"Liberated by Understanding the Liberated One"

74/04/03 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 4.14


Pradyumna: Translation: "There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work."

Prabhupada:

na mam karmani limpanti
na me karma-phale sprha
iti mam yo 'bhijanati
karmabhir na sa badhyate
[Bg. 4.14]

Last night we discussed, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. There are two condition of life. Actually, conditioned life and non-conditioned life, liberated life and conditioned life, that is real nomenclature, "liberated life and conditioned life." Conditioned life means this material world. We are conditioned by the laws of material nature.

Just like we are trying to go to the moon planet, but we are conditioned; we cannot go. There are so many impediments. This is the nearest planet. Still, because we are conditioned, we cannot go. No free access. Otherwise, a living entity name is sarva-ga. Sarva-ga(tah) sthanur acalo 'yam. Sarva-ga means a living entity can go anywhere. As we see, there are so many planets. Why we cannot go? There are means also. We are flying in the air, but we cannot go. This is called conditioned life.

There are so many instances. Just like even on this planet if you want to go to other countries, say, America, you have to fulfill so many conditions. Passport, visa, then P-form and so many other forms. Not easily. This is called conditioned life. We have no freedom to move.

And there is another life which is life of freedom. Just like Narada Muni. Narada Muni travels everywhere. He goes in the spiritual world. He comes in the material world. In the material world he can go in any one of the planets. Sometimes by yogic practice we can go also, but not so easily. So there is a life of freedom. That is spiritual life.

Nitya-mukta, the living entities who are living, who are residing in the spiritual world, their number is greater than the conditioned soul. Just like some of our friends or citizens, they are in the jail. Their number is not as many as there, we are free. Similarly, the number of free living entities in the spiritual world is greater than the number of the conditioned souls. A few only, we are conditioned.

And this conditioned means karmani. Karmana daiva-netrena jantur dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. As we are doing work, fruitive activities, under the influence of a particular type of modes of nature, we are getting different types of bodies, and there are 8,400,000 forms of bodies, and we are rotating. Because we do not know, we have forgotten how to become free from this cycle of birth and death and transmigration of the soul. This is called karma. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9].

Therefore in the human form of life we must perform yajna. Yajna means to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Yajnarthe, for the sake of the Supreme Lord, for satisfying Him, that is our business.

So to do that business in the previous verse it has been prescribed that the human society should be divided into four classes of men. There are, but they should be systematically divided. Just like in any office there are departments. Without departmental work, nothing can be successful. Anywhere you go, either in the law court or in the office or anywhere, there must be departments. Similarly, the human society must be divided into four divisions. Not four division, eight divisions, varnasrama.

In the Vedic literature there is no such thing as Hindu dharma or Muslim dharma or Christian dharma or Buddha dharma. These are recent manufacture. Actually, Vedic instruction is to divide the whole human society into four varnas and four asramas. That is Vedic dharma, sanatana-dharma. It is called sanatana-dharma. A living entity has got the chance of getting this human... Labdhva sudurlabham bahu-sambhavante [SB 11.9.29]. Bahu-sambhavante means after many, many births. This present rascal civilization does not know that how with great difficulty we have come to this human form of life after so many evolutions.

The Darwin's theory of evolution, there is some idea, but it is not clear, not scientific. They are trying to prove that [it is] scientific. That is not scientific. But the evolution theory is there, 8,400,000 species of life. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati, like that. Bhramadbhih. We are rotating in this way.

So the human form of life must be systematized, not live like animals. So therefore if in the human society there is no this systematic division of persons...

The aim is one. It is not that because one is in the lower division, he does not get the benefit, no. Just like in the state, in an organized state, as we have seen in foreign countries, especially in USA, very organized state, everyone has got the facility. It doesn't matter whether he is rich man or poor man. Everyone has got.

Similarly, this catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13], brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra... It doesn't matter one is sudra or one is brahmana, but everyone has got the facility to become connected in relationship with the Supreme Lord.

mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
te 'pi yanti param gatim
[Bg. 9.32]

Param gatim, that is open for everyone. It is not that because one is sudra or one is candala, he is not allowed to enter into the kingdom of God. Only the brahmanas are allowed. No, it is not like that. The same thing, same example, that in the body there are four divisions: the head division, the arm division, the belly division, and the leg division. It is not that only the head get the facilities of living condition. No. Everyone.

But there must be division. That is scientific. Otherwise the human life will be spoiled. That I have tried to explain last night. There must be division, because it is ordained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How we can violate? There must be the brahminical class, the ksatriya class, the vaisya class and the sudra class. Then everything will be maintained very proficiently.

Because it is karma, karma-yoga. The material world means you work, and you enjoy or suffer the result of your work. This is material world. Everyone is given facility, but it is karmanubandhanah, karmanubandhanah, just a facility for the living entities who wanted to enjoy this material world. This material world is not wanted. Everyone should live in the spiritual world. There is spiritual world. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. There is no birth and death. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama [Bg. 15.6]. Everything is there. People do not know it.

Therefore the karma should be systematized, and it should be regulated by brahminical culture, by ksatriya culture, by vaisya culture, by sudra culture. But Krsna says that "Don't think... Because I have prescribed this for the systematic life of all the conditioned soul, it does not mean I am also one of them." Krsna is not one of them. And some foolish rascals they say that "Krsna is also bound up by the laws of karma."

No. Krsna is... Not only Krsna, but Krsna's devotees also. That is stated here. Iti mam yo 'bhijanati karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg. 4.14]. Simply by knowing, simply by knowing that Krsna is transcendental. Krsna gives us prescription how to live in this conditional state, but He is not one of us. He is not one of us. He is above, transcendental. Therefore He says, na mam karmani limpanti.

Because Krsna is fighting in the battlefield... He is not fighting. He is directing. Still, you may call that He is inducing Arjuna to fight. That does not mean he is becoming entangled in the karma-phala. Na mam karmani limpanti. Apapa-vidham. Krsna is killing so many demons. He is not bound up by karma. Similarly, if we also become devotee of Krsna and if we abide by His order, then karma-phala cannot touch us. This is bhakti. Karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam [Bs. 5.54].

That is stated in the Brahma-samhita. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam. There are millions and millions of living entities beginning from the king of heaven who is, whose name is Indra, yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma, beginning from that Indra... And there is one worm that is called indra-gopa, very small. You have to see with microscope. Very small, insignificant living entity. And that Indra, the king of heaven, is very important living... So beginning from that Indra up to this Indra, everyone is bound up by the fruitive resultant action of his karma. This is called karma-phala. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam. Going on under the laws of karma. Karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.54]. The go...

Just like Arjuna was hesitating to fight because he thought that "I shall be entangled in the karma-phala if I kill my family men and my grandfather, my teacher." So he was thinking. That was good consideration, papa-punya. But because he fought for Krsna, because he satisfied Krsna, he was not bound up. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. If you do anything for your satisfaction, then you become entangled in the karma-phala. But if you do anything for the satisfaction of Krsna, there is no karma bondage. This is the secret. That is clearly stated. Na mam karmani limpanti [Bg. 4.14]. He is the Supreme. He can direct, but He is not under the direction. He is free.

Similarly, those who are Krsna's devotees, they are also free. Yo mam. Yo mam abhijanati. Abhijanati means one who knows that "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is not ordinary human being, He is nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13), He is the supreme living entity amongst all living entities, He is the Supreme Living Being amongst all living beings" -- that is abhijanati. Abhijanati, know with complete experience, not superficially. Iti mam, yo mam abhijanati. Abhijanati means "Knows Me perfectly well, that 'Krsna is transcendental.' " And that is also explained by Krsna,

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

So those who are engaged in the bhakti-yoga, unflinching bhakti-yoga, unalloyed bhakti-yoga, such person is above this material entanglement. Material entanglement is within the modes of material nature. That is brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, or brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa, and gradually develop your spiritual constitutional position and be transferred to the transcendental position... Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. That is the process.

But if you live in the conditioned life like animals, then you continue the life of animals -- eating, sleeping, mating and defending, and struggle for existence. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. Then you struggle within this material world forever. Sometimes you become the king Indra, and sometimes you become that germ indra. This is karma-phala. This is karma-phala. But we are so ignorant of this law of karma, we are thinking "Now this position of American or Indian or this or that, for fifty years or sixty years, utmost, that is one, everything, all in all. There is no more life." Yes.

I have talked with many big, big professors. They are under the impression, atheism, voidism, that after death there is nothing; everything is void, finished. Atheism. Bhasmi-bhutasya dehasya punar agamanam kutah: "The body is burned into ashes. Who is coming again?" This is atheism. Because the atheists, they cannot see that how the soul is transmigrated by the subtle body from one body to another. They have no... gross, gross materialists. So we should not follow the gross materialists, but we should follow the perfect leader, Krsna, who says, tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. This we must follow. That is human civilization.

Therefore he prescribes that brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. Either you become brahmana or follow the instruction of the brahmanas, then your life is perfect. Both things are there. If you like to be brahmana, that you can become also. Mam hi partha vyapasritya [Bg. 9.32]. This is Krsna consciousness movement.

Because in this age everyone is a sudra, kalau sudra-sambhavah... There is no culture. There is no brahminical culture, ksatriya culture. Therefore all together, they are simply sudras. So this Krsna consciousness movement is to raise the sudras or less than that. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah. Plural number. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah. The papa-yoni. It is.... Krsna says. But everyone is open to come to Him. Everyone. It doesn't matter. And there are less than that. Less than they are called candalas. They are also mentioned in the Bhagavata. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah [SB 2.4.18], ye 'nye ca papah. Again, less than that. Yad-apasrayasrayah sudhyanti. They can be purified. They can be purified. Prabhavisnave namah.

The Lord Visnu is so powerful that He can make anyone a purified Vaisnava. That is His special... It is not that because one is kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa or papa-yoni, he cannot be elevated. He can be elevated. That is possible. Because guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. If you make him qualified like a brahmana and work like a brahmana, then he can be elevated. That is Krsna consciousness movement. We are trying to educate anyone. It doesn't matter. Because kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa. Anyone, ye 'nye ca papah. Anyone can be elevated.

So who will do that? Krsna says that "Anyone can be elevated." Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. So who will do that? Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said.... Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also Krsna. Now,

bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

Indian, this is the duty of the Indian, bharata-bhumi. One who has taken birth in the holy place of this Bharata-varsa, it is huge duty: make his life perfect and do welfare activities for others. This is India's business. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order.

bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

India is meant for para-upakara, not for exploiting others. That is not India's business. That may be for the fools and rascals in other countries. But in India is dedicated. Therefore in India Krsna comes, in India Lord Ramacandra comes.

But they have now taken it very cheaply. All rascals and fools and rogues, they are claiming that "I am Krsna, I am." They have taken because India has fallen. Because there is no brahminical culture, they cannot understand these rascals, that the fools and rascals, they are claiming to be Krsna. Krsna is so cheap? No. That is our misfortune, that instead of Krsna, we are accepting some imitation, rogue Krsna. This is our misfortune.

But we should not do that. There is Krsna. Here is Krsna, in His words. Krsna is Absolute. He is not different from Krsna. The words of Krsna and Krsna, there is no difference. When you read Bhagavad-gita, if you feel like that, that "Here Krsna is speaking before me," then your life is successful. Krsna is speaking. Actually, it is a fact. It is a fact. It is not that "Krsna is no longer here. Five thousand years He spoke. Therefore this Bhagavad-gita has become null and void." This is nonsense. Krsna can speak at every moment, at every second. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Those who are santas... Therefore it is said here, iti mam yo 'bhijanati. Does He say that "Simply in this age"? No. At any time. Iti mam yo 'bhijanati. One who understands Krsna, at any time, at any place, iti mam yo 'bhijanati karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg. 4.14]," he comes liberated person, simply by this understanding that Krsna is the Supreme Lord. He is not bound up by the laws of karma and He is not conditioned by this material nature."

Krsna says, daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. Mama maya. Maya is under His control. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih [Bg. 9.10]. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih. Prakrti is working under His direction, under His superintendence. So we should know Krsna like that. We should not.... Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because He is speaking like a man, we are thinking that Krsna came, and Krsna is now dead, and His instruction is also dead, obsolete. No, that is not. Krsna is ever-existing, nityo nityanam. We are also ever-existing. We are covered by this material body, but Krsna is not covered by the material body. He comes in His original body. Sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6]. Yuge yuge sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6]. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. So Krsna comes to save us and gives us His instruction so that after His disappearance from this world, people will take advantage of His instruction and make his life perfect. This is Bhagavad-gita.

But if we misuse our intelligence and do not take advice from Krsna and manufacture so many plans for prosperity, that will all fail. Moghasa mogha-karmano mogha-jnana vicetasah [Bg. 9.12]. That is moghasa. Mogha means frustrated. They will be frustrated. Moghasa. Anyone who does not take the direction of Krsna, then whatever he is hoping, that will be frustrated. Moghasa mogha-karmanah. And whatever he is planning, "I will do like this, he will do like that," that will not stay. Because the maya is there. Daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya. Maya will kill all your plans. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. And if you follow Krsna and do accordingly, then you will not be frustrated. Your life will be successful. This is the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita.

Therefore we are trying our little efforts, how to establish the truth described in the Bhagavad-gita. So here we should know in this chapter, Krsna said that catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Na mam karmani limpanti na me karma-phale sprha [Bg. 4.14]. Why Krsna has to work? Krsna hasn't got to work because He is self-sufficient. If we want something, we conditioned soul, we have to work very hard for it. But Krsna He can, by simply will, He can create the whole universe. So why should He work? Na tasya karyam karanam ca. This is the Vedic information. The Supreme Absolute Truth, God, has nothing to do. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate. Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. His energies are multi. Svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca. It is multi-energies working so nicely that we are seeing that it is automatically being [done]. Not automatically. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10], under His direction. But the machine, but the energy is so subtle, it appears like "Oh, it is has become automatically." But it is not being automatically. There is superintendence. But parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca.

Just like if you paint one nice rose flower, you have to apply your energy and the brush and the color very particularly, very carefully. Then still, it is not as good as the natural flower. But do you think that natural flower has come automatically? No. There is brain of Krsna also. But the brain is so sharp, parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate svabhaviki, it has come automatically. Don't think that there is no no brain. There is brain, sufficient brain, but not like your brain. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. This is Krsna. You should try to understand Krsna in that way. We should try to understand everything. Therefore Krsna says that raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh [Bg. 7.8]. This is Krsna's energy.

How the moon is shining, 200,000 miles away? Still, the shining is so perfect. Can you make any lamp like that? Have you got such brain? Then how you can compare yourself with Krsna? Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. But he has got the power. You can create one imitation moon or imitation sun, but that is not in your power. But still, you are so falsely proud of your scientific knowledge. What scientific knowledge you have got? So in this way, if we study Krsna, then we can understand that, as Krsna says, na mam karmani limpanti na me karma-phale sprha.... Karma-phale sprha [Bg. 4.14].

He hasn't got... Why he should have any desire? He can create anything, without any effort, simply by His willing. Simply by His willing. Sa iksata, sa asrjata. These are the Vedic information. Simply by His glancing, there was the whole material cosmic manifestation. So if we understand Krsna like that...

Therefore Krsna says... Study Krsna. Study Krsna. And Krsna is describing Himself. There is no difficulty. You can study Krsna. If you know now, "What Krsna says is all right," simply if you know definitely, then iti mam yo 'bhijanati, simply by knowing this, karmabhir na sa badhyate, he is no more under the condition of this fruitive resultant action. He is free. So why don't you do that? So nice thing. Simply study. Now how can I study? There is Krsna's instructor here. You study and you become devotee. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Don't require education. If you cannot read, if you are illiterate, it doesn't matter. You hear. Satam prasangan mama virya-samvidah. You hear from the realized soul. God has given you ear you can hear.

It doesn't require education. Formerly everyone was taking education simply by hearing. There was no book. Formerly everyone was taking education simply by hearing. There was no book. Therefore all the Vedic knowledge is called sruti. Srutibhir apanya.(?) Sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. Sruti. So this Krsna consciousness movement is opening centers just to give you chance to hear about Krsna, only hearing. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. Simply by hearing, you become perfect. Just like Pariksit Maharaja. At the time of point of his death, he had no time to perform any yajna or any big, big thing. He simply heard Srimad-Bhagavatam carefully. Sri-visnoh sravane pariksid abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. And he became perfect simply by hearing.

So we have got so many nice things, our Vedic literature, and they are all summarized in the Bhagavad-gita. If we simply hear, by simply hearing Bhagavad-gita as it is, then if we understand Krsna, kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati, then what happens? Iti mam yo 'bhijanati karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg. 4.14]. There is no more entanglement in the karma. Because so long we will be entangled in the karma, we will have to transmigrate from one body to another. And we do not know how long we have to rotate in this way.

Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Everyone is rotating in this way. Out of that, one who is very, very fortunate, then guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151], by the grace of guru and Krsna he gets the seed of devotional service. Then, if he waters it.... mali hana kare sei bija aropana. Just like if you get a seed of nice flower, if you sow it and water it, it will grow, similarly, the seed, sraddha, that "Krsna consciousness is very nice," this is seed, but if you pour water.... What is that watering? Sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana [Cc. Madhya 19.152]. If you simply hear and you chant also, that is the watering of the seed. Then it will grow. And one day it will grow, a big tree or big plant, and it will reach Krsna's.... This is described in the Caitanya-caritamrta. You will find.

So do not take this Krsna consciousness movement very lightly. Take it seriously and try to understand, and your life will be successful. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974