This is the satisfaction. We are searching after so many things to become satisfied, but if we try to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead—that we do not know—and without any motive—it cannot be checked—then yayātmā suprasīdati. If you want really peace of mind, then you search out Kṛṣṇa and surrender unto Him. Where is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa personally canvassing you, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). Still, you are not... You are so fool. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. He is giving assurance that "I shall give you protection from all sinful reaction." We are suffering in this material world because we are continually making our life in sinful activities. Sinful activities means gratifying the senses. That is also warned by Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti: (SB 5.5.4) "These rascals, they, simply for sense gratification, committing all types of sinful activities." Just like Kṛṣṇa has given us so many things to eat, but still, we shall kill animals. Still for this satisfaction of the tongue, we shall kill so many..., slaughterhouse, regular slaughterhouse. And you want to be happy. Your whole life is full of sinful activities, and you want to be happy? That is not possible.
Committing sins (Lectures, SB)
Expressions researched:
"commit"
|"commits"
|"committed"
|"committing"
|"sin"
|"sinful"
|"sins"
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Dharma, religious principle... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Glāniḥ means polluted. "Wherever there is pollution in the matter of discharging religious principles, I come down." Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. "Then I come down to settle up things." So Kṛṣṇa came for this purpose, to settle up or to purify dharmasya glāniḥ, pollution in the matter of discharging religious principles. Therefore, as soon as there is pollution, means there is a class of men who have polluted. They are called duṣkṛta, sinful. When there is increase of the number of sinful persons, there must be pollution in the system of religious life. This is the way. If everyone is following religious principle, everyone does not commit any sinful activity, so at that time, there is no chance of pollution in religiousness.
This is the beginning. If I am firmly convinced that simply by surrendering unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa I'll be saved by Him... Because He assures, "I..." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. People suffer on account of sinful activities. The resultant actions are reserved there. What we are suffering now, it is the resultant action of our past sinful activities. And we are preparing another body in this life by committing sinful activities. The more we... Everyone within this material world who has got this material body, it is to be understood it is due to our past sinful activities. It doesn't matter what kind of body you have got. Therefore Bhāgavata says that we should not, I mean to say, commit any more sinful activities. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4).
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu simply asked them that "I can accept you simply if you agree not to commit any more sinful activities." This is the condition. Not that you go on with your sinful activities and go on chanting also. This is called nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. There are many persons, they think, "Oh, we are expert in chanting. So in the morning let us commit all kinds of sinful activities, and in the evening I shall chant. It will be counteracted." Not that kind of chanting required. That is offense, greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One must give up for good all the propensities for sinful activities. Then take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and it will act. Otherwise, if you go on keeping both the lines, that "Whole day I shall commit all sinful activities, and at night I shall chant..." Just like in Christian church, there is a system, confession at the end of the week. They go to the church and they confess before the priest, "I have done so many sinful activities." So pray something and he says, "All right, excused." Again, from Monday, he begins sinful activities. Yes. Not like that. Once you stop sinful activities, you cannot commit again. Then Kṛṣṇa will save you. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa is not so fool that you simply once surrender to Him and then commit sinful activities and again surrender to Him. No. That will not be allowed. Kṛṣṇa can excuse you once or twice, but if you commit... (break) ...offense, then it will act and people will be benefited. Chindanti kovidās tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim.
So kathā-rati, attraction for kṛṣṇa-kathā. Simply let us hear, let us chant, let us think of Kṛṣṇa. That will make us very much rapidly progressive on the spiritual path.
Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, one who has taken to devotional service, hearing about Kṛṣṇa, he has not become completely perfect even. Because, due to his past habit, he may do something wrong. Just like one was habituated in smoking. And he has taken initiation, and he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but due to the influence of some friend, he sometimes, suppose he smokes. So if unconsciously induced by others he commits some sinful activity, that is excused. But if he consciously does something sinful activity, that is not excused. Kṛṣṇa says therefore that api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. If he sticks to the devotional service sincerely, but due to his past habit, if he's seen that he has committed something wrong, so Kṛṣṇa said, "Still, he's sādhu." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ, samyag vyavasito hi... (BG 9.30). Because his faith in Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore he is sādhu.
This is the process. So nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu (SB 1.2.18). Not even completely. Because you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa in sinful life. Those who are thinking that "We are living in Vṛndāvana, and I can do all sinful activities because I am living in Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana-rāja will cure me, will purify me." That's a fact. Yes. But if you go on indulging in such sinful activities, then you'll have to live in Vṛndāvana in like the hogs and monkeys. At least one life you have to spend like that. Then you'll be purified. So why should you waste you're time in that way? Dhāmāparādha. If one is committing sinful activities in the dhāma, Vṛndāvana-dhāma, that is a great offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. These are the injunction of the śāstras.
So therefore people are not following the rules and regulations given by God or by nature's own way. They have invented their own way of living condition. Therefore they are suffering. Now we see in Calcutta or any other... Now it is a problem. Everywhere the problem will be food shortage and fuel shortage, power shortage. This is the prediction of many, many great scientists. Because people are committing so many sinful life, they must starve. That is the punishment. That is the punishment. These sinful rascals must be punished. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu (BG 16.19). These godless persons, dviṣataḥ, envious of God: "Why there should be God? Why Kṛṣṇa shall be God?", envious...
So these are dirty things. We began in this chapter that,
- śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
- hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
- vidhunoti suhṛt satām
- (SB 1.2.17)
Abhadrāṇi, all dirty things, they are accumulating. So by hearing about Kṛṣṇa... Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). You have to hear... Not that Bhāgavata-saptāha. I don't find this Bhāgavata-saptāha in anywhere in the Bhagavad, Bhāgavata. But they have invented some means for professional reading. Nei. In the Bhāgavata it is said..., not said, saptāha bhāgavata-sevayā. Why it is said, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā? You have to hear Bhāgavatam daily, regularly.
Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Karmāṇi nirdahati... It is said in the śāstra, the karma is reduced for the devotees. That much facility's there. Karma is reduced means in other place, if you commit some sinful activities, then you have to accept a body, and then evolution will take place gradually. Then you again come to human form of body. Then again, if you are intelligent enough, you can utilize. But in Vṛndāvana the karmāṇi nirdahati... Suppose for your sinful, criminal acts you become hogs and dog; next life you are elevated. That is karmāṇi nirdahati. The karma, the cycle of fruitive activities is reduced. But you have to accept. You have to accept. But nirdahati. But why should we waste our time accepting another body of dogs and hog? That we should be very much careful. Although it is nirdahati, it is reduced, why should we accept even that reduced punishment? That should be our principle. But we do not know. We commit ignorance. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has described: sinful activities are done due to ignorance, ajñāna. Just like a child touches the fire. Everyone knows if you touch fire, it will burn, but the child, out of ignorance, touches. Therefore the child is under the protection of the parents so that the child may not do something wrong and suffer.
So the brain is important or the manufacturer of the brain is important? Who is important? This is intelligence. So we are not after the so-called big brain. We give them all respect. But we are after the manufacturer of the brain. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. He can manufacture thousands and millions of brains like that, like Professor Einstein or anyone. That is God.
So God is great. We have to understand how great He is. Not that simply sophistically, "God is great, and I do everything. God cannot see. Let me commit all kinds of sin." But God is great; He will see. "No, no, God cannot see. I can cheat God, although He is great." That is our philosophy. "God is great, but I am so great that I can cheat God." That is Hiraṇyakaśipu's philosophy. But He proved, God proved, "Yes, you have cheated Brahmā in so many ways with the idea that you will live forever. Now see. I am here. How great I am." So that is the appreciation of the greatness of God. If we read śāstras and see scrutinizingly, we can understand, "Yes, God is great." Not theoretically. Practically we can see how God is great. Read the purport.
You have committed so much sinful activities during your material existence. There is no limit. But if you surrender unto Me, I immediately make you immune from all reaction of your sinful life. Immediately." Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When He met Jagāi and Mādhāi... You know the story. Their life was sinful. What is that sinful? That illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. This Jagāi-Mādhāi. They were born in nice brāhmaṇa family, but due to bad association, they became drunkard, prostitute hunters, gambler, and meat-eater. So they were simply creating disturbance. So these people will create disturbance. The whole world is disturbed. Why? Because it is full of these sinful men: drunkards, woman hunters, gamblers, and intoxicants. The whole world. And they are expecting peace. Nonsense. Where is peace? First of all educate them to become sinless. Then you talk of peace. There cannot be peace.
Just like in Christian religion there is a faith that confession, weekly confession. That is nice. When you confess your sinful activities before the higher authorities, before the representative of God, Lord Jesus Christ, or God, or Kṛṣṇa, your sinful activities are finished. That's all right. But that does not mean that you shall go again, and again commit sinful activities, and again come at the end of the week and finish your business. No. This is not meant. One should be conscious.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He accepted Jagāi-Mādhāi... They were very sinful. But He simply asked the condition that "From this day no more sinful activities. You accept this, then I accept you." They promised, "Yes. Whatever we have done, no more." That should be the... Confess, God can excuse, and that is not difficult job. God can excuse any amount of sinful activity, but after confessing, after being free, if I again commit sinful activities, oh, that is the greatest sin. That is the greatest sin. One should be ashamed of, that "I... God has excused me. Again I shall? So I am so shameless." But this business is going on. No. That should not be. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ.
So we should not think that because we are chanting we can act all kinds of sinful activities. No. The chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa will give you protection, but you should not take advantage of. But if by accident or by unintentionally if you commit some, by habit, that is also excused. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). That is accidental. Not that willful sinful activities should be done and it should be neutralized by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. No. Then you are spoiling your time. That should not be done. So yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. So without being freed from sinful activities nobody can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The method is easy. You can get out of sinful activities. But don't commit again. If you think that "I shall ignite fire and pour water again," then what is the use of? Simply waste of time. So that should not be done.
In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that māyā is strong only, it is very difficult to surpass the laws of nature, for whom? Who is not surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa. Māyā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etām... If you are not criminal, what business you have got with the police department? Nothing. Let the police department remain. You have nothing to do. Neither police department has any jurisdiction to come and disturb you. No. You live peacefully, lawfully. There is no... Similarly, if we do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious while we have got this opportunity, this human form of life, we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa, and if we willfully do not take to this consciousness, then the māyā will act. Therefore... Just like a person knows that "I am committing these sinful activities. I'll be arrested by the police and maybe I'll be hanged. I'll have to give my life." He knows it, but he does it. That means willfully he's killing. He is making suicide. Similarly, if we know that "So long we do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the māyā will punish me in so many ways," knowing, if I do not take care, that means I am committing suicide.
So many other things will come if we follow these four principles. And if we stop these four principles, then the switch is off of committing further sinful activities. You must know that. It is... And how it can be maintained? By this disinfectant method, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, it will not, simply by theoretical knowledge will not do.
So it is disinfectant, actually. Janatāgha-viplavaḥ. It stops further sinful activities of that person. And if we continue, that "Well, I have got a disinfectant method, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I can go on committing these four principles of sin, and I'll be (dis)infected." Just like in the Christian church they go, confess. That's all right. Confessing is disinfectant. But how is that you again do it? What is the meaning? You go to church, confess. That's very nice. Now your sinful activities is neutralized. That's all right. But why you are committing again? What is the answer? Hm? What will be the possible answer if I ask any Christian gentleman that "You are committing sinful activities, all right, confessing in the church before Lord Jesus Christ, he's representative, or his representative, or God. Your sinful activities all neutralized, excused. That's all right. But why you are committing again?" What will be the answer?
They will confess again. That means it has become a business. You see? That "I commit..." That is not the idea. Our, this offensive list you have noted, the offensive list, that prohibits that... Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Anyone who thinks like that, that "Because I have got this disinfectant method, so I shall commit sinful activities and I'll chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and it will be neutralized," so that is the greatest sin. Similarly... (break)
So my manager supplied morphine preparation to an unlicensed doctor, medical practitioner. In India there are many so-called medical practitioners. They are compounders, and after... Because there is scarcity of medical man. So there was one compounder. Some way or other, he took supply of morphine preparation from my manager. But the license was in my name. I am the proprietor. So I was called by the magistrate. So he asked my explanation: "Why you have done this?" So I gave my explanation, that "I am, of course, I am proprietor. The license is my name. But actually the business is done by my assistants, manager. So they have done it. In future I shall be strict. There will be no such mistake." So I was excused. But that does not mean that I shall again do that and again ask excuse. Because I confess, that does not mean... I'll never be excused. It is a common sense.
So persons who are trying to commit sinful activities on the strength of some spiritual activity, they're the greatest sinners. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. That is not allowed. You can neutralize your sinful activities by some spiritual a... But that does not mean... This is called hasti-snāna. That is also explained.
One can be strictly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness when he's free from all sinful activity. Otherwise not possible. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is very kind. If you are engaged in kṛṣṇa-bhakti sincerely, if by mistake you commit some sin, that can be excused. But if you purposefully commit sinful activities, you'll never get Kṛṣṇa's approach. That is a great... Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. That is very great offense, that I am a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and... Just like the Christian people go to church, that "I am a devotee of Christ. I can do any nonsense, and on Sunday I shall go, I shall admit, 'Yes, my Lord, I have done this.' " "All right. Excused." Then? Then I'll do again tomorrow." This is not wanted. That is pāpa-buddhiḥ, that "Somehow or other let me be atoned today, and from tomorrow I shall begin my business. And again I shall come Sunday." This is pāpa-buddhiḥ. Such persons are never excused, but they do not know. But by mistake or by chance, unknowingly if we commit some mistake, that is excused.
They were mad after Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana, went to Mathurā, they became so mad that they had no other business than cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam, simply crying torrents of rain. That is wanted. That is Vṛndāvana life. Not that seeking after sex in Vṛndāvana. That is... That means such person will have to take birth as monkey next life. Monkey. Because they have taken shelter of Vṛndāvana, and still they're indulging, monkey's business, so they have to... It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). In Vṛndāvana the land, transcendental land, that will not go in vain. But these persons who are indulging unnecessary sex life in Vṛndāvana, they'll have to take birth as monkeys in Vṛndāvana, and then next life they'll be liberated. So otherwise, why in Vṛndāvana the monkeys? They are also devotees, but they could not proceed nicely. So animal life means stopping sinful activities, and whatever sinful reaction is there in one life finished. We should be very, very careful. Dhāma, dhāma-aparādha. In the dhāma... In other places if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, the result of such chanting will be increased thousand times if you chant in Vṛndāvana. Similarly, in other place, the sinful activities, if you commit that sinful activity in Vṛndāvana, then it will be thousand times increased. So we have to be very careful.
The uncivilized man, they cannot produce food; therefore they kill animal. In the forest they live, and they kill some animals and eat. They cannot... They have no such knowledge that the forest can be cleared and we can till the ground and we can get very nice foodstuff, foodgrains, vegetables, so many things. Kṛṣi, agriculture. So the land is there, but this uncivilized man does not know how to get the necessities of life from land. They do not know. Otherwise, in the land everything is there. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sarva-dughā mahī. Sarva-dughā. No. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Kāma, kāma means the necessities. We can get all the necessities of our life from the land. The land is so important. But the uncivilized man, they do not know how to utilize the land. Therefore they commit sinful activities for their existence. Instead of utilizing land for the necessities of life, unnecessarily... Although they are civilized—they should not have done so—they are killing animals.
So in this way, if we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness we'll be more and more implicated. You cannot avoid. That is not possible. The God's nature is working so nicely. I have given you several times the example that if you infect some disease, it must develop and you must have to suffer. There is no excuse. Similarly, if you are associating with the modes of ignorance and you are committing some sins, the effect you must have to suffer. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛteḥ, the nature, God's machine, is working so perfectly that it will act. You cannot avoid. Therefore we should be very careful how anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. For our spiritual advancement of life we must have the sense that "Why we should accept unnecessary things which is not at all important?" The four things are restricted. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Nobody dies. But it is a habit. It is a habit.
So bhagavān ambujekṣaṇaḥ. Ambuja means lotus flower. Bhagavān is described in many places as ambujekṣa-lotus-eyed, lotus feet, lotus navel, in so many ways, lotus palms. So ambujekṣaṇa, very beautiful eyes like the petals of a padma, lotus flower. But at the same time, prakupita, He's angry. He's angry. Still, ambujekṣaṇa. Not that as the Māyāvādīs think, that "God is kind. Why He should be angry?" But here it is said, prakupita. Pra means "specifically." Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa kupitaḥ, "very angry." Prakupita. And He was, rather, glad that this Aśvatthāmā, who happens to be the son of a brāhmaṇa... Still, He was angry. He asked him not to excuse this rascal. Not to excuse. It is next verse, it is said, mainaṁ pārthārhasi trātuṁ brahma-bandhum imaṁ jahi. He's brahma-bandhu. He's not a brāhmaṇa. He's brahma-bandhu. Everyone can say, "I am the son of a brāhmaṇa." That is brahma-bandhu. Or a friend of a brāhmaṇa. That does not mean he is a brāhmaṇa. This is the idea. Brāhmaṇa is not the body. Brāhmaṇa is the quality. If the brāhmaṇa is body, then when a brāhmaṇa is dead the sons take the dead body to the crematorium place and burn the body. Then if the body is brāhmaṇa, then the sons are committing sins by brahma-hatyā. No. That is not brahma-hatyā. Brāhmaṇa is the quality. That quality is gone. With the departure of the soul, that quality is gone. Now this body is simply a lump of matter, so there is no shame when the body is burnt into ashes.
So therefore one who does not know all these laws, he commits so many sinful activities. Vikarma. Karma, vikarma, akarma. Karma means what is prescribed. Guṇa-karma. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Karma means, as it is in the śāstra, as you have developed a certain type of modes of nature, your karma is according to that: brāhmaṇa-karma, kṣatriya-karma, vaiśya-karma. So if you follow... That is the duty of the spiritual master and śāstra, to designate when he's brahmacārī, that "You work like this." "You work like a brāhmaṇa," "You work like a kṣatriya," "You work like a vaiśya," and others, "Śūdra." So this division is made by the spiritual master. How? Yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam. The spiritual master will say that "You work like this." So that should be determined. That is karma, guṇa-karma. Spiritual master sees that he has these qualities. That is natural.
Otherwise, if he escapes, in next life he'll suffer so many troubles. That is, I think they have described in the previous verse. Tad-vadhas tasya hi śreyaḥ. In the verse number 37 it is explained by Kṛṣṇa that to kill this person, it is for his good. Because he has done so many criminal activities, so by killing him he'll be saved from serious types of sufferings in the next life. Śreya. Tad-vadhas tasya hi śreyo yad-doṣād yāty adhaḥ pumān. Prāyaścitta, it is called prāyaścitta. Prāyaścitta, in the śāstras prāyaścitta is described. In every religion there is prāyaścitta, atonement. In Christian religion the prāyaścitta is also advised. The sinner has to admit that he has committed sin, then he is excused by Christ or God. But not that "Purposefully I'll go on committing sins, and then I shall admit, and I'll go on with this business and I'll be excused." No. That is not. It is quite natural that if you have done something criminal by mistake, then you can be excused by the authorities. But not that because by your admission you were once excused, and you'll go on committing all kinds of sinful activities, and you'll be excused simply by admission. No. That is not possible. The Christians they do like that. On Sunday they go to the church, and they admit their sinful activities of the week, and pay something fine to the priest, and they become free from the sinful activities, reactions. And from Monday, again he begins. And then again on Sunday, he admits.
There was a movement, Moral Re-armament Movement, MRM. So just like we say that by saṅkīrtana one is freed from all sinful reaction, this moral re-armament movement also preached that by your admission you become free from all sinful reaction. But this should not be... Either hari-nāma or the Christian method of atonement should not be taken as profession. This is once or twice you can be excused, but not that you take it as a profession. That is great sinful. We have got also nāma-aparādha. Daśa-vidha-nāma-aparādha-ten kinds of offenses. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra with offenses, then it will not be effective. You must avoid the offenses. You know ten kinds of offenses-guror avajñā śruti-śāstra-nindanam. There are so many offenses, and one of the offenses is nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. He is greatest offender, one who thinks that "By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, I become free from reaction of sinful life. So the whole day I shall go on committing all kinds of sinful activities, and at night or sometime I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa—everything will be finished," this is the greatest sin. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. He's never excused. He is condemned. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepts a sinful man like Jagāi and Mādhāi on the condition that he does not commit any more any sinful activities. On this condition. Not that "I have become a Vaiṣṇava. I'm chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, so I can go on committing all kinds of sinful activities. There will be no reaction." This kind of conviction is the greatest offense. You should remember. Not like that, the Christian atonement.
This is also another Vedic civilization, that if you are benefited by somebody, you should always remain obliged to him. Śikṣito yad-anugrahāt. There is one Bengali proverb, guru-māra-vidyā. "Guru, you learn from him first of all, then kill him. Don't care for guru." This is demonic. By the grace of guru you learn something. Then when you learn something, then you become greater than him, don't care for guru. This is demonic. Even if you have learned something, you must feel always obliged, ataḥ padarśayat(?).
So this is Vedic civilization. Draupadī advising Arjuna that "You have learned. Feel always obliged," ataḥ padarśayat. So this is Vedic... "This military art, by his grace, by guru's grace, now you are expert in the science of military art. And suppose his son has committed some sinful activity. You cannot punish him, retaliate, so that guru's family will be aggrieved." This is Vedic culture. Not only he is personally, but in his absence, his wife, his family, you should consider them.
There must be some consideration, sakaruṇam. Sakaruṇam means mercy. Not that... Because one has committed murder in a fanatic condition, he is excused sometimes. That is sakaruṇam. The judgement should be given not simply on the superficial causes. Everything should be con... Dharmyaṁ nyāyyaṁ sakaruṇaṁ nirvyalīkam. Suppose a child commits something wrong. He is not punished. A brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa never commits any sinful activity. If he, sometimes in an unnatural condition, if he does something. So he should be excused. This is Vedic law. The woman, the brāhmaṇa, the child, the cow, and...? Old men. Yes. They should be excused. That is
- dharmyaṁ nyāyyaṁ sakaruṇaṁ
- nirvyalīkaṁ samaṁ mahat
- rājā dharma-suto rājñyāḥ
- pratyanandad vaco dvijāḥ
He accepted. "Yes, what Draupadī is saying is all right." Not only he, but also others. Nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca yuyudhāno dhanañjayaḥ bhagavān. Ultimately, bhagavān devakī-putro cānye yāś ca yoṣitaḥ.
So, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is dharma-suta. He is not ordinary person. He is the son of Dharmarāja, Yamarāja. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's mother, Kuntī, had the power to call any demigod. She got this benediction from Durvāsā Muni. So he (she) had his (her) three sons, means Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, and Arjuna. She got Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira from Dharmarāja, Arjuna from Indra, and Bhīma from Varuṇa..., Vāyu, yes. Similarly, still she is one of the chaste women. These things are there. But still, they are not polluted. But in the Kali-yuga these things are prohibited. Devareṇa sutotpattiṁ kalau pañca vivarjayet (CC Adi 17.164).
So you have to require..., you have to acquire that knowledge how to understand the existence of God, Kṛṣṇa, everywhere-inside and outside. So Kuntī Devī says that "You are within and outside." Kṛṣṇa is within, within your heart, and Kṛṣṇa is outside also. Otherwise how this big cosmic manifestation is going on? Huh? Not only that, He is everywhere, even within the atom, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayān... Still we can not understand where is Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune. Duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, they can not understand. Why they cannot understand? That because they are duṣkṛtinaḥ, always engaged in sinful activities. Who can see Kṛṣṇa? Who is not sinful. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam (BG 7.28), one who has finished his life of sinful activities, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is our request to everyone: Please do not commit these four kinds of sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. This is the preliminary qualification to understand God. Especially one must not kill animals. The Bible also. Therefore it is said, "Thou shalt not kill. You rascal, if you want to understand what is God, you must stop this killing art. Thou shalt not kill." But these rascals will not understand.
It is dangerous life because you have to change your body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Why don't you remember that? Because as soon as death will take place next moment... You are proprietor of this house; next moment you become dog of this house. If you have got very much attachment for the house, and at the same time your activities have been like dog's, then you get the body of a dog, and you may remain in this quarter and bark, "Gyeow! Gyeow! Gyeow! Gyeow! Gyeow!" That they do not know. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). When there is nice building, nice comfortable life, they do anything sinful without knowing that "I am not going to be escaped by these sinful activities. I will have to suffer for this. As I am enjoying now material comforts due to my some pious activities in the past, similarly, if I commit sinful life, then I'll have to suffer next life." That they do not know.
Therefore it is always dangerous. To enjoy in this material life is dangerous because you are creating next life very, very abominable. That... The only escape is... That will be explained by Kuntīdevī in the next verse, that they were in danger, but they were simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, we have no other shelter." This position should be taken. We are always in danger, and we should always think of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then we are safe. Otherwise it is very dangerous. Even Kuntī and others, Pāṇḍavas.
Therefore Vaiṣṇava is the only benefactor for all the living entities. They try to elevate. A Vaiṣṇava tries to elevate all living entities to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Gosvāmīs. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau. A Vaiṣṇava has no such view that this is Indian, this is American, this is... Somebody questioned me somewhere that: "Why you have come to America?" Why not I shall come? I am servant of God, and this is kingdom of God. Why shall I not come? It is artificial to check me. If you check me, then you'll commit sinful activities. Just like government servant, police, has got right to enter any house, anyone's house. There is no trespass. Similarly a God's servant has got the right to go anywhere. Nobody can check. If he checks, then he'll be punished. Because everything belongs to God.
We fight because we have got misconception. So we think that this religion is better than that religion, or that religion is better than... Every religion must be good, provided one is God conscious. We say that. So many people question in the Western countries, "Whether one can attain perfection by following Christian religion?" Why not? You can also attain. But who is following? First of all, let me see who is following Christian religion. The Christian religion says in the beginning, first commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," and you are simply killing. So where is Christian? Christian religion is not bad. No religion is bad. But where is Christian? Where is Hindu? They are all godless rascals. Therefore there is misunderstanding. Otherwise, if everyone is God conscious, if everyone knows that God is present everywhere, "Whatever I do, He will see. He'll see as sunshine. He'll see as moonshine. He'll see as water..." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. No... Who can avoid water? Who can avoid sunshine? Who can avoid moonshine? Nobody can. So God says, "These things are I am." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So how you can avoid God's vigilance? Then how you can commit sinful... They do not believe in-godlessness. They do not believe in existence of God. They have been taught like that, and they do not know what is God.
So this is to be understood. Superficially understanding Kṛṣṇa... Of course, even not understanding. Simply by uttering the word "Kṛṣṇa" in love and affection, one becomes delivered. It is said: eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa karibare nare(?). Kṛṣṇa-nāma is so powerful... It is said, if you chant thousand times Lord Viṣṇu's name, then the result is equal to once chanting Lord Rāma's name... I forget that, to recite that verse. But the purpose is this that... Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma is recommended to be chanted by common man. But śāstra says that after chanting one thousand of Lord Viṣṇu's name—there are hundreds and thousands of names—it is equal to if you chant once Lord Rāma's name. Similarly, if you chant three times Lord Rāma's name, then it is equal to once chanting Kṛṣṇa's name. So we understand or not understand, if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, the result is there. Without any offense, if we chant, then the result is... Once chanting of Kṛṣṇa's name is so powerful that immediately the chanting makes you free from all kinds of reaction of sinful activities. Eka kṛṣṇa-nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari bare nare(?). The pāpīs, they are very much expert in committing sinful activities, but Kṛṣṇa, this holy name, once chanted, is so powerful that this expert sinful man cannot commit so many sinful activities. This is there. So some way or other, if we offenselessly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa name, it is so powerful.
So our point is that you do whatever you are doing. We don't stop you. We never say that "Stop everything of material..." But we have to stop anything which is against Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because we do not stop, it doesn't mean that we shall not stop meat-eating. We must stop. This is against advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You cannot commit sinful activities. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me and I shall rescue you, make you liberated from all kinds of sinful reactions."
Every one of us, life after life, we are committing simple sinful activities, knowingly or unknowingly. Knowingly, I may kill one animal. That is sinful certainly. Even we do it unknowingly, that is also sinful. Just like while we are walking on the street, we are killing so many ants, unknowingly. So in our ordinary dealings, while cooking, while taking water, while using pestle and mortar for smashing spices, we are killing so many animals. So unless we remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, we are liable to be punished for all these unknowingly committing sinful activities. Knowingly, of course, you'll be... That's a fact. Unknowingly. Knowingly or unknowingly. Just like fire. A child unknowingly touches the fire. Does it mean that the fire will excuse the child? No. The nature's law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of excuse.
The nature's law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of excuse. In the ordinary law also, ignorance is no excuse for legal obligation. If you go to the court, and if you say, "My lord, I did not know that the result of this action is this, criminal," that is not pleading that you'll be excused. So therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be there. If we actually want to be free from the reaction of sinful life, that we are doing, knowingly or unknowingly, then Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be there. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Therefore it is recommended, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Always we have to be engaged in chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma..., so that Kṛṣṇa will save us. Knowingly we cannot commit any sinful activities. That is one thing. Unknowingly also we cannot do it. Then we'll be liable.
So it is not to be done. It is not to be done. Therefore people are not happy. They are committing simply sinful activities. How they can become happy? But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, simply depend on Kṛṣṇa's glancing, tava vīkṣitaiḥ, if you depend on Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will supply you everything. There is no question of scarcity. It is a question of production. And sometimes we find that the grains and fruits are produced in huge quantity. One cannot finish. So it is a question of Kṛṣṇa's glance. If Kṛṣṇa likes, He can produce huge quantity of grains and fruits and vegetables. And if He, Kṛṣṇa controls, then what your meat will do? You can eat me, I shall eat you. That will go on, but that will not solve the problem. Therefore for real peace of life, tranquillity and everything, sufficient supply of foodstuffs, sufficient supply of milk and water, everything, arrangement is there. Simply we have to depend on Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore we take promise from our disciples that "Now the account is squared up. Whatever sinful life you led, that is closed now. Without any payment, I close. Now don't commit any more." That is nāma-aparādha. If you, if we think that kṛṣṇa-nāma, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, can, I mean to say nullify so many sinful activities, so if I commit little sinful activity and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, it will be nullified. No, don't think like that. That is the greatest sin. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Anyone who is thinking like that, that "Let me commit some sinful activities, and in the evening I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It will be all right," no. No. no, that is the greatest offense. Out of ten kinds of offenses, that is the greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi. Don't take to that process, confession. Just like the Christians do. They go to the church and confess. Suppose one confesses—"That's all right"—and again does the same sinful activities. Then what is the value? Accept... Why accept? It is fact. If you confess before the Lord, just as, "My Lord, out of my ignorance..." The sinful activities are done out of ignorance. Not that by planning that "I shall commit sinful activities, go to the church and confess. Then everything is nullified. Again begin, new chapter, sinful activities." That is not ignorance. That is by knowingly, knowingly taking advantage of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
So I asked him this question. He was old man. He was a, I think, older than me. He was eighty-four. So he said, "Yes, I'll die peacefully." You see? This question does not bother even any man. And I talked with that Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. He also said, "Swamiji, after death, everything is finished." You see? Big, big men in Europe, very exalted position, they do not know even that there is life after death. They do not know. And in India, I think, when I spoke in Calcutta, the American Consulate... There is a club, Indo-American Cultural. They invited. So they gave me the subject matter for speaking: "East and West." So in that meeting I said that "We don't make any such distinction, 'East' and 'West.' Because everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But there is little difference between East and West. What is that difference? Here even an ordinary man, a cultivator, uneducated villager, he believes in the next birth. He believes. He's afraid of committing sin-'Oh, I'll have to suffer in my next life." And in the Western world, the big, big men like Lord Fenner-Brockway and Professor Kotovsky, they do not know that there is life after death."
But all these activities are simply moha, illusion, only moha. It has no value. If you say that "So many things, it has no value?" it has value—temporary, puṇya. Puṇya... There is also pāpa also. Suppose if you give charity... Charity is pious activities, but if you give charity to a brāhmaṇa, then it is—proper brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava—then your charity is properly utilized. And if you give the same charity to a drunkard, then you commit sinful activity. If you do not know what kind of charities we shall perform, if you blindly give charity, then sometimes you may be doing pious activities, but sometimes you are clearing the way for going to hell. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated there are three kinds of charities: sāttvika, rājasika, tāmasika. If you perform sāttvika charity, then you get good result; rājasika charity, you get some profit; and tāmasika charity, you go to hell. So one must be very careful even for this sneha, or charity, or philanthropy.
So from material point of view, Prahlāda Mahārāja could have asked Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My Lord, do not kill my father." He could have asked, and immediately his request would have been granted. But he did not do that. He was standing and seeing. But he knows that "This killing of the body of my father is not killing. I shall save him. I shall save him." That he did. When he was offered benediction, he did not take anything. He said, "My Lord, what shall I do, all this material benediction? I have seen in the case of my father. He was so strong that even the demigods were frightened for his presence. His position was so strong, and You finished it within a minute. So what is the benefit of taking? No, no. Please do not request me." But although he did not ask anything for his personal self, but he asked the Lord, prayed, that "One thing I request." "What is that?" "My father was a great demon, and he was against You. He has committed so many sinful life. So I know he'll have to suffer for these things. I request You to excuse him." This is Vaiṣṇava son. "Oh, yes, immediately." Immediately.
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja says that this body is meant for others. It is others' body. Everyone should be interested for his own body. Who is interested for other's body? I eat for maintenance of my body, not that your body. It is the very good argument given by Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja that "First of all ascertain whether it is your body. If for the bodily sense gratification, satisfaction, you are committing so many sinful life, but first of all consider whether this body is yours."
Now, first of all, consideration is: this body is given by the father and mother. So actually the body belongs to the father and mother. Or just like the slaves—they sell their body to the master. So somebody, if maintains your body, then it becomes... The body belongs to him. Suppose you are working somewhere and he is giving you money for maintaining your body; then actually the body is maintained for the person who gives me payment. You see. So many people are going to the other side of the river, running very quickly to go there because the body is sold to that master who is paying for eating. Otherwise why he's taking the body there? So actually the body belongs to others. And spiritually the body belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But when we forget our relationship with Kṛṣṇa—the body belongs to somebody else; that's a fact—then we think that "The body belongs to my father and mother" or this and that... Sometimes we do not think that. So why, from material point of view, if the body does not belong to me, why shall I commit so many sinful activities for others?
Those who are addicted to commit sins, they are all mūḍhas. They do not know. So therefore, because they are mūḍhas and because they are duṣkṛtina, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. The mūḍhas and the duṣkṛtinas, sinful men, they cannot understand. Therefore you'll find generally those who are too much lowborn, without any knowledge, without any pious activities, they are all atheist, godless. They cannot understand. How they will understand? Because they are mūḍhas, narādhama. Narādhama means this life, human life, is an opportunity to understand how things are going on. But they do not take advantage. Narādhama, lowest of the mankind. Then you go to the learned, learned, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, the so-called learned B.A.C., D.H.C., P.H.C., what is their learning? Simply the same thing. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna: How to eat, how to sleep. Their learning, their education, is meant for how to eat, how to sleep. That's all. So that is also dog's business. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). Real knowledge is, education is, how things are going on within this nature. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So they are not interested in these things.
Pradyumna: "The gṛhamedhīs are those whose only business is to perform welfare work for the sake of material prosperity. Such material prosperity is sometimes hampered by sinful activities, and the materialist is sure to commit sins even unintentionally in the course of discharging material duties. To get relief from such sinful reactions, the Vedas prescribe several kinds of sacrifices. It is said in the Vedas that by performing the aśvamedha-yajña, or horse sacrifice, one can get relief from even brahma-hatyā, the killing of a brāhmaṇa. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja performed this aśvamedha-yajña, but he thinks that even by performing such yajñas it is not possible to get relief from the great sins committed."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Suppose you have done something wrong. So the court fines you, "Oh, you have done this wrong." Just like one man knocked some of our student, and he died, and then he was fined twenty thousand dollars, like that. So everyone knows that "If I knock somebody or kill somebody, there is motor accident, there will be so much trouble." And when there is trouble, actually, they go and give some fine. But the accident is going on. Nobody is careful. So that is the position. Unless one is careful to his sense that "Why should I drive so fiercely or without any care that others may be injured, my car will be injured? Why shall I created this trouble? Let me drive the car very conscientiously..." So that is required. Simply atonement, or giving fine for some misdeed, that is not sufficient. One should be awakened to his knowledge about his responsibility.
So immediately there will be precipitation and all the muddy things will be collected, and the water will be clear, original. So we are discussing about the muddy atmosphere. Things are there, sinful, muddy. But there is process also, how to counteract it. The process is also prescribed there. So at the present moment the whole world is muddy, but you cannot clear this muddy situation by adding more mud. They are trying to do that. They are not trying. The, there is Vedic method also, like that, that if you have done something wrong, you do another wrong thing. That is called prāyaścitta. Prāyaścitta. But Bhāgavata does not accept this kind of prāyaścitta. Prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. By this kind of reformation... Suppose you have committed theft. This is sinful activities. And you are put into the jail for six months. That does not mean that you become an honest man. That does not mean. So it is something like that. To clear the muddy water, put another lump of mud on it. This will not help. Something effective must be brought in.
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja says that "It is not possible to counteract." But indirectly, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja says, that if you... He says simply the negative side, but the positive side is, in this age, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, you become purified. That is the recommendation by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). There are two kinds of, what is called, atonement. One atonement, by the prescribed method. You have done... Just like I'll give you common example. Just like you have committed theft. One atonement is that you go to the jail and live there for some time. This is atonement. If you have committed a murder, then you also be hanged. These are the laws. When the king orders somebody to be hanged on account of his committing murder, the king is not sinful. King is helpful. King is helping that rascal to atone his murdering activities. Otherwise, if he is not hanged, then next life, next time, he will be put into difficulty. Next time he will have to become animal. He will be slaughtered. These laws they do not know. Why these animals are being slaughtered? There is some nature's law. They were murderer or slaughterer in their past life as human being. Now they have assumed, they have accepted a body to be slaughtered by the laws of nature. When an animal is slaughtered in sacrifice, there is mantra. The mantra is that... The animal slaughter in sacrifice is recommended for the animal-eaters, not for all. Those who are... To restrict.
Therefore in our śāstra, when you commit some necessary sinful activities, to counteract it, a fasting, fasting is recommended. Therefore Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was observing fasting, taking little necessities. Therefore śaunaka Muni is inquiring that sahānujaiḥ pratyavaruddha-bhojanaḥ kathaṁ pravṛttaḥ kim akāraṣīt tataḥ: (SB 1.10.1) "Then he was undergoing some prāyaścitta system; then how did he take the reigns of ruling over the kingdom?" That was his inquiry, Śaunaka Ṛṣi. Actually, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was first of all, in the beginning... The first beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was in front of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Śukadeva Gosvāmī explained, and Sūta Gosvāmī was in that meeting also. So he learned explanation of Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. This is called paramparā system. Now, generally the professional reciters of Bhāgavatam, they do not follow the paramparā system. They make business. Just like we are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are discussing about the warfares, the professionals, they will go immediately to rāsa-līlā, as if these things are not necessary. Anyone who hears Bhāgavatam from these professionals, they do not know what are the other subject matter in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because they haven't got the chance to hear. They do not discuss.
We can study man. He may become a very good scholar, very good politician, very big minister, but we test whether he has got any sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, immediately I understand that "Here is a rascal number one." That's all. We have got test tube, how much he is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, then he is grouped immediately in four groups: duṣkṛtina, means constantly committing sinful activities; mūḍha, rascal; narādhama, lowest of the mankind; māyayā apahṛta-jñāna, although educated with high degrees, his knowledge has been taken away; āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ, and demon.
- na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
- prapadyante narādhamāḥ
- māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
- āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
- (BG 7.15)
Immediately we classify, "Here is a rascal number one, lowest of the mankind," or "always engaged in sinful activities," or "whatever education he has got, that is useless, because his real knowledge..."
It is also said that ordinary persons, they go to the holy places of pilgrimage, and they leave their sinful activities there in the holy place. That is the purpose of going to the holy place, that "During the whole life, whatever sinful activities I have done, now I leave it here, and I become purified." That's a fact. One becomes purified. But the ordinary man, he does not know how to keep purified life. Therefore again comes back home and again commits the sinful activities. And sometimes again he may go. Just like in your, the Christian church, they go to the church weekly, and they, what is called, atone, atonement. So this kind of business is not very good. Once purified, you remain purified. So when the holy places of pilgrimage become piled up with all the sinful reaction of common man, a saintly person when he goes there, he makes the holy place clean. The holy place becomes unclean due to the common men's coming there and leaving their sinful reaction. So holy place becomes overburdened with the sinful results of other people. But in that holy place, when a devotee goes, then again the holy place becomes cleansed. This is the idea.
Nitāi: "As long as Vidura played the part of a śūdra, being cursed by Maṇḍūka Muni, Aryamā officiated at the post of Yamarāja to punish those who committed sinful acts."
Prabhupāda:
- abibhrad aryamā daṇḍaṁ
- yathāvad agha-kāriṣu
- yāvad dadhāra śūdratvaṁ
- śāpād varṣa-śataṁ yamaḥ
- (SB 1.13.15)
So Vidura is Yamarāja, the superintendent of death. After our death, we are brought before the justice Yamarāja, what kind of next birth I may have. So Yamarāja is not śūdra. He is devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, although he has the duty to punish the criminals. Just like a magistrate is always punishing the criminals. That is his business, but he is not criminal. He is giving judgment to the criminals. Similarly, Yamarāja is the appointed magistrate, superintendent. After death, one has to go before him and take the judgment of his next life. This is the process.
So in his absence, Aryamā, one of the demigods, he officiated Yamarāja. Therefore it is said, abibhrad aryamā daṇḍam. The office must go on, the magistrate post cannot be vacant. Somebody must come and act. So Aryamā was acting. Yathāvad agha-kāriṣu. Agha-kāriṣu. Agha-kāri means... Agha means sinful activities, and kāriṣu. Kāriṣu means those who commit sinful acts. And yathāvat. Yathāvat means exactly to the point, how he should be punished. Yathāvad agha-kāriṣu. Yāvad dadhāra śūdratvam. So long Yamarāja continued as a śūdra, Aryamā was officiating in his place as Yamarāja. This is the purport. (reads purport:) "Vidura, born in the womb of a śūdra mother, was forbidden even to be a party of royal heritage along with his brothers Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu. Then how could he occupy the post of a preacher to instruct such learned...? Answer is that even though it is accepted that he was a śūdra by birth, because he renounced the world for spiritual enlightenment by the authority of Ṛṣi Maitreya and was thoroughly educated by him in transcendental knowledge, he was quite competent to occupy the post of an ācārya or spiritual preceptor." Vidura was a śūdra, born śūdra. Then how he became a preacher?
They do not know. It will be finished at any second. Even though we accept it, all right, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham: (BG 10.34) "I am the death, and I take away everything at the time of death." Either you take as a philosopher, scientist or rich man, capitalist, as soon as there is death... Just like you see, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was very powerful, and as soon as Nṛsiṁha-deva appeared, everything finished. Now he is dying. You see? So people do not understand it, that without Kṛṣṇa, without God, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply we are wasting our time, that's all, after false things. Everything will be useless. Today or tomorrow or day after. It will be useless, all useless. Real spirit soul-na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20)—that we do not take care. After finishing this false body, which will exist, the spirit soul, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), which is never vanquished even after the annihilation of this body, we are not taking care of that, wherefrom it has come. People are ignorant, so foolish. They do not know. This is the ignorant, civilization of ignorance. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). They do not know therefore. In ignorance they are committing so many sinful life. For the satisfaction of the tongue, they are killing so many animals. Why? There are so many nice foodstuffs. Why you are committing these sinful activities? They do not know what is sinful activities or pious activities. They do not know.
So it is... Kṛṣṇa is exhibiting how things are going on. As soon as there will be burdensome, there will be some war, pestilence, famine—and finished. And finished. You don't require to reduce population by contraceptive method. By nature's way, the wholesale it will be reduced, bhū-bhārān sañjahāra. By nature's way. Why should you commit sinful activities? You don't beget children unnecessarily and don't kill them. That is religion. That is civilization. Why should you unnecessarily produce children like cats and dog? Their śāstra says that don't become father, don't become mother if you cannot save your sons from death. This is the responsibility. This is father's, mother's, responsibility. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum, pitā na sa syāj jananī na sa syāt. One should not become, try to become father, one should not try to become mother if the parents cannot save the child from imminent death. That is the responsibility. And who is that father? Who is that mother? This is Vedic civilization. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "I am a sannyāsī. I am not married, neither I am meant for marrying. But if I can produce Kṛṣṇa conscious children, I can marry hundred times." That is the responsibility. Don't produce cats and dogs; produce Kṛṣṇa devotees. Then you'll marry. Otherwise don't marry. This is Vedic injunction. Marriage is not meant for sense gratification. Marriage is meant for producing nice children, Kṛṣṇa devotees.
He... I was talking about Vidura. Vidura was Yamarāja. So a saintly person was brought before Yamarāja for punishment. So when the saintly person inquired from Yamarāja, that "I am... I don't remember that I have committed in my life any sin. Why I have been brought here for judgment?" So Yamarāja said that "You do not remember. In your childhood you pricked one ant with a needle through the rectum, and she died. Therefore you have to be punished." Just see. In childhood, in ignorance, because he committed some sin, he has to be punished. And we are willingly, against the principle of religion that "Thou shalt not kill," we have opened so many thousands of slaughterhouse, giving a nonsense theory the the animal has no soul. Just see the fun. And this is going on. And we want to be in peace. Therefore your Senate house has issued some injunction order, that on the 30th of April, 1974, there will be a mass prayer. Who will explain it? Just explain. What is that?
So that saintly person accepted to be punished by Yamarāja, but he also cursed him, that "Because in my innocence I committed some sin, you are punishing me in this way, so I also curse you that next life you will have to become a śūdra. Because you have no intelligence of a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya." So Vidura became a śūdra. Śūdra means he was born by a king, he was begotten by king, but his mother was śūdra, maidservant. That was the system, that when a king is married, the father of the princess also gives so many girls to go with the princess, as maidservant. And sometimes the maidservants also gave birth. So they are called dāsī-putra. Such son could not claim to the throne, but were provided, dāsī-putra. So Vidura's history was like that. He was a dāsī-putra, brother, a step-brother, not exactly step-brother, but brother, of Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra. But he was a very saintly person, because formerly, in the previous life, he was Yamarāja. So he was not ordinary man. So he cultivated spiritual consciousness. Now, after leaving this body, he returned again, pitṛbhiḥ sva-kṣayaṁ yayau. He again returned to his original post. Temporary, he got the life of a śūdra; again he returned back by his pious activities. Similarly, there are many narrations in the Purāṇas. Sometimes Indra, the king of heaven, he was also cursed by Bṛhaspati to become a hog in this planet.
Yes, you must. If you cannot pay your electric bill one month, your electricity will be immediately cut off. And you are getting so much light from the sun, and you do not pay the bill. Then you are becoming indebted, indebted, indebted. You see? (laughter) You have to pay it. If you don't pay, then you'll be punished. So we do not know that. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta. We are taking so much milk from the cows, and we are killing instead of giving them protection. So in this way, we are simply committing sinful life. How you can expect to become happy? So the only means is to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ (BG 18.66). Because you are habituated to commit sinful life only, so if you want to be saved, then you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, you have to be punished, in this life or next life. And you do not know what is your next life because you are all ignorant. But there is next life. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). But if you are most sinful, then you are going to become abominable living creatures. Adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). You go down. And if you become pious, then you are promoted. But our program is not to become pious, not to become sinful: to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That will save us.
So in the morning let me do, or in the, at night, let me do all sinful activities; in the morning I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and it will, everything will be nullified." This is the greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. "Because I am chanting, therefore I can do anything sinful. It will be counteracted." This is the greatest rascaldom, sinful activities. Yes. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Pāpa-buddhiḥ. Nāma... By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we become immediately sinless. That's a fact. But why shall we commit again? Just like the Christian people, they go to the church, confession: "Sir, I did this, all these sinful activities last week." "All right, pay me something." Again, from Monday, beginning sinful activities; come on Sunday. These are not allowed. You can be excused, but don't do again. If you continue to do it, that is not very... Then you have to suffer. Once or twice, you may be excused. But if you continue to do that, you must be punished. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. (indistinct question by devotee) Yes, everything under the direction of the spiritual master. Why you are asking? (indistinct) You do not know these things? Why do you ask this question? It must be, according to the direction of the spiritual master. Why do you ask that question? Therefore, ādau gurvāśrayam. Whatever... (break) (end)
It is... You cannot make any permanent settlement. That is not possible. And That is also your fault. Because... Suppose you are posted now in a high post, Mr. Nixon, but you cannot keep the standard. You'll commit some sins. Next life, you'll have to become something else. This is going on. Kabhu svarge kabhu naya. Therefore the karmīs, they are all non-intelligence. Their intelligence is not... The only intelligent person is he who has completely surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and engaged in his service. He's the only intelligent. And all are rascals. That's all. This is our conclusion. Anyone, let come. We shall prove it. Let anyone come, either the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, anyone. We shall prove that "You are rascal #1." This is our challenge. If he's a sane man, he'll understand that he's a rascal. Otherwise, he will fight, unnecessarily. Therefore we do not say directly such harsh words, that "You are rascal." But we should know at least that they are all rascals.
So in this Kali-yuga people have lost all stamina, how to become pious. They are so sinful. But here is the only means: you simply come here and hear about Kṛṣṇa. You have got ears, Kṛṣṇa has given you ears. And Kṛṣṇa has given you tongue also. You can speak. Just like we are reciting the verses. So the tongue is there, the ear is here, there, and you can hear from realized soul and make your life perfect simply by hearing. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Because one cannot be devotee unless he is purified. A sinful man cannot become a devotee. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). One class of men, duṣkṛtinaḥ, always committing sinful life. Such rascals, such foolish men... Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. Why lowest of the mankind? Because the human life is meant for purifying your existence. You are under condition of birth, death, old age, and here is the chance to purify yourself. If you don't do that, then you are mūḍha, duṣkṛtina, narādhama. You don't take chance. Mūḍha, narādhama.
Tīvraṁ bhayam. What you are accepting, spelled by māyā, as very position, good position... I have told you many times. It is published in now..., that therefore, the rascal class of men, they want to..., they do not want to accept that there is life after death. "Everything is finished." Therefore in Western countries there is killing even grown-up child within the womb. They are killing, abortion. They think there is no life. Unless it comes out of the womb, there is no life. It's all nonsense theory. All nonsense theory, simply committing sinful life one after another and becoming entangled. The result will be that he will have to enter again into the womb of mother and he will be killed. He will be killed not once. He will be killed again when he enters the womb of the mother; again he will be killed. For many, many years he will not be allowed to see the light of the sun.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhaḥ prapadyante narādhamaḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, their categories have been explained that sinful, duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means duṣkārya. And kṛti, kṛti means very meritorious. But duṣkṛti: merit is being misused for some nonsense activities. Therefore duṣkṛti. There are two kinds of activities: sukṛti and duṣkṛti. Sukṛti means for some good purpose, and duṣkṛti, for some bad purpose. That is called... So we are all engaged, always engaged to engage our brain to manufacture something, will be very facilitious(?) for committing sinful activities. That is science, advancement of science. So many things, just like contraceptive now advertised by the scientist: "Now, here is a very nice contraceptive. Use it." That means people will take of the scientific advancement and entangle him in sinful activities. That's all. Duṣkṛtina: meritorious, but it is used for sinful activities. That is called duṣkṛtina.
So if you want to be not fearfulness, no more fear, abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ, if you become out of fearfulness then you have to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is begging. Because we are Kṛṣṇa's sons or we have got very intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa and we have given Him up and we have forgotten Him, therefore we are suffering. So Kṛṣṇa, being father, Kṛṣṇa, being friend of everyone, He comes, and He canvasses, and at last He says, "You rascal," sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam... (BG 18.66), ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ. "You are rotting here by repeatedly committing sinful life. Therefore you are changing from one body to another, and this is your material condition." Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). "You are thinking... When you are a human being or American, you are thinking, 'Now I am in very good position,' but next moment you can become a dog, you can become an insect." Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). But the rascals, they do not know. They, he's thinking, "I am secure." And although he is fearful, he is thinking secure. This is called māyā. He is always fearful. Still, he is thinking that he is secure. This is called māyā.
Why you shall accept death? You are eternal." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "You do not die after the destruction of this body." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). These informations are there, but you are not considering that. We are going on to establish ourself very tightly in this material world, but Kṛṣṇa says that you will not be allowed to live. These things are to be considered. Therefore they have been described as pramattaḥ. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti (SB 5.5.4). They are acting sinfully or they are committing so many sinful activities, and they are becoming entangled for another's body, who is the resultant action of our sinful activities. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says that na sādhu manye: "This is not good that you are wasting your time simply for sense gratification and you do not know that you have got a next life."
- dehino 'smin yathā dehe
- kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
- tathā dehāntara-prāptir
- dhīras tatra na muhyati
- (BG 2.13)
You are living entity; you are not these flesh and bones. You are spirit soul and you are within this body. You are now entrapped with this material body, and so long you will act irresponsibly, you will get another material... Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. You will get another body, and that body is not guaranteed. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). Although the spirit soul is there, but this particular body, the hog's body or the man's body or the demigod's body There are so many.
So there is no scarcity. Many people will come to invite you still. Therefore many pseudo or phony swamis, they have taken this profession because there is no difficulty getting food. So, mahat-sevā. The... What is the idea? The idea is the gṛhasthas, they know that "We are simply engaged in the matter of sense gratification. If we invite some saintly person at home, if he eats at my place, then, we commit so many sinful activities, we'll be saved." This is the process. Therefore, a sannyāsī is advised to accept prasādam in the house of a brāhmaṇa, because a brāhmaṇa is supposed to be, become very pious. If you take foodstuff from impious men, then that means you are taking share of his impious activities. But a saintly person, they can digest, but if (they) cannot digest, then you have to suffer. This is the process. Then he has to suffer. Therefore the safety principle is to accept luncheon in a pious family, where there is Vaiṣṇava family or brāhmaṇa family. Not that anywhere we can accept cooked food. Sometimes we have to do it, but that is against principle. We should not accept food anywhere and everywhere, unless he is pious. The brāhmaṇas are supposed to be pious; therefore, a sannyāsī is advised to accept food, luncheon in the brāhmaṇa family. And brāhmaṇa family, still, not all, a few families still in India, they worship regularly Nārāyaṇa-śilā, śalagrāma-śilā.
So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra means... We are preaching all over the world. There is no difficulty. Everyone is joining. Everyone is chanting. So it is not very difficult task. And you can... This is yajña. And then dāna. Dāna means charity. So whatever you earn, at least some percentage of your money should be given in charity. The best charity is to give for spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, God consciousness. Kṛṣṇa said, dadāsi yat kuruṣva tad mad-arpanam: "If you want to give in charity something, please give Me." Kṛṣṇa says, God says. So yajña-dāna-tapaḥ, again tapa, austerity. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyaḥ pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. We should not give up this practice, performing yajña, giving in charity and practicing tapasya. This is essential for the human being. This should be practiced as far as possible. So this is called pious activities. So one should be engaged in pious activities. Then there will be no chance of committing sinful activities. In this way, when you are nature, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam, no more sinful life, pure life, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, always practicing pious activities. Te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā (BG 7.28), such person without any doubt, without any duality, can be engaged in the service of the Lord, such person.
Even a small insect, a small ant, it is a person. An ant is going this way. If you stop, it will struggle: "Why you are stopping me?" That is person. It will try its best to go this way and this way to avoid your checking. You will find it by practical experience. Even a small ant, it has got all the propensities. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna, these propensities, eating, sleeping, sex, and fearing, you will find everywhere. Viṣayaḥ sarvataḥ puruṣya(?). Viṣaya. Viṣaya does not mean to become rich man. Viṣaya means enjoyment of the senses. That is called viṣaya. Viṣaya chāriyā, se rase majiyā, mukhe bolo hari hari. This is instruction, that we can chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, we can chant the holy name of the Lord, purely, without offense. Because if we can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra once only—if it is pure—then immediately you become liberated. Ekara hari name yata pāpa hare, pāpi haya tata pāpa karibāre nare. Hari-nāma is so powerful that once chanting, immediately vanquishes the accumulated sinful reaction of millions of lives. Pāpi haya tata pāpa karibāre. Every pāpi, sinful man, is very expert in committing sinful activities. But hari-nāma is so expert that once chanted, the pāpi, the sinful man, will be failure to commit sin anymore.
Therefore tā'ra madhye jihvā ati. Simply for the tongue we are committing so much sinful activities and becoming implicated because implication means there is no God consciousness, no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Two things are there: one is God, and one is the repetition of birth and death. There is no third way. Either you take God... This chance... This is a chance. This human form of life is a chance. Either you go back to home, back to Godhead, or go to hell. I think Christians also, they say. Two things are there. And in our śāstra, Kṛṣṇa says, Bhagavad-gītā, mām aprāpya nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Two things are there. Either go this way or that way. Either go to hell or go to heaven. This is the general, yes. Asat-saṅga-tyaga,-ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra (CC Madhya 22.87).
So just imagine. If the teacher punishes a boy to stand up for few minutes, how much troublesome it is, and if one is ordered to stand up for seven thousand years, so just imagine what is the punishment. So that is punishment. These trees and plants, because they committed very sinful activities, they... Naked, to become naked, is also another criminal activity. Therefore, by nature's law, the trees, the, they are standing up naked. They do not dress. Similarly, if a human being does not dress, does not cover, then what is the difference between the trees and the human being? It is the human being who requires to be properly dressed. That is the law of nature. If we violate, then the punishment is: "All right, you become tree and stand up naked for ten thousand years." This is the nature's law. You cannot violate the nature's law. And we are completely under the laws of nature. You cannot say that "I don't care for." No. You may say, foolishly, but you are, you are. Just like nature's law is that you must die. Can you say, "No, I shall not die"? Can you say boldly, "No, no, I shall not die. I am now scientific. I have got my science, I shall not die." The nature's law is: you must die.
So if you want to avoid these four things... That is specially pointed out by Kṛṣṇa, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). You are solving your problems, but what, how you have solved your birth, death, old age, and disease? That is the question by Kṛṣṇa. Have you solved? Then what is the use of solving problems? The real problem is there. But if you want to solve this real problem, then you should take up this nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti-mārga means stop this way of sense gratification and take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the way. If you continue your misbehavior, at the same time you want to cure your disease, that is not possible. Just like this alcoholic treatment. They go to the psychiatrist and so experienced... After all, if you do not give up this bad habit, then where is the question of treatment? Where is the question of treatment? That is called... That is explained in the śāstra, hasti-snāna. The example is very right. Hasti-snāna. Hasti, hasti means elephant. Elephant, they go into the water, in the lake, in the pond, and very nicely cleanse their body. Body very nicely cleansed, and after taking bath, as soon as it comes to the bank on the ground, he takes some dust and throw over the body. So atonement... Sometimes we make atonement. I have committed some sin. I go to church or go to temple. I make some atonement. Then after finishing that business, again I do that business. So this kind of habit will not help you. You must try to stop the bad habit. That you can do when you are in the association of devotees. Otherwise it is not possible.
So this kind of sympathy, just like this Rāmakrishna Mission daridra-nārāyaṇa sevā, under the plea of accepting this suffering humanity as Nārāyaṇa and appealing to the compassion of the people... Although they cannot do anything. Actually they are not doing anything but this philosophy is a rubbish philosophy. You cannot do. If you can do anything good to the people, then you can simply awaken them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the best service. Other service you cannot do. Te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni-baddhāḥ. Just like by any means you cannot get released a man who is condemned in the prison. Against law. However sympathetic you may be to your friend, but you cannot release him. That is against law. Similarly, people are suffering, undoubtedly, but they have to undergo the prāyaścitta process. In the śāstras there are prāyaścitta process. Formerly, even our childhood days, we have seen in Calcutta, there is a special quarter of the bhaṭṭācārya brāhmaṇas. The bhaṭṭācārya brāhmaṇas' business is that if you have committed some sinful act, you should immediately go and consult the bhattācārya: "What is the process of prāyaścitta?" Just like you go in case of disease, consult a physician, and take his prescription and diagnosis, similarly, that was the Vedic system.
"Sir, what is the value of this atonement? If people continue to act sinfully, then what is the use of this kind of prāyaścitta?" This is a very intelligent question. Suppose a man suffering from venereal disease goes to a doctor and he prescribes some medicine and gives him some diagnosis that "You should live in this way, in that way." But after the disease is cured, immediately if he commits the same sinful act, then what is the value of the treatment? The same thing, just like nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. In every society this is going on. In our Kṛṣṇa conscious society, or those who are Vaiṣṇava, they are, some of them are thinking like that, that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, so if I commit some sinful act, then I shall again chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and it will be adjusted." And Christians also think like that, that "I may commit sins throughout the whole week, and on Sunday I shall go to the church and confess it. It will be counteracted."
So people, they know that "There is resultant action of this kind of sinful activity." He knows. Even if he does not know, he sees. Just like a man who has stolen, committed theft. One sees that he is arrested or he is punished, he is put into the prison, and still, he commits stealing. He knows. So similarly, we are hearing from the śāstra that "If you commit this sin..." Just like māṁsa. Māṁsa, this very thing, means, māṁ sa khadati. Therefore flesh is called māṁsa. "The animal which I am killing, he will have the right to kill me and eat me." That is going on, repetition: "I kill you this life. Next life you kill me. In this life you have become a cow or goat. Next time I'll become a cow or goat. You have the right to kill me." This is called karma-bandhana.
Just like we are preaching, "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12)—your sinful activities will be counteracted. Kṛṣṇa says that 'You just surrender unto Me and I shall give you protection from the sinful acts.' " So if I think, "It is very good. Then I shall go to Kṛṣṇa. I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and He will protect me from the sinful reaction. So it is a great opportunity. You become Kṛṣṇa conscious and commit all sinful activities, Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." And that will create certainly atheism: "What is this bogus thing?" But that does not mean... So, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa takes charge of your past sinful activities. But that does not mean that I shall remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, at the same time I shall go on committing sin. This, for this facility, if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is most sinful, that "I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness because whatever sinful activities I shall do, it will be counteracted by Kṛṣṇa." So that will create certainly atheism, that "What is this bogus talk?" Do you follow? Yes. But that is not meant for.
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Jagāi Mādhāi on the condition that they will not commit any more sinful activities. So whatever they have committed, that is excused. Just like I am also accepting. Not that on the condition that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and whatever you do, it will be counteracted. We are not making that condition. We are making condition that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Whatever sinful activities you have done, that will be squared up. But you don't do any more. Don't have illicit sex, don't drink, don't do this, don't do this. So you must take it in that (indistinct). Whatever you have done, that is no disqualification. That will be squared up. But not that on the strength of your Kṛṣṇa consciousness you'll do again.
We are making condition that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Whatever sinful activities you have done, that will be squared up. But you don't do any more. Don't have illicit sex, don't drink, don't do this, don't do this. So you must take it in that (indistinct). Whatever you have done, that is no disqualification. That will be squared up. But not that on the strength of your Kṛṣṇa consciousness you'll do again. So these people are misunderstanding that "Church is giving me some facility that 'All right, whatever you have committed, that you confess. It is excused.' " But if the church and the people make a business that "All right, throughout the whole week let me commit all kinds of sins and on Sunday it will be all counteracted..." Yes?
He says, "My dear King, that unless he makes atonement for the sinful activities in this life, then next life he'll have to suffer." This is the answer. Ihaivāpacitim yathāmhasaḥ. Aṁhasaḥ means sinful activities, as he has done. How he has done? Kuryān manah-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. Just see. We are committing sinful activities even by thinking, even by thinking. If I think that "I shall kill that man," this is mental activity. Still it is sinful. Manaḥ uktiḥ. If I unnecessarily chastise you by words, "You rascal this and that," so many..., that is also a kind of sinful activity. And if I commit by action, oh, that is sure. Therefore it is said, kṛtasya kuryān mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. Pāṇibhiḥ with hands, or by mind or... The concession for this age, when we think of any sinful activities it does not affect us, but when we actually... Suppose I'm thinking of killing you. This thinking of killing you is also sinful, but unless I kill you, the sin is not so prominent. In this age that is a concession. But we are actually thinking, feeling, and willing and acting so many sinful activities that we do not know. That is the ignorance. So dhruvaṁ sa vai pretya narakān upaiti. If he does not atone in this life... Just like if I take some money from you, if I do not pay you, then I will have to pay four times next life. That you do not know. Four times, many times, with interest.
So here Śukadeva Goswāmī says that if one does not atone his sinful activities... That is prāyaścitta vidhi, according to Vedic culture. In Christian also they have got prāyaścitta, confession. Confession, the Christians are supposed to go into the church and confess the sinful activities and pay some fine and then he becomes free. But that free, that excuse can be done once, twice, thrice, not perpetually. It is not possible. Suppose if you have done something wrong, and if you go to the court and say, "Sir, excuse me. I did not know," the court may excuse you one time, second time, but not for the third time. Third time you will be severely punished. So these people who are thinking, "By going to the church, by confession, I become free from all sinful activities, and then let me go again, commit the same thing for the whole week, come again and confess," this is not very good business. (laughter) This is not very good business. Similarly, if you think also, you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means you become free from all sinful reaction of life. But if you think that "I have got an instrument, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, so let me commit all sinful activities, then I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, it will be nullified," no. That is the greatest offense. That is the greatest offense. Out of ten kinds of offenses, this is the greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. So God can excuse you once, twice, thrice, not more than that. Then you will be punished. Because you are knowingly criminal, your punishment will be very severe. So those who think that "This atonement, confession, or chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is the counteraction of our sinful activities," they're greatest sinners. They're greatest sinners. They'll be severely punished. Just like a police, a policeman, a constable, if he commits theft, he's severely punished. He's to detect criminality, but he becomes himself a criminal, then he's very highly punished. That is the law.
So here Śukadeva Goswāmī says that unless one atones his sinful activities done in this life, then he has to accept severe punishment in the next life. There is no excuse. This is the conclusion. Dhruvaṁ sa vai pretya narakān upaiti. Dhruvam, dhruvam means sure. Surely he must suffer the hellish condition of life, next life, if he does not atone in this life. That is called prāyaścitta, confession, so many things. Ye kīrtitā me: "And I've already described them in the Fifth Chapter, that if you commit this kind of sin, you suffer like this. If you commit this kind of sin, you suffer like this." And he's giving a nice example:
- tasmāt puraivāśv iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau
- yate ta mṛtyor avipadyatātmanā
- doṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā
- bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidāna-vit
- (SB 6.1.8)
"Therefore, my dear King, according to the gravity of sinful activities, one has to atone similarly." The example is, according to the gravity of the disease, the physician prescribes different types of medicine. If your disease is very severe then the physician says, "You have to take this medicine. This is very costly. You have to live like this." You know, you know everyone. Ordinary disease, that can be cured by giving some tablet, but if the disease is very severe, then you have to undergo severe medical treatment and suffering and so on. This very example. This is practical. This is practical.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja is comparing it, kuñjara-śaucavat. It is just like the elephant's taking bath. The elephant... This is natural, one can see. The elephant takes bath very thoroughly, he washes the body in the water, in the tank, very thoroughly for long time, becomes very cleansed. And as soon as it comes on the shore it takes some dust and throws it. (laughter) That is nature, we have seen. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja... This is just like cleaning the body of an elephant like. The elephant cleanses the body very nicely, but as soon as he comes to the land, he takes dust and throws over it. So what is the use of such atonement if I have to commit again? I do it again and again. Again I commit sinful activities and again I atone. So what is the benefit of this atonement? This is a strong criticism of so-called confession and atonement.
Then because, as Śukadeva Goswāmī is the most intelligent instructor of Bhāgavata principles, the audience, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he is also very important, very intelligent audience, and he has put this, "What is the use of this atonement? I don't find any benefit. If I have to commit the same sinful activities, what is the use of such atonement? It is just like the bath taken by the elephant, kuñjara-śaucavat.'
So this question was raised by Parīkṣit Mahārāja that "You have already described." He did not disbelieve. He believed. Because he is Vaiṣṇava, he knows. And he is disciple of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, so he has thorough knowledge. Now he is anxious. This is the symptom of Vaiṣṇava, that he cannot see others are suffering. Therefore he takes. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, Vaiṣṇava. For others' suffering he agreed to be crucified. But the followers are so unfaithful, they have settled up that "Let Christ suffer for us, and let us go on committing sin." Very good conclusion. They love Christ so, that "My dear Christ, you suffer for our sinful activities and let us go on with our sinful activities." Christ says, "Thou shall not kill." They decided, "Let us kill on and on, and open scientific slaughterhouse. And if there is any sin, then Christ will suffer. That's all. He has taken the agency on suffering." Very good conclusion. No. The Vaiṣṇava can take the sufferings for you, but you should be sane, that "Why I shall put such and such Vaiṣṇava into suffering for my sinful activity? Let me stop this sinful activity." That is intelligent. Not that "I give the suffering portion to Christ, and let me go on committing all sinful activities." That is not... But that will not be. That is not a fact. Suppose one is very pet son of his father, and he commits murder, and he thinks "If there is any punishment my father will suffer." Will it be done? Will it be done? When he is arrested, if he says, "No, you can release me. You can arrest my father because I am very pet son of my father," so will the government will do that, that you have committed murder and your father will be arrested? No. This is quite unreasonable.
This is quite unreasonable. You have committed murder, you must be hanged. Nor your father nor your son nor your brother. This is the law. So that is the law. If you commit sinful life, then you must suffer, not anyone else. But we are thinking like that: "That let me go on doing all nonsense and somebody for me will suffer." No, that is not the law.
So here Parīkṣit Mahārāja does not raise such foolish question that "Who is suffering for..." He is suffering. One who has committed sinful life, he must suffer. That is the law. So the answer is, Śukadeva Gosvāmī,
- na ced ihaivāpacitiṁ yathāṁhasaḥ
- kṛtasya kuryāt mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ
- dhruvaṁ sa vai pretya narakān upaiti
- ye kīrtitā me bhavatas tigma-yātanāḥ
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied, "My dear king, the sinful activities must be atoned." There are three processes: karma, jñāna, bhakti. So yoga is within the jñāna. To improve our condition there are different processes. One is called karma. Just like generally people are trying to elevate his position, economic condition, working day and night very hard. Similarly, we can also work very hard for our future happiness. We can promote ourself in the heavenly planets and we can degrade ourself to the hellish planets also—both ways. Because as soon as we are engaged in karma, unknowingly or knowingly we commit some sinful activities. This is the position. Just like even if I do not like to kill any animal, still, while walking we are killing many animals, many ants on the street, unwillingly. So that is also taken into account. You cannot kill even an ant. So the karma, karma-kāṇḍa, is not very safe. Even if we want to act very piously, the danger is not over. There were many instances. There was one king. He was very charitable and he was giving cows, many cows to the brāhmaṇas, and you will find this story in the Kṛṣṇa book. So there was some mistake.
You have got practical experience that if you violate the law of the state you become criminal and punished. But if the cats and dogs or animals, they violate the law, they are not punishable. Therefore human life must be very responsible. Yes. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "My dear king, if before one's next death whatever impious acts one has performed in this life with his mind, words, and body are not counteracted through proper atonement according to the description of the Manu-saṁhitā and other dharma-śāstras, one will certainly enter into the hellish planets after death and undergo terrible sufferings as I have previously described." So just like in our ordinary life if we commit some sinful activity and if we plead in the court, "My dear judge, I did not know the law," so this kind of pleading will not help him. Ignorance is no excuse. Therefore human life is distinct from animal life. If we live in human life without caring for the supreme laws, then we are destined to suffer.
The Mahārāja Parīkṣit said, "One may know that sinful activity is injurious for him because he actually sees that a criminal is punished by the government and rebuked by people in general, and because he hears from the scriptures and learned scholars that one is thrown into hellish condition in the next life for committing sinful act. Nevertheless, in spite of such knowledge one is forced to commit sins again and again, even after performing acts of atonement. Therefore what is the value of such atonement?" (break) Parīkṣit Mahārāja was ruler, the king. He knew everything practically, that so many citizens committing criminal act were imprisoned and punished. Still, they, after coming back from the jail, prisonhouse, again committed. So on the whole, Parīkṣit Mahārāja did not like, the process of prāyaścitta is ultimately beneficial to the people.
So all these ten to twelve thousand men who are now attached with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are not committing these four pillars of sinful life.
Therefore our request is that you take to this chanting method. It is very easy, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, and gradually you shall become free from all sinful reaction of life. But one thing we must be very careful, that we should not commit again sinful life. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you become free immediately from all sinful reaction. But if you commit again sinful life, that is your responsibility. This is warned very... Amongst the ten kinds of offenses, one offense is very grievous offense—nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ—if one thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa; therefore whatever sinful acts I am doing, it is becoming counteracted." If you keep yourself on the platform of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and do not commit willfully again sinful life, then you are liberated. So not only mukti-mārga, if you keep yourself always pure, do not commit any sinful activity and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then your life is successful. Don't commit the mistake of the elephant that take bath thoroughly and again come and throw dust on your body. I think I shall end tonight this here. Thank you very much. (end)
So narakāt naraḥ. We should always remember that if we commit some sinful activities there is punishment. That has been described in the previous chapter, Fifth Canto. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja... That is Vaiṣṇava. Parīkṣit Mahārāja is Vaiṣṇava. He is very unhappy that so many living entities, they are rotting in this naraka, hellish condition of life. So he is asking,
- adhuneha mahā-bhāga
- yathaiva narakān naraḥ
- nānogra-yātanān neyāt
- tan me vyākhyātum arhasi
"I am very sorry that so many living entities are suffering. So if there is any way to give them relief?" That is Vaiṣṇava. And avaiṣṇava sees another person is suffering; he doesn't care: "Let him suffer." We have come to that state. I heard from one of my disciples that here, in New York, if somebody is killed on the road, nobody will care. Is it a fact?
So we have come to that stage of civilization. But Parīkṣit Mahārāja, simply by hearing from Śukadeva Gosvāmī that "A person, if he commits sinful activities, he suffers like that," he is not seeing; he is compassionate: "How such person can be delivered?" This is the inquiry, that "They are suffering for some sinful activities. How they can be saved?" This is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Vaiṣṇava is unhappy by seeing others' unhappiness. He has no unhappiness. Personally he has no unhappiness.
Nityānanda Prabhu, He is... Hā hā prabhu nityānanda, premānanda sukhī, kṛpābalokana koro, āmi boro duḥkhī. Nityānanda means... Nitya means eternally; ānanda means happy. So Nityānanda has no unhappiness, but He was passing on the street, there was a crowd, and Nityānanda Prabhu inquired, "Why there is so much crowd?" So somebody informed that "There are two brothers, Jagāi and Mādhāi, and they are very fallen souls, although they were born in brāhmaṇa family, very nice, rich family. But being addicted to drinking and prostitution, they have become now rogues, thieves, this way. So they are disturbing the whole neighborhood." So Nityānanda Prabhu considered, "So these two brothers are so fallen? So why not deliver them first?" This is Nityānanda Prabhu.
"Yes, I have already described the different types of hellish condition, and there are very severe, painful life. But one has to counteract it—how? They are... These kinds of sinful activities are committed in various ways." He says that kṛtasya kuryān mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. We can commit sinful activities by mind. If I think of something, committing, "I shall kill that man," if I make plan... So even if do not kill that man, simply because I am thinking of killing that man, that is also sinful. Ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. Thinking, mind... Thinking, feeling, willing—then there is action. So here it is said, mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. Just like the, the other day I was reading in some book that if you are passing on road, if other's dog barks, then that is an, that is an offense on the part of the dog-owner, according to law. So why one should be scared by dog barking? One should take care of the dog. I have read it. This is a law in your country. So it is simply barking, but it is sinful. It is sinful not because he... It is animal, but the owner of the animal, who has made the dog as a best friend, he's responsible by law. (laughter) He's responsible. That is your law in the country I am speaking. He's responsible. If any dog, outside dog, enters your house, the dog may not be killed, but the owners of the dog may be prosecuted. I have read this. So similarly, if a barking of dog is unlawful, so when you speak something offensive to others, that is sinful. That is also like barking. Therefore sinful activities are committed in so many ways. We are so much dependent. If we think of sinful activities or if we speak something sinful activities, ukta-pāṇibhiḥ, or we commit something sinful activities with hands, they're all sinful activities. Dhruvaṁ sa vai pretya narakān upaiti.
So one has to suffer. People, they do not believe next life because they want to avoid this botheration. But there... You cannot avoid this botheration. If you do not go according to law... As there is punishment even in this state of our life—if I commit some sins, criminal activities, the state will punish me—similarly, if we do something which is punishable, I may avoid the state law, but I cannot avoid God's law. That is not possible. I can hide myself, cheating others, or committing theft, and that, thereby I save myself from the punishment of the state laws, but I cannot save myself from the superior law, the law of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It is very difficult. There are so many witnesses. The daylight is witness. The moonlight is witness. These are described. You cannot say that "I am committing these things. Nobody is seeing me. There is no witness. So how I can be...?" And the supreme witness is Kṛṣṇa. He is sitting within your heart. He is noting down what you are thinking, what you are doing. He is giving facility also. If you wanted to do something to satisfy your senses, so Kṛṣṇa is giving facility. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo: (BG 15.15) "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. "From Me, there is remembrance, knowledge," smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, "and forgetfulness."
Devotees: Oh, condone, Sanction, approval.
Prabhupāda: No. Suppose if you commit some sin and counteract it by some other thing. What is called? Just like in Christian Bible there is...?
Devotees: Confession, atonement...
Prabhupāda: Atonement, yes. (laughter) That's it. Atonement. I was forgetting this word. Atonement. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī suggests that you should know the responsibility, and according to the gravity of sinful life, you should accept some type of atonement as they are described in the śāstras. Actually, according to Vedic way of life, there is a class of brāhmaṇas who... Just like you go when you are diseased. You go to the doctor for atonement, for paying doctor's bill, similarly, they go to a bhaṭṭācārya. The bhaṭṭācārya is supposed to give him prescription that "I've committed such sins, sir. What is my atonement?" He gives you a prescription that "You do like this." So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that "According to the gravity of sinful life, one has to execute the prescribed atonement." Exactly... He gives the example, doṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit (SB 6.1.8). Exactly like when you go to consult a physician, he prescribes a nice medicine or costly medicine, according to the gravity of the disease. If you have simply some headache, he may prescribe you something like aspirin. But if you have got something else, very severe, he immediately prescribes that "It has to be surgically operated, and the expenditure will be one thousand dollars." (laughter)
So because we have to suffer for any... Just like if we take more food, then we have to suffer—indigestion or something else. This is nature's law. Either you be careful, or if there is some sinful reaction, be, I mean to say, alarmed, and take care of it. Otherwise, the suffering will increase. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī advises that as... In India still, the practice is if somebody commits some sinful activity he goes to a learned paṇḍita, brāhmaṇa, "Sir, this thing has been done by me. So what is the atonement?" He prescribes something. Of course, in this way some business is also going on. (chuckling) But actually one should atone. That is the statement of Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Now the king is very intelligent. He's putting next question,
- dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpaṁ
- janānn apy ātmano 'hitam
- karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho katham
- (SB 6.1.9)
- kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt
- kvacic carati tat punaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho 'pārtham
- manye kuñjara-śaucavat
- (SB 6.1.10)
Very intelligent question. "My dear sir, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, I can understand that one should take care of his sinful reaction and atone for it as prescribed in the śāstras. But my question is that," dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpam (SB 6.1.9), "one sees that due to this sinful activity one is suffering." Dṛṣṭa. Dṛṣṭa means actually personal experience, face to face. How is that? A man has killed somebody, murder, and he's going to be hanged. Everyone sees it.
A man has killed somebody, murder, and he's going to be hanged. Everyone sees it. Then why does he commit the same thing? He has seen it that "My friend committed a murder." Or forget murdering..., committed something else which is against the law of the state, and he's punished. Dṛṣṭa-śruta. Dṛṣṭa means by seeing, and sruta means by hearing. Just like you are hearing. We are all hearing from authoritative scripture. This is called śruta, śruti, hearing. Not this scripture. Everyone has heard that if you commit theft, then you'll go to prison for six months. I may not have practical experience; I have heard it, and I see it also, that this man has committed theft and he's going to prisonhouse. He's arrested by the police and he's going. So dṛṣṭa-śruta. One hears, also practically sees. So dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpam (SB 6.1.9), that if one commits some sinful activities, and other sees it, and he also sees it, and he has heard it from scripture, still, janānn apy ātmano 'hitam. Ātmano, he knows that "This is not good for me." Ātmanā, ātmanā means for the soul. The soul is suffering, and he sees practically that "This is not good for me." "Me" means I am as soul. Because I have to travel or transmigrate in so many species of life, he knows. So he has heard it from the scripture, he's seeing that there is suffering. But karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ: still, he commits the same sin, vivaśaḥ. Vivaśaḥ means just like somebody is forcing him to do it. Something forced. A thief has committed theft and he has gone to a prisonhouse. He's suffering, and he's thinking that "Next time I shall not do like this. This is very troublesome." But as soon as he comes out, again he commits the same thing.
There is a very nice proverb. It is said in Bengali that a woman, when she is in pain of labor, delivering child, she thinks that "Next time I shall never be pregnant." But after that (chuckling) again she becomes pregnant. You see? She knows the trouble of giving delivery to a child, and she promises that "Next time I shall..." Of course, nowadays there are so many contraceptive methods. But this is a proverb. So a diseased man, he has gone to the physician. He's suffering from a chronic disease. He knows the cause. Doctor says that "You have done this; therefore you are suffering." But after cure he again does the same thing. Why? This is the real problem. Why does he do so? He has seen, he has experienced. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja says, kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt (SB 6.1.10). By such experience, by hearing and seeing, sometimes he refrains that "No, I shall not do these things. It is very troublesome. Last time I had so much trouble." And kvacic carati tat punaḥ: and sometimes he again commits the same mistake. Prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ manye kuñjara-śaucavat (SB 6.1.10). "Therefore, my dear sir, I think this so-called atonement is useless." Useless. Because the prescribed atonement he performs, suppose he becomes free from the sin, but why again he commits? Therefore he says, manye kuñjara-śaucavat.
Bādarāyaṇir uvāca—now he's answering. Rujāṁ rogānāṁ nidānavid yathā vaidyas tad anurūpaṁ cikitseta (?). Atra codayati dvābhyām. Hm. This is already finished. Yathā kuñjara-snāna rajobhir ātmānaṁ malīni karoti tathā pāpasya punar durṇivāratvena naraka-pātasya avaśyaṁ prāyaścittaṁ vyārtham iti So if there is possibility of gliding down to the hellish condition of life by committing sinful activities, now supposing one makes atonement for such activities and again he commits, then what is the use of it? Simply... Just like you kindle fire and pour water on it. Then what is the use of kindling fire? So,
- karmaṇā karma-nirhāro
- na hy ātyantika iṣyate
- avidvad adhikāritvāt
- prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam
- (SB 6.1.11)
Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī is answering the question, that so long one is in ignorance, so long one is in the..., one's heart is full with dirty things, so he may commit sinful activities or he may counteract it by atonement. But so long the dirty thing is within the heart, it is all useless. Therefore our process, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as it is said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), one has to cleanse the dirty things from the heart. That is real atonement. If the dirty things are there as it is, simply... Just like one man is diseased. The dirty things are within his body, and he cleanses outwardly with soap and water very nicely, that does not mean that he is freed from the diseased condition.
"My dear King, one cannot get rid of the reaction of one's sinful activities unless he undergoes the counter-affecting means." In every scripture, there is a process of atonement. Just like in Christian religion, at the time of death, if somebody admits that "I have committed this kind of sin," it is supposed that he is forgiven. Similarly, in Muslim scripture there is also similar injunction, and in Hindu scripture there are many such injunctions. And as far as possible, they are followed by different followers. So the same thing is confirmed here: "My dear King, if somebody does not atone for his sinful activities..." Sinful activities function in three ways. Here it is stated. What is that? Mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. Mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ: by mind, by activities of the mind, and by activities of our words, and by activities of our senses. And if I hurt you by harsh word, then that is also a sin. And when actually commit violence or do something with my hands or legs or something, that is certainly sinful. So we can commit sins in three ways: mind and words and karma, by action. Thinking, feeling and willing and acting. Therefore a svāmī or gosvāmī means who has control over the function of the mind, of the words, and of the activities of the senses. There is definition. "One who can control the tongue, one who can control the mind, one who can control the words, one who can control the belly, one who can control the generative organ, he is svāmī." And pṛthiviṁ sa śiṣyāt: "He is allowed to create disciples all over the world."
"I have heard you, my dear sir." Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the guru of Parīkṣit Mahārāja. So he became very much anxious, "Oh, so many people are suffering in the hellish condition?" So he immediately asked his spiritual master, "Kindly let me know how these living entities who are suffering in this way can be saved, can be delivered from the severe pain of hellish condition of life." This was his question. So the answer is given that,
- na ced ihaivāpacitiṁ yathāṁhasaḥ
- kṛtasya kuryān mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ
- dhruvaṁ sa vai pretya narakān upaiti
- ye kīrtitā me bhavatas tigma-yātanāḥ
"My dear Parīkṣit, if, before the end of the life..." We are committing so many sinful activities. We are committing so many sinful activities. Just like in the Western countries they are killing so many birds and beasts, especially cows, thousands and thousands. They are all becoming implicated. You have no right. Even Christ said, "Thou shalt not kill." (aside, to someone fiddling with tape recorder:) What is that business? Stop it. Who is making this "kut, kut"?
So here it is said that tasmāt puraiva āśu iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau. Very busy. We do not know when is, when we shall die. But we must know, we have committed so many sinful activities; therefore before the next death, yateta mṛtyor avipadyatātmanā. Mṛtyu: we have to die. Before death, we have to make the atonement. "Otherwise," Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "as I have already described the different position of hellish condition of life, one has to suffer." And how it will be done? Doṣasya dṛṣṭvā lāghu..., guru-lāghavaṁ yathā. There are degrees. The first degree sinful activity I have already said. There are different degrees. So as the physician The example is given that bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit. Bhiṣak means physician. You have got some pain, disease, ailments. He gives you Suppose you are suffering, so he sees that this suffering is not very serious. "All right, you take this tablet." What is called? Anacin? "And you will be relived."
Now everything is gone practically. But still the Vedic system is there that if one has committed... They are always conscious, the mass of people, not the so-called educated men, that "In the śāstra it is said that this is sinful." So if he commits some sinful activity, he goes to a very expert brāhmaṇa. They are called bhaṭṭācārya. They are especial... Just like there are physicians for treatment of the disease, there are highly learned brāhmaṇas who are called bhaṭṭācāryas. People go there: "Sir, I have committed this sin. What I have to do?" So they prescribe that "You do like this." So similarly, as we go to the physician, we have to go to consult an expert learned brāhmaṇa, that "I have committed..." But people used to understand that what is sinful and what is pious. Now people are so downtrodden, so dull, mandāḥ, that they do not understand what is sinful, what is pious. They are going on, doing all nonsense without any care. And there is no question of consulting physician or learned brāhmaṇa.
So at the present moment that is the only atonement. Whatever we have done and whatever we are doing, the atonement is chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So we haven't got to go to Vṛndāvana. We have got Vṛndāvana, Nabadwīp, here in Hawaii, in this temple. So you take this process of atonement, but don't commit sinful life any more. Don't think that "Now I am chanting and I can go on committing all sinful activities." That is aparādha. That is offense. Nāmnad balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. If we think like that, that "We have got an instrument, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, which nullifies or neutralizes all kinds of sinful activities. It is very good instrument. Then I go on committing all kinds of sinful activities, and sometimes I go in the temple and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance," no, don't take this policy. You must stop your sinful activities. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra has got the power to neutralize the resultant action of your all sinful activities. That's a fact. But don't accumulate again the sinful activities. Then you are safe. If you take it as an instrument: "Now let me commit sinful activities and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," then that is very dangerous. You will never be excused. Just like sometimes the Christians do.
This is not good. If you make atonement for your sinful activities by some process—just like we are prescribing this process, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa—surely your sinful reaction is nullified. But don't commit it again. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He delivered Jagāi-Mādhāi. They were very sinful. Sinful means they were born in a respectable brāhmaṇa family, but by bad association they became drunkard, woman-hunter, cheater, and plunderer, like that. That is sinful. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered them. Then how delivered them? Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them promise that "You will not do any more all these things." They said, "Yes, we promise. We shall not do." "Then you are delivered." Similarly, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, all the sinful activities are excused, but you don't commit it again. Therefore we are prescribing... Along with chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we are asking our disciples, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling." If you save yourself from these four pillars of sinful activities and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—not very much, only sixteen rounds minimum—then you are saved from the hellish condition of life for which Parīkṣit Mahārāja was so disturbed and he was asking, "How to save these people from this hellish condition of life?"
Therefore we are prescribing... Along with chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we are asking our disciples, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling." If you save yourself from these four pillars of sinful activities and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—not very much, only sixteen rounds minimum—then you are saved from the hellish condition of life for which Parīkṣit Mahārāja was so disturbed and he was asking, "How to save these people from this hellish condition of life?"
So this will be described more and more. The book is there, Bhāgavata. You can read. We are... We have published so many Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam edition, nicely explained in English. So they are being accepted even educated circle, school, college, and big, big professors. So you also try to read this Bhāgavatam, and don't commit sinful activities, the four things, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is saved from hellish condition of life.
Thank you very much. (end)
So atonement is prescribed in every scripture. Even in Christian Bible there is atonement. So in other scriptures also there is atonement. Just like a man who has committed murder, he must die. "Life for life." This is atonement. When the government punishes a murderer with capital punishment, death, that is a mercy upon him. That punishment is accepted practically all over the world from time immemorial. So there must be atonement. So if a person who has committed murder, killed somebody else, then if he is punished by death, then the sinful activities which he has committed, that is counteracted. Otherwise he will have to suffer next life very severely, four times. So people do not believe even in the next life, and what to speak of atonement and punishment. They are kept in darkness. Otherwise they would have been... If they would have followed actually the injunction of the śāstras... First of all one should not be killing anyone. In the Bible also it is said, "Thou shall not kill." Why it is forbidden? Because if he kills, he'll have to suffer. But they do not care for it. Therefore they suffer.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that "Whatever punishment I have described in the Fifth Canto on account of different sinful activities, one has to suffer that unless he commits..., unless he performs atonement." This is the... Na ced ihaivāpacitiṁ yathāṁhasaḥ kṛtasya kuryān mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. We can commit sinful activities in different ways. Mana, even by mind, we can commit sinful activities. If I contemplate something sinful by my mind, then we become affected. Therefore we must keep always sinless. Kaya-mana-vākya. This sannyāsa tridaṇḍa... There are three rods within the stick or the cover, three daṇḍas. Not three, four.
So in this subject matter, topics between Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Mahārāja Parīkṣit, there is... Parīkṣit Mahārāja is anxious to know how these conditioned souls who are rotting in the hellish condition of life, they can be delivered. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is first of all prescribing that they have to make atonement. Just like I gave you the example: If one man has committed criminal activities, he has to atone for the sinful activity. He must be arrested. He must be put into the jail and given some trouble for a certain period of time. And then he may be given freedom. So this atonement is there, by nature's law. You cannot avoid it. If you think that "God cannot see. I am doing this nonsense without His vision," that is wrong. Anything we do, that is recorded just like the service record. And the judgment... Just like in other literatures, there is the day of judgment. That's fact. We have to accept the judgment of the superior superintendent of all our activities.
Santoṣa: "I have actually seen that one who becomes a criminal by committing sinful acts is punished by the government's law, but although rebuked, he does the same thing again. One also hears from the scriptures spoken by learned scholars that committing sin throws one into hell in the next life. Nevertheless, although he has received full experience through seeing and hearing, which are the sources of practical knowledge, he is forced repeatedly to commit sins and again perform acts of atonement. What then is the value of such atonement?"
Prabhupāda:
- dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyaṁ yat pāpaṁ
- jānann apy ātmano 'hitaṁ
- karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho katham
- (SB 6.1.9)
This is intelligence. Mahārāja Parīkṣit is Vaiṣṇava, and his inquiry was: "How these men who are rotting in this hellish condition can be relieved?" That was his question. So... (about music on loudspeakers:) What is that?
So he knows it, that "I am smoking something which is detrimental to my health." But why he is smoking? Why he is smoking? This is the question. Prāyaścitta... Now from smoking sometimes he gets bronchitis or something, some disease in the heart. So he goes to the doctor, he suffers, and he takes medicine and he is cured, then again smoking, again do the same thing. One is suffering from syphilis, and he is suffering so much. The doctor gives injection and so on, so on. Then, after being cured, again doing the same. That is his question. It is not that a man always commits sinful activities without knowledge. No. They have full knowledge. So if one does, cannot resist himself from sinful activity, then what is the meaning of this atonement? He rejects, "This is useless." You commit some sinful activities and go to the church and pay some fine, and again you commit sinful acts. So it is useless. That is questioned by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Prāyaścittam atho katham: "What is this?"That is intelligence. He is devotee. He knows that this kind of atonement is useless. It has no meaning.
"Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: One may know that sinful activity is injurious for him because he actually sees that a criminal is punished by the government and rebuked by the people in general, and because he hears from the scriptures and learned scholars that one is thrown into hellish condition in the next life for committing sinful acts. Nevertheless, in spite of such knowledge one is forced to commit sins again and again, even after performing acts of atonement. Therefore what is the value of such atonement?"
- kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt
- kvacic carati tat punaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ
- manye kuñjara-śaucavat
- (SB 6.1.10)
"Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant cleanses itself by taking a full bath but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land."
So they followed the instruction of Nārada Muni, the spiritual master, and they came with Nārada Muni and sat down in a place on the bank of the Ganges at Prayāg. Nārada Muni gave them one tulasī plant, and they sat down near the tulasī plant, and he advised that "Go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." In the meantime, in the village it was advertised that "The hunter has become a Vaiṣṇava. Let us go and see." So people who were coming to visit, they were bringing... It is the custom still now, India, that when you go to see some Deity or a Vaiṣṇava, sādhu, you bring some..., one must give rice or attar; you give them as contribution. So he thought that Nārada Muni was sending the attar, rice, dahl, and everything. So he became confident that he would not die because he is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In this way he gradually became a perfect Vaiṣṇava because he was chanting under the instruction of the spiritual master and committing no sinful activities. So we being in the disciplic succession of Nārada Muni, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are advising the same principle, that "Don't commit sinful activities, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra."
"Sir, you have spoken about atonement, but they are doing atonement. Every moment they are suffering, but still, again he is committing the sinful activities. So what is the use of this atonement?" Just like in the Christian church they go to confess every weekly, "Sir, I have done it." "All right, give some fine." And again, next week, again, the same thing going on. So this is very intelligent question. The atonement is there in every religion. In the Vedic process there is atonement, but what is the use of this atonement if he does not cease committing the same sinful activity? Just like practically we see a thief. So he knows that "I am committing theft. I shall be punished if I am arrested." He knows it; otherwise why he goes silently at night and break? He knows it well that "If I am arrested I will be punished."
So this is very important question. The world, whole world nowadays... I say sometimes that in the airport it is proved that... (break) ...punishment the practice of committing criminal activities is going on. This is very intelligent question, and Parīkṣit Mahārāja will reply... Śukadeva Gosvāmī will reply. But this is student. Just see how intelligent question is put. The Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that for any sinful action one has to atone. So immediately catches the word, this is intelligent disciple, that "What is the value of this atonement? If he cannot correct himself to commit the sinful activity, then what is the value of atonement?" This is very nice question. We shall discuss tomorrow.
Thank you very much. (end)
Similar devotee was Vāsudeva Datta, Lord Caitanya's... He requested the Lord that "You have come. Kindly deliver all these people now present on this earth, and take them to Vaikuṇṭha. And if You think that they are so sinful that they cannot be delivered, then please transfer all their sins unto me. I shall suffer. You take them." This is Vaiṣṇava: "So for all their sins, I shall suffer. You take them." This philosophy is also expressed in Bible, Lord Jesus Christ, that he agreed to suffer himself for the sins of all the people. But that does not mean that Jesus Christ or Vāsudeva Datta should make a contract for ourself and we shall go on committing sins. This is most heinous proposal. A Vaiṣṇava and a devotee suffers for all humanity, human race. But that does not mean that human race, or the particular followers should take advantage of this facility and go on committing sins. That is not a good proposal. They should take rather seriously, that "Lord Jesus Christ or Vāsudeva Datta who has suffered for us so much, we shall stop committing sins now." That is sane proposal. Otherwise, if I think, "Well, there is Vāsudeva Datta and Lord Jesus Christ. He will suffer for us and let us go on merry-making. That's all." A most heinous life.
That is not possible. There will be so many accidents for killing. The wholesale kill. When Kṛṣṇa kills, He kills wholesale. When I kill—one after another. But when Kṛṣṇa kills, they assemble all the killers and kill. Therefore there is atonement in the śāstras. Just like in your Bible also there is atonement, confession, paying some fine. But after performing atonement, why people commits the same sin again? That is to be understood.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja is very intelligent. He's Vaiṣṇava. He therefore inquires from Śukadeva Gosvāmī that,
- rājovāca
- dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpaṁ
- jānann apy ātmano 'hitam
- karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho katham
- (SB 6.1.9)
A man... Suppose a man... Of course, if..., if he commits murder, he's killed and gone. That's another thing. The, the Śukadeva Gosvāmī's proposal was that tasmāt puraiva āśu iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau yateta mṛtyor avipadyatātmanā. "Before your death, next death comes, you should perform atonement so that you may not carry the sinful activities to suffer next life." If I do not commit, perform atonement for the commit, for the sinful activities, then nature will not excuse me. You'll have to take the effect of it and suffer in the next life. The law... As I explained the other day, that a murderer should be killed, that is mercy upon him. The, when the king orders... It is very old law. It is not new law, "Life for life."
So, so long we have got this bodily concept of life, so long we have to abide by the laws of material nature, by the laws of the state, or any other laws. Because this body is conditional. Every one of us who are sitting in this meeting has got a different body. Because everyone is under different condition, varieties, varieties of condition. Therefore I'm responsible. If I do not atone for the sinful activities I'm doing within this body, then I have to suffer in my next body because I'll get another body according to my karma. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Kalevaram means this body. That is a nature's law. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommended that considering the gravity of your sinful life, you should undergo a type of atonement. They are prescribed in the śāstras. You have to do that. Otherwise, there is no rescue. Exactly like that, if you have committed murder, if you become killed here, then your sinful activities is neutralized. Otherwise, you'll have to suffer next life. So when a king orders a subject, or the state orders that "This man should be hanged," it is not cruelty to him. It is mercy. They do not know. It is a mercy. Otherwise why... Every state, anywhere you go, the law is there, "Life for life."
So atonement must be done. But King Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he's very intelligent. He says, "All right, Sir, there is atonement. By performing some type of atonement I become free from the sinful activities." Suppose a man, he has committed murder and he's killed. So the sinful reaction of his committing a murder is neutralized. But it does not mean that next time, next life he'll not again kill another man. That is not guaranteed. Exactly like that, you are diseased, the physician gives you medicine, you are cured. But it is not guarantee that you'll not be attacked again by that type of disease. That is not guarantee.
A man has committed theft and he was punished. He was taken to the government custody and he was punished for six months or one year. And comes back. Again he commits the theft. Why? This is intelligent question. So, so Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquires from Śukadeva that 'Atonement, that's all right. You are prescribing atonement. That is all right, to counteract the sinful activities. But why a man commits again the same sinful activities? What is the remedy for that?"
This is intelligent question. He says: dṛṣṭvā, dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpam (SB 6.1.9). Dṛṣṭa means just like one man sees this man has committed murder and he's hanged. Everyone sees. And in the lawbook it is said that if a man commits murder he'll be hanged. So śruta means we have heard it from authoritative sources; lawbook is authoritative source. Just like śāstra. Śāstra and lawbook is the same. Śāstra means that which controls. Śās-dhātu. Śāstra, śastra, śāsana, śiṣya comes from the same root. Śiṣya. Śiṣya also comes from the same root. Śiṣya means one agrees voluntarily to be governed by the spiritual master. He's called śiṣya. And śāsana, the government. So śāstra means that regulates our daily activities. So here it is called... Śāstra is learned by hearing, not by licking, not by seeing. Just like here is a śāstra, bhagavat-śāstra. You cannot learn it by seeing or by touching or... You have to learn it by hearing. Śās... This is called śruta.
Everyone knows it, jānan, everyone knows that this is pāpa, this is sinful activity. Everyone knows. Nobody can say that "I do not know that is sinful activities." Who does not know that stealing is sinful, committing murder is sinful, or so many other things? So Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquires that dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpaṁ jānann apy ātmano 'hitam (SB 6.1.9). "And he knows that 'It is not good for me; if I steal I'll be arrested, I'll be punished, I'll be put into jail. That is not a very comfortable life.' He knows that." Karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ. "But he commits again and again, vivaśaḥ, as if forced by something, forced by something." Karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ prāyaścittam atho katham (SB 6.1.9).
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja immediately says, "What is the value of this atonement? If he is not corrected, checked that he should not commit such sin any more, then what is the value of prāyaścitta, katham? 'I have committed some sin. I do some atonement. Again I commit. Again I atone. I again I commit. I confess, and again I do the same thing.' So what is the use of such atonement?" His question is... Another question:
- kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt
- kvacic carati tat punaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ
- manye kuñjara-śaucavat
- (SB 6.1.10)
For the time being, when he's punished, he thinks, "I shall not commit what mistake I did." But as soon as he's out of the danger, he commits again. So kvacin nivartate abhadrāt. Nivartate means he refrains, abhadrāt, from abominable activities. Kvacic carati tat punaḥ. And again sometimes he commits the same thing. Punaḥ. Therefore habit is second nature. It is very difficult.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is, without recommending this atonement or that atonement, which will not check him... You can go on, make many experiment of atonement, but the disease of the heart will remain. And you'll commit again sin. But as soon as you come to the Kṛṣṇa platform, then you become free from the contamination. This is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you don't come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you may be relieved for the time being from the reaction of sinful activities, but you'll again commit.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja says, "This kind of committing sin and again become relieved by atone, atonement, repetition, it is just like kuñjara-śaucavat." He's giving very nice example. Kvacin nivartate abhadrāt kvacic carati tat punaḥ, prāyaścittam atho 'pārtham (SB 6.1.10). "Therefore this atonement, to me, is nothing but waste of time." How it is waste of...? Kuñjara-śaucavat. The example, kuñjara means elephant. The elephant cleanses the body very nicely in the water, in the lake, or some water, reservoir, but as soon as comes on the shore takes some dust and overthrows. Those who have seen, that have got experience—immediately the whole body becomes dirty. Immediately taking... Just like we, human beings, we go to the bathroom and cleanse ourself with soap and water, and then we feel comfortable.
The elephant cleanses the body very nicely in the water, in the lake, or some water, reservoir, but as soon as comes on the shore takes some dust and overthrows. Those who have seen, that have got experience—immediately the whole body becomes dirty. Immediately taking... Just like we, human beings, we go to the bathroom and cleanse ourself with soap and water, and then we feel comfortable. We do not again take some dirty things and throw over it. But the elephant, animal, does it. These are our examples. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that "You may become cleansed by the atonement process, or you may be relieved from the disease by taking some medicine, but if again you commit, then what is the use of this treatment or use of this atonement?"
So this is the second question of Parīkṣit Mahārāja to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, very important question, that how one can ultimately become free from all contamination of these material modes of nature? Otherwise, what is the use of atonement? So that is—I've told you in summary—that unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of being freed from this repetition of committing sins and atonement.
Nārāyaṇa: Prabhupāda..., question? (pause) Could you elaborate on the position of the person who comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and has committed all these sinful activities in this lifetime. For instance, let's say a person has been in the, involved in the Vietnam War due to his relation with the material world and has been drawn into this activity. And now he's in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How is he then relieved of the law of karma for his activity?
Prabhupāda: You come and live with us. That's all. Is it very difficult? Our students, they are living with us. You simply come and live with us—you are free from all karma. Is it difficult? Then do that. We shall give you food, we shall give you shelter, we shall give you nice philosophy. If you want to marry, we shall give you good wife. What you want more? So come and live with us. That's all. That I've already explained: māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). We employ you immediately in the devotional service of Lord, and you become free. Kṛṣṇa says, not that we have concocted this idea. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who's engaged in My devotional service, without any hypocrisy, avyabhicāreṇa, then immediately he's freed, immediately.
Santoṣa: "Sometimes one who is very alert not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. If one atones for the sins after committing them but then repeatedly commits the same sins, his atonement is a useless process. Indeed, it is like the bathing of an elephant, for the elephant fully cleanses itself but then throws dust all over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land."
Prabhupāda:
- kvacin nivartate' bhadrāt
- kvacic carati tat punaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ
- manye kuñjara-śaucavat
- (SB 6.1.10)
Parīkṣit Mahārāja is devotee. He knows what are these material activities. Punaḥ punaś carvita carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). This word is used here, punaḥ. Punaḥ means "again and again." Carvita-carvaṇānām.
So it is Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He is very intelligent devotee. He is criticizing this atonement process—"Whole week I have done all sinful activities, and on Sunday I go to church and pay some fine, and again, from Monday, I begin my business." Punaḥ punaḥ, again and again. So this business will not help us, because the..., I may commit some sinful activities, and repenting, I pay some fine or some prāyaścitta, but my heart is not cleansed. That is required. The heart is filled up with all dirty things. What it will give me benefit if formally I give some fine as atonement? Parīkṣit Mahārāja is rejecting this process, "This will not help." And he has given very good example: kuñjara-śaucavat. From nature we can study so many things, very instructive. Kṛṣṇa has made the nature in such a way that any intelligent man, if he studies simply the nature, without going into school or college he becomes a very learned man, if he has got the capacity to study nature. So such nature, a natural instance, example, is cited: kuñjara-śaucavat. Kuñjara means elephant. Elephant is a very big animal, and it takes bath in the lake, very nicely washes the body. Then, as soon as he comes on the bank, he immediately takes some dust and throw it over the body. Those who have seen the elephants... This is their nature.
So that is the position, everyone. We are big, big scientist, big, big philosophers, big, big statesmen, politician, but I do not know why I am forced to die. Big, big scientists, they are discovering so many things, but he cannot discover something which will stop his death. That is not possible. So punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). We may attempt so many things, but if we do not know how to stop the mental activities which is prone to commit sinful activities That is our first business. That cannot be done by any other means except Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Except Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is not possible to control the mind. If you can Now, it is the business of everyone If he wants to be the first-class man in the society, brāhmaṇa, the qualification is śamo damas satyaṁ śaucaṁ titikṣva. These are the brāhmaṇa Śamaḥ means controlling the mind. Even Arjuna, he said to Kṛṣṇa when Kṛṣṇa was teaching him the process of mystic yoga and control the mind Five thousand years ago Arjuna A person like Arjuna is not ordinary person. He is talking with Kṛṣṇa. So still he says, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, this is not possible for me. I am a family man and a politician. I cannot control my mind. It is not possible." So nowadays, after five thousand years when Arjuna thought himself incapable of controlling the mind by the so-called yogic process, how it is possible now—this world has so much deteriorated—to practice this meditation and yoga process and control the mind? It is impossible. That is not possible. It is simply humbug.
So criminality we have described. Everyone knows "This is not good," but he is punished. Again he does that. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, "What is the use of this atonement?" He further explains in this verse that kvacin nivartate abhadrāt. Abhadra means unclean, wrong things. Bhadra means right thing. Bhadra and abhadra. In India bhadra means gentleman and abhadra means uncivilized man. So sometimes he does like gentlemen and sometimes like foolish rascal. Kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt kvacic carati tat punaḥ (SB 6.1.10). After coming from the prison house, jail, he decides, "No more I shall commit. I shall now become gentleman." But as soon as his friends, criminals, again mix with them, he again commits the same sinful activity. So in this condition, atonement, if he cannot change his character, so what is the use of this atonement? Prāyaścittam atho 'pārtham (SB 6.1.10). Apārtham means useless. If he cannot change his character, change his mind, then the punishment or prāyaścittam is apārtha, useless. How useless? Manye, "I think it is as useless as kuñjara-śaucavat."
So the guru, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, has examined Parīkṣit Mahārāja, and it appears that the king has passed one phase of examination by rejecting the process of atonement. This is intelligence. lmmediately said, "Guru, what is this?" He has rejected. Rejecting the process of atonement because it involves fruitive activities, karma. Karma. I have committed some sinful activity, then other, another karma to punish me. So here it is said by... One karma cannot be nullified by another karma. Karma means activity. They are going on, passing resolution after resolution and laws after laws, but things are in the same position. They are not changing. Therefore it cannot be checked in that way. Karmaṇā karma-nirhāra. Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī is suggesting the platform of speculative knowledge. When it has failed that a thief repeatedly committing criminal activities, repeatedly he is being punished but he is not corrected, then what is the remedy? That is vimarśanam, speculative knowledge. Progressing from karma-kāṇḍa to jñāna-kāṇḍa, he is proposing prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam: real atonement is full knowledge. One should be given knowledge.
The answer, Parīkṣit Mahārāja's question to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that this atonement, once committing some sinful activity, and counteracting it by so-called atonement, confession, has no meaning. If one is suffering from certain type of disease, goes to a doctor, physician, he gives some medicine, it is cured for the time being, and again if he's attacked with such disease and goes to the doctor, again he gives medicine, then what is the use of this business? Again and again. That is the question, very intelligent question. How to cure the disease completely?
So, so Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that this material world, sinful life, we are acting in a way, we are forced to commit some sins, and you are suffering as a resultant action. This is going on. But if you want to stop this business—one suffering and one again becomes victim—then you have to become advanced in knowledge. Karmī-jñānī. Ordinary people, they are karmīs, or fruitive actors. Fruitive actors. They're working whole day and night, and getting some result, enjoying, again suffering, again there is problem. This is going on. They are called karmīs. So this will not solve the question, problem. He suggests that you have to elevate yourself to the platform of knowledge. How it is done? That is prescribed herein. The first thing is tapasya. The first... Tapasya means you have to accept some austerity. The same example can be given that the doctor says... Suppose a diabetic patient. So doctor prohibits him that "You cannot eat. You have to starve for some days." So I do not like to starve, nobody likes to starve. But because doctor says you have to starve, if you want to cure a disease, then I have to voluntarily accept, accept starving. This is called tapasya: voluntarily accept some miserable condition of life. That is good. And human life is meant for that purpose.
So the human life means responsible life, not extravagance, "Whatever I like, I do like cats and dogs." That is not good. And in another place Ṛṣabhadeva has said also..., several times we have repeated, na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam, kleśada āsa dehaḥ. This world is going on not now. So long the material world is there, the living entities are after sense enjoyment like a madman. This is the position. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). They are acting very irresponsibly, and all kinds of sinful activities they are committing like a madman, without any responsibility of life. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And what for they are doing? Yad indriya-prītaye, simply for sense gratification, that's all. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, na sādhu manye: "This is not good." "Why it is not good? I am enjoying life." No, you are not enjoying. Because you have got this material body, there is no question of enjoyment. It is simply suffering. And you are thinking it is enjoyment. That is illusion. That is māyā. You are accepting something which is not.
So people are neglecting. Any religious system—it doesn't matter—forbids, "Don't commit sinful life, you will suffer." So people have made a civilization that "There is no life, and you can go on irresponsibly, as you like, enjoy life, and never mind if I become a dog. What is the wrong there?" That's all. This kind of civilization must be stopped if we want to remain a human being. And if we don't want, if we want to remain as cats and dogs, that is a different thing. But if you want to remain as human being, you must live regulative principle. And that we are teaching. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching regulative life for next spiritual life, back to home, back to Godhead. This is our mission. So regulative life means... Sinful life, if we become sinful, irresponsible, then another material body. That is the advice. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada. As soon as you get another material body, it is suffering. So try to realize these things. Therefore, punar-janma-jayāya. The whole aim should be how to conquer over again material... This is intelligence. This is intelligence.
So here it is said, deha-vāg-buddhijaṁ dhīrā dharmajñāḥ. One who has control, deha, the body, vāk, the words, buddhi, intelligence—they are dhīra. So this tridaṇḍī. This tridaṇḍī-sannyāsa means to become dhīra, controlling śarīra; deha, the body; vāk, words; and intelligence. These things should be utilized. How? By dhīra, those who are dhīra. Dharmajña. One who knows actually the principle of religion. Dharmajña. Deha-vāg-buddhijaṁ dhīrā dharmajñāḥ śraddhayānvitāḥ, kṣipanty aghaṁ mahad api. So because our life is continuously committing sinful activities, from time immemorial... You do not know when it began. Evolution, many births. Therefore this life is meant for rectifying all mistakes that we had committed in our previous life or in this life. How? By this process. Kṣipanty agham. Agham means the resultant action of sinful life. Mahad api. Although it is very great, mahad api, how? Veṇu-gulmam, veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ. Just like if you set fire to unwanted grass and creepers in the field. You set fire, and they will be all burned. Similarly, by this process, tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13), you can liquidate all of your sinful activities of life and you become purified.
You are suffering from a severe disease, and he gives some medicine, takes his fees. That is my atonement, prāyaścitta. But it is no guarantee that I will not fall disease again. So this atonement like that. Many patients, they are suffering from some chronic disease, some venereal disease. They go to the doctor and they give injection, very costly medicine and so much suffering, but as soon as he cure, again he does the same thing so that he is attacked with venereal disease. So this is not very effective way of becoming... Then it was suggested that people, because they are in darkness, āsuras, they do not know how to become immune from all diseases, therefore prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. He suggested, Śukadeva. Vimarśanam: he must be sober, that "I am suffering from some disease, and I am heavily paying the penalty to the doctor, and still, I am doing the same thing?" So therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī suggested, prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. Vimarśanam means to become sober and think that "Why I cannot check my desire to do sinful activities?" Then he suggested, to come to that understanding he requires good brain. Ordinary brain, they cannot understand that "Why I am forced to act sinfully although after doing that I suffer? I have committed theft. I am suffer..., I go to jail. Again I come out." So therefore it is called vimarśanam.
Kṛṣṇa says, "I shall give you release from all sinful reaction which you have committed for many, many births." Kṛṣṇa says. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. There is no question of worrying about it, that "Oh, I have committed." But the thing is that after surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, don't commit any more sinful life. Then you are perfect. Whatever you have done is done. It doesn't matter. But after surrendering, if you think, "It is a good business. I have surrendered," no, that is not surrender. Surrender is that sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). He has no other business. That is surrender. You cannot become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa and engage in sinful activities. Then it is not surrender. You want to do your business on the strength of Kṛṣṇa's blessing—no. That is not allowed. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). All kinds of activities, occupational duty, you should give up. Simply be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service.
To become a staunch devotee of Kṛṣṇa, perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa, means one has become freed from all reaction of sinful life. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. No more committing any sinful activities. And whatever sinful activities he had done in his previous life, that is also negated. That is also made negation. There is no more reaction. Yeṣām tu anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. So people are engaged either in sinful activities or in pious activities. So those who have not only finished the resultant action of their past sinful activities but at the present moment, they are simply engaged in pious activities, such person, yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, te, such person, dvandva-moha-nirmuktā, without any hesitation, without any doubt, bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. That is the So anyone who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service with firm conviction and devotion, it is to be understood that he is now free from all reaction of sinful activities. A Vaiṣṇava never commits any sinful activities, and whatever he had done in the past, that is also finished. This is said by Kṛṣṇa. Or in other words, if you devoutly engage yourself in the service of the Lord, then certainly you are freed from all reaction of sinful activities.
So people do not know this, that to approach the platform of worshiping Nārāyaṇa or Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, that is the most exalted and assured platform. Just like we get insurance, so this is assured. Assured by whom? Assured by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is assuring, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa man... (BG 9.30). So many assurances there. Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa. Kṛṣṇa says personally that "I shall protect you." People suffer on account of sinful reaction, ignorance. Out of ignorance, they commit sinful action, and sinful action reacts. Just like a child, ignorant, he touches blazing fire, and it burns the hand, and he suffers. You cannot say that "Child is innocent, and the fire has burned." No. This is nature's law. Ignorance. So sinful activities are done out of ignorance. Therefore one should be in knowledge. Ignorance of law is no excuse. If you go to the court and if you plead, "Sir, I did not know that I have to suffer, I have to go to imprisonment for six months because I have stolen. This was unknown to me..." No. Known or unknown, you must go to the jail.
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply giving chance to people without any discrimination, "Please come. Become Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, devotee, and automatically you'll become suśīla and sādhu." As soon as—that is the test—you become a devotee, nārāyaṇa-para, then automatically you become suṣīla and sādhava. And if you become well behaved and sādhava, committing no sinful activities, sādhava, and simply serving Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa, then for our elevation or salvation, that is the panthāḥ kṣemo akuto-bhayaḥ. Akuto-bhayam. Now we are fearless. If on the devotional path, then you have no fear. Why? Now, Kṛṣṇa takes charge of you. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati: (BG 9.31) "Kaunteya, Arjuna, you can declare throughout the whole world that one who has become My devotee, he will never be vanquished." Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati. You get immediately Kṛṣṇa's help. So if we depend completely on Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa-para, then automatically we become sādhu, automatically we become well behaved, and automatically we are protected. Therefore this path is the best way of advancing in our life and go back to home, back to Godhead.
Thank you very much. (end)
Na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān svapne: "Even in dream they do not see Yamaraja." Svapne 'pi paśyanti cīrṇa-niṣkṛtāḥ. And completely freed from all reaction of sinful activities simply by once thinking of Kṛṣṇa. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, but if we become at least once in life in ecstasy in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, then all our sinful reaction of life is finished. Unfortunately, we again commit sinful life. Otherwise, by chanting once Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes immediately free from the reaction.
But the māyā is so powerful that it induces again to commit sinful life. So we have to promise... Just like Jagāi Mādhāi. They were delivered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They were very sinful, their activities. Sinful means that has become ordinary things nowadays in Kali-yuga. They... What is that sinful? They were drunkards, illicit sex, meat-eater, and gambling. These four things, they were very much addicted, so they were rejected from the society. The society was so pure. Five thousand years before, Parīkṣit Mahārāja gave the Kali-yuga four places. First of all he wanted to kill Kali. Then he begged pardon, "Sir, I am also your praja, a citizen in your kingdom. So it is my business to kill these animals.
The only attraction is family, kuṭumba. So for the sake of maintaining family, he was committing all kinds of sinful activities.
So there was one Ajāmila at that time, but you will find many Ajāmilas like that at the present moment because it is the age of Kali. There was one Rāvaṇa. In the dress of a sannyāsī he kidnapped Lord Rāmacandra's wife, and nowadays you will find many Rāvaṇas like that. You see? The so-called sannyāsīs, their business is to... This tendency is always there, but according to the age, sometimes it is very prominent and sometimes not so prominent. But this material world is so contaminated. In the days of Rāmacandra people were hankering after the kingdom of Rāma, even there was Rāvaṇa in the days of Rāmacandra. And what to speak of all these nonsense debauchees? Rāmacandra was so strict, and God Himself was ruling, and still, there was Rāvaṇa. But because Rāmacandra was there he was also killed. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). God's business is to protect the faithful and kill the demons. That is always. Therefore we find Lord Viṣṇu, the four symbolic representation: for killing, the club and the cakra; and for protecting, the lotus flower and conchshell.
...all sinful contamination. Therefore purposely they commit sinful activity and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa to counteract. That is also greatest offense, that "Because I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa..." Just like some government officer, because he is in higher post... Just like the other day I cited the high-court judge. So "I shall take opportunity of taking bribe on the strength of my superior post in government service." According to law, that is greatest offender, the greatest criminal according to law. If a police man kills, his offense and his punishment is greater than an ordinary man killing. That is the law. Knowingly. So the "Nārāyaṇa," the constant chanting of "Nārāyaṇa," on account of the name... Nowadays the fashion is that we do not keep the name of our children in God's name. Formerly, "Kṛṣṇa dāsa," "Nārāyaṇa dāsa," "Govardhana dāsa," some of... There are thousands of Viṣṇu's name. The people would keep the children's name according to that so that, so that indirectly, directly, they would be able to chant the holy name of the Lord. That was the process. And by doing so he will be gradually developing his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhuñjānaḥ prapiban khādan bālakaṁ sneha-yantritaḥ. By affection. Some way or other, we have to increase our affection for Kṛṣṇa, love of Godhead. Through the channel of the affection of one's son or children, one can increase—that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. Just like motorcar, with driver or no driver, what is it? It is dead matter. That's all. Why one should be busy about this motorcar? One should be busy about the driver, whether he's (indistinct) nicely, whether he's eating nicely, he'll drive. If you don't take care of the driver, simply you wash the car, what is the use? The car will not be moving without driver. Similarly, the whole civilization should be on the basis of understanding the soul. That is civilization. Unfortunately, by the spell of māyā... Just like this Ajāmila. He's committing sinful activities. He's now rogue, thief, cheater. He doesn't care for that. But he's taking care of the body of the child. He's thinking, "This child will save me when I'll be in danger." There is another verse in the Second Canto:
- dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu
- ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api
- teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ
- paśyann api na paśyati
- (SB 2.1.4)
Deha means this body. Apatya means children. Dehāpatya. Kalatra means wife. Dehāpatya kalatrādiṣu ātm-asainyeṣu. Here is struggle for existence, and you're thinking that "This my strong body and my nice children and my wife, they are my soldiers. Therefore I am saved." Everyone is thinking like that. "Now I am in a good family. I've got my family members very nice. I've got this strong body. Oh, what do I care, God is dead?" That's all.
At the time of death, especially those who are full of sinful activities, they become too much agitated how to save himself, how to enter into another body. It is a very painful situation. The painful situation becomes so acute that no more the living entity can live in this body. Just like sometimes it happens: when a person becomes too much painful, he commits suicide. He does not want to live within this body. But he does not know that is another sinful activity. You cannot commit suicide. That is another criminal action.
So at the time of death... Of course, those who are devotees, their position is different. People may say, "The devotee is also dying, and the nondevotee, sinful man, is also dying. What is the difference?" So there is much difference. The example is given: just like a cat catching a rat in his mouth and at the same time carrying his cubs in the mouth. Superficially, we can see that the same mouth is being used, but one is feeling comfortable being carried by the mother, and another is feeling the death knell. Similarly, at the time of death, the devotee's feeling that they are being transferred to Vaikuṇṭha, whereas the ordinary sinful man is feeling that the Yamarāja, the dūtas, the constables of Yamarāja are dragging him to the hellish condition of life.
Practiced, we are practiced to so many bad habits life after life in this material condition. So sometimes, one who is engaged in devotional service to the Lord may, on account of old practice, he commits some sinful activities. Kṛṣṇa forgives him. He knows that he is sincere, but on account of his old practice, he has done something mistake. There is a verse, saḥ pāda-mūlaṁ bhajatāṁ priyasya(?). Somehow or other, you become recognized by Kṛṣṇa, priya. Kṛṣṇa may know that "He is sincerely trying to do something for render..." Kṛṣṇa does not require your service or my service. He is self-sufficient. If we render service, that is for..., that is good for us. Kṛṣṇa, He recognizes, "Oh, now he has again begun service. That's nice." So to such person Kṛṣṇa excuses. Saḥ pāda-mūlaṁ bhajatāṁ priyasya. That verse. Now I forget. There is a verse like that.
Ojasā means very strongly. Just like a master orders the servant, "You must do it," similarly, ojasā. This is the benefit of becoming Vaiṣṇava and chanting. If you chant offenselessly... This man had no offense. He was misguided accidentally, but he did not commit any offense. He did not perform all sinful activities, that "I am now chanting Nārāyaṇa, so it is being nullified. So let me go on doing these sinful activities and chant Nārāyaṇa." No, he did not do so. He did not know what is the benefit of chanting Nārāyaṇa's name. He did not know. So therefore, unconsciously, he was offenseless. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. If one thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and it is said, 'By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, everyone's sinful reaction of life becomes nullified,' so let me do these two thing," oh, that is very great offense. Nāmno balād yasya. You have heard about ten offenses. This is the gravest offense.
So Ajāmila did not do that. He was foolish. He became victimized unknowingly. So he was committing sinful, means cheating others, became a fraud because he thought, "This is my livelihood." But he was affectionate to his son. He is always chanting, "Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa," not purposefully, that "Let me chant Nārāyaṇa and commit all sinful activities." No, that is not. You should mark this. Therefore the Viṣṇudūtas came, that "He is not offender. He is innocent criminal." So therefore the Yamadūtas came and immediately, very forcefully ordered, "Do not touch Ajāmila." Now, the next discussion we shall... It is very interesting.
Thank you very much. (end)
"If you touch, then you will be punished. Don't do it." (laughter) Ojasā. Ojasā. Ojasā means very strongly. Just like a master orders the servant, "You must do it," similarly, ojasā. This is the benefit of becoming Vaiṣṇava and chanting. If you chant offenselessly... This man had no offense. He was misguided accidentally, but he did not commit any offense. He did not perform all sinful activities, that "I am now chanting Nārāyaṇa, so it is being nullified. So let me go on doing these sinful activities and chant Nārāyaṇa." No, he did not do so. He did not know what is the benefit of chanting Nārāyaṇa's name. He did not know. So therefore, unconsciously, he was offenseless. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. If one thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and it is said, 'By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, everyone's sinful reaction of life becomes nullified,' so let me do these two thing," oh, that is very great offense. Nāmno balād yasya. You have heard about ten offenses. This is the gravest offense.
So Ajāmila did not do that. He was foolish. He became victimized unknowingly. So he was committing sinful, means cheating others, became a fraud because he thought, "This is my livelihood." But he was affectionate to his son. He is always chanting, "Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa," not purposefully, that "Let me chant Nārāyaṇa and commit all sinful activities." No, that is not. You should mark this. Therefore the Viṣṇudūtas came, that "He is not offender. He is innocent criminal." So therefore the Yamadūtas came and immediately, very forcefully ordered, "Do not touch Ajāmila." Now, the next discussion we shall... It is very interesting.
So ruling is there. You can say foolishly that "There is no ruling. I can do whatever I like." That you can do. Just like Ajāmila was doing. But now the two classes of messengers have come. The Yamadūtas have come to take him away because externally he is the most sinful man. Therefore they are protesting, "How is that? It is already settled up. This man has committed so many sinful activities. So they are under our jurisdiction. Who are you, you are forbidding us?" But the Viṣṇudūtas have come there because although he was sinful, although he was most impious, although he was a prostitute-hunter and cheater and so many good qualities, still, he has chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa at the end of his life. Immediately Viṣṇudūtas... This is the facility. Whole life sinful, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6), but he has remembered Nārāyaṇa at the end of his life. Very painful life. At the time of death it is very, very painful. We have got experience. Therefore you do not wish to die, because it is very, very painful. Similarly, after death, immediately, by the discrimination of Yamarāja, he gets another body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Daiva-netreṇa, by the supervision of superior power, the Yamarāja takes away, and then he gives a body. First of all he is put into the hellish condition of life as he will get.
They are surprising. "Nobody has checked us." Just like police... They come... Police comes to somebody's house, everyone knows there is some business, serious business. Who will ask the police, "Why you are entering here?" No. Nobody has right. (indistinct) But why this punishment? Just to save him from so many other punishments. That is the law in Manu-saṁhitā, that a murderer is killed, then his all sinful activities, reaction of life, finishes by that killing, by that hanging. Otherwise next life he has to suffer so many things. So when the king orders a murderer to be killed, it is his mercy. It is his mercy. Because he saves him from so many other entanglement. Better kill him so that his sinful reaction is finished. Similarly, Yamarāja, the sinful man taken to the Yamarāja, he is put into suffering, the same principle as a prisoner. He has to suffer for a time, six months or one year or sometimes more than that, just to atone for his sinful activities. So nobody can check. You can imagine that "There is no God, there is no Yamarāja, there is no punishment. Let me do." That is your fancy. But it is not the fact. Fact is, if we commit some sin we must suffer from it, and there is nobody in the world who can check it.
Thank you very much. (end)
So people... What is the meaning of this preaching? Why we are taking interest in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because the people in general, they are interested in preyaḥ, for their sense gratification, immediate sense gratification. But that is not good for them. Bhāgavata says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti: (SB 5.5.4) "Simply for sense gratification, they are committing so many sinful activities. It is like, just like madman." A madman does not know what he is doing. Similarly, the materialistic persons, they are so much engrossed and become maddened to commit everything simply for sense gratification. Indriya-prīti. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "It is not good. It is very risky life." If we indulge in sense gratification, Kṛṣṇa will give us facilities for sense gratification. Just like a monkey. A monkey has very good facility for sex life. A monkey, every monkey has got at least three dozen wives. Perhaps you know it. So he has been given the facility for sense gratification: "All right." But what is his position? He is a monkey. (laughter) Therefore it is called markaṭa-vairāgya. Markaṭa-vairāgya means that a monkey is renounced. He does not dress, naked. And he lives in the forest. And he eats also fruit, vegetarian.
Yes, but sometimes... That depends on the person. Sometimes... Those who are pious persons, they know that these rats, they are also hungry and they should be given some food. That is the vision of the pious person. And that is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in your house you should see not only to the welfare of your children. Even there is a lizard, there is a rat, even there is a snake, you should see how he is also comfortably situated. That is spiritual communism. In Vṛndāvana still, a snake found in the house is never killed, snake. Still a rat is never killed. If you kill a rat in Vṛndāvana, then so many people will come: "Oh, you are committing such sinful acts. You are killing a rat." That depends on the mentality of the person. You can take care of this animal, I mean to say, against the disturbance created by this animal, but you cannot kill them. That is not. But when it is unavoidable, we have to do like that. But as far as possible we should avoid. We have heard from our father that his elder brother in the village had a cloth shop, and there were rats. So at night he would keep a big bowl of rice in the middle of the shop, and the rats will eat whole night. They would not commit any harm to the cloth. They respect it. They are also hungry, they are also living entities. They have also right to live, to eat. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything. They are God's creatures. The food is not only meant for you, that you shall simply eat rice and not allow to the rats and cats. No. That is not Vedic injunction. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You can take precaution. After all, they are animals. But you cannot kill.
So guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair vibhāvyante yathā-tatham. Sūryaḥ agniḥ. Now, the creation, the God's creation, is going on, and we are acting under the influence of the material qualities. As such, when we act in tamo-guṇa, we become entangled with so many sinful activities. Tamo-guṇa. Tamo-guṇa means ignorance. We have to act because in the material world sometimes we are under the influence of goodness, sometimes we are under the influence of passion, sometimes we are under the influence of ignorance. So when we are in ignorance... Everyone commits sin or criminal activities simply by ignorance. Ignorance. Just like by ignorance a child touches a fire. The fire will not excuse. Because it is a child, he does not know, therefore the fire excuses? It does not burn his hand? No. Even it is child, the fire must act. It burns. Similarly, ignorance is no excuse of law. If you commit some sin and go to the law court and if you plead, "Sir, I did not know this law," that is no excuse. You have committed this criminal activity; even though you did not know the law, that does not mean you will be excused.
Devotee (5): Prabhupāda, you mentioned a person who commits sins because he is in ignorance.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee (5): What if the person knows what he is doing is wrong, and he knows what the ultimate result of his doings is also wrong, but he still commits? Is that still ignorance?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is ignorance-rooted, ignorance, heart, rooted in the heart. That can be... Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). You have to cleanse your heart. Then, when your heart is cleansed, then you will say, "No, no. No more I am going to do this. I have suffered so much. No. No." That is real knowledge. Unless your heart is cleansed, then, even though you know that "By committing theft I will be punished," you will commit, because the heart is not clear. Even though one knows that "By doing this, I will suffer," still, he will do that. That distinction is always there. Therefore the only method is this cleansing process in this age, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
So this man, being attracted with the śūdrāṇī, naturally there was children. So he began to maintain them. This is natural affection. Even cats and dogs, they maintain their children. The birds also, they maintain their kiddies. So although children were born of śūdrāṇī, natural, there was affection. So he required money. But he became sinful; he could not earn money honestly. A sinful man cannot earn money honestly. Just like a thief: because he has adopted the means of earning money by sinful activities, he cannot take to honest work. He can work, but he is accustomed to steal. He knows that "This work is not good." If he is arrested, he will be punished. He has seen that one thief arrested and punished, and he has heard also that if one steals, he will be punished. And he has heard also from the śāstra, either law book or Vedic literature, that "Stealing is not good. It is punishable." But still, he does it. That means a sinful man cannot restrain himself from sinful activity. He has to do it. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Unless you give up the particular situation with the modes of nature, it is not possible for him to restrain himself from committing sinful activities.
This is the responsibility of human life. This human life is not meant for working day and night like the dogs and hogs for sense gratification. At the present moment it is going on all over the world. Simply for sense gratification, they are working so hard. From hundred miles they are going to the working place, hanging on the Delhi passenger train. Sometimes there is accident. These things are going on, very hard labor like the asses. So this is also another punishment. The more punishment is awaiting, Yama-daṇḍa, at the court of Yamarāja. Not only they are suffering here, but they will be taken to the Yamarāja. And there, according to his work, abominable work, he will be punished. Therefore the Yamadūtas said, tata enaṁ daṇḍa-pāṇeḥ sakāśaṁ kṛta-kilbiṣaṁ neṣyāmaḥ. "Now it is our duty." Just like police force, they are engaged to arrest the criminals and take him to the court or to the police officer for necessary action, so these Yamadūtas, they have given sufficient reason that "This man has committed sinful life; therefore he is punishable."
So here the same thing is stated, tata enaṁ daṇḍa-pāṇeḥ sakāśaṁ kṛta-kilbiṣam: "He has acted sinfully; therefore he is punishable, and he must be taken to the Yamarāja." Neṣyāmo akṛta-nirveśam. Nirveśam means... Suppose I have committed some sins. I must be arrested. Sometimes a great criminal voluntarily goes to the police and surrenders because he knows, "I will be arrested, and if I surrender immediately, my punishment may be lesser." So you cannot escape the punishment. So punishment... Suppose you have stolen something. You must be punished for six months' imprisonment. That is the law. If you have killed somebody, then you must be killed. You must be hanged. This is the law. So that is called nirviśeṣam, to counteract. If I have stolen some property, then I must suffer imprisonment. This is counteracting, prāyaścitta. If you have infected some disease, then you must suffer for some time from that disease. So akṛta-nirveśam: "So he has not neutralized his sinful activities." Yatra daṇḍena śuddhyati: "Because he has not nullified his sinful activities by atonement or other measures, then he must be punsihed. Then he will be purified."
But this Ajāmila was cleansed of all sinful activity because at the time of his death he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. That's a fact. When we chant the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, the holy name of God, we immediately become free from all sinful reaction. That's a fact. It is said, eka hari-nāma yata pāpa hare, pāpi haya tata para kari bare nare(?). This is statement of śāstra: "By once chanting the holy name of the Lord, you become free from all sinful reaction of life." That's a fact. But the difficulty is that we become free; again we commit sinful life. That is the... Otherwise one chanting in life is sufficient. But that we do not do. We chant and again do the sinful activities. Nāmnad balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. This is the greatest offense, that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa; therefore I can continue to commit sinful activities. It will be adjusted. Balance will be zero." No. This is the greatest offense. Greatest offense. Nāmnad balād. Out of ten offenses, this is the greatest offense. Nāmnad balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. So this should not be done.
So here it is, the same thing said, that yasyāṅke śira ādhāya lokaḥ svapiti nirvṛtaḥ. The child is sleeping in the womb of the mother, and the mother is killing. Then where to take shelter? Similarly, this example is that "This Ajāmila, he might have committed some sins without knowledge. Now he is no more sinful because he has chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, and he is not to be punished." That is the purpose of the Viṣṇudūta. "So why you are dragging him, trying to take him to Yamarāja to punish him? You do not know that he is innocent. We have to..." The real purpose is that everyone... We commit sinful activities on account of ignorance. Therefore the best humanitarian work is to give knowledge to the humanity, not that one is suffering for want of food and... If I give some food, that is good work, but that is not sufficient. I may give food; that's all right. You give. We also give prasādam free. But that does not mean simply by giving prasādam, we are silent. We give knowledge also. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Food, automatically you have to give. That is... There is no prohibition. But at the same time: knowledge.
The charge of Viṣṇudūtas for the Yamadūta was that they did not know whom to arrest and whom not to arrest. Therefore he was criticizing. Yamarāja is meant for arresting the criminals, sinful persons. But these Yamadūtas came to arrest Ajāmila, who was already relieved from all sinful actions simply by chanting "Nārāyaṇa." That was not known to them. So in order to criticize them, that "You do not know where to go and where not to go," they described in so many ways. Now they are positively saying that ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveśo janma-koṭy-aṁhasām api: "Even though he committed sinful activity for millions of years, he is now free." Ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveśaḥ: "He has completely counteracted all those sinful activities." How? Yad vyājahāra vivaśo nāma svasty-ayanaṁ hareḥ. So vivaśaḥ: "Somehow or other, he has chanted the holy name of Hari." Asya pāpena daṇḍe kim artham akrośa kriyate tatrāhur ayaṁ hriyate:(?) (commentary) "Why you are attempting to arrest this person as criminal?" Yamadūta, yad yada vivaśi 'pi harer nāma vyājahāra uccaritavan:(?) "There was no intention of chanting the holy name of Hari, but even though consciously or unconsciously he has chanted the holy name of Hari, therefore he is now free."
So they were imitating. So gradually they also became devotees. Yad vyājahāra vivaśo nāma svasty-ayanaṁ hareḥ. Vivaśi 'pi harer nāma vyājahāra uccaritavan na kevalam prāyaścitta. Mātram harer nāma api tu svasty-ayanaṁ makara-sādhanam api.(?) So Śrīdhara Svāmī says that "This chanting of holy name of Nārāyaṇa, Hari, is not only counteracting his all sinful reactions, but he is now eligible to become liberated and being transferred to the spiritual world. Not only he has been freed from, but there is a reward for it." You see? Eka hari-nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa karibāre nare.(?) A sinful man is very expert in committing sinful activities, but here is a statement that the holy name of Hari is so powerful that even an expert criminal cannot commit as much sinful activity as by once chanting the holy name of Hari, it can be counteracted. He is unable. The expert criminal is very advanced in committing sinful life, but śāstra says that he cannot commit so many sinful life. The one chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so powerful.
So one may be not bewildered. They may criticize that it's too much, but it is not too much. It is actual fact. Actual fact. That is aparādha. One who thinks like that, that hari-nāma has not so much power that it can counteract, they are offender. For them it is not possible. But one who believes in the words of the śāstras, as it is stated here, for him it is actually effective. Artha-vāda. Out of ten offenses, artha-vāda, one who comments like that, that is artha-vāda, and that is offense. So those who are cultivating this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they should have firm faith in the statement of the śāstras that chanting of harer nāma is so powerful.
So it is our misfortune that we become doubtful about Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune. Otherwise, to become liberated, to go back to home, back to Godhead, very easy thing—provided we accept the Kṛṣṇa's version as it is, without any change. It is very easy. Kṛṣṇa, when He comes personally, He comes to bestow the mercy to the fallen souls, and He speaks very clearly that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more better positive truth than Myself." But we don't believe. That is the misfortune. But this man, although he did not know what he is doing, but very faithfully he chanted, vivaśaḥ, vivaśaḥ, without any hesitation. Vivaśaḥ. Vivaśaḥ means being forced. He was forced to chant. So yena tena prakāreṇa. If you chant without any committing any offense the holy name of the Lord, then you become liberated. This is the purpose of this Ajāmila upākhyāna. Ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveṣaḥ. Nirveṣa means atonement. If you commit some sin, then you should atone for it. Otherwise you have to carry the reaction of your sinful life to the next life. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, there is prāyaścitta. So prāyaścitta, that is also very heavy task. In this age nobody can perform prāyaścitta. And even one is able to perform prāyaścitta, then he..., there is possibility of again falling down unless one is clear consciousness, and that, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is every chance of falling down.
So the purport is that yadā nārāyaṇa āyeti jagāda catur-akṣaram. So Ajāmila was benefited, although he did not know the distinction between pious and impious activities on account of too much attachment with this material world. He was the husband of a prostitute, and he got some children. So to maintain the family and children he used to adopt any means. Never mind. He did not know what is sinful and what is not sinful. But his only credit was that he was chanting "Nārāyaṇa." He was chanting "Nārāyaṇa." It does not mean knowingly we shall commit sinful activities and chant "Nārāyaṇa." It is not meant, that. He did not know what is sin, what is not sin, what is Nārāyaṇa, but circumstantially he was doing all the sinful activities; at the same time he was chanting "Nārāyaṇa." This is by accident. He did not know that "I am becoming sinless by chanting Nārāyaṇa." He did not have that concept. Knowingly... Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. If somebody chants the name of Nārāyaṇa knowingly, that "I am chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa; therefore let me do, act some sinful activity," it will be counteracted. They are very sinful. They are not excused. But he was innocent. He did not know that what is the effect of sinful activities, neither he knew what is sinful activity, neither he knew what is Nārāyaṇa. Therefore it was going to his credit. The Viṣṇudūta informed the Yamadūta that "He is already cleansed. Don't worry about him," because he was chanting nārāyaṇāyeti. Nārāyaṇāyeti: "Nārāyaṇa, my dear son, please come here." He was very much attached. Yadā nārāyaṇeti jagāda. He uttered catur-akṣaram, four words, four alphabets only, catur-akṣaram.
Because they have been trained up with the atheistic temperament they will never surrender. They will go on committing sinful life, duṣkṛtina. They do not know what is the value of life, mūḍha. And in spite of getting this human form of life, still, they remain mūḍha. Therefore narādhamā, lowest of the mankind. "No. They are passing M.A., B.A. examination, and so many titles, academic career." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. This kind of knowledge has no value. The value is already taken away. Therefore you will find highly educated person: he is committing sinful life, organized. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. He does not know how to live. Why? The basic principle is āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because they have taken the atheistic way of life, therefore they are suffering.
So the Viṣṇudūtas say that "Even though one has committed so many sinful activities, if at the..., if once he utters the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, he becomes free immediately." That's a fact. It is not exaggeration. A sinful man, someway or other, if he chants this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he immediately becomes free from all reaction. But the difficulty is that he commits again. That is nāmāparādha, offense. There are ten kinds of offenses. This is the severest offense, that after being freed from all sinful reaction by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, if he again commits the same sin, that is a grievous criminal action. For ordinary man it may not be so severe, but one who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, if he takes advantage of this mantra, that "Because I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, even though I commit some sin, I'll be free," he'll be free, but because he is offender he will not achieve the ultimate goal of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Because he'll be freed, and again he'll commit—freed, again he'll commit—in this way there will be no chance of his liberation. But don't think that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one's sinful reactions are counteracted. That is not exaggeration. That's a fact. The difficulty is that one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, again commits sin, that is greatest sin. That is the greatest offense.
He may be a Vaiṣṇava, performing the devotional service in the routine work, but if his behavior is not sinless he is called kadācāra, sudurācāra. Of course, this sudurācāra, if it happens accidentally without any consciousness... Sometimes we commit some sinful activity without knowledge or due to my past behavior. That accident, if one repents that "I should not have done this, but I am so sinful that I have again committed this sin," so this repentance will help him to be excused by the Supreme Lord. But if one commits sinful life intentionally, that is not to be excused. That is to be taken seriously.
Just like in this place, confluence of the river of Yamunā and Gaṅgā, one of the associates of Lord Caitanya committed suicide. You know, Choṭa Haridāsa. This Choṭa Haridāsa was associate of Lord Caitanya. He was daily singing kīrtana, and he was very nice singer. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu liked him. He was one of the associates in Purī. But somehow or other, he became inclined for sense gratification. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Paramātmā could understand, and He immediately asked His other associates, "Not to allow this man to come before Me any more." So even Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and other big, big, big guns of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's associates, Rāmānanda Rāya, they requested that "This man is Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, he has committed this sin. So You kindly excuse him." Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so much stern in this respect that He immediately replied that "If you like Choṭa Haridāsa, better you remain with him. Let Me go away." So from that moment nobody ventured to request again Caitanya Mahāprabhu to excuse him.
Śyāmasundara: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...gain commit the sins, then you have to suffer.
Guest: We say, "oṁ namaḥ śivāya, oṁ namaḥ śivāya." What is the difference, oṁ namaḥ śivāya, oṁ namo hare rāma? You say Hare Rāma mokṣa. Oṁ namaḥ śivāya is no mokṣa?
Prabhupāda: No.
Guest: Who is Śiva?
Prabhupāda: Śiva is Śiva.
Guest: No, Kārttikeya, who...? Daitya...?
Prabhupāda: That's all right, but Śiva is Śiva.
Guest: Śiva, is he not a god?
Prabhupāda: He's a demigod.
Guest: Devi-god.
Prabhupāda: Demigod, not devi-god. Demigod.
Just like government gives you license, say for... One is... Every businessman is given some license. The municipality gives license. The sales tax department gives license, certificate. There are so many licenses a businessman has to follow, income tax licenses. But there are rules and regulations because all these departments know it very well that any businessman or karmī, he is sure to commit sinful activities. Therefore there are so many regulations just to stop him as far as possible from sinful activities. Similarly, there are twenty kinds of viṁśati-prakāśa-dharma-śāstra. How one can live faithfully, religiously, the directions are there in twenty kinds of scriptures made by Parāśara, Manu, and many other sages. There are different types. So therefore it is said here that na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhiḥ. Brahma-vādibhiḥ. Brahma-vādī means those who are trying to lead persons to realize Brahman. The whole direction of the Vedic injunction is to understand that "I am not this material body; I am spirit soul." And in order to understand this factual position there are so many directions in the dharma-śāstra or religious scriptures. And you'll find here the Yamadūta or Yamarāja will speak, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).
Really, originally, the, I mean to say regulator of religious principle is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is sometimes addressed as dharma-setu. Setu means bridge.
Na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhiḥ. Now here the Viṣṇudūta says that "The direction given in the religious principles, to get out of reaction of the sinful activities, they are not sufficient." Just like in Christian religion there is the direction that if anyone is sinful he should go to a priest and confess that "I have committed these things." And if the priest or the father who is supposed to be representative of God or Christ, if he excuses for his confession, then his sinful activities become null and void. Here it is said, na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhis tathā viśuddhyaty aghavān. Just try to understand that this direction cannot purify the sinful man so nicely because the same man who has confessed that "I have committed these sins," he again comes out of the church and again commits the same sin. Therefore he is not purified. He is not purified. Here it is said, na viśuddhyaty aghavān vratādibhiḥ. It is not only in Christian religion. In every religion there are some prescribed method that... Accepting as a matter of fact that every man is sinful, therefore in religious scriptures there are certain methods to purify them. But here the Viṣṇudūta says that these prescribed methods, although they are authorized and fact, but they cannot purify the heart of the follower of that religion. And you can see that as our Hindu-Muslim religion, even they perform the ritualistic ceremonies, they do not cease from committing the sins. Just like a rascal patient. He goes to the physician. The physician gives some medicine and gives some direction that "You take this medicine. Do not do this. You do not eat so many things. You eat like this." But he takes the medicine. For the time being he follows and again he commits the same mistake and again he goes to the physician and "Doctor, please give me medicine." This is going on.
In the śāstras there are different varieties of ritualistic ceremony, vratas, to counteract our sinful activities within this material world. The material world is so situated that if you do not want to become a sinful man, unless you are devotee, you will be forced to commit sinful activities. You'll be forced. Just like you are very good man, but when walking on the street you are killing so many ants. We have got experience while morning walk. You cannot avoid it. It is not possible. And you are responsible for killing the ant. Then? How you can save yourself from the sinful activities? Therefore in the śāstra it is said, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadam (SB 10.14.58). Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadam. If you want to stay within this material world, then padaṁ padam—"in every step there is danger." Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadaṁ na teṣām. Na teṣām. "Not for them." Who? Samāśritā ye pada-pallavaṁ plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ: "One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Murāri," means Kṛṣṇa. Samāśritā. Samyag āśritā. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). Samyak, fully. Sama means samyak, no reservation: "Kṛṣṇa, I do not know anything more. I simply surrender unto You. Now whatever You do, accepted. If you like to kill me, kill me. If you want to give me protection, that's all right. Anyway, I am surrendered." This is called full surrender.
So the bhakti-mārga, it is clearly said, it is, that you cannot be purified simply by performing the Vedic ritualistic ceremony. Na niskrtaiḥ. Na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhiḥ. Brahma-vādī means... Brahma means śabda-brahma, Vedic injunction. So there are many brahmavādīs. Just like Manu-saṁhitā. Parāśara, he has made viṁśati dharma-śāstras. So they are authorized things. But still, if you follow the ritualistic ceremonies, if you make atonement according to the Vedic direction, you cannot be fully purified, fully purified, because unless you are detestful of this material existence, unless you are determined to go back to home, back to Godhead. If you want to adjust in this material world to be happy, then you have to commit sinful activities. There is no doubt about it. Therefore it is said that you cannot be purified. Na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhis tathā viśuddhyaty aghavān vratādibhiḥ. Aghavān. Aghavān means sinful. Every one of us who is in this material world, he is sinful. So he has to be purified. So this best purification process is devotional service. And the purification process begins—anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: (Brs. 1.1.11) when you have no more any material desires. Then you..., the purification begins.
Tat karma-nirhāram abhīpsatāṁ harer guṇānuvādaḥ khalu sattva-bhāvanaḥ. Therefore tat karma-nirhāram abhīpsatām. Karma. Because if you are engaged in ordinary karma... Karma I have already explained. Karma means doing something for your personal benefit. That is called karma. Or, in plain words, doing something for sense gratification, that is called karma. And as soon as you engage your activities for such sense gratification or for your personal benefit, then you have to commit sins. That's a fact. Therefore we are entangled in this birth and death problem. So here the Viṣṇudūta advises that "If you want..." Tat karma-nirhāram abhīpsatām. "If you desire at all that 'I shall be freed from the resultant action of karma,' then your duty should be harer guṇānuvādaḥ khalu sattva-bhāvanaḥ. You simply try to glorify the Supreme Lord always, twenty-four hours. That will purify you." Khalu sattva-bhāvanaḥ. Sattva-bhāvanaḥ. Śrīdhara Svāmī says, sattva-bhāvanaḥ citta-śodhakaḥ. Sattva-bhāvana means citta-śodhaka. Citta means the heart, and śodhaka, the purifying process. So instead of taking yourself to these prescribed ritualistic ceremonies, if you simply engage your mind in describing or glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead... That is our process. Our only objective is how to glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are writing books, we are publishing magazines, we are preaching, we are going everywhere—just to glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That is our only business.
Now, the Viṣṇudūta concludes that "This Ajāmila, we know that throughout his whole life he has simply committed sinful activities. That's a fact. We know. But at the time of his death," mriyamāṇaḥ, yad asau bhagavan-nāma samagrahīt, "simply chanted the name of Hari, Nārāyaṇa," samagrahīt, "perfectly, without any offense." Just try to understand that simply by chanting one name only, Nārāyaṇa, samagrahīt, without any offense, he became immediately purified from all sinful activities. These are not exaggeration. This is the fact. Otherwise why Caitanya Mahāprabhu should encourage,
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)
You'll never find any disagreement with the śāstra, sādhu, and guru. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. That is our guidance. Sādhu. If you say Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a sādhu or a devotee, so His words and the words of the scriptures are the same. The sādhu will speak only on the authority of śāstra. And śāstra means the description given by the sādhu. They are correlative. And guru means who follows the sādhu and the śāstra. So these are very instructive. Sādhu who is always engaged in the service of the Lord, he is sādhu, bhakta. And śāstra. Śāstra means description of the activities of the sādhu and Bhagavān. Just like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So yad asau bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ samagrahīt. Because the Yamadūta..., yes, Viṣṇudūta says that "We know that this person was addicted to sinful activities throughout his whole life, but at the time of his death he has remembered. He has uttered offenselessly once the name of Nārāyaṇa." But one should not think that "All right. Let us go on committing all sinful activities, and at the time of my death I shall think of Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you practice when you are alive, when you are strong for chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa, then there may be chance. Otherwise it is not possible. Not that a layman will all of a sudden will chant "Nārāyaṇa." He must have previous practice. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). If you practice in your life chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa... I remember one of our teachers in our school life. He instructed that "If you always think that 'I shall pass my examination with distinction,' then you can pass in first division. If you think that 'I shall pass my examination in the first division,' then you may pass in the third division. And if you think that 'I shall some way pass my examination in the third division,' then you will fail." That means if you expect more than your capacity, then it may be possible that at the time of examination you get the right number and pass your examination.
Now, it is very nice conclusion. He says, the Viṣṇudūta says, sāṅketyam. Sāṅketyam means "simply by indication." Sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyam, "or by joking." Sometimes people joke us, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Haribol." That is... That has also its effect, pārihāsyam. Sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā stobham, "or with devotion and reverence," stobhaṁ helanam eva vā. Or helanam means "without giving any importance, if one chants." Helanam eva vā vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam. Vaikuṇṭha means Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa. Vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ. But even in such way one chants the holy name, then it can vanquish immediately many millions of sinful reactions. There is another Bengali verse, eka hari-nāme, yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa, karibāre nahe:(?) "Once chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's name, it has so potency, so much potencies that it can vanquish millions and millions of sinful reaction that so much a sinful man cannot commit." A sinful man can commit hundreds of thousands of sinful activities, but the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that a sinful man will be unable to commit so many sins as the name can vanquish simply by chanting once offenselessly. This is the conclusion.
But sinful activities must be there. We are put into certain condition; therefore it is called conditional life. Suppose you are very pious man. You are not killing any man or any cow—we are very careful—but still you have to kill. What is that? Because we are walking on the street. You have seen. You are killing so many ants. The position is like that. Even if you do not wish to kill, even if you are very pious man, still you have to kill, unconsciously or consciously. The world situation is like that. Anyone who has come here, he must commit sinful activities. As soon as you get this material body, then you must have to commit sinful activities, even if you are very careful. It is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām: (SB 10.14.58) "Every step there is vipadā." You cannot be excused. Because you are killing one ant unconsciously while walking, your name is noted. Your ticket is immediately there: "Oh, you have killed so many ants." The law is so nice. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). Automatically it is recorded, automatically, and you have to suffer.
The Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaj has said, dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali samana. In this material world... The material world means world of duality. And the absolute world means the world of one. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. That is absolute, spiritual world. There is one only, spirit. There is nothing, although there are varieties of spiritual manifestation. So, so long you are in this material world of duality, then you have to commit sinful activities. Therefore the whole Vedic literature is meant for taking you to the spiritual world. Tamasi mā jyotir gamā: "Don't remain in this material world of darkness. Come to the spiritual world." Tamasi mā jyotir gamā. This is instruction. And jyotir means that spiritual world. First appreciation of the jyotirmān, Brahman, Brahmaloka, Brahman effulgence, that is the first entrance. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11). Just like you see the sunshine: it is impersonal, only light. But if you have got power, strength, if you can go to the sun planet, that is another. This is also... Sun planet is also shining. The heat and light is there. And in the sunshine there is heat and light and shining. But the temperature in the sun globe is different from this temperature. And if you have got strength, then you can see who is reigning over that sun planet.
So yesterday we have explained that we are put into such position in this material world (pause) that we have to commit sinful activities. This is our position. Even if I do not want to do it. Just like a man accustomed to steal, he is dictated from within, "Don't steal." Otherwise why he goes at night to steal? He knows that "This is not good." He does not steal openly. Secretly, without any knowledge. Because he knows that "What I am going to do is not good." That's a fact. Therefore sometimes it is called black. So he is forced to do it.
It was questioned by Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa that "How one man is forced to commit sinful activities." So Kṛṣṇa replied, kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇa-samudbhavam. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So those who are in tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, they are forced to commit sinful activities, forced. There is no alternative. Therefore we have to come. Just like we go to school, college for education. What is the purpose? That "We are ignorant. We are illiterate, uneducated. Therefore I must go to school to learn, to become enlightened." Similarly, from the lower animal status we are coming by evolution, and in the human form of life, especially in the civilized human form of life, the enlightenment is that one should come from this tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa to sattva-guṇa. That is required. Therefore the brahminical culture is so much adored in India to make one from the lower status of life to the higher status of life. And that is very easily done simply by devotional service.
Viṁśati-prakāra-dharma-śāstrāḥ. There are twenty kinds of dharma-śāstra composed by Manu, Parāśara and others. They are very difficult. All of them are meant for counteracting our sinful life. This, as we have explained, material life is so arranged that even you do not like to commit some sin, in course of your life there will be sinful reaction. Just like we sing the prayers of Viśvanātha Cakravartī, saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. This world is so situated that there is a blazing fire always in this material world. Even if you do not want, still, that fire is there. Nobody wants blazing fire, dāvānala. Dāvānala means forest fire. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but it takes place. Similarly, this material world is also like that. Nobody wants, but still, miserable condition of life come in. Just like in Calcutta, nobody wanted the Naxalite disturbance, but it has come. There are so many troubles. And why this happens? Because their unconscious activities of sinful life... Just like we are walking on the street. Unconsciously, we are killing so many small ants and insects, unconsciously. I do not wish to kill, but we are, having situated, we are, being situated in material condition of life, we are unconsciously killing so many living entities.
It is clearly said, yama-daṇḍa. Those who are devotees, they are out of the jurisdiction of ruling of Yamarāja. It is especially stated here, te me na daṇḍam arhanti: "They are not liable for my punishment. Even they commit some mistake or fall down, or even they commit a very sinister, sinful activity, still, they are not under my jurisdiction." Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). But this concession... There are many other concessions. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who is engaged in devotional service, if unintentionally he commits some mistake and offense, I excuse."
So these are special cases, not that because Kṛṣṇa promises to excuse... Because Kṛṣṇa says that "Even though he has committed such sinful activities, still, he's a sādhu," and although Yamarāja says that "Those who are engaged in devotional service, they are out of my jurisdiction of punishment," so we should not take advantage of this concession. That is a great offense, greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. These concessions are there for the devotees, but not for intentional committing sinful activity. If by accident, if by previous habit, one commits some mistake or falls down, that is excused. And one should be repentant: "My dear Lord, I have committed this offense. Please excuse me." And one should fast.
And here also the Yamarāja says that te me na daṇḍam arhanty atha yady amīṣāṁ syāt pātakaṁ tad api hanty urugāya-vādaḥ: "Even if he has committed some sinful activities, because he is chanting the glories of the Lord, his sinful activity is not taken into account—excused." Te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā ye sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ. Bhagavat-prapannāḥ. How Yamarāja is eulogizing the devotees. Devotee is bhagavat-prapannāḥ. Bhagavat means to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prapannāḥ means fully surrendered. Bhagavat-prapannāḥ. The same thing is corroborated here. So just like Kṛṣṇa said, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), "I shall protect you from all sinful reaction," because there is declaration by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore His servant, the executor of the criminal department, Yamarāja, he also says that te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā ye sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ, that "A devotee who has fully surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are worshiped by devaloka, siddhaloka." The demigods also, they worship. They show full respect.
Śrīdhara Svāmī says the bhāva-yogam... Sarvātmanā vidadhate khalu bhāva-yogaṁ syāt pātakam. So bhāva-yogam, bhakti-yogam amīṣāṁ pātakaṁ na syād eva yadi syād urugāyasya vāda-kīrtanam. Actually a devotee never commits any sinful activities. They are so careful, they are so sober, and because they are protected by Kṛṣṇa they never think of acting anything sinful. But sometimes it happens because this material world, sometimes we are prone to fall down. A devotee... Just like Arjuna. He was not willing to kill his kinsmen. Although he was so much insulted, he was bereft of his kingdom, his wife was insulted, still, he was thinking that "What is the use of killing my family members? Let them enjoy the kingdom. I shall better beg and live." He was thinking in that way because a devotee, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). A devotee, a pure devotee, is naturally qualified with all good qualities. Automatically it comes as he becomes... Just like as a man suffering from fever decreases the degree of fever—he becomes healthy—similarly, with the increase of our degree of devotional service, naturally all the good qualities that is constitutionally existing in the pure soul... Pure soul, being part and parcel, it is naturally very pure. And Vedas says even when the soul is within the material existence, it is not mixed up.
They are called duṣkṛti. They could be utilized for making this life perfect, but instead of doing that, they are engaged in sinful activities. Sinful activities means sense gratification. Sense gratification, they are... When one becomes very much addicted to sense gratification... The symptoms are very prominent in this age. Everyone is working very hard simply for sense gratification. And as soon as you take this life of sense gratification, you are sure to commit sinful activities. For example, throughout the whole world there are so many breweries manufacturing liquor. Especially in the Western countries you will find so many, the advertisement, liquor advertisement, whiskey advertisement, cigarette advertisement. And what to speak of slaughterhouse? There are many, many hundreds and thousands of slaughterhouse. And innocent animals are being killed all over the world unnecessarily. People can live with food grains. That is allowed for the all living entities. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: (BG 3.14) "Simply by growing food grains, both the animals and the man, they can live very happily." And you can grow food grains very easily. I have seen in the Western countries, they are growing food grains for the animals, and the food grains are eaten by the animals, and the animal is eaten by man. They are producing food grains. What is the statistics that the animal eating food grains, the same time, the same amount food grains can be eaten by so many men?
Just we can be very happy by eating the food grains which must we have to produce either for me or for the animal. Without producing food grain you cannot even eat the meat. Because they want food grains, they want vegetables, so you have to produce. But because we have uncontrolled senses, instead of eating the grains, we are eating the animals. So this is called adānta-gobhiḥ. We do not consider that "The life which I am killing for my subsistence, it is eating grain, and I can also eat grain. So why shall I commit this sinful life by killing another living being?" So you cannot do that. You are not allowed to kill even an ant. Just like in any state suppose one man is useless; he is not doing anything. So you cannot kill. The state will take step. You will have to be hanged. You cannot say that "This man was useless; it has no utility for the society. Therefore I have killed him." No. That is consideration of the human being. That is man-made law. But God-made laws, any living being, if you kill, the same punishment. But that we do not know on account of our uncontrolled senses. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram. We do not know that by killing innocent animals we are going to the darkest region of hellish life. Actually that is happening now, hellish life. The child is in the womb of the mother; it is hellish condition, with stool, urine, it is floating. And there also the life is not safe because at the modern advanced civilization the child is being killed even by the mother. This is going on.
We are, every one of us, we are fully under the control of material nature. We have put ourselves, in different bodies, we are fully under the control of material nature. There is no question of independence. In the śāstra it is described just like a horse or a bull is bound up in the nose and the driver, as he push, pull on the rope, it has to go according to that. There is no independence. So our so-called declaration of independence, "There is no God. There is no control. Whatever we like we can do," this means ignorance. And in ignorance we commit so many mistakes, and that is sinful activity.
Sinful activity means do irresponsibly anything we like, and we become entrapped in sinful activities. But as we have got experience in our ordinary life that ignorance is no excuse... Suppose a child touches fire. The fire will not excuse because it is a child. No. Either you are a child or grown-up man, when you touch the fire it will act. There is no excuse. Similarly, knowingly or unknowingly, if we do something wrong, we have to be punished. This is the law of nature. There was an instance, one muni, he was brought to Yamarāja's court and he was..., judgment was given that this man should be punished by śūla. Śūla means one iron rod pushed through the rectum and it will pierce through the head. But the man was condemned to death, and this is the punishment. So the, he was a sage, muni.
This is the facility. Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sanjāyate (BG 6.41). Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvaḥ (SB 1.5.17). One has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but on account of immature Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he falls down, falls down like that, then he gets... Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sanjāyate śucīnāṁ. But if one purposefully commits mistake and sinful life, "Now I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. I can do all sinful life. It will become counteracted," that rascal will be punished very, very much. Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. "I am living in Vṛndāvana. Oh, it is dhāma, so let me do all nonsense. It will be counteracted." They'll be these cats and dogs and monkeys in Vṛndāvana. Dhāmāparādha. Dhāmāparādha. Of course, Vṛndāvana's influence will be there, but at least one life he has to become the hog and dog in Vṛndāvana. Then next life he'll be... Because as soon as he becomes animal, there is no scope of unlimited committing sinful life. Animals are restricted. They can commit one kind of sinful life. That, the human being, because he is very intelligence, he commits unlimited duration of sinful life. That is another danger. So one who commits this sinful life in Vṛndāvana, remember, he has to become next life cats and dogs. There, as you see, there are many dogs, hogs. But still, Vṛndāvana-dhāma is so powerful that next life he will get salvation, even if he has become dogs and hogs. But that is not good. Why should we act in such a way that in Vṛndāvana-dhāma we shall commit sinful life and become a cats and dog? Jaya jaya vṛndāvanavāsī yata jana. We should be careful. We should be careful, especially in dhāma, dhāmāparādha.
So on account of this deep affection for maintaining family, everyone is risking life. The example is given here that taskaraḥ. There are many professional thieves, any country, India also. They are family men—not they are loafers—but their business is to steal. Their business is to steal. Why? They steal, they know it is risky,. He has heard it that "If you steal you'll be arrested, you'll be put into jail." Knowledge is gathered by hearing and by seeing. Hm? In Hindi it is called 'dekha śuna'-dekhavyair śunavyair, that "Have you seen or heard it?" That is experience. So thief knows he has heard it from lawbooks that stealing is not good, and from religious scripture also, that "It is sinful. Do not commit theft. Do not become criminal." But still he does, at the risk of ad At night he goes in the house of rich man and risk his life. Especially in Western countries, there is fire gun, and trespassers, even without permission, if anyone enters anyone's house, he can kill him. Is it not the law in your country? Trespassing? So there is risk of life, but he has entered the house for stealing. And why stealing? The family affection. That is the impetus for economic development. The Professor Marshall, the economist, he has given the definition, that "Wherefrom the economic development begins? By family affection." Or by sex attraction. So this earning money, there are so many smugglers, so many illicit businessmen, black market, they are risking their lives to get money. The purpose is when one becomes too much attached to family life and too much devoted to maintain it, he doesn't care. He has to earn money, some how or other, even risking life. Even risking life.
Prabhupāda: But do you mean to say śūdras should be allowed to kill? Law, the state law, does allow that "He is a śūdra. He is a lower class of man. Let him commit murder, and the law will not be applicable to him"? Does it mean? This contraceptive method is equivalent to commit murder. So either you are śūdra or a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, but it doesn't matter. If you commit murder, then you are putting yourself in difficulties.
Guest (2): Is it true that in India śūdras are kept more leniently than brāhmaṇas are?
Prabhupāda: No. No. Why?
Guest (2): I just wondered.
Prabhupāda: No. The law does not ask, "Are you brāhmaṇa or are you śūdra?" But according to Vedic system, rather, brāhmaṇas are treated very leniently because they are not so sinful. Just like Aśvatthāmā. He happened to be a brāhmaṇa, and he committed a great sin, killing the five innocent... (end)
Even if you are very careful not to kill even an ant, still, unperceptibly, imperceptibly, you, while walking, you kill so many ants. And don't think that you are not sinful for that purpose. You become sinful. Especially those who are nondevotees, they must be responsible for killing so many small creatures while walking or while... There is waterpot, you have seen. So many small animals are there. Even by moving the waterpot, you kill so many living entities. While igniting fire in the oven, there are so many living entities. You kill them. So consciously, unconsciously, we are in such a position in this material world that we have to commit sinful activities even if we are very, very careful. You have seen the Jains, they are after nonviolence. You'll find they keep a cloth like this so that the small insects may not enter the mouth. But these are artificial. You cannot check. In the air there are so many living entities. In the water there are so many living entities. We drink water. You cannot check it. It is not possible. But if you keep yourself fixed up in devotional service, then you are not bound.
Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If your life is dedicated for yajña, for serving Kṛṣṇa, then the inevitable sinful activities which we commit without any knowledge, we are not responsible. Manye mithe kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ puṇyaya eva kalpate (?). So our life should be dedicated simply for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then we are safe. Otherwise we must be entangled with so many reaction of our activities and bound up in the repetition of birth and death. Mām aprāpya nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3).
You'll find the same quality. Just like a small drop of sea water. You analyze it, what chemicals are there—the same chemicals are in the ocean. The difference is quantity. Quality, the same. That is called acintya-bhedābheda tattva. We are qualitatively one with God, not quantitatively. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think we are also quantitatively the same. That is mistake. That is not possible. Otherwise why it is said, sthito na tu tamo na guṇāṁś ca yuṅkṣe? This... He is so big that He is above these qualities. Just like we become infected in a filthy place, but the sun does not become infected. It, rather, sterilizes that infected place. So we should not compare with God, that "I am equal to Him." No. That is not possible. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). The sun, when it absorbs water from the urinal, he is not infected. He makes that urinal sterilized. Similarly, if sometimes we see some behavior of the Supreme Lord which appears from social, our social point of view as not permitted... But He can do anything. That is the meaning of all-powerful. But He's not affected. He's not affected. Apāpa-viddham. Apāpa-viddham, in the Upaniṣad, Īśopaniṣad, that sinful activities... He cannot do anything which is sinful. God is always good. But to our calculation, limited calculation, if we see that He is committing something sinful, it is not sinful. It is sterilizing. The same example. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya. If by chanting His holy name we become sinless, how God can become sinful? It is not possible. This is common sense.
You have read the life of Ajāmila. He was very, very sinful. He committed so many sinful activities. But at the last moment he simply chanted Nārāyaṇa. Immediately he became free. Immediately Viṣṇudūta came to rescue him from the hands of the Yamadūta. Just see what is the power of chanting the holy name of... So this is fact, that if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa we immediately become free from all contamination of this material world, provided we don't commit it again. That is required, that... We finish all the resultant action of contamination of this material life, provided we remain without being fallen again. Therefore there is daśa-vidha-nāmāparādha. You know ten kinds of offenses. So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra being careful not to commit the ten kinds of offenses, then you are immediately liberated. The most dangerous offense is nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. If we think that "I am so fortunate. I have got this hari-nāma and it can vanquish all kinds of sinful reaction, so very good instrument. So I go on committing all kinds of sinful activities and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be neutralized," this is the most dangerous offense. Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Because I am chant... "I know that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa I shall be free from all resultant action of sinful..., so let me go on, and throughout whole day I shall commit all kinds of sinful activities and in the evening I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will be finished." This rascaldom is very, very dangerous. We must be very careful. Don't take Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as an instrument to neutralize your sinful activities. Don't take it. It is a fact that as soon as you are initiated with Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you become free, but don't commit it again. Āra nā re bāpa (?).
Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi was most dangerously sinful persons, and they surrendered to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You know the story, that he injured... Both the brothers injured Nityānanda Prabhu. Still, Nityānanda Prabhu was so persistent that He decided that "Inspite of all the faults of these two persons, I shall deliver them." So when He was injured by these two brothers, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very, very angry, and He immediately called for His cakra to kill these sinners. But Nityānanda Prabhu requested, "My dear Lord, in this incarnation You promised that You'll not take any weapon to kill. So don't kill them. Have mercy on them." This is Vaiṣṇava. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu became pacified. In the meantime these two brothers fell on the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's lotus feet: "Sir, excuse us and save us." In this way they became surrendered. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu made one condition, that "You have committed so many sinful activities. I shall excuse them immediately, provided you promise that you'll not commit again." This is initiation. This is called initiation, that to the spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa we surrender. He immediately excuses all sinful reaction of life. But if we commit again and again, that is not very good proposal. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we become immediately free, undoubtedly, but if we take it as an instrument for committing sinful activity, then the danger is very...
Just like in the Christianity there is a process of confession?
Prabhupāda: That throughout the whole week he'll commit all sinful activities, and on Sunday he'll simply agree, or what is called?
Devotee: Confess.
Prabhupāda: That "I have committed, yes. I have committed these sins," and give some fine. This process is not good. We should not do that, confession, "Yes, sir, I am..." I think in your country there was a movement, Moral Rearmament. Their process was that "You commit sinful activities, but you confess. Then it will be neutralized." That was their formula. But I don't think it was successful. It could not be successful. That is not possible. Process is that "By my karma I have become sinful. Now I have got the remedial measure, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, but I shall not commit again." Then he's successful. Then it is successful, immediately. Nāmnād balād... But we should not take advantage of this.
| Page Title: | Committing sins (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 17 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=181, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 181 |