When all recognize Krishna as the supreme enjoyer, divisive competition ceases and universal peace naturally prevails.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Lecture at the House of Mr. Mitra — January 29, 1971, Allahabad 710129LE-ALLAHABAD [18:53 Minutes] Lecture_710129LE-ALLAHABAD Devotee: [introducing tape] The following lecture is the first lecture delivered at the house of Mr. Mitra by Śrīla Prabhupāda, re-taped from the Mitras' tape recorder on the day of the second meeting. [break] Prabhupāda: …movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Western countries.
This movement may be new in the Western countries, but in our country it is well known since a very, very long time. From historical point of view we can take it from Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā that this movement is as old as five thousand years old. And before that, as we learn from the Bhagavad-gītā, that this system of yoga, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, was first explained by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Vivasvān, the sun-god. imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt [Bg. 4.1] So if we take the age of Manu, it comes to about forty millions of years. So the first son of Manu, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, the first king in the dynasty, Raghu-vaṁśa, so he also learnt this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
And then again, because the disciplic succession, chain, was broken, in course of time Kṛṣṇa again said to Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So taking it from the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it is five thousand years old. And Lord Kṛṣṇa wanted that everyone should become Kṛṣṇa conscious. man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 9.34] That is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁśaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66] So why this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is required? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29] Kṛṣṇa, or in general term you can say God, but God's name can be Kṛṣṇa… If God has any name, the first-class name is Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." And actually Kṛṣṇa, when He was present personally, He was all-attractive. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā about peace formula.
People are very much anxious for peace in the world. There are so many organizations, just like the United Nation organization. When in New York we see this office of this big organization, hundreds of thousands of flags, national flags. So the United Nation is trying to establish peace in the world. So far we are concerned from the history, Mahābhārata, we understand that there was only one king throughout the whole world.
Up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit there was only one king ruling over the world [indistinct Sanskrit] -pati, and there was one flag. But at the present moment, although we are very much advanced in the education, in economic condition and many other things, we have got many flags in the United Nation. In other words, we are becoming more and more disunited. Instead of becoming united, we are becoming disunited. What is the cause?
The cause is lacking of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁśāntim ṛcchati [Bg. 5.29] If you actually want śānti, then you have to accept this formula of śānti as enunciated in the Bhagavad-gītā: that Kṛṣṇa, or God, is the enjoyer, only enjoyer. He is the complete whole. Just like this body is a complete whole: the limbs are part and parcel of the body, but the real enjoyer of this body is the stomach.
The leg is moving, the hand is working, the eyes are seeing, the ears are hearing. They are all engaged in the service of the whole body. But when there is the question of eating or enjoying, neither the fingers nor the ears nor the eyes but only the stomach is the enjoyer. And if you supply foodstuff in the stomach, automatically the eyes, the ears, the fingers—any, any part of the body—will become satisfied. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ: "I am the supreme enjoyer." So when we forget that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer and we try to compete with Kṛṣṇa, or becoming…, try to become a false Kṛṣṇa, then the whole trouble begins. The...