Illusion-Realized

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

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

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:

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

We have begun this discussion about dharma. We have several times described dharma, the constitutional characteristic. That is called dharma. So people have taken dharma for sense gratification. Just like generally people go to the church or temple for asking some material gain. That is beginning, beginning of God consciousness.

catur-vidha bhajante mam
janah sukrtino 'rjuna
arto jijnasur artharthi
jnani ca bharatarsabha

Four classes of men, means those conditioned souls... (aside:) Why it stopped? (about fan) People who are pious, not ordinary men, those who are pious... Therefore in the Vedic principle everyone has been directed to become pious, punya-karma. Tyaja durjana-samsargam bhaja sadhu-samagamam. This is moral instruction, that "Don't keep company with durjana." Durjana means those who are very much attached to material enjoyment. They are called durjana. Actually, human life is meant for tapasya, not to become like cats and dogs and hogs, simply eating and sense gratification. That is not human life. This is Vedic civilization. Because human life is meant for making solution of all problems.

Here it is said, dharmasya hy apavargyasya. Apavarga. A means negation, and pavarga... Pavarga -- pa pha ba bha ma. Just like -- those who are acquainted with Sanskrit grammar -- there are five vargas: ka varga, ca varga, ta varga, similarly, pa varga. Pa pha ba bha ma. So pavarga means they have taken the material life in different aspect. First of all, material life is parisrama, hard labor. This is called pa, parisrama. And then, pha: the labor is so hard, sometimes foam comes. We have seen from the mouth of the horse, cows, and bulls, dogs. We sometimes, we have also, our tongue becomes dry after working very hard. There are foams. This is pha. Pa, pha. And ba means vyarthata: in spite of so much labor, our sense gratification is not fulfilled. That is called vyarthata. Pa pha ba, vyarthata. And then bha. Bha means bhaya, always fearful. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. Every conditioned soul is subjected to fearfulness, "What will happen next?" Big, big politician... Just like in U.S.A., President Nixon, he is also under fear, "How these people will drive me away?" So this bhaya must be there. Hard labor for election, then rejection, then bhaya, fearfulness, "Whether my this position will remain or not?" Nobody is free. Even Brahma, big, big demigods, they are also fearful. Bhayam dvitiya abhinivesatah syat. Sastra says when one is attached to the other thing except God, dvitiya... Because God is one. Eka brahma. When one is not Brahman realized -- the other realized means illusion realized -- then there is bhaya. So apavarga, pa pha ba bha, in this way ma, means mrtyu, death.

So this has been summarized. These are called pavarga. And apa... a means to nullify. So dharma, practice of dharma, means to nullify these conditions, these miserable conditions of material existence. That is the purpose of dharma. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. Apavargyasya, to cease this labor. Tri-tapa-yatana, three types of miserable condition: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. That is animal life, bodily concept of life. Therefore dharma should be practiced for nullifying. Because we do not want to work very hard, every one of us, but we have to, especially at the present moment. That is stated in the Bhagavata. In the Kali-yuga the situation will be so much deteriorated that simply for a piece of bread, one has to work just like an ass. Very hard labor. It has come to become so. Gradually, it will deteriorate more and more. These are stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Now rice and wheat is selling at a high price, three rupees kilo. But time will come when if you pay 300,000 rupees, still, it will not be available. Especially rice, wheat, sugar and milk and fruits. That means sattvikahara. These things will be finished. Therefore they are learning how to eat beef. This is the beginning. Just like a child learns to eat, little, little. Otherwise there will be no more food. Therefore dharma is required to stop this miserable condition of life. That is real dharma.

Therefore to come to the real point of dharma, transcendental position, in the material conditional life, the dharma, varnasrama-dharma... Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Vipradayo gunah prthak catur-varnyam. Ya esam purusam saksad atma-prabhavam isvaram, na bhajanti va ajananti... Purusasya asramaih saha. Tyakta jagrhe varna vipro aday gunah prthak(?). These are the statements of sastra, that the human society, just to make it real human society, not cats' and dogs' society, there must be varnasrama. That is dharma. In the material stage, when we have to take care of this body, there must be this varnasrama. That is systematic human society. If there is no varnasrama-dharma, then it is cats' and dogs' society. In the cats' and dogs' society there is no varnasrama-dharma. That... They do not require it; neither they can understand it. So if the human society becomes varnasrama-less, without varnasrama-dharma, then it is cats' and dogs' society. Then subjected to the so many miserable condition of material nature. That is inevitable.

So dharma, first of all this dharma. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma... [Bg. 4.13]. This is dharma: brahmana-dharma, ksatriya-dharma, vaisya-dharma, and sudra-dharma, brahmacari-dharma, grhastha-dharma... We call grhastha-dharma. Otherwise, wife and children..., the cats and dogs, they have also wife and children. Then why? This is called dharma. Dharmaviruddhah kamo 'smi. Krsna says, in the Bhagavad..., dharma aviruddhah kamo 'smi: "Sex life, sense gratification, which is not against dharma, that is I." So there must be dharma, characteristic. This is the characteristics of brahmana. This is the characteristics of ksatriya. This is the characteristic of vaisya. This is character of sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. This must be systematically organized. That is called dharma. Because the real purpose is, dharmasya hy apavargyasya: just to nullify this miserable condition of material life, not... Dharmasya hy apavargyasya na arthah arthaya upakalpate.

Now it has been taken as, "I am brahmana. So how to earn more money by giving somebody blessings," or "Give me some money,"or "I shall make some puja; he will get some material benefit, this puja, that puja," especially demigods. You worship Kali-puja. So you will be able to eat meat. Then Candi-puja. Then he will be able to drink wine, and so many others. They are also in the scriptures. Because people want... There are varieties of men. So they have been given. These are regulative principles. Just like Kali-puja, puja of the goddess Kali. The real purpose is to eat meat. Because in any other demigod worship there is no animal sacrifice. But there are some demigods, the purpose is, instead of purchasing from the slaughterhouse, if they are restricted that "You eat meat after worshiping this demigod," there will be some restriction. That is the purpose, to come in, to bring him under restriction. Otherwise it is not required at all. And you will find in the Pancanga that "Today meat-eating is prohibited." Actually, it is prohibited. But those who are meat-eaters, they cannot give up. Therefore one day, restriction, this restriction, that restriction -- everything to bring him under regulative principle. Because real purpose is to make him detached from this material attraction and make him promoted apavargyasya, how to get out of this material miserable condition of life. This is called dharmasya hy apavargyasya, not that "We have got this ceremony today, Kali-puja ceremony. Let us sacrifice thousands of goats and eat and drink and enjoy." That is not the purpose. Na arthaya upakalpate. Some men... Artha means material. Paramartha means spiritual.

So execution of dharma, religion -- never mind, Hindu religion or Christian religion or -- the purpose is not for any material gain. Na upakalpate. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya na arthaya upakalpate. Then what about our sense gratification? We must have. We have got this body. We must have some facility. So that is also described here, na arthasya dharma ekantasya. Arthasya, one who is actually a student of dharma, ekantasya. Na arthasya dharma ekantasya kamo labhaya hi smrtah. Not for sense gratification. You require some money. So by your profession, either as a brahmana or as ksatriya or as a vaisya or as a sudra... A brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, that is for spiritual advancement. And for material -- this brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. So you require some money. Because without money, without source of income, how you can live? But that is not meant for sense gratification. Therefore it is said, na arthasya dharmaikantasya kamo labhaya hi smrtah.

Just like everyone is earning money simply for sense gratification. And there are so many advertisement for sense gratification. If you go to the city, you will find all the shops, cinema, hotel and wine shop and this shop or that shop. What are these, big, big, nice sari, displayed, demonstrated? Everything is for sense gratification. So this is not meant for... You require money. People are hankering after money. "How I shall get money to purchase this nice sari for my wife or for my beloved, for my...?" Then "How I shall purchase wine? How I shall purchase this car, this?" Everything is that. Everything is meant for kama, for sense gratification. Naturally, one should be inclined to earn money, more money, more money, and more sense gratification. That means he is becoming implicated. That he does not know. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Pramattah. Because they have become mad after sense gratification, they are doing everything which should not be done, vikarma. Karma vikarma akarma. So people are generally doing vikarma. Vikarma means forbidden, sinful activities. They are called vikarma. Karma is not sinful. Karma means according to the direction of the Vedas. That is called karma-kanda. But vikarma means against the principle of dharma. That is called vikarma.

So this has been observed. Therefore Maharaja Rsabhadeva says,

nunam pramattah kurute vikarma
yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti
na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam
asann api klesada asa dehah
[SB 5.5.4]

"My dear boys, people are so mad after sense gratification that they are simply..." [break] ...increasing. So why they are increasing? Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaye, simply for sense gratification, no other business. If they go to the cinema or to the wine shop or to so many other things... There are varieties. Simply sense gratification. There is no other profit. But the sastra says, na sadhu, na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam asann api klesada asa dehah [SB 5.5.4]. The people do not understand that this material body means suffering. They do not understand. They think very nice body. The cats and dogs may think like that. Just like hog. Hog is thinking, "I am very happy," and he is getting fatty. You will find. They think, "I am very happy." What is that happiness? "Now, I am eating stool." "Oh, that's very good. Then where you are living?" "Now, in the most unsanitary condition." But he is also thinking that "I am happy."

So this is called maya. This is called illusion. Everyone is thinking that "I am happy," although his body, this material body, means suffering. Who is a person here who is not... Why we are getting this fan? Because the body is suffering on account of excessive heat. This is called adhidaivika, the heat, excessive heat, excessive cold. These are also sufferings. This is called adhidaivika. But we are thinking, "We are very comfortable." We never think that "I do not want this heat. Why it is being forced upon me?" That he never considers. "If there is any remedy? I do not want it." But this body, as soon as you accept this material body made of these five elements, earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence... This is material body.

So Rsabhadeva says, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaye [SB 5.5.4]. Simply we have got this... This bodily concept of life means the senses. Indriyani para... The senses are very prominent. So simply for sense gratification we are acting so much sinfully that we are becoming implicated. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti na sadhu manye: [SB 5.5.4] "This is not good." Why? "Now, yata atmanah, the soul," ayam, atmano 'yam asann api klesada asa dehah, "the atma, the soul, has accepted this body on account of this vikarma, on account of this vikarma." Therefore people should be instructed to be expert in sukarma, sukrti, sukrti. That sukrti is this Krsna consciousness. Sukrti. They should be instructed. Sukrtivan. Catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtinah arjuna. Unless one is sukrtivan, he cannot take to Krsna consciousness. Therefore everyone should be instructed to become sukrtivan, punyavan. Yesam tv anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Unless one is free from all sinful activities simply by acting piously... Jananam punya-karmanam, te dvandva-moha-nirmukta bhajante mam drdha-vratah [Bg. 7.28]. They can understand what is Krsna and what is Krsna worship. Others cannot do.

Therefore this Krsna consciousness movement is to make people free from all sinful activities. Then they will be happy. Because in the soul proper, it is pure. Just like you contaminate some disease, so you suffer. You have got fever, you have got some pain. So you have to go to the physician. He will give you some medicine to counteract the contamination. Then you become happy. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of God, Krsna. Naturally, we must be happy. Anandamayo 'bhyasat. This is our position, that we must be always anandamaya, jubilant. This is our position. Just like Krsna is dancing -- you have seen -- similarly, our position is simply dancing with Krsna and be happy. That is our position. But we have come to this material world to enjoy independently of Krsna. Therefore we have been captured by the illusory energy.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

As soon as we forget or defy to enjoy with Krsna... Just like a big man, a rich man... So the rich man is enjoying along with the servants are also enjoying. The servants are not poor in a rich man's house. He is eating of the same thing. He is also riding on the same car with the master. Rather, the driver is in the front, and the master is in the back. So in this way we are part and parcel of Krsna. Just like in a family, why you take the risk of family? For enjoyment. I am alone. I can remain happy. Now, why you take the wife? I know if I marry then there will be children, there will be so many responsibilities. But why you accept? For happiness. Similarly, Krsna is the supreme happy person. So we are part and parcel of Krsna. To remain with Krsna always... And He becomes happy, we are happy. This is our position.

So that we have forgotten. We wanted to be happy. Just like there are many examples: A very rich man's son, he wants to become happy without his father. He becomes independent, comes out of home and goes here and there, but he does not become happy. There are many instances. Again he comes back home. Similarly, our position in this material world is like that. Our position is very jubilant and happy, anandamayo 'bhyasat, sac-cid-ananda. Sat-cit-anan... We have got our eternal life, sat; cit, and full of knowledge; and blissful, as Krsna has got. Therefore because we are part and parcel of Krsna, mamaivamso jiva-bhuta, so Krsna, if Krsna is good, so I am also good. If Krsna is happy, then I must be happy. If Krsna is jubilant, then I must be jubilant. Wherefrom we get this idea of happiness? Because we are part of Krsna. Just like Krsna dances with the gopis, we also want to dance with young girls here, in this material world, Why? Wherefrom this idea we have got? The idea is already there, and we are part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore we have got this propensity. So anandamayo 'bhyasat.

But this thing can be purely enjoyed not alone in this material world, but you have to go back to home, go back to Krsna, and there is your real life. Krsna comes therefore. He displays His rasa dance in Vrndavana to attract these fallen souls, that "If you want enjoyment, why not come back to Me? Here is the enjoyment. Here is the enjoyment, eternal enjoyment. Why you are rotting in this material world and becoming implicated, sometimes as Brahma and sometime as the worm in the stool? Enjoyment, varieties of enjoyment. Why? Why you are so become fool?" Therefore Krsna says, He comes here, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You come to Me. Why you are bothering in this way and suffering?" But people will not hear. That is the difficulty. That is the difficulty. Krsna displays what is the standard of happiness with Krsna in Vrndavana. Krta-punya-punjah.

ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya
dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
mayasritanam nara-darakena
sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah
[SB 10.12.11]

Sukadeva Gosvami is remarking... When he saw, means he came to the position of Krsna's playing with the cowherds boys, so the cowherd boys are playing. Sometimes Krsna is defeated. He has to take one cowherd boy on His shoulder. So Sukadeva Gosvami is studying that "Who are these cowherd boys? They're playing with Krsna. They are not ordinary cowherd..." krta-punya-punjah: "After many, many births accumulation of pious activities, now they have come to play with Krsna."

So this is the position. Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya. Here is Krsna. Who is that? The Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman. The jnanis, they want to appreciate the Supreme Brahman. Satam. Brahma-sukha, brahma-sukha. They are after brahma-sukha. Here is the source of brahma-sukha. Brahmano 'ham pratistha. So here is the... Just like the light, illumination -- there is a source of light, the sunshine, illumination. The source is the sun globe. Similarly, the brahmajyoti, what is the source? Krsna says, brahmanah aham pratistha: "I am the source. From Me it is coming." Therefore the same thing is... Ittham brahma-sukhanubhutya: "the source of brahma-sukha." Ittham brahma-sukhanubhutya dasyam gatanam para-daivatena. And dasyam gatanam: "Those who have accepted the principle of to become servant of God," means the devotees. The devotees, they never want to become one with Brahman effulgence, sayujya-mukti. They will never accept this. They want to keep their individuality and enjoy with Krsna. That is Vaisnava philosophy. Ittham brahma-sukhanubhutya dasyam gatanam para-daivatena. Para-daivata: "the Supreme Lord." And mayasritanam nara-darakena: "And those who are under the influence of maya, they are thinking Krsna as ordinary human child," nara-darakena. But after all, these boys who are playing, sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah: [SB 10.12.11] "After accumulating many lives' pious activities, now they are promoted here at Vrndavana to play with Krsna."

So to play with Krsna, to become associate of Krsna, to dance with Krsna, it is not ordinary thing. We want to do that. We want to do that here. We have got many sporting club, dancing club, because we want to do that. But we want to do in this material world. That is our defect. The same thing, you can do with Krsna. Just become Krsna conscious and you get the opportunity. Why you are suffering here for sporting and dancing? That is called dharmasya hy apavargyasya. Stop this, I mean to say, always painful condition of material life. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Because we have got this material body. This material body means reservoir of all suffering. By artificial method, so-called scientific advancement, we are trying to patch up, but that is not real happiness. You can go on continuing patching up. This is called maya. Bhutva bhutva praliyate. You cannot... The real purpose is that everyone wants to live and enjoy, but the maya will not allow. You can have very nice skyscraper building, but have you made any insurance that you will be allowed to enjoy this house? "No, sir, there is no such insurance." At any moment the nature will call, "Please get out, immediately." "No, I have got to do some business." "No more, sir. Please get out immediately." Can you stop that? Then why you are making plan? Your real plan is not there. Whether you will be allowed to stay here? There is no insurance. And why you are taking so much trouble? Therefore, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4], the whole day, night, they are working like ass, but there is no assurance whether the happiness for which he is laboring so hard will be allowed to be enjoyed. There is no certainty.

So this is not... Na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam. Therefore Rsabhadeva says, "This is not good business, My dear boys, because you have got this body on account of this hard labor and planning in your last life." Yata atmano 'yam asann api klesada: "Again you want to have another body to suffer in? What is this intelligence? You are already suffering. You have got all one type of body which means suffering, by your past activities. Again you are doing the same, to get another body to suffer? Is that very intelligence? No, that is not intelligence." Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma, pramattah [SB 5.5.4]. These are madman's business. Real business is, "How I shall become permanently happy?" That is Krsna consciousness. Krsna says,

janma karma me divyam
yo janati tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti kaunteya
[Bg. 4.9]

That is perfection.

mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]

So this is the real life. Take to Krsna consciousness and execute it. We are opening centers all over the world to give this chance. It is not a whimsical concoction. It is strictly according to the sastra, without any mistake, authorized. If you take to this Krsna consciousness movement, you will be happy perpetually.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974