to show that design cannot come by chance, then that is a strong evidence for a designer. Most of us know that story about how there was a theistic person who went to God, went to a doctor and doctor saw that this person believed in God.
Do you believe in God? Of course. So much misery in this world. How do you believe in God? He wasn’t insane.
Then he went out. And after he went out and he came back, after a few minutes he said, there is no doctor in this city. What do you mean? There is no doctor in this city.
I am a doctor. You are just stupid. What do you mean? Come.
Took him out. And outside there was a person who was coughing, beggar on the street, coughing, coughing, coughing. He says, the very fact that he is sick proves that there is no doctor in the city.
Are you crazy? He is sick because he is not coming to me. So, this, you know, exactly people are suffering, there is disorder because people are not going to God. So, just the presence, just the presence of disease does not prove the existence of a doctor.
That is not the only explanation. There are other explanations also. Similarly, in the universal order also, just because there is some cure somewhere, that doesn’t prove that there is no cure.
All that it proves is that there are some other factors might be involved why the order is not seen. The person is not, all of us are free, and if we don’t participate in the order, then we can see disorder as a result because of our own misdeeds or reactions to our misdeeds. So, basically, this is the understanding, but of how evil is present in this world or how disorder is present in this world.
But even any order that is present that indicates that it has to be a design. So, this is actually a very important principle of logic to understand this. So, what this means is, if we say, this is called a logical syllogism, logical, I am not going to technicality here.
It will be simple. So, say if A leads to B. Let me say, what is A over here? Disorder. And B is, or from A, you can infer B. If there is disorder, then you can infer the non-existence of God.
So, if there were disorder, it’s true that we can say God is non-existent. But, this does not mean, let’s put it this way. Make it simple for understanding.
See, I’ll explain what I’m saying. There are two issues over here. There is one effect and one cause.
So, we are trying to find out what is the correlation between the two. So, the effect that we see is that, okay, I see some disorder in this world. So then, that from that disorder in the world, I can say that God does not exist.
Only if, that disorder does not have any other cause. If the disorder does not have some other cause, then I cannot conclude that there is no God. Because the alternative explanations also have to be conceived.
Therefore, basically this particular form of logic, let’s put it this way. So, it is true that if there were no God, then we would have, if A is non-existence of God, then we will have B. That is disorder. But, if I have B, does that prove A? No, it doesn’t prove A. That is wrong.
Why? Because B can have some other causes. Similarly, if there is disorder in the world, that does not necessarily prove that God does not exist. But on the other hand, if I see that there is, if, say, we have C and D over here.
Is this point clear to all of you? This is the logic, but it is an important point in logic. Second point is that, let’s consider C and D, two factors. C is that there is design in the world.
And D is there is a designer that is God. So now, what are the possibilities that if design is there, designer is required. Now, if there is design anywhere in the world, that design will require a designer.
That design will require a designer. Even if everywhere else, if I go to a room in 100 rooms and 99 rooms are dirty, one room is pick and spat clean. Now, I know by chance, rooms can become dirty.
By chance, rooms won’t become clean. Isn’t it? So, even if one room is clean, I’ll have to seriously consider the idea that there must be a clean room. Similarly, even if one part of the universe was designed, and all others were chaotic, still we would have to seriously consider the idea that there has to be no clean room.
So, I’m going to the same point now. C, there is evidence of design. Then, we have D, existence of God.
Okay, let’s put it this way. If there is existence of God, then there will be evidence of design because God will design the world properly. Now, if I see D, then there has to be C because there is no alternative explanation for the design.
Because even one piece of design, it is exceptional. So, if I say that all people are if all only men become pregnant and women don’t become pregnant. Sorry, only women become pregnant and men don’t become pregnant.
So, if I say that, I make a statement. Now, for this statement, even if there is one exception, if I find one man who has become pregnant, then I can disprove the idea. If I want to disprove the theory that all birds are black, I don’t need to prove that all birds are white.
Even one bird being white is enough. If I want to prove that similarly, that this whole universe has been designed, has not been designed, then if I find even one evidence of design, that is good enough. Then, that is good enough to disprove the idea that the universe has not been designed.
Similarly, the point which we are discussing over here is, we are trying to understand this word, two words, Abhavami and Dhrujami, that come in these 4.6 and 4.7. So, these words seem to have the idea of creation. So, literally, if you look at the Sanskrit, they mean creation. So, now, if you look at the Haridayan Maharaj has written an elaborate article on this.
If I go into that, I will require a three hour class for that. He has taken the standard dictionary and he has taken, the word Dhrujami has 8 meanings and he analyses all the 8 meanings and he says, if you take this meaning, does it fit in the context of the Abhavami? Then second meaning, does it fit in the context of the Abhavami? Third meaning, does it fit in the context of the Abhavami? And then he shows that actually the only meaning that the word meaning creation doesn’t fit in the context at all. Because, if you look at the overall flow of the Abhavami, that is very clearly that Krishna has a transcendental form.
Therefore, the word creation cannot fit in. The only word that can fit in over here is manifestation. It’s not creation.
So, Krishna says, I manifest my form. So, I manifest my form to mortal vision. That’s what is being talked about over here.
So, let’s move forward with this. Abhidatmanam Dhrujamiyam And then, Krishna Prabhupada explains in the purport further about how ultimately the principles of religion essentially begin with Varanashram. So, without that, there may also be some religious principles but there is no structure for spiritual evolution.
The speciality of Varanashram is that Varanashram offers a social structure that will help people to grow. It offers a social structure in the sense that okay, I want to become serious about God. But how will I become serious about God? For becoming serious about God, we just have to renounce the world.
There is a number of people who can renounce the world still. So, actually Varanashram, it has been so much aligned as a caste system. The Hinduism has a degraded caste system.
But nowhere in any other religious system of the world has anything similar been evolved where a whole social structure has been arranged for systematic spiritual advancement. It’s a very well-designed system. It can be misused.
It has been misused. That is undeniable. And that is certainly regrettable.
But that doesn’t mean the religious system doesn’t exist. Actually, it’s a brilliant understanding of the system by which there are two ways of progression. One is that a person can divide his life into different time spans.
And then, according to different time spans, a person can focus his entire life spiritually. Then he can enter into the outside world of life. Then he can move on with his life.
There are time-wise divisions. So, everybody can get the opportunity to both practise spiritual life in a serious way and also they can also engage in modern life to the extent that they want. And secondly, everybody can take care of their material need in a materially natural way that is according to their psychophysical nature.
So, in this way, it is the Vedic. That’s why Prabhupada, whenever he talks about Dharma, he frequently talks about Varanashram. The principle of Varanashram is that otherwise, if we see, most people when they want to practise spiritual life, they just have to sort of go against society and then try to practise it.
Varanashram provides a social structure for spiritual advancement. So, of course, people can never understand this unless they understand the principle of spiritual advancement. So, if you try to defend the caste system as it is now, we don’t have to do that.
Prabhupada also didn’t do that. Prabhupada said that it is a perverted caste system. But, even if you want to make people understand the logic of Varanashram, the important thing is, first of all, you have to understand the principle of spiritual advancement.
So, unless people understand that they are not the body and the soul, the whole principle of Varanashram is very difficult to understand. But, once you understand this, you will understand that actually this is the best system for spiritual advancement. What does the ashram do? Ashram provides a time-wise progression in one’s spiritual commitment.
And what does the Varanadu provide for one’s material needs in the least uncomplicated and the most harmonious way according to one’s psychophysical nature. Why psychophysical nature? Because different people have different mentalities, different abilities, different likes. So, when they are engaged accordingly, they can make smooth spiritual advancement.
So, if you have Varanashram, they are a system by which people can consistently practise spirituality. Message that Prabhupada talks about Dharma. At this level, what is Dharma that Krishna is talking about? Krishna told earlier about how there will be Varana Sankara if there is, if people don’t follow their duties.
Now, he is going to move forward and say that actually one needs to practise Varanashram. So, Krishna has come at this level easily to establish Varanashram. If not Varanashram Dharma, then some basic principles by which one can make spiritual advancement.
So, Prabhupada writes in the Bhagavatam, Bhagavatam about Buddha in the second canto when Kanishka has talked about it in the chapter. He says that Buddha came to teach common sense religious principles. It’s an interesting use.
Common sense religious principles. So, what does that mean? It’s common sense religious principles. So, Varanashram is the best but if Varanashram is not there, then at least some basic religious principles are not there.
And by that you can make spiritual advancement. So, now, after him, what does Krishna tell? In this verse he says, I come wherever and whenever there is planning of Dharma. In the next verse he will say, what does he do when he comes? Krishna describes three purposes.
Parivranaya sadhunama, protect the devotees. Vinashyaya vishnu destroy the demons and demoniac people. And Dharma samsthavana Now, actually speaking if we see, these three are the duties of Kshatriyas.
All these three, to protect the pious, we know that actually protecting the Brahmanas, one of the duties of a Kshatriya. To protect the sadhus, to destroy the Adharma, Shatrathrayate Kshatriya, that is the duty of a Kshatriya. And overall to establish the spiritual space.
So, what Krishna is telling by this is, I empower the Kshatriyas with knowledge so that they can do these duties. But if somehow they are not able to do these duties, then I personally come and do this duty. So, that means when Krishna says, I empower the Kshatriyas with knowledge, that means at that time Krishna is playing the role of a Brahmana.
He is giving spiritual knowledge to the Kshatriyas. Krishna plays the role of a Brahmana. But if the Kshatriyas are not able to do their duty, then Krishna himself takes the role of a Kshatriya.
And Krishna does the duty. So, in this way, Krishna is telling that, he does whatever is required for the establishment of knowledge. He gives knowledge, and he implements the knowledge also.
He implements the knowledge in terms of establishing the social system that is based on that knowledge. He does this sambhavanu janani. I do this again and again.
So, now, here Krishna is talking about, there are some staffs, that is the basic level. But we know in the Vedic culture, Krishna says, So, in one sense, in Vedic culture, there is a gradual progression. We normally call it staircase.
There is a slow progression. And that is also good. Because that is the phase at which most people can advance.
Now, Krishna says that, I am coming to establish this. But at the end, for Arjuna, Krishna will say, you won’t have to practise this gradual advancement. You can practise that.
So, so, is Krishna rejecting this teaching? No. There is a gradual process of dharma, and there is a rapid process of dharma. So, in one sense, the Vedic culture offers people freedom.
There is a productivity mark, there is a neutrality mark. People can choose whichever mark they want. Krishna is, at this level, talking about a productivity.
He says, I have come to establish order in society by which people can make spiritual progress. Now, sometimes, people ask that, in Kali Yuga, there is so much to solve. Why has Krishna not come? So, one way, you can say, the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has come and gave the Yugadharma.
That is true. Another point is, Kali Yuga is such a deadly age. In the scriptures, it is often Channa Pralavya Dharavas, we go to Satyam.
Lord Narayana’s prayers, he quotes the standard Vedic saying that, the Supreme Lord is Tri-Yugi. Tri-Yugi means He appears only in three Yugas. Satya Yuga, Tantra Yuga, Dvapana.
He doesn’t appear in the fourth Yuga. Why doesn’t he appear in Kali Yuga? It’s like, you know, there are some parts of Mumbai, which are run by the underworld. Which are run by the underworld.
And, if somebody goes over there and gets robbed and gets beaten up, then he goes to the police and complains, I got robbed and beaten up over there. Then the police will ask, why did you go there? They will say, we don’t go there. So, anyway, there are some places which are so filled with illegitimate activities that even the law enforcement agencies abandon those places.
So, there are large parts of Pakistan which are like that. Which are run by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda and all those. So, Pakistan, especially like Kazakhstan and all that part is there.
Pakistan government has no control over it. So, anyway, the point is, at some places where there is such illegal activities, the government says, you know, we don’t care about it. So, the idea of Kali Yuga is filled with such godlessness that God also forsakes it.
He says, I don’t come in this Yuga. So, that’s the understanding of Kali Yuga. But, this sees God only as a lawmaker.
This analysis, this is a valid analysis in one way because scriptures do say that he is killing me. But, this isn’t considered a harm. From the legal point of view, if you don’t want to believe in me, don’t believe me.
Sometimes people ask, why do we have this whole Yuga system? Why not have Satyuga all the time? Isn’t it? Why have Kali Yuga at all? See, the purpose of this cycle is to facilitate the desires of the religious leaders. If somebody has desires for raw soul cells, sense gratification, there is not much facility for that in Satyuga. That may be.
How many people can be there like Kashi who can totally disrupt the universe and all? Those who can get that much power to do that are few. But, people, souls who want to do that, there are many like that. So, for these souls, there is this age of Kali Yuga where there is, if you want to, complete godlessness, total unlimited sense gratification and try it out.
Just try it. This is what you think will make you happy. Try it out and when your imagination is frustrated by the reality of the world, you see that things don’t make you happy, then I’ll leave you.
I’ll come back. I’ll guide you back. So, basically, Kali Yuga is a facility for those souls who could not pass through the filter of time and mercy in the previous ages and are like the refused remnants of the previous ages who pass all into this age.
So, there is no glory in being born in Kali Yuga in that sense for any of us for that matter. But, this understanding that Kali Yuga is so area of time which is given for those who are totally godless, that is correct. At the same time, god never coexists with you.
And that’s why Krishna comes, but in a different form. That’s why Prahlad Maharaj prays in the 7th canto, 9th chapter. Because Channa Kalav is above 3 vows.
Channa Kalav will come in Kali Yuga as Channa Avtaar. Channa is a different incarnation. So, Prabhupada also quotes from this, but a lot of times comes in a disguised form.
So, at one level, we can say Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has come in Channa. Another point is that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has come in a different form. That is chanting of the Gopinaths.
So, now it is up to us. We chant the Gopinath and we share the knowledge. So, Shri Prabhupada had to move that this Lord Chaitanya had made his prediction that the whole name will spread all over the world.
In every town and village, the whole name will change. But he says, the devotee doesn’t have a passive attitude. Okay, Krishna has made a prediction, that will happen.
I just wait and watch. That was not Arjuna’s attitude. Arjuna thought, Shri Prabhupada has seen that.
And Prabhupada said, fulfilling the Lord’s prediction is my responsibility. Lord has made a prediction, making it true is my responsibility. So, to the extent I take the responsibility, to that extent, I will become dear to the Lord and I will make special announcements.
So, it is up to us. Shri Prabhupada asked, how much will Krishna’s announcements spread? Prabhupada said, it will spread among the devotees. The more you see it, the more you think they are, the more it will spread.
And devotees become lazy, and devotees become quarrelsome, and they don’t follow the right principles. So, most of the people will miss it. Then we will say, how will Lord Yatra Mahaprabhu’s prophecy be fulfilled? So, Prabhupada had so much confidence that people will read my books and somebody who reads my books will start another movement.
In that movement, we will see them all miss it. So, if you look at the history of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, there has always been people who are related to the fringes. They have brought about a revival.
Bhaktivinoda Thakur was not born in the Gaudiya Vaishnavism. He actually had no authority within Gaudiya Vaishnavism. He was not a caste postman.
He was like a fringist. By his own spiritual search, he discovered Gaudiya Vaishnavism. And he realised it.
Then he preached it and he brought respect to Gaudiya Vaishnavism. So, he got practically no help from the existing power structures of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Similar issue of Rupa, he was in the fringes of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
And in one sense, the people at that time may have thought, the Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a history that we can feel proud of. And they are valid in thinking about it. It’s not wrong because Lord Vishnu is not attached to one particular designation.
Lord Vishnu is not attached to one particular designation. Lord Vishnu is his Vishnu. And it may take on different names and different forms.
So, Shri Rupa was at the sidelines. And from the sidelines, Shri Rupa got about his spiritual education. Similarly, if we see Radha Gopinath temple, at one sense, it was not even existent in Prabhupada.
The whole project started after Prabhupada. And now it is by Krishna, by Radha Gopinath, visionary and dedicated hard work on his study. We had such a beautiful festival.
Thousands of devotees come there, sharing how they are having this transformation. So, in general, even within our Guru, we shouldn’t, of course, we may not have the capacity to make big changes, but we shouldn’t point out what is wrong. We should see what I can do right.
Shri Dharamaharaj had a very beautiful statement. He said, somebody asked me, if it’s gone in the moment of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, why there are so many problems in the moment? Shri Dharamaharaj I told him that, this is not the question you should be asking. You should be asking the question that when Kali Yuga is at the age of such degradation, where all the four aggregate principles have been broken reasonably, how is a movement like ISKCON existing at all? So, it’s existence itself is in the right.
And anyone who takes the initiative, that person can bring about a positive transformation. That’s why the point here is that it is Krishna’s mission and Krishna will carry it on. And he will find out some responsible soul who will take it on.
So, if we take up the responsibility, we will get the very good next future advancement and we will go back to God. If we don’t, we will be left on the sidelines of history. And others will take it on.
So, devotees being that, willing Chaitanya Mahaprabhu because he is my responsibility. It’s not that I’ll just be a witness of that or not that I’ll be a critic of that. No, I’ll be a instrument.
I’ll try to fulfil that as much as I can. So, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has come as down as the Chandanavatar and he is the devotee by which people can free themselves from their demoniac principles. As we know, in the Jagai Madhai Shastra, Nityananda Prabhu told that if you start doing Vinashaya Kshatriya then what will happen? They will destroy everyone who can do that.
Therefore, we will destroy the demoniac principles. That’s what the mission is of the devotee. Actually speaking, if you look at our own lives, we may have had so many desires earlier.
But all those desires which were to some extent demoniac, Vinashaya has got so many desires and it destroys. So, when we do Harinam Sankirtan, actually Harinam Sankirtan is a way of massacring the massacring desires. It’s like there’s a machine gun.
Shoot. So, chanting of the holy names, performance of the Harinam Sankirtan, it is a method for massacring the demons. That is how Vinashaya Kshatriya works out in life.
Now, generally speaking, most people who use Bhagavad Gita for their own material, secular purposes, they think of dharmas and lani in terms of material disorder. Oh, the law and order problem is there and there is so much illegality and this and that. And that’s why they talk only about these two verses.
But, actually speaking, from Krishna’s perspective, and if you look at the Bhagavad Gita, the real purpose of Krishna is described in the next two verses. Krishna doesn’t just come to establish order in this world. Because even with the best order in this world, there is going to be death.
There is going to be misery in this world. Krishna’s ultimate purpose in coming to this world is, not just to establish dharma in this world, to make it orderly, but to establish dharma so that we can come out of this world. And that purpose, which is not talked about by many of the people who quote Bhagavad Gita, that is described in the next two verses.
And you will see that Prabhupada quotes 4.9 much more than 4.67 and 8. So, as it is over here, Janma Karma Chaleti, my birth and my death, both are divine, both are transcendental. The one who understands and how the power includes, what will happen to the person? He will leave his body, he will also have to die. He will not have to take birth again, he will come out of the cycle of birth and death and he will come back.
Karma may be so. So, this verse actually describes the internal purpose of Krishna. Just like we have Krishna internal purpose of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, this was the internal principle purpose.
He comes to take us out of this world. Now, in 4.7 we know that, a joke, that I am unborn. But here he is saying that, actually my Janma is there and my Karma is there.
One who understands it properly, he will take you to the path. So, many people know about Krishna, but their knowledge about Krishna is just like the knowledge of some entertainment character. I know this particular character, that particular character, they also know Krishna’s stories.
That sort of knowledge is not there. The path of knowledge is there, then we will say Krishna is God. Now, I am solving this.
I am saying Krishna is God and you remember I said, without Krishna Tattva, Krishna realised, I am using. With Krishna Tattva, Krishna realised, he is amazing. He is God.
He can make a small child and play like this. It’s amazing. So, that knowledge tracks in the heart of Krishna.
When our heart is in the track of Krishna, then we can return back. Now, why is Krishna talking about these two specific Janma and Karma? Because, the scriptures describe, the Upanishads describe that Absolute Buddha has no birth and no activities. So, therefore, if we have to understand birth and activities, we have to understand that then, we have to be transcendental.
And, if we understand that, then, Tattva, Reha, Pranam, Janma, Chakrasan, we will return back. Because, whatever we, in the 8th chapter, whatever you think of at the time of death, you will come to me. You will attain that.
And if you are thinking about me, you will come back to me. And if you actually do understand my birth and activities, you will fall in love with me. You will actually think about me.
And then, you will come back to me. So, Prabhupada will talk in this Parthod about how, in the scripture, how the Lord performs many pastimes. So, Prabhupada’s Parthod is basically focussing on the principle of pastimes.
So, he quotes from Purushamodhini Upanishad over here and says, Ek Devo Nitya Leela Anuraktho. Leela Anuraktho. Leela is pastimes.
So, Janmakarna Chimai Devi, Prabhupada is correlating that with Leela Anuraktho. He is engaging that systematically. And what happens to that is, when he performs his pastimes, Vakta Jyapi Thudhi Antaraatma, he enters into the hearts of the devotee by performing his pastimes.
And this knowledge hearing is Sattva Daha. As Janaka was giving an example of licking a honey bottle from outside. That will not help.
That will not help us develop love for Krishna. So, then Krishna describes how this process is time-tested. Many people have followed this process and they have actually come back.
Itaradbhaya Krodha Itaradbhaya Krodha Manmayamamupashita Manmayamamupashita Bahogyanatprasa Bahogyanatprasa So, this verse has many significant points in it. The first is, I may have discussed this in the Yashobhijit course. Do you remember I have discussed this? Itaradbhaya Krodha Itaradbhaya So now, if somebody has to understand Krishna Sattva Daha, what are the obstacles? These are three obstacles.
First is Raag. What is Raag? This world is such a nice place. Why bother about Krishna? Attachment.
Relationships again. I was so frustrated with relationships in this world. I just don’t want it at all.
Krodha There are so many theories. Who knows which is true? Just forget the whole thing. These three mindsets are obstacles for us to understand Krishna.
The first, Raag Krodha is the Karmis. The materialists. Bhaya is the Jnanis.
I don’t want any other relationships. I don’t want any of this. If I have another form, that form will also go and get deceived.
I don’t want that. And Krodha is sceptics. So, the sceptics, they feel that how can you actually know anything? So, there was a famous sceptic in the Vedic tradition.
His name was Descartes. He said, Doubt is everything. Unless you doubt, you can never know the truth.
So, we have discussed about Karmis and Jnanis elaborately. So, we will discuss briefly about sceptics. Karmis and Jnanis will come again also.
So, in one sense, if you look at these three, how it is, this world is happy. Why bother about that world? That world doesn’t look like you ever want to go there. And third is, you know what is there in that world, whether that world exists or not.
You just don’t bother about it. These are three basic mentalities. Because of this, you can’t go from this world to that world.
You can’t redirect a lot of the matter to Krishna. So, now sceptics, what is the nature of these sceptics? These sceptics, they have the idea that just because I can’t know something, so it can’t be known to me. And that is the error of their mentality.
So, there was this theory, doubt is everything. You must doubt everything. Unless you doubt, you can never know the truth.
So, the philosophy of Rick Deckard. Rick Deckard was quite popular. You must doubt.
You must doubt. But if doubt is everything, then what happened was, this statement has a serious problem. Is this statement subject to doubt? No.
So, if doubt is everything, is this statement subject to doubt? So, if no, then doubt is not everything. Isn’t it? Statement is false. You see this logical pun over here.
This isn’t right over here. Let’s send it temporarily over here. And if yes, then this statement is false.
Isn’t it? If the statement is subject to doubt, then the statement can be false. The statement is not necessarily true. Isn’t it? This is one level of analysing this.
So, either way what happens is, you come to a dead end. You find that logic doesn’t work. Sometimes you have seen, in a computer, sometimes the computer gets hanged.
So, how computers get hanged? Basically, they go to endless duty. Endless duty. You just can’t get it out.
Then what you have to do? Externally press the power button. Then only they get off. And then turn it on.
So, like that, if one… Now, basically scepticism is logic. By logic, I find out everything. So, if I try to go by Hanuman, I come to this idea, and I find another idea to recruit that idea.
Then I come to third idea to recruit the second idea. Then I come to the fourth idea to recruit the third idea. And this just goes on.
And then you get caught up in an endless duty. So, if I just go by logic, I’ll never come to any conclusion. That’s why the only way to save from this maze of logic, this trap of logic is you have to externally shut down.
That means, what is that shutdown? Stop speculation, hear revelation. That is the only way one can actually be saved. Otherwise, speculation will just give… endless indecision.
Only solution is stop speculation, hear revelation. How is speculation related to product? Because the speculation, if one carries the speculation to its ultimate extreme, then one comes to the conclusion that actually nothing can be done. And then one gets frustrated.
Just let me not get into the whole thing at all. And therefore, one just gets caught up in material life. Sir Ravindra Rasgopal wrote that before he was introduced to Krishna Consciousness, he started studying philosophy.
He went to philosophy course and he said that once I started studying philosophy, then I became a professional sceptic. Just present me any philosophy, it became my sport. Point out holes in the philosophy and destroy the philosophy.
And then, I became a high priest on the altar of scepticism. I was worshipping scepticism. And he said, very proud, you can just deconstruct any philosophy.
And destroy any philosophy. Then, one day, I found my heart was completely empty. Although I could intellectually be very proud and repute anyone and everyone, it’s really empty.
And then one day, it struck me that actually I was not being sufficiently sceptical. He said, I was being sceptical of all philosophies, but I was not being sceptical about scepticism. I was not being sceptical about scepticism.
Why? Because scepticism can only tell me what is wrong. Scepticism in and of itself can never tell me what is right. Isn’t it? So, the problem with scepticism is that scepticism has no truth-revealing potential.
Scepticism can only show that which is false. It can never show that which is true. So, that means, he said, I became sceptical about scepticism.
That means, scepticism doesn’t have the power to reveal the truth. Therefore, let me be sceptical. I hope all of you know me as a sceptical.
Sceptical means, when somebody speaks something, I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it. It’s not true.
It’s not logical. Sceptic means a person who is always doubting, critiquing, and basically refusing to believe. So, he said, there was a meeting of philosophers.
We are not being sceptical. We should be sceptical about scepticism. So, there was one lady philosopher.
She had been a Christian nun earlier. She had given up her nunnery and had become an atheistic philosopher. He said, I think you must be feeling like you are walking on a tightrope with nothing below.
He said, no, if I am a sceptic, I don’t even know whether the tightrope is there. So, then he said, that little crack, that little crack, my scepticism or scepticism was enough. What happened was, that crack in my scepticism was enough for Krishna to enter.
And Krishna entered into it, and as he entered, he just took over my life. And then, as I started practising Krishna Consciousness, I said, maybe a few, after a few years of practising Krishna Consciousness, I suddenly discovered that I believed in God. That I believed in Krishna as God.
He said, it was not that I could make a logical argument for the existence of God. He said, that actually, it was something far more different than that. It seemed as if this faith existed in my heart independent of me.
That means, it was not that by the strength of logic, because this logical argument is there, because of logical argument, therefore I believe in God. He said, I tried to use my scepticism to attack my faith, and my faith just vanished. So, I was very disturbed by this.
What happened? I thought I was a sceptic. Now, I have actually got faith. It’s not that I can logically prove that God exists, but I believe in God.
I believe that Krishna is God. So, he said, then I contacted my God brothers and they told me that this is Krishna’s ministry. So, basically what he’s talking about there is a stage what is he talking about? There is, you know, before Arjuna Kriya, before Narada Nivrutti, what is our faith? It is our faith is called Shraddha.
So, at this stage, our faith often is tender. And it depends on logic. But after Narada Nivrutti, the faith is Vishva.
It has Vishva. It doesn’t depend on logic. So, here, it depends on logic, etc.
So many other factors. How devotees behave with us, you know, what happens where, we have some news somewhere, something went wrong in this town, and then our faith gets disturbed. It’s tender faith.
Like, Acharya has given the example that this faith is like a banana tree. Banana tree, and what happens? The elephant, you know, shakes it off and disrupts its company. But, based on experience and realisation.
When we have Nishtha, it is based on experience and realisation. And nothing can shake it. It is beyond logic.
That doesn’t mean a devotee is illogical. But a devotee doesn’t depend on logic. And this is like a banana tree.
It is unshakeable. Somebody who comes to shake it, that person also gets shaken. So, over a period of time, by practising Krishna conscious principles, our faith will go from Shraddha to Nishtha.
Therefore, we may all also have our doubts. It’s natural to have doubts. But, what happens is that if I just stick to my doubts, if I am sick, and I go to a doctor, I doubt the doctor.
It is I who will be the loser. It is I who will stay sick. I take a treatment and find out if it works.
If it works, wonderful, because I am a father. That’s how this Krodha may be may be sensible for a sceptic. But it just doesn’t work.
It doesn’t work because it is based on a false premise. Any questions about this? So now, let’s move forward. So, Krishna is going to talk about one more thing over here.
He uses the word Bhavo. Many people in the past have become purified. Uda and Madh Bhavo they have attained my nature.
Bhavo. Now, Prabhupada explains this word Bhavo means, he talks about this whole verse Prabhupada is talking in terms of the nine stages of peace. First time Prabhupada, in the Bhagavad Gita as it is, quotes Adau Shraddha Sadhu Sandhya Ujjaini.
And he explains that this Bhavo means, by the practise of devotional service, on things of which you surrender unto me, let the person attain Bhavo. Let the person attain Bhavo. Now, there is this interesting compound word over here.
Dhyana Tapasa. So, this word doesn’t come again in the Bhagavad Gita. Let’s see what it means.
Again, different Acharyas have different meanings for this. Bhavo Dhyana Tapasa and after that is followed by Puta. Puta means purified.
So, Putana means one who is not purified. One who is impure. Dhyana Tapasa So, Dhyana Tapasa means you could have what it means is purified by the austerity of knowledge.
So, knowledge about Krishna is something in austerity. We think I am the greatest and we hear that Krishna is the greatest. Krishna is the greatest.
So, one time one boy was asked if you hear about how Krishna is a enjoyer. Krishna is 16,000 gopis. You see how much Krishna is enjoying.
He said, won’t we get a little bit complex by that. We hear about how Krishna is great. Won’t we get an inferiority complex? Actually speaking, our problem is not an inferiority complex.
Our problem is superiority complex. All of us have got a superiority complex. We think I am great.
Now, in the material sense when we talk about inferiority complex, we feel that everyone else is good, I am bad. I can’t sing, I can’t speak, I can’t do this, I can’t do that. And that inferiority complex creates a sense of helplessness, weakness.
And it basically makes a person impotent. But when we understand Krishna’s glory, we understand that I am the servant. We can say that it creates a sense of inferiority.
But actually it frees us. It frees us because we understand that Krishna is not a competitor. When will I get an inferiority complex? When I see that person as a competitor.
But when I see Krishna as my love, then the more I hear the glories of Krishna, the more my love for him increases, the more my desire to serve him increases, the more my happiness increases. That’s why if one has envy directed towards Krishna, then one cannot hear Krishna’s voice. So that’s why it is purified by the hostility of knowledge.
So, when we hear about Krishna, that gyana, that cultivating the gyana of Krishna is itself tapasya. And that tapasya will purify us. So now the word tapasya comes from the word taap.
Taap means to purify. What happens is the knowledge of Krishna itself purifies us. the other meaning is knowledge is the fire that purifies.
So that, that means gyana is the taap that brings out beauty. So, that’s also another way of understanding this. Gyana, tapasya, taap.
So, if we just continue hearing about Krishna, that knowledge will act like a fire. It will burn up the anantas in our heart. In the Shri Kravatham, there is a, I think it’s the 8th kind of, the verse about how devotees are like fire.
They say when there is an impure gold put in the fire, impurity is burned away, and only the pure gold remains. So like that they become purified by the fire of knowledge. So this verse is entitled as Gyana Karmasandhi Mahasudra.
It’s called the divine knowledge. So Krishna is talking about Gyana Karmasandhi. And he says, many people have become purified and they have to turn back.
So, now, there is one Bhavam Aagataha. Now this is the second time Krishna has referred to some past people who have become purified. When was the first time? 3.20. Karamanaivahisamsuddin Astitha Janakadaya.
Now these two references 3.20 and 4.10, Krishna will refer to them once again in 4.15. And he will tell that Evam Gyaantva Krishna Karma Purvair Krishna. There are many other people who have acted like this in the past. Now you know, you should also act like this.
So, now we discuss three verses. These are very important verses. That’s why I am doing this slowly.
The first verse says that wherever and whenever there is a decline of Dharma happening, next verse says that, I appear to re-establish Dharma. And this verse says that the ultimate purpose of re-establishing Dharma is to bring people back to Dharma. So now, after this, Krishna’s purpose will shift slightly from himself.
But he doesn’t return back to Karma. After talking about the ultimate level of Dharma, that Bhavam Aagataha, then Krishna will talk about other levels of Dharma. The next verse will talk about the principle of Prasitvasam.
If everybody can become purified and come back to me, then why doesn’t everybody come back to me? Why doesn’t everybody come back to you? I can ask Krishna. What about those who cannot become free from Raga Bhairava? Then whatever their conceptions are, accordingly I restitute them. And accordingly they will come back to me.
So we will discuss that tomorrow. Any questions? Thank you very much. He talks a lot