So less intelligent class of men, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These indriya, these material senses, cannot speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not possible. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That is simply laboring, wasting time. Kṛṣṇa should be understood as Kṛṣṇa says. He can explain Himself. Nobody can explain. Because our senses are imperfect. We are deficient by four kinds of faults. We commit mistake; we are illusioned; with imperfect senses, we try to speak transcendental knowledge; therefore cheating. With imper... They will say, "Probably," "Maybe." This is the so-called scientists' language. That means imperfect knowledge. Still, they want to teach. This is cheating. Knowledge must be perfect. Then you can teach others.
Labor (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"labor"
|"labored"
|"laboring"
|"laborious"
|"laboriously"
|"laborites"
|"labors"
|"laborsome"
|"labour"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
A man works very hard day and night to become rich just to make a show that "My dear friends, my dear relatives, you see that how I have become now rich." This is the only purpose. Nobody is working hard for serving Kṛṣṇa. This is māyā. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, the same hardship we shall take, but take for Kṛṣṇa. Just like our Mrs. Sharma. She was working in the family, but now she has come to work for Kṛṣṇa. And this is salvation. This is mukti. Not that we have to stop our working capacity. Simply we have to change the position. In the family life we work uselessly for so-called relatives, but the same labor, when we employ for the service of Kṛṣṇa, every inch of it is utilized.
So Kṛṣṇa is accepted universally the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why people are making research, "Where is God?" I do not know. Why they are uselessly taking so much hard labor to search out God? Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān uvāca. So there is no reason, there is no, I mean to say, chance of not accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa personally says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior element above Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). "I am the origin of everything." Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Then... There are so many statements, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So anyone who is actually serious about understanding about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no difficulty. But because we are obstinate, because we are sinful, because we are lowest of the mankind, because our knowledge has been taken away by māyā, and because we are atheists, we do not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality.
So at the present moment the education department does not distinguish who is a brāhmaṇa, who is a kṣatriya, who is a vaiśya or a śūdra. And because the things have topsy-turvied, there is chaos all over the world, not only here or there, because the division of labor or the division of working has been overlapped. Now this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for creating some brāhmaṇas, or the most intelligent class of men. There is no hindrance. Anyone can become brāhmaṇa. Just like in education anyone can become engineer, anyone can become medical practitioner or anyone can become lawyer if he takes such education from the very beginning, similarly, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, there are natural division of the society. But at the present moment there is scarcity of brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means who has got very nice intellectual brain, who can understand the Absolute Truth. He is called brāhmaṇa. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to create some good brains so that he can understand, one can understand what is the Absolute Truth. This is the movement.
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: (BG 15.15) "All the Vedas and Vedāntas, they are meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa." If by studying Vedas and Vedānta you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, then it is śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). It is simply labor. That is the adjustment of Bhagavad-gītā and all other Vedic literature. Vedas means... Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. That is called Vedānta. So ultimate knowledge is to know God. You may not accept Kṛṣṇa. Although all the ācāryas... I have already mentioned. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he also accept Kṛṣṇa: sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa. So the Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, they have all accepted Kṛṣṇa: the ultimate knowledge of Vedic understanding. Many ācāryas, they have written notes on Vedānta, targeting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we have to follow the footprints of the great stalwart ācāryas.
These are nine kinds of services. They are sat. The more we are engaged in these nine kinds of different occupation of devotional service, the more we are elevated, and the more we are engaged in activities of material sense gratification, we are degraded. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). You have got nice office, material point of view, nice business. So if you perform that business, office work, your duty, very nicely, but you have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, śāstra says that śrama eva hi kevalam. It is simply wasting time and laboring hard. That's all. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that this is the distinction between sat and asat. And we should not be very much interested with the asat. Then our life is spoiled. We should be interested with sat. That will make our life successful. Then we make progress for amṛtatva.
On account of your high attraction of the skyscraper building you can remain there, a rat and cat, but you cannot enjoy anymore. Therefore every human being should be very intelligent that "What is going to happen, my next life?" and prepare for that because it is said..., avināśi tu tad viddhi: "That small particle is avināśi," means it is not going to die; the body is going to finish. Then if my next life, next body, becomes rat and cat, then what is the benefit I get by this skyscraper building I have constructed with so hard labor and perseverance? This is knowledge. If you simply become interested on this small span of life, say, fifty or sixty or hundred years, utmost, but if you neglect your eternal existence, is that intelligence? We are teaching that science, and the Bhagavad-gītā is there. Take advantage of it.
So in a position of perplexity, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master. That is the process, Vedic process. Otherwise, it is not possible. And our Sanātana Gosvāmī, our predecessor, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's direct disciple, he gives his direction that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. He says. He says, "Do not hear from a person who is not a Vaiṣṇava." He must, one must become a Vaiṣṇava. Otherwise his so-called ideas and interpretation has no value. Has no value. Just like in your country, South India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he has done so many works. But to tell you frankly, it is useless labor. Because he has said in one of his writings that Bhagavad-gītā is mental speculation. He is surpassing all the ācāryas who came, who appeared in South India. Rāmānujācārya appeared in South India, Madhvācārya appeared in South India. Nimbārka appeared in South India. Viṣṇu Svāmī appeared in South India.
Everything is there, formula. If we follow the regulative principles, the injunction of the ācāryas or the śāstra, then we get success. Otherwise we may simply labor unnecessarily, wasting time. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23). That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who does not follow the regulative principle mentioned in the śāstras, śāstra-vidhim..., vidhim means regulative principle. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, and lives whimsically, as he, whatever he likes, and that is sanctioned by some rascal swami, that, "Oh, yes, you can do whatever you like..." Yato mata tato patha. "You can manufacture your way of religious principle." These things are going on. But actually that will not help us. Śāstra-vidhim, śāstra-vidhim, that must be observed. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti. If one violates the regulative principle mentioned in the śāstra, he'll never get success. Na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukham, neither happiness. Na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim: Then what to speak of going back to home, back to...? He'll rot in this material world.
Just like Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is the history of India. Mahā means great, and bhārata means India. And you see, Mahābhārata is the history of two royal families fighting in the Battle of Kurukṣetra and politics and diplomacy. This is the subject matter of Mahābhārata. Of course, there are many nice instructions. So this Mahābhārata was especially made for the less intelligent class of men. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayi na śruti-gocara (SB 1.4.25). Strī means woman, and śūdra means ordinary, labor class of men. Strī, śūdra, and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means, dvija means higher class, twice-born. Śūdra means once-born and dvija means twice-born. That means first birth by the father and mother, and the second birth by the Vedic knowledge mother, and spiritual master father. This is called second birth, according to Vedic reformatory procedures. So dvija, dvija-bandhu means a person born in the higher family who are by tradition very cultured, but a son born in that family is not cultured. He is just like śūdra, once-born. He has no cultural birth. So they are called dvija-bandhu. (tapping sound—child playing) (aside:) You have to take him. Dvija-bandhu means born in high family, but has no quality, higher qualities. They are called dvija-bandhu.
And those who are situated in the quality of, mixed quality of ignorance and passion, they are called vaiśyas, or the mercantile community. And those who are situated in the quality of ignorance, they are called śūdras, or the laborer class. So in this way there are different classes and different castes all over the world. You may call it caste or division of labor or division of the society. These four divisions are there all over the universe: the intelligent class, the administrative class, the productive class and the laborer class.
Now, the Lord says that karmaṇy adhikāras te: "Now, according to your quality and according to your position, you have to work. You cannot stop working. But you should not enjoy the fruit." That is... In other way this is a conception of spiritual communism. Spiritual communism. Now, just like in Communist country the center is the state. Nobody is private proprietor, but everyone is a member of the state, and whatever he earns, it goes to the state. That is... So far I know, this is the communistic idea. Now, here, if I am not entitled to take the result of my labor or my activity, then whom it is going to? Who shall enjoy it? So that is the conception of spiritual life. That means your earnings, your earnings, should be distributed to the central point. It should be through the central point. The central point is God. Instead of making central point to any limited things, if you make the central point God and if you work on His behalf and if you think that it should be enjoyed by the Supreme Lord, then your spiritual life is fixed up. Then your spiritual life is fixed up.
Prayāsa means to labor very hard to achieve a thing. Life should be conducted in such a way that our necessities of life may come not with great effort, easily, easily. We should not encumber ourself, our life, living policy, in an encumbered way. Then our spiritual progress will be hampered. The modern society has practically encumbered the whole human activities, and therefore they have no time for spiritual culture. You see? But the conception of Vedic civilization was that people used to be satisfied on agricultural produce and for three months working during rainy season. So they get some agriculture produce and they used to eat the whole year. So nine months they were free to advance in spiritual culture and only three months they used to work for accumulating their foodstuff.
Here it is emphatically emphasized that dūreṇa hy avaraṁ karma buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya: "By application of this God consciousness, you throw away all other work. Any work which you cannot do with God consciousness, don't do it." Now, here is the injunction in Bhagavad-gītā that "Anything which you cannot do with God consciousness, stop doing." But the whole world is engaged, doing things in which there is no God consciousness. There is no God consciousness. And here it is enjoined that buddhau śaraṇam anviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ: "Only those who are kṛpaṇa, those who are not self-realized, they are hankering after sense gratification. They want to enjoy the fruits of their labor. But you don't be. Arjuna, you don't be. If you want to be spiritually situated, if you want to work from the spiritual platform, then you don't do it. You work on the spiritual platform and don't do anything which you cannot do in God consciousness." This is clearly stated here. Now, it is, of course... It depends on us whether to accept it or not accept it, because God has given us independence. You'll find also in the Bhagavad-gītā at the end that after the instruction is given, the Lord inquires from Arjuna that "I have given you all instruction necessary.
Raw material has to be taken from God's stock. Now, if the raw material is taken from God's stock, then how the paper becomes yours? This is God consciousness. Everything we'll find that nothing is our. We simply... The economists also say that we cannot manufacture anything; we can simply transform from one form to another. That's all. We can give our labor only. And that labor also, given the strength... Now, suppose I work with my hand. Now, I am claiming, "This is my hand," but if God withdraws the power of your hand, paralyzed, oh, your pride is at once vanished. Not your hand. You see? So in everything, nothing is yours. I am also... As spirit soul, I am also part and parcel of God. And we are thinking independently that "I have no connection with God." This is very horrible condition. The whole world is suffering because this misconception of life, misconception of life, that he has forgotten his eternal relationship with God. So we have to revive it. We have to revive it, this process.
The Bhagavad-gītā has prescribed,
- dūreṇa hy avaraṁ karma
- buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya
- buddhau śaraṇam anviccha
- kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ
Kṛpaṇāḥ means those who are anxious for enjoying sense gratification, by the fruits of their labor. They are called kṛpaṇa. And those who have sacrificed the whole body, whole intelligence... Sacrifice... You always remember: what we can sacrifice? Just like we take Ganges water from Ganges and offering Ganges, so everything is obtained from God, and now, if we offer the same thing to God, then we become liberated. Actually I am not proprietor in anything. Myself is also not... I am also the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. These are the conception. Without this conception, without this God conception, there is no spiritual realization and there is no happiness, either personally, or impersonally, or socially, or economically or politically. There cannot be.
Now, now according to scripture, now, one who does good work only, no sinful work, then what is the result of his good work? Oh, he gets birth in a good family, in a higher planet, or very rich man, or very educated man, very beautiful man. These are the result of good work. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Four things are obtained by good work. You get very good birth, high parentage, janma. You get very good wealth in wealthy family, or you earn millions and millions dollars. You don't think that simply by laboring, one can earn millions and millions dollars unless he has got in the background very good work. You see? Otherwise, everyone is trying to earn millions and billions, but somebody's earning very quickly, without any effort, and somebody, whole life working, he does not get even sufficient for the maintenance. So these are the result of good work and bad work. So janma-aiśvarya-śruta. High education, to become very highly learned man, that is also due to good work.
Śrama eva hi kevalam. If by performing all religious rituals very nicely and very perfectly, if we fail to dovetail ourself with the supreme consciousness, then all our labor for performing these rituals and religious performances, they become only labor of love. It has not produced anything substantial, anything substantial. Nanu niṣkarmāṇi karmāṇi kurvata me.(?) This is the question of Arjuna, that "When I shall be self-realized by doing work without any fruitive result, so what will be the position of my self-realization?" That, in that, in answer to that question, that "When you shall be callous to all religious rituals and scriptural injunction and simply you shall be engaged in the, in the dovetailing business of with the superconsciousness, then you are in transcendental position of all religious rituals and all conception of religious ceremonies and everything." That's it.
So here it is said, puruṣa. "I am puruṣa. I am enjoying." So puruṣa prakṛti-sthaḥ. So long he is in this material body, he bhuṅkte. Bhuṅkte means enjoys. Not enjoyment. We think we are enjoying, but we are suffering actually. And because we cannot understand what is suffering... Suffering there is. Sometimes we come to understand. But we are accepting this suffering as enjoying. A man is working very hard, very hard, whole day. He is... This is not enjoyment. You have got a car, but you are running at 70 miles speed, going to your business, and there you are earning hundred and thousands of dollars. So you are thinking that you are enjoying. But this labor is suffering—you forget. And in order to forget this suffering, then I take to wine, take to this, take to that, to forget the suffering.
So bhakta means when we revive our relationship, how I am connected with Kṛṣṇa. Then he is bhakta. Then he is bhakta. That relationship is pervertedly reflected in this material world. That relationship. Somebody is related with Kṛṣṇa as master and servant. That is reflected here also. There is master and servant, but both of them are cheating one another. The master is trying to exploit the servant, and the servant is trying to exploit the master. They are also forming unions, how to exact money from the capitalists, and the capitalists trying to exploit this labor from the laborers. So here, that master and servant is there, but both of them are cheaters and cheated. That's all. But if we really want to be master and servant, the supreme master is Kṛṣṇa and you engage yourself in His service. You'll never be cheated. You'll never be cheated. You want to love. You love Kṛṣṇa as your husband or lover, you'll never be cheated. You love children. You love Kṛṣṇa as your child—just like Yaśodāmāyi accepted Kṛṣṇa as his child—you'll never be cheated. So the same relationship is there, but it is perverted reflection, and there is no happiness.
Devotee: Self-inflicted pain. "I want to hurt myself."
Prabhupāda: No. It is not like that. Just like if you are diseased, doctor says that "You don't eat this." So that is not self-inflicted. The idea is that just to become cured from your disease you accept the instruction of the physician. So unnecessarily, that is also condemned. If you simply fast unnecessarily, that is condemned. No. For a better purpose, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Yes. You can take some, accept some painstaking—for better purpose. If there is no purpose, what is the use of painstaking? Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That is simply labor of love. That's all. So here everything is recommended for understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is not very difficult. By Kṛṣṇa's grace it is not at all difficult, but it appears to be difficult for a person who is accustomed to do such things. Otherwise it is not difficult.
That is Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. "Now you have to ask about Brahman." Not the matter. So that Brahman is Vedic knowledge. From the material standard, gradually we have to go upwards and come to the point of understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is Vedic knowledge. That is Vedic knowledge. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). To pursue Vedic knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa. But if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa and if you speak as, like so many nonsense things, and if you pose yourself as paṇḍita, that is śrama eva hi kevalam. That is stated. Śrama eva hi. Simply wasting time and laboring for nothing.
And so long one does not reach to this point, surrender to Kṛṣṇa, he's a rascal. That's all. Mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ, duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). That is his qualification. One who has not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, then he is duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ... "No, no. He's M.A., Ph.D." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. His knowledge has no value. Useless. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is the verdict of the śāstras.
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
Simply laboring for nothing. So this is called anartha-nivṛttiḥ. Jñāna-tapasā. Then niṣṭhā. "Oh, I must fix up." Then ruci, taste increases. Tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ athāsaktiḥ.
This is the science of Kṛṣṇa. So simply by knowing this science of Kṛṣṇa, if we can get liberation from these material miseries of life, why should we not try for this? Let us try for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is a very nice subject matter and very easy. We are just trying to propagate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't ask you to have some troublesome or laborsome gymnastic. No. You simply come and hear, and this hearing, it is followed by nice music and singing. And beginning with music, ending with music, everyone will like it. And we have no means... Of course, whatever means I have got, I am distributing little fruit. But the process is—Lord Caitanya, who introduced this process—after this termination of this performance of chanting and reciting, distribution of prasādam, nice palatable dishes for eating. So Bhagavad-gītā says, su-sukham: "This is a process is very palatable and very pleasurable and very easy." And still, you get Kṛṣṇa. Although it is the easiest and most pleasurable and happy mood, still you get the Supreme.
Generally, people are karmajā. Karmajā means one who wants to enjoy the fruit of his labor. Everyone in this material world, they have come to enjoy. So therefore they are working so hard. We have seen in big, big cities, especially in the Western world, they are working very, very hard.
In the Bhagavad-gītā you have read—already we have discussed—paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate: (BG 2.59) "One has to end this miserable life after finding out a life of bliss and knowledge and eternity." That should be our... We should not be trying only to end these miseries of life, expecting something void. No. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa... This cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13), these divisions of human society, is created by the Lord because to elevate ourself from the clutches of this deluding māyā, or illusion. So just like one has to be educated from the lower class to the postgraduate class, similarly, this division of labor is there just to elevate one from the lowest stage of consciousness to the highest stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that is a cooperation. That is a cooperation.
This is simply labor. It has no meaning, because you are creating, your own formation, next body, another body, that out of your responsibility, you are acting like a hog, you get the body of a hog. You are acting like a monkey, you get the body of a monkey. If you are acting like a god, demigod, you get your body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1).
Now this communist country. The communist country, because they have killed personal interest, it is actually not developing. Not developing. I have seen it, personally. Because, as it is said in English proverb, "Proprietorship turns sand into gold." If I, one has got the sense that "I am the proprietor of this business," so he works very hard, and he turns sand into gold. There are many examples. A poor man starts... But because by his endeavor... Now here, in this country also, nowadays this endeavor is being decreased because the, they're afraid of the income tax. They're thinking, "We shall earn so much with hard labor, and the government, from the income tax department, they will take ninety-eight percent. So why shall I work?" So this is economic impetus.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, if you apply it in any field of activities you will see it is perfect. Either you apply in industry or in politics or in sociology or in philosophy or in science. Therefore Bhāgavata says that whatever capacity you may have, either you are a scientist or a lawyer or an engineer or a rich man, a capitalist, whatever you may be. Your duty is to utilize your talent for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. That is perfection. Yes.
Devotee: Purport: "A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not make much endeavor even to maintain his body. He is satisfied with gains which are obtained of their own accord. He neither begs nor borrows but he labors honestly as far as in his own power and is satisfied with whatever is obtained by his own honest labor. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is therefore independent in his livelihood. He does not allow anyone's service to hamper his own service to Kṛṣṇa. However for the service of the Lord He can participate in any kind of action without being disturbed by the duality of the material world. The duality of the material is felt in terms of heat and cold or misery and happiness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is above this duality because he does not hesitate to act in any way for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. As he does not care for duality therefore he is steady both in success and in failure. These signs are visible when one is full in transcendental knowledge."
Twenty-three: "The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence."
Prabhupāda: Yes. "The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature." The modes of material nature are three: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Somebody is working in the material world in the quality of goodness. In Vedic culture these divisions are very distinct. Just like brāhmaṇas, sannyāsīs. They are supposed to be working in goodness because they are simply working for Kṛṣṇa consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, brāhmaṇas business.
So Kṛṣṇa is teaching how to work, how to work. Now, here He says that tyaktvā karma-phala. Now, who will be ready to work? Suppose you are doing some business and there is expectation of profit, one lakh of rupees. Now profit comes. Then if I say, "Now here is, in Bhagavad-gītā it is said, tyaktvā karma-phala. You give it up," are you ready? No. "I have with so much hard labor I have earned. Why shall I give it up?" But here it is said, tyaktvā karma-phala. Then immediately his impetus to work will be finished, that these ordinary persons, those who are karmīs, if I say that "Yes, you earn, I mean, lakhs of rupees, but you will not be allowed to take it..."
So this kind of hard labor simply for satisfying the tongue and the genital, that is hog civilization. That is warned by Ṛṣabhadeva, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate (SB 5.5.1). Why? Kāmān means eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. These are kāmān, bodily necessities of life. As soon as you will get this material body, you will have to eat. In the spiritual body there is no eating. Eating means to sustain this material body. You will find many saintly persons. Practically, they do not eat.
Now, that is sacrifice. They sacrificed their labor for the spiritual master, for the teacher, and whatever they got, they surrendered to the teacher. And it is said that after cooking, if the teacher asked the student, "My dear boy, you come and take your meals," then he will take. Otherwise, if the teacher forgets to call him one day for his meals, then he should not go and ask the teacher that "Sir, I have not taken my food. Give me my food." Rather, he should starve. So much penances, so much regulative(?) was there. These are called sacrifice.
Now, to understand these things you have to sacrifice some time, you have to sacrifice some labor, some attention. So these sacrifices are counted more than when we offer sacrificial goods in the fire. That is clearly stated here.
That dharma is directly from the Supreme Lord, bhagavat-praṇītam. It cannot be manufactured by any man or any demigod or any somebody else, no. It is eternal. And that is taught in Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "My dear Arjuna, the most confidential knowledge I am giving you, that you give up all your occupational duties. Simply surrender unto Me." This surrender process is dharma, is your business, and nothing more, That's all. If you learn how to surrender to God, or Kṛṣṇa, then you actually, you are religious or you are in dharma. And if you practice so many things without surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, or God, then it is all useless labor. That's all. Dharmaṁ hi sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Yes. Go on.
Suppose I am working. So suppose I am washing dishes. Oh, so that doesn't matter. I do not hate. Of course, in your country it is very laudable that you can accept any kind of work. It is very good. The same thing is confirmed. There is no question of hating any work. Dignity of labor is always nice. So na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati. But after working, the result he does not take. Suppose by doing some lower class of work I get some profit. If that is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then I am sannyāsī—because I don't hate, but I offer the result to Kṛṣṇa. Oh.
Oh, but as you come, anyone can come. Everyone is welcome. We don't charge anything for this dancing. You go to ball dance and so many other dances, you pay for it. But we don't charge. We simply, our, these students simply beg something because we have to maintain. We don't charge anything. So if you simply come and chant for recreation, it is very nice. Everything is there in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We want music, there is music. We want dancing, there is dancing. You can bring nice musical instruments, you can join. We distribute nice palatable dishes. So practically this is a system of recreation only. (laughter) Yes. If you seriously think, you'll find, this system, there is no labor at all. Simply recreation. Su-sukham (BG 9.2). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Ninth Chapter you'll find, su-sukham . Everything is pleasing and happy. Find out anything in our system, that this is troublesome. Tell me practically, anyone. "This point is very troublesome." Just put your counterargument. Simply pleasing. It is simply recreation. That's all. You just point out, "Swamiji, this point is not very recreation or not, that is unhappy position." Nothing.
People want. That is their natural, just like these children. When they see that boys and girls are dancing, the children also dancing. Automatically. This is spontaneous, this is life. And that is our real life in the spiritual world. There is no anxiety. Simply people are dancing and chanting and eating nicely. That's all. There is no factory, there is no labor, there is no technical institution. There is no need. These are all artificial. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Vedānta says. The, every living entity, God is ānandamaya, full of bliss and pleasure, and we are part and parcel of God, we are also the same quality. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. So our whole process is to join the supreme ānandamaya, Kṛṣṇa, in His dance party. That will make us actually happy. Here we are trying to be happy by artificial means. And we are becoming frustrated. But if you actually be situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply you revive your original position, joyful, simply joyful.
There are many persons, if they have associated, they... Unfortunately they do not associate with spiritually advanced men. That is their defect. They think the spiritual advancement is poor man's business: "They have no sufficient to eat; therefore they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. What they can do? We have got this factory. We have to go to the factory." That is their mentality. Therefore it is not good. But if one is intelligent, if he has got good association, then he understands the verdict of Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe, yoga bhraṣṭa sañjāyate. (BG 6.41) If he thinks that "I have got this opportunity of opulence. I have nothing to bother about my living and eating. I am born rich man. Why I am given so much chance? Because last, my, I executed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, yoga; I could not finish. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given me this chance that I'll not have to bother about my eating, sleeping. I save my time and engage myself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Unfortunately, due to bad association, they think, "I have..., we have go so much money, father's money, for nothing, without any labor. So either let me become a great sense enjoyer or a hippy." That's all. It is due to bad association. Therefore it is our duty to go door to door and inform them the message of Kṛṣṇa, without any discrimination, so that they'll come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Devotee: Swamiji? Is it possible for us to worship Kṛṣṇa purely in this lifetime?
Prabhupāda: Why not? Do you think we are simply wasting our time with this process? Why lifetime? Within a second you can do. It is spiritual process. It is not material process that it requires so much time. No. It requires simply the spiritual technique, to know how you can develop Kṛṣṇa attachment. As soon as you are cent percent attached with Kṛṣṇa, your business is finished. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. The whole formula is that you have to develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. So if you have developed such attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then your business is finished. No more. That's all right. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And if you cannot develop fully Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all your labor is waste of time. There is no need of advertising yourself that "I am religious, I am philosopher, I am yogi." All is nonsense if at the end there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there, so all these things end. And if there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these are all useless labor.
And how that can be attained? Here it is, beginning... Kṛṣṇa says that mayy āsakta-manāḥ: simply you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Simply this method. These, all these, we are chanting, we are hearing, we are dancing, we're enjoying. Why? Just to detach our life from all nonsense things and attach to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to make your mind attached to something. But if you make your mind attached to something nonsense, then the same thing, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), birth, death, old age, disease. You have to suffer. You have to suffer. Your science, your material science, or nothing... No. Nobody can make any solution of these sufferings. But if you want real solution, permanent solution, permanent life, then you become attached to Kṛṣṇa. Simple method. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan. That is the perfect form of yoga. All other yogas, they may help you to come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but if you fail to come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all those troubles will be useless labor. That is not possible. If you take that slow process of yoga, it is not possible in this age. Not only in this age, five thousand years ago also. This is not possible. You may do your gymnastic feats, but it will never be successful. This yoga process, as it is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa in the last chapter... This is Seventh Chapter. In the Sixth Chapter also, He has said the very thing, that yoginām api sarveṣām: (BG 6.47) "The first-class yogi is he whose mind is always attached to Me, Kṛṣṇa."
Kāmān means the demands of the body. But we should not take up a civilization which teaches to fulfill the necessities of our life with great labor, kaṣṭān kāmān, because that kind of civilization is existing amongst the hogs and dogs. They are working whole day and night. So perfection of human life is not (to) increase our industrial enterprise or economic development or so many things we are now planning. The perfection of human life is to understand Kṛṣṇa, to understand God. If you have got any objection to speak "Kṛṣṇa" as the name of God—you may have—but actually, if there can be any name of God, that is "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. All-attractive. That is defined in the śāstra. So Kṛṣṇa, when He was present as a historical person... Kṛṣṇa is also a historical person, because five thousand years ago He appeared on this planet and He took His birth in Mathurā, and He was raised as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana, then He went to Dvārakā.
The scientist, philosopher, everyone is speculating, just to show himself that he has grown very learned, he can put some theory. So this is first rejected. Brahmā... Brahmā says. Brahmā's experience... He's the topmost living creature within this universe. He said that "When a person will give up this nonsense habit of speculation..." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. He must become submissive. One should not pose himself that he knows something, he can speculate something, he can invent something. Just like the so-called scientists, they are simply speculating and wasting labor. Nothing can be done by you. Everything is already arranged. You cannot change. You can simply see how the law is working; so much you can do. But neither you can change the law, you can make a better facility for the law. No. That you cannot do. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Duratyayā means it is very difficult. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was informed this statement of Brahmā, that one should give up the speculative method, that he can create something... These nonsense habits should be given up. He must become very humble. Humbler than the grass. Just like we trample over the grass; it does not protest. "All right, sir, you go." That type of humble. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Taru means tree. Tree is so much forbearing.
God says that "I am the enjoyer of everything." We are acting in this material world to enjoy something. We are working day and night to get some fruit of our labor and enjoy it. Everyone, either he's doing business or he's a professional man or he's a worker or anything he is, he's working very hard, day and night, to enjoy something. So... But we cannot claim that we can enjoy everything in this world. Although we have got the desire, but limited power to enjoy. The unlimited enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like we want to enjoy life, family life. We marry one wife. Or, in some countries, more than one wife—two, three, four. But when Kṛṣṇa married, He married 16,108. So... And sixteen thousand wives were given sixteen thousand palaces. And each wife got ten children. And Kṛṣṇa also expanded Himself into 16,108. That is God. For us, it is very difficult to maintain even one wife at the present moment.
Just like Śaṅkarācārya. He also says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "You are trying to derive pleasure from this material world, but it is false." He also says. If you want real pleasure, then brahma-saukhyam—you have to seek pleasure in the Brahman. Similarly, we find in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva. He says... He's instructing His sons, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam (SB 5.5.1). He's advising His sons. "His sons" means everyone, He's advising. What is that? Na ayaṁ dehaḥ deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhati yad viḍ-bhujām ye: "My dear sons, this human form of body is not meant for continuously hard labor simply for sex enjoyment, simply for sex enjoyment."
Śīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa. Now, those who are working, oh, they have no consideration that there is snowfall or there is scorching heat. Śīta ātapa, bāta, severe cold, and bariṣaṇa means heavy torrents of rain. Oh, he has to go to the office and work. Śīta ātapa, bāta bariṣaṇa, ei dina jāminī jāgi' re. Night duty. These are severe type of laboring. And the poet says, śīta ātapa, bāta bariṣaṇa, ei dina jāminī jāgi re. Why? Now, biphale sevinu, kṛpaṇa durajana, capala sukha labha lāgi' re. For that momentary happiness I am working so hard.
So everywhere in the Vedic literature this life, this materialistic way of life is condemned, is condemned. So Ṛṣabhadeva says that "This life is meant for tapasya." Tapaḥ. Tapaḥ divyaṁ putrakā: "My dear sons, you are so... If you think that this human form of life is meant for, oh, sex happiness and working day and night so hard, oh, this life is not meant for that purpose. That is visible in the cats' and dogs' and hogs' life. They are also laboring the whole day and satisfied by sex life. So your life is not meant for that." Then what it is meant for? He says, tapaḥ: "It is meant for tapasya, austerity, penance." "Oh, you are... We are taking so much pains also." Don't you think these materialists, they are earning, they are making so improvement without any labor, without any tapasya? No. They are also laboring. They are undergoing, I mean, severe austerity. That's nice. But here it is said, tapaḥ divyam: "You have undergo austerities and penance for God realization." Divyam. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā (SB 5.5.1). Why? Why not this material world? Why God realization?
In so many ways they are instructed in Vedic literature. We have got volumes and volumes of Vedic literature. The first, we have got the four Vedas. Then we have got the Upaniṣads. Then we have got Vedānta-sūtra. Then we have got Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and so many. And one book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it contains eighteen thousand verses. Mahābhārata contains hundreds of thousand verses. There are eighteen Purāṇas and 108 Upaniṣads and Vedānta-sūtra—immense literature for understanding what is brahma-saukhyam. So these literatures are meant for the human society, not for the cat society, dog society. The great sages of India, especially Vyāsadeva, he labored so hard and delivered so valuable literatures to us. There is opportunity. It was the duty of India to distribute this knowledge all over the world, this immense treasure of knowledge. Unfortunately... And as so far we have studied that persons who are great thinkers, they were expecting. They have still some respect for India's great treasurehouse of the spiritual knowledge. But unfortunately there is no arrangement for distributing this spiritual knowledge all over the world.
Therefore people do not know what is siddhi. It is not my version. Kṛṣṇa says. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasre... What is siddhi? If you do not know what is siddhi, what is the use? Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). You do not know what is the ultimate goal of life, what is siddhi, and you're working so hard. So Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: "He is working uselessly, laboriously." That's all. They do not know siddhi. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). Yatatām api siddha, siddhānāṁ kaścit. These siddhas, those who are self-realized, athāto brahma jijñāsā... Even if he thinks that "I am the supreme," that is partially in the... That is also light. Just like if you come to the sunlight, sunshine, that is also light, but that is not perfection. If you can go within the sun globe and see the origin of shining, brightening principle, the sun-god, that is siddhi.
And the modern civilization is even increase your necessities—a machine for shaving your cheek. You see? Another machine, another attention diversion. More machine means more diversion of attention. I have to take care, more technician, more technologies. Simply if one razor can shave, can make my cheek very clean, where is the necessity? Formerly, at least we Indian know that go to a blacksmith and he prepares a razor, very nice razor. You pay him four annas, and it will last for your life and shave your cheek very nicely, daily or occasionally. But the modern civilization means that in everything there must be machine. That is the advancement of material... But the śāstra says, "What is the use of taking so much labor?" Kaṣṭān kāmān. Kaṣṭān means with so much labor. If you create some convenience by the so-called machine use, you create so many other inconveniences. Just like we have got now motorcar. Of course, it is convenience. But there are many inconveniences. Formerly people used to find everyone within the village. Now, because we have got big, big motorcars, we have to go thirty miles to find out a doctor. So the other inconveniences are also increased. Now we have to find out petrol and flatter the Arabians, "Give me petrol." In this way... And if I stop manufacturing, then there is unemployment.
This is the version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply laboring. Simply uselessly laboring. If you do not awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness by studying the Vedas, by studying Bhagavad-gītā, by studying Bhagavad... Simply Bhagavad-gītā. This is the essence of all Vedic literature, although it is ABCD, beginning of spiritual life, spiritual understanding. Unfortunately, people do not understand even the ABCD of this Bhagavad-gītā. And what to speak of becoming graduate and postgraduate? This is the difficulty. If we try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, at least we understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. God is explaining Himself. And we are searching after God, making sear... There are so many institutions. In Oxford University there is a big research department. But here God is canvassing. He's explaining. There was a great controversy.
So it is answered there in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). There is superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. He, He likes that "This kind of bīja, or the seed, will produce this kind of flower and this kind of flavor." The superintendence is there of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We fools, we say, we cannot explain. We say "Nature." What is this nature? There must be brain behind the nature. Otherwise, how a rose, so nicely it is coming? Even from artistic point of view, if you want to paint one flower, you have to take so much labor, so many colors, reflection, and so many instruments, then hardly you can paint one nice rose flower. Still, it is not as good. And not at all good in comparison to the original flower. So if this third-class flower, you have to apply so much brain, and this first-class flower has no brain behind it? Is that very good logic? What is this logic? There must be brain. And that is stated here: puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau, aham. "It is My, under My superintendence."
This is human civilization. Then what is it meant for? Tapo, tapasya. That is Vedic civilization. That is Vedic civilization. But we have made program for economic development, working hard day and night like hogs and dogs. This is going on. This is going on under the name of civilization. And to satisfy me after hard labor, there is wine and women and flesh. That's all. This is not civilization. This is hog civilization. Real civilization is for tapasya. Everything, God has given us everything you need. For human being, Kṛṣṇa has given you nice fruits, nice flowers, nice grains, nice milk, nice sugar. Why don't you eat them nicely? That is Vedic civilization. Take the grains, take the fruits, take milk, take sugar, make varieties of preparation, offer Kṛṣṇa, and take the prasāda and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is civilization. This is civilization. Otherwise, simply working hard for sense gratification without any discrimination whether it is mother, or sister or any..., that is hog civilization. That the hog has no discrimination you'll find.
So suhṛt prabhavaḥ, development. You are trying to make economic development, but how we can develop economic development provided there is no material supplied by God? Can you manufacture, can you build, construct, a big skyscraper building without the materials being supplied by God? Can you manufacture wood? Can you manufacture stone? Can you manufacture lime? You cannot manufacture. Can you manufacture iron? You can work, labor. The materials supplied by God, by your labor, by intelligence, you can transform from one thing to another. Economic experts, they say like that, that man cannot manufacture anything. He can transform one thing to another. You cannot manufacture iron. You can transform the iron ores to a big iron factory. That you can do and waste your time, valuable time. That energy you have got. But you cannot produce iron. You can manufacture glass and live in a very comfortably, all side, but where is the glass? Glass is, means, a stone is melted with some chemicals, and it becomes glass. So where is the stone? The stone is supplied by God, the chemicals supplied by God. The intelligence with which you are working, that is supplied by God. Your body is supplied by God. You are God's. So everything becomes God's. Prabhavaḥ: "I am the source of supply of everything."
So this is the reciprocation of dealings of devotional service with Lord. And if there is any devotee who is constantly engaged in such reciprocation of devotional service, God will never forget him. Teṣu te mayi: "As he is always unto Me, similarly I am also unto him." So there is no question of disappointment. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If you do little thing for the service of the Lord, it is noted in the notebook of Kṛṣṇa. Don't think that your labor is going in vain. Everything, whatever you do sincerely, that is noted. It is clearly stated here, teṣu te mayi: "As they are always, constantly thinking of Me, similarly, I am also constantly thinking of Me (them), how he can make further development, how he can come to Me very quickly, how he can be free from all contamination of the..." He will give you intelligence. That is stated in another place. You will find in the Tenth Chapter. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam: (BG 10.10) "Those persons who are always engaged in love and devotion in My service," buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I give them intelligence." Because intelligence required. A fool cannot make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, only the intelligent person. And that intelligence is supplied by God. He supplies. Dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam: "I give him such intelligence." What kind of intelligence? Yena mām upayānti te: "By which he can quickly come to Me."
So people, they want to enjoy life within this material world, but actually there is no enjoyment in the material world. Because, Kṛṣṇa says, there is birth, there is death, there is old age, and there is disease. So where is your happiness? After all, you have to die. Suppose I make very good arrangement, very nice house, very nice bank balance, very nice wife, children, everything, but death can come at any moment. Then where is your perfection? If after so much hard labor everything is ready for enjoyment, but I am called by Yamarāja... Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Death takes away everything. Therefore you cannot say the arrangement you made for happy life is perfect. That is not perfect. But foolish people, they do not know what is perfection. They simply want superficial, temporary happiness, never mind what will happen next life or few years after.
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. We are reading one chapter from Bhagavad-gītā, thirteenth chapter. The subject matter is nature, the enjoyer, and consciousness. In Sanskrit it is called kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra means the field. Just like an agriculturist. They work on the field. The worker or the agriculturist owns the land, and he works there, and according to his labor he enjoys the fruits. Similarly, we have been given this body as the field of activity. Every one of us, not only human being, but also other living entities...
Śānti. If you want śānti, peace of mind, peace of living condition, then you must know three things, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme bhoktā, enjoyer... And we are trying to imitate him to become enjoyer. That is false. Because if you try to capture something false, then it is simply labor. You will never achieve that thing. Or even if you achieve, you cannot be happy. Because thing is false.
So therefore Kṛṣṇa says that kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). First of all He gave knowledge that "This body is kṣetra." Kṣetra means field of activities. Just like a cultivator. He has got a field, and he is working with plow. So according to his labor he is getting the fruit. Similarly, we have got this field, this body, and we are working—you, me, and everyone—according to our knowledge, according to my understanding capacity. So therefore... I am not this body; I am the owner of the body. I am working with this body. This is the position. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña.
Naturally, by nature, they are inclined to these kinds of work. They are called intelligent class. Similarly, there is a class of men who are interested to take part in politics, in diplomacy, or to stand for election as president or as governor. In every country, in every place. They are called administrator class, or martial-spirited. They are prepared to fight also. So there is a class. And the third class is the mercantile class. They want to do some business, trade, industry, and make some profit. And the laborer class, they are neither intelligent, nor, I mean to say, they want to take part in politics, nor they are able to do independent business. Under the circumstances, they are to give their labor and work under somebody and get some remuneration. So these classes are in every country. You call it by different names. In India, of course, these classes are named as the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and the śūdras. But in many places I was asked that "Why in India there is caste system?" So this caste system is not only in India. In everywhere the caste system is there. And enviousness between one community to another, that is also existing everywhere. This is human nature.
Actually, what is going on as Hindu dharma... Actually, Hindu dharma this word is not there in the śāstras. In the śāstra it is called varṇāśrama-dharma. Four varṇas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. These are called varṇāśrama-dharma. So in every varṇa, brāhmaṇa, his qualification is described in the śāstra. Śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ kṣāntir jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Similarly, kṣatriya, vaiśya. So by discharging one's occupational duty according to varṇa and āśrama, if one does not understand Kṛṣṇa, the Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam. Then he's simply spoiling his time and wasting his labor. That's all.
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
This is the verdict of Vedic literature. He's simply laboring for nothing. One must know Kṛṣṇa-viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ. Viṣvaksena, another name of Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, is viṣvaksena-kathā. Just like we are speaking about Kṛṣṇa, nobody is interested to come here. Nobody is interested. Viṣvaksena-kathāsu notpādayed ratim. They will say, "Oh, I am busy with my occupational duty." But the human form of life is meant for increasing your interest in the matter of viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ. This means kṛṣṇa-kathā.
So anyway, the whole world situation is degrading, that people are not producing their own food. This is the problem, real problem. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. This example is given. As every man must possess a piece of land... Therefore this... Because it is very common thing, this example has been given. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña.
So as we till our land and gets foodstuff according to my labor, according to my intelligence... Food grains I can produce once twice, thrice, if I work hard. Generally, they work two times: three months, three months. And those who are very lazy, they work three months. But even working for three months, they can acquire foodstuffs for the whole year. That I have seen. So similarly, as we get some land and work for ourself, similarly, this body is also like that land. And I am... This "I," the soul, I can reap good result or bad result as I work with this body. This is very similar.
So this is knowledge, that "I have got this body as field." As one gets the land for cultivating his food grains, according to his labor, according to his choice, similarly, we have got this field of activity. Now we can make our future good or bad according to our choice. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram iti abhidhīyate (BG 13.2). This is called kṣetra, working land.
They're aiming at the same goal, karma, jñāna, yoga, bhakti, but bhakti is the highest step. Because when you come to the platform of bhakti, then you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Not by karma, jñāna, yoga. That is not possible. You are trying, you are going towards that aim, but Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). He does not say, "By jñāna, by karma, by yoga." No. That you cannot understand. You can go forward, steps. But if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). This is the process. Therefore mama vartmānuvartante means "Everyone is trying to come to Me, according to their capacity, ability, but one who actually wants to understand Me, the simple process..." Just like the staircase is there, but not in this country, in Europe and American countries, side by side, there is lift, elevator. So instead of going step by step to the highest flat, you take the help of this lift. You go immediately, within a second. So if you take the lift of bhakti, then immediately you come in contact with Kṛṣṇa directly. Instead of going by step by step by step. Why should you take? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You simply surrender unto Me. Your business is finished." Why should you labor so much, step by step by step by step by...? (break)
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So, if you chant these mantras, at least one in one day, your life will be glorious. This mantra, bhāgavata-mantra, not only Bhāgavata, every Vedic literature is a mantra. Transcendental sound. So practice resounding this mantra. So we have taken so much labor to put in diacritic mark, all the words, word meaning, utilize it. Don't think that these books are only for sale. If you go to sell these books and if some customer says, "You pronounce it," then what you will do? Then he will understand, "Oh, you are for selling, not for understanding." What do you think? Eh? So therefore it is necessary now, you have got nice books, each and every śloka, verse, should be pronounced. Therefore we have given this original verse in Sanskrit, its transliteration with diacritic mark—these marks are universally accepted amongst the scholars. So all the scholars of Sanskrit, they agreed to use this mark for pronouncing Sanskrit language.
So you European, American students, you take full advantage of this Vedic culture. I am therefore so much laboring hard that we, before my leaving this body, I may give you some books who you can enjoy after my death. So utilize it. Utilize it. Read every śloka nicely, try to understand the meaning, discuss amongst yourselves. Nityaṁ bhagavata-sevayā. That is our mission. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhagavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Abhadra, we have got so many dirty things within our heart. So these dirty things can be cleansed simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other method.
When we eat something, we taste its rasa, the juice. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Kaunteya, My dear Arjuna, I am the taste of the water." Everyone, when he's thirsty, he wants, "Give me water, give me water." Because there is a taste in the water which will immediately quench your thirst. So we enjoy everything because there is some taste. That is called rasa. Anything we do. Just like a man, he's working very hard day and night. What for? For maintaining his family, his children and wife. So unless there is some rasa, some taste, he cannot work so hard day and night. There is some flavor in maintaining the family with hard labor. And sometimes we see therefore one who has no family, one who has no family affection, he does not work so hard. He doesn't care to work. This is practical. Therefore in the Vedic civilization the family life is recommended unless one will become confused, hopeless, because he has no taste for the family life. So everything there is some rasa, taste. Without that taste, nobody can live.
So śāstra says, as you have got body, so your happiness, let us take the happiness portion. Distress also is there. There cannot be any unalloyed happiness. There must be distress. But you take only the good portion, happiness portion. The śāstra says that your happiness is destined according to your body. That is already made up, set up. You cannot change it. So śāstra says that don't try to increase your so-called happiness by laboring so hard. Whatever body you have got, a certain of, certain type of happiness you will get. Just like a hog. A hog has got a certain type of body; he feels pleasure by eating stool. He cannot improve it, because he has got the body like that. So according to our body, we get our happiness. So our time should be saved for improving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the law of nature. Don't try to improve your material condition.
Just like a boy who has left his home from childhood. Somehow or other, he is separated from his rich father, loitering in the street. But he is reminded. He can remember. Similarly, we are all sons of the most opulent father. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Unfortunately, we have forgotten. We are thinking that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that," and toiling and laboring hard, struggle for existence. Therefore the most beneficial welfare activity is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are reminding people that "You are son of such great personality, or Kṛṣṇa. Why don't you go back to your home? Why you are rotting in this material world, suffering?" This is the mission.
Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ notpādayed yadi ratim (SB 1.2.8), by going daily to the temple, or to the church, or to the mosque, or anywhere, any religious building or institution, if you do not develop your propensity to hear about God, then you have wasted your time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Going and coming, it is simply labor, that's all. So that is the test. Therefore either in temple, or in church, in mosque there must be regular recitation on the talks of God. Otherwise people will lose interest, and the churches and temples have to be closed.
The Gosvāmīs, they have described rati, how rati is explained. (indistinct). Just like young boy and young girl, they meet together. Immediately their sex impulse become agitated. It hasn't got to be taught them. Naturally. Naturally. He wants to talk or she wants to talk. So this is called rati. Spontaneous attraction. This is called, it has not to be taught, spontaneous. So as soon as there is spontaneous attraction to hear all about God, that will mean that we are attaining perfection in religion. So if you are going on as a happening program to the church, to the temple, or to the mosque, but there is no spontaneous attraction for hearing about God, then it is simply labor, simply waste of time, that's all.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
Translation: "Duties or dharma executed by men are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Supreme Lord."
Prabhupāda: So dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām (SB 1.2.8). Dharma generally means occupational duty. We have several times explained. (In) the English dictionary, dharma is explained as faith. So faith may be changed. But actually, what is meant by dharma, that is constitutional position, activities in one's constitutional position. This has been explained by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Real dharma, constitutional position of the living entity, is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is real dharma. Kṛṣṇa also confirms in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, simply unto Kṛṣṇa, surrender, that is real dharma. Otherwise it is pseudo-religious principles, pretension, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ.
There are two kinds of dharma: kaitava, cheating religious system, and real religious system. That is the subject matter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to teach people the real religious system. In this chapter also, Sūta Gosvāmī has explained, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). You can execute your occupational duties or religious system very nicely, but if you do not develop your love for God, Kṛṣṇa, then it is simply useless labor. It has no meaning. The test is how much you have developed your dormant consciousness for loving Kṛṣṇa. That is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If actually one is making progress in devotional service, he must be detestful to any other system. They are not interested. Actual interest is Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu.
So here also Sūta Goswāmī says, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsaṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu-yaḥ (SB 1.2.8). You can discharge your duty very nicely, but you have to see whether you are developing attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Attachment means love, whether you are trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is the test. If that is not done, simply formulas, if you execute the formula, as I explained the other day, niyamāgraha, without any satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, then Sūta Gosvāmī says it is simply laboring and waste of time, viṣvaksena-kathāsu-yaḥ notpādayed ratiṁ yadi, śrama eva hi kevalam. Then he says, dharmasya hy āpavargasya na artaḥ arthāya upakalpate. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), these are called āpavarga. Āpavarga means nullifying the pavarga. Pavarga... This material world is called pavarga. Pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. According to Sanskrit grammar, there are five vargas, ka varga ca varga ta varga ta varga and pa varga. So pa varga, pa means pariśrama. Similarly, pha means phena, and bha means bhaya (?), ma means mṛtyu. So this material world is pavarga, means here we have to labor very hard. Sometimes by laboring, as you have seen in animals, bulls and horses, they produce foam in the mouth, that is pha. And then we are always full of anxieties, and at last there is death. This is material life. We work very hard, struggle for..., struggle hard for existence, and that also, at the end, we die.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
Translation: "Duties, or dharma, executed by men, regardless of occupation, are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Supreme Lord."
Prabhupāda:
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
Dharma (is) generally translated into English as "religion." I have already explained several times. The dictionary meaning of religion is "a kind of faith." But actually, dharma means occupational duty, or the characteristic. Just like a snake. The snake, its religion is to bite, and fatal bite. That is his dharma, occupational duty. Everything has got... Just like this microphone, it must work, it must expand the sound. That is its dharma. If it does not expand the sound, it is useless. So everything you take, there are characteristics. That is the meaning of dharma. Dharma is not an artificial faith. Faith you can change, but your occupational duty, you cannot change.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply trying to educate people that "Don't waste your time. Just try to awaken your dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness." The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there within you; simply you have to awaken. And what is the process? That awakening will take place simply by chanting and hearing. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. There is a verse in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, your devotion for Kṛṣṇa, your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, is there because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a small child. He is... (break)... His problems will be solved this way... No, that will not be solved. Śrama eva hi. Simply wasting time by laboring for nothing. You take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, take to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Then, your economic problems, social problems, political problems—all human society will be solved. It is practical.
Here it is said, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Hy āpavargyasya, apavarga. This pavarga I have explained several times. In Sanskrit grammar there are vargas, ka-varga, ca-varga, ṭa-varga, ta-varga, pa-varga—five vargas. So pa-varga means pa pha ba bha ma, five letters. Pa means pariśrama, hard labor. And pha means foaming. Because when you work very hard, from your mouth some foam comes out. Sometimes we see in the body of the horse, or any animal. Pa, pha, ba. Ba means vyarthatā, frustration. Instead of, in spite of working very hard, there is frustration in this material world. Pa, pha, ba, bha. Bha means bhaya, fearfulness. Although I am working very hard, still, I am fearful what will happen. I am not sure that things will be done properly, in spite of my working very hard. Pa, pha, ba, bha, and ma. Ma means mṛtyu, death. Working so hard, day and night, and still, there is death. Working so hard... The scientific world is working so hard, but the scientist is dying himself. He cannot stop death. He can create some atom bomb to kill, but he cannot create anything which will stop death. That is not possible. Therefore, this pa, pha, ba, bha, ma, these five letters represent five kinds of our activities in this material world.
So apavarga, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. To make it nullified. No more hard labor, no more frustration, no more fearfulness, no more death. That is real problem. So to become religious, dharmic, means how to nullify these five principles of material existence. In the material world, you have to work very, very hard. You cannot think that "Oh, I am so great man. I'll not work." Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. Suppose the lion... Lion is supposed to be the king of the forest. Still, he has to work. It is not that a lion will sleep, and some animal will come, "My dear lion, please open your mouth. I shall enter." (laughter) That is not possible. Even he is most powerful, even if he is... Just like your President. He is most powerful man, but he's working hard, more than asses and hogs, to get the post of presidency. So pariśrama...
So nobody can say that "Without working hard, I shall achieve something." That is not possible. But our tendency is that we do not wish to work; therefore, at the end of the week, we take some, I mean to say, leisure, go out of the city, and try to forget all our hard labor throughout the week. But on Monday, again we have to come back. This is going on. Nobody actually... Because a living entity by nature, being part and parcel of God, he wants also enjoy life without work. That is his tendency. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with gopīs, with Rādhārāṇī. But He's not working. He hasn't got to work. We don't hear from Bhāgavatam, any Vedic literature, that Kṛṣṇa has a great factory, and He has to go office at ten o'clock, and then bring money, and then enjoy with Rādhārāṇī. No. (laughter) We don't want that such kind of rascal God. (laughter) We want God who hasn't got to work anything. That is God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. That is the Vedic information. God has nothing to do.
If you want peace of mind, if you want full satisfaction, then your dharmic life, your religious life, should be how to advance yourself in devotional service of the Lord. Then yayātmā suprasīdati. Then you will feel satisfaction. Then it is said that dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ (SB 1.2.8), "By executing your religious principles, if you do not develop your consciousness about God, then it is simply waste of time and labor."
So dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. "A" means negation, negation of pavarga. Pa means pariśrama, labor. Here, in this material world, the sense gratificatory platform is not very easy. You have to work very hard. Karma. Even Arjuna was advised, śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ: "My dear Arjuna, you are denying to fight, but you do not know that without fighting, you cannot live even. You cannot maintain your body." Śarīra-yātrāpi. Just see how hard they are laboring. Even just like an ass. In big cities, we have seen, human beings are pulling on rickshaws, ṭhelās. What for? Simply for maintaining this body. In the Kali Yuga, the working will be more harder and harder. Just like an ass. Ass, the example is given always, ass. How much hard work it carries on. Tons of cloth, carrying on the back, going to the ghāṭa. What for? Simply little grass. That's all. Therefore it is called ass. The ass is working simply for a morsel of grass. Grass, there are so many. You can get. But it is because it is ass, he's thinking that "The washerman is my master. He'll give me the grass." Just see.
Here it is said, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Apavarga. A means negation, and pavarga... Pavarga-pa pha ba bha ma. Just like—those who are acquainted with Sanskrit grammar—there are five vargas: ka varga, ca varga, ta varga, similarly, pa varga. Pa pha ba bha ma. So pavarga means they have taken the material life in different aspect. First of all, material life is pariśrama, hard labor. This is called pa, pariśrama. And then, pha: the labor is so hard, sometimes foam comes. We have seen from the mouth of the horse, cows, and bulls, dogs. We sometimes, we have also, our tongue becomes dry after working very hard. There are foams. This is pha. Pa, pha. And ba means vyarthatā: in spite of so much labor, our sense gratification is not fulfilled. That is called vyarthatā. Pa pha ba, vyarthatā. And then bha. Bha means bhaya, always fearful. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. Every conditioned soul is subjected to fearfulness, "What will happen next?" Big, big politician... Just like in U.S.A., President Nixon, he is also under fear, "How these people will drive me away?" So this bhaya must be there. Hard labor for election, then rejection, then bhaya, fearfulness, "Whether my this position will remain or not?" Nobody is free. Even Brahmā, big, big demigods, they are also fearful. Bhayaṁ dvitīya abhiniveśataḥ syāt. Śāstra says when one is attached to the other thing except God, dvitīya... Because God is one. Eka brahma. When one is not Brahman realized—the other realized means illusion realized—then there is bhaya. So apavarga, pa pha ba bha, in this way ma, means mṛtyu, death.
So this has been summarized. These are called pavarga. And apa... a means to nullify. So dharma, practice of dharma, means to nullify these conditions, these miserable conditions of material existence. That is the purpose of dharma. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Āpavargyasya, to cease this labor. Tri-tāpa-yatana, three types of miserable condition: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. That is animal life, bodily concept of life. Therefore dharma should be practiced for nullifying. Because we do not want to work very hard, every one of us, but we have to, especially at the present moment. That is stated in the Bhāgavata. In the Kali-yuga the situation will be so much deteriorated that simply for a piece of bread, one has to work just like an ass. Very hard labor. It has come to become so. Gradually, it will deteriorate more and more. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now rice and wheat is selling at a high price, three rupees kilo. But time will come when if you pay 300,000 rupees, still, it will not be available. Especially rice, wheat, sugar and milk and fruits. That means sāttvikāhāra. These things will be finished. Therefore they are learning how to eat beef. This is the beginning. Just like a child learns to eat, little, little. Otherwise there will be no more food. Therefore dharma is required to stop this miserable condition of life. That is real dharma.
At any moment the nature will call, "Please get out, immediately." "No, I have got to do some business." "No more, sir. Please get out immediately." Can you stop that? Then why you are making plan? Your real plan is not there. Whether you will be allowed to stay here? There is no insurance. And why you are taking so much trouble? Therefore, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4), the whole day, night, they are working like ass, but there is no assurance whether the happiness for which he is laboring so hard will be allowed to be enjoyed. There is no certainty.
So this is not... Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, "This is not good business, My dear boys, because you have got this body on account of this hard labor and planning in your last life." Yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada: "Again you want to have another body to suffer in? What is this intelligence? You are already suffering. You have got all one type of body which means suffering, by your past activities. Again you are doing the same, to get another body to suffer? Is that very intelligence? No, that is not intelligence." Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma, pramattaḥ (SB 5.5.4). These are madman's business. Real business is, "How I shall become permanently happy?" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa gives the essence of knowledge, janma... Jñānī means one who can see "What is the problem of my life." Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is the problem. Therefore dharma means āpavargyasya, how to avoid birth, death, old age and disease. Apavarga. Pavarga. Pavarga... Those who are educated in India, they know that pa-varga, ka-varga, ca-varga, ta-varga. So here it is pa-varga: "pa, pha, ba, bha, ma." So pa means pariśrama, laboring. And pha means the hard laboring so that foam comes out of the mouth. Pa, pha, ba. Ba means baffled. In spite of all laboring hard, life is baffled. Pa, pha, ba, bha, and bha, bhaya. Bhaya means always fearful—"What will happen next?" And ma. Ma means mrtyu. So in this way, struggling—pa, pha, ba, bha, ma—that is called pavarga. So here it is said, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Apa. Apa means just to make nullified this life of pavarga. That is, means, liberation, to come to the original position, spiritual life. Dharmasya hi āpavargyasya na arthāyopakalpate. Not that you go to church and temple and pray to God, "God, give me some money. I am in distressed condition. Please..." God can do that. It is not very difficult. He is doing already.
So original proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. He says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. Bhinnaṁ me prakṛtir aṣṭa... (BG 7.4). Me, "My." The earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence... Even your intelligence is Kṛṣṇa's. With your intelligence, with ingredients of Kṛṣṇa, if you manufacture something, the proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. Because the... Just like a carpenter. You give the wood, the instrument, these labor charges. So when he manufactures a nice closet, who, to whom it will belong? It will belong to the man who has supplied you all these things. Similarly, you may be changing the form of the material elements, but you are not proprietor. The proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. If we understand this philosophy, that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa..." That is the fact. And if you do not understand that, that is māyā. Māyā means not fact, mā-yā.
So here it is said, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya (SB 1.2.9). Apavarga and pavarga. This material life is pavarga. Pa-varga means... Those who are acquainted with grammar... There are vargas, ka-varga, kha-varga, ca-varga, ta-varga. Similarly pa-varga. Pa-varga means pa, pha, ba, bha, ma, five. So pa represents pariśrama, labor, hard labor. This material world, you have to work. Either you are human being or a hog or dog or cat, it doesn't matter. You have to work. And very severe work so that foam will come within your mouth. Pha. Then pa, pha, ba. Ba means vyarthatā, baffledness. And bha means bhaya, always fearful, "What will happen next? What will happen next?" And in this way, ma-mṛtyu, maraṇa. This is called material life. There is no more gain, simply pa pha ba bha ma. That's all. This is material life. And apavarga means just the opposite, to nullify this pavarga business.
So first of all it has been described what is the purpose of life. This human form of life, it is not meant for being spoiled like the dogs and hogs. The dogs and hogs, they're busy to find out food: "Where is food? Where is stool?" And they are spoiling their whole day and night. Their life has been made by nature in such a way that they have no other business than to find out where is some food, where is some food, where is... And laboring, they're laboring very hard.
So when you come to the system of varṇāśrama, this is by nature. It is creation of God, just like in your body there are four divisions—the brain, arms, belly and legs divisions. So how can you avoid? This is natural. Unless you have got brain, if your head is cut off from the body, then what is the value? It is dead body. Similarly, at the present moment there is no brahminical culture. There may be very strong arm department, there may be very well-equipped economic department or labor department, but because the head is not there, it is a dead body. Therefore the whole society is suffering; there is no brāhmaṇa, or the head. We are creating brāhmaṇas so that the society may be saved. We are not creating rascals; we are creating brāhmaṇas. So if you all are responsible, if you know your duty, try to save the society, especially in your country, America. By God's grace you have enough of everything. And you have got intelligence also, otherwise how you are coming? Unless you are born of intelligent father and mother, how you are taking this?
So you American boys and girls, you are intelligent, you have got all facilities. At least in your country, create these two classes, brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya. The world will be saved, and you will be saved, and Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. Brāhmaṇa's business means that people should know what is God, what is our relationship with Him. That is brāhmaṇa's... And kṣatriya's business is to give protection to the people so that may all know what is God. That is kṣatriya's... And vaiśyas business is to provide food for them, production. And śūdras is to help all these three classes by their labor. This is social organization. It is not that everyone will become brāhmaṇa or everyone will become kṣat... No. At the present moment, the Communists are trying: "Everyone should be Communist." That is not possible. You cannot make everyone of the same class. No. That is not possible. You have to use your intelligence in such a way that these four divisions can work cooperatively and become perfect.
Sometimes we say, chastise, that "Your brain, your, this skull, filled up with cow dung. There is no brain substance." So those whose brains are filled up with cow dung, they want to exploit this material world. It is impossible. It is not possible. Under certain pleas only, that "This political party will give you better chance for exploiting." But you cannot do that. It is not possible. This is called māyā. In illusion, I'm thinking, "If I make certain more progress..." We see, in America, they're increasing the number of motorcars and the problem is road. One flyway above another flyway, another another. The flyway construction is going on perpetually. Is it not? And this is called advancement. The rascals do not know that "I am simply laboring, laboring, laboring. Where is the stoppage of laboring? " No. That you cannot stop. Your progress means you simply work hard. And because you are illusioned, that hard-working, you are thinking progress, happiness. That's all. This is called māyā. He is working just like an ass. The ass, ass, ass is working whole day and night for the washerman for a morsel of grass. But ass, why it is called ass? He can, the ass can have grasses anywhere, but he, for that, he's working very hard for the washerman. Therefore he's ass. He has no sense that "Why I shall work for this washerman so hard? I can get this morsel of grass anywhere." But he'll work.
Don't think that because the gold is in the polluted place, gold has become polluted. No. You take it. Viṣād apy amṛtaṁ grāhyam amedhyād api kāñcanam, nīcād apy uttamā vidyā. Vidyā, education, was to be received from a brāhmaṇa, because it was the brāhmaṇa's business to become highly learned scholar and make others educated. Teacher's business was entrusted to the brāhmaṇas, administration to the kṣatriyas, production to the vaiśya, and labor to the śūdra. So because generally we have to take education from highly learned brāhmaṇa, but if a person born in low family, he has got some talent, education, so don't hesitate. Take from him. Not that, "Oh, he is low born. Why shall I take education from him?" No. The śāstra says, "No, you can take. It doesn't matter. He has got the learning. You take that. Make him a teacher." Nīcād apy uttamā vidyā strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. Strī-ratnam. If a girl is very qualified, beautiful, even she is born of a low family, you can accept her. This is the injunction of the śāstras.
If you are a jñānī, a philosopher, speculating what is the truth, so the truth is, ultimate truth is Kṛṣṇa. So if from the very beginning you try to search out by your philosophical knowledge or if you try to prove the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa by your philosophical speculation, that is perfection. That is your perfection. Otherwise it is simply laboring, waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). If you cannot go forward up to Kṛṣṇa by your philosophical and scientific research, then all the labor you have taken, that is almost simply waste of time. The limit of knowledge, the limit of scientific research, will be confirmed when you have surrendered to God.
So there are two kinds of knowledge, avidyā and vidyā. Real vidyā means brahma-vidyā. This brahma-jijñāsā, athāto brahma..., that is vidyā. That is real knowledge. And avidyā, karma-saṁjña. Another vidyā is how to learn technology, avidyā. Avidyā. That is avidyā. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. So now, at the present moment, the education is being given to the people how to work hard, karma-saṁjña. That is not now. That is the system everywhere, because everyone wants to enjoy senses as far as possible, so he has to work very hard. But in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find the instruction is by Ṛṣabhadeva, that this life is not meant for that simply hard labor for sense gratification. If you work hard, you try to work hard for attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life will be successful. You have to work hard. If you want to enjoy senses, they are not very easily available. It is said that udyogināṁ praharṣaṁ praheti lakṣyam.(?) Unless you become industrious, laborious, you cannot enjoy even this material world.
So He has nothing to do. So who is that God? That Kṛṣṇa. He has nothing to do. He is simply enjoying, playing His flute, and Rādhārāṇī is serving. Oh, He is not taking a sword and fighting. Why He should fight? He hasn't got to fight. Then one can say, "Then why He was in the battlefield?" Yes, battlefield He was. He was not to fight there. He was to see the fun, how the fight is going on. He was to give instruction. He was to give, deliver this Bhagavad-gītā. He was not fighting. That is God. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He's instructing Arjuna, His friend, that "You fight." By His simple will everything would have been done, fighting would have been finished. He says that nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin. "I have already planned it. If you don't fight, don't think that these persons who have assembled here, they will go back home. They are already finished. That plan is already made. Simply you take the credit, that you are Kṛṣṇa's friend, you have won the battle. That's all. I am giving you this chance of taking the credit." This is God. God hasn't got (chuckling) to labor and meditate and push nose, and he becomes God. No. God is God. Simply by His will, God. Everything is God. So this bluffing, that by meditation one can become, by silent, becoming silent, one become God, this condition... God is not under any condition. Why God should be under condition?
The defect in Vyāsadeva was being pointed out by his spiritual master, Nārada, that "If... You have labored very hard in presenting dharmādayaḥ." Dharmādayaḥ means religiosity, economic development. Dharma-ādayaḥ. Ādayaḥ means beginning. That means human civilization should begin from religious principle. Otherwise, it is not human civilization. Dharmādayaḥ. Therefore in civilized nation there is religion. Maybe in different forms, but religion must be there. The same thing is explained by Nārada Muni, that dharmādayaḥ. First religion, then economic development. Not economic development first. And then sense gratification. And then liberation.
So these books, these literatures, I mean to say, Vedic literatures, are meant for restricting our life and elevating ourself. So Nārada says that "You have explained all these religious principles, or sense gratification, economic development, very nicely. But as much labor you have taken for describing..." (break) ...na tathā vāsudevasya mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ. So therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply for glorifying the Lord. That is the only business. Not... Other things are secondary. That is being taught. So if you want to write books, you write books by glorifying the Lord. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśaḥ (SB 1.5.10).
Now Vyāsadeva is discussing different kinds of literature. So he has explained that any literature, however nicely prepared from rhetorical point of view, or poetical, metaphorical, grammatical, but if there is no information of the Absolute Truth, such literatures are useless and no saintly person will take any interest in such literature. They give it up. Just like the swans, they do not take pleasure in a place where the crows can take pleasure. As there is distinction between the crows and the swans, even in the bird's kingdom, or even in the animal kingdom... You'll find always. The different kinds of varieties of birds and beasts, they live together. Similarly, those who are saintly persons, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, their taste is different from the persons who are just like crows. Crows are interested in things... Carvita-carvaṇānām. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "chewing the chewed." Already it has been chewed, and if somebody wants to try it, "Let me see. What is the taste there?" it is useless labor only.
Dharma, religious faith—everything is very punctual. One is going punctually to the church or to the temple and executing all ritualistic ceremonies very rigidly, following the rules and regulations. But at the end if he has not developed love for God, then, Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: "This is simply laboring, formalities." Caste priest, caste gosvāmī, caste spiritual master—simply a formality. But the objective is not Kṛṣṇa. Objective is material happiness. That sort of religiosity or following the regulative principle will not help.
Here is the assurance by Nārada Muni, that "Even if he falls down, still, there is no loss. But the, on the other side, those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he's very regular businessman or regular worker, so many things, still, his gain is nothing." He... Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). He's simply laboring, because he has no connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The life mission, this human form of life mission, is to understand Kṛṣṇa and relation. He's neglecting that. He has no information. Therefore he does not gain. If you... Suppose if you go to a place, to a..., where you can earn money, as much as you like, and if you go there, and if you do not earn anything, you come empty-handed, so, as your mission becomes unsuccessful. Similarly, if in the human form of life you are simply engaged in the animalistic way of life—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending in a nice way than the birds and beasts—then you are not gaining anything.
But Vaiṣṇava, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was neither yogi, nor he could display any yogic perfection. But he was protected by Kṛṣṇa, by the Sudarśana-cakra. This is Vaiṣṇava's... Vaiṣṇavas do not require to practice any yogic power to become materially powerful. He doesn't require. Simply his surrender to Kṛṣṇa makes him all-powerful. This is the position of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇavas, they do not care for all these yogic powers. They depend on Kṛṣṇa. And who can be... Kṛṣṇa is the yogeśvara, all, master of... Yatra kṛṣṇo... yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (BG 18.78). So if one takes shelter of the Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic power, why he should bother about this yogic power? A poor man may try to earn money by hard labor, but one who is a very, very rich man's son, why should he labor? The father's money is sufficient. Similarly, a devotee, a sincere devotee, he is under the protection of Kṛṣṇa. And under the protection of Kṛṣṇa means under the protection of all six kinds of opulences: riches, then strength, then reputation, wisdom, renunciation, beauty—the six kinds of opulence. Kṛṣṇa, under... Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. This is stated here.
Śoka-moha-bhaya, these things are our constant companions. Śoka. Śoka means lamenting, and moha means illusion. And bhaya, bhaya means fearfulness. So we are embarrassed with these things always: śoka, moha and bhaya. Śoka: we are always lamenting, "This thing I have lost. I have lost this business. I have lost my son. I have lost...," so many. Because it is, after all, a losing business. To exist in this material world means it is a losing business. There will be no profit. Therefore whatever we are working for, searching after, real happiness, if it is not devotional service, then the Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: (SB 1.2.8) "Simply working for nothing, and the gain is labor."
So the advantage we must take. What is that advantage? Yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyām. If you simply hear, that's all. Just like you are hearing. If you kindly come here and listen the instruction of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you become perfect. Simply by hearing. You haven't got to make any gymnastic or any physical labor. Simply come into the temple. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Simply see the Deity. Naturally you will think of Deity: "Oh, how nicely the Lord is dressed." That is thinking. Man-manāḥ. Immediately thinking. The temple is constructed after spending so much money. Why? To give you chance of thinking. Because there is the beginning. It is not the money is wasted. Rascals are thinking that "Unnecessarily they have spent so much money." No. Paropakāra, giving chances to the rascal people to come here and see the Deity and think of Kṛṣṇa, this is wanted. If he simply thinks, "Oh, how Kṛṣṇa is nicely dressed," that is thinking. Man-manāḥ.
Apavarga. Pavarga and apavargo. A means "not," and pavarga is the process of suffering here in this material world. Different stages of suffering is called pavarga. The first thing is pa. This is pa pha ba bha ma, pa-varga. This is called pa-varga. There are five vargas in Sanskrit grammar: ka-varga, ca-varga, ṭa-varga, ta-varga, and pa-varga. Those who know, I mean to say, Sanskrit grammar, they will understand. So pa-varga means these five alphabets, pa pha ba bha ma. So our sufferings... First of all, labor, pariśrama. Pa. You cannot get anything in this material world without laboring. That is not possible. Just like we have got this nice temple. How we have got it? Laboring. We have to collect the stone, we have to collect this brick, we have to... If I cannot work personally, then I have to engage laborer. So this temple is not by accident, automatically, by chunk it has come. No. There must be labor. Pariśrama. That is pa. Then pha. Pha, in the English you can say frustration. Or in Sanskrit the phena, and English word is foam. When you work very hard, everyone, you know, there is foam. We have generally seen, in animals there is foam, in horse. The, hard labor, very hard labor, the foam comes. So first of all, pariśrama, hard labor, then foam. Pa pha. And ba. Ba means vyarthatā. Frustration. Despite so much hard labor, still frustration. Now our leaders are advertising that "Work hard. Work hard." "Sir, I am working so hard that I am working like an ass, like an animal, and I am tired. Still I have to work hard?" "Yes." This is saṁsṛti. They are not satisfied that human being, Indians are working just like an ass, pulling ṭhelā, rickshaw, and still they're requesting work hard.
The kṛṣṇa-bhajana is not so easy thing. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is completely free from the reaction of pāpa, he cannot (can) take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But in the ordinary way, karma... According to karma... Just like you are working to earn some money, businessman, karma. So ordinary way you have to work very hard day and night to get some money. Suppose if you want one lakh of rupees or one crore of rupees, you have to work for it. But there is another way. Suppose one rich man gives you, that "You haven't got to work. Take this one lakh of rupees or one crore of rupees. You take it." That is another way. Ordinary way to accumulate crores of rupees, it may not be possible in your life. But if some friend or some rich man becomes kind upon you and delivers you, "Take it," you can get it immediately, without any hard labor. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme rich man, supreme rich being, is offering you, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... (BG 18.66). "You haven't got to do anything. Come on. You surrender unto Me, and I give you immediately liberation." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. There is no anxiety.
We accept guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. The principle is guru is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and if we work under guru and if we can satisfy, then Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That is very easy to understand. Suppose in office you are working under some officer. You have no acquaintance with the proprietor, but your pay, your promotion will be considered by the proprietor on the recommendation of this officer. When the officer will say, "Yes, this man has worked very nicely," then your increment of pay and your promotion immediately will be accepted by the proprietor. Therefore śāstra says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you can satisfy your spiritual master, then you must know that you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Because he is representative of Kṛṣṇa, you are working under him, so if he says, "It is all right," Kṛṣṇa says, "It is all right," although you have never seen Kṛṣṇa. And yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. And if the spiritual master says, "Oh, you are doing nothing" then your, all spoiled, all labor is spoiled. Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. You have no other shelter.
So actually, they are working so hard simply for sense gratification. Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Śāstra, Ṛṣabhadeva says that this body... This is also material body, but there is distinction between this body and the dog's body or the hog's body. The hog is, with this material body, he is working day and night, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" That is his business. As soon as he gets some stool, he eats and he is satisfied: "Now my labor is satisfied." Similarly, those who are working very hard day and night simply for sense gratification, they are no better than these hogs and dogs. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān. He does not know "Why I have got this first class body, human body, civilized body? What is my business?" Not for eating meat, and gambling, and intoxication. It is for self-realization, to understand what I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God, and what is the aim of my life. It is meant for that. But they donot know, and because they do not know, asses, mūḍhas Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ they will not accept the existence of God, although God is inside and outside.
So this is difficulty, that we are not very much interested in hearing. And that is the main business. Our bhakti begins: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). We have to hear and we have to speak. But if we are not interested in hearing and speak, then it will be the same ṭhākura-bari(?), simply formula. That's all. And gradually it will be stopped. Unless there is life of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, these big, big buildings, temples, will become burden. So if we are, if we want to create burden for future, then we may give up this hearing and chanting and sleep very nicely. It will be burden. Galagraha. Not śrī-vigraha, but galagraha. Galagraha. Śrī-vigraha means worshipable Deity. So if we give up this śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, then it will be thought that "Our Guru Mahārāja has given a burden in the neck, galagraha." This is the danger. So we must be very much alert in śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Otherwise all this labor will be futile. This building will be only the nest, nest for the doves and the pigeons. That is the danger. That is being done. Nobody is interested. Such, such things...
In the Upaniṣads it is said that two birds... The one bird is Paramātmā. Kṛṣṇa has become Paramātmā. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that kṣetra-kṣetrajña. There are two things. One is this kṣetra, this body. Kṣetra, just the field. Just like we are tilling the field. And the tiller, the kṛṣāṇa. Similarly, we are, we have got this field, and we are growing our own, harvesting our own grains. Just like you are doing. So according to our labor, according to our attempt, we are getting food grains. Similarly, we have got this body, and I am, the spirit soul is the tiller. So according to my karma, I am getting the result. So similarly... Not only I am there, but Kṛṣṇa is also there. He's seeing what you are doing, what you are doing, what you want more. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Why? "Just to give him the facilities. This rascal living being has come to the material world to till the field to get some result. All right. Let him do that." Just like children play on the beach, do all nonsense, and the father sees, "All right, you have finished your business? Come on." So Kṛṣṇa is like that. He is simply seeing. We are acting so nonsensically, and Kṛṣṇa is giving us... The same way, a dog passing stool and urine, the master is attending. Or the father is seeing. The children are playing on the beach. They're making big, big house on the sand, and it has nothing, no value, but Kṛṣ..., the father is giving the opportunity, "All right, do it."
So if you simply think only one verse, as it is explained here, and the paṅkaja, lotus, in reference with Kṛṣṇa's body, you can meditate the whole life how Kṛṣṇa is beautiful, how Kṛṣṇa is wise, how Kṛṣṇa's creation, how... This is meditation. Thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yoginaḥ means... Yogi means he's always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Mat-paraḥ. That is yogi. These rascals are not yogi, thinking something impersonal and being harassed. Kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). They are simply, they are simply laboring, adhikataraḥ, more and more. They cannot get anything substantial. Therefore after meditation: "Come on, give me cigarette. Come on. My throat is now dried up. Give me cigarette." That is not meditation. Meditation means, this is: namaḥ paṅkaja-netrāya.
But because we are fools, that these things are material... It will not stay. On account of ignorance, we are thinking that "This will be very nice. This will be very nice. This will be very nice. This will be..." Kāma-karmabhiḥ, creating some kāma, desire, and working in that way. Therefore kliśyanti. To become Brahmā, that is not very easy thing. Brahmā is such a big post, very qualified, highly advanced in austerities, penance. He is given... He's also a living entity. Just like in your America, you are also a citizen, and President Nixon or Ford, he's also citizen. But by dint of his ardent labor and diplomacy, this way, tha..., he has captured that post. But he's an ordinary citizen. Just like President Nixon. Now he's dragged down. He's no more president. Ordinary citizen. Similarly, if you like you can also become Brahmā. Kāma-karmabhiḥ.
So in the previous verse it has been explained, bhave 'smin kliśyanti. This is the problem, kliśyanti, simply laboring and... Kliśyanti means suffering, suffering the hard work. Everyone. Kliśyanti. Everyone is working very hard for maintenance, struggle for existence. Tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. Karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. Here, in this material world, you have to work very, very hard. Just even for maintenance, and what to speak of sense gratification? This is the position. Bhave 'smin kliśyanti. Bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ. If you work hard, at least there is some expectation... Just like ordinarily a man, a boy, takes education, works very hard so that he may be very successful in examination. And then he passes. Then he works hard to get a good job. Then, in the job, in the service, he works very hard so that he get, he may get promotion. So the hard working is going on. You cannot stop it. Kliśyanti. But unfortunately they do not know the aim of life, "Why we are working so hard." That is the difficulty. But generally they want—"We are working hard for sense gratification. That's all, enjoy the senses." That is the whole civilization.
This is our position. Kṛṣṇa is bhoktā, and we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. That means we have to work for Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact. If you don't work for Kṛṣṇa, then you'll starve. That is the position. But these rascals, they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Exactly in the same way as these rascals, different parts of the body, limbs, they did not know that "Without satisfying the stomach, we shall die," similarly these rascals, these karmīs, these, those who have come to this material world, they do not know that without conscious, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without satisfying Kṛṣṇa, they'll simply starve. Struggle for existence. Kliśyanti. Simply their labor will be frustrated. That is the philosophy.
So it has got difficulty. It has got difficulty, by nature's way. But still Kṛṣṇa supplies him food. Say after one week he gets the chance of catching one animal. Therefore he doesn't get fresh food daily. He stocks the animal in some bush and takes little, little. So he has become very powerful. People wants, "I want to become like tiger" or "I want to become like lion." But that is not very good position, because you won't get food daily. That's a fact. And you have to search out food with great labor. But if you become a vegetarian, you get daily. Anywhere there are grass, you can eat. The animals are eating. Now, in every city, there are slaughterhouses. Does it mean the slaughterhouse can supply all the meat? Suppose you don't take any other food, grains or vegetables. Can you live simply by eating meat? There is no supply, sufficient supply.
The Māyāvādī philosophers, they spoil the varieties, impersonalists. So what the result is? The result is āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Bhāgavata says. They labor hard. They undergo severe penances. Just like our sannyāsīs, they can sit down here although there are many women. So Māyāvādī sannyāsī will not sit down. Where there are women, they will not sit down. They are very strict. And if some, some of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, if, by chance, they touch one woman someway or other, then he has to undergo some penances. Of course, a sannyāsī should be very cautious about intermingling with woman. For a sannyāsī... Not for a sannyāsī; even for a person who is desiring to go back to home, back to Godhead...
Devotee: "Without deterioration."(?)
Prabhupāda: No, the word is apavarga. Apavarga... Anapavarga. Yes, that's all right. Pavarga and apavarga. So anapavarga means again pavarga. Anapavarga. Pavarga and anapavarga. Pavarga means the path of tribulation, pavarga. Those who are Sanskrit scholars, they know the alphabets: ka, kha, ga, gha, ṅa, ca, cha, ja, jha, ña, ṭa, ṭha, ḍa, ḍha, ṇa, ta, tha, da, dha, na, pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. So this is the fifth line, pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. So pa means pariśrama, labor. This world, you have to work very hard to maintain yourself. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa never advised Arjuna that "You sit down. I am your friend. I shall do everything. You sit down and smoke gāñjā." Kṛṣṇa never said that. Kṛṣṇa was doing everything; still he was to fight. He was inducing, "You must fight." Neither Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are so, my friend, great friend. Better You do it. I sit down. Let me smoke gāñjā." No. Arjuna also did not say. This is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "God, You please do everything for me and let me smoke gāñjā." This is not God consciousness. God consciousness means you must work, work for God. That is God consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So apav..., this word is meant for this purpose, that without working, you cannot live even. You cannot maintain your body. Therefore it is called pariśrama, pa. Pa means pariśrama, to labor hard. You cannot get your subs... Even if you are a lion, a king, a very powerful, still you have to find out your bread. In the jungle, not that... It is said,
- na hi suptasya siṁhasya
- praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ
Suptasya siṁhasya. Supta means sleeping. Sleeping. A lion, if he thinks that "I am the king of the forest, so let me sleep, and in my mouth, all the animals will come." No, sir, it is not possible. You must find out your food, although you are lion. So everyone has to find out—with great difficulty. The lion, although so powerful, he has to find out his food—another animal to eat—with great difficulty. Not so easily. So ap... Pavarga means labor, and pha means foam, the foam. When you work very hard, from your mouth a kind of foam comes out. Pha. Pa, pha, ba. And in spite of so much hard labor, it is ba. Ba means birth, futile, useless. Pa, pha, ba. And bha, bha means fear. Bhaya, bhaya, fear. Although you are working so hard, there is always some fearfulness: "Now things will be done like this, or not like this," fearful. That is the nature. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna, bhaya. This life, this material body means eating, sleeping and fearing. This is one of the symptom. Although I am eating very nicely, I am thinking whether I am overeating so that I may not feel sick. So bhaya is always there. A bird, you'll see eating, and looking this way, that way. Why? If some enemy is not coming. So, this is bha. Pa, pha, ba, bha, and ma. At last maraṇa, mṛtyu, death. This is called pavarga. Pavarga means pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. Pa means hard labor. Pha means so hard that foam comes out of mouth. And ba means he's still frustrated. And bha means fearfulness. And ma means mṛtyu. This is the call, apavarga.
So pavarga, and just the opposite is apavarga. Just the opposite. There is no labor, there is no foam, there is no frustration, there is no fear, and there is no death. That is spiritual world.
There is another story—it may be fact—that a boy was raised by his aunt very liberally. Then, gradually, the boy became, in bad association, a thief. And the aunt was encouraging, "Oh, it is a very good business. You are bringing so many things without any labor." So... Or out of affection he (she) did not chastise the boy when he was stealing. Then he, at the end, became a murderer. So he committed a murder. Then when he was to be hanged, so the government men inquired, "What is your last wish?" "Now, I want to speak with my aunt through the ear." Then he was allowed. And the aunt was generally crying that "My nephew is going to be hanged." She was... So he caught up her ear with the teeth and cut it. So he said, "My dear aunt, if you would have chastised me in the beginning, then today, this position, that you are crying and I am going to be hanged, this would not have happened. But you did not do that. Therefore you are uselessly crying now, and this is your punishment: I cut off your ear with the teeth." A very good instruction.
Yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī. Yāmuna-tīra, on the bank of the Yamunā... Just like we go to the seaside, the beach, similarly, there is bank of Yamunā, very nice river, and there are trees. So these boys, Kṛṣṇa and His friends, with their cows they will go and loiter on the bank of the Yamunā and sport and frivolities, everything, so nicely. So there was no question of education at that time. After the child is grown up, healthy, nice, then he goes to school. Otherwise first of all eat sumptuously milk, butter and yogurt, and play sufficiently in open air with friends, take care of the cows. This is labor. But it is sporting, very nice. So these things were taught by Kṛṣṇa Himself, although He was the son of king. Then when He was also grown-up, His real father took Him charge, Vasudeva. Then He was... As kṣatriya... He belonged to the kṣatriya family. All other education was given, how to fight, how to rule, everything.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement at the present moment. Not only at the present moment. For all the time, past, present and future. But at the present moment, the members of the International Society, they have taken it very seriously to propagate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world, and we are getting very good result. At least to our labor we are getting good result, all over the world. There is no question of discouragement. So go on. This is our... Yad uttama-śloka-cetasām. The heart must be always filled up with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called uttama-śloka-cetasām. So in this way, go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone will be happy.
One should keep in his thought that "My real distress of life are these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi to take birth, to die, to become old and to become diseased. This is my problem." But they do not know this. They are now busy in the petroleum problem. Yes. Yes. They have created this petroleum problem, this horseless tin carriage. (laughter) Yes. They are thinking, "Better than horse. Now I have got this tin carriage." As soon as it is old it has no value. You throw into the street, especially in your country. Nobody takes care of it. And..., but one must have this carriage. And it must run on petrol, and take labor, so hard labor, goes wihin the desert, drill it, and then take out the oil, then bring it in tanks. And it is called ugra-karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that these rascals, demons, they have created ugra-karma simply for trouble to the whole people.
| Page Title: | Labor (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 15 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=253, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 253 |