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ANNOUNCER: The following is a
class from the Śrī Caitanya-
caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā volume 8,
chapter 20, text 131 throuh 136,
given by His Divine Grace A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupāda, recorded in
November of 1966, in New York.

PRABHUPĀDA:

Now, the poor man asked the
astrologer, “Yes, what you say is
right. I have heard also that my
father is very rich man and he
has left some money for me, but
where he has kept, I do not find.
Will you please let me know how
I can find out?” So the
astrologer… Astrologer, a perfect
astrologer is called sarvajña.
Sarvajña means he knows past,
present and future. A real
astrologer means he will tell you
about your past life and he will
tell you about your present life
and your future life also. There is
a system of astrology in India
which is called Bhṛgu-saṁhitā.
Any man will go, and if the
expert in Bhṛgu-saṁhitā science,
he will at once tell you what you
were in your past life, how you
are acting in this present life, and
what is your next life. Therefore,
perfection of astrology is in the
Bhrgu-saṁhitā, and therefore
sarvajña. In old Indian system,
as soon as child is born, an
expert astrologer will be called
forth and there will be ceremony,
jāta-karma, just after the birth.
Just like, before giving birth to
the child, there was some
ceremony which is called
garbhādhāna ceremony, and
between the birth-giving
ceremony and the child is born,
there are two other ceremonies,
sadhavakan (?). So after the birth
of the child, the astrologer is
called forth and he begins to tell
about the future of the boy.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when
Mahārāja Parīkṣit was born, his
father was dead, his grandfather.
You know, his father was only
sixteen years old when the boy
was in the womb of his mother.
In the battlefield he died. So
when the child was born, the
grandfather, Arjuna, and his
elder brother, they are very much
anxious to know how this child
will become in future. Because a
responsible king, they wanted to
know “Whether the child is worth
to our family?” So everything was
spoken that is described in the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that “This
child will be like this, like this,”
and it was foretold that the at
the last stage of his life, he will
be cursed by a brāhmaṇa and he
will die out of snake bite. “This
child will die by snake bite.” That
was also foretold. And because
the brāhmaṇa cursed, a
brāhmaṇa boy cursed him that
“Within seven days the king will
die by snake bite…” That’s a long
story. Therefore, Mahārāja
Parīkṣit, he was not very old, but
he understood that “I will have to
die by snake bite, so let me get
free from this royal
responsibilities.” He at once
handed over his kingdom to his
son and went to the bank of the
Ganges and sat down there tight,
without taking any food and
drink, for seven days, and he
heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from
the authoritative source of
Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he died
at the end of seven days. A
snake came and bit him.

So this astrological calculation
were then; still there are. In the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written,
it was five thousand years before.
It is stated there that in the
beginning of Kali-yuga, there will
be buddha-avatāra, incarnation.
Vabhisekha (?). Vabhisekha
means “there will appear.” These
are śāstra, these are astrological
calculation, everything perfect.
The other day, when I was
discussing about Sanātana
Goswami, how even an ordinary
hotel keeper, he kept an
astrologer who told the hotel
keeper that “This man has got
eight golden dollars.” Just see.
This is astrology. Even a thief
could be conducted, guided by
astrologer, and what to speak of
others. So that was their system
in India. So that example is being
placed here by Lord Caitanya that
the Veda, that is astrology for
your guidance. For your
guidance, the scripture is your
astrologer. He knows your future,
he knows your past. So therefore
you should consult, you should
consult, for our guidance.

Now, the astrologer is supposed
to give some instruction to the
poor man.

‘ei sthāne āche dhana’—yadi
dakṣiṇe khudibe ‘bhīmarula-
barulī’ uṭhibe, dhana nā pāibe

Now, the astrologer says, is
giving him, it is figurative, that “If
you want to search out the
Absolute Truth by ritualistic
method…” Mostly people are
attached to the particular faith
and its ritualistic method. They
consider this is everything. Veda-
vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti
vādinaḥ. They think that
performing these rituals of a
particular religion and faith, that
is all; no more. So Lord Caitanya
says, Lord Caitanya in the shape
of that astrologer says, that if
you follow—it is given
figuratively, that he is searching
after the wealth left by his father.
Similarly, we have got our father,
the Supreme, and He is the
supreme proprietor of everything.
If we try to find out our father
and father’s property by the
ritualistic process—there are
ritualistic processes in every
religion and in every scripture—
but if we stick to that, then the
result will be they will be
entrapped by the search,
fanaticism, and it will be not
possible to make progress. This is
called dakṣiṇa system. Dakṣiṇa,
dakṣiṇa means if he is giving him
instruction that “Your house is
bounded by east side, west side,
north side and south side. So if
you go to the south…” South is
translated into Sanskrit, dakṣiṇa.
And dakṣiṇa also means giving
something to the priest in respect
of his service for performing
rituals. So this is figuratively
being used, dakṣiṇa. Dakṣiṇa
means priesthood. If you follow
the priesthood, then the result
will be that ‘bhīmarula-barulī’
uṭhibe, dhana nā pāibe. “There
are some poisonous insects
which will bite you, and you will
not be able to dig out the wealth
left by your father.” So this
poisonous effect is that the
priesthood, they are for business.
They will never give you the right
thing, not it is in their power. Not
it is in their power. That is going
on. But if you find out, if you
want to find out the Absolute
Truth through this rituals and
priesthood, then the result will be
that you will be bitten by some
poisonous insects and your
attempt will be unsuccessful.
Paścime, paścime khudibe.

‘paścime’ khudibe, tāhā ‘yakṣa’
eka haya se vighna (karibe),—
dhane hāta nā paḍaya

Then again, the system of
ahaṅgama-pāsanā, pantheism,
philosophical speculation,
pantheism, monism, atheism,
agnosticism, so many isms there
are. So if you follow these isms,
there is a jata, there is another
danger which you will not get
any information of the Absolute
Truth.

‘uttare’ khudile āche kṛṣṇa
‘ajagare’ dhana nāhi pābe,
khudite gilibe sabāre

So uttara, uttara means uttara-
mīmāṁsā. There is a philosophy
which is called karma-mīmāṁsā.
Karma-mīmāṁsā means there is
no need of making your
relationship with God. God is
Supreme, accepted, but He is
bound to give you the result of
your honest work. This is another
philosophy. So you work
honestly, this is more or less
moral principles. If you stick to
the moral principle, ethics and
morals, then you will be
entrapped by the prideness that
“Oh, I am very moral. I do not
speak lies. I do not steal. I treat
with my neighbors very nicely. So
I have no necessity to search out
father. I am quite all right.” That
means, this mundane moralist, if
you become mundane moralist,
or if you become mundane
philosopher or if you stick to the
ritualistic process of your
particular faith, then there is no
hope of reaching to the Absolute
Truth. Mundane scriptural,
ritualistic way and dry speculative
philosophy and mundane
moralists. Just like Arjuna and his
brother. His eldest brother is
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira; he was
very moralist, Dharmarāja. His
name was “the king of religious
principles,” Dharmarāja. So Kṛṣṇa
Himself advised him that “You go
to Droṇācārya and tell him a lie,
that ‘Your son is dead. Your son
is dead.’ ” Now Mahārāja
Yudhiṣṭhira, he was a mundane
moralist, so “How can I tell lie?
How can I tell lie? I have never
spoken lie in my life.” So there
was some argument. Of course
this was, fight was, some
compromise was made between
them in the camp. So he became
a mundane moralist. He did not
consider that “The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is
asking me to tell lie.” So he could
not transgress his moral
principles so he could not
become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He
(was) considered mundane
moralist, so it was not possible
for him to become a Kṛṣṇa
conscious person. He could not
take Kṛṣṇa’s order as the
Supreme. But Arjuna, in the
beginning, he was hesitating to
fight and kill his kinsmen, and
when he understood that “Kṛṣṇa
wants this fight,” he decided,
“Yes, I shall do.” This is Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.

So these are the principles. If we
stick to the particular type of
ritualism—because I confess a
particular type of faith, and my
faith describes this sort of
ritualism, I must follow—then
you stick to that, you cannot
make any progress. And if you go
on simply philosophizing—this
ism, that ism, that ism,
nonsense-ism—then also you will
not be able. And if you become
mundane moralist, then also you
will not be able. You have to
become transcendental to all
these mundane principles; then it
will be possible to become
perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious. So it is
not transgressing, because as
soon as you become really Kṛṣṇa
conscious, then you become all:
you become a philosopher, you
become a ritualistic, you become
actually moralist. What is the
standard of morals? Can you
explain? What is the standard of
morality? Can you explain? Can
any one of you say? Have you
got any idea what is the standard
of morality? The standard of
morality is to obey the Supreme.
That is standard of morality.
Standard of morality does not
mean that you manufacture
something morality out of your
concoction. No. Standard of
morality is to obey the Supreme.
That is standard of morality.
Example. Example is, just like
this State, the State has law that
if you commit murder, then you
will be hanged. It is immoral. If
you commit theft, then you will
be punished. But when the State
says that you go and become a
spy and become a thief and bring
out these documents on the
enemy’s camp, that is morality. If
you kill a man, you will be
hanged. But when the State
order, if you kill an enemy,
hundreds of enemy, you will be
awarded gold medal. So if you
stick to the principle, theft and
murder, and do not follow the
State order, you will be
considered, what is called, tyrant,
or what is that? Traitor. Traitor.

So if in our practical experience
we see to obey the order of the
Supreme is morality, standard of
morality, don’t you think to obey
the supermost supreme, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead,
to obey Him, that is morality.
That is morality. So if you stick to
the mundane principle, then it
will not be. Therefore the
astrologer advises the poor man,

pūrva-dike tāte māṭi alpa khudite
dhanera jhāri paḍibeka tomāra
hātete

In other words, that if you take
this process of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, devotional
service, a slight attempt will give
you the treasury house of that
wealth. A slight attempt. Sv-
alpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt. This is
the, only path. Bhaktyā mām
abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi
tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. In the
Bhagavad-gītā you will find that if
you actually want God, then you
will have to follow this process,
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and
transcendental loving service to
the Supreme Lord. That will
make you successful. Even if you
execute a little percentage of this
process, then you will touch at
once, at least you will know, “Oh,
here is the hidden box containing
the treasure.” Now, gradually,
you open it and then enjoy. But
at once you will get information,
“Here is the thing.” So this is the
process. Aiche śāstra kahe,—
karma, jñāna, yoga tyaji’.

Now, Lord Caitanya is explaining
this system, different system,
ritualistic, philosophical,
meditation, morality, all these in
śāstra-kahe. Real Vedic
instruction… Just like, what is
Veda? Veda means the words of
the Lord. That is Veda. Scripture
means the words of the Lord.
God says, “Let there be light.”
God says, “Let there be creation.”
These words are scripture. Now
one who takes out… Just like
sound is transmitted from a
certain place, and one who
catches by the machine, he gets
the information. Similarly, Veda
means instruction transmitted by
the Supreme Lord, and there are
capable personalities, just like
Brahmā, that capture it, and that
is distributed, either in writing or
by tradition, by hearing. That is
scripture. The words of God.
Now, here the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is
personally speaking Bhagavad-
gītā. Is it not Veda? That is Veda.
That is real Veda. Sarva-
upaniṣade. In the Gītā-mahātmā
it is said, “This is the essence of
all Veda.” This is Vedānta. Simply
by studying Bhagavad-gītā, one
becomes a learned scientist in
the science of God. So śāstra-
kahe. And what is that śāstra?
The essence of all śāstra, the
essence of all scripture, asks you
to do—the śāstra says, the Lord
says—sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg.
18.66] “Give up everything, just
surrender under Me.” This is the
most confidential part of
knowledge.

So “give up everything” means
there are different processes,
different processes, ritualistic
process, different religious
processes, philosophical
processes, meditation, so many.
“Give up. Simply surrender to
Kṛṣṇa.” So Lord Caitanya is
stressing on that point, that aiche
śāstra kahe,—karma, jñāna, yoga
tyaji’. Karma. Karma means
general activities on moral
principle. That is called karma.
Karma means, real karma means
that you have to live, so you have
to work. So work in such a way
that you may not be entangled.
Just like honest businessman, he
works, he works according to the
law. He does not play any
blackmailing, and he pays the
proper income tax to the
government and the other taxes.
He does nicely. This is called
work, karma. You have to live.
Without working you cannot live.
But you work in such a way so
that you may not be entangled.
That is called work, karma. Now,
this work is not the solution of
your human life. You can get
some morsel of bread and eat
and drink and sleep and just
enjoy your life and die like cats
and dogs, that’s all. And then you
will take with you the result of
your good work or bad work.
That is karma. That is not
solution. Then the next stage is,
above this karma, this ordinary,
general people, there is a class,
they are thinkers. They are
thinkers: “Whether this is the
solution of life?” So thinkers,
some of them are dry thinkers,
they have no knowledge, but
they think only. They do not get
the source of knowledge from
higher authorities; they
manufacture their own way. So
apart from that, those who are
bona fide thinkers, they are
called jñānī. Jñānī means that
this process of karma cannot
make solution of life. They push
some philosophical thesis that
“This is the solution of life.” They
are called jñānī. The others,
yogis, they meditate. So what
they meditate? Not they meditate
falsely; they meditate, they
concentrate the whole senses
and put the focus on the soul and
the Supersoul. So their endeavor
is to make, reestablish with the
Supersoul who is sitting in my
heart. That is yoga system.

So all these systems can be
adjusted only in one system,
Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the
version of all the śāstra, all the
Vedas. Lord Caitanya also
confirms that

aiche śāstra kahe,—karma,
jñāna, yoga tyaji’ ‘bhaktye’ kṛṣṇa
vaśa haya, bhaktye tāṅre bhaji

If you want Kṛṣṇa, if you want
God, then you don’t try to follow
all these processes. You just try
to follow devotional service to the
Lord, bhakti, Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. That will please
Kṛṣṇa. And then by His pleasing,
He will reveal to you. He will
reveal to you. God being pleased
with your sincere service and
love, He will let you know. Just
like Arjuna is being instructed by
the Supreme Lord, and He says,
“My dear Arjuna, I am speaking
to you the most confidential part
of knowledge.” So if we become
friends like Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa, then
Kṛṣṇa will reveal Himself, as He is
revealing Himself, “I am this, I
am that, I am this, I am that.”
(indistinct) So if you actually
want to reestablish your lost
relationship with Kṛṣṇa and God,
then you have to adopt this
Kṛṣṇa consciousness and nothing
more.

Thank you very much.