This book, Kṛṣṇa, which is filled with kṛṣṇa-kathā, will thus appeal equally to the liberated souls and to persons who are trying to be liberated, as well as to the gross, conditioned materialist. According to the statement of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who heard about Kṛṣṇa from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, kṛṣṇa-kathā is equally applicable to every human being, whatever condition of life he is in. Surely everyone will appreciate it to the highest magnitude. But Mahārāja Parīkṣit also warned that persons who are simply engaged in killing animals and in killing themselves may not be very much attracted to kṛṣṇa-kathā. In other words, ordinary persons who are following the regulative moral principles of scriptures, no matter in what condition they are found, will certainly be attracted, but not persons who are killing themselves. The exact word used in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is paśu-ghna, which means killing animals or killing oneself. Persons who are not self-realized and who are not interested in spiritual realization are killing themselves; they are committing suicide. Because this human form of life is especially meant for self-realization, by neglecting this important part of his activities one simply wastes his time like the animals. So he is paśu-ghna. The other meaning of the word refers to those who are actually killing animals. This means persons who are animal-eaters (even dog-eaters), for they are all engaged in killing animals in so many ways, such as hunting and opening slaughterhouses. Such persons cannot be interested in kṛṣṇa-kathā.
Pasu-ghna - killer of animals, killer of the soul
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
The instructions of Bhagavad-gītā and the descriptions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are so pleasing that almost anyone suffering from the threefold miseries of material existence will desire to hear the glories of the Lord from these books and thus benefit on the path of liberation. Two classes of men, however, will never be interested in hearing the message of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—those who are determined to commit suicide and those determined to kill cows and other animals for the satisfaction of their own tongues. Although such persons may make a show of hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam at a Bhāgavata-saptāha, this is but another creation of the karmīs, who cannot derive any benefit from such a performance. The word paśu-ghnāt is important in this connection. paśu-ghna means "butcher." Persons fond of performing ritualistic ceremonies for elevation to the higher planetary systems must offer sacrifices (yajñas) by killing animals. Lord Buddhadeva therefore rejected the authority of the Vedas because his mission was to stop animal sacrifices, which are recommended in Vedic ritualistic ceremonies.
- nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ
- sa-daya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātaṁ
- keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare
- (Gīta-govinda)
Even though animal sacrifices are sanctioned in Vedic ceremonies, men who kill animals for such ceremonies are considered butchers. Butchers cannot be interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for they are already materially allured. Their only interest lies in developing comforts for the temporary body.
- bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ
- tayāpahṛta-cetasām
- vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ
- samādhau na vidhīyate
"In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place." (BG 2.44) Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says:
- manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā,
- jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu
Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious and who therefore does not engage in the service of the Lord is also paśu-ghna, for he is willingly drinking poison. Such a person cannot be interested in kṛṣṇa-kathā because he still has a desire for material sense gratification; he is not nivṛtta-tṛṣṇa. As it is said, traivargikās te puruṣā vimukhā hari-medhasaḥ. Those interested in trivarga—that is, in dharma, artha and kāma—are religious for the sake of achieving a material position with which to gain better facilities for sense gratification. Such persons are killing themselves by willingly keeping themselves in the cycle of birth and death. They cannot be interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Vinā paśu-ghnāt. The word paśu means "animal." An animal killer, paśu-ghna, cannot enter into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, therefore, animal killing is completely prohibited.
To distinguish persons who are bereft of these transcendental pleasures, Parīkṣit Mahārāja has used the words virajyeta pumān. The word pumān refers to any person, whether man, woman or in-between. Because of the bodily conception of life, we are subject to lamentation, but one who has no such bodily conceptions can take pleasure in transcendental hearing and chanting. Therefore a person fully absorbed in the bodily concept of life is surely killing himself by not making spiritual progress. Such a person is called paśu-ghna. Especially excluded from spiritual life are the animal hunters, who are not interested in hearing and chanting the holy name of the Lord. Such hunters are always unhappy, both in this life and in the next. It is therefore said that a hunter should neither die nor live because for such persons both living and dying are troublesome. Animal hunters are completely different from ordinary karmīs, and thus they have been excluded from the process of hearing and chanting. Vinā paśu-ghnāt. They cannot enter into the transcendental pleasure of chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Anyone who attains a human body but does not take to the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is baffled in his opportunity. Amṛtadhunī is a flowing river of the nectar of devotional service. If after getting a human body one drinks the water in a poison pit of material happiness instead of the water of such a river, it would be better for him not to have lived, but to have died long ago.
In this connection Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has composed the following verses in his Caitanya-candrāmṛta (37, 36, 34):
- acaitanyam idaṁ viśvaṁ yadi caitanyam īśvaram
- na viduḥ sarva-śāstra-jñā hy api bhrāmyanti te janāḥ
"This material world is without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa consciousness personified. Therefore if a very learned scholar or scientist does not understand Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, certainly he is wandering uselessly in this world."
- prasārita-mahā-prema-pīyūṣa-rasa-sāgare
- caitanya-candre prakaṭe yo dīno dīna eva saḥ
“A person who does not take advantage of the nectar of devotional service overflowing during the presence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult is certainly the poorest of the poor.”
- avatīrṇe gaura-candre vistīrṇe prema-sāgare
- suprakāśita-ratnaughe yo dīno dīna eva saḥ
"The advent of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is just like an expanding ocean of nectar. One who does not collect the valuable jewels within this ocean is certainly the poorest of the poor."
Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.3.19, 20, 23) states:
- śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ
- na yat-karṇa-pathopeto jātu nāma gadāgrajaḥ
- bile batorukrama-vikramān ye
- na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya
- jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta
- na copagāyaty urugāya-gāthāḥ
- jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ
- na jātu martyo ’bhilabheta yas tu
- śrī-viṣṇu-padyā manujas tulasyāḥ
- śvasañ chavo yas tu na veda gandham
"A person who has no connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be a very great personality in so-called human society, but actually he is no better than a great animal. Such big animals are generally praised by other animals like dogs, hogs camels and asses. A person who does not lend his aural reception to hearing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be considered to have earholes like holes in a field. Although that person has a tongue, it is like the tongue of a frog, which unnecessarily creates a disturbance by croaking, inviting the snake of death. Similarly, a person who neither takes advantage of the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees nor smells the tulasī leaves offered to the lotus feet of the Lord must be considered dead even though he is supposedly working."
Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.1.4 states:
- nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād
- bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-’bhirāmāt
- ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt
- pumān virajyeta vinā paśu-ghnāt
"Who but the animal-killer or the killer of the soul will not care to hear glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Such glorification is enjoyed by persons liberated from the contamination of this material world."
Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.23.56 says, na tīrtha-pada-sevāyai jīvann api mṛto hi saḥ: "Although a person is apparently living, if he does not serve the lotus feet of great devotees he is to be considered a dead body."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So those who are in the lowest stage of knowledge they are in the bodily concept of life—the indriya, the senses. Just like cats and dogs, they cannot think more than that. So, but Kṛṣṇa advises, "No, don't stop here." Indriyāṇi parāny āhur (BG 3.42). Bodily concept of life, sense pleasure, they think it is all. There is no more other. Those who are little above the bodily concept of life, they find pleasure in the mind. And farther, they find pleasure in intellectually. And in this way the thing is very complicated. It requires very cool brain to understand all these things. But those who are meat-eaters, they are very troubled. They cannot understand. For them the subject matter is very, very difficult. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
- nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād
- bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt
- ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt
- pumān virajyeta vinā paśu-ghnāt
- (SB 10.1.4)
Paśu-ghna. Paśu means life, or living entity. Paśu-ghna, ghna means killer. So unless one who is killing himself or killing this animal... Both are killing. The killing of the animal in the slaughterhouse, that is gross killing. And another killing is one who is killing himself without knowledge. That is also killing. He got this human form of life, but without sufficient knowledge he's killing himself. Mām aprāpya. He cannot understand God. That is killing himself. This human form of life was given to him by nature's way, that "Now you understand God." But he's wasting time by surfing in the water. You see? He got the chance of understanding God—he doesn't care for that. He's unnecessarily laboring whole day in the sea, so that he's developing the mentality at the time of, you think of swimming in the water, and the subtle body will carry him to the fish journey.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: (break) ...kill. Simply kill. Paśu-ghna. As soon as you become animal killer, Kṛṣṇa consciousness finished. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, vinā paśu-ghnāt. Except the persons who are killers of animals, everyone will be interested.
- nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād
- bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt
- ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt
- pumān virajyeta vinā paśu-ghnāt
- (SB 10.1.4)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One good thing is that there is generally a growing movement amongst American people, and I don't know about other countries, for vegetarianism. People are becoming more and more.... I think it is due to our books, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Book distribution, we are educating the people in that way.
Prabhupāda: Actually, we are educating; that's a fact.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Many vegetarian societies now.
Prabhupāda: So, we have to teach people how to refrain from sinful activities. Then, when he's pure, then God will reveal. If we keep them in sinful life, at the same time we want to preach them, it will not be possible. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that those who are animal killer, they cannot understand about God. Vinā paśu-ghnāt. So if in the human society unnecessary animal killing is encouraged, he will never be able to understand what is God. The greatest sinful activity, paśu-ghnāt. So in human society, unnecessarily animal killing is going on. So they are entangled in sinful activities; therefore they are unable to understand what is God.
Kern: Are you speaking specifically about all animal killing, Your Excellency? Or, how do you speak of animal killing? In other words, vegetarian living, is that what you're speaking of?
Prabhupāda: No, animal means the four-legged animals. Vegetables are not called animals, even in dictionary.
Kern: Does the group live a vegetarian life, without any meat? Is that what you're saying?
Scheverman: I see. That's a basic principle of your way of life, is not eating any meat, any flesh.
Prabhupāda: The verse..., I think there is no Bhāgavata here. The Second Canto, I think, it is said,
- nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād
- bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt
- ka uttamaśloka guṇānuvādāt
- pumān virajyeta vinā paśu-ghnāt
- (SB 10.1.4)
The glorification of the Lord is done by the liberated persons. It is so nice, glorification of the Lord. So who can refrain from the glorification of the Lord unless he is animal killer? It is said there.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Rāmeśvara: We have a plan to increase the number of paintings, starting with the Tenth Canto, because many more artists have been coming, and some of them are becoming qualified to paint for the books. The standard right now is there's a picture of Your Divine Grace and seven paintings. So we want to increase it to a picture of Your Divine Grace and eleven paintings.
Prabhupāda: You can... If you want to increase picture, you can take important words... Just like the verse nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt: "One who has no more material hankering..." Paint it in picture. Nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ, no more hankering for anything material. And there is word, dharma-śīla, "religious." What is that religion? One who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is religious. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). He is religious. Ordinary religious, they are not religious. In this way you depict one picture, one word. This can be...
Brahmānanda: Is that the first chapter?
Prabhupāda: Paśu-ghna. Paśu-ghna, the animal-killer.
Rāmeśvara: If we increase the number of pictures, the cost of the book to us will be an additional, between five cents and ten cents, but in exchange for that cost increase, more paintings.
Prabhupāda: That is your consideration. But if you are going to add nice pictures, these words can be explained.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Our conclusion was that those three men who died were killed, that they never knew that there was a hoax while they were in training. Then, at the time when the spacecraft was going to take off they were told, "Now you're not going anywhere. This is only a hoax, so you have to act like this," and probably they did not want to. They refused. Therefore they were killed. We were discussing this yesterday, Gargamuni, Śrīdhara Mahārāja, Bali-mardana and myself. That was our conclusion, that those men must have been killed by the government.
Prabhupāda: Otherwise they'll disclose.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And thereafter no one else died. After that, others did not die, probably because they were told that "Don't you do the same thing or you'll meet with the same fate. Unless you toe the line and... Then you will also be dealt with very severely." Because they're such big cheaters, they will not stop at anything. Killing to them is nothing.
Prabhupāda: Killing affair should not be regarded, criminal affair.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.
Prabhupāda: They can kill even the president. Because they are meat-eaters, there is no mercy. What is mercy, they do not know. Vinā paśu-ghnāt. Paśu-ghna. Mercilessly they kill animals, and they become accustomed to merciless...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: That is Muhammadans' theory. They can do merciless thing.
| Page Title: | Pasu-ghna - killer of animals, killer of the soul |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 28 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=3, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=15, Con=15, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 35 |