Who's Wrong When Your Right is My Left?

Krishna is always right
Lecture on Bhagavad-gita, London, August 29, 1973

A Sociable Society

Social Consciousness Does Not Lead to God Consciousness by Hansadutta das

Unfortunately, people do not follow the principles of religion. Social consciousness does not lead to God consciousness. From 1922 to 1941, Germany had the most intense social consciousness ever known on Earth, but it did not lead to God consciousness; it led to material, or demonic consciousness. It practically led to the destruction of the world. more

Without being standardized by Krishna consciousness, or God consciousness, you cannot find the standard platform of morality, honesty. These things you cannot find. This is not possible. Therefore, the verdict of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah. Just like if you do not follow a standard law, how you can fix up "This is morality" or "This is honesty or dishonesty." There must be standard law. And who can give you the law unless he is the greatest authority? So law changes according to different countries, climate, situation. So man-made law cannot give you standard morality, honesty or... It is not possible. Because one will think "This is morality," another will think, "No, this is not morality." Same thing. Keep to the left, keep to the right. Somebody says "Keep to the left is right," somebody says "Keep to the left, it is wrong." Manorathenasati dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. Because those who are not Krishna conscious, they are hovering on the mental plane. They cannot, there cannot be any fixed up morality, honesty, dishonesty. No. And rascals will also say yato mata tato patha. Means, whatever you think is all right, that is all right. According to you, your conception this is right, and according to my conception, both of them are right. How both of them can be right?

So this contradiction, opposing elements, will continue unless there is Krishna consciousness. So this is not a fact that the karma-vadis simply by discharging your duties nicely... This is... On principle, it is all right. But we must know what is actual morality. There are so many examples. Just like when there is war, to kill the enemies, that is morality. But in peaceful condition if you kill a person that is immorality or sinful. The process is the same, morality or immorality, the process is the same. But sometimes it is moral, sometimes immoral. So how it will be standardized? Therefore Bhagavata says dharmam tu sakshad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Real dharma, real religion, morality, honesty, they can be decided on the words of the Supreme Lord. That is the... When Krishna says "This is all right," then it is all right. When Krishna says it is not right, then it is not right. This is our decision. We Krishna conscious men, we simply accept. And that is a fact. That is a fact in this way because Krishna is the greatest authority, Supreme Being. Supreme means the greatest authority. Just like state says "Now it is wartime. If you kill a number of enemies then you will be awarded with gold medal." The same process of killing. But at another time, when there is no war, if you kill one person you'll be hanged. The killing process is the same, but the judgement is given by the greatest authority, the government. "This is all right, this is not right." Therefore, standard of morality means to abide by the orders of the greatest authority. That is standard of morality. This is the conclusion. You cannot make your own morality. No. If Krishna says "This is all right," then it is all right. Otherwise, it is not.

Krishna says patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. "If somebody offers Me vegetables, leaves, grains, milk, water, flowers, then I accept." So this is nice foodstuff, it is to be accepted. Because Krishna likes to eat this. Krishna can eat anything because He is the supreme, He is omnipotent, He can eat anything, but He particularly mentions this. Therefore, foodstuff made of these ingredients is nice, sattvika, goodness. So the karma-vada, that you follow morality you'll get good results... But where is your morality? Because you are disobedient to God. In the beginning of your life, you are immoral. You are disobeying the greatest authority. There is another example, a story, that a gang of thieves, they stolen some property from different houses, then out of the village they are dividing amongst themselves the booties. So one thief is saying, "Please divide it morally so that one may not be cheated." Now just imagine, the property is stolen. Where is the morality there? But when dividing, they are thinking of morality. The basic principle is immoral. Where you can have morality? Similarly, according to Vedic injunction, ishavasyam idam sarvam [Ishopanishad mantra 1]. Everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is His property. So the whole planet is God's property, whole universe is God's property. But when we are claiming that this is my property, then where is morality? If you claim other's property as your property, then where is the morality?

So in this material world, such kind of morality, honesty, is going on. But our morality is if Krishna is satisfied, then it is honesty, morality, everything. There are many examples. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja is standing and his father is being killed by Nrisimhadeva in his presence. So do you think it is morality that one's father is being killed in the presence of his son, and the son without protest is seeing, with a garland, that "As soon as my father is killed, I shall offer this garland to Nrisimhadeva"? Is it morality? From material point of view? We are worshiping... Prahlada Maharaja has become mahajana, the greatest authority in devotional service, but if we study his morality that he did not protest the killing of his father, rather he was waiting with a garland, that "As soon as the killing business is finished I'll reward this." You see? Where is material morality, there is no morality.

The gopis, they were young girls, wife of somebody, sister of somebody, daughter of somebody, but when Krishna was playing on His flute at dead of night, they gave up all their engagement and began to run, "Where Krishna is present?" So from Vedic standard of view, this is immorality. They are going to another young boy and leaving family. Even somebody, some of the gopis, they left their sons also, and went to Krishna. From material point of view this is immoral. So you'll find in such a way that what is from material point of view immoral, it is the most magnificent morality in relationship with Krishna. And similarly, from material point of view, what is moral, that is most, I mean to say, abominable from the point of view... Just like Yudhishthira Maharaja. Yudhisthira Maharaja became very moral. Krishna advised him, "Just go and tell Dronacharya that 'Your son is dead,' " although his son was not dead. Because Dronacharya will not die unless he hears the news of the death of his son. He'll not die. So he would not believe anyone, but Yudhisthira Maharaja is famous, very moral. So Krishna asked him that "You go, otherwise he'll not believe anyone." So Yudhisthira Maharaja hesitated, "How can I say lies?" So for this he had to see hell. He became immoral. Man-nimitte kritam papam punyaya eva kalpate.

So our standard of morality and immorality is to see whether Krishna is satisfied. If Krishna is satisfied, then it is morality. If Krishna is dissatisfied, then it is immoral. And Krishna's representative also. Therefore, it is said yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi. [By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krishna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement.] Our morality is to satisfy Krishna or His representative, guru. Yasya prasada. If he's satisfied, then it is moral. If he's not satisfied, then it is immoral. Na gatih kuto 'pi. So this karma-vada, that you act nicely and you'll get nice result, that is all right, but there may be some mistakes. There are so many instances. One very great charitable king, he was giving in charity so many cows to the brahmanas. So there was some mistake, and for that purpose, although he was all throughout his whole life he was giving in charity, a little mistake, he became a big lizard in the well. Therefore the conclusion is that this material morality has no value. Spiritual morality. Spiritual morality means to abide by the order of Krishna. That is morality. Whatever Krishna says, if we accept, samsiddhir hari-toshanam. Many places.

atah pumbhir dvija-shreshtha
varnashrama-vibhagashah
svanushthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-toshanam [SB 1.2.13]

In many places. Svanushthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-toshanam. In another place, that, if you execute your morality principles but if by executing such morality principle you do not, I mean to say, awaken your Krishna consciousness, it is simply waste of time. Wherever you go, the Bhagavata conclusion, harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah. We have to keep in point of view that to become... Krishna also says in Bhagavad-gita: api chet su-duracharo bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. Even one is found su-duracharah, not very strictly following moral principles, but he is an unflinching devotee of Krishna, he's sadhu. These things are there. Therefore the point should be that we should not accept this karma-vada or the bauddha-vada or Mayavada, there are so many vadas. We shall simply take Krishna-vada. Simply, simply accept Krishna. And whatever He orders, whatever He likes, for His satisfaction, we shall do anything and everything. That is our morality.