"Special Senses Are Required"

73/08/04 London, Bhagavad-gita 2.3


Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam
tyaktvottistha parantapa
[Bg. 2.3]

Translation: "O son of Prtha, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy."

Prabhupada: So Bhagavan, Krsna, is encouraging, ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam. "For a ksatriya to speak like that, ‘No no, I cannot kill my kinsmen. I am giving my weapons,' this is weakness, cowardice. Why you are all this nonsense doing?" Ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam. "This kind of compassion, giving up your duty as a ksatriya, it is simply weakness of the heart. It has no meaning." Klaibyam ma sma gamah partha naitat tvayy upapadyate. "Especially for you. You are My friend. What people will say? So give up this weakness of the heart and uttistha, stand up, take courage." So just see how Krsna is inducing Arjuna to fight. People are very much ignorant and they sometimes criticize that "Krsna is exciting Arjuna. He is very gentleman, nonviolent, and Krsna is exciting him to fight." This is called jada-darsana. Jada-darsana. Jada-darsana means material vision. Therefore sastra says, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Brs. 1.2.234]. Sri-krsna-namadi. We become in touch with Krsna by chanting His name, Hare Krsna. That is the beginning of our connection with Krsna. Namadi. So sastra says, atah sri-krsna-namadi. Adi means beginning.

So we have no connection with Krsna. But if we chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, immediately our first chance to contact Krsna begins. So it has to be practiced. Not that immediately I realize Krsna. That is not... Of course, if one is advanced, it is possible immediately. So sri-krsna-namadi. Nama means name. So Krsna is not only name. Adi, that is the beginning, but form, activities. Just like sravanam kirtanam. So sravanam kirtanam, glorifying or describing about Krsna... So He has got His form. So nama means name, and then, rupa means form. Nama, rupa... Lila means pastimes; guna means quality; entourage, his associates; all these... Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved [Brs. 1.2.234]. Na bhaved grahyam indriyaih. By ordinary senses we cannot understand... Either Sri Krsna's name... We are hearing our, through the aural reception, Krsna's name, but if we keep our ear without purification... Of course, by hearing, it will be purified. We have to help. Help means to avoid the offenses, ten kinds of offenses. So in this way we shall help the purificatory process. Just like if I want to ignite fire, so I must help the igniting process by drying the wood. It will very soon get fire. Similarly, simply chanting, that will help us also. It will take time. But if we avoid the offenses, then it will be very quickly purified. The action will be there.

So atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Brs. 1.2.234]. So this behavior of Krsna, how ordinary men can understand? Because they have got their ordinary senses, therefore they mistake. Why Krsna? Even Krsna's devotee, Vaisnava. That is also stated. Vaisnavera kriya mudra vijneha na bujhaya. Even a Vaisnava acarya, what he is doing, even the most expert intelligent man cannot understand why he is doing this. Therefore we should not try to imitate the higher authorities, but we have to follow the order, injunction, given by the higher authorities. It is not possible. Krsna is exciting Arjuna to fight. That does not mean we can also do that, excite, no. That will be immoral. For Krsna it is not immoral. Whatever He is doing... God is good, He is all-good. We should accept it. Whatever He is doing, that is all-good. This is one side. And whatever I am doing without authority's order, this is all bad. He does not require any order from anyone else. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. He is the supreme controller. He does not require anyone's instruction. Whatever He does, it is perfect. This is Krsna understanding. And not that I have to study Krsna in my own way. Krsna is not subjected to your examination or your test. He is above all. He is transcendent. Therefore those who have not the transcendental vision, they misunderstand Krsna. Here He is directly enticing,

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam
taktvottistha parantapa

Parantapa is, this word, very word, is used that "You are a ksatriya, you are king. Your business is to chastise the mischief mongers. That is your business. You cannot excuse the mischief monger." Formerly the kings were so... The king himself used to judge. A criminal was brought before the king, and if the king thought it wise, he would take his own sword, immediately cut his head. That was the duty of king. Even not many, about hundred years ago in Kashmir, the king, as soon as a thief was caught, he would be brought before the king, and if he is proved that he was a thief, he has stolen, immediately the king will cut off his hands personally, chopped off. Even hundred years ago. So all other thieves warned, "This is your punishment." So there was no thiefing. There was no stealing, no burglary in Kashmir. Even somebody lost something on the road, it will lie down. Nobody will touch it. The order was, king's order was, "If something is lying down on the street uncared for, you cannot touch it. The man who has left it, he would come; he will collect. You cannot take." Even hundred years ago. So this capital punishment is required. Nowadays the capital punishment is excused. Murderers are not hanged. This is all mistake, all rascaldom. A murderer must be killed. No mercy. Why a human killer? Even an animal killer should be immediately hanged? That is kingdom. The king should be so strict.

So this sympathy is like Arjuna's sympathy. The sympathy... Now the state is sympathizing with the murderer not to be killed. This is Arjuna. That is hrdaya-daurbalyam. That is not duty. One has to discharge the duty ordered by the superior authority very strictly, without any consideration. So these are weakness of the heart, this kind of sympathy. But ordinary person will not understand. Therefore to understand Krsna, one requires special senses, special senses, not ordinary senses. Special senses means you have to pluck your eyes and you have to put another eyes? No. You have to purify. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. Just like if you have got some disease in the eyes, you apply medicine, and when it is clear, you can see clearly everything; similarly, with these blunt senses, we cannot understand what is Krsna. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah [Brs. 1.2.234]. As sri-krsnasya namadau, Krsna's name, form, quality, etc., is not understand by these blunt senses, so how it is to be done? Now, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Again jihvadau, beginning from the tongue, controlling the tongue. Just see it is something peculiar, that you have to understand Krsna by controlling the tongue? This is something wonderful. How is that? I have to control my tongue to understand Krsna? But it is, the sastra injunction is there: sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Jihva means tongue. So in order to see Krsna, in order to understand Krsna, the first business is to control your tongue. Therefore we say, don't take meat, don't take liquor. Because it is controlling the tongue. The tongue is the most strong enemy as sense, as perverted sense. And these rascals they say, "No, you can eat whatever you like. It has nothing to do with religion." But Vedic sastra says, "You rascal, first of all control your tongue. Then you can understand what is God."

So this is called Vedic injunction -- perfect. If you control your tongue, then you control your belly, then you control your genital. Rupa Gosvami gives instruction,

vaco-vegam manaso krodha-vegam
jihvavegam udaropastha-vegam
etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam sa prthivim sa sisyat.

This is instruction, that anyone who has become competent to control the tongue, to control the mind, to control the anger, to control the belly and control the genital..., if six kind of control is there, he is fit for becoming spiritual master; he can make disciples all over the world. And if you cannot control your tongue, if you cannot control your anger, control your mental concoction, then how you can become even a spiritual master? That is not possible. Prthivim sa sisyat. One who did... That is called gosvami, gosvami or svami, master of the senses. Master of controlling these six kinds.

So beginning is the jihva. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah [Brs. 1.2.234]. Seva. The tongue can be engaged in the service of the Lord. How? You chant Hare Krsna, always glorify. Vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. Vacamsi, means talking. Talking is the business of tongue, and tasting is the business of tongue. So you engage the tongue in the service of the Lord by glorifying. Whenever... You take a vow that "Whenever I shall speak, I shall simply speak, glorifying Krsna, nothing more." That is tongue control. If you don't allow your tongue to speak anything nonsense, gramya-katha... We sometimes sit together. We talk so many nonsense. That should be controlled. "Now I have engaged my tongue for the service of the Lord, so we shall not talk anything of sense gratification." This is controlling the tongue. "I cannot eat anything which is not offered to Krsna." This is controlling the tongue. So these are small techniques, but it has got great, great value so that Krsna will be pleased, the austerity, and He will reveal. You cannot understand. You cannot see Krsna. You cannot order Krsna, "Krsna, please come, dancing with flute. I shall see You." This is order. Krsna is not subjected to your order. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives us instruction, aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam marma-hatam karotu va adarsanam. Adarsanam. Everyone wants to see Krsna, a devotee, but a pure devotee says that "No, if you don't like to see me, that's all right. You can break my heart. I may always pray to see You. But You do not come and break my heart, that is also accepted. Still, I shall worship You." This is pure devotion. Not that "I have asked Krsna to come before me dancing. He did not come. So I give up this nonsense. The Krsna consciousness movement is no value." Not like that. This is Radharani's attitude. So Krsna left Vrndavana. All the gopis, they passed their days simply crying for Krsna, but never condemned Krsna. Whenever somebody came... Krsna also was thinking of them because gopis are the greatest devotees, topmost devotees. There is no comparison with the devotion of the gopis. Therefore Krsna was always obliged to them. Krsna said to the gopis that "You have to be satisfied with your own business. I cannot return you anything for your love." Krsna, the Supreme, the all-powerful, He was unable to repay the debts for the gopis. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. There is no more better worship than what was conceived by the gopis. So gopis are the topmost devotees. And amongst the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the topmost. Therefore Srimati Radharani is greater than Krsna.

So this is Gaudiya-Vaisnava philosophy. It requires time. So the activities of Krsna, the rascals, if they simply see that "Krsna is enticing Arjuna to fight; therefore Krsna is immoral," that is, means wrong vision. You have to see Krsna with separate eyes. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, janma karma me divyam ca. Divyam. These transcendental activities of Krsna, if anyone can understand, simply if anyone can understand, then he becomes liberated immediately. Liberated. Not liberated ordinary liberation, but for going back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. The greatest liberation. There are different types of liberation also. Sayujya sarupya sarsti salokya sayujya.... Five kinds of liberation. So sayujya means to merge into the existence, Brahman, brahma-laya (merging in the impersonal). That is also liberation. The Mayavadis or the jnani sampradaya, they want to merge into the existence, Brahman existence. That is also mukti. That is called sayujya-mukti. But for a devotee, this sayujya-mukti is just like hell. Kaivalyam narakayate. So for Vaisnava, kaivalyam, to, monism, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, is compared with hell. Kaivalyam narakayate tri-dasa-pur akasa-puspayate (Caitanya-candramrta 5). And the karmis... Jnanis are anxious to merge into the existence of the Brahman effulgence, and the karmis, their highest aim is how to be elevated in the higher planetary system, Svarga-loka, where Lord Indra is there, or Brahma is there. That is karmi's ambition, to go to the heaven. They all, except Vaisnava philosophy, in all other literature, all other scripture, means Christian and Mohammedan, their aim is how to be elevated to the heaven.

So heaven is described in the Vedic literature as tri-dasa-pur. Tri-dasa-pur. Tri-dasa-pur means there are 33,000,000's of demigods, and they have got their separate planets. This is called tri-dasa-pur. Tri means three, and dasa means ten. So thirty-three or thirty. Anyway, tri-dasa-pur akasa-puspayate. Akasa-puspa means something imaginary something imaginary. A flower in the sky. A flower should be in the garden, but if somebody imagines the flower in the sky, it is something imaginary. So for a devotee, this heavenly promotion to the heavenly planet is just like a flower in the sky. Tri-dasa-pur akasa-puspayate. Kaivalyam narakayate. Jnani and karmi. And durdantendriya-kala-sarpa-patali protkhata-damstrayate. Then yogi. Yogis are trying. Yogi means yoga indriya-samyama, controlling the senses. That is yogic practice. Our senses are very strong. Just like we also, Vaisnavas, we first of all try to control the tongue. So yogis also, they try to control the senses, not only tongue, but all other, ten kinds of senses, by that yogis mystic process. So why they are trying to control? Because the senses are just like serpents. A serpent... Just like they touch anywhere, immediately something up to death. Injury there must be up to death. This is exemplified: just our sex impulse. As soon as there is illicit sex, there is so many difficulties. Of course, nowadays it has all become very easy. Formerly it was very difficulty, especially in India. Therefore a young girl was always protected, because if she mixes with the boys, somehow or other, as soon as there is sex, she becomes pregnant. And it will be no more possible to get her married. No. Touched by the serpent. This is... Vedic civilization is very strict. Because the whole aim was how to go back to home, back to Godhead, not sense gratification, eat, drink, be merry, enjoy. That is not the aim of human life. So everything was planned with that aim. Visnur aradhyate.

varnasramacaravata
purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate pantha
nanyat tat-tosa-karanam

Varnasrama, these brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, everyone had to strictly follow the rules and regulation of the particular division. A brahmana must act as a brahmana. A ksatriya must as... Here is the... Just Krsna says, "You are ksatriya; why you are talking all this rascal? You must!" Naitat tvayy upapadyate. "In two ways you should not do this. As a ksatriya you should not do this, and as My friend, you should not do this. This is your weakness." So this is Vedic civilization. Fight for the ksatriya. A brahmana is not going to fight. Brahmana is satyah samo damah, he is practicing how to become peaceful, how to become clean, how to control the senses, how to control the mind, how to become simple, how to become full cognizant of the Vedic literature, how to apply practically in life, how to become firmly fixed up in conviction. These are brahmanas'. Similarly, ksatriya's -- fighting. That is necessary. Vaisya -- krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44]. So all these strictly to be followed. Just yesterday we were reading when Manu, Vaivasvatu Manu, came to Kardama Muni, he is receiving, "Sir, I know that your touring means you are just...," what is called, what is called, examining?

Devotee: Inspecting.

Prabhupada: Inspecting, yes. Inspecting. "Your touring means inspection whether the varnasrama, whether the brahmana is doing actually as brahmana, ksatriya is doing actually as ksatriya." That is king's touring. King's touring not a pleasure touring at the expense of the state go somewhere and come back. No. He was... Sometimes in disguise the king used to see whether this varnasrama-dharma is being maintained, properly being observed, whether somebody is simply wasting time like hippies. No, that cannot be done. That cannot be done. Now in your government there is some inspection that nobody is employed, but unemployed. But so many things are not practically inspected. But it is the duty of the government to see everything. Varnasramacaravata, everything is practicing as brahmana. Simply by falsely becoming brahmana, falsely becoming ksatriya -- no. You must. So this was the king's duty, government's duty. Now everything is topsy-turvied. Everything is no more practical value. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, kalau...,

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

It is very difficult to take us back to the original process of civilization.

So for a Vaisnava, as I was explaining, the tri-dasa-pur akasa-puspayate durdantendriya-kala-sarpa-patali. So controlling the sense, that is durdanta. Durdanta means formidable. It is very, very difficult to control the senses. Therefore the yoga process, mystic yoga process -- just to practice how to control the senses. But for a devotee... They... Just like the tongue, if it is engaged only in the business of chanting Hare Krsna mantra and eating only Krsna prasadam, the whole thing is done, perfect yogi. Perfect yogi. So for a bhakta, there is no trouble with the senses because a bhakta knows how to engage each and every sense in the service of the Lord. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is bhakti. Hrsika means the senses. When the senses are engaged only for the service of Krsna, Hrsikesa, then there is no need of practicing yoga. Automatically they are locked up in the service of Krsna. They have no other engagement. That is the highest. Therefore Krsna says,

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]

"A first-class yogi is he who is always thinking of Me." Therefore this chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, if we simply chant and hear, the first-class yogi. So these are the process. So Krsna wants to Arjuna that "Why you are indulging in this weakness of mind? You are under My protection. I am ordering you to fight. Why you are denying?" This is the purport.
Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973