130 THE PATH OF PERFECTION Destination After Death 131

God. Such attempts are doomed to failure; therefore Srimad- “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tips of the toes
Bhagavatam recommends that we abandon all attempts to of whose lotus feet are approached by the yogis and janis, who
measure the Supreme. It is completely useless to try to understand travel for billions of years at the speed of the wind or mind.” We
God by our limited knowledge, and an intelligent man under- can all understand how great the speed of mind is. Although sit-
stands this. We should become submissive and try to understand ting in New York City, I can immediately think of India, which is
that our position is that of a very insignificant segment in this cre- thousands and thousands of miles away. It is herein stated that
ation. The words namanta eva indicate that we are just to become even if one travels at this speed for billions of years, Krsna will
submissive in order to understand the Supreme from a reliable still remain inconceivable. The word muni-purigavanam refers to a
source. And what is that source? San-mukharitam: from the lips of great thinker, not an ordinary man. Even if such a great thinker
realized souls. Arjuna is understanding God directly from the lips travels for millions of years at the speed of mind, he will still find
of Krsna, and we have to understand God through the lips of Ar- the Supreme Person unknowable. Yet for one who takes un-
juna or his bona fide representative. We can understand the tran- deviatingly to this path of Krsna consciousness, Krsna is easy to
scendental nature of God only from a reliable source. That source obtain. Why is this? Nitya ~yuktasya yoginah: Because such a per-
may be Indian, European, American, Japanese, Hindu, Muslim, son is constantly engaged in My devotional service, and I cannot
or whatever. The circumstances are not important. We just have forget him.” So this is the process. We have only to become sub-
to try to understand by hearing and then try to put the process to missive to attract the attention of God. My Guru Maharaja used to
practice in our daily lives. By becoming submissive, hearing from say, “*Don’t try to see God, but work in such a way that God will
the right source, and trying to apply the teachings in our daily see you. God will take care of you. You don’t have to fry to see
lives, we can become conquerors of the Supreme. For one who Him.” . ae
does this, Lord Krsna becomes easily available. Ordinarily, God This should be our attitude. We should not think, “I want to
realization is very difficult, but it is very easy for one who sub- see God. O God, please come and stand before me. Be like my ser-
missively hears (sruti-gatam). vant.’” But since God is no one’s servant, we have to oblige Him
There are two processes by which we can acquire knowledge: by our love and service. We all know how difficult it is to see the
one is the ascending process (droha-pantha), and the other is the king or president of a country. It is practically impossible for an
descending process (avaroha-pantha). By the ascending process, ordinary man to get an interview with such an important person,
One attempts to understand God by his own efforts—by philoso- to say nothing of having this important person come and stand
phizing, meditating, or speculating. According to the descending before him. Yet people are demanding that the Supreme Per-

process, one acquires knowledge simply by hearing from an au- sonality of Godhead come and stand before them. It is our nature

thority, from the bona fide spiritual master and the scriptures. As to hanker after Krsna, because He is the most attractive, most

far as the ascending process is concerned, it is stated in Brahma- beautiful, most opulent, most powerful, most learned, and most
samhita (5.34) famous person in the universe. Everyone hankers after these

qualities, and Krsna is the reservoir of all these qualities, and He
possesses them in full. Krsna is the reservoir of everything (raso
vai sah); therefore when we hanker after beauty or power or
knowledge or fame, we should just turn our attention to Krsna.
Then we will automatically get whatever our hearts desire.

panthas tu koti-Sata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam

so ‘py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
