True self-interest culminates in devotion to Krishna, not in temporary material concerns across endless lifetimes.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Paṇḍāl Lecture — November 13, 1971, Delhi 711113LE-DELHI [34:21 Minutes] Lecture_711113LE-DELHI Prabhupāda: Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly coming here and participating in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So I may inform our friends that His Excellency Mr. James is a devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. I was talking with him. So we are so pleased that you are associating with devotees. 'sādhu-saṅga', 'sādhu-saṅga'-sarva-śāstre kaya lava-mātra sādhu saṅge sarva siddhi haya [Cc. Madhya 22.54] The human life is meant for composing an association where devotees may take part, sādhu-saṅga. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes [SB 5.5.2]. Mahat-seva. Mahat means whose mind has been broadened, not crippled.
Cripple-minded man thinks in terms of personal interest or society's interest or community's interest, nation's interest or international interest. Even international interest is cripple-minded, because there are many planets. If we expand ourself from self-interest to family interest, from family interest to community interest, similarly, even you expand to the international interest, it is imperfect unless your interest is expanded up to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the Vedic injunction in the Ṛg Veda: oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ [Ṛg Veda 1.22.20]. Those who are advanced in knowledge, their aim is, their interest is, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam.
But people do not know what is his self-interest. That is indicated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu [SB 7.5.31]. Everyone should be self-interested. But in this material world, being illusioned, being bewildered by the material energy, we are thinking our self-interest in terms of our particular type of education. Somebody is thinking that "Simply I have to maintain my body somehow or other." Little expanded, thinking interest of society, you go on.
But they do not know that the self-interest must expand to Lord Viṣṇu. And that is explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja. We are discussing this verse, that yathā hi puruṣasya iha viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt [SB 7.6.2] Priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt. Viṣṇoḥ, viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam. Our self-interest must reach up to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu.
That is perfection. Otherwise, whatever interest we create, that is temporary interest and it will be finished, and I shall create another interest. That knowledge is lacking in the modern civilization. We are interested in nationalism.
That is very good. But we do not know what nationalism was in my past life and what nationalism will be there in my next life. That we do not. Therefore, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that interest should be to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu as it is indicated, directed, by the Vedas, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Unfortunately, somehow or other we have forgotten that interest.
That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, anādi bahir-mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela ataeva [Cc. Madhya 20.117], māyā tāra golay badhila[?]. We do not know when we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, our self-interest. And because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, therefore māyā, the illusory energy of Kṛṣṇa, has caught up us.