Bhagavad-gétä 8.

14–15
—
October 28, 1966, New York

661028BG-NEW YORK [26:31 Minutes]

Audio

Prabhupäda:

ananya-cetäù satataà
yo mäà smarati nityaçaù
tasyähaà sulabhaù pärtha
nitya-yuktasya yoginaù
[Bg 8.14]

[For one who remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son

of Påthä, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.]
Last day we have been discussing the..., how the impersonalist, they transfer
themself in the spiritual kingdom. The yogés and the jïänés, they are generally
impersonalist. So for them, the process—at the time of death, they vibrate the
transcendental sound oà, oàkära, and by that way they transfer to the
spiritual world. But they do not enter into the spiritual planet. This point we
have discussed. And the risk is that if we do not have any rest in the spiritual
planet, if we remain in the outer space only, then there is risk of coming down
again in this material world.
The Bhägavata confirms it:

ye 'nye 'ravindäkña vimukta-mäninas

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 tvayy asta-bhäväd aviçuddha-buddhayaù
äruhya kåcchreëa paraà padaà tataù
patanty adho 'nädåta-yuñmad-aìghrayaù
[SB 10.2.32]

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the
Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted
different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer
to this question, Lord Brahmä and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord,
although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve
the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is
impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because
they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]
It is said that "Persons who are interested of becoming liberated," ye 'nye
'ravindäkña vimukta-mäninaù, "simply by the concept of impersonal merging
into the spiritual existence," so ye 'nye 'ravindäkña, "they consider themself that
they are liberated." That is also point of liberation, but the Bhägavata says that
"Although they consider themselves as liberated, the...," aviçuddha-buddhayaù.
Aviçuddha means their knowledge is not very pure, not yet pure.
Aviçuddha-buddhayaù.
The result is äruhya kåcchreëa paraà padaà tataù: "They can rise up to the
Supreme Absolute platform by their penances and austerities, meditation."
That is right. They can reach to that platform. Äruhya kåcchreëa. Äruhya
kåcchreëa means "raising themselves, elevating themselves by severe penances
to that platform," äruhya kåcchreëa paraà padam, the Supreme Absolute
platform. But patanty adhaù: "They again fall down in this material world."
Why? Anädåta: "Because they have not taken seriously about Your personal
feature." Anädåta-yuñmad-aìghrayaù: "Without worshiping Your lotus feet, the
result is that they come down again in this material world."
Just like however you may rise in this material space, five thousand feet or any,

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if you have no rest in any planet, then naturally you'll come down again,
naturally, because you have no rest. So in the spiritual effulgence, if we do not
have any rest, then we are sure to come back again down. The reason is—that I
have already explained—that our life... We, as living entities, we are part and
parcel of the Supreme, sac-cid-änanda. We want pleasure.
So impersonal feature does not give us that pleasure which we want, which is
our demand. That pleasure is available in the spiritual planets. If you enter in
any of the spiritual planets, then that spiritual happiness and exchange of
pleasure you can attain. Therefore the Lord says, Kåñëa, ananya-cetäù satataà
yo mäà smarati nityaçaù: "A person without any deviation..." Ananya-cetäù.
Without any consideration of jïäna, yoga, or any other process, simply
devotional process, simply surrendered process: "My Lord, I am Your eternal
servant. Please give me Your service. Let me engage. Let me be engaged in Your
service." This is called ananya-cetäù.
Ananya-cetäù satatam. Satatam means always, twenty-four hours, cent percent,
without any deviation. This is Kåñëa consciousness. If anyone is engaged in
such Kåñëa consciousness, twenty-four hours and cent percent, then yo mäà
smarati nityaçaù, always remembering... Suppose if you are engaged in some
work, naturally you'll be thinking of that particular work. When you go to your
office and work, oh, you have to think always of the office business. That is
quite natural. Similarly, if you engage yourself in the business of Kåñëa
consciousness, naturally you'll be always thinking of Kåñëa. Therefore it is said,
yo mäà smarati nityaçaù: "Always remembering Me." Tasyähaà sulabhaù pärtha
[Bg 8.14]: "My dear Pärtha, Arjuna, for him I am very cheap." Sulabhaù means
very easily available.
God, Kåñëa, is called Ajita. Ajita means nobody can conquer God. Therefore
His name is Ajita. Just like God has innumerable... He is unlimited, and His
functions and activities are unlimited. And according to His activities, His
names are also unlimited. So this is one of the name, Ajita. Ajita means "the
personality who is never conquered." Nobody can conquer Him; therefore His
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name is Ajita.
So there is a very nice verse in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam,

jïäne prayäsam udapäsya namanta eva

jévanti san-mukharitäà bhavadéya-värtäm
sthäne sthitäù çruti-gatäà tanu-väì-manobhir
prayena ajito 'py jito' py asi tais tri-lokyäm
[SB 10.14.3]

[Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social

positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their
body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and
activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You
personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship,
although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.]
Brahmä is praying Lord Kåñëa in this way, that "A person," jïäne prayäsam
udapäsya, "giving up the futile endeavor to understand the Supreme by one's
limited knowledge..." Give..., give up this attempt. Jïäne prayäsam. Jïäne
prayäsam means that the theosophists, the philosophers, they are trying years
after years, life after years, "What is God? What is God? What is the Absolute
Truth?" Just like we throw sputniks—"How much the space is length and
breadth?" This is frog philosophy.
Just like several times I have recited: A frog is measuring the length and
breadth of Atlantic Ocean. You see? A frog, whose life is within the well, three
feet, three cubic measurement, he's trying to measure what is the length and
breadth of Atlantic and Pacific ocean. Similarly, our attempt to measure how
far this outer space is—just like that, futile. And what to speak of this, speak of
this space, our measurement of our limited knowledge... With the limited
knowledge, if we want to know how far, how much long and short is God, it is a
futile attempt, futile at... It is not possible. So Bhägavata recommends, jïäne

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prayäsam udapäsya: "Just give up this nonsense habit to measure the Supreme."
It is not possible.
So jïäne prayäsam udapäsya. A person who has taken this determination, that
"It is futile. It is useless to try to understand what is God by my limited
knowledge," he's a..., he's an intelligent man who takes this decision. So jïäne
prayäsam udapäsya namanta eva: "Just become submissive. Just try to
understand your position that you are very insignificant segment in this
material world, or in the creation." Namanta eva: "Just become submissive."
Jïäne prayäsam: "Giving up this endeavor to understand the Supreme by one's
limited knowledge, and just become submissive."
Then? What is the process? San-mukharitäà bhavadéya-värtäm: "You just try to
understand the Supreme from the reliable source." San-mukharitäm.
Sat-mukharitäm. Mukharita means from the lips, from the lips of realized souls.
Just like Arjuna is understanding about God from direct Kåñëa, from the lips of
Kåñëa. Svayaà padmanäbha-mukham, mukha-niùsåtaù. So this is the process. So
similarly, if we understand about God through the lips of Arjuna or his bona
fide representative, that is the process.
Jïäne prayäsam udapäsya namanta eva: "Submissively, one who tries to
understand the transcendental nature of God from the reliable source..."
Sthäne sthitäù. Never mind what he is. Never mind what he is. Either Indian or
European or American or Japanese or Hindu or Muslim, never mind. So sthäne
sthitäù: "Just be situated in your place. That doesn't matter." Çruti-gatäm: "Just
try to understand through your ears by aural reception," aural reception.
San-mukharitäm, çruti-gatäm. Çruti means this ear, reception through the ear.
San-mukharitäà çruti-gatäà tanu-väì-manobhiù. Then just try to practice it in
your practical life.
Tanu-väì-manobhir ye präyaçaù ajita: "My dear Lord, You are unconquerable,
but by this person You become conquered, simply by hearing." It is such a nice
process. God is not conquerable, but He becomes conquerable. He is conquered

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by a devotee who gives up this nonsense process of understanding Him by his
limited knowledge and becomes submissive. And just try to hear from the right
source, and try to appear..., apply in your life. Then you become a conqueror of
the Supreme.
So similarly, Lord Kåñëa also says that tasyähaà sulabhaù. Sulabhaù means "I am
easily available." God is not easily available. It is very difficult. "But for a person
who is constantly in Kåñëa consciousness," the Lord says Himself, "for him, I am
easily available. Easily available." So why don't you take up this process?
There is another nice verse in the Brahma-saàhitä that... Just I forget. The
purport is that a person, if he tries to understand by his sensual process... This
is called sensual, äroha-panthä. Äroha-panthä means trying to ascend. Trying to
ascend. There are two kinds of ways to understand knowledge. One process is
äroha-panthä, ascending process, and another process is descending process.
Descending process. What is that äroha-panthä? Äroha-panthä means that "I
shall understand what is God by my own knowledge. I don't care for any
authority, any books. I'll understand, I'll meditate, I'll think, I'll philosophize,
and I'll understand what is God." This is called äroha-panthä. And against this,
there is avaroha-panthä. Avaroha-panthä means getting knowledge from the
authority. There are two processes.
Now, out of these two processes, the äroha-panthä, one who is trying to
understand the Supreme by his own limited knowledge, for him, it is said in the
Brahma-saàhitä,

panthäs tu koöi-çata-vatsara-sampragamyo
väyor athäpi manaso muni-puìgavänäm
so 'py asti yat prapada-sémny avicintya-tattve
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
[Bs 5.34]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus

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feet is approached by the yogés who aspire alter the transcendental and betake
themselves to präëäyäma by drilling the respiration; or by the jïänés who try to
find out the nondifferentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the
mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years.]
Now, panthäs tu koöi-çata-vatsara-sampragamyaù. By the ascending process, if
anyone makes progress with the speed of mind and speed of air... You, you
know the speed of mind, how it is powerful. You are sitting here, and you can
think of thousands and thousands of miles away immediately. Just see the speed
of mind. Similarly, the velocity of air is very thousands of miles in a second,
velocity of air.
So the example is given here that if anyone traverse on the path of ascending
process with the velocity of mind and air... Panthäs tu koöi-çata-vat... And if he
makes progress not only for one day, two days, three days, one
month—koöi-çata-vatsara, millions and millions of years, if he goes in that
speed... Panthäs tu koöi-çata-vatsara-sampragamyo väyor athäpi manasaù. Väyu.
Väyu means air. By the airplane or sputnik, or by the speed of the mind, if he
makes progress...
Panthäs tu koöi-çata-vatsara-sampragamyo väyor athäpi manaso
muni-puìgavänäm. And not very ordinary man, but muni-puìgava.
Muni-puìgava means the highest thoughtful. Puìgava means the greatest, and
a muni means thoughtful, thinker. If he goes on for millions of years in the
speed of mind and speed of air, still, he will find still not knowable. Not
knowable. Panthäs tu koöi-çata-vatsara-sampragamyo väyor athäpi manaso
muni-puìgavänäm, so 'py asti yat prapada-sémny avicintya-tattve. Still the
subject matter remains inconceivable—inconceivable, not definite.
But here is the definite information. Just in the Bhagavad-gétä you will
understand that ananya-cetäù. Ananya-cetäù, without any deviation from this
path of Kåñëa consciousness, without any deviation from the devotional
service in submission, if anyone thinks always of Kåñëa... Kåñëa says, tasyähaà

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sulabhaù. Sulabha means "I am very easily available for him." Tasyähaà
sulabhaù pärtha. "Why? Why You are so...? Why You become so cheap to this
person?" Because nitya-yuktasya yoginaù: "Oh, he is constantly... Twenty-four
hours, he's engaged in My service. I cannot forget him."
This is... This is the process. Just become submissive and attract the attention
of God. Then you'll be successful. Just try to... My Guru Mahäräja used to say
that "Don't try to see God. You work in such a way that God will see you. God
will take care of you. Don't try to see God." This is the process. "I want to see
God. O God, please come and stand before me," oh, just like He's my servant.
God is no one's servant. You have to oblige Him by your love, by your service.
That is the process. Here it is..., tasyähaà sulabhaù pärtha. Anyone who is
engaged in that way, in that submissive way, always, constantly, without any
deviation, in Kåñëa consciousness, oh, for him, God is very cheap, although
He's not..., He is unconquerable.
So take this process, Kåñëa consciousness. Very easy. This process is given to
the humanity by Lord Caitanya, and Rüpa Gosvämé, the first disciple of Lord
Caitanya, he appreciated it. He was a minister in the service of the [indistinct]
Muhammadan kingdom. And he become a disciple of Lord Caitanya. And
when he first met Him, oh, he offered himself in this verse, nice verse,

namo mahä-vadänyäya
kåñëa-prema-pradäya te
kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya-
nämne gaura-tviñe namaù
[Cc Madhya 19.53]

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kåñëa Himself appearing as Çré

Kåñëa Caitanya Mahäprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Çrématé
Rädhäräëé, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kåñëa. We offer our
respectful obeisances unto You.]

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"My dear Lord Caitanya, You are the most munificent personality, most
charitable, the highest charitable person." Why? "You are delivering Kåñëa very
cheaply. You are delivering Kåñëa very cheaply. Therefore nobody is
comparable with Your charity."
We want Kåñëa. The whole... We are hankering after Kåñëa, the most
attractive, the most beautiful, the most opulent, the most powerful, the most
learned and the most beautiful. That is our hankering. We are hankering after
the beauty, the powerful, the learned. So raso vai. Kåñëa is the reservoir of
everything. You just turn your attention to Kåñëa, you'll get everything,
everything, whatever your want. Whatever you heart's desire, it will be fulfilled
by this Kåñëa consciousness.
So this Kåñëa consciousness was given by Lord Caitanya. Therefore He's, I
mean to say, recommended..., He's called that namo mahä-vadänyäya: "Oh, You
are the most powerful, charitable personality. Nobody has given such a
thing—Kåñëa." Because we are all in want of Kåñëa. So that is the process
given by Kåñëa Himself. And here Kåñëa says that "I am..." Tasyähaà sulabhaù
pärtha: "I am... I become very cheap to it." Whom? "One who is constantly
engaged in Kåñëa consciousness."
And if you remain twenty-four hours in Kåñëa consciousness, then—just like
the impersonalist, the yogés, the jïänés, they transfer themselves to the spiritual
world in the..., and merge into the impersonal effulgence—you enter into the
planet where Kåñëa is. Then what is the benefit? You can ask, "Well, suppose I
do this and enter into the Kåñëa planet, then what is the benefit?"
The benefit is stated in the next verse, mäm upetya punar janma...

mäm upetya punar janma

duùkhälayam açäçvatam
näpnuvanti mahätmänaù
saàsiddhià paramäà gatäù

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 [Bg 8.15]

[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogés in devotion, never return
to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained
the highest perfection.]
"My dear Arjuna, if anyone comes to Me," mäm upetya, "by this process, by
Kåñëa consciousness, then the result is," punar janma duùkhälayam açäçvatam,
na äpnuvanti, "he does not get any more to come back into this material world
full of miseries."
This material world is certified by the Supreme Lord, the creator, as
duùkhälayam. Duùkhälayam means "the place of miseries." And how you can
make it comfortable? Can you make it comfortable by your so-called
advancement of science? No. It is not possible. But we do not know what is
duùkha, or what is suffering. Real duùkha is, real suffering is, birth and death,
old age and disease. But we have set aside. Because we cannot make solution of
these things, we don't care for it. We are after sputnik and atomic bomb. That
is our scientific advancement. Why don't you solve these important things,
which is giving me always suffering? They have no power.
So here is the solution, that Kåñëa says, mäm upetya punar janma [Bg 8.15]: "If
anyone attains into My platform, then he does not come back again," punar
janma, "rebirth again." Where? Duùkhälayam açäçvatam: "This place, full of
miseries, full of..." Just try to understand that this place is full of miseries.
There... In the modes of ignorance we cannot understand. Just like the cats and
dogs and hogs, they cannot understand that what miserable condition of life
they are pulling on, similarly, human... A human being is called rational
animal. They are animal, but at the same time, they have got the rationality.
But that rationality is being used in the purpose of animal propensities. That
rationality is not being used how to get liberated from this miserable condition.
That is a misuse of rationality.

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Now here is the solution. Kåñëa says that "If anyone remains in Kåñëa
consciousness twenty-four hours, without any deviation, the result is that he
comes to Me. And if he once comes to Me," mäm upetya punar janma
duùkhälayam açäçvatam, näpnuvanti, "he does not get again rebirth of this
miserable life." Why? Now, mahätmänaù saàsiddhià paramäà gatäù: "They are
great souls, and they have achieved the highest goal of life."
So this is the highest goal of life. We should know our self-interest to achieve
this highest goal of life, not temporary dolls. You see? Children are captivated
by temporary dolls, but not a sane man. [break] [end]

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