By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
apasyatam atma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2): Those who are ignorant of the atma-tattvam, they indulge in nidraya hriyate naktam vyavayena ca va (SB 2.1.3). This is their night’s business. And what is the day’s business? Diva carthehaya rajan: During daytime, “Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Go here, go there, go there, go… All right, take money. Then how to utilize it?” Now, kutumba-bharanena va. ‘Then go to the shop. Purchase this thing for my wife, for my children, for this, for that.” So money earned and spent. And in the night: sleeping and mating. Then where is your time for cultivating Krsna consciousness? This is the position.
Those who are blind, who do not know what is the value of this life, this human form of life, they are busy in these things. Apasyatam atma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). But actually, this life is meant for understanding atma-tattvam (nature of the soul). Athato brahma jijnasa. This life is not meant for living like cats and dogs: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is all cats’ and dogs’ business. Therefore those who are engaged only in these businesses:
yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah
Go-khara. Go means cow, and khara means ass. Those who are acting on this bodily concept of life, they are no better than cows and asses. Therefore one who is inquisitive about atma-tattva, one who is inquisitive about Krishna and such inquiries as Pariksit Maharaja did before Sukadeva Gosvami, who welcomed it immediately. Variyan esa te prasnah: (SB 2.1.1) “Oh, you have questioned very nicely about Krsna.” Loka-hitam nrpa: “Oh it is not only good for you; it is good for all the people of the world.”
So this Krsna consciousness movement is not a sectarian movement. It is good for all human beings because as soon as there is question of Krishna, people will hear. Actually, it is happening all over the world. Especially the younger generation, why they are taking interest? Because loka-hitam: They are understanding that it is beneficial.
Every student, every disciple, they write me letter how much they are feeling grateful, that “We have got something. Prabhupada, you have given us something.” Of course, I have not given. It is not my property. I have simply informed them, “Here is Krishna, and the life’s business is to become a devotee.” Krishna said, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is your business. So anyone who becomes engaged in this loka-hitam, (work which is) beneficial to the human society, he will be happy. But he has to control over these things: ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca (eating, sleeping, mating and fearing). These animals propensities should be controlled. Then it will be impetus. It will give acceleration to advance in Krishna consciousness. Therefore we have got restrictions: no illicit sex life, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication. If we can control, if you follow these regulative principles and regularly chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra, gradually you’ll realize everything. Param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam.
[An excerpt from a Lecture delivered on the Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.3 in Delhi on November 6, 1973]
The Hare Krishna Revolution 