It is stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam (10.31.9):
tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad-atatam
bhuvi grnanti te bhuri-da janah
«O Krishna, the nectar of Your words and the narrations of Your Pastimes give life to us, who are always suffering in this material world. This nectar is broadcast all over the world by great souls, and it removes all sinful reactions. It is all-auspicious and filled with spiritual power. Those who spread this message of Godhead are certainly doing the greatest relief work for human society and are the most magnanimous welfare workers.»
This is what is necessary, and this is what is universal. Everyone can be satisfied to the highest degree in their hearts only by the nectar of Krishna’s words and the nectarean descriptions of His activities. This is because Krishna is raso vai Sah, the reservoir of all pleasure, and Akhila-rasamrta-murtih, ecstasy Himself. Krishna’s very nature is sweet:
madhuram madhuram vapur asya vibhor
madhuram madhuram vadanam madhuram
madhu-gandhi mrdu smitam etad aho
madhuram madhuram madhuram madhuram
«O Lord Krishna! The beauty of Your transcendental form is sweet, but Your beautiful face is even sweeter. The sweet smile on Your face, which is like the sweet aroma of honey, is sweeter still.»
This verse is found in Bilvamangal Thakur’s Krsna-karnamrtam (92). He says, «Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweetness. Krishna is sweetness personified. At my first sight, I thought Krishna was Cupid, who can capture everyone. But then I saw, ‘No, this is not like lust personified, which can be experienced only in the material world. This is chinmay, spiritual substance. I see that this sweetness is spiritual in characteristic. I feel it. It is the very gist of all sweetness. What is this? My eyesight is being nectarised. I am experiencing nectar pouring on my eyes. Oh, Krishna has already conquered my heart. I am captured, I am captivated by sweetness personified.»
marah svayam nu madhura-dyuti-mandalam nu
madhuryam eva nu mano-nayanamrtam nu
veni-mrjo nu mama jivita-vallabho nu
balo ’yam abhyudayate mama lochanaya
«My dear friends, where is Krishna, who is Cupid personified, brilliant as a kadamba flower? Where is Krishna, sweetness Himself, the sweetest nectar for my eyes and mind? Where is Krishna, who loosens the hair of the gopis? He is the supreme source of divine bliss. He is my life and soul. Has He come before my eyes again?»
This is Bilvamangal Thakur’s statement (Krsna-karnamrtam: 68).
Whatever type of sorrow or affliction there may be, all different layers of painfulness will be removed. This nectar of the words and Pastimes of Krishna gives us life. It gives us hope that we can live a higher life, that we were not created only to suffer in this mortal world, but to live a life which can soar up and transcend this painful life of mortality. We have that sort of life of vitality in our own intrinsic form. The speculationists say that Krishna consciousness only does away with all sinfulness, but their’s is only an external acquaintance with Krishna consciousness. Sin is nothing in comparison with His purifying capacity. As soon as we come in contact with Krishna, even in the form of mere sound through the ear, our real welfare begins to awaken: sreyah kairava chandrika vitaranam. Krishna consciousness is infinitely surcharged with all the resources of our welfare. And those who can distribute Krishna consciousness to the world are really benevolent and kindhearted. They give the most who give Krishna to those who are helpless and disappointed. Only this sort of transaction should be continued in the world, to save these souls suffering from the disease of mortal connection.
The descriptions about Krishna are like divine nectar. So, go on with this transaction, always giving Krishna consciousness, and if you give Krishna consciousness you will have an ample supply of Krishna consciousness. That will descend from the higher position. If you are sincere to distribute Krishna consciousness, you will have no want in your own capital. New capital will be supplied to you as much as you can give it to others. It will have connection with the infinite source. So go on. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says:
yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’ upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa
«Whomever you find, talk with him only about Krishna. We have no other engagement. Whomever you find, any soul you come across, try to save him from this desert of mortality. I command you. Don’t be afraid; take the position of Guru, the giver, and give it to everyone.» Then, Mahaprabhu says:
kabhu na vadhibe tomara visaya-taranga
punarapi ei thani pabe mora sanga
«And in this transaction, you will find My backing. If you obey My command for distribution to one and all, then you will find that I am there, backing you in this work.»
So, your great master has engaged you all like so many dedicated soldiers. Now you must do relief work in this world of mortality and death. Do relief work. Somehow we have to get Krishna consciousness for ourselves and also carry this news to our neighbours. Mahaprabhu says, «Whomever you meet, tell him about Krishna, and in this way, save the people.» They are all under the influence of eternal mortality. Only this path is relevant to their condition; all other talks are irrelevant.
Everyone is rushing into the jaws of death. This is the sum total of the news of this world; it is the only news. Every second, everyone is entering the jaws of death. This is the real problem — nothing else. The whole problem, if summarised, will come to this, that every second, every atom here is entering into the jaws of death. This is the great and only danger in the world. So, all other talks are irrelevant to the real problem of life; try to help them from entering into the jaws of death. This is the only problem in the whole world.
Go forth and tell everyone about Krishna. Whatever you do, make them talk about Krishna, Krishna, Krishna. Save yourself, and prepare yourself for the highest goal. Whenever you meet anyone, wherever you meet anyone, only talk of Krishna. All other talks are irrelevant and redundant.
Mahaprabhu says, «It is My command. Don’t think that if you do this and take the position of guru, when the people come to honour you, you will forget your own ordinary position, become puffed up with pride, and go to hell. No, no, no! I order you, ‘Go on!’ The relief work is there. You can’t stand idle as an onlooker. So I say, ‘Jump! Start relief work.’ I order you to do so. And I shall take whatever responsibility is there. The whole world is dying. So, always, at every second, the real need is Krishna-katha. You will get My association only by obeying My orders and discharging the duty that I am entrusting with you. You will find Me there in your obedience of My order, in the discharge of the duty I impose on you.»
Is it reasonable or not? Every one of us can judge. What will be the relief work to save those in the mortal world? What will give real help to the people? Not clothing them or feeding them, nothing of the kind. Everyone is dropping down dead. Once, when I was in the Madras Math, someone came and criticised us saying, «Oh, you are only talking about Krishna, and people are dying without food. Don’t you mind?» I said, «No.» He told me, «The Ramakrishna Mission is doing real relief by feeding so many. If a man dies of starvation, how will he hear you? Where will you get a listener if he dies? First make them live, feed them, and then you can tell him about Krishna.»
I told him, «Suppose there is a famine. I have some food. I am distributing that to so many people. There is a great crowd before me. If, while I am distributing food, someone from the crowd flees, what should I do? Should I distribute the food, or run to catch him?» He said, «You must distribute the food; that is natural.» I said, «The crowd is always ready to hear from me about Krishna. Why should I waste my time running after one man? So many people are coming to hear from me about Krishna, and I cannot attend them all. Why should I stop distribution of the nectar, and run to catch one man? This is a foolish attempt.»
We are interested in helping people by distributing Krishna-katha, and we pay no attention to any so-called danger. All are in need of this guidance. You must only engage yourself in Krishna-katha. Go on talking about Krishna, and continue with that vibration.
When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was going from Puri to Vrndavan through the jungle path, the elephants, deer, and tigers were chanting, «Krishna! Krishna!» and dancing. How? His Krishna-katha created such a fine vibration that it entered into the ears of the tigers, deer, and elephants and awakened their hearts. And they began to chant, «Krishna! Krishna! Krishna!» and dance. Mahaprabhu’s vibration of Krishna’s Name was so fine and surcharged with force that the sound entered within the animals, and aroused in their hearts the innermost plane which was covered by the elephant’s or tiger’s body. Just like electricity, the finest current of the Holy Name of Krishna entered into the hearts of all the animals, and their souls were aroused. And when their souls were awakened, then they began to chant «Krishna! Krishna!»
Everywhere the environment is full of animation, and just as a ray of light penetrates the darkness, in a similar way the vibration of Krishna-katha will strike a chord within the soul and create some inspiration there towards Krishna consciousness. So continue preaching Krishna consciousness. We have no other duty, no other work. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad went the length and breadth of the world with Krishna consciousness. The fact that you have all come here is due to his earnestness. He has gone to the upper world, and so, in his name we are going on with some sort of transaction.