Govardhana Pūjā Lecture

—
New York, November 4, 1966

Prabhupāda: Today Govardhanadhārī, Giridhārī, Lord Kṛṣṇa, today lifted

the mountain. According to Vedic literature there are different demigods.
Sometimes you will find in Greek mythology the gods of the water, gods of
the thunderbolt. These are not imagination. Actually they are facts. But due
to our insufficient knowledge we do not know how the material nature is
being controlled. So when Kṛṣṇa was on this planet and He was playing the
part of a cowherd boy, and it was known to all over the universe that "God
has come, taken incarnation, and He is on the earth planet, and He is
at Vṛndāvanaplaying the part of a cowherd boy..." So as if somebody, if the-
re is incarnation of God, somebody believes and somebody does not believe,
when Kṛṣṇa was actually present on this earth, it is not that everybody un-
derstood that Kṛṣṇawas the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not even up
to date. Only few persons, the five brothers of the Pāṇḍavas and the dam-
sels of Vṛndāvana, only in the fingers' count, say, out of the whole popula-
tion, say, hundred or two hundred men knew Him that He was the Supre-
me Personality of Godhead. Otherwise everyone thought that "He is an or-
dinary man just like one of us, but most powerful. That's all." Similarly, the
demigods in other planets, they also thought, "Oh, he's a foolish person.
They are thinking of a cowherd boy as God," sophisticated, like that. And es-
pecially Indra, the heavenly kingdom..., king of heaven. He was... He's very
powerful, so he thought, "What god he has come? My God, He cannot co-
me." This was some speculation. Even Brahmāalso speculated.
But Kṛṣṇa wanted to show Indra that "Yes, actually I have come." So that in-
cidence is today, Govardhana-pūjā.

So,

bhagavān api tatraiva

baladeva-saṁyutaḥ
apaśyan nivasan gopan
indra-yāga-kṛtodyamān
Indra-yāga-kṛtodyamān. According to Vedic system, there are different
types of sacrifices to offer respect and obeisances to the demigods. Just like
the sun is supplying light, the moon is supplying moonshine. Similarly, In-
dra is supplying the cloud. Similarly, there are different demigods. And in
the Bhagavad-gītā, devan ya yajayantī deva-bhavan—these things are des-
cribed. In the Vedic literature it is prescribed that "You should satisfy these
demigods by sacrifice, deva-yajan." So in the village of that Vṛndāvana, the
father of Kṛṣṇa, foster father of Kṛṣṇa, Nanda Mahārāja and his associates,
they were yearly performing the Indra-yajña. Because they were agricultu-
rists, they depended on rain, sufficient rains. And he had many cows. Nan-
da Mahārāja was a farm man. He is agriculture and cows. The mercantile
people, the vaiśyacommunity, they are recommended three things: kṛṣi-go-
raksya-vāṇijyam [Bg. 18.44]. Kṛṣi means agriculture, and go-rakṣya means
cow protection, and vāṇijyam means trade. So Nanda Mahārāja belonged to
the vaiśya community. So he was well-to-do man, very rich man, and he
had 900,000's of cows. 900,000 of cows he was protecting. Formerly, ac-
cording to Vedic civilization, a man was considered to be rich man in pro-
portion of his stock of grains and livestock, cows. That's all. Dhānyena dha-
navān. A man was considered to be rich man if he has sufficient quantity of
grains in his possession. Similarly, if one has sufficient number of cows in
his possession, he was considered rich man. Not that bank balance. There
was no such bank, neither this paper money. They actually possessing the
foodstuff and milk. And actually this is economic solution. If you have got
sufficient milk, then you can make so many nice nutritious, full of vitamin
values preparation and grains. There is no question of economic starvation
if you have got simply grains and cows. So that was the standard of econo-
mic solution in days yore.

So they were preparing just to satisfy the demigod Indra, because he was
supposed to... Not supposed. Actually he supplies rains sufficiently. Wit-
hout rains you cannot have successful agriculture. So they were preparing
that sacrifice. So this preparation was being observed by Kṛṣṇa and Balarā-
ma. Kṛṣṇa is the youngest, and Balarāma is the eldest. Balarāma is son
of Rohiṇī, and Kṛṣṇa is son of Devakī. Both these ladies, Rohiṇī and Devakī,
they were wives of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa's father. So Balarāma was born
of Rohiṇī, and Kṛṣṇawas born of Devakī. Devakī-nandana-gopāla. So Deva-
kī-nandana. So They were not very... There was not much difference of
Their age, say one year or two years, like that. So Balarāma was eldest brot-
her. They were playing together, and this is an incidence when Balarā-
ma was about eight years old and Kṛṣṇa was about seven years old. So, bha-
gavān tatraiva baladevena saṁyutaḥ. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, along with Baladeva, His elder brother, apaśyan, "saw."
What is that "saw"? Nivasan gopaindra-yāga-kṛtodyamān: "All the cow-
herds men, including His father, they were preparing for sacrifice of Indra-
yajña." Indra-yajña.

tad-abhijño 'pi bhagavān

sarvātmā sarva-darśanaḥ
praśrāyavanato 'pṛcchad
vṛddhān nanda-puro-gamān

He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He knew everything what

they were doing and what was the purpose. Because He is present in everyo-
ne's heart, so He knows everything. But because He was playing just like a
boy, cowherd boy, so as if He did not know anything, He asked, inquired
from His father, and the elderly persons who were assisting His father for
preparing the sacrifice.

Tad abhijño 'pi. This very word is used here, that "He knew everyt-
hing," Bhagavān. Because Bhagavān means He must know everything, past,
present future. There is no lack of knowledge. I have several times descri-
bed before you. Bhagavān means He is full of all opulences, and there are
six opulences: riches, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation.
So Bhagavāncannot be in lack of knowledge. He must know everything.
That is Bhagavān. So therefore it is said that "What is the use of asking His
father what they were going to do? He knew everything." But it is specifi-
cally mentioned, atad abhijño'pi. Although He knew it, because He was pla-
ying the part of a boy, and the father knew that "Kṛṣṇa is my son..." They
did not recognize Him that He is Personality of Godhead. They knew, "Oh,
He is my ordinary son." Tadabhijño'pi bhagavān sarvātmā. Sarvāt-
mā means one who is situated in everyone's heart. Sarvātmā sarva-
darśanaḥ. Sarva-darśanaḥ means one who can see everything past, present,
and future. Still, praśrāyavantaḥ, "Just like an obedient son, submissive
son," apṛcchad vṛddhān nanda-puro-gamān, "the elderly persons of His fat-
her's friends and associates, with very humbleness, He inquired." He inqui-
red. And what is that inquiry?

kathyatāṁ me pitaḥ ko 'yaṁ

sambhramo vā upāgataḥ
kiṁ phalaṁ kasya coddeśaḥ
kena vā sādhyate makhaḥ

etad brūhi mahān kāmo

mahyaṁ śuśruṣave pitaḥ

"My dear father, I very respectfully and humbly I am inquiring. What is this
arrangement? Why you are busy in making some sacrificial ceremony, and
what is the reason, and what is the result?" Kiṁ phalaṁ: "What is the result
of doing this?" Kiṁ phalaṁ kasya ca uddeśaḥ: "By whom... Whom you are
trying to satisfy?" Kena vā sādhyate: "And what is the purpose of this sacri-
fice? So I cannot understand. Will you kindly explain to Me?" Etad brū-
hi mahān kāmo:"I am very much anxious. Kindly explain to me." Etad ma-
hān kāmo mahyaṁśuśruṣave pitaḥ: "Oh, I am your most obedient son, so
you kindly explain to Me." This question was posed.

na hi gopyaṁ hi sādhūnāṁ
kṛtyaṁ sarvātmanām iha
asya-svapara-dṛṣṭināṁ
amitro-dāsastad viṣām

"Now, if you think that it is very confidential, it cannot be disclosed, then I

think for a person like you who is doing publicly such sacrifice, you should
(sic:) not explain to Me." Na hi gopyaṁ hi sādhūnām: "Sādhu, those who
are saintly person, for them there is no secret." There is no secret. There is
no privacy. A sādhu, sādhu has no privacy. Just now in our ordinary social
affairs, there is difference between private life and his public life. Now, if so-
mebody is teacher... Now, he is very good teacher. He can very good... He
can explain very nicely a subject matter, but his private life is not very good.
Then he is not a teacher. He is not a sādhu. That is Vedic conception. One
must be a teacher according to his own behavior in life. There is no secrecy
or privacy. Now, we think that "We don't mind what is private character.
We don't mind. We are concerned with his teaching." No. That sort of tea-
ching will not have any effect. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, āpani ācārī prab-
hu jīverī śikṣāya: a teacher must demonstrate in his practical life what he is
teaching. That is the meaning of ācārya. Ācārya means the teacher must de-
monstrate things by applying the same thing in his own life. That is ca-
lled ācārya. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "You cannot disclose anything. You
cannot keep anything private. Please disclose." Udāsīno 'rivad varyam āt-
mavat suhṛd ucyate: "And even if it is very confidential, I am your son. You
can explain to Him. I am your well-wisher."

jñātvājñātvā ca karmāṇi
jano 'yam anutiṣṭhanti
viduṣaḥ karma-siddhiḥ syāt
tathā na viduṣo bhavet

"Whether this is a superstition?" Just see how Kṛṣṇa is speaking. "Whether

it is a superstition or it has got some actual effect." You should not do anyt-
hing, religious rituals, under superstition. That is the recommendation
of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not like that people should perform anything under
superstition. Suppose if you are sacrificing, if you are doing some cere-
mony, you must have thorough knowledge that there must be the result.
There must be the result. Just like there are many sacrifices recommended
in the Vedic literature, putreṣṭī-yajña. Putreṣṭī. Suppose a man has no son,
and if he performs that sacrifice, he will have a son. That is a fact. Similarly,
so many things there are.

So any rituals, religious rituals... Now, according to Kṛṣṇa... How practi-

cal He is. He said that "No religious ritual should be performed without
practical effect, without practical effect." People have become atheist becau-
se in the modern age there are so many rituals in all religions, not only Hin-
du religion, but Christian religion. But, they say, simply formality; there is
no effect. There is no effect. Such sort of rituals, religious ceremony, is not
recommended by Kṛṣṇa. You must actually the effect. Just like
in Purāṇas there was a talk between Lord Caitanya and Kazi, Chand Kazi.
Chand Kazi was a Muhammadan magistrate, and Lord Caitanya, when He
started this saṅkīrtanamovement, there was many complaints. Just like we
are receiving daily reports that our saṅkīrtana movement is disturbing so-
me tenants here. Similarly, when Lord Caitanya, He started His,
this saṅkīrtana, some of the brāhmaṇas...Because Lord Caitanya said that
"This is the only religion. In this age, this chanting of

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

This is the only religious principle, and everyone will have all his desires ful-
filled by this chanting." So the brāhmaṇas, those who are priestly class, they
thought that "If people take to this only chanting, then what about our chur-
ches and mosque and temples? They will not come." So they lodged a com-
plaint to the magistrate that "This is not Hindu religion. He has discovered
something in His own fertile brain, so we do not recognize it." So this com-
plaint was lodged before the magistrate, and the magistrate took step, first
of all warned Him that "Don't chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Then, when He did not
care, then sent some constables, and the drums were broken. Then Caitan-
yaMahāprabhu started civil disobedience movement. So He did not care for
the magistrate. He started saṅkīrtana throughout the whole city of Nabad-
wip. Then they approached the magistrate's house. Just the other day there
was a procession in your city. So this civil disobedience movement was star-
ted first by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Now, there was some compromising talk
with the magistrate, and in that talk the Caitanya Mahāprabhu first questio-
ned. Because he was Mohammedan, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "In
your religion there is killing of father and mother. What sort of religion this
is?" The Kazi replied, "How do you say that we are killing our father and...?"
"Yes. You are killing your mother. Cow gives you milk, delivers milk. You
drink the milk, and you kill the cow. Therefore you are killing your mother."
So the Kazi replied that "In your Vedic literature also, I have seen. There is
cow sacrifice." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "That is not cow sacrifice.
That is rejuvenation of cow. Old cows were sacrificed in the fire, and again a
new life was given by the Vedic mantra. But because there is lack of such ex-
pert brāhmaṇas to chant that mantra, therefore cow sacrifice in this age is
forbidden."
 So when the things are not practical, that becomes a forbidden. If you ac-
tually get the result by some spiritual or religious rituals, performance, then
it is very good. Otherwise it is superstition. Lord Caitanya's opinion is that
because all these Vedic injunctions, sacrifices, they are not possible to be
performed in this age... They are very difficult. There is no expert leader to
perform all these ceremonies and rituals. Therefore, take to
this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take to this. There is no need of rituals. There is no need
of expenses. Simply God has given you tongue, and God has given you ear.
Just go on chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Ha-
re Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and it will fulfill your spiri-
tual advancement. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa said, jñātvā ajñātvā ca karmāṇi jano
'yam anutiṣṭhanti:"Generally, mass of people, they are ignorant. They per-
form some religious rituals knowingly or unknowingly as a matter of su-
perstition or custom." So, viduṣa karma-siddhiḥ syāt. But one who is intelli-
gent, he should know that "By this sacrifice, I must get the re-
sult." Viduṣo karma-siddhiḥ syāt tathā na viduṣo bhavet: "And those who
are fools, they, simply by superstition, they do it."

So Kṛṣṇa did not recommend that you should do something under su-
perstition. No. You must do it for practical result. This dogmatism, fanati-
cism—"Oh, why I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? I am Christian. I am Jews"—this
is fanaticism. If you find actually ecstasy by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, why
should you not? Why should you not? "No. I am Jew." "I am Christian." "I
am Muhammadan." Well, it is transcendental vibration from the spiritual
platform. Your Muhammadism, Christianism, Hinduisim, Buddhism, this
is skin disease. This is... Because you have got some particular body at parti-
cular circumstances, therefore you claim like that. But actually we are all
spirit soul, and this sound vibration is from the spirit soul. It will appeal to
everyone. See the effect. Then don't be fanaticist. Don't be, I mean to say,
sectarian. So Kṛṣṇawants that, that simply by custom, one should not follow
the rituals. One should see the effect.

tatra tāvāt kriyā-yogo

bhavatāṁ kiṁ vicāritaḥ
athavā laukikas tan me
pṛcchata sādhu (bhaṇyatām)
"So, whether you are confident of the result of this sacrifice?" He is asking
His father. Just see. Kṛṣṇa was a boy, and He is asking His father, "Whether
you are confident of the result of this sacrifice? You are going to satisfy the
demigods, sacrifice. Or," athavā laukikaḥ, "or it is simply a custom, village
custom, that you are doing it?" Laukikas tan me pṛcchata sād-
hu bhaṇyatām:"Now I am very much inquisitive to learn from you. Please
explain."

Now His father is explaining:

parjanyo bhagavān indro

meghās tasyātma-mūrtayaḥ
te 'bhivarṣanti bhūtānāṁ
prīṇanaṁ jīvanaṁ payaḥ

He says, "My dear boy, water is very essential because without rains we can-
not have any produce. Therefore... This rain is controlled by Bhagavān In-
dra. The heavenly king Indra, he controls the megha." Megha means cloud.
He is the master of the cloud. He can send cloud, and he can stop cloud. He
is representative of God, so he has got the po-
wer. Te 'bhivarṣanti bhūtānāṁprīṇanam: "So when he allows this raining,
people become satisfied. They get their produce."

taṁ tāta vayam anye ca

cārmucāṁ patim īśvaram
dravyais tad-retasā siddhyair
yajante kratubhir narāḥ

"Therefore it is our duty. Because he supplies us water, so it is our duty to

show him respect by this sacrifice." This is the Vedic injunction. Just like
we pay departmental tax. We pay to the Con Edison bills for the supply of
electricity and gas. Similarly, we pay the bills of the telephone. But we have
no program to pay the bills of the sun who is supplying us so much light.
(aside:) What is that?

Dineśa: That needle doesn't seem to be working.

Prabhupāda: So it is our duty to sacrifice, and according to Vedic rituals,

these are recommended, that we should satisfy. So Nanda Mahārāja explai-
ned,

tac cheṣeṇopajīvanti
tri-varga-phala-hetve
puṁsāṁ puruṣa-kāraṇāṁ
parjanyaḥ phala-bhāvanaḥ

"Now, this water is so important that it will produce grains and we shall li-
ve. And for perfection of our life we must first live. So this is very important
thing, so we have to satisfy Indra."

ya evaṁ visṛjed dharmaṁ

pāraṁ paryāgataṁ naraḥ
kāmā lobhād bhayād dveṣāt
sa vai nāpnoti śobhanam

He says, "My dear boy, we should not give up this paramparā." Parampara-
means coming from disciplic succession or from generation. My father did
it, my father's fathers did it. So every religious ceremony, and according to
Vedic rituals, they are from paramparā, family or society-wise or commu-
nity-wise. In every country there is. So he says that "This paramparā, this
successive generation, we have been doing this, and we should not give it
up." He understood the Kṛṣṇa's purpose, that "He is asking. He is very inte-
lligent boy, so He is asking me all these questions just to forbid me." That
He's just... "Like father like son." The father was also intelligent.
 So, ya evaṁ visṛjed dharmam. Dharmam means one must execute. That
is dharma. Just like to become hungry, it is my religion. This is called reli-
gion. We should know what is the meaning of religion. Religion means
which we cannot separate from myself. The religion which you can change,
that is not religion. Suppose I am Hindu; I become Christian. So neither
this Hinduism is religion or Christian is religion. It is a dictionary, English
dictionary, word. But dharma, according to Sanskrit word, dharma does not
mean that which you can change. I have several times explained this
fact. Dharma cannot be changed. Therefore we must find out what is
our dharma, what is our religion. Which we are professing, that "Christia-
nity is my religion," "Hinduism, my religion," that is not religion. That is
faith. Religion is different. Religion you cannot change. You cannot change.
That is the meaning of religion. Here it is said that ya evaṁ visṛjed dhar-
mam. Dharmam means you cannot change.
So pāraṁ paryāgataṁ naraḥ, kāmāt, kāmāt lobhāt. Now, religion someti-
mes, when it is taken as faith, they have changed. How they have chan-
ged? Kāmāt.For some gain. Just like in India formerly Christian religion
was preached, giving some facilities. And generally we see that Christian
priests who go to foreign countries... I have seen. They offer some hospital
facilities, some economic facilities. The poor men, they supply clothing and
education. So those who are poor, they become captivated, and they... They
have practically no religion. Anyway, they are facing the economic pro-
blems. So kāmāt. Kāmātmeans for some gain. For some gain, kā-
māt, and lobhāt... Lobhāt means by some greediness. And bhayāt. Bha-
yāt means out of fear. And dveṣāt. Dveṣātmeans out of enviousness. For all
these things one should not give up his faith or religion.

So that, that was the explanation of Nanda Mahārāja, the father

of Kṛṣṇa. Now Kṛṣṇa, replying, śrī bhagavān uvāca. The reason of that sacri-
fice, as explained by Nanda Mahārāja is that "Indra, the heavenly king, he
supplies us water. Therefore we must perform the sacrifice to satisfy him."
Now Kṛṣṇa is giving reason just like an atheist. Just like an atheist, karma-
mimāṁsā. There are six philosophers. Out of that one is karma-
mimāṁsā. Karma-mimāṁsāmeans one who takes work and the result of
work and nothing, no God, nothing of... "You work like this; you get the re-
sult." Just like modern theory. So Kṛṣṇa is putting up that karma-
mimāṁsā. What is that? He says, karmāṇajāyate jantuḥ karmaṇaiva pralī-
yate: "Everyone is born here out of, as the effect of his past deeds."
And karmaṇaiva pralīyate: "And he is going to have his next birth according
to the work, as he is doing here." This is called karma-mimāṁsā. The kar-
ma-mimāṁsā philosophers, they do not believe that "Oh, our liberation
from this material world and entrance in the spiritual kingdom to be asso-
ciated with God, that will make us happy." Their belief is that "You simply
do good work. Then you gradually get your promotion." That is also a fact.
That is not a misconception. If you do good work, then you get good
birth. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī [SB 1.8.26]. Four things: good birth, mean a
good family or good nationality, and janma... Birth means... Janma means
birth, good birth. Janma aiśvarya, and to become rich. Śruta, to become
very learned; and śrī, and to become very beautiful—these are results of
past good work. So here Kṛṣṇa says that "People are concerned with his
work. A man is concerned with his work." Karmaṇā jāya-
te jantuḥ karmaṇaiva pralīyate: "He gets his facilities of life according to the
past good work, bad work, and he is preparing his life, next, by that
work." Sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhayaṁ kṣemaṁkarmaṇaivābhipadyate: "So the-
refore, either happiness or distress or fearfulness or poverty or economic
question, everything on this karma, on this work."

asti ced īśvaraḥ kaścit

phala-rūpy anya-karmaṇāṁ
kartāraṁ bhajate so 'pi
na hy akartuḥ prabhur hi saḥ

"Now, supposing there is somebody." Because these atheists, they do not

believe in God, now they are giving arguments. "Now, suppose there is so-
mebody as God or some supervisor or something like that. But still, he is
obliged to give Me the effect. Therefore I am not going to ask mercy from
that superior personality, God or something else. I have to work." And this
is also fact. Suppose you are going to appear in some examination. Now, the
university is giving you some designation. Now, that designation practically
depends on your passing the examination. What is the use of flattering that
examiner? That is the argument. There is no... His argument is that "You
are after the sacrifice of satisfying the Indra." So indirectly He says that In-
dra is appointed by the Lord and he has to supply water. He is officer. So
what is the use of flattering him? Just like there are many officers in the
New York City. One is in charge of the waterwork department. So there is
no question of flattering that waterworks department officer. You pay your
tax, you work nicely, and water will be supplied to you. But if you don't pay
your tax, however you flatter that officer, your connection will be cut off. So
it depends on your work. It depends on your work.

So, asti ced īśvaraḥ kaścit: "Supposing there is some God..." "There is so-
me God." Just see. A God is preaching atheism. He is God Himself, and He
says, "Supposing if there is some God." "Supposing if there is some
God," kaścitphala-rūpy anya-karmaṇām, "and He gives the result of your
work." The karma-mimāṁsā philosophers, they accept God in this way,
"Suppose there is God and He is to give us the result. So He is obliged. If we
do nice work, He is obliged. So what is the use of flattering God? Let us do
our duty nicely. Then He will be obliged." So Kṛṣṇa is following that argu-
ment. Asti ced īśvaraḥkaścit phala-rūpy anya-karmaṇām, kartāraṁ bhaja-
te so 'pi: "He also worships the worker. The worker has not to worship God.
Because God gives you good result out of your good work; therefore, becau-
se you are doing good work, therefore God is worshiping you." Just see the
argument. He says, kartāraṁbhajate so 'pi na hy akartuḥ prabhur: "And
one who does not do good work, even God does not like him. So there is no
necessity of worshiping this heavenly god or any god, so let us have our
duty done nicely. That will fetch us the desired result."

kim indreṇeha bhūtānāṁ

sva-sva-karmānuvartinām
anīsenānyathā kartuṁ
svabhāva-vihitaṁ nṛṇām

"So, therefore, there is no... Father, there is no necessity of satisfying

this Indra. You are simply wasting your time. You are simply wasting your
time."

Oh,

svabhāva-tantro hi janaḥ
svabhāvam anuvartate
svabhāva-stham idaṁ sarvaṁ
sa-devāsura-mānuṣam
"Everyone is acting according to the modes of nature he has acquired, so
whatever nature we have acquired..." His purpose is that "By nature we are
mercantile people." Because His father was maintaining cows, so he is con-
sidered a mercantile man. Vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-
vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. So He is giving stress
that "Let us perform our duty as mercantile men honestly, and that will
bring us result. Why should we go to worship these demigods?"

Now, here is a point, that Kṛṣṇa does not approve the worship of demi-
gods. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñā-
na yajanty anya-devataḥ: [Bg. 7.20] "Those who are out of intelligence, they
simply worship the demigods." In the Bhagavad-gītā or in the Bhāgava-
ta, anywhere, worship of demigods is not very much recommended. So here
also the same thing, that svabhāva-tantro hi janaḥ: "Everyone is carried by
the modes of nature." Svabhāvam anuvartate: "And he cannot surpass the
spell of the modes of nature." Svabhāvam anuvartante, svabhā-
vas tam idaṁ sarvam: "Everyone is under the control of the nature he has
acquired." And sa-devāsura mānusaḥ. Sa-devāsura. "Always, either he is
man or superman or animal, everyone is being controlled by the modes of
nature."

dehān uccāvacāñ jantuḥ

prāpyotsṛjati karmaṇā
śatrur mitram udāsīnaḥ
karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ

He is giving so much stress on karma. There is no question of bhakti here.

So dehān uccāvācāñ. There are difference of high-grade body and low-grade
body. There are different kinds of body. Somebody has got very high grade
body—very intelligent, very rich, very beautiful, very wealthy—and some-
body has low-grade body. So dehān uccāva-
cāñ jantuḥ prāpyotsṛjati karmaṇā: "Now, these high-grade and low-grade
bodies are obtained according to the work he has done." Śatrur mi-
tram udāsīnaḥ karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ: "And one is the leader or one is a
teacher or one is enemy or one is friend—everything is judged by this kar-
ma, by work." Just see how much he is giving stress on work. Karmaiva.
Karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ.

tasmāt sampūjayet karma

svabhāva-sthaḥ sva-karma-kṛt
añjasā yena varteta
tad evāsya hi daivatam

"Therefore you don't bother yourself about worshiping this god or that god,
demigod. You just be faithful to your work, and then that will give you good
result." Añjasā yena varteta tad evāsya hi daivatam.

ājīvaikataraṁ bhāvaṁ
yas tv anyam upajīvati
na tasmād vindate kṣemaṁ
jārān nāry asatī yathā

He is condemning, that one's profession... He has... Lord Kṛṣṇa has in

the Bhagavad-gītā also said like that. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarc-
ya [Bg. 18.46]. One should not give up his own profession. Never mind even
it is faulty. You have heard it from me. Just like He has given the example
that fire, fire is so pure, still there is fault. There is smoke. So in spite of all
fault one should not give up his own work, but he should do it faithfully and
nicely and the result will come. Ājīvaikataraṁ bhāvaṁ yas tu. And He says
here that "Anyone who gives up his own natural profession, natural aptitu-
de, profession, so..." Na tasmād vindatekṣemaṁ jārān nāry asatī yathā.

Now, this is a very important question. Nāry asatī. Asatī. Asatī means
not chaste, not chaste woman. Just like... In India, of course, it is very strict,
that the woman is not to give up her husband and acquaint herself with any
other man. This example is given that "An unchaste woman gives up her
own husband and makes friendship with others; similarly, one who gives
up his own profession and takes other profession, he is also similarly un-
chaste." Unchaste. Nāry asatī yathā. Varteta brāhmaṇo vipra rājan-
ya rakṣayā bhuvaḥ:"Therefore one should not deviate from his professional
duties, just like the brāhmaṇas..." Brahman..., varte-
ta brāhmaṇo vipraḥ: "Those who are brāhmaṇa, they should stick to their
principle of life, simply spiritual culture." Rājanya rakṣayā bhuvaḥ: "And
those who are kṣatriyas, they should stick to their protecting the citizen."
The kingly order, royal order, their duty is to give protection to the... They
should not simply collect tax. The kṣatriyas, this king is allowed to collect
tax because he is supposed to give all protection to the people. So therefore
it is said, rājanya rakṣayā bhuvaḥ. Rājanya means the royal order stick to
his principle, how to give protection to the people. Similarly, vaiśyas tu vār-
tayā jīvet śūdras tu dvīja-sevayā: "Similarly, these mercantile, they should
live on their trade, and those who are śūdra, those who are laborer class,
they should serve all these three classes." That is the rules.

Now,

kṛṣi-vāṇijya-go-rakṣā
kusīdaṁ tūryam ucyate
vārtā catur-vidhā tatra
vayaṁ go-vṛttayo 'niśam

"Now, according to scripture, we are vaiśya, and we should live not in the
brahminical way or kṣatriya's way or śūdra's way, but we should live just li-
ke vaiśyas; and we are actually agriculturists, and we are actually protecting
cows. Therefore we are vaiśyas. Our duty is to stick to our, faithfully stick to
our business, stick to our work. What is the use of worshiping this god or
that god?"

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti

sthity-utpatti-anta-hetavaḥ
rajasotpadyate viśvam
anyonyaṁ vividhaṁ jagat
Now He is forwarding the atheistic theory of Kapila, sāṅkhya philo-
sophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy theory is that there is no
controller, there is no God, but the world is moving under nature's interac-
tion. Just the modern scientists also say like that. The world... Every action
of this material world is being acted... Just like sāṅkhya philosophy is based
on this philosophy, that a man and woman is attracted and they have sex li-
fe and the son is produced, and there is no other reason for population.
Simply a man wants a woman and a woman wants a man. That natural ten-
dency is there, and when they combine together there is a birth of a child.
So this is a natural sequence. Sāṅkhya philosophy is based on this principle.
They do not believe that above this, there is God. Nirīśa. Above this, there is
God. There is God's control. Actually there is God. Sexual intercourse is not
the cause of a child. According to Bhāgavata, a living entity, before his
death he is, by superior judgement it is thought that "Where this living en-
tity, where this particular man or dog or anything... He is dying. Where it
will be placed?" So when that place is sanctioned, the place is selected, that
"This particular man should go in such and such body," then he is at once
transferred to the semina. That small particle, spiritual particle, is transfe-
rred to the semina of the father, and the father injects the semina into the
mother's womb, and it gets a particular type of body according to his kar-
ma. That is Bhāgavata's version. But the Sāṅkhya philosophy, they say, be-
cause they have no idea that there is spiritual spark, they think simply that,
simply the father and mother's or man and woman's sex life produces life.

So here practically the same thing is advocated by Kṛṣṇa,

that sattvaṁ rajas tama iti sthity-utpatty-anta-hetavaḥ. Now, the creation
of this material world is the three modes of material nature. There is no ot-
her cause. There is no other cause. Rajasā coditā meghā varṣanty ambū-
ni sarvataḥ: "So when there is too much heat by, I mean to say, aggravation
of the modes of passion, there is evaporation of water, and that becomes
cloud, and that is the cause of... The cloud is the cause of rain. Why do you
go to this Indra and Candra and all these things?" Just see Kṛṣṇa, how He is
speaking atheistically. So prajās tair evasidhyan-
ti mahendraḥ kiṁ kariṣyati: "Therefore that rain constitutes agriculture. So
why do you bother about this Mahendra?" Just like modern scientists say
that "We shall artificially make raining so that where there is scarcity of
rain we shall fertilize the land, we shall get production," so similarly,
the sāṅkhya philosophy, according to sāṅkhya philosophy, that rain is cau-
sed by the heat, and by the heat there is cloud in the sky, and the cloud is
the cause of the rain. So there is no question of Mahendra, the controller of
the cloud, or anything else.

prajās tair eva sidhyanti

mahendraḥ kiṁ kariṣyati

na naḥ puro jana-padā

na grāmā na gṛhā vayam
vanaukasas tāta nityaṁ
vana-śaila-nivāsinaḥ

"So therefore we are not going to the city. We are inhabitants of this village.
So it is better to worship this land, this land, this land, Govardhana." Becau-
se Kṛṣṇa was herding His cows on the Govardhana Hill, so indirectly He
hinted that "We should worship this Govardhana Hill, and that is our duty."

So it is a long story, three, four chapters. Of course, it will take some ti-
me. I don't think you can give us so much time. The net, the result is that
when Kṛṣṇa talked like this, then His father agreed not to perform the sacri-
fice. Because all the inhabitants of Vraja, Vṛndāvana, they are so much fond
of Kṛṣṇa, whatever Kṛṣṇa will say, they will accept. So although Kṛṣṇa was a
boy, He implored his father and other elderly gentlemen present there that
"There is no need of performing this sacrifice." So they stopped sacrifice. As
a result of this stopping, Indra became very much angry, and there was to-
rrents of rain, incessant rain, and very vehemently. So the whole village and
whole tract of land comprising the Vrajabhūmi, they became overflooded.
And the cows and the animals and the people became too much afflicted. So
they had no other source. They approached Kṛṣṇa, "Protect us. Kṛṣṇa, pro-
tect us." So at that time Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I will give you protection." So He
was, although a boy of six or seven years old, He lifted that hill. That is...
We are... If any time you go to India you will see the hill. It is not less than
at least five, six miles area, very big hill. That hill was lifted by Him, and He
kept that hill in His hand for seven days. And then everything was cleared.
Then Indra prayed Him.
 So there are many things after this. So today Kṛṣṇa lifted this hill; there-
fore His name is Giridhārī. Giridhārī means who held the hill. Giri means
the hill, and dhārī means one who holds up. So today is that, is the annual
ceremony of today, this Govardhana-pūjā. So we follow that principle. Be-
cause we are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to follow His instruction. So
at noontime we shall perform that pūjā, and you are invited to take prasā-
dam. I think prasādam will be ready by eleven o'clock, and you will kindly
participate in taking prasādam. (end)