View source for We are eternal. We understand from Bhagavad-gita, na hanyate hanyamane sarire (BG 2.20). So if I am eternal, then why I am accepting death? This is real question. But foolishly we are thinking, "I am this body": therefore we remain as an animal

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{{terms|"We are eternal. We understand from Bhagavad-gita, na hanyate hanyamane sarire"|"So if I am eternal, then why I am accepting death"|"This is real question. But foolishly we are thinking"|"I am this body"|"therefore we remain as an animal"}}
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{{compiler|SharmisthaK}}
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[[Category:We Are (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Eternal]]
[[Category:We Understand]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita]]
[[Category:I Am]]
[[Category:Accept]]
[[Category:Death]]
[[Category:This Is Real Question]]
[[Category:Foolish]]
[[Category:We Are (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Thinking]]
[[Category:I Am This Body]]
[[Category:Therefore]]
[[Category:Remain]]
[[Category:Animal]]
[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - BHAV]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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Kṛṣṇa says that, "Your real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9)." We are eternal. We understand from Bhagavad-gītā, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So if I am eternal, nityaḥ śāśvata, then why I am accepting death? This is real question. But foolishly we are thinking, "I am this body": therefore we remain as an animal.
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[[Vanisource:751225 - Lecture BG 07.01 - Sanand|751225 - Lecture BG 07.01 - Sanand]]
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This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being conducted or was started by single-handed, myself. If all the Indian sages and saintly person, they take Bhagavad-gītā as it is and preach all over the world, there is great, great demand for it. Unfortunately, so many persons go there. One big svāmī, he said that, "Kṛṣṇa means black, and 'black' means unknown." Of course, nobody cares for his speech. Kṛṣṇa is going on, forward. Everyone is accepting Kṛṣṇa. But this is the most unfortunate thing, that our men go there to deprecate Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we should very carefully try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is presented by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya ([[Vanisource:BG 7.7 (1972)|BG 7.7]]). This should be preached, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme, ultimate. Ahaṁ saravsya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Even Brahman, Paramātmā, has also come from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is ultimate. He says, aham ādir hi devānām ([[Vanisource:BG 10.2 (1972)|BG 10.2]]). He is the supreme of all the demigods. There is no need of worshiping any other demigod. Kṛṣṇa says, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajanty anya-devatāḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 7.20 (1972)|BG 7.20]]). Hṛta-jñāna. Hṛta-jñāna means who has lost his intelligence. How he has lost his intelligence? Because they get from these demigods some temporary benefit. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām ([[Vanisource:BG 7.23 (1972)|BG 7.23]]).
So our real problem is that we . . . every one of us, we are the spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are struggling for existence within this material world. So manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati ([[Vanisource:BG 15.7 (1972)|BG 15.7]]), struggle for existence. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that, "Your real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam ([[Vanisource:BG 13.8-12 (1972)|BG 13.9]])." We are eternal. We understand from Bhagavad-gītā, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ([[Vanisource:BG 2.20 (1972)|BG 2.20]]). So if I am eternal, nityaḥ śāśvata, then why I am accepting death? This is real question. But foolishly we are thinking, "I am this body": therefore we remain as an animal. So we should be interested to understand actually "What I am," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is real solution of all problems. This is called knowledge. But sometimes we are misled by misleaders; therefore we still remain in darkness in spite of cultivating knowledge. But actually, when we cultivate knowledge under the guidance of real guru, then we can understand, vasudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 7.19 (1972)|BG 7.19]]). This is confirmed in the Vedas, Brahma-saṁhitā:

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:īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
:sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
:anādir ādir govindaḥ
:sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam 
:(Bs. 5.1)
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So spiritual knowledge means to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the sum and substance, to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is, not that concocting, manufacturing that, "Kṛṣṇa is this. Kṛṣṇa is that." No. As Kṛṣṇa says, as śāstra says what is Kṛṣṇa, you have to understand it like that. So sādhu śāstra guru vākya. It is said that we have to accept knowledge through saintly person. Through śāstra and guru we have to understand. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all the sādhus and ācāryas. Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—all of them accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So ācārya means one who has learned, taken knowledge from the śāstra, authoritative śāstra, Vedas. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended, ācāryopāsanam. If you want real knowledge, then you must take knowledge from the ācāryas or the ācārya-paramparā. Then there is knowledge. Otherwise it is ignorance.
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