This temple, these ISKCON centers are open, just to give everyone the chance of hearing about Kṛṣṇa so that his dirty heart may be cleansed. This is the purpose. We have no other purpose. We are not opening these centers for some material benefit. No, we want to give to the whole world the spiritual enlightenment without which they are suffering. And this human form of body is especially meant for this purpose to understand our spiritual position.
Human form of body (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:
Therefore from the very beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the first aphorism of the Vedānta-sūtra is there, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). In the Vedānta-sūtra the first quote is athāto brahma jijñāsā, "Now we have to inquire about Brahman, the Absolute Truth." That is the business of human being. Because in other life other than the human form of body, we have simply passed our time in the matter of bodily necessities of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam.
Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:
Guest: What is evolution, according to the Vedas? What is this evolution that is talked about by the scientists?
Prabhupāda: Evolution means changing of different bodies. The spirit soul is changing from one body to another, and finally he's coming in the human form of body. This is a chance to know the actual position. And if he takes this chance, he can go back home to, back to Godhead. Otherwise, he is again put into the cycle of birth and death in different species of life.
Guest: From what I've heard, I've heard it explained that the body is made up of many, many different living entities.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Lecture on SB 1.2.4 -- Rome, May 28, 1974:
Although he is pulled by the ear, by the material nature, he is thinking he is free, he is freedom. They are struggling for freedom. What is this nonsense, freedom? You are under the grip of the material nature. Where is your freedom? Now you have got, nature has given you this human form of body. Next you may get another body, next you may... That is completely under the control of material nature.
So they do not know. They do not know, completely in darkness. Tamo 'ndham. Therefore those who are eager to cross over the ocean of ignorance, for them, these instructions are there. Nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam (SB 1.2.4). You have to go in the paramparā system, submission, tapasya, jñāna. Bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. So by jñāna, by knowledge, by tapasya, you have to make progress. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:
This is apara, because your relations with America, or an Indian's association with India, is temporary. You may remain as American, say, for hundred years. Not so much. Generally, fifty, sixty, seventy, utmost hundred years. Then, after hundred years, as soon as your body is changed, even as human form of body, you may not be American—you may be Chinaman. Or if not human form of body, then we may become something else, god's or dog's also. There is no guarantee because after you give up this body you are completely under the grip of material nature. The material nature will award you a particular type of body according to your work. So as soon as the body is changed, the whole atmosphere is changed. You are no longer American. You are no longer Indian. You are something else. Therefore your characteristic of rendering service to the nation, that is not permanent. That is temporary, apara. Apara means temporary, inferior.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:
If you do not become attracted by Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, śrama eva hi kevalam, simply you are wasting time.
So our propaganda is that do everything, but don't waste your time. Make improvement. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Just like by evolutionary process you have come to this human form of body, you can make farther improvement. You can do to other planets. There are many, many other planets where thousand times better standard of life is there. We cannot go. We are so conditioned. Although we are seeing all the planets, the sun planet, moon planet... They are trying to go to the moon planet, but that's a failure. So you cannot go in that way. There is process: yānti deva-vratā devān. If you want to go there, then deva-vrata, you have to worship that deva.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:
Therefore the Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "This life, human form of life, which is achieved after evolution of 8,400,000's of forms of life..." It is called labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). Idaṁ śarīram. This human form of body is achieved, bahu-sambhavānte, after achieving many, many other lower forms of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. So many different forms of life we had to pass through to come to the standard of human life. Therefore this life is not meant for spoiling like cats and dogs. This is jñānam. The spoiling the life like cats and dogs means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna... eating, sleeping, defending and sexual intercourse. These are the bodily demands. Sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. These are common formulas for the cats and dogs and the human being. But what is the meaning of human being?
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:
"Give me this kind of body." That will be decided by superior authority, daiva netreṇa, karmaṇā daiva ne. These are the scientific knowledge, but unfortunately, there is no culture of this scientific knowledge. Superficially, simply for sense gratification, that is going on in the name of advancement of civilization. Actually it is very risky civilization. Suppose after this body, human form of body, if I get the body of an animal or a tree. There is every chance. Wherefrom the tree comes? Wherefrom the tiger comes, the cat comes, the dog comes? There are demigods also. So you can get any form of life. Dehāntaram. Kṛṣṇa says personally, tathā dehāntara. This is bogus theory that after death everything is finished. No. There is another life, and the species of life are in your form, 8,400,000 of species, and we have to accept, according to our karma, a type of body given by the material nature.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:
If we miss this opportunity, then we are committing suicide. Again I..., we're going back in the cycle of birth and death, and we do not know when again we shall come to this form of human body. So we should not misuse this human form of body. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings,
- hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu
- manuṣya-janama pāiyā
- rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā
- jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu
"Knowingly, I am drinking poison. I have heard that this life is meant for understanding for Absolute Truth, but I am spoiling my life in the business of sense gratification. So therefore I am drinking poison knowingly." Just like somebody takes poison knowingly, that "I, I must die." But he wants to end. So that is not our aim of life. We should properly utilize the opportunity given by nature, given by God. That is required.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:
Yes. So here the fact, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. It is not that you have to work very hard. The... Everywhere in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that is the instruction. In one place, in the Fifth Chapter of Fifth Canto, while Ṛṣabhadeva was instructing His boys, He also said, nāham, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This human form of body is not meant for working hard like the dogs and the hogs for simply for sense gratification; it is meant for tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). The human life is meant for tapasya, self-realization, tattva-jijñāsā. That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization.
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:
So human life is not meant for that purpose. It is a chance given by the nature's way. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. Eight million, four hundred thousands forms of life we are passing through. Nature has given a chance, this human form of body, especially civilized form of body... (aside:) Hmm? Don't do that. What is the purpose? Just like try to understand, a government servant, a big minister or M.P.'s, they're given all facilities of living condition, good bungalow, nice salary, servant. What is the purpose? The purpose is that with cool brain, satisfied mind, they'll do, be able to render valuable service to the administration. That is the purpose. Similarly, human being has been given so much facilities. The grains, the fruits, the flowers, the milk, intelligence to construct nice house, nice road, nice cities. The cats and dogs, they cannot do it. Why?
Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:
That is real life. That is perfection. Because you have to make your life perfect by satisfying Kṛṣṇa, satisfying God. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you want perfection, But if you want again to become cats and dogs, which you have already passed through and now you have come to this human form of body, then you do whatever you like. But if you want to make this life perfect, stop this business of becoming repeatedly cats and dogs and trees and this and that, then this is the process: tasmād bhārata. Ekena manasā. Concentrating fully. Ekena. With one attention. No diversion. Ekena manasā, bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ. Don't be afraid that "If I simply concentrate my mind in Kṛṣṇa, then how other things will go on?" No. Bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ. He is very careful about His devotee. Kṛṣṇa, God, is giving everyone's food, but that is according to karma, according to his quality and position. He's getting food. Just like hog is getting food, but he cannot get more than stool.
Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:
This is the law. This is the law. Not that my body is turning.
So you can become dog; you can become god also. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). So you create your body at the present moment. You have got the facility, the human form of body. Now you can make your choice, whether you are going to be dog or whether you are going to be god. Both. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. "Those who are devotees engaged in My devotional service, they come to Me." And when you go to God, you must have a body like God. Just like if you want to enter into the water, then you must have a body like a fish. Otherwise you cannot enter into the water. Similarly, when you enter the spiritual world, then you have a body like God. And if you don't want, if you want to enjoy unrestricted sense, then you take the body of a hog. So nature is open to everyone. You can select your own. Not that you are forced.
Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:
So you desire to do something, Kṛṣṇa gives you a particular type with the senses, and you act. This is the change of body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. Daiva-netreṇa, by superior examination it is settled up that "This man or this beast is dying..." Of course, for lower than animals, they have got natural process of evolution. But when you come to the human form of body, you have got responsibility. Now you can make your next life better than this or lower than this.
Just like one man is given the chance of become some minister or magistrate. If he does very nice, he is promoted; otherwise degraded. Similarly, this human form of life is meant for understanding God. That is the only business. If we don't understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa and our relationship with Him, then we are missing the point. Then we become entangled, entangled. This entanglement is karma-granthi-nibandhanam, by our karma.
Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:
Alpa-medhasām. Alpa-medhasām means people do not know. Suppose I take some material benefit, temporary benefit... Every material benefit is temporary. Whatever benefit we have in this life, as soon as this body's finished, all our benefit finished. Then I'll have to take another body which may not be even human form of body. Sometimes we are being too much attached to our present possession. We remain in the possession, but in a different form. In a different form. There are many, I mean, Puranic, Pauranic indences(?). That is long story, that by karma, we take birth in different forms of life, and if we have got too much attachment... Sometimes a person, the proprietor of the house, after death, remains in that house as serpent, sometimes as dog, sometimes as tree. Being too much attached to the possession, they cannot get better life. And sometimes we can get the body of a hog and monkey in Vṛndāvana also.
Lecture on SB 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:
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.
Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:
Some of them foolishly think that once one gets this human form of life he does not glide down. Is it not? He remains in the human form of life. No. There are many instances. Just like Bharata Mahārāja, he got the body of a deer. There are so many instances.
So it is not a permanent settlement that once we have got this human form of body we cannot glide down. We can glide down. Bhagavad-gītā says: yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death the mental position will give you another body of the same type as you are mentally absorbed at that time. So therefore we have to prepare, we have to prepare ourselves so that at the time of death we may... Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death we can once think of Kṛṣṇa. Then our life is successful. It is said in Bengali that bhajana kara sādhana kara matijanle haya.(?) What is that? That whatever spiritual advancement you are doing, that's all right. The test will be at the time of your death.
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:
Non-Kṛṣṇa conscious men, they have been described as mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Lowest of the mankind. They will not surrender to Kṛṣṇa on account of their mischievous and sinful life and being fool number one, duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, and being the lowest of the mankind. And mankind means, lowest of the man... In human form of body one can understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa con..., but he will not take to this. Therefore he is called narādhama, lowest of the mankind. In the human form of body, there is a chance, but they will not take it. Therefore nar... Why they do not take it? There are so many M.A., Ph.D., D.H.C. and doctors and Nobel Prize holder. Why they do not? Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. That māyā has taken away his knowledge. He will not allow. He will not allow. Māyā will not allow to take.
Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- Mayapura, September 30, 1974:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). We come here, and Kṛṣṇa also comes here. So what is the difference? The difference is we are forced to come here by the laws of nature according to our karma. We do some activities, sinful or pious, mostly sinful. So we create another life, and we are forced to enter into such body. It may be now I am in the human form of body. Next life, according to my karma, I may be forced to enter into the dog's li..., dog's body. So we are forced. There is no, I mean to say, choice. I cannot say (to) nature that "Do not put me into the dog's body. Kindly put me into the king's body." No. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). This decision will be taken by superior authority. You cannot dictate that "I shall become like that." No, that is not possible. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.9.1 -- Los Angeles, May 15, 1973:
By its different work, he has got a different dress only. Just like we are sitting so many persons, and we have got our different dresses according to our different choice, similarly, we get these bodies. We are all sons of God. There is no doubt about it. We (are) all spirit soul, either in the human form of body or animal form of body or tree form of body, anything. Sarva-yoniṣu. We are all living entities. But we have got different dresses. That's all. According to karma. This is the philosophy. So we cannot make that "These dressed living entities are important than the other dressed living entities." No. Everyone. The paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Those who are actually learned, paṇḍita, sama-darśinaḥ, they are equal, equipoised: "Never mind, here is a dog, he is also living entity; and here is a brāhmaṇa, he is also living entity. By his work he has got the body of a brāhmaṇa, and here he has got the body of a dog. But as living entity, they are all equal.
Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:
So in the previous verse it has been described that nature was favorable. The river, the hills, the mountains, forests, vegetables, creepers, these are our natural surroundings. Animals... Everyone was complete. It is a cooperation. So many living entities, according to karma, we have got different bodies. Some has got the human form of body, some has got the body of an animal, some has got the body of a tree, creeper. Sometimes hills, mountains, also. Everyone. Their business is cooperation. We can study from our own body. There are different parts of the body, but it is a business of cooperation. Hand, legs, eyes, ears, nose, they are all cooperating for the upkeep of the body. Similarly, all living entities—may be in different types of bodies—they are meant for cooperating in the matter of serving the Supreme Lord, central point. (aside:) Just see the...
Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:
Viṣaya-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale, juṛāite nā koinu upāy. So if a man simply goes on suffering like this, then he is not a human being. Human being means if there is suffering, he must try to alleviate it, to mitigate the suffering. That is human being.
That is... Nature gives us this human form of body, intelligence, that if there is danger, if there is anxiety, he tries to get out of it. The animals also do, but they cannot do very nicely. Just like animals are slaughtered. So they know when they are put into one, what is called, pound and they know that they will be slaughtered, but they have no means to get out of it. So the human being can do that. If I foresee, "There is some danger, I can make some way to get out of it." That is human intelligence. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "Although I had the intelligence to get out of these material anxieties, the blazing fire within the heart, but I did not take it." And what is that? Now, hari-nāma prema-dhana...
Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:
Therefore you must suffer. You are using your intelligence... Your intelligence was given to understand what is God, what is your relationship with God, why you are rotting in this material world under shadow illusion of so-called happiness. These things are to be known in human form of body. Not like working very hard like cats and dogs and asses and eat little food and do all sinful activities. This is not human intelligence.
So who will control? If the king, the head of the government is perfect, then he will control. So that is all gone. Therefore we are suffering. Therefore Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, first business is, before appointing his grandson, he was very eager to know, "Whether he is competent, exactly my representative?" This is the business of the king. And toya-nīvyāḥ patim. Toya-nīvyāḥ patim means the whole world, not the modern India, a few yards of land, no. The India was governing. India, the king or the emperor of Hastināpura, he was the emperor.
Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:
So religion means, we have already explained, religion means the science of God. So the chance is there in the human form of body to understand the science of God. In the body of cats and dogs, it is not possible. Therefore this life should be fully utilized for understanding the science of God, and understanding... As Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja... Now he is closing the business. The business is that "I am creating this body." Just like a businessman opens a business house. Sometimes when the business is simply troublesome, he liquidates. Similarly, we should come into the understanding that our material business is always troublesome. Is it not troublesome? Practical, material business. Suppose in this life you have got all good facilities. You have got a skyscraper building, nice... Suppose you are Mr. Ford. He was a very rich man in your country. So where is Mr. Ford now? That they do not see. That they have no eyes. In Paris I saw some statue of Napoleon. There is written, "Napoleon is France; France is Napoleon." But I inquired that "Where is Mr. Napoleon?
Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973:
That you can get in this birth. Therefore twice-born. You must get another birth, through the initiation of the spiritual master, dīkṣā. Dīkṣā means initiation. Di means divya jñānam, and kṣa means kṣapayati. From the day of initiation, you simply get spiritual knowledge, transcendental knowledge. That is the special significance of human form of body. Therefore in the Vedic civilization, the classification is made: first-class, second-class, third-class, four-class men.
There are three guṇas. The material world is conducted by three guṇas, means the quality of goodness, the quality of passion, the quality of ignorance, and mixed. So first, second, third, and the mixed is called fourth. That is called varṇāśrama. Cātur-varṇyam. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). According to quality and karma. So the first, second, and third-class division, they are all dvijas, twice-born.
Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974:
"Please distribute book, distribute book, distribute book." A greater mṛdaṅga. We are chanting, playing our mṛdaṅga. It is heard within this room or little more. But this mṛdaṅga will go home to home, country to country, community to community, this mṛdaṅga.
So it is advised that nṛ-loke. Nṛ-loke means the human form of body, in the human society. We don't discard that "This is American society" or "This is European society," "This is Indian society..." No, all human being. All human being. It doesn't matter what he is. All human being. What to speak of civilized men, even uncivilized, anārya. They are also described in the Bhāgavatam. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). These names are there. Kirāta. Kirāta means the black, the Africans. They are called kirāta. Kirāta-hūṇa āndhra. Hūṇa, the nation or the community on the North Pole, above Russian, German, they are called hūṇa. There are so many we do not know.
Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974:
So this kind of thinking by the person who is in māyā, that is also māyā. Therefore they are called Māyāvādī. Māyāvādī means all their philosophy is also māyā. It has no meaning. Therefore they are Māyāvādī. They are handling something in the māyā. Therefore they are called Māyāvādī.
So here it is said that nṛ-loke. Nṛ-loke, in this human form of body... Here advising, aho nṛ-loke pīyeta hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ. This is advised. Those who are born in the human society, they should join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement where simply hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ, there is no other business. What is our business here? Constantly, twenty-four hours, we are engaged in hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ. That's all. And so long you are engaged in hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ, there is no question of death. There is no question of death. Then if you say, "We are seeing that devotees are dying," "Yes, but death has been stopped. "Then still, why he is dying?"
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:
This is Kṛṣṇa's position. Therefore the Vaiṣṇava kavi advises, bhaja huṅ re mana śrī-nanda-nandana, abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. Durlabha mānava, durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge taraha e.
Now we have got this human form of body, durlabha, very, very rare. This human form of body is obtained after many millions of years. Not very easily. Because we had to come through the evolutionary process, 8,400,0000 species of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Therefore this human form of life should not be wasted. Here is the solution of all the problems of life. Don't neglect it. Therefore it is advised, durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge taraha e bhava-sindhu re. E bhava-sindhu. This is the ocean, this is the ocean of nescience, ignorance. What is that? Bhava. Bhava-sindhu means take birth again and again. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).
Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:
Durlabham means to gain with great difficulty. This responsibility must be there in the human form of life. Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. After many, many appearances. And what is this? Mānuṣya, man, human form of body. Artha-dam: and you can achieve a great success in this life. This is the hint given. Therefore for that great success everyone should try his best. And one may think that "Now we are young men, young boys and girls. Let us enjoy life." And that facility is very much easy to obtain in your country. In the school, college or society, the young boys and young girls, they have got ample facility for enjoying material life. Enjoying material life means sex life. So Bhāgavata says, "No. You should immediately try for the ultimate success of your life. Don't spoil your life."
Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:
Therefore, our journey has begun, we do not know when it has begun, but it is going on through different(?) species of life. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara means one body after, one body after, one body after it is going. So here in this human form of body is a chance. Lower than this human form of life you cannot understand self, ātma-tattva, it is not possible. But you can understand in this human form of life what is ātma-tattva. If you miss this chance, if you do not work to understand what is ātma-tattva, what is self, what is Superself, what is the spiritual world, how things are going, so many things you have to know, if you don't know, if you don't try to know, then you are missing the point. And missing the point, we are busy. So how we are busy? That is described in the next verse. How? Nidrayā hriyate naktam. We are spoiling our life by sleeping. Nidrayā hryate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ, or by sex. At night we have got two business.
Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:
What he is enjoying? Enjoying stool. It is very good for him enjoyment. But it is not for enjoyment for you. You'll..., that, "Oh, what a nasty animal it is. It is eating stool." But he is enjoying.
So this is the business of God, thankless task. Everyone wants to enjoy life in a different way, and he has to find out a particular type of body. In the human form of body you cannot eat stool. Your mouth, your hands, your legs are differently made. So for eating stool, you must have a particular type of body, mouth, taste, tongue, everything different. Then you will enjoy stool. A tiger, his body is different because he wants to enjoy fresh blood from another animal. So he has got a different type of body. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, nānā joni sadā phire kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. We get different types of body and we eat different types of all nasty things. Nasty things. Because we have got a particular type of body. But actual human body is that, Kṛṣṇa conscious body.
Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:
So if we do not take the privilege of accepting the second father and mother, then what is the difference between your birth and dog's birth? That is stated: janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. You have got this human form of body, the best body. That is the instruction of all Vedic literature, simply stressing. But what is this material civilization? Simply working like cats and dogs. The same eating, sleeping, sex intercourse and defending. There are so many buildings in your city, Paris. Where is the culture to make the human life perfect? You have got very nice building. There is intelligence. So many nice buildings. People come to see the building. But that is not all. Simply if you utilize your intelligence... Certainly there is intelligence. But if you use your intelligence for the simply material activities, then you are not intelligent. You are a fool.
Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:
To become lover of God means fully enlightened in consciousness. He sees that "Here is an ant. This living entity, a small living entity, is also part and parcel. By his own work, he has got this insignificant body as an ant. I have got this human form of body, but that does not make any difference between the soul and the soul." Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). When it becomes actually... When a man becomes actually learned, he's sama-darśī. He sees everyone on the equal level. I was seeing just this evening the Ten Commandments. Now, in the Ten Commandments, the one commandment is that "Thou shall not kill." But I am sorry to feel that killing propensity is so great in the Christian world. Why? Because there is lack of love of God. "Thou shall not kill." Now there is organized killing process. So I do not know how they are following the Christian principles. It is clearly stated, "Thou shall not kill.
Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:
Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ. Bhraṣṭaḥ means fallen, fallen. Suppose we are executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and some of our students are going away. So that is called bhraṣṭa, fallen. They could not continue. So one who could not continue by his ill luck, he is also not loser because he is... That slight Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help him to get another human form of body. That is guaranteed. Ordinary men, they do not know what kind of body they are going to get. They're in darkness. But it will be decided at the time of his death according to the mentality. God is so kind, whatever you want, He is giving you. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).
Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:
He is born. No. Everyone is born rascal. That is to be understood. And therefore he has to be trained. So if the training is simply how to eat more, how to sleep more, how to have sex life more, and how to defend more, that is animal training. But if the training is how to know God, how to know your relationship with God, that is real training. That chance is in the human form of body. So if a human being does not take this chance, this facility, then his all activities are failure. Simply for nothing he's wasting time. Failure. Then?
Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:
Yes. The information is there. Simply, the inquiry should be there. The Vedānta-sūtra therefore, the first aphorism, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Jijñāsā means inquiry. "Now it is the opportunity for inquiring about the self." "Now" means this human form of body. A dog cannot. So therefore, Vedānta-sūtra begins, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the opportunity. But unfortunately, people are not given the opportunity, facility. School, college, they are simply giving "More become mechanics," how to deal with instruments, iron instruments. Big, big institutions for technological understanding. And where is this technology? Why a dead man is dead man? Why don't you give some mechanical power so that he can come out again? Where is that technology? You know the technology... When a motorcar is stopped, you know the technology how to start it again. But you do not know this technology.
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:
Then birds, their consciousness is little more higher; then beasts, their consciousness is little more higher. This is development, gradual process of evolution. Gradual process of evolution means gradual process of developing the status, the state of consciousness. In this way the consciousness in human form of body is further developed, very nicely developed. And similarly, there are other elevated living condition in higher planets. They are called demigods. They are far advanced, very more and more intelligent. Their standard of living, their everything, is far, far above than all these planets, thousands and thousands of times. Just like we can discriminate here, even on this planet. Your standard of living, from materialistic point of view... Just like to get a motorcar in this country is ordinary thing, but in our country, in India, if somebody has got a motorcar, he's considered to be very rich man.
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:
Otherwise, consciousness is there in the dog, in the cats, in the worms, in the trees, in the birds, in the beasts. Consciousness is there. But are we meant for living in that consciousness? Cats' and dogs' consciousness? No. Therefore Bhāgavata says that labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte: (SB 11.9.29) "After many, many births you have got this nice body, human form of body." And what to speak of American body, the nicest body, very beautiful body, very rich body. Don't misuse, please. Utilize it. Develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy. That is our propaganda. We are not asking anything that "Give me some fees, and I give you some mantra." The mantra is being distributed free in the street. You simply take it, chant it, and just see how you are developing your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. An inch development, advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is a great profit. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.
Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Bombay, March 24, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:
"Yes, we are accepting another body," but what do you know what kind of body you are going to accept? What is the position? There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. If you become an insignificant worm, then it will take millions of years by the evolution process to come again to this human form of body and come to..., there may be chance to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not very easy. If I miss this opportunity, I may miss millions of years. So this knowledge should be given. It is not expected that everyone will accept or understand. But this knowledge must be current. A class of men, the brāhmaṇa class, the Vaiṣṇava class... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3)—that is a fact. But still there must be somebody out of millions to understand this philosophy. And there is good opportunity now. We have published so many books on this subject matter, and we have got very nice place in Bombay, Juhu.
Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Bombay, March 24, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:
Prabhupāda: So brahma-jijñāsā, spiritual inquiry. So the cat and dog cannot inquire. It is not possible. But when you have got this human form of body, especially born in India and especially born in a Brahman family, if you misuse your life like cats and dogs, that is a great loss.
Indian man (7): Idol worship, impersonal, considered as a stepping stone. Is it fact?
Prabhupāda: I don't follow. What is that?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Is worshiping the idol a stepping stone?"
Indian man (7): Idol worship, mūrti-pūjā, is considered as a stepping stone only. When you attain something, then you need not do.
Lecture on SB 2.3.20-21 -- Los Angeles, June 17, 1972:
Similarly, if these earholes remains empty, without aural reception of the great activities of the Lord, it is as good as the snake holes.
Bile batorukrama-vikramān ye na śṛṇvataḥ. They have decided, "There is no God. God is dead. God has no personality. He's zero." Therefore they have no opportunity to hear about God. Na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya. This human form of body... These earholes are meant for giving aural reception to the message of God. But they'll not do that. Therefore your mission is to go home to home, village to village, town to town, and give them injection, "Hear." Make such arrangement, nice dancing, nice chanting, prasāda distribution. Why? Just to inject in their snake holes the words of Kṛṣṇa. This is your mission. Those who have taken sannyāsa especially, it is their duty. Sat-nyāsa, to sacrifice everything ... Sacrifice means ... Nothing to be sacrificed. But sacrifice the sense of "I am the Lord." That's all. What you have got, you can sacrifice? This is simply a bluff, sacrifice. We cannot sacrifice.
Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:
Actually, this bhava, to take birth, is very, very unpleasant task. It is blazing fire, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni.
So if we can cleanse our heart during this life ... This is that opportunity. It is not possible ... When I take birth as an animal, cats and dogs, that is not possible. But as I have got now this human form of body, we should not be again misled. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni ... (CC Antya 20.12). If we can cleanse our heart, then this blazing fire of repetition of birth and death can be extinguished. But the illusory energy is so strong that we forget our last death-time miseries. At the time of death we suffer very much, so that ... Just imagine, when we give up our life, how much difficult position at that time. So we forget. Birth and death. As soon as there is birth, there is death also. Death means ... The more you are advancing in age, that means you're dying. You are advancing in death. The child is born ... "When this child is born?" "Just yesterday." That means he has already died one day.
Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:
So I'll die. So what I am doing before death?" They're not serious. Not at all serious. But death is... "As sure as death." And we do not know when that death is coming to take place. So how much serious we should be. We should be very serious. Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. We have got this human form of body, human consciousness, advanced consciousness, after many, many births, after through the evolutionary process. Many millions of years we have passed through many species of life. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. Aśītiṁ caturaḥ, eighty-four lakhs or 8,400,000's. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ prāpyaṁ mānuṣyam. In this way, going through so many species of life, we have got this human form of life.
Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:
"Meat-eating and killing of animal is not good." Because there are so many mantras. If you understand mantras, the mantra, when a goat is sacrificed before Goddess Kālī, before the goat being cut by his throat, the priest says that "Because you are sacrificing your life before Goddess Kālī, next life you are going to have human form of body for your, this sacrifice." Otherwise you have to undergo the process. That is gradual evolutionary process. But because you are forced somehow or other in the presence of mother material energy, she will give you the facility to promote immediately to the human form of life. And as human being, you will have every right to kill this man who is killing you. That is meaning of māṁsa. Mām means me, sa means he. "He will also eat me." So I will have to take the form of a goat next life. And he will take the form of a human being and he will get the chance of killing me. He can excuse, but he will get the chance. This is the bandhana. Karma-bandhana.
Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:
Māyā means illusion, māyā means affection, and māyā means energy. When Kṛṣṇa comes, or Kṛṣṇa's energy, or Kṛṣṇa's incarnation comes, that is not by force. Just like we. We are forced to come. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). We have to accept a certain type of body by force, not ātma-māyayā. Suppose I have got this human form of body. I cannot demand that "Next life I will have like this." No. That is not possible. Next life you will get according to your karma. Just like you are being educated. You cannot say that "Make me the high-court judge." That is not possible. If you are qualified, then you become. Similarly, karmaṇā... You have to qualify yourself. So there are 8,400,000's of different forms of life. So by your karma, next life you can become a devatā, a demigod. Even if you like, you can become Indra, Candra. Or you can become cats and dogs. That depends... Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). So this will depend on my karma.
Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:
Simply technical knowledge—how to become this, how to become that, to fill up this belly. But we cannot see even that the birds, beasts, they do not become technologists. How they are getting food? There are 8,400,000 forms of body. The human form of body are 400,000. Out of many bodies that live in jungle, they have also no technology, no education, no systematic government, nothing—but they are also eating. The birds and beasts are eating. Everyone is eating. The ants within your home, within the hole of your room, they're also eating. So who is not eating? Everyone is eating. Why you have made a civilization to work hard like an ass for your eating? What is this civilization? If everyone is, without working, they're getting their food, then what is your advancement of civilization that you have to work like an ass to get your food? That is not advancement of civilization.
Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:
People are in the darkness, so they have to be enlightened. That is the Vedic injunction. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. Now, people, from animal kingdom we are getting this human body. So up to animal body we are sleeping, kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole, in the lap of this material nature. Now this human form of body is meant for getting out. So the mission is to awaken people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To awaken people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Jīv jāgo jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole. Gauracānda, means Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is speaking to everyone, "Oh, the living entity, get up! Get up!" Kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole: "How long you shall sleep?"
Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974:
You just do this business. Surrender unto Me, and I take guarantee." Then your life begins. Sarva-pāpa-vinirmuktam, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170).
Upādhi means pāpa. Upādhi... If we get different bodies, that is due to our sinful actions. If I am given the chance to execute as a human being, this human form of body... Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). We have got this body after many, many evolutionary process. So this is a chance given to we. Hari hari biphale. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord, Kṛṣṇa, I have wasted my time for nothing, uselessly." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu: "Because I got this opportunity, the human form of life... It was meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa." Or add Kṛṣṇa with Rādhārāṇī. That is perfect Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa alone is Vāsudeva, and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is perfect, with all potencies.
Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974:
Then he'll be classified. So prasaṅgam ajaram. We are attached to some quality and some work. In this way we are getting different bodies, one after another. This body finished, we create another body. This life is creating another body. This is called prasaṅgam ajaram. Attachment to the material qualities, we are conditioned. And suppose we have got now human form of body or in a very rich family, that is all right, but it will not continue. You have to give it up. And any moment, by the superior authority, when it is ordered, "Immediately please leave this position," you have to do it. This is called conditioned life. You cannot stay in any status of life for all the days. If you think that "I am American. I am very happy," that... That's all right. You're American, you're happy, or Indian, you are very happy. You have chalked out your plan how to continue happiness. But nature will not allow you to stay. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). As soon as nature will call back, "Please give up this post.
Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:
This is wanted. Human life is meant for jñāna and vairāgya. Two things required. We are continuing this material existence on account of rāga, attachment, attachment for sense gratification. That is the cause of material bondage. Material bondage means, we have explained several times, to accept one body, then create another body. We have got now this human form of body, and according to our, I mean to say, affection or infection to different qualities of the nature, we are creating another body. So in this way we are entangled. So unless we become virāga, virāga aindriyāt, sense gratification... These different changes of body are being possible on account of sense gratification. Nature or God or Kṛṣṇa will give me full facility. Just like in the Western countries especially, they are now trying to become naked, nudies. So nature will give them to stand naked like a tree, or tree, for many years. "You are so fond of become nudie. All right, you stand up here for ten thousand years without any dress." Nature will give you.
Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:
In the other previous lives, cats, dogs, trees, and fishes and insects and all so many other—there are eight million, four hundred...—you could not know it. Now you have got this human form of body. Take advantage of this knowledge. Take advantage of the information given in the Vedic literature." Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. "You have got so much advantages. Now learn them. And you have got developed consciousness, human being. Try to understand them. And then your life will be successful."
To come to that state, here it is stated that you have to purify your citta, consciousness, svaccham, crystallike, crystallike, transparent, svaccham. And that śāntaṁ bhagavataḥ padam, that is the stage of understanding Bhagavān. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20).
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:
What is the reason? If you have no food... Of course, in the deserted country, just he has to find out "Where is stool, where is stool?" You see?
So there are different grades of life. So does it mean that we shall live a life like a hog while we have got this human form of body? Just try to understand. The hog is eating stool, which is rejected by everyone. And still, he is searching that out, where is that stool. And it is called research work. So we should not make our life complicated like the hog. And what is the aim of his life, the hog? The aim of his life is sex. The hogs and, especially hogs and goats, they're very sexually influenced. The hog does not discriminate. The monkeys, they do not discriminate—mother, sister, or anyone—they must have sex. So especially mentioned here, not like hog, don't live like hog. This is the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva. This human form of life is not meant for living like a hog. Then what it is for?
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:
Why should you kill animals? You have got sufficient grains, sufficient fruit, sufficient milk, and is it very nice thing that you take milk from the cow, who is your mother, and kill at the same time? Is that very good reason?
Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, He says this human form of body is not meant for mismanaging the whole thing for the satisfaction of the senses. That is not meant for human beings. Ayaṁ nṛloke, nṛloke. The human society, He is speaking to the human society. We are speaking to the human society. We are not calling cats and dogs, "Come here, please hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." That is not possible. They cannot. But we are inviting those who are enlightened human beings, "Please come, just try to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be happy." That's all. We want to see every human being to be happy. That is our program.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:
The lawbook is meant for the human society, not for the animal society. So the human society becomes free, without observing any social conveniences or social custom or abiding by the laws—no, that is not human body. That is exactly like animal body.
So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear boys, you should not spoil this body, human form of body, like the hogs." He has specifically mentioned the name of the hogs, viḍ-bhujām. Then what it is meant for? He said, tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). This human form of life is meant for austerity, penance. You should voluntarily accept some regulative principles, even they are not very much liking to you. Just like our students. They are, from the very beginning of their life they are accustomed to certain habits, but we are restricting. We say, "You cannot do this," and they are accepting, following. This is called tapasya. Tapo. Tapasya. Tapasya means I am habituated to smoking, suppose, and the spiritual master says, "You cannot smoke."
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:
Now, in this age, Kali-yuga, this system of civilization is very much prominent. But in the material world, that is going on time, from time immemorial. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva is advising His sons, "My dear sons," ayaṁ deha. Na ayaṁ deha. "This body, this human form of body," deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke, "those who have taken, accepted this material body in this human society," nṛloke, kaṣṭān kāmān na arhate... Sense gratification is needed because we have got this body. So that is not denied. But He says that kaṣṭān kāmān na arhate: "For sense gratification, there is no need of working very hard." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This kind of labor, hard labor, day and night, and get some money, and then apply it for sense gratification, kaṣṭān kāmān... Kāma means sense gratification. So this is not very good. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Human form of life is not meant for this purpose.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
If the higher level class of men accepts something as truth, then the ordinary, common man follows that.
So the problem of life is discussed here by Ṛṣabhadeva. He says, "My dear boys," nāyaṁ deha deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Ayam. Ayam means "this," this body, this human form of body. It is also a body, and the dog's body is also a body, material body. It is also made of blood and bone and urine and stool and so many other things. The dog's body is also made the same ingredients. But what is the difference between dog's body and this human body? He advises, ayam deha: "This human form of body..." Deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. And where this body is obtained? It is obtained in the human society. This intelligent brain and good form of body, it is to be found in the human society. In the human society you will find from this body, big, big professors, big, big philosophers, scientists, mathematicians and..., they are coming, not from the dog society. That is not possible.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
It is scientific. Every human being should understand his position. Every human being should not waste his valuable time. So therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great devotee and a great Vaiṣṇava ācārya, he has sung a nice song, that hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord, I got this chance of human form of body. Unfortunately I have wasted my time without any self-realization." Hari hari biphale, janama goṅāinu. Manuṣya janama pāiyā, rādhā kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā: "I got this very valuable form of life, human form of life, but instead of understanding what is God, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu, "knowingly I have drunk poison." This is the opportunity to understand God and make solution of all different types of births and deaths and transmigration from one body to another.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:
Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. There are 900,000 forms of body within the body. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. And there are trees, plants, two million forms of body. So we have already gone through all this body, and we have got this human form of body after many, many millions of years by evolutionary process. Therefore Ṛṣabhādeva says, ayam deha. This body, don't think it is ordinarily received. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke: "In the human society you should not waste it like the hogs and dogs simply for sense gratification." This is the Bhāgavata instruction. You should soberly use it.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1976:
So we have discussed this verse yesterday. It is very essential that this human form of body is meant for rectifying or purifying our existence. That they do not know, especially in the modern age, that this body is temporary and we living entities, we are eternal and this is our bondage. So long we are within this material body, it is our bondage. Real life is eternal life, without any birth, death, old age and disease. Where is that science? There is no such department of knowledge that how one can live eternally without any disease, without any old age and without any death and without any birth. If there is birth there is death. And between the two, birth and death, there is old age and disease. Where is that scientist who are trying to solve this problem?
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1976:
Everyone is subjected to some kind of disease. So we do not take account. So here Ṛṣabhadeva is stressing on this point. "My dear boys, do not spoil your life living like cats and dogs." Do not. This is not meant for this life. This human form of life is meant for different purposes. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. That we should always remember, that this human form of body is obtained after many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Bahu sambhavante. Bahu sambhava. Sambhava means birth and death, birth and death. So we should not forget this. Everyone should be very serious. That is civilization. Not that to remain for sense gratification like cats and dogs fighting. This is not good.
So to achieve this highest goal of life, it requires tapasya, austerity. It is not easily obtainable.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:
Portion of the verse was explained, and portion of the verse we shall try to explain this night. Tapo divyam. Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear sons, this body, human body, nāyaṁ deha, this body is not for wasting life, dogs and hogs." They are not wasting. They are in the gradual evolution process. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. They are coming to the human form of body gradually, by nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). So long we are in the lower species of life, we are conducted by complete laws of nature, prakṛteḥ kriya-guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, according to the different guṇas.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:
He's instructing, "My dear sons, this human form of body is not to be wasted like cats and dogs." What is that? How this body is wasted like cats and dogs? Now, kaṣṭān kāmān. Kāmān means sense gratification. So with hard labor, ultimate end of hard laboring is sense gratification. Now, not only in your country, but also in all other countries at the present moment, everyone is trying to make economic development. What is that economic development you have got very good idea: industrialization, high standard of living and so many other things. But the end is sense gratification. The purpose of economic development... It is wonderful for us. We are Indian. When we see... When I was in Los Angeles, there is a freeway. So eight lines of cars running in seventy miles speed this way, and eight miles of lines running cars on the opposite side.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:
Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva advises His sons, "My dear sons, do not waste your valuable body, human form of body, like the dogs and hogs." Then what, what is the purpose of human life? If we are not meant for living like the dogs and hogs, then what is the standard of human life? The answer is tapo divyaṁ putrakā (SB 5.5.1). "My dear son, this life is meant for tapaḥ." Tapaḥ means austerity. Tapaḥ another meaning is that temperature. Just like if we go in front of the fire, or if you go in the open sunlight, we get some temperature. That is called tapaḥ, or tāpaḥ, sometimes it is called tāpaḥ, temperature, Yes. So this tāpaḥ means some temperature. (aside:) Why it is not working? That means voluntarily we have to accept some tāpaḥ, or little temperature.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:
That's all. Is anybody has anything to say against this, here present? But here Ṛṣabhadeva says nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate, na arhate. Na ayam deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Such kind of hard work, it is done by the dogs and hogs also. So does it mean that we shall have to work, we have got this human form of body, and we have to work just like dogs and hogs. Actually they're doing so. Nothing more than that. The dogs and hogs, they're busy all day and night for the same thing: how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend. The man is also working in the same way, under different label only. Nationalism, socialism, this "ism" that "ism", but the action of the dog and hog and the human society, so-called civilized, the point is the same. So Ṛṣabhadeva says that the dogs and hogs they are working so hard for sense gratification, but this human form of body is not meant for that. It is for different path.
Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:
Just see. In childhood playing he pierced. Sometimes we have seen, the children do that. That is also counted. You cannot do any harm to any animal, any living being. You cannot do. But these rascals are regularly killing. Although they have got this human form of body, although they have got intelligence, scientific intelligence, and so-called, but they do not know how nature's law is working. They do not care to know. They say these are all mythology. But not mythology. It is not mythology. Na veda mūḍhaḥ. They do not know what is the law of nature, that ananta-duḥkham.
Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:
These foolish persons, they do not know. Therefore avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). These mūḍhas, these rascals, they think that Kṛṣṇa has got a different body. No. Kṛṣṇa hasn't got different body. We are given this body by māyā. Māyayā. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). We are sometimes getting a human form of body, sometimes a tree's body, sometimes a demigod's body, sometimes an insect's body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1). By karma we are forced to accept a certain type of body. You cannot say, "No, I don't want." That is not possible. "You have behaved like a dog. You got this human form of life for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra; instead of doing that, you have cheated. You have misused your opportunity like a dog and hog. You must accept." This is nature's law. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). We, by practice, we may be, appearance like a human body, but my mentality is just like a dog.
Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:
We, by practice, we may be, appearance like a human body, but my mentality is just like a dog. I don't discriminate, yoni-vicara (?). I don't discriminate about eating. I eat everything, even up to stool like... That is going on.
So this is misuse of the human form of body, and as soon as we misuse, we are given by nature's law an opportunity. Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). Suffering, suffering, suffering, 8,400,000 forms of body, and we get... Aśītiṁś caturamś caiva jīva-jatiṣu. That is stated in the śāstra. This is an opportunity to understand Kṛṣṇa. This is human form of body. And if we don't accept Kṛṣṇa or don't try to understand Kṛṣṇa We must try. This is our business. Then we are misusing. Then māyā is there. Māyā is there means the laws are so automatic, māyā's law, that as soon as you do something, immediately the next stage is ready.
Lecture on SB 5.6.7 -- Vrndavana, November 29, 1976:
The Gauracandra's mission is to awaken the conditioned soul. Jīv jago jīv jago gauracandra... Kota nidrā yāo māyā-piśācīra kole. How long we shall sleep? We are thinking that "I am sleeping at the lap of my beloved mother." Don't do this. Get up. The Vedic vācana: utthiṣṭhata jagrāta prāpta varān nibodhata. We should be very careful that we have got this body, human form of body, and we should not sleep. Sleeping means ignorance. Māyā andha-kara. Just like at night we sleep because it is darkness. But during daytime we do not sleep, generally. That is the way.
So we must come to the light and may not sleep and lose the chance of human form of body. Here the instruction is that Kṛṣṇa, or Ṛṣabhadeva... Ṛṣabhadeva is bhagavata ṛṣabha-devasya, rṣabhasya. Imāṁ jagatīm abhimāna, abhimāna ābhāsena. Abhimāna ābhāsena. He looks like ordinary human being, but you should be careful.
Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:
So these are the subject matters to be considered. That is called brahma-jijñāsā, to understand about his spiritual life, spiritual knowledge. Then there will be question, "How the spirit soul—I am—I have contacted this material body?" And it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that because I have accepted this material body, all miserable conditions are there. We are trying to get over miseries. That is called struggle for existence. Everyone is trying. He thinks, "One status of life is miserable. Let me avoid it and get better life." That is our struggle. In this way, from lower bodies we have come to this spiritual..., I mean to say, human form of body. Now it has to be decided what is our next body. Next body. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā. You'll find:
Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:
And as soon as he will serve the designation, false service, he will spoil his time and will be under the condition of material nature. Material nature, we are all conditioned by material nature. Therefore we are changing body from one body to another. Now, by the nature's own process, evolution, we have come to this human form of body and we have got advanced consciousness, we have got direction like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Hari guru vaiṣṇava bhāgavata gītā. Bhāgavata-gītā. Just our Madhudviṣa Swami sung, we have got Kṛṣṇa, we have got spiritual master, we have got the books, Bhāgavata, we have got Gītā. Now let us take advantage of it. These transcendental literature, we have taken much pain to translate them into English so that you can understand. We have got fifty books. So take advantage. It is not meant for the cats and dogs. It is meant for the human being, not a particular class or nation. No. It is meant for all human being.
Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:
So, we were discussing last night about nivṛtti-mārga, the opposite direction of progressing towards hellish condition of life, that by nature's own way the living entity comes to the human form of body by the evolutionary process. That we have already discussed. There are 900,000's forms in the water. Then there are two millions forms of trees, plants. And jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Then insects, moths and flies, like that, they are 1,100,000 forms. Then birds, one millions forms. Then beast three million forms. And then human being, civilized or not civilized, there are 400,000. This is the total number of different forms of life. The living entity, spirit soul, is the same, but they are passing through different forms of life. Just like I am the same man. I have passed through my babyhood body, my childhood body, my youthhood body. Now I have come to another body.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:
This is called transmigration of the soul. So for another body, that will be created according to the mental situation we made here at the present body—just like the same air passing through rose garden and air passing through a toilet room.
Therefore, this human form of body is especially meant for creating a favorable situation so that when we pass through this body or we leave this body and we accept another body, we'll get exact a body like Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to change the consciousness of the people so that this preparation will help him to get exactly a body like Kṛṣṇa in next life, and he may dance with Kṛṣṇa in rasa dance. That is our propaganda. Body you'll get. That's a fact. Just as you are getting one body after another in this life, similarly, tathā dehāntara-prāptir, similarly another change of body. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13).
Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:
So we have got better intelligence, so we must utilize it. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, you know, those who are, the song, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My Lord, I have simply wasted my life." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa na bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa-khāinu. "I got this nice human form of body for understanding, worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Now I did not do anything, that means knowingly I have taken poison."
So if we misuse this human form of life only like animals, eating, sleeping, sex and fearing, then we are spoiling our life. We must prepare next life. If we don't, then after death we have to go to the Yamarāja, and he will decide what kind of next body... Body will change. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad... Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). After death you have to change the body. As you are changing from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, similarly this old body, when it is no more usable, that means death. But the subtle body, mind, intelligence, that is...
Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:
Because they do not know na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). The real interest is to approach Viṣṇu, to go back to home, go back to Godhead. That he does not know. He is entangled with these material affairs. Anartha. They are called anartha. They are not required. When you get a human form of body you must know that your food and shelter is already ordained. You don't require to try for this. Even the birds and beasts, they do not try for their food and shelter. They are certain that "Somewhere we have got our shelter and there is somewhere my food." Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa, the supreme patron, He is supplying food to everyone. He is supplying food to the elephant, who eats one time one hundred pounds, and He is supplying a grain of sugar to the ant also. So why should bother about my food? That is śaraṇāgati. When a man becomes śaraṇāgata, he knows perfectly well that "Somehow or other there is my food." A sannyāsī... sannyāsī means sat nyāsa, to fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:
Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). I am neither driving the machine; neither I have made the machine. I have been given as gift to work on or to fulfill my desire. This is the position. So śāstra says that "You have got now a very good machine." Nṛ-deham. The human form of body is very good machine. Nṛ-deham ādyaṁ sulabhaṁ sukalpam. It is very rare. With great difficulty, you have got this machine because we have to come through so many machines, the aquatics, the plants, the insects, the trees, and the serpents, reptiles, then birds, then beast, millions and millions of years. Just like you have seen this. The trees are standing there, maybe standing for five thousand years. So if you get that machine, you cannot move. You have to stand in one place. So we had to go through this. Foolish people, they do not know.
Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:
Somebody is playing with the motorcar toy, somebody is something, somebody is..., a doll, and the parents are supplying, "All right, you take this doll. You take this. You take this. You take this." So we are playing like that, making plan. So God is supplying all the... But He wants that "My dear child, you are now grown up. You have got this human form of body. You don't play like this and waste your time. You take education and know things as they are." That is called athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra: "Now you have got human form of life. You try to understand what is God." That is the main business. Unfortunately, we are misled by blind leaders. We have been engaged in studying the body, that's all.
So here it is said, niśamya mriyamāṇasya mukhato hari-kīrtanam. So God very much appreciates when we use our tongue and mouth in glorifying or chanting the holy name. He very much appreciates. Because the name of God and God is not different, so immediately he becomes in touch with God.
Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:
"Why you have pinched me?" That is the difference between the lower-grade life and higher-grade life. So if in the higher-grade life we do not understand Kṛṣṇa, then we are making suicide, cutting our own throat. That is sinful. So here is a chance, the human form of body. Death will come to the dog and to me also. Then where is the difference? The difference is so long I am living, I can try to understand Kṛṣṇa; others cannot. If we miss this opportunity, then we are committing suicide. This is the verdict of the śāstra.
So nāyaṁ deha deho-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Everybody has got material body. The ant has got also material body, and Lord Brahmā has got also material body. Anyone who is in the material world, he has got this material body. Therefore it is called ayaṁ deha: "this deha, this body." I am not deha. That is the tenth-class ignorance if I think, "I am this body." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke.
Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:
Everyone has got body, but nrloke, in the human society, the body which you have got, or the person who has got this human form of body, kaṣṭān kāmān na arhate, for such animal, having this material body, human body, it is not meant for working so hard. That is first-class civilization when people are not working very hard, living very peacefully, and getting their necessities of life. That is first-class civilization, not that to work day and night like hogs and dog, and get a cup of tea and little morsel of bread. That is not civilization. Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhu... (SB 5.5.1). This kind of hard labor for sense gratification little, it is done by the hogs and dogs. So to teach people to work day and night for simply eating purposes, sense gratification, that is hog civilization, according to śāstra. Nāyaṁ deha deho-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1).
Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:
So why we die? We are eternal. Everyone knows. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Then why I am dying? Why I am suffering from disease, from old age? This should be the human question, and they should try to solve this, and this opportunity is given by nature and God combined. God has ordered nature to give me this machine, human form of body. If we do not utilize it as human being, that is sinful. That is sinful.
Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:
How Kṛṣṇa is anxious, that "This rascal has been given the nice human form of body to understand Me, My relationship with him." Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that this human form of body is durlabhaṁ. Labham means "obtainable," and duḥ, "when you have(?) difficulty." So many species of life we had to go through by evolution. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. In this way we have got this human form, durlabhaṁ, with great difficulty. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. So mānuṣaṁ janma, durlabhaṁ: "very, very difficult to obtain it." So somebody says, "What is the benefit? Everyone dies, and man also dies." But Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Yes, that is fact."
Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:
And that is being watched by the authorities, as we have already explained, the witnesses. God is the original chastiser or awarder, but there are so many witnesses. That we have already discussed. Sūryaḥ agniḥ khaṁ marud devaḥ somaḥ. Everywhere it is thoroughly watched. So we must be very careful that we have got this human form of body—how to act? The act means first of all you know what is your position. That is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "Your position is that you are not this body. Your position is that you are the proprietor of the body, you are spirit soul." So if people are not educated on this understanding, that the soul is different from body, that is... The beginning of education is wrong. Therefore whatever further advancement of so-called education is wrong, because the basic principle is wrong.
Lecture on SB 6.1.52 -- Detroit, August 5, 1975:
Therefore the śāstra is meant for the human being so that he can understand his awkward position. So everywhere this is advised, ayaṁ deha: "You had many other bodies in your past lives' evolution. Now, this body," ayaṁ deha, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke, "one who has got this human form of body," nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujām (SB 5.5.1), "don't engage yourself for simply for eating, sleeping, in very hard labor." Just like at the present moment huge, big, big industries, karma It is called ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means ferocious activities. Anyone who has gone into the factories, it is ferocious activities, unnecessarily economic development. So this is kaṣṭān, so much laboring. Even the animals, they do not undergo so much laboring. And a human being is engaged in so much laboring? Kaṣṭān kāmān. And what for, laboring, working? Now, kāmān, to sense gratify, that's all. This is the highest state.
Lecture on SB 6.2.5-6 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1975:
Therefore human being, this form of human being... Labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). After many, many millions of years we have got this human form of body. It should not be misused simply like cats and dogs. This is not success of life. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was five-years-old boy, he advised his classfriend that kaumāraṁ ācaret prājñaḥ. He was instructing. He was a devotee. He was preaching, "My dear friend, you just become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." The children protested, "Eh! We shall now play or we shall become Kṛṣṇa conscious? No, no, we shall play." So Prahlāda Mahārāja repeatedly said, "No, no, no. Even we are children, we should not play. We should become Kṛṣṇa conscious." Kaumāraṁ ācaret prājñaḥ. If you are intelligent... Kaumāraṁ. Kaumāram means from the childhood, from five years. Kaumāraṁ ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. "Why?
Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:
This material world means every step there is danger. There is no question of safety. At any moment. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended, kaumāraṁ ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Why in the beginning of childhood one should learn bhāgavata-dharma? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Somehow or other, we have got this body, human form of body, durlabham, after many, many births. They do not know. The foolish persons, they do not know what is the value of this human form of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyatāḥ. In this way 8,400,000 different forms of life we have to pass through. Then we have got this. Especially a civilized human being. The human race, they are also 400,000..., 400,000 types. Out of them, those who are civilized, they are called Aryans. Aryan means civilized. Aryan means those who are making progress. They are called Aryans.
So amongst the Aryans there is the division—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha.
Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:
If we simply study Kṛṣṇa in truth, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: (BG 4.9) then the result will be that after giving up this present body he will not have to accept another material body. To accept another material body, that is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Either I get this human form of body, either get as the body of a dog or either I get the body of a demigod, the business is the same, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca: eating, sleeping, and sex life, and defense. Don't think that the heavenly planet, they are very safe. We have got information from Bhāgavatam. Lord Indra, he is always perplexed. So many demons disturbing, the fighting is going on, although they have got a long duration of life, ten thousands of years, their duration of life. And their one day is equal to our six months.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:
Now we have got this civilized form of body. Prahlāda Mahārāja says that it is very rare opportunity. We should not misuse this body just like other animals. Then it will be our foolishness.
Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. When we have got this human form of body, then we shall live more than the cats and dogs? No. Adhruvam. Adhruvam means this body also will not exist. Adhruvam. It is not eternal. This soul is eternal, but the body is not eternal. But although it is not eternal, the distinction between this body and the animal body is that although it will not exist... As a dog's body will not exist or a cat's body will not exist or the bird's body will not exist, similarly, this body also will not exist. That's a fact. But arthadam: but if you like, you can attain the highest perfection of life in this body. That is the opportunity. Therefore, from the very beginning, a child should be given opportunity how to make his life perfect.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1968:
So the same thing: Prahlāda Mahārāja says that dharmān bhāgavatan, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious, is so important that we should not lose even a moment's time. Immediately we shall begin. Why? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Mānuṣaṁ janma. He says that this human form of body is very rare. It is obtained after many, many births. So modern civilization, they do not understand what is the value of this human form of life. They think that this body is meant for sense enjoyment like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they are also enjoying life in four principles; eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. So human form of life is not meant for spoiling like cats and dogs. Human form of life is meant for something else. And that "something else" is Kṛṣṇa conscious or God consciousness because without human form of life, no other body can understand what is God, what is this world, what I am, wherefrom I have come, where I have to go.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:
That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. There is no guarantee. Why you are thinking that way, that now you are five years old; you will live for five hundred years? No. There is no guarantee. At any moment you can die.
Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. This body, human form of body, is obtained after many, many millions of years through evolutionary process. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, 8,400,000 species of life we had to come through. Then we have got this body, human form of life, and civilized. Civilized, according to our Vedic conception, a civilized means ārya, ārya. When Arjuna was declining to fight, Kṛṣṇa condemned him, anārya-juṣṭam: "You are just like..., speaking like an anārya, not an ārya. It is your duty. You must do it." Anārya-juṣṭam akīrtiṁ karam arjuna. "You'll be defied by others. Don't do it." So an ārya... Aryan means who accepts this varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas, four āśrama.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:
That is the only business. There is no other business. That is the only business of human life. In another place, it is stated tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (1.5.18). Prahlāda Mahārāja also says here that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. "My dear friends, you have got this human form of body after many millions of years." Durlabha, very rarely. That is nature's law. We are in the cycle of birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9). Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. After death we shall get another body, but we do not know what kind of body we are going to get. There are 8,400,000 different types of body and the life begins from the grass, from the ground. We have seen so many grass. And gradually the grass is eaten by some animals or insects, and then there is semina. Then the same semina becomes insect. From insect to bird, bird to beast, from beast to animals. It takes millions and millions of years to come to the form of human being. This is evolution. They do not know it. But that is the process.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:
Then the same semina becomes insect. From insect to bird, bird to beast, from beast to animals. It takes millions and millions of years to come to the form of human being. This is evolution. They do not know it. But that is the process. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. You must understand that this human form of body you have got after many millions of years. Don't waste it like animals. If we utilize this human form of body just like cats and dogs, what is the difference between my life and dog's life? Therefore he says: durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ tad apy adhruvam arthadam.
So anyone can say "This material body is there, even to the dogs and the cats, and what is the difference? Let us enjoy." No. Arthadam, in this life, in this human form of life, you can fulfill your mission. Arthadam. You can understand what is the value of life. So don't waste it. Begin bhāgavata-dharma immediately. And what is that bhāgavata-dharma?
Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:
That is the statement here. So he says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ: "My dear friends, this human form of life is very rarely obtained." Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. Adhruvam means it will also not stay. "Because I have got this human form of body, therefore, I'll live forever." No. I'll have to die like cats and dog. But because I have got this human form of life, I can understand what is the truth. That is my opportunity. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. It will not stay.
But arthadam. Arthadam means you can realize your self. That is the greatest achievement, if you can realize your self, whether you are this body or you are soul. That is called self-realization. And as soon as you realize your self... There are many statements in the Vedic literature, that is the distinction between a brāhmaṇa and a kṛpaṇa. These two words are used in Vedic literature.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:
The hog cannot be educated. His body is so condemned that it is not possible to educate the hog or the dog or the cat or the animal. Here is a body—by education, one can become from doggish habit to goddish habit. That is possible.
So we have to take advantage. That is explained in the first verse by... Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam: "This human form of body, it is very rarely obtained. It is not to be misused." That is the first knowledge. But people are not educated in that way. They are encouraged that go on, sense enjoyment: "Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy." Some rascal comes, so he also says, "All right, go on. Enjoy. Simply meditate for fifteen minutes." But actually, this body is not meant for aggravating sense enjoyment. We require sense enjoyment because that is a demand of the body. If we want to keep body in healthy condition, then the demands of the body—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending—must be provided.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:
That is necessary so far the body is concerned. But that is being done by the dogs and cats and dogs and hogs. We have to go further. That is bhāgavata-dharma. Deha-dharma is the same, either in the cats, dog or human beings. But the bhāgavata dharma is for the human being. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruva, kaumāra. When you have got this human form of body, from the very beginning of life. Just (like) these children, they are coming. It is very good. They are associating, they are offering respect to the Deity, to the guru. This will not go in vain. It is all recorded. So one day he'll become a devotee. That is bhāgavata-dharma. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is giving stress that don't be very busy for sense enjoyment. That is available in any condition of life, without any effort. And he's giving a very good example. Daivāt: by the superior arrangement. Superior arrangement means that the hog, because he has been given, daiva-netreṇa, the body of a hog, he must eat stool.
Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:
This is perfection. Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all these nonsense engagement. Simply surrender unto Me, and I shall give you relief." Our continuation of material life means full of sinful activities. We act some way, and we get a similar body. And again the life continues and again we get another body, another body, another body. But in the human form of body, you can get the highest perfection, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that will stop your continuation of this material life. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi karṣati.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:
Material is valuable so far your material existence is concerned. That is also not valuable. Because if you try to protect this body by all kinds of knowledge, but it will not stay. And after giving up your this body, you have to accept another body. Then what is the value of material knowledge? This time you may have this human form of body, next time you may not have. Then what is the value of material knowledge? Because you cannot change the order of transmigration of the soul from one body to another. That you have to accept according to your karma. So, therefore, material knowledge will not help me. Therefore they struggle so. You are under the grip of natural laws, daivi hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). Natural, nature's law are very stringent. You cannot interfere with the... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).
Lecture on SB 7.9.44 -- Delhi, March 26, 1976:
I have several times discussed this verse, that this material life, especially, material life means sex life. So everyone is suffering for indulging in sex life, but in spite of suffering, they are not satiated. Therefore they are called kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. Brāhmaṇa means liberal, and kṛpaṇa means miser. Every one of us, we have got this valuable body, human form of body. If we utilize it, then..., utilize it by brahma-jñāna, then we become brāhmaṇa. And if we do not utilize it, then we are kṛpaṇa. So here it is said kṛpaṇān. Kṛpaṇān means "These people, these conditioned souls, they are not endeavoring for liberation from this material world." They are so callous, foolish, just like cats and dogs, eating, sleeping, and mating. That is their happiness. So they are reluctant. Nobody is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore you have to... By the grace of Kṛṣṇa you have to adopt such means that they may be interested a little about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:
Just like you have got so many automatic machine, similarly, this is, this machine is made by the Supreme Lord. It is perfect machine, one after another, one after another. So just like if you infect some disease, nature's way, you will develop that disease. That is the way. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). This is stated. Now we have got this nice human form of body, but if we associate with the low-grade qualities of this material world—means tamo-guṇa—then again we are going to become animal automatically. They do not know it. They are thinking, "I am enjoying life by eating meat and drinking wine and having illicit sex and gambling. It is very joyful life." But he does not know that he is associating with tamo-guṇa, and he is going to be an animal, cats and dogs and monkey. This is a fact.
| Page Title: | Human form of body (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 05 of Jun, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=97, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 97 |