Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

atha vyavasthitän dåñövä
dhärtaräñörän kapi-dhvajaù
pravåtte çastra-sampäte
dhanur udyamya päëòavaù
håñékeçaà tadä väkyam
idam äha mahé-pate

Translation: "O King, at that time Arjuna, the son of Päëòu, who was seated in his chariot, his flag marked with Hanumän, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows, looking at the sons of Dhåtaräñöra. O King, Arjuna then spoke to Håñékeça, Kåñëa, these words:"

Prabhupäda: So again the word håñékeça is used here. In the beginning also, håñékeçaù päïcajanyam. Kåñëa is again designated as Håñékeça. As we have explained several times, bhakti means håñékena håñékeça-sevanaà bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, the whole devotional service program, means håñékena håñékeça-sevanam. So Arjuna was meant for serving Kåñëa, because he is bhakta. Kåñëa has already addressed him, bhakto ’si, priyo ’si, rahasyaà hy etad uttamam: "My dear Arjuna, I am speaking to you the mystery of Bhagavad-gétä." It is a mystery. Mystery means very complicated; no ordinary man can understand. Therefore it is called mystery, rahasyam. But not ordinary rahasyam, uttamam. Uttamam means transcendental, not covered with darkness of material science. But it is brilliant, daivam, divyam. Rahasyam.

So ordinary man cannot understand. Therefore they interpret foolishly, speculate, and demonstrate their rascaldom. That’s all. Even big, big scholars. So they cannot understand because they are not devotee. It is meant for the devotee. This whole Bhagavad-gétä is a transaction between God and His devotee. There is nothing more. Just like if you go to the market and two mercantile men talking. So it should be understood that he is also businessman, he is also businessman, so they must be talking something about business. It is natural conclusion. Two businessmen are talking seriously, not that they are discussing Bhagavad-gétä. You cannot say that. They must be talking about business, something about profit.

Just like all the businessmen, they assemble in exchange, like stock exchange. So there is howling, great sound, talking with each other, tumultuous sound. That tumultuous sound means one businessman is talking, "What is your rate? This is my rate. What is your rate?" That’s all. You cannot expect that a stock exchange, the people gathered there, they are talking something about Bhägavata and Bhagavad-gétä. No.

Similarly, when there is talk between the Supreme Lord Kåñëa and His devotee, so this whole talk is bhakti. It is nothing else. They derive some meaning, jïäna, jïänätmaka-vyäkhyä. They describe on the understanding of the jïänés, philosophical speculators. They are also candidate. Those who are jïänis actually, they are also interested to know what is Kåñëa. Jïäné ca bharatarñabha, jijïäsur. Ärto arthärthé jijïäsur jïäné ca bharatarñabha. These four classes of men, provided their background is pious life....

Impious life cannot inquire about God or can understand about God. We have several times repeated the verse,

yeñäà tv anta-gataà päpaà
janänäà puëya-karmaëäm
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktä
bhajante mäà dåòha-vratäù
[Bg. 7.28]

Päpés, sinful men, they cannot understand. They understand, only think that "Kåñëa is Bhagavän; so I am also Bhagavän. He’s an ordinary man, maybe little powerful, historically very famous man. So He is, after all, a man. So I am also man. So why not I am God?" This is the conclusion of the abhaktas, non-devotees and sinful men.

So anyone who is declaring himself God, immediately you should know he is the greatest sinful man. And if you study his private life, you will see that he is number one sinful man. This is the test. Otherwise nobody will say that I am God, this false representation. Nobody. Any pious man will not do it. He knows, "What I am? I am ordinary human being. How can I claim to take the position of God?" And they become famous among rascals.

As it is stated in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, çva-viò-varähoñöra kharaiù. What is that verse? Uñöra-kharaiù, saàstutaù puruñaù paçuù. They.... in this world we see there are many great men, so-called great men, and they are very much praised by the general people. So Bhägavata says, that anyone who is not a devotee, who never chants the Hare Kåñëa mantra, he may be very great man in the estimation of rascals, but he is nothing but an animal. Çva-viò-varäha-uñöra-kharaiù. "So how you can say such a great man. You are saying that animal." Our business is very thankless task. We say any man who is not a devotee, he is rascal. We say generally. It is very harsh word, but we have to use it. As soon as we see that he is not a devotee of Kåñëa, then he’s a rascal. How do we say? He is not my enemy, but we have to say because it is stated by Kåñëa.

If we are really Kåñëa conscious, then our business is to repeat the words of Kåñëa. That’s all. What is the difference between a Kåñëa’s representative and non-representative? The representative of Kåñëa will simply repeat what Kåñëa says. That’s all. He becomes representative. It doesn’t require much qualification. You simply repeat with firm conviction. As Kåñëa says, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So one who has accepted this fact, that, "If I surrender to Kåñëa, my all business is successful," he is Kåñëa’s representative. That’s all.

You don’t require to be very highly educated or advanced. Simply if you simply accept that what Kåñëa says... Just like Arjuna said, sarvam etaà åtam manye yad vadasi keçava: "My dear Kåñëa, Keçava, whatever You are saying, I accept it, without any change." That is bhakta. Therefore Arjuna is addressed, bhakto ’si. This is the bhakta’s business. Why shall I think of Kåñëa as like me, ordinary man? This is the difference between a bhakta and not bhakta. A bhakta knows that "I am insignificant, a small spark of Kåñëa. Kåñëa is individual person. I am also individual person. But when we consider about His power and my power, I am most insignificant." This is understanding of Kåñëa.

There is no difficulty. Simply one must be sincere, not sinful. But a sinful man cannot understand Him. The sinful man, he will say, "Oh, Kåñëa is also man. I am also man. Why I am not God? He is simply God? No, I am also. I am God. You are God, you are God, every God." Just like Vivekananda said, "Why you are searching after God? Don’t you see so many gods are loitering in the street?" You see. This is his God realization. This is his God realization. And he became a big man: "Oh, he is seeing everyone God."

This foolishness, this rascaldom, is going on all over the world. One does not know what is God, what is power of God, what is meant by God. They are accepting some rascal as God. As nowadays, that is going on. Another rascal has come. He is also declaring himself God. So it has become very cheap thing. But they have no brain to think that "I am claiming God; what power I have got?"

So this is the mystery. This is the mystery. Without becoming devotee, the mystery of understanding God is not possible. And Kåñëa has said in the Bhagavad-gétä how one can know Him. Bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù [Bg. 18.55]. Only by devotion, simply. He could have said, "By high, topmost knowledge" or "By yogic process" or "By acting, becoming a very great karmé, worker, one can understand Me." No, he has never said, never said. So the karmés, jïänés, yogis, they are all rascals. They cannot understand Kåñëa. All rascals. Karmés are third-class rascals, the jïänés are second-class rascal, and the yogis are first-class rascal. That’s all.

You should understand, the so-called yogis, they are first-class rascal because they do not understand Kåñëa. The jïänés they are also second-class rascal. Even a big scholar like Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is how, I mean to say, deforming the meaning of Bhagavad-gétä. Kåñëa says man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] "You always think..." This is Kåñëa consciousness, man-manä: "Always think of Kåñëa, Me, about Me," Kåñëa says. And they will make meaning that you can say also. "Kåñëa says that you always think of Him; you can say also, Think of me." This meaning, they are distorting. So Kåñëa says man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], and this Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "It is not to the Kåñëa person." Just see. Just a big scholar, doctor of philosophy, he cannot understand Kåñëa. Kåñëa says directly, man-manä bhava mad-bhaktaù. He is interpreting in a different way.

Therefore this word is used here, håñékeça. Håñékeçam idaà väkyam, håñékeçam tadä väkyam idam äha mahé-pate. Mahé-pate, "O King..." Saïjaya was addressing Dhåtaräñöra. He’s a king. So mahé-pate. Håñékeçaà kapi-dhvajaù. Kapi-dhvajaù is nominative. So "He said..." Kapi-dhvajaù. Kapi-dhvajaù is also significant. Kapi-dhvajaù, Arjuna, on his... Just like nowadays also, every nation has different types of flags, so Arjuna also had his flag on the... Dhvajaù. Dhvajaù means the flag. The flag was on the top of his chariot. And it was marked with Hanumän, Vajräìgajé, Vajräìgajé, Hanumän, who fought for Lord Rämacandra. He is fighting for Kåñëa. So he is also following the footsteps of Vajräìgajé.

Vaiñëavism is like that. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. Vaiñëava should follow his previous mahäjana, authority. That is Vaiñëavism. We don’t manufacture ideas. We don’t commit such rascaldom. We simply accept the behavior or the activities of previous äcäryas. There is no difficulty. There is no difficulty.

So in the fighting principle, Arjuna is fighting for Kåñëa. He is following the previous fighting äcärya, Hanumänji. Therefore he has depicted his flag with Hanumän, that "Hanumänji, Vajräìgajé, kindly help me." This is Vaiñëavism. "I have come here to fight for Lord Kåñëa. You fought also for the Lord. Kindly help me." This is the idea. Kapi-dhvajaù. So any activities of the Vaiñëava, they should always pray to the previous äcärya, "Kindly help me. Kindly..." This is, Vaiñëava is always thinking himself helpless, helpless. And begging help from the previous äcärya.

Just like in Caitanya-caritämåta you will find, the author, at the end of every chapter:

çré rüpa-raghunätha-pade yära äça
caitanya-caritämåta kahe kåñëadäsa

His every line, he is thinking of Rüpa-Raghunätha, previous äcäryas. "So let me surrender to the gosvämés and they will help me how to write." You cannot write. That is not possible.

So this is Vaiñëava’s policy. Vaiñëava öhäkura, tomära kukkura, baliyä janaha more. Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura has sung, "My dear vaiñëava öhäkura, you just accept me as your dog, as the dog works by the indication of the master." He will give his life. Dog has a good qualification. However a strong dog may be, when the master orders, he will give his life. This is dog, faithful, so faithful to the master. So vaiñëava öhäkura... So Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura is praying, vaiñëava öhäkura, tomära kukkura, baliyä janaha more: "My dear vaiñëava öhäkura..." Vaiñëava öhäkura means guru. "Kindly accept me as your dog." And he describes, I forget the exact language, that "I will always try to protect you. As dog keeps watch, so I will watch so nobody will come to disturb you. And whatever little prasädam you’ll give me, I’ll be satisfied." That dog’s qualification. The master is eating, but the dog will never come, unless the master gives little morsel. He is satisfied. He is satisfied.

So this is Vaiñëavism, to follow the previous äcärya. This is Vaiñëavism. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù, dharmasya tattvaà nihitaà guhäyäà mahäjano yena gataù.... Tarko ’pratiñöhaù çrutayo vibhinnä. Tarko, if you are very great logician, you can argue, "Oh why Kåñëa can be God? I can be God," by logic you may defeat an ignorant devotee, but çästra says by becoming a big logician, you cannot understand transcendental knowledge. Transcendental knowledge you have to understand by submitting, praëipätena, tad viddhi praëipätena [Bg. 4.34]. First of all surrender. Tad viddhi. If you want to know this transcendental science, then you must fully surrender. This is first qualification. Tad viddhi praëipätena paripraçnena sevayä. Three things. First surrender; then if you cannot understand, then you question. Otherwise you have no right to question from a Vaiñëava.

Not that "Can you show me God?" What qualification you have got? You want to see God. Another rascal will say "Yes, I will show you God. Come to me. I shall show you God." This is going on. One rascal inquires, "Can you show me God?" and the big rascal says, "Yes, come to me alone. I shall show you God." This business is going on. God’s seeing is so cheap thing that any rascal comes, "Can you show me God," and another rascal says, "Yes, come to me. In the evening I shall show you." That means if he is a foolish rascal, then he will show him something magic, and he will understand, "Oh I have seen God." That’s all, finished. God-seeing business is finished. And he comes... After God-seeing, he is the same, the same rascal. What improvement you have... You have seen God. What improvement you have made? God seeing is so cheap thing. No.

So we should be very careful. If we actually are interested in understanding... Manuñyäëäà. It is not so easy. In the Bhagavad-gétä you will find. Manuñyäëäà sahasreñu kaçcid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many millions of persons, kaçcid yatati siddhaye, one person becomes interested how to make his life successful. Because they do not know what is successful life. They simply know who to work like hogs and dogs, day and night working. And what is the goal of life? Now, sense gratification. Just like the hogs. Hogs, you will find, day and night finding out where is stool. And he will eat. And as soon as the hogs become very fatty, because they eat actually very substantial... Stool is chemically very substantial food. It contains hydro-phosphytes. The doctors said. I do not know whether they have tasted. (laughter). But they taste it actually. When they test in laboratory, they taste. I know that. They taste it. They have to taste it. Because their laboratory, chemical examination means the symptoms has to be written, the characteristics. Just like potassium cyanide, they have not tasted. Because as soon as you taste, you will die. (laughter)

So chemical analysis means one has to test to find out the characteristic. So this I have seen, one doctor friend, he was keeping one dysentery stool in a plate, on his table, I saw. "What is this doctor?" He said, "Oh, it is to be tasted... It is dysentery stool". So they taste it. They have to. They take fish... Everyone, medical men know. So this hog’s business is to eat stool, and as soon as he gets fatty, then sex. And that sex has no discrimination. You will see, a hogs, he does not care whether mother, sister or anyone, daughter. It doesn’t matter. So this is hog civilization. Simply eating and getting strength of the senses and enjoy it.

This human life is not meant for that purpose. Therefore it is said that a person without God consciousness, Kåñëa consciousness, he is no better than these dogs and hogs. That’s all. This is our conclusion. We don’t give any formal respect. Of course, we have to give because we are in this world. But at heart we cannot give respect to a person who has not any sense of Kåñëa consciousness. We cannot give. Because who is going to give any respect to the dogs and hogs? Çva-viò-varähoñöra-kharaiù saàstutaù puruñaù paçuù. Therefore Jéva Gosvämé has commented on this verse... If somebody says that "This Mr. such and such, this Dr. such and such, he is respected by so many people, and you are saying that he’s a rascal? What is this?" So Jéva Gosvämé says that "This man, who is respected, but he is respected by whom? He is respected by this class of men: dogs, hogs, camel and asses. So he is a big paçuù."

Just like the lion. Lion is respected in the forest by dogs, hogs, camel and asses and other animals. Because lion is the king of the animals. But does it mean, because he is designated as the king of animals, it has got any use? Has it got any use for any purpose? Similarly, these political leaders, they may be lion, but who respects them? These dogs, hogs, camels and asses, that’s all. He may be a big animal, but he is animal, no better than a big animal. That’s all. And other animals praises, dogs, hogs, camels.

Every word in the Çrémad-Bhägavata we have to... We have described why especially these animals have been selected, dogs, hogs, camels and asses. A dog is very faithful to his master. He will commit so many offenses for the sake of the master. Because he knows, "The master gives me food." So in your country, if you pass through one’s house, from within the house they will bark, "Bark! Bark! Bark! Ba! Ba! Why you are going in front of my house?" This is committing offense, committing offense unnecessarily. So the dog’s business: one side, he is very faithful, and one side, he is simply committing offense, unnecessarily frightening other people, unnecessarily, without any offense. And dog’s another business is that he is seeking always master. Unless he finds out a good master, it is a street dog and it has no place. It has no place. It will not get sufficient food, become lean and thin, and loiter in the street. Because dog must find out... Çüdra-like. Çüdra, unless he finds out a master to provide him, his all education is useless.

Nowadays they are educated, but they must have a good service. That means he’s a çüdra. Without finding a master, his education has no value. So therefore in the çästra it is said, kalau çüdrä sambhaväù. Kalau, "In this age, Kali-yuga, everyone is çüdra." Because he cannot even live without having a master. He must have a master to provide him. But the Vedic culture is that brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, they will not accept any service. No. They will die of starvation. Especially brähmaëa. That is enjoined in the çästras, that a brähmaëa, if he is in bad position some way or other, economically, he may accept the position of a kñatriya or a vaiçya, but he should not accept the position of a çüdra. That is doggish. This is so injunction.

Therefore formerly a brähmaëa, when he accepts a service from anywhere, he was rejected from the brähmaëa society. You know, Sanätana Gosvämé. Sanätana Gosvämé, Rüpa Gosvämé, they belonged to a very high-class brähmaëa, Sarasvata Brähmaëa, very rich men. But both the brothers accepted service in Mohammedan government as ministers, and they were immediately rejected from the brähmaëa society. It is not very long ago, say, about five hundred years ago. The brähmaëa society was so strong. As soon as they will accept service. You know, the Tagore family of Calcutta, Rabindranatha Tagore, they are also brähmaëas. But we know, in our childhood, they were also excommunicated from the brähmaëa family because they also accepted service.

So these are Vedic principles. If we follow... The brähmaëa will not accept anyone’s service. That is against. Similarly, kñatriya. Kñatriya... Why this fight between Arjuna? They made them bereft of the kingdom. So they appealed to Duryodhana, that "My dear Duryodhana, you are my brother, you have taken all our properties. So we are kñatriya. We are not going to become vaiçya or brähmaëa. We must live. Give us at least five villages, five brothers. We shall be satisfied. There is no question of war." "No, sir, not even the land which can hold the point of needle. I cannot spare." There is no way. Therefore there was fight. There was fight.

So these are the some of the glorious points of this fight. But he depended on Kåñëa, Arjuna. Therefore he was successful, victorious. You do, act as kñatriya. Not that as kñatriya he should become a brähmaëa beggar, no. A kñatriya cannot be beggar, neither a brähmaëa cannot be vaiçya. This is real caste system. But you work as a cobbler, and at the same time you claim to become a brähmaëa, this is not allowed. Formerly the king used to see whether a brähmaëa is acting like a brähmaëa. Otherwise he will be stopped. Then he will be designated as he is working. This was the duty of the king to see that everyone is employed according to his profession. It was the duty of the king to see. Everyone must be employed. A brähmaëa must be working like a brähmaëa. A kñatriya must be working like a kñatriya. A vaiçya must be working as a... Otherwise he cannot say.

Not like at the present moment, a brähmaëa is working, a servant, a çüdra, and he is brähmaëa. No. This is called asuric varëäçrama. Varëäçrama. Varëäçrama is very good institution. But still varëäçrama, perfect varëäçrama, cannot be possible in this age. Therefore when there was talk between Caitanya Mahäprabhu and Rämänanda Räya that how perfection of life can be attained, so Rämaëanada Raya first of all quoted a verse from Viñëu Puräëa,

varëäçramäcäravatä
puruñeëa paraù pumän
viñëur ärädhyate puàsäà
nänyat tat-toña-käraëam

That "When human society accepts this varëäçrama institution, brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, çüdra, brahmacäré, gåhastha, vana... This is Vedic civilization. Without this division, there is no civilization. They are animals." So therefore he quoted this verse, varëäçramäcäravatä puruñeëa paraù pumän: "If anyone is following the principles of varëäçrama, then he is worshiping Lord Viñëu." Because the whole life is meant for worshiping Viñëu. The present civilization, they do not know that. Na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know, rascals, that what is the aim of life. Aim of life is to become Vaiñëava, servant of Viñëu. Therefore the very word is used, håñékeça. Håñékeça, He is the guide. Éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà håd-deçe ’rjuna tiñöhati [Bg. 18.61].

So Arjuna was strictly following the Vaiñëava principles, and therefore he inquired from Håñékeça because he knows, "The Håñékeça will guide me." Sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöo [Bg. 15.15]. Hådi sanniviñöo. Mattaù småtir jïänam apohanaà ca. So Arjuna knew it. Therefore this very word is used. The other day, also håñékeça word was there. And bhakti means to satisfy Håñékeça. This is bhakti. Håñikena håñékeça-sevanaà bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, this is the simple definition of bhakti. Håñékena. Håñéka means the senses. As you have got hands, legs, eyes, ears.... These are different senses. When you engage your senses only for the service of Kåñëa, then you become devotee. That’s all. Your life is perfect.