Pradyumna: (leads chanting)

sa eväyaà mayä te 'dya
yogaù proktaù purätanaù
bhakto 'si me sakhä ceti
rahasyaà hy etad uttamam
[Bg. 4.3]

Translation: "That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend. Therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science."

Prabhupäda: This is very important verse to understand Bhagavad-gétä. By rascal interpretation, you cannot understand what is Bhagavad-gétä. It is a mystery. Rahasyam, mysterious. Only a devotee who is in intimate relation with Kåñëa, he can understand. That is clearly stated here. When Kåñëa was speaking Bhagavad-gétä to Arjuna, it was in the battlefield. It is not a parlor, discussing, smoking and discussing Vedänta philosophy. No. It is not like that. Very serious, in the battlefield. And Kåñëa selected Arjuna. Kåñëa selected... At that time, when Kåñëa was present, there were very, very great learned scholars. Even Vyäsadeva was present there, the Vedavyäsa. And many others-Asita, Devala... Great, great saintly persons and saints. Räjarñis. Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira was räjarñi. Because in the previous verse He said, evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù [Bg. 4.2].

So why He selected Arjuna? He was a military man. He was not a Vedantist. A military man is not supposed to become a Vedantist, a very great sannyäsé. No. Because the so-called Vedantists, they cannot understand Bhagavad-gétä. It is not possible. It is a mystery. Kåñëa, in other place, He says, nähaà prakäçaù sarvasya yoga-mäyä-samävåtaù [Bg. 7.25], "I cannot be exposed to anyone." Yoga-mäyä-samävåtaù. Therefore, those who are fools, rascals, they consider Kåñëa as fictitious, Kåñëa as a human being, Kåñëa as a historical person. Or "There was no Kåñëa. It is an imaginary writing." Because these rascals, they cannot understand. Unless one is a bona fide devotee and intimately related with Kåñëa, one cannot understand. That is the purport of this verse. One must become a devotee first of all. Because... You'll find in the Eighteenth Chapter: bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù [Bg. 18.55]. Tattvataù, in reality, what Kåñëa is, that can be understood through devotion and service. This is what we are preaching all over the world, devotional service, the...

çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù
smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà
sakhyam ätma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]

iti puàsärpitä viñëau
bhaktiç cen nava-lakñaëä
kriyeta bhagavaty addhä
tan manye 'dhétam uttamam

This is the statement of Prahläda Mahäräja. These are the b hakti process. If one wants to become bhakta, then he must begin with çravaëam. Just like you have kindly come here to hear about Kåñëa. This is the beginning of bhakti. Unless you hear about the Supreme Person... This is Vedic process. Çruti. Çruti. Veda is known as çruti.

There are three kinds of departmental study in the Vedas. First thing is sambandha. Sambandha means "What is my relationship with God." This is stated there. In the Vedänta it says, janmädy asya yataù [SB 1.1.1]. The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything is generated. So everything, amongst everything, I am also, you are also. So you are also coming from that Supreme Absolute Truth. Kåñëa says, mamaiväàço jéva-bhütaù: [Bg. 15.7] "All these living entities..." Sarva-yoniñu kaunteya: [Bg. 14.4] "In any species, any form of life..." Sambhavanti mürtayo yäù: "As many forms are there..." Not only human beings, the animals, the trees, the birds, the aquatics, the insects, everyone, all living entities. Kåñëa says, sarva-yoniñu kaunteya sambhavanti mürtayo yäù: [Bg. 14.4] "In any species of life, as many forms are there," ahaà béja-pradaù pitä, "I am their original father." Béja-pradaù pitä, seed-giving father. So as father places the seeds within the womb of the mother, similarly the material nature is the mother and Kåñëa is the father. The Kåñëa impregnates the material nature, and we come out in different forms. Sveda-ja, pädapa-ja and jaräyu-ja, and aëòa-ja. Sveda-ja means by perspiration, through perspiration. Just like bed bugs. Bed bug... Because if you keep your bed nasty, do not keep it very clean, then by your perspiration, there is generation of these bed bugs. They are called sveda-ja, by perspiration. And aëòa-ja, through the eggs. Just like the birds, the living entity is coming through the eggs. That is called aëòa-ja. Sveda-ja, aëòa-ja, jaräyu-ja. Embryo. Just like we are coming from the embryo. Aëòa-ja, then jaräyu-ja. And pädapa-ja, coming from the seeds, the trees, plants. So within these four groups, all different living entities are coming.

So the..., by gradual evolution, we are coming to the human form of life. So in the human form of life, here there is a prerogative, there is a chance to know what is God and what is my relationship with Him. That is called sambandha-jïäna. Sambandha, abhidheya. Then execution of the duty. Just like sambandha. We can understand. An unmarried girl and unmarried boy, there is first of all sambandha: the father, mother makes the relationship. Then there is function between husband and wife. That is called abhidheya. And why? Because there is a necessity. What is that? To get children. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. Prayojana. Every sambandha, every relationship is made, every action is done with an aim, the goal, the prayojana. So Vedic literature means sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. That is to be studied in the human form of life. Vedaiç ca sarvair aham eva vedyaù [Bg. 15.15]. To study Vedas means to understand what is my relation, what is Kåñëa, what I am, and what is my relationship, and how to act in that relationship, and what is the aim of life.

The aim of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the aim of life. We are fallen in this material conditional life. We are suffering. But we do not know. We are so fool. Just like animals. We do not know what is the aim of life. Aim of life, that is also described in the Bhagavad-gétä: janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-duùkha-doñänudarçanam. When we can understand that "This process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, this is not wanted by me..." Nobody wants to die, but death is forced upon him. He does not think that "This is my problem. I do not want to die, but death is as sure as anything." So this is the problem. Nobody is careful how to solve this problem. They are simply engaged in the, I mean to say, temporary problems. The temporary problems are not problems. Real problem is how to stop death, how to stop birth, how to stop old age, and how to stop disease. That is real problem. That can be done when you are liberated from this material world. This is our problem.

So Kåñëa comes here again... Yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati bhärata [Bg. 4.7]. Dharmasya gläniù. Gläniù means when it is distorted, So people are manufacturing, in the name of so-called religion, "This is our religion. This is..." "This is Hindu religion." "This is Muslim religion." "This is Christian religion." Or "This is Buddha religion." And "This is Sikh religion." "This is that religion, that religion..." They have manufactured so many religions, so many religions. But real religion is dharmaà tu säkñäd bhagavat-praëétam [SB 6.3.19]. Religion means the codes and the laws given by the Lord, given by God. That is religion. Simple definition of religion is: dharmaà tu säkñäd bhagavat-praëétam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like law is given by the state, by the government. You cannot manufacture law. I have repeatedly said. Law is made by the government. Similarly, religion is made by God. If you accept God's religion, then that is religion. And what is God's religion? (aside:) If you stand, you come stand here. Other people are seeing. God's religion is... You'll find in the Bhagavad-gétä, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is God's religion. "You give up all these nonsense religions. You become a devotee, a surrendered soul unto Me." That is religion.

One who does not know what is God, one who does not know how to surrender to Him, he's not religious. Any religion without the conception of God, without knowledge of God, without knowing the surrendering process, that is called, described in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam as "cheating religion." Dharmaù projjhita-kaitavaù atra. The so-called religious system, which is cheating only, that kind of religion is completely thrown away, kicked out. Because religion means to develop your dormant love for God, or to execute the laws of God. That is... The laws of God is, (as) Kåñëa says, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. And how to achieve that? That also Kåñëa says: man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Four principles only. "Always think of Me." Hare Kåñëa. If you chant Hare Kåñëa, then you're remembering Kåñëa. Man-manäù. Hare Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa... This is the religion; at least, of this age.

harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä
[Adi 17.21]

There is no other way. You chant. Then any, any scripture you will find. Çabdäd anävåtti. In the Vedänta-sütra. Çabdät, simply by chanting, vibrating, you become liberated. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam: kértanäd eva kåñëasya mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet. Kaler doña-nidhe räjann asti hy eko mahän guëaù. Çukadeva Gosvämé said, "Mahäräja Parékñit, this age of Kali is full of faulty things. It is an ocean of faulty things. But there is one profit, benefit. What is that?" Kértanäd eva kåñëasya mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet. "If you chant the holy name of Kåñëa, then you become liberated, and you are promoted to the spiritual world." Paraà vrajet. One can...

That is our aim. The human form of life is meant for finishing all these problems, janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi, and go back to home, back to Godhead. But people do not know... They are not educated what is God, what is God's place, where to go back, what is my position, what is my relation. Nothing of these things are educated or given lessons in any university anywhere. But it is there, the Bhagavad-gétä. Kåñëa is personally giving you instruction. Kåñëa is giving instruction to Arjuna. "Arjuna" does not mean that Arjuna is to take that lesson. Every one of us. And it is very old. Therefore Kåñëa says, "Don't manufacture new type of religion." What you'll do that? It is simply waste of time. You cannot manufacture anything. But they are after modernized religion. What is this nonsense modernized religions? You are living entity. You are part and parcel of God. It is old relationship, Puräëa. It is said, Puräëa. Puräëa means very old. Na jäyate na mriyate vä kadäcit, nityaà çäçvato 'yaà puräëaù. We have to accept that Puräëa. We are Puräëa, eternal. Na hanyate hanyamäne çarére [Bg. 2.20]. We are not destroyed simply by destruction of this body. We remain. We accept another body. Tathä dehäntara-präptir dhéras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13].

This is Bhagavad-gétä. Nobody wants to know this. They manufacture their own commentaries. In that way you'll never understand. You'll understand as Kåñëa says, sa eva ayaà purätanaù. The same thing. What is that same thing? That "I am God. I am Kåñëa. You are My part and parcel." This is an eternal relationship. It cannot be broken, but you have forgotten. You have forgotten your relationship with Kåñëa. You have made your relationship with your family, so-called family, so-called country, so-called society, and so on, so on, so on, so on. This is all temporary. Suppose I am Indian today. You are American tomo..., today. But is there guarantee after your death you'll become American or I'll become Indian? Or I'll take my birth in the same family? No. According to my karma, I may become cats and dogs. You may become demigods. You may become something else. But dehäntara-präptiù. Dehäntara-präptiù (means) you'll have to accept another body. And there are 8,400,000 species of forms of bodies. Any of them you'll have to accept. Prakåteù kriyamäëäni guëaiù karmäëi sarvaçaù [Bg. 3.27]. You are wasted your time as the family member or as the national or this or that, but there is no guarantee that next life will be same countryman or same family. No, there is no such guarantee. Dehäntara-präptiù. You'll have to accept one body, and that body means... Any, out of these four... According to my karma... Karmaëä daiva-netreëa jantur dehopapatti [SB 3.31.1].

So these are the instructions of the çästras. And this is very scientific and very important thing. But unfortunately, we are not taking care of these things. We are very busy with the temporary problems. Temporary problems are not problems. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gétä: ägama apäyinaù anityäù täàs titikñasva bhärata. Mäträ-sparçäs tu kaunteya çétoñëa-sukha-duùkha-däù. "Your temporary problems, so-called happiness and distress, these are ägamäpäyinaù. They come and go." That is not very important. Just like the seasonal changes. The winter season comes; again goes away. For the time being, you may feel very cold, but it will go. Similarly, summer season also, it comes and goes-any seasonal changes. We should not be disturbed with these seasonal changes of happiness and distress.

We should be very serious about the problems of life, janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi. That is spiritual advancement. Unless you come to the serious point, unless you have become very intelligent, that "I do not want to die. Why death is there...?" This is intelligence. You may solve your temporary problems, but you cannot, by your so-called materialistic activities, solve the problem of death. Nobody wants to die. Måtyuù sarva-haraç ca aham. Death will come. But the people have become so much unintelligent, they do not take up seriously the real problems. Just like animals. The animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse. And one animal enters to the slaughterhouse store, livestock store, and all the animals enter. He does not know that "This, I have to stay here for being killed." He does not know. This is animal. Similarly, if you do not take these problems seriously, you are no better than animal. However you may be advanced for these bodily comforts, you are animal. Yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape tri-dhätuke [SB 10.84.13]. Kuëape tri-dhätuke, this bag of three elements, kapha-pitta-väyu. If I think that "I am this body, and the comfort of this body is my happiness"-sa eva go-kharaù [SB 10.84.13]. You are not better than animal. This is animal conception of life. You must know that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. Circumstantially, I have been put into this body, and again I'll be put into another body. So what is the solution of this problem?" That is Bhagavad-gétä. That is Bhagavad-gétä. If you understand fully what is Bhagavad-gétä, what is the teachings of Bhagavad-gétä, then these questions, the answers are there. You'll find.

Therefore Kåñëa has said... This is the old. It is not new type of religion. It is the, it is the oldest. Bhagavad-bhakti. Bhagavän is there, and the living entities are there. Their relationship is there. Now, by forgetting God, forgetting Kåñëa, we are busy with the problems, but we are forgetting the real problems. Therefore Kåñëa says that bhakto 'si. One has to become bhakta. So bhakta means... Bhagavän, if there is Bhagavän, then there is bhakta, and there is bhakti. But these people are denying the existence of bhakta, Bhagavän. "There is no God." Now, how he can become bhakta? Or how there will be execution of bhakti? Bhakta, Bhagavän, bhakti. The same thing. Bhakta is in relationship with Bhagavän, and the transaction between Bhagavän and bhakta is called bhakti. Bhakti means änukülyena kåñëänuçélanam.

This is the definition given by Rüpa Gosvämé. Similarly, in Närada-païcarätra, the bhakti is defined:

sarvopädhi-vinirmuktaà
tat-paratvena nirmalam
håñékeëa håñékeça-
sevanaà bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

These are the definitions of bhakti. Bhakti, without bhakti, nobody can become bhakta. Bhakta means one who is executing bhakti. That is bhakta. And the beneficiary, the beneficiary is the Bhagavän.

So those who are engaged in this process of bhakti, çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù... [SB 7.5.23]. Viñëu means Bhagavän, or Kåñëa. So çravaëaà kértanam, you have to hear about Kåñëa. That is çravaëam. And kértanam, one has to chant. This is also kértanam. I am speaking to you; this is also kértanam. And you are hearing; this is bhakti. Çravaëaà kértanam, about Kåñëa. The chanting, dancing about Kåñëa, this is bhakti. Çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù smaraëam. And remembering about Kåñëa. Man-manä bhava mad-bhaktaù. If you engage your mind... Sa vai manaù kåñëa-padäravindayoù. We have to fix up our mind always to the lotus feet of Kåñëa. So if you do not accept this arcanam, this temple worship, how you can become, always be engaged in the lotus feet of Kåñëa? These are the processes. These are not sentiments. This the scientific process. If you want... Your business is to become bhakta. That is perfection. And because Arjuna was bhakta, therefore Kåñëa is speaking to him. So if you become... It is not monopolized by Arjuna. If you also become bhakta, Kåñëa will speak to you. Now you say, "Where is God?" Where is God? Here is God. God is speaking. Why don't you see God? God is speaking. You'll find in the Seventh Chapter. If you cannot see God, if you cannot see Kåñëa in the temple, if you cannot see Kåñëa within Bhagavad-gétä, then Kåñëa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhäsmi çaçi-süryayoù. You see while you drink water. Or anything you drink, you can see Kåñëa there. Rasa. That taste is Kåñëa. So there is no difficulty to see God. These rascals, they said, "Where is God?" Here is God. You are drinking water. Why don't you see... Give me water.

So Kåñëa can be seen always, provided you want to see God. But we don't want to see God. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, you can see sadaiva. In the Brahma-saàhitä, it is said, santaù sadaiva hådayeñu vilokayanti. Santaù, if you are santa... Santa means saintly person. If you become saintly person... But if you remain rogues, thieves, cats and dogs, then how you can see God? You have to become a santa.

premäïjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santaù sadaiva hådayeñu vilokayanti
yaà çyämasundaram acintya-guëa-svarüpaà
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
[Bs. 5.38]

So you have to become santa. If you remain always addicted to sinful activities, how you can see God? That is not possible. You have to give up these rascal, sinful activities. What are the sinful activities? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. That's all. You have to give up these. Yeñäm anta-gataà päpaà janänäà puëya-karmaëäm, te dvandva-moha-nirmuktäù. If you become leader, so-called leader, rascal leader, and you are addicted to illicit sex and intoxication and meat-eating, you must be si... If you are sinful, how you can lead persons? Andhä yathändhair upanéyamänäù. Blind man is leading other blind men. Therefore there is no solution. Why the world is in chaos? Because the leaders are all sinful. These are the sinful definitions. Striya-sünä-päna-dyüta yatra päpaç catur-vidhäù.

So God seeing is not very difficult, provided you are purified, you are pure. So this Kåñëa consciousness movement is a purificatory process. Purificatory process. The first condition... We do not accept any rascal who is addicted to these four principles. We do not make cheap disciples. Our condition is first of all you must give up these things: illicit sex and meat-eating and intoxication, up to the drinking of tea and cigarette. You have to give up. And gambling. So these nice boys, they have given up. They were addicted to all these habits in their previous lives. But they have given up. Therefore they are making progress. Santa, they have become santa, saintly persons. So Kåñëa is paraà pavitram. Arjuna, when addressed by Kåñëa after hearing Bhagavad-gétä ... Paraà brahma paraà dhäma pavitraà paramaà bhavän [Bg. 10.12]. He understood. Pavitraà paramaà bhavän: "You are the most pure." You cannot approach the most pure if you are impure. You must be pure. Therefore this chanting of Hare Kåñëa mantra is a purificatory process. The more you chant Hare Kåñëa, you become purified.

ceto-darpaëa-märjanaà bhava-mahä-dävägni-nirväpaëaà
çreyaù-kairava-candrikä-vitaraëaà vidyä-vadhü-jévanam
änandämbudhi-vardhanaà prati-padaà pürëämåtäsvädanaà
sarvätma-snapanaà paraà vijayate çré-kåñëa-saìkértanam
[Cc. Antya 20.12]

So take to this Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa movement. It is very easy. Even a child can take part. You see. Those children, they are not born of brähmaëa family or this family or that family. Never mind. Because they are taking part in chanting and dancing, they are becoming purified. Every step of their dancing being noted, being noted. Ajïäta-sukåti. Catur-vidhä bhajante mäm. So it is a chance. We are opening these centers to give chance how to become purified, how to understand Kåñëa. Then life is successful.