BG 3.10 – Working for the Benefit of Others

Giriraj Swami: So, today is the Makara-sankranti. The result of the day is Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari Mandir opened in 1978. Srila Prabhupada struggled for so many years to establish the temple. In December of 1971, the owner of the land offered it to Srila Prabhupada, and for almost two years, until October of 1973, there was a struggle to acquire the land. Then Srila Prabhupada struggled to build the temple. He wanted to be present for the opening in 1977 but circumstances did not permit. In September 1977, Srila Prabhupada left Bombay for Vrindavan, and he remained there and he remained in Vrindavan until November 14, 1977 when he left this world. Exactly two months later, on January 14th, 1978, the Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari mandir opened.

There was a grand occasion. The union minister of health, Mr. Raj Narayana, and the chief minister of Maharashtra Vasant Rao Patil and governor of Tamil Nadu Sri Prabhudas Patwari were special guest. The event was covered on international television, news journals, and newspapers. Even Newsweek magazine had a full-page article with colored photos. Those of you who have been to the Juhu temple may have seen the diorama of Srila Prabhupada standing under the tree in Thompson Square Park in New York City, preaching to the young people there. You would have also seen the beautiful marble vyāsāsana for the Srila Prabhupada in this temple room. So, Newsweek magazine carried the photos both the marble vyāsāsana and diorama of Srila Prabhupada standing under the tree with the caption “From raze to riches.” There is also a photo of the deity of Srila Prabhupada, and a photo of Srila Prabhupada being carried in procession with hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana on Juhu Beach. There was a very nicely written article about. Even though Srila Prabhupada was not physically present, we can feel his spiritual presence.

Even now, he is spiritually present. He struggled to establish the temple for us, for you all so that you come and bow down to Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari and hear the discourses on the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, hear and chant the holy names, the maha-mantra and take Krishna-prasāda. He struggled and later commented that he practically gave his life to establish the temple at Juhu. And why did he take so much trouble? For us all so that we may come and surrender to Sri Radha-Rasabihari and be happy in Krishna consciousness. So, Srila Prabhupada’s efforts should not go in vain. We should go to the temple and fulfill the purpose for which Prabhupada struggled so hard. We should become the devotee of Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari.

In the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna gives the same instructions. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, always think of me and become my devotee. Always think of me, when we see the beautiful form of Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari, naturally we think of Krishna. When we hear the transcendental discussion on Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, naturally we think of Krishna. And when we chant the holy names,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Naturally we think of Krishna. So, Srila Prabhupada also knew that very few people will be able to live in the temples. Most people will live at home with wife and family. However, the practices of Krishna consciousness are such that whatever the devotees do in the temple, you all can do the same at home. You can also keep the deity at home and worship the deity at home. You can sit with family members and even friends and discuss the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You can sit with family members and even friends and chant Hare Krishna. And at the end, take the Krishna-prasāda. So, whatever devotees do in the temple, you can do it in home, that the devotees are setting the example for you to follow. We should also spread the message of Krishna consciousness for the benefit of others. Srila Prabhupada always uses to quote the verse of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,

bhârata-bhûmite haila manujanma yâra

janma sârthaka kari’ kara para-upakâra

That anyone who has taken birth in Bharat should make his life successful by becoming Krishna conscious and then he should engage in welfare activities for the benefit of others by spreading Krishna consciousness. We are fortunate that we have come in contact with Krishna consciousness, so we should try help other to be fortunate and become Krishna conscious also. That will please Srila Prabhupada and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu both. Therefore, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also recommend,

āmāra ājñāya guru tāra ei deśa
yāre dekha tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa

Wherever you go, whoever you meet, you should repeat the message of Krishna. In Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna says, surrender to me. You can repeat the same message: surrender to Krishna. And in Śikṣāṣṭakam, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, one should always chant the holy name of Krishna. So, you can repeat the same message and tell people to chant Hare Krishna. So, this way, you can deliver people in your area, beginning with your family then friends, relatives, community members, society members and as far as possible. Your fellow countrymen, your fellow human beings, and ultimately all living entities. We should work for all of them. There are different conceptions of welfare activities. Some want to do welfare for others on the basis of the body; they want to open hospitals and give medical relief, food relief and so on. Others want to provide relief on the platform of the mind and may want to open schools and other such facilities.

But the body and the mind are temporary. Whatever we do for the sake of the mind and body will be finished at the time of death. However, there is another type of welfare work which is enacted on the platform of the soul: to help the soul to realize his constitution position, to realize his bhakti-life as the eternal servant of Krishna. And when realizes that he is eternal servant of Krishna, he is liberated. He is freed from repetition of birth and death. If we compare different types of welfare activities, we will find that the welfare activities performed for the mind and body are temporary. Whereas welfare activities performed for the soul are eternal. Whatever we have, we should utilize for the best purpose. We all are have different assets.

We have our life, wealth, intelligence, and words, so Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that whatever we have in our life: wealth, intelligence, and words should be used for the benefit of others. To help them to become Krishna consciousness. And Krishna consciousness movement spread by Srila Prabhupada all over the world is simply to help people become Krishna conscious. So, you should serve Krishna consciousness movement. Best is that you should give your life. But if you think, how can I give my life, I have so many duties and responsibilities or whatever. Then you can give your wealth. But if you think, I have no wealth, I am just a poor man. still, you can serve Krishna. You can work for the benefit of others. You can give your intelligence. You can suggest the devotees that you can meet this person; he may help you. And if you think “I don’t have intelligence.” Still you can serve Krishna for the benefit of others by your words. You can tell people that there is a beautiful temple in Juhu, you should visit Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari mandir or you can tell people that there are nice books: Bhagavad-gītā, Nectar of Devotion, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, written by Srila Prabhupada. You can read them. if there is noting else, you can tell people chant Hare Krishna.

Somehow or other, by your life, wealth, intelligence, or words, you should serve Krishna and work for the benefit of others. This is the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada, that you become perfect in Krishna consciousness and then work for the benefit of others. You preach so that others can also become Krishna conscious.

Today is a very auspicious day. The deities Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari, Lalita, Vishakha, Sri Sri Sita-Rama, Lakshman, and Hanuman and Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada, they all installed in temple today just to give mercy to you all. So, kindly come to temple and get the mercy and make the mission of Srila Prabhupada successful. Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

[Another lecture starts]

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Reading from Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Chapter Three, “Karma-yoga”, 

TEXT 10

saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā
purovāca prajāpatiḥ
anena prasaviṣyadhvam
eṣa vo ‘stv iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk

TRANSLATION

In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu, and blessed them by saying, “Be thou happy by this yajña [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The material creation by the Lord of creatures (Viṣṇu) is a chance offered to the conditioned souls to come back home – back to Godhead. All living entities within the material creation are conditioned by material nature because of their forgetfulness of their relationship to Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic principles are to help us understand this eternal relation, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. The Lord says that the purpose of the Vedas is to understand Him. In the Vedic hymns it is said: patiṁ viśvasyātmeśvaram. Therefore, the Lord of the living entities is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also (2.4.20) Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the Lord as pati in so many ways:

śriyaḥ patir yajña-patiḥ prajā-patir
dhiyāṁ patir loka-patir dharā-patiḥ
patir gatiś cāndhaka-vṛṣṇi-sātvatāṁ
prasīdatāṁ me bhagavān satāṁ patiḥ

The prajā-pati is Lord Viṣṇu, and He is the Lord of all living creatures, all worlds, and all beauties, and the protector of everyone. The Lord created this material world to enable the conditioned souls to learn how to perform yajñas (sacrifices) for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu, so that while in the material world they can live very comfortably without anxiety, and after finishing the present material body they can enter into the kingdom of God. That is the whole program for the conditioned soul. By performance of yajña, the conditioned souls gradually become Kṛṣṇa conscious and become godly in all respects.

In the Age of Kali, the saṅkīrtana-yajña (the chanting of the names of God) is recommended by the Vedic scriptures, and this transcendental system was introduced by Lord Caitanya for the deliverance of all men in this age. Saṅkīrtana-yajña and Kṛṣṇa consciousness go well together. Lord Kṛṣṇa in His devotional form (as Lord Caitanya) is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.32) as follows, with special reference to the saṅkīrtana-yajña:

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

“In this Age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña.” Other yajñas prescribed in the Vedic literatures are not easy to perform in this Age of Kali, but the saṅkīrtana-yajña is easy and sublime for all purposes, as recommended in Bhagavad-gītā also (9.14).

COMMENT

So, the Lord of all creatures, or prajā-pati, is Lord Vishnu or Krishna. He is the Supreme father of all living entities and the well-wisher of all living entities. Therefore, he created the material world to give the conditioned soul a chance to become Krishna conscious and go back home, back to Godhead. But because living entities or conditioned souls have material bodies also have physical necessities which have to be met, and therefore the Lord gave them the performance of sacrifice because by the performance of sacrifice, all of one’s material needs can be met very easily and comfortably, and at the same time, one can gradually develop God consciousness or Krishna consciousness. Everything is the property of the Lord, and therefore we cannot take the property of the Lord without the Lord’s permission. The Lord gives permission to the conditioned souls to use the property of the Lord, but the conditioned soul should offer whatever they take in sacrifice. For example, everyone must eat to live, and the Lord is providing food for everyone. But elsewhere, just a little bit later in the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna explains that those who prepare food just for their own bodily nourishment are simply eating lumps of sin. They think they are eating food, but they are actually eating lumps of sin, and their whole body is becoming full of sin. But those who eat the remnants of food offered in sacrifice to Vishnu become liberated by eating such food, prasāda.

So the food may be the same; the food may appear the same, but the same food, even vegetarian food, which is eaten simply for bodily nourishment without being offered first to Krishna, is sin. It is sin, and the same food, if it was offered first to Krishna and accepted as prasāda, relieves one from all sins. So the food appears the same, but depending on whether it is offered to Krishna or not, it has a very different effect. If it’s offered to Krishna and taken as prasāda, it liberates one, and if it is not offered to Krishna and just taken as food, it implicates one in sinful actions and reactions. So we should be very careful not to take anything for ourselves but to offer everything to Krishna first and take whatever we need as prasāda. The principle of sacrifice is the same. One sacrifices for Vishnu, but in the end, one is not deprived by the sacrifice, but rather one gets more by such sacrifice. But we should not think that enjoying material opulence or becoming liberated from material contamination is the only goal of sacrifice, the ultimate goal of life. The actual goal, is to know Krishna. The Bhagavad-gītā also confirms, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ, that the purpose of the Vedas is to know Krishna, and of course, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, Krishna can be known only by devotional service, by bhakti.

So we should try to understand Krishna, and by sacrifice also, one can understand the Lord by the mercy of the Lord. But someone may think, how can we perform sacrifices now in Kali-yuga? Sacrifices were for Treta-yuga, and actually, it is true. According to scripture, meditation is to be performed in Satya-yuga, sacrifices in Treta-yuga, temple worship in Dvapara-yuga, and in Kali-yuga, which is the present age, one should chant the holy names of the Lord.

harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā

One should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in this age of Kali. But the chanting of the holy names of the Lord is also a type of sacrifice, or yajña, and therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says,

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

That in the modern age of Kali-yuga, intelligent persons will worship the Lord, and the Lord for Kali-yuga is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They will worship the Lord and His associates. Who are His associates?

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

They are the Pancha-tattva. And how will intelligent persons worship the Lord in Kali-yuga? By the performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña, by chanting the holy names. As in all other types of sacrifice, by chanting the holy names of Krishna, one gets the same results mentioned here. One gets all desirable things, and of course, our material necessities are desired, our material wants are desired, but the most desirable thing is Krishna consciousness or pure love of Godhead. One can get that by the performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña. Therefore, everyone should perform saṅkīrtana-yajña in Kali-yuga.

The other types of yajñas that were performed in Treta-yuga are very difficult. One needed so many tons of grain, so many tons of ghee, and one required very highly qualified brahmans to chant the Vedic mantras. If even one syllable was pronounced incorrectly, then the whole sacrifice was spoiled and became useless. The brahmans had to be so qualified that they could ignite the sacrificial fire by mantra; they did not use sticks to ignite the fire. If they could not ignite the fire by mantra, they were not considered qualified to perform the yajña. So now, where to get so many grains? Where to get so much ghee? Pure cow’s ghee is very hard to find, even in the smallest quantities. And where to get qualified brahmans? Srila Prabhupada used to joke that as Indians were used to importing so many things from the West, Srila Prabhupada was also importing brahmans from the West. So it is very hard to perform Vedic yajña as performed in Treta-yuga, but the saṅkīrtana-yajña is very congenial even for the modern age of Kali. Therefore, intelligent persons perform saṅkīrtana-yajña. So you are all intelligent because you are performing the saṅkīrtana-yajña. We know on the authority of the Bhagavad-gītā that you will get all desirable things.

Of course, although the chanting of Hare Krishna is easy, there is some consideration in the chanting, and that is that one should not commit offenses while chanting. Especially if one follows the regulative principles—no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication, and no illicit sex—then one can get the result of the chanting very easily and very quickly. Along with the chanting, one should read scriptures like the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, worship the deity either at home or at the temple by visiting and seeing, and one should take Krishna prasāda. Actually, whatever we eat should be offered to Krishna first and taken as prasāda. Then, by these four activities—by chanting the holy names, discussing Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, worshiping the deity, and taking Krishna prasāda—one’s whole life can be purified. One can gradually come to the stage of pure Krishna consciousness, pure love for Krishna, and then one will be eligible to enter the eternal abode of the Lord and go back home, back to Godhead. Hare Krishna.

So, do any of you have any questions?

Devotee: I hear some people say when we are chanting, we must not do the offenses. It means that after chanting we can do the offenses. I hear some people say like that. What does it mean? Chanting offenselessly.

Giriraj Swami: It means that we should not commit offenses at any time. It doesn’t mean that only while we are in the act of chanting. Chanting implies that one is undergoing a process, and the process involves avoiding the offenses. Otherwise, what is the meaning of committing sin on the strength of chanting? It means that while not chanting, one thinks he can commit some sin and neutralize it by chanting later. But actually, if one has such a mentality, that he deliberately commits sin and thinks he can neutralize the effects by chanting, then the effects are not neutralized. Actually, he becomes more sinful. So when one begins to chant the holy name, he should also try to avoid the sinful activities. Then the chanting will be quickly effective.

Devotee: As a grihastha, how can one progress in Krishna consciousness?

Giriraj Swami: Well, I mentioned the four processes, and the four processes can be done by grihasthas actually. Practically everything we do can be done by grihasthas. Very few people will be able to live in the temple; most people will live at home with the family. But the temple is meant to show the example of how people can be Krishna conscious even at home. Whatever the devotees do in the temple can be done by the householders as well. So you can just follow the same activities and help the mission of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, help to spread the message of Krishna consciousness.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:53:35]

Giriraj Swami: Well, you should try to keep the atmosphere at home Krishna conscious so when you come home, you feel the difference and try to forget all the things from work, be absorbed in Krishna consciousness, is good. If there is some place where you don’t do anything else except chant or read or worship, then that place will only have associations of Krishna consciousness, and then it will be easier to forget other associations.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:55:00]

Giriraj Swami: Krishna is the original guru. He is white like Rasabihari.

Devotee: Yes, then he doesn’t have Radha with him here.

Giriraj Swami: That is why he is white.

Devotee: No, no, no.

Giriraj Swami: That is the reason why he is white.

Devotee: Yes, I don’t know.

Giriraj Swami: Because in Vrindavan, once Krishna was searching for Srimati Radharani and he couldn’t find her. He went and sat down under a tamarind tree and, thinking of Radha, “Where is Radha? Where is Radha?” He took on the color of Srimati Radharani and He became white. If you bring Radha, he will become blue again. [laughter]

So I will do the ārati.

Devotee: Oh, yes.

Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari ki jaya!
Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Gaura premānande Hari Haribol!