KKS Lecture Bhagavad Gita 4.

31 27/04/2007

(Eve of Vysa Puja)

Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, 4th chapter, entitled Transcendental Knowledge, text 31:

Nayam loka ’sty ayajnasya, kuto ’nyah kuru-sattama

Translation: O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live happily
on this planet or in this life: what then of the next?

Purport……….A life of Krishna Consciousness is therefore the solution to all the

problems of material existence.

Yes, a life of sacrifice, a life for the pleasure
of Krsna. In the Narada-Pancaratra we find
that description: sarvopadhi vinirmuktam…
ucyate. It basically means that we work for
the satisfaction of the senses of Krsna and
not our own senses; that we therefore don’t
worry about so many designations or
different kinds of identity. Everyone is
looking for some identity. In the car I was
writing something about that- “in search of
identity”- because people in this world are
always searching out some identity. And it’s
because I read this article yesterday, about
identity, and it was saying that one’s identity
is made out of what is stored in one’s
memory and out of the influence from the
social environment that one is in. Fine. So I
was thinking a little bit about this and I was
thinking, “Yes, well our memory…it’s true.
I may remember I am from Holland- it adds
to my identity- I may remember that I stayed
a long time in Vrndavana- it adds to my
identity- I may remember that I speak so
many languages- it adds to my identity…and
like this, if you add up all the things we
remember, it adds to our identity.
Of course, in Sanskrit this is called upadhi, and I had to wear grey pants with a crease
this is called designation, these kind of and he wanted to buy me grey sweater on
identities. And it is stated that these upadhi’s top- and I flipped!
they’re actually based on false identification
that we identify with particular physical
situations. So people go through different
roles at different times of their life.
Bhagavad-Gita also says,
Dehino ‘smin...(whole thing)

That we go through these different stages of

life and each one we have a different
identity- quite different. I mean, I feel
distinctly different in my identity than I did
30 years ago- quite different.
I went on strike and I said, “No, No, No! I
will not have this grey sweater!” It was a
grey monster sweater with two little pockets
on the side- it was absolutely horrendous! So
I made such a stink that I got my mother on
my side and I was allowed to pick my own
sweater! And in revenge I picked a bright
red one- as red as could get, you know!
Shoo! So I remember many parts I’ve had to
play and some I liked more than others. But
then again, all these parts had their
limitations because they were all material
parts. So material parts were always
imperfect. I was looking for a part that I
could really like and in that sense in search
for identity, because I tried out different
identities but they didn’t really fit. I tried
out hippie for a while!

Some part of my identity may be the same

but still the role that we play changes
considerably with time. At present I play a
nice role, the role of sanyassi is pretty good-
probably the best role I ever played. I’ve had
to play many parts so far: I had to play the
part of a school boy- I didn’t like that at all!
I had to play the son of my father, and I
remember that he took me to a cloth store
Of course you know, I was always a hippie
with some money in the bank! What I could
I do! My parents had some money so
therefore, although I was a hippie it wasn’t
that tough. Even when I would go to Greece
and live on the islands just off the fruits and
the tomatoes that we would steal from the
orchards, still I knew that if it gets really
bad, I can always ring home and they’ll send
me something. But it was more romantic just
living without money on the beach.
So I played all these parts for the sake of
experience, for the sake of adventure, but in
all of them there was really something
lacking. Now I’m playing this part of a
sanyassi and I’m even playing the part of a
spiritual master.
I do a good dramatic performance; I raise
my hand and give blessings! Because I saw
in the movies that that’s what you’re
supposed to do! So I hope it works! Not
touching, just the rays! The rays are coming
out, don’t you see! In the movies there’s
usually rays of light but whatever- they’re
there!
So I play this part but I’m not playing this
part just on my own; I don’t play this part
like a kid who has dressed for an occasion in
imitation- no I play my part. I play the part
that has been given to me, that is all. I play
the part that has been given to me by the
vaisnavas.
Why am I calling it a part? Because in one
sense, although I think this time I really
found my identity in this life as a devotee, in
this life dedicated to Krsna, in this life where
I’m living for the pleasure of Krsna; I think
it’s real and it’s what I really want to be.
Now I’m happy in this life, this life of a
sadhu, because a sadhu is described…his
nature is…he is a person…a sadhu is a
person who is sadava- thoroughly honest.
Thoroughly honest- it really means that he
has some integrity in his heart; it means that
he cannot tolerate any falsity; it means he
cannot accept anything but the Absolute
Truth. But that also includes that he cannot
tolerate any falsity within himself because
this is the paradox of the age of Kali; that
everyone in the age of Kali has weaknesses
and low nature- very sinful nature- and this
nature we sought of say goodbye to this
nature when we take up devotional service.
We say goodbye and we let this nature just
sort of die off, we let it dry up. And maybe
it still stands there like a dried and shriveled
up plant in the desert. We have not given it
any water for a long time and we’re
definitely not going to either, but is it dead
or is there still some life in it?
We’re not going to test it- we’re not going to
test it in this age of Kali because will we
ever become completely spotless? Will we
ever become completely spotlessly pure,
without any tinge of falsity in our nature?
Will it happen? I don’t know, I don’t know.
All I can, is that I don’t meditate on that so
much; I don’t bring out a microscope or a
magnifying glass to see if I can find a trace
of something.
All I can say is, we’re not going to feed it!
We’re not going to water it!
We’re not going to invest anything in these
things!
That’s my commitment, that is my sacrifice
because my sacrifice is sankirtana-
glorification of the Supreme Lord
congregationally, spreading the mercy of the
glorification of the Supreme Lord.
The result is certainly the mercy of the
Supreme Lord- undoubtedly. And then who
cares about qualities when he has the mercy
of the Lord.
So I think this point that the nature of Kali
Yuga may reflect in us, is something we can
all recognize. Everyone of us can see that
we are affected by Kali, we can see it. But
we make our commitment not to act upon
this aspect of our nature; we just simply
make our commitment to act for the service
of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission, the
Holy Name, and everything will come-
We will more and more attract the mercy of
the Lord because at the end of life, what
counts is not necessarily our qualities but
really counts is whether we have pleased the
Supreme Lord. When Lord Caitanya is
pleased, that’s enough. And that’s what we
see because we see that so many vaisnavas
get the mercy, we see that through this
movement so many got the mercy and they
didn’t have all the qualities, we know that.
We know the history of some who have left,
who have already left. We know the history
of some who did service and then for years,
for years they were in Maya- but first they
did big service- then for years they were in
Maya and then somehow or other they
became ill, they came to Vrndavana and they
were allowed to leave in Vrndavana! We
know so many like that; we know stories
where Prabhupada appeared at the end. The
story of Sudama: Sudama- he left Krsna
consciousness, he was a sanyassi, he gave it
all up, he left the regulative principles but
then Prabhupada had asked for Sudama and
Prabhupada had said that he would save
Sudama, he said, “For all the service he has
done I will save Sudama.” And then it is said
that at the end of his life, Prabhupada
suddenly appeared out of nowhere!
Although Sudama had up to that point not
been following spiritual standards but just in
the last week or so had been surrounded by
devotees who had been chanting and so on.
For so long he had not been following, still
he got the mercy.
So if we please Lord Caitanya, if we please
the spiritual master, if we somehow or other
please Krsna, then everything will work and
that is the system, that is the system.
Therefore the system is to take shelter, take
shelter of sankirtana. Yes we try; we try to
develop good qualities. I meet so many
devotees, naturally, and so many times
people speak about not having good
qualities. It’s a big topic in what devotees are
presenting as an impediment to their
spiritual advancement. They always say, “I
don’t have all these qualities…” and so on
and “…that’s my major stumbling block.”
Generally my mood is: Don’t worry about it,
don’t worry about it. Get into service; do
lots of service and that is the way to attract
the mercy and the quality will come. It will
come in the course of service, it will just
come with time. And then if something is
lacking, the Lord will overlook it and do the
rest.
Anyway, back to the topic of identity. So we
have so many roles and so many identities.
And now in my current identity, it is my
service to be a via media; I somehow or
other be transparent to Krsna’s teachings,
His will, His desire, the desire of the
Acaryas and so on.
So that is my service and I’m trying to do
that with whatever power is in my
possession. And then I’m praying that Krsna
will do the rest and that the blessings of my
spiritual master will do the rest. That’s how
it works. Still, in search of identity in the
sense, there’s also the spiritual body in the
spiritual world and the eternal relationship
with Krsna- I have no idea what my eternal
identity is, I don’t know. So still, I think that
I’m a bona fide representative of the
parampara, still I have faith that I can deliver
people or that I can deliver the goods.
Not on my strength, but rather on guru
krsna-rupa hana sastrera pramane guru-rupe
krsna krpa karena bhakta-gan. So the
spiritual master is as good as Krsna- the
representative of Krsna- and Krsna, through
the spiritual master, is delivering the
disciple. Therefore it’s not the spiritual
master who’s delivering the disciple, it’s
Krsna, it’s Krsna!
So therefore I think it’s possible to be the And he was looking at me like, ohhh… I
representative since it was done with the said, “I told you not to carry that suitcase!”
blessing of my spiritual master, who wanted What to do, what to do!
me to be like this and since I desire to give So yes, it is very nice. My life is getting
up a personal agenda and to simply be an nicer everyday, it’s getting nicer all the time.
instrument and try in that way. I think then
Krsna will do the rest, ultimately Krsna will
deliver us from birth and death. That’s how
it is.
(Baby screams in audience) Therefore it’s
not a sacrifice at all to be a sanyassi! It’s
like…I like to tell the story of the
bramhacari in Radhadesh who saw this little
skinny mataji go up the staircase with a huge
suitcase. And he said to me, he said, “Oh, I
cannot let that poor mataji carry this big
suitcase.” I told him, “Prabhu, don’t worry
about it you know, she’ll somehow or other
manage it.” He said, “No, I cannot let such a
skinny girl carry such a big suitcase.” And
he went up.

For twenty years I was in the grhastha

asrama and four years in the vanaprastha
asrama. The relationship with my former
wife started in a karmi relationship and then
we became devotees. And I must say that
the devotee part was better than the karmi
part. So there was a progression-
improvement- it was getting better because
And two years later, I saw him in a flat and
in the karmi part there was the free morale
there were two babies and they were crying,
and everything was possible. There were no
oh boy! It was intense!
limitations because it was the sixties and the
seventies and “FREEDOM”- that’s what it
was all about but I didn’t always like it, I
must say. It was painful sometimes. So I
liked the grhastha asrama which was based
on vows, based on principles, based on
commitments, based on loyalty, based on
trying to act according to some sense of
duty; I liked it that there was some duty
because it made things very clearl, it sort of
took it off the platform where you can expect
anything. In the material relationship, that
was there prior to Krsna consciousness,
anything could happen- anytime- because we
were free. So that caused so much anxiety
actually, but that grhastha asrama was better.
But then it also had its limitations, because I
realized that I’m putting so much energy, so
much energy in this relationship with this
one person, I put so much energy in this one
relationship, and then when I took sanyassa-
shoo! I was just amazed that like with how
many people one can maintain a
relationship!
It’s amazing! Instead of with my one wife,
I’m having relationships with so many
people! It’s quite amazing. And they’re all
meaningful, they are all favorable for Krsna
consciousness and we are advancing through
that. And therefore I’m seeing that life has
improved tremendously- tremendously, with
big jumps. It’s much more satisfying to be
able to work on a much broader scale.
Well we are here today, at the eve of a
festival and I have just sort of (for
convenience sake) stuck a Vyasa-Puja
celebration before the Nrsimha festival so
that- if we want to- that we can combine it.
And I’ve been thinking about festivals and
about this festival and I’ve also been
thinking, “Well, what am I going to say?
What is my message going to be?” I’ve
been thinking about it. Although I am known
to be one to give lectures without thinking
about it before ;I do the thinking during the
lecture and often it’s some sort of
meditation- some people say I’m just
rambling- but it’s a mediation. But this
case, I was thinking about it because I
thought I want some sort of message, I want
some sort of deeper purpose, some sort of
meaning in the whole thing. What’s the
point if it is just some sort of ritual? And if I
go through some whole ordeal of a big
ritualistic performance, I don’t know if I can
tolerate that. I would like it to be something
meaningful.
Now lately, I have been spending my time
doing some research on the history of
Gaudiya Vaisnavism, that means the
vaisnavas that were there at the time of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu and who came after
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the history of
our movement basically.
So I have been looking at one particular
episode, which is described in the Bhakti-
Ratnarka, which is a book which deals with
Vaisnava history. And there in the Bhakti-
Ratnarka, that episode, it describes three
great vaisnavas who came up after the main
Goswamis- the main six Goswamis had sort
of the left the planet- then Srinivasa Acarya,
Narottama das Thakura and Syamananda
became the main the leaders amongst the
vaisnavas and they became the great
inspiration.
And they were going with all the
manuscripts of the original writings of the
Goswamis to Bengal and some of us may be
familiar that these manuscripts were stolen
by some king who had an astrologer working
for him. And this astrologer would tell him,
anytime that some people would pass by the
road with wealth, then the astrologer would
tell him exactly what it was and the king
would just send his soldiers to go and collect
it. So they did a good collection, it was
good team work. And he was a good
astrologer. So this astrologer had said that
these… “soon some group of men will come
and they will be carrying the greatest
treasure and they will be hardly
accompanied by any guards or anything, so
we can easily get it.”
Okay, so that king stoled the original books
of the Goswamis- in a whole series of boxes
he had it- fine. Then it is said that king,
when he opened up the boxes and he found
books inside instead of gold and jewels, he
was shocked! And it’s said, but when he
started, out of curiosity, he just started to
read some of the palm leaves and as he
started reading, he couldn’t stop and
eventually he became so much impressed,
that he became a devotee. He became a
devotee and he started to realise, “I’ve
committed a great offence.”
So therefore he arranged for Srinivasa to be
brought and then eventually he surrendered
to Srinivasa, became his disciple and…Well,
it is described then (no longer in the Bhakti-
Ratnarka- but in other scriptures and other
notes and books)- that at the time Srinivasa,
he convinced the king to make many, many
manuscripts of the books of the Goswamis.
And hundreds of brahmanas were engaged
in hand-copying all his original manuscripts.
And Narottama, he went with the same
mission to his place of origin where he was
from- an aristocratic family- so he also
managed to get many manuscripts copied.
And Syamananda went to the royal family in
Orissa and asked the King also to arrange to
copy many, many manuscripts. So this was a
strategy because in those days a book
distributor had to kind of to arrange for his
own books. You couldn’t just say, “Well,
where are the books? My books are not here!
Then we don’t go out…”
No, in those days you just get someone to
hand copy a book. Well, so then how to
distribute all these books? Well, they decided
that they weren’t going to bother going from
person to person and door to door because
that was going to take too long. So therefore
they organised some very big festivals and in
these big festivals they distributed the books.
So there was a whole series of festivals
dedicated to several vaisnavas.
And then there was the Kaitri festival, which
was the first Gaura Purnima festival and it
was a super transcendental event! In that
event in the Kaitri festival, first of all, all the
vaisnavas came together. Vaisnavas came
from everywhere. Many, many great
devotees came: Jahnava mata, the wife of
Lord Nityananda came; also Acyutananda,
the son of Advaita Acarya, he came. So you
can see the kind of personalities that were
there, that were still alive, they came and
they blessed the whole assembly. And then
it is described that Srinivasa had arranged
for all these Deities to be installed. So that
was also a big thing, that all these temples
were started there and it was a major
happening. Just like we have this temple
and we return here every year and it is a
major thing in the year- Nrsimha Caturdasi-
we’ve been here. I don’t know how many
Nrsimha Caturdasi’s we’ve been here! But
quite a few now. I’ve lost count in fact!
And some people have been here almost
eternal in this Nrsimha Caturdasi’s! So
whatever may be, we have been here and it’s
significant to us to be here with Lord
Nrsimhadeva. So these festivals are
significant.
Then Narottama began to lead the kirtana.
And it’s said when Narottama began to lead
the kirtana, it became such a wonderful
kirtana that at one point they all saw Lord
Caitanya, they all saw Lord Nityananda and
they saw entire Panca-Tattva dancing in that
kirtana.
So everyone saw, so everyone was
overwhelmed and ecstatic. Then what
happened was, suddenly they all
disappeared! So then everyone was heart-
broken and people fell to the ground but
such ecstasy, such attachment, it’s said the
ground became muddy of the tears. That is
how it is described. It must be quite intense
crying party there! And then it is said that
everyone who came to that Kaitari festival
was presented with these books. And in this
way everyone was getting a taste of nectar
and everyone was getting so many divine
instructions. One should understand that up
to that point, there-were-no-books! Yes,
Bhagavad-Gita was there, yes, Bhagavatam
was there and the original texts but no
Goswami literature- nothing, nothing there!
Nothing.
So it was quite serious, but then from that
day on everyone had Bhaktirasamrtasindhu,
everyone had Caitanya Caritamrta.
All these books now were widely available
and in this way everyone thoroughly
absorbed the conclusions of Gaudiya
Vaisnavism.
So that was very important because so much
misconceptions had come about after Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu had left. All these
apa-sampradayas came up, all these
imitations and people had just learned
something from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s
teachings but nothing was recorded of His
teachings. So everyone just did his own
thing and added something of his own- it
was a huge mess, huge mess. But this Kaitri
festival, it was particularly for two purposes:
1) It was meant to taste nectar and to in this
way get great inspiration. And the other
aspect of this festival was that it was fine-
tuning the Siddhanta.
So I was thinking also that maybe we have
to use this festival for that purpose; we have
to use it for the purpose of somehow or other
finding inspiration and becoming absorbed
in hearing and chanting- a lot of hearing and
chanting- and I guess I would like to hear a
lot of chanting because as you can hear I’m
still recovering from the South African
Ratha Yatra, which really did it to me!
Well, it was also…I had already had a little
birthday party in South Africa and there,
straight after the Ratha Yatra when my voice
was still gone, I think litres of cream and
litres of everything was put on top in 105
preparations! And then just when I got over
that then I had an ice-cream party in
England- another surprise birthday party!
So ice-cream and cake with one candle! So
my voice is weak- and so is the microphone!
So let us somehow or other become
absorbed in hearing and chanting and in this
way find inspiration, realising that Lord
Caitanya is also present. In the Caitanya
Caritamrta, chapter 7, Adi-lila, there is a
purport (I think it’s 50 or 51) where it is
described that whenever devotees are
gathering and whenever there is the chanting
of the Holy Name and whenever there is
Krsna prasada, there surely Lord Caitanya
will be personally present. So there is no
doubt that Lord Caitanya will be personally
present in our festival, just as much as in
Narottama’s festival in Kaitari. So He will
be here in our festival for sure. So we should
just make sure to see Him.
of Guru Tattva today and tomorrow. So
today I already made some statements on the
nature of Guru Tattva and I would like to say
some more, I don’t know yet what will come
out- I have no idea- but I’m sure that in the
reciprocation something will happen because
these Vyasa-Puja’s are certainly beyond
ritual; they’re not ritual, they are an
exchange and there is a reciprocation. When
we are genuinely trying to make very sincere
offerings, then (Prabhupada was also like
that) the intellectual platform becomes more
spontaneous and so many things will
happen. And therefore we are waiting to see
what will be revealed.

But with this lecture I sort of tried to well,

you call it ‘Setting the scene’ just as the
Bhagavad-Gita is called like that in the
beginning- ‘Setting the scene.’ So with that
I think the scene is set. Now it’s time for
Arjuna and Krsna to blow their conch shells,
very loud and the drama can unfold and
begin! So I end with this for today, waiting
for more to come tomorrow.

We should not close our eyes or be blind

because it’s said, dekhiniya dekha…surya…
an. That means that even while looking, the
non-devotees can never see Krsna just as the
owls cannot see the light of the sun or the
rays of the sun, cannot see.
So if we try to see Krsna in the kirtana’s, in
the Deity form, in the worship, in the whole
glorification,; if we try to understand how
Krsna is receiving these offerings and how
Krsna is reciprocating with these offerings,
then we can perceive the presence of Krsna
surely. And then we carry that presence of
Krsna with us in our heart. So that is one
thing that I would like to happen and the
other thing is some Siddhanta. I would like
to kind of make some statements regarding
Siddhanta and maybe especially on the topic