1. When we die, why is not everyone liberated?

    Devotee (2): Prabhupada, you stated that on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra all the warriors who were dying in the presence of Krsna, they all gained liberation. So I’m wondering… Each one of us has within our heart also the representative of Krsna. So when we die, why is not everyone liberated?

    Prabhupada: But you have no sense of Krsna. You have no sense of Krsna. Or actually you do not die. That is another thing. This death means in the… That is described in the Bhagavatam: those who die before Krsna, they attain their original position, svarupa. Svarupa. So that is real success. Otherwise, there is no death. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg 2.20]. It is not death; when our body is destroyed, that does not mean we are dead. You are spirit soul, I am spirit soul, every one of us, but we have no death. That is another illusion. Tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati
    [Bg 2.13]. This so-called death, it is not death. Dhira, one who knows, one who is sober, he knows that “This man or this boy or this father is dying… He’s not dying. Dehantara-praptih: he is just changing another body. He’s changing an…” So actually we have no death. The change of body. So we are accepting this change of body as death. That is another illusion. Dhiras tatra na muhyati. One who is sober, he is not bewildered. He knows that… Suppose we are sitting here. We are sitting here, and after a few minutes we shall go away. That does not mean we are dead. We are in this apartment; we go to another apartment. Tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg 2.13]. Similarly, nobody dies. It is change of body, from this body to another body. So we have no death. This is illusion. So what is your question?

    Devotee (2): Well, simply that we have Krsna within our heart, so why…

    Prabhupada: Krsna… Why within heart? Krsna is everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs 5.35]. He is within the atom. Antar bahih. Kunti prayed… You have… I do not remember, but Kunti’s prayer, that “Krsna, You are within and without present, but nobody can see You.” This is Krsna’s position. Krsna is within yourself, and Krsna is without. But we do not see Krsna. The example is, nato natyadharo yatha [SB 1.8.19]. Nata, a dramatic player, is dancing on the stage, and his son or relative seeing, he cannot understand that who is dancing. He’s dancing before him, but because he’s dressed in such a way that he cannot understand, “Oh, he’s my brother” or “father” or…, “dancing.” No. Therefore this example has been given, nato natyadharo yatha. Krsna is everywhere, but because nato natyadharo yatha, we cannot understand. This is our position. That requires knowledge. That requires knowledge. Krsna is everywhere, not only within. He’s everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. So Krsna can be seen only by person who has developed love for Krsna; otherwise, Krsna is everywhere, everyone is seeing, but he cannot see. That is the difficulty.

    Devotee (2): So all these warriors on the battlefield, they were all Krsna conscious? Is that correct?

    Prabhupada: Yes. At least for the time being, they knew that Krsna has come. Suppose a prominent man comes in a big meeting. Is not everyone conscious of that person?

    January 20, 1974, Honolulu