"Eat Like Human Being"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.35
Vrndavana, August 16, 1974

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: Translation: "Whatever work is done here in this life for the satisfaction for the mission of the Lord is called bhakti-yoga, or transcendental loving service of the Lord. And what is called knowledge becomes a concomitant factor."

Prabhupada:

yad atra kriyate karma
bhagavat-paritosanam
jnanam yat tad adhinam hi
bhakti-yoga-samanvitam

A similar passage is there, samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah.

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam
[SB 1.2.13]

Similar. Bhagavat-paritosanam. Bhagavat-paritosanam or hari-tosanam, the same thing.

So first of all we must know what is bhagavat, or Hari, then we may try to satisfy Him. Unfortunately, we do not know what is God. Where is the question of satisfying Him? This is the... At the present moment, vague idea, what is God; practically no idea. What is their God? "God is good." They... Sometimes they say, "God is great," but what is that God, how great He is, how He is good, nobody knows. So where is the question of hari-tosanam? If I do not know... Somebody says that "You go and satisfy Mr. such and such, Mr. John." So I do not know who is Mr. John, where does he live, what does he do, then how can I satisfy him? This is the position.

So hari-tosanam or bhagavat-paritosanam can be possible when we actually know what is God. Otherwise there is no question. So, so far we are concerned, Krsna conscious devotees, we know who is God. Therefore this business is possible by us, not by others. We know what is God. We have no vague idea. We know who is God, where does He live, what does He do, His name, address, His father's name -- everything we know. Therefore we can satisfy. We are competent to satisfy because we know exactly who is God. That is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. How do you know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Yes, by history, by authority, by His action, everything complete. We know historical, from historical point of view, Krsna is there in the Mahabharata. Mahabharata means "The history of great India." Maha means great. So greater India. Greater India, this is history. Itihasa. Itihasa means history. So there is Krsna, in the itihasa, in the history. In the Vedas also, there is name of Krsna. In the Yajur Veda, there is name of Krsna and His father's name, Vasudeva. Everything is there. And besides that, Krsna appeared as He is five thousand years ago and He acted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So where is the difficulty to understand Krsna?

Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah -- everything complied. Krsna, the richest personality, the most beautiful personality, the most wise. He has given the Bhagavad-gita. Apart from other instructions, the Bhagavad-gita is there. Who has given such wise instruction throughout the whole world, throughout the whole universe? Nobody has given. God means the wisest, the richest, the most powerful, the most beautiful. So He was so beautiful that 16,108 very, very beautiful women... And this is married. And unmarried, many millions, they were attracted by Krsna, the most beautiful. Syamasundara. His name is sundara, very beautiful. Although syama, blackish, still He's so attractive. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham [Bs. 5.30]. Kandarpa-koti, He's so beautiful that He can surpass in His beauty the Cupids, millions and millions of Cupids. His name is Madana-mohana. Madana-mohana, Madana is Cupid. Cupid enchants everyone, but he is enchanted by Krsna. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana.

So bhagavat-tosanam, we must know first of all who is God, who is Bhagavan. So sastra says, authority says, and history says. What more proof you want? Huh? What more proof? Is there anyone to challenge Krsna? Everything is there. Still, why you are searching after God? This is foolishness. This is foolishness. Owls', owls' philosophy. Owls' philosophy... The owl will not open the eyes to see the sun. Just open your eyes, you see, here is sun. "No, there is no sun." This is owls' philosophy. Close the eyes, meditate. And the God is here, "No, I'll not open my eyes."

So we do not follow this philosophy, owls' philosophy. We follow real philosophy. What is that real philosophy? Sruti-pramanam, evidence from the Vedas, history, aitihya-pramana, history. And anumana-pramana. There are many, pratyaksa, anumana, aitihya... So out of that, there are so many evidential processes, but according to followers of the Vedic principle, their process is sruti-pramanam. Sruti-pramanam means if it is mentioned in the Vedas, Upanisad, then it is pramanam. Sruti-pramanam. So Vedas, there are four Vedas and 108 Upanisads, and then eighteen Puranas, then this Mahabharata. So all these are Vedic literatures. Srimad Madhvacarya describes them, these are Vedic literatures. Not only the four Vedas -- Sama, Yajur, Rg, Atharva -- but expansion of Vedas. Puranas, they are also Vedas. So in the Purana, in the history, in the Vedas, by the authorities.

Just like Brahma, the best authority because he is the first living being created within the universe. Adi-purusa. Not adi-purusa; adi-kavi. Adi-purusa is Krsna. Brahma is adi-kavi, the original learned scholar. So our theory of creation means first of all Brahma is created. So Brahma is called adi-kavi. Tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye. Adi-kavaye means Brahma. So Brahma's knowledge, what does he say? Brahma says govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. Brahma says Govinda, Krsna. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. He's giving description about Krsna in the Brahma-samhita. And the description of Krsna's abode. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Everything is there. This is authority, sruti. Krsna is very much fond of tending cows. Surabhir abhipalayantam. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu. He has got His abode, Goloka Vrndavana, where the residential houses are made of cintamani, touchstone. Touchstone, we have heard the description. Touchstone means the stone which you touch to the iron and the iron becomes gold. So such touchstone, they're used as brick. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu [Bs. 5.29].

And kalpa-vrksa. This is Krsna's abode. They are not like this. They are all spiritual. Here it is, everything is material, but there is spiritual touch. That spiritual touch we are describing in the Bhagavad-gita, bijo 'ham sarva-bhutanam. Without spiritual touch, there is no question of material manifestation. That is not possible. This body, your body, my body, this is material -- everyone knows. It is made of earth, air, water, fire, like that. But how it is manifested? How the beautiful body is manifested? Because there is spiritual touch. The spirit soul is there. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha... [Bg. 2.13]. This external body is changing, but it is forming on account of that spiritual touch. That spiritual touch means Krsna. Bijo 'ham sarva-bhutanam. So therefore the origin of everything is Krsna. Just like the origin of a big tree is the root. Similarly, Krsna is the adi-purusam. Govindam adi-purusam, sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1]. Just like in the tree there are trunk, branches, twigs, sub-branches, leaves, flowers, so many things. But the cause is the root.

So here it is said that hari-tosanam. Bhagavat-paritosanam. The root must be satisfied. If you want to maintain the tree, then the root or the original cause of the tree should be satisfied. Then everything is satisfied. So here in this material world they are trying to be happy, but they do not know how to become happy. They are put into the ocean of nescience. May be very expert swimmer, but simply swimming will not save you. You must know how to save. So here it is said, yad atra kriyate karma. Everyone is doing something. Vaidiki laukiki va. There are two kinds of karmas. Vaidiki means according to the Vedic rituals. Performance of big, big sacrifices and so many other, that is called vaidiki. And laukiki... Just like we have got good experience nowadays. There are so many activities, factories, mills, and scientific research work, so many. This is laukiki. So Krsna does not say... Yes. The Suta Gosvami does not say that simply by vaidiki activities, big, big ritualistic ceremonies, you can be happy. You can be happy even by laukiki. Laukiki mean these material activities. Generally, people understand, big, big factories nowadays, or agriculture or anything, there are laukiki. Laukiki means for maintenance of the body. So Narada Muni recommends that yad atra, anything you are doing, kriyate. Atra means in this material world, atra. Yad atra kriyate karma bhagavat-paritosanam. It doesn't matter that you do not understand these Vedic rituals, but you want to develop the economic position of your country by industrial enterprises. Yes, that is also good. That is also good. How? Bhagavat-paritosanam. If it is conducted for the satisfaction of Krsna, then it is good.

So our Krsna consciousness movement does not say you stop anything. No. Whatever you have got liking, you can do, but bhagavat-paritosanam. By your work you try to satisfy Krsna. This is our proposal. We do not say the negative, stop. No. And it is confirmed in the sastras, atah pumbhir dvija-sresthah... Generally, according to Vedic principle, there are four division of karma. Not four; eight division. According to varna and asrama. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. The division of work must be there; otherwise the society cannot go on very nicely. If everyone is brahmana, not interested in anything material or simply... Because it is, after all, material world, if everyone becomes brahmana, now it will not go. There must be others. Ksatriyas means the statesman, protector, politician, diplomat, ksatriyas. And there must be vaisyas also, productive class of men. They must produce. Economic development, that is also required. Otherwise, how human society will go on? Not only intelligent class of men -- the protector class of men, the productive class of men, and the worker class of men. Suppose you are constructing this temple. If we devotees remain Hare Krsna, then who will construct this temple? Everything is required. We do not say that "Stop this" or "Stop that." No.

So that division, different division, is scientifically made in the Vedic conception of life, varnasrama. Four varnas and four asramas. Asrama for spiritual advancement and varnas for material advancement. So we want both of them because our life is combination of spirit and matter. So it is not that... To make the best use of a bad bargain. Suppose you have got a car. It is not very good car. It's not American car, but Ambassador. (laughter) Thrice breaks. But you have to utilize it. Bad bargain. Similarly, some way or other, we have got this material body, we cannot neglect it. We don't say that "Neglect it. Don't care for the body." No. Why?

That is the instruction of the Gosvamis. Anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah. Don't be attached to the bodily demands. Bodily demands means eating, sleeping, sex life, and defending. These are bodily demands. So if we say that "I am not this body, so I don't care for this eating, sleeping..." No. That is not. It is not vairagya. This kind of renunciation is not recommended by our Krsna consciousness movement. Krsna consciousness movement, the Gosvamis recommend anasaktasya visayan. You do not be attached to the demands of the body, but you utilize it for advancing in Krsna consciousness. Eating is required. If you don't eat nicely, then body cannot be maintained. But anasaktasya visayan yatharham. Eating is required, but not eating too much. Not eating to the taste of the tongue, unnecessarily eating meat, fish, eggs. Why? You are human being. For you Krsna has given so much varieties of food stuff. Fruits, vegetables, nice rice, dal, milk, ghee. Why should you go to the meat-eating? This is required. You eat like human being, not like cats and dogs. But eating is not prohibited. That is not our philosophy. Don't eat like cats and dogs, but eat like human being.

Similarly, sleeping also. Sleep, you require some rest, but don't sleep twenty-six hours. Not like that. Utmost six hours to eight hours, sufficient for any healthy man. Even the doctor says, if anyone sleeps more than eight hours, he is diseased. He must be weak. Healthy man sleeps at a stretch six hours. That is sufficient. That's all. And those who are tapasvis, they should reduce sleeping also. Just like the Gosvamis did. Only one and a half hour or utmost two hours. That also sometimes not. Actually, we should reduce this. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. This is gosvami. Gosvamis does not mean go-dasa. Go means senses and dasa means servant. If we keep the title gosvami and become servant of the senses, it is cheating. You must be gosvami, means you must be master of the senses. Self-control. So what the Gosvamis did? Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau catyanta-dinau ca yau. Very humble and... Nidra means sleeping, ahara means eating, and vihara means sense enjoyment, vijitau, they conquered over.

So our process is to follow the Gosvamis. Ei chay gosai yanr tanr mui das. So we should try to follow the Gosvamis. We should keep in view what they did. They used to, I mean to say, pass their time in krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi dhiradhira-jana-priyau. Dhiradhira. There are two classes of men in the world, dhira and adhira. Dhira means saintly persons, sober, those who have controlled their senses, gosvamis. And adhira: just the opposite. So these Gosvamis, six Gosvamis, they were popular to the both classes of men, dhira and adhira. Their character was so sublime, nice, that even in this Vrndavana when Sanatana Gosvami was there, the village men, they would accept Sanatana Gosvami as the leader of the village. Actually, they were leader. But to pose himself as leader, but cannot control others, (Bengali) gaya mane mora apni moro(?). Not like that. He must able be to lead them. So although Sanatana Gosvami was interested krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau, he was not disinterested with others who were not devotees. They were also interested. Not interested, but sympathetic. They were not interested with the materialists, but the ordinary householders, they would fight, husband and wife, and come to Sanatana Gosvami for settlement. And whatever Sanatana Gosvami would give judgment, they will accept. They will accept. He was, they were very popular, (the) Gosvamis. And they were staying sometimes here, sometimes there, sometimes Radha-kunda, sometimes... They were not staying in one place.

So our, this Krsna consciousness movement, it's only aim is how to satisfy Krsna. Method, that is intelligence: What method we should accept so that our, this process of, or the propaganda of Krsna consciousness may go on very nicely. The process should be only to satisfy Krsna, hari-tosanam. That is the recommended Vedic process.

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam
[SB 1.2.13]

Samsiddhi means perfection. So perfection, if we want perfection of our activities, then we shall try to satisfy by our activities the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You may say that "I do not see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. How I shall be able to know that I am satisfying or dissatisfying Him?" That you can know through your spiritual master. It is not very difficult. If your spiritual master is satisfied, then you should know that Krsna is satisfied. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. There is no difficulty. Yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi. You cannot satisfy Krsna by dissatisfying your spiritual master. That is not possible. That is not possible. You must satisfy. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. You do not take the excuse that "I do not know God, I do not meet Him. How I shall know that I have satisfied Him or dissatisfied Him?" No, sastra says, "Yes..." It doesn't matter. Therefore it is called parampara. Parampara. As you receive the knowledge from Krsna, from Arjuna, and from Narada, from Brahma, like that, come down to your spiritual master, similarly, as you receive the knowledge step by step, one after another, similarly, you satisfy also the Supreme Personality of Godhead from this step, this step, this step, this step. This is the process. Just like you come down step by step by step by step, similarly you go up step by step by step by step.

So this is the process, bhagavat-tosanam or hari-tosanam. Also this way. And to receive the knowledge from Bhagavan, that is also parampara system. The parampara system must be maintained, and if it is done nicely, then as it is stated here, yad atra kriyate, whatever you do, that is for your perfection. If you keep this parampara system and if you try to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then whatever you do, that is perfection. It doesn't matter. The test is whether Krsna is satisfied, whether your spiritual master is satisfied. Then you are perfect.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974