View source for Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of spiritual life. If you can understand Bhagavad-gita, then you can begin Srimad-Bhagavatam. If you have not understood Bhagavad-gita, it is useless. You cannot understand Srimad-Bhagavatam

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{{terms|"Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of spiritual life. If you can understand Bhagavad-gita, then you can begin Srimad-Bhagavatam. If you have not understood Bhagavad-gita, it is useless. You cannot understand Srimad-Bhagavatam"}}
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[[Category:bhagavad-gita]]
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[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana)]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB32522BombayNovember221974_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="444" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974">
<div class="heading">Kṛṣṇa, or God, cannot say anything contradictory. Whatever He has said... Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of spiritual life. If you can understand Bhagavad-gītā, then you can begin Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If you have not understood Bhagavad-gītā, it is useless. You cannot understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So tyakta-karma. Sannyāsī means tyakta-karmāṇas tyakta-svajana-bāndhavāḥ. You cannot give up karma if you live with your relatives, svajana, and bāndhavāḥ, society, friendship and love. If you live, then you cannot give up karma. You have to do, either karma or vikarma. But if you become sannyāsī, then you become akarma. Whatever you do, it is for Kṛṣṇa, and there is no reaction. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Karma is bandhanaḥ. Vikarma is bandhanaḥ, but akarma is not bandhanaḥ. Bandhanaḥ means bondage. So we have to act for Kṛṣṇa. Yajñārthe. Yajña means Kṛṣṇa. Yajña means Viṣṇu. But people... Prahlāda Mahārāja said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]) "These ordinary men, they do not know that their ultimate destination of life is to go back to Viṣṇu, go back to home, back to Godhead." Na te viduḥ. Why they do not know? Durāśayā. Their hope is dur, very, I mean to say, what is called?</p>
<p>Nitāi: Hardy?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No. Durāśayā means which cannot be fulfilled. You can hope something, you can... But it is hoping against hope. It will never be fulfilled. That is called durāśā. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Persons who are trying to become happy by adjustment of this bahir-artha, external energy, or the material energy, they do not know that happiness cannot be achieved without approaching Viṣṇu, or God. They do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi... Everyone is thinking, "I must first of all see my own interest." That's all right. But what is your interest, that you do not know. First of all try to understand what is your interest. But that you do not know. Because you are thinking falsely that "By adjustment of this material atmosphere I shall be happy." Everyone is trying. Nationally, individually, collectively, everyone is trying. But it is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā ([[Vanisource:BG 7.14|BG 7.14]]). It will be frustration. Therefore it is called bahir-artha-māninaḥ.</p>
<p>So why they are attempting this process, which will meet with frustration? That is also said: adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.30|SB 7.5.30]]). Because they cannot control their senses, adānta... Adānta-gobhiḥ. Go means indriya, senses, and adānta means uncontrolled. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.30|SB 7.5.30]]). So in this way we are being baffled in so many ways. The only rescue is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said, ananya-bhāvena, mayy ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām. That is wanted. Dṛḍha-vrata. That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā. You'll find parallel passages, the same thing. Because Kṛṣṇa, or God, cannot say anything contradictory. Whatever He has said... Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of spiritual life. If you can understand Bhagavad-gītā, then you can begin Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If you have not understood Bhagavad-gītā, it is useless. You cannot understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.</p>
<p>Just like Bhagavad-gītā ends with the assertion of the Lord: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66|BG 18.66]]). Sarva-dharmān. We have created so many dharmas. But dharma cannot be so many. Dharma is one. Or religious system... What is that, religious system? The all religious system, the author of religion, author of religion... Just like author of law is government, similarly author of religion is God, Kṛṣṇa. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam ([[Vanisource:SB 6.3.19|SB 6.3.19]]). You cannot manufacture dharma, just like you cannot manufacture law at your home. That will be not feasible. That will be not useful for anyone. You can make thousands of laws: "I think this should be done..." That is the fashion now. Everyone thinks in his own way. That is not philosophy. That is not law: "I think..." "We think..." No. You cannot think. What is your value? You are imperfect. Your senses are imperfect. How you can think perfect things? No, that is not possible. Therefore we have to...</p>
:tad viddhi praṇipātena
:paripraśnena sevayā
:upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
:jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
:([[Vanisource:BG 4.34|BG 4.34]])
<p>You have to take knowledge from the tattva-darśī, one who has seen the truth. Otherwise, you'll be frustrated. Similarly religion. Religion you cannot manufacture: "This is our religion. This is this religion, that religion, that religion." So that is not religion. Religion is this: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66|BG 18.66]]). Mayy ananyena bhāvena bhaktim. This is religion. Anything else, that is cheating. That is not religion.</p>
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