SB 03.25.15 cetah khalv asya bandhaya... cited

Expressions researched:
"cetah khalv asya bandhaya" |"gunesu saktam bandhaya" |"muktaye catmano matam" |"ratam va pumsi muktaye"

SB Canto 3

SB 3.25.15, Translation and Purport:

The stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditional life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the consciousness of liberation.

Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūti, Verse 15

There is a distinction here between Kṛṣṇa consciousness and māyā consciousness. Guṇeṣu, or māyā consciousness, involves attachment to the three material modes of nature, under which one works sometimes in goodness and knowledge, sometimes in passion and sometimes in ignorance. These different qualitative activities, with the central attachment for material enjoyment, are the cause of one's conditional life. When the same cetaḥ, or consciousness, is transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is on the path of liberation.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

Nitāi: "The stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditioned life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the consciousness of liberation."

Prabhupāda:

cetaḥ khalv asya bandhāya

muktaye cātmano matam

guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya

rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye

(SB 3.25.15)

Two words, bandhana, bondage, and mukti, liberation. So people in ignorance, dull-headed, mūḍha, they do not know what is mukti and what is bandhana, what is liberation and what is bondage. They do not to know. Just like animals. The animal, he does not know, the dog, that "I am bound up in this dog's body. This is bondage. This is not my life." He does not know. Similarly, a human being, if he does not know what is bondage and liberation, then he's animal. From animal life, this human life is evolved for understanding this: what is mukti and what is liberation.

So mukti and liberation, if you keep your consciousness materially affected... Guṇeṣu saktam. Material world means the three qualities, tri-guṇa, guṇamayī. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, guṇamayī, mama māyā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ. We are being conducted in this material world by three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Out of these three guṇas, the sattva-guṇa is the best. Knowledge, the qualification of brāhmaṇa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). One who has developed sattva-guṇa, then the following qualifications will be found in him: he'll be truthful and controlled of the mind, of the senses, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, tolerant; ārjava, simplicity; jñānam, jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, practical application of knowledge in life; āstikyam, āstikyam, to have full faith in the authority of the Vedas. That is called āstikyam. Āstikyam and nāstikyam.

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

So in this way Kali-yuga is polluted. Everything is contaminated, polluted. So it is called the ocean of faults. Because the life is meant for liberation. If one is not interested in liberation, simply for sense gratification, that is conditional life. They do not know it. But here it is stated that cetaḥ khalu asya bandhāya muktaye cātmano matam. The consciousness is the main principle, either for conditional life or for liberation. Consciousness. We are proposing Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means liberation. Liberation. What liberation? Liberation means to stop repetition of birth and death. They do not have idea even that birth and death can be stopped. They think it cannot be stopped. Mo... Big, big scientists, they cannot stop. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that you should keep in your front four different types of miserable conditions. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). You may be very advanced in scientific knowledge, but what is, where is the possibility of stopping these four principles of miserable condition of life? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. They are not interested. But when we can stop these four principles of miserable condition, namely, no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age, that is called liberation. You can have it. Simply you have to clear your consciousness. How to clear? Now, guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya. If you become conscious of these three material modes of nature, then it is for bondage. Rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye. And when your consciousness is Kṛṣṇized, simply think of Kṛṣṇa, then it is liberation. Clear idea.

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. Why there are different types of bodies? Why one living entity is dog and why one living entity is first-class brāhmaṇa? Because kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. The one who has got a learned brāhmaṇas' body, that means he has associated with the modes of nature—goodness. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. This is elevation. If one is in the modes of goodness, then he can understand gradually what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, in the modes of passion and ignorance, nobody can understand what is God. Not only that. Even from material prosperity, if one is situated in the modes of goodness, then he can be elevated to the higher planetary systems-Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka, Satyaloka. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). So these are needed. So anyway, even if you go to the Brahmaloka, that is not also perfection. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). There is no benefit. Because there also the four principles of miserable condition, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), they are there, even in the Brahmaloka. Brahmā also dies. Brahmā also takes birth. You know it. Brahmā, he also took birth from the lotus flower generated from the navel of Viṣṇu. So there was birth. And when Brahmā will die, whole material cosmic manifestation will be finished. So he has also birth and death and old age and disease. And the small ant or insect, it has also the same disease, old age, birth and death. So one has to become free from this bondage, because we are eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate. Bhagavad-gītā says. The living entity never takes birth, never dies. Then why even Brahmā dies? Brahmā is also dying. That is material life. That is bondage, bandhana. Guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya.

So one should not think that "I have got millions of millions of years' duration of life. Therefore I am liberated." No. Brahmā, he has got millions and millions of years as one day, twelve hours, our twelve hours.

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

So how this perfect yoga can be achieved? That is explained in this verse. Puṁsi, rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye. If you, your consciousness is become, is attached to Kṛṣṇa, only thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that will give you liberation. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: "Always chanting about Me." Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... And yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ, and endeavoring with great determination. Just like you see in this temple. They rise early in the morning, at four o'clock. Immediately after taking bath and being prepared, they offer the maṅgala-ārātrika at five o'clock, kīrtana, then study. There are rules and regulations. That is called bhajana-kriyā. "A bhajana... In the mind, I am thinking of..." No. You cannot do so. You must go through the process. Bhajana-kriyā.

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā

tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati

sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ

(Cc. Madhya 23.14-15)

If you want to awaken your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa... There is, because we are part and parcel. Just like father and son. There is natural love. But somehow or other, son is out of home and forgotten. Father, of course, thinks, "My such-and-such son has gone out. If he comes back..." So Kṛṣṇa thinks like that. Because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is more anxious to get us back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore He comes and says, "You rascal, give up all these engagements." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "You have manufactured so many dharmas: deva-dharma, samāja-dharma, deśa-dharma, this dharma, that dharma, Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, this... No! Simply surrender unto Me." That is dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ek... (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa comes to teach us. Kṛṣṇa is very, very anxious.

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

(BG 4.7)

Kṛṣṇa comes Himself, Kṛṣṇa leaves behind Him His word. Vapu and vāṇī. Vāṇī means the words. That is also Kṛṣṇa. That is also... Just like we do not see Kṛṣṇa now. We can see Kṛṣṇa if we actually advance. Here is Kṛṣṇa. But they will say, "Oh, this is an idol. This is an idol. This is not Kṛṣṇa." But Kṛṣṇa, if you think that you have not seen Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa is present by His word also, Bhagavad-gītā. That is vāṇī, kṛṣṇa-vāṇī.

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

In the previous verse it has been advised, guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye. The process is that... (loud sound of firecrackers in background) The process is the mind has to be cleansed of all dirty things. Mind is the friend; mind is the enemy of everyone. If it is cleansed, then it is friends, and if it is dirty... Just like if you keep yourself unclean, then you contaminate some disease. And if you keep yourself clean, then you don't contaminate. If you take action, remaining... Therefore according to Vedic civilization, one has to cleanse himself three times a day, tri-sandhyā. Morning, early in the morning, again at noon, again in the evening. Those who are strictly following the brahminical rules and regulations... Vaiṣṇava also. Vaiṣṇava means he's already brāhmaṇa. So he must follow the rules and... Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam... (BG 18.42).

So cleanliness is next to godliness. So the... Actually, our material conditioned life means the mind is covered with dirt, all unclean, dirty things. That is the disease. When we are in the lower stage of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, these dirty things are very much prominent. Therefore one has to raise himself from the position of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa to sattva-guṇa. The process is recommended, how to cleanse the mind: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). One has to hear the kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart, and when He sees that a conditioned soul... Because the individual soul is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa wants that "This individual soul, rascal, he is so much attached for material enjoyment, which is the cause of his bondage, birth and death, old age and disease, and he's so fool that he does not take into consideration that 'Why I should be subjected to repetition of birth, death, old age and disease?' "He has become so fool. Mūḍha. Therefore they have been described: mūḍha, ass. Ass... Just like ass does not know why he is loading so much, so many cloths of the washerman. What for? He has no profit. None of the cloth belongs to him. The washerman gives a little morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. If the... But the ass thinks that "This morsel of grass is given by the washerman. Therefore I must carry the heavy load, although not a single cloth belongs to me."

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

Therefore in the previous verse it is said, guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya. So long you'll be attached with these guṇeṣu, even you be attached to the sattva-guṇa, that is also bandhāya. Suppose... Sattva-guṇa means execute... The symbolic presentation is perfect brāhmaṇa. So even if we are very perfect brāhmaṇa, so I think that "I am so..., such a learned person. I understand the Vedic principles. So I..." The same, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). The same principle, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). But if you are raised in the sattva-guṇa, then there is chance of understanding your position. In the tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa you cannot. Tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, you remain like animal, like cats and dogs. But when you come to the platform of sattva-guṇa... That you can come by following the principles, and then the attachment... Guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya. Then your conditioned life on account of being attached to the material qualities will be finished. How? Simple thing. Everyone can attain to the platform of sattva-guṇa if he follows the instruction. In the Bhagavad-gītā the same thing is said in different way, these languages and Vedic scriptures.

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ

yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ

namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā

nitya-yuktā upāsate

(BG 9.14)

This is the process. And in another place it is said,

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

(SB 1.2.17)

The process is that you try to hear about kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. That is kṛṣṇa-kathā. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. About Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, janmādy asya yataḥ... (SB 1.1.1). Speaking about Kṛṣṇa, the original person.