Pradyumna:
arjuna uvaca
prakrtim purusam caiva
ksetram ksetra-jnam eva ca
etad veditum icchami
jnanam jneyam ca kesava
sri-bhagavan uvaca
idam sariram kaunteya
ksetram ity abhidhiyate
etad yo vetti tam prahuh
ksetra-jnah iti tad-vidah
[Bg. 13.2]
Translation: "Arjuna said: O my dear Krsna, I wish to know about prakrti, nature, purusa, or the enjoyer, and the field and the knower of the field, and of knowledge and the end of knowledge. The Blessed Lord then said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body, who knows this body is called the knower of the field."
Prabhupada: Ksetra-ksetra-jnam. Just like we are living in this apartment and we know that I am not this apartment, but I am living in this apartment. The people say that because the Supersoul or the soul is living within this body therefore the body is soul. This is not very good argument. That is being cleared by Krsna Himself. Idam sariram kaunteya ksetram ity abhidhiyate [Bg. 13.2]. Ksetra. Ksetra means land or a place. So idam sariram kaunteya ksetram ity abhidhiyate [Bg. 13.2]. And, the next line?
Pradyumna: Etad yo vetti tam...
Prabhupada: Etad yo vetti, and one who knows it, he's ksetra-jnah. Jnah means in knowledge. So we should know this, that I am not this body. It is my body. If we analyze the body, I say it is my hand, it is my leg, it is my head. Nobody says: "I head," or "I hand." "I" is different from this body. I am living in this apartment, but I am not this apartment. But the modern civilization is going on on the basic idea that "I am this body." "I am American." "I am Indian." "I am brahmana." "I am ksatriya." "I am man." "I am woman." This is condemned. This is condemned.
This is... This is the consideration of the animals. The animals, they do not know that the dog, the body-dog, and the soul who has obtained the body of a dog... The soul is different from the body. This is the Vedic information: asango 'yam purusah. (static) The living entity, soul, is not this material body. Asanga. He has no, I mean to say, association. He's put into that condition, but he's different from the body. (Child crying in background; aside:) What is that? She has gone out and cannot come.
So this should be clearly understood. This is knowledge, that I'm not this body. What is the next, second line?
Pradyumna: Ksetram ity abhidhiyate.
Prabhupada: Yes. Next?
Pradyumna: Etad yo vetti tam prahuh...
Prabhupada: Etad yo vetti. So if you study, if you meditate on our body, so "I am this body. I am this finger." No. The answer will come: "No, I am not this body. I am... It is my body. It is my finger. It is my head." This is simple thing. And here it is confirmed by the Supreme Authority, Krsna. And we can experiment it, that how it is that I am identifying myself with this body? Therefore sastra says: yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. This body is a, a product of the three dhatus. According to Ayurvedic system, kapha-pitta-vayu. So anyone who is accepting this body made of three elements, kapha-pitta-vayu, he is no better than go-kharah. Sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. An animal.
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]
Go-kharah. Go means cow, and kharah means ass. So people are identifying with this body, but sastra says such persons are no better than the cows and the asses. Now just try to understand what is this civilization. Just try to understand. It is this... It is a combination of cows and asses. Because everyone is identifying: "I am this body." "I am American." "I am Russian." "I am China." "Let us fight." "I am Hindu." "I am Muslim." This is going on.
The simple knowledge is lacking. The simple knowledge, that "I am not this body. I am..." Aham brahmasmi. The Vedic language. So 'ham. So 'ham means I am the same spirit soul as the Supersoul, as Krsna. I am qualitatively one. As Krsna is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, similarly I am also sac-cid-ananda, part and parcel. The difference is that I am very minute. As we have several times explained, the minute particle of gold is also gold. That is not different. Minute, a drop of the sea water is also the same, qualitatively. The same chemicals. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of Krsna, we are not subjected to the material conditions. But we have put ourself in this material condition. That is called maya. We wanted to enjoy separately, de, separated from Krsna, and therefore we are put into a condition which is illusion.
That I have already explained several times. At night, we forget all this body. Although in daytime I identify myself that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brahmana," at night, when I sleep, I forget whether I am American, Indian, or brahmana, and ksatriya. This is our daily experience. I am in different atmosphere. I am dreaming something. But again at daytime I forget what I dreamt at night. So sometimes we go very unknown place, very nice place, nice building, nice atmosphere. And at, as soon as the dream is over, then again I am on my bed. You see. And when I dream, I forget. I'm not in my bed, but I'm in the surrounding of palaces, of gardens. So this is our daily experience.
So because we wanted to imitate Krsna, krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare, the Krsna has given us a place which is illusion. Which is not fact. Temporary. Illusion. Just like we sometimes see water in the desert. That is illusion. Practically there is no illusion, uh, there is no water. But we see: "Oh, here is water, vast water." The animals, they run after the water. Similarly we are also running after this illusion. "There is happiness. There is happiness." Therefore there is no happiness.
At the fag end of life, we are disappointed, we are frustrated. Brdhya kala aula saba sukha pagala.(?) When we cannot again, no more, we can enjoy with our senses, then we become very much depressed. Old men. You'll find old men, those who are not spiritually inclined, they're very morose. Morose because they cannot use anymore the senses. They sometimes take medicine. But how it can be done? So drdhya kala aula.(?) So we are under this illusion. This is called maya. We should understand that we are not this body. We are not this body. Our bodily enjoyment, sense gratification, that is illusion. In another place in the Bhagavad-gita you'll find, it is said: sukham atyantikam yat tat atindriyam grahyam. Find out that verse. Sukham atyantikam yat tad atindriyam grahyam. We are trying to enjoy life with these material senses, but that is illusion, that is temporary. Temporary and illusion. Real enjoyment is with our spiritual senses. What is it...? Have you got?
Pradyumna:
sukham atyantikam yat tad
buddhi-grahyam atindriyam
vetti yatra na caivayam
sthitas calati tattvatah
Prabhupada: What is the translation?
Pradyumna: There's a few verses together... "The stage of perfection is called trance or samadhi when one mind, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this, he thinks there is no greater gain."
Prabhupada: So every information is there. If we want actually happiness, then we have to purify the material consciousness. That is Krsna consciousness movement. [break] ...have come to the point of Krsna consciousness. That Krsna consciousness can be achieved by the grace of Krsna. Krsna consciousness... Athapi te deva padambhuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi. Krsna cannot be understood by any other method than the Krsna method. Krsna is absolute. Therefore if one wants to understand Krsna, he must take the Krsna method. Krsna method. Because Krsna is absolute, there is no difference between Krsna and the method of attaining Krsna. They are the same. Method... The bhakti method means Krsna method. Bhakta-bhagavan. And the method to approach Bhagavan is called bhakti.
The whole thing is based on one root, bhaj. Bhaj-dhatu. Bhaj-dhatu. That means offering loving service to the Lord. And Krsna says: bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. These words are there: sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30], api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak. Bhajate, this very... Bhajate. Catur-vidha bhajante mam. This word, bhaja is very important thing. From bhaja, the word bhakti comes. Bhaja dhatu ukti. [?] So bhakti means bhajana. Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manasah [Bg. 9.13]. Again: bhajanti.
Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. This bhajana is for mahatmanah, not for the duratmas. Or ksudratma. Mahatma. One whose atma has been expanded, ma hatma. Not crippled. Those who are thinking in terms of society, nationality, country, religion, or so many things, they are not mahatmas. They are ksudratmas, small, crippled minded. Those, those who are thinking in broader way. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He says: prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama. He's not thinking in terms of... Prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama. As many towns and villages are there all over the world. He's not thinking in terms of "My village, my country, my society." Everyone is thinking like that. But those who are mahatma actually, they are thinking in a broader way. Prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama.
Krsna is thinking in terms of all living entities. Sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayah yah [Bg. 14.4]. All living entities, in all species of life, in all forms of life. Aham bija-pradah pita. "I am their father." So this is called mahatma. Krsna is thinking in terms of all living entities. People are saying that Krsna, Indian, Hindu God. Why Hindu God? The dictionary, it is said, in English dictionary that Krsna is one Hindu God. He's not. In the dictionary. Why Hindu God? He says that "I am the father of all living entities." Why He should be the father of the Hindus, Indians? He's father of everyone. He says. But they write in the dictionary: "Krsna is Hindu God." Misinterpretation. Krsna does not say. He...
And Krsna Himself, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama. "As many villages and towns are there, sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama, that My name will be celebrated in every village, every town." So this Krsna consciousness movement is not a crippled movement. It is very broad movement, claiming all living entities to come to Krsna, back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore we should not be bodily conscious. Krsna, here says: the body is not I am this body. Idam sariram ksetram. It is a field of activities. Ksetram. Field of activities. Just like one who is bodily conscious, he undergoes many severe exercises. So body becomes very stout and strong and he's happy. He's happy. Because he thinks: "I am this body."
Similarly you can make your body spiritually stronger. As you make your body materially strong, similarly you can make your body... Because this is ksetra. Ksetra means the field, or the land. You, in the land by tilling the land, by cultivating the land, you can produce nice grain also, and inferior grain also. As you work. Because the land is in your possession. You can cultivate as you like. Similarly this body is land, and I am the tiller. I am the krsaka, or agriculturist. So by using the land, I can become spiritually advanced, or I can become materially advanced. It is up to me. Spiritually advanced means gradually you forget that I am this material body. I am Krsna's. I am Brahman. That is spiritually advanced. And material advance means "I am this body." "I am American." "I am Indian." "I am brahmana." "I am ksatriya." "I am man, woman." This is materially advanced. Both ways. This human form of life... Because it is not animal life. Always remember that I'm not animal. I'm now human being. So I can utilize... these things will be explained in this chapter, how I can utilize this body.
Both ways, I can utilize. If I simply limit myself with the bodily necessities of life... Just like the animals. Eating, sleeping, sex intercourse, and defending. These are common to the human body and the cats and dogs body. But because I am human being, I can utilize my body in a different way. The cats and dogs cannot do. That is the difference between a human being and an animal. If you don't utilize my body as human beings then I am no better than cats and dogs. Actually I am cats and dogs. If we simply limit myself, how to eat very nicely, how to sleep very nicely, how to have sex intercourse very nicely and how to defend myself very nicely, then you are no better than animal. But this is the business of the animals.
The ani, animal cannot be invited to become Krsna conscious. That is not possible. Even if he's invited, he cannot sit down, he cannot hear. Therefore those who are very much advanced in animal propensities, they cannot take part in this Krsna consciousness movement. Who are, those who are to say frankly, no better than animals, they cannot take any interest in the Krsna consciousness movement. That is not possible.
Therefore Krsna says who can take? He says... We take from Krsna all the words. You don't believe me. Krsna says that:
yesam tv anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah
[Bg. 7.28]
So animal life means sinful life. Animal life. Even this human form of life is also sinful unless we come to the Krsna consciousness platform. We come to the... Animal life means sinful life. If I act as sinful, like hogs and dogs... Just like if I don't discriminate of eating. Just like the hogs, they have no discrimination. They accept even stool. "Come on. I shall eat." You get the body of hogs or dogs.
And if you utilize this body according to the sastra to purify it... Because human body is meant for purification. Yasmat suddhyet sattvam. That is the given, instruction given by Rsabhadeva. Tapo divyam putraka yasmat suddhyet sattvam yena suddhyet sattvam yasmad brahma-saukhyam anantam. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhati vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. He advised instructed his sons: "My dear sons, don't use this body like the hogs and dogs. Whole day and night searching after stool. Eating, for eating. don't use this." And, after eating, as soon as there is the sex is strong, then sex life. That is hogs life. We have seen. These are the examples. Nature's. They are very stout and strong, fatty, eating stool. And as soon as fatty, immediately sex life, without any discrimination, mother, sister, or anyone. That is hogs. You see from nature's example. Dogs and hogs. The dog has no, I mean to say, courtesy or shame. At, in the street, they're having sex life.
So human civilization is coming to that. Already it has come. In Western countries, at least, in our country, it has not come still. And Western, it is common affair. Young man, young woman is embracing, kissing, and everything. And sometimes sexually also engaged on the sea beach. In the garden. We have seen it. So practically you are coming to the hogs and dogs life. This is our advancement of civilization. Why? On account of this bodily concept of life. "I am this body. I am this body." Therefore this should be first of all understood. As Krsna says: idam sariram kaunteya ksetram ity... [Bg. 13.2]. It has been awarded to you for utilizing it for different purposes as you like. You can utilize it like cats and dogs and hogs and you can utilize it as devata, as demigod. That is up to you. We have got little independence. We can utilize or misuse this independence. But the sastra says that this body is not to be utilized as cats and dogs and hogs. Sastra says.
Therefore Krsna says: yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah. Anyone who does not care for the instruction given in the sastras... Sastra. Just like anyone who doesn't care for the law of the state, what kind of man he is? He's a loafer, a outlaw. He's not a respectable citizen. Similarly anyone who does not follow the shastric in... Sastras are meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs and hogs. As law is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. Therefore we have to follow the shastric injunction.
As Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, or Vyasadeva says in the Puranas, in the Vedanta-sutra, they are meant for... As Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: anadi bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli' gela, ataeva krsna veda-purana karila. What for these Vedas and Puranas are meant? Because we have forgotten Krsna. We have forgotten Krsna. Therefore to revive our Krsna consciousness, so many Vedic literatures are there. So many.
So this life is meant for utilizing this body... Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam. Sattva. Sattva, our sattva, or existence, is not now pure. It is, because it is not pure, therefore we have to migrate, transmigrate from one body to another according to our desire, according to our karma. Nature is giving you... Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. We have been given a vehicle. Now we have got this nice vehicle, this human body, vehicle, moving. But if we don't utilize it as human being, then it, we shall get another vehicle like dogs and hogs. Sometimes no movement, stand up for seven thousand years as a tree. Not as a tree, as tree. Yes. So this is going on. So the first essential knowledge, to know that "I am not this body." We are working so hard...
Body means the senses. The senses. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah, manasas tu para buddhih [Bg. 3.42]. So we have to transcend this bodily concept of life. Bodily concept of life means sense gratification. That's all. The, the bodily... I am, because I'm thinking I am this body, therefore I must satisfy my eyes by seeing something beautiful. I must satisfy my tongue by eating so many things which are even forbidden in the sastras. But my tongue wants it. I must take it. So bodily concept of life means satisfying these gross material senses. That is bodily concept of life. But gradually, by Krsna consciousness, by training ourself, how to become Krsna conscious, then our business will be how to satisfy Krsna.
Now we are satisfying our senses. That is bodily concept of material existence. And when we train ourself how to satisfy Krsna, oh, then, that is our perfection of life. This is Krsna consciousness. The process is there. Either you satisfy your senses or you satisfy the proprietor of the senses. Krsna is called Hrsikesa. Hrsika. Hrsika means "the senses." And Krsna is called Hrsikesa. Senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me 'cyuta. Hrsikesa. Tvaya hrsikena hrstitena.(?) So Hrsikesa. So bhakti means hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Now hrsika means indriya. At the present moment, we are satisfying the senses. For the sense only. We have no other higher objective. Sense wants to eat something palatable. Although it is not good for me, either from health point of view, or spiritual point of view...
Just like eating meat or drinking intoxication. This is not good, either for health or for my spiritual advancement. But because my tongue wants it, I have become my servant of my tongue. I want should be satisfied. This is the material condition. Because I, I don't want to serve Krsna, I want to serve my tongue. Ta'ra madhye jihwa ati, lobhamoy sudurmati ta'ke jeta kathina samsare. We have got different senses. Out of all the senses, this tongue is very strong. Tongue is very strong. Therefore sastra says: atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. By these blunt senses, we cannot understand Krsna. We cannot understand what is Krsna. What is Krsna's name, what is Krsna's fame, what is Krsna's form, what is Krsna's quality... We cannot understand. Therefore Krsna says:
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]
To understand Krsna is not so easy.
So sastra says that it can be made easy. It can be made easy. How? Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. If you simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord. This one method. Simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord. God will be revealed. (aside:) Come on. God will reveal Himself. You cannot see God. You cannot see Krsna. But when He reveals Himself... Just like at night you cannot see the sun. But when the sun reveals himself, it is not by your effort. In due course of time, sun will arise in the morning. You can see the sun, you can see yourself, you can see the whole world. So try to reveal Krsna. Don't try to see Krsna. Because with your eyes. with your senses, these material blunt senses we cannot see. It is not... Atah sri-krsna-namadi... (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972
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