- bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām
- avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ . . .
- bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām
- avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ
- śravaṇa-smaraṇārhāṇi
- kariṣyann iti kecana
- (SB 1.8.35)
This is a very important verse. Bhave asmin. Asmin means "this," and bhave, "the material world." Bhava means to grow; means . . . grow means which has taken birth. That requires grow. In the material world, there are six kinds of changes: first of all birth, then grow, then stay for some time, then producing some by-product, then diminishing, dwindling, and then vanish. These are the six kinds of changes. Just like this body: It has taken birth at a certain date, and it has grown, that the child is growing. And growing, it will stay; not immediately vanish. It will stay. And while staying, it will create some by-product. From this body, so many sons and daughters will come, by-product. Even tree, they produce also. Everyone. Then it becomes old, no more strength, and when it is very old, finish. These are called ṣaḍ-vikāra. That is on account of this body.
So after finishing this body, then I am not finished; I am there. I am, this gross body, finished, but I am within this subtle body—mind, intelligence and ego. The subtle body carries me to another gross body. These so-called scientists, medical men, they cannot see the subtle body, although one has to accept. Just like I have got mind; you have got mind—but I cannot see your mind; you cannot see my mind. I have got intelligence, you have got intelligence. Everyone knows. But you cannot see my intelligence, I cannot see your intelligence. They are very subtle. So, and beyond that, the spirit soul is still subtle, so minute quantity. So what these material scientists will see? They cannot see the mind, intelligence, ego, and what to speak of the soul. Therefore they say, "This body is everything, and there is nothing more." But actually that is not the fact. The fact is that the spirit soul is very, very small. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9). Keśāgra, the tip of the hair, agra-bhāga, front portion, front portion, śata-bhāgasya, you divide into . . . can you do it? Take one hair and divide into hundred parts? No, that is not possible. But if . . . the direction is there. If you can, you can do it. Śata-bhāgasya. Then again take one part of that śata-bhāga, one hundredth part, again make it hundred parts.
So it is not possible; impossible by the so-called scientists. But how to learn? Then you have to learn from the authority, "It is like this," that much. It is not under your experimental knowledge. That is not possible. Because your knowledge is so imperfect, you cannot deal with these things. But these rascals, they think . . . because they cannot deal with these things, they think that the matter is the cause of life. That's all—matter, material. But that is . . . they have not been able to do so. Take matter in the laboratory, chemicals, and produce a small insect with hands and legs and eyes. We see every night, a small, very, very small, but still, it has got hands, legs and everything, eyes. Otherwise how they are coming to the light? Very small.
So . . . so we are getting bhava, bhava from that small insect up to the Brahmā. Ābrahma-bhuvana-stambha, ābrahma stambha. Everyone. That is called bhava. There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and we are finishing one body, entering another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Kṛṣṇa says. Either you have to reject Kṛṣṇa's word or you have to reject all this so-called scientific research. But we have . . . we are pledged to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We cannot reject Kṛṣṇa's word. So it is accepted that tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that you have to accept another body. Everyone has to accept. Now, He does not say that, "After this body, the next change will be this body." He does not say. He does not say. So . . . because that will depend, as it is said here, avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ. Avidyā. The . . . every living entity is within this material world under avidyā. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate.
There are many potencies of God, Kṛṣṇa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, CC Madhya 13.65, purport). Many millions. So they have been summarized into three. What is that? The external potency, internal potency, two, and third, marginal potency. The marginal potency and internal potency, they are of the same quality. There are same quality. And there is another potency, that is called external potency. What is that external potency? Now, avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā (CC Madhya 6.154). Viṣṇu-śakti, the Lord's potency, is parā. That is spiritual. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā. And . . . viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā . . . viṣṇu-śakti. And kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā. And kṣetrajñāḥ, the living entities . . . the kṣetrajña is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram ity abhidhīyate. And one who knows this kṣetra . . . kṣetrajña ity abhidhīyate. These are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So the living entity is kṣetrajña. So kṣetrajña is also parā. But besides these two śakti, there is another, tṛtīyā śakti, which is avidyā, everything in ignorance.
Here in this material world everyone is in ignorance—everyone, even Brahmā. Brahmā, he was ignorant, but he was given knowledge by Kṛṣṇa. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Ādi-kavi means Brahmā. So the Vedic knowledge, tene brahma . . . Brahma means this Vedic knowledge, śabda-brahman. So there was one creature, Brahmā only, but he was educated. How he was educated? Hṛdā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Because at that time there was no other way but to transfer the knowledge from within. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te (BG 10.10). That is caitya-guru, Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā. So Brahmā was also educated. That means beginning from Brahmā down to the small insect, they are all in ignorance, all fools and rascals. That is the constitutional position. Nobody should be proud of his knowledge. Everyone is a rascal. Everyone. Here it is said, kliśyamānānām avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ. So Brahmā is desiring that, "If I can get the opportunity, the post of Brahmā, and I can create a big universe . . ." He was also thinking like that. And the small insects, it is also thinking like that—"If I can create a small hole within the room, then I can live very peacefully and eat." The same propensity. As Brahmā is thinking to create an universe, you are thinking to create an skyscraper building, the ant is thinking to create a hole within the room—the quality of the work is the same.
But because we are fools, that these things are material . . . it will not stay. On account of ignorance, we are thinking that, "This will be very nice," "This will be very nice," "This will be very nice." Kāma-karmabhiḥ, creating some kāma, desire, and working in that way. Therefore kliśyanti. To become Brahmā, that is not very easy thing. Brahmā is such a big post, very qualified, highly advanced in austerities, penance. He is given . . . he's also a living entity. Just like in your America, you are also a citizen, and President Nixon or Ford, he's also citizen. But by dint of his ardent labor and diplomacy, this way, tha . . . he has captured that post. But he's an ordinary citizen. Just like President Nixon: now he's dragged down; he's no more president. Ordinary citizen. Similarly, if you like you can also become Brahmā. Kāma-karmabhiḥ.
Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, brahma-janme nāhi mora āśa, kīṭa-janma hao yathā tuwā dāsa. This is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's song, that "Let me become one insect where there is Your devotee, because if I fall down on the dust of the devotee, my life will be successful." Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, kīṭa-janma hao yathā tuwā dāsa, bahir-mukha brahma . . . Brahma-janma is not easy. It is very difficult. But if Brahmā is bahir-mukha—bahir-mukha means not devotee of Kṛṣṇa—it is possible. Because we are in ignorance, māyā, at any time we can forget Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have to always be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so that we may not forget Kṛṣṇa. And that is stated here, śravaṇa-smaraṇa-arhaṇa. Śravaṇa means hearing, and smaraṇa means memorizing, and arhaṇa means worshiping the Deity. If you engage yourself always in this business . . .
Our . . . all these centers are being opened only for this business—chanting, dancing, worshiping—so that we may not forget Kṛṣṇa. So sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). If we are always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then there is chance at the end of life—ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). Then there is chance. Everything has to be practiced. Just like if you want to dance in the stage, so you have to perform many rehearsal, how to dance, how to dance, how to dance. Then, if you become expert dancer, then when you dance on the stage, you get acclaim: "Ah." (makes sound of applause:) "Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat. Very good dancer." But that "very good dancer," you cannot say, "I go immediately to the stage, and I become a good dancer." That is not possible. If one says, "No, no, no, I don't . . . I shall not attend the rehearsal. You give me the stage, I shall . . ." No, no. No director will allow him, that he's a rascal. He's a rascal. You cannot become all of a . . . a nice dancer without practicing it.
So real purpose of life is ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante . . . (BG 8.6). If at the time of death you can remember, you can memorize Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Smaraṇa. So it has to be practiced.