Prabhupada 0409 - There is no question of interpretation in the Bhagavad-gita
Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975
So the mission is very, very authorized, and it comprehends a very large jurisdiction of activities. Therefore my request is that the inhabitants of Bombay, especially those who are our members, they will kindly take active part, how to make this institution very successful in Bombay. So many ladies and gentlemen are present here. We are, whatever we are doing it is not whimsical or mental concoction. It is authorized and just to the standard of Bhagavad-gītā. Our present movement is based on Bhagavad-gītā—Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We don't interpret. We do not interpret foolishly because... I say purposefully this word "foolishly," that why should we interpret Kṛṣṇa's words? Am I more than Kṛṣṇa? Or did Kṛṣṇa leave some portion to be explained by me by interpretation? Then what is the importance of Kṛṣṇa? If I give my own interpretation, thinking myself more than Kṛṣṇa, this is blasphemy. How I can become more than Kṛṣṇa? If actually we want to take advantage of this Bhagavad-gītā, then we must take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Just like Arjuna took. Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14): "I accept all the words, my dear Keśava, whatever You have said. I accept them in toto, without any change." This is understanding of Bhagavad-gītā, not that I take advantage of the Bhagavad-gītā and I interpret in my foolish way so that people will accept my philosophy. This is not Bhagavad-gītā. There is no question of interpretation in the Bhagavad-gītā. Interpretation is allowed when you cannot understand. When the things are clearly understood... If I say, "This is microphone," everyone understands this is microphone. Where is the necessity of interpreting it? There is no necessity. This is foolishness, misleading. There cannot be any interpretation in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is... Everything is clear to the point. Just like Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says... Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You all become sannyāsī and give up your occupational duty." No. Kṛṣṇa says, sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiḥ labhate naraḥ (BG 18.46). You remain in your business. You remain your occupation. There is no need of changing. But still, you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious and make your life successful. This is the message of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is not going to make any topsy-turvy of the social order or spiritual order. No. It should be standardized according to the authority. And the best authority is Kṛṣṇa.
So make this center successful, you ladies and gentlemen of Bombay. We have got very nice place. We are building so that you can come here, stay, at least in weekend. If you stay, all those who are retired or elderly gentlemen, ladies, they can come here and stay. We will have sufficient place. But try to organize these principles of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world. That will be the gift of India. Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that anyone who has taken birth in India as human being, not cats and dogs... Cats and dog cannot take any part for doing good to others. He said,
- bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
"Anyone who has taken his birth as human being in India, Bhārata-bhūmi, first of all make your life successful." Because you have got the standard, how to make life successful. Here is Bhagavad-gītā. Try to understand it, make your life successful, and then broadcast this message all over the world. That is paropakāra. So actually, India and India's people, they are meant for paropakāra. We are not meant for exploiting others. That is not our mission. Actually that is being done. Everyone goes out of India. They go there to exploit. But it is for the first time that India is giving something to the outsiders, this spiritual knowledge. And the proof you can see. We are giving, we are not taking. We do not go to beg, "Give me wheat, give me money, give me this, give me that." No. We are giving something substantial, and they are feeling obliged. Otherwise, why these young men and girls, they are after this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? They are feeling something, that they are getting something tangible. So it has got potency, very good potency. They are not feeling like Americans or Canadians or Australians. We are also not feeling as Indians. On the spiritual platform we are one.
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
This is real learning. Ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. Even the great politician, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he says,
- mātṛvat para-dāreṣu
- para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat
- ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu
- yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ
So this is a great culture, Bhagavad-gītā as it is. So those responsible ladies and gentlemen are present here, make this center very successful and come here, study Bhagavad-gītā as it is without any foolish interpretation. I say foolish again and again because interpretation is not at all required. Everything is clear, from the very beginning.
- dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
- samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
- māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
- kim akurvata sañjaya
- (BG 1.1)
So very clear.