Wednesday, August 31, 2011
The Demonic Want Degradation 75/02/03 Hawaii, Bhagavad-gita 16.7
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Nitai: "Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them."
Prabhupada:
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
So these are the symptoms of asura. We have already discussed the characteristic of divine nature and the characteristic of demonic nature. In the Visnu Purana this is also confirmed. Dvau bhuta-sargau loke daiva asura eva ca. There are two kinds of people all over the universe. There is asuraloka and devaloka, planet. So devasura fight. That is going on perpetually, daiva and asura, demonic nature and divine nature.
There are many people; they do not like us because we are preaching God consciousness. This is our fault. Even in our country, in India, the government do not like us because nowadays, everywhere practically, the demonic people being very much increased, the government is also demonic. So they do not like people in divine nature. They will tolerate all kinds of noise, barking of the dogs, the motor car passing, the aeroplane on overhead. But as soon as there is kirtana, they're disturbed. They'll tolerate so many different types of noise, but they'll not tolerate kirtana. That is from the very beginning.
In New York, when we started this movement, so in the morning, at seven o'clock, we used to hold our class, and there was little sound. Immediately the tenants from upwards, they'll come down and complain. Sometimes they will call for police. And on the street, Second Avenue, there is always big, big trucks and motor cars going on, heavy sound. Then in your country the garbage carrier sound, the digging sound. So many sound they'll tolerate. And as soon, "Hare Krsna," "Oh, it is intolerable." (laughter) This is demonic, the demonic. They'll not hear. Because that will do good to them by hearing, they'll not accept it.
It is practically experienced. I know that the ghost, if you go in a house ghostly haunted, if you chant Hare Krsna mantra, they'll go away. They cannot tolerate. In my life there was several incidences like that. In my household life, I was doing business in Lucknow. So there was one house, very big house, worth thousands of rupees' rent, but it was ghostly haunted. So nobody would take that house. I took it at two hundred rupees, (laughter) and very big house. And I was... All the servants, they complained, "Sir, there is ghost." So I was chanting. He was living in several spots, especially on the gate side. So I could understand, but I would chant Hare Krsna, and I was saved. Everyone was saved. There was... And, say, in 1969 I was guest in the house of John Lennon in London. So there was a ghost in... It was a big plot. There was a guest house. So they complained, "Sir, here is ghost." So I advised them to chant Hare Krsna, and the ghost went away. Yes. This is fact. When there is Hare Krsna chanting, these ghostly, demonic living entities, they'll not be able to stay there. They'll go away.
So two classes of men, demonic and divine. So divine nature has been explained in various ways from the very beginning. Now Krsna is explaining about the demonic nature. The first characteristic of demonic nature is they do not know what should be the pravrtti and what should be nivrtti, proper and improper action. Improper action is mentioned here, beginning, that na saucam napi cacarah, not cleanliness. Cleanliness is essential. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness."
In India, especially in the villages, you'll find cleanliness. He has got one cloth, poverty-stricken, one cloth, not very white. Due to dirt, it is black. But that one cloth should be washed daily, still, one cloth. They'll take one napkin and wash the cloth and India, tropical climate, here also, and spread it on the floor. Within five minutes it will be dry, and then change clothes. And early in the morning, even in chilly cold, they will take bath, taking water from the well. And nature's arrangement is, if you take well water, it is hot early in the morning. Early in the morning it is very, not very hot, but is warm. You can take very easily your bath. They, do that. This is called naimitti. Nitya, naimitti. Nitya, this is daily affair, taking bath and go early in the morning to evacuate, then wash your hand. Not required, soap. You can take the dirt from the earth and wash your hand nicely. Then take your bath and change your cloth, wash cloth. Then go to some temple.
Still this system is current. And see arati, mangala-arati. Chant Hare Krsna mantra. Ring the bells. In every temple such arrangement is there. Then come at home and do your duty, the businessman. In the shop also, they'll cleanse everything very nicely. Even the scale, weighing scale, they will wash every day. This is required, saucam. Satyam saucam samo damas titiksa arjavam astikyam, jnanam vijnanam brahma-karma svabhava-jam.
One should be truthful. Truthful means that you should be so much truthful that even his enemy asks him, "Where is your money," he'll say, "Here is my money." He'll not, I mean to say, hide anything. That is truthfulness. Of course, in this age it is very difficult, but these are the items, to become truthful, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, samo damas titiksa, tolerance, arjavam, simplicity, then astikyam, firm faith in the sastra, scripture.
Just like Bhagavad-gita is scripture. So firm faith... Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] "You simply always think of Me, Hare Krsna." Not difficult. Bhava Krsna has given you the tongue. Every one of you can chant Hare Krsna. Where is the... You have no expenditure but great gain. You become highly elevated gradually by chanting Hare Krsna. Now, Krsna says personally man-manah: "Always think of Me." Not only that, anyone who is thinking of Krsna always, twenty-four hours, Krsna gives him the certificate -- the topmost yogi.
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
So Krsna says... This is called theism, believing in the sastra. Any sastra. It doesn't mean that simply... All sastras, according to time, circumstances, people, there're different sastras. The Bible is also sastra. Koran is also sastra as much as... They are spoken according to the time, according to the circumstances.
Just like in the Bible, the first injunction is "Thou shall not kill." This means the people were, in those days, at least people who were all around Christ, they were very much expert in killing. Otherwise why he says first, "Thou shall not kill"? So this injunction must be followed. Unfortunately they first of all killed Jesus Christ: "You are speaking ‘Thou shall not kill'? I shall kill you." Just see. This is the position. "So what is my fault? You want to kill me?" "Because you are speaking of God, therefore we shall kill you." And actually it actually happened. This is demonic.
So there are many other instances. Prahlada Maharaja, five years old boy, he was chanting Hare Krsna. His father did not like. "Why you are chanting Hare Krsna?" "Because Krsna is the Supreme Lord." "Krsna is Supreme Lord? I am Supreme Lord. You do not do this." So the boy would not give up. So the father was even prepared to kill a five year old boy. The fault was that he was chanting Hare Krsna. He was given poison. He was thrown into the fire. He was pulled from the hill. He was very powerful king, and whatever he ordered his servant carried out, but he was saved in all circumstances by Krsna.
So this is demonic nature. They will simply try to suppress Krsna consciousness movement because these symptoms are there, na saucam napi cacaro na satyam tesu vidyate. There is no truthfulness. They do not know what is ultimate truth. Satyam param dhimahi. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam the beginning is satyam param dhimahi. Janmady asya yatah: [SB 1.1.1] "The absolute truth... I am meditating upon the supreme truth, Absolute Truth." What is absolute truth? Janmady asya yatah: [SB 1.1.1] "From whom everything has come into existence, that is Absolute."
So what is the nature of that Absolute Truth? Is it a dead body or a living body? There are two things, something dead and something living. So what is the nature of the absolute truth? So that is replied, janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah [SB 1.1.1]. Abhijnah means cognizant, living. The Absolute Truth is not dead; it is living. We are pushing forward this theory.
The modern scientists, they are of opinion that life comes from matter. We say, "No, life comes from life. Matter comes from life." This is satyam. I do not know how they get Nobel Prize, putting forward a false theory that life comes from matter. The matter... So why don't you produce life in the laboratory? Matter is there. Chemicals are there. You mix them and produce a life. When some such chemist is inquired, "Whether you can produce life if I give you the chemicals?" they will immediately say, "That I cannot say." Then why do you speak like that? So this is asuric. If they accept that everything comes from the living being, then they will have to accept God. So they want to avoid this: "Everything matter." But that is not the fact. Origin is life. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavah. Aham. Krsna is life. He's not dead matter. So...
Now, what to speak of Krsna, you can, if you think of yourself... This material body, how it has developed, such big body? Because the living spark is there. The gigantic material thing grows on the basis of spirit soul. We can understand that. The spirit soul is the basis. Our body, very small particle, spiritual particle, takes shelter in the womb of the mother, and gradually the living spark develops this body. That is our practical experience. And if, some way or other, the living spark is gone... Suppose a dead child is born. It will not grow. It will not change. So this is very simple thing, that on this living being the matter grows, not from matter living being comes in. So we have written a small pamphlet, and in German language it is already published. People are very gladly accepting, reading this book. What is the name you have given?
Hamsaduta: Life Comes From Life.
Prabhupada: No, German name?
Hamsaduta: Leben Komt von Leben.
Prabhupada: So, na satyam tesu vidyate. The demonic people, they do not have the truth. Only on false theory, the Darwin's theory... We have commented upon Darwin's theory also in our book, Scientific Basis of Krsna Consciousness. Dr. Svarupa Damodara Brahmacari, he has written a small booklet. He has criticized Darwin very strongly, that he is a speculator. A speculator cannot give you truth. That is not possible. By speculation you cannot say, "Two plus two equal to five." That is not science. "Two plus two equal to four," that is everywhere. And if you speculate, "No, two plus two equal to five," or "two plus two equal to three," that is not science. So scientific basis means it should be fact, not speculation, mano-dharma. Mano-dharma means speculation.
Therefore sastra says, harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. Harav abhaktasya, one who is not a divine nature or devotee of the Lord, he has no qualification. "Oh, he's MA, PhD." No, he has no qualification. "Why?" Now, mano-rathena, he is simply speculating. He has no truth. How by speculation...? Every one of us, we are imperfect. We are very much proud of our eyes: "Can you show me?" What qualification your eyes have got that you can see? He does not think that, that "I have no qualification; still, I want to see." These eyes, oh, they are dependent on so many condition. Now there is electricity, you can see. As soon as there is electricity off, you cannot see. Then what is the value of your eyes? You cannot see what is going on beyond this wall.
So don't believe your so-called senses as the source of knowledge. No. The source of knowledge should be by hearing. That is called sruti. Therefore Vedas' name is sruti. Sruti-pramana, sruti-pramana. Just like a child or a boy wants to know who is his father. So what is the evidence? That evidence is sruti, hearing from the mother. Mother says, "He is your father." So he hears; he does not see how he became his father. Because before his body was constructed the father was there, how could he see? So by seeing, you cannot ascertain who is your father. You have to hear from the authority. The mother is the authority. Therefore sruti-pramana: the evidence is hearing, not by seeing. Seeing... Our imperfect eyes... There are so many obstacles. So similarly, by direct perception, you cannot have the truth.
Direct perception is speculation. Dr. Frog. Dr. Frog is speculating what is Atlantic Ocean. He is in the well, three feet well, and some friend inform him, "Oh, I have seen vast water." "What is that vast water?" "Atlantic Ocean." "How big it is?" "Very, very big." So the Dr. Frog is thinking, "Maybe four feet. This well is three feet. It may be four feet. All right, five feet. Come on, ten feet." So in this way, speculating, how the frog, Dr. Frog, will understand Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean? Can you estimate the length and breadth of the Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, by speculation? So by speculation, you cannot have. They are speculating so many years about this universe, how many stars are there, what is the length and breadth, where is the... Nobody knows anything even of the material world, and what to speak of the spiritual world? That is beyond, far beyond.
Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita. There is another nature. This nature, what you see, the sky, a round dome, that, above that, there are layers of five elements again. This is the covering. Just like you have seen the coconut. There is hard covering, and within the covering there is water. Similarly, within this covering... And outside the covering there are five layers, thousand times bigger than the one another: Water layer, air layer, fire layer. So you have to penetrate all these layers. Then you will get the spiritual world. All these universes, unlimited number, koti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Jagad-anda means the universe. Koti, many millions clustered together, that is material world. And beyond that material world there is spiritual world, another sky. That is also sky. That is called paravyoma. So by your sense perception you cannot estimate even what is there in the moon planet or sun planet, this planet, within this universe. How you can understand the spiritual world by speculation? This is foolishness.
Therefore sastra says, acintyah khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena yojayet. Acintya, which is inconceivable, beyond your sense perception, don't try to argue and understand it and speculate. This is foolishness. It is not possible. Therefore we have to go to the guru. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet, samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. This is the process. But the demons, they do not know, this process. They speculate; they manufacture. Simply by jugglery of words they manufacture their truth. No. Satyam param dhimahi. That is in the big Bhagavatam. You'll find. And what is satyam? Janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat tene brahma hrda... [SB 1.1.1]. Everything is there.
So don't remain in the ignorant stage of life. That is called sudra. Try to become brahmana. That is the meaning. It is not prohibited that one cannot become brahmana. No, one can become brahmana. If he gets association of a brahmana, if he agrees to be trained up by a brahmana, he can become brahmana. And brahmana means brahma janati iti brahmana, not by birth. Anyone who has full knowledge of the Supreme, he is brahmana. Janmana jayate sudrah. By birth everyone is sudra. Even if he's born in a brahmana family he is sudra. Janmana jayate sudrah samskarad bhaved dvijah. The samskara means purification. That is satyam saucam. But the asuras, they do not want to be purified. They want to remain in the degraded stage of life. That is the difficulty.
Otherwise it doesn't matter what he is, which family he's born. It doesn't matter. Krsna says, you'll find, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Papa-yoni. To take birth low-grade family, or animal family, these are called papa-yoni. Krsna says that it doesn't matter if one is born in the papa-yoni, low-grade family. It doesn't matter. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah. In the human society, striyah sudras tatha vaisyah, even woman and sudra and vaisya, they are also taken in the category of papa-yoni. Papa-yoni means their intelligence is not very sharp. That is called papa-yoni. And a brahmana means to become very, very highly intellectual. That is called brahmana. Because he'll understand Brahman.
To understand Brahman is not the business of tiny brain. Alpha-medhasam. There are two Sanskrit words, alpa-medhasa and su-medhasa. Alpa-medhasa means having little brain substance. Physiologically, within the brain there are brain substance. It is found that the brain substance in man is found up to 64 ounce. They are very highly intellectual persons. And in woman the brain substance is not found more than 34 ounce. You'll find, therefore, that there is no very great scientist, mathematician, philosopher, among women. You'll never find because their brain substance cannot go. Artificially do not try to become equal with men. That is not allowed in the Vedic sastra. Na striyam svatantratam arhati. That is called sastra.
You have to understand that woman is never given to be independence. Independence means just like child has to be taken care, similarly, woman has to be taken care. You cannot let your child go in the street alone. There will be danger. Similarly, according to Vedic civilization, Manu-samhita, woman should be given protection. In this way, acara, this is called acara. So the demons, they do not know. The demons, they do not know what is what, how one thing should be treated, how... They do not know. In the Western countries there is no such distinction between man and woman, but there is. We have to accept it and construct this social institution in that way. Then it will be perfect.
So everything should be learned from the standard Vedic literature, and society and other things, economic development, everything... So that is here in the Bhagavad-gita. All problems, whatever you want, you consult Bhagavad-gita -- you'll have perfect answer. That is called Vedic literature. Perfect without any flaw you'll get. But to understand Vedic literature one has to become a brahmana or a ksatriya. Even in vaisya stage or sudra stage no possible, not possible. Vaisya stage, little, but in brahmana stage and ksatriya stage people are intelligent. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is said, Krsna begins in the Fourth Chapter, imam rajarsayo viduh. Rajarsayah means king, ksatriya, with qualification of brahmana. He has got... Although he is king, he is not brahmana, but he has got the qualification of brahmana. So that qualification of brahmana can be fully attained if one becomes Vaisnava.
Vaisnava is transcendental even to the brahmana. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. He becomes transcendental to the stage of all the three modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Sattva-guna is the stage of brahmana, rajo-guna is the stage of ksatriya, and tamo-guna is the stage of sudra, and mixed together is the stage of vaisya. Vaisya has mixed quality and pure sattva-guna, brahmana; pure rajo-guna, ksatriya.
So Krsna says... Krsna did not say Bhagavad-gita to the loafer class. Krsna said rajarsi. Arjuna was a rajarsi. So there are... Because king would take responsibility. If the head man is taught very nicely everything about society, economic development and religion, if he is taught very nicely, then he can, I mean to say, introduce the ideas in the country. Therefore there was monarchy. The king would learn from the brahmanas how to rule over the citizens. That was perfect. Imam rajarsayo viduh. Raja and rsi. Or raja means king and rsi means saintly person. So either the rsis did know or the kings did know. Or a king who is not less than a rsi, he could know and he could rule over. That is the Vedic injunction. Imam rajarsayo viduh. But without being rajarsi, without being highly qualified, nobody can understand.
Therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is trying to purify the people in general to the brahmana stage. Then they'll be... you'll be able to understand. Otherwise, na saucam napi cacarah. If he's not clean, if he has..., he does not know how to behave, it is difficult. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu is still more kind that "Never mind whatever you are. Chant Hare Krsna and you become purified." This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement. It doesn't matter whether what you are. Chant Hare Krsna and you'll be purified. Then you'll understand everything, what is God, what you are, what is your relation. This is Krsna consciousness movement. Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Demons And Devotees 75/12/22 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7
Demons And Devotees
75/12/22 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada:
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
Na saucam napi cacaro na satyam tesu vidyate. This is a verse from the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, where the Lord is describing the symptoms of the demons. Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca. Pravrtti means inclination, inclined. And nivrtti means disinclined. So there are two things within this material world. Our inclination is to enjoy the senses. This is general. Everyone within this material world, even the animals, birds, beasts, human being or more elevated than human beings, the demigods, kinnaras, or the, many other higher types of living entities... There are different grades of living entities -- 8,400,000 different bodies. So what is their pravrtti, inclination? The inclination is attraction of man and woman. This is the central point of attraction. Pumsam striyah maithuni-bhavam etad: the whole material world is existing on this point -- sex, man and woman. So this is pravrtti-marga, and nivrtti-marga: just to stop it. This is called nivrtti-marga.
We are within this material world on account of this pravrtti, sense enjoyment. Those who are inclined to sense enjoyment and do not care to know what is the aim of life, they are called asuras. And those who are trying to avoid the entanglement of this material life and revive the whole original life... Whole original life means Krsna conscious life. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, our original consciousness is that "I have got intimate relationship with Krsna as His part and parcel." That is Krsna consciousness. And the, my conception is the bodily conception, that "I am this body. I am born in this country; therefore I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, I belong to this family, I belong to this species," this is called pravrtti-marga. This is scientific division, pravrtti-marga and nivrtti-marga. Why the scientific? Because it is the fact. Science means fact. I am not this body. I am spirit soul. That is, just like a man suffering from some disease, so that is not his normal life to suffer from some disease. Normal life is to keep healthy life, no disease. That is normal life. So in order to keep to the normal life, we must know how to cure the disease. Just like when you have got fever, you go to the doctor, he says, advises "You do this" and "You do not do this." The "do not do this" means nivrtti-marga, and "do this," pravrtti-marga. If you are serious to cure your disease, then you must know what you should do and what you should not do. But just like a man, a very foolish man, he is suffering from disease but he does not know how to cure the disease, what to do and what not to do, similarly an animal-like man, a two-legged man, he does not know what to do and what not to do. This is explained here.
Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana, pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana na vidur asurah. Jana, there are two kinds of men, asura and daiva. Daiva asura eva ca. There are two all throughout the whole universe, there are two classes of men: one is called daiva, and one is called asura. One who knows his relationship with God, he is called daiva, and one who does not know, just like animal, they are called asura. There is no particular caste or creed, that here is a caste of asura, caste of daiva. No. Anyone who knows what is God and his relationship with God, sambandha, and then works according to that relation, and achieve the goal of life, he is called daiva, or devata. And one who does not know this, what is the goal of life, what is God, what is my relationship with God, he is asura.
So, Krsna has described everything, in the Bhagavad-gita, and today, this night, we are trying to explain the mission of Krsna, because the same mission is being carried out by us beginning from Brahma, and today is a special day, the disappearance day of my Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. So these acaryas, they come and they go, that is not like ordinary birth and death. It is called prakata, aprakata, avirbhava, tirobhava. So even ordinarily nobody takes birth and nobody dies, na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, so what to speak of the acaryas, or Bhagavan. Nobody, a living entity, a living being... God is the supreme living being, and we are subordinate living beings. Both of us, we are living beings, so what is the difference between the two kinds of living beings? The difference is that the one, God, or Krsna, He maintains all the other living beings. And we are being maintained. This is the difference. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. The plural number living entities, we are plural number, in different species of life, but we are maintained by the Supreme Being.
So this is our relationship. If we understand this relationship, eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman, that is our real understanding. Just like in your office or in a factory, there is a proprietor, he is maintaining so many workers, so many clerks. And what is your duty? To serve him. So similarly, if the Supreme Being, the supreme proprietor, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
[Bg. 5.29]
If the factory man knows that he is not the proprietor, he is not the enjoyer of the profit -- the enjoyer of the profit is the proprietor of the factory, and we are worker -- then there is peace. And if the workers fight amongst themselves, that "I am the proprietor," falsely, then there is chaos. There is no production, chaos. Similarly, if we fight ourselves, amongst ourselves, that "I am proprietor of India; you are proprietor of America; you are proprietor of Germany," this is false conception of life. Real proprietor is Krsna. If we know this, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam... Krsna says that "Bhokta, I am bhokta, I am the enjoyer." Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram, "I am the final proprietor, or the supreme proprietor," that's a fact; then there is peace. This is our relationship, that we are part and parcel. We are not non-important: the factory is going on, or the whole world is going on, on account of the living entities. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para. Krsna says that "Beyond this material energy," bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca bhinna me prakrtir astadha, "these eight kinds of prakrti, they are my separated energy. But there is another kind of superior energy," yayedam dharyate jagat. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim. Just like same example: in the factory there are ingredients and there are workers. So the ingredients are compared with the material energy, bhumir apo' nalo vayuh. They are also the property of the workers, because they are living being, jiva bhutah maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat, those who are working for development of this material world. The same example.
So this is knowledge. We should understand that everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nothing is manufactured by us, so He is the proprietor; but because we are His sons, we have got the legal right to enjoy the property of the father. That is all right; that is real communism. This is actual understanding of communism: everything belongs to God. Just like the Communists, they are thinking everything belongs to the state, and the citizens must work and enjoy. So our philosophy is the same. Only difference is that they are, what is called, ignorantly accepting the state is the proprietor. No. If they accept God is the proprietor, Krsna is the proprietor, then Communism is very perfect. That is missing. That is missing. Actually, God is the proprietor. What is the state? That is artificial. This state, American state, or African state, Russian state, these are artificial. Actually the land belongs to God. We are demark: this is India, this is Russia, this is America. That is the beginning of spiritual education, to understand this fact:
isavasyam idam sarvam
yat kincid jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
ma grdha kasyasvid dhanam
This is the real understanding. Everything belongs to God -- isavasyam idam sarvam -- everything, and tena tyaktena bhunjitha, whatever He gives you as prasadam... Just like our principle is that we are working for Krsna, this is real philosophy. Every one of us, one who is offering arati, he is also working for Krsna, and one who is building this construction, temple, he is also working for Krsna. So as worker for Krsna there is no distinction. Variety. Variety of service.
So the Krsna consciousness movement means variety of service to the Supreme. The example is just like, the varieties of different parts of the body: the head is there, the hand is there, the brain is there, the leg is there. The head cannot work like the leg, neither the leg can work like the brain. The hand cannot work the belly, or belly cannot work like the hand. Varieties. Similarly, there are varieties of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we serve Krsna with our varieties, sa karmana manasa vaca, then it is everything peaceful. That is Krsna consciousness movement. We do not want to stop the varieties. Varieties must be there. We are not nirvesesa-vadi, impersonalist. No. We are completely personalist. Krsna is person, Radharani is person, the devotees are person, the demigods are person, the cats person, the dogs person, the cows person, the calves person. But what is the meaning of Vrndavana? Vrndavana means everyone -- the father and mother of Krsna, Nanda Maharaja, Yasodamayi, the gopis, the girlfriends of Krsna, Radharani and others, and the cowherd boys, and the cows, the calfs, the trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water. Everyone is for serving Krsna. This is Vrndavana. Vrndavana means there is variety, and varieties of service and everything for Krsna. That is Vrndavana.
So our this Krsna consciousness movement is educating that the varieties of service should be concentrated for the satisfaction of Krsna. That is pravrtti, and what is not satisfying Krsna, against the... [break]
Anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam. This is called surrender. Surrender means that Krsna is asking sarva-dharman parityayja mam ekam saranam vraja. What is the surrender means? Surrender means "Krsna, I am surrendering unto You. I was acting whimsically, by the dictation of my different senses." Kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, like that. Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. The sastra says, you should not steal -- an example. But I am stealing. Why? Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. I know I should not steal; therefore I go to somebody's house very secretly, or push my hand very secretly in one's pocket. I know that I should not do this, but I am forced to do it. Why? I am dictated by my lusty desire. So I am become servant of my six senses. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. This is our position. Na manina kulya... Everyone knows. A thief knows if he commits theft he'll be punished, either by the police or by the laws of God. Everyone knows, but he still commits theft. Why? He is dictated by the lusty desires.
So pravrtti means we are dictated by our kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, and we should agree to be dictated by Krsna, that's all. That is intelligent. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Our pravrtti is to abide by the dictation of the senses, and when we learn not to abide by the dictation of the senses but to abide by the orders of Krsna or His representative, then your life is successful. This teaching, this learning, means Krsna consciousness. It is not difficult. Everyone can do it. Simply he has to change: instead of being dictated by the senses, one should be dictated by Krsna. That requires qualification. Krsna is there, in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is not far away, but you have to search out where is Krsna within your heart. That is called yoga. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yoginah, those who are trying to understand Krsna by the yoga process... The yoga means controlling the senses. Without controlling the senses you cannot practice any yoga. Nowadays it has become a fashion, meditation yoga, but that is not bona fide. That is not only (not) bona-fide; that is farce. Real yoga is controlling the senses and concentrating the mind to the Supreme Person. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. That is the... And farce yogi is going like that. And Krsna says also in the Bhagavad-gita,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
He is first class yogi. Who? "Always thinking of Me.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
He is first-class yogi." So we are teaching our students to become the first-class yogi. Not these yogis to reduce fat. No. That is not required. Yogi means who is always seeing Krsna within the heart. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is first-class yogi, bhakta-yogi. Twenty-four hours, satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah [Bg. 9.14]. Satatam kirtayanto mam: you have to fix up your mind in Krsna by the process of chanting His glories, satatam kirtayanto mam [Bg. 9.14], not otherwise. Mam, Krsna.
So people do not understand this, what he should do, what he should not do. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Because he cannot distinguish, therefore he is asura. Asura -- demons, or atheist. So if you analyze the modern... [break] This Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that it is invented..., not invented; it is there in the Vedic literatures. Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He has given us this process of realizing Krsna and becoming expert in understanding what we should do and what we should not do, pravrtti nivrtti. And therefore if we know that we should not do this, we should do this, then we become immediately devata. And if you do not know what we should do and what we should not do, then we remain asura. It is not that because one is asura, he cannot become a devata. The asura can become devata, provided he knows these two things: pravrtti and nivrtti.
So pravrtti we have got, just like we have got tendency -- cent percent person has it at the present moment -- to smoke. This is pravrtti. But we say don't smoke, nivrtti. And if we drink, that is pravrtti. Everyone, even the ant, he is also drunkard. They have scientifically studied, the ants are very much fond of intoxication; therefore they eat sugar. In sugar there is liquor, so the... Loke bhavaya nisamadhya seva nityasta yanto. Every living entity has got this tendency, bhavaya. Bhavaya means sex life; amisa, meat-eating; and mada, liquor. Natural tendency. Therefore the country where these things are indulged without any restriction, that is asura, the country of the asura. So especially in the Western countries, and now we have also learned. In India, either Hindus or Musselman, drinking was a sin. Now we have got very easily available liquor. Every door there is shop, and every door there is meat shop. So India, there was time that they were all devatas; now we are imitating the asuras. On the other hand, the boys and girls from the asuric country, they are becoming the devotee, devata. So there is no exclusive right for a country to become devata or demon. A demon can be turned into the devata and devata can be turned into demon, provided he does not follow this pravrtti and nivrtti, what is pravrtti-marga. Pravrtti-sambhutanam nivrtti tu mahabalam. That is life. "I want to smoke; I have got tendency to smoke," pravrtti. This is pravrtti; everyone has got. But if you can stop it, then your life is successful. Nivrtti.
Therefore this nivrtti means tapasya. If I am habituated to smoke, if I am habituated to illicit sex life, if I am habituated to intoxication and gambling, etc., this is my pravrtti. But if we can stop it by practice, that is called tapasya. And human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddyeta satyam. Rsabhadeva's instruction: "My dear sons, you practice tapasya." The human life is meant for tapasya. "I have got tendency to do this, but that will not help me, that will degraded me." So tapasya means instead of being degraded, be elevated. This is called tapasya. Tapo divyam. This human life is meant for this purpose, to practice tapasya, or to practice nivrtti. Then our life is successful. Tapo divyam. Why tapasya, why nivrtti? Yena suddhyena sattva. Sattva means here existence is impure. Impure means that you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], you do not die after the annihilation of this body, but I am subjected to repetition of birth and death, in different species of life. This is my disease. It is not pure condition of life. Pure condition of life as it is stated in Bhagavad-gita, yad gatva na nirvartante tad dhama paramam mama.
mam upetya (tu) kaunteya
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]
[break] ...Vaikunthaloka, Krsna's loka, then you get your original, eternal sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], live there eternally. Just like in Vrndavana they are always with Krsna enjoying life. This is nivrtti-marga. So there is a life, eternal life, very blissful life, full of knowledge. If you want to go back to that life, back to home, back to Godhead, then you must practice this pravrtti, nivrtti-marga.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this pravrtti-marga, nivrtti-marga, both. "You do not do this" or "You do this." "Do this" means rise early in the morning, mangala-aratrika. Of course, you must sleep, but not sleep like cats and dogs, animals. Simply sleeping means waste of time. The more you reduce sleeping, then you become perfect. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. All the gosvamis in Vrndavana, they conquered over these things. What is these things? Nidra, sleeping; ahara, eating; and vihara, and sense pleasure. This is called sannyasa life, reducing sleeping, reducing eating. This is pravrtti-marga. We think "If I can eat voraciously like an elephant, then my life is successful." No. That is not success of life. If you can do without any food, that is successful. That is success. This is called nivrtti-marga, but that is not practical; therefore if we promise that we shall not eat anything which is not offered to Krsna, that is tapasya. If you don't go to the restaurant and eat anything nonsense, that is pravrtti. But if you want to stop that restaurant-going, then you take Krsna prasadam; krsna bora daya moy kori bare jihva joy sva-prasada-anna dilo bhai. Krsna is ready, so many nice, palatable dishes; you take and stop this restaurant-going. This is Krsna's mercy. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna does not say "Bring something from the restaurant" or this or that. He says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: anything, little leaf, little flower, little water. Krsna is not hungry, but Krsna is so kind that He has come to you, so that you can touch Him, you can dress Him, you can decorate Him, you can offer Him, you can live with Him as servant, as friend, as son, as lover. In so many ways, Krsna is giving you chance.
So the kanistha-adhikari, in the beginning... It is not that kanistha, beginning, if anyone immediately becomes so advanced. It is not advancement; it is foolishness. Just like somebody, they declare that "Krsna is everywhere. Why should we go to the temple?" Then if Krsna is everywhere, He is not in the temple? Huh? What is this argument? If Krsna is everywhere, He is also in the temple. But in the temple I worship directly, and what is the utility? Krsna is everywhere. I am not so advanced that I can see everywhere Krsna. Who can see Krsna everywhere? That is very advanced stage. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you become so advanced that you cannot live without Krsna for a moment, then Krsna is everywhere. Where is that training? Where is that advancement? Even if I advise, try to meditate, I meditate upon my wife, upon my children, on my business. This is not the stage of seeing Krsna everywhere. That requires training. That requires advanced knowledge. Prema. Krsna is so kind, ye yatha mam prapadyante. If a devotee cannot live for a moment without seeing Krsna, he is visible... A devotee... Not for the neophyte devotee. So there are different stages.
So this is not fact that Krsna is within your mind; therefore you should not got to the temple, you have become so advanced. No. Better... [break] ...sila-dhir. Do not consider that "Here is a stone Krsna." Krsna is everything. Stone is also Krsna; simply you have to be qualified how to talk with stone Krsna. That is your qualification. You have to qualify yourself; otherwise Krsna is stone, Krsna is water, Krsna is sky, Krsna is everything. So this is the philosophy. Krsna says bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca: "I am everything." That's a fact. So why do you say there is stone Krsna? Krsna is everything, if you have got the eyes to see, you can see Krsna everywhere and everything.
So this is the beginning. Therefore you require pravrtti and nivrtti to understand how you should think, how you should live, how you should eat, how you should sleep. This training is required. Why it is required? Because to get out of this material bondage, where the birth, death, old age and disease is compulsory. If you want to avoid this, because you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], why don't you think that "If I am eternal, why am I accepting birth, death, old age, and disease?" This is intelligence. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is Vedanta-sutra. Now we should enquire how we can get out of this material entanglement.
So my Guru Maharaja, in the parampara system, Krsna comes also, that yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. This is dharmasya glanir. One does not know what is his duty, aim of life -- everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent, this is dharmasya glanir, dharmasya glanir. Tadatmanam srjamy aham: to teach the rascal people to understand what is his duty, what is his aim of life. So not only Krsna comes, but also His representatives also come. Krsna is so kind, He leaves book, He leaves representative, and He comes Himself. In so many ways He is trying to give us the benefit. Asura: we do not take the advantage, and continually suffer, mudha janmani janmani [Bg. 16.20], birth after birth we suffer. So this Krsna consciousness movement is so beneficial that He wants to benefit the whole human society how to stop this process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So my Guru Maharaja also came for this purpose, and we are also trying to follow his footsteps, and we are teaching our disciple to do the same thing. Evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo vidhuh. So this is not a new movement, or some invented "ism". It is old, at least four, five thousand years. What Krsna spoke, the other followers also spoke the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. It is up to you to take advantage of it or not.
Thank you very much.
Devotee: Jaya, Srila Prabhupada. Jaya. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975
75/12/22 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada:
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
Na saucam napi cacaro na satyam tesu vidyate. This is a verse from the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, where the Lord is describing the symptoms of the demons. Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca. Pravrtti means inclination, inclined. And nivrtti means disinclined. So there are two things within this material world. Our inclination is to enjoy the senses. This is general. Everyone within this material world, even the animals, birds, beasts, human being or more elevated than human beings, the demigods, kinnaras, or the, many other higher types of living entities... There are different grades of living entities -- 8,400,000 different bodies. So what is their pravrtti, inclination? The inclination is attraction of man and woman. This is the central point of attraction. Pumsam striyah maithuni-bhavam etad: the whole material world is existing on this point -- sex, man and woman. So this is pravrtti-marga, and nivrtti-marga: just to stop it. This is called nivrtti-marga.
We are within this material world on account of this pravrtti, sense enjoyment. Those who are inclined to sense enjoyment and do not care to know what is the aim of life, they are called asuras. And those who are trying to avoid the entanglement of this material life and revive the whole original life... Whole original life means Krsna conscious life. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, our original consciousness is that "I have got intimate relationship with Krsna as His part and parcel." That is Krsna consciousness. And the, my conception is the bodily conception, that "I am this body. I am born in this country; therefore I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, I belong to this family, I belong to this species," this is called pravrtti-marga. This is scientific division, pravrtti-marga and nivrtti-marga. Why the scientific? Because it is the fact. Science means fact. I am not this body. I am spirit soul. That is, just like a man suffering from some disease, so that is not his normal life to suffer from some disease. Normal life is to keep healthy life, no disease. That is normal life. So in order to keep to the normal life, we must know how to cure the disease. Just like when you have got fever, you go to the doctor, he says, advises "You do this" and "You do not do this." The "do not do this" means nivrtti-marga, and "do this," pravrtti-marga. If you are serious to cure your disease, then you must know what you should do and what you should not do. But just like a man, a very foolish man, he is suffering from disease but he does not know how to cure the disease, what to do and what not to do, similarly an animal-like man, a two-legged man, he does not know what to do and what not to do. This is explained here.
Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana, pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana na vidur asurah. Jana, there are two kinds of men, asura and daiva. Daiva asura eva ca. There are two all throughout the whole universe, there are two classes of men: one is called daiva, and one is called asura. One who knows his relationship with God, he is called daiva, and one who does not know, just like animal, they are called asura. There is no particular caste or creed, that here is a caste of asura, caste of daiva. No. Anyone who knows what is God and his relationship with God, sambandha, and then works according to that relation, and achieve the goal of life, he is called daiva, or devata. And one who does not know this, what is the goal of life, what is God, what is my relationship with God, he is asura.
So, Krsna has described everything, in the Bhagavad-gita, and today, this night, we are trying to explain the mission of Krsna, because the same mission is being carried out by us beginning from Brahma, and today is a special day, the disappearance day of my Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. So these acaryas, they come and they go, that is not like ordinary birth and death. It is called prakata, aprakata, avirbhava, tirobhava. So even ordinarily nobody takes birth and nobody dies, na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, so what to speak of the acaryas, or Bhagavan. Nobody, a living entity, a living being... God is the supreme living being, and we are subordinate living beings. Both of us, we are living beings, so what is the difference between the two kinds of living beings? The difference is that the one, God, or Krsna, He maintains all the other living beings. And we are being maintained. This is the difference. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. The plural number living entities, we are plural number, in different species of life, but we are maintained by the Supreme Being.
So this is our relationship. If we understand this relationship, eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman, that is our real understanding. Just like in your office or in a factory, there is a proprietor, he is maintaining so many workers, so many clerks. And what is your duty? To serve him. So similarly, if the Supreme Being, the supreme proprietor, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
[Bg. 5.29]
If the factory man knows that he is not the proprietor, he is not the enjoyer of the profit -- the enjoyer of the profit is the proprietor of the factory, and we are worker -- then there is peace. And if the workers fight amongst themselves, that "I am the proprietor," falsely, then there is chaos. There is no production, chaos. Similarly, if we fight ourselves, amongst ourselves, that "I am proprietor of India; you are proprietor of America; you are proprietor of Germany," this is false conception of life. Real proprietor is Krsna. If we know this, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam... Krsna says that "Bhokta, I am bhokta, I am the enjoyer." Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram, "I am the final proprietor, or the supreme proprietor," that's a fact; then there is peace. This is our relationship, that we are part and parcel. We are not non-important: the factory is going on, or the whole world is going on, on account of the living entities. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para. Krsna says that "Beyond this material energy," bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca bhinna me prakrtir astadha, "these eight kinds of prakrti, they are my separated energy. But there is another kind of superior energy," yayedam dharyate jagat. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim. Just like same example: in the factory there are ingredients and there are workers. So the ingredients are compared with the material energy, bhumir apo' nalo vayuh. They are also the property of the workers, because they are living being, jiva bhutah maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat, those who are working for development of this material world. The same example.
So this is knowledge. We should understand that everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nothing is manufactured by us, so He is the proprietor; but because we are His sons, we have got the legal right to enjoy the property of the father. That is all right; that is real communism. This is actual understanding of communism: everything belongs to God. Just like the Communists, they are thinking everything belongs to the state, and the citizens must work and enjoy. So our philosophy is the same. Only difference is that they are, what is called, ignorantly accepting the state is the proprietor. No. If they accept God is the proprietor, Krsna is the proprietor, then Communism is very perfect. That is missing. That is missing. Actually, God is the proprietor. What is the state? That is artificial. This state, American state, or African state, Russian state, these are artificial. Actually the land belongs to God. We are demark: this is India, this is Russia, this is America. That is the beginning of spiritual education, to understand this fact:
isavasyam idam sarvam
yat kincid jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
ma grdha kasyasvid dhanam
This is the real understanding. Everything belongs to God -- isavasyam idam sarvam -- everything, and tena tyaktena bhunjitha, whatever He gives you as prasadam... Just like our principle is that we are working for Krsna, this is real philosophy. Every one of us, one who is offering arati, he is also working for Krsna, and one who is building this construction, temple, he is also working for Krsna. So as worker for Krsna there is no distinction. Variety. Variety of service.
So the Krsna consciousness movement means variety of service to the Supreme. The example is just like, the varieties of different parts of the body: the head is there, the hand is there, the brain is there, the leg is there. The head cannot work like the leg, neither the leg can work like the brain. The hand cannot work the belly, or belly cannot work like the hand. Varieties. Similarly, there are varieties of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we serve Krsna with our varieties, sa karmana manasa vaca, then it is everything peaceful. That is Krsna consciousness movement. We do not want to stop the varieties. Varieties must be there. We are not nirvesesa-vadi, impersonalist. No. We are completely personalist. Krsna is person, Radharani is person, the devotees are person, the demigods are person, the cats person, the dogs person, the cows person, the calves person. But what is the meaning of Vrndavana? Vrndavana means everyone -- the father and mother of Krsna, Nanda Maharaja, Yasodamayi, the gopis, the girlfriends of Krsna, Radharani and others, and the cowherd boys, and the cows, the calfs, the trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water. Everyone is for serving Krsna. This is Vrndavana. Vrndavana means there is variety, and varieties of service and everything for Krsna. That is Vrndavana.
So our this Krsna consciousness movement is educating that the varieties of service should be concentrated for the satisfaction of Krsna. That is pravrtti, and what is not satisfying Krsna, against the... [break]
Anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam. This is called surrender. Surrender means that Krsna is asking sarva-dharman parityayja mam ekam saranam vraja. What is the surrender means? Surrender means "Krsna, I am surrendering unto You. I was acting whimsically, by the dictation of my different senses." Kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, like that. Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. The sastra says, you should not steal -- an example. But I am stealing. Why? Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. I know I should not steal; therefore I go to somebody's house very secretly, or push my hand very secretly in one's pocket. I know that I should not do this, but I am forced to do it. Why? I am dictated by my lusty desire. So I am become servant of my six senses. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. This is our position. Na manina kulya... Everyone knows. A thief knows if he commits theft he'll be punished, either by the police or by the laws of God. Everyone knows, but he still commits theft. Why? He is dictated by the lusty desires.
So pravrtti means we are dictated by our kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, and we should agree to be dictated by Krsna, that's all. That is intelligent. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Our pravrtti is to abide by the dictation of the senses, and when we learn not to abide by the dictation of the senses but to abide by the orders of Krsna or His representative, then your life is successful. This teaching, this learning, means Krsna consciousness. It is not difficult. Everyone can do it. Simply he has to change: instead of being dictated by the senses, one should be dictated by Krsna. That requires qualification. Krsna is there, in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is not far away, but you have to search out where is Krsna within your heart. That is called yoga. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yoginah, those who are trying to understand Krsna by the yoga process... The yoga means controlling the senses. Without controlling the senses you cannot practice any yoga. Nowadays it has become a fashion, meditation yoga, but that is not bona fide. That is not only (not) bona-fide; that is farce. Real yoga is controlling the senses and concentrating the mind to the Supreme Person. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. That is the... And farce yogi is going like that. And Krsna says also in the Bhagavad-gita,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
He is first class yogi. Who? "Always thinking of Me.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
He is first-class yogi." So we are teaching our students to become the first-class yogi. Not these yogis to reduce fat. No. That is not required. Yogi means who is always seeing Krsna within the heart. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is first-class yogi, bhakta-yogi. Twenty-four hours, satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah [Bg. 9.14]. Satatam kirtayanto mam: you have to fix up your mind in Krsna by the process of chanting His glories, satatam kirtayanto mam [Bg. 9.14], not otherwise. Mam, Krsna.
So people do not understand this, what he should do, what he should not do. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Because he cannot distinguish, therefore he is asura. Asura -- demons, or atheist. So if you analyze the modern... [break] This Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that it is invented..., not invented; it is there in the Vedic literatures. Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He has given us this process of realizing Krsna and becoming expert in understanding what we should do and what we should not do, pravrtti nivrtti. And therefore if we know that we should not do this, we should do this, then we become immediately devata. And if you do not know what we should do and what we should not do, then we remain asura. It is not that because one is asura, he cannot become a devata. The asura can become devata, provided he knows these two things: pravrtti and nivrtti.
So pravrtti we have got, just like we have got tendency -- cent percent person has it at the present moment -- to smoke. This is pravrtti. But we say don't smoke, nivrtti. And if we drink, that is pravrtti. Everyone, even the ant, he is also drunkard. They have scientifically studied, the ants are very much fond of intoxication; therefore they eat sugar. In sugar there is liquor, so the... Loke bhavaya nisamadhya seva nityasta yanto. Every living entity has got this tendency, bhavaya. Bhavaya means sex life; amisa, meat-eating; and mada, liquor. Natural tendency. Therefore the country where these things are indulged without any restriction, that is asura, the country of the asura. So especially in the Western countries, and now we have also learned. In India, either Hindus or Musselman, drinking was a sin. Now we have got very easily available liquor. Every door there is shop, and every door there is meat shop. So India, there was time that they were all devatas; now we are imitating the asuras. On the other hand, the boys and girls from the asuric country, they are becoming the devotee, devata. So there is no exclusive right for a country to become devata or demon. A demon can be turned into the devata and devata can be turned into demon, provided he does not follow this pravrtti and nivrtti, what is pravrtti-marga. Pravrtti-sambhutanam nivrtti tu mahabalam. That is life. "I want to smoke; I have got tendency to smoke," pravrtti. This is pravrtti; everyone has got. But if you can stop it, then your life is successful. Nivrtti.
Therefore this nivrtti means tapasya. If I am habituated to smoke, if I am habituated to illicit sex life, if I am habituated to intoxication and gambling, etc., this is my pravrtti. But if we can stop it by practice, that is called tapasya. And human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddyeta satyam. Rsabhadeva's instruction: "My dear sons, you practice tapasya." The human life is meant for tapasya. "I have got tendency to do this, but that will not help me, that will degraded me." So tapasya means instead of being degraded, be elevated. This is called tapasya. Tapo divyam. This human life is meant for this purpose, to practice tapasya, or to practice nivrtti. Then our life is successful. Tapo divyam. Why tapasya, why nivrtti? Yena suddhyena sattva. Sattva means here existence is impure. Impure means that you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], you do not die after the annihilation of this body, but I am subjected to repetition of birth and death, in different species of life. This is my disease. It is not pure condition of life. Pure condition of life as it is stated in Bhagavad-gita, yad gatva na nirvartante tad dhama paramam mama.
mam upetya (tu) kaunteya
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]
[break] ...Vaikunthaloka, Krsna's loka, then you get your original, eternal sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], live there eternally. Just like in Vrndavana they are always with Krsna enjoying life. This is nivrtti-marga. So there is a life, eternal life, very blissful life, full of knowledge. If you want to go back to that life, back to home, back to Godhead, then you must practice this pravrtti, nivrtti-marga.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this pravrtti-marga, nivrtti-marga, both. "You do not do this" or "You do this." "Do this" means rise early in the morning, mangala-aratrika. Of course, you must sleep, but not sleep like cats and dogs, animals. Simply sleeping means waste of time. The more you reduce sleeping, then you become perfect. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. All the gosvamis in Vrndavana, they conquered over these things. What is these things? Nidra, sleeping; ahara, eating; and vihara, and sense pleasure. This is called sannyasa life, reducing sleeping, reducing eating. This is pravrtti-marga. We think "If I can eat voraciously like an elephant, then my life is successful." No. That is not success of life. If you can do without any food, that is successful. That is success. This is called nivrtti-marga, but that is not practical; therefore if we promise that we shall not eat anything which is not offered to Krsna, that is tapasya. If you don't go to the restaurant and eat anything nonsense, that is pravrtti. But if you want to stop that restaurant-going, then you take Krsna prasadam; krsna bora daya moy kori bare jihva joy sva-prasada-anna dilo bhai. Krsna is ready, so many nice, palatable dishes; you take and stop this restaurant-going. This is Krsna's mercy. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna does not say "Bring something from the restaurant" or this or that. He says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: anything, little leaf, little flower, little water. Krsna is not hungry, but Krsna is so kind that He has come to you, so that you can touch Him, you can dress Him, you can decorate Him, you can offer Him, you can live with Him as servant, as friend, as son, as lover. In so many ways, Krsna is giving you chance.
So the kanistha-adhikari, in the beginning... It is not that kanistha, beginning, if anyone immediately becomes so advanced. It is not advancement; it is foolishness. Just like somebody, they declare that "Krsna is everywhere. Why should we go to the temple?" Then if Krsna is everywhere, He is not in the temple? Huh? What is this argument? If Krsna is everywhere, He is also in the temple. But in the temple I worship directly, and what is the utility? Krsna is everywhere. I am not so advanced that I can see everywhere Krsna. Who can see Krsna everywhere? That is very advanced stage. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you become so advanced that you cannot live without Krsna for a moment, then Krsna is everywhere. Where is that training? Where is that advancement? Even if I advise, try to meditate, I meditate upon my wife, upon my children, on my business. This is not the stage of seeing Krsna everywhere. That requires training. That requires advanced knowledge. Prema. Krsna is so kind, ye yatha mam prapadyante. If a devotee cannot live for a moment without seeing Krsna, he is visible... A devotee... Not for the neophyte devotee. So there are different stages.
So this is not fact that Krsna is within your mind; therefore you should not got to the temple, you have become so advanced. No. Better... [break] ...sila-dhir. Do not consider that "Here is a stone Krsna." Krsna is everything. Stone is also Krsna; simply you have to be qualified how to talk with stone Krsna. That is your qualification. You have to qualify yourself; otherwise Krsna is stone, Krsna is water, Krsna is sky, Krsna is everything. So this is the philosophy. Krsna says bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca: "I am everything." That's a fact. So why do you say there is stone Krsna? Krsna is everything, if you have got the eyes to see, you can see Krsna everywhere and everything.
So this is the beginning. Therefore you require pravrtti and nivrtti to understand how you should think, how you should live, how you should eat, how you should sleep. This training is required. Why it is required? Because to get out of this material bondage, where the birth, death, old age and disease is compulsory. If you want to avoid this, because you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], why don't you think that "If I am eternal, why am I accepting birth, death, old age, and disease?" This is intelligence. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is Vedanta-sutra. Now we should enquire how we can get out of this material entanglement.
So my Guru Maharaja, in the parampara system, Krsna comes also, that yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. This is dharmasya glanir. One does not know what is his duty, aim of life -- everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent, this is dharmasya glanir, dharmasya glanir. Tadatmanam srjamy aham: to teach the rascal people to understand what is his duty, what is his aim of life. So not only Krsna comes, but also His representatives also come. Krsna is so kind, He leaves book, He leaves representative, and He comes Himself. In so many ways He is trying to give us the benefit. Asura: we do not take the advantage, and continually suffer, mudha janmani janmani [Bg. 16.20], birth after birth we suffer. So this Krsna consciousness movement is so beneficial that He wants to benefit the whole human society how to stop this process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So my Guru Maharaja also came for this purpose, and we are also trying to follow his footsteps, and we are teaching our disciple to do the same thing. Evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo vidhuh. So this is not a new movement, or some invented "ism". It is old, at least four, five thousand years. What Krsna spoke, the other followers also spoke the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. It is up to you to take advantage of it or not.
Thank you very much.
Devotee: Jaya, Srila Prabhupada. Jaya. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975
Demons And Devotees 75/12/22 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7
Demons And Devotees
75/12/22 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada:
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
Na saucam napi cacaro na satyam tesu vidyate. This is a verse from the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, where the Lord is describing the symptoms of the demons. Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca. Pravrtti means inclination, inclined. And nivrtti means disinclined. So there are two things within this material world. Our inclination is to enjoy the senses. This is general. Everyone within this material world, even the animals, birds, beasts, human being or more elevated than human beings, the demigods, kinnaras, or the, many other higher types of living entities... There are different grades of living entities -- 8,400,000 different bodies. So what is their pravrtti, inclination? The inclination is attraction of man and woman. This is the central point of attraction. Pumsam striyah maithuni-bhavam etad: the whole material world is existing on this point -- sex, man and woman. So this is pravrtti-marga, and nivrtti-marga: just to stop it. This is called nivrtti-marga.
We are within this material world on account of this pravrtti, sense enjoyment. Those who are inclined to sense enjoyment and do not care to know what is the aim of life, they are called asuras. And those who are trying to avoid the entanglement of this material life and revive the whole original life... Whole original life means Krsna conscious life. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, our original consciousness is that "I have got intimate relationship with Krsna as His part and parcel." That is Krsna consciousness. And the, my conception is the bodily conception, that "I am this body. I am born in this country; therefore I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, I belong to this family, I belong to this species," this is called pravrtti-marga. This is scientific division, pravrtti-marga and nivrtti-marga. Why the scientific? Because it is the fact. Science means fact. I am not this body. I am spirit soul. That is, just like a man suffering from some disease, so that is not his normal life to suffer from some disease. Normal life is to keep healthy life, no disease. That is normal life. So in order to keep to the normal life, we must know how to cure the disease. Just like when you have got fever, you go to the doctor, he says, advises "You do this" and "You do not do this." The "do not do this" means nivrtti-marga, and "do this," pravrtti-marga. If you are serious to cure your disease, then you must know what you should do and what you should not do. But just like a man, a very foolish man, he is suffering from disease but he does not know how to cure the disease, what to do and what not to do, similarly an animal-like man, a two-legged man, he does not know what to do and what not to do. This is explained here.
Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana, pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana na vidur asurah. Jana, there are two kinds of men, asura and daiva. Daiva asura eva ca. There are two all throughout the whole universe, there are two classes of men: one is called daiva, and one is called asura. One who knows his relationship with God, he is called daiva, and one who does not know, just like animal, they are called asura. There is no particular caste or creed, that here is a caste of asura, caste of daiva. No. Anyone who knows what is God and his relationship with God, sambandha, and then works according to that relation, and achieve the goal of life, he is called daiva, or devata. And one who does not know this, what is the goal of life, what is God, what is my relationship with God, he is asura.
So, Krsna has described everything, in the Bhagavad-gita, and today, this night, we are trying to explain the mission of Krsna, because the same mission is being carried out by us beginning from Brahma, and today is a special day, the disappearance day of my Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. So these acaryas, they come and they go, that is not like ordinary birth and death. It is called prakata, aprakata, avirbhava, tirobhava. So even ordinarily nobody takes birth and nobody dies, na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, so what to speak of the acaryas, or Bhagavan. Nobody, a living entity, a living being... God is the supreme living being, and we are subordinate living beings. Both of us, we are living beings, so what is the difference between the two kinds of living beings? The difference is that the one, God, or Krsna, He maintains all the other living beings. And we are being maintained. This is the difference. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. The plural number living entities, we are plural number, in different species of life, but we are maintained by the Supreme Being.
So this is our relationship. If we understand this relationship, eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman, that is our real understanding. Just like in your office or in a factory, there is a proprietor, he is maintaining so many workers, so many clerks. And what is your duty? To serve him. So similarly, if the Supreme Being, the supreme proprietor, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
[Bg. 5.29]
If the factory man knows that he is not the proprietor, he is not the enjoyer of the profit -- the enjoyer of the profit is the proprietor of the factory, and we are worker -- then there is peace. And if the workers fight amongst themselves, that "I am the proprietor," falsely, then there is chaos. There is no production, chaos. Similarly, if we fight ourselves, amongst ourselves, that "I am proprietor of India; you are proprietor of America; you are proprietor of Germany," this is false conception of life. Real proprietor is Krsna. If we know this, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam... Krsna says that "Bhokta, I am bhokta, I am the enjoyer." Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram, "I am the final proprietor, or the supreme proprietor," that's a fact; then there is peace. This is our relationship, that we are part and parcel. We are not non-important: the factory is going on, or the whole world is going on, on account of the living entities. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para. Krsna says that "Beyond this material energy," bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca bhinna me prakrtir astadha, "these eight kinds of prakrti, they are my separated energy. But there is another kind of superior energy," yayedam dharyate jagat. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim. Just like same example: in the factory there are ingredients and there are workers. So the ingredients are compared with the material energy, bhumir apo' nalo vayuh. They are also the property of the workers, because they are living being, jiva bhutah maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat, those who are working for development of this material world. The same example.
So this is knowledge. We should understand that everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nothing is manufactured by us, so He is the proprietor; but because we are His sons, we have got the legal right to enjoy the property of the father. That is all right; that is real communism. This is actual understanding of communism: everything belongs to God. Just like the Communists, they are thinking everything belongs to the state, and the citizens must work and enjoy. So our philosophy is the same. Only difference is that they are, what is called, ignorantly accepting the state is the proprietor. No. If they accept God is the proprietor, Krsna is the proprietor, then Communism is very perfect. That is missing. That is missing. Actually, God is the proprietor. What is the state? That is artificial. This state, American state, or African state, Russian state, these are artificial. Actually the land belongs to God. We are demark: this is India, this is Russia, this is America. That is the beginning of spiritual education, to understand this fact:
isavasyam idam sarvam
yat kincid jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
ma grdha kasyasvid dhanam
This is the real understanding. Everything belongs to God -- isavasyam idam sarvam -- everything, and tena tyaktena bhunjitha, whatever He gives you as prasadam... Just like our principle is that we are working for Krsna, this is real philosophy. Every one of us, one who is offering arati, he is also working for Krsna, and one who is building this construction, temple, he is also working for Krsna. So as worker for Krsna there is no distinction. Variety. Variety of service.
So the Krsna consciousness movement means variety of service to the Supreme. The example is just like, the varieties of different parts of the body: the head is there, the hand is there, the brain is there, the leg is there. The head cannot work like the leg, neither the leg can work like the brain. The hand cannot work the belly, or belly cannot work like the hand. Varieties. Similarly, there are varieties of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we serve Krsna with our varieties, sa karmana manasa vaca, then it is everything peaceful. That is Krsna consciousness movement. We do not want to stop the varieties. Varieties must be there. We are not nirvesesa-vadi, impersonalist. No. We are completely personalist. Krsna is person, Radharani is person, the devotees are person, the demigods are person, the cats person, the dogs person, the cows person, the calves person. But what is the meaning of Vrndavana? Vrndavana means everyone -- the father and mother of Krsna, Nanda Maharaja, Yasodamayi, the gopis, the girlfriends of Krsna, Radharani and others, and the cowherd boys, and the cows, the calfs, the trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water. Everyone is for serving Krsna. This is Vrndavana. Vrndavana means there is variety, and varieties of service and everything for Krsna. That is Vrndavana.
So our this Krsna consciousness movement is educating that the varieties of service should be concentrated for the satisfaction of Krsna. That is pravrtti, and what is not satisfying Krsna, against the... [break]
Anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam. This is called surrender. Surrender means that Krsna is asking sarva-dharman parityayja mam ekam saranam vraja. What is the surrender means? Surrender means "Krsna, I am surrendering unto You. I was acting whimsically, by the dictation of my different senses." Kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, like that. Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. The sastra says, you should not steal -- an example. But I am stealing. Why? Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. I know I should not steal; therefore I go to somebody's house very secretly, or push my hand very secretly in one's pocket. I know that I should not do this, but I am forced to do it. Why? I am dictated by my lusty desire. So I am become servant of my six senses. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. This is our position. Na manina kulya... Everyone knows. A thief knows if he commits theft he'll be punished, either by the police or by the laws of God. Everyone knows, but he still commits theft. Why? He is dictated by the lusty desires.
So pravrtti means we are dictated by our kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, and we should agree to be dictated by Krsna, that's all. That is intelligent. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Our pravrtti is to abide by the dictation of the senses, and when we learn not to abide by the dictation of the senses but to abide by the orders of Krsna or His representative, then your life is successful. This teaching, this learning, means Krsna consciousness. It is not difficult. Everyone can do it. Simply he has to change: instead of being dictated by the senses, one should be dictated by Krsna. That requires qualification. Krsna is there, in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is not far away, but you have to search out where is Krsna within your heart. That is called yoga. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yoginah, those who are trying to understand Krsna by the yoga process... The yoga means controlling the senses. Without controlling the senses you cannot practice any yoga. Nowadays it has become a fashion, meditation yoga, but that is not bona fide. That is not only (not) bona-fide; that is farce. Real yoga is controlling the senses and concentrating the mind to the Supreme Person. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. That is the... And farce yogi is going like that. And Krsna says also in the Bhagavad-gita,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
He is first class yogi. Who? "Always thinking of Me.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
He is first-class yogi." So we are teaching our students to become the first-class yogi. Not these yogis to reduce fat. No. That is not required. Yogi means who is always seeing Krsna within the heart. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is first-class yogi, bhakta-yogi. Twenty-four hours, satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah [Bg. 9.14]. Satatam kirtayanto mam: you have to fix up your mind in Krsna by the process of chanting His glories, satatam kirtayanto mam [Bg. 9.14], not otherwise. Mam, Krsna.
So people do not understand this, what he should do, what he should not do. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Because he cannot distinguish, therefore he is asura. Asura -- demons, or atheist. So if you analyze the modern... [break] This Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that it is invented..., not invented; it is there in the Vedic literatures. Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He has given us this process of realizing Krsna and becoming expert in understanding what we should do and what we should not do, pravrtti nivrtti. And therefore if we know that we should not do this, we should do this, then we become immediately devata. And if you do not know what we should do and what we should not do, then we remain asura. It is not that because one is asura, he cannot become a devata. The asura can become devata, provided he knows these two things: pravrtti and nivrtti.
So pravrtti we have got, just like we have got tendency -- cent percent person has it at the present moment -- to smoke. This is pravrtti. But we say don't smoke, nivrtti. And if we drink, that is pravrtti. Everyone, even the ant, he is also drunkard. They have scientifically studied, the ants are very much fond of intoxication; therefore they eat sugar. In sugar there is liquor, so the... Loke bhavaya nisamadhya seva nityasta yanto. Every living entity has got this tendency, bhavaya. Bhavaya means sex life; amisa, meat-eating; and mada, liquor. Natural tendency. Therefore the country where these things are indulged without any restriction, that is asura, the country of the asura. So especially in the Western countries, and now we have also learned. In India, either Hindus or Musselman, drinking was a sin. Now we have got very easily available liquor. Every door there is shop, and every door there is meat shop. So India, there was time that they were all devatas; now we are imitating the asuras. On the other hand, the boys and girls from the asuric country, they are becoming the devotee, devata. So there is no exclusive right for a country to become devata or demon. A demon can be turned into the devata and devata can be turned into demon, provided he does not follow this pravrtti and nivrtti, what is pravrtti-marga. Pravrtti-sambhutanam nivrtti tu mahabalam. That is life. "I want to smoke; I have got tendency to smoke," pravrtti. This is pravrtti; everyone has got. But if you can stop it, then your life is successful. Nivrtti.
Therefore this nivrtti means tapasya. If I am habituated to smoke, if I am habituated to illicit sex life, if I am habituated to intoxication and gambling, etc., this is my pravrtti. But if we can stop it by practice, that is called tapasya. And human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddyeta satyam. Rsabhadeva's instruction: "My dear sons, you practice tapasya." The human life is meant for tapasya. "I have got tendency to do this, but that will not help me, that will degraded me." So tapasya means instead of being degraded, be elevated. This is called tapasya. Tapo divyam. This human life is meant for this purpose, to practice tapasya, or to practice nivrtti. Then our life is successful. Tapo divyam. Why tapasya, why nivrtti? Yena suddhyena sattva. Sattva means here existence is impure. Impure means that you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], you do not die after the annihilation of this body, but I am subjected to repetition of birth and death, in different species of life. This is my disease. It is not pure condition of life. Pure condition of life as it is stated in Bhagavad-gita, yad gatva na nirvartante tad dhama paramam mama.
mam upetya (tu) kaunteya
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]
[break] ...Vaikunthaloka, Krsna's loka, then you get your original, eternal sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], live there eternally. Just like in Vrndavana they are always with Krsna enjoying life. This is nivrtti-marga. So there is a life, eternal life, very blissful life, full of knowledge. If you want to go back to that life, back to home, back to Godhead, then you must practice this pravrtti, nivrtti-marga.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this pravrtti-marga, nivrtti-marga, both. "You do not do this" or "You do this." "Do this" means rise early in the morning, mangala-aratrika. Of course, you must sleep, but not sleep like cats and dogs, animals. Simply sleeping means waste of time. The more you reduce sleeping, then you become perfect. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. All the gosvamis in Vrndavana, they conquered over these things. What is these things? Nidra, sleeping; ahara, eating; and vihara, and sense pleasure. This is called sannyasa life, reducing sleeping, reducing eating. This is pravrtti-marga. We think "If I can eat voraciously like an elephant, then my life is successful." No. That is not success of life. If you can do without any food, that is successful. That is success. This is called nivrtti-marga, but that is not practical; therefore if we promise that we shall not eat anything which is not offered to Krsna, that is tapasya. If you don't go to the restaurant and eat anything nonsense, that is pravrtti. But if you want to stop that restaurant-going, then you take Krsna prasadam; krsna bora daya moy kori bare jihva joy sva-prasada-anna dilo bhai. Krsna is ready, so many nice, palatable dishes; you take and stop this restaurant-going. This is Krsna's mercy. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna does not say "Bring something from the restaurant" or this or that. He says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: anything, little leaf, little flower, little water. Krsna is not hungry, but Krsna is so kind that He has come to you, so that you can touch Him, you can dress Him, you can decorate Him, you can offer Him, you can live with Him as servant, as friend, as son, as lover. In so many ways, Krsna is giving you chance.
So the kanistha-adhikari, in the beginning... It is not that kanistha, beginning, if anyone immediately becomes so advanced. It is not advancement; it is foolishness. Just like somebody, they declare that "Krsna is everywhere. Why should we go to the temple?" Then if Krsna is everywhere, He is not in the temple? Huh? What is this argument? If Krsna is everywhere, He is also in the temple. But in the temple I worship directly, and what is the utility? Krsna is everywhere. I am not so advanced that I can see everywhere Krsna. Who can see Krsna everywhere? That is very advanced stage. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you become so advanced that you cannot live without Krsna for a moment, then Krsna is everywhere. Where is that training? Where is that advancement? Even if I advise, try to meditate, I meditate upon my wife, upon my children, on my business. This is not the stage of seeing Krsna everywhere. That requires training. That requires advanced knowledge. Prema. Krsna is so kind, ye yatha mam prapadyante. If a devotee cannot live for a moment without seeing Krsna, he is visible... A devotee... Not for the neophyte devotee. So there are different stages.
So this is not fact that Krsna is within your mind; therefore you should not got to the temple, you have become so advanced. No. Better... [break] ...sila-dhir. Do not consider that "Here is a stone Krsna." Krsna is everything. Stone is also Krsna; simply you have to be qualified how to talk with stone Krsna. That is your qualification. You have to qualify yourself; otherwise Krsna is stone, Krsna is water, Krsna is sky, Krsna is everything. So this is the philosophy. Krsna says bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca: "I am everything." That's a fact. So why do you say there is stone Krsna? Krsna is everything, if you have got the eyes to see, you can see Krsna everywhere and everything.
So this is the beginning. Therefore you require pravrtti and nivrtti to understand how you should think, how you should live, how you should eat, how you should sleep. This training is required. Why it is required? Because to get out of this material bondage, where the birth, death, old age and disease is compulsory. If you want to avoid this, because you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], why don't you think that "If I am eternal, why am I accepting birth, death, old age, and disease?" This is intelligence. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is Vedanta-sutra. Now we should enquire how we can get out of this material entanglement.
So my Guru Maharaja, in the parampara system, Krsna comes also, that yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. This is dharmasya glanir. One does not know what is his duty, aim of life -- everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent, this is dharmasya glanir, dharmasya glanir. Tadatmanam srjamy aham: to teach the rascal people to understand what is his duty, what is his aim of life. So not only Krsna comes, but also His representatives also come. Krsna is so kind, He leaves book, He leaves representative, and He comes Himself. In so many ways He is trying to give us the benefit. Asura: we do not take the advantage, and continually suffer, mudha janmani janmani [Bg. 16.20], birth after birth we suffer. So this Krsna consciousness movement is so beneficial that He wants to benefit the whole human society how to stop this process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So my Guru Maharaja also came for this purpose, and we are also trying to follow his footsteps, and we are teaching our disciple to do the same thing. Evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo vidhuh. So this is not a new movement, or some invented "ism". It is old, at least four, five thousand years. What Krsna spoke, the other followers also spoke the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. It is up to you to take advantage of it or not.
Thank you very much.
Devotee: Jaya, Srila Prabhupada. Jaya. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975
75/12/22 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada:
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
Na saucam napi cacaro na satyam tesu vidyate. This is a verse from the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, where the Lord is describing the symptoms of the demons. Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca. Pravrtti means inclination, inclined. And nivrtti means disinclined. So there are two things within this material world. Our inclination is to enjoy the senses. This is general. Everyone within this material world, even the animals, birds, beasts, human being or more elevated than human beings, the demigods, kinnaras, or the, many other higher types of living entities... There are different grades of living entities -- 8,400,000 different bodies. So what is their pravrtti, inclination? The inclination is attraction of man and woman. This is the central point of attraction. Pumsam striyah maithuni-bhavam etad: the whole material world is existing on this point -- sex, man and woman. So this is pravrtti-marga, and nivrtti-marga: just to stop it. This is called nivrtti-marga.
We are within this material world on account of this pravrtti, sense enjoyment. Those who are inclined to sense enjoyment and do not care to know what is the aim of life, they are called asuras. And those who are trying to avoid the entanglement of this material life and revive the whole original life... Whole original life means Krsna conscious life. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, our original consciousness is that "I have got intimate relationship with Krsna as His part and parcel." That is Krsna consciousness. And the, my conception is the bodily conception, that "I am this body. I am born in this country; therefore I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, I belong to this family, I belong to this species," this is called pravrtti-marga. This is scientific division, pravrtti-marga and nivrtti-marga. Why the scientific? Because it is the fact. Science means fact. I am not this body. I am spirit soul. That is, just like a man suffering from some disease, so that is not his normal life to suffer from some disease. Normal life is to keep healthy life, no disease. That is normal life. So in order to keep to the normal life, we must know how to cure the disease. Just like when you have got fever, you go to the doctor, he says, advises "You do this" and "You do not do this." The "do not do this" means nivrtti-marga, and "do this," pravrtti-marga. If you are serious to cure your disease, then you must know what you should do and what you should not do. But just like a man, a very foolish man, he is suffering from disease but he does not know how to cure the disease, what to do and what not to do, similarly an animal-like man, a two-legged man, he does not know what to do and what not to do. This is explained here.
Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana, pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana na vidur asurah. Jana, there are two kinds of men, asura and daiva. Daiva asura eva ca. There are two all throughout the whole universe, there are two classes of men: one is called daiva, and one is called asura. One who knows his relationship with God, he is called daiva, and one who does not know, just like animal, they are called asura. There is no particular caste or creed, that here is a caste of asura, caste of daiva. No. Anyone who knows what is God and his relationship with God, sambandha, and then works according to that relation, and achieve the goal of life, he is called daiva, or devata. And one who does not know this, what is the goal of life, what is God, what is my relationship with God, he is asura.
So, Krsna has described everything, in the Bhagavad-gita, and today, this night, we are trying to explain the mission of Krsna, because the same mission is being carried out by us beginning from Brahma, and today is a special day, the disappearance day of my Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. So these acaryas, they come and they go, that is not like ordinary birth and death. It is called prakata, aprakata, avirbhava, tirobhava. So even ordinarily nobody takes birth and nobody dies, na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, so what to speak of the acaryas, or Bhagavan. Nobody, a living entity, a living being... God is the supreme living being, and we are subordinate living beings. Both of us, we are living beings, so what is the difference between the two kinds of living beings? The difference is that the one, God, or Krsna, He maintains all the other living beings. And we are being maintained. This is the difference. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. The plural number living entities, we are plural number, in different species of life, but we are maintained by the Supreme Being.
So this is our relationship. If we understand this relationship, eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman, that is our real understanding. Just like in your office or in a factory, there is a proprietor, he is maintaining so many workers, so many clerks. And what is your duty? To serve him. So similarly, if the Supreme Being, the supreme proprietor, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
[Bg. 5.29]
If the factory man knows that he is not the proprietor, he is not the enjoyer of the profit -- the enjoyer of the profit is the proprietor of the factory, and we are worker -- then there is peace. And if the workers fight amongst themselves, that "I am the proprietor," falsely, then there is chaos. There is no production, chaos. Similarly, if we fight ourselves, amongst ourselves, that "I am proprietor of India; you are proprietor of America; you are proprietor of Germany," this is false conception of life. Real proprietor is Krsna. If we know this, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam... Krsna says that "Bhokta, I am bhokta, I am the enjoyer." Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram, "I am the final proprietor, or the supreme proprietor," that's a fact; then there is peace. This is our relationship, that we are part and parcel. We are not non-important: the factory is going on, or the whole world is going on, on account of the living entities. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para. Krsna says that "Beyond this material energy," bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca bhinna me prakrtir astadha, "these eight kinds of prakrti, they are my separated energy. But there is another kind of superior energy," yayedam dharyate jagat. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim. Just like same example: in the factory there are ingredients and there are workers. So the ingredients are compared with the material energy, bhumir apo' nalo vayuh. They are also the property of the workers, because they are living being, jiva bhutah maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat, those who are working for development of this material world. The same example.
So this is knowledge. We should understand that everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nothing is manufactured by us, so He is the proprietor; but because we are His sons, we have got the legal right to enjoy the property of the father. That is all right; that is real communism. This is actual understanding of communism: everything belongs to God. Just like the Communists, they are thinking everything belongs to the state, and the citizens must work and enjoy. So our philosophy is the same. Only difference is that they are, what is called, ignorantly accepting the state is the proprietor. No. If they accept God is the proprietor, Krsna is the proprietor, then Communism is very perfect. That is missing. That is missing. Actually, God is the proprietor. What is the state? That is artificial. This state, American state, or African state, Russian state, these are artificial. Actually the land belongs to God. We are demark: this is India, this is Russia, this is America. That is the beginning of spiritual education, to understand this fact:
isavasyam idam sarvam
yat kincid jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
ma grdha kasyasvid dhanam
This is the real understanding. Everything belongs to God -- isavasyam idam sarvam -- everything, and tena tyaktena bhunjitha, whatever He gives you as prasadam... Just like our principle is that we are working for Krsna, this is real philosophy. Every one of us, one who is offering arati, he is also working for Krsna, and one who is building this construction, temple, he is also working for Krsna. So as worker for Krsna there is no distinction. Variety. Variety of service.
So the Krsna consciousness movement means variety of service to the Supreme. The example is just like, the varieties of different parts of the body: the head is there, the hand is there, the brain is there, the leg is there. The head cannot work like the leg, neither the leg can work like the brain. The hand cannot work the belly, or belly cannot work like the hand. Varieties. Similarly, there are varieties of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we serve Krsna with our varieties, sa karmana manasa vaca, then it is everything peaceful. That is Krsna consciousness movement. We do not want to stop the varieties. Varieties must be there. We are not nirvesesa-vadi, impersonalist. No. We are completely personalist. Krsna is person, Radharani is person, the devotees are person, the demigods are person, the cats person, the dogs person, the cows person, the calves person. But what is the meaning of Vrndavana? Vrndavana means everyone -- the father and mother of Krsna, Nanda Maharaja, Yasodamayi, the gopis, the girlfriends of Krsna, Radharani and others, and the cowherd boys, and the cows, the calfs, the trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water. Everyone is for serving Krsna. This is Vrndavana. Vrndavana means there is variety, and varieties of service and everything for Krsna. That is Vrndavana.
So our this Krsna consciousness movement is educating that the varieties of service should be concentrated for the satisfaction of Krsna. That is pravrtti, and what is not satisfying Krsna, against the... [break]
Anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam. This is called surrender. Surrender means that Krsna is asking sarva-dharman parityayja mam ekam saranam vraja. What is the surrender means? Surrender means "Krsna, I am surrendering unto You. I was acting whimsically, by the dictation of my different senses." Kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, like that. Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. The sastra says, you should not steal -- an example. But I am stealing. Why? Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. I know I should not steal; therefore I go to somebody's house very secretly, or push my hand very secretly in one's pocket. I know that I should not do this, but I am forced to do it. Why? I am dictated by my lusty desire. So I am become servant of my six senses. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. This is our position. Na manina kulya... Everyone knows. A thief knows if he commits theft he'll be punished, either by the police or by the laws of God. Everyone knows, but he still commits theft. Why? He is dictated by the lusty desires.
So pravrtti means we are dictated by our kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, and we should agree to be dictated by Krsna, that's all. That is intelligent. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Our pravrtti is to abide by the dictation of the senses, and when we learn not to abide by the dictation of the senses but to abide by the orders of Krsna or His representative, then your life is successful. This teaching, this learning, means Krsna consciousness. It is not difficult. Everyone can do it. Simply he has to change: instead of being dictated by the senses, one should be dictated by Krsna. That requires qualification. Krsna is there, in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is not far away, but you have to search out where is Krsna within your heart. That is called yoga. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yoginah, those who are trying to understand Krsna by the yoga process... The yoga means controlling the senses. Without controlling the senses you cannot practice any yoga. Nowadays it has become a fashion, meditation yoga, but that is not bona fide. That is not only (not) bona-fide; that is farce. Real yoga is controlling the senses and concentrating the mind to the Supreme Person. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. That is the... And farce yogi is going like that. And Krsna says also in the Bhagavad-gita,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
He is first class yogi. Who? "Always thinking of Me.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
He is first-class yogi." So we are teaching our students to become the first-class yogi. Not these yogis to reduce fat. No. That is not required. Yogi means who is always seeing Krsna within the heart. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is first-class yogi, bhakta-yogi. Twenty-four hours, satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah [Bg. 9.14]. Satatam kirtayanto mam: you have to fix up your mind in Krsna by the process of chanting His glories, satatam kirtayanto mam [Bg. 9.14], not otherwise. Mam, Krsna.
So people do not understand this, what he should do, what he should not do. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Because he cannot distinguish, therefore he is asura. Asura -- demons, or atheist. So if you analyze the modern... [break] This Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that it is invented..., not invented; it is there in the Vedic literatures. Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He has given us this process of realizing Krsna and becoming expert in understanding what we should do and what we should not do, pravrtti nivrtti. And therefore if we know that we should not do this, we should do this, then we become immediately devata. And if you do not know what we should do and what we should not do, then we remain asura. It is not that because one is asura, he cannot become a devata. The asura can become devata, provided he knows these two things: pravrtti and nivrtti.
So pravrtti we have got, just like we have got tendency -- cent percent person has it at the present moment -- to smoke. This is pravrtti. But we say don't smoke, nivrtti. And if we drink, that is pravrtti. Everyone, even the ant, he is also drunkard. They have scientifically studied, the ants are very much fond of intoxication; therefore they eat sugar. In sugar there is liquor, so the... Loke bhavaya nisamadhya seva nityasta yanto. Every living entity has got this tendency, bhavaya. Bhavaya means sex life; amisa, meat-eating; and mada, liquor. Natural tendency. Therefore the country where these things are indulged without any restriction, that is asura, the country of the asura. So especially in the Western countries, and now we have also learned. In India, either Hindus or Musselman, drinking was a sin. Now we have got very easily available liquor. Every door there is shop, and every door there is meat shop. So India, there was time that they were all devatas; now we are imitating the asuras. On the other hand, the boys and girls from the asuric country, they are becoming the devotee, devata. So there is no exclusive right for a country to become devata or demon. A demon can be turned into the devata and devata can be turned into demon, provided he does not follow this pravrtti and nivrtti, what is pravrtti-marga. Pravrtti-sambhutanam nivrtti tu mahabalam. That is life. "I want to smoke; I have got tendency to smoke," pravrtti. This is pravrtti; everyone has got. But if you can stop it, then your life is successful. Nivrtti.
Therefore this nivrtti means tapasya. If I am habituated to smoke, if I am habituated to illicit sex life, if I am habituated to intoxication and gambling, etc., this is my pravrtti. But if we can stop it by practice, that is called tapasya. And human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddyeta satyam. Rsabhadeva's instruction: "My dear sons, you practice tapasya." The human life is meant for tapasya. "I have got tendency to do this, but that will not help me, that will degraded me." So tapasya means instead of being degraded, be elevated. This is called tapasya. Tapo divyam. This human life is meant for this purpose, to practice tapasya, or to practice nivrtti. Then our life is successful. Tapo divyam. Why tapasya, why nivrtti? Yena suddhyena sattva. Sattva means here existence is impure. Impure means that you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], you do not die after the annihilation of this body, but I am subjected to repetition of birth and death, in different species of life. This is my disease. It is not pure condition of life. Pure condition of life as it is stated in Bhagavad-gita, yad gatva na nirvartante tad dhama paramam mama.
mam upetya (tu) kaunteya
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]
[break] ...Vaikunthaloka, Krsna's loka, then you get your original, eternal sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], live there eternally. Just like in Vrndavana they are always with Krsna enjoying life. This is nivrtti-marga. So there is a life, eternal life, very blissful life, full of knowledge. If you want to go back to that life, back to home, back to Godhead, then you must practice this pravrtti, nivrtti-marga.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this pravrtti-marga, nivrtti-marga, both. "You do not do this" or "You do this." "Do this" means rise early in the morning, mangala-aratrika. Of course, you must sleep, but not sleep like cats and dogs, animals. Simply sleeping means waste of time. The more you reduce sleeping, then you become perfect. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. All the gosvamis in Vrndavana, they conquered over these things. What is these things? Nidra, sleeping; ahara, eating; and vihara, and sense pleasure. This is called sannyasa life, reducing sleeping, reducing eating. This is pravrtti-marga. We think "If I can eat voraciously like an elephant, then my life is successful." No. That is not success of life. If you can do without any food, that is successful. That is success. This is called nivrtti-marga, but that is not practical; therefore if we promise that we shall not eat anything which is not offered to Krsna, that is tapasya. If you don't go to the restaurant and eat anything nonsense, that is pravrtti. But if you want to stop that restaurant-going, then you take Krsna prasadam; krsna bora daya moy kori bare jihva joy sva-prasada-anna dilo bhai. Krsna is ready, so many nice, palatable dishes; you take and stop this restaurant-going. This is Krsna's mercy. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna does not say "Bring something from the restaurant" or this or that. He says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: anything, little leaf, little flower, little water. Krsna is not hungry, but Krsna is so kind that He has come to you, so that you can touch Him, you can dress Him, you can decorate Him, you can offer Him, you can live with Him as servant, as friend, as son, as lover. In so many ways, Krsna is giving you chance.
So the kanistha-adhikari, in the beginning... It is not that kanistha, beginning, if anyone immediately becomes so advanced. It is not advancement; it is foolishness. Just like somebody, they declare that "Krsna is everywhere. Why should we go to the temple?" Then if Krsna is everywhere, He is not in the temple? Huh? What is this argument? If Krsna is everywhere, He is also in the temple. But in the temple I worship directly, and what is the utility? Krsna is everywhere. I am not so advanced that I can see everywhere Krsna. Who can see Krsna everywhere? That is very advanced stage. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you become so advanced that you cannot live without Krsna for a moment, then Krsna is everywhere. Where is that training? Where is that advancement? Even if I advise, try to meditate, I meditate upon my wife, upon my children, on my business. This is not the stage of seeing Krsna everywhere. That requires training. That requires advanced knowledge. Prema. Krsna is so kind, ye yatha mam prapadyante. If a devotee cannot live for a moment without seeing Krsna, he is visible... A devotee... Not for the neophyte devotee. So there are different stages.
So this is not fact that Krsna is within your mind; therefore you should not got to the temple, you have become so advanced. No. Better... [break] ...sila-dhir. Do not consider that "Here is a stone Krsna." Krsna is everything. Stone is also Krsna; simply you have to be qualified how to talk with stone Krsna. That is your qualification. You have to qualify yourself; otherwise Krsna is stone, Krsna is water, Krsna is sky, Krsna is everything. So this is the philosophy. Krsna says bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca: "I am everything." That's a fact. So why do you say there is stone Krsna? Krsna is everything, if you have got the eyes to see, you can see Krsna everywhere and everything.
So this is the beginning. Therefore you require pravrtti and nivrtti to understand how you should think, how you should live, how you should eat, how you should sleep. This training is required. Why it is required? Because to get out of this material bondage, where the birth, death, old age and disease is compulsory. If you want to avoid this, because you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], why don't you think that "If I am eternal, why am I accepting birth, death, old age, and disease?" This is intelligence. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is Vedanta-sutra. Now we should enquire how we can get out of this material entanglement.
So my Guru Maharaja, in the parampara system, Krsna comes also, that yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. This is dharmasya glanir. One does not know what is his duty, aim of life -- everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent, this is dharmasya glanir, dharmasya glanir. Tadatmanam srjamy aham: to teach the rascal people to understand what is his duty, what is his aim of life. So not only Krsna comes, but also His representatives also come. Krsna is so kind, He leaves book, He leaves representative, and He comes Himself. In so many ways He is trying to give us the benefit. Asura: we do not take the advantage, and continually suffer, mudha janmani janmani [Bg. 16.20], birth after birth we suffer. So this Krsna consciousness movement is so beneficial that He wants to benefit the whole human society how to stop this process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So my Guru Maharaja also came for this purpose, and we are also trying to follow his footsteps, and we are teaching our disciple to do the same thing. Evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo vidhuh. So this is not a new movement, or some invented "ism". It is old, at least four, five thousand years. What Krsna spoke, the other followers also spoke the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. It is up to you to take advantage of it or not.
Thank you very much.
Devotee: Jaya, Srila Prabhupada. Jaya. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975
Monday, August 29, 2011
Cornerstone For Godly Civilization 75/01/23 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7-9
Cornerstone For Godly Civilization
75/01/23 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7-9
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada: (chants mangalacarana prayers) Hm? You bring. You can bring one chair here. (pause)
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
asatyam apratistham te
jagad ahur anisvaram
aparaspara-sambhutam
kim anyat kama-haitukam
etam drstim avastabhya
nastatmanah alpa-buddhayah
prabhavanty ugra-karmanah
ksayaya jagatah ahitah
Just like we were talking of industries. The industries, they are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita as ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means ferocious activities. For livelihood, we require our maintenance. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-mai... These are the primary necessities of this body, material body. For that, Krsna has said, annad bhavanti bhutani. Anna -- means food grains -- we require. Annad bhavanti bhutani. That food grains we can produce very easily by agriculture. In another place, Krsna says, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. We can produce sufficient food grains for our maintenance, and the whole world has got sufficient land. I have traveled over the world at least fourteen times. During the last eight years, I have traveled all over the world, even interior. I have seen there is enough land, especially in Africa, in Australia, in America, and we can produce so much food grains that ten times of this present population can be easily maintained. Ten times. There is no scarcity of food. But the difficulty is that we have demarcated, "This is my land." Somebody says, "This is America, my land," "Australia, my land," "The Africa, my land," "India, my land." This "my" and "I." Janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This is called illusion, that "I" and "my." "I am this body, and this is my property." This is called illusion. And this illusion, if we stand on this platform of illusion, then we are no better than the animals.
yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesu abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah
[SB 10.84.13]
Go means cow, and kharah means ass. Those who are in the bodily concept of life, aham mameti [SB 5.5.8], they are no better than these asses and the cows, means the animals. This is going on. I'll not take much of your time, but I shall try to convince you what is the purpose of this Krsna consciousness movement. The purpose of this Krsna consciousness movement is to save the human society from becoming animals, cows and asses. This is the movement. They have established their civilization... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, animal or asuric civilization, asuric civilization, beginning is pravrttim ca nivrttim ca jana na vidur asurah. The asuric, demonic, civilization, they do not know in which way we have to guide ourself for attaining the perfection of life, pravrtti, and nivrtti, and which we shall not take -- favorable and unfavorable. Human life... Everyone knows, "This is favorable for me, and this is unfavorable for me." So asurah jana, those who are demonic persons, they do not know this, that "What is favorable for me and what is not favorable for me." Pravrttim nivrttim ca jana na vidur asurah, na saucam napi cacarah: "There is no cleanliness, nor good behavior." Na satyam tesu vidya...: "And there is no truth in their life." This is asuric. We have heard many times, "asuras," "asuric civilization," "demonic civilization." This is the beginning.
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu...
Satyam, there is no truthfulness. And just the first-class life means the brahmana life. Satyam saucam tapo. The beginning is satyam. The asuric life is no satya, no truth, and the first-class life in human society, the brahmanas, is satyam saucam tapo, and titiksa arjavah astikyam jnanam vijnanam. This is first-class life.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is to create a class of men ideal, first-class men with satyam saucam tapo samah damah titiksah. This is godly civilization. And this godly civilization can be given to the whole world by India. That is India's special privilege. Because in other countries beyond India they are almost asuri-jana and ugra-karma. The industries and other ugra-karma has come from the Western countries. But by this way people will never be happy. That is very elaborately explained in the Sixteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. Duspura akanksa. Their desire will never be satisfied by this material advancement. They do not know. They are forgetting. So we selected this Bombay. Bombay city is the best city, most advanced city in India, the best city in India. And people are also very nice. They are religiously inclined. They are opulent. They can take up better things very nicely. Therefore I wanted to start this center, Bombay, for spreading this Krsna consciousness movement. Although there have been many impediments in my endeavor, still, ultimately it is Krsna's business. It will come successful. So today... The foundation and cornerstone establishment was done two years before, but there were many, many impediments from the asuric jana. Now, some way or other, we have got little relief from such impediments. So we are putting this cornerstone this auspicious day, and I am very glad that you have joined us.
So the mission is very, very authorized, and it comprehends a very large jurisdiction of activities. Therefore my request is that the inhabitants of Bombay, especially those who are our members, they will kindly take active part, how to make this institution very successful in Bombay. So many ladies and gentlemen are present here. We are, whatever we are doing it is not whimsical or mental concoction. It is authorized and just to the standard of Bhagavad-gita. Our present movement is based on Bhagavad-gita -- Bhagavad-gita as it is. We don't interpret. We do not interpret foolishly because... I say purposefully this word "foolishly," that why should we interpret Krsna's words? Am I more than Krsna? Or did Krsna leave some portion to be explained by me by interpretation? Then what is the importance of Krsna? If I give my own interpretation, thinking myself more than Krsna, this is blasphemy. How I can become more than Krsna? If actually we want to take advantage of this Bhagavad-gita, then we must take Bhagavad-gita as it is. Just like Arjuna took. Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gita, he said, sarvam etam rtam manye: "I accept all the words, my dear Kesava, whatever You have said. I accept them in toto, without any change." This is understanding of Bhagavad-gita, not that I take advantage of the Bhagavad-gita and I interpret in my foolish way so that people will accept my philosophy. This is not Bhagavad-gita. There is no question of interpretation in the Bhagavad-gita. Interpretation is allowed when you cannot understand. When the things are clearly understood... If I say, "This is microphone," everyone understands this is microphone. Where is the necessity of interpreting it? There is no necessity. This is foolishness, misleading. There cannot be any interpretation in the Bhagavad-gita. It is... Everything is clear to the point. Just like Bhagavan Krsna says... Krsna does not say that "You all become sannyasi and give up your occupational duty." No. Krsna says, sva-karmana tam abhyarcya samsiddhih labhate narah. You remain in your business. You remain your occupation. There is no need of changing. But still, you can become Krsna conscious and make your life successful. This is the message of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is not going to make any topsy-turvy of the social order or spiritual order. No. It should be standardized according to the authority. And the best authority is Krsna.
So make this center successful, you ladies and gentlemen of Bombay. We have got very nice place. We are building so that you can come here, stay, at least in weekend. If you stay, all those who are retired or elderly gentlemen, ladies, they can come here and stay. We will have sufficient place. But try to organize these principles of Bhagavad-gita all over the world. That will be the gift of India. Caitanya Mahaprabhu desired that anyone who has taken birth in India as human being, not cats and dogs... Cats and dog cannot take any part for doing good to others. He said,
bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
"Anyone who has taken his birth as human being in India, Bharata-bhumi, first of all make your life successful." Because you have got the standard, how to make life successful. Here is Bhagavad-gita. Try to understand it, make your life successful, and then broadcast this message all over the world. That is paropakara. So actually, India and India's people, they are meant for paropakara. We are not meant for exploiting others. That is not our mission. Actually that is being done. Everyone goes out of India. They go there to exploit. But it is for the first time that India is giving something to the outsiders, this spiritual knowledge. And the proof you can see. We are giving, we are not taking. We do not go to beg, "Give me wheat, give me money, give me this, give me that." No. We are giving something substantial, and they are feeling obliged. Otherwise, why these young men and girls, they are after this Krsna consciousness movement? They are feeling something, that they are getting something tangible. So it has got potency, very good potency. They are not feeling like Americans or Canadians or Australians. We are also not feeling as Indians. On the spiritual platform we are one.
vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]
This is real learning. Atmavat sarva-bhutesu. Even the great politician, Canakya Pandita, he says,
matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah
So this is a great culture, Bhagavad-gita as it is. So those responsible ladies and gentlemen are present here, make this center very successful and come here, study Bhagavad-gita as it is without any foolish interpretation. I say foolish again and again because interpretation is not at all required. Everything is clear, from the very beginning.
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya
[Bg. 1.1]
So very clear. Kuruksetra is dharma-ksetra still. In the Vedas it is stated, kuruksetre dharmam acaret: "One should go to Kuruksetra and perform religious rituals." Therefore it is dharma-ksetra from time immemorial. And why should we interpret it that "This Kuruksetra means this body, dharmaksetra, this body"? Why? Why mislead people? Stop this misleading. And Kuruksetra is still there. Kuruksetra station, railway station, is there. So try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is, make your life successful, and spread this message all over the world. You will be happy; the world will be happy. Of course, I am now very old man. I am eighty years old. My life is finished. But I want some responsible Indian and combined with other countries... Other countries, they are giving good cooperation. Otherwise, it was not possible for me to spread in so short time, only seven or eight years, to preach this cult all over the world. So I require the cooperation of the Indian, especially young men, educated men. Come forward. Stay with us. Study Bhagavad-gita. We haven't got anything to manufacture. Nothing to manufacture. And what we can manufacture? We are all imperfect. Whatever is there, let us study it and practically apply in life and spread the message all over the world. That is our mission.
So today is very auspicious day. With great difficulty we have got now sanction. Now please cooperate with this attempt as far as possible with your pranair arthair dhiya vaca, four things: by your life, by your words, by your money... Pranair arthair dhiya vaca sreya-acaranam sada. This is the mission of human life. Whatever you have got... It is not that "Because I am poor man, I cannot help this movement." No. If you have got... You have got your life. So if you dedicate your life, that is all-perfect. If you cannot dedicate your life, give some money. But if you can..., poor man, you cannot give money, then you give some intelligence. And if you are fool, then give your words. So any way, you can help this movement and do the welfare activities for India and outside India. So that is my request. I welcome you. Of course, today is ekadasi. We are, mostly we are fasting. Some prasadam will be given. So it is not the question of prasadam; it is the question of the important work we are taking in hand, how to spread a God consciousness movement. Otherwise, you will never be happy. Simply material consciousness, grha-ksetra... Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This material civilization means the sex desire. Woman is hunting after man; man if hunting after woman. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam tayor mithah. And as soon as they are united, they require grha, apartment; grha-ksetra, land; grha-ksetra-suta, children, friends, money; and the moho, the illusion, aham mameti [SB 5.5.8], "It is I, it is mine." This is material civilization. But the human life is not meant for that. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. So you study. We have got now enough book. There is no difficulty to study our books. We have given in English translation. Everyone, any gentleman, knows English. And we are going to give in Hindi, in Gujarati, in all other languages. Our friends, they have already begun translating. So there will be no scarcity of knowledge. Please come here, sit down at least once in a week, study all these books, try to understand the philosophy of life, and spread all over the world. That is the mission of Bharatavarsa.
bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
This is paropakara movement, to do welfare to others, not like cats and dogs, simply bring money and sense enjoy. This is not human life. Human life is for paropakara. People are in ignorance, without any knowledge of God, without the ideal of life. They are simply working like cats and dogs and hogs. So they should be educated. Human life is the chance for getting such education. So this is the center for educating the human society to become actually human being and make his life successful.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975
75/01/23 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7-9
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada: (chants mangalacarana prayers) Hm? You bring. You can bring one chair here. (pause)
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
asatyam apratistham te
jagad ahur anisvaram
aparaspara-sambhutam
kim anyat kama-haitukam
etam drstim avastabhya
nastatmanah alpa-buddhayah
prabhavanty ugra-karmanah
ksayaya jagatah ahitah
Just like we were talking of industries. The industries, they are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita as ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means ferocious activities. For livelihood, we require our maintenance. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-mai... These are the primary necessities of this body, material body. For that, Krsna has said, annad bhavanti bhutani. Anna -- means food grains -- we require. Annad bhavanti bhutani. That food grains we can produce very easily by agriculture. In another place, Krsna says, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. We can produce sufficient food grains for our maintenance, and the whole world has got sufficient land. I have traveled over the world at least fourteen times. During the last eight years, I have traveled all over the world, even interior. I have seen there is enough land, especially in Africa, in Australia, in America, and we can produce so much food grains that ten times of this present population can be easily maintained. Ten times. There is no scarcity of food. But the difficulty is that we have demarcated, "This is my land." Somebody says, "This is America, my land," "Australia, my land," "The Africa, my land," "India, my land." This "my" and "I." Janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This is called illusion, that "I" and "my." "I am this body, and this is my property." This is called illusion. And this illusion, if we stand on this platform of illusion, then we are no better than the animals.
yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesu abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah
[SB 10.84.13]
Go means cow, and kharah means ass. Those who are in the bodily concept of life, aham mameti [SB 5.5.8], they are no better than these asses and the cows, means the animals. This is going on. I'll not take much of your time, but I shall try to convince you what is the purpose of this Krsna consciousness movement. The purpose of this Krsna consciousness movement is to save the human society from becoming animals, cows and asses. This is the movement. They have established their civilization... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, animal or asuric civilization, asuric civilization, beginning is pravrttim ca nivrttim ca jana na vidur asurah. The asuric, demonic, civilization, they do not know in which way we have to guide ourself for attaining the perfection of life, pravrtti, and nivrtti, and which we shall not take -- favorable and unfavorable. Human life... Everyone knows, "This is favorable for me, and this is unfavorable for me." So asurah jana, those who are demonic persons, they do not know this, that "What is favorable for me and what is not favorable for me." Pravrttim nivrttim ca jana na vidur asurah, na saucam napi cacarah: "There is no cleanliness, nor good behavior." Na satyam tesu vidya...: "And there is no truth in their life." This is asuric. We have heard many times, "asuras," "asuric civilization," "demonic civilization." This is the beginning.
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu...
Satyam, there is no truthfulness. And just the first-class life means the brahmana life. Satyam saucam tapo. The beginning is satyam. The asuric life is no satya, no truth, and the first-class life in human society, the brahmanas, is satyam saucam tapo, and titiksa arjavah astikyam jnanam vijnanam. This is first-class life.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is to create a class of men ideal, first-class men with satyam saucam tapo samah damah titiksah. This is godly civilization. And this godly civilization can be given to the whole world by India. That is India's special privilege. Because in other countries beyond India they are almost asuri-jana and ugra-karma. The industries and other ugra-karma has come from the Western countries. But by this way people will never be happy. That is very elaborately explained in the Sixteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. Duspura akanksa. Their desire will never be satisfied by this material advancement. They do not know. They are forgetting. So we selected this Bombay. Bombay city is the best city, most advanced city in India, the best city in India. And people are also very nice. They are religiously inclined. They are opulent. They can take up better things very nicely. Therefore I wanted to start this center, Bombay, for spreading this Krsna consciousness movement. Although there have been many impediments in my endeavor, still, ultimately it is Krsna's business. It will come successful. So today... The foundation and cornerstone establishment was done two years before, but there were many, many impediments from the asuric jana. Now, some way or other, we have got little relief from such impediments. So we are putting this cornerstone this auspicious day, and I am very glad that you have joined us.
So the mission is very, very authorized, and it comprehends a very large jurisdiction of activities. Therefore my request is that the inhabitants of Bombay, especially those who are our members, they will kindly take active part, how to make this institution very successful in Bombay. So many ladies and gentlemen are present here. We are, whatever we are doing it is not whimsical or mental concoction. It is authorized and just to the standard of Bhagavad-gita. Our present movement is based on Bhagavad-gita -- Bhagavad-gita as it is. We don't interpret. We do not interpret foolishly because... I say purposefully this word "foolishly," that why should we interpret Krsna's words? Am I more than Krsna? Or did Krsna leave some portion to be explained by me by interpretation? Then what is the importance of Krsna? If I give my own interpretation, thinking myself more than Krsna, this is blasphemy. How I can become more than Krsna? If actually we want to take advantage of this Bhagavad-gita, then we must take Bhagavad-gita as it is. Just like Arjuna took. Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gita, he said, sarvam etam rtam manye: "I accept all the words, my dear Kesava, whatever You have said. I accept them in toto, without any change." This is understanding of Bhagavad-gita, not that I take advantage of the Bhagavad-gita and I interpret in my foolish way so that people will accept my philosophy. This is not Bhagavad-gita. There is no question of interpretation in the Bhagavad-gita. Interpretation is allowed when you cannot understand. When the things are clearly understood... If I say, "This is microphone," everyone understands this is microphone. Where is the necessity of interpreting it? There is no necessity. This is foolishness, misleading. There cannot be any interpretation in the Bhagavad-gita. It is... Everything is clear to the point. Just like Bhagavan Krsna says... Krsna does not say that "You all become sannyasi and give up your occupational duty." No. Krsna says, sva-karmana tam abhyarcya samsiddhih labhate narah. You remain in your business. You remain your occupation. There is no need of changing. But still, you can become Krsna conscious and make your life successful. This is the message of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is not going to make any topsy-turvy of the social order or spiritual order. No. It should be standardized according to the authority. And the best authority is Krsna.
So make this center successful, you ladies and gentlemen of Bombay. We have got very nice place. We are building so that you can come here, stay, at least in weekend. If you stay, all those who are retired or elderly gentlemen, ladies, they can come here and stay. We will have sufficient place. But try to organize these principles of Bhagavad-gita all over the world. That will be the gift of India. Caitanya Mahaprabhu desired that anyone who has taken birth in India as human being, not cats and dogs... Cats and dog cannot take any part for doing good to others. He said,
bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
"Anyone who has taken his birth as human being in India, Bharata-bhumi, first of all make your life successful." Because you have got the standard, how to make life successful. Here is Bhagavad-gita. Try to understand it, make your life successful, and then broadcast this message all over the world. That is paropakara. So actually, India and India's people, they are meant for paropakara. We are not meant for exploiting others. That is not our mission. Actually that is being done. Everyone goes out of India. They go there to exploit. But it is for the first time that India is giving something to the outsiders, this spiritual knowledge. And the proof you can see. We are giving, we are not taking. We do not go to beg, "Give me wheat, give me money, give me this, give me that." No. We are giving something substantial, and they are feeling obliged. Otherwise, why these young men and girls, they are after this Krsna consciousness movement? They are feeling something, that they are getting something tangible. So it has got potency, very good potency. They are not feeling like Americans or Canadians or Australians. We are also not feeling as Indians. On the spiritual platform we are one.
vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]
This is real learning. Atmavat sarva-bhutesu. Even the great politician, Canakya Pandita, he says,
matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah
So this is a great culture, Bhagavad-gita as it is. So those responsible ladies and gentlemen are present here, make this center very successful and come here, study Bhagavad-gita as it is without any foolish interpretation. I say foolish again and again because interpretation is not at all required. Everything is clear, from the very beginning.
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya
[Bg. 1.1]
So very clear. Kuruksetra is dharma-ksetra still. In the Vedas it is stated, kuruksetre dharmam acaret: "One should go to Kuruksetra and perform religious rituals." Therefore it is dharma-ksetra from time immemorial. And why should we interpret it that "This Kuruksetra means this body, dharmaksetra, this body"? Why? Why mislead people? Stop this misleading. And Kuruksetra is still there. Kuruksetra station, railway station, is there. So try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is, make your life successful, and spread this message all over the world. You will be happy; the world will be happy. Of course, I am now very old man. I am eighty years old. My life is finished. But I want some responsible Indian and combined with other countries... Other countries, they are giving good cooperation. Otherwise, it was not possible for me to spread in so short time, only seven or eight years, to preach this cult all over the world. So I require the cooperation of the Indian, especially young men, educated men. Come forward. Stay with us. Study Bhagavad-gita. We haven't got anything to manufacture. Nothing to manufacture. And what we can manufacture? We are all imperfect. Whatever is there, let us study it and practically apply in life and spread the message all over the world. That is our mission.
So today is very auspicious day. With great difficulty we have got now sanction. Now please cooperate with this attempt as far as possible with your pranair arthair dhiya vaca, four things: by your life, by your words, by your money... Pranair arthair dhiya vaca sreya-acaranam sada. This is the mission of human life. Whatever you have got... It is not that "Because I am poor man, I cannot help this movement." No. If you have got... You have got your life. So if you dedicate your life, that is all-perfect. If you cannot dedicate your life, give some money. But if you can..., poor man, you cannot give money, then you give some intelligence. And if you are fool, then give your words. So any way, you can help this movement and do the welfare activities for India and outside India. So that is my request. I welcome you. Of course, today is ekadasi. We are, mostly we are fasting. Some prasadam will be given. So it is not the question of prasadam; it is the question of the important work we are taking in hand, how to spread a God consciousness movement. Otherwise, you will never be happy. Simply material consciousness, grha-ksetra... Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This material civilization means the sex desire. Woman is hunting after man; man if hunting after woman. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam tayor mithah. And as soon as they are united, they require grha, apartment; grha-ksetra, land; grha-ksetra-suta, children, friends, money; and the moho, the illusion, aham mameti [SB 5.5.8], "It is I, it is mine." This is material civilization. But the human life is not meant for that. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. So you study. We have got now enough book. There is no difficulty to study our books. We have given in English translation. Everyone, any gentleman, knows English. And we are going to give in Hindi, in Gujarati, in all other languages. Our friends, they have already begun translating. So there will be no scarcity of knowledge. Please come here, sit down at least once in a week, study all these books, try to understand the philosophy of life, and spread all over the world. That is the mission of Bharatavarsa.
bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
This is paropakara movement, to do welfare to others, not like cats and dogs, simply bring money and sense enjoy. This is not human life. Human life is for paropakara. People are in ignorance, without any knowledge of God, without the ideal of life. They are simply working like cats and dogs and hogs. So they should be educated. Human life is the chance for getting such education. So this is the center for educating the human society to become actually human being and make his life successful.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Vedic Secular State 76/12/13 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 16.6
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada:
dvau bhuta-sargau loke 'smin
daiva asura eva ca
daivo vistarasah prokta
asuram partha me srnu
There are two classes of men within this world, daiva asura eva ca. One class of men is called daiva, devata, or the demigod, and the other class asura. Sura means civilized, and asura means not civilized. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah. These are amongst the noncivilized men.
Formerly the kings of Bharatavarsa, India, they used to kill these uncivilized men. Bad example. They did not follow the Vedic civilization, so the king's order was that they should be killed. If they are too much prominent... Just like they are hunting in the forest. So these... There is history among, about King Bharata, King Bharata, under whose name this planet is called Bharatavarsa. No, not that Bharata. There are three Bharatas. One Bharata is the son of Rsabhadeva. Another Bharata is the son of Maharaja Dusyanta. Another Bharata is the younger brother of Lord Ramacandra. Out of these three Bharatas, the son of Rsabhadeva is the person after whose name this planet is called Bharatavarsa. So another Bharata was the son of Maharaja Dusyanta. He was very powerful, supposed to be or partial incarnation of God. So in his life he would not allow the uncivilized men to exist. He was king. He used to kill them. Why uncivilized men? Even the ksatriyas, if they are not ruling properly according to the ksatriyas... Ksatriyas are supposed to be the ruler of the world. But if they are deviating from their duties, Parasurama, the brahmana, would kill them. On the whole, in the Vedic civilization everyone should be in order. That was the set-up.
Nobody can act independently, killing the human civilization. That was not possible. Maharaja Prthu was personally checking whether people were following the varnasrama-dharma. A brahmana must follow the brahminical rules and regulation. Otherwise he would not be allowed to call himself a brahmana. Similarly, ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudras. This is called secular state. Secular state does not mean everyone is irresponsible. You must be responsible for your particular type of duty, and the government has to see it, that everyone is doing that. That is secular state. Lord Ramacandra, when He returned from the forest... In His absence Bharata was ruling, and when Bharata requested Lord Ramacandra to take charge of the kingdom, Lord Ramacandra was ready but He first of all examined whether the citizens were following the varnasrama-dharma. When He was satisfied that the citizens were following the varnasrama-dharma, then He took charge of the kingdom and began to maintain them just like father.
This is the relationship between the government and the citizens. The citizens must be law-abiding, and the government must rule over them just like father. Father is not unaffectionate. Father is affectionate, and even the father chastises the son, that is not out of affection; that is also affection. So that was the relationship. So the asuras, they do not know this. Only the devatas, they know. There are two kinds of men. Dvau bhuta-sargau loke asmin daiva asurah. So Krsna says, daivo vistarasah proktah. Krsna has already explained in the beginning which are the qualification of the devata, and what are the qualification of the asuras... So qualification of the devatas,
abhayam sattva-samsuddhir
jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih
danam damas ca yajnas ca
svadhyayas tapa arjavam
ahimsa satyam akrodhas
tyagah santir apaisunam
daya bhutesv aloluptvam
mardavam hrir acapalam
tejah ksama dhrtih saucam
adroho natimanita
bhavanti sampadam daivim
abhijatasya bharata
These are the qualification, daiva-sampada. Abhayam. One should be fearless. Who can become fearless? One of the qualification of conditioned soul is fearfulness. Only a person who is advanced in Krsna consciousness, he can become fearless. And sattva-samsuddhi. Sattva-samsuddhi. Our, this sattva, existentional position is impure, diseased. Therefore we die, again take birth. Asunti(?). So sattva-samsuddhi. One should try to purify his existence. For that purpose there is necessity of tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam. Tapasya means austerity. If you want to cure your disease, then you must follow some austerities, rules and regulation. One man is suffering from diarrhea. If he is allowed to eat whatever he likes, then he will never be cured. He must observe fasting for few days; then it will be cured. So this is sattva-samsuddhi.
So we are put into this cycle of birth and death. If we don't correct it... Correct means we shall be less attached to the material enjoyment. So long we are attached to material enjoyment, we have to transmigrate from one type of body to another. So daivi-sampada means those who are devatas, their first business is how to rectify this diseased condition of life, repetition of birth and death. Everything is there. Sattva-samsuddhir jnana. This requires jnana, knowledge. Unless I know what is my position, why I am dying, what is death... This requires jnana. Jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. That means you have to become a brahmana. Then you will have complete knowledge. Abhayam sattva-samsuddhir jnana, yoga, jnana-yoga. Vyavasthitih, danam. Those who are ksatriyas, vaisyas, they should give in charity. That is also one of the sattva-samsuddhih. Damas ca. To control over the mind and the senses. Yajnas ca: perform the yajna, hari-sankirtana in this age. Yajnas ca svadhyayah. Must read Vedic literature. Tapa arjavam. Tapasya, austerity, arjavam, very frank and no duplicity, arjavam. Danam ahimsa, not unnecessarily, not to become envious. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 16.6 -- Hyderabad, December 13, 1976
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Education In Becoming Divine 75/02/02 Hawaii, Bhagavad-gita 16.6
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Nitai: "O son of Prtha, in this world there are two kinds of created beings. One is called the divine and the other is the demoniac. I have already explained to you at length the divine qualities. Now hear from Me of the demoniac."
Prabhupada:
dvau bhuta-sargau loke 'smin
daiva asura eva ca
daivo vistarasah prokta
asuram partha me srnu
Bhagavan Sri Krsna is addressing Arjuna as... Sometimes He addresses him as Bharata, "the descendant of the Bharata dynasty," and sometimes He addresses him as Partha, and sometimes He addresses him, Dhananjaya, His friend. This time He addresses him as Partha. Partha means his mother's name was Prtha. From Prtha, the word Partha comes. His mother happened to be Krsna's father's sister. So very intimately and friendly, He addresses him as Partha, "My dear son of My aunt." That means "We have got very intimate relationship. Not only we are friends, but we have got family relationship. So therefore I am speaking you about the truth that there are two classes of living beings." Two classes of living beings, dvau. Dvau means two. One class is called daiva, or divine, divine nature, and the other class is called demonic nature, asura. So in Visnu-Purana there is also reference to this context where it is said,
dvau bhuta-sargau loke 'smin
daiva asura eva ca
visnu-bhakto bhaved daiva
asuras tad-viparyayah
Daiva means generally visnu-bhakta. Visnu means the Supreme Lord who is all-pervasive. Everywhere He is present. Krsna, the Supreme Lord, He is Visnu also in His Paramatma feature. Krsna has got three features. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. Krsna, the Absolute Truth, He is known in three features or three angle of visions. One is Brahman, all-pervasive Brahman. Sarvedam akhilam jagat. So Brahman means His effulgence, bodily rays. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. His prabha, His bodily rays... You may ask, "What is that bodily rays?" You can see every day. Everyone has got bodily rays according to his quality. You see the sun, the bodily rays, the sunshine. There is sun-god within the sun globe whose name is Vivasvan. That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita.
imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit
[Bg. 4.1]
Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So exactly like that. Here sun is an insignificant part, creation, of the Lord. And the sun has got so much effulgence, bodily rays, that it is illuminating and heating the whole universe. You cannot deny it. This is the position of the sun. And there are millions and trillions of suns, each one sometimes bigger than this sun. This is the smallest sun. There are bigger, bigger suns. So we can understand what is the bodily rays. There is no difficulty. That bodily rays of Krsna is called Brahman. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisu vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam, tad brahma: [Bs. 5.40] "That is Brahman, that prabha."
So similarly, Krsna is present in everyone's heart, localized. This is impersonal expansion. Just like sunshine is impersonal expansion of the sun rays, so similarly, Brahman effulgence is the impersonal expansion of Krsna's bodily rays. And the portion by which He is present everywhere, andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham... He is within this universe. He is within your heart, within my heart. He is within everything. "Everything" means even within the atom, paramanu. That is His Paramatma feature. And the last and ultimate feature is Krsna's personal body. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1].
Vigrahah means form. That form is not like ours. That is sat, cit, ananda. The body has also three features. Sat means eternal. So therefore, His body is distinct from our body. Our, this body is not eternal within the history. When this body is created by the father and mother, there is a date, beginning. And when this body is finished, annihilated, there is another date. So anything within the dates, that is history. But Krsna is not like that. Anadi. You cannot estimate when Krsna's body began. Anadi. Adi, again adi. He is the beginning of everyone. Anadi. He Himself is anadi; nobody can find out what is the date of His appearance. He is beyond history. So but He is the beginning of everyone. Just like my father is the beginning of my body. Father is the cause of the beginning of my body or your body, everyone. So therefore He has no beginning, that He has no father, but He is the supreme father. That is the conception, Christian conception: God is the supreme father. That is fact because He is the beginning of everyone. Janmady asya yatah: [SB 1.1.1] "Whatever has come into being, that is from Krsna." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Aham adir hi devanam. The devatas... This brahmanda is the creation of Brahma. He is called one of the demigods. So Krsna says, aham adir hi devanam, "I am the beginning of the devatas, demigods." So if you study Krsna in this way, then you become daiva, divine. Divine.
Our Krsna consciousness movement is meant for educating everyone to become divine. That is the program. So what is the gain by becoming divine? That is described in the previous verse. Daivi sampad vimoksaya. If you become divine and acquire the divine qualities, abhayam sattva-samsuddhih jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih... That is... We have discussed already. So if you become divine... There is no impediment to become divine. Simply you have to practice for the post. Just like everyone can become a high court judge. Everyone can become the president of United States. There is no bar. But you have to be qualified. If you qualify yourself, you can become any..., fitted in any position. Similarly, as it is said, to divine, to become daivi, you have to qualify yourself to become divine. How to become divine? That is already described. We have already...
So if you qualify yourself by the divine qualities, then what is the benefit? Daivi sampad vimoksaya. Moksa. Moksa mean liberation. So if you cultivate divine qualities, then you are fit for being liberated. What is liberation? Liberation from repeating birth and death. That is our real suffering. The modern, rascal civilization, they do not know actually what is the end of suffering. They do not know. There is no education. There is no science. They are thinking that "Here this small span of life, say, fifty years, sixty years, hundred years, utmost, if we get a nice wife, a nice apartment and nice motor car, running with seventy miles speed, and a nice whiskey bottle..." That is his perfection. But that is not vimoksaya. Real vimoksa, liberation, means no more birth, death, old age and disease. That is vimoksa. But they do not know even.
They do not know even that there is birth after death. Such a foolish civilization. Although we are experiencing every moment birth and death... Birth and death every moment, it is going on so finely. It is Krsna's arrangement. Just like this world, this earthly planet, is moving at the rate of one thousand miles per hour. Such a gigantic body, it is also moving. Every, all planets are moving. Even the sun is moving. But we cannot perceive. You ride on a best airplane -- there are so many disturbances, sound, moving, sometimes table is (trembling?) moving. But this planet also moving more speedily than the airplane, but you do not perceive. This is Krsna's manufacture, perfectly. Purnam idam. This is called purnam idam, everything perfect. Purnam idam purnam adah purnat purnam udacyate, purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate [Isopanisad, Invocation]. Because He is so perfect, we do not perceive. But it is moving.
Everyone knows that the morning, there is sunrise, and in twelve hours after covering twelve thousand miles, the evening is there. Again twelve thousand miles moving -- you are sleeping -- in the morning you see again the sun. The sun is there. Sun is not moving. But the world is moving. It is moving so nicely. Not only this earthly planet, but there are millions and trillions of planets within the sky. They are all moving. Seasonal changes, day and night, everything is going on. This is perfection. So those who are in divine nature, they can understand all these things. That is called daivi sampat.
In other philosophies they can say... The Christians say, "God is great." The Muslim also say that allah akbar. That is also same meaning. The Vedic literature also says, Brahman, Parabrahma. Brahman means the greatest. Brhatvat brhannatvad iti brahma. Brahman means because it is very, very great. And not only great, it is becoming greater and greater. Brhannatvat. So the great understanding, greatness understanding, of Krsna or the Absolute Truth is accepted everywhere in civilized human society. But how God is great, that you can find in the Vedic literature. Simply to know God is great...
Just like everyone knows that he has got a father. That is not difficult. Anyone who is in this material world, in material world or spiritual world, there is a father. Everyone knows that. But who is my father, how he is, how great he is, what is his qualification, what does he do, what is his father's name, what is his address -- that you can understand from Bhagavad-gita. Therefore it is essential that everyone should read Bhagavad-gita. Simply to know God is great, that is also good. He is accepting the greatness of God. But if you want to know in detail how great He is, to what extent great He is, how the actions of His greatness are going on, how His activities of greatness are going on, then you read Bhagavad-gita.
Bhagavad-gita says that mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Krsna says, "There is no more greater factor than Me." Everyone knows God is great. Great means everyone is small. He is great. Nobody is equal to Him. Nobody is greater than Him. That is the meaning of greatness. So how He is greater than everyone and nobody is equal to Him, everyone is subordinate, everyone is creation of Him -- this knowledge, if you get... Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. If you understand these factors of the greatness of God perfectly well, then you become fit for being transferred to the spiritual world. That is called daivi sampad. Daivi sampad vimoksaya. If you become divine... This is cultivation. This is education. This is not sentiment.
People are..., try to understand that this movement, Krsna consciousness movement, is Hindu movement: "Krsna is one of the Hindu gods." But that is not the fact. Krsna is God. God is God. God cannot be Hindu God, cannot be Muslim God, cannot be Christian God. God is God. Just like gold. If the Hindus deal gold, that does not mean gold becomes Hindu gold. Or the Christian deals in gold, that does not become..., the gold becomes Christian, or Muslim. Gold is gold. Similarly, God is God, the great. Now, if you study how His greatness expands... Just like here is one example.
isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
[Bg. 18.61]
Very simple. Isvarah, that God, in His Paramatma feature is sitting within everyone's heart, your heart, my heart, everyone's. God is... You haven't got to find out God somewhere else. Therefore the yogis, they practice, "How to find out God within myself?" That is called meditation. Meditation means to find out... It is heard from the sastra, "The God is within my heart. Now let me find out where is God within my heart." That is called yoga, yoga system. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yogi's business is to become engaged in meditation, dhyanavasthita. Now this meditation is very profusely used in your country especially. But what is the meditation? This is meditation. When you fix up your mind to find out God, Krsna, within your heart, that is called meditation, not thinking some foolish objective is meditation. This is meditation. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa. Tad-gatena, mind being fully absorbed in Him, by that mind, you can find out.
So Krsna consciousness is little more than that. Consciousness is above mind. Mind is there. Mind is above the senses. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah [Bg. 3.42]. The senses, our body means the senses. The senses are prominent. Therefore body is active. But the senses cannot work if the mind is absent. Therefore we call, "attentively, concentrating your mind." So mind is above the senses. And the how the mind is acting -- thinking, feeling and willing -- that is called intelligence. Everything finer. You can see your senses, my senses, but everyone knows that you have got mind, I have got mind, but we cannot see the mind. Can you say anyone that "Here is mind"? No, because it is finer. Then everyone has got some intelligence, but can you see intelligence? Go on. It is still finer. Similarly, there is soul, which is still finer than the intelligence. So how you can see the soul? If you cannot see the mind, if you cannot see the intelligence, then how you can see the soul? Then the source of soul, the Supreme Soul, how you can see?
Therefore it is said, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. If you speculate your senses to find out where is God, where is the soul... The doctors are daily operating, heart operation, and so many finer, finer surgical operation, but they cannot find out where is the soul. But soul is there. That we can perceive. When the soul goes away from the body, we can understand, "Now the soul has gone; the body is dead." So you can perceive; you cannot see. It is not understandable by speculating your gross senses. You cannot... If you want to see what is mind, what is intelligence, what is soul, what is Supersoul, that is not possible to see by your these blunt eyes, conditional eyes. Everyone is very proud of his senses. Somebody says, "Can you show me God?" But have you got the power to see God first of all? So these things are not very intelligent questions and answer. You have to practice according to the direction of the sastras.
Just like here is Bhagavad-gita. You follow the direction. You will understand what is God, what you are, what is this world, what is our relation between ourself, what is our condition, how we can get out of this miserable condition. Everything you will find. In the beginning a small child cannot understand what is mathematic, but if he studies mathematic science, he one day becomes a very big mathematician, the same child. Similarly, this spiritual science, every one of you can become spiritually advanced provided you study the science. That is Krsna consciousness movement. It is not a bluff sentiment. It is a great science. Those who are actually studious, they can understand the science perfectly if they study all our books. We have got twenty volumes books like this already published. And we propose to publish seventy-two volumes, how to understand God. So God is not so cheap thing, that "I have become God; you have become God." It is a great science. So those who want to understand God scientifically, philosophically, let them read these books. That is our presentation, Krsna consciousness.
And those who are unable to read all these books for any reason it may be, then it is a very simple method: chant Hare Krsna. It is so sublime. If you simply chant Hare Krsna mantra, then you understand clearly what you are, what is God, what is your relationship with Him, what is this world. Everything will be clear. That is the advantage of this fallen age. This age is very, very fallen. People have completely forgotten God. Not completely because few men are still interested. Otherwise why they are joining this Krsna consciousness movement? We cannot say completely. But gradually, it will be completely forgetful of God, day by day.
Just like we can see. Formerly, our forefathers, they used to construct churches, temples, mosque, synagogue, but nowadays, nobody is preparing. In the modern history you won't find. They are constructing big, big skyscraper buildings. That we can see. But you don't see anywhere a magnificent church or temple or mosque is being constructed. That means people are going down in the matter of understanding God. They are thinking these buildings are waste of money, unproductive creation. "If we manufacture a skyscraper building, immediately there will be some income. But if I construct a gigantic temple, it will be simply waste of money." They are thinking like that. That means the standard of understanding God is finished. Not to speak of constructing new churches, but... We are practically purchasing many churches. They are vacant. I have seen in London. Hundreds of churches are vacant. Nobody goes there. Nobody goes there.
So one priest was surprised in Boston that "These boys, they are our boys. They are Christian boys. They are American boys. So previously they were not coming to the church. They did not care for God or to understand what is God. But why they are mad after God now?" That's a fact. These boys, you American boys, you were not interested. But why you are so interested and you are preaching Krsna consciousness all over the world? You are not foolish. I have not bribed you. But why you are doing that? So this is a fact that we have got intimate relationship with Krsna. That's a fact.
Just like father and son. They are intimately related. It may be the son has gone out of home for many years, but as soon as he meets his father, again the same love between father and son revives. It does not mean because the son was out of home for many, many years, there is no need of awakening the love of father and son. Similarly, in the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said, nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. The love between Krsna and ourself... It doesn't matter where we are. All living entities, especially the human being, especially the civilized human being, those who have got sense, they can revive Krsna consciousness very easily by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra. So that is our request, that you are very intelligent boys, American boys. Try to understand Krsna. Try to revive your relationship with Krsna. Then you will be happy; otherwise not. Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975
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