Lethargy

Expressions researched:
" lethargic" |" lethargy" |"lethargetic"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

When one acts in such Kṛṣṇa consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything. This consciousness is called nirmama, or "nothing is mine." And if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order, which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this way one may become vigata-jvara, or without feverish mentality or lethargy.

BG 3.30, Translation and Purport:

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.

This verse clearly indicates the purpose of the Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline. Such an injunction may make things a little difficult; nevertheless duties must be carried out, with dependence on Kṛṣṇa, because that is the constitutional position of the living entity. The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord, because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. Arjuna was therefore ordered by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge prescribed duties without claiming proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The Supreme Lord is the soul of all souls; therefore, one who depends solely and wholly on the Supreme Soul without personal consideration, or in other words, one who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, is called adhyātma-cetas. Nirāśīḥ means that one has to act on the order of the master but should not expect fruitive results. The cashier may count millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim a cent for himself. Similarly, one has to realize that nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. That is the real purport of mayi, or "unto Me." And when one acts in such Kṛṣṇa consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything. This consciousness is called nirmama, or "nothing is mine." And if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order, which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this way one may become vigata-jvara, or without feverish mentality or lethargy. Everyone, according to his quality and position, has a particular type of work to discharge, and all such duties may be discharged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as described above. That will lead one to the path of liberation.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.8:

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight. Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

Identifying the self with the material body and mind, or thinking that the soul is material, or thinking that everything in relation to the body belongs to oneself—such illusions keep a person ignorant and bereft of self-realization. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa advises us to be situated in knowledge of the self. When we become spiritually aware, we can understand that the "I," the self, is not the body or mind; we can realize that we are products of the superior, spiritual energy of the Supreme Lord and hence fully spiritual and eternal. With realization of these transcendental truths comes knowledge of the actual nature of the material energy in its pure form. And when these spiritual realizations gradually mature, one achieves a natural distance from the dualities of material nature. At this stage of spiritual development, the false ego is destroyed, all false identification and titles are removed, and we are liberated from the shackles of the illusory, material energy on the strength of our spiritual association with the Transcendence. No longer does māyā entangle us in material activities.

People today are afflicted by a short life-span, ill luck, warped intelligence, lethargy, disease, and many other sufferings.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

During the Satya-yuga the mode of goodness is in abundance. Or one can say that when the quality of goodness increases in a person to the extent that he becomes situated in his original constitutional identity as a servant of the Lord, thus making his human life a complete success, at that time he enjoys the bliss and tranquillity of the Satya-yuga. The three modes—goodness, passion, and ignorance—are always present in this material nature. According to the predominance of a particular mode, the yugas change from Satya to Tretā to Dvāpara to Kali. The jīvas in Kali-yuga are predominantly in the mode of ignorance, and with with the increase of this mode the threefold material miseries expand unlimitedly. Thus people today are afflicted by a short life-span, ill luck, warped intelligence, lethargy, disease, and many other sufferings.

O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.

To achieve such a state of surrender, one has to be free from selfish desires, unaffected by dualities, and devoid of all false prestige. Dualities are born of false ego, the worst enemy of surrender. One who transcends false ego, and with it the effects of duality, is very easily freed from material desires, and then he vanquishes hate, greed, anger, fear, and so on. In the stage of full surrender to the Lord, even negative qualities like mundane desire and envy, along with dualities like hunger and thirst, heat and cold, joy and sorrow, loss and gain, sin and piety, and honor and dishonor, are converted into spiritual energy by being brought into contact with the Supreme Lord. Saintly, blissful personalities who are devoid of undesirable characteristics like lust and envy are found especially in India. One can conquer duality, illusion, and so on only by spiritual elevation to the state of directly perceiving the Supreme Lord and seeing everything in relation to Him. The only method of achieving this state of consciousness is buddhi-yoga.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

"Oh, Kṛṣṇa will do everything. Therefore we shall not try for a storefront or we shall not go to see this man or... Kṛṣṇa..." No! That is lethargy.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

So our duty, persons who are Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should always know that everything is to be done by Kṛṣṇa. We cannot do anything without Kṛṣṇa's sanction. But still, we have to do our own duty. Not that, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa will do everything. Therefore we shall not try for a storefront or we shall not go to see this man or... Kṛṣṇa..." No! That is lethargy. You have to do your own duty. But result, depend on Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa conscious. You don't be sorry if there is failure, you don't be unhappy if there is success, uh, you don't be too much, I mean to say, jubilant if there is success. Everything is done by Kṛṣṇa. This is the attitude of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have to do their own duty. Never mind whether it is suffering or happiness. It doesn't matter.

Utsāhāt means to become energetic, not lethargic but energetic.

Lecture on BG 4.19-22 -- New York, August 8, 1966:

Prasidhyati means it flourishes. The cause is advanced. How? Utsāhāt. We should be very much enthusiastic: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. We have heard about Kṛṣṇa consciousness so nice things. It is so beneficial for successful human mission, so I must have it. I must execute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is called utsāhāt, to become energetic, not lethargic but energetic. So utsāhād dhairyāt. Dhairyāt means with patience. Suppose I have begun immediately. So if there are so many impediments, I am not immediately successful, oh, that does not matter. I must be patient.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So we should be very much enthusiastic to worship Kṛṣṇa, offer maṅgala-ārātrika, rise early in the morning. These are all enthusiasm, utsāha. Those who are not enthusiastic, lazy, lethargetic, they cannot advance in spiritual life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

Rūpa Gosvāmī says that spiritual life can be advanced, the first principle is utsāha. Utsāhāt. Utsāha means enthusiasm: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). I will accept it and work enthusiastically on the principle, as Kṛṣṇa says." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), and we have to do it, execute it enthusiastically: "Yes, I shall always think of Kṛṣṇa." Man-manāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says directly. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "You just become My devotee." So we have to be enthusiastic, "Yes, I shall become Kṛṣṇa's devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Kṛṣṇa says, "Worship Me," so we should be very much enthusiastic to worship Kṛṣṇa, offer maṅgala-ārātrika, rise early in the morning. These are all enthusiasm, utsāha. Those who are not enthusiastic, lazy, lethargetic, they cannot advance in spiritual life. Simply sleeping, they cannot make. One must be very, very enthusiastic, positive. Utsāhād dhairyāt. Dhairya means patience, not that "Because I have begun devotional service with great enthusiasm..." So you are already on the perfectional platform, but if you become impatient that "Why I am not becoming perfect? Sometimes why māyā is kicking me?" Yes. That is habitual. That will go on. It will stop. Niścayāt. Dhairyāt, niścayāt, that "When Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), now I have given up everything. I have no other occupational duties. Simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. So when I have taken to it, then niścaya, Kṛṣṇa will surely give me protection." That is called niścaya. Don't be disappointed. Kṛṣṇa is not a false speaker. He says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Rajo-guṇa is better than the tamo-guṇa in the sense: in the tamo-guṇa people are lazy, sleeping, lethargic, but in the rajo-guṇa they are active. But they are active only for sense gratification. So rajas-tamo-guṇa. So we have to make further progress to be situated in sattva-guṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Viṣṇu Purāṇa is for the persons who are on the platform of sattva-guṇa, those who are associating with the modes of goodness. This is not correct that everyone is one the same platform. Generally, at the present moment, people are in the platform of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, mixed. So one has to rise to the platform of sattva-guṇa. And then, after transcending the sattva-guṇa, also when one is situated in śuddha-sattva, or pure sattva-guṇa... In this material world, even sattva-guṇa is sometimes contacted with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa; therefore it is not completely pure. No guṇa is pure. It is mixed-up always. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So one has to transcend these guṇas; then God realization, or understanding of Kṛṣṇa, can be achieved. But the devotional service, vidhi-bhakti, the process of rendering devotional service to the Lord according to the prescribed regulative principles in the śāstra, helps us to transcend all these qualities. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Who? Māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. Anyone who is engaged in pure devotional service to the Lord, he is immediately on the transcendental position, I mean to..., surpassing the three guṇas. Sa guṇān... Guṇān, bāhu-vacanam, plural number. Immediately. Therefore, we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If somehow or other one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he immediately becomes liberated. Immediately becomes liberated. Because Kṛṣṇa says that sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). And that is a practical application we are now experiencing while preaching in the Western world. The Western world, as you know, ninety-nine percent, they are in the tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. They are very active, working day and night. We are also, here in India. That is rajo-guṇa. And tamo-guṇa, ignorance, and rajo-guṇa, passion. Rajo-guṇa is better than the tamo-guṇa in the sense: in the tamo-guṇa people are lazy, sleeping, lethargic, but in the rajo-guṇa they are active. But they are active only for sense gratification. So rajas-tamo-guṇa. So we have to make further progress to be situated in sattva-guṇa.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Any Indian villager, he'll say "God has given me this position, that's all right." Therefore the modern man is complaining that in India, this God consciousness has made them lethargic.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Why He gives up? He has made for His enjoyment. Why should He give up?

Hari-śauri: They say that He's made for our enjoyment and it's for us to divide and enjoy.

Prabhupāda: No. Therefore you are rascal. Everything is done by somebody. Suppose if you organize one business. That is for your enjoyment. God has created anything, that is for His enjoyment. But you are sons of God, you can enjoy the property of the father as far as you require. Not more than, you cannot take more than that. Then other sons will claim and there will be fight. You live. You are son of God, you live at the expense of God. God has sufficient supply. But don't try to take more and stock. That is folly. You eat, you live very nicely. There is no prohibition. But you cannot take more than what you require. This is Bhāgavata communism. If you take more, you'll be punished. (break) ...our philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). The Indians are trained up like that. He is happy in whatever condition of life he is placed. He doesn't protest. Any Indian villager, he'll say "God has given me this position, that's all right." Therefore the modern man is complaining that in India, this God consciousness has made them lethargic. They do not do... They believe on the destiny. Actually they do. Actually they do. Therefore from the very beginning you'll find so nice philosophy, literature, but you won't find the modernized economic development. Big, big house, big, big road, no. There was no such attempt.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

My youngest daughter is thirty-five. Most irresponsible and lethargetic.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It doesn't seem like your sons are very..., except for Vṛndāvana. None of the others come.

Prabhupāda: They are like mother.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I met that Madan-Mohan.

Prabhupāda: Mathurā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mathurā-Mohan. Whew! Smoking.

Prabhupāda: All spoiled. Mother has spoiled. Everyone.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about this Vṛndāvana? He's...

Prabhupāda: He's half-spoiled.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is he the oldest son?

Prabhupāda: He was little crazy. Might have gone away from home. Very intelligent boy he was. His mother made him crazy. Very... He was standing first in school. Very intelligent. She spoiled the whole family life. It was good for... For my youngest daughter I selected one very nice boy, rich man. She did not give. She wanted to keep her as her assistant, and she's not married.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even now. How old? She must be forty-five years old.

Prabhupāda: Not so much. Older than Vṛndāvana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So she must be thirty-five.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Thirty-five. Most irresponsible and lethargetic.

1968 Correspondence

I do not know why American boys should be so much lethargic.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Seattle 16 October, 1968:

Regarding Acyutananda and Jaya Govinda: I have already written them again, that they do not be lethargic; be enthusiastic. And do something for the society. So you can also write to them that they have gone there on a mission to work for the society, so they should try their best to remain in India and work for the society. Simply if they approach big business firms in Bombay, I think they can collect not less than 100 to 200 Rs. daily. But they must be enthusiastic. If they become dead bodies, then it is not possible. I do not know why American boys should be so much lethargic. And I don't think Acyutananda can be engaged as leader in any group. He can work only as assistant. So you write them as far as possible. Otherwise, let them come back—what can be done? I have already written to them.

1974 Correspondence

Fight and depend on the results on Krishna. yudhyasva vigata-jvarah, fight without being lethargic.

Letter to Tejiyas -- Bombay 15 November, 1974:

Regarding your question about collecting, whatever money sent it is all the hand of Krishna. When Krishna gives, you get. Don't be disappointed if you do not get any collection after working. Always depend on Krishna, and everything will be all right. Fight and depend on the results on Krishna. yudhyasva vigata-jvarah, fight without being lethargic, Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita.