Sense gratification means

Expressions researched:
"Pravrtti-marga means advancing in sense gratification" |"sense gratification means"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

Advancement of material civilization on the basis of sense gratification means increasing the duration of the material existence of a living entity.

BG 3.39, Purport:

It is said in the Manu-smṛti that lust cannot be satisfied by any amount of sense enjoyment, just as fire is never extinguished by a constant supply of fuel. In the material world, the center of all activities is sex, and thus this material world is called maithunya-āgāra, or the shackles of sex life. In the ordinary prison house, criminals are kept within bars; similarly, the criminals who are disobedient to the laws of the Lord are shackled by sex life. Advancement of material civilization on the basis of sense gratification means increasing the duration of the material existence of a living entity. Therefore, this lust is the symbol of ignorance by which the living entity is kept within the material world. While one enjoys sense gratification, it may be that there is some feeling of happiness, but actually that so-called feeling of happiness is the ultimate enemy of the sense enjoyer.

SB Canto 4

Sense gratification means domination over material nature. The whole competition between conditioned souls is based upon domination of this material nature.

SB 4.9.29, Purport:

Sense gratification means domination over material nature. The whole competition between conditioned souls is based upon domination of this material nature. Modern scientists are proud of their knowledge because they are discovering new methods to dominate the laws of material nature. They think that this is the advancement of human civilization—the more they can dominate the material laws, the more advanced they think they are. Dhruva Mahārāja's propensity in the beginning was like that. He wanted to dominate this material world in a greater position than Lord Brahmā. Therefore elsewhere it is described that after the appearance of the Lord, when Dhruva Mahārāja thought and compared his determination to his final reward, he realized that he had wanted a few particles of broken glass but instead had received many diamonds. As soon as he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, he immediately became conscious of the unimportance of his demand from the Lord to have an exalted position better than Lord Brahmā's.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Accepting another body, you have to because you have got desire, sense gratification. So sense gratification means you must have material senses to gratify.

Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:

"All right, this body is for few years, it will be ended." And that's all right. It will be ended, but you'll have to accept another body. The body, accepting the (or) accepting another body, you have to because you have got desire, sense gratification. So sense gratification means you must have material senses to gratify. So Kṛṣṇa is so pleased, so merciful, not pleased, but He's very merciful, "All right, this rascal wants like this. Give him this facility. All right. This rascal wants to eat stool. All right. Let him have a body of pig." This is going on, nature's law.

We must know that sense gratification means material life. It may be systematic or not systematic.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

Just like I have several times said, the marriage is sense gratification, sex life. But somebody may say... They say that "Marriage is legalized prostitution." It may be, but still, there is some control. Although it is called "legalized prostitution," there is no difference between prostitution and married life, but there is some control. People become responsible. By responsible life, they can make advance. Irresponsible life will not help. Therefore loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantoḥ. So our tendency for sense gratification is controlled. Therefore it is called license. Gṛhastha life means a license for sense gratification. But we must know that sense gratification means material life. It may be systematic or not systematic. Sense gratifications means material life. But our aim is to transcend this material life and come to the spiritual life, platform of spiritual life. That is required. So there are so many processes.

These Europeans and Americans, they have enough sense gratification. Sense gratification means money and women.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

These are simple Bengali poetries by Vaiṣṇavas that as soon as you desire to enjoy your senses... That enjoyment of senses will not give you happiness. That is our practical experience. Anybody, call anybody who is engaged in sense gratification, ask him, "Are you happy?" He'll never say. They are... We have practically seen. These Europeans and Americans, they have enough sense gratification. Sense gratification means money and women. So they have got enough of it. Why they are after me, rejecting this? Because sense gratification will never give you satisfaction. That is false satisfaction. Real satisfaction is when you satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is satisfaction.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Sense gratification means economic development. Without economic development, we cannot enjoy our senses, but everything should be based on religion. That is human civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

Pradyumna: "...there is always competition to lord it over the material nature, or, in other words, there is a continuous rivalry to satisfy the senses."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The basic principle is to satisfy the senses. Sense gratification is there. There must be. We have got senses; that must be satisfied. But that sense gratification should be based on religion. Religion. Dharma, artha. Artha. The sense gratification means economic development. Without economic development, we cannot enjoy our senses, but everything should be based on religion. That is human civilization. Without religion, simply gratifying the senses or so-called economic development, that is animal civilization.

Sense gratification means you are creating some danger, some future danger. We should always remember. All our troubles and miseries are due to sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

So Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he said, these indriyas, the senses, are just like snakes. Our senses are acting just like snakes. It is, as soon as it touches, there is some danger. Sense gratification means you are creating some danger, some future danger. That's all. We should always remember. All our troubles and miseries are due to sense gratification. They are always troublesome. The yoga system means yoga indriya-saṁyama. Yoga means controlling the senses. That is the first principle. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī said that "Yes, it is admitted that the senses are just like snakes. But if you break the poisonous teeth, then there is no danger. There is no... They have no more fears." A snake without poison, a child may be afraid of, "There is a snake." But if a man knows that this snake is here but there is no poisonous teeth, it is broken, then there is no question of fearfulness.

People become diseased by sense gratification. Everyone knows. Too much sense gratification means creating disease.

Lecture on SB 1.5.33 -- Vrndavana, August 14, 1974:

Actually, this is the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What is that? People become diseased by sense gratification. Everyone knows. Too much sense gratification means creating disease. For example, some nice eatable. But if you, because it is very nice rasagullā, therefore I shall devour one dozen, that's not very good. That will create indigestion immediately. So in this material world, people are so much enthusiastic in the matter of sense gratification. Whole world. Not only now, this is the place for competition of sense gratification. Advancement of civilization means, the so-called civilization, material civ..., means how much you are able to gratify your senses. That is civilization. How much you are given facilities to gratify your senses. This is the modern idea, hedonism. More eat, more drink-eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy. Sense gratification.

Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, anyone who acts, he acts sinfully. There is no doubt of it. Because he is acting for sense gratification, and sense gratification means almost 99.9% all sinful activities.

Lecture on SB 1.13.15 -- Geneva, June 4, 1974:

But Yamarāja is always busy in his plutonic kingdom, punishing the doers of sinful acts. Yamarāja is deputed by the Lord to a particular planet some hundreds of thousands of miles away from this planet." That is mentioned. He has got a different planet, where the criminals are taken away after death, and he gives the judgment, what kind of body he will have. And not like the theosophists' thinking, "Now I have got human body. It is permanent settlement." No, that is not permanent settlement. According to one's work... Work means all sinful acts. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, anyone who acts, he acts sinfully. There is no doubt of it. Because he is acting for sense gratification, and sense gratification means almost 99.9% all sinful activities. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. It is very risky job. Unless you act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness...

Sense gratification means we are becoming implicated, implicated in the laws of nature. That is also stated in the śāstra.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, and we should give, render, we should render service to the best of capacity. That is our real constitutional position. But here Devahūti says that bhūmann asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt. Asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt. At the present moment in this material world, we are busy to enjoy these material senses. This is our position. Everyone is satisfying. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ... (BG 3.42). In this way, you go, and when you go beyond the range of buddhi, that is soul. That is spiritual platform. In the ordinarily we are, in the material platform, we are interested in gratifying senses: "I like it. I must have it." But that sense gratification means we are becoming implicated, implicated in the laws of nature. That is also stated in the śāstra.

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has plainly explained that kāma, sense gratification, means to see woman with lust or to touch woman with lust.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

So the whole idea here is expressed by Ṛṣabhadeva. "My dear sons," ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān na arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye, "you should distinguish yourself from the hogs and dogs, that simply for sense gratification, this life is not meant for working very hard." That is the modern civilization. Not only here... Now, the whole material world, history is like that. People are after sense gratification. (aside:) Come on. So Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, a great commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is explaining this verse that kaṣṭān, kaṣṭa-pradan kāmam yoṣit-darśana-sparśanadim na arhate naivarhati iti.(?) Kāmān. He has plainly explained that kāma, sense gratification, means to see woman with lust or to touch woman with lust. That is called kāma, or sense gratification. So this is natural. Materialistic life means wherever there is some beautiful woman or girl, it is natural.

Your sense gratification means you are after happiness, but this happiness is temporary. Any material happiness, it has no continuity. It has got limit.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

And what is the purpose of that self-realization, or God-realization? That is yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet. Then your existence will be purified. What is the necessity of purifying my existence? Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed yasmāt... If you purify your existence, then yasmād brahma-saukhyam (SB 5.5.1), you'll relish unlimited pleasure. You are after now temporary pleasure by sense gratification, but in this life, in this human form of life, if you control your sense gratification and utilize the time for self-realization, so as soon as you are self-realized man or Brahman realized man then your happiness is unlimited. You are after happiness. Your sense gratification means you are after happiness, but this happiness is temporary. Any material happiness, it has no continuity. It has got limit. But if you want... But my desire is to have unlimited happiness, unlimited life, unlimited knowledge. If you want that, so try this life, this human form of life. Don't waste it simply after sense gratification, but practice austerity. Minimize your sense gratification.

Either you drink something palatable in a golden pot or in iron pot or paper pot, the taste is the same. So this is called pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga means advancing in sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

So there are different grades of sense gratification, but the point is sense gratification. The cats and dogs, the animals, they are also satisfying their senses, and the human being also engaged in the same business. The cats and dogs, they are eating to their taste; the human being is also eating to their taste. The standard may be different, but the taste is the same. Either you have sex intercourse with beautiful wife or husband or as sex intercourse between the she-dog and he-dog, the enjoyment is the same. Just like if you have got a palatable food, either you put it into a golden pot or if you put it into iron pot, the taste is the same. The taste is not different. One may think that "I am eating in golden pot; therefore I am advanced." But a learned man will say that "Whether you have changed the taste?" Either you drink something palatable in a golden pot or in iron pot or paper pot, the taste is the same. So this is called pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga means advancing in sense gratification.

Sense gratification means udara-upastha-jihvā, jihvā, this tongue and the belly and the genitals. This is the prime sense gratificatory sources. Very palatable dishes, fill up the belly as much as possible, and then enjoy sex. This is material. In the spiritual world these things are absent.

Lecture on SB 7.6.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, July 1, 1976:

Even if you have got desire to enjoy within this material world, still you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa will satisfy you. He'll give you. There is no need of doing something else for your material enjoyment. If you want... Because we can not give up material enjoyment. We have been habituated since time immemorial, many life after many life, simply for sense gratification. It is not very easy to give up the idea. Therefore śāstra says even if you have got idea of sense gratification, still you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't try it otherwise. Just like the devatās. They have got facilities for all sense gratification. Sense gratification means udara-upastha-jihvā, jihvā, this tongue and the belly and the genitals. This is the prime sense gratificatory sources. Very palatable dishes, fill up the belly as much as possible, and then enjoy sex. This is material. In the spiritual world these things are absent. In the material world these things are very prominent.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

To enjoy this material body means to gratify the senses. So this sense gratification means, as it is said by Ṛṣabhādeva, "I do not think it is very good."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.36-40 -- San Francisco, January 23, 1967:

But because we have become mad, we have identified that this material body as "I am." Therefore And material body means sense gratification. There is no other alternative. To enjoy this material body means to gratify the senses.

So this sense gratification means, as it is said by Ṛṣabhādeva, na sādhu manye. "I do not think it is very good." Why? Yata asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). If you act irresponsibly, without understanding yourself that you are not this material body, but you are spiritual body, then the result will be continuation of this material body one after another. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Therefore we are all abodha-jātaḥ, born ignorant. Because from the very beginning of our life we know that "I am this body." There is no education in the material world that we are not this body, we are soul. Although there are books of knowledge, just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but nobody is interested. Therefore they are all mad.

Philosophy Discussions

Adding sense gratification means adding ghee, pouring ghee on the fire.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Devotee: Is it not a fallacy to think that by adding sense gratification we will decrease the demands, desires for more?

Prabhupāda: That is not possible. Adding sense gratification means adding ghee, pouring ghee on the fire.

Devotee: Yes. But some has to be there as the senses, which they're denying. The basis of their ideology is that conflict brings about growth or progress. If they want a peaceful society, they're still trying to get rid of their conflicts.

Prabhupāda: That we have discussed in the beginning. Conflict must be decided by higher intelligence. Just like I have given yesterday, there is conflict between two litigants and the high-court judge decides. So conflict there must be, but it must be decided by higher authorities. That's all. Otherwise it will go on. If you don't go to the higher authorities, then it will go on. It will never end, conflict.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Unrestricted sense gratification means karma-bandhana, bound up by the laws of karma. And bound up by the laws of karma means repetition of birth and death in different species.

Morning Walk -- November 10, 1975, Bombay:

Devotee (3): Then the mind will take over.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If the mind is not controlled by intelligence, then it will disturb. Then the senses will be disturbed, agitated. Then you are bound up by karma. Unrestricted sense gratification means karma-bandhana, bound up by the laws of karma. And bound up by the laws of karma means repetition of birth and death in different species. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1). Different bodies means resultant action of karma. So if you want to save yourself from this resultant action of karma, then the first thing is to control the mind. That is yoga system, to control the mind. But one who has got intelligence, he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the mind is automatically controlled. Yogīnām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatāntarātmanā (BG 6.47).

1969 Correspondence

Sense gratification means unlawful sex life. Sex life is not sense gratification . . . unlawful sex life is sense gratification.

Letter to Himavati -- Hawaii 23 March, 1969:

Sense gratification means unlawful sex life. Sex life is not sense gratification . . . unlawful sex life is sense gratification. If there is no need of sex life and one uses sex life anyway, that is sense gratification. But when there is need of sex life, that is not sense gratification. Never think that the devotee is impotent and is obliged to become free from sex life. If required they can take to sex life 1000 times. Otherwise, if there is no need for it, they have no use for it. Kardama Muni married a wife. Why he shall not give her children? The wife begged that she must have some children. So he must satisfy the wife and give her some children, that is the duty of husband. But he left his wife as soon as the son was grown up. Not that he used to live with the wife for all the days.