So we are eternal, and God is also eternal. In that way we are the same quality. God is eternal; we are also eternal. God is cognizant, cetana, abhijña; we are also cetana. We are not dull matter. So what is the difference between God and me? The difference: He is great, we are small. He is vibhu, we are aṇu. He's all-pervading, we are very small. He is infinite, we are infinitesimal. That is the difference. So nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic information. So you apply your reason, arguments. As you find here, you are more intelligent than me, somebody else more intelligent than you, other is more intelligent than he... In this way, if you analyze, there is not, all of us not on the same level. One is more intelligent, one is less intelligent. Similarly, you go on analyzing, one after another, one after another, throughout the whole universe. Then you come to the demigods. And the most important demigod is Lord Brahmā. So he's the original creature within this universe. So he is also not enough intelligent. You'll have to find out a person more intelligent than him. So that is, we get information... Just like Brahmā. He was alone in the beginning. Wherefrom he got knowledge? There was nobody else. So śāstra says, "Yes, he got knowledge..." Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He got knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā haite catur-mukha.(?)
One after another (Lectures, SB cantos 3 - 12)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
A sinful man cannot become a devotee. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). One class of men, duṣkṛtinaḥ, always committing sinful life. Such rascals, such foolish men... Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. Why lowest of the mankind? Because the human life is meant for purifying your existence. You are under condition of birth, death, old age, and here is the chance to purify yourself. If you don't do that, then you are mūḍha, duṣkṛtina, narādhama. You don't take chance. Mūḍha, narādhama.
So this class of men, they are not interested. They will suffer this material existence continually, one after another, one of chapter, one of chapter... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), one life. And if he gets one life very opulent, that is, then he doesn't care for what is next life. "Let me drink and enjoy. Eat, drink, and be merry and en..." This is going on all over the world. But śāstra says, "No, no, no, no. It is not good. You are doing mistake. You are doing mistake." Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). You have become mad and you are engaged in doing all forbidden things which you should not do. You are doing that. And why you are doing that? Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Why? Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. Simply for sense gratification. Simply for sense gratification. I have seen one hotel man in Calcutta. He cut the throat of a chicken, and the chicken, half-cut, it was flapping and jumping. The child of the hotel man, he was crying, and the hotel man was laughing. He was taking pleasure, "Oh, how this chicken, half-cut throat, and how he is jumping... Why you are crying? Why you are crying?" And in Western countries I think students are sometimes taken to slaughterhouse to see. Is it a fact? Yes. You see. They take pleasure. Doing something sinful, they take pleasure. For pleasure's sake they do that. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaye (SB 5.5.4).
Kṛṣṇa-bhuliyā, forgetting his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, one is simply acting foolishly, and the māyā is giving him miseries one after another, one after another, one after another. Another place it is said that,
- anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gela
- ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā
We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore there are Vedas and Purāṇas and Vedic literature. It is for human being. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). If we study this Vedic literature,... Vedic literature means four Vedas, eighteen Purāṇas, and Vedānta and Upaniṣads, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, and any literature which is connected with this Vedic literature. That is also Vedic literature. So Veda-Purāṇa, this Vedic literature, should be utilized. They have got time to read so many nonsense literatures, rubbish literature, and waste time, but if you invite them that "Come here, we shall discuss Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Vedānta-sūtra, similar literature," nobody will come. But simply by hearing... If we want... Vītaṁ yadā manaḥ śuddham. If we become free from this contamination of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, that is the highest stage of perfection.
It is, it is the authoritative statement of Nārada. Yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ varṇābhivyañjakam. In the Bhagavad-gītā, varṇābhivyañjakam, how to decide to which class or which caste a certain man belongs to, so there are symptoms. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ śamo damaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So Nārada Muni says, yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktam. These are the symptoms. So if such symptoms are visible in another place, then tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35). And Śrīdhara Svāmī has given his note that birth is not everything. One has to acquire the quality. 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. Now take the post of a dog,"... Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). "You have acted... You were given the most, I mean to say, exalted form of life, human being... You did not act as human being, you acted as a dog. Now you take the body of a dog." This is karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa.
Therefore we must be very careful in this human form of life. Our aim should be how to become a devotee. So to become a devotee, Kṛṣṇa conscious, because that is the path of liberation...
We have become... By the spell of māyā, by illusion, we are thinking, "Now we are making very much progress." What progress you have made? Have you stopped birth, death, old age, and disease? These troubles are awaiting. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You should always think that "I am waiting for the miserable condition." It is already miserable condition. Even in living time there are threefold miseries. Even you sit down peacefully, then the mosquito will bite you, bugs will bite you, and you will get some letter from some enemy. So even if you cannot sit down peacefully... If you think, "Now I am sitting at my home very peacefully," so many things will disturb you one after another. That is called tīvram, bhayaṁ tīvram.
But we are so bold that we are not afraid of it. That is foolishness. If we become overbold, "I don't care for these things," that is foolishness. Mūḍha. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. There are... He is awaiting so many troubles in birth, death, old age, and disease. Therefore, the atheist class, they want to forget this. They think that there is no life after death. Just like I have given several times the example: The rabbit, when there is some enemy, it will immediately kill him, and he closes the eyes so that there is no enemy. So similarly, we are... we have become so foolish about this birth, cycle of birth and death, and we do not ever think that how to get out of this birth and death and threefold misery of this material world. That means the whole subject matter of suffering is this material body. Because we are accepting this body, therefore there are so many troubles. Therefore the solution is how to stop this acceptance of material body again and again. That is intelligence. That is intelligence.
Tīvraṁ bhayam. What you are accepting, spelled by māyā, as very position, good position... I have told you many times. It is published in now..., that therefore, the rascal class of men, they want to..., they do not want to accept that there is life after death. "Everything is finished." Therefore in Western countries there is killing even grown-up child within the womb. They are killing, abortion. They think there is no life. Unless it comes out of the womb, there is no life. It's all nonsense theory. All nonsense theory, simply committing sinful life one after another and becoming entangled. The result will be that he will have to enter again into the womb of mother and he will be killed. He will be killed not once. He will be killed again when he enters the womb of the mother; again he will be killed. For many, many years he will not be allowed to see the light of the sun.
Therefore na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). People are becoming so narādhama, so sinful and mūḍha, that there is no rescue unless one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no rescue. The whole world is going just like the flies. When there is fire, open fire, they come from long distance, and "Fut! Fut! Fut! Fut! Fut!" being captivated by the beauty of the fire. Similarly, this whole civilization, this so-called civilization, human civilization, is falling in the fire of illusory māyā, "Fut! Fut! Fut! Fut! Fut!" and again and again. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Once takes birth, one again dies, again suffers. But we have no brain, mūḍha. Therefore is called mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is so kind and His devotees are so kind that they... Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjā... (BG 4.7). He comes. He is very unhappy by seeing our unhappiness in this material world because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7).
Another name of bhakti-yoga is renunciation. Vairāgya-vidyā. Bhakti-yoga means the education of renouncement. Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he explained bhakti-yoga, vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam (CC Madhya 6.254). Yes. The bhakti-yoga begins when we accept Kṛṣṇa's instruction, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have to renounce all nonsense engagement. That is called sarva-dharmān. We have accepted everything as dharma, saṁsāra-dharma, gṛhastha-dharma, rāja-dharma, samājika-dharma. There are so many we have created. And we are still going on. Dharma means function, characteristic.
So we are planning, one after another, various plans to be very happy in this material world. But they will not make us happy—that's a fact—because this place is certified by the Supreme Personality of Godhead as duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "This is a place for misery." This material world is a place for misery. This body is meant for suffering miseries, and the land is meant for suffering miseries. That we do not understand. But we are placed in a miserable condition all round. That is material life. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). But we have got attachment for this material happiness, even it is duḥkhālayam, it is very much painful, miserable, and we are making plans how to become happy here. This is called struggle for existence. It is going on perpetually. We are making some plan to be happy, and it is dismantled by the laws of nature. You study the whole history of the world: it is simply struggling. We are making some plan to be out of miserable condition, but it is causing another miserable condition. Therefore it is called daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). This is māyā. We are simply planning to overcome some problem, some difficulties, but it is becoming more difficult. This is the fact.
What is jñāna, knowledge? We have got... Jñāna means consciousness or living symptoms. That is jñāna. Cetana. Cetana, ce..., nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Nitya and cetana. Cetana means consciousness. Two things we find, generally, conscious and unconscious. Just like this table is unconscious, but a small ant, it is conscious. That ant is coming this side, you try to stop it, it will struggle, it will resist. Because it is conscious. But the table, you take it and throw it away, it will not protest, because it is unconscious. So, this consciousness is the symptom of life, and that develops one after another.
Just like within the earth you have seen, you go to the beach, you'll find within the sand, there are so many living entities. But they are inferior, and the plants on the sand, we have seen there are many green plants, herbs, they are better. They have improved their consciousness. But better than these plants and herbs are the crawling insects, snakes, snail, because they can move. The herbs, they cannot move, and within the sands there are living entities, they cannot sprout. So in this way, this is called evolution, one after another. So the insects, the reptiles, they are better than the standing herbs and plants, and these insects, the worms, they grow wings at the end of their life. In this way they are elevated to the bird's life. In this life they could not attain the bird's life, but on account of very strong willingness they grow the wings, and next life they become small birds, they fly. So they are better, the small birds, they are better than these insects. Then there are birds, big, big birds, the eagle birds, they can fly very high.
So one has to realize this. That is jñānam. Jñānam does not mean that because I am disgusted with this material world, to make this material world, not make, the material cannot be also made into zero, but we can imagine also something where there is no more these trees, and houses, and animals, and woman, and this and that, everything is finished. Nirākāra. Nirākāra, all kinds of ākāra, or forms, nirviśeṣa. Visesa means with varieties, and nirviśeṣa means without varieties. This is Māyāvāda philosophy. Finish this viśeṣa, the varieties. Simply realize "I am," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, so 'ham, like that. But that is not jñānam. That is not jñānam. That will be explained, one after another. Because nirviśeṣa, there is no possibility of nirviśeṣa. That I explained to you. As soon as you say Kṛṣṇa, immediately you have to think of Kṛṣṇa's paraphernalia. Not Kṛṣṇa alone. So everywhere Kṛṣṇa is there.
This paper. You, somehow or other you gather this paper, and there will be competition and the price will increase. This is the economy. Because they have got false money, therefore there is false increment of price. Bad money. Gresham's theory: "Bad money drives away good money." As soon as there is bad money, this paper currency, the coin, gold coins and silver coins, they are finished, they are no more.
So hṛdaya-granthi, we are, how we are becoming tied up between so-called one heart to another. Ataḥ gṛha, first of all attachment for man and woman, then attachment for the apartment, gṛha, then land, gṛha-kṣetra, then suta, children, then āpta, friends, society, friendship, love. Suta, āpta, then vitta, money. In this way we increase our, the knot, one after another. One knot, two knots, three knots, fourth knot, it is going on. And self-realization means opening the knots, opening the knots. The knots began like that. Janasya moho yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). And here it is said, hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Bhedanam means separate them. Separate them. That is self-realization. Self-realization means that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So 'ham, "I am as good as the Supreme Spirit, Kṛṣṇa. Somehow or other I am now in contact with this material attachment." This is called ātma-darśana. And that is clearly explained, ātma-darśana means hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Ātma-darśanam does not mean hṛdaya-granthi vṛddhi or increasing. Therefore, real ātma-darśana, real liberation, real consciousness is separation from this material attachment. Voluntarily, forcefully, or by knowledge, that is required.
Here it is said, tad asya saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ pāra-tantryaṁ ca tat-kṛtam. Pāra-tantrya, under the grip of the laws of material nature. How God can be under the grip of material nature? They explain, "It is līlā." But that is not. Here it is said, pāra-tantrya: "He is forced to accept a certain type of body." That is called pāra-tantrya. Saṁsṛtiḥ. This is punishment, saṁsṛtiḥ. Why saṁsṛtiḥ? On account of... (aside:) What is that? Sit down. Saṁsṛtiḥ. Saṁsṛtiḥ means punishment. Samyak rūpeṇa sṛtiḥ, going, progress, one after another, one after another, one after another, saṁsṛtiḥ, saṁsāra. So saṁsāra is not very palatable thing. Our Vaiṣṇava ācāryas say that saṁsāra is just like blazing fire. It is not a very nice... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). So does it mean that the Supreme Lord, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, He has come to suffer? And by force everyone in this material world is suffering saṁsṛtiḥ, and he is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? How wrong philosophy it is. No.
In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is not possible to make the one. No. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "Jīva is My aṁśa, part, particle, very small particle." And Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, He is vibhu. We have discussed all this. Vibhu, greater than the greatest, and smaller than the smallest. The smaller than the smallest... Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Mahato mahīyān is the Supreme Lord, and we are aṇu, very small particle, although we are the same expansion of the Supreme. But both, we are individual, not that today we are differentiated, and when we are liberated, we become one. No. That is not. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Sanātanaḥ means eternally we are vibhinnāṁśa.
Gopīs are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. So they are increasing their pleasure. There is no decrease. In the material world there is no question of increasing; it is decreased. That is the difference.
Therefore, those who are yogis, they are also enjoying. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. That is real happiness which increases. Which decreases, that is not real happiness. That is illusion. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani. Cit, that is spiritual, spiritual ānanda. Really we want ānanda, happiness, blissfulness. That is our natural instinct. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). So... But we are searching after ānanda in this material world, and that is described here that saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ pāra-tantrya, under material condition and changing this body one after another. This is not ānanda. Satyānande cid-ātmani. Ānanda is available on the spiritual platform. Satyānande cid-ātmani. Ramante... Iti rāma-padenāsau paraṁ brahma abhidhīyate. Therefore the yogis, they enjoy, ramaṇa, in the spiritual world. That ānanda is called Rāma, Hare Rāma. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is also attractive, and Rāma is enjoyment. So when we dovetail our activities with Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, then our life becomes happy. Before that there is saṁsṛtiḥ.
Therefore in order to understand the science, one has to go... That is the Vedic injunction, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "One should approach a proper bona fide spiritual master." And the spiritual master will save him from this blazing fire of repetition of birth and death.
We want to declare independence, not under the protection of Kṛṣṇa, or God. This is our position in this material world. Therefore the mentality is not to become prakṛti but to become puruṣa, the mentality. In the material world constitutionally the living entity is prakṛti. It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). The jīva-bhūta, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), prakṛti. But artificially, we are trying to become puruṣa. Ultimately, the same spirit is going on. As puruṣa is the enjoyer, we try to become independent enjoyer of this material world and baffled one after another, one after another, one after another, baffled, and at last, finally baffled still, he wants to become the supreme puruṣa, "I am God." This is māyā. Those who are claiming to become "I am God," they're still in māyā. Because he is prakṛti by nature, but he is still trying in the, first in the karma field as karmī, working day and night hard. But the purpose is that "I shall become the enjoyer. I shall become the Supreme."
The more we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the more we become free from fearfulness. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja advises hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). The real position of fearlessness is harim āśrayeta, take shelter of Hari. Hari means who takes away all subjective things of fearfulness. That is Hari. He takes away all our miserable condition of life, Hari. Harim āśrayeta. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt.
We have accepted the asat, these twenty-four elements as described before, as identification with me. Asat: they are not permanent: temporary situation, changing one after another. So asad-grahāt, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām, always full of anxiety, "What will happen next? What will happen next?" You will see even a small insect, birds, beasts, human being, animal, even elephants, tiger, lions—everyone is fearful. There cannot be any fearlessness in this material existence. Even big nation, American nation, they are also fearful of the Russian. And the Russians are fearful of the Americans. You can see. The whole political field... Our Indians are fearful of Pakistan. Pakistan is fearful... This is material existence. You cannot avoid it unless you take shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa assures, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). He gives shelter and assurance that "Don't be afraid of. When you have taken shelter of Me, then there is no cause of fear."
Up to the end of the creation they have no sense that "Again I am going to in the oblivion. Again I am to remain for millions of years in darkness. Then again there will be creation. And again I shall get body." And in one millennium we are changing so many bodies. This is our problem. But there is no education; there is no knowledge. But we find this education, this knowledge, from Vedic literature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes Himself, He teaches Himself Bhagavad-gītā personally, and He asks, mūḍha, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), but still, we are so dull, we cannot take His words, take His instruction, and bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), and going on, one after another, birth and death. This is going on.
So these vīrya, these living entities, seed-giving father is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are in quality as good as Kṛṣṇa, as good as Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśa. The living entities, they are, Kṛṣṇa claims, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "And they are My part and parcel." So why we should be other than Kṛṣṇa? We are exactly of the same quality. If Kṛṣṇa is spirit, then we are spirit. He is complete spirit; we are partial spirit. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Kṛṣṇa is living force; we are also living force. Kṛṣṇa has got creative power; we have got also creative power. Exactly all the qualities. Kṛṣṇa has got loving propensity; we have got loving propensity. Wherefrom this love has come? Because Kṛṣṇa loves Rādhārāṇī, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore we have learned how to love. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the Vedānta-sūtra: "Everything is born out of the Supreme Person, everything, what we see." We are sample Kṛṣṇa, sample Kṛṣṇa. All the propensities, that we have inherited from our supreme father. Everything is there. Kṛṣṇa has got the same propensities. So why Kṛṣṇa should be imperson? That is not complete knowledge.
So the process of creation, how, one after another, it takes place, that is described here. So the total energy, mahat-tattva, by interaction, the begins... The moving, the pushing, begins from the bhagavad-vīryatā. Bhagavad-vīrya-sambhavāt. Vīrya means energy. We understand vīrya sometimes—the semina. It is something like that; not exactly the material semina, but potency or energy, spiritual energy. That is the beginning of creation.
So wherefrom the creative energy begins? That is... In the Vedic literature we understand, sa aikṣata: "Simply by glancing." Not... When there is the word vīrya, it does not mean that, as in the material world, we discharge semina by sex intercourse. It is not like that. That vīrya, that energy, can be emanated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead any way. Therefore bhagavad-vīrya-sambhavāt. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. Vīryatā we can understand as semina discharged from the genital. It is not like that. Vīryatā, that vīrya or that energy, can be emanated from any part of the body, of the transcendental spiritual body, everywhere. That is called omnipotency. So just like Lord Brahmā was born not from the womb of Lakṣmī Nārāyaṇa... Nārāyaṇa was lying down, and Lakṣmī was present. To beget Lord Brahmā, there was no necessity of taking the help of Lakṣmījī. He sprouted a lotus flower from His navel, and there was Brahmā. So everything is possible from every part of the body, transcendental body. That is spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), omnipotent. That is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti.
To beget Lord Brahmā, there was no necessity of taking the help of Lakṣmījī. He sprouted a lotus flower from His navel, and there was Brahmā. So everything is possible from every part of the body, transcendental body. That is spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), omnipotent. That is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. The limbs and the parts of the body has got the potency of any other limb. Just like we can beget child, we can impregnate by the genital, but it is not required for the Supreme Personality of God. In the Vedas it is said, sa aikṣata: "Simply by glancing the same." The same. "He glanced over the total material energy, and the material energy, total mahat-tattva, became agitated." Then, one after another, the creation was there.
So kriyā-śaktir ahaṅkāras tri-vidhaḥ. Kriyā-śakti, the creative energy, kriyā-śakti. God is not impotent. He is fully potent, and His energies are acting. We can experience in our daily life. So this kriyā-śakti begins in three different categories, tri-vidhaḥ. Kriyā-śaktir ahaṅkāras tri-vidhaḥ samapadyata. Ahaṅkāra, ego, identification, "I am." Everyone is conscious of his activities, ego: "I am doing this." But this ego, this is called false ego. This material, under the material energy, this ego, is called another way upādhi, designation. The real ego is ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." But on account of being in touch, being born in this material world, my kriyā-śakti, my activities, are being done under different designation, under tri-vidhaḥ. Why under different designation. Because immediately there is creation, the guṇamayī, the three kinds of modes of material nature, they also become manifest, and on account of this, our ego, false ego, association with a particular type of material modes of nature, I am thinking, "I am like this" or "I am this." Just like in this body, I am thinking, "I am a human being" or "I am Indian" or "I am brāhmaṇa" or "I am sannyāsī," or this or that, so many things. Similarly, when I am in the dog's body, so I think, "I am dog. My business is barking and give service to the master." In different bodies different ego. This is called upādhi, upādhi, three kinds of upādhi: sāttvika-upādhi, rājasika-upādhi, tāmasika-upādhi. But originally there was no upādhi. The upādhi begins when the sṛṣṭi, creation, begins under different ego.
By nature's way, Kṛṣṇa has given us everything. You can simply work little. You get food grains. Kṛṣṇa says like that. Kṛṣṇa never says that "You open big, big fierceful, horrible industries." You will never find in Bhagavad-gītā. For your livelihood, Kṛṣṇa says very simple method. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Annād. Anna, you produce anna. Why you are planning big, big industries? The oil will come from America through the channel, and the Arabia will refuse to supply oil. There will be power problem, so many things, one after another, one after another. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that do all these things, ghora. No. He says, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: "You just produce food grain." And bhavanti bhūtāni. Bhūtāni means all living entities, they will be stout and strong by eating. What you want more? Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And if there is sufficient rain, then automatically, then it will be very easy to grow food grains. Parjanyād anna... If there is no parjanya, rain, then your so-called tractor will not help you, or knowledge, agricultural knowledge, will not help you. You will have to depend on Kṛṣṇa for rains. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). If you perform yajña, then there will be regular rainfalls.
That is karma. He is engaged in such karma, and he is manufacturing by his karma another body. Everything is going on by the laws of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ. By different guṇas—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, goodness, passion, and ignorance—very subtle machineries are going on. They are all material.
So here it is said, therefore, dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam. Dravya means physical. Dravya-jñāna. Dravya-jñāna means physical knowledge. And brahma-jñāna means spiritual knowledge. So here it is said, dravya-sphuraṇa. The material, physical, phenomenal atmosphere is developing one after another. The medical science, they are trying to study different cells; but wherefrom the cells came into action? That is by the influence or by the manipulation of prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). And prakṛti is working under the direction of Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). Therefore, ultimately, by the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead everything is going on. But how it is going on, that we cannot explain. We have got limited knowledge. Therefore śāstra says, "Don't try to speculate, because you are imperfect, but things are going on like this." Try to understand. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yo... Simply by your so-called argument and logic you cannot understand. You have to hear from the authorities that "Things are going on like this."
The spiritual body, when gives up this body, it has no value. A dead body of a beautiful man or beautiful woman, nobody likes because the spiritual essence is gone. Therefore love is actually on the spiritual platform. Material love is simply superficial, and it will cheat you. We must know this. Asad-grahāt. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5).
So on the sat existence, this material existence develops, and the process of development is described here. And the development of the body is described here, dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam. Dravya-sphuraṇa. Dravya means physical, development of physical body. Vijñāna, this is the vijñāna, how things are developing one after another, one after another. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. This is all by the material nature.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
So dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam indriyāṇām anugrahaḥ. So our senses follow, and we enjoy these false senses, and that is material existence. So the endeavor should be how to become free from this material existence and come to our spiritual platform. That should be the endeavor of human life. The cats and dogs, they have no such advanced consciousness. They cannot try for it. They are satisfied with this material body and material senses. But in the human-form body there is chance to understand that these senses, this physical formation of the body, is false or temporary.
Prabhupāda: So the answer is: "It is kept in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Adhunā udita. So Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent from Bhagavad-gītā as it is spoken by Him personally, and He is also represented by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sound representation. So we should take the advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They are kṛṣṇa-kathā, kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā means news or words about Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's kathā, the words given by Kṛṣṇa. That is Bhagavad-gītā, kṛṣṇa-kathā, Kṛṣṇa's words. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means words for Kṛṣṇa. Both of them are kṛṣṇa-kathā, or kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, instruction by Kṛṣṇa.
So here is... Kapiladeva is giving instruction, how things have developed one after another from Kṛṣṇa, from Kapiladeva. Kapiladeva and Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. You read the purport.
Nitāi: "It has been explained in the previous verses that mind is the product of ego in goodness and that the function of the mind is acceptance and rejection according to desire. But here intelligence is said to be the product of ego in passion. That is the distinction between mind and intelligence; mind is a product of egoism in goodness, and intelligence is a product of egoism in passion. The desire to accept something and reject something is a very important factor of the mind. Since the mind is a product of the mode of goodness, if it is fixed upon the Lord of the mind, Aniruddha, then the mind can be changed to Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Prabhupāda: So everything is explained there one after another, subtle things, how changing from ether, this sound, sense perception. There is ether. In the space also, there is ether, and we can understand the presence of ether by sound. The sound is being produced on account of ether. And when it is further developed, it creates the sense perception of touch. Śabda, sparśa, then rūpa, rūpa, then gandha. In this way the material existence becoming tangible or visible... Rūpa is the last stage. Gandha, not rūpa, gandha. Rūpa, rasa, rasa. Then, when after sparśa there will be manifestation of rūpa, form, and after form there is taste, and after taste there is gandha. This will be explained one after another. You can read the purport also.
Nitāi: "In the course of time, when the subtle forms are transformed into gross forms, they become the objects of touch. The objects of touch and the tactile sense also develop after this evolution in time. Sound is the first sense object to exhibit material existence, and from the perception of sound, touch perception evolves, and from touch perception the perception of sight. That is the way of the gradual evolution of our perceptive objects."
They see only the spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Their sympathy is for the spirit soul, that "Here is a spirit soul, and he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He is now bound up by this material bondage. Let me try to rescue him." Prahlāda Mahārāja said, śoce tato vimukha-cetasa, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). They have become foolish. They are thinking that in material bondage he will be happy. That is not possible. Therefore Vaiṣṇavas like Prahlāda Mahārāja and his followers, they very seriously think of these fallen conditioned souls and try to rescue them, and in this Kali-yuga it is very easy. As I have already explained, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ: "In this Kali-yuga it is a ocean of fault. So many faults are there, one after another, one after another. But there is one benefit," doṣa-nidhe asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ, "very great quality." What is that? Now, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet: "He hasn't got to do anything else. If he simply chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra," kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya (SB 12.3.51), "then he becomes free from this material bondage and goes back to home, back to Godhead."
So our only request is to everyone present here to chant this mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.
Prabhupāda:
- nabhasaḥ śabda-tanmātrāt
- kāla-gatyā vikurvataḥ
- sparśo 'bhavat tato vāyus
- tvak sparśasya ca saṅgrahaḥ
- (SB 3.26.35)
So everything is explained there one after another, subtle things, how changing from ether, this sound, sense perception. There is ether. In the space also, there is ether, and we can understand the presence of ether by sound. The sound is being produced on account of ether. And when it is further developed, it creates the sense perception of touch. Śabda, sparśa, then rūpa, rūpa, then gandha. In this way the material existence becoming tangible or visible... Rūpa is the last stage. Gandha, not rūpa, gandha. Rūpa, rasa, rasa. Then, when after sparśa there will be manifestation of rūpa, form, and after form there is taste, and after taste there is gandha. This will be explained one after another. You can read the purport also.
Nitāi: "In the course of time, when the subtle forms are transformed into gross forms, they become the objects of touch. The objects of touch and the tactile sense also develop after this evolution in time. Sound is the first sense object to exhibit material existence, and from the perception of sound, touch perception evolves, and from touch perception the perception of sight. That is the way of the gradual evolution of our perceptive objects."
Prabhupāda: You can read the next purport. Mṛdutvaṁ kaṭhinatvaṁ ca.
If you can learn how to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart always, twenty-four hours, then your life is successful. That is perfection of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how you can learn to see Kṛṣṇa within your heart, within other's heart, and everywhere. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). This is wanted.
So this is possible by increasing our love for Kṛṣṇa. Simply we have to increase our love. Just like in practical life also, we begin to love somebody, one after another, gradually, not all of a sudden, similarly, we have to increase our love for Kṛṣṇa. That love for Kṛṣṇa is the devotional process.
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
Then surrender. That is the ultimate state of loving affairs, surrender. Why one should surrender to another person unless there is love? Just like wife surrenders to husband and husband protects the wife. This is general duty. So why one man is interested with one woman for giving her all protection, and why one man is surrendered to..., one woman is surrendered to one man? What is the basic principle? The basic principle is love.
Read it thoroughly. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. By regular reading of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then our this material contamination becomes vanquished. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). As soon as it begins to diminish, then it will diminish finally, and then you will be situated in your pure, original constitutional position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhakti-yogataḥ. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). By cleansing the heart we become prasanna-manasaḥ, very jubilant. Bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Therefore this bhāgavata-dharma should be practiced from the very beginning of life, and it should be studied. We have got so many books. One can read... Whatever already we have got, books, one can read for fifty years continually and get new enlightenment one after another.
So bhāgavata means the complete knowledge. Bhāgavata, from bhagavān it is called bhāgavata. From bhagavat-śabda it is called bhāgavata. So in the association of bhāgavata, devotees, if we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... Sajātīya snigdhasya. Sajātīya means people thinking in the same way. So that means devotees who are interested in bhagavad-bhakti, to understand Bhagavān, they should read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association. We should have regular classes. Just like school and colleges, eight hour, six hour. Be engaged always in reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, discussing amongst yourself. Then you'll make progress. Otherwise, if you take it as an official routine work... You should take as routine work, but with consciousness that "We have to learn something," not simply attending the class, but to learn something. In this way make your life successful. Because after all, everything is being done, daiva-coditāt, impelled by the Supreme Person. The Supreme Person is behind everything. So in the association of devotees, if we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam regularly, then your, our, material contamination will be dissolved, and our spiritual consciousness will come out, and that will make our life successful.
Then your life is successful. Then your life becomes peaceful.
Otherwise there is no possibility. Otherwise there is no possibility. Everyone is hankering after peace, but this is the way of attaining peace, to revive your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, to engage your mind fully in the service of Kṛṣṇa in the matter of understanding Kṛṣṇa. And if you understand Kṛṣṇa... The books are there. Bhagavad-gītā is there. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is there. You have got your reason. You have got your knowledge. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Simply you try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then, from this asat, this temporary life which you are changing one after another, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya... (BG 4.9). After giving up this body... This is also temporary body, asat, the asat. Asat means it will not stay. So after giving up this body, if you get another body... That is compulsory. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ there is. Just like we are getting different bodies in this life, similarly, when this body is finished, we get another body. But another body or this body, because this material body, asat. Asad-grahāt, because we accept this material, temporary body, there must be suffering, kleśada. Or whatever we feel pains and pleasure, that is due to this body.
So the best achievement of life is the how to stop this getting material body again. Spiritual body. That is happiness. Then you will get eternal happiness, blissful life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). That you go to the spiritual world. There is spiritual world, as this, here, is material world. You have got material body. So if you are fit for going to the spiritual world, then you get spiritual body, same way.
So those who are attached to all these things for sense gratification, if we associate with such persons, then our door for going to hell is open. Two doors. You have to make selection. Whether this door for becoming liberated from this entanglement of repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead, this is one door. Another door, for sense gratification. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram (SB 7.5.30). The more we indulge in sense gratification, then more, more, more... Just like a drunkard. From the very beginning he's not a big drunkard. He takes little, then big, big bottles, big, big bottles. It is simply... Smoking, when the child learns from bad association to smoke, then he become a chain smoker, one after another, one after another, one after another.
So if we indulge in sense gratification, then it will increase, it will increase. And more we increase the process of sense gratification, we go down, deeper, deeper, into the hellish condition of life. Just like the other day I was talking with Mr. Berman, he's a mining engineer. So I talked with him that "You have spent so much time being educated as mining engineer..." It is very good technology he has learned. "But do you ever consider that what is your position? After taking so much education, learning technology, your place is in the dark mines, your place. Whole day you have to work within this darkness. And you are considered to be very expert, and you are getting good salary, but your place is in the dark mine. Why don't you...?" Similarly, his wife, she's a qualified gynecologist. So what is her business? Her business is how to kill the child within the womb—abortion. Just see. Both are experts. One expert is engaged in the hellish condition of the mine, in darkness; another expert is engaged in killing small babies within the womb. You see? Therefore the result will be that they are going to hell. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Again doing the same thing, again going to the hellish condition of life. This is called tamo-dvāram, ignorance. Tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam.
They are mixed up. Just like color mixing. Originally there are three colors: red, yellow and blue. And you mix it... Those who are color expert, they can display many thousands of colors. So similarly, in the nature's way there are different colors or different guṇas, and every one of us, we have got a particular type of guṇa with different desires, different plans, different so many things. Now, in the human form of life, you have got the chance to discriminate yourself or separate yourself from these colorful different species of life. That is the main duty of human form of life. Labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). We do not know, we have forgotten that how many species of life we have come through, transmigrating from one after another. Therefore this human form of life is called labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. After many, many births... We should not misuse it. Very responsible life. If you are misled, that is a dangerous civilization. That is going on. Dehātma-buddhi. As our chief guest Mr. Naidu(?) said, that deha means śarīra, mind, and then spirit. Yes.
God's first business is go-brāhmaṇa hitāya ca, brahmanya devāya. Kṛṣṇa is very, very eager to maintain the brahminical culture in the human society, brahma jānāti, understanding of Brahman and go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca, go, cows, cow protection. Where is that civilization? Where is that brahminical culture? Where is that go-rakṣa? Very precarious condition. Therefore we should accept the standard of civilization. This is recommended here, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram ahur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you want to become disentangled or free from this entanglement, conditioned soul one after another... We are forced. Our (indistinct) was saying about the change of body. The change of body is forced. You are young man. You cannot say, "I'll not accept old man's body." "No, sir. You'll have to accept." Forced. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You cannot say "I will not accept this." Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As you are forced to accept this body, old-age body—nobody wants to become old—similarly another body, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. These things are there. We are being forced by the laws of nature. Where is our independence? They're declaring resolution: "Now we are independent. Ah. Finished." Where is your independence? You are kicked out by the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You are not free. You are under supreme control. Nature, they will accept nature's control but not God's control. But the foolish person does not know that nature is also controlled by God. This you will have to learn from Vedic literature.
"When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification, by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another." (reads purport)
Pradyumna: "When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification, by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another."
Prabhupāda:
- nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
- yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
- na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam
- asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ
- (SB 5.5.4)
So it is recommended that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā, we have described the symptoms of mahātmā. The sum and substance of mahātmā is mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā. Otherwise durātmā. Simply putting on a saffron dress and having a big beard, he's not mahātmā. Mahātmā is he who is cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim (BG 9.13). He's not in the control of this material nature. He's completely under the direction of spiritual nature. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the sign? What is the difference between a person under material nature and spiritual nature? The difference is that one who is under spiritual nature, he is cent percent engaged in the service of the Lord. This is the sign.
As soon as we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā. As soon as we deny to obey the state laws, immediately we are criminals and subjected to the criminal acts, "Go to the prison." This is, we have got practical experience. You cannot defy the laws of the state or the laws of the worlds of the government. If we cannot... You cannot do it. If you do it, then you are punished. That is the statement in every śāstra. Daṇḍaniya. Daṇḍaniya, this daṇḍa is going on, one after another. Daṇḍa means punishment. But we are, because we are in illusion, we are thinking this daṇḍa is advancement of civilization.
So we should know, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8), this material world is nothing but a false attraction between man and woman. Not only in human society—in birds, beast, animal, aquatics, trees, plants, everywhere. You will find these pigeons, as soon as one female pigeon is there, and the male pigeon immediately wants to canvass, "Please come, let us unite." You have seen this is nature's way, sparrow. The same things: puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī. So, therefore in the human society, by Vedic knowledge, by education, you have to understand that we are bound up within this material world. What is the cause? The cause is that attraction between man and woman. This is the cause. Puṁsaḥ. Puṁsaḥ means the bhokta, the enjoyer. Here the male and female, both of them are puṁsaḥ, puruṣaḥ, because everyone has got that feeling that "I shall enjoy." Nobody is feeling that "I shall be enjoyed." Everyone is thinking, "I shall enjoy." Nobody wants to be predominated; everyone wants to be predominator. This is the illusion.
So our this simple living... We are introducing the simple living, that go to the village, have sufficient food grains and milk, and the experiment is successful in the Western countries, in New Vrindaban, in Philadelphia, in New Orleans. So now the leaders of European and American countries, they are threatened: "This kind of civilization, if it is advanced, then where he'll stand?" This simple living... In Australia, one psychiatrist, he remarked that "If this kind of simple living is introduced, then where you stand?" So they want ugra-karma. They want to work day and night in the factories, and to pacify themselves, they immediately require drinking, illicit sex. Thence, by working on motorcars, they have no enough food, they want to eat meat, kill animals; and to digest the meat, he must drink. One after another. One after another.
So this ugra-karma, they have introduced, but they are not happy. Because they are fools, they do not know their happiness is different. It cannot be had from the ugra-karma. Therefore here it is said, sarvatra vyasana? What is that? Jantor vyasanāvagatyā, sarvatra jantor vyasanāvagatyā. Your material civilization, wherever you advance materially, there is trouble. Not only on this planet, but in other planets also, I mean higher planets, where they live for many millions of years and their standard of happiness... Of course, these rascals, they are finding only stones and rocks in other planets. They have got everything only in this planet. And you have to believe them. Wherever they are going, in the moon planet or in the Mars planet, what do they see? Simply rocks and sands. But that is not the fact. Each and every planet is full of living entities, janatā(?). That is the statement in the... Everywhere, every planet, there are different kinds of living entities. Just like we see in this planet also, the Europeans are of different features, the Americans have different features, India different features, Africa different features. So there are varieties of living continent, varieties of living entities, but no planet is vacant. That is not the fact. This is rascaldom. They are declaring the planets are
In this way, this is evolutionary growth, one after another. The evolution takes place. Evolution means gradual evolution or manifestation of consciousness. That is evolution.
So the atheist class of men, because they cannot understand that there is soul, they cannot understand that evolution means evolution of consciousness. They do not understand. They are thinking that the, originally in the matter there was no life. and all of a sudden the life came. No. Life is completely different from the matter. Not completely different; it is the same energy from the Supreme Lord. One is developed, the other is not developed. In this way, as Brahmā has defined, mat-paro ahaṁ dvija-deva-devaḥ. So in this way, within this material world there are varieties of developed consciousness, and in the spiritual world, when we surpass, transcend the material world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo anya (BG 8.20), when we are promoted to the other energy, other world, then our consciousness... Even when one is, I mean to say, transmitted to the spiritual world... The first is brahma-jyotir. Their consciousness is also not developed, even one has gone to the spiritual world where everything is spiritual. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). That means consciousness is fully developed when he is a devotee, when one adores the lotus feet of the Lord. Yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. So those who are promoted even to the Brahmajyoti, they are also not fully conscious. Fully conscious means a devotee. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is full consciousness. Without this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of full-fledged. Just like a small bud of a flower. First of all the seed. The seed grows, then the buds come out, then gradually the buds develop, it becomes flower, then full-fledged flower, then fragrance, beauty. Everything is developed. That is real development. Similarly, this is the process of development. When one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is full-fledged flower with fragrance, beauty, and everything. That is the perfection.
"Do something new," and be implicated. We are not satisfied with old things. "Old order changes, yields to..." "Old order...," there is an English proverb like that, "yielding to the new."
But the Vedic civilization is that "Do not try to invent some order. That will create disturbance. Be satisfied. Whatever you have got by nature's way, be satisfied. Don't spoil your time. Save your time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is Vedic civilization. That is the purpose of life, the valuable life. Bahūnāṁ saṁbhavānte. This life, human form of life, we have got bahu saṁbhavānte, after many, many years in the evolutionary process. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-sāṅkhyakāḥ. We are coming, one after another, from the lowest low-grade life in the water. Then plants, creepers, trees, then insect, then flies. In this way—then birds, then beasts—in this way, millions and millions years after, we have got this human form of life, especially those who are civilized. There are 400,000's forms of human life also—not all the same: the uncivilized and civilized, the black and white, and so many different grades of men. They have different intelligence. In this way, one who has taken birth in India, he is the most fortunate. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,
- bhārata-bhumite manuṣya janma haila yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
So unfortunately we are forgetting our culture; otherwise we have got a great mission, Indians, for the others, para-upakāra. They require the information of this Vedic knowledge, and they are now getting. They are appreciating.
Pravrtti is there, my inclination is there, but if you practice nivṛtti-mārga, then you overcome the cycle of birth and death, saṁsṛtiḥ. So this human form of life is meant for nivṛtti-mārga, not to indulge the sense gratification but minimize sense gratification as far as possible. Try to make it zero. Then that is called nivṛtti-mārga. We are. We require this eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But if we try, if we practice, that is called austerity. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvaḥ (SB 5.5.1). Śuddha. Śuddha means purification, existence, purifying the existence. We are eternal, we are existing, and on account of impurity, we have got this material body, and it is subjected to the laws of material nature, and we have to change one after another. This is pravṛtti-mārga. But in the human form of life if we come to senses that "Why I shall accept repetition of birth, death, old age, disease, and so many miserable conditions?" so that is called sense. That is intelligence. That intelligence can be developed in human form of life, and if we do not do, then the same example: just you use the sandalwood for burning purpose.
That is the prescription. This is required. If we do not live regulated life, if we do not follow the regulative principles as they are given in the śāstra, then in spite of being put into jail, in spite of my suffering, as soon as I come back, I again commit the same thing and again go to jail. This is... The example is given very nicely here that if anyone does not know how to live hygienically, healthfully, he must fall diseased. That's a fact. Similarly, one must have knowledge what is the value of this life, how I shall live, then he will be not subjected to the sinful activities. This is the conclusion. And if he lives like ass and cow, without any knowledge, without knowing the values of human life, then he must be subjected to sinful activities and will be punished one after another, accepting different types of bodies.
The different types of bodies means that is our punishment. We may think it as happiness, but as soon as you accept a material body, you are subjected to the four principles of material distresses. What is that? Janma, mṛtyu, jarā, vyādhi. You may think that you are very scientifically advanced—"There is no more distress in my life"—but Kṛṣṇa says, "No. If you are intelligent, then you should think of these four principles as distresses." What is that? Birth, death, old age and disease. But the modern so-called scientists, they cannot make any solution to birth, death, old age and disease; therefore they have left them aside: "Oh, don't care for them." That is ignorance. Our real problem is not this temporary problem that we are in such and such distressed condition. That is temporary. But real problem is, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If anyone is intelligent enough, he should always keep before him that there are, these are my distresses: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.
What is that benediction? The benediction is this human form of life. You should understand that you are not cat and dog, simply you shall spoil your life by eating, sleeping, and sex and defense. No. This is very valuable life. Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. This is the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. "No, don't spoil it. You have got this boon, this human form of life, after many, many births, evolutionary process. Don't you see so many different varieties of life? And you had to undergo through all these life. Now you have come to human form of life, so you should utilize it."
So that full utilization is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That we shall come, one after another. This karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra, this will not help us. That will be discussed in the next verse. Neither the mental speculation will help us. Unless we come to the platform of bhakti and fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa and take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, it is very, very difficult. We will have to continue. In many places, śāstra, it is said.
Therefore there are different atonements. According to Vedic law, if one cow dies while he's locked up on the neck... Because the cow is on the safe.(?) Somehow or other, it dies and the rope is round the neck, the proprietor of the cow has to make some atonement. Because it is to be supposed that the cow has died on account of being locked up with the rope, there is atonement. Now if you are willingly killing cows and so many animals, so how much we are being responsible? Therefore at the present moment there is war, and the human society becomes subjected to be killed in mass massacre—the nature's law. You cannot stop war and go on killing animals. That is not possible. There will be so many accidents for killing. The wholesale kill. When Kṛṣṇa kills, He kills wholesale. When I kill—one after another. But when Kṛṣṇa kills, they assemble all the killers and kill. Therefore there is atonement in the śāstras. Just like in your Bible also there is atonement, confession, paying some fine. But after performing atonement, why people commits the same sin again? That is to be understood.
Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving an example from the history. Now it is explicitly stated here, itihāsaṁ purāṇam. All the Purāṇas that we have got, they are not legends; they are all history. They are all histories. Just like there is no chronological history one after another, but any incident which has taken actually place, they are reciting. They are not fiction or imaginary stories, all the Purāṇas. Itihāsa, yes. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving an instance from the history which is very instructive. Atra codāharantīmam itihāsaṁ purātanam. Purāṇa means old history, actually Purāṇa. Purāṇa means old. So purātaṇam itihāsam. Now he gives that,
- kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid
- dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ
- nāmnā naṣṭa-sadācāro
- dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ
He says, "In the city of Kānyakubja..." Kānyakubja is still existing. That is also historical place. That place is now known as Kanauj. Yes. (some discussion in Hindi) "In the city of Kānyakubja, formerly there was a brāhmaṇa." Kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścit. "There was a brāhmaṇa." Āsīd dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ. Dāsī-pati means one who keeps woman; it is not married. He kept one woman, dāsī; therefore he was the husband of a dāsī. He was living with a woman who was not married wife.
That is not possible. If you want to be happy, peaceful, then you must take this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and try to create at least a group of men first class. Just like we are doing that. People will see their behavior, their character, their mode of life, and at least they will be attracted.
So this man, Ajāmila, on account of his association with a prostitute... That is illicit sex. Sex means with married wife. That's all. So this is the first falldown. Then he lost his all gentle behavior, and then he came to this platform, bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś cauryaiḥ. So as soon as one become fallen down from the standard of gentle life, they must take to this profession. There is no other alternative. You cannot check it. This is natural falldown, one after another. So, bandy-akṣaiḥ... What time up to? Up to 7:30? It is finished. Eh?
Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). This word is used, dhīra. So if one is not dhīra, adhīra, agitated always, they will go on begetting children one after another, up to the eighty-ninth year. Why? Tṛpyanti... They are not satisfied, although to beget a child means so many troubles, if you are responsible father. And those who are not responsible father-mother, they want to kill it, that's all. This is the psychology of killing children nowadays, because they know that "This child, I have to take care so much," bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. There are... Tṛpyanti... By very analytical study... Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). This happiness of the gṛhamedhī, family attachment... Family you can utilize, gṛhastha. If you are inconvenienced to accept sannyāsa or brahmacārī life, remain in household life, but the purpose is the same, to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one is in the family life and is trying to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is called gṛhastha, and his family life is called gṛhastha-āśrama. Just like sannyāsa-āśrama. Āśrama means where there is activities, spiritual. That is called āśrama. So if you remain as gṛhastha or family man, there is no harm. But utilize for advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you are gṛhastha. And if you do not know that, if you simply remain a family man for satisfying your senses and begetting children up to the point of death, that is called gṛhamedhī. These two words. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛhamedhinām (SB 2.1.2). So one should not be gṛhamedhī. One may become gṛhastha. That is the difference.
Therefore the training from the very beginning, brahmacārī. Brahmacārī is instructed in such a way that he'll remain brahmacārī throughout the whole life. A brahmacārī is open to accept either a gṛhastha āśrama or vānaprastha āśrama or sannyāsa āśrama, but the guru advises, "Better remain all through brahmacārī. No botheration." So he's trained properly, but still if he has desire, then he's allowed to become a gṛhastha. That is also for a limited time. The whole plan is how to stop, because as soon as here, that Ajāmila, he was not properly married, he became the husband of a prostitute. But there are ten children, but he's entangled with the family, with children, and now he's engaged bhuñjānaḥ prapiban khādan bālakaṁ sneha-yantritaḥ, one after another. First of all sex desire, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8).
Everyone must produce his own food by tilling the field. So to produce food he must have some land. So land was available, still available. One can produce. But they have left that process of livelihood. They are taking to industry.
So ato gṛha. First of all apartment, then kṣetra. Kṣetra means agricultural land. Then some capital. Ato gṛha-kṣetra. Then as soon as they're married they, at least woman, wants some child, children. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta-āpta. After, if he has got very nice apartment and good condition of living, then he'll invite some friends, "Please come and see our happily living." (laughter) And one after another—bondage. One after another. Because if you're opulent, you have to show your friends. Otherwise what is your opulence? If your friends do not come and say, "Oh, you're so wonderful. (laughter) Yes. You have got such a nice wife, nice apartment. Wonderful!" Because in the Kali-yuga this is wonderful. Everything is mentioned in śāstra. Dakṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. If one can maintain one wife and some children, ah, he's most expert. (laughs) Forget Kṛṣṇa. Here is expert. (laughter) Daksa means expert. "Oh, he's expert. How he's maintaining." When I first came, I met one elderly lady. She had a son. So, as Indian I asked, "Oh, why don't you get your son married?" She replied, "Oh, I have no objection. If he can maintain a wife I have no objection." That means to maintain a wife is a very big job in your country. I've seen it. (laughter) Of course, when we talk we must talk freely. (laughter) That is a fact. (laughter)
So all the students who used to come to England for higher studies, naturally he'd carry one white elephant. (laughter) They used to say—it is not my coined words—they used to say, "Oh, to maintain European wife, it is like maintaining white elephant." So anyway, you have got so many white elephants. (laughter)
So this is the way, ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta-āpta, friends. Arjuna was lamenting, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are asking me to fight with my relatives. Then suppose I become victorious and they're killed. Then whom I shall show the kingdom?" That was his objection. (laughter) "If everyone is killed on the other side, my friends and relatives, and suppose I become victorious, then whom I shall show my prosperity?" So āpta, suta, ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta-āpta and vitta and money. It is one after another. First wife, then apartment, then field for agriculture, then friends, then children, then money, bank balance. In this way he does not know he's becoming entangled more and more. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta-āpta-vittaiḥ, janasya moho 'yam. He's thinking that "Now everything is settled up; I am very happy." And next day death comes and kicks him out: "Get out!" That he does not understand. That he does not understand, that "Any moment death can come and kick me out of all this arrangement." That is ignorance. That is foolishness.
We have created so many things, duty. Therefore śāstra says that "These rascals do not know what is his actual self-interest." Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). He is hoping something which will never be fulfilled. Therefore he is rascal. We are trying to adjust things within this material world to become happy, but the rascal does not know that so long he will remain in this material world, there is no question of happiness. That is rascaldom.
Kṛṣṇa says that this place is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This material world, where we are now living under different change of body one after another, it is duḥkhālayam. Why I have to change my body? Why not... I am permanent. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Therefore we have to learn, we have to be educated, we have to receive knowledge from the perfect. And Kṛṣṇa personally, the Supreme Perfect Person, is giving you knowledge. And if we are so unfortunate that we do not take the perfect knowledge—we concoct, we speculate, we create our own idea—then it is to be understood that durāśayā. We are thinking, "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this..." Nothing. You shall never be happy—this is perfect instruction—unless you go back to home, back to Godhead. Just like a mad boy, he has forsaken his father. His father is rich man, everything is there, but he has become hippie. So similarly, we are also like that. Our father is Kṛṣṇa. We can live there very comfortably without any botheration, without endeavor for earning money, but we have decided that we shall live here in this material world. This is called ass.
Somehow or other, you become recognized by Kṛṣṇa, priya. Kṛṣṇa may know that "He is sincerely trying to do something for render..." Kṛṣṇa does not require your service or my service. He is self-sufficient. If we render service, that is for..., that is good for us. Kṛṣṇa, He recognizes, "Oh, now he has again begun service. That's nice." So to such person Kṛṣṇa excuses. Saḥ pāda-mūlaṁ bhajatāṁ priyasya. That verse. Now I forget. There is a verse like that.
So the Ajāmila, young man, on account of association with a prostitute, he lost his good character and began to maintain the prostitute by stealing, by cheating, one after another. So by mistake or on account of the age, he became captivated by the prostitute. So Kṛṣṇa was watching. Therefore He gave him this chance that on account of his affection towards the child, he will at least repeat "Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa." "Nārāyaṇa come. Nārāyaṇa take your food. Nārāyaṇa sit down." So bhāva-grāhi-janārdanaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He takes the purpose or the essence. Because the holy name has its effect. So although this Ajāmila, by his foolishness, he was attached to the material body of the son, but because he was chanting "Nārāyaṇa," Kṛṣṇa was taking that essence, that's all, that "Some way or other, he is chanting." The importance of chanting is so nice. So do not give up chanting. Then Kṛṣṇa will protect you. This is the example. "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," you practice. Naturally, when you are in danger, you will say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." This much do. If you are practiced to do something, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you are safe.
"You go to Droṇācārya and tell him the lies." "What is that?" "Now, tell him that 'Your son Aśvatthāmā is dead.' " Because Droṇācārya had some benediction that unless he is shocked by the death of his son, he will never die. So Kṛṣṇa had to take this diplomatic, because it is politics. So Kṛṣṇa... Because Droṇācārya will not believe anyone. He knew that Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is a most pious man; he never tells lies. So if Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira goes and says that "Your son is dead," then he will believe. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa could have gone personally, but He knew that people do not believe Him. (laughter) He is very tricky. (laughter) So therefore no tricky man can excel Him. A man may be very tricky, very intelligent, but he will not be able to excel Kṛṣṇa. He is more tricky. Just like in His childhood, Kṛṣṇa was naughty, so mother wanted to bind Him. So Kṛṣṇa also became tricky. Mother first of all brought some rope and bound, and when it was to be knotted, it was short. And then again she joined another rope. In this way, whatever rope store she had, she brought one after another, and at last, when knotting, it is too... What is called?
So Sūrya can see that... We have got some rays of the eyes, three feet. But, you see, from the 93,000,000 miles away he is seeing you. So brightly he is seeing. So you have to understand in that way. The śāstra says, "Here is the eyes." Another eye, another eye, one after another, one after another. How you will escape? That is not possible.
Therefore we must be very cautious and, I mean to say, with sense we must act, and if we act according to the direction of the śāstra, then our position is safe. Otherwise, we are risking life. Risking life means this human life, human life. The dog has got ear; we have got also ear. But a dog cannot understand śāstra; that is not possible. Or the elephant has got ear, very big ear. (laughter) Does it mean that he can hear more? No. This is rascaldom. One must be quite able to hear to understand śāstra. Therefore śāstra is meant for the human society. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you will find, the Sanātana Gosvāmī's teachings, you will find, anadi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karila. Why these Vedas and Purāṇas are there? Just to remind us. The veda purāṇa karila. Veda, the four Vedas and other literatures abiding by the Vedas... Purāṇa means supplementary Vedas. There are many historical incidences. They say "mythology." No, it is not mythology. It is from selected historical incidences put together, but the same Vedic instruction for common man. In the Vedas the mantras are there. Common man cannot understand. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), athāto brahma jijñāsā. This Veda mantra goes on. But ordinary persons, they cannot understand. Therefore the same Vedas explained with reference to the historical incidences, that is called Purāṇa. Purāṇa means "who is complete." Purāṇa, pūrayati iti purāṇa.
That is also another variety of life. People are trying to live for many many years. By nature's way, here is a tree, five thousand years. So is that kind of living is very profitable, to stand up five thousand years in a forest? So any variety of life within this material world is not good, either you are demigod or tree or this or that. That is education. That is education. So one should understand that any varieties of life, either as demigod or dog, here the life is troublesome. The demigods even, they are put into so many dangers. Many times they approach God. So here you will be always in danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). It is futile to attempt to make this material world dangerless. That is not possible. As there are varieties of bodies, varieties of dangers, calamities, so one after another, you will have to... So best thing is, therefore, stop this business, material. That is Vedic civilization. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this idea, that "Stop this nonsense business, repetition of birth, death, old age." Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is knowledge. What knowledge, this technical knowledge, this knowledge? You cannot stop these things. Therefore main business is how to stop it. And because they are foolish people, they think that "These things cannot be stopped. Let us go on with this repetition of birth and death, and in each life let us struggle for existence." This is material civilization, ignorance, no knowledge.
Therefore his name was Jaḍa Bharata. Jaḍa means dull. People used to think him as the dull-headed fool. But he was conscious of his position. He kept himself like that. Then Rahūgaṇa, the King Rahūgaṇa, understood that "He is keeping himself as dull, but he is most intelligent, advanced in spiritual consciousness," and there was talk. And so, in next birth Bharata Mahārāja, Jaḍa Bharata, got his salvation.
So we shall be very much cautious so that we do not forget our responsibility. Naṣṭa-janma-smṛtiḥ, it is not good. Naṣṭa-janma. We must be responsible that "We have got this birth," labdhvā su-durlabhaṁ bahu-sambhavānte, "after many, many births, after much suffering in so many species of life, one after another, one after an..." And unfortunately, the people are so dull-headed, they do not care for it. But this is the most important subject matter of life. So those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they should take charge, that "These rascals are suffering. Let them have some idea about Kṛṣṇa." That is wanted. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So I am very glad that you are seriously interested, and Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon you. And that you are sincerely trying, I can understand from these tulasī plants. Yes. This is the practical demonstration. Unless there is bhakti, this tulasī plant will not grow. We must be very much thankful to our Govinda dāsī. She first of all cultivated the tulasī plant in Hawaii. And now our tulasī plants are distributed. So she has done a great service. I think I gave her the seeds, and she very nicely done it. Now everywhere we see tulasī plant. It is very pleasing. So the same thing—Deity worship and watering the tulasī plants, chanting sixteen rounds at least, and observing the rules and regulation, regulative principle... Then your life is successful. Don't neglect. Very seriously continue. And in this one life you are going back to home, back to Godhead. It is sure. I am not flattering you. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). Asaṁśayaḥ, "Without any doubt, simply following these rules and regulation," mām evaiṣyasi, "you come back to Me."
This is the first, preliminary knowledge of understanding spiritual life, that "I am eternal." Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin. As spirit soul, I do not take birth, neither I die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I am not finished with the destruction of this material body. That is going on already. My childhood body is destroyed now. You cannot find out where is that body. My youthhood body, that is destroyed. We cannot find out anymore. So in this way, this body will be also destroyed, and we shall get another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). In this way, we are changing body, one after another. So why there are different types of body? That means the living entity, spirit soul, he is contacting different types of material modes of nature. And according to that, we are developing a gross body. The transmigration of the soul means the gross body is lost. Because anything material, it will be finished. That is the nature of material, anything material. It will be finished. But the spirit soul is not finished.
And when the question comes, when he becomes intelligent enough that "Why I am suffering?" then his human life begins. Otherwise, he is animal. The animal cannot inquire. An animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse, but he cannot question or inquire that "Why I am taken by force in this slaughterhouse?" That is animal. But if you take one human being to be killed, if he understands, he'll make a great noise, that "This man is going, taking me. Why I am being...," so on, so on. Yes. That is human life. That is the distinction between human life and animal life, that one can understand that "Why I am put into this condition of suffering?" This is called brahma-jijñāsā. That is the beginning of Vedānta philosophy. athāto brahma jijñāsā. Then we understand, one after another.
So we should take advantage. Not that we shall live like animal, without any inquiry, without finding out the remedy, how to stop this miserable condition of life. We are actually trying. Everyone is working so hard, struggle for existence. He is trying. Why one is trying to get money? Because he thinks that "If I get money, then the distressed condition in which I am suffering, it can be mitigated." So the struggle for existence is going on. Everyone is trying to become happy. But that is not in the material way. Material way, we are trying to get happiness, that means sense gratification. That is not happiness. Happiness means spiritual happiness. That is happiness. This material happiness is temporary. That is not happiness, but perverted happiness. It is exemplified just like we are trying to find out water in the desert. Actually in the desert there is no water, but an animal, he sees that there is water in the desert, as we also see. But we are human being. We know in the desert there is no water, it is a reflection of the sunshine. But animal does not know. He's thirsty, he looks after the water in the desert. So this is the distinction between animal and human life.
As soon as you come on the platform of Brahman, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54), then you will be able to. Otherwise you will not be able to. If you don't come on the transcendental platform, then you will not be able to.
So we have to stick to these principles to keep ourselves on the transcendental platform, rising early in the morning, offer maṅgala ārati, then gradually, one after another, attending class, guru-pūjā, and so on, so on. Up to till you go to bed, you should always be engaged. Then you will be above these three guṇas. Just like this boy, Ajāmila. He is attracted because all of a sudden he fell down on the platform of passion. There are three platforms: sattvic, rajasic, tamasic. So if you keep yourself on the sattvic platform, there is also chance to falling down on the passion and ignorance. But if you keep yourself in the śuddha-sattva platform... Śuddha-sattva platform means devotional service. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. Śuddha platform means... That is called vasudeva. As Vasudeva can beget a child whose name is Kṛṣṇa, similarly, if you keep yourself on the vasudeva platform, sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam, then Kṛṣṇa will take birth. Kṛṣṇa will take birth. So our these rules and regulation, restriction, means to keep one on the vasudeva platform. We should remember always that. And if you keep yourself on vasudeva platform, these things will not entice you. Otherwise we shall be enticed and fallen down. Agāma hṛc-chaya-vaśaṁ sahasaiva vimohitaḥ.
Anyone who has accepted this material body must be always agitated in mind, sadā. Why? Asad-grahāt. Because he has accepted this temporary body, he must be full of anxiety. It cannot be avoided. Asad-grahāt. Asato mā sad gama. The Vedic injunction is "Don't keep yourself in this temporary world or temporary body. Must go to the spiritual world, back to home, back to..." This is Vedic injunction. Sad gama. Asato mā sad gama. Asad-grahāt. If you accept this temporary material world, means temporary body... Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam... (BG 2.13). We are transmigratng from one body to another. This is asad-grahāt. Why I shall transmigrate if I am eternal? Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I am eternal. So this is intelligence: "How I can get permanent body so that I may not have to change bodies one after another." This is intelligence.
So this person... There are many important words in this verse, and it can be explained for a long time. The one word is that stambhayann ātmanā ātmānam. Just like a thief is going to steal. He also tries to control him: "I am going to steal. The after-effect will be that I will be arrested, and I will have to go to jail, and it is forbidden by śāstra and human laws also, state laws. So I am going to steal. There is risk." Actually there is risk. But this consciousness beats him, but he cannot control. This is the position. He cannot control. He knows everything, but still, he steals. The same thing happened here. Here it is said, na śaśāka samādhātum. He was a brāhmaṇa, learned brāhmaṇa. He knew that "I am being agitated by these sex desires. It is not good. It is not good." Yathā-śrutam. Śruta. Śruta means Vedic knowledge. He had sufficient education in Vedic knowledge. Yathā-śrutam and yāvat sattvam, as far he could control... Stambhayann ātmanā ātmānam. He tried to control the mind as far as intelligence concerned, but na śaśāka—he could not control. Na śaśāka samādhātum. Why? The mind was too much agitated. This is the point. This is the point, that his mind was too much agitated, madana-vepitam, by lusty desire. Lusty desire is very strong.
"Because he has not nullified his sinful activities by atonement or other measures, then he must be punsihed. Then he will be purified."
So punishment is also purification. Purification. Same law: If you infect some disease, then you must get that disease and you must suffer from that disease. That is your punishment. Therefore you should be very much careful not to infect any disease. Similarly, don't infect the material qualities, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Remain in sattva-guṇa and try to elevate yourself from sattva-guṇa to transcendental stage, brahma-bhūtaḥ. Then life is successful. Otherwise we shall be repeatedly punished so long we have got the tendency to enjoy material happiness and get another body, one after another. We shall be punishable by the Ya mache piche. It is the Bengali poetry. It is said, kṛṣṇa nāma koro bhāi (end)
He said therefore that veda nā māniyā buddha haila nāstika, vedāśraye vāda nāstika ke adhika. So these are the discussion. One has to learn very cautiously how, what is the purpose of, why Lord Buddha came, why Lord Śiva and Śaṅkarācārya came, why other ācāryas came, why Caitanya Mahāprabhu came. It requires thorough study under able guidance. Then one can understand.
On the whole, the conclusion is that anyone who is in this material world, he is a sinful man. Anyone. Otherwise he would not have gotten this material body. Just like anyone who is in the prison house, you can conclude that he is a sinful, criminal man. You do not require to study one after another. Because he is in the prison house you can conclude that "Here is a criminal." Similarly, anyone who is in the material world, he is a criminal. But not the superintendent of jail. You cannot conclude, "Because everyone is in the jail, criminal, therefore the superintendent of jail, he is also criminal." Then you are mistaken. Those who are conducting these sinful men to take them back to home, back to Godhead, he is not criminal. His business is how to release this rascal from this prison house and take him back to home, back to Godhead.
So Viṣṇu, because He has got spiritual body, similarly, when you get your spiritual body How you can get? By understanding Viṣṇu.
Therefore in the Vedic mantra, Rg mantra, it is, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sada paśyanti sūrayaḥ. The sūraya, those who are demigods or Aryans, they are, their destination is Viṣṇu. But ordinary men, they do not know that. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that their ultimate goal of life is to understand Viṣṇu. Why? Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are trying to become perfect with this material condition. That is not possible. You have to know Viṣṇu. Then you become perfect. Otherwise, you have to change this body one after another. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). You have one body, you remain for some time, then it is destroyed, you get immediately another body, again enter into the womb of mother, again form your body from little, a pulse-like body to this body and grow to your higher status in your younger age. Then again become dwindled, become old man, and again vanish. So bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Everything material will have to change like this. And there are 8,400,000's of different kinds of bodies, and you have to evolve in the cycle of such body. So if you want to get out of this circulation, continually, then here is the formula: tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Simply try to understand what is God or Viṣṇu, then you get that opportunity.
Not only in this universe, in every universe He is going. That calculation is there. Out of four hundred crores of years, Kṛṣṇa appears in one universe. In this universe, when He comes, He appears in this land of Vṛndāvana. Therefore Vṛndāvana is so valuable. This is Kṛṣṇa's place. When He comes here. Just like when the governor goes to a city he has got his own resting house, similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes to teach us dharma... Dharmasya glānir bhava... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). So what is that dharma? This Bhāgavata-dharma. When the rascals forget what is the relationship with Kṛṣṇa, what is the relationship with God, he becomes entangled in this material affair, māyā. He is harassed, harassed in this way, that he has to take birth one after another, beginning from Brahmā down to the small ant. There are so many varieties of life. So according to karma, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1), by superior arrangement one has to accept a type of body. That we are forgetting. We are thinking that we shall remain free like this. That is not possible. Your every inch of activity is being recorded and at the end of life these things will be taken into account, karmaṇā. And by the superior arrangement you have to accept one type of body. Today you may become a prime minister but your activities will be recorded and tomorrow after your death you may have to accept the body of a dog. That is the law of nature.
This is the distinction between śreya and preya.
So we must be interested in śreya, not preya. Preya is sense gratification. The material life, sense gratification is only required. This is material world. Yan maithunādi gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). This śreya, or this preya, very dear things, ultimately, sex life, maithunādi... (break) ...married, the same sex life. Then he gets some children. Then he again grandsons. They go on. Yan maithunādi. Here, the happiness is centered around that sex life. Kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. And as soon as he enters into sex life, iva duḥkha-duḥkham, one after another, one after another, one after another. So this is preya. But śreya is now to approach the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. Therefore here it is said, yathā hi puruṣasyeha viṣṇoḥ padopasarpaṇam, how to be engaged in the worship of the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. That is possible. This ṣreya means sense gratification, culminating in sex life. That is available. That will be explained in the next verse.
"One who has passed his life simply being attached to household affairs, sneha-pāśair, and when the affection of household life is too strong, it is very difficult to get out of it." That will be very nicely explained, one after another.
Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, there is compulsory get-out from household life. Compulsory get-out means pañcāś ordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. Pañcāś means fifty years. "As soon as one passes over fifty years of age, he should get out." That is the injunction of the scriptures. No more in household affairs. The life is divided into four parts, four divisions. First of all brahmacārī. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja is teaching. Brahmacārī, a boy from five years old is taught, and up to twenty-five years. And if he is not... Of course, he is properly taught, but if he is not properly convinced that "Worldly life is botheration. Better remain brahmacārī for throughout the whole life..." There are many brahmacārīs in India still, naistika-brahmacārī. They are called naistika-brahmacārī. That means they had never any experience of sex. They are called naistika-brahmacārī. Just like my Guru Mahārāja was naistika-brahmacārī. He never married. So boys are taught like that, the inefficiency of this family life, encumbrances, because the aim is to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
If we simply hear, then we... Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana. Puṇya means piety. Simply by hearing, you become pious. Then you become interested, naturally. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Somehow or other, if one becomes a little fit for: "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What they are doing, let me see," that is called śraddhā. And this śraddhā is little increased, then one will like to associate with the devotees. Adau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-sangaḥ. In this way, when he is accustomed, then he will like to become one of the devotees, offers himself to be initiated.
Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. These are one after another. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā, the beginning is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is bhajana-kriyā. And if it is done properly, then anartha-nivṛtti syāt. Then he becomes free from all unwanted things. Anartha, there is no need... Just like intoxication. There is no need, but if the bhajana-kriyā, Hare Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra chanting, goes on, naturally it will be stopped. Then niṣṭha. Tato niṣṭha tato ruci tataḥ asaktiḥ, asaktiḥ, attachment. In this way we can make advanced. The beginning is śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇa. As soon as Kṛṣṇa sees, ātmatvāt sarva bhūtānām, little attempt is there, immediately He helps.
If Kṛṣṇa takes charge of vanquishing all your reaction of sinful life, that means immediately you are mukta, you are liberated.
Liberation means... We are entangled in this material world because we are creating one after another entanglement. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Because we are in such a position that we have to act obversely, not properly, even if you do not desire... Even if you are very careful not to kill even an ant, still, unperceptibly, imperceptibly, you, while walking, you kill so many ants. And don't think that you are not sinful for that purpose. You become sinful. Especially those who are nondevotees, they must be responsible for killing so many small creatures while walking or while... There is waterpot, you have seen. So many small animals are there. Even by moving the waterpot, you kill so many living entities. While igniting fire in the oven, there are so many living entities. You kill them. So consciously, unconsciously, we are in such a position in this material world that we have to commit sinful activities even if we are very, very careful. You have seen the Jains, they are after nonviolence. You'll find they keep a cloth like this so that the small insects may not enter the mouth. But these are artificial. You cannot check. In the air there are so many living entities. In the water there are so many living entities. We drink water. You cannot check it. It is not possible. But if you keep yourself fixed up in devotional service, then you are not bound.
"Then what for You have come to Me?" Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: "My dear Lord, I pray that birth after birth I may have unconditional, causeless devotion unto You." Not devotion for some purpose. That is not pure devotee. If you have got some purpose to... That is, of course, accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā, that if anyone goes to Lord to pray something with purpose, that is also good. But that is not pure. Pure devotee never asks anything from the Lord. That is pure devotion. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was a pure devotee. Therefore he does not make any business with God, that "I offer You my prayer to take something from You." We shall discuss these prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja one after another, and in none of the paragraph you will find that Prahlāda Mahārāja is asking something, "Give me this for my sense gratification." No. This is the sign of pure devotion.
So he says, mahi gṛṇāmi: "I shall simply..." You can pray. Anyone can pray. It does not require any education. If you simply feel, "Oh, God is so great. Oh, He has created the sun. He has created this moon. Oh, He has created the ocean. He has created this air. He has created so many fruits, so many flowers." Go on. You don't require any education. Simply try to understand how great God is. There is no other education required. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. He says that "I am the taste in the water." Who does not take water? Water is our life. So when you take water, quench your thirst, you can immediately thank God because that taste is God. So immediately you can remember, "O my dear Lord, You have created so nice thing, water. Oh, I am so thirsty. It is quenching my thirst. Thank You."
Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. He has strictly forbidden. Those who are not Vaiṣṇavas, professional, for money's sake they recite Bhāgavata, any, anything. They want money. Sometimes they may recite Bhāgavatam. Sometimes they flatter you. Sometimes they read other book also. They want money. Such kind of association will not help you. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. That is the same thing, Narottama dāsa, sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te kāraṇe lāgila mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa. This karma-bandha-phāṅsa, the Sanskrit is saṁsāra-cakra-kadanā. The Bengali is karma-bandha-phāṅsa, entanglement in work and resultant action of... That is going on. The saṁsāra-cakra means one after another. This life is going on, and we are creating the resultant action of our karma, and according to the process, we get another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). You have to accept another body by the laws of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). As you associate, so you get your next body. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: "You'll get another body." He doesn't say that "You will get this body after..." Just like this Darwin's theory. They say, "After this body, this body. After this body, this body." That is when the evolution takes place in the lower species of life, nature's law. But when you come to the human form of life you have got your responsibility. Wherever you want, you can go.
This is called saṁsāra-cakra-kadanāt. Prahlāda Mahārāja, a devotee, is afraid, very, very afraid. He is not afraid of the lion or the elephant or the tiger or the snake. No. He's not afraid of these. But he's afraid of this repetition of birth and death. That is called saṁsāra-cakra. Is it not botheration? Any sane man will understand how much botheration it is. Just like I am now old man. There are so many inconveniences. And in this way every old man will die, and if he's fortunate enough, if he has done something, he may be promoted to the higher planetary system, or if he has tried for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he may go back to home, back to Godhead. So why one should bother here in this material world, changing body, one after another? This is called saṁsāra-cakra-kada...
So the ordinary person, they cannot understand what is the difficulty. As soon as I die I enter into the womb of a mother according to my karma. The mother may be a lady dog or lady pig or lady such and such, because the body will be manufactured within the womb of the mother. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1). Upapatti means getting one type of body. So that type of body is given by the mother, and the seed is given by the father. Yathā bījaṁ yathā yoni. So we take a form. This is going on. So a devotee should be very very much afraid of this repetition of birth and death. Saṁsāra... This is Prahlāda Mahārāja... To follow the footprints of Prahlāda Mahārāja, one should be very, very afraid.
This is going on. This is called māyā manaḥ. Māyā is so strong that she is bewildering even so-called doctorates, deletes(?) and others. All rascals. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Although they have got these university degrees, but they are rascals. Why? Māyayapahṛta-jñānā. Their knowledge has been taken away by māyā.
Māyā is very strong. You have seen the picture of Māyā, Durgādevī, and the Mahiṣāsura is fighting, very strong, just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. There are many asuras. So Mahiṣa... Sometimes Kṛṣṇa Himself comes to kill the asura, or sometimes His agent, Māyā, Durgādevī, kills. You have seen the picture of Goddess Kālī. She is killing simply the asuras, chopping one after another, one after another, one after... Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). She can create, she can maintain, and she can make pralaya, devastator. That is her business. But so powerful, still, she is under the control of the Supreme Lord. Therefore here it is said, saṁsāra-cakram aja ko 'titaret tvad-anyaḥ. "A strong māyā. I cannot get out of her clutches." So Prahlāda Mahārāja knows it. Ko 'titaret: "Who can surpass? Who can get rid of this clutches of māyā?" Tvad-anyaḥ. That is the fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender to Me, and you'll be free from māyā." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ sara..., ahaṁ tvām: (BG 18.66) "I'll give you protection." Mām eva ye prapadyante. The same thing, whole instruction, is there. Simply if we want to be happy... Happiness you cannot have in this way, by concocting plans. That is not possible. You have seen the whole world, especially in the modern days. So many big, big nations, they are assembled together in the United Nations. Nonsense, where is unity? Simply disunity. For the last twenty or thirty years they are struggling. Before that, they convened another, League of Nation. So they are making simply plans. And it continues for some time. Then, after fifteen or twenty years, again conflagration of war, especially in the Europe.
"These living entities," Kṛṣṇa said, "they are My part and parcel." So they should remain with Him just like the fire and the spark. Unfortunately we have fallen down. And the result is niṣpīḍyamāna, being crushed.
So if one is serious to be saved from this crushing process of time factor, then they should learn from Prahlāda Mahārāja. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). That... What is that? Niṣpīḍyamāna upakarṣa: "Kindly pick me up." Vibho: "You are vibhu, most powerful, the great omnipotent." "Yes, I am, all right. But why shall I pick it up?" Now, prapannam: "Now I surrender. I rebelled against You, and I was put into this wheel of time, and suffering one after another life. Now I have realized that I am in a precarious condition of life." So niṣpīḍyamānam. This is called human life, when one understands... The animal life, they do not understand what is suffering. The cats and dogs, they are thinking they're living very happily. But in the human life they should come to the understanding that "Actually we are not living happily. We are being crushed by the wheel of time in so many ways." Niṣpīḍyamānam. When this sense comes, then he is a human being. Otherwise he's animal. If he's thinking that he's all right... That is... Ninety-nine point nine percent people think that "I am all right." Even in the most abominable condition of life, just like the hog and dog, still, he is thinking, "I am all right." So long this ignorance will continue, he is simply animal. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). This is going on. Ātma-buddhiḥ, tri-dhātuke. This body, which is made of kapha, pitta, vāyu, everyone is thinking, "I am this body." Whole world is going on. Simply we, a few members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are going door to door and trying to convince them, "Sir, you are not this body." They don't care for it. "I am. I am this body. I am Mr. John," "I am Englishman," "I am American," "I'm Indian." You say "I'm not this body." So very difficult task. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to push on, requires great patience, perseverance, tolerance.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, on account of my association with material desires one after another, gradually I have now fallen in the blind well full of snakes. But Your servant Nārada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore my first duty is to serve him. And how can I leave it?"
Prabhupāda:
- evaṁ janaṁ nipatitaṁ prabhavāhi-kūpe
- kāmābhikāmam anu yaḥ prapatan prasaṅgāt
- krtvātmasāt surarṣiṇā bhagavān gṛhītaḥ
- so 'haṁ kathaṁ nu visṛje tava bhṛtya-sevām
- (SB 7.9.28)
So this is Vaiṣṇava paddhati. Tava bhṛtya-sevām. Vaiṣṇava does not approach Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not Vaiṣṇava. This is impudency. You cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). This is the process. You have to... As you have to receive the perfect knowledge by the paramparā system—imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1)—similarly, you have to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the paramparā system.
"Yes, I have got my kāla-sarpas, but by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, I have broken the fangs, so it is no more fearful." How it is possible? By the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is possible. Just like you can break the fangs of the... There are expert snake charmer. Because this poison is required for some medicinal purpose, so they take it out. Then it is useless. But they again grow. The body is so made of the snake, even if you take once the fangs, again it grows. That is stated here, that how it is possible? Kāmābhikāmam anu yaḥ prapatan prasaṅgāt. Once it may be broken, but if you have bad association, then again it will grow. Kāmābhikāmam. One kāma, one lusty desire, produces another lusty desire. In this way, one after another, this is going on. That is the cause of our repeated birth and death. Bhūtva bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). So therefore, if we want to enter into bhakti platform, then we should give up this. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11).
So "How it can be zero? I am a living being. How it can be zero? I am always thinking, planning. I have got so many desires," they say. One who does not know what is the position of a living being, they say that "Give up desires. Desireless." That is not possible. Desirelessness is not possible. Because I am a living being, I must desire. Therefore desires may be purified. That is wanted. You cannot make the desires zero. That is not possible. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Now our desires are there according to my designated position. "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim. Why shall I take Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Because I am designated, I have taken this designation, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." Therefore we cannot take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Oh, this is... Kṛṣṇa is Hindu God. Kṛṣṇa is Indian. Why shall I take Kṛṣṇa?" No. "You have to be desireless" means you have to purify your this false understanding that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Indian," "I am this." This has to be purified.
This is injunction. We are mixed up. Somebody has got all desire to fulfill within this material world, sarva-kāma. They never become desireless—increasing, increasing, increasing, one after another. And that is... They are called sarva-kāmaḥ. And akāma means no more desire. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). So we have to purify ourself. So to purify ourself means don't desire anything material. "Then I shall become void of desire?" No, not void of desire. Real desire must be there. Therefore we are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā koriyā mane āśa **. Āra... "No more. That's all." Āra nā koriyā mane āśa. We are singing daily. You must understand what is the meaning. Because we are bewildered, we are misdirected, So, so guru's word, that should be taken seriously. Āra nā koriyā... "No more, anything." That is... Therefore how much difficult it is to find out such guru. Ādau gurvāśrayam. First of all you have to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So we have to follow guru.
So this is our material condition of life. Prahlāda Mahārāja is describing one after another. So sometimes foolish person accuse God that "Why He has put us into this miserable condition, different status of life? Somebody is rich, somebody is poor, somebody is diseased, somebody is healthy, and so many varieties." Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said, keśava tuyā jagata vicitra. Vicitra means varieties. "So if God is kind, why He has made so many varieties?" This is not the common question you meet? You are preaching. They inquire like this: "Why God is not kind to everyone? Why He has made this distinction?"
So this is not God's creation. We should know that it is my creation. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, evaṁ sva-karma-patitam. Just like a man is condemned to death. In the court the judge gives the judgment that "This murderer should be hanged." So it is not the judge that he is giving order to the murderer to be hanged. It is the murderer who has created his situation, to be hanged. This is to be understood. Not that the judge is partial, he's giving order to somebody that he must get decree for two millions of dollars, "He must have it," and another man is condemned to death. It is not that the judge is partial, he's giving somebody two millions of dollars and somebody is ordered to be hanged. The judge is impartial. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). This is the version. We act according to our whims, and the resultant action is there immediately. The nature's law, God's law, is there.
So do you think that the breathing will bring the life? Do you think? It is not possible, sir. It is air only. That is not possible. Then you take the blood. What is this blood? The blood is nothing but red water. You cannot say that injecting some red water, you can bring life. Analyze it very intelligently. Then what is the composition of this body? The air or the water, the same. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). It is said here, mahad-ādayo. Mahat-tattva and its expansion. Even in the subtle mind, manaḥ prabhṛtayo. Mind, intelligence, egotism. You analyze everything, but you won't find there the life. No. That is not possible.
Therefore, if you are intelligent enough, you take one ingredient of this body. One after another, one after another, one after another, you analyze. You won't find. Neither with that ingredient you can create life. That is not possible. This is analysis. You are very expert in analyzing things in the laboratory and charge fees, chemical analysis. But this is also composition of these chemical. But they say "chemical evolution." That's right, evolution. It has come, life. Then, when life is lost, why don't you combine these chemicals, bring life? That is not possible. Therefore, by proper analysis one must come to the conclusion that these ingredients are different from the living force. Then... That is called self-realization. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this matter." That is the first step of knowledge. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). "Oh, I was so much busy with this lump of matter. Now I understand that I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is the first realization, self-realization.
"So many people are here, and there is so many daṇḍas. They may not kill me." Therefore they're very cautious. As soon as you raise the daṇḍa, immediately they go away because anxiety is there. Or either in Brahma's life or ant's life, this is the material nature. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asat... Why? Asad-grahāt. Because you have accepted this material body, this means you have accepted anxiety.
So we have to do in such a way that no more material body. And that is Kṛṣṇa's advice. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). And if you have got a pinch of material desire, Kṛṣṇa is ready to give you a type of body so you can satisfy your desires. But the material desire is never satisfied, one after another, one after another, one after another. In this way at the time of the death we are not satisfied. We desire some thing... (break) ...and then it is to be very easy. Mām aprīṇata āyuṣman darśanaṁ durlabhaṁ hi me. If somehow or other, if you can see Kṛṣṇa, dṛṣṭvā māṁ na punar janma. Punar jantur ātmānaṁ taptum arhati. There is no more necessity of undergoing austerities, and everything is free. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). If you have got Kṛṣṇa, there is no need of tapasya. You are free. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And if you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of your becoming so much religious, austere sannyāsī and yogi? The whole nonsense. All nonsense. Yadi... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā... There is no meaning of tapasya if you cannot see Kṛṣṇa. And if you can see Kṛṣṇa, there is no meaning of tapasya. That is... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. Antar-bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nāntar-bahir yadi haris tapasā... If you can see Kṛṣṇa always, outside and inside, then you have nothing to do, tapasya. Enjoy life by seeing Kṛṣṇa always. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "I don't want anything. Please allow me to see You continually."
Therefore the next stage is punar mūṣiko bhava, "Again become monkey." That is waiting us. The nature's law is like that, that from monkey we have become human being, and in the human being we are dancing like monkey. So nature will say, "All right, again you become monkey." You cannot check that. That is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). This nature's process is going on, but we are so advanced scientist that we do not know how nature is working. Automatically working. Nature's way of working is automatic. 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.
Therefore we should be very, very careful. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply a very scientific movement that will help the human society not to be degraded again, to be elevated.
In your consideration whether you are rich or poor, it doesn't matter. You remain in your position. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām. You simply give your oral reception. What is that oral reception? San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. San-mukharitām: those who are devotees, from their mouth you try to understand the glories of the Lord. This is the first-class qualification. Not that to become rich or poor. Richness or poverty is no hampering. Because spiritual life is so great, so sublime, that is this ahaitukī hata. No material thing can check your spiritual progress. The only qualification you require, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted when he was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya, he was prescribing one after another different processes. Karma, jñāna, yoga, dhyanavista, bhakti, so many things, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was denying one after another, eho bāhya āge kaha, "This is not. This is external." He began from the varṇāśrama-dharma, because that is the beginning of civilization.
"I am very learned man. But actually when I think of myself, what kind of learned man I am, I do not know what I am." So this type of advancement of knowledge, simply for material comforts, without knowing about oneself, "What I am?" they're simply useless labor. One should try to understand what he is. That is also the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: one should be inquisitive to understand about himself, Brahman, or the Supreme Brahman. That is the real necessity of this human form of life. The animals, they cannot inquire about himself or about the Supreme. But a human being can inquire, that "I want to become happy, but miseries are coming upon me one after another." At least, one should know what are the miseries. The miseries are three kinds of miseries. It is not the question of one religion or another religion. The miserable condition of life is for everyone, either he is Hindu or he is Muslim or Christian or Jew. It doesn't matter. Anyone who has accepted this material body has to undergo the miserable condition of material existence. That is a fact. And what are the miserable condition? There are three types: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means pertaining to the body, mind. Everyone is experienced that "I'm not feeling today well due to some sickness of my body or some mental disturbance." This is called adhyātmika. And there are other miseries inflicted by other living entities, my enemies, some animal, some mosquito or some bug. There are so many living entities, they are also try to give me some trouble. This is called adhibhautika. And there is another type of misery, which is called adhidaivika. That is natural disturbance—severe cold, severe heat, some famine, some earthquake, some disaster, some hurricanes. There are so many things, natural disturbance. So in either of these three types of miserable condition we are. But those who are foolish, they do not see to it. Under illusion of māyā they think, "Oh, we are very happy." This is called māyā. One is not happy, but he's thinking, "I am happy." And they are trying to become happy in so many other ways.
Aśītim means eighty. Aśītiṁ caturas. Caturas means four. So eighty-four. Eighty plus four means eighty-four. Lakṣam. Lakṣam means hundreds of thousands. So eighty-four hundreds of thousands. Aśītiṁ caturāṁś caiva lakṣāṁs tān jīva-jātiṣu. Jīva-jāti, this is different species of living entities, jīva-jāti, the horse species, the ass species, the dog species. Just like they have got species, jīva-jātiṣu. So in different species of living entities they are counted eighty-four hundreds of thousands, or 8,400,000. Bhramadbhiḥ. Bhramadbhiḥ means transmigrating, wandering, one after another. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. There are 900,000 species within the water, then trees, plants... In this way passing through different species of life, the living entity, jīva-jātiṣu, jīva-jātiṣu, in different species of life, he is transmigrating one after another, one after another.
Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. Puruṣa means the living entity. The living entity is described here puruṣa because he wants to enjoy. Puruṣa is the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, but we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. We want to become God. That is the Māyāvāda philosophy. And that is our trouble. I am trying to imitate something which I cannot. Suppose if I want to be God, is it possible to become God? But they are trying to be. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. So in this way, for this misunderstanding, he is falsely trying to have happiness through so many species of life. "Let me enter this life.
The living entity is described here puruṣa because he wants to enjoy. Puruṣa is the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, but we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. We want to become God. That is the Māyāvāda philosophy. And that is our trouble. I am trying to imitate something which I cannot. Suppose if I want to be God, is it possible to become God? But they are trying to be. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. So in this way, for this misunderstanding, he is falsely trying to have happiness through so many species of life. "Let me enter this life. Let me enter that life, that life, that life, that." In this way he falls down. He is fallen already. From Vaikuṇṭha planet he is fallen in this material world, and he is again trying to make progress. Prāptaṁ mānuṣam. In this way, after many, many births, he gets this human form of life, prāptaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma-paryāyāt, by the graduation, gradual evolution process. This is real evolution, not the body is changing. Body is already there. Jīva-jātiṣu, the jīva-jāti, species, are already there. That is the defect of Darwin's theory. He does not want... He does not know that the living entity is passing through different types of bodies, not that the body is changing. The bodies are already there. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣair prāptaṁ mānuṣam janma-jātiṣu, janma-paryāyāt. Paryāya means chronological... What is called, one after another?
| Page Title: | One after another (Lectures, SB cantos 3 - 12) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 19 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=80, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 80 |