Anyway, human life is meant for knowledge. That's a fact. Therefore athāto brahma jijñāsā. And what knowledge? Knowledge does not mean how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, and how to defend. That is not knowledge. These things are there in the animals. The animals also know very well how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life and how to defend. No. That is not... Human life is meant for different business, and that is brahma-jijñāsā. So brahma-jijñāsā, if one begins the life of brahma-jijñāsā, brahma-jñāna, and when it ends in understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of life. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). The, the one who is actually jñānavān, in knowledge, such person... Not so-called. There are two classes of men. One class of men is called jñānavān, and another class of men is called māyayā apahṛta-jñāna. All these words you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is not my manufacture. So māyayā apahṛta-jñāna means he's rascal number one, but he's thinking that he's vastly learned. He has advanced his knowledge so much. Simply he is puffed up falsely. That is called māyayā apahṛta-jñāna. Or jñānavān means one who has actually knowledge. So what is the difference between the two, one how has got actually the knowledge, and one who's simply falsely puffed up that he has got knowledge? What is the...? How you'll find difference, that here is a man who has got real knowledge, and here is a man, rascal, but he's very much puffed up?
Mayaya apahrta-jnana means
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Prabhupāda: Actually, yoga practice means yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. The whole yogic process, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, is meant for controlling the senses. Durdanta indriya-kāla-paṭalī. Indriya, the senses, are just like snakes. As it is very difficult to enchant the snakes, similarly, it is very difficult to control the senses. And the yoga system (is) especially meant for controlling the senses, controlling the mind, and then concentrate on the form of Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). This is yoga process. But practically we see the so-called yogis, or student of yoga class, I have seen in Western countries, they are habituated to all these nonsense habits—illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating. Still, they're passing on as yogis. So that kind of yoga will not help. Go on.
Acyutānanda: "Simply because he is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he automatically gives up all this nonsense and develops a high character. One develops the highest character by becoming a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The conclusion is that no one can truly have any good qualities if he is lacking Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Prabhupāda: Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā (SB 5.18.12). This is the conclusion, that if one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, we do not accept him as highly qualified. That is the statement of Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
- prapadyante narādhamāḥ
- māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
- āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ
- (BG 7.15)
So we take this formula. If... We test whether he has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. If not, then he comes to the four groups: duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. We take it, immediately. He must be one of them, either duṣkṛtina or mūḍha or all, narādhama, māyayā apahṛta. He may be... Māyayā apahṛta-jñāna means he might be highly educated academically, but māyā has taken away his knowledge. Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because he has taken to the principle of atheism, all these educational qualifications, or sharp brain... Kṛtinaḥ... Duṣkṛtina means... Kṛtina means one who has got very sharp brain, sharp memory; he's called kṛti. But on account of association with māyā, his brain is utilized for doing something harmful to the human society. They, they cannot do anything good to the human society. That is not possible. Then?
Acyutānanda: " 'Happiness In Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed the different sources of happiness. He has divided happiness into three categories, which are (1) happiness derived from material enjoyment, (2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman, and (3) happiness derived from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the Tantra-śāstra, Lord Śiva speaks to his wife, Satī, in this way: 'My dear wife, a person who has surrendered himself at the lotus feet of Govinda and who has thus developed pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be very easily awarded all the perfections desired by the impersonalists; and beyond this, he can enjoy the happiness achieved by the pure devotees.' "
Prabhupāda: Go on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The business of sun and moon is to dissipate darkness. The sun rises during daytime, and the moon rises at night. But this sun and moon, wonderful sun and moon, citrau, They have appeared together. But the business is the same, tamo-nudau. Business is to dissipate darkness, because we are in darkness. We, anyone who is in this material world, he's in darkness. Darkness means ignorant, no knowledge. They are mostly animals. "Why they are animals, so civilized men, so well-dressed and university education degrees? Why they are in darkness?" Yes, they are in darkness. "What is the proof?" The proof is that they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the proof. That is their darkness. Ask anybody, item by item, that... Ask, what do they know about Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is ignorant, dark. So that is the proof. How this is proof? Now, Kṛṣṇa says. We do not say; Kṛṣṇa says. How does He say? Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā (BG 7.15). Apahṛta-jñānā means that although they have got university degrees, although they are called civilized, advanced in material civilization, but māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Their degrees, because they do not know Kṛṣṇa thoroughly and therefore do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, which Kṛṣṇa is canvassing personally, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja... (BG 18.66). He's personally canvassing. Because these rascals and fools, they are in darkness—they do not know what is the goal of life—Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is canvassing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is the philosophy. So still, they are not doing so. Why? Narādhamāḥ. Because the lowest of the mankind, narādhama. How they have become narādhama? Now, duṣkṛtina, always committing sinful life. What is sinful life? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Because they are addicted to these things they are duṣkṛtina and narādhama, lowest of the mankind. And whatever knowledge they are acquiring by so-called education, that is false knowledge. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. This is the position.
Initiation Lectures
Guest: Is it completely each individual's choice to be demonic, or...?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Demon means when he is forgotten, when has lost his sense, that is demon. When has lost his sense, that is demon. Demon means māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). Māyā, by the influence of māyā, the true aspect of knowledge is taken away. Anyone who is trying to establish it that "There is no God," he is demon. That's all. There are so many philosophers, so many atheists, so many scientists. Their only business is to deny God. They are demons. Yes.
Guest: Then is there individual complete choice?
Prabhupāda: That is ignorance. Yes. Apahṛta-jñānāḥ means just like a madman. For the time being, his natural knowledge is taken away. Crazy. What do we mean by crazy? For the time being, his knowledge is taken away. Similarly, when a living entity is in that position, as somebody has taken away his knowledge, that is demonic condition. But he can be reestablished again in knowledge. Just like a crazy man is sent, mental disorder, to hospital for treatment; again he comes as a sane man. Similarly, the demons are just like crazy men. Even they are treated with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they can be reverted to their own position. So this is temporary. This demoniac nature is temporary due to the contact with māyā. Therefore the whole business is how to get out of the clutches of māyā. Then there is no more demonic nature. It is artificial. (break) ...superficial. It comes and goes. As it comes artificially, so it can go also. And the driving method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
| Page Title: | Mayaya apahrta-jnana means |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 04 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=4, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 4 |