Serve Krishna or Serve Crocodiles (NOD 16)

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Pradyumna: (reading) "Bhakti-rasa, however, the mellow relished in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, does not finish with the end of life. It continues perpetually and is therefore called amrta, that which does not die, but exists eternally."

Prabhupada: This is the importance of Krsna consciousness, that in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said:

tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer / bhajann apakvo tha patet tato yadi / yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim / ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah [SB 1.5.17]

Just like sometimes they say that the, in this movement, just like the cinema, the hippies are joining. Accepting that hippies are... Hippies means they're useless. They are joining. Bhagavata says that those who are very dutiful, they are called sva-dharma nistha. Sva-dharma nistha. According to Vedic culture, there are different divisions of the society. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha. So these are called sva-dharma, means, engaged in one's occupational duty. That is called sva-dharma. Or, in the modern sense, somebody's engaged in business, somebody's engaged in other occupation, profession. There are...

Every man has got some engagement. That's a fact. So Bhagavata says that: tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer [SB 1.5.17]. Anyone, even by sentiment, or by any reason, he gives up his own occupational duty and takes shelter of Krsna, or joins this Krsna consciousness movement, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer... All right. If one has joined this Krsna consciousness movement, doing very nicely, he's improving, that's all right. But if he falls down...

Because sometimes they come out of sentiment, join this movement and again falls down. Sometimes. Not very occasionally. But there is chance because maya is very strong. One may fall down. Bhagavata says bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi. He's not mature. In immature stage, by some reason or other, if he falls down, then yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim. Then what is the loss there? There is no loss.

Suppose he joined out of sentiment and executed devotional service for some time under the direction of the spiritual master, according to the regulations of the sastras, but incidentally, he falls down. He becomes a victim to the maya. Bhagavata says still there is no loss. There is no loss. On the other hand, a person who is engaged in his occupational duty very sincerely, he has not become a devotee, Bhagavata says: "What does he gain?" One who is engaged in his occupational duty very sincerely, doesn't care for Krsna consciousness, then Bhagavata says: "What does he gain?" He doesn't gain anything. But the, that man who joined this Krsna consciousness movement out of sentiment, but immaturely he falls down, he has no loss. This is the...

Try to understand this. Because this Krsna consciousness is the consciousness of the spirit soul. That is reality. Therefore as the soul is eternally, his advancement in that consciousness, that also becomes an eternal asset. That will never be lost. Even if (he) falls down in this life, he could not execute cent percent the duties in Krsna consciousness, even he falls down, so whatever he has done in this life, that becomes a permanent asset. So that, from next life, he'll be given chance. In... In ordinary karmi's life, there is no guarantee that he'll get next life a human body. According to his karma he'll get a body. Maybe animal body or maybe demigod's body. But there is no certainty that he'll get a human body. But this man, who out of sentiment joined in Krsna consciousness movement, and immaturely falls down, he's guaranteed to get a very nice human body.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that sucinam srimatam gehe yogo bhrasto sanjayate [Bg. 6.41]. He'll get birth in a family, sucinam. Sucinam means pious brahmana family or devotee's family. He'll get birth. Or in rich family. The second-class will get in rich family. But both these families will give them chance to begin where he ended his Krsna consciousness in the last life. He'll begin from there. That is his opportunity. Therefore there is no loss. His next life as human being is guaranteed. Even if he's fallen down. But the others, who does not take to Krsna consciousness, doing his own duty, but he will get a body according to his karma. Not... That, that is the difference between the karmis and the devotee. Devotee, even if he is not successful to execute the devotional... perfectly, but whatever he has done, ten percent, twenty percent, fifty percent, that is his asset. It will never be lost. That is being stated. Go on.

Pradyumna: "This is confirmed in all Vedic literatures. The Bhagavad-gita says that a little advancement in bhakti-rasa can save the devotee from the greatest danger, that of missing the opportunity for human life."