Bhagavad-gétä 7.

15–18
—
October 7, 1966, New York

661007BG-NEW YORK [41:09 Minutes]

Audio

Prabhupäda: Mäyayäpahåta-jïänä äsuraà bhävam äçritäù. Last day we have

been discussing four classes of men who come to God and four classes of men
who do not come to God. The four classes of men who do not come to God,
they are impious, foolish, lowest of the mankind, and their knowledge is taken
away by the illusory energy and they are atheist.

na mäà duñkåtino müòhäù

prapadyante narädhamäù
mäyayäpahåta-jïänä
äsuraà bhävam äçritäù
[Bg 7.15]

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose
knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of
demons, do not surrender unto Me.]
We have discussed this point in detail. The next, that four classes of men, ärto
arthärthé jïäné ca bharatarñabha... Ärto jijïäsur arthärthé jïäné ca bharatarña...
[Bg 7.16].
[O best among the Bhäratas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render
devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the

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inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.]
Four classes of men who are pious but at the same time distressed,
poverty-stricken, and inquirous—and inquisitive of transcendental knowledge;
and jïäné, and philosopher; jijïäsu, inquisitive; and philosopher—these four
classes of men, they come to God.
Now, so far the four classes of men who do not come to God... That means the
impious, the foolish, the lowest of the mankind, whose knowledge has been
taken away by the illusory energy, and the atheist. Apart from these classes of
men, the four classes of men who come to God, just like ärta, distressed;
inquisitive; arthärthé—arthärthé means poverty-stricken; and jïäné, means
philosopher. Now, out of these four classes, Lord Kåñëa says, teñäà jïäné
nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir viçiñyate: "Out of these four classes men, one who is
philosophically trying to understand the nature of God with devotion, with
Kåñëa consciousness, he is viçiñyate." Viçiñyate means he's specially qualified.
He's specially qualified.
Priyo hi jïänino 'tyartham ahaà sa ca mama priyaù [Bg 7.17].
[Of these, the wise one who is in full knowledge in union with Me through
pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to
Me.]
The... "For a person who is Kåñëa conscious, at the same time philosophically
trying to understand what is the nature of God, so he is very dear to Me," Kåñëa
says. "He is very dear to Me because he has no other business than to
understand what is God." Others, just like a distressed man, he is in distress,
but because he's pious, therefore he believes in God, he goes to the churches or
to the temple or to the mosque and prays, "My dear Lord, I am very much
distressed. Kindly help me."
But the difficulty of this person is that God does not require to be prayed for,
asking anything. He is... He is pious, he is distressed, but at the same time, he is

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foolish. Why he is foolish? Because he does not know that "God is with me,
within my heart. He's sitting along with me. The soul and the Supersoul, both
of them are sitting together. And God knows everything about me. So I did not
require to pray from God to get me out of this distress. He knows everything.
Why shall I pray?" He leaves everything to God. He does not pray. He prays...,
he prays to glorify the God, "How great You are," not for his personal
interest—"O God, give me my bread. Give me my dress. Give me my shelter."
That is also good. He is better than the person, that müòha, the foolish, the
atheist and the lowest of the mankind. He's far better. Even he is going and
asking in the church, "O God, give me my daily bread," but at the same time, he
is less intelligent because he does not know that "God is with me, and He
knows everything about me."
Therefore one who is pure devotee, he does not pray to God for any personal
interest. Even if he is distressed, he says, "O Lord, it is Your kindness. You have
put me in distress just to rectify me. I would have been put into more and more,
thousand times in distress, but You are giving me little. That's all. That is Your
great mercy." That is his vision. He does not... He's not disturbed.
Tulyärthäpamänayoù[?]. A person who is in Kåñëa consciousness, he doesn't
care for all this material distress or insult or honor, because he is aloof from
this. He doesn't... He knows very well that "This designation, this honor or this
insult, they are pertaining to my body, but I am not this body."
Just like Socrates. Socrates was condemned to death because he believed in
the..., an immortality of the soul. So he was condemned to death, and he was
asked to take hemlock or something like that, poison. And the judge wanted,
"Well, Socrates, how do you want to be put into the grave?" He replied, "First of
all, you catch me. Then you put me into the grave." [laughter] "You are dealing
with my body, nonsense. I am out of this. So you kill me or you put me into the
grave or whatever you like, I don't mind. First of all, you catch me. Then you
put me into the grave."

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So this is... One who is completely conversant with Kåñëa science, he knows
very well, "I am not this body. I am part and parcel of Kåñëa. My eternal
relation is with Kåñëa. But some way or other, I have been put into this
entanglement of this material body. All right. Now I am in sense. I get aloof
from you. I am not going to be associated with the three qualities of this
material nature," as we are discussing this morning. "I am not concerned with
the modes of goodness or modes of passion or modes of ignorance. I am
concerned with Kåñëa."
Therefore such a learned, and who has understood his real position and his
relationship with Kåñëa, he is jïäné. He knows. Therefore he is very much dear
to Kåñëa. And Kåñëa always guides him. This man, who is in distress, goes and
prays to God. That praying of God is an asset to him, but it may be, when he is
put into opulence, he forgets God. There is defect in that. But a jïäné, one who
knows, he'll never forget God. His business will go on, continue.
Then, therefore, Kåñëa says, teñäà jïäné nitya-yuktaù. Jïäné is nitya-yukta.
Jïäné is not a... He is not a jïäné, or man in knowledge, who is not eternally
engaged in the service of Kåñëa. There are... There is a class of jïäné,
impersonalist. They say that "Because to worship impersonal is very difficult for
us, so imagine some form of God." They are not jïäné; they are fools. Oh, you
cannot imagine the form of God. God is so great. That may be your
imagination, but that is not the form of God. That is concoction. They are
called iconographer. Iconographer.
There are two classes of men: iconoclast and iconographer. Those who imagine
the form of God, they are not jïäné, they are iconographer. And those who
think that "I have killed God" or "I have finished God," they are iconoclast. Just
like in India we have experienced during British days, there were
Hindu-Muslim riots. So the Hindus would go to the mosque of the Muslim and
break it, and the Muslim would go the temples of the Hindus and break the
idol. And they'll think that "We have finished Hindu's God." Just like Hindus

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also think, "Oh, we have broken their mosque; therefore I have broken their
God." These are foolishness.
In another case... I have got experience. When there was, I mean to say,
noncooperation movement of Gandhi's, the people became riotous, and they
began to break anything government, especially the postboxes on the street.
[laughter] They thought by breaking the postboxes they are finishing the post
office.
So these are foolishness. They are not jïäné. One who has got real conception
of God, they have no quarrel with each other. All the history of religious fight,
Hindu-Muslim or Christian–non-Christian, they are all ignorant. They are all
ignorant. One who is in the knowledge, he knows that God is one. God cannot
be Hindu. God cannot be Muslim. God cannot be Christian. God is God. He
has no material qualification. It is our conception that "God is such and such,
God is such and such." That is imagination. That is called iconographer.
So they are not jïäné. They are not man in knowledge. Man in knowledge is
different. He knows that God is transcendental. Just like even Çaìkaräcärya,
the impersonalist, he says, näräyaëaù paraù avyaktät. And in this morning also
we have discussed this point that one who knows God transcendental, above
this material qualities, he knows.
So therefore Kåñëa says here, priyo hi jïänino 'tyartham. The man who is
actually in knowledge of the science of God is very dear to God. Priyo hi
jïänino 'tyartham ahaà sa ca mama priyaù. That is the personal relationship
with the devotee and God. The devotee, he does not know anything beyond
God, and God also does not know anything beyond His devotee. So sweet
relation.
God is always after me, as we have discussed many times, that He is sitting in
the same tree, in this heart. I am sitting, and my friend, God, is also sitting,
Supersoul, eternally. Wherever I am taking my transmigration, when I leave
this body and enter into another body, oh, God also goes there just to see what

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I am doing. When I shall turn my face towards Him—He is simply waiting.
And as soon as I turn my face towards God, oh, He says, "My dear son, come
on." Sa ca mama priyaù. Lord says, "Oh, you are eternally dear to Me. Now you
are turning your face to Me. So I am very glad."
So therefore jïäné—one who understands the science of God. Simply God,
"God is good," that is also very good. But one should understand what is the...
That science of God is Çrémad-Bhägavata..., er, Bhagavad-gétä and
Çrémad-Bhägavata. Bhagavad-gétä is the preliminary study of the science of
God. So anyone who is actually interested in God, they should study the
science of God, Bhagavad-gétä. Vijïänam. Vijïänam means science.
jïänaà me parama-guhyaà
yad vijïäna-samanvitam
[SB 2.9.31]
[The Personality of Godhead said: Knowledge about Me as described in the
scriptures is very confidential, and it has to be realized in conjunction with
devotional service. The necessary paraphernalia for that process is being
explained by Me. You may take it up carefully.]
In the Bhägavata there is a statement like this. Jïänam. Jïänam means
knowledge. Parama-guhyam: very confidential, very subtle and confidential.
Parama-guhyam. Yad vijïäna-samanvitam: which is full of scientific knowledge.
Sa-rahasyam: it is full of mystery also. Jïänam me parama-guhyaà yad
vijïäna-samanvitam, sa-rahasyaà tad-aìgaà ca, and how to understand the
different departmental knowledge of God. Gåhäëa gaditaà mayä: that
knowledge can be imparted by God Himself.
You cannot manufacture the knowledge of God. As..., as you discover some
scientific knowledge of this material world, similarly, you cannot discover God
by such knowledge. That is not possible. The knowledge of God can be had
when it is explained by God Himself or a bona fide representative of God. That

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is the process.
Therefore in the Bhagavad-gétä you'll find,

yadä yadä hi dharmasya

glänir bhavati bhärata
abhyutthänam adharmasya
tadätmänaà såjämy aham
[Bg 4.7]

[Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O

descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I
descend Myself.]
"Whenever there is discrepancy in the matter of understanding the science of
God, at that time I incarnate Myself." Because the whole system is like that,
that it is an opportunity to the conditioned soul to recoup themselves to come
back to God. This whole material creation is there, manifestation is there, to
give the conditioned soul an opportunity to recoup himself and to understand
what is his relationship with God and come back to God.
So anyone who is very much inquisitive and, at the same time, eager to
understand his relationship with God, he is called a jïäné, a man in knowledge,
and he is very dear to Kåñëa. It is not a sentiment. By sentiment you talk some
nonsense. That is not bhakti. That is not devotion. Devotion is not sentiment;
it is a science.
Rüpa Gosvämé says,

çruti-småti-puräëädi-
païcarätra-vidhià vinä
aikäntiké harer bhaktir
utpätäyaiva kalpate
[Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu 1.2.101]

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 [Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures
like the Upaniñads, Puräëas and Närada-païcarätra is simply an unnecessary
disturbance in society.]
He says that "A show of devotion, a show of spiritual," I mean to say,
spirituality, "a show of devotion, a show of spirituality, without reference to the
Vedic knowledge, çruti, småti, and corollaries to the Vedas," païcarätra-vidhim,
"and the definition of bhakti-sütras like Närada-bhakti-sütra and such
authoritative books," aikäntiké harer bhaktiù, "if a man is showing himself that
he is very great devotee and a man in knowledge, without any reference of the
authoritative çästra, books—oh, that is simply disturbance," utpäta. Utpäta
means disturbance. A man showing that he is a great devotee, he's great man of
knowledge, but he has no reference with the books of knowledge, or the
authoritative books, oh, that is simply creating disturbance. That is not
religiosity, neither devotion, nothing else.
So this Kåñëa consciousness is a science. You have to take it scientifically, as
they are described in the authoritative books, and test it by your reason and
argument and knowledge, and follow it. It is science. It is not sentiment.
Whatever we are doing here, the dancing, singing and everything, that is all
scientific. Simply you have to understand it. Therefore jïäné, only a person
who is in knowledge, who is in knowledge of the science of Kåñëa, he can make
an rapid advancement, and he is very dear to Kåñëa. Because slow but sure, he
is making sure progress. It is no sentiment. So jïäné.
Priyo hi jïäninaù atyartham. Atyartham means very... Aham. Kåñëa is very dear
to the person in knowledge, and that man is also very dear to Kåñëa.
Reciprocal. If you love Kåñëa, then Kåñëa will love more than you. You can...
What capacity you have got to love Kåñëa? But Kåñëa will love. He has got
immense capacity. So that is a science.
And what is the next? Now, Kåñëa says,

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 udäräù sarva evaite
jïäné tv ätmaiva me matam
ästhitaù sa hi yuktätmä
mäm evänuttamäà gatim
[Bg 7.18]

[All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is

situated in knowledge of Me I consider verily to dwell in Me. Being engaged in
My transcendental service, he attains Me.]
Now, those persons, those who are distressed and those who are
poverty-stricken, they go to God. They pray to God. Now, Kåñëa is accepting
their endeavor. Udäräù sarva evaite: "They are, all of them, these four classes of
men, either he is..., he is coming to Me in distress, or being poverty-stricken, or
as inquisitive, or as real man of knowledge, they are welcome. They are
welcome." Udäräù: "They are very good." Sarva evaite, "But, out of them," jïäné
tu ätmaiva me matam, "still, that person who is in knowledge is very dear to Me,
still." He is confirming it.
So one should be in knowledge. Devotional service, it is a science. And why
others are welcome? Those who are distressed has come to God, and those who
are in poverty-stricken has come to God, why they are also welcome? They are
welcome in the sense that because they have come to God, in course of time
they will also become as good as the man in knowledge—if they continue. But
generally it happens, one who goes to the church for some profit, if the profit is
not there, he'll say, "It is nonsense." He gives up all connection with church.
I have got information from one of my Godbrother. He is German. He told me
that during wartime many Germans, they went to war, and their wives, sister,
all woman class, they went to church and prayed for the return of their
husband, brother or son. But they did not return, and all of them became
atheist: "Oh, there is no God. There is no God." Sometimes it happens like that,

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that "We want God as my order-supplier. If He does not supply the order, then
He becomes no God. There is no God." That is the defect of this kind of prayer.
But if they continue...
Now, I'll give you one example. There was a little boy, five years old, in royal
family, Mahäräja Dhruva. He was insulted by his stepmother. The little boy was
sitting on the lap of his father, and the stepmother dragged the boy: "Oh, you
cannot sit down..., sit on the father's, on the lap of your father, because you are
not born of me." Oh, the boy became very much, I mean to say, aggrieved at
the... Because he was the son of a kñatriya—they are in modes of passion—so
he took it a great insult, and he went to his own mother.
The king had two queens. The, I mean to..., the senior queen had this boy, and
the junior queen had no son. So junior queen was very much envious of this
boy. And so he..., she dragged the boy from the lap of his father, but the boy
felt insulted. He went to his mother and cried, "Mother, my," I mean to say,
"junior mother has insulted me in this way. I was sitting." "Oh, yes, my boy.
What can I do? I am helpless. Your father does not like me." "Then how can I
take revenge?" "My dear boy, you are helpless. If God helps you, then you can
take revenge." Because womanly character... "Oh, where is God?" She said, "Oh,
I understand so many great sages and saints, they go to the jungle and forest.
They see God there. They undergo penances and austerity and then find God
there."
Oh, he at once went to the forest. Then he was asking the tiger, "Oh, you are
God?" The elephant, "You are God?" In this way, when Näräyaëa saw, "Oh, this
boy is very much inquisitive," so He sent Närada, that "Go and see what is the
condition of this boy."
So Närada came. Närada is the agent of God. "My dear boy, you are royal..., you
belong to the royal family. You cannot suffer all this penance and austerity.
Please go back to your home. Your father is very much anxious for you, your
mother is very much anxious for you." The boy said, "My dear sir, you don't try

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to dissuade me in that way. If you know something about God, how can I see
God, then tell me. Otherwise you go away. Don't disturb me." So he was firmly
determined.
Now, this boy was initiated by Närada. When he saw that "This boy is
determined," then he initiated him and gave him mantra, that namo bhagavate
väsudeväya. He chanted that mantra and became perfect, and God came before
him.
Now, when God came before him, God offered him: "My dear Dhruva, what do
you want? Take whatever you like." Then Dhruva said, "My dear Sir,"
sthänäbhiläñé tapasi sthito 'ham [Cc Madhya 22.42],
[[When he was being blessed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Dhruva Mahäräja said:] ’O my Lord, because I was seeking an opulent material
position, I was performing severe types of penance and austerity. Now I have
gotten You, who are very difficult for the great demigods, saintly persons and
kings to attain. I was searching after a piece of glass, but instead I have found a
most valuable jewel. Therefore I am so satisfied that I do not wish to ask any
benediction from You.]
"oh, I was situated in this severe type of penance simply for the matter of my
father's kingdom, a land." Sthänäbhiläñé tapasi sthito 'haà tväà präptavän
deva-munéndra-guhyam: "But I have now seen You, and You who is impossible
to be seen even by the great sages and great saints. So I have seen You. So what
is my profit?"
Now, käcaà vicinvann api divya-ratnam: "As if I came out of my home to find
out some particles of glass, but I have found out a very valuable diamond."
Svämin kåtärtho 'smi varaà na yäce: "Oh, I am satisfied. I have no necessity of
asking from You."
So if anyone, either in distressed condition or in poverty-stricken, if he goes to
God and just like the same determination like Dhruva, that "I must see God

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and take this benediction from God," and if he happens to God..., see God, if
he understands God, then he is, he no more, no more wants to have anything
material. He understands that "All this material nonsense is foolishness. I have
got the real thing."
Yaà labdhvä cäparaà läbhaà manyate nädhikaà tataù [Bg 6.22]:
[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samädhi, when one's mind is
completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This
is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish
and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless
transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses.
Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he
thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never
shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom
from all miseries arising from material contact.]
"Which gaining"—you'll find in the Bhagavad-gétä—"when one actually in
Kåñëa consciousness, he does not want anything." Just like Dhruva Mahäräja.
Svämin kåtärtho 'smi varaà na yäce: "My dear Lord, I am fully satisfied. I don't
want anything. I have no distress. I am not poverty-stricken. I am the
wealthiest. There is no comparison of my asset." That position he comes to.
Therefore Kåñëa says that udäräù: "They are also good, because gradually they
will come to this understanding." Because a jïäné knows that "What are these
material things? They are only flickering. Flickering. Suppose I get too much
wealth and too much everything. What is this mater...?" Läbha, püjä, pratiñöhä.
These material assets are three. Something, I want some gain out of my work,
profit. And püjä. Püjä means people will adore me: "Oh, you are such a rich
man. You are so great man." Läbha, püjä and pratiñöhä, and fame: "People may
know me that 'I am Carnegie,' 'I am Rockefeller,' 'I am Birla.' " But he does not
know that Birla or Rockefeller is this body. As soon as this body is finished, all
Birla, Rockefeller is finished. Then I do not know whether I am entering into

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cat or dog. Huh?
Because after finishing this body, you are neither Birla, neither
Rockefeller—you are spirit soul. And according to your own karma, according
to your own work, your own work, you have to enter another body, which is
different from Birla and Carnegie. A jïäné knows, "So why shall I bother myself
for these temporary designation?" That is jïäné. He is jïäné. He is man in
knowledge. "I am pure soul. My eternal connection—with Kåñëa, the Supreme
Lord. Let me establish that connection very firmly, so that Kåñëa may take me
back into His kingdom. That is my business." So this is the preference to the
jïäné, that although...
So these persons who come to the shelter of God being distressed or being
poverty-stricken, they are also welcome, because there may be chance that one
day he may be fully in knowledge: "No, I don't want all these material things. I
want simply You. That is my mission. That is my life's mission." One should
take it like that. Then that is perfect life. The whole, I mean to say, natu...,
cosmic situation is giving us all facility that you should enjoy.
So far body is concerned, you get all things supplied by you, er, supplied by
God. You have got enough grains. You have got enough fruits. You have got
enough milk. You have got everything enough. You eat it, live peacefully.
Because what is my want of this body? Ähära-nidrä-bhaya-maithunaà ca
[Hitopadeça].
[Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and
defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to
engage in spiritual life. Therefore without spiritual life, humans are on the
level of animals.]
Oh, you can eat. Ähära means eating. So you can eating suffi..., you can eat
sufficiently. Nidrä. You can make shelter. God has given you so many wood, so
many, I mean to say, planks you can get, make your home. That's all right. Sleep

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there peacefully.
And ähära-nidrä-bhaya. And you can defend as far as possible. Then, you want
sex life? All right. There are so many women. Get them married. Live
peacefully and culture God consciousness, Kåñëa consciousness. That
arrangement is there. Why don't you do it? Why do you want more and more,
more and more, more and more? This is foolishness.
So far your material necessities are concerned, oh, there is enough. All right,
you are eating? Can your manufacturing process can supply eating from the
factories? No. Then why do you bother about the factory? Why you spoil your
energy? Just eat. Be satisfied, whatever God has given you, and culture, devote
your time for reviving your eternal relationship with God.
Plain living and high thinking—that is the best type of civilization. You want
sex? Can you manufacture sex in the factory? No. Then? It is supplied by God.
So everything, whatever you require, that is supplied by God. You take
advantage of it and be God conscious, or Kåñëa conscious. That is your
business.
So God has given us all facilities to come to Him, but we are unfortunate. And
He has given us still more facilities in this age, because in this age we are all
unfortunate, short-living. So even we have no facility for the primary
necessities of life, ähära-nidrä-bhaya-maithuna [Hitopadeça 25]: eating,
sleeping and defending and mating.
[Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and
defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to
engage in spiritual life. Therefore without spiritual life, humans are on the
level of animals.]
These things are, I mean to say, absolutely necessary for keeping the body fit.
But we have no such arrangement even that, you see, in this age. There are so
many people who have no shelter, so many people who have no food, so many

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people who have no married life, no sex life, and there are so many people not
dependant from the onslaught of nature or anything. This age is like that.
Therefore, in this age, Lord Caitanya recommended... But because I have no
facility even for my material body, still I have to make progress in the spiritual
life. How to do it?

harer näma harer näma harer nämaiva 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.]
You just always chant Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa. Never mind you
are in factory. Never mind you are in hell. Never mind you are in the
skyscraper houses. Go on chanting Hare Kåñëa—Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa,
Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare / Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
There is no expense. There is no bar. There is no caste. There is no creed.
There is no color. Anyone: chant and hear; chant and hear.

udäräù sarva evaite

jïäné tv ätmaiva me matam
ästhitaù sa hi yuktätmä
mäm evänuttamäà gatim
[Bg 7.18]

[All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is

situated in knowledge of Me I consider verily to dwell in Me. Being engaged in
My transcendental service, he attains Me.]
So some way or other, if anyone comes in contact with God, God
consciousness, or Kåñëa consciousness, and he prosecutes the energy rightly

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under the direction of a bona fide guide, then he is sure to go back to God.
What is time now? All right. Any question? [end]

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