"Relieving Our Bodily Burden"

73/08/28 London, Bhagavad-gita 2.25


Devotee:

avyakto 'yam acintyo 'yam
avikaryo 'yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi
[Bg. 2.25]

"It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."

Prabhupada: They are going? So why don't...? No prasada?

avyakto 'yam acintyo 'yam
avikaryo 'yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi
[Bg. 2.25]

So Krsna began this teaching to Arjuna first of all, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11]. "You are talking like learned scholar, but you are lamenting on the body, which is not at all important." Nanusocanti. Here also the same thing. Tasmad evam viditvainam, this body, na anusocitum arhasi. Do not be very much serious about this body. The soul is the subject matter to be considered. But the modern civilization, they are concerned with this body. Just the opposite. Krsna says: Because the soul is immortal, therefore tasmad evam viditva, understanding of this principle, enam, this body, na anusocitum arhasi. The real factor is the soul. We have to take care of the soul, not of the body. So far body is concerned, there are pains and pleasure like climatic changes. Agamapayinah anityah, such bodily pains and pleasures come and go; they are not permanent. Tams titiksasva bharata. So you have to learn how to tolerate these bodily pains and pleasures, but you have to take care of the soul. But the modern civilization, they have no knowledge of the soul, what to speak of taking care of it, and, like animals, they are in the bodily concept of life, taking much care of the body, but they have no information of the soul, and what to speak of taking care of it.

This is the lamentable condition of modern civilization. Animal civilization. The animals simply take care of the body, has no information of the soul. So this civilization is animal civilization, mudha. Mudha means animal, asses. Now if we say to the people in general they'll be angry upon us, but actually this is the position. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. I've several times explained this verse. Yasya atma-buddhih. Atma means self; buddhi, has taken this body as self. Yasyatma-buddhih. But what is this body? The body is nothing but a bag of tri-dhatu, kapha, pitta, vayu, and its by-products. By mucus, bile and air, by interaction of these three things... Just like this material world, this house. What is this house? Tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayah. Anything in this material world, what is that? Tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayah. An exchange of fire, water, and earth. Tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayah. Exchange. You take earth, you take water, mix them, and put it into the fire, it becomes brick, then powder it, it becomes cement, then again combine them, it becomes a big skyscraper building. So as this material world, anything you take, it is simply a combination of these three ingredients, plus air and sky for drying. Air is required for drying. So combination of the five elements. Similarly, this body is also combination of five elements. There is no difference. But because in the big skyscraper building there is no soul, it stands in one place, but the body has got the soul, therefore it moves. That is the difference. The soul is the important thing. But they do not know. Just like we have manufactured the airplane and there is no soul, but another soul means the pilot. He takes care of it. He drives. Therefore, it is moving. So without soul, there cannot be any movement. Either the thing must have soul or some other soul will take care of it. Then it will move. Therefore, the important is the soul, not this material body.

So anyone who's accepting this material body as very important... Just like the other day, some rascals came. They were very much eager for feeding this body. Those who are starving, starvation... Starvation of the bodily concept of life. But there is spiritual starvation. That we are not taking care. Material starvation may be there, but actually that is not a problem because there is sufficient arrangement for maintaining this material body. Real starvation is of the soul. The soul is not getting spiritual food. Here, in this meeting, this is meant for giving to the starving spirit soul. And as soon as you get some spiritual food, then we become happy. That is the situation. Yayatma suprasidati. Unless you get spiritual food there cannot be satisfaction of the real soul. The same example, within the cage there is the bird. If you simply wash the cage very nicely and cover it and paint it and the bird within the cage is crying, starving... What is this civilization? Similarly, we spirit soul, we have been encaged within this body, so our natural aspiration is to get freedom from this encagement. As much as the bird is struggling to get freedom from the cage. Similarly, we are also, we are not happy being encaged. Yesterday we learned from Bhagavad-gita soul's position is sarva-gatah. Soul can go anywhere. That is, it has got the freedom. Those who are spiritually advanced by yogic mystic power, they can also move anywhere he likes. Anima, laghima siddhi. There are still yogis in India who early in the morning takes bath in four dhamas: Hardwar, Jagannatha Puri, Ramesvaram, and Dvaraka. There are still yogis. Within one hour, they'll take bath in four places. Sarva-gatah, the speed. They'll sit down in one place and by yogic process within few minutes will get up and dip in here, in this water. Suppose in London you dip, take your dip in the Thames River, and when you get up you see in Calcutta Ganges. There is yogic process like that. Sarva-gatah. So the spirit soul has got so much freedom, sarva-gatah, anywhere he likes he can go. But this impediment is this body which is checking our freedom. So if you get rid of this material body and be situated in spiritual body... Just like Narada Muni, he can move anywhere, he's moving, his business is moving. Sometimes he's going to Vaikunthaloka or sometimes coming to this material loka. He has got spiritual body, he's free to move anywhere, spaceman. They are trying to travel in the space by machine. There is no necessity of machine. Yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. The machine is made of maya. But you have got your own power. That is very speedy. So it is being checked. Therefore one should be very much careful how to get the soul out of this encagement of this material body. That should be our first concern. But those who are simply concerned with this body, they are no better than the animals, cows and asses. Sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13].

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah
[SB 10.84.13]

Go-kharah. Go-kharah means asses and cows.

So this civilization, modern civilization, having no information of the soul, it is simply a pack of animals only, that's all. Therefore they do not care what is the resultant action of their activities, they do not care for pious, piety and vicious activities. They take everything... That is asuric civilization. Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca na vidur asura-janah. Asura-jana means these rascals or asuras, atheists, fools, rascals, they do not know pravrtti and nivrtti. Pravrtti means in which subject matter we should take interest, that is called pravrtti. And nivrtti means in which subject matter we shall not take interest, or we shall try to give it up. The asura-jana, they do not know. Just like we have got pravrtti inclination, loke vyavaya amisa mada-seva nityasya jantuh. Every living entity has got materially... There are two natures, spiritual and material. Materially, the inclination of sex enjoyment and eating meat -- amisa, amisa means eating meat, flesh and fish, like that. That is called amisa.

Nonvegetarian means niramisa. So amisa and mada and vyavaya. Vyavaya means sex. Loke vyavaya amisa mada-seva. Sex indulgence and eating meat, flesh, eggs, and drinking wine. Mada. Mada means liquor. Nityasya jantuh. Jantu. When one is in the material world he is called jantu. Jantu means animal. Although he's living entity, he's not called jiva soul. He's called jantu. Jantur dehopapattaye. Jantu. This material body is developing for the jantu, animal. Anyone who is devoid of spiritual knowledge, he's called jantu, or animal. This is the shastric injunction. Jantur dehopapattaye. Who gets this material body? Jantu, animal. So, so long we shall get on, continually get or change this material body, we remain jantu, animal. Klesada asa dehah. A jantu, animal, can tolerate, or he's forced to tolerate. Just like a bullock yoked in the cart and whipping. He has to tolerate. He cannot get out of it. Similarly, when they are taken to slaughterhouse to be killed, he has to tolerate it. There is no way. This is called jantu.

So those who have surrendered to the material nature, he has to suffer. He has to suffer. There is no way out. You have accepted this body. You must suffer. Klesada asa dehah. This material body means suffering. So they do not know this. They are making so many arrangements and plans how to become happy, how to become peaceful without any miserable condition, but the rascals, they do not know that so long you have got this material body -- either a king's body or an ant's body -- you must have to suffer. They do not know. Therefore Krsna says here that you take care of the soul. Tasmad evam. Tasmad evam viditva. Just try to understand the soul is important. You haven't got to lament for this body. This is already settled up. So much suffering, so much comforts, you'll get. Although the body, material body... Because the material body is also created according to the three qualities. Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. When the inquiry is that why one has got the king's body and why he has got, one has got the pig's body. There are so many other bodies, 8,400,000 different types of bodies. So why the difference is there? That difference is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Karanam. Karanam means cause. Why these varieties are..., karanam guna-sango 'sya. Asya, jivasya. He is associating with different kinds of qualities, and therefore he's getting a different type of body. Karanam guna-sango 'sya.

Therefore our business should be not to associate with the material qualities. Even up to goodness. Material quality, goodness means the brahminical quality. Sattva sama damas titiksa. So devotional service is transcendental to these good qualities also. In this material world, if somehow or other, he has got the birth in a brahmana family or he's executing his duties exactly a strict brahmana, still he's conditioned under the laws of this material nature, still. And what to speak of others, those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance. Their position is most abominable. Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah: Those who are in the modes of ignorance, jaghanya, very abominable condition. So at the present moment... That is sudra. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. In this age of Kali, everyone is in the modes of ignorance. Sudra. They do not know because they have no... One who know that "I am spirit soul; I am not this body," he is brahmana. And one who does not know, he is sudra, krpana. Etad vidita praye sa brahmana. Everyone dies, that's all right, but one who dies after knowing the spiritual truth... Just like here, the students who are trying to understand what is spiritual life, and, somehow or other, if he understands that he's spirit soul, at least, then he becomes brahmana. He becomes brahmana. Etad vidita. And one who does not understand, he is krpana. Krpana means miser. Brahmana means liberal. These are the shastric injunctions.

So first of all, we have to become brahmana. Then Vaisnava. Brahmana simply knows that "I am spirit soul," aham brahmasmi. Brahma janati iti brahmana. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. By such knowledge one becomes prasannatma. Means relieved. As you feel relief... When there is burden on your head, and the burden is taken away you feel relieved, similarly, this ignorance that "I am this body" is a great burden, a burden upon us. So when you get out of this burden, then you feel relieved. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. Means when actually one understands that "I am not this body; I am soul," then he has to work so hard for maintaining this body, so he gets relief that "Why I am working so hard for this lump of material things? Let me execute my real necessity of life, spiritual life." That is great relief. That is great relief. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. The relief means there is hankering, no more lamentation. These are the brahma-bhutah.

So our actual business is to become brahma-bhutah. So who can become? That is explained already. Krsna has already explained that, what is that verse? Yam hi na vyathayanty ete. Vyathayanti, does not give pain. Material, material burden, that is always troublesome. Even this body. This is also another burden. We have to carry it. So when one is not disturbed by this bodily pain and pleasure... There is no pleasure, simply pain. Here, pleasure means a little absence of pain. Just like you have got a boil here. What is called? Boil? Phora? So it is always painful. And by some medical application, when the pain is little relieved, you think that "Now it is happiness." But the boil is there. How you can be happy? So here, actually there is no happiness, but we think we have discovered so many counteraction. Just like there is disease. We have discovered medicine. We have discovered medical college. Manufacturing, big, big physician, M.D., a pharmacist(?) But that does not you'll live. No, you'll have to die, sir. So the boil is there. A little application of temporary medicine, it may... Therefore there is no happiness at all in this material world. Therefore Krsna said that, "Why you are feeling happy? You have to die, after all, which is not your business. You are eternal, but still you have to accept death." Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. This is your real problem.

But these rascals they do not know. They think death is natural -- after death everything is finished. Now so long I am not dying, let me enjoy. Rnam krtva ghrtam pibet. Enjoyment means... According to our Indian system, their enjoyment is not meat-eating as in the Western countries. Their enjoyment is eating ghee more, become chubby, fatty. That is their enjoyment. So Carvaka Muni recommended, "Now eat ghee and enjoy life." Kacuri, samosa, all made of ghee preparation. Then "I have no money, sir. Where shall I get ghee?" Rnam krtva. "Beg, borrow, steal, get ghee." Somehow or other, black market, white market, any way. Bring money and ghee, that's all. Rnam krtva ghrtam pibet. "Eat as much possible ghee." Rnam krtva ghrtam pibet yavad jivet sukham. Jivet. Sukham jivet. "So long you live, live merrily, very nicely." That is the theory of all the European philosophers. Live merrily. But the philosopher at the end becomes paralyzed. His merriness is finished. Who is that philosopher has become paralyzed? So they make all these theories. Not only European philosophers, another philosopher in India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is now brain paralyzed.

So they do not understand that there is a controller. We may theorize and so many ways of our happy life. But you cannot be happy, sir, so long you have got this material body. That's a fact. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. Therefore intelligent persons, they should be... Krsna is making everyone intelligent: "You rascal, you are under the bodily concept of life. Your civilization has no value. It is rascal civilization." Here is the point,

yam hi na vyathayanty ete
purusam purusarsabha
sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram
so 'mrtatvaya kalpate

Your problem is how to be reestablished again as eternal. Because we are eternal. Some way or other, we have fallen in this material world. Therefore, we have to accept birth and death. So our problem is how to again be eternal. That is amrtatva. But these rascals, they do not know that there is possibility of becoming eternal. Simply by trying to understand Krsna, one can become immortal. Janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. Simply try to understand Krsna, what is Krsna. Then tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Simply by understanding Krsna, even you don't serve Krsna. If you serve, then you are already liberated. If you simply philosophically try to understand the position of Krsna. But no, the mudhas, the rascals, they'll say: "We accept Krsna as a great man. We don't accept Krsna as God." The Arya-samajis say. All right if you accept a great man, great personality, why don't you accept his teaching, huh? Then what kind of accepting a great personality? If you actually accept Krsna as a great personality, at least you must follow the instruction of Krsna. And know.(?) That also they'll not do. And still they are Arya-samaj. Arya means advancing party. They are degrading party. Real advancing party is Krsna conscious persons, the devotees of Krsna. They're Aryan. Just like Arjuna, when he was trying to neglect the instruction of Krsna, "Sir, I'll not fight," He said, anarya-justam. Anyone who disobeys the instruction of Krsna, he's anaryan. And one who obeys the instruction of Krsna, he's Aryan. That is the distinction. Therefore, the so-called Arya-samaj, they disobey the instruction of Krsna, and still they claim to be Aryan. Actually they are anaryan. Anarya-justam. These things are in the Bhagavad-gita.

So nanusocitum arhasi. Krsna here has said, "You are eternal. Your business is how to achieve that eternal position, and, so far the body is concerned, antavanta ime dehah, this is destructible. So you should not be very much serious about this body." This is the distinction between the Vedic civilization, Aryan civilization. Vedic civilization means Aryan. And anaryan civilization. Anaryan civilization means bodily concept of life, and Aryan civilization means spiritual concept of life, how to make spiritually advancement. That is real civilization. Those who are compact in the thought of bodily comforts of life, they are all anaryas, and that is now deprecated, nanusocitum arhasi: "Don't lament on these immaterial things."

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.25 -- London, August 28, 1973