Srila Prabhupada speaks – “If I have written one book, my words are my meaning.
Why you should give meaning? I shall kick on your face.”
Prabhupāda: Majority or minority, it doesn’t matter. But why you should take Bhagavad-gītā to establish your rascal theories? That means you are cheating.
Hare Krishna, here are a few quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s instructions that clearly explain the following:a.) What is speculation?b.) How is the Gita misinterpreted?c.) How should the Gita be preached?d.) Mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhue.) Criticism of making compromise in philosophy for personal gainf.) Offense of disobedience to the order of Gurug.) Srila Prabhupada’s explanation to why he presented the Bhagavad Gita “As It Is”h.) Importance of reading the Gita “As It Is” with the guidance of a bona fide Gurui.) Getting association with Krsna by reading Bhagavad Gita
1.Paramahaṁsa: My question is: A pure devotee, when he comments Bhagavad-gītā, someone who never sees him physically, but he just comes in contact with his commentary, explanation, is this the same thing?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You can associate with Kṛṣṇa by reading Bhagavad-gītā. And these saintly persons, they have given their explanations, comments. So where is the difficulty? Everyone is helping you.[Morning Walk — June 11, 1974, Paris]——————————2.
Amogha: Śrīla Prabhupāda, many times when I am seeing professors or students also, they seem to think that traditional Hinduism or whatever they think it is, they say that the Māyāvādī philosophy, or monist, they think this is traditional, and…, because there’s so many translations of the Bhagavad-gītā and the Upaniṣads they’ve read, and they’re all impersonal. So I was wondering what is the best way to convince them that actually, that is not actually the original tradition of understanding?
Prabhupāda: How they are becoming foolish, that they are reading Bhagavad-gītā and they are accepting original tradition of the Māyāvāda? In the original tradition of Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, Kṛṣṇa said, ahaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān: “I said. I am person.” How these rascals are accepting imperson? Why do they read Bhagavad-gītā? If they have got different theory, let them differently… They are cheating. Bhagavad-gītā is popular. Therefore they are taking advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and pushing on impersonalism. But here the tradition begins, ahaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ. Where is imperson? So if they want to be cheated willingly, who can save them? They are reading Bhagavad-gītā and devīating from the words of Bhagavad-gītā. Then what is the meaning?
Amogha: They don’t know. They simply…
Prabhupāda: That means they are so rascal, that… You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. You must take the words of Bhagavad-gītā. Why you are taking other words? What business you have got?
Amogha: They think by majority, most people think like this…
Prabhupāda: Majority or minority, it doesn’t matter. But why you should take Bhagavad-gītā to establish your rascal theories? That means you are cheating.
Amogha: But they think that’s the meaning of Bhagavad-gītā.
Prabhupāda: That’s the meaning how?
Amogha: That’s what they think. They think because they’ve read so many commentaries…
Prabhupāda: Why do they think? If I have written one book, my words are my meaning. Why you should give meaning? I shall kick on your face. What right you have got? You write another book. Why should you take my book and give your meaning? What is this?
Paramahaṁsa: These professors didn’t write the books, but they read all these Swami this and that books’ translations. And then they think, “Well, all these swamis say it’s like this…”
Prabhupāda: No. They should be conscious that if you read one book, you must understand what the author says. Why should you bring something else to understand that book? What is this? If you want to say something else, you write your own book or bring that book. Why you should take my book? If you want to smoke ganja, why should you take my hand? You have got your hand. You smoke ganja. What is this? I take your hand and smoke ganja? (laughter)[Morning Walk — May 12, 1975, Perth]——————————3.Devotee (2): Can you explain exactly what speculation means?
Prabhupāda: Speculation means thinking, “What will happen? Maybe like this, maybe like this.” That is speculation. (break) …speculate, “Kṛṣṇa may be like this. Kṛṣṇa may be like this.” That is speculation. When Kṛṣṇa appears before you, you see, “Oh, Kṛṣṇa is like this.” That is wanted. And if you speculate, “Kṛṣṇa may be like this,” it is all nonsense. Come to the stage when Kṛṣṇa will appear before you, and you will see what is Kṛṣṇa. Be qualified to that position. Māyāvādīs, they are speculating simply, “God may be like this.” Why “God may be like this?” God is factual, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.[Morning Walk — July 2, 1975, Denver]—————————–4..Hṛdayānanda: (translating) He wants to know if the greatest offense is to disobey the guru.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the first offense. Guror avajñā, śruti-śāstra-nindanam. Śruti-śāstra-nindanaṁ guror avajñā. If you accept guru and again disobey him, then what is your position? You are not a gentleman. You promise before guru, before Kṛṣṇa, before fire, that “I shall obey your order; I shall execute this,” and again you do not do this. Then you are not even a gentleman, what to speak about devotee. This is common sense.
[Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) — Mexico, February 11, 1975]—————————5..So this is the process. Simply if we… Therefore Vedic knowledge is called śruti. One has to hear it properly, assimilate it, and then practice it in life and preach the same thing. Then everyone becomes spiritual master. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ‘sarva-deśa: “O My dear disciples, I tell you that you, all of you, become spiritual master. Simply you carry out My order. That’s all.” “And what is Your order?” “The order is the same: yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Just like Kṛṣṇa gave instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, and if you simply place the instruction received from Bhagavad-gītā as it is…” I am publishing Bhagavad-gītā As It Is because in the market there were so many Bhagavad-gītā misinterpreted, but that is not the process of presenting Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā should be presented as it is. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is simply said that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But most books which you have seen in English lang…, they are trying to make minus Kṛṣṇa. That is their attempt. So what sort of Bhagavad-gītā is that? That should not be done. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. You should speak that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. That is the preaching of Bhagavad-gītā.[Sri Vyasa-puja — Hamburg, September 5, 1969]———————-6.
Yes, it will help to read Bhagavad-gita but to have to hear from the realized person. Without the help of guru, if you read independently, you may be misguided. That is the difference, hearing from devotees, the sound vibration coming from the realized person. Reading the book is the same thing . . . tattva-darsana—hearing from one who has seen the truth.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 13 April, 1976, and I have noted the contents with care. Concerning your questions: Yes, it will help to read Bhagavad-gita but to have to hear from the realized person. Without the help of guru, if you read independently, you may be misguided. Therefore, so many politicians, scholars, etc. not being guided by the parampara system, have simply misled the public. The Bhagavad-gita is the standard book of knowledge in India and many eminent persons like Gandhi, Aurobindo, Dr. RadhaKrishnan, etc. they tried to understand the Bhagavad-gita, but could not do it. They were themselves misled and on account of their big position they misled so many followers. Our system, the Vedic system, is to approach the right person and hear from him exactly as Arjuna listened from Krishna. Mental speculation will not help. Hearing is the main point. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is written, dharmaksetre kuruksetre . . . when you hear from a realized soul, a person who knows things, he’ll explain that Kuruksetra is a place where religious ritualistic ceremonies are performed from time immemorial, from the time before the Battle of Kuruksetra. But, if you read the books of some cunning politician, he’ll mislead you and you’ll learn that Kuruksetra means this body which is not actually the fact. That is the difference, hearing from devotees, the sound vibration coming from the realized person. Reading the book is the same thing . . . tattva-darsana—hearing from one who has seen the truth. Reading or hearing from the realized person there is no difference, but hearing the sound vibration from the realized soul is still more effective, better.[Letter to Punjabi Premanand — Bombay 16 April, 1976]—————————7.That means “I first of all spoke to the sun-god.” Now if you take that duration, it will be some millions of years before it was spoken. These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So apart from that statement, from historical point of view, since the days of Mahābhārata, yes, Battle of Kurukṣetra… Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. From historical point of view, it is five thousand years old. So this Bhagavad-gītā teaching is coming from, at least, from five thousand, since five thousand years. So it is older than any other scripture in the world. So you try to understand as it is, without any unnecessary commentary. You do not… There is no use of commentary. The words are sufficient to give you enlightenment, but unfortunately, people take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā, and they try to impress under the shelter of Bhagavad-gītā their own philosophy or own idea. That is useless. You try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is; then you will get this entitlement, enlightenment, that Kṛṣṇa is the center of all activities. And if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then everything will be perfect, all problems will be solved. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam (CC Antya 20.12). These things are there, and actually, they are happening. Our students are feeling, they are actually doing that. So we shall request you to read this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, so your feelings of international spirit will be perfect and you’ll be happy, and wherever you preach this cult, they will be also happy. And that will be very nice thing.[Lecture to International Student Society — Boston, December 28, 1969]——————-8.Prabhupāda: That’s all right. You are bringing something else besides Bhagavad-gītā. Just try to understand. We are preaching… This International Society for Krishna Consciousness, we are preaching…
Guest (1): But you have to understand the relation between the two.
Prabhupāda: That’s all… That we understand very nicely. It is not that I have to learn from you. We know it very well. But you should know that we are preaching Bhagavad-gītā. So this jyotir-liṅga, all these theories, they are not in the Bhagavad-gītā. It may be in other literature, but we are particularly interested in preaching Bhagavad-gītā. Because Bhagavad-gītā is wrongly preached all over the world by nonsense commentation, we want to rectify it. Therefore our society is specially named “Krishna conscious.”Guest (1): What is wrongly preached about Gītā?
Prabhupāda: Wrong… Just like yesterday I went that Gītā Samītī. There is a lamp. Why there is a lamp instead of Kṛṣṇa? Why there is a lamp? Kṛṣṇa is a lamp? And it is Bhagavad…
Guest (1): I don’t know…
Prabhupāda: You do not know. Therefore I say this is wrongly preaching. Why in the place of Kṛṣṇa there is a lamp? Does Kṛṣṇa say?
Guest (1): Lamp has been with us for more than… In our mandira…
Prabhupāda: That’s all right. (Hindi?) Kṛṣṇa is also there.
Guest (1): They must evolve with that idea because…
Prabhupāda: No, no. First thing is that when we speak of Bhagavad-gītā, it is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. So why there is no Kṛṣṇa photograph?
Guest (1): They didn’t put the picture.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That means you have not understood Kṛṣṇa. Therefore your, this so-called Gītā society is not bona fide. At least even in ordinary feature, suppose if there is political meeting, you keep Gandhi, this photo, Jawaharlal Nehru’s photo because they are the political leaders. You are preaching Bhagavad-gītā, Gītā Samītī, and there is not a single picture of Kṛṣṇa.[Discussion with Indians — January 18, 1971, Allahabad]——————–9.
As Bhagavad-gītā is the sound produced, vibrated by Kṛṣṇa personally, similarly Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is written by Vyāsadeva under the direction of his spiritual master, Nārada, about Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised to preach the message of Kṛṣṇa. That is His cult.yāre dekha tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśaāmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa(CC Madhya 7.128)
This is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And He wanted all the Indians to help this movement.
bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yārajanma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra(CC Adi 9.41)
This is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has advised every Indian… Bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma. Every human being born in India, they should take up this cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They can take it. Because by birth they have got the right because this Bhāgavatam is produced in India, Bhagavad-gītā is produced in India. That is the glory of India. So the sons of India, those who are Indians, those who are proud of becoming Indian, they should take up this mission. Janma sārthaka kari’. First of all make your life successful by understanding what is Bhagavad-gītā and what is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Janma sārthaka. If you are yourself unsuccessful in the mission of your life, you cannot preach anything. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says janma sārthaka kari’: “After making your life successful.” That means by understanding the value of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, you preach this knowledge all over the world.[Lecture on SB 1.2.6 — London, July 23, 1973] ———————-