Cut the knot of karma through remembering Krishna; true intelligence asks why we suffer.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.15 — August 18, 1972, Los Angeles 720818SB-LOS ANGELES [54:31 Minutes] SB-01.02.15_720818SB-LOS ANGELES [Govindam prayers playing; Prabhupāda singing along]
Prabhupāda: [sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.
Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. [devotees offer obeisances] Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
Prabhupāda: Hm-mm. Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] yad anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ karma-granthi-nibandhanam chindanti kovidās tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim [SB 1.2.15] Prabhupāda: Ladies. [lady chants] Any other lady? [man chants] In London, they used to put a blackboard and write the verse so everyone could see and chant.
You may arrange like that. In big letters, so that they will hear the sound and see. It is practical. All right, word meaning.
Pradyumna: [leads chanting of synonyms] yat—which; anudhyā—remembrance; asinā—sword; yuktāḥ—being equipped with persons; karma—reactionary work; granthi—knot; nibandhanam—interknit; chindanti—cut; kovidāḥ—intelligent; tasya—His; kaḥ—who; na—not; kuryāt—shall not do; kathā—messages; ratim—attention. [13:29] Translation: "With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the labyrinthine knots of reactionary work, or karma, by remembering the Lord. Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?" Prabhupāda: Hm. So knot, we have experience... [microphone adjusted] Do it nicely. Karma-granthi. Granthi means knot.
So just like a man, if it is tied very strongly with ropes, hand and legs, he cannot move independently, similarly, we are tied up by the laws of material nature. Material nature. Just like we, when we become criminal, we become... We are always bound up by the laws of the state; either criminal or civil, it doesn't matter.