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He was happy to find the people of Madras eager to hear spiritual instruction. Both the arrangements and the response have pleased him.

This evening's program was again an extremely successful one. The guest of honor was the Chief Justice of Madras. The Justice gave an introductory speech in which he described how modern materialistic life results in ultimate suffering. He made some good points, but his talk was also riddled with philosophical misunderstanding. Nevertheless, he was polite and respectful. 

Prabhupada didn't correct him directly, but in the course of his lecture redressed his mistaken ideas. The full house listened attentively as Srila Prabhupada delivered another lengthy and erudite discourse, from one of his favorite sections of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the bhagavata-dharma instructions of Prahlada Maharaja to his school friends. Again he repeatedly stressed the necessity of hearing from authorized sources in order to properly understand what is real dharma. He firmly established that dharma means three things to know Krishna, to act in relationship to Krishna, and finally to achieve the goal of going back to Krishna, back to Godhead. 

To loud applause Prabhupada asked for questions, and there was no shortage of enquiries. With Acyutananda Swami acting as the moderator, he answered them all to everyone's full satisfaction. Acyutananda Maharaja repeated the first question. "This is a world of sakti, or energy. There is a worldwide rise in the prices of energy resources, like oil, coal, gas, and electricity. This means there is a depletion of these energy resources. Naturally, there will be worldwide destruction of mankind and other living beings and materials in the near future. What are your views?" 

Prabhupada offered a new angle on the subject, and everyone clapped as they appreciated his ability to link everything sensibly and practically to the central purpose of life. "Yes," he said, "these material things, they are energies. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita: bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca; bhinna prakritir ashtadha. The petrol is also another form of Krishna's energy. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. There are many millions of energies. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. Krishna has nothing to do because everything is being done by His energy. Although He is the ultimate source of everything, He is doing everything by His energy, and it appears that it is being automatically done. It is not automatically done. It is done by Krishna's energy. So this material energy is also Krishna's energy. It is not a different energy. Petrol is liquid thing, so apa. So it is Krishna's energies. Our Vaishnava philosophy is that Krishna's energies should be utilized for Krishna. This is Krishna consciousness. So everything can be utilized for service of Krishna. When you use this petrol for spreading Krishna consciousness, if we can use 1,000 or 100,000 motor cars using petrol for spreading Krishna consciousness, that is the proper utilization of petrol." 

Acyutananda repeated a lady's question. "Krishna says to perform your svadharma. So how does one know what is his svadharma?" "That is svadharma when Krishna says, 'You surrender unto Me.' That is your svadharma. Because you are part and parcel of Krishna, your business is to serve Krishna. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. So I say, 'Finger, please come here,' he immediately comes. This is the normal condition of the finger. Similarly, if you are really healthy, in normal condition, then you must be ready to serve Krishna. That is your svadharma." 

Prabhupada's example was simple but lucid, and again the alert audience clapped to show that they understood. A man, obviously a pantheist, was next. "There are many incarnations, including Krishna. So Krishna gave Bhagavad-gita. That doesn't mean that the author has not given all the gods, whether including Krishna... " Prabhupada cut in. "So that I have already explained, that incarnation? whose incarnation? The question will be, whose incarnation?" "God. God." "God's. So that God is Krishna. You do not know that. Now learn it." "Is not Rama a God?" "Yes. Incarnation means somebody's incarnation. So who is that somebody? That is Krishna. That's all. If you do not know it, you understand now." 

Acyutananda Maharaja took one last question. "Is it necessary that a person should pass through the three asramas-brahmacari, grihastha, vanaprastha?before coming to sannyasa?" Prabhupada answered, "That is the normal rules and regulation, that especially brahmana, he must go through the four asramas. First of all become brahmacari, then grihastha, then vanaprastha, then take sannyasa. This is for the brahmanas. And for the kshatriyas: brahmacari, grihastha, and vanaprastha. And for the vaisyas: brahmacari, grihastha. And for the sudras: only grihastha. This is the process. This is normal process. But either one is brahmana or kshatriya or vaisya or sudra, if he takes to Krishna consciousness he becomes above these rules and regulations." 

Srila Prabhupada's comments were deeply appreciated because here in Madras, possibly more so than any place in India, the government is making a systematic attempt to dismantle the old caste system. However, their attempts to establish a more equitable society their attempts have often resulted in reverse discrimination against the caste brahmanas. 

Prabhupada is probably the first person to show them a true platform of equal dealings for all without disturbing the social balance. As they clapped he continued. "Yes; mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate/ sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. So this Krishna consciousness movement is that it is giving immediate lift to everyone to come to the transcendental platform, brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. But general state is varnasrama-dharma. "Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He was discussing with Ramananda Raya, He first of all said, 'What is the aim of life?' "So Ramananda Raya replied that 'First of all to begin this varnasrama-dharma.' "So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, 'Yes, this is all right. But this is external. If you know something better, please tell me.' "So in this way, step by step everything was described by Ramananda Raya, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not reject it. He said, 'It is all right, but if you know something better...' Then at last, when Ramananda said, quoting one verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir, that it doesn't matter what you are, you remain in your post. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam. Through aural reception if you hear about Krishna, then you become perfect. That is the statement. "So this is required at the present moment, that you remain whatever you are, either brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya, sudra, Englishman, Indian? it doesn't matter. You try to understand Krishna, that's all. If you do that, then everything will be perfect. "That can be very easily done by chanting Hare Krishna mantra. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given this mantra, it is from sastra "harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva". In this age, in Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to bring back the fallen population again to the standard of brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya. It is practically lost now. The best thing is that all of them combined together, brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya, sudra, or even less than sudra, kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa, take to this process of chanting and hearing of the Lord's name. Everything will be all right. 

"It is confirmed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu when he was discussing with Ramananda Raya. He was a governor of this Madras province under the regime of Maharaja Prataparudra of Orissa. And he was politician, but he was a very learned scholar in Krishna science. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu was talking with him. He was a sudra by birth, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu was not only very exalted position, brahmana and sannyasi; so Caitanya Mahaprabhu was questioning and he was answering. He felt little hesitation, that 'sir, You are so exalted. I am a grihastha and a politician, and how can I...?' "Immediately Caitanya Mahaprabhu encouraged him, 'No, no, no, don't hesitate! Kiba sudra kiba vipra nyasi kene naya, yei krishna-tattva-vetta sei 'guru' haya.' He said, 'Don't hesitate!' "It doesn't matter whether he is a grihastha or sannyasi, brahmana or sudra. If he knows Krishna, he is guru. He is guru. That is wanted. We are teaching that Krishna consciousness." 

Srila Prabhupada brought his part of the program to a successful close. It was the final day, and everyone stood out of respect and appreciation as he made his way to the car. On the way back to Mr. Bhai's house Prabhupada said he was happy to find the people of Madras eager to hear spiritual instruction. Both the arrangements and the response have pleased him.


Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 1 by Hari Sauri Dasa





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