How Shall I Be Maintained

How Shall I Be Maintained

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.2.5
New York, March 5, 1975

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Nitai: "Are there no torn clothes lying on the common road? Do the trees which exist for maintaining others no longer give alms in charity? Do the rivers, being dried up, no longer supply water to the thirsty? Are the caves of the mountains now closed? Or, above all, does the almighty Lord not protect the fully surrendered souls? Why then do the learned sages go to flatter those who are intoxicated by hard-earned wealth?"

Prabhupada:

cirani kim pathi na santi disanti bhiksam
naivanghripah para-bhrtah sarito 'py asusyan
ruddha guhah kim ajito 'vati nopasannan
kasmad bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadandhan

So Sukadeva Gosvami was in renounced order of life from the very beginning of his life. As soon as he came out of the womb of his mother he immediately left home. He was within the womb of his mother for sixteen years. So he was in favor of renounced order of life, Sukadeva Gosvami. There was no question of him following the other asramas. Generally, for ordinary man, there are four asramas..., eight asramas. For social upkeep there are four asramas, namely brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. This is for spiritual. And called social, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. This is social division. And there is spiritual division also, because we are combination of matter and spirit. I am the soul. I am living within this material body. This is actual position. I am not this body. This is the beginning of spiritual education, that "I am not this body." One who understands fully well that he's not this body, then the spiritual education begins. And so long we are in the bodily concept of life, there's no question of spirituality. Spiritual education for whom? For the human being. Also very advanced human being, not ordinary human being. At least the civilized human being.

Therefore in the human society, in the civilized human society, there is acceptance of religious principle. Maybe it is Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion or Buddha religion, but there is some religion. A civilized society is not without religion. Without religion means animal society. The animals, they have no religion. Cats and dogs they have no church, no temple, that they have to go. It is for the human beings. Therefore sastra says that dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. If in the human society there is no culture of religion, then it is animal society. It is not human society.

So this human society should be divided into eight divisions. That is first-class human society. Just like any organization, any establishment, there are divisions of labor. The directing board, board of directors there are, then the secretarial board, then ordinary clubs, then menial, then workers. There must be division; otherwise it's chaotic. Nowhere you'll find without division it is going on very smoothly. There must be division. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. It is ordered by God that there should be four divisions for the materialistic condition of life and four divisions for spiritual upliftment. So there must be the brahmana, catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13]. Varna means four divisions of society. Varna means class. It has been taken now as caste; but actually class. Class is not caste. Caste, of course... Throughout the whole world there is no such thing as caste. But anyway, in India there is caste. But Krsna says that catur-varnyam maya srstam: [Bg. 4.13] "Four divisions of classes I have created -- brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra." Who is a brahmana? That is also described in the Bhagavad-gita: satya, sama, dama, titiksa, arjava, astikyam, jnana, vijnana, so many qualifications required to become a brahmana. Not that because I was born in a brahmana family... This is discussed in Srimad-Bhagavatam, that to take birth in a brahmana family is not all. You must be qualified, samo damas titiksa. That is required. The Indian culture has failed at the present moment because instead of considering the qualifications, they accept only the birth: The birth in a brahmana family makes a man a brahmana. No. That is not the shastric injunction. Qualities. There must be qualities.

So without such division... Therefore there is no such thing as Hindu dharma. No. There is no such word in the whole Vedic literature. You won't find in the Bhagavad-gita or Bhagavata as Hindu dharma. There is one word as bhagavata-dharma, but there is no such word as Hindu dharma. This Hindu dharma or Hindu... This is creation by our neighbor, Indian neighbor, the Middle-east Muhammadans. They gave the name, Indian people, as "Hindu." "Hindu" means... There is one river, Sindhu. The Muhammadans, they pronounce sa as ha. So those who were on the other side of the Sindhu River, Hindu River, they were called Hindus. But actually Vedic religion is neither for Hindus nor for Christian nor for... It is meant for the human being. Vedic literature. So in the Vedic literature... This Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are Vedic literature. So there is injunction for observing the rules and regulations of varna and asrama, four classes and four asrama. Asrama means where spiritual cultivation is practiced. That is called asrama. So brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Catur-varna and catur-asrama, material and spiritual. So sannyasi is supposed to be on the topmost of the human society. Catur-varna, four classes then, among the varnas, there are four classes: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. Sannyasa is the topmost order of human society.

So here Sukadeva Gosvami, he's a sannyasi. He's renounced order from the very beginning of his life. He never entered into any asrama or varna. He's paramahamsa. Paramahamsa means the topmost amongst the sannyasis. Sannyasi's the topmost. Above... Within the sannyasi the paramahamsa is the topmost. Sannyasis are also, they are called kuticaka, bahudaka, parivrajakacarya, and paramahamsa. Kuticaka means after accepting sannyasa order... One has to accept the sannyasa order. After grhastha there is vanaprastha and then sannyasa; brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. In the beginning we, especially the brahmanas and the ksatriyas, two classes, higher classes, they have to take sannyasa. If not, at least the brahmanas must take sannyasa. The brahmanas have got four asramas: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. The ksatriya have got three asramas: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, no sannyasa. And the vaisya two asramas: brahmacari, grhastha. Neither vanaprastha or sannyasa. And the sudras, they are simply one, grhastha, that's all. This is the Vedic order.

So because it is very difficult to maintain sannyasa in this age, therefore the sannyasa order is completely prohibited. Real sannyasi means... Here is the description of life. What is that? Cirani kim na pathi santi. They have to pick up some torn cloth lying on the street and cover it. That's all. Then this disanti bhiksam naivanghripah, anghripah, anghri means legs, and pa means drinking. The trees drink water through the root. That is their leg. Therefore they're..., another name is anghripa. And anghri means leg. So different species of life there is different process of eating. We are eating through mouth; the trees are eating through the legs. This is God's creation. Not that the mouth is only eating. No. There are other senses, active senses, hands and legs, tongue. These are active senses. Genital, rectum, these are active senses. So anghripa means tree. The sannyasi should depend completely on God. That is sannyasa. Not that I shall go to a rich man and beg something and take money and utilize it. No. That is not required. Completely independent. Because that kind of sannyasa is not possible at the present age, therefore, generally, sannyasa should not be accepted. They cannot follow the prohibit.

But so far our Krsna consciousness movement is there, we are not like that mayavadi-sannyasa. Our sannyasis completely devote life for serving Krsna. Sannyasa. Sannyasa means sat, nyasa. Nyasa means to give up. And sat, om tat sat, the Absolute Truth. So for the service of the Absolute, Krsna, we give up all family life. Family life means to give up the whole world, because people are struggling hard just to maintain the family. That is also stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam:

nidraya hriyate naktam
vyavayena ca va vayah
diva carthehaya rajan
kutumba-bharanena va
 [SB 2.1.3]

This is the materialistic life. What is that? At night, nidraya, if one can get the opportunity of sleeping twenty-four hours, he thinks he's very much gainer, especially on Sunday. (laughter) So this is materialistic (indistinct), it is gain. In Calcutta we have seen there are office peons, they take letters and peon book and... Those who have gone to Calcutta there is a Dalhousie Square, that is downtown square. They'll take the peon book and letter and come to the Dalhousie Square and lie down and sleep up to four o'clock. Then they'll return to the office, and if the master asks them, "Why you are so late?" "No, the man was not there. I could not find. What can I do? I had to wait." (laughs) But he has spent his time by sleeping. So he thinks that "I'm getting so much salary, so if I do not work, if I sleep, that is my gain, that is extra profit." So that is material life.

 

So material life means nidraya hriyate naktam. At night they want to sleep as much as possible or, those who have got facility, then they utilize sex life. Nidraya hriyate naktam vyavayena ca [SB 2.1.3], vyavayena means sex. Vayah, in this way wasting time. The whole twelve hours or ten hours, wasted. And during daytime, diva carthehaya rajan, diva ca artha ihaya: "Where is money? Where is money?" Just like in your country, from early in the morning, 5:30, the road is congested. People are going to work. Why? For seeking money, money, money, money. Diva carthehaya rajan. Then when he gets money, "Let's spend it for sense gratification, for family maintenance." So in this way materialistic person waste their time day and night. Where is time? Ask any materialistic person, ‘Why don't you come to our temple, sir? Why don't you hear Bhagavad-gita?" "We have not time."Because they're wasting time in that way. You see? So this is the materialistic life.

And spiritualistic life means that one should be trained up as brahmacari. Then regulated life in grhastha, regulated life. Grhastha is not bad. Family life is not bad. Therefore it is called grhastha-asrama. Asrama means..., this very word is meant where the spiritual cultivation is practiced. That is called asrama. So it may be household life, it may be renounced order of life, it may be brahmacari, student's life, or retired life. The spiritual culture must be there. That is human civilization. If there's no spiritual culture, that is not human society. That is animal society. The cats and dog, they have no spiritual culture.

So in the spiritual culture the renounced order should be only dedicated for the service of the Supreme Lord, not for taking easy money from others and utilizing it for sense gratification. That is not renounced. This is the purpose of this verse. If somebody says that "If I do not get some money, then how I shall live?" to answer this question, Sukadeva Gosvami says that "Why you are anxious for your maintenance? What you want for your maintenance?" "I want an apartment. I want clothing. I want food. I want water." So many things, this is necessary. Therefore he says "All right, if you want cloth, don't you find cloth, torn cloth, thrown in the street," Cirani kim na pathi santi. "Don't you find?" "All right, I can collect it, pick up some cloth. That's all right. Then where is my food?" Sukadeva Gosvami says, naivanghripah para-bhrtah, bhiksam na disanti. The trees... Formerly trees mean fruit trees. They used to go to jungle means there are enough fruits. Still there are so many jungles. In Hawaii there are so many jungles, enough food. Mango, and many others -- banana, pineapple, guava, so many fruits. So going to the jungle means to be free from food problem, enough food. And then water... Water is river. Therefore it is said, sarito 'py asusyan. Do you think all the rivers are dried up? Enough water. Then you may say that I must require some pot to take the water. No. You take water like this. Then where shall I live? Ruddha guhah kim. Do you think all the caves of the mountains they are now closed? There are many caves. If you want at all shelter, there are already there are natural rooms, apartment. (everyone laughs) You can live there. Ruddha guhah kim. "And above all," Sukadeva Gosvami says, kim ajito 'vati nopasannan, na avati upasannan, upasannan means those who have surrendered. Ajita.

God's another name is ajita. A means "not," and jita means "conquered." Nobody can conquer God. That is God. God is never conquered by anyone. He conquers everyone. God is conquered by His devotee, not by the demons. The demons are conquered by God. But devotee can conquer. Ajito 'pi, jito 'pi. Although God is ajita, He becomes jita, means conquered, by His devotee. That is also stated: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam. This process we have introduced, opening center, that is the system in spiritual, to hear. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. Sruti. Sruti means this ear, aural reception. Everyone may remain in his own position. It doesn't require to change. Just like one gentleman was asking whether, for spiritual advancement, one has to live in the temple. I said, "No. There is no such hard and fast rule that one should live in the temple." You can live anywhere, but the spiritual practices should be going on. Krsna never says that you live in the temple or you go to the jungle or Himalaya. Never say. You'll never find in the Bhagavad-gita that Krsna says to Arjuna that "You give up this fighting and go to the jungle or to the Himalaya and become perfect person." No. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. You follow this... "Always think of Me," man-manah, mad-bhaktah, "you become My devotee." Man-mana bhava mad..., mad-yaji, "Worship Me and offer your obeisances unto Me." These four things. You can do anywhere. It doesn't matter. But you do all these things. Narottama dasa Thakura says, grhe va vanete thako ha gauranga bole dako. Either you remain as a grhastha with family, wife, children -- it doesn't matter -- or either you live in the forest like sannyasi, renounced. In which ever position you prefer, you can remain. But do these things. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65].

So here Sukadeva Gosvami advises, this is very important work, kim ajito na avati upasannan. Ajita the Supreme Lord, Krsna, He's maintaining everyone: yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22]. And He'll not maintain a person who has fully surrendered to Him? No. How it can be. Suppose a gentleman is maintaining so many other children. And he does not maintain his own children? Surely he does. Therefore our principle should be we should not think about our personal maintenance. We should dedicate our life for Krsna, and Krsna will take care. That should be the principle. Don't be harassed, thinking always "How I shall be maintained?" That is not the problem. Maintenance is no problem. Real problem is "How we shall be fully surrendered to Krsna?" That is wanted. Upasannan. [break] (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.2.5 -- New York, March 5, 1975

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