"A Life Of Purity"

74/04/10 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 4.21


Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions."

Prabhupada:

nirasir yata-cittatma
tyakta-sarva-parigrahah
sariram kevalam karma
kurvan napnoti kilbisam

This is required in human life. It is not forbidden, that "You starve," no. That is not stated in the sastra: Yavad artha-vinirnayam. To keep your health and body, and the body and the soul together, you must live very nicely so that you may not be diseased. Because this human form of life is meant for making progress so that all the problems of life may be solved. It is required. Yukta. Yuktahara-viharasya. In another place, yuktahara-viharasya yogo bhavati siddhi-da.

When one becomes yogi.... Our real purpose of life is to become yogi. Yogi means to reestablish our connection, our lost connection, with God. At the present moment, in our material condition, we have forgotten our relationship, our eternal relationship with Krsna, or God.

nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya

The krsna-bhakti, our love for Krsna, is there eternally. But on account of our contamination with this material world, we have forgotten our relationship.

Just like a madman, he forgets his relationship with the family. He loiters in the street. He eats anywhere and everywhere and all rubbish things. Although he may have a very rich father, well-to-do family, but forgetting.... Madness means forgetfulness of his real life. So we are now forgetful of our real life. This has been also exemplified by a Vaisnava poet,

pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya
maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya

Pisaci. When a man is haunted by ghosts, as he speaks all nonsense, he cannot recognize his father, mother or relative.... Sometimes he calls them by ill names. On account of being ghostly haunted. Pisaci paile.

Similarly, in the conditioned state, under the influence of maya, we are also talking so many nonsense things, "I belong to this family, I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, my business is this," simply forgetting Krsna consciousness. All other business, he will remember, but when he is requested to become Krsna conscious, to understand Krsna, he doesn't like it. Except Krsna consciousness, he will take all responsibility and work hard for that purpose. This is called maya-grasta jiva. So nirasih, now, to go to our original position, that is called tapasya. Tapasya means to revive our original normal life of Krsna consciousness. That is called tapasya. This tapasya is not possible by the cats and dogs or animals. Tapasya is meant for the human being. Therefore the human life is called durlabha-janma. Durlabham manusam janma tad apy arthadam adhruvam.
Prahlada Maharaja said,

kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]

He advised his class friends, "My dear friends, from childhood we shall learn the science of Bhagavata-dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means to reestablish our lost relationship with Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And this can be solved in this human form.

Therefore education of Krsna consciousness should be given from the very childhood, kaumara. Kaumara means from the age of fifth year up to the tenth year. This is called kaumara age. So we have opened our school in Texas. We are training very nicely all these children, and they are very learned. Children, as you teach them, they learn. They are innocent. Unfortunately, we do not give them training about Krsna consciousness. We give them education for sense gratification, how you can earn money, economic development.

Economic development means to get more money and to satisfy senses more and more. This is the modern theory. But Krsna says that to achieve the perfection of life, one should be nirasih. Nirasih means unnecessarily desiring for sense gratification, unnecessarily. Everyone has got right to live and live nicely. For that purpose there is sufficient arrangement by the Lord. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. There is sufficient arrangement. No living being will starve. There is such arrangement. But when we forget more and more Krsna and God, nature will punish. There will be restriction of supply of foodstuffs. That is nature's law.

daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]

So present crisis, food crisis...

Everything is described in the Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita does not say that "You live by breathing air." No. Bhagavad-gita says, annad bhavanti bhutani. Anna. Anna means food grains. There is necessity of food grain. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Bhagavad-gita never says that "you don't require to eat. You simply breathe air and practice yoga." No. But we must eat neither more, nor less. That is recommended. Yuktahara-viharasya. We should not eat more, nor less. And nirasih. Nirasih means desireless of extravagance. Now we are desiring for sense gratification more and more. That is not wanted. If you want perfection of life.... This is called tapasya.

One has got the desire, but he should not desire unnecessarily. Everyone has got the right to eat, even the animals. Everyone has got the right. But because we are desiring to enjoy more, therefore we do not give the chance to the animals to live properly; rather, we are trying to eat the animals. This is not required. This is called nirasih. Why you should eat animals? That is uncivilized life. When there is no food, when they are aborigines, they may eat animals, because they do not know how to grow food. But when the human society becomes civilized, he can grow so many nice foods, he can keep the cows, instead of eating the cows. He can get milk, sufficient milk. We can make so many preparation from milk and grains. So we should not desire unnecessarily to enjoy more.

Then it is said here, kurvan napnoti kilbisam. Kilbisam means resultant action of sinful life. Kilbisam. So if we don't desire more than our necessary, then we are not implicated, involved in sinful activity, kurvan api, even though he is engaged in working. While you are working, knowingly or unknowingly, you have to commit something which is not pious, even sinful, but if you simply desire for living properly, then kurvan napnoti kilbisam. Our life should be without any sinful reaction. Otherwise we will have to suffer. But they do not believe, although they are seeing so many abominable lives. Wherefrom they are coming, 8,400,000 species of life? There are so many lives living very abominable condition. Of course, the animal or the living creature does not know, but we human being, we should know why this abominable life. It is maya's illusion.

Even one is.... Just like a pig is living in a very filthy condition, eating stool, and still, he is thinking very happy, and therefore he is getting fat. When one feels happy, "I am very happy," he becomes fatty. So you will find these pigs, they are very much fatty, but what they eat? They eat stool and live in a filthy place. But they think that "We are very happy." So that is maya's illusion. Anyone who is living in a very abominable condition of life, maya, by illusion, he is thinking that he is all right, he is living very perfectly. But a person who is on the higher stage, he sees that he is living in a very abominable condition.

So this illusion is there, but by knowledge, by good association, by taking instruction from the sastra, from guru, from saintly persons, one should understand what is the value of life and live like that. So this is instructed by Krsna, that nirasih, one should be unnecessarily desireful, more than his necessities of life. This is called nirasih. Nirasih. Another meaning is that not very much fond of material enjoyment. And that is possible when he is in full knowledge that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. My necessity is how to advance in spiritual knowledge." Then he can become nirasih. These are the items for tapasya, austerity, penance.

People have forgotten now. They do not know what is the austerities. But the human life is meant for that purpose. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam yena brahma-saukhyam anantam. These are the instruction of the sastra. The human life is meant for tapasya. And tapasya...

Therefore in the Vedic way of life the beginning of life is tapasya, brahmacari, brahmacari. A student is sent to gurukula for practicing brahmacarya. This is tapasya, not comfortable life. Lying down on the floor, going door-to-door for begging alms for guru. But they are not tired. Because they are children, if they are trained these austerities, they become to practice. They call all woman, "Mother." "Mother, give me some alms." And they come back to guru's place. Everything belongs to guru. This brahmacari life. This is tapasya. Tapo divyam. That is Vedic civilization, that children should be from the very beginning of life trained up in tapasya, brahmacarya. Celibacy. A brahmacari cannot see any young woman. Even the guru's wife is young, he cannot go to the guru's wife. These are the restriction. Now where is that brahmacarya? No brahmacari. This is Kali-yuga. No tapasya.

But according to Vedic civilization, varnasrama-dharma. Vedic civilization means four varnas and four asramas. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. We have begin. We have began our lecture on the basis, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. So this is civilization. Unless one comes to this standard of civilization, varnasrama-dharma, that is animal civilization. So we prefer animal civilization. Therefore we are living like animal also, fighting like cats and dogs and suffering like cats and dogs also. This is the position. Nirasir yata-cittatma. Control. I shall accept as much as I require, not more than that, not less than that. Controlling the citta, intelligence, and atma, mind or self, self-control.

Nirasir yata-cittatma tyakta-sarva-parigrahah. Parigrahah means unnecessarily collecting something, atyaharah. Atyaharah prayasah... Sri Rupa Gosvami has given definition how bhakti is killed:

atyaharah prayasas ca
prajalpo niyamagrahah
jana-sangas ca laulyam ca
sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati

If you want to advance in spiritual life, bhakti-yoga, then you should avoid all these things, six kinds of, sadbhih, six kind. Bhaktir vinasyati.

What is that? Atyaharah, eating more than you require. Actually, we should not eat unless we are very hungry. That is good eating. In.... When you are hungry, you can eat any ordinary things. Still, you feel very satisfactory. So not routine eating. Routine eating must be there. We should not eat more than that. But the best principle is that if we do not feel hungry, we should not eat. But if there is no hunger and at the same time no appetite and we eat, that brings indigestion, dysentery, indigestion. So why should we accept that? Therefore it is forbidden, atyaharah. Ahara means eating. Eating more than required or ahara means collecting also. Collecting more than necessity.

Atyaharah prayasas ca. Prayasah means things which are done with great endeavor. No. We shall accept things which are very easily done. Not to waste our energy unnecessarily.

Atyaharah prayasah, prajalpah, talking all nonsense, sitting together and on the newspaper, "Oh, such politician said like this, such social worker..." All nonsense. Practically you try to avoid all this newspaper reading or talking of nonsense subject matter. That is called prajalpa.

Atyaharah prayasas ca prajalpo niyamagrahah. Niyamagrahah means niyama, scheduled rules and regulation, not to accept. Niyama agraha or niyama agraha. Agraha means unnecessarily agraha, but without any result. That is called niyamagrahah. You must follow the rules regulation so that you are benefitted. But if you are not benefitted simply by following the rules and regulation, that is agraha, only for the rules and regulation, not for the result. We must see that there is result. Niyamagrahah.

Jana-sangas ca, to associate with unwanted people. You must associate with devotees, not others. They are called.... laulya, jana-sangas ca.

And laulyam, greediness, sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati.

If you are a student of devotional service, you must avoid all these things. And just the opposite number,

utsahan niscayad dhairyat
tat-tat-karma-pravartanat
sanga-tyagat sato vrtteh
sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati

Prasidhyati means you increase. What is that? Utsaha, endeavor. "In this life I must fulfill my mission of Krsna consciousness." That is called utsaha. Dhairya. Don't be agitated because it is not giving result immediately. Just patiently go on working.

Utsahad dhairyan niscayat. Niscayat means to have full faith in the words of Krsna. Krsna says, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. This is called full faith, that "Krsna has said that if I am in devotional service, I will never be lost. Krsna will give me protection. Krsna says." Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. To have faith, this is called surrender. Not that, "Oh, Krsna says, but may not be able to protect me." No. Krsna is able. He is all-powerful, omnipotent. He can give you protection. When He says that aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami, that is a fact. This is called niscayat. "Certainly Krsna will give me protection." Not that "Because I do not see Krsna, I do not know whether Krsna will give me protection." No. That word is sufficient. This is called niscayat. Utsahad dhairyan niscayad tat-tat-karma-pravartanat.

But you must follow the rules and regulation as it is enjoined in the sastra. Not that "Krsna will give me protection and I may do whatever I like. I can eat anything I like, I can do anything I like." Just some rascal advises that "There is no such thing, restriction, in the self realization. You can eat anything, you can do anything." People like that program. And as soon as there is restriction, they do not like. Because we put so many restriction, I am called in the western world, "Swamiji, you are very conservative." So we have to become conservative, follow the rules. Not that we give liberty, that "Whatever you like, you do, and at the same time you make progress, spiritual life." That is not possible.

Because spiritual life means tapasya. Formerly great, great saintly persons, they underwent very, very severe tapasya for thousands of years, hundreds of years. Then they attained success. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible to undergo such severe tapasya. There is concession. The concession is that you live a pure life and chant Hare Krsna mantra. This will make sufficient. A pure life: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. This is pure life. These boys and girls who have joined this movement, they have given up. They are not dying. Nobody will die if he lives a pure life. Anyone will make progress. Tapasa brahmacaryena [SB 6.1.13]. These are the injunction of the sastra. If you want to be happy, this is the.... Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam.

Sattva means my existence. At the present moment my existence is not suddha, purified. Just like if your health is contaminated, then you get some disease. So for the soul, the living entity, this disease, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam, this is a kind of disease.

Now, it is a fact because the soul is eternal. Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. The soul is eternal. It does not die. It does not annihilate after destruction of the body, but there is change of body, mrtyu. Janma-mrtyu means change of body. Tatha dehantara-praptih. So people should be intelligent to know, "Why I shall undergo this tribulation of repetition of birth and death?" But they do not know it. There is life without birth and death. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. After giving up this body, no more taking birth again with this material body. There is a life like that. We get this information. Why should we not fulfill this mission of life in this human form of life? Why unnecessarily desire so many sense gratification? This is called tapasya. If one life we have enjoyed the sense gratification.... Sense gratification, ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. Eating, sleeping, sex life and protection from fearfulness. Now this has been done in so many lives. Why not in this life make a perfect process so that no more death, no more birth, no more disease, no more old age?

They think it is all utopian. But we don't think. We believe in the words of Krsna, words of the sastra. And we are trying to accept it, practice it and preach it. This is Krsna consciousness movement, tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam. Then why we should be interested to purify our existence? Yena brahma-saukhyam anantam. You are after happiness. So this happiness, the temporary happiness, sense gratification, this is not happiness. Sukham atyantikam yat tad atindriya-grahyam.

Real happiness -- beyond this material sense gratification. That is real happiness. So we should search after that happiness.

ramante yogino 'nante
satyanande cid-atmani
iti rama-padenasau
param brahmabhidhiyate

Real happiness is to enjoy with Rama, enjoy with Krsna. What is that enjoyment? Krsna is the master. He orders, and you perform the order. That is enjoyment. Master and servant. Not as master, as servant. That is our enjoyment. Just like a faithful servant and a rich master, the reciprocation is service. The master is also satisfied by the service of the servant, and the servant is also satisfied, giving service to the master. This is our relation. Jivera svarupa haya- -- nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Unfortunately we are trying to become master. Instead of submitting ourself to become the eternal.... We are eternal servant. We cannot be master. If we do not become servant of Krsna, then we have to become the servant of our senses. That's all. Servant we must have. As you become servant of Krsna, then automatically you become master of your senses, because senses cannot allure you for satisfaction of the senses, because senses are engaged.

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

Hrsikesa. Krsna's another name is Hrsikesa. So Hrsikesa, when.... Hrsika means senses. When we engage our senses in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. And as soon as we engage our senses with upadhi, sarvopadhi... We have got so many upadhis. "I am this," "I am that," "I am human being," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am brahmana," "I am sudra," "I am American," "I am Indian." These are all upadhis. So sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When one becomes free from all these upadhis. So sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When one becomes free from all these upadhis, he understands that "I am spirit soul," aham brahmasmi; "Therefore my business is to reciprocate transaction with the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman."

Mayavadi philosophers, they do not know that there is relationship that the Parabrahman and Brahman can be engaged in loving transaction. That they do not understand. They think that Brahman, when merges into the existence of Parabrahman, then business is finished. No. Business is not finished. Because we are individuals. It is not possible to remain without any activity. That is theory, that without any activity we can remain. That is not possible. And if we have no information of the spiritual activity, then we have to come back again to this material activity. That is practical example. There are many sannyasis. They so-called merging into Brahman, but they come back in material activities, in politics, in sociology and so on. So therefore these instructions are very valuable. nirasir yata-cittatma tyakta-sarva-parigrahah sariram kevalam karma. Sarira, just to maintain your body. Be satisfied. Whatever is supplied by Krsna, be satisfied. Don't aspire more and more. Save time for advancing in Krsna consciousness.... [break].... so that you can, with great enthusiasm, you can make progress in Krsna consciousness. Sariram kevalam. Not for sense gratification.

You have to eat. These things are eatable: food grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar. That's all. Why should we eat nonsense things? This will keep your health very nice. Sattvikahara. And you can prepare so many nice preparations within this jurisdiction. Why should you go and kill animals for the satisfaction of the tongue? That is not allowed. Then you will be again entangled. Otherwise, to keep your body in nice condition, you eat all these things which is meant for the human being. Then you will keep fit and save time for advancement in Krsna consciousness. And if you become always engaged for sense gratification, go on working, working, working, then go to the restaurant, eat, drink and make your body agitated, then find out liquor and woman, what is this life? This is not life. This is animal life.

Real life is that you keep your health nicely, save time, take ordinary very nutritious food within the jurisdiction of krsna-prasada. Krsna says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. So Krsna eats all these things. Patram puspam phalam toyam, vegetables, liquid things, water, milk, and so many other things, grains. So you offer to Krsna. Krsna is here. Krsna, although He is very virat, universal form, but Krsna has accepted arca-vigraha so that you can serve, you can see, you can touch, and your life becomes successful. This is Krsna consciousness movement. Thank you very much. (end)


>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974