Lecture in Hindi [Translated]

Prabhupāda:
Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahma. Can’t He award liberation? Then what is the need of looking for liberation anywhere else? If you want liberation take from Him, if you want material enjoyment take from Him, if you want mystic perfection take from Him, and if you want devotional service take from Him. Therefore it is the duty of everyone to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. This is recommended in the śastra

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param
[SB. 2.3.10]

Therefore the purpose of this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement is to fulfill everyone’s desires.

catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ
janāḥ sukṛtino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
jñānī ca bharatarṣabha
[Bg. 7.16]

The jñānīs, they also want liberation from the Supreme Lord. Jijñāsu wants to understand what is the Supreme Lord. And the poor class, arthārthi, they also want something from the Lord. But they are all sukṛtimān or pious. Sukṛti. Their background is righteous. They approach the Supreme Lord. Because they have gone to the Lord it is to be understood that they are pious. But such persons are not pure devotees. The pure devotees don’t ask anything from the Lord. Just as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ, kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye [Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]

Don’t want anything. Generally in the material world people want wealth, many followers, dhanam, janaṁ. And they want beautiful wife. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has denied all that. na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. Then what do You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare, He doesn’t even want liberation. If liberated then [indistinct] He doesn’t want liberation even. What you want then? mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi.

Only devotional service. So you take Bhagavad-gītā. This is actually Indian culture. It is not for materialistic fruitive workers and mental speculators. They won’t understand this. Just like the Lord has described in the beginning that it is not meant for everyone. imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2] Rājarṣī. He should be a king and also a sage. Such a person can understand. He also mentioned that,

sa kāleneha
yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa
[Bg. 4.2]

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

Only saintly Kings can understand.

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha
manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt
[Bg. 4.1]

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ There are many great saintly kings like Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva, Prahalāda Mahārāja, Janaka Mahārāja, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, Parikṣit Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja,big big Kings who ruled this planet. Although they were kṣatriya kings, Ambariṣa Mahārāja big big kings they were qualified to understand. In India there have many great kings and they were able to understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible for everyone. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa. [Bg. 4.2] Why it has been spoiled? Five thousand years ago when Kṛṣṇa was speaking at that time this knowledge was lost. Why? Because the paramparā system or disciplic succession was broken. Therefore the Supreme Lord says that I am speaking that same old yoga system. Not that I am telling something new. No, the same thing. But why are you speaking to me? I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a Vedāntist. I am a King and I am engaged in ruling the Kingdom. I am not a qualified candidate. But Bhakto’si [Bg. 4.3] or you are My devotee. Just see that no one else has the right to understand Bhagavad-gītā unless he is a devotee. What is the use of talking nonsense? One should be able to understand also. He should be qualified. One has to understand that didn’t Kṛṣṇa find anyone else to speak Bhagavad-gītā to? Bhakti’si, priyo’si [Bg. 18.65] One has to be a devotee and also dear to Kṛṣṇa. This very literature is only meant for the devotees. Jñānīs, yogīs and ascetics can understand Bhagavad-gītā only if they become a devotee. Otherwise they cannot understand. So my appeal is that if you are actually very eager to preach Bhagavad-gītā, and it must be preached, The Supreme Lord Himself says,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
[Bg. 4.7]

So nowadays human society in Kali-yuga it is no longer a human society.

mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ
[SB. 1.1.10]

Everyone is slow. Idle. The purpose of human life is athato brahma jijnasa. Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.1], To know what is brahma or the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the aim of human life. But who cares for it? We have received this human form of life we must have knowledge about the Supreme Lord. Don’t care. Simply speculate this and that. Therefore one of the definition of Kali-yuga is manda or lazy. Alpa āyu or short lived.

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
[SB. 1.1.10]

Short duration of life. Previously in the Satya-yuga people used to live for one lakh years, then later they lived for ten thousand years, then one thousand years, but now the duration of life is only one hundred years. That too nobody is completing. It’s reducing gradually. The average is sixty. Prāyena alpa āyuṣa, the human life should be properly utilized because it’s duration is very less. That too is lazy—we will try for brahma-jñāna when we are old. But śāstra says

kaumāra ācaret prājño
dharmān bhāgavatān iha
[SB. 7.6.1]

Even there is opportunity, people are lazy. On top of that everybody has invented their own opinions. And resolved that all opinions are as good. Any path you manufacture that’s all right. Then manda bhāgyā—unfortunate. They are unfortunate because they have received the human form of life to understand brahma jñāna, bhagavad jñāna, paramātma jñāna, but they are misusing it like dogs and hogs. How unfortunate they are! Unfortunate. You also see with experience nowadays in Kali-yuga almost everybody is bereft of the four minimum necessities of life namely eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Even the animals get them. Only the human beings are deprived of them. Always worried, we ate in the morning what will we eat in the evening? There is no standard of mixing with the opposite sex. Eating, sleeping, there is no place to sleep. Where to sleep? Eating, sleeping, mating and defending. For defense there is always anxiety. How will I live safely? Always worried.

sadā samudvigna-dhiyām [SB. 7.5.5]

Always. Upadrutā—disturbed. This is our position. In Kali-yuga short duration of life, no one understands the purpose of life, manda, while trying to understand they are misguided, yata mata tata path—as many opinions as many ways, unfortunate and they are always disturbed. This is the condition. That is why Caitanya Mahāprabhu inaugurated this Saṅkirtan movement. This should be spread.

harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
[Cc. Ādi 7.76] [Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa]

This is the statement of the śāstra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not manufacture it. It is from Agni purāṇa, Brahma-vaivarta purāṇa. In Kali-yuga… In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam also Śukadeva Gosvāmīi explained to Parikṣit that “Mahārāja, this age of Kali is full of faults.” The faults of Kali-yuga are mentioned in the twelfth canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Now we are experiencing it with our own eyes that svikāram eva hy udvāhe. In Kali-yuga there would be no marriages. A man and woman would just agree to live together for some years and that would be called marriage. Simply on agreement. They would go to the Magistrate and register their marriage—an agreement to live together for 3 or 4 years. There is no need of any ceremony or playing of musical instruments. No need of parents. If they agree, it’s done. Dāmpatye ratim eva hy. The relationship between man and woman will last as long as there is sex enjoyment. If any kind of disturbance in that then immediately divorce. These things are mentioned. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. You might have seen nowadays young boys are fond of keeping long hair. They think by growing long hair they look handsome. Especially in the western countries. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam [SB. 12.2.6] vipratve sūtram eva hi [SB. 12.2.3] Jusy by wearing a two paisa worth of thread one will be considered a brāhmaṇa. These things are there. Full of faults and nothing else. Therefore śāstra says Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī told Parikṣit Mahārāja,

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
[SB. 12.3.51]

There is a great quality or advantage in this age though. What’s that? kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ [SB. 12.3.51] simply chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and you will be liberated. Just see them. These Europeans and Americans had no good back ground. They are not brāhmaṇas nor born in high class families. They ate meat, fish, drank wine, and indulged in sex life. They have left everything. Why? What is the reason? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya. This is the only reason. This is scriptural injunction and you can see with you own eyes the direct example. So if you all want to preach Bhagavad-gītā together then follow the śāstric injunctions. The śāstric injunction, just like the Supreme Personality of Godhead has said,

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

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam also describes kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ There is no difficulty in it. If we want to preach we should take up this process. [end]