Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean laziness. We do not indulge. Just like Arjuna. This Bhagavad-gītā was taught to Arjuna. He wanted to retire, that "Kṛṣṇa, why You are engaging me in this battlefield? Let me retire." So Kṛṣṇa did not allow him to retire. To understand his position, that is require. Retirement, how you can retire? You cannot retire. So long you have got this body you have to work. If you do not work you have to beg. If you do not beg then you have to steal or you have to borrow. How you can retire? There is no question of retire. Retire means to retire from all foolish activities and engage yourself in real activities. Retire is the negative side. But unless you have got positive side you cannot retire. You'll have come back again.
Retire means
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
There are so many yogis and jñānīs. They say that this world is false. Let me retire from it." But after some time he again falls down again to the sense gratification this material world. So what is retirement? Retirement is not required. But what is required that purify your activities. Not to stop your activity but to purify it. Just like when you are diseased it is not required that you should be killed. No. Your disease should be, I mean, cured, then you can work in healthy life. So that is required. Retirement means to become cured from the diseased activities but to place yourself in healthy activities. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So these Pāṇḍavas were trained up very nicely. Therefore vāsudeve bhagavati hy ekānta-matir āpa tam. They knew that "Ultimately, Kṛṣṇa is everything." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: (BG 7.19) "Anyone who understands that ultimately Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, is everything," sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ, "such person is very rare, mahātmā, great soul." So all these Pāṇḍavas were great soul, and they ultimately... Retirement means no more material affairs. We are active on the platform of this bodily consciousness. That is also required for some time, not for all the time. The aim is to work for the soul. But because now we are covered by this material body, so we have to utilize the best use of a bad bargain. It is a bargain, that we have got this material body. But because... Just like you take care of your car because you, the spirit soul, will utilize it for going here and there. Without a man being interested going by car, nobody takes care. Similarly, this is also a car given by nature.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. Big, big men like Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi, they never retired.
Dr. Patel: Gandhi, as a matter of fact, retired long back. I mean the... As far as I know, he was not a member of the Congress.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. It was everything.
Dr. Patel: That is... You are. You may not be member, but you are everything. They like that. I mean, if I am not wrong.
Prabhupāda: What do you mean by retire? Retire means...
Dr. Patel: Retire from the worldly affairs.
Prabhupāda: From the worldly affairs. That is retire. We are not śūnyavādi. The retirement means...
Dr. Patel: Our religions are dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. It is in a continuity. It is a sort of a string. First you have artha...
Prabhupāda: The real thing is they do not retire on account of their strong sense of gratification. That is the reason, not that poverty-stricken. Even though poverty-stricken, still they want to enjoy. This is the basic principle. There is nothing to be enjoyed; still, he wants to enjoy. That mentality.
| Page Title: | Retire means |
| Compiler: | Rishab |
| Created: | 30 of Oct, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=1, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 4 |