Bhagavad-gétä 2.

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—
March 4, 1966, New York

660304BG-NEW YORK [28:53 Minutes]

Audio

Prabhupäda: So Kåñëa is, in this sen..., He's identified that Bhagavän. Bhagavän
means that nobody can surpass His knowledge. Because I have already given
the definition of bhagavän, that a personality who is in full all the
opulences—wealth, strength, fame and knowledge, beauty and
renunciation—He is God. You see? So... Now, in this, at the present moment,
when people are godless, I think, this definition is convincing. If you find out a
personality that..., one who has got in full all these opulences, He is God, then
it will be very difficult to present an ordinary man as God. You see?
You will find that in the Bhagavad-gétä, when Arjuna was convinced that
Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead... But because in future others
will have doubt about Kåñëa, he requested Kåñëa that "Will You show me Your
universal form?" And Kåñëa agreed and showed him the universal form. That
means in future any intelligent man accepting a so-called God may also ask
him, "Just show something, that you are God." Without showing something,
simply by false advertisement, one cannot be God.
So whole mistake is that we do not know what is God. We consider God may be
just like one of us. No. The God who is controlling such a huge affairs of
universal administration, He cannot be... He is superconscious. That is
superconsciousness. Now, here, açocyän anvaçocas tvaà prajïä-vädäàç ca

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bhäñase [Bg 2.11].
[The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for
what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living
nor the dead.]
Now, the whole living existence is a very subtle thing. Now, this body, this
body made of earth, water, fire, air, sky, this gross body; and behind this, there
is another, subtle body. That is mind, intelligence and ego. So when we give up
this gross body, that subtle body carries me to another gross body. So when this,
this body is lifeless, that body, subtle body, is not lifeless. Just like at night,
when this gross body is asleep, the subtle body works; therefore we dream.
So subtle body carries to next life. And I have given in the Introduction that
how one man changes his body. Yaà yaà väpi smaran loke tyajaty ante
kalevaram [Bg 8.6].
[Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state
he will attain without fail.]
Now, the subtle body, I mean to say, mind, intelligence and ego, when these
three things, psychic life, is absorbed in a certain kind of thought, the dying
man gets a similar body in the next life. The, that we shall come when we make
progress in the study of Bhagavad-gétä. Just like the air passing over the rose
tree carries the flavor of the rose, and the air passing over a filthy place carries
the flavor of that filthy place—the air is pure, but because it is passing over
certain condition, it carries the flavor—similarly, the mind, intelligence and
ego carries the flavor of our present activities to the next life. That is the subtle
mystery of transmigration of the soul from one body to another.
Now, if this, this life we purify just like rose, then next life we shall get a body
which is full of flavor. If, if, if in this life if we practice devotion of God, then
next life is to become the associate of God. That cintämaëi-prakara-sadmasu...
[Bs 5.29]

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 [I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending
the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by
millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by
hundreds of thousands of lakñmés or gopés.]
We are transferred to that planet. You see? These are simple things. The whole
thing is in my hand. If I want to be degraded, I can prepare myself in this life
for such degradation in the next life. And if we want to elevate ourself to the
highest perfection of life, as to become one of the associates of God, we can
prepare ourself like that.
You'll find in the..., in the advanced chapters that yänti deva-vratä devän pitèn
yänti pitå-vratäù [Bg 9.25].
[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those
who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who
worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with
Me.]
Now, we are trying to go to the moon planet. Now here, in this life, if we
cultivate ourself for the same thought, the moon planet... That means the
moon planet, about moon planet we have to hear, and we have to think that "I
shall go in such-and-such place. I shall..." Unless you hear, you cannot abide
here. Just like our friend, Mr. Cohen, he has left for California. Now, so far I
am concerned, I have no idea of California. Now, he has told me that after
reaching there, he'll write about the description of the place.
Now, suppose if, reading that description of the place, I think of going there, so
I prepare myself, "Oh, I must go there." So just like I, I was describing that
cintämaëi-dhäma, what sort of trees are there. And you were very much pleased
that "I must go there." So we have to hear. Unless we hear what sort of God He
is, what sort of God's place is, what is the mode of life there, we cannot be
attracted. We cannot be attracted.

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So here they say that gatäsün agatäsüàç ca. There are two..., two sort of bodies
in which we are now entered. Now, suppose this gross body appears to be now
dead and gone, stopped, but one must know that subtle body has carried him to
another body. So subtle body is not lost life. The life is there. So here Kåñëa
says that either of the gross body or of... Subtle body has to be also left. When
you get liberation, when you get liberation, that subtle body, that egoistic life,
has also to be left. Now, at any condition, the body has to be left. So why one
should cry for this body?
Therefore Kåñëa says that "A learned man does not lament over this body."
The whole question, that a soul is different from this body, the whole question
is solved in one verse. You see? Gatäsün agatäsüàç ca nänuçocanti paëòitäù [Bg
2.11]:
[The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for
what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living
nor the dead.]
"One who is actually learned, he does not..., he has no concern of this body.
He's concerned with the activities of the soul. So you are speaking of so many
things that 'If these my friends die, the, I mean to say, their wives will become
widow.' These are all according to the bodily relation you are speaking. And
you are posing yourself just like a very learned man, but you are a fool number
one, because your whole conception is on the body. Your whole conception of
argument with Me was of the body, but you are..., you are posing himself just as
if you are very learned man."
So anyone who has got conception the identification of this body, he's not a
learned man; he's a fool. He may be, in the calculation of academic education,
he may be B.A., M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., or something like, doctors and..., but if he
has got his identification with this body, he's not a learned man according to
Bhagavad-gétä. Not only according...; according to whole Vedic literature. This
is the first instruction. This is the... If we want to make progress towards

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spiritual advancement of knowledge, this preliminary knowledge we must have,
that "I am not this body." "I am not this body." This is the preliminary standing
of spiritual knowledge. This is not advancement. This is simply A-B-C-D,
A-B-C-D of spiritual life.
In the Bhägavata there is a very nice verse in this connection in which it is
stated,
yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape tri-dhätuke
sva-dhéù kalaträdiñu bhauma-ijya-dhéù
[SB 10.84.13]
[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and
air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an
earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of
pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with,
feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual
truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]
Yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape tri-dhätuke. Kuëape means this bag, this bag made of
three elements. Now, according to Äyurvedic medical system, this body is made
of three elements: kapha, pitta, väyu. Kapha, pitta, väyu.
Woman: Three elements?
Prabhupäda: Yes. Kapha. Kapha means cold, coldness.
Woman: Common.
Prabhupäda: [Cough, cough] What do you call, cough. [Coughing] Yes. Kapha,
pitta, väyu: coldness, heat and air. Coldness, heat and air. Yes. Only these three
things constitute this body. Therefore it is called a bag made of three elements:
coldness, air and fire, heat. Heat, coldness and air, this body's made.
Woman: What..., what does coldness stand for?

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Prabhupäda: Coldness, you can take it for water, or secretion.
Woman: Water.
Prabhupäda: Yes.
Woman: Yes. Water, fire and air.
Prabhupäda: Water, fire and air.
Woman: That's better.
Prabhupäda: Now, the Bhägavata says that yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape
tri-dhätuke: "If anyone, he's identified with this body made of water, air and
fire..." And yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape tri-dhätuke. This is a body made of three
things. Now... And sva-dhéù kalaträdiñu: "And if one thinks the issues, the
by-products of this body, as his own kinsmen..." Just like my children, my wife,
my relatives, my father, my mother, my brother, my nation, my
society—everything is due to this bodily relation. And there are thousands of
women loitering in the street of the New York, and suppose I have got some
ma..., bodily connection with you, I call you my wife. And because I have got
bodily relation with you, all the children produced by you, they are my
children. You see?
So whole thing is... The basic principle is wrong, that "I am this body." Now,
from the expansion of the body, the whole thing, the whole thing is false.
Because I am not this body, so my expansion of body is also not "I am." But
whole world is going on on this false impression. The whole world is going on.
The fight, the fighting between one nation and another nation—because due
to this body.
So yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape tri-dhätuke. "One who is identified with this body,
which is made of water, fire and..., water, fire and air, and the issues from this
body as kinsmen and own men..." Yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape tri-dhä..., sva-dhéù
kalaträdiñu: "And," I mean to say, "attachment, attachment for such issues..."

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And bhauma-ijya-dhéù: "And the land from which this body has grown up, that
is worshipable."
Now everybody is fighting for the land. "Oh, we are Indian," "We are
Pakistani," "We are Vietnamese," "We are American," "We are German." The
fighting, so much fighting is going on, the land, for the land. So land, land has
become worshipable, so worshipable that one is sacrificed his valuable life for
that land. You see? But the land is so dear, why? This body has become grown
up from this land. So that is also there, the bodily connection.
So yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape tri-dhätuke sva-dhéù kalaträdiñu bhauma-ijya-dhéù.
Bhauma, in the land... They have no meaning for God. Now, the Russian
philosophy, they have no meaning for God, but they have every meaning for
their land. For the land. So land has there identified as worshipable, and
they're prepared to sacrifice anything for the land. So yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape
tri-dhätuke: "One who is identified with this body, and one who thinks the
bodily offshoots as his own men, and the land from which the body has grown
as worshipable," yat-tértha-buddhiù salile. Yat-tértha-buddhiù salile.
Now, in Christian world also, that the water of the Jordan River is sacred is
considered. Similarly, Hindus also, when they go to some pilgrimage, they take
bath on the sacred river. But one should know that going to the sacred place
does not mean simply to take bath in that water. Real meaning of going to a
sacred place: to find out some intelligent scholar in spiritual knowledge, they
are living there. To make association with them, to take knowledge from
them—that is the purpose of going to pilgrimage.
Because in pilgrimage, holy places... Just like I, my residence is at Våndävana.
So at Våndävana there are many great scholars and saintly persons living. So
one should go to such holy places not simply to take bath in the water, but he
must be intelligent enough to find out some spiritually advanced man living
there and take instruction from him and [be] benefited by that. But he does not
go. He takes simply bath and purchases some goods and advertises, "Oh, I have

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been to such-and-such pilgrimage." Well... Yasyätma-buddhiù kuëape
tri-dhätuke and yat-tértha-buddhiù salile na karhicij janeñv abhijïeñu: "He has the
attachment for pilgrimage, for taking bath only, but he has no attraction for
the learned people there." You see?
So such kind of man is considered as ass: sa eva go-kharaù [SB 10.84.13].
[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and
air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an
earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of
pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with,
feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual
truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]
Go-khara. Go-khara. Go means cow or..., and khara means ass. So practically
the whole world is moving as the civilization of cow and asses, because the
whole thing is identification with this... The center is this body, and expansion
of the body, the attraction, whole attraction is there. Yes? You want to...?
Woman: Yes. In the... In the places known as sacred places...
Prabhupäda: Sac... Yes.
Woman: ...isn't..., sacred places...
Prabhupäda: Yes.
Woman: ...isn't it also a fact that there is more magnetism there because of the
meeting of...
Prabhupäda: Oh, yes. Certainly.
Woman: ...saints and more advanced people?
Prabhupäda: Certainly. Certainly. Certainly. Therefore the place itself has got
some magnetism. You see?

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Woman: Yes. And where they have Kumbh Mela...
Prabhupäda: Just like at Våndävana, at Våndävana, that is practical. Now here I
am sitting, New York, a very great, the world's greatest city, so magnificent
city, but my heart is always hankering after that Våndävana.
Woman: Yes.
Prabhupäda: Yes. I am not happy here.
Woman: Yes, I know.
Prabhupäda: I shall be very happy to return to my Våndävana, that sacred
place. "But then why you are...?" Now, because it is my duty. I have brought
some message for you people. Because I am ordered by superior, my spiritual
master, that "Whatever you have learned, you should go to the Western
country, and you must distribute this knowledge." So in spite of all my
difficulties, all my inconveniences, I am here because I am in duty. I, I... That is
my personal convenience; if I go and sit down at Våndävana, I shall be very
comfortable there, and I'll be..., I'll have no anxiety, nothing of the sort. You
see? But I have taken all the risk in the old age because I am in duty bound. I
am in duty bound. So I have to execute my duty in spite of all my
inconveniences. That is the idea.
So this is the whole thing, the whole basic principle of spiritual advancement
of knowledge. One should first be convinced that he is not this body. He is not
this body. Then other spiritual knowledge will begin. This is the basic
principle. You'll find it. You'll find it in the Bhagavad-gétä that this situation of
spiritual life is called brahma-bhütaù. Brahman. So,

brahma-bhütaù prasannätmä
na çocati na käìkñati
samaù sarveñu bhüteñu
mad-bhaktià labhate paräm

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 [Bg 18.54]

[And of all yogés, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping
Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga
and is the highest of all.]
So the..., unless one understands himself, he also cannot understand God also.
In his..., in his misunderstanding position... Now, what Dr. Mishra is teaching
is very nice, because he is teaching that "Just first of all you know 'What I am,
what I...' " That's very good. But that "What I am" can be known from the
Bhagavad-gétä also, that "I am not this body. I am not this body." That
knowledge, at least theoretically, one must accept, that "I am not this body."
Now Kåñëa is describing that what is the position. I am not this body. That's all
right. Now, actually, what we are? What we are? I'm not body, that's all right.
Then what we are? Now, the next, next version is Kåñëa... We must always
know that Kåñëa... Here it is said, bhagavän uväca. Bhagavän uväca. Bhagavän
uväca means that He has got so extensive knowledge that there cannot be any
mistake. He's authority. He's authority. So whatever He says is right. Is right.
That is the conception of bhagavän. Here it is not said kåñëaù uväca. Because
somebody may doubt Kåñëa, that "Kåñëa was a historical personality. Why you
should be so much concerned with Kåñëa?" as is general view. But here it is
said, bhagavän uväca. And I have given you the definition of Bhagavän, that
He is all knowledge. So whatever He will speak, Bhagavän, there cannot be any
mistake.
For ordinary persons, there are four, I mean to say, difficulties, four
imperfectness. Just like we are ordinary man. We have got four imperfectness.
What is that imperfectness? That we must commit mistake. We must commit
mistake. Our constitutional position at the present moment is such that we are
sure to commit mistake. Even greatest politician like Gandhi, he committed
mistake, and so many great men, they committed mistake. "To err is human,"
therefore, it is called, that any..., any man, however he may be great in the

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estimation of this world, he is sure to commit mistake.
And another imperfection is that he is illusioned.
Woman: Deluded.
Prabhupäda: Illusioned. Now, illusioned you can see. Illusioned means taking
one thing for another. That is called illusion. Just like in the desert, accepting
the sand as water. That is called illusion. Similarly, every one of us who are
identified with this body, he's under illusion. But, that's the false thing, but he
has no knowledge. Even President Johnson, he's under illusion. Even the
greatest scientist, he's under this illusion. So that one is sure to commit
mistake, and one is under illusion, and bhrama, pramäda and vipralipsä...
Vipralipsä means the tendency for cheating.
Woman: That is the fourth?
Prabhupäda: That is the third. First is that one is sure to commit mistake, one is
sure to be in illusion, and one is adapted to cheat others. Now, he is imperfect,
but he wants to give knowledge to others. That is cheating. Everyone is
imperfect, but he wants to give knowledge to others. Then you can ask that
"You are also giving us knowledge?" No, I am not giving you knowledge. I am
speaking Bhagavad-gétä. I am giving you knowledge as given by Lord Kåñëa. It is
not my knowledge.
Woman: But this is your own interpretation.
Prabhupäda: Eh? Not interpretation. It is reading.
Woman: One can cheat.
Prabhupäda: I give you... Cheat. No, that is also in the definition of a
conditioned soul. These four principles are there. It is not my manufactured
things. The..., these are information from authoritative scripture, that a
conditioned soul has four imperfectness. One imperfectness is that he's sure to
commit mistake; he's illusioned; and he has got a tendency to cheat; and, above

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all, his senses are imperfect. So anyone who is above all these four
imperfectness—who never commits mistake, who is never illusioned, who
never cheats other, and who has got perfect senses—He is God. That is also
another definition of God. He may not be... God is Supreme, God, but anyone
who comes to this stage of life, he's liberated. He's lib..., as good as God. [break]
[end]

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