Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

çré bhagavän uväca
kutas tvä kaçmalam idaà
viñame samupasthitam
anärya-juñöam asvargyam
akérti-karam arjuna

Translation: "The Supreme Person, Bhagavän, said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy."

Prabhupäda: So in this verse Vyäsadeva is writing. Of course, the speaking is through Saïjaya, but the original writer is Vyäsadeva. In other çlokas he writes arjuna uväca, saïjaya uväca, like that. Similarly, he could write here kåñëa uväca. He could write. No. He’s writing bhagavän uväca. So Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By this writing, it is established. Çré-bhagavän uväca. He cannot be equal with Arjuna or Saïjaya or anybody else. Asammaurdhva. Bhagavän, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is supreme. Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is higher than. Everyone is lower. That is the meaning of Bhagavän. Nobody can claim "I am Bhagavän." But nowadays there are so many rascals, they are claiming that everyone is Bhagavän. So Vyäsadeva is mistaken? Actually, these Mäyävädé philosophers, they are so great rascals they sometimes say like that, that Vyäsadeva is also mistaken. They have got the audacity to say Vyäsadeva, he is accepted as incarnation of Näräyaëa, who has given us the Vedic literature, so many books he has given, the Vedas, the Puräëas, the Mahäbhärata, Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Vedänta-sütra. Everything is given by Vyäsadeva in writing, and we’ll accept it, Näräyaëa, incarnation of Näräyaëa, mahämuni-kåte. He is also Vyäsa-muni, but He is also mahämuni-kåte. So there cannot be any mistake in the words of Vyäsadeva. This is the difficulty. If one does not come through the channel of disciplic succession, so they are in so many ways mistaken. Vyäsadeva is above all this. He is not an ordinary writer, material description or material name and faith. He cannot be mistaken. As Bhagavän, Kåñëa cannot be mistaken. Similarly, Vyäsadeva, incarnation of Bhagavän, he also cannot be mistaken. Neither devotee of Kåñëa can be mistaken. Devotee of Kåñëa, he does not say anything as his own opinion. He never says. What Kåñëa says, he says. He may be not perfect, but what Kåñëa has said, that is perfect.

Therefore, a pure devotee, who does not say anything beyond which was spoken by Kåñëa, therefore his statement is also without mistake. Common man within this material world, he commits mistake: "To err is human." Even big, big personalities, they commit mistake. But näräyaëa paraù. He is transcendental. Kåñëa is transcendental. There cannot be any mistake; there cannot be any illusion. Those who are in this material world, they have got four defects: they commit mistake, they are illusioned, and their senses are imperfect, bhrama, pramäda, vipralipsä, and they’re cheaters. Because... Just like modern-day scientists and philosophers, they propogate so many branches of knowledge, but when, on the crucial point, they are caught, they say, "I do not know perfectly. I do not know perfectly. We are trying to know. In future, we shall tell you the perfect." But if you are not in perfect knowledge, why should you take the post of a teacher? If your knowledge is imperfect, then whatever you speak, that is imperfect. Therefore with imperfect knowledge, why you should become a teacher? That is cheating. That is cheating. Therefore purposefully Vyäsadeva is writing, sri-bhagavän uväca, where there is no cheating, no imperfection, no illusion, no mistake. Four things. No mistake, no illusion, no cheating and no imperfection. This is Bhagavän. Why we are taking Bhagavad-gétä so seriously? There are so many other books we can read, so many theories, so many philosophers, big, big philosophers. But we cannot take them because they are defective. The author is sure to commit mistake. He is illusioned. Because his senses are not perfect, therefore imperfection.

So with all these defects, we cannot accept anyone’s knowledge. This is Vedic process. This is called paramparä system, disciplic succession. We receive knowledge perfectly from the Supreme Bhagavän. And if I receive the knowledge from Bhagavän, and if I distribute the same knowledge as Bhagavän has said, without any interpretation of my cheating policy, then the knowledge which I distribute, that is also perfect. I may not be perfect, but the knowledge which I have taken from Kåñëa, if I present it as it is, without any interpretation, then what I give you, that is perfect. It is very easy to understand. I have given several times... Just like a peon has brought a money order for you, thousand dollars. So he’s giving you. So you cannot say, "Oh, here is a peon. He’s a poor man. How he can give me one thousand dollars?" He’s not giving; the money is sent by somebody else. He’s simply handing you. Therefore Caitanya Mahäprabhu says, ämära äjïäya guru haya tära sarva-deça, tära ei deça. He’s asking everyone to become a spiritual master. So how everyone can become a spiritual master? A spiritual master must have sufficient knowledge, so many other qualifications. No. Even without any qualifications, one can become a spiritual master. How? Now the process is, Caitanya Mahäprabhu says, ämära äjïäya: "On My order." That is the crucial point. One does not become spiritual master by his own whims. That is not spiritual master. He must be ordered by superior authority. Then he’s spiritual master. Ämära äjïäya. Just like in our case. Our superior authority, our spiritual master, he ordered me that "You just try to preach this gospel, whatever you have learned from me, in English." So we have tried it. That’s all. It is not that I am very much qualified. The only qualification is that I have tried to execute the order of superior authority. That’s all. This is the secret of success.

vyavasäyätmikä-buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-çäkhä hy anantäç ca
buddhir avyavasäyinäm

Bahu-çäkhä hy anantäç ca. Vyavasäyätmikä-buddhiù, niçcayätmikä-buddhiù. If one has got unflinching faith in Kåñëa and guru, guru-kåñëa-kåpäya... We have to receive mercy both from the spiritual master and Kåñëa. We cannot jump over to Kåñëa. That is another nonsense. We must approach Kåñëa through guru. That is paramparä system. Kåñëa is not so cheap thing that you can jump over. Somebody says, "Oh, why shall I accept guru? I can approach Kåñëa directly." No. Kåñëa does not accept such... Mad-bhaktaù püjäbhyadhikaù. Kåñëa says that "First of all you become devotee of My devotee." Caitanya Mahäprabhu says, gopé-bhartuù pada-kamalayor däsa-däsa-däsänudäsaù: "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kåñëa." This is called paramparä system. You have to learn how to become servant of the servant of Kåñëa. The more you become in the lower position—servant, servant, servant, servant, servant, hundreds times servant, servant—then more you are advanced. Here in this material world everyone is trying to be master of the master. Just opposite. And the spiritual world, the endeavor is to become servant’s servant. This is the secret.

ataù çré-kåñëa-nämädi
na bhaved grähyam indriyaiù
sevonmukhe hi jihvädau
svayam eva sphuraty adaù

"No one can understand Kåñëa as He is by the blunt material senses. But He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him." (Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu 1.2.234)

bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti
yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù
tato mäà tattvato jïätvä
viçate tad-anantaram

"One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." (Bg. 18.55)

These are Vedic instructions. One must have full faith in the words of the spiritual master and similar faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then the real knowledge of ätmä and Paramätmä and the distinction between matter and spirit will be automatically revealed. This ätma-tattva, or spiritual knowledge, will be revealed within the core of a devotee’s heart because of his having taken shelter of the lotus feet of a mahäjana such as Prahläda Mahäräja.6.23]

This is Vedic instruction.

So Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura, in connection with the verse, vyavasäyätmikä-buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana, niçcayätmikä-buddhiù... So Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura says that "The instruction which I have received from my spiritual master, that is my life and soul." This is called niçcayätmikä-buddhiù, means assurance: "Whatever I have received, the order from my spiritual master, that will give me salvation." Or even no salvation. It doesn’t matter. A real devotee, a servant, does not expect anything, but käryam: "It is my duty. It is my duty." If one takes in such spirit... Anäçritaù karma-phalaà käryaà karma karoti yä. Käryam. Käryam means "It is my duty. It must be done. That’s my duty." Without any result. Anäçrita-karma-phalaà. Karma-phalaà. Every action, there is a result. Bad or good, it doesn’t matter. There must be some result. So anäçritaù karma-phalaà. Don’t take shelter of the result of your work. Generally we work; if the result is very good, then we like to work. If the result is not very good, then we don’t like to work. But a devotee should not take...(Aside:) Why you are moving so fast?

Devotee: I have got difficulty in my body. So I stand...

Prabhupäda: So by moving you shall be cured?

Devotee: Well... I’m sorry.

Prabhupäda: Anäçritaù karma-phalaà käryaà karma karoti yaù. Do not take shelter of your result of your activities. You must take it as duty. He is sannyäsé. Anäçritaà karma-phalaà käryaà karma karoti yaù, sa sannyäsé. He’s actually sannyäsé. A sannyäsé does not become simply by changing dress. No. Sannyäsé means he’s to work for Kåñëa. Without taking shelter of the result. It doesn’t matter. "Kåñëa has ordered, and Kåñëa’s representative has ordered. Therefore I have to do it." Käryaà karma karoti yaù. sa sannyäsé.

So here, bhagavän uväca. Vyäsadeva does not say that kåñëa uväca. If, if he would have said, "Kåñëa," then people would have misunderstood. He’s directly speaking, bhagavän uväca, "the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So anyone who is impersonalist, how he can understand Bhagavad-gétä? Bhagavän means person. Bhagavän is not imperson. The Absolute Truth is manifested in three features: Brahman, Paramätmä, Bhagavän. Brahman is the beginning, impersonal. Sarvaà khalv idaà brahma. Because... Just like fire. Fire is burning somewhere, but its heat and light is impersonal. Suppose here is big fire. Just like we got fireplace. That is in one corner. But the whole room you are feeling heat. That heat is impersonal. But the fireplace, where there is blazing fire, that is personal. So impersonal conception is the offshoot of the person. That will be explained in the Thirteenth Chapter: mayä tatam idaà sarvam. Kåñëa says that "Everyone, everywhere I am spread. I exist everywhere." How does He exist? By His energy. That energy is impersonal. But the Supreme Person, He’s not impersonal. He’s person. Therefore it is said, çré-bhagavän uväca. Bhagavän means who is full with six kinds of opulence, aiçvarya: the richest, the most famous, the most learned, the most beautiful, the most strong, and the most renouncer. He’s Bhagavän. So Bhagavän is the ultimate understanding of the Absolute Truth. Just like when you feel temperature... Just like we feel temperature from the sunshine, heat. And light. The sun is giving heat and light. We enjoy the light and heat. But if you trace wherefrom this heat and light is coming, then you go to the sun planet. That is localized. That is not impersonal. And again, if you enter into the sun planet, then you will see the sun-god, Vivasvan. So we should not conclude final simply by heat and light. So Brahman understanding, impersonal understanding of the Absolute Truth, is imperfect understanding, partial understanding. It is not full understanding. Full understanding is Bhagavän. Therefore it is stated here, çré-bhagavän uväca. There cannot be any mistake. That is final.

So Bhagavän is criticizing. Arjuna became a very good man: "Why shall I...? Oh, I cannot kill my kinsmen." From material point of view, people will very much appreciate, "Oh, here is Arjuna. He’s so nice, nonviolent. He is foregoing his claim. He has given up his astra, bow and arrows. He’s no, no longer fighting. He has decided not to fight with kinsmen, kill his own men." So from material point of view, Arjuna is supposed to be very, very good man. But the Supreme Person, Kåñëa, what does He say? Anärya-juñöam: "You rascal, you are speaking like anärya." He’ll say rascal later on. He posed himself to be very good man, but when he comes to the test of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He refuses to accept him as a good man. He’s saying that "You are anärya." There are two kinds of men: anärya and ärya. Äryan. Äryan means advanced in knowledge. He’s called Äryan. And anärya means uncivilized. So immediately He rebukes him, anärya-juñöam. "You are talking just like non-Äryan, uncivilized person." People are very much, nowadays, eager how to stop war. But Kåñëa says... [break] ... at any case is not required. There is necessity of war. Just like He’s trying to convince Arjuna. Our war means... According to Vedic civilization, that is dharma-yuddha, religious fight. When the actual need is there to fight, we must fight. Not that when there is need of fight, one becomes nonviolent. Just like yesterday in the evening, when we were talking with Dr. Shoemaker, so they were supporting that "Why should you kill any animal who is coming to... If you are determined not to kill..." We were talking of not killing, that why should you kill one animal who is coming to attack? No. You must kill. That is necessity. You should not go to the forest to find out some living entities, living beings, to kill. That is not your business. That is hiàsa. But if a tiger comes to attack you, you must kill. That is self-defense. And that is not hiàsa. So a devotee knows, a Kåñëa conscious person knows when to kill and when not to kill. But it is not that because we accept not killing, therefore in every case, killing should be stopped. No. If there is necessity, killing should be accepted. Therefore Arjuna decided not to kill, not to fight. And Kåñëa says that "This is anärya-juñöam. this kind of decision is made by the uncivilized rascal." Anärya-juñöam asvargyam akérti-karam. So many things, He says. Asvargyam. Because the aim of human life should be to make progress. That is called ärya, progressive march.

Now we have got this human form of body, progressing from the lowest species of life in aquatics, then trees, plants, insects, birds, beasts, 8,400,000... Now I have got this civilized form of body. Then, the, my endeavor should be how to make further progress. The further progress is described in the Bhagavad-gétä, that you can go to the higher planetary system. Ürdhvaà gacchanti sattva-sthäù. Ürdhvam, higher planetary system. Madhye tiñöhanti räjasaù. Madhye, in the middle planetary system, those who are contaminated with the passion quality, they remain. And jaghanya-guëa-våtti-sthä adho gacchanti tämasaù. And those who are miscreants, jaghanya-guëa-våtti-sthäù, most hatefully accustomed, these hatefully accustomed, illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, intoxication... These are habits of hateful nature. So jaghanya-guëa-våtti-sthäù adho gacchanti tämasaù, they go down. Either become animals or... There are seven kinds of lower planetary systems: tala, atala, nitala, pätala, talätala, rasätala, like that. So ärya means must make progress. Anärya means one who does not know what is progress of life. They think there is no life after death. "So I have got this life now. Let me enjoy my senses to the best capacity." This is anärya, demon. "Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." Because as soon as the body will be finished, the senses also will be finished. Now let me use the senses. (?). So anärya, they do not know that there is life after death. They think that as soon as... [break] Big, big professors, in Europe, they say like that, "After death, everything is finished." Cärvaka Muni’s theory. This kind of theory was accepted long, long ago. In the Vedic culture. Not accepted, was heard. Never it was accepted. Cärvaka theory. Cärvaka theory was atheist. He was not... [break] So his philosophy was atheistic philosophy. He used to say that bhañmi bhütasya dehasya kuto punar ägamaù, means bodily concept of life, talking of this body, deha, that it is burned into ashes. So he used to say, "When the body is burned into ashes, then where is the chance of coming back?" That means he had no information of the soul. [break]

...accepted by the Vedic civilization. The anärya... [break] The Äryan theory is that what is next life, what is next life, progressive. That is ärya. Civilized man. They may think like that. But you are belonging to the Äryan family, Päëòava family. Akérti-karam. You are celebrated as Kåñëa’s friend. [break] So people will say that "Kåñëa’s friend, he’s not fighting." Therefore akérti-karam, reputation defamation it is. "Don’t do this." And He says, kutaù-kaçmalam idaà viñame samupasthitam. "And in this, at this time of danger... There is fighting; you have to fight. And viñame, at this time of danger, you are so much bewildered that you given up your weapons down. And now you promise that ‘No, I shall not fight.’ " So immediately Arjuna was condemned.

Therefore the so-called good men of this world, who are engaged in so many welfare activities, humanitarian activities, by mental concoction, they may be all foolish activities in the estimation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are very much puffed up, that "We are doing this, opening hospital and school, and philanthropism, nationalism." Is there any such thing in the Bhagavad-gétä? Is there any advice that "You open hospital, school and do this philanthropic work"? No. If you have got anything to give in charity, you are charitably disposed, Kåñëa says, "Give it to Me. If you are so rich and if you have got this good intention to give in charity, give it to Me." Yat karoñi yaj juhosi yad açnäsi yat tapasyasi dadäsi yat. Dadäsi yat means "whatever you give in charity." Kuruñva tad mad-arpanam: "Give it to Me. Yes, I am expanding My hand. Come on." But they have forgotten Kåñëa or Kåñëa’s advice, and they remain puffed up, that "I am engaged in this activity, that activity, this activity." Thousands of millions of such activities may be very good in the estimations of the fools and rascals, but it may not be accepted by Kåñëa. That is the crucial point. But our point is that unless accepted by Kåñëa, it is simply çrama eva hi kevalam, simply waste of time. Our philosophy says. We have to satisfy Kåñëa. We haven’t got to satisfy ourself that "I am doing very nice work in this way." So all these people, they are manufacturing concocted ideas. Mano-rathena asato dhavato bahiù. By mental concoction. Haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëä mano-rathena äsato dhävato bahiù [SB 5.18.12]. One who is not Kåñëa conscious, not devotee of Kåñëa, he has no good qualification. "No, he’s a very big man. He has opened such big, big hospitals, big, big schools, big, big, big..." Yes, that may be good from the material estimation, but because he’s not a devotee of Kåñëa, these are not good qualifications. Haräv a... This one word: Haräv abhaktasya, haräv abhaktasya. If one has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he cannot have any good qualities. These are not good qualities. Actually that is so. Suppose if you, the... According to karma-käëòa vicära, if you open a school, so in the next time, you will have good education. It is pious activities from material point of view. So the benefit will be that you will have good education in your next life. Accepting that it is very nice, next life I shall be very learned scholar, but to become that learned scholar I’ll have to take my birth. But he does not know that how much difficulties are there to take birth. Kåñëa says, janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-duùkha-doñänu-darçanam. One should see to the duùkha, unhappiness, on account of birth and death. So suppose you will get next life in the heavenly planet, or you shall become very rich man, or you shall become very learned man, but you have to go through these distresses, janma. They do not consider this. Janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-duùkha-doñänu-dar... Those who are actually learned, they, they should know that "Why shall I go again in the process of birth and death?" We have forgotten how much difficulty it is, how much troublesome it is, how much distress it is to remain in the womb of the mother for taking birth again. That we have forgotten. Therefore this kind of conclusion is not very intelligent conclusion. The intelligent conclusion is: tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. That is intelligent. After giving up this body, no more coming to material world. That is intelligence.

So how many people do understand this intelligence? And where is the teaching? Therefore one who is not devotee, he has no good qualifications. If he’s still under the distresses of this material world, that is not very intelligent question. Therefore Kåñëa says, bahünäm janmanäm ante jïänavän [Bg. 7.19]. Jïänavän means intelligent, wise. What does he do? Bahünäà janmanäm ante jïänavän maà prapadyate. He surrenders to Kåñëa. This is intelligence. This is wisdom. So here also, the same thing. Kåñëa has already expressed that "You must fight." But he is showing himself as very good man, nonviolent: "I shall not kill. I shall not do this. I shall not do this." So immediately Kåñëa very strongly criticizing him that "You are talking just like anärya, not civilized man." Kåñëa, still He has not used very strong words. He has simply mildly rebuked his doing to Arjuna that "You are not talking just like a intelligent man or advanced in civilization. You are talking like uncivilized man." Anärya-juñöam.

So these things are there in the Bhagavad-gétä. We may be very much puffed up by our mental concoction, that "I am doing very nice work." but it may not be accepted by God. It may not be accepted by Kåñëa. You may concoct. And naturally, one who is not guided by Kåñëa, one who is not guided by the Kåñëa’s representative, he’s fool. He must be misguided. He must be misguided. Anärya. Ärya, anärya, yes. Therefore we have to take shelter of Kåñëa through His representative so that we may become Ärya. Ärya, äryan. Äryan civilization means being guided by the Supreme Person, Vedic culture. That is called Äryan civilization. Vedic culture. And what is the purpose of Vedas? Vedaiç ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. Therefore the ultimate goal of civilization should be, Aryan civilization, progressive civilization, how to understand Kåñëa. That is perfect civilization. And Kåñëa, everything minus Kåñëa, that is not civilization. This is anärya-juñöam asvargyam akérti-karam. We should not waste our time in such thing which is devoid of Kåñëa consciousness. This is first-class civilization.

Thank you very much. (end)