Sunday, February 24, 2013

Don't Infect Yourself with the Material Qualities


Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.68
Vrndavana, September 4, 1975

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Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
 
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Prabhupada:

tata enam danda-paneh
sakasam krta-kilbisam
nesyamo 'krta-nirvesam
yatra dandena suddhyati
 [SB 6.1.68]

So without obeying the instruction of the sastra, he has fallen down. Although he was born in the brahmana family and educated nicely, but on account of bad association he fell down from the standard of human ideal life. Therefore he is punishable. Not only he, every one of us. The human fom of life is specially meant for going back to home, back to Godhead. The animal life... By progressive evolution, they come to the human form of life, and when one is, the living entity is on the platform of human form of life, he has got his responsibility. Therefore sastra says,

nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke
kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye
tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet
sattvam yasmad brahma-saukhyam anantam
 [SB 5.5.1]

This is the responsibility of human life. This human life is not meant for working day and night like the dogs and hogs for sense gratification. At the present moment it is going on all over the world. Simply for sense gratification, they are working so hard. From hundred miles they are going to the working place, hanging on the Delhi passenger train. Sometimes there is accident. These things are going on, very hard labor like the asses. So this is also another punishment. The more punishment is awaiting, Yama-danda, at the court of Yamaraja. Not only they are suffering here, but they will be taken to the Yamaraja. And there, according to his work, abominable work, he will be punished. Therefore the Yamadutas said, tata enam danda-paneh sakasam krta-kilbisam nesyamah. "Now it is our duty." Just like police force, they are engaged to arrest the criminals and take him to the court or to the police officer for necessary action, so these Yamadutas, they have given sufficient reason that "This man has committed sinful life; therefore he is punishable."

So, the fact is, this is nature's law. Nature's law is that if the human being does not follow the injunction of the sastra and he acts whimsically, independently, then he becomes punishable, exactly in the state laws, if you violate the laws... You are not independent. If you violate the laws, you'll be punished. Similarly, dharma means the laws of God. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. So if you violate the laws of God, the principles of dharma, then you will be punished. What is that principle of dharma? This Krsna consciousness. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. We have manufactured so many different types of religious faith, but they are man-manufactured. They are not laws. And now it is being supported by many so-called swamis, that "You can manufacture your own religion. It doesn't matter. Whatever nonsense type of religion you follow, you get the same result." This is going on. But that is not the fact. Dharma is that, only one. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. To surrender unto Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is real dharma. And what of others? They are cheating. That is stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Kaitava means cheating. Cheating type of religion is rejected.

So we cannot violate the laws of God, or dharma. Then we'll be punished. The punishment is there, awaiting, by the laws of nature. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. The laws of nature is to punish you. So long you are not Krsna conscious, the laws of nature will go on punishing you -- three kinds of miserable conditions: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. This is the law. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. You are thinking independent, but that is not the fact. We are dependent, completely dependent on the laws of nature. And laws of nature means laws of God. What is prakrti? Prakrti is acting under the direction of Krsna. Just like a police constable is working under the direction of magistrate or superior office, similarly, prakrti is giving us various types of miserable condition of life directed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Krsna says, "Under My superintendence the laws of nature is working." And what is the laws of nature? That in the human form of life, if you do not endeavor to understand what is God, what you are, what is your relationship with God, what is your duty -- these things, if you do not learn, then you are punishable immediately.

krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vavcha kare
pasate mayara tare japatiya dhare

As soon as you forget Krsna and you want to act independently, then immediately you are captured by maya and you are punished.

So when you come to this senses, that "I am punished by maya on account of my forgetting Krsna consciousness; therefore my duty is to come back again to Krsna consciousness and be saved from the punishment of the material nature," that is human duty. You cannot say that "I don't want Krsna consciousness." If you don't want, then you must suffer. If you want to save yourself from suffering, then you must take to Krsna. It is a question of "must." It is not your option. Your option is there. Because you are part and parcel of Krsna, you have got little independence. But if you misuse that independence, then you are punishable. You cannot. Just like everyone has got little independence to violate the laws of the state. You can do that, but that is punishable. So if we take the risk of being punished, then we can violate the laws of nature or laws of God. The laws of God is very simple thing. It is not very difficult. God personally says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] "Just always think of Me." So it is not at all difficult. Krsna is here. You see the Deity of Krsna. Have impression in your heart how Krsna and Balarama is standing, how Radha-Krsna is standing, how Gaura-Nitai is standing. So you can think always. Man-mana. Or you can think of Him by chanting Hare Krsna. Where is the difficulty? Man-mana. You become devotee, come here in the temple, offer your respect. So to become Krsna conscious is not at all difficult. But people will not take to it; therefore they must suffer. This is the law.

So here the same thing is stated, tata enam danda-paneh sakasam krta-kilbisam: "He has acted sinfully; therefore he is punishable, and he must be taken to the Yamaraja." Nesyamo akrta-nirvesam. Nirvesam means... Suppose I have committed some sins. I must be arrested. Sometimes a great criminal voluntarily goes to the police and surrenders because he knows, "I will be arrested, and if I surrender immediately, my punishment may be lesser." So you cannot escape the punishment. So punishment... Suppose you have stolen something. You must be punished for six months' imprisonment. That is the law. If you have killed somebody, then you must be killed. You must be hanged. This is the law. So that is called nirvisesam, to counteract. If I have stolen some property, then I must suffer imprisonment. This is counteracting, prayascitta. If you have infected some disease, then you must suffer for some time from that disease. So akrta-nirvesam: "So he has not neutralized his sinful activities." Yatra dandena suddhyati: "Because he has not nullified his sinful activities by atonement or other measures, then he must be punsihed. Then he will be purified."

So punishment is also purification. Purification. Same law: If you infect some disease, then you must get that disease and you must suffer from that disease. That is your punishment. Therefore you should be very much careful not to infect any disease. Similarly, don't infect the material qualities, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. Remain in sattva-guna and try to elevate yourself from sattva-guna to transcendental stage, brahma-bhutah. Then life is successful. Otherwise we shall be repeatedly punished so long we have got the tendency to enjoy material happiness and get another body, one after another. We shall be punishable by the Ya mache piche. It is the Bengali poetry. It is said, krsna nama koro bhai (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.68 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1975
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

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