So śamo damaḥ, brahminical first qualification, can be practiced provided you agree to undergo tapasya, tapaḥ. And it is not very difficult. Not that because these boys, European, American boys, have given up these bad habit, they are dying for it. No. Rather, their parents, their countrymen, say they are bright-faced. When they chant on the street, they become surprised, their fathers. And some of the fathers, they come to thank me, "Swamiji, it is our great fortune that you have come to our country," because they know that how their sons are being rectified from the LSD habit. Professor Judah has written a book, very nice book, appreciating that "How these LSD men could become Kṛṣṇa conscious servant of Kṛṣṇa?" So it is... Everything is possible provided you agree, tapasya. Śamo damas tapaḥ.
Then śaucam: very clean. Everyone must take bath thrice daily and wash the cloth. This is śaucam, external, śaucam. So they are doing that. They are rising early in the morning at half past three and taking bath. In this country they don't even require hot water, in cold water. Śaucam, very cleanse. Śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntiḥ, toleration. Kṣāntir ārjavam, simplicity. Kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca jñānam, knowledge. What is that knowledge? Knowledge that "I am not this body." This is knowledge. And if simply I think "I am this body," you may advance in your so-called scientific knowledge; you are a fool. This is called jñānam. And vijñānam, practical application. Jñānaṁ vijñānam, then āstikyam. Āstikyam means to believe in the injunction of the śāstra, āstikyam. That is called theism. One who does not believe in the injunction... Just like Kṛṣṇa is advise in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, he is āstika. One who does not believe, he is nāstika. This is the āstika and nāstika. So our nāstika definition means one who does not believe in the Vedic instruction. He is called nāstika. So brāhmaṇa must be āstikyam.
- śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ
- kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca
- jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ
- brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
- (BG 18.42)
If you acquire this qualification, then you are brāhmaṇa. So is it very difficult? Simply there is no training center. Throughout the whole world there is no such training department. There are many department of knowledge, but how to create an ideal brāhmaṇa, there is no education. There is no education.
Therefore the brāhmaṇa is considered to be the head of the body. Just like we have got this body, this head is to be considered as brāhmaṇa, and the arm is to be considered as kṣatriya, the belly is to be considered as vaiśya and the leg is considered as śūdra. So as to maintain this body nicely you must everything in order—the head, brain must be in order, the hand, arms must be in order, the belly must be digesting food and getting energy and the leg also must walk—similarly—sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ, never mind you are a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—if your aim is to keep the body in order, then either you become brāhmaṇa, either you become kṣatriya or śūdra, everything is in order. That is required. Unless these instructions are followed as given by Kṛṣṇa... He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He comes there. He leaves this instruction. If you take advantage of this instruction and make your society, family, or government, everything, according to the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, then everything is perfect. Otherwise you are doomed. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (applause)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Questions, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: If anybody... (break) ...would like to ask His Divine Grace, please just come forward and speak through the microphone so everyone can hear.
Indian man (1): Swamiji, is there any truth in the belief that if two persons marry each other during a certain specific time of the year, their marriage will be more prosperous than would otherwise be the case?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's asking is there any truth to the statement that if two people marry each other at a certain time, their marriage will be more auspicious or prosperous than if they marry at other times?
Prabhupāda: Marriage. So, according to Bhagavad-gītā, married life is required. Sex under marriage rules is permitted. Dharma-viruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Sex life... Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. These are bodily necessities-eating, sleeping, sex, and defense. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. So that, these four kinds of necessities are there in the animals also. The dog also eats, sleep, sex life and defend. Then what is the difference between the dog's life and man's life? The difference is the dog's life is not regulated under religious principle. The man's life is regulated under religious principle. So under religious principle if you arrange for sex life, then it is good. Otherwise it is dog's life. That's all. (applause)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Any other question?
Indian man (2): Swamiji, throughout the world the kind of religion that is practiced hasn't seemed to help to solve the problems. We find that people throughout the world are ill-fed, ill-clothed and ill-housed. Do you think a movement of this type could solve the problem?
Prabhupāda: Yes. I have already explained what is meaning of religion. Religion means to render service to God. If you do not render service to God, that is not religion; that is cheating. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām (SB 1.1.2), that "Cheating type of religion is completely rejected from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." That is not dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). This is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: (SB 6.3.19) "Dharma means the codes and the law given by God." So God says that, to surrender unto Him. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. So if one does not surrender to God, that religion has no meaning. It is useless.