SB 01.05.35 yad atra kriyate karma... cited

Expressions researched:
"bhagavat-paritosanam" |"bhakti-yoga-samanvitam" |"jnanam yat tad adhinam hi" |"yad atra kriyate karma"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.5.35, Translation and Purport:

Whatever work is done here in this life for the satisfaction of the mission of the Lord is called bhakti-yoga, or transcendental loving service to the Lord, and what is called knowledge becomes a concomitant factor.

The general and popular notion is that by discharging fruitive work in terms of the direction of the scriptures one becomes perfectly able to acquire transcendental knowledge for spiritual realization. Bhakti-yoga is considered by some to be another form of karma. But factually bhakti-yoga is above both karma and jñāna. Bhakti-yoga is independent of jñāna or karma; on the other hand, jñāna and karma are dependent on bhakti-yoga. This kriyā-yoga or karma-yoga, as recommended by Śrī Nārada to Vyāsa, is specifically recommended because the principle is to satisfy the Lord. The Lord does not want His sons, the living beings, to suffer the threefold miseries of life. He desires that all of them come to Him and live with Him, but going back to Godhead means that one must purify himself from material infections. When work is performed, therefore, to satisfy the Lord, the performer becomes gradually purified from the material affection. This purification means attainment of spiritual knowledge. Therefore knowledge is dependent on karma, or work, done on behalf of the Lord. Other knowledge, being devoid of bhakti-yoga or satisfaction of the Lord, cannot lead one back to the kingdom of God, which means that it cannot even offer salvation, as already explained in connection with the stanza naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitam (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.12). The conclusion is that a devotee engaged in the unalloyed service of the Lord, specifically in hearing and chanting of His transcendental glories, becomes simultaneously spiritually enlightened by the divine grace, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Whatever work is done here in this life for the satisfaction for the mission of the Lord is called bhakti-yoga, or transcendental loving service of the Lord. And what is called knowledge becomes a concomitant factor."

Prabhupāda:

yad atra kriyate karma

bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam

jñānaṁ yat tad adhīnaṁ hi

bhakti-yoga-samanvitam

(SB 1.5.35)

A similar passage is there, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

(SB 1.2.13)

Similar. Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam or hari-toṣaṇam, the same thing.

So first of all we must know what is bhagavat, or Hari, then we may try to satisfy Him. Unfortunately, we do not know what is God. Where is the question of satisfying Him? This is the... At the present moment, vague idea, what is God; practically no idea. What is their God? "God is good." They... Sometimes they say, "God is great," but what is that God, how great He is, how He is good, nobody knows. So where is the question of hari-toṣaṇam? If I do not know... Somebody says that "You go and satisfy Mr. such and such, Mr. John." So I do not know who is Mr. John, where does he live, what does he do, then how can I satisfy him? This is the position.

So hari-toṣaṇam or bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam can be possible when we actually know what is God. Otherwise there is no question. So, so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees, we know who is God. Therefore this business is possible by us, not by others. We know what is God. We have no vague idea. We know who is God, where does He live, what does He do, His name, address, His father's name—everything we know. Therefore we can satisfy. We are competent to satisfy because we know exactly who is God. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). How do you know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Yes, by history, by authority, by His action, everything complete. We know historical, from historical point of view, Kṛṣṇa is there in the Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means "The history of great India." Mahā means great. So greater India. Greater India, this is history. Itihāsa. Itihāsa means history. So there is Kṛṣṇa, in the itihāsa, in the history. In the Vedas also, there is name of Kṛṣṇa. In the Yajur Veda, there is name of Kṛṣṇa and His father's name, Vasudeva. Everything is there. And besides that, Kṛṣṇa appeared as He is five thousand years ago and He acted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So where is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa?

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

And kalpa-vṛkṣa. This is Kṛṣṇa's abode. They are not like this. They are all spiritual. Here it is, everything is material, but there is spiritual touch. That spiritual touch we are describing in the Bhagavad-gītā, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10). Without spiritual touch, there is no question of material manifestation. That is not possible. This body, your body, my body, this is material—everyone knows. It is made of earth, air, water, fire, like that. But how it is manifested? How the beautiful body is manifested? Because there is spiritual touch. The spirit soul is there. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā... (BG 2.13). This external body is changing, but it is forming on account of that spiritual touch. That spiritual touch means Kṛṣṇa. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām. So therefore the origin of everything is Kṛṣṇa. Just like the origin of a big tree is the root. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the ādi-puruṣam. Govindam ādi-puruṣam, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Just like in the tree there are trunk, branches, twigs, sub-branches, leaves, flowers, so many things. But the cause is the root.

So here it is said that hari-toṣaṇam. Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. The root must be satisfied. If you want to maintain the tree, then the root or the original cause of the tree should be satisfied. Then everything is satisfied. So here in this material world they are trying to be happy, but they do not know how to become happy. They are put into the ocean of nescience. May be very expert swimmer, but simply swimming will not save you. You must know how to save. So here it is said, yad atra kriyate karma. Everyone is doing something. Vaidikī laukikī vā. There are two kinds of karmas. Vaidikī means according to the Vedic rituals. Performance of big, big sacrifices and so many other, that is called vaidikī. And laukikī... Just like we have got good experience nowadays. There are so many activities, factories, mills, and scientific research work, so many. This is laukikī. So Kṛṣṇa does not say... Yes. The Sūta Gosvāmī does not say that simply by vaidikī activities, big, big ritualistic ceremonies, you can be happy. You can be happy even by laukikī. Laukikī mean these material activities. Generally, people understand, big, big factories nowadays, or agriculture or anything, there are laukikī. Laukikī means for maintenance of the body. So Nārada Muni recommends that yad atra, anything you are doing, kriyate. Atra means in this material world, atra. Yad atra kriyate karma bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. It doesn't matter that you do not understand these Vedic rituals, but you want to develop the economic position of your country by industrial enterprises. Yes, that is also good. That is also good. How? Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. If it is conducted for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, then it is good.

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement does not say you stop anything. No. Whatever you have got liking, you can do, but bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. By your work you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This is our proposal. We do not say the negative, stop. No. And it is confirmed in the śāstras, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ... Generally, according to Vedic principle, there are four division of karma. Not four; eight division. According to varṇa and āśrama. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. The division of work must be there; otherwise the society cannot go on very nicely. If everyone is brāhmaṇa, not interested in anything material or simply... Because it is, after all, material world, if everyone becomes brāhmaṇa, now it will not go. There must be others. Kṣatriyas means the statesman, protector, politician, diplomat, kṣatriyas. And there must be vaiśyas also, productive class of men. They must produce. Economic development, that is also required. Otherwise, how human society will go on? Not only intelligent class of men—the protector class of men, the productive class of men, and the worker class of men. Suppose you are constructing this temple. If we devotees remain Hare Kṛṣṇa, then who will construct this temple? Everything is required. We do not say that "Stop this" or "Stop that." No.

So that division, different division, is scientifically made in the Vedic conception of life, varṇāśrama. Four varṇas and four āśramas. Āśrama for spiritual advancement and varṇas for material advancement. So we want both of them because our life is combination of spirit and matter. So it is not that... To make the best use of a bad bargain. Suppose you have got a car. It is not very good car. It's not American car, but Ambassador. (laughter) Thrice breaks. But you have to utilize it. Bad bargain. Similarly, some way or other, we have got this material body, we cannot neglect it. We don't say that "Neglect it. Don't care for the body." No. Why?

That is the instruction of the Gosvāmīs. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Don't be attached to the bodily demands. Bodily demands means eating, sleeping, sex life, and defending. These are bodily demands. So if we say that "I am not this body, so I don't care for this eating, sleeping..." No. That is not. It is not vairāgya. This kind of renunciation is not recommended by our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the Gosvāmīs recommend anāsaktasya viṣayān. You do not be attached to the demands of the body, but you utilize it for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Eating is required. If you don't eat nicely, then body cannot be maintained. But anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham. Eating is required, but not eating too much. Not eating to the taste of the tongue, unnecessarily eating meat, fish, eggs. Why? You are human being. For you Kṛṣṇa has given so much varieties of food stuff. Fruits, vegetables, nice rice, ḍāl, milk, ghee. Why should you go to the meat-eating? This is required. You eat like human being, not like cats and dogs. But eating is not prohibited. That is not our philosophy. Don't eat like cats and dogs, but eat like human being.