Pradyumna: (leads chanting): Translation: All the liberated souls in ancient times acted with this understanding and so attained liberation. Therefore, as the ancients, you should perform your duty in this divine consciousness."

Prabhupäda:

evaà jïätvä kåtaà karma
pürvair api mumukñubhiù
kuru karmaiva tasmät tvaà
pürvaiù pürvataraà kåtam

Now, in this verse three times, four times, the word has been used, pürvataram, pürvatamaiù. Kuru karmaiva tasmät tvaà pürvaiù pürvataraà kåtam. Pürva, pürvataram, pürvatama: comparative, superlative, and positive. So this is the process that we have to follow the previous äcäryas. That is Vedic system.

In the very beginning of this chapter Kåñëa said, evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù [Bg. 4.2]. We haven't got to make any research, modern understanding. There is no question of modern understanding. We are all following the old, ancient understanding. Now, even from ordinary platform, the eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, is that modern? It is not modern. Formerly also, all living entities were eating, they were sleeping, they were having sex intercourse and they were defending. The main business is...

Nothing is modernized. You can say, "modernized," but the principle is the same, old system. Nobody can change. And people are dying also. Janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi. That is also the old system. Everyone is taking birth, everyone is growing, everyone is falling diseased, and everyone is dying. Can the modern system stop this? The modern system can say, "Now you do not require to eat, you do not require to sleep," or "You do not require to have sex,"or "You do not require to defend?" No. The same system. "The old wine in a new bottle."

Similarly, janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi, five thousand years before, Kåñëa said... This is real problem: janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-duùkha-doñänudarçanam. "The same problem is still going on. So it is useless to say that modern time, modern ways, modern things. There is nothing modern. The old thing is going on. So if we follow systematically the previous äcäryas, previous system, as Kåñëa is advising... Kåñëa does not advise, "Modern." Five thousand years ago He instructed Bhagavad-gétä. Still, He was saying pürva pürvataraiù, pürvatamaiù. Evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù [Bg. 4.2]. This is intelligence. We have to accept the real truth and follow it. It does not mean modern age or previous age, past age. That is not Vedic system.

The old system is going on, everything. The sun is also the old. The sun is rising as it was doing in olden times. The moon is also rising. The years and season are changing. Everything is going on. Why we should not accept the system of Vedic knowledge, the oldest of all in the world? There is no history. That is intelligence.

So Kåñëa advising here, evaà jïätvä kåtaà karma pürvair api mumukñubhiù. What Kåñëa said? That the karma should be divided according to the quality of the person. There are three qualities-sattva-guëa, rajo-guëa, tamo-guëa-of the material world. Guëa-mayé mäyä. Daivé hy eñä guëa-mayé mama mäyä. So guëa-mayé. Guëa means the three qualities: sattva-guëa, rajo-guëa, tamo-guëa. And guëa, another, means rope. Just like strong rope, three, three ropes. You take three ropes and wind it, it becomes very strong. That is also guëa-mayé. So Kåñëa advised, cätur-varëyaà mayä såñöaà guëa-karma-vibhägaçaù [Bg. 4.13]. So guëa-karma-vibhägaçaù, guëa, quality, is there. Now you act according to the quality. Don't be idle.

Now at the modern age, in every country all over the world, there is unemployment. Why unemployment? Because people do not know how to divide the population according to guëa and karma. One is qualified as a çüdra, and he is engaged in the business of a kñatriya. There is problem. The people are educated as çüdras, and when they are called for recruiting for the armies, they are afraid. The problem is very acute in America. Nobody wants to join military department. Why they will join? They have been trained up as çüdra, and why they will be like the business of kñatriya? That is the problem. Everyone wants to avoid. Actually, the hippy movement is started on account of this, what is this?

Devotees: Draft.

Prabhupäda: Draft, yes. Young men, they want to avoid it, and they are forced. Therefore they take the part of madman or lunatic, in this way. This is going on, to avoid it. So that is the problem.

People should be trained up according to quality and work. There must be institution to train first-class men. There are first-class men, intellectuals. They should be trained up as brähmaëas. That is the system. Second-class men, they should be trained up as kñatriyas. Third-class men, they should be trained up as vaiçyas. And fourth-class men, means below third-class, they should be engaged as çüdras, workers, and below them, caëòäla. That I have already explained. So nobody should be left alone. Everyone should be engaged. That is Kåñëa consciousness. Everyone should be engaged in Kåñëa consciousness business. Then there will be no unemployment.

First-class men, let them become scholars, philosophers, preachers, instructors, brahminical business. Paöhana päöhana yajana yäjana däna pratigrahaù. These are the six businesses for the brähmaëa class. They should be highly educated, paöhana, highly learned, and päöhana, and they should educate others also. But if he is not educated, how he will educate others? Paöhana päöhana yajana yäjana. He should be worshipper of the Supreme Lord, yajana, and yäjana, he should instruct others also.

çré-vigrahärädhana-nitya-nänä-
çåìgära-tan-mandira-märjanädau
yuktasya bhaktäàç ca niyuïjato 'pi
vande guroù çré-caraëäravindam **

Çré-vigraha. This is yajana yäjana. Çré-vigraha. This is Çré-vigraha, Kåñëa's arcä-mürti. Kåñëa has taken, advented, as avatära, arcä-avatära. Arcä-avatära means made of stone, wood, metal, jewel, or coloring, painting. There are eight kinds of arcä-avatära. So Kåñëa has consented to descend before us to accept our service in a manner which we can do. If Kåñëa remains in His viräò-rüpa, then it will be very difficult to capture Him. Kåñëa remains in viräò-rüpa, but He becomes arcä-vigraha, a small deity, so that everyone can worship Him at home. It does not take much time, it does not take much place. To make dress of Kåñëa you can utilize little cloth. Kåñëa is agreeable to accept your service. And offering? Patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà yo me bhaktyä prayacchati. At any means you can worship Kåñëa, and that is the business of brähmaëa and Vaiñëava.

Brähmaëa... Brahma jänäti. One must know what is Kåñëa. Paraà brahma paraà dhäma pavitraà para... [Bg. 10.12]. Brahma. Brahma jänätéti brähmaëaù. One who is aware of Kåñëa, what is Kåñëa, he is above brähmaëa. Brähmaëa qualification is already there. Because a brähmaëa means one who knows Kåñëa, Parabrahman. That is brähmaëa. Brahma jänätéti brähmaëaù. Veda-päöhäd bhaved vipro brahma jänätéti brähmaëaù. Janmanä jäyate çüdraù saàskäräd bhaved dvijaù, veda-päöhäd bhaved vipro brahma jänätéti brähmaëaù. This is the process.

Janmanä, by birth, everyone is çüdra or caëòäla. Those who are satisfied that "I have taken birth in my brähmaëa family, so now my business is over." No. Janmanä jäyate çüdraù. The birth by the father and mother, that is çüdra, that is not brähmaëa. Saàskära. If a man is born brähmaëa, then why there is necessity of sacred thread ceremony? No. That is the saàskära. Saàskära means the sacred thread is the symbol. It is offered by the äcärya. It is the certificate that "This boy has been trained up as a brähmaëa."

Therefore the sacred thread is a symbolic presentation. Not that to purchase one two-paise worth sacred thread and one becomes brähmaëa. No. Now, of course, in Kali-yuga... Vipratve sütram eva hi. In Kali-yuga this will go on. Vipratve. A brähmaëa, kñatriya, çüdra, brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya. Simply purchase one thread from the market and get it on your body and you become.... Vipratve sütram eva hi. No, that is not actually. It is a qualification and it is certificate. One who has got the sacred thread, that means...

Just like in our Vedic system, one has got the red mark on the forehead, one woman. It is to be understood that she is married. Similarly, one who has got the sacred thread means that he has approached qualified äcärya, and the äcärya has recognized him as brähmaëa. This is sacred thread, not that purchase one sacred thread and get it and become a brähmaëa. No. This is very important thing. And then divide. First of all educate. Where is that education? Of course, this is meant for...

At least in India, Indians should be educated as brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, çüdra. That is Caitanya Mahäprabhu's mission.

bhärata-bhümite haila manuñya-janma yära
janma särthaka kari' kara para-upakära
[Cc. Ädi 9.41]

This is Caitanya Mahäprabhu's mission. Anyone who has taken birth in India, he must take the Vedic culture.

The Vedic culture is described here by Kåñëa, the master of the Vedas. Vedänta-vid vedänta-kåt cäham. That supreme Vedantist. Kåñëa says in the Fifteenth Chapter that vedänta-vit: "I am the knower, supreme knower of the Vedänta." Vedänta-vit and vedänta-kåt: "I am the compiler of the Vedänta." So wherefrom you'll learn Vedänta? From Kåñëa. Vedaiç ca sarvair aham eva vedyaù [Bg. 15.15]. This is the formula. So one who knows Kåñëa, he is vedänta-vit, because he has learned the Vedänta philosophy. What is that Vedänta philosophy? Veda means knowledge, and anta means the end. So Vedänta means the end, the end of all knowledge.

What is that end of all knowledge? Bahünäà janmanäm ante jïänavän mäà prapadyate: [Bg. 7.19] "After many, many births, when actually one is wise, Vedantist," mäà prapadyate, "he surrenders unto Me." Väsudevaù sarvam iti sa mahätmä su-durlabhaù: [Bg. 7.19] "Such kind of mahätmä is very, very rare, one who knows," väsudevaù sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], "Väsudeva, Kåñëa, is the origin of everything."

ahaà sarvasya prabhavo
mattaù sarvaà pravartate
iti matvä bhajante mäà
budhä bhäva-samanvitäù
[Bg. 10.8]

These are the knowledge. One who knows that Kåñëa is the origin, cause of all causes... Govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi **.

éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù
sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù
anädir ädir govindaù
sarva-käraëa-käraëam
[Bs. 5.1]

Cause of all causes. When one is fully aware of this, he is brähmaëa Vaiñëava. Brahma jänätéti brähmaëa. This brahma jänäti means paraà brahma is Kåñëa. One who knows what is Kåñëa, "Kåñëa is the origin. He's the original cause of all causes," sarva-käraëa-käraëam [Bs. 5.1], so he is brähmaëa. He is Vedantist. He knows everything. And if he acts like that, then what to speak...

That is advised here. Evaà jïätvä kåtaà karma pürvair api mumukñubhiù. Evaà jïätvä. First of all it is the business of brähmaëa to understand. So if you cannot understand, then you do the business of kñatriya. If you cannot do that, then do the business of a vaiçya. And if you cannot do that, then remain as a worker. Assist others. Assist the brähmaëa, the kñatriya. So everyone will be engaged. And it is the duty of the government to see that nobody is unemployed. Then it will be devil's workshop. There will be so much movement, Communist movement, this movement, that movement, because everyone is not employed. The unemployment, devil's workshop, that is breeding so many isms and that... Otherwise, if anyone is engaged into work, his brain will not be a devil's workshop. He will work something.

So this is Kåñëa consciousness movement, that everyone should be employed in Kåñëa consciousness. That I am repeatedly saying to my students, that "Nobody sit idly. You must be engaged, either as a brähmaëa or as a kñatriya or as a vaiçya or at last, as a çüdra. But there must be..." But anyone who is engaged in the business of.... Superficially, it may be the brähmaëa's business, but in Kåñëa consciousness there is no such difference. Even though one is sweeping the temple, it may be çüdra's business, but he can be allowed to worship the Deity, the brähmaëa's business. Because a devotee is neither brähmaëa, neither kñatriya, nor vaiçya, nor çüdra, because he is above. He is in the transcendental position. But in this material world, guëa-karma, if one is not fit for performing the work as a brähmaëa, he can work as a çüdra, he can work as a vaiçya, but employment must be there for Kåñëa. That is Kåñëa consciousness movement. Employment must be there.

So our Kåñëa consciousness movement, this system is being followed. We have got a very nice business. Spiritual Sky. We are making good profit, millions of dollars. Therefore our expenditure is going on. We sell our books and we sell our Spiritual Sky products. In this way, we meet not less than eight to ten lakhs of rupees expenditure per month, this Kåñëa consciousness movement. We are not idle; neither we allow anyone to become idle. It is not this business that go to the temple and ring the bell and close the door and go to smoke gäïjä. No, it is not like that. It is not like that.

evaà jïätvä kåtaà karma
pürvair api mumukñubhiù
kuru karmaiva tasmät tvaà
pürvaiù pürvataraà kåtam

So we have to follow.

Now, follow pürvataraiù. Now, we are listening Bhagavad-gétä. So Bhagavad-gétä was first heard by the Vivasvän, the sun-god. So giving aside sun-god, we can take at least Arjuna. Pürvataraiù, mahadbhiù. Arjuna is mahat, mahat. Sa mahätmä su-dur... Because he knows Kåñëa. Çiñyas te 'haà çädhi mäà tväà prapannam. He surrendered to Kåñëa for solution of the problem, whether he was to fight or not to fight. So Kåñëa instructed directly and Kåñëa certified him, bhakto 'si me priyo 'si: "You are my dear friend. You are My devotee. Therefore I shall talk to you the mystery." Rahasyam etad uttamam, Bhagavad-gétä. So take the lesson from Arjuna, how he acted, how he understood Bhagavad-gétä. Then pürvataraiù. You don't have to go very long, long before. You take the symbolical representation of Kåñëa, Arjuna. So how did he understood? How he did understand Kåñëa? He understood Kåñëa: paraà brahma paraà dhäma pavitraà paramaà bhavän [Bg. 10.12]. So you understand like that.

Why do you misinterpret, "Oh there is no Kåñëa, there is no battlefield, it is all fictitious, I can make my own commentary, you can make your own..."? Why all this nonsense? Pürvataraiù. Just Arjuna did, Arjuna accepted, accept like that. Then your Bhagavad-gétä reading is perfect. Otherwise simply wasting your time and misleading others. "This meaning is, this meaning is, that meaning is that." Why meaning is that? What right you have got to say like that? But these rascals are doing and spoiling the whole country. You see? Misinterpreting. There is no misinterpretation. Try to understand Bhagavad-gétä as it is. Your life will be successful. So try to follow Arjuna. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. Dharmasya tattvaà nihitaà guhäyäà mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. (aside:) Take this.

So the çästra says, tarko 'pratiñöhaù: "If you simply want to know what is self-realization, what is religion, simply by argument, logic, it is not possible." Tarko 'pratiñöhaù çrutayo vibhinnäù: "If you want to learn by studying scriptures, Vedic literature, you will find different scriptures." Säma, Yajur, Åg, Atharva, then different Puräëas. There are eighteen Puräëas, Mahäbhärata. That is also impossible, means you cannot understand.

Çrutayo vibhinnä näsäv åñir yasya mataà na bhinnam. But if you philosophize, following some philosopher... There are six kinds of philosophers in India. So philosopher means he must decry another philosopher. He must give a new theory. So näsäv åñir yasya mataà na bhinnam. That will also not help. Dharmasya tattvaà nihitaà guhäyäm. It is very confidential subject matter.

Mahäjano yena gataù so panthäù. Then you accept the mahäjana. Mahäjana means following the paramparä system. According to Vedic system, there are twelve mahäjanas. Svayambhür näradaù çambhuù kumäraù kapilo manuù, janako bhéñmaù and vaiyäsakir vayam [SB 6.3.20], like that. I am just now forgetting. Excuse me. Svayambhür näradaù çambhuù kapilo kumäraù manuù, prahlädo janako bhéñmaù [SB 6.3.20]. Prahläda, Prahläda Mahäräja, this gåhastha. Amongst these mahäjanas, there are sannyäsés, there are brahmacärés, and there are gåhasthas also. So it does not mean only the sannyäsé and brahmacäré can become mahäjana. There are gåhasthas also. Just like Prahläda Mahäräja is gåhastha. Brahmä is gåhastha. Svayambhü. Svayambhü. Närada is brahmacäré. Svayambhür näradaù çambhuù [SB 6.3.20]. Çambhu, Lord Çiva, is also gåhastha. Svayambhür näradaù kumäraù, brahmacäré, four Kumäras, from the birth, naiñöhika-brahmacäré. Kapila, Kapila is also brahmacäré. Svayambhür näradaù çambhuù kumäraù kapilo manuù [SB 6.3.20]. Manu is gåhastha. Similarly, Prahläda Mahäräja is also gåhastha. Prahlädo janakaù. Janaka Mahäräja is also gåhastha. Bhéñma, brahmacäré. Bhéñma, Bali, Bali Mahäräja, gåhastha. Vaiyäsaki, a brahmacäré. So it doesn't matter whether one is brahmacäré, sannyäsé or gåhastha, he must know the science.

Just like if you go to a scientist man, you don't inquire whether he is a brahmacäré or sannyäsé or gåhastha. You require the knowledge. That is also confirmed by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu says,

kibä vipra, kibä nyäsé, çüdra kene naya
yei kåñëa-tattva-vettä, sei 'guru' haya
[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

It doesn't matter whether one is a brähmaëa, kibä vipra, kibä çüdra, or one is çüdra, kibä vipra, kibä nyäsé, kene naya, or whether he is a sannyäsé. Yei kåñëa-tattva-vettä, one must know the science of Kåñëa. The science of Kåñëa is being explained by Kåñëa Himself.

So in whatever position you are, you try to understand the science of Kåñëa. Then you become guru. That is Caitanya Mahäprabhu's mission.

yäre dekha, täre kaha 'kåñëa'-upadeça
ämära äjïäya guru haïä tära' ei deça
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

This is Caitanya Mahäprabhu's mission. He says, "You become a spiritual master." "How? I have no qualification." "No. You just accept my order?" "So what is your order, sir?" Yäre dekha, täre kaha 'kåñëa'-upadeça: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] "You simply speak the instruction of Kåñëa whoever you meet. Then you become a spiritual master."

So actually it is happening. We are not wonderful men. But our only business is that we are speaking only the same thing as Kåñëa has spoken. That's all. There is no magic. This is the magic. If you adulterate nonsensically like a rascal, then you cannot become a spiritual master. If you simply follow what Kåñëa has spoken, then you become spiritual master. Very simple thing. It doesn't require education. You can hear from your spiritual master what has Kåñëa said.

It doesn't require even literacy. There are many great personalities, saintly persons. My Guru Mahäräja's Guru Mahäräja, he was illiterate, Gaura Kiçora däsa Bäbäjé Mahäräja. He could not sign even his name. But my Guru Mahäräja was the best scholar of his time. He accepted him as guru. So this is the process, that yei kåñëa-tattva-vettä sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. That is the business of every Indian. And Caitanya Mahäprabhu therefore asking,

bhärata-bhümite haila manuñya-janma yära
janma särthaka kari' kara para-upakära
[Cc. Ädi 9.41]

Indians are meant for para-upakära, because outside India they are in darkness. But unfortunately, Indians are now imitating the western kind of life. It is very regrettable.

You have to make your life successful by reading Bhagavad-gétä and preach the truth all over the world. Then world will be happy and you will be happy. This is required. Yäre dekha, täre kaha 'kåñëa'-upadeça [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. That is recommended here, evaà jïätvä kåtaà karma pürvair api mumukñubhiù. This kind of business can be done by whom? Mumukñubhiù, not ordinary men. Those who are aspiring after liberation. Those who are thinking of stopping this nonsense business of repetition of birth and death, for them. They are not ordinary men. Mumukñubhiù.

When Viçvämitra Muni approached Mahäräja Daçaratha for help, taking Rämacandra and Lakñmaëa for killing that räkñasé... Viçvämitra Muni could kill that räkñasé, but because he was brähmaëa, it was not his business to kill. He begged help from Mahäräja Daçaratha to lend Lord Rämacandra and Lakñmaëa, to take Him there. This is the systematic way. The brähmaëas should be engaged in knowledge and distributing knowledge. That means their business is not fighting. The kñatriyas, they should fight. The killing business is meant for the kñatriya. That is also required.

Evam... Cätur-varëyaà mayä såñöam [Bg. 4.13]. The first of all... Unless this division is there, that is animal society. That is not human society if these four divisions are not. Varëäçramäcäravatä puruñeëa. Systematic human society means

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

This is required, varëäçrama. That is again confirmed here, evaà jïätvä kåtaà karma pürvair api mumukñubhiù. Mumukñubhiù. The real business is mumukñä, how to get out of this business of repetition of birth. People do not know it. They do not know what is the aim of life. The aim of life is mumukñä. This human life is meant for that, to get out of the cycle of birth and death. The animal cannot know this. Therefore it is called mumukñubhiù, "one who wants to get rid of this business of repetition of birth and death." Mumukñubhiù. Kuru karmaiva tasmät tvam.

That is advice of Kåñëa to Arjuna, that "You follow the previous äcäryas, previous personalities, authorities." Just like svayambhür näradaù çambhuù [SB 6.3.20]. I have already described. "You follow them, and act like that, and you try to understand that what is My position. If you simply understand My position, immediately you become liberated." Janma karma me divyaà yo jänäti tattvataù, tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. This is liberation. If you simply understand, try to understand Kåñëa, why Kåñëa comes, what is His instruction, why He says, yadä yadä hi dharma, these things, if you simply understand, then you become liberated person.