"Envious Gross Bodily Religions"

74/04/11 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 4.22


Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady both in success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions."

Prabhupada:

yadrccha-labha-santusto
dvandvatito vimatsarah
samah siddhav asiddhau ca
krtvapi na nibadhyate

So Krsna is teaching in this Fourth Chapter how to work. Yadrccha-labha. Don't be greedy, so "This man is millionaire, so I have to become a millionaire." Competition. That is material disease. Now there is competition in between the capitalist and the communist. Now the communist or the laborer class men, they are thinking that "Why the capitalist should gain? We must gain. The industry is being conducted by us. The profits shall be divided between us. Why to the capitalist?" So that is not the solution. That is from frying pan to the fire.

Either the world is run on the principle of communistic philosophy or capitalistic philosophy, it will never be happy. Here is the formula, that everyone should be satisfied with the profit that he can easily make. That's all. Yadrccha-labha. Not that everyone will have the same profit.

In material world everyone is working. Somebody is getting per hour thousands of rupees, and somebody is getting not even morsel of food. But still, one has to be satisfied. "Because one is getting thousands of rupees per hour, I will have to get also." No. Then you will never be happy. You be happy what you are gaining. Because everyone is making profit and losing according to his past karma. Purva-janmarjitam dhanam purva-janmarjitam vidya, agre dhavati dhavati(?). This is the shastric injunction.

One man is trying with a little capital to do some business, and within few years he becomes very multi-millionaire. And one man is trying to elevate himself to a prosperous condition, but he cannot get even sufficient food. Why? Purva-janmarjitam vidya purva-janma.(?) One boy is passing examination, standing first-class. Another man, boy, is failing. Everyone is trying. Everyone should try his best, but he should be satisfied with the result which comes without any very much strain, yadrccha-labha. Yadrccha-labha-santustah. That is lacking in the present civilization. Not only at the present moment, because Krsna was speaking five thousand years ago. And before that, He spoke Bhagavad-gita millions and trillions of years ago to the sun-god. This is the way of material civilization or material conditioned life, competition.

The real competition began by being jealous to Krsna. Real competition began. Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. Krsna is the Supreme enjoyer. Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. So our fall down this I have explained the other day is there when we wanted to compete with Krsna or become Krsna. The jealous, iccha.... Iccha-dvesa-samutthena sarge yanti parantapa. Sarge. Sarge means this creation, this material creation. We have come to this material creation. We do not belong to this material creation, but we have come here.

Just like one does not belong to the prisonhouse, but by his own action he comes to the prisonhouse. He becomes criminal, and therefore he is put into the prisonhouse. By his own activity. It is not that government wants somebody should live in the prison house and somebody should live outside prisonhouse, free. It is not government's desire. [break] ...enjoyment we act sinfully also, vikarma. Nunam pramattah. Because we are mad after sense gratification. But in the human form of life one should be sensible. Therefore the university education, school, college, institution, they are meant for human society. There is no such thing in the animal society. And religion. Religion also meant for human society. Why? Because this life is not meant for enjoying senses like the animals.

Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. I have explained several times. This body, deha-bhajam... Everyone, the animals, they have got also a material body, and we human being, we have also this material body. Prahlada Maharaja also says, durlabham manusam janma. Durlabham manusam janma adhruvam arthadam.

What is the distinction between the animal body and the human body? Biologically.... Here is our friend Mr. Ghosh. He knows very well. There is no difference biologically between human body.... Medical students in the biological department, they study from the frogs, from guinea pigs, the human constitution of the body. There is no difference. But what is the difference? Not this bodily construction, but development of consciousness. That is the difference. So if we do not develop.... That is the opportunity, human life. In human life there is the opportunity to develop Krsna consciousness.

Therefore sastra says that nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke: "In the human society the body is not meant for spoiling in sense gratification like the cats, dogs and hogs." Don't create a hog civilization. That is the warning. What is hog civilization? Hog civilization means there is no restriction of eating, up to the stool. The hogs eat up to the stool. So when in the human society there is no restriction or sex life, that is hog society. Because the hogs, they eat up to stool and there is no sex restriction. They do not know whether mother, sister or daughter, they are..., not matter. You will see it. Therefore it is specifically said, nayam deha, kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye. The.... Still the hog you will see loitering in the streets whole day and night, "Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool? Whole day and night. At night also you'll see. Those who have got experience to pass stool in the villages, you go at dead of night and the hog will immediately come standing. As soon as you leave the place, immediately, "Phas, phas, phas," They will go eat.

So this kind of hard labor simply for satisfying the tongue and the genital, that is hog civilization. That is warned by Rsabhadeva, nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate [SB 5.5.1]. Why? Kaman means eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. These are kaman, bodily necessities of life. As soon as you will get this material body, you will have to eat. In the spiritual body there is no eating. Eating means to sustain this material body. You will find many saintly persons. Practically, they do not eat.

Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, he was eating at Radha-kunda, every two.... After two, three days after, he was eating little butter, just to satisfy. Practically no eating. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was a very rich man's son. His father's income was twelve lakhs of rupees in those days. So he adopted this austerity at Radha-kunda.

So actually that is the fact, that in the spiritual life there is no eating, no sleeping, no sex life, no defense. These are all material necessities. So material necessities, we have day and night for sense gratification, material satisfaction, then where is the difference between hogs and dogs and human beings? And this is going on. We are accepting this civilization as advanced. The more you have got facility for sense gratification, it is to be understood that you are advanced. So that advancement means to give satisfaction to the body.

So this formula, as it is given, yadrccha-labha-santustah, this is not possible in material civilization. Unless one is advanced in spiritual life, he cannot be yadrccha-labha-santustah. Because he has no material demands. Why he should make competition with others material by? Because he has got material body.... (sic:) Yuktahara-viharasya yogo bhavati siddhi-dah. Those who are yogis, they should be satisfied just to maintain the body and soul together, not for sense gratification. That is sufficient.

Suppose in Krsna consciousness movement, what we are doing? We are giving Krsna prasadam. We are distributing everyone, without any distinction. We don't make any distinction between daridra-narayana and a rich narayana. We give prasadam to every narayana. Of course, we do not think that everyone is Narayana. That is not our philosophy. Narayana is above. Narayanah avyaktat parah. "Narayana is not of this material world." Narayanah paro 'vyaktat. That is the version of Sankaracarya. So it is a wrong philosophy that because Narayana is everyone's heart.... Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Narayana, or isvara, is situated in everyone's heart. That does not mean that everyone has become Narayana. This is a wrong philosophy. If you make such distinction, then why there should be daridra-narayana? There should be rich narayana. There should be chaga-narayana, matsya-narayana, every narayana. If you have got such vision that "Because Narayana is there in everyone's heart, then everyone should be addressed as Narayana..." But that should not be. That is not be. That should not be. That is insult.

If some big man, if I say, equalize him with some insignificant person, that is insult. In the sastra it is said,

yas tu narayanam devam
brahma-rudradi-daivataih
samatvenaiva vikseta
sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam

We cannot bring Narayana even to the level of Lord Brahma, Lord Siva. Yas tu narayanam devam brahma-rudradi-daivataih samatvena, equally find, sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam.

So if we want to serve poor people, that's all right. That is a good business. You are merciful. That also we are doing when we distribute prasadam for everyone's benefit, not for the daridra-narayana or rich narayana, everyone, Krsna's prasada. So yadrccha-labha, one who is advanced in Krsna consciousness, he will be happy simply having a little morsel of Krsna's prasadam. Yadrccha-labha. Actually when we distribute prasada, we distribute little, little halava, everyone is satisfied and everyone is accepting because it is krsna-prasadam. This consciousness.... They come here. There are many rich persons, also poor persons, they come here to take a little morsel of halava. Not that he is hungry, but he is conscious that "If I take little krsna-prasadam, I will be benefited."

maha-prasade govinde
nama-brahmani vaisnave
svalpa-punyavatam rajan
visvaso naiva jayate

Maha-prasada, the foodstuff, remnant of foodstuff of Narayana, Krsna, the same.... Maha-prasade govinde. And Govinda, Krsna. And maha-prasade govinde nama-brahmani. And in the holy name of Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Maha-prasade govinde nama-brahmani vaisnave. As also in Vaisnava. Svalpa-punyavatam rajan visvaso naiva jayate. Those who are less pious, they cannot believe in these things. So this is the indirectly speaking Krsna, yadrccha-labha-santustah.

You establish Krsna at home. This center, this Krsna consciousness center, what is the purpose? You can also establish at home Deity. You can also perform the Deity worship. You can also perform kirtana at home. You can also read Bhagavad-gita at home. It is not that we are, we have made this business that you come here and pay something and we profit by your payment. No. It is education, how one should be satisfied by accepting krsna-prasadam, for working Krsna. Then you will be feeling satisfaction. You do business for Krsna, you do your occupational duty for Krsna, you cook for Krsna, you offer to Krsna, take prasadam of Krsna. You will feel very happy. That is the description. Yadrccha-labha-santusto dvandvatito vimatsarah.

A Vaisnava is never matsarah. Matsarah means.... It is described by Sridhara Svami. Matsarata para utkarsanam asahanam.(?) The material world is such that if your even own brother becomes prosperous, you will be envious, "Oh, my brother has become so prosperous. I could not." This is natural here. Jealousy. Because the jealousy has begun from Krsna, "Why Krsna shall be the enjoyer? I shall also enjoy." This jealousy has begun. Therefore the whole material life is full of jealousy. I am jealous of you, you are jealous of me. This is the business of material world. So here it is called vimatsarah, no jealousy. How one can be jealousless unless he is a Krsna devotee? He must be jealous. This is the nature.

Therefore Sri Bhagavata says that dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaranam, vastavam vastu vedyam atra [SB 1.1.2]. Dharma... There are many religious systems. There is jealousy. So-called religious system, cutting the throat of the animals. Why? If you are so broadminded that if you see everywhere Narayana, why you are cutting the throat of the goats or the cows or other animals? You should be merciful to them also. But that mercifulness cannot be exhibited without being a devotee, vimatsarah. Nirmatsarah.

Therefore the so-called religious system which is full of matsarata, jealousy, that is called kaitava-dharma, cheating in the name of religion. So this God consciousness is not a cheating religion. It is very broad-minded. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-bhutanam. This Krsna consciousness movement means everyone wants to become friend of everyone. Otherwise if a Krsna conscious person does not feel like that, why he should take trouble to preach Krsna consciousness all over the world? Vimatsarah. One should understand that Krsna consciousness is so nice that everyone should relish it, everyone should take part of it.

Krsna consciousness means God consciousness. Because people are suffering on account of lack of God consciousness. That is the cause of suffering.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

This is the formula. As soon as we forget Krsna, immediately there is maya. Just like the sunshine and in the shade, they are existing side by side. If you don't remain in the sunshine, then you come to the shade, darkness. And if you don't remain in the darkness, you come to the sunshine. Similarly, if we don't accept Krsna consciousness, then we have to accept maya consciousness. And if we don't accept maya consciousness, then we have to accept Krsna consciousness. Side by side.

So Krsna consciousness means not to remain in the dark consciousness. Tamasi ma jyotir gama. That is the Vedic instruction, "Don't remain in the darkness." And what is that darkness? The darkness is bodily concept of life.

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah
[SB 10.84.13]

The.... So long you are in the bodily concept of life, "I am this body," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmana." "I am ksatriya," "I am black," "I am white," "I am fatty." "I am thin..." These are all bodily concept of life. So so long one is in the bodily concept of life, he is sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. Go means cows, and kharah means ass.

So unless we come out of this conception, bodily concept of life.... That is Vedic instruction, to come to the transcendental platform, aham brahmasmi: "I am not this body. I am spirit soul, Brahman." This is called brahma-bhutah situation. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. When one is actually situated, that is called jnana, knowledge. Actually, this is ignorance. So long in the bodily concept of life, grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam. This is not jnana. This is moha, illusion. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8].

So unless one is freed from the bodily concept of life, he cannot be satisfied in anything which is easily achieved, easily gained. That is called yadrccha-labha-santustah. Because he knows that "I don't require anything, but because I have got this body, I cannot neglect it also. So let me eat something, let me earn something." Whatever God gives him.... God has given everyone. Nobody is starving, nobody cannot starve, especially those who are Krsna conscious. They cannot starve. There is no question of starving, either by Krsna conscious or not Krsna conscious, but he is getting his food. He is eating at one time one mound. Krsna is supplying. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. So there is no such question. God is supplying food to everyone -- to the birds, beasts, ants, insects, aquatics. There is no such question that "I have to feed them." If you have to feed them, just try to give them krsna-prasadam. Prasade sarva-duhkhanam hanir asyopajayate. This is the policy.

So if a person becomes Krsna conscious, that "I am part and parcel of Krsna." As Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. We are actually part and parcel of Krsna. And Krsna is providing food for everyone. Avasya rakhibe krsna visvasa palana. Krsna is providing everyone.

Just like in our society.... This is practical. We have got about hundred branches, and each branch, we have got not less than twenty-five men, up to two-hundred-fifty. But we have no, I mean to say, provision store. Every day we depend on Krsna. If food comes.... This is called akasa-padi.(?) The food must be dropped from the sky. This is called akasa-padi.(?) And Krsna will send. If Krsna sends, then we eat. But you will be surprised that we have to spend not less than $80,000 per month, but Krsna is supplying. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. Why Krsna will not supply? If Krsna is supplying to the elephant in the forest, and those who have dedicated their life to Krsna, they will not be supplied with the necessities? Why not?

Visvasa palana. This is called faith. One should know, "If Krsna is supplying food to the elephants in the jungle and to the ants in the hole of my room, what we have done that He will not supply food?" This is common sense. That is called yadrccha-labha-santustah. But he must be satisfied, whatever Krsna gives. If Krsna gives luci, puri, that is also all right, and if he gives suska capati, that is also all right. Yadrccha-labha-santustah. Because we are depending on Krsna. Whatever Krsna gives, we should be satisfied. We should never be dissatisfied, "Oh, Krsna, today is giving only suska capati." No, whatever Krsna gives.... That is devotee. Yadrccha-labha-santustah.

Dvandvatitah, no enviousness. Why I shall be envious? If somebody is eating very nicely, and I am not eating nicely, why I shall be envious? We should be satisfied. Krsna has given him. Just like in the hospital, one patient is eating very nutritious food and another patient, the physician has ordered, "He should not take anything." So why he should be envious? He should know that "Physician has prescribed like this, that I shall not take anything, and he has prescribed to the other patient, next bed, nutritious food. So it is the physician's desire for treatment."

Similarly, we should not be disturbed by all these things, that "He is eating more, he is enjoying more." Nobody is enjoying more. Whatever Krsna has given, he is enjoying. That is called yadrccha-labha-santusto dvandvatitah. Dvandvatitah and vimatsarah. He is not envious. Why he should be envious? Just like at the present moment, politically, a poor man is envious of a rich man, because there is no Krsna consciousness. And a so-called rich man, he is eating himself sumptuously, but he does not take care of the poor man. This is envious, "Let him die." No. The rich man should distribute prasadam through Krsna consciousness to the poor man, and the poor man should not be envious of the rich man. Then there will be happiness prosperity. Not that to form the political party and to become envious. Vimatsarah.

Samah siddhav asiddhau ca. If you are working for Krsna, it is Krsna's desire if you be successful or not successful. Here it is, the word is used, asiddhau. That means don't think that because you are Krsna conscious, you will be always successful. No. It doesn't matter. Even if you are unsuccessful, you must know it firmly that without Krsna's desire, nothing can happen. If you are unsuccessful, then you should.... That is Krsna conscious.... You should know also that "It is Krsna's desire." It is Krsna's desire. So there is no question of being depressed because you are unsuccessful. A devotee is never depressed in the horrible condition of life. Tat te 'nukampam su-samiksamano bhunjana...

Just like Prahlada Maharaja, he was always being put into trouble by his father, but he was never envious of his father. When he was requested by Nrsimhadeva to take benediction, he refused anything for himself, but he begged to the Lord for his father." My dear Lord, my father has become envious to You; so I request You to excuse him." Just see. This is vimatsarah. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. He was not against his father.

Similarly, a Vaisnava, a Krsna conscious person, he is nirmatsara, and this Krsna consciousness movement is paramo nirmatsaranam. It is meant for the paramo nirmatsarah, paramahamsa, those who are not envious. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. They are friend of everyone, not this particular class, but everyone. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Samah siddhav asiddhau ca krtvapi na nibadhyate. Because the law of karma is so accurate that every action is being recorded.

But if you live like this.... "Live like this" means you live in Krsna consciousness, nirmatsara, siddhav asiddhau samah. That can be possible only when you live in Krsna consciousness. Then all our actions will not be binding upon us. Otherwise any little thing we do, yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9], we shall be entangled. And that is material life. If we become entangled more and more, then the process of changing body, tatha dehantara-praptih, it will go on. Na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam asann api klesada asa dehah [SB 5.5.4]. Although this body is temporary, it is full of miseries. That we do not understand. We are thinking that we are very happy. Where is your happiness?

Therefore Krsna says that even though you think that by material advancement you have become very happy, but you should always keep in your front janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. Then you have to die. Then where is your happiness? If you can make such arrangement that you will not die, whatever you have created you will enjoy, then it can be said as happiness. But that is not possible. You have to die. Therefore Krsna gives more prominence to these four kinds of miseries: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam.

So people should be satisfied in any condition of life given by Krsna, and he should endeavor for developing his Krsna consciousness. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is the real aim of life. Not to make competition to get more comfortable life than your neighbor or father or brother or like that. That is not our business. That is the business of the cats and dogs. Kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye. Then [?] What is that? Tapo divyam. This human life is for tapasya. This is tapasya. "All right, Krsna has given me this position. That's all right. I will be satisfied." This is called tapasya. Why should I make competition? Simply by doing competition I am not going to be successful. That is the instruction of all sastra.

tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah
tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham
kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa

Do you think that if you try to become more happy, you will be happy? No. The sastra says that you get miserable condition of life without hankering after this. Nobody hankers after that all miseries may come upon him. No. But it comes. Similarly, all kinds of happiness that you are destined to enjoy, that will also come. So you don't waste your time for material happiness. You simply save your time for development of Krsna consciousness. Then you will be happy. Then you will be free. That is the instruction of Krsna. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974