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A small child, you let him be free, he will catch up sometimes this, catch up sometimes that, catch up sometimes that. He does not know what is his real interest

Expressions researched:
"A small child, you let him be free, he will catch up sometimes this, catch up sometimes that, catch up sometimes that. He does not know what is his real interest"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

A small child, you let him be free, he will catch up sometimes this, catch up sometimes that, catch up sometimes that. He does not know what is his real interest. But because he is child, he is catching this, catching that, catching that. Sometimes he catches fire and burns his hand. Sometimes he falls down in the water. Sometimes catches snake. These are all dangerous things, but he does not know.

Prabhupāda: This is required. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then you will have to completely become detached to any material things. Even if you have got little attachment for material things, then you will not be allowed. Prakṛti will say: "You just satisfy yourself. You want this. Do it."

So this is renouncement. If you . . . God has given us freedom, little freedom. Just like a child is given freedom. Naturally, out of affection, mother, father gives freedom. But not complete freedom. Because child's freedom is nonsense. It must be protected. Therefore all the living entities who have come to this material world for enjoying, it is also exactly like the child. A small child, you let him be free, he will catch up sometimes this, catch up sometimes that, catch up sometimes that. He does not know what is his real interest. But because he is child, he is catching this, catching that, catching that. Sometimes he catches fire and burns his hand. Sometimes he falls down in the water. Sometimes catches snake. These are all dangerous things, but he does not know.

So similarly, we are in the modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature, sattva-raja-tamaḥ. Those who are in darkness, tamaḥ, completely in darkness, do not know anything, exactly like the child does not know what is his actual interest. Know to . . . not. Generally, everyone who is in this material world, he does not know what is actually, what thing he should capture. He does not know. That is the difficulty. Mūḍha. They are therefore mūḍha. Real interest is to capture Kṛṣṇa. That is real interest. But he does not know.

The capturing power and capacity is there. Even a child . . . in the beginning, the children, there are so many other things. But the child will capture that biscuit, because he knows it is eatable something. But he does not know whether it is poison I am giving. He does not know that. That discrimination he hasn't got. But because it appears something to be eatable . . . the example, as I was giving in walking, that the fish, he has got enough food within the ocean. God has provided. But still, he will capture that tackle, fish-catching tackle, a little something. For taste, he will capture it, and that means lost life. Similarly, the bees, they enter the flower, big flower like lotus flower, enjoying the smell, but in the evening, with the set of sunset, the petals close and they remain and suffocated, loses their life.

For . . . we have got different senses. So this bee is losing his life on account of this nostril, very powerful, wants to smell. Similarly, the fish is losing its life on account of this tongue. Similarly, the elephant. Elephant loses—such a big, powerful animal—but he loses his independence for sex life. You know how the elephant is captured? A female elephant is induced to attract the male elephant, and for sex, the male follows the female elephant, and the female elephant is trained up, (s)he puts him in a ditch. He falls down. Then he cannot move. You see. That means in spite of his becoming such a giant animal, powerful animal, simply for sex life he becomes captivated. You see?

So someone is becoming victim for this sense; somebody is becoming victim for that sense. This is the world, whoever wants to study. Similarly, the deer, when the hunter wants to kill them, he plays very nice flute, and . . . they are very fond of hearing musical sound. They stand, and the hunter kills. So one is losing for ear, one is losing for smelling, another for sight-seeing, sight-seeing. We have seen the insects. When there is fire, thousands of insects will fall and die. What is that? Sight-seeing. "Oh, very beautiful fire." Fall down.

So we have got all these senses, and each of us, each, every one of us living entities, they are being victim of these material laws, being captivated by one sense or another. But a animal or insect, they have got one sense very powerful, but we, the human being, we have got all senses very powerful. So in the Bhāgavata it has been explained, just like a man has got six wives, and when he comes from office, his six wives are waiting.

One wife has captured his one hand, another wife has captured another hand. One wife has captured one leg, another one leg. In this way, some . . . hair . . . so in this way he is incapable. Everyone is asking, "You come to my room." But how he can go? He is captured. So this is the position. A materialistic person is captivated by so many objects of sense gratification. That is his prison house. The state laws, if you are criminal, they put you into the jail. But nature's law is such that you don't require. Your senses will keep you intact in jail. You don't require to be handcuffed. The senses are so strong that it will keep you in this material world, incapable. You cannot move.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Guṇamayī. Guṇa means qualities. Everyone is compact, bound up by different qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And guṇamayī means . . . guṇa means rope also. In this way he was bound up by the ropes. Just like if I tie your hands and legs with rope, you are helpless; similarly, the guṇamayī, the mother nature, has tied up, and we are bound up by the laws, stringent laws of material nature. So daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. You cannot get out of it. It is not possible. How to get out of it? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). If one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he can get out of it. That is the only way.

Page Title:A small child, you let him be free, he will catch up sometimes this, catch up sometimes that, catch up sometimes that. He does not know what is his real interest
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-12-21, 10:06:44
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1