"Material Life - Lusty Desires"

74/04/08 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 4.19


Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every act is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge."

Prabhupada:

yasya sarve samarambhah
kama-sankalpa-varjitah
jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam
tam ahuh panditam budhah

Pandita, pandita means one who knows. Generally, in India the learned brahmanas are called "Panditji." Brahmana's honorable, I mean to say title is "Panditji". And vaisya's honorable title: "Sethji." Panditji, Sethji. Even the sudras, they are given some honor, "Choudhuri." This is Indian system. Everyone is given some honor. Especially in upper India, the brahmanas, even at the present moment, they are addressed as Panditji. And the ksatriyas, they are addressed as "Thakur Saheb". And vaisyas, they are addressed as Sethji, and the sudras, they're addressed as Choudhuriji. They're also given some honor.

This was the system of Indian life. Hindus, Mohammedans, they used to live very peacefully. It is not a fact that Mohammedans were always aggressive. Otherwise, how they could rule over India for eight hundred years? The Britishers could not rule even two hundred years. But they ruled over India eight hundred years. Only due to Aurangzeb's policy, the Mogul empire dismantled.

Anyway, so, yasya sarve samarambhah. Samarambhah means all attempts. Yasya sarve samarambhah kama-sankalpa-varjitah. We want to do something to enjoy the fruit. We do some business with a desire, "The profit I shall enjoy." We live in family life. The desire is that... Everyone is trying to satisfy his senses, especially in this age. Dampatye ratir eva hi. In the sastra it is said, dampatye, means husband and wife relationship will exist in this age of Kali only on the point of sex life. If there is disturbance in sex life, there is divorce. So kama is there. In every samarambhah, in every attempt, the lust, lusty desire is there.

In agreement, businessmen doing some business, the agreement, everyone is thinking, each party is thinking, "How much favorable it has become in my side." That is.... I want to cheat you. You want to cheat me. I am dictating, "The agreement should be like this." That means most favorable for my sense gratification. And you are dictating, "It should be like this." We are talking also on that spirit, "my sense gratification."

Krsna says something. That is not wanted. My so-called teacher or acarya... "There are different acaryas." No. There cannot be different acaryas. Acarya is one. As Krsna said in this chapter,

evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata
yogo nastah parantapa
[Bg. 4.2]

Acarya means one who is speaking exactly the same instruction as Krsna has given. That is acarya. Not acarya, everyone becomes acarya. "In my opinion it is like..." Who are you? If you have got any opinion, then you write your own book. Why do you touch Bhagavad-gita? Because Bhagavad-gita is very well-known book all over the world, these rascals take advantage of Bhagavad-gita and interpret it in their own way. That is not acarya. Acarya means, as Krsna says, that "Millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gita..." Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam, vivasvan [Bg. 4.1]. "I spoke to the sun-god millions and millions of years ago." Vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave 'bravit. Manu... If you simply calculate the age of Manu, it becomes millions and trillions of years. So before that. Because Vivasvan spoke to Manu. So Manu's age we cannot calculate. Before that.

So this is the parampara system. Krsna said to the sun-god Vivasvan. Vivasvan exactly transferred the message to Manu. Manu transferred the message to Maharaja Iksvaku. Maharaja Iksvaku is the first king of the Sun Dynasty, surya-vamsa, ksatriya, the forefather of the dynasty where Ramacandra, Lord Ramacandra appeared.

So the... That is acarya. So we have to accept. At the present moment, the acarya, Krsna, is instructing Arjuna. So Arjuna is acarya. One who is speaking exactly like Arjuna, he's acarya. Not that one is speaking nonsense according to his own opinion. What is he? What is his value? We are all defective. We cannot give our opinion. That is the disagreement with our preaching and others." We are preaching that nobody can give opinion on the Bhagavad-gita if he does not come in the disciplic succession as it is spoken by Krsna. Evam parampara-praptam. Otherwise it is nastah. Sa kaleneha yogo nastah parantapa. It is lost. So kama, this kama, lusty. "I am very learned scholar. I can give my opinion on the Bhagavad-gita. I can translate it in a different way. I can screw out some meaning by jugglery of words, grammatical jugglery.

Du-krn-karane. Sankaracarya has therefore decried, nahi nahi raksati du-krn-karane. By the Sanskrit grammatical pratyaya, du-pratyaya, krn-pratyaya, and you change the meaning... That will not save you.

bhaja govindam bhaja govindam
bhaja govindam mudha-mate
samprapte sannihite kale
nahi nahi raksati du-krn-karane

"This grammatical jugglery will not save you. Just bhaja govindam." Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. That is wanted.

So kama-sankalpa-vivarjitah. Yasya sarve samarambhah. You can act. We must always remember, this acting has begun... Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. First of all, the acting should begin according to guna and karma. Not that everything will be done by everyone. No.

Suppose if I want to do some engineering work. That is not possible for me. I must take help of an engineer. But if one wants to understand something about Bhagavad-gita, about the spiritual movement, he may consult me. Therefore, the society must be divided into four divisions. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. There must be a class of men very intelligent, brahminical class. They should also work just like brahmana. The ksatriya, they should work just like ksatriya. Because there will be some violence. Ksat. So one who defends or protects from injury, that person also should be there in the society, ksatriya. So on this basis the society must be divided.

But at the present moment, because everything is lost, now simply sudras are there, therefore the common medicine is prescribed:

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Adi 17.21]

Because the idea is how to become kama-raga-varjitah. Kama-raga-varjitah. Kama-sankalpa-varjitah. That is real knowledge. Everyone is lusty. He wants to satisfy his senses. So atma-prabhavam isvaram. The example I have repeatedly given you, that the senses should be engaged for the satisfaction of the Supreme. That is kama-raga-varjitah, or kama-sankalpa-varjitah. The senses should not be used for the satisfaction of senses. The senses should be used for the satisfaction of Krsna. That is kama-sankalpa-varjitah.

Yasya sarve samarambhah. A man is engaged in devotional service. Might be he's going to the municipal office, he's going to the income tax office. Because when we have to remain within this material world, we have to abide by the laws of the state. We want to construct the temple. We must have to take sanction from the municipality, or higher authorities. Or, if we want cement, we have to go to the authority. There are so many. But it must be kama-sankalpa-varjitah. Therefore it looks like one, that "This Mr. Such-and-such devotee is going to the municipal officer, and other person is going also the municipal office for getting sanction of a skyscraper building." Although they are apparently one, but no, this man who has gone for Krsna's sake, he's kama-sankalpa-varjitah. He has not gone to the municipal office for sanction of the temple for his personal benefit.

That is wanted. So we can do anything. Of course, according to the plan. Catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13]. We do. We act as a brahmana, we act as a ksatriya, we act as a sudra. It doesn't matter. But it must be kama-raga-varjitah, kama-sankalpa-varjitah. Not for personal interest. So without personal interest, who can act? Nobody will act.

Now this communist country. The communist country, because they have killed personal interest, it is actually not developing. Not developing. I have seen it, personally. Because, as it is said in English proverb, "Proprietorship turns sand into gold." If I, one has got the sense that "I am the proprietor of this business," so he works very hard, and he turns sand into gold. There are many examples. A poor man starts... But because by his endeavor... Now here, in this country also, nowadays this endeavor is being decreased because the, they're afraid of the income tax. They're thinking, "We shall earn so much with hard labor, and the government, from the income tax department, they will take ninety-eight percent. So why shall I work?" So this is economic impetus.

There is one Mr. Marshall, economist. Marshall's economics we read in our economic class. He said that "Family affection is the impetus for economic development." He said that. That is fact. Therefore, according to Vedic system, a boy is married with a girl, and the husband and wife, as soon as... This is psychological. As soon as they become husband and wife... Because the boy is searching after woman, and the girl is also searching after man. So they must be given. This is psychology. There is no question of so-called love. The, the former system of marriage, the father and mother selects one boy and one girl, and by force they are married. But the economic position becomes very nice. Family affection.

That is also stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. These are very psychological. A married man becomes responsible. Because there is affection, family affection. And one who is not married, he's irresponsible. Because there is no family affection. That is the basic defect of the present society. There is no family affection. They are all irresponsible.

So this psychology's there, lusty desire. That is the basic principle of material life. So when one becomes free from this lusty desire, kama-sankalpa-varjitah, that is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. Very simple thing. The material life means the basic principle is lusty desire. Everyone is working so hard because the basic principle is lusty desire. "I shall enjoy like this. My wife shall enjoy. My children shall enjoy. My grandchildren shall enjoy. My countrymen will enjoy. My society will enjoy." This is the basic principle of whole modern civilization -- expanding the selfish interest. Selfish interest means "my sense gratification." And expand more, "My family's sense gratification." Expand it more: "My society's, my nation's..." This way.

But this is material life. When one becomes this kama-sankalpa-varjitah, that is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. Therefore it is described here: yasya sarve samarambhah. The sama... Any attempt.

Now, this Krsna consciousness movement, there is attempt. We are also after land. We are also after building. We are also after money. We are also after business organization, either a sky... What is that? Our? Spiritual Sky. Or this book department, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Apparently, it is business. We also want money. We also land. We want also building. We want also men. Then where is the difference between the ordinary person and Krsna consciousness movement? This is the difference: kama-sankalpa-varjitah. Everyone has sacrificed his life for Krsna. Personal? There is no personal interest. These boys, these girls, are working day and night, hard, in my direction, but I don't pay them. Neither they expect any payment. Otherwise this movement would not have proceeded so quickly. There is no question of payment. Kama-sankalpa-varjitah. Everyone is engaged for satisfaction of Krsna.

So that is explained here: yasya sarve... Factually we are using everything. We have got everything. We have got cars. We have got microphone. We have got typewriter. We have got dictaphone. What we have not? Just like ordinary men. We have got everything. We have got office. We have got lawyer. We have got engineer. What is not? Everything is there. But the point is kama-sankalpa-varjitah. There is no lusty desire that "I shall become happy, my wife shall become happy," or "My children shall become happy, my nation shall become happy, my community shall become happy." Extend. This extension has no meaning. This is all kama-sankalpa-varjitah.

Suppose a person is working very hard for his nation and trying to drive away others, non-national. But that is not kama-sankalpa-varjitah, That is kama-sankalpa-sahitah. So therefore that is material. Superficially, it may be very philanthropic, sacrificing. Now, suppose one man is stealing for his personal benefit, and the same stealing, if he steals for his family, is he not a thief? Either he steals for his family or for himself, stealing is stealing. But nowadays it is going on that if you steal for greater selfish interest, it is not stealing. No.

That greater, the greatest selfish interest is Krsna. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. So you make it greater. That's all right. But where is the point where the greatness will be limited or there will end? That is Krsna.

bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma su-durlabhah
[Bg. 7.19]

So if we come to that point, to understand that we are self-interested, personally or extended personally, family-wise, community-wise, society-wise, nation-wise, they are still polluted with the material desires. But when the same extension comes to the Supreme, Krsna, that is kama-sankalpa-varjitah. Otherwise it is kama-sankalpa-sahitah, with kama-sankalpa.

Therefore bhakti means anyabhilasita-sunyam [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11]. Rupa Gosvami says, anyabhilasa-sunyam. Because these are all anya abhilasa. Except to serve Krsna, any desire is desire. That is material desire. And sometimes they want to negate this desire. Desireless. One of my students just spoken that.... Somebody said that "To become desireless is the highest perfection." So he replied that "Desireless, that is also desire." You are thinking that "I shall become desireless." So this is also a desire.

So how you become desireless? Very nice argument he gave. Our Caitya-guru gave it. I was very much pleased. It is not possible to become desireless. This is foolishness, to give up desire. You cannot give [up] desire. That is not... If you give up desire, then you are a dead man. A stone has no desire. Do you like to become a stone-like? No. Desire cannot be less. That is not possible. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Madhya 19.167]. Abhilasita-sunyam, anya. Anyabhilasita-sunyam: "Except Krsna, any other desires should be given up." That is anyabhilasa. Abhilasita-sunyam, the acarya, Rupa Gosvami,does not say. That is not possible. I must have desires because I am living entity. I am not a stone. I am not a wood. So this is a false philosophy, to become desireless. That is not possible. To become desireless -- other desires. Other means except Krsna.

Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Madhya 19.167]. Uncovered, coverless, without any covering of jnana and karma. Jnana and karma. Because here it is said, jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam. One is engaged in the material activities when he's not enlightened by knowledge. Therefore they are called mudhas. The karmis who are working for sense gratification day and night, they have been called as mudhas. Mudhas means asses. The ass works very hard, the washerman's cloth loaded on the back of the ass to the greatest extent so that he cannot move. But what does he get in exchange? A morsel of grass. That's all. He knows it, that in exchange of... "None of the cloth belongs to me; still, I am carrying so much burden, and in exchange I'll get a few pieces of grass," which is available anywhere. But he's thinking that "This washerman will supply me grass." This is ass, ass-mentality. Therefore they are called mudha.

All the karmis. In Bombay there are so many karmis, working very, very hard. If you want to see him, "No, sir, no, I have no time." What you are doing? "Working." What are you eating? "Four capatis. That's all." Why four capatis you are working so hard? "No, for my next generation. Or for my son, for my grandson, for my this, for my that, and..." This is called mudha. Therefore it is said, jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam. When one understands by knowledge that "I am uselessly working this. I am uselessly working. What is the benefit of this work?" But he has no knowledge. He does not know that everything, what he is building in this life, after death, everything will be taken away. Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham. Krsna will take away. All your skyscraper building, bank balance, nice family, car and everything -- all lost.

With the loss of your body, everything is lost. Then you take another body. Then what is the guarantee that you will come into this family again and enjoy your car and building and society and friendship? Where is the guarantee? There is no guarantee. When you accept another body... Krsna says, tatha dehantara-praptih. You have to change this body, but you do not know. There is no guarantee that you will come into the same nation, same family, same society, however may you desire.

Just like one big poet in Bengal, he sung, ei desete janma amara, ei desete mari. Ei desete janma. You have taken this birth in this country. That's all right. And you'll die. But where is the guarantee that after death you'll again come in this country? That is not guaranteed. Dehantara-praptih. He... But this is jnana. So unless one is situated on the platform of knowledge, jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam...

Therefore present policy is that "Engage them in work only, and never mind. There is no need of spiritual education. There is no need of jnana. You throw them out, then. Now work just like ass. That's all." This is the modern policy of the whole world, engage them. In England and other countries, they want to see that everyone is engaged in working. Then their factories and other things will go on. And if one is engaged in philosophy, jnana, then the work will stop. So they do not like this Krsna consciousness movement anywhere. We are not liked.

They are under the impression that we'll make the people escaping. But that is not the fact. We are actually distributing knowledge. Jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam. When one becomes actually on the platform of knowledge, then he does not work like an ass. But people want that people should work like ass. That is the difficulty. That is... There is a clash between our movement and others. They want to make all people to work hard like an ass, and we say that they... There is a difference of philosophy. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. We are preaching the, nayam deha nrloke, in the human society, this is not meant for working so hard, like an ass, like a hog, simply for sense gratification. This is Krsna consciousness philosophy. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke.

Deha-bhajam. Deha-bhajam means one who has got this material body. So there are eight million four-hundred-thousands of forms, material body. It is not spoken for them, but nrloke, one who has got this body, material body, as human being, for him, it is not good to work so hard like hogs and pigs and asses simply for sense gratification, kastan kaman. Why one should? You should be peaceful. You should be sober. You should think what is the value of life. And, you be satisfied with nature's gift. Nature will give you so many things. Krsna has given you food grains, fruits, milk. You don't require to eat meat and open slaughterhouses. Be satisfied with... As Krsna is satisfied: patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati.

Krsna does not say, dima macha mamsa. No. Krsna says, patram puspam phalam toyam. And one who is Krsna conscious, he should simply take what is taken by Krsna. That is the meaning of distribution of prasadam. Why? Krsna has given you everything. So many varieties of fruits, so many varieties of grains, and sufficient milk. You can make milk products, so many. This is Vedic civilization, that be satisfied...

And you can produce food anywhere. Anywhere, any part. You haven't got to go from hundred miles away from Bombay city by the electric train hanging, full, for earning your livelihood. This is not civilization, making all people like asses. Kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye. This is the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate... [SB 5.5.1].

Why you should? Kama. We require to fulfill our, some desires. That desire means we have to eat something, we have to sleep somewhere, we must have a little sense gratification also, and we must defend. That is allowed. That is allowed. But why kastan kaman? Why you should work so hard to satisfy your senses like the dogs, hogs and other animals? That is the Krsna philosophy. Be satisfied, plain living and high thinking. That is required. If you miss this opportunity of human life and spoil it like dogs and hogs, then you lose the opportunity. This is the... Bahunam sambhavante. Prahlada Maharaja says, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan..., durlabham manusam janma [SB 7.6.1]. A child should be taught Krsna consciousness. Kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan... Dharman... Generally... [break] ...kama. Kama means personal sense satisfaction, kama. That may be extended, society-wise or family-wise or nation-wise, but that is kama-sankalpa.

But it should be extended to the topmost point, Krsna. Aham adir hi devanam. Mattah sarvam pravartate. Then it will be kama-sankalpa-varjitah. And jnanagni. Jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam tam ahuh panditam budhah. He is pandita, he is learned. One who is working for Krsna, not for sense gratification, he's learned person. Tam ahuh panditam. Budhah. Who will say pandita? So this is pandita. And Canakya Pandita also gave this description:

matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah

Pandita does not require any so-called education. Real education: panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. There is another place. Here is also this pandita. And Canakya Pandita also says pandita.

Who is pandita? According to the material calculation, as Canakya Pandita says, that "That man is pandita." Who? Matrvat para-daresu. "One who sees every woman as mother." Para-daresu. "Except his wife." Except his wife. If he sees everyone as mother.... And, matrvat para-daresu para-dravyesu lostravat. And others' money just like kula [?], garbage, not to touch. Para-dravyesu lostravat. Just like there are so many pebbles on the street. Who is going to catch it or collect it. Similarly, others' money should be like that. Ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam. Be satisfied what God has given you. This is pandita. Not that making plan: "I am big lawyer, making plan how to grab others' money." That is not pandita. How to entice others' woman. It doesn't matter. Even though relationship is very.... So no, this is not.... Nobody's pandita. Even from material point of view. Matrvat para-daresu para-dravyesu los... Another pandita: pandita,

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

That is pandita. And another pandita here: jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam tam ahuh panditam budhah. These are the panditas. Not B.A.C, D.H.C., and doing all nonsense. That is not pandita.

So this is Vedic civilization. Don't be carried away. Take lesson from Bhagavad-gita and make your life successful. That is the propaganda of this Krsna consciousness movement. Don't become cats and dogs and advertise yourself as pandita. These are the definition of pandita. Either take you from Canakya Pandita's materialistic point of view, moral lessons, or spiritual lessons from Bhagavad-gita, the definition of pandita is different from the so-called panditas, having... That is... They are called mayayapahrta-jnanah. Although they have got degrees of the universities, but actually, knowledge is taken away by maya.

na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]

If one becomes atheist, then his knowledge has no value. Because real knowledge is... As Krsna says, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. This is real knowledge.

So somehow or other, try to understand Krsna. Then you actually become pandita, learned, and your life is successful. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974