Verse: Krishna Samhita
Hare Krishna! Generally I remind the devotees that the purpose of the seminars I give or we give is not to give the complete comprehensive understanding of the topic but to generate the interest so that one becomes encouraged to study those topics or those books. Actually in 3-4 days it is not possible to give the total understanding of the book. Actually what to speak of the books, just on one verse we can meditate throughout our whole life. Isn’t that the case with Bhagavad Gita? Just one verse of Bhagavad Gita, we can meditate throughout our whole life on that verse and still we may not be able to understand, still we may not be able to totally comprehend. So, that is the spiritual reality even one minute atomic particle is inconceivable. That is the spiritual reality.
Once, Srila Prabhupada was making that point to me. I was serving Srila Prabhupada his Prasad. I made some plum chutney for Prabhupada and Prabhupada took that seed after eating that the prune, Prabhupada held that seed in his hand and he said – “Inside this seed there is a tree and in that tree there are innumerable fruits and in each fruit there is a seed and in that seed there is a tree and in that tree there are innumerable fruits in those fruits there are innumerable seeds and in each seed there is a tree”, he said that is how inconceivable the spiritual nature is. So, the scriptures that deal with that spiritual reality, we will never be able to understand them completely. As a matter of fact, the closer we come to it the more we realize how inconceivable it is. That is the nature of the spiritual reality. Regarding that also it has been explained, why it is like that? Krishna is absolute and we are minute. So, the closer we will come to Krishna, we will recognize Krishna’s absoluteness and in the light of Krishna’s absoluteness we will recognize our minuteness. So, closer we get to know Krishna, closer we come to Krishna, the more we will realize how inconceivable Krishna is. The closer we get to Krishna, the more we get to know Krishna, the more we will understand how great Krishna is and how small we are. That is why the more one makes spiritual advancement the more humble he becomes. This humbleness of a Vaishnava is not an artificial thing; it is natural. It naturally happens because the more he gets to know Krishna, the more he recognizes how small, how insignificant he is and when we realize that we are insignificant naturally we become humble, we become small. That is why this knowledge must be received from the higher source. Therefore this process is called descending process; the knowledge descends, it comes down. The materialistic way of acquiring knowledge is ascending process; we go up higher and higher understanding, but the spiritual knowledge is exclusively, absolutely a descending process where the knowledge comes down.
“tadviddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya
Upadekshyanti te jnanam jnaninas tatvadarsinah”
The process of receiving this knowledge is descending process; it must come down from above. One who has it, he gives it and that is how we receive it. With our intelligence, with our intellectual pursuits, with our reasoning, with our scholarship we will never be able to understand it, rather this knowledge is revealed in the heart. Therefore it is called the revealed knowledge; it’s a matter of revelation.
(“divya gyan hride prakashita”)
This transcendental knowledge is revealed in the heart. This is not within the jurisdiction of the head. Head cannot approach that domain. Therefore when we approach this path, what do we do? We offer obeisances. ‘Obeisances’ means head down.
And for the sake of receiving this knowledge, if we have to undergo little bit of austerities, let’s tolerate it. If it is a little hot, let’s tolerate the heat, if it is a little damp let’s tolerate the dampness, if the legs are hurting sitting on the ground let’s tolerate that inconvenience. It is a matter of becoming absorbed. If we put our mind to it, then the physical difficulties will not trouble us.
So, this transcendental knowledge is revealed in the heart (“divya gyan hride prakashita”) and with that understanding we must approach it. We must approach with the understanding that with our education, with our scholarship, with our intelligence, we will never be able to understand it. But, if by the mercy of Krishna, by the mercy of the spiritual master, by the mercy of the devotees if this knowledge is revealed in the heart, yes then we can understand it and Krishna can do that. We are trying to understand Krishna but if Krishna comes and stands in front of us and says- “Here I am” then immediately we will come to know Krishna; and Krishna does that. (Yasmin vigyate..) Knowing Him everything becomes known; getting Him everything becomes achieved.
(Since all the coolers are switched off, let’s switch off this one also. Switch it off! Much better! And let’s appreciate this heat. Imagine you are in the North Pole in winter, how much you will appreciate this heat? Anyway, the best is- not to even worry about it. Neither be in North Pole nor anywhere else but just be here now and become absorbed in this transcendental topic.)
This morning I mentioned, there was a little confusion about Krishna Sandarbha and Krishna Samhita. Sandarbha actually means philosophy, philosophical conclusion, philosophical understanding of spiritual subject. The greatest philosopher of all time- Jiva Goswami- presented the philosophy of the spiritual reality in six sandarbhas - six philosophical treatises- and they are Tattva sandarbha, Bhagavad sandarbha, Paramatma sandarbha, Krishna sandarbha, Bhakti sandarbha and Priti sandarbha. Out of these six, four deal with sambandha jnana. There are three aspects- sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. Tattva, Bhagavad, Paramatma and Krishna sandarbhas these four sandarbhas deal with sambandha, then bhakti sandarbha deals with abhidheya, bhakti is abhidheya and priti sandarbha deals with prayojana. So out of that Krishna sandarbha is the fourth one, there he is actually revealing the identity of Krsna and what is the identity of Krsna? The identity of Krsna is that - Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are innumerable incarnations of the Lord but Krsna is not an incarnation, Krsna is the origin of all incarnations, Krsna is not the avatar, Krsna is the avatari. (Etesham….Krsnastu Bahagavan Swayam)
He extensively dealt with this particular point (Krsnastu Bahagavan Swayam). Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead and this is the ‘teachings’ of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Actually Krsna’s actual identity has been revealed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Before that the understanding of Krsna was not clear. Caitanya Mahaprabhu himself did not present anything in the writing. The only thing that Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented in the written form is the Shikshashtakam. Just eight verses of Sikshastakam; that’s the only writing of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Mahaprabhu did not write anything else. But Mahaprabhu gave an ocean of information and the information given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu has been summarized in this way- the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have been summarized as… What? [Asking others] (aradhya bhagavan Brajesh- Tanaya)
The Supreme worshipable Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the son of Nanda Maharaj. Why the son of Nanda Maharaj? Because there are two Krsnas, one Krsna is the son of Vasudeva and Devaki and the other Krsna is the son of Nanda Maharaj and Mata Yasoda. So Mahaprabhu is pointing out that this (aradhya Bhagavan) the Supreme worshipable Lord is Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaj- Brajesh Tanaya. Braj ish- the Lord of Braja; the king of Braja. Who is the king of Braja? Nanda Maharaj and (Saddam Vrindavana) His dham, His abode is Vrindavan (Saddam Vrindavana).
(Ramma kachi…)
The way the Vraja vadhus, the damsels of Vrindavan, the gopis of Vrindavan worship Krsna. That is the highest form of worship.
And (Srimad Bhagavatam..amalam)
The spotless Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam is the proof of this statement of this conclusion.
And (prema pumartha mahan)
And Krsna Prema to develop the love for Krsna is the ultimate goal of life (prema pumartha mahan). And (Sri Caitanya..idam)
This is the summary of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings. So, accept it with whole heart; accept it whole heartedly. That is Mahaprabhu’s ‘teachings’. Mahaprabhu is establishing that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Which Krsna? Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaj and what is His Abode- Vrindavan, what is the highest form of worship - the way the gopis worship Him and what is the best way to understand Krsna - Srimad Bhagavatam and this is the ultimate goal of life- to develop the love of Krsna is the ultimate goal of life (prema pumartha mahan).
There are chatur vargas - dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Dharma,artha, kama,and moksha, these are the chatur vargas. But, beyond these chatur vargas, beyond moksha is prema (pancham purushartha prema pumartha mahan). That is the ultimate goal of life. It is even beyond liberation. People think that liberation is the ultimate goal. No. Mahaprabhu pointed out that ‘No, liberation is not the ultimate goal’. When Mahaprabhu was travelling in south India, Mahaprabhu had an encounter with the tattvavadis from a branch of Madhva sampradaya who considered that to attain liberation in Vaikuntha, to go back to Vaikuntha is the ultimate goal of life- liberation. There are five kinds of liberation- sayujya, samipya, sarupya, salokya, and sasti. But of that, one is negative and four are positive. Sayujya mukti is negative liberation. This liberation is given to the demons (asura harina hata). The demons that are killed by Hari, they achieve this sayujya mukti. So, the liberation that is given to the demons, why the devotees will want that liberation and this actually has been explained as when one is in a prison house, he naturally wants to get out of the prison. A prisoner naturally does not like to be in the prison. He wants to get out. But there are two ways in which we can get out. One way is by digging a tunnel out of the prison or scaling the wall we can escape from the prison. But is that really becoming free from the prison. One may run away from the prison by digging a tunnel, but then the whole police force will be behind him. So, he will be in constant anxiety; he will be hiding all the time and when he is caught then again not only he will be put back into the prison, but his sentence will become even more intensified even more severe. But there is another way of becoming free from the prison. What is that way? We recognize our crime and we surrender to the king; we appeal to the king – “Please forgive me, I made a mistake. Unknowingly I committed this crime. I am really repentant about it and I don’t want to commit that crime again. Please forgive me now.” When we say that, then the king may release us. So, this is the real way of getting out of the prison. This is the appropriate way of getting out of the prison. So sayujya mukti is something like escaping from the prison and samipya, sarupya, salokya, sasti and these four kinds of liberations are something like-
(sarva dharmanparityajya mamekam saranam vraja)
-surrender unto Krsna. Then Krsna will release us from the prison. (sarvapapebyo) Pap is the crime, sin means crime and for that crime we are being punished in the prison. So, if we recognize our crime and surrender to the king then the king will forgive us and free us and when the king releases us, what will happen? The king will either allow us to be close to him (samipya) or the king will allow us to live in his own palace (salokya) or (sarupya) we will get an appearance that looks like the king we will also wear crown we will also wear royal dress and we will also look like the king (sarupya) and (sasti) having the same opulence as the king; same power as the king. So, these are the four kinds of liberations that Krsna awards to those who are good boys and girls. So, who are the good boys and good girls? Those, who (sarva dharmanparityajya mamekam) surrenders to Krsna. Those, who wholeheartedly surrender to Krsna, then, automatically Krsna gives them liberation. So this liberation is not the goal.
So, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu pointed that out to the tattvavadis. Tattvavadis considered that becoming free and achieving one of these four kinds of liberation in Vaikuntha is the ultimate goal of devotion. Mahaprabhu just made a few points to them (samipya, sarupya, salokya….matsevanam jana). Bhagavatam is saying that if these liberations are given to the devotees, devotees do not want to accept it. Even if they are awarded to the devotees, devotees do not want to accept that, because the devotees simply want to serve Krsna. So, Mahaprabhu made that point and tattvavadis understood, yes! That’s true.
If these four kinds of liberation were the goal then why Bhagavatam is saying that even if they are offered to the devotees, the devotees do not want to take that. So, something that the devotees do not want to take, why should that be the goal? What is the goal? - Devotion, (mat sevanam) service to Krsna that is the goal. The goal of life therefore, is to develop one’s love for Krsna (prema pumartha mahan). So, in this way, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave an ocean of information about spiritual reality. Who is Krsna, what is our relationship with him, where does Krsna stay, what is his abode? So, these are the ultimate goal; these are ultimate teachings of the Vedas and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented that teachings. But as I mentioned Mahaprabhu did not write anything except eight verses. Of course, in these eight verses, Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave everything. In these eight verses, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave all the wisdom. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, what did he point out? He pointed out- what is the holy name, what is the benefit of chanting the holy name, by chanting the Hare Krsna Mahamantra what we will benefit.(cheto darpanam marjanam…) Just in the first verse, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave the total understanding. What does this Krsna sankirtana do? It purifies our hearts (cheto darpanam marjanam) and in this way when heart becomes purified or the heart starts to get purified then (bhava mahadavagni nirvapanam) all material sufferings cease to exist, all material sufferings are extinguished (bhava mahadavagni nirvapanam), the severe forest fire of material existence becomes extinguished and (shreyah kairava chandrika vitaranam) then the life becomes full of sublime joy of spiritual situation being situated on the spiritual platform, we experience an inconceivable auspiciousness and that is the (vidyavadhu jeevanam) the knowledge of Krsna Consciousness. It comes as the dear-most friend and that completely encompasses us. (sarvatma snapanam anandambudhi vardhanam) We become not only submerged in the ocean of ecstasy but that ocean of ecstasy continues to increase more and more. (param vijayate Sri Krsna sankirtanam) Let there be the supreme victory of the Sankirtan movement. In this world of inauspiciousness let this ‘Sankirtan movement’ defeat all these impediments of this material nature and become supremely victorious.
So, this is what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give- the highest benefit, the highest benediction, the supreme joy of the spiritual realm. This most precious asset of the spiritual sky that is what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to distribute. Now, Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not write anything but Mahaprabhu’s followers especially the Goswamis of Vrindavan, they wrote volumes after volumes of books (nana shastra…) consulting all different scriptures. (nana..) The real religion for mankind has been established so that’s what the Goswamis did. They just did not whimsically write something; they did not write some fiction; they did not write some fairy tales, whatever they wrote was authentic and was substantiated by scriptural evidence. They took all this essence of understanding from the scriptures and presented it in their writings and of them six are principal Goswamis (bande Rupa Sanatano, Raghujugo Sri Jeeva Gopala go Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunathdasa, Raghunatha Bhatt, Gopal Bhatt and Shree Jeeva). These six Goswamis were the most brilliant personalities that the world has ever seen.
Actually why I am relating this is, because I want to point out that how Bhaktivinod Thakur’s writing this Krsna Samhita is actually the essence of the Goswamis’ writing. What the Goswamis gave, the Bhaktivinod Thakur presented it in the most brilliant way for us. My concern actually was about presenting Krsna Sandarbha. How understandable it will be. Although I tried to present things with as much I understood but even then I knew that it will be very difficult for many to properly grasp. But Bhaktivinod Thakur made a presentation in a very brilliant way, very beautiful way. How did Bhaktivinod Thakur present it? Bhaktivinod Thakur presented it in a modern context. I will give you an example. Bhaktivinod Thakur is defeating the modern concept. What is the modern concept? Modern concept is the concept that has been given by the British. British were ruling over India. India was a British colony. So, the history of India, today has been written by whom? -By the British. Some British people wrote themselves or they actually converted some Indians and made them into British. So, apparently they looked like Indians but internally they were not Indians, they were British, they were the slaves of the British and they wrote the history according to what they taught them and that’s why look at how they damaged our culture. Today the educated class or not educated, practically every Indian considers Ramayana, Mahabharata, samhitas -all these as mythology, now what is mythology it is coming from the word myth, what myth means? –Fiction. So, these are all fictions- Mahabharata is fiction, Ramayana is fiction. And then they consider that Indian culture is very new. Indian civilization is not that old and India is not really that glorious a country. The Aryans came from outside, they would very much like to say that Aryans came to India from England, but it would be difficult for them to prove so that’s why they say that they came from somewhere else. They guess -one thing is for sure that they came from Europe. Either they came from Russia or maybe they would give the credit even to Persia –Iran, that the Aryans actually came from there and they came to India and then they settled down in a land called Brahma-avarta which is between the two rivers called sarasvati and drishadvati, in the northern part of India because that’s the closest from Europe. So, they came from there and then what happened- India was uncivilized, the actual India was uncivilized country, the people in India were known as Dravidas. So, when the Aryans came they drove the Dravidas out of North India down to South India. And the God of the Dravidas is Lord Siva. So, there is the conflict between Aryans and Dravidians, which became manifest that Lord Siva was not given the recognition. They (Aryans) tried to make a truce between [with] the Dravidians. They offered their daughter Sati in marriage to Lord Siva, but still the Aryans were so proud of their own culture that they would not accept the Dravidian culture so they did not offer proper respect to Lord Siva; they did not want to give him the Yagya Bhag- the portion of the sacrifice, and as a result of that Sati became insulted and Sati left her body. Then, Siva became upset and Siva started to create havoc. Then, the Aryans accepted Siva and decided to give him Yagya-bhag. Now this is how they wrote the history of India and what to speak of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
So, Bhaktivinod Thakur dealt with these points and defeated point by point. He exposed them that actually this is how the British tried to create an inferiority complex among the Indians because the British knew that Indian culture was far superior to their culture or because of their pride they did not want to accept the supremacy of Indian culture. Therefore, very systematically, they wanted to make the Indians feel that their culture is only a myth; their culture is only a fairy tale. We are greater than you, so, you must worship us and they wrote the history of India in a certain way.
And they wanted to point out that Indian civilization is only a few years old. Bhaktivinod Thakur dealt with that. Bhaktivinod Thakur chronologically pointed out that taking the time from Mahabharata - Parikshit Maharaj- he took historical calculation and he still pointed out that it is more than six thousand years old and then he pointed out that look more than six thousand years ago, these people were so advanced. So, even if you do not want to accept the fact that this civilization is an eternal civilization, this process is an eternal process, but still at least chronologically, you have to accept that this civilization is far superior to your civilization. When you were moving around naked, then in India people were driving spaceship, they were flying in spaceship.
Because unless and until we become proud of our own culture how can we distribute it to the rest of the world. So, in this way Bhaktivinod Thakur actually made the foundation for spreading Krsna Consciousness all over the world. We have to become not proud or vanity but we have to become aware of the greatness and the depth and the profundity and the glory of our own culture and this culture is not just Indian culture.
Another thing that we have to consider, this is a human culture, this is a human civilization, this is meant for everyone. We all are one race, we are human beings, and it does not matter whether we come from India or we come from Russia or we come from China or America or Africa. Wherever we come from, we are one race; we are called human-beings. Like if we are facing a lion will the lion ask you are you an Indian human being or a Russian human being; “Oh! You are an Indian human being and I am a royal Bengal tiger therefore we are friends”. Will the tiger take the geographical consideration this way? It will not. Similarly, when there is something great, we have to recognize that this belongs to the entire human society. Like, say for example today if some medicine is developed, invented in America do only the American people benefit out of that medicine or that medicine is given out throughout the world and everybody derives the benefit. So, similarly if there is some wealth especially when there is some spiritual wealth we must learn to share it with everybody else. We have to share it with everyone otherwise we are being misers, we are being unfair. So, that is why it is important that we recognize the value of this culture and in a wonderful way this has been pointed out in ISKCON. Like in ISKCON there are devotees from all over the world, there are devotees from America, there are devotees from Europe, there are devotees from Africa, there are devotees from Australia, there are devotees from Asia, there are devotees from all over the world and they are accepting it and why they are accepting it because they are realizing that this is the most precious thing in this world; this Krsna Consciousness is the most precious thing and this culture, this philosophy is the most profound human culture, most profound philosophy. They are not saying that this is a myth, this is a fairy tale but they are realizing, they understand due to Prabhupada’s teachings. The time moves in cycles. Similarly, human civilization also moves in cycles- there is satya yuga then after satya yuga comes treta then dvapar yuga then kali yuga then again satya, treta, dvapara, kali, sata, treta, dvapar, kali .Time moves in cycles, just like after every second, comes another second, after every minute comes another minute, after every hour comes another hour, after every day comes another day. So, similarly time moves in cycles and in the larger sphere also time moves in cycles. Time is eternal and moves in cycles. The highest form of calculation is the yugas- satya, treta, dvapara and kali and it goes on and then even goes higher further 1000 (one sahasra) such chatur-yugas make a day of Brahma (sahasrayuga paryanta). In this calculation Brahma lives day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year and his aayu - his lifespan is 100 such years. So, this is the movement of time. Why should we limit it in such a way that, Civilization started only so many million years ago and what was initially? Everyone was, everything was unicellular -single cell animal. Then, from unicellular it became multi-cellular. First, there was only water, then some part of water dried and then they were struggling to adjust themselves on the land. Then, the life came on the land and from the land they started to develop. First, they were jelly fish and then they developed vertebrae and after developing vertebrae, some became reptiles, some became animals and some became birds and then the animals ultimately developed into monkeys and from monkeys, they became human-beings. Now, Prabhupada made some very simple points here that if monkeys became human-beings then why don’t we see any monkey becoming a human-being, why don’t we see the monkeys giving birth to human babies? But, we see the other way round, we see the human beings giving birth to monkeys, but we don’t see monkeys becoming human beings. If there is organic evolution, then why don’t we see that evolution working now? If everything evolves from lower species to higher species then why don’t we see that some lower species of existence becoming higher species, why not? So, Prabhupada raised this point and pointed out that scientists are a big bluff and Prabhupada did say the bluffs of the scientists; the scientific bluff. They are bluffing, but they are considered to be scientists, big learned scientists. But they are not scientists, they are passing fairy tales and bluffs as real and they are converting factual records in historical anecdotes as fairy tales. That is the unfortunate state of affairs today.
Another thing that Bhaktivinod Thakur pointed out in this book is that they are justifying their theory of evolution through our concept Dasavataras and mind you the British did that through the Indians. They actually appointed some Indian agents, they did not deliberately become British agents but unconsciously they became their agents, unknowingly they became their agents, they became the puppets in their hands, they wrote whatever they said. So, I just wanted to point out that these presentations came from the people those who are actually Indians and they are recognized as great historians, great scholars. Now one thing that Bhaktivinod Thakur pointed out that out of the Dasavtaras who is the first incarnation?-Fish. So, at first when life was in the form of fish, the incarnation became fish incarnation, right. Then, from fish it became a tortoise, right and then after that is animal, it developed into animal then that is Varaha incarnation. Then, the human beings were not quite human, they were half human half man [animal] and the incarnation is Nrsinghadeva. Then, that uncivilized human being -incarnation is Parasuram and civilized human being incarnation is Ramachandra. Then, Krsna then when man became philosophically inclined then Buddha and then when human being will be starting to fight with each other in a very sever way then the Lord will incarnate as Kalaki. Now, see how they are trying to justify their theory of evolution through these Vedic concepts and Indians are accepting it. I remember long time back B.K Birla, the Birlas wrote a letter to us, I was in Calcutta at that time, giving that analogy, because this is going on in the name of scientific understanding.
Bhaktivinod Thakur dealt with that he smashed that concept and he pointed out [that] this is just 10 incarnations has [that have] been presented by Jayadev in the Invocation but Bhagavatam is talking about 24 different incarnations and then Bhagavatam is saying that the Lord has innumerable incarnations and Bhaktivinod Thakur pointed out why are you considering that this material nature is everything. When you read Bhagavatam, when you read Bhagavad Gita you will see that beyond this material nature there is another reality that is the spiritual reality, our scriptures are dealing with that reality. We are not considering this material nature is everything; rather this material nature is the perverted reflection of the spiritual sky. So, in this way Bhaktivinod Thakur, very systematically, has smashed these misconceptions and in this way what Bhaktivinod Thakur is doing? He is preparing us to preach in this world. He knew that we will confront this kind of opposition so he is preparing us with the proper arguments. You think that is what is right, “No! That’s wrong.” And one very important thing that we must remember that even a few years back I remember when I used to be a young boy I used to be fond of reading novels and fictions, especially detective stories and so forth and my aunt, my father’s elder sister used to be very upset when she used to see that I am reading these novels and I couldn’t understand what’s wrong. I used to tell her, “look this is my spare time, during my studies I will prepare my school homework but in spare time I am just reading this book. What was the harm?” and she of course couldn’t explain what was the harm, what was wrong and nobody explained to me at that time what was wrong in reading fiction but today I recognize, today I understand why because in the Vedic culture no untruth were allowed to be written down and only the truth could be recorded; no untruth should be presented in writing why? -Because if one untruth is presented in written form, then people will lose their confidence in the written scriptures. Writings were only scriptures the things that were about the Lord and about the absolute reality. But, actually British again introduced this trend in the Indian culture. What did the British do when they came to India? First they established their business because they came to do business because Great Britain or England was a small little Island where they grew only potatoes they didn’t have anything there but they were adventurous people, they were brave people, so, after Columbus discovered the waterway to India, they started to go by ship to India and the purpose was that they will get the wealth from India and bring it to England and that had been the trend for a long time. The Italians, Greeks all had the trade link with India. They used to come overland to India. But overland it is very dangerous, there were dacoits, there were rough roads, mountains to cross, so it was very difficult. So, everybody wanted to go to India but going to India was very difficult. At that time Copernicus proved that the world is round. Previously they used to think that the world is flat. Actually according to Christian concept, Bible or Old Testament, the earth is flat. But when Copernicus came with the concept that earth is round, the church was dead against him, they were calling him to be blasphemous, saying something that was opposed to the scripture, but the intelligent class of people thought that “yes that’s true”, the proof that he gave made sense. So, Columbus thought if earth is round and India is in east, so, if I go to the west then I will end up in India. That was his reasoning, which was quite valid because they didn’t know that there were other islands, other continents. So, they just considered the Europe and India, this side is Europe, the other side is India. So, if I go west I will reach India. But, where did he end up. He ended up in America. Now, although he appeared in America, he thought he arrived in India, so, that’s why even today the original Americans are called Indians. They are known as Indians because Columbus thought that he came to India, he thought that America was India, it was later on that he realized it was not India. So, after him that continent got the name America. So, everybody wanted to go to India. So, when the water way was discovered then, yes, the British went out they were island people so they were good at sailing and things. They were brought up in water, so, they came to India and their business was-business, trading. They came to take things from India, go back to England and then what happened? They developed their own army, they recruited the Indians to join their army and with their own army and their diplomatic alliance with different other Indian kings, they brought India under their control. They set up one king against another king, let them fight and they are watching fun and when both of them killed themselves, they came and took the land. So, this is how they brought the whole country under their control and then what did they do? They sent their missionaries to spread their religion and those missionaries came and set up their schools and who joined their schools? The progressive minded Indian parents and their children, “Oh! They are so nice, they are so progressive, so, let my son also become progressive” and they joined their schools and these people when they found someone very bright, they gave him a lot of recognition, a lot of facilities, a lot of acclaim and then they started to write for whom they were writing? They were not obviously enamoured by Vedic culture. To begin with they rejected the Vedic culture and promoted to accept the British culture. So, what they wrote was for the British and against the Vedic culture. So, this is how the Vedic culture was destroyed in India.
Now, Bhaktivinod Thakur also was one of the products of the British education. So, that’s why he could figure out what the British were doing and Bhaktivinod Thakur tried to pick a thorn with a thorn; he used their education, he used their system to expose them and then he established the supremacy of the Vedic culture. So, we are eternally indebted to Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur for this wonderful gift that he gave us, the wonderful weapon that he equipped us with, to fight against this modernization.
So, we the followers of Bhaktivinod Thakur actually are very thankful to him for his gifts. Bhaktivinod Thakur actually gave us the blueprint; he established the foundation of Krsna Consciousness in this age. Prior to Bhaktivinod Thakur Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings were lost. Even in the Vaisnava community, Mahaprabhu’s teachings were lost and they became apa sampradayas. In the name of following Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they were introducing all kinds of undesirable practices. But, Bhaktivinod Thakur came and established the real Krsna Consciousness culture.
So that’s why we selected this Krsna Samhita. So, two more days we have tomorrow and day after tomorrow. So, as I mentioned, all I can do is to give you a very vague, a very basic idea of what this book is about so that you can understand the essence of his presentation, the essence of his teachings and develop the interest to read his books.
Hare Krsna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!