Duty of the human being

Expressions researched:
"duty of the human being" |"duty of a human being" |"duties of the human being" |"human being duty" |"duty of human life" |"duties of human life" |"duty in human life" |"duty of the human form of life" |"duty of the present human form" |"duty of the human form of life" |"duty of this human form of life"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

Narādhamas, or the lowest of mankind, willfully neglect the prime duty of the human being

BG 7.15, Purport: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in propagating the bhagavata-dharma, or activities of the devotees, has recommended that people submissively hear the message of the Personality of Godhead. The essence of this message is Bhagavad-gita. The lowest amongst human beings can be delivered by this submissive hearing process only, but unfortunately they even refuse to give an aural reception to these messages, and what to speak of surrendering to the will of the Supreme Lord? Naradhamas, or the lowest of mankind, willfully neglect the prime duty of the human being.

SB Canto 1

As King Ṛṣabha advised His sons, tapasya, or voluntary acceptance of penance for realization of the Transcendence, is the only duty of the human being; it was so done by the Lord Himself in an exemplary manner to teach us

SB 1.3.9, Tanslation and Purport: In the fourth incarnation, the Lord became Nara and Narayana, the twin sons of the wife of King Dharma. Thus He undertook severe and exemplary penances to control the senses. As King Rsabha advised His sons, tapasya, or voluntary acceptance of penance for realization of the Transcendence, is the only duty of the human being; it was so done by the Lord Himself in an exemplary manner to teach us. The Lord is very kind to the forgetful souls. He therefore comes Himself and leaves behind necessary instructions and also sends His good sons as representatives to call all the conditioned souls back to Godhead. Recently, within the memory of everyone, Lord Caitanya also appeared for the same purpose: to show special favor to fallen souls of this age of iron industry. The incarnation of Narayana is worshiped still at Badari-narayana, on the range of the Himalayas.

The Bhāgavatam says, therefore, that the prime duty of the human being is to satisfy the Supreme Lord by the performance of one's occupational duty

SB 1.12.34, Purport: If Maharaja Yudhisthira is a sinner in his daily discharge of duties, in royal administration of state affairs, wherein killing of man and animals is a recognized art, then we can just imagine the amount of sins committed consciously or unconsciously by the untrained population of the Kali-yuga who have no way to perform sacrifice to please the Supreme Lord. The Bhagavatam says, therefore, that the prime duty of the human being is to satisfy the Supreme Lord by the performance of one's occupational duty (SB 1.2.13).

Prescribed duties of the human being, as directed in the Vedas, can gradually purify the sinful mind of the conditioned soul and raise him to the stage of knowledge

SB 1.15.27, Purport: The process of being liberated from the misconception of material identification is called, in different stages, fruitive activity, empiric philosophy and devotional service, up to transcendental realization. Such transcendental realization is made possible by dovetailing all the above items in relation with the Lord. Prescribed duties of the human being, as directed in the Vedas, can gradually purify the sinful mind of the conditioned soul and raise him to the stage of knowledge. The purified stage of acquiring knowledge becomes the basis of devotional service to the Lord. As long as one is engaged in researching the solution of the problems of life, his knowledge is called jnana, or purified knowledge, but on realizing the actual solution of life, one becomes situated in the devotional service of the Lord. The Bhagavad-gita begins with the problems of life by discriminating the soul from the elements of matter and proves by all reason and argument that the soul is indestructible in all circumstances and that the outer covering of matter, the body and the mind, change for another term of material existence which is full of miseries. The Bhagavad-gita is therefore meant for terminating all different types of miseries, and Arjuna took shelter of this great knowledge, which had been imparted to him during the Kuruksetra battle.

SB Canto 2

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is pointing out the duty of the human being after showing the actual position of bewildered human activities

SB 2.1.4, Purport: Our friends, relatives and so-called wives and children are not only fallible, but also bewildered by the outward glamor of material existence. As such, they cannot save us. Still we think that we are safe within the orbit of family, society or country. The whole materialistic advancement of human civilization is like the decoration of a dead body. Everyone is a dead body flapping only for a few days, and yet all the energy of human life is being wasted in the decoration of this dead body. Sukadeva Gosvami is pointing out the duty of the human being after showing the actual position of bewildered human activities. Persons who are devoid of the knowledge of atma-tattva are misguided, but those who are devotees of the Lord and have perfect realization of transcendental knowledge are not bewildered.

A fully responsible man should always be conscious of the prime duty of the present human form of life. The activities to meet the immediate necessities of material life are not everything. One should always be alert in his duty for attainment of the best situation in the next life

SB 2.1.13, Tanslation and Purport: The saintly King Khatvanga, after being informed that the duration of his life would be only a moment more, at once freed himself from all material activities and took shelter of the supreme safety, the Personality of Godhead. A fully responsible man should always be conscious of the prime duty of the present human form of life. The activities to meet the immediate necessities of material life are not everything. One should always be alert in his duty for attainment of the best situation in the next life. Human life is meant for preparing ourselves for that prime duty. Maharaja Khatvanga is mentioned herein as a saintly king because even within the responsibility of the state management, he was not at all forgetful of the prime duty of life. Such was the case with other rajarsis (saintly kings), like Maharaja Yudhisthira and Maharaja Pariksit. They were all exemplary personalities on account of their being alert in discharging their prime duty.

And since it has been ascertained that the Lord is the Supersoul of everything, He should therefore be heard and glorified everywhere and always. That is the special duty of the human being

SB 2.2.36, Purport: Without hearing sufficiently and properly, no one can make any progress by any of the methods of practice. And for hearing only, all the Vedic literatures are there, compiled by authorized persons like Vyasadeva, who is the powerful incarnation of Godhead. And since it has been ascertained that the Lord is the Supersoul of everything, He should therefore be heard and glorified everywhere and always. That is the special duty of the human being. When the human being gives up the process of hearing about the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, he becomes victim to hearing rubbish transmitted by man-made machines. Machinery is not bad because through the machine one can take advantage of hearing about the Lord, but because machinery is used for ulterior purposes, it is creating rapid degradation in the standard of human civilization. It is said here that it is incumbent upon the human beings to hear because the scriptures like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam are made for that purpose.

The administrative class is meant for protecting the living beings so that they can serve this purpose; the mercantile class is meant for producing food grains and distributing them to the complete human society so that the whole population is given a chance to live comfortably and discharge the duties of human life

SB 2.5.37, Purport: The intelligent class of men, the brahmanas, are therefore especially responsible for broadcasting this knowledge of our relationship with the Lord and leading the general mass of people to the right path. The administrative class is meant for protecting the living beings so that they can serve this purpose; the mercantile class is meant for producing food grains and distributing them to the complete human society so that the whole population is given a chance to live comfortably and discharge the duties of human life. The mercantile class is also required to give protection to the cows in order to get sufficient milk and milk products, which alone can give the proper health and intelligence to maintain a civilization perfectly meant for knowledge of the ultimate truth. And the laborer class, who are neither intelligent nor powerful, can help by physical services to the other higher classes and thus be benefited by their cooperation. Therefore the universe is a complete unit in relationship with the Lord, and without this relationship with the Lord the whole human society is disturbed and is without any peace and prosperity. This is confirmed in the Vedas: brahmano 'sya mukham asid, bahu rajanyah krtah.

SB Canto 4

Thus day after day the span of one's life is reduced, and forgetting the duty of human life, the foolish man simply remains in the company of his wife and enjoys her in a secluded place

SB 4.27.3, Tanslation and Purport: Queen Puranjani embraced the King, and the King also responded by embracing her shoulders. In this way, in a solitary place, they enjoyed joking words. Thus King Puranjana became very much captivated by his beautiful wife and deviated from his good sense. He forgot that the passing of days and nights meant that his span of life was being reduced without profit. The word pramada in this verse is very significant. A beautiful wife is certainly enlivening to her husband, but at the same time is the cause of degradation. The word pramada means "enlivening" as well as "maddening." Generally a householder does not take the passing of days and nights very seriously. A person in ignorance takes it as the usual course that days come, and after the days, the nights come. This is the law of material nature. But a man in ignorance does not know that when the sun rises early in the morning it begins to take away the balance of his life. Thus day after day the span of one's life is reduced, and forgetting the duty of human life, the foolish man simply remains in the company of his wife and enjoys her in a secluded place. Such a condition is called apakrsta-cetana, or degraded consciousness. Human consciousness should be used for elevation to Krsna consciousness.

SB Canto 5

The duty of human life is to solve all the problems of life, but instead people remain attached to family affairs and duties

SB 5.9.6, Purport: Those too attached to family life, who forget that death comes in the future to take them away, become attached and unable to finish their duty as human beings. The duty of human life is to solve all the problems of life, but instead people remain attached to family affairs and duties. Although they forget death, death will not forget them. Suddenly they will be kicked off the platform of a peaceful family life. One may forget that he has to die, but death never forgets. Death comes always at the right time. The brahmana father of Jada Bharata wanted to teach his son the process of brahmacarya, but he was unsuccessful due to his son's unwillingness to undergo the process of Vedic advancement. Jada Bharata was simply concerned with returning home, back to Godhead, by executing devotional service through sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. He did not care for the Vedic instructions of his father. When one is fully interested in the service of the Lord, he does not need to follow all the regulative principles enunciated in the Vedas. Of course, for an ordinary man, the Vedic principles are imperative. No one can avoid them. But when one has attained the perfection of devotional service, it is not very important to follow the Vedic principles. Lord Krsna advised Arjuna to ascend to the platform of nistraigunya, the transcendental position above the Vedic principles.

SB Canto 6

The duty of a human being is to understand that since he is essentially spirit, he must abide by the spiritual tendency and not be carried away by material tendencies

SB 6.1.53, Tanslation and Purport: Not a single living entity can remain unengaged even for a moment. One must act by his natural tendency according to the three modes of material nature because this natural tendency forcibly makes him work in a particular way. The svabhavika, or one's natural tendency, is the most important factor in action. One's natural tendency is to serve because a living entity is an eternal servant of God. The living entity wants to serve, but because of his forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord, he serves under the modes of material nature and manufactures various modes of service, such as socialism, humanitarianism and altruism. However, one should be enlightened in the tenets of Bhagavad-gita and accept the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that one give up all natural tendencies for material service under different names and take to the service of the Lord. One's original natural tendency is to act in Krsna consciousness because one's real nature is spiritual. The duty of a human being is to understand that since he is essentially spirit, he must abide by the spiritual tendency and not be carried away by material tendencies.

Nārada Muni advises that human beings not waste their time simply jumping like cats and monkeys, without real benefit. The duty of the human being is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead

SB 6.5.12, Purport: Narada Muni had mentioned a kingdom where there is only one king with no competitor. The complete spiritual world, and specifically the cosmic manifestation, has only one proprietor or enjoyer -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond this material manifestation. The Lord has therefore been described as turya, existing on the fourth platform. He has also been described as abhava. The word bhava, which means "takes birth," comes from the word bhu, "to be." As stated in Bhagavad-gita (8.19), bhutva bhutva praliyate: the living entities in the material world must be repeatedly born and destroyed. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is neither bhutva nor praliyate; He is eternal. In other words, He is not obliged to take birth like human beings or animals, which repeatedly take birth and die because of ignorance of the soul. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is not subjected to such changes of body, and one who thinks otherwise is considered a fool (avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]). Narada Muni advises that human beings not waste their time simply jumping like cats and monkeys, without real benefit. The duty of the human being is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Therefore the duty of a human being is to capture the opportunity to come in touch with Kṛṣṇa's representative, the bona fide spiritual master

SB 6.16.6, Purport: In the transmigration of the soul through different bodies, everyone, in every form of life -- be it human, animal, tree or demigod -- gets a father and mother. This is not very difficult. The difficulty is to obtain a bona fide spiritual master and Krsna. Therefore the duty of a human being is to capture the opportunity to come in touch with Krsna's representative, the bona fide spiritual master. Under the guidance of the spiritual master, the spiritual father, one can return home, back to Godhead.

SB Canto 8

The eternal occupational duty of the human being is to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is the sum and substance of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement

SB 8.14.4, Purport: The entire Kali-yuga is full of faults. It is like an unlimited ocean of faults. But the Krsna consciousness movement is very authorized. Therefore, following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who five hundred years ago inaugurated the movement of sankirtana, krsna-kirtana, we are trying to introduce this movement, according to superior orders, all over the world. Now, if the inaugurators of this movement strictly follow the regulative principles and spread this movement for the benefit of all human society, they will certainly usher in a new way of life by reestablishing sanatana-dharma, the eternal occupational duties of humanity. The eternal occupational duty of the human being is to serve Krsna. Jivera 'svarupa' haya-krsnera 'nitya-dasa.' [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. This is the purport of sanatana-dharma. Sanatana means nitya, or "eternal," and krsna-dasa means "servant of Krsna." The eternal occupational duty of the human being is to serve Krsna. This is the sum and substance of the Krsna consciousness movement.

Sri Isopanisad

Sri Isopanisad, text 1, Purport: In the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26) the Lord directly states that He accepts vegetarian food from the hands of a pure devotee. Therefore a human being should not only become a strict vegetarian but should also become a devotee of the Lord, offer the Lord all his food and then partake of such prasādam, or the mercy of God. Only those who act in this way can properly discharge the duties of human life. Those who do not offer their food to the Lord eat nothing but sin and subject themselves to various types of distress, which are the results of sin (Bg. 3.13).

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

That is the duty of human life, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Calcutta, September 23, 1974: Just like Ajāmila. Ajāmila, in his boyhood, he was brāhmaṇa. He was giving service to Viṣṇu. But in young age he became a victim of a prostitute, and he fell down. But at the end, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ [SB 2.1.6], when Yamadūta was coming and were so fearful, he did not know whom to take shelter, but he was attached to his youngest son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa. So he thought, "This Nārāyaṇa would give me protection." So he asked him, "Nārāyaṇa!" But at the same time he remembered that "That Nārāyaṇa, oh, hm, I sometimes gave service." So immediately Nārāyaṇa saved him. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. So it is our duty therefore... That is the duty of human life, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And that is stated here. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ, bahavaḥ [Bg. 4.10]. It is not that one or two. Many. Jñāna-tapasā. Jñāna. That is required, knowledge and tapasya. That is human life. If, if we remain just like cats and dogs, eat, sleep and have sex life, beget children and die someday, this is cats' and dogs' life. This is not human life. Human life is different.

It is the duty of the human being to give protection to the cow

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971: So people are trying to be like tiger. In India, a certain section of people, the Muhammadans, they say that "We want to be like śera." Śera means tiger. And more or less in the Western countries also, everyone is trying to become a tiger, very powerful. But one should be very cool-headed. A tiger is very powerful; a tiger can attack anyone and kill him. That is very good, but what is the use of tiger? Nobody is interested in tiger. Rather, if the tiger comes within the city, immediately it will be shot down. Because it has no use. But a humble, meek cow... Of course, here there is no protection of cow, but in India the cow is protected. It is the duty of the human being to give protection to the cow.

We should be very serious about this problem, how to get our eternal life, blissful, and full of knowledge, that is the duty of human life

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966: So Kṛṣṇa says that in the Brahmaloka, in the highest planet of this universe, even you enter there... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: [Bg. 8.16] "My dear Arjuna, if you enter even to the highest planet, still, you'll have to accept that repetition of birth and death. You cannot get rid of it." Mām upetya. Again He says... As in the former verse, He says mām upetya: "If you reach to My planet, then you haven't got to come back again this, in this miserable material world," again He says, repeatedly, that "If you enter into the highest planet of this universe, still, your, that repetition of birth and death will continue. But mām upetya, if you come to My planet," mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate. Oh, that same very thing is again confirmed here, punar janma na vidyate: "Oh, there is no more rebirth, no more. You get your eternal life." We should be very serious about this problem, how to get our eternal life, blissful, and full of knowledge. That is the duty of human life. We have forgotten this, what is our aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know that their interest, self-interest is how to get that eternal, blissful life in the spiritual planets. That is his interest.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

It is the duty of the human being to accept prasādam

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 — Los Angeles -- April 27, 1973:So, avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ. Kāma. Kāma means desire. Just like so many scientists they are researching for new food, just like our scientist friend was talking this morning. Then what is new food? Food is already there, allotted by Kṛṣṇa, that "You are this animal, your food is this. You are this animal, your food is this." So, so far human being is concerned, their food is also designated, that you take prasādam. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. It is the duty of the human being to accept prasādam. Prasādam means foodstuffs which is offered to Kṛṣṇa first. This is civilization. If you say, "Why should I offer?" that is uncivilized. It is gratefulness. If you offer to Kṛṣṇa, then you are conscious that these foodstuffs, these grains, these fruits, these flowers, this milk, it is given by Kṛṣṇa. I cannot produce it. In my factory I cannot produce all these things. Anything one uses, nobody can produce, it is given by Kṛṣṇa.

It is the duty of a human being, even from childhood

Lecture on SB 1.16.7 — Los Angeles -- January 4, 1974:Men born in high-class family, but behavior is different, they are called dvija-bandhu. So they cannot understand the Vedic lessons directly. It is not possible. They have no such intelligence. Strī, śūdra and dvija-bandhu. So Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu [SB 1.1.1]. They cannot understand. Therefore through Mahābhārata they are instructed. History. History they can hear. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "It is the duty of a human being, even from childhood, kaumāra..." Kaumāra means from the age of fifth year up to tenth year. This is called kaumāra. So people should be educated about this, that the problem is how to stop janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]. This education. This is called Bhāgavata instruction.

So therefore it is the duty of the human being how to get out of the control of the material nature

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974: The living entity, the soul, is associating with certain quality of the material nature, and therefore he is getting different types of body. We are all living entities, even the trees and plants and cats and dogs. But why there are so many different species of life, 8,400,000 species of life? Why? The reason is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. The guṇa-saṅgaḥ. As we are infecting the quality of this material nature, we are getting. This is completely in the hands of the material nature. So therefore it is the duty of the human being how to get out of the control of the material nature. That is the greatest science. But they do not know it. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

It is the duty of the human being to understand the laws of the nature, the injunction in the śāstras and live very honestly according to their direction

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Nellore, January 5, 1976: So just like in our ordinary life if we commit some sinful activity and if we plead in the court, "My dear judge, I did not know the law," so this kind of pleading will not help him. Ignorance is no excuse. Therefore human life is distinct from animal life. If we live in human life without caring for the supreme laws, then we are destined to suffer.

Therefore in the human society there is a system of religion and scripture. It is the duty of the human being to understand the laws of the nature, the injunction in the śāstras and live very honestly according to their direction. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says,

yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya

vartate kāma-kārataḥ

na siddhiṁ sa avapnoti

na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim

[Bg. 16.23]

"Anyone who does not follow the instruction of the śāstras and live whimsically as very free to act, such person never gets perfection of life, no happiness, and what to speak of going back to home, back to Godhead."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975: Tad viddhi. If you want to understand things which is beyond this material world... Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain within this darkness of material existence. Try to transcend, to go to the spiritual world, jyoti, where it is light." Here it is always darkness, and there there is always light. So everyone should be interested, especially in this human form of life, not to remain here like animals, cats and dogs, but to become brahma-bhūtaḥ. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. One must know. This is the duty of human life.

It is our duty to regain our lost consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the duty of this human form of life

Lecture on CC CC Madhya-lila 20.118-119 -- New York, November 23, 1966: So even if I, I am within this material energy, when I am forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, this material energy is fearful for me, and when I am in Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, there is no question of fearfulness from material nature." Therefore tan-māyayā ābhajet tam. Ābhajet tam. And therefore it is our duty to regain our lost consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the duty of this human form of life. Ābhajet tam bhaktyaika īśam. Simply by devotional... If you want to worship the Supreme Lord, then you have to worship Him simply by service. There is no other process. You cannot worship Kṛṣṇa by this controlling breathing or by mental speculation or by some pious activities or by charities. You have simply to worship Him simply by your devotional love.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Here it is said that such a devotee can properly discharge his duty of human life

Lectures on Sri Isopanisad, text 1, Los Angeles, May 4, 1970: So this is a very risky civilization. I may feel very comfortable that "I am a spiritual master," or you may think very comfortable, "I am born of a very rich nation, American," but this status of my life is temporary. I will have to change. I'll have to change. So if I do not change for the better, then my life is very risky. Suppose a healthy man, if he is in the society of contamination, is it not his life is very risky? He may be contaminated and infected by disease any moment. So this ignorance should be dissipated. Here it is said that such a devotee can properly discharge his duty of human life. Those who do not do so are eating only sins. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpaṁ ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt [Bg. 3.13]. Anyone who is cooking for himself... The difference of cooking here in this temple and in ordinary house is that in ordinary house they're cooking sins. The cooking, it appears that the same, "These people are also cooking," but this cooking and that cooking is different. Here there is no sin, because it is being cooked for Kṛṣṇa. Yajñārthe. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra. Beyond this field of activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everything with the laws of nature.

Initiation Lectures

And what is the duty of human life?

Initiations, Toronto, June 17, 1976: Everyone has got body. The Brahmā has got body and the small insect, it has got also body. The spirit soul is encaged in this material body. So lower than human being up to the animals, there are so many forms of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. In this way, varieties of life. But Ṛṣabhadeva said, "Now you have got this human form of life, don't spoil it like the hogs and dogs simply by sense gratification." Sense gratification is available by the hogs and dogs also. That was the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva. And what is the duty of human life? Tapo, tapasya. Tapasya. Voluntarily accepting some inconvenience. That is called tapasya. Generally, we want loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityasta jantu. Jantu, when one is not on the platform of spiritual understanding, they are called jantu. Jantu means anyone who has got life. The cats and dogs, they have also got life.

General Lectures

This human form of life is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth

Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:: The Vedānta-sūtra means to inquire about the Absolute Truth. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is the duty of the human form of life. It is a very big subject matter. So this human birth, form of life, we have got after so many evolutions: aquatics, then trees, then plants, then insects, then birds, then beasts. Then we come to the platform of this human being, especially civilized human being. And especially born in India. For this reason, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that Indian people have got a special mission. He said, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]. Anyone who is fortunate enough to get his birth in Bhārata-varṣa, janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī was explaining that duty of the human being... duty of the human being is explained that first beginning is dharma

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 28, 1973:: The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when Śukadeva Gosvāmī was explaining that duty of the human being... Duty of the human being is explained that first beginning is dharma. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Unless we come to the platform of understanding what is dharma, or religion... "Religion" is not the exact translation of the word dharma. Religion is understood in English dictionary as a kind of faith. But dharma does not mean that. Dharma means your characteristic which you cannot change. Just like water... Water is liquid. That is the characteristic of water. It cannot be changed. Stone-hardness is the characteristic of the stone. It cannot be changed. If you say that water has now changed its characteristic, it has become now hard, stonelike, that is not actually the fact. Although water sometimes becomes hard like stone by the influence of atmosphere, it immediately begins to melt. That means it is going to its own characteristic, liquidity. So when we speak of dharma, according to Vedic understanding, dharma means your characteristic which you cannot change. Therefore, in other words, sometimes dharma is explained as sanātana-dharma, sanātana-dharma. Sanātana means eternal. You cannot change it.

The duty of human life is to understand God, Kṛṣṇa

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:: The duty of human life is to understand God, Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Athaḥ, "therefore." Because we have got this human form of body, so this is the time for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. In the other life, animal life, beast life, tree life, plant life... There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and through evolutionary process we have passed through 8,000,000 forms of life or a few thousand more forms of life, because human beings, they are of 400,000 forms of life.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

These seasonal changes may come and go in life; sometimes they may please us, and sometimes they may pinch us, but our duty in human life is to understand God

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban: Prabhupāda: Just because the summer is hot, should I give up cooking? Work must be done. Similarly, just because water is cold in the winter, should I give up my bath? No. These things may come and go, but we have to do our duty. Our duty is Kṛṣṇa consciousness; that is our philosophy, and that is an actual fact. These seasonal changes may come and go in life; sometimes they may please us, and sometimes they may pinch us, but our duty in human life is to understand God. We shouldn't care for all these catastrophes that come and go. We should have no concern, for their nature is like that—sometimes pleasing and sometimes not pleasing. Despite all this, we have to do our duty, understand God.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

As soon as you forget the duty of human life, then you are nothing but animal

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Guest (1): Because God wants to bring them as human...

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is a chance. Suppose if somebody's given chance to take opportunity and if you kill, that's a great sin. You cannot do that. You are obstructing his natural progress. Is that birth control (Hindi) European countries mai (?), he hasn't got soul, lump of matter, (Hindi) [break] As soon as you forget the duty of human life, then you are nothing but animal. This is the verdict of Hindu dharma, that if you do not properly behave as human being, you are no better than animal. Dharmeṇa hīna, (Hindi) ...will give him an animal body. This is nature's work. Yes, again come, again come (Hindi) But he does not do that.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Therefore it is the duty of the human being, how to control the mind, not act like cats and dogs

Morning Walk -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: By taking lesson from professors who has mind clear. Why the students are coming to you? Because his mind is not clear. You have to clear his mind by teaching him psychology, feeling, thinking, feeling, willing. Therefore he has to come to a learned man who knows how to understand mind, how to understand the activities of the mind, how to deal with them. That requires education. A dog cannot take this education, but a human being can take. Therefore it is the duty of the human being, how to control the mind, not act like cats and dogs. That is human being. He should be inquisitive, "Why this happening? Why this happening?" and he should take education. That is human life. And if he does not inquire, if he does not take education, then what is the difference between him and the dog? He remains a dog.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Daughters — CAMP: c/o B. Pankaj; P.O. Box no. 81265; Mombasa, Kenya; East Africa 19th September, 1971: Even there are some inconveniences, please try and tolerate. If in this one life I try and become a little tolerant, humble and meek and chant Mahamantra regularly, keeping clean externally and internally, there will be tremendous spiritual benefit and all the problems of life will be solved. Our material life is a contaminated life. Therefore the above mentioned procedures must be adopted to purify our existence. That is the main duty of this human form of life.