19891129 Bhagavad-gītā 6.36

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramananda-madhavam sri-caitanyam isvaram

asaṁyatātmanā yogo
duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ
vaśyātmanā tu yatatā
śakyo ’vāptum upāyataḥ

asaṁyata — unbridled; ātmanā — by the mind; yogaḥ — self-realization; duṣprāpaḥ — difficult to obtain; iti — thus; me — My; matiḥ — opinion; vaśya — controlled; ātmanā — by the mind; tu — but; yatatā — while endeavoring; śakyaḥ — practical; avāptum — to achieve; upāyataḥ — by appropriate means.

Translation:  For one whose mind is unbridled; self-realization is difficult work. But he whose mind is controlled and who strives by appropriate means is assured of success. That is My opinion.

Purport: The Supreme Personality of Godhead declares that one who does not accept the proper treatment to detach the mind from material engagement can hardly achieve success in self-realization. Trying to practice yoga while engaging the mind in material enjoyment is like trying to ignite a fire while pouring water on it. Yoga practice without mental control is a waste of time. Such a show of yoga may be materially lucrative, but it is useless as far as spiritual realization is concerned. Therefore, one must control the mind by engaging it constantly in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Unless one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he cannot steadily control the mind. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person easily achieves the result of yoga practice without separate endeavor, but a yoga practitioner cannot achieve success without becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda's translation and purport text 36, chapter 6 Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Dhyāna-yoga Chapter

Jayapatākā Swami: So Arjuna was expressing how difficult that was to control the mind and then Kṛṣṇa has replied that although it’s difficult it’s possible by practice and engagement. Then He gives His opinion that there is really no alternative to controlling the mind. Because if someone’s mind is uncontrolled unbridled. Bridle, you know what a bridle is? I don't know if you know what bridle is. On the horse the piece of steel which is put in the mouth. Those ropes in the horse that are what the rider controls the horse with is called the bridle. So you ride the horse with the bridle. You can imagine if you don't have a bridle then the horse can go anywhere he wants. There's no, just like a boat without a rudder or a horse without a bridle. So the word unbridled mind, means that there's no control of the mind. There's no means to control the mind. Controlling the mind just like controlling a horse is done with a bridle, controlling a boat done with a rudder. So how does one control the mind? that is done by the practice of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. By using our mind for Kṛṣṇa Conscious works in Kṛṣṇa's service, that controls the mind. If you don't use the mind in Kṛṣṇa's service, the mind will think of so many other things to do and then the mind becomes uncontrolled. But actually the mind is being controlled by māyā, by the modes of nature. Let's go do this nonsense, let's go do that nonsense and this the way the mind can think so many nonsense things to do. So we control the mind by engaging the mind in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. If we don't then Kṛṣṇa is saying that for the unbridled mind self-realization is difficult work. Being Kṛṣṇa Conscious, becoming a real yogī and realizing Kṛṣṇa the self is very difficult work if we don't, and control the mind. But Kṛṣṇa says, he whose mind is controlled and who strives by appropriate means is assured of success.

So when we are born and we are little child, little baby then the mind is totally unbridled. An there's not much hope for bidaling it, for controlling it because a little baby doesn't understand much. Few basic things are taught. Just like a dog, if a dog passes in the western countries, the westerners love to have pet dog. So but the dog is passing stool inside the house, so this makes, that the dog stay dirty. In Vedic tradition the dog should not come inside the house, dog should stay outside. But in western tradition they say dog is man’s best friend and they bring the dog inside the house. So then what they do when the dog passes stool in the house? They take the dog and then stick the nose of the dog in the poop, in the stool and they spank the dog and then they make the dog go outside and pass. And eventually dog knows that to go outside and pass otherwise they gonna have my nose put in the stool and I am gonna get beat in the rear (laughing). So this much they can figure out after two three times then they go out they start to bark and that master let them go outside. So like this little babies their mother teaches when they have to go to bathroom you tell me otherwise I'm gonna hit you and then gradually they say mummy I have to go. You see then the mother takes them and they go to the bathroom like that. Very basic you see, you cannot call that mental control. That exists like a basic but the difference is animal can only go up to that basic, it cannot go beyond. But as a human being grows the capacity to control the mind grows. When that child becomes 5 years old they can enter into Gurukula. And in Gurukula then they learn how to control the mind by applying the mind in studies, in organize the classes, in organize the recreation and learning how to sing Bhajans how to learn mantras and so many things. So gradually more and more they learn how to control the mind by engaging in different practical works and learning how to do devotional service. So then eventually they can be fully in control of their mind and then they become perfect yogīs. They can be perfect Kṛṣṇa Conscious persons.

So in material life people think that freedom means to let the mind think whatever it wants, if it feels good do it. This is one of the sayings in the west, if feels good do it. But in Bhagavad-gītā we know what may look good in the beginning is in the mode of passion and in the end it will produce suffering. So we don’t do what looks good, we do what we know Kṛṣṇa wants us to do, what the guru wants us to do. Even something Kṛṣṇa Conscious may appear difficult in the beginning but in the end it’s nectar and sweet, this is the nature of mode of goodness. So by the process of devotional service the gurukula children they learn how to control the mind and that for them achieving self-realization is assured as long as they strive by the appropriate means. Striving means trying continuously with determination and effort. To strive for something means to try very hard to achieve that. All of the great ācāryas they have to face difficulties when trying to preach Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. How Śrīla Prabhupāda when he wanted to go to America he had to face so many problems. First just to get a passport was very difficult then when he got the passport then to get the means of going to America, he couldn’t get anyone to pay airplane ticket so he had to go by ship. Hardly you don’t hear anybody going by ship, by cargo ship, it’s very difficult long journey. Now all of many the foreign devotees they will come from Europe or Australia, America here in Gurukul they can fly from Europe in about seven eight hours to India, from Australia may be the same, America is about 17 hours. But Prabhupāda was in the ship about 45 or 60 days. One and half to two months, I don’t remember exactly but so the few hours he was there many many weeks and even in the ship he had to suffer a heart attack. So then he had to simply depend on Kṛṣṇa. He’s is the sea where there’s no expert or hospital or anything that he just depend on Kṛṣṇa. So the great ācāryas they have to overcome lot of difficulties.

We find in life of Rāmānujācārya how he had to practically hide himself from certain aggressive kings who’re against him. How Caitanya Mahāprabhu He was being prosecuted by the Chand Kazi, of course later he revolted against that and established the right for the saṅkīrtana movement to be spread. But in this way whatever we try to do something to spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is not unlikely that some type of demoniac force may try to obstruct. But by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy we can crossover all these difficulties. This is Lord Caitanya said to His followers that nothing can stop my saṅkīrtana movement. You go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Never mind for the Chand Kazis or threat. That I saw a beautiful drama here by the Gurukula, of this pastime where the Chand Kazi was frightened because of Nṛsimhadeva coming and giving him a heavy lesson. And I think I saw the Gurukula performed the drama well, it was quite nice.

So this way it’s ordinary very difficult to control the mind. But it can be done if we just follow this authorized path of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Now when someone’s in the eternal pastimes of Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu then their minds automatically controlled. For instance, mother Śacī when she would see her son Caitanya Mahāprabhu she is feeling great love. Actually this love is not material affection but she was feeling love of Kṛṣṇa because she was so fortunate to have Kṛṣṇa Caitanya as her son. So for those eternal devotees who are with in the Lord’s pastimes they’re automatically doing everything Kṛṣṇa Conscious. They don’t have to follow what we are doing here, sādhana bhakti, because already they are on the perfectional platform. But to get that type of blessing to be able to serve Kṛṣṇa we need to develop our desire to be with Kṛṣṇa, to develop our desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. That desire is within us, we have to uncover it. And that happens by the regulative practice of devotional service.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu He was so merciful as you see come down in this place pastimes. But when He first came that time He was not revealing to anyone that He was Kṛṣṇa, in fact the older people of Navadvīpa, the older Vaiṣṇavas like Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita and Murāri Gupta and other they would admire Nimāi Paṇḍita. Lord Caitanya was first known as Nimāi Paṇḍita that He’s such a great scholar, He has so many wonderful qualities, if only He would become a pure Vaiṣṇava. Of course every day Lord Caitanya would worship His śālagrāma-śilā in His house. He would do His, offer all His food to Kṛṣṇa. But He was, apart from that He would go to the school and He would teach school. And He had many students and He would be engaging in many arguments. So Mukunda, Gadādhara Prabhu actually or else the Mukunda, Mukunda Datta He was also student at that time. But the other students who weren’t with Nimāi Paṇḍita went with Caitanya's classes they would try to escape from being seen by Nimāi Paṇḍita. Because He was so great debater that He would defeat anyone. So even the big older, that time He was only about 14 years old 15 years old but already a professor. When some 30 40 50-year-old brāhmaṇa paṇḍita would see Caitanya Mahāprabhu coming as Nimāi Paṇḍita they’d run and hide. Because He’d come and ask oh paṇḍita I wanted to ask you a question and when He would say that they knew they were in trouble. He would ask such a question that whatever they said that He would defeat them. Asking them a question was just a setup. He would ask a question, whatever answer they gave then He would find a defect in the answer. So they became afraid so they run and hide. Except the Vaiṣṇavas because they weren’t in to this false, trying to put themself  a big paṇḍita. They didn't have anything to fear from the Nimāi Paṇḍita. So when He would meet Śrīvāsa prabhu, Śrīvāsa would give Him blessing that why don't you give up all these argumentation and just take to the pure Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. And Nimāi Paṇḍita would touch His feet and say bless me that I can find a bona fide Guru. Because I haven't found a Guru yet, so therefore how can I take all this seriously. In the future I'll take initiation and that time I'll do it. Now I haven't found a Guru so. To give them some hope He took some blessing but then He went on with His own business.

So one day He was walking with His student friends and then out of one house came Mukunda Datta, just like that other side of the āśrama. He looked, oh no! Nimāi Paṇḍita, he thought where can I, immediately turned the other way start walking away fast. Nimai Paṇḍita spotted him, 'Are Mukunda datta kōthāẏa jācchō’ (laughing) where you’re going. Come here we haven’t seen you for so long, so then he got caught. He said oh Nimāi Paṇḍita, I didn’t see you (laughing) time to reveal him. So then Nimāi Paṇḍita He’s saying well how come you’re not seeing you, you’re not coming anymore to class. Said no now I am studying poetry, you are teaching grammar, vyākaraṇa. So now I’ve gone to the higher study of kavitā, sanskrit poetry so I don’t need anymore of this grammatical study. Oh really! Nimāi Paṇḍita said well we also know something about poetry (laughing) but we like to learn something from you. You please compose some poetry for us so we can learn. Then Mukunda datta, 'Oh no, cannot really mess with..' now in a big trouble. So but he’s wasn’t that, tried up mood saying he compose some poetry then Lord Caitanya said oh this is nice poetry so could you tell me the good points and the defects in it. So in actually nobody thinks his defects, even the Keśava Kaśmīrī got smashed by Lord Caitanya what to speak of Mukunda Datta. So then Nimāi Paṇḍita proceeded to tear apart his poetry and show the good and bad points and then he also showed some poetic composition. So He said he know something about poetry why do you want to study elsewhere? So then Mukunda Datta He surrendered, he said alright, so I’ll come back and study MBA. Actually these certain devotees like Mukunda Datta eternal devotee when they would see Nimai Paṇḍita they’d feel something one, their mind was feeling fearful, the heart was feeling attractive. Because they were having a spontaneous attraction for Kṛṣṇa but because Nimāi Paṇḍita was playing like a aggressive kind of professor mentally they would have other emotions. So it’s very confusing for them, of course eventually when Nimāi Paṇḍita went to perform the śrāddha ceremony for His father at Gayā then He worshipped the Lotus feet of Viṣṇu and He at that time met again Īśvara Purī and that time He got initiated by Isvara Puri and from that time on He started to just totally manifest pure love of Kṛṣṇa, pure love of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-prema, tears coming from His eyes, He’s constantly chanting

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

Then He came back and everyone could see the change in Him that now he was always talking about Kṛṣṇa, chanting Kṛṣṇa so that time He had so many students, the students became worried that what happened to our Nimāi Paṇḍita? He used to be very scholastic, academic, knowledge so much bhakti so they went to his teacher and, Gaṅgā, Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita and they complained that something happened to Nimāi Paṇḍita, He’s giving up His brahminical tendency and becoming you see, very devotional. He’s not anymore challenging people, He’s not arguing anymore He’s not getting into these big fights over the different nyāya-śāstras or we think something's gone wrong with Him. So Gaṅgā Dāsa came to see Nimāi Paṇḍita and say what’s happened? I heard that you’re not following the brahminical trait anymore? You’re not able to defeat the, someone in argument, in debate. Who said? Let anyone come, I challenge anyone, let them come. Let the first person come I’ll defeat that person, whatever he says I’ll defeat it then again I’ll prove whatever I defeated then that’s also correct (laughing), then again I’ll defeat that. So then they thought, aha it’s the Nimāi Paṇḍita we know (laughing). So then Lord Caitanya went out to the street side waiting who’s going to come, all the students are there. Who came but some brother of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura some devotee is going by chanting, he was singing the song some bhajana about Kṛṣṇa and kṛṣṇa-līlā that how Pūtanā the witch came to kill Kṛṣṇa by putting poison on her breasts, but Kṛṣṇa was so merciful that He delivered Pūtanā and made her His mother in the spiritual world. Like this as soon as Lord Caitanya heard the bhajana about Kṛṣṇa everyone could see His mind became fixed. And he just, as the bhajana’s going on He became more and more ecstatic and till finally He started to just cry out Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa and He said started the, He fell to the ground and weeping in ecstasy He’s turning around rolling this side and that side. Oh no! The students start, what is happened? So then after Lord Caitanya came out of the ecstacy and all the students were really confused what happened to our teacher? Started becoming very you see hard professor and how He become so devotional. Someone sings a bhajana and He goes rolling in the ground in ecstacy. So He called and said you all come with Me. They took Him by the side of the Ganges somewhere here and then He just told them that I have to tell you something that after going to Gayā I got initiated by Īśvara Purī, Śrīpāda Īśvara Purī and I realized that there’s nothing but Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everything and He’s the Summum Bonum, He’s the object of all transcendental Knowledge so now whatever I teach I can’t speak something which is unrelated to Kṛṣṇa. If you know if you want just that same kind of dry materialistic academic knowledge, I won’t be able to give it anymore. Whatever knowledge I give will have to lead you to the Absolute Truth. So I’m very sorry, I really appreciate you were very good students but I now realize the purpose of life and I cannot just go on preaching without bringing it to the ultimate goal. Please don’t mind, you want to leave you’re free to go and take other teachers, this is the situation. We are your students, you will be teaching us the best education, now you’re saying you realize that there are Supreme Truth, the Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa and you’re going to engage in saṅkīrtana movement, you’re going to be teaching about the absolute truth and Kṛṣṇa. Or if you have the greatest thing then we want to learn that from you. But you never taught us from before, so you shouldn’t blame us cause you didn’t teach us, now if you’re going to teach us we’re quite ready to learn. Now you’re going to teach us, we’re quite ready to learn. We don’t want to go and find some other teacher. They’re you are the best teacher and if You realize this is the, the highest truth, we want to learn that from you. But You have to teach us, because we don’t know how to do this kirtan and everything. So then Lord Caitanya brought so many Vaiṣṇavas there and He taught them all how to do harināma and they all start to chant.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

So this is the way to control the mind, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy. So you’re all very fortunate be in a Gurukula, Bhaktivedanta Academy. You went to become yogīs at right, at the most opportune time when one is still young. To avoid the engaging in all type of materialistic activity which distract the mind. I get letter from disciples who say that they went to material school and engage in so much sinful activity and now that the activity is haunting them like a ghost, disturbing their mind and making it difficult for them to control the mind. So this is the good thing about Gurukula, we should avoid doing any kind of sinful activity, any non-authorized activity, keep the mind clean from that. We can know periodically about those things. Practically better not to have to know, they can see others. There’s plenty of examples you can see without going anything. And this way then it’s very easy to control the mind to remember Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa to engage in service, and to learn all the things so that you can serve Kṛṣṇa throughout your life in a very clear understanding and with good tools. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Any Questions?

Question: I have a question. Some devotees say that these children are wasting so much time in learning all these Vedic things. They say our movement is saṅkīrtana movement so they shouldn’t be doing all these Vedic things that they’re doing right or not? Just like the students of Caitanya.

Of course, Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned that after three generation of, even though devotees born in distinct countries, we can try to speed it up, speed up the process obviously Prabhupāda wanted that a person should be indulged or be blessed with all good qualities in the mode of goodness and in Vṛndāvana he was very pleased when the Gurukula there, in fact he ask that time there was some Nepali brāhmaṇa boys, and he engage them in chanting of Brahma-saṁhitā and different mantras even when I was 1970, 68 I think 68, 69 Prabhupāda wanted all the devotees to learn how to chant Īśopaniṣad and he would have us chanting Īśopaniṣad in a way you know, I can’t say Vedic or but you know, you can say formal way

īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ
yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā
mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam

Everyone would be chanting and Prabhupāda wanted that the devotees should be able to chant these mantras, it was very good for preaching. Of course, Veda that is put to music it became westernise little bit.

īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ
yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā
mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam

(laughing) Everything in the west becomes little jazzed up (laughing). But that wasn’t the way that Prabhupāda taught actually (laughing). He actually wanted that they should chant, he taught us to chant īśāvāsyam and he would chant very formally and even the very difficult mantras, what are those mantras these? I think 6, 7, 8 one of those is a very long one, very difficult neither. And especially in those days hardly they could say nama om viṣṇu-pādāya (laughing). To say this mantra seemed very difficult. But Prabhupāda was, I think after a while he, he initially he wanted the devotees do lot of things like this. Then he concentrated more on translation and, in that side. Where initially he showed that interest, I think he founded, took lot of time to train the westerners to say the Sanskrit, but he definitely wanted them to chant. This way he introduced the Brahma-saṁhitā, Īṣopaniṣad. So all our devotees I’d know this in the yajñas that lot of time they chant Īṣopaniṣad and Brahma-saṁhitā which were the two mantras especially introduced by Śrīla Prabhupāda. So if someone says that these two mantras are too Vedic, you know, I mean doesn't really like, is Prabhupāda too vedic or what? I don’t understand. Śrīla Prabhupāda was the one who introduced.

Infact I remember that even in 1970 something I think may be a Kumbha Mela or in Calcutta there was some big life member and Prabhupāda ask one mātājī disciple, you please speak some Sanskrit to the member. And she looked at Śrīla Prabhupāda you know (whispering: Prabhupāda I don’t speak sanskrit) (laughing). And then he said back to say the guru aṣṭakam, samsāra. So then she says:

saḿsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka- trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam

Arey! Arey! she’s speaking Sanskrit! (laughing). That member is oh, Guruji you hear that hear you that, the western Vaiṣṇavīs, they’re speaking Sanskrit! Arey you’ve done the impossible! Like this he said it. So Śrīla Prabhupāda knew that for preaching this actually has a very big impact especially in India and I remember that one time, many times Prabhupāda said actually my devotees, if my devotees could quote the Sanskrit verses by idle in their preaching then their preaching would be you know very good, perfect, whatever. How Śrīla Prabhupāda would quote, he’d lecture quote, take the part of verse word by word explain it, go on this is, this very authoritative, very impressive and unfortunately most of western disciple couldn’t naturally graspe that amount of sanskrit, to preach in that way. Although because of Prabhupāda’s enthusing and pushing everyone, everyone does quote ślokas. But probably no one would say that so fluidly and lucidly and as frequently as Śrīla Prabhupāda but he wanted that. So you can’t quote Sanskrit ślokas and explain the words if you don’t know Sanskrit a little bit. You see it’s difficult to chant, if you’re going to chant Īṣopaniṣad and Brahma-saṁhitā properly you have to know how to chant in general, how to chant slokas a vedic way. The principle is the same if you chant Īṣopaniṣad or if you chant Sāma-veda whatever you chant. May be difference are there between Vedas, they’re not the expert in chanting because didn’t have the opportunity of going to the Gurukula education in Māyāpur. But you know that basic principles are there. So if we are going to learn how to chant properly you can know these principles and you can chant any mantra properly, whatever the different principle,  or may be vary between different Vedic literature but in general there are certain basic principles. So in a broader vision certainly Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted preachers who would have a very good access to his books and to the, the slokas and be able to explain very authoritatively from the Vedic pramāṇas, evidences you see. Because especially as Kṛṣṇa Consciousness expands we’re going to have to face various types of challenges from, right now people are may be not challenging so much but at some point and in on a philosophical basis if you’re going to win over the different you see, it’s predicted in the Padma Purana that all the four Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya will become one and is also predicted in other places how the Brahma-sampradāya would be the predominant. So that means that we must be able to explain the philosophy in such a way that people will be convinced even who are knowledgeable in philosophy. May be most people meet on the street, they just ask what is that white paint on your nose? Few simple questions, we don’t know much. Why you wear śikhā? What is the ponytail on you head you know? In the west these are the two main questions. Why you wear a bedsheet? These are the top three philosophical questions. You’re not, you know very few people ask something you know, otherwise they ask something about what is Kuṇḍalinī śaktī? (laughing) We’ll be surprised, many people ask these questions. So to be well rounded, to be able to discuss philosophy, in the west they don’t have so much experience because few people know philosophy in the west. So but here in India many people know the philosophy still may be the general people also gradually becoming more westernized, becoming out of touch, basic preaching is sufficient. But in the long run we have to be able to win over also with the philosophers and convince them of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s philosophies completeness and perfectness. So to do that to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books and be able to explain also in authoritative way referring to all the Vedas, Upaniṣads,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir
utpātāyaiva kalpate

So Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted that there should be some devotees who are trained in that way to be preachers, to be brahminical qualified preachers. And these are tools, these are tools that we can use in preaching. Also I remember how in the verse in the Bhāgavatam when that, what’s is called? Khatvāṅga Mahārāja was told he had one moment to live then he gave a short 2 3 ślokas preach and then he immediately came to temple and surrendered to the deity. But he just told that, they were actually, the dearest thing to me is the Vaiṣṇavas, the brāhmaṇas,  the Vedic culture you see Śrīla Prabhupāda said that we should preach even in western countries by culture. So by culture you can conquer. So Śrīla Prabhupāda he didn’t mean western culture you already have whatever you called that, what do you call that culture? Śrīla Prabhupāda meant by the Vedic culture, through festivals, through ceremonies, through the Vedic culture, art, music, science but that was be the thing which would capture the imagination and remind of the western people. They want technology, they have machinery, what they lack is spiritual culture.

So even I found one time I was with one of the Gurukul boys some here, we’re going and we’re in Murshidabad in Berhampur. It just so happened that, that time the Abdus Sattar who at that time was the head of the congress, parliamentary party of West Bengal, state assembly opposition leader, it’s that 4 5 years earlier. And he was at the house, we’re doing a program he stoped by. We are talking, he’s a Muslim by you know his religion but he’s very open man a person. And that time we’re talking, this is our Gurukula student, then I just mentioned you know what to talk about, he’s a Muslim so I can’t just talk directly about Kṛṣṇa. Of course though I said we teach them everything, what you teach in the Gurukula? So I explained we teach Vedic science, I said we also teach mathematics. So then he gave a demonstration the boy how you can multiply these huge numbers using Vedic maths. So he took about 18 digit two numbers and multiplied it and then gave the answer. So then Abdus Sattar was very much impressed he said but he gave it to his PA, so you check it. So the PA he sit for 20 minutes doing that figuring it out (laughing) adding it up huge piece of paper you know, then finally came you know then he said ya it’s correct answer (laughing). So the he said you look at what you’ve done he did it one minute, you’re doing it 20 minutes. So he said a very interesting but at that time he gave some other number to add. But the student didn’t know how to add that number, he just avoided and not done number yet, I don’t know what was the difficulty.

Step by step, ya. So just even by mathematics or these things are very interesting the that skills are opens the door, then after that you complete so many things. Once the faith is established that what people know something, I don’t know, then they want to know more. So I found like in South America the people they love this fire yajñas. They love the ceremonies, they love the Vedic wedding. Even in America, North America everywhere I find that people like to see the Vedic weddings. They like to see the different ceremonies performed, the festivals. So these are all Vedic, these are all part of Vedic culture. So it’s good as someone knows how to do those. And if as we were in a (inaudible 42:05) we need to occupy our self with some Kṛṣṇa Conscious, we are learning things which we can use in Kṛṣṇa’s service which are connected to Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise if we don’t know these things our mind will want to be occupied in something. So then we’ll get into some privilege sport or some other nonsense which will just waste out time. Better to, as Khaṭvāṅga Mahārāja said he love the Vedic culture, Prabhupāda said by Vedic culture we can spread the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness all over the world. By culture you would conquer. So why should someone complain about learning the culture they will conquer the world. We’re not teaching anybody I don’t think anyone taught how to do you know, demigod worship or other things like that. We’re just teaching the essential things which are directly useful for Kṛṣṇa’s service.

Oṁ tat sat!

Jai Śrīla Prabhupāda ki! Jai!