Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva were great devotees of Lord Śiva, but because of material opulence they became so extravagant and senseless that one day they were enjoying with naked girls in a lake and shamelessly walking here and there. Suddenly Nārada Muni passed by, but they were so maddened by their wealth and false prestige that even though they saw Nārada Muni present, they remained naked and were not even ashamed. In other words, because of opulence and false prestige, they lost their sense of common decency. Of course, it is the nature of the material qualities that when one becomes very much opulent in terms of wealth and a prestigious position, one loses one's sense of etiquette and does not care about anyone, even a sage like Nārada Muni. For such bewildered persons (ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā), who especially deride devotees, the proper punishment is to be again stricken with poverty. The Vedic rules and regulations prescribe how to control the false sense of prestige by the practice of yama, niyama and so on (tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca [SB 6.1.13)). A poor man can be convinced very easily that the prestige of an opulent position in this material world is temporary, but a rich man cannot. Therefore Nārada Muni set an example by cursing these two persons, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, to become dull and unconscious like trees. This was a fit punishment. But because Kṛṣṇa is always merciful, even though they were punished they were fortunate enough to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face.
Remain naked
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 4
One cannot argue, "How is it that Dhruva Mahārāja, who was prevented from getting up on the lap of his father, could press down the whole earth?" This argument is not very much appreciated by the learned, for it is an example of nagna-mātṛkā logic. By this logic one would think that because his mother in her childhood was naked, she should remain naked even when she is grown up. The stepmother of Dhruva Mahārāja might have been thinking in a similar way: since she had refused to allow him to get up on the lap of his father, how could Dhruva perform such wonderful activities as pressing down the whole earth? She must have been very surprised when she learned that Dhruva Mahārāja, by concentrating constantly on the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, could press down the entire earth, like an elephant who presses down the boat on which it is loaded.
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
Upon seeing Nārada, the naked young girls of the demigods were very much ashamed. Afraid of being cursed, they covered their bodies with their garments. But the two sons of Kuvera did not do so; instead, not caring about Nārada, they remained naked.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
From then on, the fortunate prince was one of the most intimate devotees of the Lord.
In this regard, Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī writes, yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhava-vatām. If Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu simply glanced at someone for a moment, that person immediately turned into one of the most confidential devotees of the Lord. The prince came to see the Lord for the first time, but by the Lord's mercy the boy immediately became a topmost devotee. This was not in theory but in practice. We cannot apply the nagna-mātṛkā-nyāya formula. This states that if one's mother was naked in her childhood, she should continue to remain naked, even though she has become the mother of so many children. If a person is actually blessed by the mercy of the Lord, he can immediately become a topmost devotee of the Lord. The logic of nagna-mātṛkā states that if a person is not elevated on such and such a date, he cannot become an exalted devotee overnight, as it were. This particular instance offers evidence to contradict that theory. On the previous day, the boy was simply an ordinary prince, and the next day he was counted as one of the topmost devotees of the Lord. This was all made possible by the causeless mercy of the Lord. The Lord is omnipotent—all-powerful or almighty—and He can act as He likes.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
Endurance
When a person is fully satisfied due to attaining knowledge, transcending all distress or achieving his desired goal of life in transcendental devotional service to God, his state of endurance or steady-mindedness is called dhṛti. At this stage one is not perturbed by any amount of loss, nor does anything appear to be unachieved by him.
According to the opinion of Bhartṛhari, a learned scholar, when a person is elevated to this state of endurance, he thinks as follows: "I do not wish to be a highly posted government servant. I shall prefer to remain naked, without proper garments. I shall prefer to lie down on the ground without any mattress. And despite all these disadvantages, I shall refuse to serve anyone, even the government." In other words, when one is in ecstatic love with the Personality of Godhead, he can endure any kind of disadvantages calculated under the material concept of life.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
There are so many different forms of life. That is in our presence. Before us there are so many examples. If you get a life of a tree, naked... Tree is naked. He's not ashamed to remain naked. And for ten thousand years you stand up. Wherefrom this life comes? It requires thought. Why the world is not full of one kind of forms of life? Why there are different types of life? Because different desires and nature's law. Nature's law, there is no excuse, the same thing, that if a child even touches fire, nature is not very merciful. It will burn. Similarly, at the time of death we have to think very rightly. That is required. That is human life. You have to train yourself in such a way that at the time of death you think of Kṛṣṇa.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Every religion teaches how to love God more or less. Why more or less? That is the only aim. How to learn how to love God. But they are rejecting God, what to speak of love. Rejecting. "What is God, this nonsense? I am God. God is dead. Finished." So this means at the present moment the whole human society has become animal. That's all. Their behavior is also like animal. Behavior is also like animal. And gradually, in this age people will become more and more animalistic. And they like to become animal. They say that "We are going to nature, to remain naked, without any polished behavior. Lie down... Just like cats and dogs lie down in street, I'll lie down." They are thinking this is ideal. So just see that so much expenditure on education, university, father-mother's care, state care, but they are becoming cats and dogs. And they are taking it as advancement. Dharma artha. Artha must be on the basis of dharma. And kāma. Kāma means sense gratification. And last, at last, mokṣa, liberation.
If you remain in ignorance and passion, you cannot see, you cannot know. You can go on with your so-called rascaldom talks about God, but it is not possible. You cannot understand God, or Absolute Truth, by eating meat, drinking and having illicit sex and gambling. No, that is not possible. Then you'll have to remain in the darkness for good, and next life you'll again become cats and dogs, that's all. Because you are given the opportunity to come to the light, but if you neglect it, if you think that natural life, animal life, to become naked and do all nonsense, then "All right. You, next life you become a tree, naked. Stand up naked for ten thousands of years." You want to be naked? That's all right. Nobody will protest. So many trees are standing naked. So many animals are loitering in the street naked. Nobody protests. But in human society, if you become naked, then you'll be punished by law. But they are thinking they are advancing by becoming naked. This is the knowledge: ignorance. So Kṛṣṇa will give you opportunity to remain naked, become animals, trees, like that. So that is not our aim of life. Our aim of life, the human form of life, is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth: athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is the Vedānta-sūtra says. Brahma—what is brahma? What is Absolute Truth? This inquisitiveness must be there in human life, then it is human being. Otherwise, he is animal.
So Kṛṣṇa has given me a type of body so that I can enjoy, and He gives me reminder also: "Now you wanted to enjoy like this. You have got this opportunity. You do it." This is the proof. You'll find even a, what is called, the cub, born of an animal, the dog, cats and dogs, they find out where is the mother's breast. The human child also, they also try to find out where is the mother's breast. Because they, they explain it as intuition. But we don't say it is intuition. Or even if you call "intuition," wherefrom it is coming? It is coming from Paramātmā. He's giving that "You find out. Here you'll find your mother's breast, and here is your food. Here is your food." Therefore even just after birth, the kitty, or a small child, finds out where is the food. This is the explanation of intuition.
But the modern scientists, they say "intuition," but they cannot explain how the intuition is coming. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). It is coming from Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. But Kṛṣṇa, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi-sanniviṣṭaḥ, as Paramātmā, He has entered in everyone's heart. He is in His knowledge. He knows that "This individual soul wanted to enjoy this material world," so He gives him facility: "Now you enjoy." Those who have no discrimination of eating—all abominable things one can eat—he's given the chance of eating everything up to stool in the form of a hog. The facility's given. One who is shameless... Now this civilization has spread in the Western countries—they want to remain naked. There are so many nudie clubs. So next life they'll be given chance to become tree, to stand naked for thousands of years. This is laws of nature. They do not know how they're getting chance, different types of body for different types of enjoyments, material enjoyment. Sometimes he's put as a poor man; sometimes he's put as a rich man. Sometimes as demigod, sometimes as cat, sometimes as dog. In this way, it is going on.
If I am trying under the, I mean to say, cover of becoming bhakta and trying to gather some material profit, that is not bhakti. That is very dangerous. So in this way there are so many things in the material world we take it for acceptance that these things will save me. He's a pramatta. Pramatta means crazy, half-mad. And full mad is unmatta, full mad. He becomes naked. That is one of the symptoms of unmatta-he'll remain naked. So these men, mattaṁ pramattam unmattam... Just see how the rules and regulations are there. So this pramatta:
- dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv
- ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api
- teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ
- paśyann api na paśyati
- (SB 2.1.4)
Pramatta, that word is used. Pramattaḥ tasya nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati. He is seeing every day that "This gentleman had a very good wife, this gentleman had very nice son, very good family—but they are dying." So who will protect him? He's thinking that "My children, my wife, my friends will save me," but they have died. So how he will be protected? So nobody can protect anyone. That is not possible. Everyone has to take care of himself. This world is like that. Don't depend. Only Kṛṣṇa can protect you—nobody else. If you know this, then you are not pramatta. And if you do not know this, if you are a rascal, then you are pramatta.
So Kṛṣṇa says that "He wants to eat everything. So give him this machine, hog's body, so that there will be no discrimination." "He wants to remain naked. All right. Give him this body for five thousand years, standing naked as tree." The life was meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, but he is cultivating the culture of naked civilization, how to become naked. "So all right, next time you'll remain naked for many thousands of years, standing in one place as tree." This is going on.
Human form of life was given to him to become purified, but they are engaged in sinful activities so that next life they'll be cats and dogs and hogs and trees. Why trees? Trees stands naked. And now this nudie movement is there, how to remain naked. That means next life they are preparing for becoming tree: "Thousand years, stand up here, naked. Nobody will object." Yes, this is the law of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). These rascals... Because the rascals, they do not know. And even the information is there, still, they'll not accept. This is their position. So don't remain mūḍhāḥ. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to educate people not to remain mūḍhāḥ. Be intelligent. It is a very nice cultural movement that it is trying to awaken people to their God consciousness.
Īśvaraḥ the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is sitting within everyone's heart, and He's witness, anumantā-upadraṣṭā. Upadraṣṭā means He's seeing our activity. He's noting what I desire, because our desires are coming one after another, one after another. So according to our desire, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives you a body. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is sitting within the heart of everyone. So... And sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati bhrāmayan. And He's giving us chance to transmigrate to different types of bodies or species of bodies. He's noting down that "This soul is very much fond of fresh blood and raw meat. All right. You take the body of a tiger. Yes. This soul feels pleasure being naked. All right, you take the body of a tree. You stand up naked for ten thousand years.
Satisfy your desire for being naked for ten thousand years." Why two years, three years, or five years, ten years? Remain naked. Human body is meant for covering, not to become naked, but if anyone develops the idea of becoming nudie, naked, "All right, next life you get tree. Stand up." The example is there, Yamala-Arjuna, They wanted to be naked. Nārada gave them opportunity, "All right, you remain naked as trees." So therefore, our business should be to go to the temple as it is prescribed here, pādau nṛṇāṁ tau druma-janma-bhājau. Those who are not moving, they're just like trees, they do not move. So, if we do not move to the places where Viṣṇu's forms are there... Just like in India, we have got many places of pilgrimage. Just like Vṛndāvana. There are... A small city, about fifty thousand utmost population. But there are five thousand temples, big and small. Out of that, about one dozen temples are very, very big, just like fort. And there are small temples. So altogether, it is a city of fifty thousand population, but there are five thousand temples, Kṛṣṇa. All Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So this is a chance, that "Come to Vṛndāvana, and wherever you go, you see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That will make your life successful." By seeing, seeing, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, seeing, seeing, you'll get an impression.
Still, India's position is unique, still, in this fallen condition. Now people are degraded from their high standard of living, from spiritual point of view, material point of view. And still, they stand, previous social construction, their living condition, their feelings of religion. It is still going on. Climate also.
Haṁsadūta: Climate.
Prabhupāda: Climate also. The climate is very favorable. Now it is, of course, winter season. Otherwise, it will continue for two months only. It is not very severe, and still, this condition will not continue. Throughout the whole year you can remain naked body. There is no expenditure for dressing much.
Vaiśya means produce food grain, kṛṣi, agriculture, not produce food in the slaughterhouse. No. Slaughterhouse, even the sixth-class, seventh-class men... They did not know how to produce food, how to live. That means the aborigines in the jungle. They were hunting one animal, then eating, not that civilized nation, organized slaughterhouse. Oh, how horrible it is. If you want to eat an animal, then you go to the jungle, kill one animal, and eat. The government is not going to maintain a slaughterhouse for you. You see? This is the civilization. So our eatables should be food grains—kṛṣi-go-rakṣya—and milk. Kṛṣi means by agriculture process you can produce fruits, flower, vegetables, then rice, wheat, and pulses, and you have got milk. Then where is your want, scarcity? This is civilization. Meat-eating is meant for the sixth-class, seventh-class men who does not know, who remain naked, and they can neither produce food neither cloth in the jungle. It is for them. They also were not very much expert to maintain a slaughterhouse. When you need, you can kill one lower animal, not cow. The cow is not available in the jungle. You can have some deer or some boar. So these unimportant animals were killed by them. That is the sixth class, not the first class, second class, third class, fourth class. No. And the fourth-class man who could not utilize his brain as first class, second class, third class, then he becomes fourth class—his business: to help, worker, these higher three classes.
We are not independent. This is foolishness. Just like an outlaw. He is thinking that he is free from the jurisdiction of state laws, and he is working irresponsibly, but when he is arrested, then he has no independence. He has to undergo the punishment. Similarly, in this life we may think very independent, "Whatever we like, we can do." That is foolishness. You cannot do that. If you do it wilfully, then you will be punished. That they do not know. Punished means by a different body. If a man, human being, is punished to stand up like as a tree for five thousand years, just imagine how much great punishment it is. And that is possible. Just like in the śāstra it is stated that those who want to remain naked, they are punished in the next life to become tree, that "You wanted to be naked. Now you stand naked." The trees, they do not dress; neither they have the opportunity. Nobody goes to dress them. So they stand naked for so many hundreds and thousands of years. This punishment is awaiting. Human being is not supposed to be naked. That is civilization. They must cover. But if one wilfully does not cover, becomes as dull as the tree, then he gets the next body as tree. This is punishment.
Devotee (1): What I was wondering about was the four Kumāras were... And I wanted to ask about Lord Kapila.
Prabhupāda: Kapilo manuḥ.
Devotee (1): They weren't pure devotees right from..., they weren't devotees right from the first. The Nectar of Devotion says that the four Kumāras were first situated in the...
Prabhupāda: Right from the... What do you mean by "right from the first"? What do you mean by that? Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī was a minister of Muhammadan government. So what is his position? He was minister, he was working under government service, and he was rejected by the brāhmaṇa community. Then how he became gosvāmī?
Devotee (1): From the beginning of their...
Prabhupāda: Beginning... Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was a magistrate. What do you mean by "beginning"? As soon as he is situated in his own original position, then he is pure devotee. That's all. It doesn't matter what he has done in the past. It is called nagna-mati. Nagna-mati.(?) One's mother was naked in her childhood. So one is asking, "Mother, why you are putting on those saris? You were naked. You can remain naked." This kind of argument is no argument. Whatever one may be in his past, that's all right. As soon as he is situated in pure devotee, devotional state, that's all. One hasn't got to inquire, "from the beginning" or "from the end." There is no need of such inquiry. As soon as he is situated in his original position, hitvā anyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6), gives up nondevotional activities, but is situated in devotional service, immediately he is all right, pure devotee. Doesn't matter whether he was in the beginning. Because even a person, ordinary person, ordinarily, he is not contaminated. He lives aloof from this material existence. But for sometimes, even if he is influenced, that doesn't matter. As soon as he comes to his real position, he is a pure devotee. There is no question of tracing his past history. There is no question. You be situated in pure devotional service; you are pure devotee. That's all. There is no question of inquiring what he was in the past. That doesn't matter. Is it clear? Yes. Just like Ajāmila. In the past history he, simply sinful, Jagāi-Mādhāi, simply sinful, but as soon as they come to the position of pure devotional life, he is pure. That's all.
Festival Lectures
Nature gave us the opportunity to realize God, but God-realization is meant for human being. The human being, if he does not realize God, he's simply engaged in animalistic way of life—eating, sleeping, mating—then nature will call, "All right, sir, again become animal." Punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again become a mouse." You know this story? Punar mūṣiko bhava. There is a story. There is a very nice story. One rat, mouse, he came to a saintly person. Everyone comes to saintly person for some blessing, you see. Real blessing they don't want. Some material blessing. Real blessing, Kṛṣṇa, they don't want. If you give him some blessing that "You become very rich man and..." These... they'll be very much pleased. are all very well, this. So this mouse also came and begged the saintly person, "Sir, I am in difficulty. If you give me some blessing?"
"What is that?"
"The cat chases after me always. I'm very unhappy."
"So what do you want?"
"Now, if you make me a cat, then I can get relief from this."
"All right, you become cat." So he became cat.
So after few days, again he comes. "Sir, again I am in trouble."
"What is that?"
"The dog is chasing me." (laughter) Don't laugh, hear seriously. "Dog is chasing me."
"All right, then, what do you want?"
"Now, make me a tiger."
"All right, you become a tiger."
So when he became a tiger he was staring on the saintly person like this.
So he asked, "Why you are staring upon me? You want to eat me?"
"Yes."
So he again curses, punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again you become mouse. Again you become mouse."
So that is our position. We are advanced in civilization. Now we want to kill God. So we are again going to be uncivilized, to remain in the forest and to remain naked. Actually, they are practicing that: nature's life. So again they are going to be aborigines. And that is being practiced. They are going to the forest, they remain naked. So actually, punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again become mouse." Civilized human being means God conscious, happy life, no trouble, no enviousness, everything happy, no hard labor.
Initiation Lectures
In India the climate is different, and your Western country, the climate is different. So when one comes to the Western country, he also adjusts with different coats and shirts. In India we can remain naked body practically throughout the whole year, but you cannot live here. So there is adjustment. So this adjustment, the Bhagavad-gītā says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). "Those who have adjusted themselves to come to Me, he can come." There is no obstruction. So this initiation process, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means to adjust your condition so that after leaving this body, you can enter into the planet where Kṛṣṇa lives.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Well, they are also aquatics. They also live in water. But they are unfit for living in ocean water. So many varieties of life, different living entities meant for different purposes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: According to the desire of the...
Prabhupāda: According to the desire of the living entity. All facilities, whatever you want, you can have. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Another logic is bakāṇḍa-nyāya. Bakāṇḍa. Baka and aṇḍa. Baka, the duck. And aṇḍa, the testicle, testicle of the bull. The bull is going and the testicle is hanging, and the duck is after it. He is thinking here is a fish. You find him always going...when it will drop. Bakāṇḍa. This is nature's study. (break) The baka, the duck, they are after fish. So the testicle is hanging, he's thinking it's a big fish, it will drop now. So it will never drop but he is going after it. Just see. Neither it is fish. Another logic is āja-gala-stana, āja-gala-stana. You have seen on the goats in the neck, just like nipples. If one is expecting milk from that nipple, he is also fool. It is not nipple but it looks like nipple. Āja-gala-stana-nyāya.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: It is like the mirage in the desert.
Prabhupāda: Yes, illusion, these are illusions. Āja-gala-stana-nyāya is applied for these rascals, those who are thinking that from matter life is coming. Exactly the same. They are thinking that here are nipples, there will milk come. Let us milk here.
Brahmānanda: But they are not getting, they are saying maybe in the future.
Prabhupāda: Yes, in future, yes. (laughter) In Sanskrit logic all these examples are there from nature's study.
Brahmānanda: Simple.
Prabhupāda: Simple, yes. Another is nagna-mātṛkā-nyāya. Nagna-mātṛkā-nyāya, just like sometimes if somebody says, "Mother, when you were a child, you were naked. Why do you put cloth now?" Nagna-mātṛkā-nyāya. The mother was naked when she was a child. Therefore she should remain naked still. That is nagna-mātṛkā-nyāya.
Brahmānanda: What is that in connection?
Prabhupāda: It has connection, if somebody was not very important and now he has become important, so the logic is how this man can be important? This logic. That because the mother was naked in the childhood, therefore she should not put on any garment. This is nagna-mātṛkā-nyāya. We change according to the circumstances. You cannot say that this must remain like this.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: It is also not because of the development of consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes. Everything is development of consciousness. So when one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness that is perfect. Consciousness is there even in the tree, but that is not developed. When you cut the tree, it feels. Even a child their consciousness is not developed. Sometimes operation in the body of a child does not require anaesthetic, because they do not feel much. Can go on surgical operation on the child's body and they will feel little. Because the consciousness is not developed.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So according to the consciousness...
Prabhupāda: Development.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: ...I am not this body.
Dr. Patel: That's right. So the mosquitos also have no body.
Prabhupāda: They tolerate. Actually, they tolerate because they factually think that "I am not this body. Let the mosquito bite my body."
Dr. Patel: (laughs) So mosquitos also have no body.
Prabhupāda: Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, deha smṛti nāhi yāra saṁsāra bandhana kaha tāra (?). One who is beyond the conception of bodies, he has no obligation of these material things. Just like there are many sādhus, they simply remain naked body. Even in severe cold. They are practiced.
Dr. Patel: They have reached that avadhūta-veṣa.
Prabhupāda: So this is also avadhūta-veṣa.
Dr. Patel: But that stage you must reach.
Prabhupāda: No, somehow or other, they have gone to some extent. Never mind the mosquito. Let bite. I am not this body."
Dr. Patel: (laughs) You have hypnotized them.
Prabhupāda: No, actually they are doing. Although we see that from bodily point of view they have become weak, but they don't care for it. They... You see. If they had been weak how they are chanting and dancing saṅkīrtana? They are not weak at all.
Prabhupāda: Original beauty, just like animals. They remain naked. So the, the original beauty is animal. Because the animals, they do not dress. In the human society, they cover. Animals do not cover. Therefore original beauty is animal.
Satsvarūpa: They say that this is, the body is made by God. Why cover it up? Nakedness is the work of God.
Prabhupāda: No. God said that you should cover. (Some French boys in background are making mocking sounds, yelling, etc.) And they are becoming naked now.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Why there are so many varieties of life? Because he has associated with a particular type of modes of nature and he has got the body. Without any human sense he has learned to eat anything and everything, without any discrimination. Therefore nature will give the body of a pig. "All right, you eat anything up to stool. Up to stool you can eat." So how can you stop it? And because nature has given this body, he is relishing very good taste from stool. But this body, you cannot relish what is enjoyment in the stool. But because he has no discrimination of food, nature has given him, "All right, you can eat up to stool." Human life is meant for civilization, and they are trying to be naked. So next life will be: "All right, you remain naked standing as tree for five thousand years." How can you stop it? Wherefrom these varieties of life are coming? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). This is kāraṇam, that he is associating with different modes of material nature and he is getting a suitable body. So where is that science to understand this subtle work of nature? Where is that science? Where is that education in the universities? You are not free. You cannot say "that I shall live life like this." You can live, but take the risk of next life. Therefore they avoid this question: "There is no next life."
Akṣayānanda: Everyone becomes Brahmā first?
Prabhupāda: Hm? Yes. Or if you want to be a cat you can become.
Harikeśa: How can they say this isn't science? This is so incredible.
Prabhupāda: Desire is there. Desire is there. Just like in your country, the nudism going on. The desire is, "Ah, I shall remain free, naked." So Kṛṣṇa is giving you facility, "Alright, you stand here for thousands of years as tree, naked, nobody will criticize. You want to remain naked on the public street and you want to enjoy in that way, alright you become tree."
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Sannyāsa means that, that "I shall live with the minimum necessities of life and simply devote..." That is sannyāsa. "I shall become a sannyāsī and enjoy all material facilities"—that is not sannyāsa. (break) ...recommended that "If there is no need, don't take even cloth. Remain naked." That is sannyāsa. But because we have to preach, because we have to go the people, therefore some covering. Otherwise, this is also not necessary for a sannyāsī. Nothing. Lie down on the floor like the Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, and take water in your palm, no dress. Śukadeva was also not dressing, naked. That is the perfection of sannyāsa.
Devotee (1): Can one say that necessity for eating, sleeping, mating and defending is animal life? The necessity for God is advanced life?
Prabhupāda: Certainly. Necessity means more you become advanced, the more necessity. Necessity mother of invention. Advancement, they are manufacturing so many things. There is no necessity of car, but people are advanced, they are inventing: "Now comfortably I shall..." So necessity means advanced life. No necessity means dull life. That's all.
Devotee (1): The atheists fear that they've put the necessity on the wrong object.
Prabhupāda: That means they're rascals. If there is no necessity, that means dull life, dull brain. The madman will think there is no necessity of clothing: "I can remain naked." And actually remains. He's a madman. And a sensible man, he requires dress, nice dress, first-class dress. So this is the difference between intelligent and dull. Dull has no necessity. Intelligent has necessity.
Kartikeya Mahadevia: Did you meet Mr. Patel met you in Tehran? Bokumi(?) Patel? One Indian is settled there, Patel.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Kartikeya Mahadevia: They are very good friends of mine. So I am going to him only. Maitreya Muni is also there, he is also there.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. She came to see me twice, Mrs. Patel. She is very nice...
Kartikeya Mahadevia: Very devoted. Her father is my father's friend, Mr. Pota. He was chairman of the Gold Control Board in India. Handlooms are working very nicely. That side of textile, which are made by hand, they are prospering like anything because...
Prabhupāda: They have to remain naked.
Kartikeya Mahadevia: No, khādi is available. There is no problem.
Prabhupāda: Available is everything. If you pay, everything is available. Therefore they say, "If you pay, I can supply you tiger's blood." If you pay, everything is available. People have lost completely interest in spiritual life. They have lost completely.
Correspondence
1973 Correspondence
Yes, you have my sanction for installing the new Deities with the cooperation of Karandhara and/or Sudama Maharaja (I think he is there on the West coast). They know how to do it. The more you can decorate the Deities soberly, not fanatically, the more you become decorated with all honors. At the present moment, civilized man has forgotten how to decorate, therefore this mini-skirt—the business of the trees—to remain naked. Human being means to be decorated, like Krsna is decorated, not naked.
| Page Title: | Remain naked |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, MadhuGopaldas |
| Created: | 18 of Aug, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=3, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=14, Con=8, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 28 |