Srila Gour Govinda Swami on 4th March 1995 after attending Mayapur Meetings(his last)

krsna · July 10, 2005

[spoken by Srila Gour Govinda Swami upon his return to Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India on 4th March, 1995,

after attending the ANNUAL GBC MEETING (his last) in Sridham Mayapur]]

[unedited transcript (from audio tape)]

You should have patience. Sit. Don't lose your patience. There are many questions. Those who are very eager to hear in English, and then Oriya at last (laughter and "Haribol” by some listeners)….Till last moment you have to keep patience (more laughs). This is my request to you….prati-vatsala (?)….(few inaudible words).

I have been attending this meeting, GBC Meeting. I became member. I was selected as a member to that GBC body since 1986. At first I was not willing, I was not willing at all, (to) become a member of that body. So that year in…there are 60-(50?)-man-committee, there was some re-shuffling of the GBC body. So some old GBC members they resigned, some new ones are recruited. So that body gave some names to this body, so my name was given, one of the names though I was unwilling. After then, this body accepted some names and also rejected some names. So I was thinking I may be rejected, so that will be good fortune for me (audience laugh), but it was bad fortune I was selected. (All laugh.) It was very bad fortune for me. Yes. What to do? All right. So since that year I have been attending these GBC meetings. It's now nine years, '86 to '95.

Founder Acarya of ISKCON, our revered spiritual master, Sri Srimad A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupadaji Maharaj has set up GBC body, (unclear), and GBC body will be topmost executive body-authority. Everything will be decided there and be executed. What they decided, whole Society will accept it. Otherwise there will be no discipline in the Society. The main purpose of setting up this Society is to keep discipline in this Society -- Number One.

Number Two: When so many persons are working, all are conditioned souls, how many

are liberated souls in that Society or (GBC) body? That is the question. Mostly all conditioned souls. All have four defects. Who are free from four defects, ah? who are free from anarthas? How many, eh? That's the question. So …

But this Society that Srila Prabhupada set up or formed is a society of Vaisnavas, a society of Vaisnavas.

So I was taking up a class there --- generally I take up one class -- this year I took a class

that fortunately a topic came up, (audience laugh, then speaker) this Krsna's arrangement, such topic came up where Prabhupada is saying, "Everybody should act like this." He said like this. Narada Muni was instructing Dhruva Maharaj. That verse is there:

"Those who are very very advanced, more elevated personalities, one should pay respects to them. Should not be envious of them. Those who are equal, one should keep friendship with them. Those who are inferior, one should be very compassionate to them."…………..(SB 4.8.34)

That is the sum and substance of the verse. I was speaking on that topic. This is trividha vaisnava: kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari, uttama-adhikari vaisnava. So I explained and quoted from Srimad Bhagavatam, Caitanya Caritamrta …(not clear) ….and at last one should understand, one should recognize that Bhaktivinod Thakur also has written a song on Mahajanas. Great acarya in our line known as Seventh Gosvami.

"je jana vaisnava ..(?).." One should recognize what sort of vaisnava are you: uttama, madhyama or kanistha, accordingly you behave.

vaisnav….?…rupad ahai sarva siddhi (?)-- when you get the krpa, mercy of vaisnavas,

then that is perfection of life. You cannot…?…rather, you will commit offense. Yes, that danger is there. And why Prabhupad formed this Society? He himself has said. I quoted Prabhupad…I quoted some words, "I formed this Society for the purpose of forming this Society, the Society for Krsna Consciousness is that this should be an exemplary where there will be no envy at all." That is the purpose. That is the purpose of the Founder Acarya of the Society, ISKCON.

If we see so much of enviousness going on in our society, how the Founder Acarya will be happy? That is the question. We are all there to give him happiness. Is he happy? When his purpose is failed, foiled, huh? (pause) Most important! I said it is a society of vaisnavas, and vaisnavas are not envious at all.

"paramo nirmatsaranam satam vedyam", the second verse of Srimad Bhagavatam says, "nirmatsaranam satam vedyam". Who can understand Bhagavad-dharma-tattva? Those vaisnavas who are not envious at all. Otherwise, cannot understand, otherwise Bhagavatam will not be revealed to them. Yes, that's a fact. That's a fact. Mmm. I quoted all these things. But what I see, then it is so painful to us.

Generally, it is said, in material sphere, "satyam briya, priyam briya, janam briya, satyam na priya."(words not verified).

"Speak the truth, speak the (unclear) priya, which is very sweet, but don't speak unpalatable truth", huh? Unpalatable truth. This is in material sphere.

But spiritual sphere, the acaryas said, "However unpalatable maybe, the truth should be spoken." Yes! "However unpalatable maybe, the truth should be spoken." Yes mahajans have said so. So this is unpalatable truth.

But also, such danger is there. They are twisting tattva. Unfortunately danger is there, I had on my head, like a sword hanging on my head, because I am speaking unpalatable. Yes. Yes. And I have, I said, I have already sensed, I have heard, "Gour Govinda will speak against GBC." Yes. I have already heard it. Yes. Because I am speaking unpalatable truth. Such danger I am facing, like a sword is hanging. Any moment it will thrust into my head. Yes. That's a fact. Such is the situation. Therefore I feel suffocated there, very very suffocated. Cannot feel happy (in) Sridham Mayapur, Mahaprabhu's place, who is Prema Purusottama, who gives Krsna Prema, huh? Patita-pavana Gaurahari who, ah, delivers the fallen souls, embraces them, "Come to My fold!", embraces them, eh?

But in that dham…(unclear)…and…decided they are going to measure it in votes, then finished! Decided! You cannot speak. Stop. We have decided already. Voted. No more talk. Finished! So, it is going on, hm?

Also I said this is the purpose of setting up GBC body: Some philosophical dispute is there, some managerial flaw is there, to discuss, Prabhupada said, "Discuss it with cool head", should be discussed with cool head, not in a hurried move, no, in cool head, in a vaisnava way, vaisnava way, yes, not an unvaisnava and materialistic way. That is not the purpose of Srila Prabhupada. But no cool head. Hot head!…(unclear)…decided! That gives too much pain, hmm, and also afraid of speaking the truth also, yes, mmm…

So then, this is the purpose, when the philosophical disputes come. What shall we do, huh? Those who are experts, those who know the tattva, Prabhupada has quoted this thing. Apparent, some apparent, controversial statement come(s), and that comes also. How we'll reconcile it? The question of reconciliation; why such a…(unclear)…controversial, ah? opposite, contradictory statements come? It's not easy thing to understand, baba, not easy thing. What circumstances, what time, what place, why it is said?

Lord Buddha came at a certain time, ah? when people were killing unnecessarily the innocent animals---"sadaya hrdaya darsita pasukhatam" (words not verified)--- Lord Buddha's heart, hmm? He felt compassionate pain, seeing this unnecessary killing of the innocent animals. He came down to stop it. So He came to say, "Stop it!" But such persons who were killing innocent animals, they said, "Why are You stopping (us)? In Veda it is said "yajna pasugata" (words not verified), yes, Veda says." But these people cannot understand Veda, because they were in such a very very low level of consciousness. They were covered up with the mode of ignorance. Compassion no …?,,,at all, how can understand Veda? That is that time, circumstances. Buddhadeva who is the incarnation of Lord Visnu, from whom Veda comes, He says, "Throw your Veda; I don't want it!" Why He says like that? ah? …?…comes. Can He say like that? He can't say like that! Veda is Mother, Veda-mata, authority. Mother is the authority to speak about father. Mother says, "Mr X is your father." Is there any argument to it? huh? Can you argue, "Why he's my father? Why …?…my father?" Ah? No argument, no! Mother is the only authority. What a mother says, you have got safety. The first principle is to accept authority. Yes. First principle. Otherwise everything will be topsy-turvy. So much indiscipline will come, …?…, as for example, if you make one mistake in mathematical calculation, you make 2 and 2 equal 5, then whole calculation becomes wrong. Yes. One mistake makes whole calculation cannot run, yes.

Veda-mata, Mother Veda is Mother, and Vedic authorities are there. They are authorities and we have to follow them. Siddhantas, hm? Conclusions. Yes. 'mahajana yena gatah sa panthah', huh? What should be the path shown by Mahajanas you tread. Don't manufacture some new path. That is dangerous path. 'mahajana jei koi suttumani' (words not verified), what Mahajanas say, that is truth.

So why…?… say like that? Therefore it says 'samartas kalika', 'sama sarva kalika' (not verified): Some time, place, circumstances, it is needed at that time, therefore they did it. That's not siddhanta. 'sarva kalika', at all times, that is siddhanta. So acaryas do like that. Yes, acaryas do like that. Yes. There are many instances where acaryas do like that. If you cannot understand it, what to say? "We don't want to understand all these things. We know Vedic siddhanta." All right, what to say?

And "majority vote", everything granted by "majority vote". All right, the majority said that's a dog, it's a goat became a dog. Yes, very auspicious dog. Majority said…?…granted! No more speaking. Finished, huh?

So, so many quotations are there. Srila Prabhupada's books, huh? Jiva never falls from Vaikuntha. You exercise in your own brains for years! It's inconceivable, quite inconceivable. Yes, mahajanas said, "dharmsya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah …?…acintya…?…bhava…?…" (not verified). What is acintya, inconceivable, don't add any of your material logic and arguments to it. no. Don't add. "tarkos pratisthah srutayo vibhinna na sav rsir yasya matir na bhinnam dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah." That's all Mahajanas are saying. You cannot establish the Vedic Truth through your material logic and argument. If you do like that, then it will become different, different, different, different, "yata mata tata bata", you cannot do it. "dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah"---what Mahajanas said, just accept it. Finished.

When Mahajanas sometimes say different things, contradictory statement, 'geet' (??) also, acaryas do it, as sometimes when they need it. But nobody is prepared to hear the -- rather, you could say, you are ridiculed. Yes, you are ridiculed. That's a fact. Nobody wants that some experts to grow. Many persons, they are many post-graduates in there. Better they are all liquors, drunkards, smokers, ganja. That's very good. (laughs) It's going on, in this material world. Yes. Some "expert" comes up, huh? Some "specialist" comes up, some post-graduate, eh? degree-holder comes up. No one wants it. "No! we don't want it!" Yes.

This is very painful. I'm getting, I've been getting some pain, and it is growing, growing, growing every year, not decreasing, growing, growing, not decreasing, growing, hmm…

Bhaktivinod Thakur has said, hmm, when you want to establish truth, many sides untruth will come to suppress it. Yes, that's a fact. "mahajan rakhya" (raksa?) and Bhaktivinod says, "This is God's will, God's will." Yes, this is God's will, Lord's will, yes Lord's will.

So I've compiled some quotations from Prabhupad's saying(s). I gave to some of them some copies of them. (chuckles). They (helped?/heard?) me compiling it…oh! one quotation-- When there are apparent contradictory statements, what to do? Prabhupad has given direction. I said, "Follow the direction, then you have to consult the acaryas, consult Mahajans, consult the Vedas, Vedic authority, Mahajans, what they have said, just accept it." isn't it? Prabhupad has given that direction. If you won't follow Prabhupad-direction, how can you solve this problem? You cannot resolve it.

And one question is there, Prabhupad quoted that William Blake said that "We read the Bible day and night. You read the black, I read the white." Similarly, you read Prabhupad-books day and night, you read the black, I read the white. Now we fight! (laughter) And Might is Right! (big laughter) Everything decided by voting right! (more laughter).

I gave a comment on this. The Chairman of the Committee, the sub-committee (that) was discussing this issue, he (? said?) "I want your comment." I gave this comment. At last I quoted Bhaktivinod Thakur's "Mahajana-vani"(?): "keno koro desa videsi jana padane, nana dese nana jane nana …(etc, not clear)…nayana…brahma dhyana kare kei sankirtane maje" (to be verified). Different, different. "sabe karo sei krsnera bhajana (ah) bhatru bhave thako susva bhave." That's conclusion. Mm. "bha (?) krsna-bhakti sadhaye (?) jivane, marane." I quoted and said, "You should not fight on this issue. Fighting is not at all good for anybody, nor for this Society. Follow Mahajanas. We should, we are brothers. We are friends. We should live as brothers, we should live as friends, no fighting. Fight…?…then the bhakti will be lost to us, we'll lose everything. That Bhaktivinod Thakur has said. I quoted at last in my comment.

But it failed. It failed. This is very painful to me. I am getting so much pain. All right, Bhaktivinod Thakur said, "This is the will of the Lord."

If you want to establish the truth, many many sources, from all directions, untruth will come and cooperate. That is the will of the Lord. But at last "satyam eva jayate". At last, Truth will be victorious. But that time has (not) come now. Hm. Such is the situation now. Mm.

So in this respect, I very often tell this story, in English, also in Oriya. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada said, "bhakta… …? … …" That means taking count of measuring votes is not applicable in the spiritual sphere. 'paramatmika ksetra' is very applicable in the material sphere, 'baudhika..?..'.

One king was there -- was digging a very big pond. He thought, "This pond will be filled with milk instead of water." So he ordered all the cowherd men in his kingdom, "You all should bring milk and pour it into this pond." King's order. King's order, so cowherd men said,"King's order, so we must do. Otherwise, if we violate his order, then our heads will be cut off."

So one of the cowherd men thought up, "All right, all will take milk and pour it. If I take one pot of water and pour, it cannot be noticed, and king cannot notice it." (laughs) One thought like that. Somehow his thought leaked out. Yes. So, every cowherd man thought like that, "Yes, I'll do the same thing." (laughs) So, in the long run, at last (amidst own laughter) the pond was filled with water instead of milk. (more laughter)

This is 'ganapath (?)' (laughs) And another story also. We hear, I said. But we must take, hmm, must hear from bona fide source, hmm, Mahajana, sadhu, acarya, who is free from four defects, free from anarthas, who is completely cent-percent Krsna-conscious, satam, yes, that's vaisnav. All Mahajanas are there… soul, hear from a conditioned soul, ha? who has four defects, surrounded in so many anarthas, ah? If you hear and accept, They have already --- hear from them, accept from them, mm. You won't accept from any conditioned then what will happen? So that story also we say very often:

One washerman was there who had a donkey. Its name was Sunanda Gandharva [sG]. That donkey served the washerman for many years. At last became old and died. The washerman thought of, "Oh, SG died today. What shall I do? All right, I'll shave my head and have a dip in holy water." So washerman shaved his head and (had) a dip in holy water.

And that washerman was King's washerman who washes King's clothes. When he went to the King's palace to get his clothes, the King's priest saw him and asked, "Ei, why have you shaved your head?" "Don't you know? SG died today. Very very auspicious day today. So (shaved it up…?), yes. SG died. Very very auspicious day." "Oh, so shall I shave my…" "Yes, yes, shave your head." (laughs)

So King's priest shaved his head. (laughter). Then the Chief Minister (CM) of the King saw the priest had shaved his head. The CM asked, "Oh, why have you shaved your head?" "Oh CM, don't you know? SG died today. Very very auspicious day today." "Oh, very aus…? Shall I shave also?" "Yes, you shave your head." (laughs)

So CM shaved his head. (laughs) King saw CM had shaved his head, asked, "Ei, why have you shaved your head?" "O King, don't you know? SG died today. Very very auspicious day today." "Oh? Shall I shave?" "Yes, you shave your head." (laughs)

So King shaved his head. (laughs) Queen saw King had shaved his head. Queen asked, "Why have you shaved your head?" Queen was abit intelligent. Yes, Queen had some intelligence. "Oh don't you know, my dear Queen? SG died today. Very very auspicious." "SG died? Who is he? Who is that SG? Who told you? What is the source? From which source you asked?" Very intelligent. She wanted the source. "Oh, CM,CM."

The Queen called for the CM. "Ei, who is that SG? From whom you heard and shaved head and told King…?" "Oh priest, our priest, our priest, priest said." "Call for the priest." The priest was called for. The Queen asked, "Who is that SG? From whom you heard? You shaved head, and all are shaving head, CM and King?" "Oh, the washerman, the washerman." (laughs) "Washerman? who cleanses dirty clothes? Such a low caste person? Ah? Low level of consciousness? You heard from him? And you have accepted it as a very very auspicious day? All right, call for that washerman."

The washerman was called for. The Queen asked, "Ei, who is that SG?" "My dear Queen (in a crying voice), I had a donkey. (all laugh) He died today." (big laughter) "So dhobi's, washerman's donkey died today, and a very auspicious day?" (bigger laughter)

This is hearing from a such person of low consciousness, and accepting it, "Oh, very auspicious day!" Such things are going on in this material world. Therefore, in the spiritual sphere, 'paramatmika-ksetra', one should hear from bona-fide acarya, mahajana, sadhu, yes, who is bona-fide authority, "mahajano yena gatah sa panthah". Mahajanas have shown (us) the path. We have to follow the path. When we accept "mahajana…?…satya-vani", when mahajana says, that is truth. it is accepted as truth. Then there will be no problem at all. No dispute at all. Yes. Make advancement in this path of devotional service. Otherwise, how can you make advancement?

That, Bhaktivinod Thakur says, "Don't fight, ah? Stay always in friendship and brotherhood. (There) maybe some different, different, some different countries, different places, maybe some, something different, I don't… why it is time, place, circumstance, and maybe some different. Yes. All right. Don't fight on that, ah? Accept what mahajans have said. Yes, and remain as brothers, remain as friends, and engage yourself in Hari-bhajan. Thereby you get the blessings, mercy of mahajanas. Then your life will be successful, and, make advancement in the path of devotional service. Otherwise you cannot. Bhakti will be lost to you."

That's a fact. That's a fact. Yes. And I accept it. Yes. This is the will of the Lord. Such time has come. Thus truth is suppressed. All right, accept. Though it's painful, I have to tolerate it. How long can I tolerate? I pray to Mahaprabhu " taror iva sahisnuna", be as tolerant as tree, but the same time it's also said, vaisnava becomes intolerant when mahajanas, sadhus, sruti-sastra, is dishonoured. It is very very offensive, yes, it is intolerant. That also they have said. So I am in a dilemma. I cannot figure out, I cannot decide what to do. (Long pause.) Then how to tolerate it…

I am waiting for the direction of Mahaprabhu and Krsna. Nothing to say. A very very dangerous period has come, VERY VERY dangerous! Only ' krsna raksyati'. Krsna will be the only (one to) protect us. Mahaprabhu will protect us from such dangerous situation and give us the right direction. Offering my prayer at the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu and Krsna, I say these things.

Thank you very much.

_______

gHari · July 10, 2005

We can understand this strong opinion that no one falls from Vaikuntha. Somehow we must reconcile the clear words of sastra with this:<blockquote>Crow And Tal-Fruit Logic

We never had any occasion when we were separated from Krsna. Just like one man is dreaming and he forgets himself. In dream he creates himself in different forms: now I am the King discussing like that. This creation of himself is as seer and subject matter or seen, two things. But as soon as the dream is over, the "seen" disappears. But the seer remains. Now he is in his original position.

Our separation from Krsna is like that. We dream this body and so many relationships with other things. First the attachment comes to enjoy sense gratification. Even with Krsna desire for sense gratification is there. There is a dormant attitude for forgetting Krsna and creating an atmosphere for enjoying independently. Just like at the edge of the beach, sometimes the water covers, sometimes there is dry sand, coming and going. Our position is like that, sometimes covered, sometimes free, just like at the edge of the tide. As soon as we forget, immediately the illusion is there. Just like as soon as we sleep, dream is there.

We cannot say therefore that we are not with Krsna. As soon as we try to become Lord, immediately we are covered by Maya. Formerly we were with Krsna in His lila or sport. But this covering of Maya may be of very, very, very, very long duration, therefore many creations are coming and going. Due to this long period of time it is sometimes said that we are ever-conditioned. But his long duration of time becomes very insignificant when one actually comes to Krsna consciousness. Just like in a dream we are thinking very long time, but as soon as we awaken we look at our watch and see it has been a moment only. Just like with Krsna's friends, they were kept asleep for one year by Brahma, but when they woke up and Krsna returned before them, they considered that only a moment had passed.

So this dreaming condition is called non-liberated life, and this is just like a dream. Although in this material calculation it is a long, long period, as soon as we come to Krsna consciousness then this period is considered as a second. For example, Jaya and Vijaya. They had their lila with Krsna, but they had to come down for their little mistake. They were given mukti, emerging into the Brahmasayujya after being killed three times as demons. This Brahmasayujya mukti is non-permanent. Every living entity wants pleasure, but Brahmasayujya is minus pleasure. There is eternal existence only. So when they do not find transcendental bliss, they fall down to make a compromise with material bliss. Just like Vivekananda founded so many schools and hospitals. So even Lord Brahma, he is still material and wants to lord it over. He may come down to become a germ, but then he may rise up to Krsna consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the position.

So when I say Yes, there is eternal lila with Krsna, that means on the evidence of Jaya-Vijaya. Unless one develops full devotional service to Krsna, he goes up only up to Brahmasayujya but falls down. But after millions and millions of years of keeping oneself away from the lila of the Lord, when one comes to Krsna consciousness this period becomes insignificant, just like dreaming.

Because he falls down from Brahmasayujya, he thinks that may be his origin, but he does not remember that before that even he was with Krsna. So the conclusion is that whatever may be our past, let us come to Krsna consciousness and immediately join Krsna. Just like with a diseased man, it is a waste of time to try to find out how he has become diseased, better to spend time curing the disease.

On the top of the tree there is a nice tal-fruit. A crow went there and the fruit fell down, Some panditas, big big learned scholars saw this and discussed: the fruit fell due to the crow agitating the limb. No, the fruit fell simultaneously with the crow landing and frightened the crow so he flew away. No, the fruit was ripe and the weight of the crow landing broke it from the branch, and so on and so on. What is the use of such discussions? So whether you were in the Brahmasayujya or with Krsna in His lila, at the moment you are in neither, so the best policy is to develop your Krsna consciousness and go there, never mind what is your origin.

Brahmasayujya and Krsna lila--both may be possible, but when you are coming down from Brahmasayujya or when you are coming down from Krsna lila, that remains a mystery. But at the present moment we are in Maya's clutches, so at present our only hope is to become Krsna conscious and go back to Home, back to Godhead. The real position is servant of Krsna, and servant of Krsna means in Krsna lila. Directly or indirectly, always we are serving Krsna's lila. Even in dream. Just like we cannot go out of the sun when it is daytime, so where is the chance of going out of Krsna lila? The cloud may be there, it may become very gray and dim, but still the sunlight is there, everywhere, during the daytime. Because I am part and parcel of Krsna, I am always connected. My finger, even though it may be diseased, remains part and parcel of my body. Therefore, we try to treat it, cure it, because it is part and parcel. So Krsna comes Himself when we forget Him, or He sends His representative.

Awakening or dreaming, I am the same man. As soon as I awaken and see myself, I see Krsna. Cause and effect are both Krsna. Just like cotton becomes thread and thread becomes cloth, still, the original cause is cotton. Therefore, everything is Krsna in the ultimate sense. When we cannot contact Krsna personally, we contact His energies. So there is no chance to be outside Krsna's lila. But differences we see under different conditions. Just like in the pool of water and in the mirror the same me is reflecting, but in different reflections. One is shimmering, unsteady, one is clear and fixed. Except for being in Krsna consciousness, we cannot see our actual position rightly, therefore the learned man sees all living entities as the same parts and parcels of Krsna. Material existence is impersonal because my real personality is covered. But we should think that because I am now covered by this clay, I am diseased, and we should think that I must get to business to get myself uncovered, not wonder how I got this way. Now the fruit is there, take it and enjoy, that is your first business. God is not bound by cause. He can change, He is the Cause of all Causes. Now don't waste your time with this "Kaka taliya nyaya," crows and tal-fruit logic.</blockquote>

One way that occurs to me is that as with the word 'nitya' in 'nitya-baddha' (eternally conditioned/fallen) which is described as eternal only because it is an inconceivably long time, perhaps also the word "never" falls is a similar hyperbole. Or perhaps Srila Prabhupada's "Formerly we were with Krsna in His lila or sport" refers to the saving of souls in the material world - where we are sometimes with Him remembering, and at other times we are covered with the water on the shore.

I've kicked this cat and crow around forever (hyperbole) and conclude that it just doesn't matter. Wrestling with words has fallen far from the top of my list of priorities these days. It's getting time to make something happen. I guess all old timers are feeling this quickening of purpose in our lives.

BACK TO GODHEAD may have had different meanings for each of us to keep us interested and hopeful long enough to humble out and get busy. I can't recall any in all of Srila Prabhupada's references to life's goal of entering the Kingdom of God where he actually writes 're-entering the Kingdom of God'. If it has been as some suggest a 'preaching tool developed by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta' and adopted by his dear disciple, then I say let it play on. If it feels like hOMe then is it not?

gHari

gHari · July 11, 2005

Bhagavad-gita As It Is verses 15.3-6:<BLOCKQUOTE><CENTER>na rUpam asyeha tathopalabhyate

nAnto na cAdir na ca sampratiSThA

azvattham enaM su-virUDha-mUlam

asaGga-zastreNa dRDhena chittvA

tataH padaM tat parimArgitavyaM

yasmin gatA na nivartanti bhUyaH

tam eva cAdyaM puruSaM prapadye

yataH pravRttiH prasRtA purANI

</center>

na--not; rUpam--the form; asya--of this tree; iha--in this world; tathA--also; upalabhyate--can be perceived; na--never; antaH--end; na--never; ca--also; AdiH--beginning; na--never; ca--also; sampratiSThA--the foundation; azvattham--banyan tree; enam--this; su-virUDha--strongly; mUlam--rooted; asaGga-zastreNa--by the weapon of detachment; dRDhena--strong; chittvA--cutting; tataH--thereafter; padam--situation; tat--that; parimArgitavyam--has to be searched out; yasmin--where; gatAH--going; na--never; nivartanti--they come back; bhUyaH--again; tam--to Him; eva--certainly; ca--also; Adyam--original; puruSam--the Personality of Godhead; prapadye--surrender; yataH--from whom; pravRttiH--the beginning; prasRtA--extended; purANi--very old.

The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment. Thereafter, one must seek that place from which, having gone, one never returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom everything began and from whom everything has extended since time immemorial.

nirmAna-mohA jita-saGga-doSA

adhyAtma-nityA vinivRtta-kAmAH

dvandvair vimuktAH sukha-duHkha-saMjJair

gacchanty amUDhAH padam avyayaM tat

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niH--without; mAna--false prestige; mohAH--and illusion; jita--having conquered; saGga--of association; doSAH--the faults; adhyAtma--in spiritual knowledge; nityAH--in eternity; vinivRtta--disassociated; kAmAH--from lust; dvandvaiH--from the dualities; vimuktAH--liberated; sukha-duHkha--happiness and distress; saMjJaiH--named; gacchanti--attain; amUDhAH--unbewildered; padam--situation; avyayam--eternal; tat--that.

Those who are free from false prestige, illusion and false association, who understand the eternal, who are done with material lust, who are freed from the dualities of happiness and distress, and who, unbewildered, know how to surrender unto the Supreme Person attain to that eternal kingdom.

na tad bhAsayate sUryo

na zazAGko na pAvakaH

yad gatvA na nivartante

tad dhAma paramaM mama

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na--not; tat--that; bhAsayate--illuminates; sUryaH--the sun; na--nor; zazAGkaH--the moon; na--nor; pAvakaH--fire, electricity; yat--where; gatvA--going; na--never; nivartante--they come back; tat dhAma--that abode; paramam--supreme; mama--My.

That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.

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