"Shortcut to Spiritual Knowledge"

73/07/25 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.32-35


Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

kim no rajyena govinda
kim bhogair jivitena va
yesam arthe kanksitam no
rajyam bhogah sukhani ca

ta ime 'vasthita yuddhe
pranams tyaktva dhanani ca
acaryah pitarah putras
tathaiva ca pitamahah

matulah svasurah pautrah
syalah sambandhinas tatha
etan na hantum icchami
ghnato 'pi madhusudana

api trailokya-rajyasya
hetoh kim nu mahi-krte
nihatya dhartarastran nah
ka pritih syaj janardana
[Bg. 1.32-35]

Translation: "O Govinda, of what avail to us are kingdoms, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed in this battlefield? O Madhusudana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and all relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, then why should I wish to kill them, though I may survive? O maintainer of all creatures, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth."

Prabhupada: So Arjuna is thinking in terms of his own sense gratification. He is posing himself as if he does not know what is the plan of Krsna. Yes. The plan of Krsna is explained by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita.

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tad atmanam srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
[Bg. 4.8]

The plan is already known to everyone how the management of the cosmic manifestation is going on. The cosmic manifestation is there. This material world. It is, although temporary, it has got a purpose. The purpose is to give chance to the living entities who are rotting in this material world to revive his Krsna consciousness, or original consciousness, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the plan. This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated. Everything material, that is the way. Just like our body. It is created at a certain date, and it will be annihilated at a certain date. Similarly, this gigantic body... That is also body of the Supreme Lord, virat body. Virat means gigantic. Krsna will show His virat-rupa to Arjuna. So this external body, exactly just like we have got our this external body. Internal body. The soul is covered by two bodies, the external and internal. External means these gross elements -- earth, water, air, fire, sky. And internal means the mind, intelligence and ego. They are also material. Just like our body is covered by shirt and coat, similarly, the soul is encaged in two kinds of bodies. When this gross body is finished, the subtle body, mind, intelligence and ego, they are there. The soul is covered. The gross body is finished. That is called death. But people do not know that there is no death for the soul. The outward cover is finished, the inward cover is there, and the inward cover will carry the soul to another gross body. That is called transmigration. The mind is creating, as we are making our consciousness in this life, so we are making our next life also. Yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah [Bg. 9.25].

So we have got two kinds of bodies, gross and subtle, and within that, I am living, you are living, soul. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the dehi, the proprietor of the body. So people do not understand that this finishing of this gross body is not actually death or annihilation of the soul. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Even annihilation of the subtle body does not mean death of the soul. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. There are two kinds of bodies. So when the gross body is annihilated, the subtle body carries me to another gross body. Just like the air carries the flavor of a certain place. If the air is passing over rose garden, it carries the flavor. Although we cannot see, but we can smell. We can understand the breeze is so fragrant, means it is coming over a rose garden. Similarly, filthy place, a bad smell, the air carries. So the subtle body carries the mental situation of the soul and puts him into a particular body according to that mental situation. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. At the time of death, the mental situation will give me chance for another gross body. If we have created my mind Krsna conscious, then he will give me, the mental situation will give me a body by which I can make further progress. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita: sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41]. Yoga-bhrastah. Suppose one has begun yoga. Yoga means attempt to link with the supreme. That is called yoga. And viyoga means without any relationship, or without any attachment for the Supreme. Yoga means plus, and viyoga means minus. So plus. Plus means, one plus one equal to two.

So when we try to connect with the Supreme, then we can understand there is God and I am also there. We have got intimate relationship. That is explained in the Vedas. Two birds are sitting on the same tree. One bird is eating the fruit and the other bird is simply witnessing. The witnessing bird is God, Krsna, and the eating bird is the living entity. So God is witnessing all our activities, and our mental situation. So He orders maya, the external energy, prakrti, that "He requires to be given a body like this," and the material nature gives the living entity a particular type of body, and they are numbering 8,400,000. So there is no certainty what kind of body I am going to get next life. But in the Bhagavad-gita it is explained that if you are situated on the mode of goodness, then you will get your place in the higher planetary system.

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
[Bg. 14.18]

There are three qualities, material nature. They are working. And we are under the influence of either of them. Either in the influence of goodness, or in the influence of passion, or in the influence of ignorance. So when we are under the influence of ignorance, jaghanya-guna-vrtti, then our behavior and activities becomes very abominable, very, very much abominable. Especially in this Kali-yuga, it is stated that people will have no fixed time for eating or sleeping or taking bath. In this way their bodily features will be like ghost. That we are seeing actually. The hippies, they are becoming. Practically in this age there will be no place even for taking daily bath. That we see especially in this country. The apartment, there is no bathing place. They have to go outside. So things are deteriorating very, very much. Adho gacchanti tamasah. Therefore the human civilization means to make progress towards the quality of goodness. That will help him for making farther progress. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. Urdhvam means higher planetary system. Here it is said that api trailokya-rajyasya hetoh. Trailokya. Om bhur bhuvah svah. This is bhur-loka. Above this, bhuvar-loka, and above that, svar-loka, heavenly planets. Om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam. This is Gayatri-mantra.

So Arjuna is speaking of trailokya-rajyasya. He is ascertaining that "Even if I get the kingdom of the three worlds, what to speak of only this earthly planet, what is insignificant, even if I get the kingdom of trailokya, svarga, martya, patala, like that, still, I am not prepared to fight with my kinsmen, what to speak of this earthly planet." He decided like that. This is called family attachment. He is speaking, "Even in exchange of kingdom of the three worlds, I am not prepared to fight."

api trailokya-rajyasya
hetoh kim nu mahi-krte
nihatya dhartarastran nah
ka pritih syaj janardana

"What I shall get by killing my cousin-brothers? And along with them, there are so many relatives."

acaryah pitarah putras
tathaiva ca pitamahah
matulah svasurah pautrah
syalah sambandhinas tatha
etan na hantum icchami

"My dear Krsna, Madhusudana." He is not addressing Krsna as "Krsna." He is addressing Him, "Madhusudana." He is reminding Him that "You also killed, but You kill Your enemies, Madhu." Madhu was a demon. Madhu-kaitabha-bhare hari-murare. Madhu-kaitabha-bhare. So, "You are Madhusudana. You are the killer of Madhu demon, who was was Your enemy. You are not Nanda-sudana or Yasoda-sudana." That is reminding Him, little critically, that "You are Yourself Madhusudana. You kill only Your enemies. Why You are inducing me to kill my kinsmen?" This is the criticism. So etan na hantum icchami. So "You may induce me, but I am not going to kill them." Etan na hantum. Hantum, "To kill, I am not willing." Then the question may be that "It is fight. If you do not kill, if you stand still, then they will kill you. Because it is fight. Then what you will do?" "Yes, I agree." Ghnato 'pi. "If they kill me, I agree. Still, I will not kill them." Ghnato 'pi. "Even they kill me, I will not fight, I will not kill them. But if they kill me, that is also agreed; still, I will not kill." Just see how much determination. This is called family attraction.

So he is preparing the ground for teaching Bhagavad-gita. We are so much attached to our bodily conception of life, and expansion of bodily conception of life. He is thinking in terms of bodily conception of life. Syalah bandhuh pitarah pitamahah. Because somebody happens to be... Just like there are many thousands of women. One woman with whom I have got my bodily connection I take: "She is my wife. I have to give protection." This is all based on bodily connection. So long there was no bodily connection with that woman, you didn't care for her. But as soon as there is bodily connection, immediately the attachment is there. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. Generally, everyone has got attraction for woman. Woman has got attraction for man. That is general. But when they are united by marriage, the attraction becomes very acute, hrdaya-granthim ahuh. Hrdaya-granthi means very hard knot. Hrdaya-granthim ahuh. So this is called family attraction. Then I get my attraction for my children, for my society, for my home. So Arjuna's description of this means bodily concept of life. The sum and substance of this whole passage described by Arjuna, kim no rajyena govinda kim bhogair jivitena va. Everyone works so hard to acquire money. Why? The family attraction. We were student of economics and there was a book, Marshall's Economics. That Mr. Marshall is explaining that economic impetus begins from family affection, family affection. Unless one has got family, he will not try to earn. He will not try to earn money. He will be irresponsible. Therefore it is essential. When one is given some responsible post... Some... I know some English firm in India, I had some connection with him. So he was simply trying to know, "The man who is going to work for us, whether he is family man?" Because unless he is a family man, he has no attraction. He can give up the job at any moment. Because there is no family attraction. This is the psychology. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, it is the duty of the parents to get the sons and daughters married so that they will have family attraction, they will be established, they will be organized, things will go nicely. If there is no family attraction, no responsibility, then the things will not go nicely. This is the basic principle.

So anyway, the family attraction is required for regulated life. If there is no family attraction, there is no regulated life. We have got very good experience of these things. So family attraction required. It is not that it is rejected. It is required for regulated life. Unregulated life cannot make any progress. Therefore, in the Vedic civilization, the grhastha-asrama is recommended. Everyone should be married and everyone should live. If possible let him live -- a brahmacari. First of all the brahmacari-asrama is given there, austerity, under the guidance of the spiritual master. So the idea is not to be entangled. Brahmacari has no connection with worldly affairs. He's simply interested with the order of the spiritual master. That is called brahmacari. So one is trained up as a brahmacari, and he is sufficiently given knowledge, that "Don't be entangled with these material affairs. Don't be entangled. Try to avoid. But if you are still unable, your sex impulse is very strong, all right, then you go and marry." This is the process. First of all he is taught to be vairagi. Vairagya. This whole Krsna consciousness movement may be called vairagya-vidya. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, he wrote one verse on Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He wrote one hundred verses. Out of that, two verses or four verses are available. When he composed the verses eulogizing Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and it was shown to Him, because it was self-eulogization, He immediately tore up the paper. So still, the devotees collected and got two or four verses. So one of the verses written by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya is: vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. This bhakti-yoga is vairagya-vidya, how to teach people to be detached from this material attraction. This is vairagya-vidya. In another place, in Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is said,

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]

In the human life, two things required: jnana and vairagya. Jnana means that "I am not this body." This is jnana. Not that so-called scientific knowledge, more attachment for this body. That is not... That is ajnana. That is not jnana. Jnana means how to achieve the status of vairagya. That is jnana. Jnana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. So the brahmacari is taught vairagya-vidya. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranah [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya says that "This Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who has taken sannyasa, very early age, only at the age of twenty-four years, a very young man. He has got His young wife at home, sixteen years old, and He has got His mother, old, seventy years old. So He has given up all responsibility, and there is no other male member in the family to look after them, the mother and the young wife. Still, He has taken sannyasa. So therefore He is the Purana-purusa, the Supreme Person, but He has come to teach us this vairagya-vidya." Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranah [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Purusah puranah, Krsna. Krsna is described: purusah puranah. Sasvatam puranah. Divyam, adi-purusam. So purusah puranah. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam: "He has come to teach the bhakti-yoga which is vairagya-vidya." Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranah sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. "Now He has assumed the body of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu." Tam aham prapadye: "I offer my respectful obeisances to this person. He has come to teach us vairagya-vidya."

So vairagya-vidya. This family attachment, and just the opposite thing is vairagya-vidya, how to become detached. This is the whole process of Vedic civilization. Everyone has got this attachment for the body and expansion of the body. So vairagya-vidya means to be detached. That is called brahma-jnana. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. That is brahma-jnana. As soon as you understand, aham brahmasmi, "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," this is called brahma-jnana. So long you do not get this knowledge, you are in ignorance. That ignorance, there are degrees. In the sattva-guna or in the modes of goodness, you can simply theoretically understand that "I am not this body." That is sattva-guna. Brahminical qualities. Samo damas titiksa arjavam jnana. Jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. When you... brahma-janatiti brahmanah. Brahmana means who has got the knowledge of brahma. Veda-pathad bhaved vipro brahma-janatiti brahmanah janmana jayate sudrah samskarad bhaved dvijah.

So everyone is born sudra, but by cultivation of knowledge and culture, one can become... Samskarat. Therefore, according to Vedic system, there are ten kinds of samskara, reformatory method. This upanayana-samskara, this is also one of the samskara, sacred thread. Upanayana. Upa means near, and nayana means bringing. When the spiritual master brings nearer to spiritual consciousness, a person is given the upanayana, or the sacred thread. The sacred thread is the indication that "This man is now under the control of the spiritual master for advancing in Krsna consciousness." This thread ceremony. This is called upanayana. Similarly, there is reformatory method, marriage, ten kinds of reformatory... The first beginning is garbhadhana. So these things are impossible to introduce now in this Kali-yuga. Therefore the only reformatory method is: harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Cc. Adi 17.21]. In this age of Kali, people are so fallen, so degraded, that it is not possible to introduce systematically the whole Vedic principle; it is not possible. That is not possible. It is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's grace, mercy, that He has given us mercifully, vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti, just to teach very short-cut method. What is that? Chant Hare Krsna. Simple. Simple. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni [Cc. Antya 20.12]. You are suffering in this material world, davagni, now, forest fire. This material world is forest fire. But they are so ignorant, they cannot understand that "We are burning in the blazing fire of this material existence. Our attempt should be how to get out of it." But there is no such knowledge. Just like animals. The animals are suffering. They are being taken to the slaughterhouse. There is no, I mean, strength of protesting. They are being slaughtered. So we are being also being slaughtered by the laws of nature. We are also being slaughtered. So we do not know how to make progress. That is slaughtering.

So this is going on, very abominable condition of this age, mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. First of all, they are very much slow, or bad. Manda means bad or slow. Slow means the human form of life is meant for making progress in spiritual understanding. So in this age every man is very slow. They do not know that there is need of spiritual understanding, there is need of making progress in spiritual life. They have forgotten. They have become just like animals. Therefore they are called mandah. Sumanda-matayah. And if one is little interested, he accepts something bogus which has no meaning. "I belong to this 'ism,' I belong to that ‘ism,' that ‘ism,' that..." "Ism," what is that "ism"? Dharma, or "ism," what is that required? Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam... [SB 6.3.19]. It is simple thing that the dharma means, religious code means, the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have to obey. That is called dharma. But they have no knowledge, what is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is His order. They are here in the Bhagavad-gita. The Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down to teach us, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. "When people forget their regulative life, I come down." So He has come down. He has come down. He will teach Arjuna that "You are so family-wise attached." Then He will teach. From the Second Chapter He will begin the teaching. Prajna-vadams ca bhasase. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11]. When Krsna, Arjuna accepted Krsna, that "I am now puzzled, what to do. So I know I am puzzled, I am ksatriya. It is my duty to fight, but I am hesitating. So it is very embarrassing puzzle. Therefore I am surrendering unto You." Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. "I am becoming Your disciple, not friend. Now let us talk as master and disciple, not as friend and friend." So when he accepted Krsna as the master. Krsna is always master, but it is simply acceptance. So at that time Krsna will speak, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11], that "You are..." gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. Pandita. "You are posing yourself..." He will speak so many things. That is like pandita, learned. It is very nice thing. "Krsna..." Arjuna is saying that "How can I kill my kinsmen? There is my grandfather, there is my teacher, there are my kinsmen." It is not bad. For worldly men this is very nice consideration, that "I am not going to kill my kinsmen." That is a very good consideration. Prajna-vadams ca bhasase. But spiritually, it is ignorance, it is foolishness. Materially, it may be very nice thing, he's talking very nice. Therefore the first chastisement was... Krsna took the position of spiritual master. So spiritual master has the right to chastise the disciple. So immediately he chastised. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] "My dear Arjuna, you are talking, you are lamenting so badly, and at the same time you are talking just like a very learned man."

So this is the position of the world. One talks very high words, but his behavior is very abominable. So gradually we shall come to that point. So let us finish.Now Arjuna is promising... Krsna arranged this fight to execute his purpose. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. That was his purpose. "Duskrtam, all these sinful rascals, they are ruling over the world, I want to kill them." Therefore this battle was arranged so that all these rascals and demons will come there and it will be killed, in one place. And the right person, Maharaja Yudhisthira, will be installed on the throne. That was his plan. The right person. Krsna wants His representative to rule over the... King means representative of God. [break] (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973