Lecture on Mahä-mantra

—
September 9, 1966, New York

660909LE-NEW YORK [79:11 Minutes]

Audio

Prabhupäda: [leads kértana] [prema-dhvani]. All glories to the assembled

devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. Gaura-Premanandi. Hari
Haribol.

Prabhupäda: The door is open? You can keep the door open.
Yes. Éçvara... Just try to cite, recite this.
[18:22]
[devotees repeat each word]

éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù

sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù
anädir ädir govindaù
sarva-käraëa-käraëam
[Bs 5.1]

[Kåñëa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an

eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and
He is the prime cause of all causes.]
Now, some of you members have asked me to explain the meaning of this
chanting, Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare / Hare Räma, Hare

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Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare. Now, this sound is transcendental sound,
transcendental sound, incarnation, sound incarnation of the Absolute Truth.
Just try to understand what is incarnation. Incarnation means... The Sanskrit
word is avatära, and that is translated into English as "incarnation." Of course,
the root meaning of incarnation I cannot exactly explain to you, but the root
meaning of the...
[aside:] Somebody stop. Yes.
The root meaning of avatära is "which comes from the transcendental sky, the
spiritual sky, to the material sky." That is called avatära. Avatäraëa. Avatäraëa.
Just like... Avatäraëa means "coming from up to down." That is called
avatärana. And avatära is understood that when God or His bona fide
representative comes from that sky to this material plane, that is called avatära.
So this sound, this Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare / Hare
Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, is the sound representation of the
Supreme Lord. The sarvaà khalv idaà brahma [Chändogya Upaniñad 3.14.1], the
whole thing, either material or spiritual, whatever we have got experience,
nothing is separated from the Supreme Absolute Truth. Nothing is separated.
Everything has emanated from the Absolute Truth.
[aside:] Come on. Sit down.
But just like... The example... Just like earth. Earth, then from earth, you have
got wood, fuel. From fuel, when you get fire, first of all there is smoke. Then,
after smoke, there is fire. And the fire, from fire, you can take work.
Now, beginning from earth, from earth there is wood; from wood there is
smoke; from smoke there is fire. There is a link between the fire and the earth.
But the work of the fire, the benefit of the fire, can be had at the last stage,
when there is real ignition of fire. Similarly, there is link. The whole material
cosmic situation, manifestation, what we see, it is just like the smoke. The fire
is behind it. That is spiritual sky. But still, in the smoke you can feel some heat

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also. So similarly, this sound vibration of the spiritual world is here so that even
in this material world, where there is a scarcity of that spiritual fire, we can
appreciate, we can feel, the warmth of that fire.
So this is the meaning of, in a nutshell, meaning of this, I mean to say, spiritual
vibration. And grammatical meaning is these, all these words, sixteen words:
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare / Hare Räma, Hare Räma,
Räma Räma, Hare Hare, sixteen... Now, according to grammatical rules, when
somebody is addressed... Just like in your English language it is, note of address
is, "O Mr. Such-and-such." Similarly, in grammar, Sanskrit grammar, the same
note of address, which is called sambodhana, that is expressed in this way.
So Hare, Hare is the note of address form of the sound Harä. Harä. Harä means
the potency of the Supreme Lord. Potency. The Supreme Lord is represented
everywhere by His potency. There is a nice verse in the Viñëu Puräëa. It is said
like that: Just like a fire, the fire situated in one place, it distributes its heat and
light. Just like... Take the example for the sun. The sun is located at a certain
fixed-up place. That we can see. But the heat of the sun and the light of the
sun is distributed all over the universe. Ekadeça-sthitasyägneù. Ah, yes.
The verse is like...

eka-deça-sthitasyägner
jyotsnä vistäriëé yathä
tathä sarvam akhilaà jagat
brahmaëaù çaktiù brahmaëaù
[Viñëu Puräëa 1.22.52]

[Just as the illumination of a fire, which is situated in one place, is spread all
over, the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Para-brahman, are
spread all over this universe.]
Akhilaà jagat. In this world, whatever you are seeing, it is nothing but
distribution of the energy of the Supreme Lord. Just like you can feel the light

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and the heat of the sun. This light and heat of the sun are different energies of
the sun. The energy and the energetic, the thing from which the energy is
generated and the energy, they are nondifferent. The sunshine or the sun heat
is not different from the sun. Because there is heat in the sun, therefore we feel
the heat of sunshine. And there is light in the sun, therefore we see the
sunshine.
So this sunshine and sun heat is not different from the sun as it is. But still it is
different. Still it is different. You cannot say that "Because I am feeling the
heat of the sun, therefore I have approached sun." No. Sun is far, far away from
you. And because the sunshine has entered your room, you cannot say that
"Sun has entered my room." No. Still, sunshine and sun heat is not different
from the sun.
Similarly, the whole creation, anything... Generally there are three things: the
potent, God, and His three energies. This is the sum total: internal energy,
external energy and marginal energy. External energy is this material
manifestation. Just like this body is my external energy. I am soul, so my
external energy is this body. Similarly, I have got my internal energy. That is
my consciousness. Consciousness is my internal energy, and this body and the
mind and this material demonstration, or manifestation, is my external energy.
The body has developed, the mind has developed, from me, soul, not that I,
consciousness, is developed from this body. No. That is a wrong conception.
That is a wrong conception.
You cannot develop consciousness from this body. Otherwise a dead man could
have been again revived to consciousness. Because if matter is the cause of
consciousness, then the whole matter is there already, whole matter. The dead
body means, so far material substance is concerned, everything is there,
present. Nothing has disappeared. If you say there is no blood, oh, that is not
very difficult thing, blood, a red substance. Do you mean to say something red
injected within this body will bring back the life? No.

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If redness is the cause of life or consciousness, then modern chemical can make
immediately by chemical combination the whole thing red. Or take example:
there are many natural stones, they are by nature red. If you say that "This
artificial redness cannot give life; the natural redness is the cause of life," then
you take the stone. It has got natural redness, but there is no life. But there is
no life. So redness is also not the cause of consciousness of life. That is a wrong
theory. That is a complete... Consciousness is completely different thing,
qualitatively different. Nothing is different from one to another, just like I
have explained already that the earth, wood, then smoke, then
fire—everything is linked up, but everything is also different from one
another.
So the whole thing... The Supreme Lord is represented throughout everything,
whatever you see, matter or spirit or anything, physical, chemical—whatever
you can give name—there are so many things. But they are not separated from
God. God is linked up in everywhere. Éçäväsyam idaà sarvam [Éço mantra 1].
[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled
and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things
necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not
accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]
Just like our Bhagavad-gétä, we have begun that yena sarvam idaà tatam: "That
thing which is present all over the body, that you are." So this is individual
consciousness: "I am present all over my body." Similarly, the Supreme
Consciousness, He is present all over the universe, all over.
This is only a small manifestation of God's energy, very minute. In the
Bhagavad-gétä you will find, ekäàçena sthito jagat [Bg 10.42].
[But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a
single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.]
This jagat... Jagat means this material manifestation. This material

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manifestation is a one-fourth part demonstration of this whole energy of the
Supreme Lord. One-fourth part. So nothing is different from God. But there
are certain philosophers, they say, pantheist or monotheist... There are so many
theists; they are also be... They believe in the Supreme, but impersonal. But we
followers of this Kåñëa philosophy, Bhagavad-gétä, Çrémad-Bhägavata, we do not
follow that philosophy.
What is that philosophy? The other sections, they say that "Because God is
distributed all over everywhere, therefore there is no separate existence of
God." But we do not say that. We say that, the example, that because the sun is
distributing his heat and energy, therefore you cannot say that there is no
existence of sun. Sun is separately existing. In spite of distributing for millions
of years heat, the reservation of heat in the sun is intact. It is not diminished.
But everyone knows that for millions and billions of years the sun is
distributing heat. Nobody knows the history, how long. Your distributing
center, the powerhouse, if you fail to supply coal or oil, then after one hour the
whole New York City will be dark. So just you can imagine who is supplying
the fuel in the heat of the sun so that for millions and billions of years the heat
of the sun is in the same temperature.
So this is only one of the creation of the God, God's creation. But just imagine.
If God's creation is so unlimited and so much energetic, then how much
energetic and how much powerful is the creator? That is to be... These things
are to be thought. In everything, everything, we can have God consciousness.
If this watch is so wonderful workmanship and we are struck with wonder how
nicely it is giving time, how the machine is adjusted, now, before appreciating
this watch, how much we have to appreciate the person who has discovered
this watch, how much brain he has got.
Before appreciating a powerful brain in this world, one should appreciate who
has given him this powerful brain. If the man has attained that powerful brain
out of his own accord, then great powerful brain like Professor Einstein, Sir
Jagadish Chandra Bose, they could create another brain like them, so that in
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their absence there would not have been scarcity of scientist and powerful
brain. But they could not do that. Therefore they are not creator of the
powerful brain. The powerful brain is gift of the supreme powerful brain.
So in every respect, if we think... This is called philosophy. If we have got
thoughtful propensities, if we can little think over every matter, you will find
that God is present everywhere, and still, He is personally present in His own
place. The same example: the sun is present everywhere by heat and light; still,
sun, the sun, has its own location. That you cannot deny. Similarly, God is
present everywhere. Not only everywhere... We learn from Brahma-saàhitä,

eko 'py asau racayituà jagad-aëòa-koöià

yac-chaktir asti jagad-aëòa-cayä yad-antam
aëòäntara-stha-paramäëu-cayäntara-sthaà
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
[Bs 5.35]

[He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency

and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His
potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present
in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the
universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.]
This Govinda, anädir ädir govindaù [Bs 5.1].
[Kåñëa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an
eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and
He is the prime cause of all causes.]
So the prayer is, "I worship that Govinda," sarva-käraëa-käraëam, käraëa, "who
is the cause of all causes." Cause of all causes. Now, in this verse of
Brahma-saàhitä we find that one of His plenary portions... In the Vedic hymns
we find that God has become many. Eko bahu syäm. God is one without second,
but He has become Himself many. We are also God. Out of that many, we are

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one. We are one. We are not separate from God. So, but there are amongst the
"many's" there is a difference of potency, difference of potencies. Just like what
you can do, I cannot do. Your workmanship may not be equal with my
workmanship. Your brain work may not be equal to my brain work. There are
differences. Each and every living entity, they are different from each other so
far individual capacities are concerned.
So in spite of many... That is God's creation. In spite of many, each and every
thing, you will find there is some difference. You can sit down at a place in
New York and go on counting and seeing all people passing before you—you
won't find one man is exactly like the other man. Not only that; in court, you
know, every one of you know, that they take impression of the left-hand thumb
impression. Now, this thumb impression... You go on taking millions and
millions of thumb impression, and you won't find one thumb impression is
exactly like the others. And because there is difference of thumb impression,
therefore the identity is taken in that way, that "This particular man's thumb
impression, even if he denies his signature, the thumb impression will
corroborate that his signature is this." So that is God's creation.
Similarly, there are two kinds of expansions of the Lord. One kind of
expansion is called viñëu-tattva. Viñëu-tattva means the expansion, they are as
equal as the God Himself. And there are expansions which are called the
jéva-tattva, living entities. This expansion of the living entities, they are not
equally powerful, but the expansion of viñëu-tattva is equally powerful, as good
as God Himself. So the incarnation... Incarnation of God means the expansion
which is as good as God Himself. That is called incarnation.
So this, I mean to..., Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare / Hare
Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, is the expansion, incarnation,
sound incarnation, of God. It is expansion and a plenary expansion, sound,
sound representation... Not representation; God, present Himself in this form
of sound. Because we cannot see God with our present eyes, present eyes,
because this is not our proper eyes. They are material eyes. You don't think that
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this eye, the transparent thing which is floating in this, I mean to say, hole...
That is not seeing. Similarly, if you can present, or if you take this eye... You
cannot see. That cannot see. It is simply a lens only. It is only lens. So none of
this body, bodily part, is actually the thing which is taking part.
So therefore with these eyes, with these material eyes, you cannot see. Ataù
çré-kåñëa-nämädi na bhaved grähyam indriyaiù [Cc Madhya 17.136]. The present
senses, the present senses cannot have any knowledge of the Supreme God.
But how then we can have knowledge? If my senses are unfit, then how can I
make it fit? Oh, that is the thing. That is the thing, that you have to
spiritualize, spiritualize this material sense, I mean to say, organs. And then,
when you spiritualize, then you can have the spiritual vision and see God and
yourself.
The same example which I have recited many times: just like the iron rod. Iron
rod, you put into the fire. It gets warm—warm, warmer, warmer. And when it
is red hot, then it is no longer iron. Iron it is, but it does not act as iron, but it
acts as fire. That iron rod which is red hot in association with fire, you can take
that rod and touch anything, it will burn. That means it is no longer acting as
iron; it is acting as fire.
Similarly, if you associate with this transcendental incarnation, sound
incarnation of God, then you will be gradually godly. You will be godly. You
can become godly with God's association, not by any other material, extraneous
thing. No. Just like you can have fire only in association with fire, not with
water. If you want to get yourself warm, then you have to associate with fire,
not with water, not with air. Similarly, if you want to spiritualize your vision, if
you want to spiritualize your action, if you want to spiritualize the whole
constitution of your existence, then you have to associate with the supreme
spirit.
And that supreme spirit is very kind, because He is everything. That we have
already explained. Everything is interrelated with the Supreme; therefore He is

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interrelated with sound also. So by God's inconceivable potency, He can
present before yourself in sound incarnation. That is His potency. That is His
potency. He can do that. And therefore this name Kåñëa and the Supreme
Lord Kåñëa, there is no difference.
So our this sound representation of the Supreme Lord constantly will make us...
Just like our association with the fire, the, I mean to say, iron rod's association
with the fire makes the rod equally qualified, exactly—not equally qualified,
but almost the quality of burning it gets—similarly, by our constant association
with Lord...
Lord is not only incarnation in a sound form; He is incarnated in many other
forms. In many other forms. Just like arcä. Arcä means the form of the Lord
situated, I mean to say, established in some temple and worshiped. That is also
incarnation of God. That is not idol worship. People who do not know that this
is an authorized process of realizing God, or they have never tasted or practiced
it, they cannot understand. They say it is idol worship. No. It is not idol
worship. It is not idol worship.
I'll give you one example. Just like in the front of your door there is a box—"US
Mail," it is written. And you put your letters within that box, and after few days
you get reply from your friend that "I have received your letter, and this is such
and such, such and such." Now, if somebody puts another box like that, exactly
imitation: "Then why shall I spend postage to putting letters in this box, US
Mail? I require postage. But then why shall I not put up a box like that? Let me
prepare a box like that so that it can go without postage. I want to save
postage." Now, he is going on, putting letters in that without postage. And after
some time he sees all the letters are lying there; it has not been
dispatched—because it is imitation. And the box which is supplied by the post
office, that is authorized. In the matter, in material, you will find this box and
that imitation box is the same thing.
So this is a science. You see? Although we find that "This form of the Lord...

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The Hindus, they have established one statue in the temple, and they are
worshiping as the Lord? How is that? Is it Lord is a stone? It is wood?" But he
does not know that because it is authorized, because it is authorizedly
worshiped, therefore even it is stone or wood, it can act. It can act. Just like the
authorized post office, although seemingly it is a box which I can prepare, but it
is acting, because it is authorized, similarly, the authorized, authorized symbol
or representation of God is also God. He's not different from God.
Then why God is like that? It is His mercy. Because I cannot see God with my
these eyes—I can see stone and wood and material things—therefore God is
kind enough [to appear] in a form suitable to my seeing and accept my service.
It is His kindness. And besides that, if everything is God, because everything
has link with the God, with the Supreme Truth, then God, being omnipotent,
why He cannot represent Himself win[?]... everything? Everything is God,
everything is emanation of God, then God has got the power to manifest
Himself in everything. That is His omnipotency. So these are consideration.
So the explanation of Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare / Hare
Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare is addressing, addressing the
Supreme Lord through the energy, Harä. Harä is the energy, internal energy.
Just like when there is... Of course, in your country there is no sun worship, but
in India there are persons who are sun worshipers. So they worship sun with so
many things. And there is a lamp also. Now, this lamp is a light, but it is being
offered for satisfying the sun. Now, sun is so lightful, this light is merely
insignificant before the sunlight. But still, because I have no other means, I am
getting sunlight, imitation of that light, and offering, and that offering is
accepted.
So these are spiritual conception. When we gradually make our progressive
advancement, these things will be realized. But for the present we can take this
instruction from authorized scripture that,

ataù çré-kåñëa-nämädi

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 na bhaved grähyam indriyaiù
sevonmukhe hi jihvädau
svayam eva sphuraty adaù
[Cc Madhya 17.136]

[Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kåñëa’s holy name, form,

qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kåñëa
consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy
name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one
gradually comes to understand who Kåñëa really is.]
The God's name, God's form, God's quality, God's paraphernalia, God's
entourage, like that, and anything in relation to God, cannot be realized with
our present senses. But when we are in service attitude, then God is so
merciful, He is so pleased, that our tiny efforts to realize Him attracts Him, and
He becomes manifested gradually as we make our progress in spiritual service,
or devotional service.
So this method, chanting, chanting of the transcendental name of the
Supreme Lord, is a part of devotional service. There are nine kinds of
devotional services, of which,

çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù

smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà
säkhyam ätma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]

[There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional

service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being
patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as çravaëaà
kértanaà viñëoù smaraëam—hearing, chanting and remembering Kåñëa], (5)
abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps

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of the previous äcäryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete
success of pure devotional service.]
These are different nine processes. Çravaëaà kértanam. Çravaëam means
hearing, and kértanam means chanting. Chanting. So by this process. Just like I
chant and you hear, and you chant and I hear. Parasparam. Bodhayantaù
parasparam [Bg 10.9].
[The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered
to Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another
and conversing about Me.]
This is the factual activities of devotion in devotional society. This
bodhayantaù parasparam: I chant, you hear, and you chant, I hear. By this
process, the transcendental name, the sound incarnation of the Supreme Lord,
becomes manifest, manifest so that we can realize God simply by chanting and
hearing. Simply by chanting and hearing that will be realized.
Of course, there are some rules and regulation for chanting, but in the
beginning we haven't got to observe those rules and regulation at the present.
First of all let us have the taste for chanting; then we shall be little careful that
the rules and regulations are followed. In the beginning, if we stick up to the...
Rules and regulation are subordinate, subordinate thing. Just like you enter
into your office. You are appointed in some office to work. So on the very day,
you do not know all the rules and regulations. But because you do not know all
the rules and regulation, that does not mean that you cannot be appointed.
First of all let yourself be appointed. Now, working, working, yourself you will
know that rules and regulations: "This is the rules, and this is the regulation."
Just like in my life, I will say one instance. When I met my spiritual master,
Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Mahäräja, so as a gentleman meets as a
gentleman, so he was sitting in a couch like that. So..., and I also sat down on
that very couch. So I did not know that what are the rules and regulations.
[chuckles] Now, when I saw that his other disciples are coming, and they are

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sitting down, [laughs] so I thought myself, "Oh, I have done this wrong. I should
not have sat with His Divine Grace." So of course, I did not get down
immediately [laughs], but I took it, and from next day I did not sit.
So rules and regulation automatically was taught. So that rules and regulations
is not very important. The important is... The thing is that we must take up.
The first rules and regulation is that we must have some attachment for this.
Attachment for this. Then, automatically, rules and regulation we shall learn.
There will be no difficulty.
So this transcendental sound, Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare
Hare, you don't think that I have come here, it is my personal manufacture.
No. It is not. No. It is not my personal manufacture. It is authorized, just like
the postbox is authorized. Because all previous äcäryas, all previous authorized
persons in this line, they have done it. Just like, see, Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He
is chanting and dancing, chanting and dancing, you see, the same thing. This
picture is before you so that gradually, when you feel ecstasy, you will also
dance like Him. And when you automatically dance, then you will know that
the thing is already realized. Not artificially, but when you feel, "Oh, let me
dance. It is so much ecstatic. Let me dance." Nothing should be done
artificially. Let everything come automatically.
And only we have to follow. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù [Cc Madhya
17.186].
[Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu continued, ”’Dry arguments are inconclusive. A
great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a
great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot
come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid
truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated,
self-realized person. Consequently, as the çästras confirm, one should accept
whatever progressive path the mahäjanas advocate.’]
Dharmasya tattvaà nihitaà guhäyäà mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. This is a

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verse from scriptures, that tarko apratiñöhaù, if you simply go on arguing about
spiritual matter—"This is not, this is not, this is not, yes, this is not..." I say
something; you say something. No, no, no. You cannot realize spiritual objects
simply by this speculation, argument.
Our argument, our logical, I mean to say, strength has no access in the spiritual
world. The Vedic mantra says, näyam ätmä pravacanena labhyo na medhayä na
bahunä çrutena [Kaöha Upaniñad 1.2.23]:
[The Supreme Lord is not attained by expert explanations, by vast
intelligence, nor even by much hearing. He is attained only by one who He
Himself chooses. To such a person He manifests His own form.]
"Atma, the supreme self, cannot be realized pravacanena." Suppose I am very
expert speaker, I can present things very nicely—but without any substance.
Oh, that won't help you. Simply by jugglery of words, if I can captivate you, oh,
that won't help you. Näyam ätmä pravacanena. This is pravacana.
Of course, we are delivering speeches from authoritative book, Bhagavad-gétä. I
am not speaking before you of my own imagination. I am speaking from the
authorized book. Therefore it is not exactly pravacana, neither I am squeezing
out some meaning for my purpose. I am just presenting you the same principle.
Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. As Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu preached, I am
trying to present the same thing before you in a different language only. That's
all.
Because in India He preached in Sanskrit. He was a very learned scholar in
Sanskrit. Formerly, any big man, any big scholar, they would be big scholar in
Sanskrit. Sanskrit was the written language. Even in the beginning of the
British period, Sanskrit was written language. It is the policy of Lord McCauley
that he transformed the whole attitude. They made a plan that "If Indians
remain as Indian, then we cannot rule over. Then we cannot rule over. We
must make them anglicized." So that policy was followed for two hundred years.

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So India has lost its original culture.
So therefore the original point is that tarko apratiñöhaù. We cannot realize the
Supreme Truth simply by argument or logical presentation or philosophical
speculation. No. Tarko apratiñöhaù çrutayo vibhinnä [Cc Madhya 17.186].
[Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu continued, ”’Dry arguments are inconclusive. A
great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a
great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot
come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid
truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated,
self-realized person. Consequently, as the çästras confirm, one should accept
whatever progressive path the mahäjanas advocate.’]
Çrutayo means scriptures. Now say, for example, Bhagavad-gétä and your Bible
and the Muhammadans, they'll present Koran. So of course, this Bhagavad-gétä
is little different from Vedic scripture. That we have already explained. It is an
independent something, universal. So Vedic scripture, Koran, Bible, or
Zoroastrian... There are so many religions—Buddhist religion—so many. So
there may be some difference of opinion. Çrutayor vibhinnä. Vibhinnä means
different.
Now, you cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by your mundane
arguments and by your logical strength, neither you can catch up the right
thing by reading different scriptures. Çrutayor vibhinnä. Näsau munir yasya
mataà na bhinnam [Cc Madhya 17.186].
[Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu continued, ”’Dry arguments are inconclusive. A
great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a
great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot
come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid
truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated,
self-realized person. Consequently, as the çästras confirm, one should accept
whatever progressive path the mahäjanas advocate.’]

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And if you follow great philosophers, great thinkers, then also you will find one
thinker is different from another thinker, one philosopher is differing from
another philosopher. So whom to follow? This philosopher says that God is a
person; another philosopher says God is imperson; another philosopher says
that God is everywhere and there is no separate existence of God.
So many philosophies there are in the world. And one person is not actually
philosopher if he does not differ from other philosophers. That is the
philosophical basic principle. You are a philosopher. If I cannot make your
philosophical conclusion null and void and make my philosophy established,
then I am not a philosopher. You see? That is the way, going on. Näsau munir
yasya mataà na bhinnam: "He is not a philosopher if he cannot present a
separate theory." He is not a philosopher.
Then how to catch up the Absolute Truth? What is the way? Now, dharmasya
tattvaà nihitaà guhäyäm: "Therefore the Absolute Truth is concealed within
your heart." Nihitaà guhäyäm. Now, mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù: "You just
try to follow the great personalities, what they are doing." What they are doing.
Now, about this mahäjana, there is also difference of opinion who is mahäjana.
But so far our Vedic culture is concerned, there are specific mention,
mahäjana. And so far Lord Kåñëa is concerned, so there is no two opinions
about His authority throughout the whole world. And so far we are concerned,
Hindus, or the followers of the Vedic religion, there is no difference of opinion
so far Kåñëa's authority is concerned.
There are five authorities, recognized authorities, in India so far this is...,
spiritual life is concerned. One of them is Çré Rämänujäcärya and other is
Çaìkaräcärya. The other is Madhväcärya, other is Viñëu Svämé, and other is
Nimbärka, Nimbäditya. Principally. The whole, I mean, some of them
flourished, say, two thousand years before; some of them 1,500 years before;
some of them eleven hundred years before. Just like there are different ages,
they have come. But all of them, in spite of their coming in different ages, they

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all are in one opinion—kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam [SB 1.3.28]:
[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or
portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Çré Kåñëa is the original
Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a
disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]
"Kåñëa, Lord Kåñëa, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just like we have
cited, éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù [Bs 5.1]: "The supreme controller, the Supreme
Lord, is Kåñëa."
[Kåñëa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an
eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and
He is the prime cause of all causes.]
Now, we can see from His presentation of this Bhagavad-gétä how supreme He
is. He spoke this truth five thousand years before, and continually, for five
thousand years, all scholars are studying this scripture, and studying very
devotedly to understand it. You know our present president in India, Dr.
Radhakrishnan. He is a renowned scholar of the world, Dr. Radhakrishnan.
When he came to your country, your president, late Mr. Kennedy, oh, he
welcomed him as his own teacher, because when Mr. Kennedy was a student in
the Oxford University, Dr. Radhakrishnan was a visiting professor. In the open
meeting Mr. Kennedy admitted that "Now Dr. Radhakrishnan has come as the
president, but he is always my teacher. He is still my teacher." It was very kind
of him that he received him as a teacher, not as contemporary.
So even that Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is also studying this Bhagavad-gétä very, I
mean to say, profoundly. You know your Professor Einstein. Oh, he was a
profound, I mean to say, student of this Bhagavad-gétä. Hitler was a great
student of Bhagavad-gétä. So many, in all the countries. There are so many
Muhammadans in India, oh, they are devout student of Bhagavad-gétä. I know
one Dr. Inrai of Allahabad University. Oh, he is so devoted to Lord Kåñëa that
on the birthday of Lord Kåñëa he must write one nice article and publish in the

18
paper.
So this instruction, that mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù... We cannot have the
knowledge of the Absolute Truth simply by argument or simply by philosophy
or simply by big brain or speaking power. No, no. All these things will not do.
Simply we have to follow the great authority.
So Lord Kåñëa..., Lord Caitanya, He introduced this Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa,
Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare / Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare for
this age. And He recommended, kalau... Not recommended by His own brain,
but it is recommended in the scriptures:

harer näma harer näma harer näma eva kevalam

kalau nästy eva nästy eva nästy eva gatir anyathä
[Cc Ädi 17.21]

[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other
means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy
name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]
If you want to realize the Supreme Truth, then you must chant this: Hare
Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare / Hare Räma, Hare
Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, whenever you get... Harer näma harer näma
harer näma eva kevalam: "Only this." And if you think, "Oh, only this? Why
not other?" No. Kalau nästy eva nästy eva nästy eva gatir anyathä. Nästy eva
means "There is no alternative." And He repeats this: "no alternative, no
alternative, no alternative," three times. Three times. That means He is giving
too much stress.
So our process is like that, that we are following a great personality, Lord Çré
Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He introduced... He introduced from the scripture, not
in His own way.
Nothing should be accepted which is not recognized. You see? So this is

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recognized method. Now it depends on us. Let us follow this process and see
how we are making progress in the spiritual path. You see?
Thank you very much. Now, if there is any question, you can raise. [end]

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