Everyone Can Serve Krishna

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.9
October 20, 1972, Vrndavana


Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: Translation: "All occupational engagements, or dharmas, are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service, or dharma, should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification."

Prabhupada: So Suta Gosvami is describing the purpose of religiosity. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. Dharma, to accept a system of religion means to accept the path of liberation. Apavargyasya. This apavarga is very significant word. Pavarga and apavarga. Pavarga means pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. In grammatical ways, ka, kha, ga, gha, ka-varga, ca-varga, ta-varga, ta-varga, and pa-varga. Five vargas. Vargiya varnas. And there are antah-stha varnas. This is grammatical.

So dharmasya hy apavargyasya. "A" means negation, negation of pavarga. Pa means parisrama, labor. Here, in this material world, the sense gratificatory platform is not very easy. You have to work very hard. Karma. Even Arjuna was advised, sarira-yatrapi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmanah: "My dear Arjuna, you are denying to fight, but you do not know that without fighting, you cannot live even. You cannot maintain your body." Sarira-yatrapi. Just see how hard they are laboring. Even just like an ass. In big cities, we have seen, human beings are pulling on rickshaws, thelas. What for? Simply for maintaining this body. In the Kali Yuga, the working will be more harder and harder. Just like an ass. Ass, the example is given always, ass. How much hard work it carries on. Tons of cloth, carrying on the back, going to the ghata. What for? Simply little grass. That's all. Therefore it is called ass. The ass is working simply for a morsel of grass. Grass, there are so many. You can get. But it is because it is ass, he's thinking that "The washerman is my master. He'll give me the grass." Just see.

This is ignorance. It is a very good example of foolishness. Similarly, Krsna has provided everything. Krsna is giving food to the elephant. In Africa, there are millions of elephants, and each elephant is eating at least eighty-two pounds at a time. But who is supplying the food? They have no economic problem. They have no bank balance. How they are eating? This is to be studied. This is called nature's study. So why you are so much busy for fulfilling the belly with a little two capatis? If the elephant can get so much food at a time, can I not get two, two capatis or four capatis? I can get also. But there is no confidence. He's thinking that "Unless I work very, very hard, I cannot live." The more a man is civilized, he's thinking like that. They accuse us, these Krsna conscious people, that "They are escaping. They do not want to work." Not only us. Anyone... That is the allegation against the sadhus, that they are parasites, dependent on the society, eating at the cost of others. So many accusations. But actually, that is not the fact. Krsna has provided food for everyone. Just like these birds. They're living very peacefully in this tree, and they have no problem. The monkeys... Who is going to give? Anyone, as soon as he sees a monkey, he drives: "Get out. Get out. Get out." But still they are living. They are eating.

So there are 8,400,000 species of life. They're all eating at the cost of God. Why human being is so much busy for solving economic problem? Because a foolish civilization. That's all. Everything is there. Simply you have to work little. Because this world, this material world, is made in such a way that unless you work little, you cannot get your food. That Visnu Purana, it is said, avidya-karma-samjnanya trtiya saktir isyate. Avidya. Ignorance. (talking in background) (aside:) Ask them, not... (Hindi) Avidya-karma-samjna. This material world is ignorance, darkness. Because he, people have no knowledge of that Krsna is providing everyone food. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. That is the injunction of the Vedas, that one supreme one is supplying food to everyone. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. So Krsna is supplying everyone. Nobody has to starve. The only business is how to develop our Krsna consciousness. That is our only business. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah. Simply if we become engaged for economic development, fulfilling the belly, and we forget our real business, developing Krsna consciousness, that is not very intelligent work.

Therefore it is said here, dharmasya hy apavargyasya. To perform religious..., religiosity means how to get out of this material conditional life, apavarga. Pavarga means hard work. Pa pha. And so much hard work that there is foam in the mouth, phena. Pa pha ba. And vyarthata. In spite of working so hard, we are confused, baffled. Pa pha ba bha. And still there is bhaya, fearfulness, "Whether it is done, or whether I shall get tomorrow, any food?" Bha. In this way, at the end, ma, mrtyu. This is called pa pha ba bha ma -- pavarga. So to take to religiosity means to get out of this pavarga. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. Not pavargyasya. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya na arthaya upakalpate. We go to temple or church or mosque to get some material benefit: "O God, give us our daily bread." The Christians pray like that. And the Hindus, they also pray, go to some demigod, or Krsna. Mostly they go to demigod, especially to Lord Siva, because Lord Siva's name is Asutosa. If you please Lord Siva, it is very easy. He's very easily satisfied. And whatever you want, he gives you: "All right, take it." Therefore, generally people become devotee of Lord Siva, because easily pliable. Visnu is not so easily pliable. Devi is easily pliable. Say, for a meat-eater, goes to Devi: "My dear goddess, I want to eat meat." Devi will allow: "All right. Bring a goat and sacrifice it before me, and you eat." But if you go to Visnu, "Sir, I want to eat meat," He'll not allow. Therefore they are very much devotees of Goddess Kali. Purpose is to eat meat. He's not a devotee.

Actually, devotion cannot be applied except to Visnu. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says, kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah yajante anya-devatah [Bg. 7.20]. These rascals, who have lost of their intelligence, they go to other demigods to pray for some temporary benefit. Antavat tu phalam tesam tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. Now suppose if I go to Goddess Kali to get facility of eating flesh. Then the antavat. You eat flesh and acquire so much sinful result... Because you have killed one animal, he has to kill you. You take so much responsibility. Still, your pleasure by eating flesh is finished very quickly. But if you warn, if you worship Visnu, even one percent you have... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Worshiping the other demigods, it will be finished as soon as... I mean, suppose you go to heavenly planet. Everything will be finished, because this material world is temporary. So the benediction which you have achieved from a demigod, the demigod, the benediction, and yourself -- everything will be finished. Therefore it is said, antavat tu phalam tesam tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. Real problem is apavarga, how to get out of this entanglement of hard labor and fearfulness. That can be given by Visnu. Harim vina na mrtim taranti.

Without Krsna, nobody can save you. Other demigods... Just like Ravana. Ravana was a great devotee of Lord Siva. But when Lord Ramacandra wanted to kill him, Lord Siva's father could not even protect him. That is not possible. That is not possible. Mare krsna rakhe ke. (aside:) Make it little... Yes. Little... Yes. If Krsna kills you, nobody can protect, And if Krsna protects you, nobody can kill you. Rakhe krsna mare ke, mare krsna rakhe ke. This is the formula. Here it is said that dharmasya. If you want to take to religiosity Practically dharma. I have several times explained that dharma means... (aside: ) What you are doing? It is disturbing me. Yes. Don't you see? He cannot do it. Yes. Do it. Dharma, to become religious, the purpose is to go up to the point of mukti. Dharma artha kama moksa. Gradually. Gradually, step by step. But generally, people stuck up for some material gain. Artah artharthi jnani jijnasuh. Four kinds of people approaches the Supreme Personality of Godhead for evolution, but the, those who are going to the Supreme Person for some material gain, as soon as their material gain is finished, they also finish worship. "Now I have got the money. There is no need of worshiping."

So here Bhagavata says that dharma... You take to, to the principles of religion for going up to the point of liberation, apavargyasya. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. This is meant for getting out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is real... The first step is religiosity. Unless you are pious, religious, there is no possibility of getting liberation. Therefore there are different types of dharma prescribed, twenty types of dharma. The beginning is varnasrama-dharma. The people have lost even varnasrama-dharma, what to speak of other dharmas. The first beginning is varnasrama-dharma, to become brahmana, to become ksatriya, to become vaisya. So in the Kali-yuga the time is so bad that even there is no fixity of this varnasrama-dharma. Nobody knows who is brahmana, who is sudra. Because the quality is the same now, eating, sleeping, mating -- animal quality. You can become a brahmana by sacred thread. That is a different thing. But there are brahmana and brahminical qualifications. That is real brahmana.

So even the varnasrama-dharma is lacking in this age, what to speak of other dharmas. Therefore the sastra enjoins,

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

You cannot execute any severe type of religious principles. Simply take to this chanting of Hare Krsna mantra. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. You'll come out triumphant. But actually, on principle, dharma means gradually, step forward for liberation. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya na arthaya. We should not execute dharma for some material gain, arthaya. Just like people are very busy to give in charity, because he'll get some exalted post. Yajna dana tapa kriya. These are karma-kandiyas, yajna, performing sacrifices, giving in charity, dana, tapa, austerity. Just like Hiranyakasipu underwent severe austerities, Ravana underwent severe austerity. What for? For material gain. That's all.

So actually dharma does not mean that. Dharma means to come to the point to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When He says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], this is dharma, real dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Saksad Bhagavan, Krsna, is ordering like that. That is dharma. Na arthaya. Not for material gain. People generally execute religious principles for some material gain. That is warning. Bhagavata is warning, na arthaya upakalpate: don't execute religious performances simply for material gain. Now material gain means money. Suppose you get money. Money, because according to previous pious activities, you get good birth, nice riches, janmaisvarya-sruta-sri. So suppose you have got money. A man is born with silver spoon in the mouth. He has got money immediately. Then what he'll do? He'll throw it away? No. It is said that narthasya dharmaikantasya kamo labhaya hi smrtah. If you have got money, don't spend it for sense gratification. Kamo labhaya. Just like at the present moment, if anyone has got more money, he purchases more motorcars. Formerly... Suppose he had no car. He gets one car. He gets more money -- another car. More money -- another car. In this way, they make prescription for sense gratification. But no. If you have got more money than you require, you spend it for Krsna. That is required. Try to satisfy Krsna, the senses of Krsna. Don't try to satisfy your senses. Then you'll be implicated. Actually the money belongs to Krsna.

Isavasyam idam sarvam. Everything belongs to Krsna. Krsna also says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He's the proprietor. How Krsna's money you can spend for your sense gratification? That is sinful activities. If you take government money, government treasury, and spend it for sense gratification, immediately you become criminal. Immediately. Ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam. You cannot touch. Human civilization... Now, at the present moment, they're less than animal, They are getting money by hook and crook and amassing money. But not spending for Krsna. If you go for begging something for Krsna, "No, we are not interested in religious affairs. No. We are secular." Nobody will pay. Now, if you go to somebody that "We are going to open a lunatic asylum and hospital for the drunkards," then they'll pay money. Yes. In USA, there is a big hospital for curing, curing drunkards priests. (laughter) Yes. Drunkard priests. Because they have to execute priesthood, but they are drunkard. So they want to be cured. This is a fact. They'll give money. If you want money for Krsna, they'll not give money. They will... More hospitals. More hospitals. The report is "This year, we have increased so many hospital beds." That means that is advancement. So what is this advancement? People have become sick. You just stop people becoming sick, there should be no disease. That is advancement. No. Their advancement of civilization means you open more hospitals and more beds. That is advancement.

So this is all sense gratification, kama, for sense gratification. You give medicine to a diseased man to cure him just to make him able to enjoy senses. That's all. But Krsna consciousness movement is that you give him medicine so that he can get out of the clutches of this material entanglement and go back to home, back to Godhead, and live eternal, blissful life of knowledge. That is Krsna consciousness movement. So,

dharmasya hy apavargyasya
nartho 'rthayopakalpate
narthasya dharmaikantasya...

Actually who is religious, his money is not meant for sense gratification. Formerly anyone who had money, he used to spend for Krsna. Just like you see here in Vrndavana big, big temples. They were constructed by very, very rich men. They knew that "Now I have got extra money. I can spend it for Krsna." Just like Maharaja Mansingh. He approached Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami was sitting here. Or sometimes somewhere. Rupa Gosvami was famous, saintly person in Vrndavana. So Maharaja Mansingh approached: "Sir, what can I do for you? I have got some money. I want to spend some money for you." So Rupa Gosvami, what he'll do with the money? He was, he left his minister, ministerial post to come to Vrndavana not for earning money. So he advised him, "All right, if you have got money, you spend it for constructing a nice temple for Govindaji." So he constructed so nice temple, seven stories. It is impossible now to construct such a temple, such nice work. But he spent, he utilized his money in that way.

So everyone can serve Krsna. Pranair arthair dhiya vaca sreya-acaranam sada. Either with your life, either with your money, either with your intelligence, either with your, with your words. You can serve Krsna. Any way. Krsna service is not checked. Ahaituky apratihata. It cannot be checked. In any condition of life you can serve Krsna. The first thing is that if you can dedicate your life, that is very good. Just like you have done. You have dedicated your life for spreading this Krsna consciousness movement. That is first class, pranaih. If you cannot dedicate your life immediately, then spend fifty percent of your income for Krsna. Pranair arthaih. If you think you have no money, then pranair arthair dhiya, by your intelligence. If you have got some knowledge, write some books and spread it, Krsna consciousness. And if you have no education, no money and you cannot dedicate your life, then you can spend your vacana. Vaca. Pranair arthair dhiya vaca. What is the vaca? Chant Hare Krsna and tell everyone, "Please chant Hare Krsna." Where is the difficulty? You can serve Krsna in any condition of life. But don't be miser. If you think that you have got one crores of rupees, so Krsna says, vaca. "Let the bank balance remain for my children, and I go to Vrndavana and chant Hare Krsna." No. That is called vitta-sartha. If you have got money, you must spend money. Not that "Money is for my children and wife, and I come to Vrndavana and chant Hare Krsna." There are many such retired persons here. They leave the money for their relatives, and come here with a... Of course, that is good. But Krsna is very intelligent. Krsna wants to know where you have kept your money. (laughter) He inquires, "You kept your money for your children and you have come to love Me with your beads?" No. (laughter) Krsna is very intelligent. Krsna wants that "Whatever you have got, you have to utilize for Me."

Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was a warrior, and he utilized his energy for fighting the demons. Because He came to kill the demons. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. So Krsna wants to utilize your energy for His satisfaction. That is devotion. Everyone has got his energy, and he can spare it for Krsna's service. That is real devotion.

etavaj janma-saphalyam
dehinam iha dehisu
pranair arthair dhiya vaca
sreya-acaranam sada

If you want to make perfection of your life, then whatever you have got, you have to spend it, spare it for Krsna. Not that "The substance is for my relatives, and simply I come with lip sympathy." No.

So,

dharmasya hy apavargyasya
nartho 'rthayopakalpate
narthasya dharmaikantasya
kamo labhaya hi smrtah

Not for sense gratification. Don't use your money for sense gratification. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, yajnarthe karma. You are working hard not for..., do not work for hard, hard work, for sense gratification. In the, another place, in the instruction of Rsabhadeva, it is said that nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. This body, this human body, is not meant for working hard like the hogs for sense gratification. But people have made it a civilization. They are working very hard, day and night, simply for sense gratification. This is compared like the hogs. You have seen so many hogs in Vrndavana, loitering. The whole day, they are working to find out where is stool. That is their business. So it may not be very pleasing, but these hogs, they are also living in Vrndavana, but why they are hogs? Because they came to Vrndavana and behaved like hogs. So Krsna has given them the opportunity: "All right you live in Vrndavana as a hog." We should not come Vrndavana to behave like hogs. What is the behavior of the hog? Sex indulgence without any discrimination. That is hogs. Hog has no discrimination whether it is mother, sister, or this or that. Any sex will do. This is hog life.

So it is the warning: arthasya dharmaikantasya kama... Don't try to gratify sense in the name of dharma, religion, or bhakti. Then we have to become hogs and dogs. Even in Vrndavana. It doesn't matter. Yes. Then narthasya dharmaikantasya kamo labhaya hi smrtah. Then we have got kama. We, because we have got this body, then we must satisfy the senses. That is required. So there is sanction. Kamasya. Kamasya nendriya-pritih. Just like sex. Sex life is allowed by the sastra. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita: dharmaviruddhah kamo 'smi. "Sex life which is not against the religious principles, that is I," Krsna says. That means sex life should be utilized only for begetting nice children. There are certain rules and regulations. One can have sex life once in a month. As soon as the wife is pregnant, he cannot have sex life. There are rules and regulations. Not for kamasya na indriya-pritih. Not because "I want to enjoy sex life, I can use it at any time." No. That is not. Kamasya na indriya-pritih. Kama, there is, required. But na indriya-pritih. Labho jiveta yavata. You can utilize kama as much as it is required for living condition. Not for sense gratification.

Why these are restriction? Why so much restriction? Now, because jivasya tattva-jijnasa nartho yas ceha karmabhih. Because our real business is to understand Krsna, tattva-jijnasa. We must save time from all directions and concentrate and utilize the time simply for Krsna consciousness.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972