"Only Rascal Says Krishna Is Immoral"

73/07/31 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.44



Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

Translation: "Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness."

Prabhupada:

aho bata mahat-papam
kartum vyavasita vayam
yad rajya-sukha-lobhena
hantum svajanam udyatah
[Bg. 1.44]

So sometimes Arjuna is accused, Bhagavad-gita is also accused, that "There is violence. There is violence. Bhagavad-gita is full of violence." Yes, it is full of violence. The warfield. But here the Vaisnava thinking, Arjuna is thinking that it was arranged for his rajya-sukha. Yad rajya-sukha-lobhena. Lobhena. It was arranged for the satisfaction of Arjuna so that he could enjoy the kingdom and the happiness thereof. Actually, it was not so. It was arranged by Krsna for His satisfaction, not for Arjuna's satisfaction. So that is the difference between ordinary work and devotional service. Devotional service and ordinary work, they look almost equal. Just like we are living in this house. The neighbors, they may think that "Some people are living here, chanting, dancing. We also dance. We also sometimes sing. And eating, they are also eating. Then what is the difference?" They may think that "What is the difference between devotional service and ordinary work?" It looks almost equal. Therefore people misunderstand that Bhagavad-gita is ordinary warfare, violence. But it is not that. It is arranged by Krsna because, to fulfill His mission. His mission is paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. That is His satisfaction, not Arjuna's satisfaction, not anyone's satisfaction. It is His plan. He comes, He descends on this planet, in this universe, just to establish the real purpose of religious life and to kill, to vanquish those who are opposing the real purpose of life, human life. That is His mission, simultaneously two things. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam.

So svajanam.

aho bata mahat-papam
kartum vyavasita vayam
yad rajya-sukha-lobhena
hantum svajanam udyatah

Svajanam means kinsmen. So kinsmen does not mean, in higher sense, only my brother or my sister or my father or my uncle. No. Svajanam means all living entities. Because one who hasn't got Krsna consciousness, with ordinary consciousness, material consciousness, he cannot think in terms of svajanam. "My kinsmen, all living entities," he cannot think. Actually, everyone is our svajanam, because if God is father, as Krsna claims, aham bija-pradah pita, if He is the supreme father... Not only He claims, at least, any fine religious system claims, "God is the original father." That's a fact. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. Everything has come from Him. He is the supreme father. So if Krsna is the supreme father, He is father of everyone. Sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. In all species of life, in all forms of life, they are all our svajana, kinsmen. How it cannot be? Because Krsna is the original father. This is Krsna consciousness. Therefore a devotee of Krsna does not want to commit a little harm to any living entity. That is Krsna consciousness.

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]

Pandita, one who is learned, he is sama-darsinah, equal vision. Not that... Just Krsna has equal vision... That picture, Krsna, He's embracing the calf. He is not only embracing the gopis, but He is embracing the calf also, cows also. Sama-darsinah. For Krsna the gopis, the calf and the cows or anyone in Vrndavana who has come to serve Him, they are all equal to Him. Somebody wants to serve Krsna as calf, somebody wants to serve Krsna as cow, somebody wants to serve Krsna as gopi, somebody wants to serve Krsna as cowherd boy, somebody wants to serve Krsna as His father, somebody wants to serve Krsna as His mother. These are the different mellows, different tastes. Every living entity has got his own taste, how to love Krsna. But the central point is to love Krsna. Krsna also reciprocates. He has no discrimination that "Here is gopi, beautiful girl. Therefore I shall love her more than the calf." No. Krsna is not so partial. Similarly, Krsna's devotees also, because he has... Krsna consciousness means he has got now in minute quantity Krsna's quality. Therefore he is also equal to everyone. He thinks everyone svajana, the member of the same family. It does not matter if one has become ant or one has become elephant. The living spark, the soul, is the same dimension, either within the ant or in the elephant. This dimension of the soul we have several times discussed, 1/10,000th part of the top of the hair.

kesagra-sata-bhagasya
satadha kalpitasya ca
jivo bhagah sa vijneyah
sa canantyaya kalpate
[Cc. Madhya 19.140]

That is the dimension. In sastra we get the dimension of the soul -- very, very minute: 1/10,000th part of the top of the hair. Just imagine. So that portion is within the ant and within Brahma and within elephant. Therefore, one who is pandita, one who knows what are these souls, spiritual sparks, part and parcel of Krsna, if he has got full knowledge, then his vision is

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi-hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]

Sama-darsinah means equal vision. A learned brahmana, he is most intelligent man in the human society, and a dog... Superficially, externally, there is much difference. Here is a dog, a street dog, and here is a learned brahmana. But one who is pandita, one who is Krsna conscious, he sees that the pandita and the dog, they are the same, because they are also the same spiritual spark. By his karma, he has become a learned pandita, and by his karma, he has become a dog. But within the different body, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram [Bg. 2.13]. Asmin dehe, in this body there is the soul. That is his vision. Of course, externally, it is not that I shall behave equally with the brahmana and the dog. That is external behavior. But internally, we should know that both the brahmana and the dog, they're a spiritual spark. This is called brahma-jnana. Brahma-jnana means the knowledge of spiritual self. That is called brahma-jnana. So when one attains this brahma-jnana, then brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati, samah sarvesu bhutesu [Bg. 18.54]. Samata, equal. That is brahma-jnana.

So in this verse Krsna says, er, Arjuna says that yad rajya-sukha-lobhena hantum svajanam udyatah. So when are killing animals for the satisfaction of our tongue, this is mahat papam. Krsna, Arjuna says, aho bata mahat papam. Mahat papam, great sinful act, great sinful act. If we want to kill anyone, any living entity, for my satisfaction, either my tongue satisfaction or any sense satisfaction, it is maha-papam, great sinful act. Because they are all svajana. You cannot kill, either you take this sense or that sense. But Arjuna is speaking in a limited sense; he is thinking of his own family members. But if one is actually in knowledge, brahma-jnana, he thinks in the same way that "The lower animals, they are also our family members. And if I kill him for my satisfaction, my sense satisfaction, it is great sinful act." Unfortunately, everyone is killing for his sense gratification in the name of religion. In the name of religion, although it is prohibited, still they are killing. Just imagine how much sinful activities they are doing. And how they can be happy? Happiness, of course, a hog also thinks that he is very happy that he is eating stool, living in filthy place, and because he has got the facility of sex life without any discrimination he may think happy life, but that is not happiness. Happiness is different thing. Sukham atyantikam yat tad atindriya-grahyam. If you want to feel happiness by your these blunt material senses, that is not happiness. Happiness is beyond your material senses. Atyantikam. That is real happiness. Real happiness means it will never end, and you will never feel satiation, that "I no more want." That is real happiness. Material happiness, there is no such thing. That you will feel immediately satiation. After enjoying any material happiness a few minutes, you will feel "Again another, again another, again another." So therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, sukham atyantikam yat tat. So real, what is real happiness, that is not felt by these blunt material senses. So what is that sense? That is purified senses. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When our senses are purified, tat-paratvena, for the sake of Krsna, when our senses are employed for the sake of Krsna, that is purified senses. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate. That is wanted.

So here, in the beginning, Arjuna, he's thinking in terms of his blunt senses. But the same thing he will do. Atyantikam, atindriya, purified senses. Just try to understand. This is Krsna consciousness. Arjuna is now thinking, yad rajya-sukha-lobhena, "For the matter of getting kingdom and sense gratification, I am going to kill my kinsmen. So it is great sin." That's a fact. If the warfare in the Kuruksetra battlefield was for Arjuna's sense satisfaction, then it was a great sin. But actually, it is not being done for Arjuna's satisfaction. It is to be done for Krsna's satisfaction. So therefore the conclusion should be that whatever we do, if we do it for our own sense satisfaction, that is maha-papam, sinful activities. But if we do the same thing for Krsna's satisfaction, that is spiritual advancement. This is the difference. So outsiders, they think that... A karmi is working for his own satisfaction and a devotee is working for Krsna's satisfaction. Although two things are similar, externally it appears the same thing, but there is great difference. Whatever you do for your own satisfaction, for the satisfaction of your whims, that is maha-papa, great sin. The same thing, when you do for Krsna, that is opening your path to liberation, back to home, back to Godhead. This is difference. You have to change the consciousness. What you are doing? For whom you are doing? For yourself or for Krsna? This is Krsna consciousness. And that is the perfection of life. In whatever position you are, whatever you are doing, it doesn't matter. That is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam,

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhim hari-tosanam

Hari-tosanam means to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Hari. That is perfection. It doesn't matter what you are doing. Varnasrama-vibhagasah. First of all, "whatever doing," it does not mean whatever nonsense you are doing, that will be accepted. No. Varnasrama-vibhagasah. According to Vedic civilization, there is division of varna: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. So activities must be done according to the varnasrama prescription. A brahmana is ordered to do like this. Satyah samo damas titiksa arjavam. You should practice this. A ksatriya should practice this. And a vaisya should practice this. So therefore it is called varnasrama -- the prescribed duties are already there. Therefore perfect human society means... First of all there must be this division, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya. And when they act the duties of that particular position, brahmana, ksatriya, for the satisfaction of Krsna, that is perfection of life. It doesn't matter whether you are a sudra or you are a brahmana, but if you act for the satisfaction of Krsna according to the prescription of your position, then your life is perfect. That is wanted. The whole human civilization should be based on this principle. There must be division. The division is already there. They should be coordinated, systematized. Not that everyone is brahmana. Brahmana means the intelligent man. So we should pick up the intelligent men. They should be trained as brahmana. Those who are martial, having fighting spirit, they should be selected as ksatriya. Those who are for increasing money, mercantile mentality, they should be also collected. Similarly, sudras. And they should be trained, everyone, to satisfy Krsna. Varnasrama-vibhagasah. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhim hari-tosanam.

So here Arjuna is a fighter, he is engaged in fighting. Now he is thinking that is proper. He is Vaisnava. He is devotee. He is properly thinking that "For my sense gratification I am going to kill my kinsmen? Oh, what a great sinful activity I am going to do." But actually, Krsna is not engaging His devotee to act sinfully. No. That is not Krsna's business. Although superficially it appears that Krsna is engaging Arjuna to fight in the sinful activities, no, that is not sinful. Whatever Krsna does, it is not sinful; it is transcendental, the most pure activity. The rascals who do not understand Krsna, they say that Krsna is immoral. They do not know what is Krsna and what is Krsna's action. They do not know. They think, "Now, Krsna is engaging Arjuna to fight. Oh, it is immoral. Why Krsna should engage Arjuna in the fighting business?" So therefore... Or "Why Krsna is engaged in dancing with the gopis? They are wives and sister of other men. It is sinful." If we enjoy with others' wife or others' daughter or others' sister, who is not bona fide my wife, if I want to enjoy life, that illicit sex... Krsna is not doing that. But artificially, those who have nonsense, they see that "Krsna is dancing at dead of night with others' daughters and girls. Therefore He is immoral." But that means he does not know what is Krsna. Krsna can do anything. Tejiyasam na dosaya. Tejiyasam na dosaya. Just like the sun is very powerful. As you see in this material world, a sun, a material thing, and it is very powerful, but the sun is soaking water, taking water from the sea as well as from filthy place. So he is also evaporating water from urine also. In filthy place, sewer ditches, he is evaporating water, as well as from the sea. But does it mean by evaporating water from the sewer ditch and urine, the sun is becoming polluted? No. Rather, he is turning that place, what is called, prophylactic, antiseptic, by his sunshine. Similarly, even though somebody comes to Krsna with some purpose which is not moral, but the man or woman who comes there, he becomes, he or she becomes purified. And Krsna does not become immoral. This science has to be known by the rascals before calling Krsna immoral. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascid vetti mam tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]

These rascals, they do not know what is Krsna. They think Krsna is ordinary man. "Why He is engaging Arjuna in the fighting? Why He is dancing with others' daughter and girls? These are immoral things." Therefore this rasa dance should not be discussed among the fools and rascals. They'll misunderstand. Although the professional reciters, they take part, whenever they speak of Bhagavata, they immediately jump over the rasa dance. That is not to be done. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never indulged in such thing. For mass of people He engaged Himself in sankirtana. And when Krsna's dealing with the gopis were discussed, He was discussing amongst three selected devotees: Ramananda Raya, Svarupa Damodara and Sikhi Mahati. He had thousands and thousands of devotees, but He never discussed Krsna's rasa-lila in the mass of people, never did it. Therefore it is restricted. Because they will misunderstand. These rascals, they do not know what is Krsna, and they will misunderstand. They will be polluted. Of course, not polluted. Because after all, they will hear about Krsna. But they may misunderstand. That is against their making progress to the spiritual life.

So Krsna is not immoral. Krsna is not engaging Arjuna to commit such sinful activities, svajanam hatva. No. Krsna is engaging him in His service. So one has to understand that. So when Arjuna will understand that "This war, this fighting is not for my sense gratification, it is for Krsna's sense gratification..." Then he agreed, because he is a devotee. Karisye vacanam tava: [Bg. 18.73] "Yes I shall now act." This is the proposition. So atmendriya-trpti-vancha dhare tara nama kama. Kama means lust. What is lust? Lust means whenever you try to satisfy your senses, that is called lust. And the same, whenever you try to satisfy Krsna's senses, that is love. Practically the same business, but personal and Krsna. So Krsna consciousness movement means we have to act everything for Krsna under proper direction. We cannot manufacture that "I am doing for Krsna." Then that is another misleading. Therefore we require the guidance of the spiritual master. Krsna. Guru-krsna-krpaya. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, that you have to seek the mercy both of Krsna and guru, not that you have become so advanced that you are directly in connection with Krsna and whatever you are doing, it is mercy. No. Don't think like that. It must be guided, it must be confirmed by guru. Guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Bhakti line is there. So our business is, Krsna consciousness movement is that we have to satisfy Krsna. That reference by that Professor Zaehner, that one rogue, he did by his whims, and he alleged that "After reading Bhagavad-gita violence, he committed this violence." So did he take permission from Krsna or Krsna's representative? But he does not know the technique. He has unnecessarily accused, committed a great offense to the lotus feet of Krsna. So therefore inexperienced persons, they should not try to teach Bhagavad-gita to others because he has no knowledge. This knowledge has to be received by parampara system. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So simply by academic career, by knowledge of ABCD, you cannot understand Bhagavad-gita. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me, without becoming bhakta... Therefore Sanatana Gosvami has forbidden that "Don't hear anything about Krsna from a person who is not a Vaisnava." Avaisnava-mukhodgirna-puta-hari-kathamrtam sravanam na karta... This is prohibited. You cannot hear. But this audience or the students, they also do not know that "Here is a rascal, he is not a devotee, he is not a Vaisnava. Why shall we hear from him Bhagavad-gita?" The first condition is bhakto 'si. And the prohibition is also by acaryas. Avaisnava-mukhodgirna-puta-hari-kathamrtam sravanam na kartavyam. Puta-hari-kathamrtam. Hari-katha, talks of Krsna, they are by themselves pure. But still, it is prohibited that if it is spoken by an avaisnava, nondevotee, one should not hear, should not hear. Must immediately reject. First of all, we have to see who is going to speak about Krsna. Is it a devotee of Krsna? Is he a Vaisnava or not? If he is not, then immediately reject: "Oh, we are not going to hear from you." But people do not know. Any rascal speaking about Bhagavad-gita we hear. That is not the process. Then you will misunderstand. Avaisnava-mukhod..., sarpocchistam payo yatha. Just like milk is very good food, everyone knows. But when it is touched by the tongue of the serpent, it is poison immediately. So we cannot drink poison. Don't hear Bhagavad-gita or any talk about Krsna from a person who is not a Vaisnava, who is not a devotee of Krsna. We'll misunderstand. Just like they will say, they will say, "Oh, Krsna is engaging Arjuna for fighting, for committing so many sinful activities." No, that is not the fact. Krsna is engaging Arjuna fighting, to fighting, just to serve His purpose. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. And Arjuna is executing the mission of Krsna not for his personal benefit. These are the things.

That's all right. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973

"There Is Only One Remedy"

73/07/30 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.43


Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

utsanna-kula-dharmanam
manusyanam janardana
narake niyatam vaso
bhavatity anususruma
[Bg. 1.43]

Translation: "O Krsna, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic succession that those who destroy family traditions dwell always in hell."

Prabhupada: So family tradition, whose family tradition? Manusyanam. Family... Manusyanam, those who are human being, they have got family and family rituals, kula-dharma, jati-dharma. Just like catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. This is meant for the human being, manusyanam, not for the animals. So unless the human society accepts this principle of varnasrama-dharma ordained by Krsna, the Supreme Lord, he is not considered amongst the human being. They are as good as animals because there is no regular, systematic principles of how to live, a human being. Therefore in the Visnu Purana... When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was talking with Ramananda Raya, so Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, "What is the actual aim of life?" Sadhya-sadhana. Sadhya and sadhana. "What is the aim?" Sadhya means what for this human form of life we have got. That is called sadhya, the goal, the goal of life. And sadhana. Sadhana means the activity by which we can attain, we can achieve that goal of life. This is called sadhya-sadhana. The Darwin theory, although they are giving some idea of progressive evolution, but he does not know what is the goal of life, why this progress is there. That these rascals they do not know. Simply just imagining, taking some whims from the Padma Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana. Asitims catvarams caiva, jiva-jatisu, laksams tan jiva-jatisu. There are 8,400,000 types of jiva-jatis. Asitims catvarams caiva laksams tan jiva-jatisu. So this is already there. Brahmadbhih. In this way the living entity is wandering in the cycle of transmigration of the soul. So from this, Mr. Darwin might have taken some hints, but he could not explain properly. He could not catch up that brahmadbhih, who is wandering. So it is a chaos.

So anyway, why this living entity is wandering, not fixed up? So there must be some goal. He is hankering after that. There must be some goal of life. To achieve that goal of life that is called sadhya. Why we are struggling here for happiness or something else? We are struggling. So this question was raised by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that "What is the goal of life?" Unless there is goal of life, why there is struggle? Why... There must be some goal of life, sadhya. And sadhana. Sadhana means the means by which we can achieve that goal of life. That is called sadhana, sadhana. So Ramananda Raya quoted... Because when there is talk between two learned persons, they... Just like nowadays it has become a fashion: "In my opinion," "I think in this way." What, nonsense, what you can think? What is your knowledge? But he is very proud. Everyone like that. The other day, that Sir Alistair? Alistair Hardy came. He also said, "It is my opinion." Nobody thinks that he is a nonsense number one; what is the value of his opinion? Nobody thinks. But this is the Vedic principle. Even Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He, when He was asked by Prakasananda Sarasvati that "You are a sannyasi. You do not engage Yourself in the study of Vedanta. You are simply chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." So... Because a sannyasi is supposed to be always reading Vedanta philosophy especially and all other philosophy. So "What is this, that you are chanting like a sentimental person?" So Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "Yes, My Guru Maharaja, spiritual master, saw Me a fool number one." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it was known to Prakasananda Sarasvati, He was a great learned scholar in His student life. So He is posing Himself as a fool number one. So this is the way. Caitanya-caritamrta the author of Caitanya-caritamrta, he is presenting himself: purisera kita haite muni sei laghistha: "I am lower than the worm of the stool." Purisera kita haite muni sei laghistha. Laghistha means lower, lowest. Jagai madhai haite muni sei papistha. Jagai and Madhai was taken, they were drunkards, woman hunters. Therefore they were sinful. So Caitanya-caritamrta kahe, says that jagai madhai haite muni sei papistha. This is the way, nobody think himself as one has become very big man and he has his own opinion to give. This is rascaldom. So everyone should think that "What is my value?" That is really learned, humble and meek. Nobody should think that "Now I have learned everything. I can surpass everyone. I have become above all rules and regulation. Now I have become paramahamsa." This is rascaldom. Everyone should always think, "I am fool number one." Therefore the endeavor will go on, to become perfect. If we think that "Now I have become perfect, paramahamsa," then the spiritual regulative principles will never be followed, and you will fall down.

So here Arjuna also says that narake niyatam vaso bhavati iti anususruma:."Krsna, I have heard it from authorative sources." He never says, "Krsna, in my opinion, if it is done like that, then people will go to hell." He does not give his own opinion. He says iti, "Thus," anususruma, "I have heard." This is called parampara system. Nobody should give his own opinion. He must quote the authoritative statement to support his proposition. So similarly, when Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked that "What is the aim of life and how to achieve it?" so Ramananda Raya, he did not give his own opinion, that "In my opinion, like this." Here also Arjuna says, ity anususruma, "I have heard it." He heard it means... Susruma means "heard from authority." So Ramananda Raya said that "Real purpose of life, goal of life, is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just like as we are citizens, what is our duty? We want to satisfy the authority, the government. When one serves the government nicely, in this country he is recognized as knight. He is recognized as earl, as lord, as... So many, they have got titles. Every country, when a person is very exalted citizen, then he is recognized by the government. So if this is the system in our ordinary life, then the aim of life should be to satisfy the supreme governor, or supreme government. It is very common sense. But they have no supreme government. They think, "Whatever government we make, that is final." No. There are so many kingdoms, so many planets. In each planet there is government, there is authority, and above all of them, there is the supreme authority, Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. This is the sastric injunction. There are many controller. In this planet there is controller. There is another planet, another planet. Even Brahma is the controller of the whole universe. Just like in our government there is system. One department... Several departments is being managed by another director. Several directors is being managed by another secretary. As... The same system. Krsna is the supreme proprietor, sarva-loka-mahesvara, and He has got many secretaries, assistants. They are called Brahma. So Brahma means the manager of one brahmanda, universe. And there are millions of Brahmas, millions, trillions. They are numberless. Ananta-koti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-kotih [Bs. 5.40]. Koti. Koti means unlimited. Jagad-anda. Jagad-anda means universe. Brahmanda or jagad-anda. Anda. Anda means it is egg-shaped, round, egg-shaped. Therefore it is called anda, brahmanda. Bhu-gola. Gola means round. I have heard that before the science, the people were under the impression that this world is square. Is it not?

Devotees: Flat.

Prabhupada: Flat. Flat, yes. But in the Vedic sastra, millions of years ago it is mentioned: bhu-gola. Gola means round. Just see. And these rascals say that formerly people were not so intelligent. They are intelligent because they are thinking that this world is flat. And those who have spoken millions of years ago, "It is round," they will have less intelligence. Just see. Bhu, gola. Gola means round. Bhu-gola. Similarly, jagad-anda. Abda means round, just like egg. Anda means egg. Jagad-anda. This universe is egg-shaped. And we can see also, the sky is round. This is the wall of this universe.

So anyway, so as we are here, in this small government, our business is to satisfy the governor... Suppose if you decry the queen. If you say publicly in a meeting that "Queen is a prostitute." Then what will be? Immediately you will be arrested and punished. In your private house you can say. Nobody will hear. But if you say such thing nonsense in public, immediately you will be criminal. Therefore your duty is to respect the queen, to abide by the orders of the government. That is your aim of good citizenship. What is the difference between good citizen and outlaws? The difference is a good citizen is always trying to satisfy the government by abiding the laws given by the government. So therefore our ultimate goal is to satisfy the supreme government, Krsna. Because Krsna is the supreme. These universes, they are Krsna's kingdom. There are many kingdoms. Just like we have got many universes within this material world, similarly, there are many spiritual planets in the spiritual world. These are common-sense affairs. Why people will not understand? Therefore our business is to satisfy Krsna, to become perfect, satisfy Krsna. Visnur aradhyate. So how visnur aradhyate? This is the philosophy. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. Suppose in an office your immediate boss, some superintendent of the office, you follow his orders, although he is not final. Above the superintendent of the office, there is another secretary. Above the secretary, there is one other director. Above the director, there is managing director. These are common-sense things. Similarly there are many, many controllers, but the supreme controller is Krsna, or Visnu. So it is common-sense affair that our aim of life is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Visnu, or Krsna. This is common sense. Is there any other reasoning that "Why He should be satisfied?"? No. You have to satisfy.

So this is Vaisnavism. One who wants to satisfy Visnu, he is called Vaisnava. That is Vaisnavism. Visnu means the Supreme Lord. So everything is arranged to satisfy the Lord Visnu. So where from it begins? The cats and dogs, they can be trained up for satisfying Visnu? No, there is no possibility. They are dogs, animals. They are simply busy with four principles of life: eating, sleeping, sex-life and defending. That's all. They cannot be trained up that "You become very obedient to Lord Visnu. Become a devotee." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. "You become the devotee of Krsna." No, that is not possible. Therefore it is said that manusyanam. Manusyanam. It is the duty of the manusya, not of the dog. Manusyanam. Utsanna-kula-dharmanam manusyanam janardana.

So human life has got a great responsibility. If you become like cats and dog, the hippies, then utsanna, everything is destroyed. Utsanna-kula-dharma. They have no family. They don't care for any rules and regulation. Utsanna, everything destroyed. Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-sthah. No family life, no taking bath, no worship, nothing of... All irresponsible. I have seen it in Amsterdam. What is that park?

Hamsaduta: Vondal Park.

Prabhupada: Horrible. Actually this, this, what was spoken by Arjuna five thousand years ago, it is now happening. Utsanna, all destroyed, finished. Kula-dharmanam. No family life. So therefore for human being, it is the duty to understand his position, and it is his duty to satisfy the Supreme Lord. This is the whole plan. Therefore Ramananda Raya quoted the verse from Visnu Purana that varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman, visnur aradhyate. Because the aim is to satisfy Visnu, to become Vaisnava. To become brahmana is also lower status. You will hear from the Caitanya-caritamrta that our Madhavendra Puri, he was installing Deities. So there are many brahmanas, caste brahmana, born in... So in order to give charge of worship to those brahmanas, he initiated them to become Vaisnava. Because without becoming Vaisnava, nobody has got right to worship Visnu. Visnu will not accept anything from anyone unless he is devotee. And Visnu is poverty-stricken that He has come to take from you? He cannot eat? He has no eating means? No. He agrees to accept our offering just on the basis of love. The Vaisnava loves Visnu, and Visnu agrees to accept any foodstuff. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. That bhakti is main thing, not your palatable dish. Visnu is quite competent to prepare thousand times better palatable dishes than you can offer. But the real thing is bhakti.

So visnur aradhanam means visnur ar..., that should be the aim of human life. Visnur aradhana means one must become a Vaisnava, and Vaisnava means regulated life, not destroyed everything, finished, to become hogs. That is not Vaisnava. Vaisnava means regulated, end -- to, how to satisfy Visnu. So whole Vedic scheme is there, how to satisfy Visnu. Therefore it is said that utsanna kula-dharmanam manusyanam. In the human life, if they do not follow the regulative principles of family life, family tradition and systematic arrangement of four divisions of the society, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra... In this way we can satisfy the Supreme Lord. Our aim is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, and this can be done perfectly if we follow the regulative principles of jati-dharma, kula-dharma. Jati-dharma means if you are born in the family of a brahmana you have got particular duties. Simply if you think yourself that "I am born in a brahmana family; my duty is all finished. Now I can do whatever nonsense..." They think like that. I have spoken. They are very much proud of taking birth in brahmana family. So when others are engaged in devotional service, they say, "Oh, you are born in lower family. You have got to do this. We are born in brahmana... We have nothing to do." You see? But they do not know that jati-dharma kula-ghnanam, utsanna-kula-dharmanam. If you are actually brahmana, you must keep your family tradition. That is brahmana. Otherwise if you sacrifice everything of your family tradition... Just like in your country, the Lord family. The Lord family is maintained. The government, the Lord family has got money deposited with the government, and government gives the interest so that the family tradition may be maintained, the aristocratic style. Or if they spoil, they no more cares for them. Then their house will be sold and they will be street-beggar. That's all. No more Lord family.

So everywhere, you take politically or socially or spiritually, for human beings, if you want to make your life successful, then you must keep the tradition of brahmana-vaisnava. So our, we are Vaisnava. Our only tradition is how to satisfy Visnu. That is the tradition of everyone, but, especially Vaisnavas. They must be very alert, very careful, how to keep Lord Visnu or Krsna satisfied. That is our only business. So you should not neglect it. Then utsanna-kula-dharmanam,... then you will spoil everything. When you have invited Visnu, Krsna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to accept your service, you must be very, very careful how to render service. How cleansely, how nicely you have to serve. Otherwise everything will be spoiled. Utsanna-kula-dharmanam. A Vaisnava's kula-dharma is simply to satisfy Krsna. So in the... Manusyanam. Actually, human life begins when he is ready to serve the Supreme Lord Visnu. That is human life; otherwise it is animal life. Therefore the whole world is in chaos. They are not eager to serve Visnu. They are simply eager to serve their senses. Go-dasa. Servant of the senses. So instead of becoming servant of the senses, you have to become master of the senses. That is called gosvami. If you remain servant of the senses, then you are go-dasa. Kamadinam katidha kati na.... That is animal life. But when you become master of the senses... How it is possible, master of the senses? Now, if you employ your senses always in the service of Krsna, your senses are already controlled. Just like your tongue. Your tongue asks you, "Go to the restaurant and eat some nice thing." But if you are a Vaisnava, if you have this vow that "I shall not allow my tongue to eat anything except prasadam," it is already controlled. That means, to control the senses means to engage the senses in the service of the Lord. This is control. Otherwise, by force... Just like the yogis, they try artificially by some gymnastic. That may be possible for some time, but it is... There are many instances, it became... [break] Because by force they cannot control the senses. That is not possible. You must give better engagement. [break] By force, if you think that "I shall control my tongue, I shall control my eyes, I shall control my genital, I shall control my belly." Artificial. That may be possible for some time. But they are so strong, the senses are so strong, artificially it cannot be stopped. Param drstva... [break]... stated in the Bhagavad-gita. You give the senses better engagement. Then you can control. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir uttama. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena... [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. [break] You have to purify the senses. How? By engaging the senses in the ser... [break]... tat paratvena. [break] Then you will be able to purify the senses, and with purified senses, when you are engaged in the service of the Supreme, that is called bhakti.

So if we are actually human beings, manusyanam... [break] Kula-dharma, this family tradition, is not meant for the cats and dogs. If you live like cats... [break] ...there is no question of family tradition. But if you live, want to live like human being, manusyanam, then this system must be... [break] ...purusena parah puman. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Then society must be divided into four classes... As we have got four divisions in [break] ...brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra must be there. [break] And each one should serve according to his guna-karma, quality and capacity to work. Then the whole society is organized... [break] ...will be perfect, there will be peace... [break] ...no war, nothing of the sort, and gradually making progress back to home, back to Godhead. Otherwise it will be chaos... [break] ...become at the present moment.

So... [break] ...utsanna kula-dharmanam manusyanam. Manusya, janardana. Jana means general public, and "one who controls." Krsna controls every... [break] ...Janaradana. So "My dear Janardana, Krsna, in the human society, if we spoil this traditional process, then what...? It becomes..." Narake niyatam vaso. If you do not... [break] ...if we live like cats and dog, then next life we get cats and dog... [break] But these rascals, they do not know. They do not believe in the next life. So it is horrible condition. Purposefully you put yourself if you do not follow... [break] ...process. The varnasrama-dharma... [break]... society. Utsanna-kula-dharmanam manusyanam janardana, narake niyatam. Niyatam means always. [break] Just like the hog, hellish life... [break] ...eating stool, living in filthy place. maya is dictating, "You are... [break] ...more than a king." Yes. Sometimes Indra became a hog, and... By the curse of Brhaspati. So when Brahma again came to recall him,... [break] ...he was Indra. He denied. [break] ...responsibility. Family... [break]... The hog... [break] ...avaranatmika-sakti. [break] ...lowest standard of living. He will think that "I am very happy." This is called avarana... [break] So if the hog thinks that "I am living..." [break] ...Then he will die. in the human mind,... [break] ...hellish condition of life, then he can make progress in spiritual life. And for so long he thinks that "I am living very peacefully, very happily..." [break] ... then athato brahma jijnasa. Unless one comes to that... That sense will come when one follows the tradition of family life. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase =>

"Relief From Today's Hell"

73/07/29 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.41-42



Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

sankaro narakayaiva
kula-ghnanam kulasya ca
patanti pitaro hy esam
lupta-pindodaka-kriyah
[Bg. 1.41]

Translation: "When there is increase of unwanted population, a hellish situation is created both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition. In such corrupt families, there is no offering of oblations of food and water to the ancestors."

Prabhupada: Sankaro narakayaiva. When there are unwanted children, then the family tradition, the family obligation, they are all forgotten. At the present moment, nobody knows that after death there is life, and still such life is connected with the family, the forefathers and the descendants. Nothing of this science is known at the present moment. More or less, exactly like animals. That's all. An animal has no such feelings of connections. Simply the number of days he will eat. He will eat, sleep, have sex life and die, that's all. This subtle regulation of family connection is unknown at the present moment, and still they are very proud of advancement of knowledge. So unwanted children, as we have discussed in the previous...

Pradusyanti kula-striyah. If the woman, kula-striyah, family... Family woman and prostitute are different. Still in India, the uncontrolled woman, or there is a class of prostitutes. They are not family women. But kula-striyah, family women, they have got so many obligations. There is a verse that svargapta-kama-moksaya dhara samprati hetuta. Dhara means wife. Wife can help one to be elevated to the heavenly planets, and dharmartha-kama, to become helpful in the matter of advancement in religious and spiritual knowledge: dharma; artha, economic development; kama, satisfying the husband for sense gratification; dharma artha kama; and moksa also, also for salvation. The wife is so important. If there is chaste wife, she can help the husband in these four principles of life, dharma artha kama moksa, dhara samprati hetuta. If we can train up nice wife, or the society trains the girls to become nice wife, she becomes a great source of energy to the husband. Dharma-artha-kama-moksah dhara sampra.... And if they are polluted, they become source of the sankara, varna-sankara.

The exact example of varna-sankara is the hippies at the present moment. All over the world, not only in the Western countries but in India also. So the population, hippie population means sankara population. So increase of such population means narakayaiva, naraka, hellish, hellish condition of life in this life, also in the next life. At that time, to live, actually we have practically seen in recent years, especially in Calcutta, it has become a hellish life. The population, the younger generation, is so polluted, so contaminated, that you cannot safely walk in the street. Anywhere, the young boys they can encircle you and rob you. You cannot say on. The police cannot help, the government cannot help. So these unwanted children, without being trained up in the varnasrama system, they become the cause of hellish life in this life also after death. After death according to Vedic regulations, pinda-udaka, pinda, offering Visnu prasada and water at least once in a year it is required by the family members. And according to Vedic culture, there is one month fixed up in a year when all people will offer pinda and udaka to the forefathers. Tarpana, tarpana. Week or fortnight, for one fortnight. So the idea is that if the forefather in the family has not achieved a proper life... Sometimes due to sinful activities, too much attachment, a man becomes ghost. Ghost, there is ghosts. Bhuta preta pisaca. Not only this life, demonic life, but after death also, there are ghostly lives. They do not get this gross body. They remain in the subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego. Due to their gross sinful life, they are punished by not getting a gross life. Because without getting a gross life, we cannot enjoy. With mind, I cannot enjoy rasagulla. I must have the tongue, I must have the hand, fingers, I can pick up, then... In the mind, I may think of eating or collecting rasagulla, but actually I do not get the taste. So gross body is required, because every living entity in this material world, they have come to enjoy. Krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare pasate maya tare japatiya dhare. This is the beginning of our material life. When we forget to render service to Krsna, immediately we get a material body offered by the material nature.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunair karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

So this gross body is required for enjoyment. Spirit, spiritual body is also very subtle, and the astral body, or subtle body, is also very subtle. The gross body required. So on account of one's severe sinful life, he does not get this gross body. Therefore the lupta-pindodaka-kriya. Taking for granted that some of my forefathers have become ghostly life and has not got the gross body, so by this pindodaka... Pinda means offering prasada of Visnu prasada. Still in India there is a place Gaya. There is Visnu temple, and it is a custom all Hindus... Nowadays, they do not go. They do not believe even. They have given up everything. Due to unwanted children, they don't care for it, what is family, what is pinda-udaka. Simply eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy, that's all. But you see 5000 years, Arjuna... Arjuna was not a brahmana, neither a sannyasi. A grhastha, householder, and a, in royal order. He's on the battlefield. He's not a Vedantist. But just see how his knowledge is perfect. This is Vedic culture. One may not be a brahmana. Brahmana is very advanced. Satya sama dama titiksa. But even ksatriyas, they are also so advanced, so advanced we can see that he is hearing Bhagavad-gita from Krsna in the battlefield. How much time you can spare in the battlefield? The talk took place between the two soldiers when he was just going to throw his arrow. Sastra sampate. Just we going to... He became very compassionate: "Krsna, I have to kill my own kinsmen." And he's describing. He's describing, "What kind of sinful activities I am going to do." So just try to understand how much people were advanced. These Bhagavad-gita talks took place between Krsna and Arjuna in the battlefield just on the verge of his beginning the battle. So how much time he could spare? Utmost, half an hour. Not more than that. So within half an hour, this Bhagavad-gita was taught to Arjuna, and he could understand it, and then he agreed to fight. Yes, nasto mohah smrtir labdha, karisye vacanam tava. [Bg. 18.73] How much advanced he was in education and learning, just imagine. At the present moment they are reading Bhagavad-gita years after years, big, big scholars, big, big theologians and... But they cannot understand. After reading Bhagavad-gita, they are accusing Krsna as immoral. One professor in Oxford University, he is a student or professor of Bhagavad-gita, has written book. Now his conclusion is that Krsna is immoral. That means he could not understand Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita cannot be understood by any demon or third-class man. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna said to Arjuna that: "I am speaking to you the same Bhagavad-gita, science of God, which I spoke millions of years ago to the sun-god, because the parampara is lost and I have picked up you because bhakto 'si me priyo 'si, you are very dear friend and bhakta."

So Bhagavad-gita is not meant for the demons or the abhaktas. The first condition is that he must be a devotee of Krsna. Then it will be revealed. Otherwise it is not possible. Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavritah [Bg. 7.25]. Na mam duskrtino mudha prapadyante naradhamah. These things are there. So if one is devotee of Krsna, he can understand Bhagavad-gita very easily. Just like Arjuna understood within half an hour. Others, they cannot understand. In one sense, the people at that time were so educated, advanced, that they could talk about the Absolute Truth and understand within half an hour, one hour. There was no need of books in those days. People were so sharp memoried. Once heard from the spiritual master they'll never forget. With the advancement of Kali, so many things will reduce. One of them is the memory will be reduced. People will be weaker. There will be no more mercy. The brain will not be so powerful or sharp. These things are described. So we cannot even imagine what kind of brain Arjuna possessed. Another thing, this Bhagavad-gita is part of Mahabharata. And the Mahabharata was written for stri-sudra-dvija-bandhunam trayi na sruti-gocarah. Stri, woman, stri, sudra and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means a person born in high family, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, at least brahmana, ksatriya, but he's not qualified brahmana or ksatriya. He's called dvija-bandhu, the friend of the twice-born. The brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, they are twice-born. One birth is father and mother; another birth is by the spiritual master, by Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is mother and the spiritual master is the father. So the second birth. Therefore, they are called dvija, twice born. So dvija-bandhunam, those who are not actually twice born but born in the family of dvijas. Therefore they are called dvija-bandhu, "not dvija, friends of the dvijas." Dvija-bandhu. One may become a friend of the dvija. One may become a son of a high-court judge, but that does not mean he's also high court judge. But now they are taking: "Because my father is brahmana, therefore I am brahmana." No. That was not accepted. Your father may be brahmana, but if you are not qualified brahmana, you cannot be called a brahmana. You can be called dvija-bandhu. So this Mahabharata was written: stri-sudra-dvija-bandhunam trayi na sruti gocarah. Woman and dvija-bandhu and the sudras, it is very difficult for them to understand the Vedic literatures directly, because they have no advanced knowledge or education. Therefore the same thing. The Vedic knowledge was described in the Mahabharata. Because it is history. Everyone is interested to read history. So through history, the Vedic knowledge was imparted. Therefore, Mahabharata is called the fifth Vedas. There are four Vedas, Sama, Yajur, Rk, Atharva. And Mahabharata is fifth Veda. They are meant for this stri, sudra, dvija-bandhu. So Bhagavad-gita is within the Mahabharata. So actually it was meant for the less intelligent class of men. But, at the present moment, the highest intelligent class of men cannot understand. Just see the difference. Formerly, 5000 years, this was meant for the less intelligent class of men, and we have deteriorated so much that the so-called highest intelligent class of men cannot understand this Bhagavad-gita. And he is posted as the professor in the Oxford University.

So this class of men are leading the society. The third-class, fourth-class men, they are leaders. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. So now we are talking with so many big, big persons, guests, coming daily. But actually, we can see how much the third-class, fourth-class men, practically blind, they are leading the society. That we can understand. Therefore, the social order is... Just like Arjuna is describing here, sankaro narakayaiva kula-ghnanam kulasya ca. Who knows this? Who knows this science, that sankaro narakayaiva, if you produce unwanted hellish condition? Who is caring for that? The world is in hellish condition, we can perceive, but they are trying in a different way. They want to remain demons; at the same time, they want to become leaders. So at the present moment, comparing the social status 5000 years ago... According to Darwin's theory, 5000 years ago, men were uncivilized, uncivilized. Now this literature is written by uncivilized men. Just see. So highly intellectual writings, they were uncivilized. Now they have become civilized. That is Darwin's theory. We are now making progress. So Arjuna said that patanti pitaro hy esam lupta-pindodaka-kriyah. Pindodaka. In Calcutta, there was a big scientist. His name was Sarpisirat. He was speaking in a, he was atheist number one, he was speaking that: "This pindodaka, by offering pinda, prasada and water, it will go to my forefather. So just give me to eat downstairs whether I can eat upstairs?" This reasoning. But he does not know that how much there are different types of eating. They do not know there is eating in the subtle body also. The ghosts also, they eat. But the method is different. So even a big scientist speak like that, then how the ordinary people...? Yad yad acarati sresthah, lokas tad anuvartate. If the so-called advanced in education they speak so irresponsibly, naturally, others will follow. Therefore, at the present moment, the whole generation is covered with ignorance and darkness. No clear knowledge. And without clear knowledge, whatever we do... Just like in darkness, whatever we act, that is simply embezzlement. That's all. It is not very correctly understood. Therefore we have no correct knowledge, no correct activities, and, and the result is narakayaiva. So you can read next verse.

Pradyumna:

dosair etaih kula-ghnanam
varna-sankara-karakaih
utsadyante jati-dharmah
kula-dharmas ca sasvatah
[Bg. 1.42]

Translation: "Due to the evil deeds of the destroyers of family tradition, all kinds of community projects and family welfare activities are devastated."

Prabhupada: So jati-dharma. Jati, nowadays it has been taken as "national." But here, jati-dharma means...Just like one is born in brahmana jati, ksatriya jati, vaisya jati, sudra jati. So each jati, they have got different types of responsibilities. So when the unwanted children, irresponsible children, they do not follow any more the tradition, the family tradition, or jati-dharma, so they create a class of population in the varna-sankara. So everything becomes topsy-turvy, hellish condition. And actually it has so happened. Now there is no more jati-dharma. Everyone is engaged somehow or other to fill up the belly. Formerly, formerly there was stricture. The brahmanas, the ksatriyas, and the vaisyas, these three higher castes, there were certain restrictions. The brahmana would not do this or the brahmana must do this. So that is called jati-dharma. A brahmana cannot accept service from anywhere. I have discussed many times. A ksatriya also cannot. And vaisya cannot. Only the sudra can become servant of others. Paricaryatmakam karma sudrasyapi svabhava-jam. So, at the present moment, nobody can observe the strict rules and regulations, that "I am born in a brahmana family. I cannot accept anyone's service." Then you will have to starve. Because he has no brahminical capacity... By education, by culture, he's a sudra, although falsely he's claiming that he is a brahmana or ksatriya. So his jati-dharma, family tradition, family rituals, everything is lost due to this unwanted children. Unwanted children make everything topsy-turvy. So Arjuna is visualizing all the future calamities. But there is one remedy. It is a fact that jati-dharma we have lost. No more we can be called strictly following the jati-dharma. No more can one present himself strictly as a brahmana or ksatriya. Everything is lost now, by the influence of Kali-yuga. And varna-sankara. So there is only one remedy, only one remedy. That is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Eleventh Canto:

devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam
na kinkara nayam rni ca rajan
sarvatmana yah saranam saranyam
gato mukundam parihrtya kartam
[SB 11.5.41]

We must admit that we have created hellish condition of society by producing unwanted children, and disobeying the jati-dharma or kula-dharma. That one has to admit, everyone. So what is the remedy? Only remedy is to surrender to Krsna. Krsna is canvassing that: "Even you can give up your jati-dharma, but simply surrender unto Me. I shall give you protection."

There is another verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: tyaktva sva-dharman caranambujam harer. Sva-dharma. Sva-dharma means jati-dharma. So I may be born in a brahmana or ksatriya, so I have got sva-dharma. A ksatriya or brahmana has got his own regulative principles. So Bhagavata, Narada says, Bhagavata says and Narada says that if one has given up his jati-dharma..., because Krsna is asking: sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. Sarva-dharma means this sva-dharma, jati-dharma, or so many other dharmas man created for the nice keep-up of the society. Just like we create even in the modern world so many rules and regulations. Take for example that one must keep to the left. Just to keep order in the society. There are so many things. So jati-dharma, kula-dharma is also like that. Spiritually, it has no value. It, it can help one to be elevated on the spiritual platform. But spiritual advancement does not depend on this jati-dharma or kula-dharma. It does not depend. Even without following the rules and regulations of jati-dharma and kula-dharma one can become advanced in spiritual life. Ahaituki apratihata. If one is serious to become Krsna conscious, then all these material impediments cannot check him. Anyone can become. Sat, sat sva-paco... There is a... What is called? Mantra-tantra-visarada, avaisnavo gurur na syat vaisnavah sva-paco guruh. One is very expert in jati-dharma, but if he's not a Vaisnava, if he's not a devotee of Lord Visnu... Vaisnava means visnur yasya devata one who has accepted... There are many demigods, devatas. So sometimes they are advised that: "If you want this result, then you worship this demigod." Just like it is said that if you want a beautiful wife, so you worship Uma. Uma, the wife of Lord Siva, she is very beautiful. So similarly, if you want learning then you worship such and such demigod. If you want money, then you worship such and such demigod. These are there, I mean to say orders in the Vedic literature. But if you want to get relief from this material condition of life, then you have to take the shelter of Visnu, Vaisnava. Or the sastra says even if you have got other desires to fulfill, still you become Vaisnava. That is the last instruction. You don't require to worship other demigods. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is said kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah yajanty anya-devata [Bg. 7.20]. If one is bewildered on account of lusty desires, they go to different demigods for begging some benefit. So they are hrta-jnana. Hrta-jnana means lost of intelligence. If Krsna is the Supreme, so suppose if you want some material happiness, can He not give you? He can give you also. So why should you bother about other demigods? Therefore, it is said kamais tais tair hrta-jnana. If Krsna is the Supreme Lord, so if I have got some desires, material desires... Actual bhakti means minus all material... Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11]. One must be freed from all material desires. But even if you have got some material desire, still you can take shelter of Krsna. You don't require to take shelter of other demigods. So that is the last instruction in the Vedic literature.

akamah sarva-kamo va
moksa-kama udaradhi
tivrena bhakti-yogena
yajeta purusam param
[SB 2.3.10]

Akama means devotee. Devotees have no desire. They have got desire just to become devotee of Krsna. That is natural desire. If the son desires that: "I shall be obedient son of my father," that is natural desire. Or the son desires that: "I shall depend on my father, and I shall be happy," that kind of desire is natural desire. Similarly, if one desires that: "I shall become a devotee of Lord Krsna," that is natural desire. But when I desire to lord it over the material nature and forget my service to Krsna, that is called vasana. That is material desire, abhilasa. So we have to give up these material desires. Then it is bhakti. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnanam karmady anavrtam anukulyena krsna... [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11].

So even if we have violated the jati-dharma and kula-dharma... That is a fact. We have done so. There is no denying this fact. Every one of us, we have done that. Then what is the next duty or remedy? Because we have violated everything. So that, for that purpose, in the Bhagavata gives you direction. Here is the verse: devarsi-bhutaptam nrnam pitrnam. Pitr, pitr pindodaka-kriyah. So we are obliged to offer pinda and water to the pitrs. But here is an, what is called, an outlet. Devarsi, we are indebted to the devatas. Rsis, we are indebted to the great sages. Devarsi, devarsi bhutanam. We are indebted to so many other living entities, bhutanam, and nrnam. We are also indebuted to the human society. Nrnam, pitrnam. We are indebted to the pitrs, forefather. Pitrnam. So na kinkara nayam rni ca rajan. One becomes freed from the servitude of all these personalities, devarsi-bhutapta nrnam pitrnam [SB 11.5.41]. How he can become? Sarvatma yah saranam saranyam. One who has fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord, saranyam. Saranyam means here is the real place where one can surrender fully. Others, if I surrender to a cats and dogs, what he will help me? Therefore they are not saranyam. But, by mistake, if they take shelter of such cats and dogs, what benefit they will get? Therefore saranyam, the worthwhile surrender is to the lotus feet of Mukunda. Therefore it is said, sarvatma yah saranam saranyam gato mukundam parihrtya kartum. We have got so many duties, but in this age, we have lost everything. Therefore, our only duty is to surrender unto the lotus feet of Mukunda, Krsna. That will save us. Krsna says -- it is not story -- Krsna says aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66]. "I know that you have violated your family tradition, your past regulations, everything you have done for which you are to be punished, sinful activities, but I give you assurance, if you surrender unto Me, then aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. I shall give you deliverance from all the reactions of sinful activities." Therefore at the present moment, because we have lost all culture, we have done so many sinful activities, if we want to be saved, it is, the only remedy is to surrender to the lotus feet of Krsna, and thus become saved.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973

"The Way To Save Society"

73/07/27 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.37-39



Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

yady apy ete na pasyanti
lobhopahata-cetasah
kula-ksaya-krtam dosam
mitra-drohe ca patakam

katham na jneyam asmabhih
papad asman nivartitum
kula-ksaya-krtam dosam
prapasyadbhir janardana
[Bg. 1.37-38]

Translation: "O Janardana, although these men, overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing one's family or quarreling with friends, why should we, with knowledge of the sin, engage in these acts?"

Prabhupada: So other party, Duryodhana's party, they were not considering all these pious or impious, sinful or vicious, activities. Because lobha-upahata-cetasah: "They have lost their sense on account of greediness for acquiring the empire." When one becomes lusty or overpowered by greediness, then he loses all intelligence. There are many places stated that. Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah yajanti anya-devatah [Bg. 7.20]. Krsna says that "Those who are worshipers of other demigods..." Actually worshipful is the Supreme Lord Krsna. Others, they should be shown respect. But worship means for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is worshipful. Saranyam. He is to be taken shelter of; He is to be worshiped. That is being taught. That is religion. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, worshiping Him, offering Him obeisances, that is Krsna consciousness movement. The Deity room offering obeisances, worshiping, chanting, dancing, always be engaged to offer respect and submission to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the duty of everyone. Because all living entities are by constitution eternal servant. That is their healthy position. So long they remain servant of the Supreme, that is healthy. Same example, I have given many times, that my part and parcel of the body, this finger, so long it is fit to give service to the body, it is healthy. If it cannot give service, then it is diseased. Similarly, all living entities who are not giving, rendering any service to the Lord, they are simply working for sense gratification, that is diseased condition. And in the diseased condition, nobody can be happy. That is not possible. If you have got some disease, you cannot be happy.
So that is the position. They cannot understand that by serving Krsna, we become healthy or in our normal position. This is called ignorance. Somebody is trying to forget Him, somebody is trying to become equal with Him. This business is going on. And nobody is submitting that "My Lord, I forgot my service. From this day, I become again Your servant. Please give me protection." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam... [Bg. 18.66]. This is the teaching of all sastra, all Vedas. But these people, the other party, they have become blind. They have become blind. Why? Lobha-upahata-cetasah. They have lost their sense. Kula-ksaya- krtam dosam. There is a great fault by destroying dynasty. Nowadays people are destroying from the womb, abortion, contraception, destroying. They do not know. Kula-ksaya. Actually putra. Putra means, put means pum-nama-narakam. There is a hell which is called pum-nama-naraka. And tra means trayate, deliver. So putra means pum-nama-narakat trayate iti putra. The Sanskrit word for son, putra means that the son is expected to deliver the forefathers from the hellish condition of life. Sometimes due to our sinful activities, we become ghost. That is very hellish condition. So when sraddha is offered by the putra..., who will offer? The putra will offer. That is the duty. Then he gets again material body. These are the subtle laws. People do not know. Neither they are eager to know. But these are the information we get from Vedic literature. Putra has got a duty, to save the forefathers. Therefore one has to, it is his duty to keep a putra. At least one son he must leave. But people are not very much anxious to have putra. Rather to kill putra. They are so sinful. Kama-lobha-hata-cetasah. Simply sense enjoyment. That's all. Why bharya? Why one should marry? Putrarthe kriyate bharya. Bharya means wife. One accepts a wife. Why? For a putra. For a son. Why son is required? Putrah pindam prayojanam. Offering oblations by the putra to deliver the forefathers. That is prayojanam, that is absolutely necessary. Each and every one should leave a putra before his death. He has got so many duties. This is Vedic civilization. But nobody now cares for that. Neither it is possible. Therefore the only remedy is to surrender. Saranyam.

devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam
nayam rni na kinkara(s ca) rajan
sarvatmana ye saranam saranyam
gato mukundam parihrtya kartum
[SB 11.5.41]

The one excuse is that every one of us, we are indebted to devarsi, devata, the demigods. The demigods. Just like Indra. He supplies us water. Just like we are obliged to pay tax to the water department, to the fire department, to the education department, so many departments government. Or once we pay our income tax, that is distributed to so many departments. So actually why we pay? Because we are indebted. Now, the sunshine, we are getting advantage of sunshine. So we are indebted to the sun-god. Similarly, we are indebted to the moon-god. We are receiving so much advantages. Varuna. Deva. So we are indebted to so many demigods. Similarly, we are indebted to the rsis. Just like Vyasadeva. He has given us this Vedic literature. We are taking advantage of it. So we must feel indebted. Deva rsi, rsi. First of all, we are indebted to the devatas, and then to the rsis, then the bhutas, ordinary living entities. Just like we are taking milk from the cow. We are indebted. "No, we are killing them." They are committing simply sinful life and they want to be happy and peaceful. Just see. We are indebted. I am obliged to you for your service. So instead of feeling obligation, if I cut your throat, how gentleman I am, just see, imagine. So we are indebted. Devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam [SB 11.5.41]. And pitrnam, these pitr, kula-ksaya, forefathers. I have got this body... From my grandfather, my father has got this body; from my father, I have got this body. I am also indebted. Because this body, human body, is a chance for understanding, for my position. I can get out of the clutches of this maya of transmigrating from one body to another. So this opportunity I have got by the grace of my forefathers. These are feelings of obligation. And there is duty. Therefore Arjuna is considering so many things because he is devotee. Kula-ksaya-krtam dosam mitra-drohe ca patakam. "These rascals, they have become lost of their intelligence on account of greediness for acquiring the empire. But so far I am concerned," Arjuna said, katham na jneyam asmabhih. Plural number: "By us." "Us" means including Krsna. He is saying not "I" or "by me." He is including Krsna: "You are in this side; so because You are on my side, You are my charioteer, if I do not consider all these things, what people will say? That ‘Arjuna is such a great devotee of Krsna. And Krsna is there. He is committing such sinful activities.' " Therefore he says, katham na jneyam asmabhih. He is dragging Krsna also. That is right, yes. A saintly person, a devotee, should consider all these things, before acting, "Whether I am doing it property or improperly?" This is Arjuna. The other party, lobha-upahata-cetasah. Upahata-cetasah. They have lost their sense. But we cannot. A devotee must be very responsible. He must act in such a way that nobody can blame him. Otherwise everyone say, "What kind of devotee he is?" So this is the duty. They should be very cautious. A sannyasi, they should be very cautious. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, sannyasira alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. An ordinary grhastha, or... Grhastha only, If he talks with woman nobody will blame. He is grhastha. But if a sannyasi talks with woman very intimately, oh, immediately people will take note of it. Sannyasira alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. That is the practice. He should be very cautious. So a devotee, a sannyasi, they have got very, very great responsibility. People will very easily criticize them. So Arjuna is considering all these points. Katham na jneyam asmabhih papad asman nivartitum. They may indulge in these sinful activities, how we can indulge? What people will say? Kula-ksaya-krtam dosam prapasyadbhir janardana. "He Janardana, You are maintainer of the people. So if the people become sinful, so it is very difficult to maintain them." These things are being considered. Kula-ksaya. So we cannot destroy family. But on one condition we can become free from all this obligation. What is that? Gatah sarabyam parihrtya kartum. Saranyam. Mukunda-caranam. One who has dedicated his life simply to serve Mukunda, Krsna, Mukunda. Muk means mukti, liberation. And ananda. Krsna gives liberation, His name is Govinda, Mukunda. Hundreds and thousands of names Krsna has got. So if one has taken, fully surrendering unto the lotus feet of Mukunda, he has no more any obligation, either these pitr, devarsi, deva, devata, demigod, rsi, bhuta. He is immune because he is transcendental. But so long one is not a devotee, one who is not fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Mukunda, he must have to follow all these regulative principles and duties. He cannot be released. Everything, account is kept. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Everything is noted down. Karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1]. According to his karma, he is going to get another body. These are the subtle laws. Therefore kula-ksaya-dosam. You cannot destroy your family. Materially, you cannot destroy your family. So Arjuna is speaking, kula-ksayam krtam dosam prapasyadbhir janardana. "We can see. These rascals, they have lost their intelligence, but when we see, how we can destroy the family?" So further explanation will be given next.

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

kula-ksaye pranasyanti
kula-dharmah sanatanah
dharme naste kulam krtsnam
adharmo 'bhibhavaty uta
[Bg. 1.39]

Translation: "With the destruction of dynasty, the eternal family tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligious practice."

Prabhupada: So, so much responsibility is there, killing the family. Because they have no responsibility at the present moment, everyone irreligious. Two things are there: religion and irreligion. Krsna also says, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati abhyutthanam adharmasya [Bg. 4.7]. If we cannot keep on religious principles, then... We have to do something. Then we have to enhance our irreligious principle. So this family tradition, according to Vedic civilization, was very strictly observed so that the family may be kept in order in religious principles. Why? Now, because the human life is meant for reviving his eternal position, sanatana. This word is used here. Kula-dharmah sanatanah. The real purpose of life, especially human life, is meant for reviving our sanatana-dharma, sanatana occupation, eternal occupation. By observing the rules and regulations of varnasrama-dharma, four varnas and four asramas..., that is called kula-dharma. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Each one of them must strictly observe the rules and regulations of that particular asrama. Why it should be observed so strictly? Because by observing the regulative principle of each stages of life, one will be able to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

varnasramacarvata
purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate (pantha)
nanyat tat-tosa-karanam

If we observe strictly the rules and regulations of kula-dharma... Kula-dharma means if you are a brahmana, you must observe the regulative principles, the qualitative principles of a brahmana. If you are in, a ksatriya, then you must also observe the ksatriya principles.

All these are described in the Bhagavad-gita, who is brahmana, who is ksatriya, by symptoms. By symptoms we have to accept whether one is brahmana or ksatriya or vaisya, not by birth. That is the injunction of the sastras. So this has to be observed. If we want actually deliverance from this material entanglement, so these rules and regulations of kula-dharma, we must observe. If we do not observe, then immediately we become irreligious. Dharme naste krtam krtsnam adharmam abhibhavati iti uta. Uta, Arjuna said, "It is said." He has learned from higher authorities. Uta, "it is said" means "said by authorities." So "If adharma, irreligious life, is propagated, on account of loss of kula-dharma, then everything is lost, my dear Krsna. So why shall I kill?" Other things also will be described later on, that the, when the male members are killed, the female members become widow, and they, their character becomes polluted. So many things Krsna will speak about this family life.

So at the present moment, there is no such family life, no consideration of religion, no consideration of irreligious life. Everything, just like animals. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. If not animals, they are all sudras, nobody brahmana, nobody ksatriya, nobody vaisya. So it is a chaotic condition of the human society. Therefore it cannot be revived to the original position of systematic institutional position. It is not possible. Everything is lost. Therefore by the Caitanya Mahaprabhu's grace, one thing:

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
(nasty eva) gatir anyatha.
[Cc. Adi 17.21]

Everything is lost. Now, simply by chanting harer nama, the holy name of Lord Krsna, you become again situated in the original position. Everything is adjusted because it is transcendental. So there is no other way. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so merciful that from the sastras he has selected this process of sankirtana movement: ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. The human life is meant for extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. But we are not in regulative principles. We have lost everything, our sanatana-kula-dharma, everything. Under the circumstances, Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives us the greatest facility according to sastra. That is the boon of this age: kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna, everyone becomes free from all contamination of this age, mukta-sangah, param vrajet. And he becomes so purified that he becomes fit to go back to home, back to Godhead. So this opportunity, chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, we should not miss. We should... We must. Where is the difficulty, Hare Krsna chanting? Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. Trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna. This is the only savior for the human society of this age.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase =>

"Devotee has All Good Qualities"

73/07/26 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.36


Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

papam evasrayed asman
hatvaitan atatayinah
tasman narha vayam hantum
dhartarastran svabandhavan
svajanam hi katham hatva
sukhinah syama madhava
[Bg. 1.36]

Translation: "Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhrtarastra and our friends. What should we gain, O Krsna, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?"

Prabhupada: So papam eva. Papam means sinful activities, and punyam is pious. So people should consider in every activity, whether it is papam or punyam, whether it is virtuous or sinful activities. But the asuras, they do not know. Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca na vidur asura janah. Those who are asuras, they do not care what is sinful or what is right. "I like it; I must do it." This is asura. There is no reference to the authorities, whether the action which I am going to do, whether it is pious or impious. Because by impious activities I will be degraded. Adho gacchanti tamasah. Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-sthah. If we become addicted to sinful activities, the result will be we shall be degraded. But they do not know. Even so-called religious priests, they support killing, condone it. Killing is impious, sinful activity, but in the name of religion, killing is also going on. If someone says, "It is my religion to cut throat," will it be accepted very nice thing? Sometimes... Just like here is the war. This is also religious war. But still, discrimination. Arjuna, because he is a Vaisnava, a Vaisnava means devata, demigod. Visnu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad viparyayah. What is the difference between deva and asura? Who is called a devata, and who is called an asura? There are two kinds of men. One class is called deva, devata. The other class is called asura. Devasura.

So there is always fight between deva and asura. Now at the present moment, the number of asuras have increased. Formerly the number of devatas were greater. So Arjuna is devata because he is Visnu-bhakta. Dvau bhuta-sargau loke ('smin) daiva asura eva ca. There are two classes of men within this creation. Visnu-bhakto bhaved daivah. Those who are devotees of Lord Visnu, they are called devata. Just like the demigods like Indra, Candra, Surya, and many others. There are thirty-three krores of devatas in the higher planetary system. They are all Visnu-bhakta. They will abide by the orders of Visnu and Vaisnava. Just like Indra. He is devata. There was fight between Hiranyakasipu and the Indra's party. So when Hiranyakasipu was defeated, naturally the... Afterward, if the other party is defeated, the victorious party makes some, so many aggression, especially aggression of women. That is still current. Innocent women, they are very much harassed after the war by the victorious party. You know, the soldiers are given freedom to rape the women. And plunder the property. So many things they have. So when Hiranyakasipu was defeated, all the devatas, they did not make such aggression, but the wife of Hiranyakasipu -- Kayadhu, I think -- she was arrested by Indra and was taken. She was crying, just usual, woman. But she was being dragged by Indra. So Narada was passing. Now, he said, "What are you doing this?" "No, there is no question of harassing this woman. But I am taking her in my custody because she is pregnant and the child is begotten by asura, Hiranyakasipu. Therefore I shall wait for the birth of the child, and as soon as she gives birth, I will kill that child." Yes. So Narada said, "No, no. That child is not asura child. He is coming, a great devotee, maha-bhagavata of Krsna." Because Narada knew that when... Not before. After all, he knew. But before also, he knew. Because they are saintly persons, they can understand that here is a child is coming who will be a great devotee of Krsna. So maha-bhagavata. So "Don't try that. You don't take her to your custody. Better give her in my custody. I shall take care." So immediately he abided by the order of Narada, immediately. He released. And not only released, circumambulated the woman. So here is a maha-bhagavata, in the womb of this woman. So let us offer our obeisances. This is Vaisnava. As soon as understood, that there is a Vaisnava maha-bhagavata, in the womb of this woman, "She is to be respected, offered obeisances." This is called Vaisnava. But the asura would not do that. Asura would not do that. That is the difference between devata and asura. In the Bhagavad-gita, Sixteenth Chapter, you will find the description of the asura: pravrttim ca nivrttim ca na vidur asura janah. Pravrtti. Pravrtti means what sort of activities we shall do, and what sort of activities we shall not do. The asuras, they do not know. The asuras, they do not know. Anything they do. "For my sense gratification I must do everything." Therefore they become entangled. So long they are strong in this life, they do not take care of anyone. Sastra, sadhu or guru. They do not care for anything. So that means... But the asuric civilization, the living entities become entangled because he may not care for any action, the asura, but the nature is there.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Rascals, they are thinking that they are free to act anything he likes. That is not possible. So long we are in this material world, we are conditioned. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani. As we are associating with the particular quality of this material nature...

There are three varieties of quality. Goodness, passion and ignorance. So we have to associate with either of these qualities. Unless we are Krsna conscious. Unless one is engaged in devotional service, he must be influenced by these three kinds of qualities. Goodness... Somebody may be very good man, according to the estimation of the... Just like Arjuna, he is talking in the modes of goodness, considering, considering. "Although they are atatayinah..." Papam eva asrayed asman hatva etan atatayinah. Atatayinah means aggressor. According to law, if somebody comes to attack you, or if somebody comes to kidnap your wife, these are atatayinah. Or somebody comes to set fire in your house, especially they are called aggressors. So these aggressors are to be immediately killed. There is no question of nonviolence. You must kill immediately. There is no sin. Atatayinah. But here, although the other party is atatayinah, aggressor, still, Arjuna is considering whether they should be killed or not. That is the difference between devata. In every action, they are calculating. But he is considering that "This kind of aggressor, because they are my kinsmen, they are my family men, whether this kind of aggressor should be killed or not?" It is common sense. Suppose your son has done something mischievous. The same thing. Same thing means to attack the father. Still, the father will consider, "Whether I shall kill my son or not?" That is natural. "If my son sets fire in the house, whether I shall kill him or not?" So Arjuna's position is like that. "Although they are atatayinah, aggressor, still, because they belong to the same family, whether I shall kill them?" He is considering, papam eva asrayed: "If I kill this kind of aggressor, I will be attacked with sinful activities. I have to suffer the result of sinful activities." And he is explaining why. Papam eva asrayed asman. "Because these are bandhavan." Sva-bandhavan dhartarastran. The dhartarastran means the sons of Dhrtarastra, Duryodhana and others. So sva-bandhavan. "They are our family members, bandhavan." Sva-janam hi katham hatva sukhinah syama madhava. "Madhava, my dear Madhava, You are the husband of the goddess of fortune. So you are always very happy. Do you think I shall become happy by killing my own men? Do you think like that?" Because friend and friend talking.

So this is the position. Just see, they were atatayinah, aggressor. There is no doubt about it. Because these dhartarastran, the sons of Dhrtarastra, they insulted Draupadi. Arjuna's wife. There was betting. The wife was betting. So they defeated, they were defeated in the chess play, and the wife was taken by the other party. So Karna took the opportunity. Because during Draupadi's svayamvara, Karna was insulted by Draupadi. The piercing of the eyes of the fish, Karna was greater, what is called, arrowman. So when Karna came to touch the arrow for piercing the eyes of the fish, Draupadi objected, objected because she wanted Arjuna to become her husband. But she knew that "If Karna comes to this combat, he will be victorious. Then I will have to go to Karna." So she was also very intelligent daughter of ksatriya king. So Karna, nobody knew that he is ksatriya. He was supposed to be son of a carpenter. Karna was born before Kunti's marriage. Therefore she... Karna remained hidden, whose son. But he was ksatriya. So it was unknown. So Draupadi took this opportunity that "This competition is meant for the ksatriyas, not for the non-ksatriyas." Because he was supposed to be son of a carpenter, sudra. So he was not given the opportunity to gain Draupadi. But if he was given the opportunity, he would have come out victorious. So now Karna took this opportunity. When Draupadi was lost in the game, so he immediately... Karna was Duryodhana's friend. He immediately advised, "Now she is our property. We can do whatever we like with. Arjuna has lost his wife." So he advised that "Make her naked in this assembly." To become naked in the, so many people, that is a great insult for woman. So actually, they tried to insult. Not tried, it was fact. But Krsna saved. You know, Draupadi's vastra-harana. She was tried to become naked, but these people could not make her naked. The sari was supplied by Krsna, one after another, one after another, heaps of sari. Then they become fed up, gave up that business, that "She cannot be made naked."

So they were actually atatayinah. Because atatayinah means one who comes to kidnap your wife, insults your wife. You should immediately kill. Just like Lord Ramacandra. He was so pious king, but when it so happened that his wife, Sita, was insulted... Sita was taken away by Ravana. Lord Ramacandra could marry hundreds and thousands of Sitas. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He could create Sita, Radharani, Laksmi. They are the pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot have a material wife or material companion. Krsna's Radharani or Lord Ramacandra's Sitadevi, Narayana's Laksmidevi, they are pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vrkitir ahladini-saktir asmat. Ahladini-sakti. Krsna, God, has got many potencies. One of the potencies is called ahladini-sakti, pleasure potency. So Krsna's consort, Lord Ramacandra's consort, they are pleasure potency, exhibited. So to show the example, Lord Ramacandra, because Sita was kidnapped, Sita was insulted, or Ramacandra was insulted, the retaliation was Lord Ramacandra killed not only Ravana, but the whole dynasty, finished. Only for one woman. He could create so many. No. Because atatayinah, aggressed over. Just to teach people that anyone, if he is aggressor, he must be killed. This is the position.

But Arjuna is considering whether it will be pious or impious. This is devata. In every action, they will consider, "What I am going to do, whether it is pious or impious." That is devata. "If it is pious, then it will elevate me. And if it is impious, then it will degrade me." Nobody wants degradation. The human life should be especially meant for elevation, not for degradation. You have come to this human form of life from the lower status of life. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati krmayo rudra-sankhyakah. Through so many status of life: the aquatics, the trees, the plants, the insects, the reptiles, the birds, the beasts. In this way... Bahunam janmanam ante. Bahunam sambhavante [Bg. 7.19]. This human form of life is gotten, we have received, after many, many births. These people, they do not know. It is very rare. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura sings, manusya janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya, janiya suniya visa khainu. Hari hari viphale janama goinu. He is lamenting, "My dear Krsna, I am so unfortunate. I got this human form of life. It was meant for developing Krsna consciousness. But I have wasted my time otherwise. So how it is so? Janiya suniya visa khainu. Knowingly I have taken poison. Knowingly." Labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante, manusyam artha-dam. These people, they do not know. Because they are asuras, they do not know what to do in this human form of life and what not to do. They are killing animals without any hesitation. They do not know these rascals. And still they are spiritual leaders. How horrible condition is this, in this Kali-yuga. Just imagine. Without any restriction, without any hindrance, they are committing sinful life. They do not know, next life, all this boastfulness, pride, will be finished. He will have to accept another body, which will be offered by the material nature. You cannot say that "I will not accept this body; I want this body." No. Nature is not under your dictation. You have to abide by the dictation of nature. Prakrteh kriyamanani. This verse of Bhagavad-gita is very important.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Ahankara, by false ego. The asuras, they think, "I am independent. I can do whatever I like." No. You cannot do so. If you do so, then you will be punished.

daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva prapadyante
mayam etan taranti
[Bg. 7.14]

For every little action, you are responsible. It is being noted by the material nature. And you will be forced to accept a kind of body for suffering. In so many types of bodies. Therefore Arjuna, being devata, he is considering that "Although they are atatayinah, at the same time, they are family men. Whether it is good to kill family?" He is asking Krsna. Krsna is there. He is considering, he is consulting with Krsna that "Do you think that killing this kind of aggressor, I will be benefitted or not?" Therefore in the last line he said, sva-janam hi katham hatva sukhinah syama madhava: "My dear Krsna, do you think by killing my family men, my relatives, shall I be happy? You are Madhava. You are always happy because You are husband of goddess of fortune. But do you think I shall be happy in this way?" This is consultation.

So this is the proof of Arjuna's character, a devotee's character. A devotee is always devata, demigod. So one who is devotee, one who is Krsna conscious, sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. Sura means devata. All the good qualities of devata. A devotee of Krsna will never accept that killing is very good. No. "For the satisfaction of my tongue, I shall kill so many animals." A devotee will never accept. Ahimsa. Ahimsa. That is the third quality. Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa ksantir arjavam. These are... Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Amanitvam. Amanitvam means to accept this body as "I am." This is amanitvam, er, not to accept. That is amanitvam. Everyone is proud that "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Englishman." So it is boastful, very proud of this body. So knowledge means "I am not this body. I am not this body." That is amanitvam. Adambhitvam. As soon as we become aware that "I am not this body," then my false pride immediately goes. Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa. Then ahimsa, nonviolence. Arjavam, simplicity. There are eighteen qualifications of the demigods. So one who becomes a devotee of Krsna, Krsna conscious, these, all these good qualities develop. So here is the proof, that Arjuna, because he is a devotee of Krsna, he is considering, "Whether I shall kill them or not?" Ahimsa. It is consideration, not that it is final settlement.

So people are trying to elevate the status of the society by so many things. But they do not know the secret. The secret is that if one is trained only to become a devotee of Krsna, all good qualities automatically will be visible in his person. There is no need of separate endeavor, how to make a man honest, how to make a man religious, how to make a man high-thinking, simple living. These are good... Samo damas, titiksa arjavam jnanam vijnanam astikyam. All these qualities immediately develop. Because a living entity, spirit soul, he is part and parcel of Krsna. Mamaivamso jivah. Krsna says all this. Aham bija-pradah pita. "They have come to this material world. I am the seed-giving father. They wanted to enjoy. So I have given them chance. But actually I am the father. The material nature is the mother." Just like we have got experience, the father injects the living entity in the womb of the mother. And the mother, by her blood, develops the body of the child. Similarly, all these living entities, 8,400,000 species, the... Bijo 'ham sarva-bhutanam. The father is Krsna. He has given the seed in the womb of this material nature. And the material nature has given the body. Somebody has got the body of fish, somebody has got the body of tree, plant, somebody has got insect, reptile, somebody bird, sometimes beasts, somebody human being, somebody demigod. But all these materials have been supplied by the mother. It is very easy to understand. Just like the child grows, the mother supplies the bodily ingredients. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore... This is very scientific. When He took sannyasa and the mother came... Advaita Prabhu arranged to see for the last time her son. Because a sannyasi is no more coming home. So at that time, mother became overwhelmed: "Such beautiful body. He has nice hair. Now it is shaven." So she became very much overwhelmed and was crying. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately fell down on her lotus feet and He said, "My dear mother, this body is yours. My dear mother, this body is yours. This body should have been engaged for your service, but some way or other, I mistake, I have taken this sannyasi. Kindly excuse Me." Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "This body belongs to you. This is your body." Every son should think like that. This is Vedic culture. Actually, the body supplied, mother. From the very beginning, after sex... These are all described in the Bhagavata. The two secretions become emulsified, and a body is formed just like a pea, and gradually develops. The ingredients, the energy is supplied by the mother. So the same thing. The whole creation, the body is supplied by material nature, mother. Therefore she is called "mother." Material nature is called "mother." Mother Durga. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka [Bs. 5.44]. The material nature..., and her name is Durga.

Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka
chayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durga
icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami.
[Bs. 5.44]

This is description of Durga. So Krsna also says. So we should not think like that, that animals or trees or birds and beasts, they are other than ourself. They are our brothers. Because the seed-giving father is Krsna, and the mother is material nature. So we have got the same father and same mother. So if we have got the same father and mother, they are all our brothers.

So unless one is advanced in spiritual consciousness, how he can think of universal brotherhood? This is nonsense. There is no possibility. The so-called universal brotherhood is possible when he is Krsna conscious, when one knows that Krsna is the common father of everyone. The father will not tolerate. Suppose father has got ten sons. Out of them one or two sons are useless. So those who are very capable sons, if they say to the father, "My dear father, these two sons of yours, they are useless. So let us cut their throat and eat." So father will say, "Yes, you do that"? No. Father will never say. The father will say, "Let them be useless, but let them live at my cost. Why...? You have no right to infringe on their rights." This is common sense. But these rascals, they think that animals are to be killed for the satisfaction of the tongue of the human being. No sense. No sense. And still they are passing on as religious heads. Such type of cheating religion is completely kicked out from this Bhagavata religion. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo atra paramo nirmatsaranam vastavah vastu vedyam atra [SB 1.1.2]. It is meant for, this Bhagavat-dharma. Krsna consciousness movement is meant for the paramo nirmatsaranam those who are not envious. How they can be envious? Paramahamsa, one who has understood what is this creation, who is the creator, what are these living entities, one who has got this knowledge, he is called paramahamsa. So how a paramahamsa can be envious of others? Therefore it is said paramo nirmatsaranam. Matsarata. Matsarata means envious. So without becoming Vaisnava, without becoming a devotee of Krsna, you do not think that anyone is a human being. He is simply animal.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973

"Shortcut to Spiritual Knowledge"

73/07/25 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.32-35


Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

kim no rajyena govinda
kim bhogair jivitena va
yesam arthe kanksitam no
rajyam bhogah sukhani ca

ta ime 'vasthita yuddhe
pranams tyaktva dhanani ca
acaryah pitarah putras
tathaiva ca pitamahah

matulah svasurah pautrah
syalah sambandhinas tatha
etan na hantum icchami
ghnato 'pi madhusudana

api trailokya-rajyasya
hetoh kim nu mahi-krte
nihatya dhartarastran nah
ka pritih syaj janardana
[Bg. 1.32-35]

Translation: "O Govinda, of what avail to us are kingdoms, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed in this battlefield? O Madhusudana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and all relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, then why should I wish to kill them, though I may survive? O maintainer of all creatures, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth."

Prabhupada: So Arjuna is thinking in terms of his own sense gratification. He is posing himself as if he does not know what is the plan of Krsna. Yes. The plan of Krsna is explained by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita.

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tad atmanam srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
[Bg. 4.8]

The plan is already known to everyone how the management of the cosmic manifestation is going on. The cosmic manifestation is there. This material world. It is, although temporary, it has got a purpose. The purpose is to give chance to the living entities who are rotting in this material world to revive his Krsna consciousness, or original consciousness, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the plan. This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated. Everything material, that is the way. Just like our body. It is created at a certain date, and it will be annihilated at a certain date. Similarly, this gigantic body... That is also body of the Supreme Lord, virat body. Virat means gigantic. Krsna will show His virat-rupa to Arjuna. So this external body, exactly just like we have got our this external body. Internal body. The soul is covered by two bodies, the external and internal. External means these gross elements -- earth, water, air, fire, sky. And internal means the mind, intelligence and ego. They are also material. Just like our body is covered by shirt and coat, similarly, the soul is encaged in two kinds of bodies. When this gross body is finished, the subtle body, mind, intelligence and ego, they are there. The soul is covered. The gross body is finished. That is called death. But people do not know that there is no death for the soul. The outward cover is finished, the inward cover is there, and the inward cover will carry the soul to another gross body. That is called transmigration. The mind is creating, as we are making our consciousness in this life, so we are making our next life also. Yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah [Bg. 9.25].

So we have got two kinds of bodies, gross and subtle, and within that, I am living, you are living, soul. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the dehi, the proprietor of the body. So people do not understand that this finishing of this gross body is not actually death or annihilation of the soul. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Even annihilation of the subtle body does not mean death of the soul. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. There are two kinds of bodies. So when the gross body is annihilated, the subtle body carries me to another gross body. Just like the air carries the flavor of a certain place. If the air is passing over rose garden, it carries the flavor. Although we cannot see, but we can smell. We can understand the breeze is so fragrant, means it is coming over a rose garden. Similarly, filthy place, a bad smell, the air carries. So the subtle body carries the mental situation of the soul and puts him into a particular body according to that mental situation. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. At the time of death, the mental situation will give me chance for another gross body. If we have created my mind Krsna conscious, then he will give me, the mental situation will give me a body by which I can make further progress. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita: sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41]. Yoga-bhrastah. Suppose one has begun yoga. Yoga means attempt to link with the supreme. That is called yoga. And viyoga means without any relationship, or without any attachment for the Supreme. Yoga means plus, and viyoga means minus. So plus. Plus means, one plus one equal to two.

So when we try to connect with the Supreme, then we can understand there is God and I am also there. We have got intimate relationship. That is explained in the Vedas. Two birds are sitting on the same tree. One bird is eating the fruit and the other bird is simply witnessing. The witnessing bird is God, Krsna, and the eating bird is the living entity. So God is witnessing all our activities, and our mental situation. So He orders maya, the external energy, prakrti, that "He requires to be given a body like this," and the material nature gives the living entity a particular type of body, and they are numbering 8,400,000. So there is no certainty what kind of body I am going to get next life. But in the Bhagavad-gita it is explained that if you are situated on the mode of goodness, then you will get your place in the higher planetary system.

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
[Bg. 14.18]

There are three qualities, material nature. They are working. And we are under the influence of either of them. Either in the influence of goodness, or in the influence of passion, or in the influence of ignorance. So when we are under the influence of ignorance, jaghanya-guna-vrtti, then our behavior and activities becomes very abominable, very, very much abominable. Especially in this Kali-yuga, it is stated that people will have no fixed time for eating or sleeping or taking bath. In this way their bodily features will be like ghost. That we are seeing actually. The hippies, they are becoming. Practically in this age there will be no place even for taking daily bath. That we see especially in this country. The apartment, there is no bathing place. They have to go outside. So things are deteriorating very, very much. Adho gacchanti tamasah. Therefore the human civilization means to make progress towards the quality of goodness. That will help him for making farther progress. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. Urdhvam means higher planetary system. Here it is said that api trailokya-rajyasya hetoh. Trailokya. Om bhur bhuvah svah. This is bhur-loka. Above this, bhuvar-loka, and above that, svar-loka, heavenly planets. Om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam. This is Gayatri-mantra.

So Arjuna is speaking of trailokya-rajyasya. He is ascertaining that "Even if I get the kingdom of the three worlds, what to speak of only this earthly planet, what is insignificant, even if I get the kingdom of trailokya, svarga, martya, patala, like that, still, I am not prepared to fight with my kinsmen, what to speak of this earthly planet." He decided like that. This is called family attachment. He is speaking, "Even in exchange of kingdom of the three worlds, I am not prepared to fight."

api trailokya-rajyasya
hetoh kim nu mahi-krte
nihatya dhartarastran nah
ka pritih syaj janardana

"What I shall get by killing my cousin-brothers? And along with them, there are so many relatives."

acaryah pitarah putras
tathaiva ca pitamahah
matulah svasurah pautrah
syalah sambandhinas tatha
etan na hantum icchami

"My dear Krsna, Madhusudana." He is not addressing Krsna as "Krsna." He is addressing Him, "Madhusudana." He is reminding Him that "You also killed, but You kill Your enemies, Madhu." Madhu was a demon. Madhu-kaitabha-bhare hari-murare. Madhu-kaitabha-bhare. So, "You are Madhusudana. You are the killer of Madhu demon, who was was Your enemy. You are not Nanda-sudana or Yasoda-sudana." That is reminding Him, little critically, that "You are Yourself Madhusudana. You kill only Your enemies. Why You are inducing me to kill my kinsmen?" This is the criticism. So etan na hantum icchami. So "You may induce me, but I am not going to kill them." Etan na hantum. Hantum, "To kill, I am not willing." Then the question may be that "It is fight. If you do not kill, if you stand still, then they will kill you. Because it is fight. Then what you will do?" "Yes, I agree." Ghnato 'pi. "If they kill me, I agree. Still, I will not kill them." Ghnato 'pi. "Even they kill me, I will not fight, I will not kill them. But if they kill me, that is also agreed; still, I will not kill." Just see how much determination. This is called family attraction.

So he is preparing the ground for teaching Bhagavad-gita. We are so much attached to our bodily conception of life, and expansion of bodily conception of life. He is thinking in terms of bodily conception of life. Syalah bandhuh pitarah pitamahah. Because somebody happens to be... Just like there are many thousands of women. One woman with whom I have got my bodily connection I take: "She is my wife. I have to give protection." This is all based on bodily connection. So long there was no bodily connection with that woman, you didn't care for her. But as soon as there is bodily connection, immediately the attachment is there. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. Generally, everyone has got attraction for woman. Woman has got attraction for man. That is general. But when they are united by marriage, the attraction becomes very acute, hrdaya-granthim ahuh. Hrdaya-granthi means very hard knot. Hrdaya-granthim ahuh. So this is called family attraction. Then I get my attraction for my children, for my society, for my home. So Arjuna's description of this means bodily concept of life. The sum and substance of this whole passage described by Arjuna, kim no rajyena govinda kim bhogair jivitena va. Everyone works so hard to acquire money. Why? The family attraction. We were student of economics and there was a book, Marshall's Economics. That Mr. Marshall is explaining that economic impetus begins from family affection, family affection. Unless one has got family, he will not try to earn. He will not try to earn money. He will be irresponsible. Therefore it is essential. When one is given some responsible post... Some... I know some English firm in India, I had some connection with him. So he was simply trying to know, "The man who is going to work for us, whether he is family man?" Because unless he is a family man, he has no attraction. He can give up the job at any moment. Because there is no family attraction. This is the psychology. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, it is the duty of the parents to get the sons and daughters married so that they will have family attraction, they will be established, they will be organized, things will go nicely. If there is no family attraction, no responsibility, then the things will not go nicely. This is the basic principle.

So anyway, the family attraction is required for regulated life. If there is no family attraction, there is no regulated life. We have got very good experience of these things. So family attraction required. It is not that it is rejected. It is required for regulated life. Unregulated life cannot make any progress. Therefore, in the Vedic civilization, the grhastha-asrama is recommended. Everyone should be married and everyone should live. If possible let him live -- a brahmacari. First of all the brahmacari-asrama is given there, austerity, under the guidance of the spiritual master. So the idea is not to be entangled. Brahmacari has no connection with worldly affairs. He's simply interested with the order of the spiritual master. That is called brahmacari. So one is trained up as a brahmacari, and he is sufficiently given knowledge, that "Don't be entangled with these material affairs. Don't be entangled. Try to avoid. But if you are still unable, your sex impulse is very strong, all right, then you go and marry." This is the process. First of all he is taught to be vairagi. Vairagya. This whole Krsna consciousness movement may be called vairagya-vidya. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, he wrote one verse on Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He wrote one hundred verses. Out of that, two verses or four verses are available. When he composed the verses eulogizing Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and it was shown to Him, because it was self-eulogization, He immediately tore up the paper. So still, the devotees collected and got two or four verses. So one of the verses written by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya is: vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. This bhakti-yoga is vairagya-vidya, how to teach people to be detached from this material attraction. This is vairagya-vidya. In another place, in Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is said,

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]

In the human life, two things required: jnana and vairagya. Jnana means that "I am not this body." This is jnana. Not that so-called scientific knowledge, more attachment for this body. That is not... That is ajnana. That is not jnana. Jnana means how to achieve the status of vairagya. That is jnana. Jnana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. So the brahmacari is taught vairagya-vidya. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranah [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya says that "This Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who has taken sannyasa, very early age, only at the age of twenty-four years, a very young man. He has got His young wife at home, sixteen years old, and He has got His mother, old, seventy years old. So He has given up all responsibility, and there is no other male member in the family to look after them, the mother and the young wife. Still, He has taken sannyasa. So therefore He is the Purana-purusa, the Supreme Person, but He has come to teach us this vairagya-vidya." Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranah [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Purusah puranah, Krsna. Krsna is described: purusah puranah. Sasvatam puranah. Divyam, adi-purusam. So purusah puranah. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam: "He has come to teach the bhakti-yoga which is vairagya-vidya." Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranah sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. "Now He has assumed the body of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu." Tam aham prapadye: "I offer my respectful obeisances to this person. He has come to teach us vairagya-vidya."

So vairagya-vidya. This family attachment, and just the opposite thing is vairagya-vidya, how to become detached. This is the whole process of Vedic civilization. Everyone has got this attachment for the body and expansion of the body. So vairagya-vidya means to be detached. That is called brahma-jnana. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. That is brahma-jnana. As soon as you understand, aham brahmasmi, "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," this is called brahma-jnana. So long you do not get this knowledge, you are in ignorance. That ignorance, there are degrees. In the sattva-guna or in the modes of goodness, you can simply theoretically understand that "I am not this body." That is sattva-guna. Brahminical qualities. Samo damas titiksa arjavam jnana. Jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. When you... brahma-janatiti brahmanah. Brahmana means who has got the knowledge of brahma. Veda-pathad bhaved vipro brahma-janatiti brahmanah janmana jayate sudrah samskarad bhaved dvijah.

So everyone is born sudra, but by cultivation of knowledge and culture, one can become... Samskarat. Therefore, according to Vedic system, there are ten kinds of samskara, reformatory method. This upanayana-samskara, this is also one of the samskara, sacred thread. Upanayana. Upa means near, and nayana means bringing. When the spiritual master brings nearer to spiritual consciousness, a person is given the upanayana, or the sacred thread. The sacred thread is the indication that "This man is now under the control of the spiritual master for advancing in Krsna consciousness." This thread ceremony. This is called upanayana. Similarly, there is reformatory method, marriage, ten kinds of reformatory... The first beginning is garbhadhana. So these things are impossible to introduce now in this Kali-yuga. Therefore the only reformatory method is: harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Cc. Adi 17.21]. In this age of Kali, people are so fallen, so degraded, that it is not possible to introduce systematically the whole Vedic principle; it is not possible. That is not possible. It is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's grace, mercy, that He has given us mercifully, vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti, just to teach very short-cut method. What is that? Chant Hare Krsna. Simple. Simple. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni [Cc. Antya 20.12]. You are suffering in this material world, davagni, now, forest fire. This material world is forest fire. But they are so ignorant, they cannot understand that "We are burning in the blazing fire of this material existence. Our attempt should be how to get out of it." But there is no such knowledge. Just like animals. The animals are suffering. They are being taken to the slaughterhouse. There is no, I mean, strength of protesting. They are being slaughtered. So we are being also being slaughtered by the laws of nature. We are also being slaughtered. So we do not know how to make progress. That is slaughtering.

So this is going on, very abominable condition of this age, mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. First of all, they are very much slow, or bad. Manda means bad or slow. Slow means the human form of life is meant for making progress in spiritual understanding. So in this age every man is very slow. They do not know that there is need of spiritual understanding, there is need of making progress in spiritual life. They have forgotten. They have become just like animals. Therefore they are called mandah. Sumanda-matayah. And if one is little interested, he accepts something bogus which has no meaning. "I belong to this 'ism,' I belong to that ‘ism,' that ‘ism,' that..." "Ism," what is that "ism"? Dharma, or "ism," what is that required? Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam... [SB 6.3.19]. It is simple thing that the dharma means, religious code means, the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have to obey. That is called dharma. But they have no knowledge, what is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is His order. They are here in the Bhagavad-gita. The Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down to teach us, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. "When people forget their regulative life, I come down." So He has come down. He has come down. He will teach Arjuna that "You are so family-wise attached." Then He will teach. From the Second Chapter He will begin the teaching. Prajna-vadams ca bhasase. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11]. When Krsna, Arjuna accepted Krsna, that "I am now puzzled, what to do. So I know I am puzzled, I am ksatriya. It is my duty to fight, but I am hesitating. So it is very embarrassing puzzle. Therefore I am surrendering unto You." Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. "I am becoming Your disciple, not friend. Now let us talk as master and disciple, not as friend and friend." So when he accepted Krsna as the master. Krsna is always master, but it is simply acceptance. So at that time Krsna will speak, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11], that "You are..." gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. Pandita. "You are posing yourself..." He will speak so many things. That is like pandita, learned. It is very nice thing. "Krsna..." Arjuna is saying that "How can I kill my kinsmen? There is my grandfather, there is my teacher, there are my kinsmen." It is not bad. For worldly men this is very nice consideration, that "I am not going to kill my kinsmen." That is a very good consideration. Prajna-vadams ca bhasase. But spiritually, it is ignorance, it is foolishness. Materially, it may be very nice thing, he's talking very nice. Therefore the first chastisement was... Krsna took the position of spiritual master. So spiritual master has the right to chastise the disciple. So immediately he chastised. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] "My dear Arjuna, you are talking, you are lamenting so badly, and at the same time you are talking just like a very learned man."

So this is the position of the world. One talks very high words, but his behavior is very abominable. So gradually we shall come to that point. So let us finish.Now Arjuna is promising... Krsna arranged this fight to execute his purpose. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. That was his purpose. "Duskrtam, all these sinful rascals, they are ruling over the world, I want to kill them." Therefore this battle was arranged so that all these rascals and demons will come there and it will be killed, in one place. And the right person, Maharaja Yudhisthira, will be installed on the throne. That was his plan. The right person. Krsna wants His representative to rule over the... King means representative of God. [break] (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973