(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada and one lucky boy.)
"Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If people can take it without any hesitation... As Kṛṣṇa says, mā śucaḥ: 'Don't be worried.' Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), Kṛṣṇa says. Even out of sentiment we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, believing on the word of Kṛṣṇa out of sentiment, still, we are benefited. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17). It is said that if by sentiment one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tyaktvā sva-dharmam... Everyone has got his occupational duty. The brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra or anyone -- everyone has got some particular duty, obligation. But Kṛṣṇa says, 'There is no need of executing all this obligation. Simply surrender to Me.' Kṛṣṇa says.
So if somebody, out of sentiment, if one thinks that 'Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, I will be perfect? Why not take it? Let me give up my so-called religious principle,' so that is confirmed in the Bhāgavata. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17). He is giving up. Just like these European, American boys, they are..., they belong to Jewish religion, they belong to Christian religion, but out of their pious activity or even by sentiment, they have given up. Now they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But they are perfect. You may say that some of them are fallen. So śāstra says that 'Even one has fallen, where is the wrong there? And other person, who has not taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who has not fallen, what is the benefit there?' Even one has not fallen, sticking to his own particular religious system, he is not gainer. But a person who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness even by sentiment and has fallen, he has great benefit, because once he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa becomes attached to him. That is ajñāta-sukṛti. Therefore, in all circumstances we should accept the Kṛṣṇa's instruction, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), and surely we shall be benefited.
So it doesn't matter whether he is advanced. Of course, everyone should try his best to advance more and more in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but even though one falls down circumstantially... Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvo (SB 1.5.17). Bhajan. Bhajan means this execution of devotional service. Gradually it should be strong and ripe. But if one falls down, even it is not ripened, bhajann apakvo, so śāstra says that 'What is the wrong there? What is the loss there? Because he has begun this line of devotional service, even it is stopped at a certain point circumstantially, he is not loser.' He is not loser because he will get the opportunity of another human form of life. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41): 'Even one has fallen down, still, he will get the chance of taking birth' -- śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe -- 'in the family of brāhmaṇa, first-class brāhmaṇa,' śucīnāṁ, śucī, 'very pure,' or śrīmatām, 'or very rich man, a rich vaiśya.' Generally the vaiśyas are rich. So he will get chance either in a very good family of brāhmaṇa or vaiśyas. Vaiśyas are generally devotees. Therefore he gets the chance of taking birth in a nice family. And if he is fortunate or if he is guided, then he begins again Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the point where he lost it.
Therefore he is not loser, whereas others, who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he may be diverted, and there is no guarantee what is the next birth. Kṛṣṇa does not guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma... (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. He will get another body. But what kind of body he is going to get, that is not certain. He may be a demigod or he may be a dog, according to his karma. But this man who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, if he is fallen and if he has to take birth again, it is guaranteed, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41): 'He will take birth in a very rich family or in a very pure family.' This is guaranteed. For others there is no guarantee. He may take birth out of the 8,400,000's of different forms of life. There is no guarantee.
So our request is that some way or other take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even if you fall down without being ripened, still, you are not loser. That is our request."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Vrindavan, September 10, 1975)
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