Prabhupāda: According to Vedic conception, these four things are sinful activities, four pillars. Just like four pillars, the legs of this table, similarly, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling are the four legs of sinful life.
Guest (1): What do you consider illicit sex?
Prabhupāda: Illicit sex means animal life. The marriage is in the human society, not in the dog society. So if one has illicit sex, that means he is no better than dog.
Guest (2): I don't quite understand that. Did you say that illicit means sex between people who are not married?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Sex is allowed only married couple. And that is also only for begetting child.
Guest (1): Married under what law? Under what religion? Under what religious law?
Prabhupāda: There is in Bhagavad-gītā, that dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Find out. You can come here and read.
Paramahaṁsa: Which was that? Dharma...
Prabhupāda: Dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi.
Paramahaṁsa: Dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu?
Prabhupāda: No, dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Dharma-aviruddha. You know that verse.
Paramahaṁsa: Is that balaṁ balavatāṁ cāham?
Prabhupāda: Ah, yes, yes, yes.
Paramahaṁsa:
- balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ
- kāma-rāga-vivarjitam
- dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu
- kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha
Translation: "I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O Lord of the Bhāratas, Arjuna."
Guest (1): You can follow actually? What does that exactly mean? It's a direct translation, I think.
Paramahaṁsa: He says, "What does that exactly mean?"
Prabhupāda: Explain to him.
Paramahaṁsa: Well, as it explains here, "The strong man's strength should be applied to protect the weak, not for personal aggression. Similarly, sex life, according to religious principles, dharma, should be for the propagation of children, not otherwise. The responsibility of parents is then to make their offspring Kṛṣṇa conscious."
Guest (2): The question was which religion, which religious principle?
Paramahaṁsa: Well, he means our marriage under... We accept that marriage, sex life in marriage, is licit, not illicit. So he asked, "Under what religious principles or under which religion?"
Prabhupāda: Any religion. Christian religion does not allow illicit sex. No adultery.
Guest (2): Any religious principles?
Prabhupāda: This is religious principle. In the animal kingdom there is no marriage, but in the human society—may be Christian, may be Hindu, may be Muslim—there is marriage system. That is religious system.
Guest (2): Is polygamy illicit?
Prabhupāda: No.
Guest (2): Not illicit. But it is...
Prabhupāda: Polygamy means if it is married. Just like in the Vedic society they used to marry many wives. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa had sixteen thousand wives. And He maintained them sixteen thousand palaces. And He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand Kṛṣṇas. So that is a different thing; He is God. But if you can maintain each and every wife, you can marry more than one wife. But if you are unable to maintain, that is illicit. All the kṣatriya kings, they used to marry more than one wife. Still in India, the kṣatriyas, kings, they have more than one wife. But they maintain very nicely.