Even incomplete devotional practice guarantees eternal spiritual progress; partial hearing of Krishna transcends all material loss.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.18 — July 19, 1974, New Vrindaban 740719SB-NEW VRINDAVAN [28:19 Minutes] SB-01.02.18_740719SB-NEW VRINDAVAN [recorded on faulty equipment] Prabhupāda: Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu [SB 1.2.18]. Abhadra. Abhadra, in human understanding, means it is not civilized. In your country you say "the gentleman." So that gentleman, he is called bhadra, and in India the gentleman is considered as bhadra.
So all of us, unless we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, will be bhadra..., will be abhadra. [indistinct]. When one [indistinct], then he is [indistinct] cultured. So this cultured [indistinct] means to hear about Kṛṣṇa.
Simply hear, and you are hearing [indistinct]. So you haven’t got to do anything. Simply come here, and sit properly and hear about [indistinct]. You haven’t got to exercise your breathing or [indistinct].
Just sit down like a gentleman and hear about. This is a very important process. That we have already discussed. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Simply if anyone agrees to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then life becomes [indistinct].
Our process is, "Please come, hear about Kṛṣṇa and take Kṛṣṇa prasādam," [indistinct]. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that as soon as he begins to hear about Kṛṣṇa, immediately his lower tendency is diminished. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Even Kṛṣṇa’s attention is not drawn, still, simply by hearing and chanting, you become [indistinct], purified, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Śikṣāṣṭaka 1], cleansed. So when this process is adopted but it is not even finalized, perfected, still you get the benefit. Still you get the benefit.
Suppose you have to attend lecture, and hearing for hundred times. Suppose you have done only one or two times—still you get the benefit. Not a single part of this is [indistinct]. In the śāstra it is said, if by some sentiment, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer [SB 1.5.17]… Just like in our association, in the Society, many men come, join, not exactly understanding what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but "Out of sentiment, let us join." He doesn’t know.
He gives up his own duty, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ. Tyaktvā means "giving up," and sva-dharmaṁ, sva-dharmaṁ means "occupational duty." Everyone has got occupational duty. Generally, according to Vedic civilization, occupational duties are divided according to qualities. That is also in the present days also.