Living Like Animals
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.3
Stockholm, September 9, 1973
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Prabhupada: So,
ye va mayise krta-sauhrdartha
janesu dehambhara-vartikesu
grhesu jayatmaja-ratimatsu
na priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke
[SB 5.5.3]
So it has been recommended... (aside:) It is not working?
Hamsaduta: It's not working?
Prabhupada: What is the use of keeping big, big paraphernalia? Bahvarambhe laghu kriya. Arambha, arrangement is very big, but work is no, no work. What is the use of keeping useless machine? So that is going on. In the material world, everything is bahvarambhe laghu kriya. That has been spoken by Canakya Pandita. Aja yuddhe muni sraddhe. Aja yuddhe. Ajah means goats. You have seen goat fighting? As if, though, two big, big heroes are fighting. But as soon as somebody comes: "Hut!" they'll go away. Have you seen, experienced? Goats and lambs, they'll fight: (makes sound:) "Onh, onnh." Like this. But, but as soon somebody comes: "Hut!" So this is one of the example of bahvarambhe laghu kriya. Arambha, as if something very serious going to happen. But actually it is nonsignificant. Aja yuddhe muni sraddhe. Muni, in the jungle, in the forest, there are munis. So they are arranging for some festivals to offer oblations to the forefathers, sraddha. So what they have got? They have got some fruits and leaves. That's all. So the arrangement may be that "Tomorrow, we are going to have this festival." But the festival means some leaves and some water. That's all. No utensils, no gold, no jewels, nothing of the sort. So this is another bahvarambhe laghu kriya. Arrangement is very big, but fact is nothing. And dampatya kalahe caiva. And fight between or quarrel between husband and wife. In India, there is no question of divorce. So nobody takes very serious care when there is fight between husband and wife. So there also: "I'm going to immediately leave you, going to kill you..." and so many things. But after an hour, everything is finished. No more quarrel. Dampatya kalahe caiva prabhate megha-garjane. And in the morning, if you see big cloud assembly and thundering sound, but you rest assured. There will be no rain in the morning. So these things are bahvarambhe laghu kriya. Arambha, beginning is very gorgeous. But end is nothing. So that is not good, bahvarambhe laghu kriya.
So here, it is suggested that in this human form of life, you have got two choices. Either you again go to hell or you go back to home, back to Godhead. Two choices, that in, by evolutionary process, you come to the human form of life after going through eight million forms of lower-grade life. Then you come to this human form of life, when your consciousness is developed. You are not exactly like animals. The animal propensities are there, but it is decent. Because you have got good, advanced consciousness. The animals eat; we also eat. But our eating process is more decent than the animals. We have got nice kitchen. We can prepare varieties of foodstuff by mixing so many eatables. Because we have got intelligence, we can do. The animals cannot do. So similarly, sleeping. There are animals. There are animals. They also sleep. We also sleep, but our apartment is very nice, we have got nice bed -- in a improved way.
So this life is, human life is the sum total of developed consciousness. That is to be understood. But we are not utilizing it. How this developed consciousness should be utilized, that education is lacking. The modern civilization, specially in this age, they are simply busy... Advancement of civilization means advancement of the process of eating, advancement of the process of sleeping, advancement of process of sex life, advancement of defense. That's all. But that will not help us. Just like there are thieves. There were some thieves. They have got very organized system of stealing. Very educated man, scientist, they can enter into the bank safety room. With scientific method, they can open the chest, treasury, and take, at a time, millions of dollars away. And there is another kind of thief, they simply pickpocket or burglar when they get opportunity, take away some goods from your house. In Hindi, it is called hira and ksira. Somebody is stealing ksira. Ksira means cucumber. Just like we saw on the street. In so many houses, there are so many fruits, apples. If we like, we can take it. But if we take it beyond the fence of that private house, it is criminal. It is criminal. If you take one apple, it, it has no cost here practically. And somebody's stealing from your box hira. Hira means diamond. But if these two classes of thieves are arrested, according to law, they are punishable for six months imprisonment. The man cannot say, who has stolen one apple, "Oh, what is the price of this apple, sir? I have taken one apple. Why you are putting me into jail?" But law is there. Even it is apple, it has no value, because you have stolen, it is the property of a private person, so, as you have stolen, therefore you are punished. And similarly, another thief, who has stolen a diamond worth ten millions dollars, he's also punished. Because both of them are thieves. You cannot say that "I am thief, certainly, but I have taken which is practically has no worth." No.
Similarly, if you become a advanced, civilized man simply to make a gorgeous scheme, bahvarambhe, of this eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, you remain animal. These, these things they cannot understand. This rascal civilization, they think this is advancement of civilization. They cannot think that with this advancement of civilization of industry, big, big cities, electric light, big, big road, motorcars and... But what is the basic principle? The basic principle is eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Just like the basic principle being stealing, you are thieves. Either you are expert thief for stealing diamonds or you are not expert, but you can steal one apple or one peach, both of you are thieves. So you are punishable. You are punished. The gorgeous thief, scientifically stealing from the bank millions of dollars, he cannot say that "I am advanced thief. I am very civilized way, take. I take, at a time, millions of dollars. Therefore, my stealing is advancement of civilization." These rascals, they cannot understand this. Therefore we call all of them rascals. They may say that "We are so much advanced. You are crazy." Yes, but just see. The law is either you are advanced thief, or you are a crude thief, you are thief, and as soon as you are thief, you are punishable. This is the process.
That is the defect of modern civilization. They are going to hell, and they're thinking they're advanced. This is the defect. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. Punah punas carvita-carvana... Carvita-carvana means chewing the chewed. Actually, we see. The advanced thieves, rascals... I heard. Who told me? In Paris, there are clubs, very, very big men, politician, businessmen, they go to night club. They pay fifty dollars for entering club, and they spend hundreds of dollars for wine and women. What is that term? Topless, bottomless. Yes. Just see the rascaldom. He has got wife. The same sex pleasure. Again, they are going to the night club. This is called carvita-carvana, chewing the chewed. The rascal does not know, "What great pleasure I shall get there, in the nightclub?" The same thing. But they have no other ways of thinking. They have no information that there is another pleasure, which is transcendental pleasure, which is better than this material pleasure. They have no information. Therefore rascals. Old man, he's going also for the same thing. He cannot enjoy, but he'll spend, say five hundred dollars, thousand dollars, for nothing, and waste time. This is called carvita-carvananam. And why do they do? Adanta-gobhih. Go means senses. Cannot control the senses. This is the defect. Because these rascals cannot control the senses, remain the same cats and dogs. Just like the dogs, the cats, they cannot control their senses. On the street they have sex life. And human being also, in the Western country, I have seen. In the open street, open beach, they are having. How horrible it is. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30].
Therefore, this Krsna consciousness movement is needed -- to give these rascals the chance of associating with devotees. This is this business, mission. Otherwise, they are going to hell. In spite of their so-called civilization, motor tire civilization, they'll go to hell. But they cannot understand. They're thinking, "Oh, these people are crazy. Let us enjoy. After this life, everything is finished. So long this life is there, better enjoy. Let us enjoy." That is explained: yad indriya-pritaye. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Oh, alas, these rascals, they have become mad, pramattah. Pramattah means mad. Mattah means mad. And pra means prakrsta-rupena, still more, still more. A mad man, he's not so harmful. He is... Sometimes he becomes naked and goes to the street and talks nonsense. That much. But this man, although he's dressing like a gentleman, and talking of scientific and philosophy, but he is simply after this sex pleasure, pramattah. He has no other... So therefore this word has been used -- pramattah. Prakrsta-rupena mattah.
Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Vikarma means forbidden, criminal activities. There are three kinds of activities: karma, vikarma, akarma. Karma means prescribed duties. That is karma. Just like sva-karmana. In the Bhagavad-gita: sva-karmana tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. Everyone has got prescribed duties. Where is that scientific understanding? There must be... As I was talking the other day, scientific division of the human society. The most intelligent class, they should be trained up as brahmana. Less, little less intelligent, they should be trained up as administrator. Less intelligent, they should be trained up as traders, agriculturalists and cow protector. The economic development requires cow protections, but these rascals do not know. The economic development's cow killing. Just see, rascal civilization. Don't be sorry. It is sastra. Don't think that I am criticizing the Western civilization. It is sastra says. Very experienced.
So there are so many economic development advocates, but they do not know that cow protection is one of the items of economic development. These rascals, they do not know. They think cow killing is better. Just the opposite. Therefore kurute vikarma. Simply for little satisfaction of the tongue, the same benefit you can derive from the milk, but because they are rascals, madmen, they think that eating or drinking the blood of the cow is better than drinking milk. Milk is nothing but transformation of the blood, everyone knows. Everyone knows. Just like a human being, mother, as soon as the child is born, immediately... Before the child is born, you don't find in the breast of the mother any drop of milk. See. In a young girl, there is no milk in the breast. But as soon as the child is born, immediately there is milk. Immediately, spontaneously. This is God's arrangement. Because the child requires food. Just see how God's arrangement is there. Still, we are trying for economic development. If a child is born and God's economic program is so nice, nature's economic program, that immediately the mother is ready with the milk... This is economic development. So the same milk is supplied by the cow. She's actually mother, and this rascal civilization is killing mother. Mother-killing civilization. Just see. You suck the breast of your mother from the beginning of your life, and when she's old if you think, "Mother is useless burden. Cut its throat," is that civilization?
So these rascals are doing that. Taking milk as much as possible from the cows, and then as soon as... Milk is not stopped, it will again come if the cow is protected, given right nutritious food and protection, cow will supply you milk so long she lives. As long as she lives. But as soon as they see that the cow... "Now they were giving thirty kilos. Now it has decreased, twenty kilos or ten kilos. Oh, economic development. Cut its throat." Economic development. Just see how rascal civilization it is. Therefore, it is called nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Vikarma. Vikarma means criminalities. You cannot kill anyone. Just like in the state laws, if you kill somebody, then you'll be hanged. This is the law: life for life. That is sanctioned in the sastras, Manu-samhita. When a person is a murderer, he should be killed. Why he should be killed? Because he'll be saved from so many dangerous conditions in his next life. That they do not know. They do not believe in the next life.
So without knowing, without sufficient knowledge, they are declaring themselves as civilized. That is mentioned here, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. And why they are doing that? Yad indriya-pritaye, simply for the satisfaction of the tongue. That is also false. If you have got enough milk production, you can take, break the milk, and you get cheese. And from cheese, if you... We are daily doing that. You can make nice preparation, chana. That is very nutritious, full of protein. And you can make rasagulla, sandesa, so many other preparations from the casein of the cheese. But they do not know. Crude civilization, and lump of flesh and boil it and give little salt and black pepper and eat like animal. This is civilization. This is civilization. Just try to understand. You have to convince your countrymen that what is this civilization, nonsense civilization? Stop this kind of civilization. Learn how to become civilized. Don't claim yourself as civilized man and eating like tigers and dogs and cats. Is that civilization? But they are doing. That is stated here. It is not new. Always, there is a certain class of men, demons, who are not civilized, but declaring themselves as civilized. Otherwise, how it has come into Bhagavata? There were also in that time. Now the number has increased on account of this age. But these two classes of men are always there.
Therefore, those who are actually civilized, they are called Aryans, arya, Aryans, advanced. Advanced in knowledge how to live, what is the purpose of life, what is goal of life, how to live, how to become peaceful, how to become, everything. That is civilization. And nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4], and blindly go on committing criminal activities under a nice dress, and nice motorcar, that is not civilization. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram. They are going to hell under the good dress and good road. They are going to hell. Because they could not control the senses. So don't become victims of this civilization. Try to understand. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. And what is the purpose? Yad indriya-pritaye. The same thing. Indriya-pritaye means satisfying the senses. So that already explained, that sense gratification process is already there in the animals. The hogs and dogs, they are also busy in sense gratification. Then why, why you are calling yourself civilized than these cats and dogs? They are also eating meat, just like tiger. And because you can cook it very nicely with spices, you become civilized? But they have taken, "No, we can cook very nicely." Because in the flesh, there is no taste. So it has to be added with garlic, it has to be added with onion, and somehow or other... Then it becomes little palatable. Otherwise, what is the taste of this dead flesh? Suppose if you... But those who are after this blood, they find taste. So that is tigers' and dogs' and cats' civilization; that is not human civilization; that is not human civilization.
So simply for sense gratification, you are prepared to commit so many criminal activities, and you are passing on as civilization. Therefore it is said, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti [SB 5.5.4]. Aprnoti. Na sadhu manye, Rsabhadeva says: "O My dear boys, it is not very good." Na sadhu manye. Sadhu means honest work, nice sadhu means saintly person or good. It is not good. Why it is not good? I am enjoying, enjoying. Enjoying means palate, very nice. Na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam asann api klesada asa dehah [SB 5.5.4]. You do not know that you have got this material body. And what is this material body? Material body means full of miserable condition. That's all. Who has got a material body, they do not understand what is spiritual body. So suppose material or spiritual, anyone who has got this body, can anyone here say, "I have no trouble, I am free from all trouble"? Is there anyone? Is it possible to say? What do you think? Can anyone say that "Yes, I've got this body, but I have no miserable condition, I'm always very happy"? Is there anyone? That rascal civilization, they cannot understand. They are trying to stop miserable condition, but he does not know that miserable condition is his body. Just see how much foolish (it) is. He does not know that this very body is the cause of your miserable condition. They do not know. They are trying to improve the condition. How you'll improve the condition? Just like in our Bengal there is a word, jadi jau bange kapala jabe sange (?). Just like people are going from this country to that to improve economic condition. But it is a common saying that "Wherever you rascal go, your fate will go with you." Either you go to England or India or here and there... Because people are struggling for economic development. But he does not know that I cannot make an inch of development beyond the destiny which is already fixed up. Already fixed up.
Don't you see that two men, they are working day and night, very hard. One man has become all of a sudden millionaire, and another man, he has no employment. Why? Why this distinction? Both of them have worked hard to improve economic development, but one has become very quickly millionaire, another is still struggling. He does not know how to eat tomorrow. Why this arrangement? Who has made this arrangement? So this is actually study -- that you cannot change your fate. Already fixed up. The material condition of life, as soon as you get a certain type of body, your pains and pleasure already fixed up within the body routine work. You cannot make any change. Just like the -- I have given many times -- the pig, he's destined to eat stool. Therefore he has been awarded that type of body. So however you canvass this pig, "Why you are eating the stool? Take this halava," he'll not take. It will not take. Because his destiny means he has got that particular type of body. So these are finer studies.
So according to the body, everyone's happiness and distress is already fixed up. You cannot change it. That is called fate. That is called fate. But you can change your fate if you take to Krsna consciousness. That is possible. So far your body is concerned... Take for example, just all of you, you were accustomed to the Western way of life, eating meat or drinking or illicit sex or so many things. But because you have taken to Krsna consciousness, you have stopped. Nobody can stop. No government can do it. Is there any possibility? Not possible. Not possible. Therefore, if you want to change your lot, your destiny, then you must take to Krsna consciousness. There is no other way. This so-called rascaldom, philanthropism this "ism," that "ism," that will not be able to change your lot. Just like these Communist countries. In 1917, I think, the revolution was there, Communist. And what is it today? Nineteen seventeen, and it is 1973, '74. How many years? How many years?
Hamsaduta: Fifty-six.
Prabhupada: Fifty-six years they are advocating this philosophy, Comm... What they have done? Now they are going to hold conferences, how peace. Why not peace by your philosophy, this Communist philosophy? What you could not attain working fifty-seven years, now they will attain by holding another conference. Just see. Just see the rascaldom. They could not improve anything. The same fearful of other countries. I went to Moscow. There, all people are unhappy. Their economic condition is not very developed. Simply advertisement. I was talking with that Professor Kotovsky, I asked him, "Please call for a taxi." So he was sorry, he said, "Swamiji, it is Moscow. it is very difficult to get a taxi." Just see what is the condition of the country. Then he came down personally up to the door, and he showed me one short cut, "Swamiji, if you go like this, in this way, then you'll get to your hotel." Because he was disappointed to give me immediately a taxi. Now we can understand. Either there is no demand for taxi... People cannot pay for it. That is the fact. Or the government arrange such that everyone is poor man. There is no possibility of thriving in taxi business or getting taxi. This is practical, I have seen. And actually in no other city in Europe and America I have seen so many people walking on the street. We can study. Just like there is rice cooking. You take one grain of rice and press it. If it is soft, then you know that now the rice is prepared. So it is intelligence required.
So from this taxi affair, I could understand that these people are not happy. And another incident I saw that... Syamasundara was there. Even... He could not collect even nice rice, nice dal, only milk was available. Milk and yogurt, that is very sufficiently available. No vegetable, no fruit, no grain, at least, men like us cannot live there happily. (indistinct) But they'll not get any food. Unless he's meat-eater, he'll have to starve. The whole world is coming to like that. And it is said in the sastra, gradually this condition of human civilization will deteriorate to such extent that no more rice will be available, no more wheat will be available, no more sugar will be available. Everything will be... No more milk will be available. Finished. Simply you have to eat the seeds of the... There is not fruit, only seed. Just like in the mango, there is one seed and pulp. The pulp will not be available, only seed will be available. These are already foretold. No fruits will be available, no grains will be available, no milk will be available.
Therefore, if you are intelligent, within this short duration of life, you make your Krsna consciousness perfectly done and go back to Krsna. Don't live here, don't come here again. Take that philosophy. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. If one becomes Krsna conscious, then after leaving this body, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti, punar janma naiti, no more birth in this material world. Then were does he go? So? Finished? No: mam eti, "He comes to Me." So Krsna consciousness movement is so important. Just try to understand. Don't waste your time. Finish your business of Krsna consciousness perfectly. Whatever little duration of life you have got... That is stated here: nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti na sadhu manye [SB 5.5.4]. In this way, to waste time, is not at all good. Na sadhu manye. Why it is not good? Yata atmano 'yam asann api klesada asa dehah: Because we have got this miserable condition of life, this body... This is due to our past action. Now if you create again the same action, then you'll have to accept another body. Then your, this miserable condition of life will continue. Will continue. Just finish it.
Therefore life, the..., whatever time we have got, whatever opportunity you have got, we have to prepare ourself. No more taking material body. That is only possible if you are transferred to the spiritual world. Then it is possible. And how it can be done? Krsna says, janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah: [Bg. 4.9] if you simply try to understand what is Krsna. Simply by this understanding. Otherwise, you'll have to accept this material body if you have got any desire to enjoy in this material world. Therefore, bhakti means anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. If you take the path of jnana-kanda karma-kanda, or without knowledge of... People do not know what is jnana-kanda, karma-kanda. They are just like animals. So they are desiring like animals. Therefore anyabhilasita-sunyam. Except becoming Krsna conscious, except this desire, no more other desires. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanusilanam: [Cc. Madhya 19.167] Simply cultivating the knowledge of Krsna consciousness favorably, favorably, Krsna consciousness, not like Kamsa. Therefore, this word has been used, anukulyena, "favorably." Kamsa, he was afraid of Krsna. He was always Krsna conscious. Because he was thinking, "Krsna may come, may come and kill me. Where He is now? How He's coming?" His consciousness was always absorbed in Krsna, but it was not anukulyena; it was pratikulyena. Pratikulyena means adverse. He was thinking of Krsna as enemy. So that was pratikulyena. But still, he got salvation. He became merged into the effulgence. So the enemies of Krsna get that position, merge into the Brahman effulgence. Is that a very good place for the devotees? No. Why the devotees should accept impersonal Brahman effulgence. They must go to Krsna directly and play with Him and dance with Him.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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