Returning to Our Natural Consciousness 117
“‘Those words which do not describe the glories of the Lord, who alone
can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are considered by
saintly persons to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for crows. Since the
all-perfect persons are inhabitants of the transcendental abode, they do
not derive any pleasure there.”’
tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo
yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api
namany anantasya yaso ’nkitani yat
Srnvanti gdayanti grnanti sadhavah
“On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the
transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the
unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental
words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of
this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures,
even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung, and accepted by
purified men who are thoroughly honest.”’

Any literature that has no connection with God is just like a place
where crows take enjoyment. Where do crows enjoy? In a filthy place.
But white swans take pleasure in nice clear waters surrounded by gar-
dens. So even among animals there are natural divisions. The crows will
not go to the swans, and the swans will not go to the crows. Similarly, in
human society there are men who are like crows and men who are like
swans. The swanlike men will come to centers of Krsna consciousness,
where everything is clear, where there is good philosophy, good tran-
scendental food, good education, good intelligence—everything good—
whereas crowlike men will go to clubs, parties, naked dance shows, and
so many other such things.

So the Krsna consciousness movement is meant for swanlike men, not
for men who are like crows. But we can convert the crows into swans.
That is our philosophy. Those who were crows are now swimming like
swans. That is the benefit of Krsna consciousness.

The material world is the world where swans have become crows. In
the material world the living entity is encaged in a material body, and he
tries to gratify his senses in one body after another. But the reestablish-
ment of dharma will gradually turn crows into swans. For example, a man
may be illiterate and uncultured, but he can be converted into an edu-
cated, cultured man by training.
