"The Highest Success In Life"

74/04/07 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 4.18


Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities."

Prabhupada:

karmany akarma yah pasyed
akarmani ca karma yah
sa buddhiman manusyesu
sa yuktah krtsna-karma-krt
[Bg. 4.18]

I have been requested to simply translate this verse, Hindi. So... [Hindi] Intelligent, buddhiman [Hindi]. The subject matter is very easy and difficult also. The example is given, just like a boy flying kite, and with that, what is called, reel, he is doing like that. But in one way the kite is coming down, and in the other way the kite is going up. And one who is seeing from outside, he sees only the boy is moving the reel. That's all.

Similarly, unless one is very intelligent, he cannot understand what is karma and akarma. That is the whole subject matter of Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna was thinking that "I am going to commit some sinful activities by killing my kinsmen, the other side, my brothers, my nephews, my master, my grandfather, my so many relatives." So he was seeing sinful activity in that fight. So long there is deliberation of sinful and pious activities, that is called karma. Karma has got two results, either suffering or enjoying. Of course, in this material world there is no enjoyment. But with the hope of enjoyment, we agree to suffer. And that is called enjoyment.

Just like a businessman, he is working very hard, whole day and night, and he gets some profit, say, two lakhs; he thinks that he is very happy, he is enjoying. But actually, he is working very hard. But because he has no knowledge, he is thinking that "I am profiting. I am making profit. This is my happiness." But in the sastras those who are working so hard simply for some sense gratification... Especially in Western countries we have seen, this is very factual. Even very old man, he is working very hard, very big business magnate, very big politician, working very hard, and at night he goes to the nightclubs, pays $50 for entrance fee, and then he spends for wine and women lots of money. So this is his happiness. Even old man, eighty years old, he is also going to the club. Because in the material world the happiness means wine and women. That's all.

Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham [SB 7.9.45]. Prahlada Maharaja said that the grhamedhi attached to this material life, grhamedhi... Grha means compact in a room. So I am the living entity, spirit soul, I am compact within this body, encaged, or I am encaged within this universe. This is also compact. So one who is attached to this compact position, packed up in the body or within this universe, they are called grhamedhi. Apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam [SB 2.1.2]. They cannot see what is atma-tattva, self-realization. Apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam [SB 2.1.2].

So we are working very hard to become very happy, but that is not possible. That is not possible. We are making deliberation, "This is pious activities, this is impious." That is also good. Doing things blindly, that is another thing, but if one has this deliberation, "This is sinful activity and this is sinful activity," he is better than them.

But there is another position which is beyond this sinful activity and pious activity. That is called akarma, akarma. Akarma means there is no result, either sinful or pious. That is called akarma. And karma means there is result, either pious result or impious result. That is called karma. So we have already discussed in the Second Chapter that Krsna says how karma should be done in summarizing. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. If you work for yajna... Yajna means to satisfy the Lord. That is yajna. Yajna... The human society is required to perform yajna. That is described in the Second Chapter. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9].

yajna-sistasinah santo
mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma-karanat

Therefore our life should be trained up, educated in such a way, that all the activities should be conducted for yajna. Yajna means to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yajnarthe, for His satisfaction. This is Vedic civilization.

That Vedic civilization, the whole Vedic civilization, aim is to satisfy the Supreme. That is Vedic civ... Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. The division is there, but the whole aim is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But at the present moment, we are so educated, we do not know what is the meaning of Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is our position. We do not know even the meaning. We do not know what is Visnu and how to satisfy Him, what is the meaning of yajna. All forgotten. That is not Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization begins by performing yajna for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord Visnu. That is prescribed in the varnasrama.

We are recognized outside the world as "Hindus." The "Hindu" word is a foreign word. Actually, India's position or bharatiya kristi,(?) bharatiya civilization, is varnasrama-dharma. This question was put by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He was talking with Sri Ramananda Raya. This Ramananda Raya was governor of Madras under the region of Maharaja Prataparudra of Orissa. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a sannyasi. Ramananda Raya belonged to the second class. He was not a brahmana. In Orissa, the Karana,(?) they are accepted as sudras. So he belonged to that community, Karana(?) community. But he was so learned in spiritual education that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu agreed to talk with him about spiritual advancement of life.

So the first question was that, "What is the method of progress in human life?" Sadhya-sadhana. So Ramananda Raya gave Him the information,

varnasramacaravata
purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate pantha
nanyat tat-tosa-karanam

Because human life is meant for understanding position of Visnu, and his position, what is the relationship with Visnu, and how to achieve the highest success of life. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. These things are there.

The whole subject matter of Vedas, are these three things, what is our relationship with God... First of all we must know what is God. Then we must know what is our relationship with God. And if we act according to that relationship, then our aim of life is fulfilled. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. Sambandha means relationship, and abhidheya means the activities, and prayojana means the ultimate goal of life. So the ultimate goal of life is to understand Visnu. Na te viduh.

Not nowadays. Even in... formerly there were persons, they did not know what is the goal of life. Because it is the material world. In the material world the sense gratification program is very prominent. But we do not know that by the program, karma, of sense gratification, we become entangled. Therefore that sense gratification process is regulated. In the Vedas that is regulated.

Just like our sense gratification program is loke vyavaya amisa madya-sevah. These are the very prominent program for sense gratification. What is that? Vyavaya. Vyavaya means sex life. Amisa. Amisa means eating fish and meat. Amisa. And madya-seva, intoxication. This is the general tendency of anyone who is in the material world. And in the Western world it is very prominent. In our country it was not prominent, but now the program is "Make it prominent. Eat more meat, drink wine, and work very hard." This is the program, going on. The leaders are recommending. So actual, there is tendency already. Amisa madya-seva, vyavayamisa-madya-seva, and if we encourage them more, then they become entangled more and more. The Manu-samhita says, pravrttir esa bhutanam nivrttis tu maha-phala. That is general tendency. But it has to be minimized, because in the spiritual position there is no such thing.

Even ordinary students who are trying to make progress in spiritual life, they are not interested, amisa-madya-seva. They are not interested. This is practical. Even these European and American boys, they were accustomed to vyavayamisa-madya-seva, keeping boyfriend, girlfriend, and drinking, and intoxication, and gambling, and meat-eating, everything. They were accustomed from the childhood. But they have given up. Pravrttir esa bhutanam nivrttis tu maha-phala. That is general tendency. The Vedic civilization tries to control.

You have got tendency for sex life -- make it regulated by marriage ceremony. This is Vedic civilization, not that like cats and dogs you meet together and have sex life. No. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita. Dharmaviruddhah kamah, which is not against religious principles, that kind of sex life, Krsna says, "I am that sex life." So nothing is denied. Nothing is denied, but everything should be regulated. That is human form of life. And that regulative principle begins from the varnasrama-dharma, four kinds of varnas and four kinds of asramas. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. These are varnas. Catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13]. This is.... This program is chalked out by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You cannot neglect it. Then the karmas will topsy-turvy.

Therefore here it is said, karmany akarma yah pasyet. If we regulate this system -- brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra -- then although they are engaged as a sudra or as a brahmana or as a ksatriya or as a vaisya, still, they are not becoming entangled in such karma. That is called akarmani ca karma. Karmani. Karmani means there must be result, but you have to make it akarma, no result, no result. And that is bhakti-yoga. This is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita.

yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-
bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam atanoti
karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.54]

The very vivid example is Arjuna. Arjuna acted as a ksatriya, but he was not entangled in the result of activities by a ksatriya, because he was doing everything under the instruction of Krsna. This is called akarma. If you act... The same thing. You may be a brahmana, you may be a ksatriya, you may be a sudra. It doesn't matter. If you act according to the order of Krsna, by the order of Krsna, then your karma will not entangle you. Because or you are doing according to the order of Krsna, therefore you are performing yajna. By your occupational duties, you are performing yajna. Because yajna means to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Varnasrama... This varnasrama program is there to satisfy the Supreme according to one's quality and karma. That is called varnasrama.

So ultimate goal is to satisfy the Supreme. That they do not know. This is stated by Prahlada Maharaja. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not... Everyone is self-interested, but they do not know what is self-interest. Na te viduh svartha-gatim. Everyone must be self-interested. That is natural. But they do not know what is self-interest. The self-interest is to approach Visnu or Krsna and satisfy Him. That is self-interest. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya [SB 7.5.31]. Durasaya means by hoping something which is impossible to fulfill. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. The modern civilization, they are trying to adjust things by material activities.

Just like the greatest example is the United Nations. The United Nations is trying to adjust things, the whole worldly affairs, by a United Nations organization, UNO. But they could not do anything. Because they do not know that how the nation should be united. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum. They do not know. All their activities are without God, without God consciousness. Therefore they have failed. Everyone will fail, because they do not know what is the aim of life. That is the mistake.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to teach people that the ultimate goal of life is to satisfy Krsna, either you, Krsna or God. Krsna is the most explicit explanation of God. If God can have any name, the "Krsna" name is the most perfect name, because Krsna means all-attractive. I have explained many times. Unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? If God is attractive for a certain limited person or limited area, then he is not God. Then you will say, "Our God, your God, his God, that God." But if Krsna is all-attractive, that is real God. And that is Krsna. That is being proved. Now Krsna is all-attractive all over the world. Otherwise, how in America, in Russia, in China, in Europe, all countries?

Recently I have got several literatures printed in Swedish language. We are printing Krsna literature almost in all languages of Europe, in English language, in Spanish language, in French language, in Swedish language, in Dutch language and German language, and then Italian language, we are publishing, and it is being sold like hotcakes, anything.

Because this idea, the Krsna consciousness idea, is very, very new to them. Krsna, God, can be talked with personally. One can go to God personally. These ideas were unknown in the Western countries. But that is possible. That is a fact. We can understand from Vedic literature. But they do not know.

na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum
durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah
andha yathandhair upaniyamanas
te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni-baddhah
[SB 7.5.31]

The blind rascal leaders, they do not know, and they are becoming leaders. So what kind of leader? Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. One blind man is leading several other blind men. So what will be the result? The result must be disaster. That is being done.

Therefore the program is, as it is stated, karmany akarma yah pasyed akarmani ca karma yah. This is intelligence, now we have to work, but without reaping any good or bad result. That means working for Krsna. That is called akarma. I have already explained. In this way sa buddhiman manusyesu [Bg. 4.18], if you work for Krsna... The vivid example is Arjuna. He is working for Krsna. So you can do also. Simply by fighting... Arjuna was not chanting Hare Krsna. So you can do also. Because... Nowadays in the Kali-yuga because people are... [break] ...because they knew the duty, but at the present moment... [break] ...kalau sudra-sambhavah. In the Kali-yuga, because there is no such division, so everyone is sudra or less than sudra. This is their yajna. This is also yajna. That is stated in the Srimad-SB... Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32].

Everything is there in the sastra. Therefore we have to follow the sastra. At the present moment... Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam, yajnaih sankirtana-prayaih. This is the recommendation for this age, how to worship God. So this is the method. Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam. Tvisa, by complexion, akrsna, yellowish color, akrsna. How it is akarma means yellowish? That is a big explanation. This is indicating to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Krsna-varnam. Krsnam varnayati. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu simply was chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare...

Here is the picture. So we are trying to follow Him. That was krsnam varnayati. This is the statement of sastra. So whom we shall worship in this age of Kali? Because according to different ages there are different prescription. So because this Kali-yuga is very, very fallen, everyone is a sudra, there is no brahmana, no ksatriya, no vaisya, therefore, the one prescription is given there, that harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva... [Cc. Adi 17.21].

It is very difficult to bring one to the brahminical culture, to the ksatriya culture, to the vaisya culture, because everything is finished, and it will be finished more and more. Therefore the only saving platform is this harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. Then everyone will be saved. Therefore we are pushing on this movement. Chant Hare Krsna mantra anywhere.

And it has become practical. Even in Africa, in the village, where they have got so big, big earrings, they are also chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra. They are also chanting. Therefore the African government is a little afraid of this movement. Yes. Anyway, that's a big story. So anywhere we don't find any difficulty. Either you go in the interior of Africa or Europe... Europe, America, we have gone into. We are sending our buses and devotees with books in the village, in the interior village, because Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted it.

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

We are trying our bit, send devotees. And they are helping. These European, American boys, they are helping me very much. Even the girls, they are also helping. So it is very good opportunity. So to push this movement... And we are trying our best.

So by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra and by engaging yourself in the devotional service, although it looks like karma... Just like people say, "These people are also collecting money. They are going to sell books. And they are also eating. And simply because they are dancing and chanting Hare Krsna, they have become so great?" Yes. This is the process. And actually, they have become great. Although it looks like similar activities, that they are also using motorcar, they are also using microphone and typewriter and dictaphone and airplane... "So everything he is using. So how they have become so great or so advanced?" This is the intelligence. Here it is said that karmany akarma yah pasyet. Although they are acting just like ordinary human being -- they are using everything, they are also fighting for the land, for Krsna, and everything looks like that -- but akarmani, that is akarma, they are not producing any result, because it is being done for Krsna. This is the secret.

Karmani yah akarma. Akarma means which does not have... I have already explained. So if you work the same thing sva-karmana, never mind, you are doing the sudra's business or brahmana's business. It doesn't matter. Whether you are acting for Krsna? That is wanted. If you are acting for Krsna, then you are not becoming entangled by the resultant action, pious or impious. It is above. Pious and impious, they are consideration of this material platform. In the spiritual platform there is no such thing, absolute. Whatever you are doing, it is all-good, all-spiritual. That is called absolute. In the Absolute there is no such distinction, "This is pious, this is impious." Everything is spiritual.

So we have to act like that. If you act spiritually for satisfying Krsna, varnasrama-vibhagasah... Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. If you can satisfy Krsna by your activities... It doesn't matter whether it is sudra activity or brahmana activity. But the aim is whether you are satisfying Krsna. Then it is akarma.

Just like in this institution, somebody is washing the dishes and somebody is taking care of dressing Deity. It does not mean that one who is taking care of dressing the Deity, he is higher than the man who is washing the dishes. No. They are not karma. By washing dishes he is executing devotional service, and by dressing the Deity he is also executing. Real point is devotional service. That is called akarma. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.18 -- Bombay, April 7, 1974