View source for If we do not follow the right person, mahajana - mahajano yena gatah sa panthah (CC Madhya 17.186): then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path

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[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - SHARMISTHA]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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Because if we do not follow the right person, mahājana—mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186): then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path. That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession. Now, we have to follow the principle which Kṛṣṇa sets.
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[[Vanisource:660530 - Lecture BG 03.21-25 - New York|660530 - Lecture BG 03.21-25 - New York]]
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Manuṣyāḥ. Now just see. Here it is said manuṣyāḥ, means all men. All men. But, Kṛṣṇa is not for a particular society or particular religious community or particular country or particular time. No. Kṛṣṇa is the leader of all men for all the time in all the countries in all the worlds and all the universes. So He is not a sectarian Personality of Godhead. We should know. Manuṣyāḥ. Manuṣyāḥ, it is plural number: "All men." All men. So He said: "If I do not set example by My practical work, then because I am the leader of all men, all living entities, they will be wrongly directed." Wrongly directed.

Now, actually we see also. At least in India we have got this experience. Now, this Bhagavad-gītā . . . the Bhagavad-gītā, we always . . . we must always remember that it is being taught in the actual battlefield. Now, a great personality like Mahātmā Gandhi, he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gītā nonviolence. He was . . . he was in favor of the doctrine of nonviolence. Now, you have seen Mahatma Gandhi's picture that he is always standing with Bhagavad-gītā like this. So Bhagavad-gītā was his life and soul practically. And in the morning he was having Bhagavad-gītā class; in the evening he was having Bhagavad-gītā class. So that was his life and soul.

But unfortunately he interpreted Bhagavad-gītā in his own way. Although he took Bhagavad-gītā as his life and soul, so, but he interpreted it in his own way. That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore such a great man and such a good man . . . he was not only a great man; he was very good man in the worldly estimation. His character, his behavior, his dealing—everything was good. He was ideal personality. But just see: he was killed by violence. He could not stop violence.

Devotee: He was killed by violence?

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was killed by violence. And his idea . . . he wanted to make Hindu-Muslim unity in India. The British government fabricated the Hindu-Muslim riot, and lastly, at last also, their purpose was fulfilled by partition of India—Pakistan and India. Now, Mahatma Gandhi worked throughout his whole life just to make a unification of the Hindus and Muslim. Unfortunately, at last, he had to see that the Hindus and Muslim of India were divided into Pakistan and India. And his nonviolence also failed.

So, because if we do not follow the right person, mahājana—mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.186|CC Madhya 17.186]]): then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path. That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession. Now, we have to follow the principle which Kṛṣṇa sets. Kṛṣṇa is not advocating, I mean to say, nonviolence. You cannot eradicate violence from this world. That is not possible, because Kṛṣṇa Himself is on the battlefield and He is trying to induce Arjuna. Arjuna is declining, and He is inducing, "No, you must fight." Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 3.21 (1972)|BG 3.21]]). So we have to follow the footprints of great personalities. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 313.117).

Mahājana. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find that it has been advised that religious principles should be followed by taking the life examples of great personalities. Religious principles . . . it has been described in the Bhāgavata that tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ: if you want to establish religious truth, you cannot establish it by your logic and argument. It is not possible. Because I may be a very perfect religious man, but I may not be a very good arguer; another strong man who can argue very strongly, who knows logic very nicely, he can defeat me. He can make my all conclusion null and void.

So therefore, simply by argument or logical conclusion one cannot reach to the truth, to the religious truth. It is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.186|CC Madhya 17.186]]). Śrutayaḥ means revealed scriptures. Revealed scriptures. Just like in the world there are many revealed scriptures. There are Vedas, Purāṇas, the Bible, the Koran, and there are so many religious scriptures also. And if you go on reading them, although the aim is one, still, you will find some discrepancy from one to another. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Vibhinnāḥ means they are diverse. They are diverse.
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