| Bhagavad-gétä 4.7 -- Bombay, March 27, 1974
Pradyumna: (leads chanting of synonyms) "Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself." Prabhupäda: yadä yadä hi dharmasya This is very important verse in the Bhagavad-gétä. Dharmasya. Dharma is translated into English as religion, and religion is described in the dictionary as a particular type of faith. "So actually, it is not that. Dharma does not mean a particular type of faith. Because faith, you may accept some faith, I may accept some faith, another may accept another faith. Then there is no question of preaching. Everyone is satisfied with his own particular type of faith then there is no need of preaching, neither there is need of Kåñëa's coming, descending on this planet. He said, yadä yadä hi dharmasya If anyone accepts his own type of religion, so "I may not like your religion, you may not like my religion, but everyone is right," then what is the use of Kåñëa's coming here to rectify adharma? Just try to understand. If everyone's religion is right... I may like or not like. That doesn't matter. You may like my religion. Then there is no question that any religion is irreligion. Just like the, some religions, they think killing of animal is their religion, and somebody thinks that killing of animal is irreligious. Then which is right, which is wrong? So dharma does not mean that you manufacture something, I manufacture something at home, or by some assembly, resolution passed. Just like in western countries there are so many... Here also, by passing resolution, it is accepted as dharma. So Kåñëa is not speaking of that type of dharma. First of all you have to understand. Yadä yadä hi dharmasya gläniù [Bg. 4.7]. What is dharma? First of all you have to understand. Dharma means occupational duty. Or natural characteristic. That is called dharma. Just like sugar. Sugar is sweet. The sweetness is dharma of sugar. Chili is very hot. The hotness is the dharma of chili. If the chili becomes sweet and sugar becomes hot, that is adharma. Try to understand this. So first of all, who can give us dharma? That is stated in the çästras, dharmaà tu säkñäd bhagavat-praëétam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means the orders, given by the Supreme Lord, or Supreme Being, God. That is dharma. This is the shortest definition of dharma. Dharmaà tu säkñäd bhagavat-praëétam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like law. Law means which is given by the government. You cannot manufacture law at home. That is not possible. I have given this example many times, that in some country the law is "Keep to the right," in some country, "Keep to the left." I think, in America it is "Keep to the left." In England it is "Keep to the right." India, "Keep to the... Now which one is correct? "Keep to the left" or "Keep to the right?" No. According to the government. If the government says that "Keep to the right" is right, then you have to accept that. And the government says, "Keep to the left, that is right," then it is right. We cannot say that "In my country I keep to the left. Why shall I keep to the right?" No. That will not be accepted. Try to understand what is religion. So God is one. God cannot say somewhere that "This is religion and this is not religion." God says, Bhagavän Kåñëa says in the Bhagavad-gétä... Here it is said that yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati [Bg. 4.7], pariträëäya sädhü... In next verse He said, pariträëäya sädhünäà The two business, Kåñëa's. Because He has already explained, bhütänäm éçvaraù. "I am the controller of all living entities." Therefore when there is discrepancies in the execution of dharma, then He is to punish and reward. Pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm. Two things. Just like it is the government's duty to give protection to the law-abiding citizen and to punish the outlaws. These two duties of the government. And the supreme government, Kåñëa... Because wherefrom this idea came? The government rewards the law-abiding person, or gives protection, and the not law-abiding, there is also protection, but under punishment. So dharma means, as Kåñëa says in the Bhagavad-gétä, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is dharma. This is dharma. And our dharma, our characteristic is also there. Because every one of us, we have surrendered to somebody. Analyze everyone. He has somebody superior where he has surrendered. It may be his family, his wife, or his government, his community, his society, his political party. Anywhere you go, the characteristic is to surrender. That you cannot avoid. That was the talk with Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. I asked him, "Now, you have got your Communist philosophy. We have got our Kåñëa philosophy. Where is the difference in philosophy? You have surrendered to Lenin, and we have surrendered to Kåñëa. Where is the difference?" Everyone has to surrender. It doesn't matter where he is surrendering. If the surrendering is correct, then the things are correct. If the surrendering is not correct, then things are not correct. This is the philosophy. So we are surrendering. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu has explained this. Jévera svarüpa haya nitya-kåñëa-däsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. We are surrendering, but we are not surrendering to Kåñëa. This is the disease. This is the disease. And Kåñëa consciousness movement means to cure this disease. Cure this disease. Kåñëa comes also. He says, yadä yadä hi dharmasya [Bg. 4.7]. The dharmasya gläniù, discrepancies in the matter of execution religion, when there is discrepancies, Kåñëa says, tadätmänaà såjämy aham. And abhyutthänam adharmasya. Two things are there. When people does not surrender to Kåñëa, they manufacture so many Kåñëas. So many rascals to surrender there. That is adharmasya. Dharma means to surrender to Kåñëa, but instead of surrendering to Kåñëa, they want to surrender to cats, dogs, this, that, so many things. That is adharma. Kåñëa did not come to establish the so-called Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion. No. He came to establish real religion. Real religion means we have to submit, surrender to the real person. That is real religion. We are surrendering. Everyone has got some idea. He has surrendered there. Either political, social, economical, religious, anything. Everyone has got some idea. And the leader of that ideal is also there. So our business is to surrender. That is a fact. But we do not know where to surrender. That is the difficulty. And because the surrender is mistaken or misplaced, therefore the whole world is chaotic condition. We are changing this surrender to that surrender. No more Congress Party. Now Communist Party." Again, "No more Communist Party. This... This party, that party." What is the use of changing party? Because this party or that party, they are not surrendered to Kåñëa. So unless you come to the point of surrendering to Kåñëa, there cannot be any peace. That is the point. Simply by changing from frying pan to the fire will not save you. Therefore Kåñëa's last instruction is sarva-dharmän parityajya So the discrepancy of religion means... This is also stated in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Sa vai puàsäà paro dharmaù. First class or superior dharma. Paraù means superior, transcendental. Sa vai puàsäà paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokñaje [SB 1.2.6]. When we surrender to the Adhokñaja... Adhokñaja means the supreme transcendence, or Kåñëa. Kåñëa's another name is Adhokñaja. Ahaituky apratihatä. Ahaituké means without any cause. Without any cause. Not that "Kåñëa is such and such, therefore I surrender." No. Without any cause. Ahaituky apratihatä. And it cannot be checked. Nobody can check. If you want to surrender to Kåñëa, there is no checking, there is no hindrance. You can do it in any position. You can do it. Ahaituky apratihatä yayätmä suprasédati. Then you will, ätmä, your ätmä, your soul, your mind, your body, will be satisfied. This is the process. When this thing is discrepancies... One... There is one verse by a learned scholar that here we are surrendering to somebody... I am not surrendering to somebody for his satisfaction, but for my satisfaction. I join some political party because I am finding out the opportunity how I can become a minister or how I can capture some power by going through this political party. This is my real aim. I do not go to serve the country. Maybe one or two. But my real purpose is how to get some opportunity, some position. Therefore I am not serving that party but I am serving my ambition. Therefore service means, at the present moment, service means kämädénäà kati na katidhä pälitä durnideçäù. Our so-called service is to serve my lust. Kämädénäm. Käma, krodha, lobha, moha, mätsarya. We have got all these things. So somebody is serving lust, somebody is serving his anger, somebody his greediness. In this way we are serving the senses. Not the particular person. When you go to the office, we serve. But you do not serve the office, but we serve the money. Because he is paying me, as soon as he says, "Now tomorrow I cannot pay, " then, "namaskära." Therefore he is serving the money. And why money? "Because money will help me in satisfying my senses. Therefore I am serving my senses." Nobody is serving anyone. Everyone is serving his senses. This is the position. This is dharmasya glänir bhavati. As soon as we are engaged in serving our senses, that is dharmasya gläniù. And as soon as we agree to serve the senses of Kåñëa, that is dharma. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gétä. When Arjuna was talking with Kåñëa, in the beginning he was trying to serve his senses. "My dear Kåñëa, if I kill my relatives I'll be entangled in this way of sinful activities. I'll go to hell. If I kill my grandfather, the other side, Droëäcärya, the other side... No, no." In this way he concluded, "No, no. I shall not fight." This kind of service is to satisfy Arjuna's own senses. He thought, "By killing the other party, I'll not be satisfied. I'll be very much sorry." That means serving my own, senses. Kåñëa, also was giving him instruction that "You are a kñatriya. It is your duty. There is no consideration of your relatives or your grandfather or your äcärya. When there is opponent you must fight." That... In this way they were talking. The talking was that Kåñëa wanted to satisfy His senses and Arjuna wanted to satisfy his senses. This was going on. Talking. But Kåñëa is the Supreme Lord, He is éçvara. His senses should be satisfied. Then it is service. That is the whole subject matter of Bhagavad-gétä. Because Arjuna denied to serve Kåñëa. Kåñëa wanted that "This battlefield... This Kurukñetra war is arranged by Me. You are simply an instrument." Nimitta-mätraà bhava savyasäcin. "Even if you do not fight, all these bodies who have assembled here, they are not going back living. They will be killed. Now if you like, you have to fight. But the conclusion is already there." Because pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm [Bg. 4.8]. It was Kåñëa's plan to kill all these asädhus, duñkåtäm, Duryodhana and company. That was His plan. So that is His business. He came to install Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira, Dharmaräja, on the throne, and He wanted to kill the adharma, Duryodhana and company. That was his business. So therefore this Kurukñetra war was planned and Arjuna was to help Him because Arjuna was a devotee. Bhakto 'si sakhä ceti. Because Kåñëa's friend. Everything is done by Kåñëa, but Kåñëa... And Arjuna is devotee. As the devotee wants to serve Kåñëa, similarly, Kåñëa also wants to give credit to His devotee. That is the business between the Lord and His devotee. So Kåñëa could do everything. He was competent, everything. But He wanted to give the credit to Arjuna. That was His plan. Kåñëa has already done everything. But Arjuna as a common man, he was talking with Kåñëa. Actually, Arjuna also knew that "Kåñëa the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is my duty to serve Him." This was known to Arjuna. Therefore he is bhakta. Bhakta means who has dedicated his life to serve Kåñëa. That is bhakta. sarvopädhi-vinirmuktaà This is bhakti definition. When one becomes freed from all designation. "I am American." This is designation. "I am Indian." This is designation. "I am brähmaëa." This is designation. "I am kñatriya." This is designation. So one has to become free from all designation. This designation is bodily. I am not this body. Ahaà brahmäsmi. I am spirit soul. Therefore when one understands that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul, I am part and parcel of the Supreme," that is self-realization. brahma-bhütaù prasannätmä This is Brahman realization, ahaà brahmäsmi, that "I am not this body." So long one is under the conception of this body he is no better than the animals. Sa eva go-kharaù [SB 10.84.13]. Go means cows and kharaù means ass. Yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape tri-dhätuke [SB 10.84.13]. So so long we are in the bodily concept of life, we do not know what is our real religion. That is ignorance. Müòha. Na mäà prapadyante müòhäù [Bg. 7.15]. So long we are in the bodily concept of life, with upädhi, designation, so long we are in ignorance. That is dharmasya gläniù. In ignorance whatever you do, that has no benefit either for you or for anyone. So whole thing, whole world is going on under this bodily concept of life, designation. "I am Indian." "I am American." "I am this." "I am that." So that kind of dharma is not dharma. Therefore Kåñëa says at the end of Bhagavad-gétä, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. The Bhagavad-gétä religion is not Hindu religion or Christian religion or Mohammedan religion. It is the real religion, between the soul and God. The reciprocation, the exchange of dealings between the Supreme and the subordinate. That is called bhakti. Sarvopädhi-vinirmuktaà tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Purified. When you become purified, tat-paratvena, simply by engaging yourself in the devotional service of the Lord... Ceto-darpaëa-märjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. These are the verdict of the çästra. When our heart is cleansed, then we can accept this religion, sarva-dharmän parityajya.. [Bg. 18.66]. This is the religion. To accept Kåñëa, to surrender to the lotus feet of Kåñëa, this is religion. So when Kåñëa says, yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati... [Bg. 4.7]. When people become averse to God or Kåñëa, they become Godless, they think themselves as God or something like that, that is dharmasya gläniù. So naturally, here in this material world, every one of us, we have come to enjoy. Material life means enjoyment. Enjoyment is not real enjoyment. Real enjoyment is spiritual enjoyment. Spiritual enjoyment, that is with Kåñëa. That is not in the material world. So the dharmasya gläniù means when there is discrepancy in the understanding of spiritual identity, that is dharmasya gläniù. Then ahaà brahmäsmi. This is spiritual understanding. When one understands that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," and when he begins... Devotional service begins there. That will be explained in the Bhagavad-gétä. Brahma-bhütaù prasannätmä [Bg. 18.54]. Because we are in darkness, we are not prasannätmä. We are always morose. Although we are serving the country, the community, the family, or anything, but we are not happy because that is not our religion. When the same service will be converted to the lotus feet of Kåñëa, then we'll be satisfied. Then we'll be... Therefore one learned scholar has prayed, kämädénäà kati na katidhä pälitä durnideçäs teñäà na karuëä jätä mayi na trapä nopaçäntiù, sämprataà labdha-buddhis tväm äyätaù niyuìkñva mäm ätma-däsye, that "I have served so long the käma, krodha, moha, mätsarya, lust, greediness, anger. But they are not satisfied." I have given this example, that you cannot satisfy anyone by material service. The example is in our country. Mahatma Gandhi gave his, the best capacity as he understood. Still, he could not satisfy everyone. Somebody killed him. So in this material world, so long we'll be in the material service, either socially or family-wise or community, whatever you do, you'll never be able to satisfy them. They will never say that "Now we are completely satisfied." Because it is disorganized. It cannot be. But if you try to serve Kåñëa, a little service will make your life success. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya träyate mahato bhayät. Svalpam api. Very little service, if You give. Kåñëa is so kind. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya. Just like... I'll give you example. Just like Kåñëa, when He was child, the Pütanä demon, she wanted to kill Kåñëa. She did not know... Everyone wants to kill Kåñëa, God. Just like Kaàsa. He was making plan to kill Kåñëa as soon He is born. That is the plan of the demons, to kill God, or Kåñëa, some way or other. But actually, Kåñëa is never killed. He is killer. That is the whole history. So this Pütanä, she planned that "Smearing some poison on my breast, I shall allow Kåñëa to suck it and He'll die. That was his [her] plan. Kåñëa sucked the poison as well as the Pütanä's life. She died. But, just Kåñëa's kindness... Kåñëa thought that "She, this demon, this räkñasé, she came to kill Me by poisoning, but I have sucked her breast. Therefore she is My mother." Kåñëa is so kind. "Therefore she must get the position of My mother." So some way or other, if you try to serve Kåñëa, Kåñëa is so kind. Even if you have gone with a bad purpose Kåñëa will accept your service. Kåñëa is so kind. So why should we serve so many others? And if you serve Kåñëa, then other's service will be automatically done. The society's service, the family's service, the country's service, social service, political service, any service. That will be complete. Why? Because Kåñëa is the root. Kåñëa is the root. If you pour water on the root of the tree, the water will approach everywhere in the tree. That is injunction of the çästra. Yathä taror müla-niñecanena tåpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaçäkhäù, tathä acyutejyä, sarvärhaëam acyutejyä. Because Kåñëa is the root. Kåñëa... Béjo 'haà sarva-bhütänäm. Aham ädir hi devänäm. Mattaù sarvaà pravartate, iti matvä bhajante mäà budhä bhäva-samanvitäù. So if you try to serve the root, water the root, automatically everything will be served. Just like this Kåñëa consciousness movement. This Kåñëa consciousness movement is aiming at service. Aiming to serve Kåñëa. That is the only aim. But automatically we are giving social service. Because as soon as one becomes Kåñëa conscious, he gives up all kinds of intoxication, all kinds of illicit sex, all kinds of meat-eating, all kinds of gambling. Is it not social service? Best social service. In America the government is appreciating because the people are addicted to LSD, and they are seeing practically that as soon as a boy could come to Kåñëa consciousness, he gives up all this nonsense. They are spending millions of dollars, they cannot stop. But we can stop simply by word. "Give up this," and he immediately gives up. So this is the fact, that if you accept this dharma, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66], then all the problems of the world will be solved. Therefore this is needed. And to teach this education, to teach the people, the rascals... Therefore Kåñëa comes. Yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. Tadätmänaà såjämy aham. So Kåñëa and Kåñëa's instruction, identical. Don't think that Kåñëa is no longer... He's existing by His words. Take His word. Apply it practically in life and you will be happy. That is called Kåñëa consciousness movement. Thank you very much. Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Prabhupäda! (end) |