London, July 18, 1973

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

arjuna uvä ca

senayor ubhayor madhye

rathaà sthä paya me 'cyuta

yä vad etä n niré kñ e 'haà

yoddhu-kä mä n avasthitä n

kair mayä saha yoddhavyam

asmin raä -samudyame

[Bg. 1.21-22]

Translation: " Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see who is present here, who is desirous of fighting, and with whom I must contend in this great battle attempt."

Prabhupä da: Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaà sthä paya me acyuta [Bg. 1.21]. Before this, Kå ñ ë a was addressed as Hå ñ é keç a. Hå ñ é keç a we have explained. Now Kå ñ ë a is addressed here Acyuta. Cyuta means fallen, and acyuta means not fallen. Just like we are fallen. We are fallen conditioned souls. In this material world we have come with an enjoying spirit. Therefore we are fallen. If one keeps his position rightly, he does not fall. Otherwise he is degraded. That is fallen condition. So all the living entities within this material world, beginning from Brahmä down to the small insignificant ant, they are all fallen, fallen conditioned souls. Why they are fallen?

kå ñ ë a bhuliya jé va bhoga vaï cha kare

pä ç ate mä yä tä re jä paö iyä dhare

Fallen means when the living entities are under the clutches of this material energy. That is called fallen. Just like a man, when he is under police custody, it is to be understood that he is a criminal, he is fallen. He has fallen down from good citizenship. Similarly, we are all parts and parcels of Kå ñ ë a. Mamaivä à ç o jé va-bhuta [Bg. 15.7]. So as part and parcel, our position is to live with Kå ñ ë a. Just like this is my finger, part and parcel of my body. The finger must remain attached with this body. When this finger is cut off and fallen, although it is finger, it is no longer as important as it was formerly when it was attached with this body. So anyone who is not attached with the service of the Supreme Lord, he is fallen. This is the conclusion.

But Kå ñ ë a is not fallen. If Kå ñ ë a... Because He comes to reclaim us.

yadä yadä hi dharmasya

glä nir bhavati bhä rata

abhyutthä nam adharmasya

tadä tmä naà så jä my aham

[Bg. 4.7]

Kå ñ ë a says that " I appear when there is discrepancies in the, I mean to say, occupational duties of the living entities." Dharmasya glä nir bhavati. We don't translate dharma as " religion." Religion in the English dictionary, it is " a kind of faith." Faith can be changed. But dharma is a word which cannot be changed. If it is changed, it is to be understood artificial. Just like the water. Water is liquid, everyone knows. But sometimes water becomes hard, very hard, ice. So that is not the natural position of water. Artificially, on account of excessive cold or by artificial means the water becomes solid. But the real position of water is liquidity.

So when we are detached from the service of the Lord, this is also unnatural, unnatural. Natural position is that we must be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is our natural position. Therefore the Vaiñ ë ava kavi says that kå ñ ë a bhuliya jé va bhoga vaï cha kare. When a living entity forgets Kå ñ ë a, forgets Kå ñ ë a's position... Kå ñ ë a's position... Kå ñ ë a says, bhoktä raà yajï a-tapasä à sarva-loka-maheç varam: [Bg. 5.29] " I am the proprietor, I am the enjoyer." This is the Kå ñ ë a's position. He never falls down that position. Kå ñ ë a is enjoyer. He keeps always that position. He never falls down. He never comes to the position of being enjoyed. That is not possible. If you want to bring Kå ñ ë a on the position of being enjoyed, then you are defeated. Being enjoyed means keeping Kå ñ ë a in front, I want to get some profit of sense gratification. That is our unnatural position. Kå ñ ë a will never agree. Kå ñ ë a will never agree. Kå ñ ë a cannot be enjoyed. He is always enjoyer. He is always the proprietor. So kå ñ ë a bhuliya jé va means when we forget this position of Kå ñ ë a, that He is the Supreme Enjoyer, He is the supreme proprietor... This is called forgetfulness. As soon as I think that " I am enjoyer, I am proprietor, " this is my fallen stage. Kå ñ ë a bhuliya jé va bhoga vaï cha kare. Then jä paö iyä dhare, mä yä, immediately mä yä captures.

Therefore a conditioned soul, fallen conditioned soul, is struggling for existence. He is trying to be enjoyer, he is trying to be proprietor. That is his artificial way of life. Just like if a woman wants to become a man, that is her artificial position. She may dress herself as a man, just like in the western countries sometimes we see woman is artificially dressing like man, with hat, coat, man, riding on horse. That is artificial. So similarly, our position here in this material world is artificial. We are trying to imitate a man.

Actually the living entities are described in the Bhagavad-gé tä, prakå ti. Prakå ti means woman. And puruñ a means man. So the living entities are never described as puruñ a. Puruñ a is Kå ñ ë a. Puruñ a ç ä ç vata. When Arjuna said, paraà brahma paraà dhä ma pavitraà paramaà bhavä n, puruñ aà ç ä ç vatam adyam... [Bg. 10.12]. Puruñ aà ç ä ç vatam. Kå ñ ë a is always puruñ a. God cannot be female. God is always male, puruñ a. And we are prakå ti. That is described in the Bhagavad-gé tä. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakå tim parä [Bg. 7.5].

After describing the material energy, bhü mir ä po analo vä yuù [Bg. 7.4], earth, water, air, fire, this material.... This is also female, prakå ti. Female means.... In India we have got little experience. The female is always controlled. Female is never given the position of controller. Nowadays it is going on. Just like Indira Gandhi, she has given the position of controller. This is artificial. In the history of India, greater India, Mahä bhä rata, you will never find that a woman has been given a position of controller. No. It is not possible.

We have to take things from the ç ä stra. In the Bhagavad-gé tä also woman's position has been equated with ç ü dra. Striyaù ç ü drä s tathä vaiç yas te 'pi yä nti parä à gatim. So position must be ascertained. But this position is artificial. Here either woman or man, they are in artificial position. Because a woman may be in women's dress, but her mind is like man. She also wants to enjoy. And the others, the so-called man.... The so-called man is also not man; he is woman. Prakå ti. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakå tià parä [Bg. 7.5]. Prakå ti. As the earth, water, air, fire, sky, they are also controlled, the supreme controller is Kå ñ ë a, similarly, the so-called man or woman in this material world, they are also controlled. Nobody can say that " I am not controlled." Who is here? You must be controlled.

Therefore we see two prakå tis: para prakå ti and apara prakå ti. But all of them are controlled; none of them are the controller. And that is the difference between puruñ a and prakå ti. Puruñ a means controller. And prakå ti means controlled. Puruñ a means predominator, and prakå ti means predominated. This is the difference. So Kå ñ ë a does not fall from his position of predominator. Therefore He is addressed as Acyuta, Acyuta. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaà sthä paya me acyuta [Bg. 1.21]. Another meaning of Acyuta... Kå ñ ë a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Arjuna knows that " I am not controller; I am controlled." He is devotee, he knows his position. Therefore he is now trying to control Kå ñ ë a. He is ordering Kå ñ ë a. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaà sthä paya: " My dear Kå ñ ë a, " he is not addressing as Kå ñ ë a-Acyuta, " now you place my chariot between the two parties." This is ordering. That means Arjuna becoming controller. And Kå ñ ë a becoming controlled. Just the opposite. Therefore Arjuna knows his subordinate position and he is ordering to Kå ñ ë a. So indirectly he is begging to be excused: " My dear Kå ñ ë a, I cannot order You. Order must come from You. But because You promised to carry out my order, You wanted to become my chariot driver, therefore I am ordering. Therefore I am ordering. I am not in position of ordering to You and You promised to carry out my order, and I think You are fixed up in Your that promise. Therefore I am asking you, Acyuta. You don't fall from Your promise." This is the... senayor ubhayor madhye rathaà sthä paya me acyuta [Bg. 1.21]. What is the number of verse?

Devotee: Page forty-eight.

Prabhupä da: Forty-eight? The next point is that Arjuna wanted to see with whom he had to fight. He had no desire to fight. That will be explained. He was fighting unwillingly. Unwillingly. Because he is a Vaiñ ë ava, unnecessarily he does not want to kill, although he is kñ atriya. It is his duty. Whenever there is discrepancy, killing, as representative of Kå ñ ë a... Kå ñ ë a has got two business. Pariträ ë ä ya sä dhü nä à vinä ç ä ya ca duñ kå tam [Bg. 4.8]. He has got two businesses. One business is to give protection to the devotees, sä dhu, sä dhu. Sä dhu means devotee. Sä dhu does not mean simply by changing dress, saffron color, and smoking beedies. That is not sä dhu. Sä dhu means devotee.

One who is devotee... That is explained in many ç ä stras. Sadhavaù sä dhu-bhü ñ aë ä m. Sä dhu-bhü ñ aë ä m.

titikñ avaù kä ruë ikä ù

suhå daù sarva-bhü tä nä m

ajä ta-ç atravaù ç ä ntä ù

sä dhavaù sä dhu-bhü ñ aë ä ù

[SB 3.25.21]

This is the qualification of sä dhu. Sä dhu is titikñ ava, tolerates all kinds of miserable conditions. He is sä dhu. Because this is a place of miserable condition. A sä dhu learns how to tolerate. Sä dhu is never disturbed. Yasmin sthito guruë ä pi duù khena na vicä lyate [Bg. 6.20-23]. A sä dhu, who has got the shelter of Kå ñ ë a, if he is placed in the severest type of dangerous condition, he is never disturbed. Just like Prahlä da Mahä rä ja, his father was putting him in so many dangerous conditions, even he was supplying with poison. He knew that " My father has given me poison to drink. All right, let me drink. If Kå ñ ë a likes, He will save me. I am now put into such dangerous position. I have to drink. Father is giving poison. Who can check? " And such a big powerful Hiraë yakaç ipu. The mother cried, requested... He forced the mother, Prahlä da's mother, " Give your son this poison." So she begged so much, but he was a rascal demon. " No, you must give." So the mother knew, the son knew that the rascal father is giving this poison. What can he do, a small child? " All right, let me drink." Guruë ä pi duù khena na vicä lyate. He is not agitating. " All right, if Kå ñ ë a likes, I will live." This is the position of sä dhu. He is not disturbed. Titikñ avaù. In all circumstances, he is tolerant. That is sä dhu. Sä dhu does not become disturbed. Titikñ avaù. At the same time, kä ruë ikä ù. He is himself disturbed, but he is merciful to others.

Just like Jesus Christ. He is being crucified, and still he is merciful: " God, these people do not know what they are doing. Please excuse them." This is sä dhu. He is personally being disturbed by the demons, but still, he is merciful to the general people. They are suffering for want of Kå ñ ë a consciousness. So even up to the point of death, he is trying to preach Kå ñ ë a consciousness. " Let the people be benefited. Eh, what is this material body? Even if I am killed, I am not killed. This body is killed, that's all." This is sä dhu. Titikñ avaù kä ruë ikä ù. In one side he is tolerant, and other side, merciful.

In the material world, when one man is disturbed, he cannot do any beneficial work to any others. He is disturbed. " No, I am very much disturbed. Don't talk with me." No. But sä dhu still goes on benefiting the people in general. Titikñ avaù kä ruë ikä ù [SB 3.25.21]. And what kind of benefit? The so-called rascals humanitarian work? No. Suhå daà sarva-bhü tä nä m [Bg. 5.29]. He is beneficial to all kinds of living entities.

Not this rascaldom, daridra-nä rä yaë a. Just like one rascal has manufactured this daridra-nä rä yaë a. The poor man has become Nä rä yaë a, and the goat Nä rä yaë a is killed for their feeding. Not this kind of sä dhu. Suhå daà sarva-bhü tä nä m. A sä dhu will not allow any kind of killing. See in the Christian religion, it is first injunction is " Thou shalt not kill." If you want to become religious... They are simply killing, and still, they are claiming " Christian." What kind of Christian? Simply their business is killing. So it is very difficult to find out a Christian, although they are claiming, I am " Christian." It is very difficult. Because their business is killing. And Lord Jesus Christ ordered, first order is, " Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not covet." Who is following?

So sä dhu is suhå daà sarva-bhü tä nä m. Why he should allow animal killing? They are also living entities, but for their benefit, the so-called sä dhu says, " The animal has no soul." What is this nonsense? Animal has no soul? Why? What is the difference between animal and man? What are the symptoms of possessing the soul? They are all equal. The man also eats, the animal also eats. The man also sleeps, the animal also sleeps, the man also have sex life, the animals also have sex life. The man also defends, the animals also defends. So where is the deficiency that you say that the animal has no soul?

Imperfect knowledge. Or making adjustment for their own benefit. Now they are making correction: " Thou shalt not kill, " " Thou shalt not murder." That means it will come to human being. But the actual commandment is " Thou shalt not kill." But these Christian people, they are making some amendment, " Thou shalt not murder." Because murder will apply to the killing of human beings. But Lord Jesus Christ never said like that. " Thou shalt not kill." It is applicable both for human being and for animal or even for trees. Unnecessarily you cannot kill. That is sä dhu. Suhå daà sarva-bhü tä nä m [Bg. 5.29]. " Don't kill my brother, but you can kill my neighbors." Not like that. He is not sä dhu. Sä dhu is kind to all living entities.

Kå ñ ë a consciousness means to become kind to everyone. Therefore we say, " No meat-eating." Meat-eating means killing the animals. Killing the animals. Why you shall kill animals? You have to take Kå ñ ë a prasä dam. Patraà puñ paà phalaà toyaà yo me bhaktyä prayacchati, tad aham añ nä mi [Bg. 9.26]. Kå ñ ë a says... Kå ñ ë a is God. He can eat everything, everything. Kå ñ ë a ate fire, you know. There was forest fire in Vå ndä vana. All the cowherds boys they became very much frightened, " Kå ñ ë a." " Yes, I'm ready." He ate up all the fire. So for Kå ñ ë a He could eat anything He likes. He is God. But still, He recommends, patraà puñ paà phalaà toyaà yo me bhaktyä prayacchati. Why? Because we have to take Kå ñ ë a's prasä dam, so therefore He is recommending, " These things you can give Me." Patraà puñ paà phalaà toyaà. So that is our food. We are devotees of Kå ñ ë a. We are meant for eating the remnants of foodstuff offered to Kå ñ ë a.

That is our... Jihvä, tä ra madhye... If you want to conquer the tongue, then you fix up your mind that you shall not take anything which is not offered to Kå ñ ë a. Then your tongue will be controlled. Tä ra madhye jihvä ati lobhamaya sudurmati. Tongue is the bitterest enemy of the living being. The tongue is dragging. Jihvä. " Kindly give me this immediately. Kindly give me this wine immediately. Kindly give me this tea immediately. Kindly give me this cigarette immediately. Kindly give me this meat." Why? Control. Kå ñ ë a says, patraà puñ paà phalaà toyaà [Bg. 9.26]. So we have to take prasä dam, eat Kå ñ ë a prasä dam. Then naturally the other things will be negativated. This is the position. Suhå daà sarva-bhü tä nä m [Bg. 5.29].

So if all human beings become vegetarian, not vegetarian, but eater of the Kå ñ ë a's prasä dam, all these liquor house and slaughterhouse and brothels will be closed. This is Kå ñ ë a consciousness movement. We want to close these nonsense places of sinful life: brothels, illegitimate sense gratification, sex relationship, prostitution. If we are embarrassed with this sinful life, there is no possibility of becoming again acyuta. We remain cyuta, fallen. We remain fallen.

It is not so easy thing that " I do everything, whatever I like." Some rascals preach that " Oh, religion has nothing to do with your eating. You can eat anything you like, and still you become a religious man." This is all nonsense. Nobody can become religious man if he is attracted by sinful activities. It is not possible. You must stop sinful activities. That is first condition. Otherwise you cannot understand what there... People... Perhaps, in this Kå ñ ë a conscious, except this Kå ñ ë a conscious movement, all rascals, they do not know what is God. They have no clear conception of God. Because they are sinful. We can give the name, address and everything of God, clear conception, not vague idea, " God may be like this, God may be like that." Why maybe? He is God.

veë uà kvaë antam aravinda-dalä yatä kñ aà

barhä vataà sam asitä mbuda-sundarä ì gam

kandarpa-koö i-kamané ya-viç eñ a-ç obhaà

govindam ä di-puruñ aà tam ahaà bhajä mi

[Bs. 5.30]

Clear conception. The ç ä stra, Brahma-saà hitä, clear description of God, veë uà kvaë antam. He is playing on flute. It is not that the Muralé dhara, Ç yä masundara, Kå ñ ë a, has been imagined by some poet. No, it is described in the ç ä stra, the form of the Lord. He is busy in playing flute, veë uà kvaë antam. Aravinda dalä yatä kñ aà [Bs. 5.30], His eyes are just like petals of the lotus flower. Veë uà kvaë antam aravinda, barhä vataà sa, there is a peacock feather on His head. Kandarpa-koö i-kamané ya-viç eñ a-ç obhaà, and He is so beautiful that His beauty can cut down thousands of Cupids. Cupid is supposed to be the most beautiful in this material world. Kandarpa-koti-kamané ya-viç eñ a-ç obhaà govindam ä di-puruñ aà tam ahaà bhajä mi [Bs. 5.30]. Clear conception.

This is the description of God in the ç ä stra. And when God came, Kå ñ ë a came on this planet, the same description. He is playing on flute, He has got the feather, peacock feather. So this painting of Kå ñ ë a is not an artist's imagination. It is exactly the form. So here is the form of the Lord. Here is the name of the Lord. Here is the activities of the Lord. This is clear conception. A sä dhu knows what is God. Or sä dhu cannot know. They are thinking, " God must be like this, God may be like this, He must be a very old man, " because adi-puruñ a. He is the first living... In this way... So you cannot create God by imagination. That is not possible. God is God, always. You have to know simply what is God. He is never cyuta.

God never becomes fallen down from His original position. The original position is, God describes Himself, mattaù parataraà nä nyat: [Bg. 7.7] " There is no more superior authority than Me." That is God. One, if he is controlled, how he can be God? The supreme controller is God, the supreme controller is Kå ñ ë a. É ç varaù paramaù kå ñ ë aù [Bs. 5.1]. É ç varaù means controller, and paramaù means supreme. And who is that? Kå ñ ë a. Kå ñ ë a says also, mattaù parataraà nä nyat kiï cid asti dhanaï jaya [Bg. 7.7]. So He is acyuta. He keeps His position. He never falls down. We are all fallen souls. Because our position, our Acyuta position is to serve Kå ñ ë a. Because we are part and parcel of Kå ñ ë a.

The same example: Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. Its business is to serve the body. That is the business. There is no other business. A finger can pick up a rasagullä and keep it here. The finger cannot eat. Similarly, we cannot eat directly. That is our diseased condition. We have to offer Kå ñ ë a. When Kå ñ ë a eats, if we eat that, then we become energized. Just like you rasagullä put into the mouth. When it goes to the stomach, the finger immediately becomes reddish. The finger enjoys. Not only the finger, the eyes enjoy, the legs enjoy, because the energy is distributed. Directly we cannot be energized by eating. We must eat Kå ñ ë a's prasä dam. This is principle. Jé vera svarü pa haya nitya kå ñ ë a dä sa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109].

So if we serve Kå ñ ë a, that is our Acyuta position. If we deny to serve Kå ñ ë a, that is vicyuta, fallen condition. Acyuta and vicyuta. So to become Kå ñ ë a conscious means acyuta-gotra. Acyuta-gotra. Gotra, perhaps you do not know. Gotra is the family tradition. According to Vedic civilization, everybody has got gotra. Gotra means of the same family, of å ñ is, gotra, from the å ñ is. So we have to become acyuta-gotra, again belonging to the family of Kå ñ ë a. Now we are fallen. Therefore we have forgotten that we belong to the family of Kå ñ ë a. When we revive our consciousness, Kå ñ ë a consciousness, that " I belong to the Kå ñ ë a's family..." Kå ñ ë a is not alone, eko bahu ç yä ma. He wants to enjoy.

So we are family members of Kå ñ ë a, not void. That is another rascaldom. Why Kå ñ ë a should be alone? He is so powerful, He is so opulent, have you got any experience that a powerful person, opulent person is alone? Where is that example? Any rich man, any powerful man, any king, any lord, oh, he has got so many associates. So how Kå ñ ë a can be alone? Kå ñ ë a is never alone. Therefore you will find always Kå ñ ë a with the gopé s, Kå ñ ë a with the cowherds boys, Kå ñ ë a with Arjuna. Kå ñ ë a is never alone. So these are the conditions of becoming acyuta. So Arjuna knows all these things because he is a devotee. Therefore particularly he is addressing Kå ñ ë a, senayor ubhayor madhye rathaà sthä paya me acyuta [Bg. 1.21]. That's all right. Thank you very much. (end)