Conditioning by the Influence of the Modes of Material Nature
Bg. 14.9
sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati
rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ
pramāde sañjayaty uta
Synonyms
sattvam — the mode of goodness; sukhe — in happiness; sañjayati — binds; rajaḥ — the mode of passion; karmaṇi — in fruitive activity; bhārata — O son of Bharata; jñānam — knowledge; āvṛtya — covering; tu — but; tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance; pramāde — in madness; sañjayati — binds; uta — it is said.
Translation
O son of Bharata, the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness; passion conditions one to fruitive action; and ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, binds one to madness.
Purport
A person in the mode of goodness is satisfied by his work or intellectual pursuit, just as a philosopher, scientist or educator may be engaged in a particular field of knowledge and may be satisfied in that way. A man in the mode of passion may be engaged in fruitive activity; he owns as much as he can and spends for good causes. Sometimes he tries to open hospitals, give to charity institutions, etc. These are signs of one in the mode of passion. And the mode of ignorance covers knowledge. In the mode of ignorance, whatever one does is good neither for him nor for anyone.
This is a summary of the previous three verses; the sixth, seventh, and eighth, where these three modes of material nature are described one after another.
I would like to read them once more, but beginning with the fifth verse:
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti
guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ
nibadhnanti mahā-bāho
dehe dehinam avyayam
Material nature consists of three modes – goodness, passion and ignorance. When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he becomes conditioned by these modes.
In this verse the word nibadhnanti appears, which means “to bind, to condition.” As Śrīla Prabhupāda has so nicely translated, the living entity is avyaya—she is eternal. But as soon as she comes into contact with material nature, something astonishing happens: her eternal nature becomes imperceptible. The living entity is no longer able to perceive the fact that she is avyaya, that she is eternal. How this happens is explained precisely in this verse.
The living entity comes into contact with material nature, and material nature consists of guṇas. Guṇa means “quality,” or… what is the other meaning of the word guṇa? (Question to the devotees.) Yes: “rope.” And what do you do with a rope?… You tie. Exactly that. And what is tied in this case? The living entity, who is eternal and, what is very important, is free. The eternal soul is also free.
This is very nicely explained in the lecture we listened to on the cassette by Hridayānanda dāsa Gosvāmī, who very thoroughly discusses this topic. A person means “free will.” When we speak about matter, about something material, we use the expression “dead matter.” Dead matter means that it has no free will, but is subject to certain laws of nature—like water. It is accepted that water boils at a given temperature; above sea level it is apparently different; let us say that at sea level water boils at 100°C. Water will not get the idea: “Well, today I want to boil at 105°C.” That will not happen. Water has no free will. But the living entity does have free will. The fact that she has free will is an essential—or at least one essential—feature of the living entity.
However, her own will, her freedom, is limited when she comes into contact with material nature, composed of the modes of material nature, that is, guṇas, that is, ropes. This state of limited freedom is called conditioned life. The living entity still has a certain freedom, but this freedom is now strongly dependent on conditionings, and these conditionings are precisely the influences of the three modes of material nature. In the next verse Kṛṣṇa explains what these types of conditioning mean.
He describes the three modes of material nature:
tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt
prakāśakam anāmayam
sukha-saṅgena badhnāti
jñāna-saṅgena cānagha
O sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge.
This is a very subtle matter. On the one hand the mode of goodness acts in a purifying way, freeing someone from sinful reactions, but this is only one aspect. This mode is certainly of great benefit, because one who is firmly situated in the mode of goodness has a great chance to rise to the transcendental platform, beyond the modes of material nature. But at the same time there is a danger, which is described here: sukha-saṅgena badhnāti. Sukha means happiness. Saṅga means association with happiness. Through association with the feeling of happiness there is the danger of badhnāti. What does badhnāti mean? One becomes conditioned, and the consequence of this conditioning is that one becomes proud: “Oh yes, things are going well for me, I am happy, I have no problems.” (laughter) Someone thinks like this and again falls into illusion.
There is a danger of falling under the control of the remaining modes of material nature. This is explained in the verse which follows the one we are looking at today, namely that there is a struggle between the modes of material nature. If someone is not careful and thinks: “Now everything is fine; I am established in the mode of goodness, that is, I act like a brāhmaṇa…”
śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ
kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca
jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ
brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
“One can attain the qualities of controlling the mind and senses; śama, dama, tapaḥ—one is trained in performing tapasya, that is, austerity; one is clean, not only externally, but also internally. What else? Kṣāntiḥ—one is tolerant. Ārjavam… Who knows what ārjavam means? Where is our paṇḍita?” (Mahārāja looks for the verse.) “Phew—very important: honesty, straightforwardness. Jñānam—theoretical knowledge; vijñānam—practical knowledge. Here it is also said: wisdom; and āstikyam.” Śrīla Prabhupāda translates this as “religiosity.” Āstikyam is the opposite of nāstika. A nāstika is someone who does not accept the Vedas. For example, the entire philosophy of Buddhism is a nāstika philosophy, because the Vedas are completely rejected there. Āstika, on the other hand, means that someone accepts the Vedas. Thus the standard of religiosity is accepting the authority of the Vedas.
Someone may think: “Yes, I am already established in brāhminical qualities and activities.” But then a huge wave comes—and the modes of nature are sometimes compared to waves on the ocean—and suddenly there comes a great wave of passion, and that person falls into the following mentality:
“The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kuntī, and because of this the embodied living entity becomes attached to fruitive activities.”
An appropriate example just came to my mind: Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was actually a brāhmaṇa, a highly educated brāhmaṇa. He was not a kṣatriya, but a brāhmaṇa—a highly educated brāhmaṇa, highly qualified in every respect. So qualified that he had ten heads, and each of these ten heads—as I have just heard from Ātma-tattva—was specialized in one particular field. Only one head was occupied with acquiring Vedic knowledge; another one was planning travels; another served for managing the state, and so on.
This means that when he got the idea to kidnap Sītā, he held a conference among his heads (laughter), and all the heads except one said that it would be better not to kidnap Sītā. But one head—the one that plans travels—said: “You must absolutely do it!”
So Rāvaṇa was a brāhmaṇa, but he became dominated by the mode of passion, and in this way there arose trai-saṅga-samudbhavaṁ. Trāṣṇa means “desire”; someone hankers for material pleasure. Rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi. Rāga means “attachment,” and rāgātmakaṁ means that the ātma, the self, becomes dominated by intense desire. Thus, when Rāvaṇa heard how beautiful Sītā was, he had only one thought left: “I want to enjoy Sītā,” and in this way he would no longer listen to any good advice. Everyone told him—even Mārīca: “This will cause your death.” “No,” Rāvaṇa said to Mārīca, “I did not come for advice, I came to give you instructions.” He was not able to accept any good advice. Rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi.
This is actually how it is with karmīs. They do not listen to good advice. It is also said upadeśo hi… The foolish materialists cannot listen to good advice; on the contrary, they are asanta—they are offended. When you advise them, “Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa,” then not only do they not listen and disregard this instruction, but they feel offended. This is passion: tan nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam (Bg. 14.7).
Karma-saṅgena dehinām. Naturally, when someone desires something, in order to obtain it he must act, and that action is called karma. Someone undertakes many activities in order to achieve something, and taking up material activities is in turn the rope that binds one in this material world. In this way the mode of passion is described.
Next Kṛṣṇa speaks about the next one—the mode of ignorance:
tamas tv ajñāna-jam viddhi
mohānaṁ sarva-dehinām
pramādālasya-nidrābhis
tan nibadhnāti bhārata
“O son of Bharata, know that the mode of darkness, born of ignorance, is the cause of the delusion of all embodied living entities. The result of this mode is madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.”
Tamas is the mode of ignorance. Tamas also means “darkness.” Ignorance and darkness. Ignorance and darkness are always compared with each other. Darkness produces ignorance. When it is dark, we do not know in which direction to go. Tamas—darkness. Ajñāna-jam—born of ignorance. Mohanaṁ sarva-dehinām. Mohanaṁ means “bewildering.” There are six enemies of the living entity: kāma, krodha, lobha—lust, anger and greed; then moha. Moha means that one does not act in one’s own interest. Having a false conception of who one is comes from moha, and from this comes mada—acting against one’s own interest. Who knows what the last enemy is? Mātsarya—envy. Sometimes it is described as the worst of all these enemies. Envy originates originally from envy of Kṛṣṇa, and thus there are these six enemies, which are compared to street thugs, street bandits who kidnap someone or lie in wait at night for a passer-by; then one holds him while another takes all his wealth, and then perhaps they additionally cut off his head. Moha—madness—arises through the mode of ignorance, and now comes pramāda-ālasya-nidrābhiḥ. Pramāda—madness. Ālasya—laziness. Nidrābhiḥ—sleep. Tan nibadhnāti bhārata—and in this way the living entity becomes nibadhnāti—bound.
Thus the modes of material nature are described. Then comes the summary in today’s verse (Bg. 14.9).
What is emphasized is precisely conditioning. Above all one is conditioned, bound. Sometimes one is bound in one way, sometimes in another, but always one remains bound, and Kṛṣṇa speaks to Arjuna about this at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā: trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna (Bg. 2.45): “The Vedas deal mainly with the three modes of material nature. Rise above these guṇas, Arjuna. Be transcendental to them all.”
Perhaps you will learn how to deal with these three modes of material nature, but ultimately that will not help you, because it still means remaining in the ocean of the three modes; one is still bound, remaining in prison. In prison you can obtain permission to arrange your cell very nicely: carpet, television, video, radio, maybe even a telephone; but you are still in prison; your freedom there is limited, insignificant.
The freedom which we actually should possess as avyaya, as eternal souls, has been taken away from us. Someone must remain in prison after receiving such-and-such a number of years of imprisonment. The punishment is that one loses freedom, not that one has gained freedom. That is precisely the punishment—freedom is taken away. All of us, all of us who possess a material body, are under a punishment of imprisonment, and this punishment will be maintained as long as one does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is in fact the only way to become free from this punishment.
Thus, at the end of this chapter, in verse 26, Kṛṣṇa summarizes:
māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
“One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.”
Maṁ means “Me”; yaḥ means “the person who”; avyabhicāreṇa means “without deviation”; bhakti-yogena—bhakti-yoga—we know exactly what this means: devotional service. Bhakti-yogena means “by devotional service.” Avyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena—by undeviating devotional service. Sevate—what does sevate mean? Service. Bhakti-yoga actually means service. Sa guṇān—we have just been speaking about the guṇas, the three modes of material nature. Samatītya—transcending. Etān—all these. Brahma-bhūyāya—being raised to the Brahman platform.
This is our process. In the fourth chapter the example of a boat is also given. Someone is placed in the boat of transcendental knowledge, and the modes of nature have no influence on him; we can say that he is freed from sinful reactions. Someone might say: “Yes, I am performing devotional service, but I feel the modes of material nature at every step,” above all the mode of passion and ignorance. Once a devotee came to Śrīla Prabhupāda with this complaint, and Śrīla Prabhupāda said: “Yes, of course. If you are sitting in a boat, that does not mean that in one moment the ocean becomes smooth. No, the waves are there, and the movement of these waves is felt in the boat. But if someone is expert in handling the boat, if he can steer it properly, then he will be able to cross the ocean without getting wet.”
On the deep ocean—when you sail out onto the open sea—high waves will of course come. They can be ten or twenty meters high, but a large ship sails over the waves. Once people struggled with such problems, because the boats were not very big. It was madness—I saw in a book—those which sailed from Europe to India sometimes broke up on the big waves and sank. The boat therefore has to be sufficiently large.
This boat of transcendental knowledge—devotional service—is actually a very large boat. It is the biggest and safest boat. The Titanic was indeed a very large boat—but it also sank. (laughter) So this is the only boat with which we can cross the ocean of material nature, and this boat of transcendental knowledge is Kṛṣṇa’s instruction. Thus Kṛṣṇa says in the fourth chapter:
na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ
pavitraṁ iha vidyate
tat svayaṁ yoga-saṁsiddhaḥ
kālenātmani vindati
“There is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has achieved perfection in devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in due course of time.”
This knowledge is so exalted and pure; it is the mature fruit of all mysticism. Everyone is interested in mysticism; people would like to possess mystic powers. Śrīla Prabhupāda therefore translates this as “mysticism.” It is the perfection of mysticism:
“There is nothing so sublime and pure in this world as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has achieved maturity in the practice of devotional service, in due course of time begins to relish this knowledge within himself.” (Bg. 4.38)
Each of us would like to relish something. What is actually enjoyment? Kṛṣṇa speaks about this—nātmani vindanti. Vindanti means “they enjoy.” Kālenātmani—this is the instrumental form: kāla means “time,” so kālena means “in due course of time.” Kālenātmani—in due course of time: “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow I will attain perfection, but in the course of time…” Kālena—in due course of time one can enjoy—ātmani vindanti—in a transcendental way—this eternal, free self.
Here Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja also explained it beautifully. People want to come into contact with God through their senses. The problem in this world is that the senses want to enjoy, but only for some time. After some time that pleasure goes away and may then turn into suffering. It is like this in every case. Even the most wonderful dish one can imagine will turn into suffering if there is too much of it. With all our senses we are always searching, moving from one sense object to another. The eyes see something beautiful, but then they look further, at something else, which is also beautiful, and then at something else. The ears want to hear beautiful music (at this moment outside a car screeches to a halt; the devotees laugh), and not the squeal of cars. Of course, for the person driving the car this is music to the ears: “I’m driving so fast and everyone is impressed with my fast car.” Yes, for him this is sense gratification—but for how long?
That is how it is. With all our senses we are again and again searching, moving from one sense object to another, never attaining peace.
Imagine that there existed an object that completely satisfied your senses, so that no one would seek further. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is therefore called “Kṛṣṇa,” because kṛṣṇa means “all-attractive.” Once Śrīla Prabhupāda said that all-attractive means that Kṛṣṇa is attractive to all living entities. This can be understood in the way that Kṛṣṇa is attractive because He acts by attracting all our senses. Kṛṣṇa is attractive to the eyes, to the ears, to the sense of smell, to the sense of taste—we experience this with prasādam, sometimes once a day, here in the bhakti-yoga center—and through the sense of touch. All the senses are satisfied by Kṛṣṇa. We may not be able to imagine this, but by practicing bhakti-yoga one can experience it, above all by chanting Kṛṣṇa’s names. Then we listen:
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.
You can feel it. One can always repeat this sound vibration. It is not the same as, for example, “Coca-Cola” or another material vibration. You will quickly have enough of that material vibration. This we can experience even with these material ears. Yes—māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa—Kṛṣṇa says. Avyabhicāreṇa—without deviation. That is what is desirable, and this is what we should strive for as we perform every day our sādhana, regulated devotional service. I think we will stop here.
Question:...
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami: Too philosophical?
Question: Lord Kapiladeva describes…
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami: As far as purity in connection with devotional service is concerned, it is said that you perform your duty—you do it out of a sense of duty: “I do this because it is my duty. My spiritual master said so.” Yes, that is a kind of conditioning, but smaller than…
Question: …than pride.
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami: Yes, than pride, than envy or something else.
Question: One can say that this is a conditioning…
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami: Yes, one can say that. Then pride comes: “Now I have done my duty…” Yes, but the spiritual master is not yet…
There is a little funny story I recently read. A zen student was learning archery from his master. This is called “zen.” In the zen way one should be very concentrated on the goal, fully concentrated with the determination of zen. Actually, the word zen comes from the Chinese word ch’an, and ch’an comes from the Sanskrit dhyāna, which means “meditation, concentration.”
In any case, the zen student tried to hit the center of the target. The master told him to practice, and he practiced, and one day—without true zen feeling—he simply practiced enough and hit the target. Somehow it was not connected with zen; he just wanted to show the master: “Now I can do it,” and when the teacher happened to be passing by, the student said: “I’ve done it, now I can do it.” He went zzaaang (Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami imitates the release of the arrow), and the arrow flew to the target and hit the very center—“I’ve done it!”
The story ends like this: the zen master spat on the ground and walked away (laughter), without saying a word. In other words, the master knew that the student had done it, but in fact he had not done it. He had not done it in the way in which it should be done—whatever that zen way may be. One can thus fulfill one’s duty—he did actually do everything—and yet Kṛṣṇa, or the spiritual master, can still be dissatisfied. He expects from us something that we have not given to Kṛṣṇa. This pride can be dangerous. In a single moment one loses the feeling of devotion. Where something is expected from us and we are no longer able, no longer willing to make the effort to do it… Then another danger arises, when someone thinks: “As far as I am concerned, my spiritual master is demanding something I cannot do,” and then one can become envious of the spiritual master, and that brings one offense after another.
Therefore, just as the modes of material nature, including the mode of goodness, are dangerous for us, so also performing devotional service is dangerous—and especially when we are additionally under the influence of the modes of material nature…
That means that, on the other hand, it is said that one must not be attached to regular sense gratification. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in a certain respect, we also experience sense gratification—strawberries, whipped cream… (laughter) Yes, one can become attached to regular sense gratification, and then it is dangerous. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that even on the royal road danger lurks. Although we follow the path of devotional service, dangers still exist. It is therefore beneficial for us that we have Lord Kapiladeva’s instructions and can recognize the danger.
Question: What role is played…
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami: What do you want to achieve?
Question: …
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami: Oh, there it is bona fide. That is not bad. We want to achieve something for Kṛṣṇa; we do not want to just sit and talk about love of Kṛṣṇa. We know that love means doing something for the beloved. “Talk is cheap”… Everyone can talk, and everyone does: “Love of God—oh yes, I love God.” We want to do something for Kṛṣṇa and see a result. Actually, what is the result we want to see? That others get the opportunity to hear about Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore, if someone desires, has the desire to distribute many books, and the essence of that desire is: “I would like many people to hear about Kṛṣṇa,” then it is completely all right. If, however, it is just an ambition of numbers—“I would like to distribute so many books and then I will be recognized as a great book distributor”—that is not first class. Right?
Question:
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami: He said it once?… Even the whole mantra? Really? Wonderful. (laughter)
Yes, first of all regarding this point: “Yes, it sounds good, but I can’t do it.” Of course, Arjuna had the same problem. Arjuna said the same thing in the sixth chapter: “Yes, Kṛṣṇa, cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa… Sorry, You have described it very nicely, but I cannot do it.” Why? Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ—“Because my mind is restless.” Cañcalaṁ means “restless.” Kṛṣṇa therefore answers him: “Yes, I agree” (the devotees laugh), “the mind is restless.” And what else does He say? Durnigraham—which means that it cannot be conquered; it does not allow itself to be controlled. Durnigraham. And then…
Of course, the Bhagavad-gītā does not break off there, with Kṛṣṇa saying, “I agree,” and the Gītā ending. No. He says: asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigraham calam. Durnigraham—difficult to keep in check. It is not impossible, but difficult. Abhyāsena—again in the instrumental—abhyāsa and vairāgya. Abhyāsena—by practice; vairāgyena—by becoming free from attachment. Ca gṛhyate—in this way it can be controlled.
Now someone will say: “I cannot practice; I am not free from attachment.” Then Kṛṣṇa says in the twelfth chapter—Kṛṣṇa answers all our doubts. The problem appears when we are not able to listen to Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says in that chapter something we will resist:
“Fix your mind on Me. In this way you will, without doubt, live in Me always.” (Bg. 12.8)
“Phew! Okay.” If someone says he cannot do this, He immediately says:
“My dear Arjuna, winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way you will develop a desire to attain Me.” (Bg. 12.9)
Kṛṣṇa gives an option: if you cannot do this, do that—bhakti-yoga, and then you will develop desire. We do not yet have the proper desire, so we practice bhakti-yoga.
“If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, for by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.” (Bg. 12.10)
“If, however, you are unable to work in such consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all the fruits of your work and in this way try to be self-situated.” (Bg. 12.11)
Phew! For a moment I thought it was supposed to get easier and easier (laughter). At this point one has to admit that it is necessary to be serious, for in one place Kṛṣṇa says that even just hearing about Kṛṣṇa is beneficial:
“There are also those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person after hearing about Him from others. Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death.” (Bg. 13.36)
Because they have the tendency to hear from authorities—that is the key. One must have at least this much—a certain inclination to hear about Kṛṣṇa from His representative—and then Kṛṣṇa says: mṛtyuṁ śruti-parāyaṇāḥ—even in this way one can cross the path of death.
In any case, it is good that you brought him to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is proof of a little devotion. That is already the beginning.
Question: …
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami: This is also proof that actually anyone can gain benefit in developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness by hearing about Kṛṣṇa from another person. With the person who is ready to listen it is always varied. For example, sometimes we become a bit frustrated when we try to present Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for instance while distributing books. People do not show their readiness, but we also see that the same person who one day did not take a book from me, because he was not inspired by me, on another day did take a book. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just like Kṛṣṇa, acts in an all-attractive way; therefore the teachings of Kṛṣṇa are actually all-attractive. One just has to see the readiness to accept Kṛṣṇa.
Question: …
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami: Every day give small doses, not too much. This is a great art—to present Kṛṣṇa consciousness in such a way that it is accepted. I have just been reading about Śrīla Prabhupāda’s efforts in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Africa, in Nairobi. Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness not only among Indians, but also among Africans. In Africa there are many Indians, and the devotees already had contact with them—with businessmen. All the businessmen in Nairobi were delighted, inviting Śrīla Prabhupāda and organizing programs. And Śrīla Prabhupāda held programs. All would have been fine if he had not said that we must also preach to the Africans. Africans and Indians were completely separated. Indians thought: “What? We are to preach to Africans?” That was unimaginable.
Śrīla Prabhupāda told one of his disciples to arrange for the Indians who had their own temples to make one of them—located in an area where there were many Africans—available for one evening. Then the devotees were to open the doors wide and start kīrtana. The Africans who happened to be walking down the street looked in with curiosity—“What is going on there?” They came upon the kīrtana and gradually began to gather. For them it was something special; they knew it was a Hindu temple, but since the doors were open—“They are making music there; let’s go inside, why not?” One after another they entered, and the hall filled to the brim. There were only a few devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda was not there.
Brahmānanda was in ecstasy; he could not believe it; he ran to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s house. “Prabhupāda, the temple is unbelievably full!” Then Śrīla Prabhupāda said: “Oh, very nice, then I will come.” But Brahmānanda said: “Oh no, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that is not necessary.” He thought the Africans were so dirty and smelled so strongly that this would not be good for Śrīla Prabhupāda. “It’s okay, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we’ll do it ourselves, we’ll manage without you, we’ve got it under control”—more or less something like that. Śrīla Prabhupāda replied: “No, I will come.” Śrīla Prabhupāda came and gave a lecture, of course in English. They did not understand a word; they speak Hibi. No matter, they were so joyful… Śrīla Prabhupāda told them to continue the kīrtana and everyone was in ecstasy.
Then the Indians who saw this—they had never even dreamed of something like this, of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness among Africans—they had great respect for Śrīla Prabhupāda. Before, they already had enormous respect, but after this event they had truly deep respect. A little story from the life of Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda—ki? jaya!
Gaurā premanande—Hari Hari bol!