An Ass's Affection
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.26
Chicago, July 11, 1975
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Take a testChicago, July 11, 1975
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Prabhupada: Om namo bhagavate
vasudevaya (repeats twice with devotees responding).
bhunjanah prapiban khadan
balakam sneha-yantritah
bhojayan payayan mudho
na vedagatam antakam
[SB 6.1.26]
Bhunjana, by raising him very affectionately, by giving him all necessities of life, bhunjanah prapiban, all kinds of drinks, milk, fruit juice, khadan, solid food... There are four kinds of foodstuff: something we chew, something we swallow, something we lick up, and something we drink. So everything was being supplied, balakam, to that small boy. Every mother, every father does so. It is very natural. Sneha-yantritah. Why do they do so? That is God's arrangement. If the father and mother hasn't got such affection, then the helpless child... In the beginning there is no other means of living. Even cats and dogs, even tigers, they also take care. So this is not very extraordinary thing, that human being has got affection. That affection is there even in tiger. So you are not very in that way advanced. That is natural. That kind of affection for the small child, you will find in cats and dogs and tigers, even snake. These things are not extraordinary thing. They are very much proud, "How I have to take care of my children." So that is taken care by other animals also. Bhunjanah prapiban khadan balakam sneha-yantritah, bhojayan payayan mudhah. In spite of so much affection and taking care of the children, he is addressed here, mudha. Just see. (laughs) They are very much proud of being affectionate, but sastra says, "You are rascal, that's all." Mudha. Bhojayan payayan mudho na veda agatam antakam. He could not understand that "I am very busy in raising my child, but here, back side, there is death. Death is waiting to scramble me."
So not only in these activities, in every activity we are very busy with material activities. And we do not know that on my back side death is standing. He will take everything, what I have got. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mrtyuh sarva-haras ca aham. The death is also Krsna. He said, aham, mrtyuh sarva-haras ca aham: "I am death. You cannot see God. You are very much proud of your eyes. Now you see I have come. I will take away everything, what have you got. Now you protect yourself and your property, your skyscraper building, everything. Now you protect." So therefore mudha. He does not know how to protect things, but he is creating things. That is called mudha. Just like I am collecting lakhs and millions of money, but next moment there is standing somebody, he will take away. So that I do not know, that one man is waiting. I am collecting. There was a caricature picture when India was struggling for independence. So the Gandhi's picture, Gandhi was fishing with the tackle, and Jinnah was standing behind with a knife and plate, that "Let this rascal struggle for independence, and as soon as (sic:) he's get, I will take share and go away, Pakistan." Actually he did so. He never went to jail, but he took the share and made Pakistan. So Gandhi, therefore, was not in favor of partition. But he had to do, accept it. Because the Britishers were very intelligent, that "Let us divide it so that India may not become a strong power." So that still, it is going on, the animosity between Pakistan and Hindustan. It is British plan. That is politics.
So similar plan is always there, that we are struggling for existence and accumulating so many things. Just like you have got this nice city, Chicago. Not only Chicago; there are many others in America. But the people are not thinking that "How long I shall remain American and enjoy this? Maybe fifty years, twenty-five years or utmost hundred years. But everything will be taken -- my American citizenship, my body, my wealth -- everything will be taken by death. So what insurance I am doing for that purpose, that it will not be taken, I shall enjoy it?" Therefore mudha. There is reason why they are called mudhas, rascals. They do not know their actual interest. Everyone, not only you, everyone, the whole material world, they do not know what is is actual interest. Everyone should be self-interested. That is very good. But the fools, rascals, do not know what is his actual self-interest. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. Svartha-gatim means the self-interest. Svartha. Sva means own, and artha means interest. He does not know. Therefore he is mudha. He does not know his self-interest. It is very good that you become self-interested, but if you do not know what is your self-interest, then you are a mudha.
So actually, that is the position of all living entities within this material world. Encaged by maya, illusion, they have forgotten what is the self-interest. The self-interest is: go back to home, back to Godhead. That is real-self interest. So every intelligent man should first of all see to his self-interest, how to become free from this repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to God. That is self-interest. And if we do not know, we do not execute in that way -- that means Krsna consciousness -- then however we may be philanthropist, affectionate, very good economist, very good philosopher, everything is nonsense, mudha. That is the statement, that we should not remain mudha; we should become intelligent and see to our self-interest, and that is the success of life.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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