Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.2 Translated from Bengali

mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes
tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam
mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā
vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye
[SB. 5.5.2]

[Transl. So if want to follow the path of liberation then mahat sevā: service to the great souls, should be rendered. Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura has said, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: [who can get liberation without the service to the Vaiṣṇavas?]Mahātmā means Vaiṣṇava. Yesterday We discussed about this. Lord Kṛṣṇa explains mahātmā. [aside:] What is that sound? Who does God call a mahātmā?

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
[Bg. 9.13]

[Transl. The mahātmā is under the shelter of the spiritual energy. He is not under the shelter of the material energy. Daivī prakṛti. What is the symptom of daivī prakṛti? Bhajante mām ananya manaso. One who worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead without any deviation, he is a mahātmā. He is a sādhu. api cet sudurācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ
samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
[Bg. 9.30]

[Transl. So one should become a sādhu, become a mahātmā then only the path of liberation will be opened. Mukti. Sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB. 2.10.6]. Mukti means to remain fixed in svarūpa. [aside:] What is this sound going on? Than, than? This human form of body, or dog body, tree body, demigod body, Hindu body, Musselman body, this is not our svarūpa. Because this body changes. Just like dress. Today wear one dress, tomorrow we wear another dress, then next day another dress, similarly, Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg. 2.22]. As we change our dress one after another, similarly, our svarūpa is different but it is covered with dress. This material body, just like our body remains covered with coat and shirt, in the same way, this body, it is also not eternal. It is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate. [Bg. 8.19]

[Transl. We have to give up one body and accept another body. So this our present body also, it is not our svarūpa. By force, due to some reason, we had to accept this svarūpa. This is called māyā. When we will give up our body and revive our original body, because this is our false body, when we will be reinstated in our original body, svarūpena vyavasthitiḥ, muktir hitvānyathā rūpam, [SB. 2.10.6] this anyathā rūpam or accepting different bodies, when by giving up this body we will be reinstated in our original body that is called mukti.

[Transl. So they don’t know the real truth. How will they know? Only when they themselves become liberated will they know. Everyone knows, I am this body, you are this body. The father dies, the body is lying there, and they cry, father is gone, father is gone. Where has he gone? The father whom you have seen is lying before you? Then where has he gone? Now that he has died they realize that the one who has gone was our real father whom we have never seen. Because he is not liberated how he can see who is his father, who is his mother, who is God? When he will become liberated he will see everything in right perspective. Therefore such a person is called svarūpena vyavasthitiḥ. So the path to attain liberation is described here, mahat sevā. Just try to serve mahāmā. Dvāram āhur vimuktes. If you want liberation, if you want to be re-established in your constitutional position, then serve the great souls. But who is a mahat? The Supreme Personality of Godhead has described that one who is My pure devotee, who does not discriminate, he is a mahātmā.

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
[Bg. 9.13]

[Transl. In another place He declared, sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. [Bg. 7.19] That mahātmā is very rare. And those mahātmās who keep long beard, wear saffron cloth and roam around, they pass on as mahātmās. Even the politician becomes a mahātmā. They are all worldly. But the spiritual or real mahātmā is he who is a pure devotee.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
[Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]

[Transl. He is called mahātmā. So, one should render service to such a mahātmā. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. And what is the other way? The mukti is…Just like the sunlight and darkness, some rooms are so dark, like in Bombay they have to put on light even in daytime. In New York also. They cannot even see the sunshine. In the Western countries normally there is not much sunshine. So the liberation is like illumination. Therefore the Vedas instruct, tamasi mā jyotir gamaya. That you have got this human form of life, do not remain in darkness. Do not remain in ignorance. This world, material world is darkness. Tamasi. Therefore the word is uttama. Udgata tamaḥ yasmād, uttama. Where there is no material conception that is uttama. Bhaktir uttamaḥ. Rūpa Gosvāmī has said that ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]

[Transl. Uttama.* Where there is no question of ignorance that is uttamā bhakti. So two ways are explained, one is liberation and another is ignorance. And for two ways there are two functions. The mahat-sevā is meant for spiritual enlightenment. And tamo-dvāram, the gateway to darkness of ignorance is yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Yoṣit means the objects of enjoyment like woman and other things. Material world means everybody is trying to enjoy. That is called tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. To maintain the body eating, sleeping, mating, and defending is more or less required. But for spiritual advancement these things should be gradually given up. Just like the Gosvāmīs had done in Vṛndāvana. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. [Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī aṣṭaka 6] Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were ministers in the kingdom of King Hussain Shah with so much opulence. But they gave it up all. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-mandala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. [Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmī Aṣṭaka 4]

[Transl. The Gosvāmīs were ministers and they dealt with big, big landlords, merchants and rich people. Who can associate with ministers? Only big, big persons. It is said tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-mandala-pati-śreṇīṁ. Big, big leaders are called maṇḍala-pati. A maṇḍala-pati controls many people. Maṇḍala-pati. They gave it up. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-mandala-pati-śreṇīm. How did they leave? Sadā tuccha-vat [as very insignificant]. Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were very big ministers in the royal court of King Hussain. Their names were also changed to and Sākara Mallik and Dabir Khās. They almost became Musselman. Previously those who associated closely with the Musselmans were ostracized from the society. Rūpa Gosvāmī belonged to the Sārasvata brāhmaṇa family, but was ostracized from the society. Nobody would meet him. He was in such a condition, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered him and made him a Gosvāmī. So Dabir Khās and Sākara Mallik, by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, became Sanātana Gosvāmī—the then seniormost leader of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava-ācāryas. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. [Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī aṣṭaka 1]

[Transl. Rūpa-Sanātana, and their assistants Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī-these six Gosvāmīs discovered Vṛndāvana. They gave up everything. Tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. They thought that these associations are not at all beneficial. So give it up. They are all bhogī-sampradāya. And kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-mandala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Then what did they become? They gave up all this but they have to adopt something. Not become air. Give up everything and become air. No. Rejecting means to reject bad thing and accept good things. Only then the benefit of rejecting will be gained. Give up and become śūnya. Śūnyavādī. No use. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-mandala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha… Insignificant. Gave up as if no value. Then what did they do? This might be the next question.

tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-mandala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha vat
bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau [Transl. They picked up kaupīna and kanthā [loin-cloth and quilt]. You might have seen the bābājīs in Vṛndāvana. They wear a short piece of cloth and nothing else. Of course there are imitators also. But actually the Gosvāmīs accepted only a small piece of cloth just to cover their bodies. Why? To spread the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They accepted kaupīna and kanthā. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā, dīna-gaṇeśakau, this gaṇa, gaṇa means ordinary, people in general. To bestow mercy upon them. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. What is the meaning of accepting this sannyāsa? The actual purpose of accepting sannyāsa is dina-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā: to display mercy to the fallen, wretched mass of people. mahad-vicalanaṁ nṝṇāṁ gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. [SB. 10.8.4]

[Transl. This is a statement of Bhāgavata. The Great souls, the mahātmās, they become mendicants and take up kaupīna and kanthā. Why? Dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā: to bestow mercy upon the fallen attached householders. What is that? They wander about in the guise of a beggar. In our country if any beggar comes, even if a thief comes in the guise of a beggar, just like Rāvaṇa came, his intention was to kidnap Sītā, but dressed himself as a beggar. There are many beggars like that. At that time there was only one Rāvaṇa, but nowadays there are so many Rāvaṇas. So, this is Kali-yuga. But the purpose of becoming a beggar is that wherever a beggar will go even today in India, if a beggar goes to beg alms, forget about the sannyāsī, he will be given something. [Transl. This is the duty of the householders. He has come. Give him some wheat flour or some rice or a piece of chapati. This is the rule. By becoming a beggar one becomes a recipient of everyone’s mercy. Besides, he gets an opportunity. Oh, Mahārāja, come in. Sit down. Take some rest. So he gets an opportunity to sit for a while. And as he sits down there is some discussion about the Supreme Lord. And as a result the householder becomes benefitted. A piece of chapāti is taken or little rice is accepted from him so as to awaken him. I am very happy and accomplished. My situation is very secure. I have got a wife, children, money, servant everything and they will save me. This is not a fact. They cannot protect you. pasyann api na paśyati.

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv
ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api
teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ
paśyann api na paśyati
[SB. 2.1.4]

[Transl. This is the statement of Śukadeva Gosvāmī in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. That they think, our situation is very safe, have got wife, children, grand children, bank balance business and nice house. What this fellow Yamarāja can do to us? That is not a fact. Yamarāja will not spare you. They know it. Paśyann api na paśyati. That these things cannot save me. Only the Supreme Lord alone can protect me. But he does not approach the Supreme Lord. Why? Because pramatta [madman]. Crazy. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api. He know these things will not endure. They are only for a few days. Everything will be finished. I will be finished, my soldiers depending upon whom I am thinking I am very safe and secure, this is all foolishness. He knows it but still…] [Transl. That’s why it says paśyann api na paśyati. He sees that others have not succeeded in doing these things. They have gone. He cries, oh, my father has gone. Yes, we all have to go! But they are pramatta. Therefore despite seeing they don’t see. Paśyann api na paśyati. This knowledge one gains by mahat-sevā. Serve the mahātmā. Who is a mahātmā? One who is fully surrendered devotee of the Supreme Lord. So this knowledge is received. Because, *śāstra says tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12]

[Transl. Accept a genuine devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as guru and take shelter of him. By taking complete shelter of such a guru you can receive knowledge, Vedic knowledge. And yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam, who are engaged in sense gratification and are simply interested in earning money that is also pramatta-matā [madness].

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
[SB. 5.5.4]

[Transl. These karmīs, work very hard whole day. What is the reason? Sense gratification and nothing else. Here also nowadays started. There also totally in the western countries. Simply sense enjoyment. They have no other work. Even if they are unable to enjoy any longer still. Big, big, in Paris there are big, big clubs. And old businessmen and politicians, they go there just to drink wine and enjoy with prostitute. Some are eighty-years old and some are seventy-five years. They purchase fifty dollar ticket just to enter into the hotel. They spend lavishly there. This is going on. Just see. Simply for sense gratification. They don’t have the physical capacity for sense gratification, old men, still they go there at night. No other work. This means madness. Therefore long, long years ago the śāstra has already foretold that these madmen who are always engaged in sinful activities like a mad, but why they do so? Is it for any good cause? [Transl. They earn so much money like mad. No. Indriya-pritaye. Only for sense gratification. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva advises nā sādhu manye, this is not a noble work. Only for sense gratification. Sense gratification is an act of the hogs. The hogs also do that. The dogs also do that. The human beings will also do that? No. For human beings tapo divyam. They will control the senses. That is the duty of the human beings. Then only they are human beings. If I also do the same thing which the hogs and dogs do then what is the distinction? This is the responsibility of the human form of life. We have received this human birth. Therefore one is trained to become a brahmacārī. *brahmacārī guru-kule vasan danto, śānta dānta. [SB. 7.12.1]

[Transl. Learn to control the senses. Because the main reason behind our material entanglement is sense gratification. Birth and death. If one desires to enjoy sense gratification like that then the Supreme Lord gives him a suitable body. I explained this to you yesterday that this is not good. You should associate with devotees. Mahat-sevā. Serve the mahātmās, the devotees of the Lord and take instructions from them. As they instruct and behave, just like the Gosvāmīs tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ. Why did they give up? They were always Gosvāmīs. Wherever they lived they already had pure devotional service. But people…Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu Is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He is Lord of the goddess of fortune. He is not fit for begging. Still He accepted sannyāsa and then, it is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about Him that,

tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ
dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam
māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvad
vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam
[SB. 11.5.34]

[Transl. This Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. But He too at the age of twenty-four left His young wife and affectionate mother. He was certainly a very prestigious brāhmaṇa, Nimāi Paṇḍita. In spite of all this, just to bestow mercy upon the foolish people of the world, Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted sannyāsa and did a great benevolent work. So this is the right thing for everyone. The four varṇas and four āśramas, ideal brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and āśrama, brahmacārī, gṛhastha etc. There is reason for this that by mutual co-operation in the society amongst these divisions they can live peacefully and help each other. Just in our body there are divisions: the head, the arms, the belly and the legs. Similarly, by mutual co-operation between brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra the human society can live peacefully just as the body remains healthy by mutual co-operations of the different parts. This is the purpose of the varṇāśrama-dharma. Sva-dharma. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūd…Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya. [Bg. 18.46]

[Transl. Render service to the Supreme Lord. The brāhmaṇas should do, the kṣatriyas should do, the vaiśyas should do, as per their respective capacities according to the Supreme Lord’s order. Then the Supreme Lord will be pleased and the human form of life will become successful. Therefore mahat-sevāṁ dvāram. The mahātmā will instruct, you have got qualifications of a brāhmaṇa, so you act in this way. You have the nature of a kṣatriya you serve like this. You have got vaiśya-nature, guṇa-karma vibhāgaśaḥ, [Bg. 4.13] the guru used to determine and they used to follow. And those who are ignorant, ordinary, they should work for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas. They are śūdras. These are the rules. Therefore mahat-sevā is recommended.

[Transl. We should take shelter of the mahātmās if we want liberation. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. And if we associate with those who are simply interested in sense gratification available in the whole world, tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam, [coughs][aside:] Water. Hmm. So who is a mahātmā? How will I know? Everyone has got some identification. Śāstra declares that he who serves the Supreme Lord without diviation is a mahātmā. Without deviation, he is a mahātmā. Mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā. These are mahātmā’s qualities. Sama-cittā. Sama-cittā does not mean to help one person and hate another person; “he is untouchable.” He is not mahātmā. He is ready to help everyone. Everyone. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. [Bg. 4.8] Sama-cittā. His feelings are equal for everybody. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu [Bg. 18.54]

[Transl. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is not that I will help the Hindus only or Musselmans only, or the Indians only. No. Every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Help everyone as far as possible. So Sama-cittā. Praśānta. He is very sober and peaceful. He does not become agitated in the material world. By helping everyone one becomes peaceful. Praśānta, Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa, prakṛṣta-rūpena śānta. Śānta is ordinarily peaceful and if you add a prefix ‘pra’ it becomes praśānta [completely peaceful]. Who is that? He is a devotee of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord has said,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
[Bg. 5.29]

[Transl. Who can become peaceful? He, who understands the three things. One is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the only enjoyer. Just like this temple. What is the purpose? Here is a temple and adjacent to it is a house. Why this one is called a temple and the other one by its side is called a house? What is the reason? The reason is here it is understood that the enjoyer is Bhagavān. Here whatever activities are going on, the enjoyer is Bhagavān. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. To decorate Them, to dress Them, to offer ārati to Them, to publish books so that people can understand Them, and to distribute these books to general people, but what is the purpose? [Transl. To enable people to understand that Bhagavān alone is the enjoyer. We have no other business than this. What is the aim of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness? To accept and acknowledge that Bhagavān is the only enjoyer. For Bhagavān’s satisfaction you work, you go to office, render service, write books about Him, distribute books, preach to mad people that Bhagavān is the proprietor of everything. One who does not realize that the Supreme Lord is the proprietor, how can he attain peace? *Kuto śānti ayuktasya. [Bg. 5.12] One who is ayukta, who has no connection with Bhagavān, how can he have peace of mind? Impossible. Cannot be.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
[Bg. 5.29]

[Transl. Bhagavān is the proprietor of all lokas. Sarva-loka. There are innumerable planets. At night you see so many stars and planets. Each one is a separate planet. Moon planet, sun planet, earthly planet, heavenly planet. These are called planet. So sarva-loka-maheśvara. So many planets. So there must be a proprietor. So who is the proprietor? Bhagavān. This should be understood. And who is the enjoyer? Who is qualified? Just like there is a huge palace or a big house and there are so many servants, but the enjoyer of all that is the proprietor. Similarly, there are millions and trillions of living entities, but they are all servants of Bhagavān. jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya-kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’. [Cc. Madhya 20.108] All living entities beginning from Heavenly King Indra to an insignificant insect called Indragopa, from that Indra to this Indra.

yas tv indragopam athavendram aho sva-karma-
bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti
[Bs. 5.54]

[Transl. From this insignificant insect Indra to that Indra, the king of heaven, all living entities are enjoying the fruits of their respective karma and are engaged in their own activities. But karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām If one becomes a devotee he is not under the entanglement of karma. He is immune. Bhagavān has freed him. What did He do? Bhagavān says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. [Bg. 18.66] “I will free you.” So he becomes liberated. One who renders service to the Supreme Lord he is totally free, liberated. The current topic is about liberation. Isn’t it? Praśānta. The devotees are praśānta [completely peaceful]. They know that Bhagavān is the proprietor, Bhagavān is the enjoyer and Bhagavān is the well wisher of everyone. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the well wisher of everyone therefore He comes running.

[Transl. We are terribly entangled here. So in order to deliver us Bhagavān personally descends. So one should understand Bhagavān and by understanding Him one becomes completely peaceful. Praśānta. And vimanyavaḥ. Vimanyavaḥ means completely indifferent. He has no attachment, anger and hatred. Vimanyavaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ. He wants everyone’s benefit. A sādhu, a devotee wants well being for all. He is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī he is not unhappy about himself. What’s his unhappiness? One who has realized the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what’s his distress? He has no personal unhappiness. But his only unhappiness is for those who do not accept Bhagavān.

śoce tato vimukha-cetasa
māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān
[SB. 7.9.43]

[Transl. The devotees’ unhappiness is that these foolish persons, for illusory happiness for ten, twenty or fifty, or at most hundred years, that is also diminishing, they abandon even Bhagavān for the sake of temporary happiness. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa. He is eternal. His relationship with Bhagavān is eternal. Forsaking that eternal relationship they come to this world and make a ten, twenty, fifty years relationship in the name of Socialism, Nationalism, this ism, that ism and so on. This is all related to this body only. The moment a person dies, where is his society, where is his nation and where is his family? Everything is vanquished. So māyā-sukhāya. This is called illusory happiness. Māyā-sukha means we think it is happiness, but actually it is not. Māyā. Mā-yā. It is not happiness. [Transl. So māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān. Simply for this illusory happiness they build big, big industries, and big, big palaces. There are many big, big politicians and diplomats who dream of becoming big shots by deceiving others. This is going on. Bharam udvahato vimūḍhān. They are vimūḍhās. Otherwise what else? Temporary. The real happiness is…We are spirit souls and we have got a relationship with the Supersoul and we should revive that relationship. And when one attains the happiness derived from that relationship then, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ, he will never hanker after any other happiness. [Bg. 6.22] Just like Dhruva Mahārāja said to the Supreme Lord that I do not want anything anymore. Why not? You underwent severe penance to enjoy a kingdom? Take it. But he replied, I don’t require all these. This is devotional service to the Supreme Lord.

[Transl. By developing devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead one becomes fully satisfied. I don’t want anything else. Therefore it says here vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye. So, one should take shelter of such kind of mahātmās and under his instruction practice austerity. It is not that you give up everything and roam around naked. No. Nirbandha kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255]

[Transl. Engage all your activities in relation to Kṛṣṇa. Now see, we have got this temple here. It is meant for serving Bhagavān. It requires some money. This present house we are renting now. It requires money. Then to offer foodstuffs to Bhagavān requires money. Money is needed, no doubt. But nirbandha kṛṣṇa sambandhe, you spend it in the service of Bhagavān. Do not spend money for drinking wine, eating meat and having illicit sex. Then your life will be successful. Everyone can do that. Just like in the temple we do it, you do it at home. It was the system in Hindu dharma that in every house the Supreme Lord’s Deity was installed. Food was cooked for and offered to Bhagavān. And everyone used to honor Prasāda. In the evening there used to be kīrtana, and festivals were held from time to time. If the topics of the Supreme Lord enter into somebody’s brain once then whether he does business, or does any other work, it will be automatically for Bhagavān. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. [Bg. 9.27]

[Transl. You become a sādhu. Is there any difficulty in becoming a sādhu? Whatever we do here…We learn and teach others. This should be done in each and every house. Just like you all kindly come here, if you have no time to come then stay at home. Install a Deity of the Bhagavān, offer ārati, recite Gītā, and all the members of the house sit down together and perform kīrtana. Then you will have no time to go to cinema and spend money. This is called Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement. Always think of Kṛṣṇa.

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
[Bg. 9.14]

[Transl. This is the instruction of Bhagavān that always discuss about Me, glorify Me, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. What’s the difficulty? And by doing this you will attain, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. You will become liberated. But if you give up this and simply engage in sense gratification that is not proper at all.

na sādhu manye yata ātmano ’yam
asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ
[SB. 5.5.4]

[Transl. So long we keep on accepting material bodies we will have to suffer miseries. It is impossible to have a material body and yet remain happy. No. Not possible. That is crookedness. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB. 7.5.31] The whole world is under this misconception that by bodily happiness I will be happy. That is completely wrong. No. The soul should be happy. And the soul will become happy only when he renders devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement. You try to understand it perfectly and apply in your own life. You will become happy. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]