Harikesa: Translation: "Persons with
uncontrolled mind and senses become more and more attached in family life on
account of never satiable lusty desires, which are very strong. The balance ten
years of life of such madmen is also wasted because they cannot engage
themselves in devotional service."
Prabhupada:
durapurena kamena
mohena ca baliyasa
sesam grhesu saktasya
pramattasyapayati hi
[SB 7.6.8]
So our lusty desires, sense gratification, cannot be satisfied even throughout the whole life. The account is being given of the whole life, hundred years. So out of hundred years, fifty years wasted by sleeping, twenty years wasted by playing like boy and young man, and twenty years as old man, diseased, invalidated, and balance ten years... Because ninety years he has been so much attached to materialistic way of life, naturally the balance ten years, sesam, he cannot utilize in any other way. He can simply engage himself in that lusty desire for material existence. Aduratmanena kamena. In this connection there is a very instructive story -- it is fact -- that the Emperor Akbar, he enquired from his minister... He had one very big minister; I forget just his name.
Devotee: Birbal.
Prabhupada: Birbal? Maybe. Yes. That "How long one remains in lusty desires?" This was Emperor Abar's question, and the minister replied, "Up to the last point of death." So Akbar did not believe it. Akbar said, "No, no. How it can be?" So the minister said, "All right, I shall reply, time." So one day, all of a sudden, he approached the emperor and said, "Sir, you immediately be ready to come with me with your young daughter." So Akbar, he knew that this minister is very intelligent; there must be some purpose. She went with him, and he took him to a person who was going to die. And the minister asked the emperor that "You kindly study the man who is going to die, on his face." So in the Akbar (indistinct), and his young daughter was entering, the dying man was seeing to the face of the young girl. So Akbar -- after all, he was emperor; he could study-he, that "Yes, Birbal, what he said, that up to the last point of death this desire is there to see the face of a young girl."
This is called durapurena. It is never fulfilled. This attraction of man and women in family life continues. The other day one devotee came to me, and he was almost crying, that "My wife is suffering, and she may not live. So kindly give me some blessings." Before the death of his wife -- because there was nothing serious -- the wife has said, "My dear husband, I may not live very long with you," and he is so disturbed that he is thinking that "My wife may die at any moment." So this is the position. This is not very extraordinary thing. This attraction of man and women, this is material bondage. Therefore it is said, durapurena kamena: [SB 7.6.8] this lusty desires is never fulfilled even up to the point of death. And what is this nature of this lusty desire? Moha, illusion. It is not fact. It has no substance, but it is there; that's a fact. The example is given just like in dream, somebody is cutting my head and I'm crying. Actually there is no man cutting my head -- my head is there -- still, I am suffering by such thoughts. This is called moha. Actually there is no fact, but on account of being entangled in three stages of pollution... The pollution is that intelligence. The intelligence is polluted in three ways: jagriti, svapna, and susupti. Jagriti means just like we are now awakened; we are not sleeping. This is one stage. And another stage, at night when you go to sleep, and you sleep with dream, that is another stage. And another stage is susupti, so deeply, just like when a man is intoxicated or chloroform during surgical operation, he does not understand that "Surgical instruments are being applied on my body." He remains silent. This is another stage. So these three stages are there for polluting our intelligence.
indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
budhdhes tu ya para sah
[Bg. 3.42]
The soul is beyond all these actions and reactions. But because this living entity's soul is covered by so many gross and subtle elements, he is unnecessarily suffering, although the suffering is temporary. All these sufferings are temporary. Nothing endures. But the suffering is there. Therefore it has been advised by Rsabhadeva, na sadhu manye yata atmanah ayam asan api klesada asa dehah. This whole world, people are suffering on account of these different circumstantial position, the three gunas and the mind being polluted by these three stages, jagriti, svapna, susupti, and so many things -- they are described, twenty-four elements. On account of this packing of the soul, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, asmin dehe, dehi... Dehi asmin yatha dehe: the real spirit soul is packed up within the body in so many coverings. So our so-called pleasure and pains in this material world, they're artificial. They are not factual, on account of being packed in so many material things. Therefore it is called moha, illusion. It is not fact.
So if one is serious about spiritual advancement, then he should not... First of all he must know "What is my position? How I am packed up with all these twenty-four elements?" Of course, due to our habit we are sometimes subjected to these pains and pleasure. Still, Krsna says, "You do not become disturbed by these so-called artificial pains and pleasures. Don't be disturbed." Sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah. Agamapayino 'nityas tams titiksasva bharata. Matra-sparsas tu kaunteya, sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah [Bg. 2.14]. Just like we are covering because it is cold, but actually as spirit soul, I am not affected. Asangayam purusa. In the Vedas it is said that the soul is unaffected with this material condition. I have several times given this example, that a person has got a good car, and it is somehow or another broken, and he becomes upset, because his car Although he knows that "I am not this car," but his thoughts being absorbed by the attraction of the car, when the car is broken somehow or other he becomes almost unconscious. So this is due to our attachment. So spiritual life means how to get out of this attachment. This is spiritual life. We are "No, what is the wrong if we are attached?" The wrong is that so long we remain attached to these temporary illusory things, you'll not be able to get out of it. That is the whole program. Therefore Krsna advises, matra-sparsas tu kaunteya. These pains and pleasure is due to this skin; it is not real. But because you are attached to the skin and bone, therefore you feel sometimes pain and pleasure. But that will not endure. Better tolerate it. Tolerate. That is spiritual, tapasya. That is called tapasya. When one can learn how to tolerate these temporary so-called pains and pleasure, then he is advanced.
So if one is simply attached to these pains and pleasures of material skin and bone, then how he can be free from the material condition of life? Therefore Prahlada Maharaja is describing. It has to be... Prahlada Maharaja's proposal is that spiritual life should begin from very childhood, kaumaram acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan. Otherwise that attachment will continue, and you'll never be able to give up this attachment, and the spiritual..., material condition of life, the accepting one body, bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19], accepting one body and accepting another body, this will continue. But the real business of human life is to end this materialistic way of life, that die and again take another..., janma, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9], to be implicated in these four things. Then our suffering will never end. This is spiritual life. Spiritual life means to end the sufferings of material existence. That is Prahlada... Dharman bhagavat..., durlabham manusam janma.
So in the human form of life the children should be trained up to spiritual life. That is the duty of the father and mother. Grhesu saptas. If one remains attached to family life, then grhesu saktasya pramattas. Pramattas means to remain attached to this family life means madness. Means madness. It is very difficult to understand this madness, especially in this age, Kali-yuga, because we have very little knowledge. Mandah sumanda-matayo, manda-bhagya upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. The position of the people of the present age, Kali-yuga, they're all bad; nobody is good. Mandah, all very slow. They do not know what is the aim of life, how to fulfill the goal of life, mandah. And manda-matayo: and if somebody is interested, they will manufacture some rascaldom. Manda-matayo. And everyone is manda-bhagya, unfortunate. Unfortunate means that they got this opportunity, human life, to end all the problems of life, but they'll not take care of it. Manda-bhagya. And besides that, upadrutah, embarrassed by so many difficulties, especially these men in Kali-yuga will be harassed by insufficient supply of foodstuff, and taxation by the government. Durbhiksa-kara-piditah [SB 12.2.9]. This is the statement in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Actually the food price is increasing daily. Nobody knows where it will end. This is called (indistinct). People will not get alms. Alms, to beg from door to door, and live on alms and begging, this will not be possible. Nobody will give alms. Suppose there is ten rupees' kilo rice, and if a sannyasi goes to a grhastha, "Give me some alms, rice," they'll consider in terms of price, "So much rice I have to give. This is two rupees' worth. Give him four annas, go away!" So durbhiksa, this is called durbhiksa. Even begging will be very difficult. Begging is the last stage of livelihood, but he'll not be able to beg even. This is the age of Kali-yuga. Durbhiksa-kara-piditah, gacchanti giri-kananam, acchinna-dara-dravina gacchanti... People will be so much embarrassed that Now they are not voluntarily giving up the family life, but he will be forced to give up. Acchinna-dara-dravina. Dara means wife and dravina means money. The whole world is going on on this basis, women and money, So dara-dravina, he'll be forced to give up. Acchinna-dara-dravina gacchanti.
So on the whole this age is very, very difficult to live peacefully. It is not possible. It is, material life is always full of difficulties, especially in this age, so people should be given instruction and training how to give up this materialistic way of life. The pramattah word is used in Rsabhadeva's instruction also: nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Pramattah: everyone is madman. That's a fact. Some years ago one man was condemned to death, and he pleaded that "While I committed this murder I was mad." So he was examined. He was to be examined by the civil servant, and the civil servant, when he came to the court, he said, "My lord, so far my experience goes, everyone is mad. So why do you ask me to examine this man? If to become madman and be excused for being hanged, then you can do so, but my opinion is everyone is mad, more or less." So this statement is also confirmed by the Bhagavatam and all the sastras. In the Caitanya-caritamrta also it is said,
pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya
maya-grasta jiveri sei dasa upajaya
Maya-grasta ye, those who are in this material world and absorbed in materialistic way of thought, they are just like a man haunted by the ghost, pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya.
So all this materialistic way of life based on money and lusty desire is madness, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. And on account of madness... Just like madman doesn't know what he's doing, similarly any materialistic person without Krsna consciousness is a madman. That is also said in Bhagavad-gita:
na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asurim bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]
One cannot understand Krsna consciousness because he is mad, he is rascal. Why? Duskrtina, on account of sinful activities. Therefore what is his position? Naradhamah, the lowest of mankind. Then, "He is educated?" Mayayapahrta-jnana: his so-called education has no value, because his real knowledge has been taken away. Real knowledge is -- that is given in Bhagavad-gita in the beginning -- real knowledge is that "I am not this body." But everyone is working on the bodily concept of life; therefore they are all mad. Pramattasya, grhesu saktasya. Because he is madman, therefore he is so much attached.
So we have to go to the opposite. Attachment... "Then I shall finish all my attachment?" No, you cannot give up your attachment, because that is the symptom of life. You cannot be free from attachment. But the attachment has to be turned to Krsna. Therefore Krsna advises in the Bhagavad-gita,
mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]
In the Sixth..., the Seventh Chapter, Krsna is giving lesson how to become unattached to this material world. Mayy asakta manah partha. If you increase your attachment for Krsna -- if you become perfectly Krsna consciousness -- then it is possible to be detached. Param drstva nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. Your attachment gets better engagement. Krsna consciousness means attachment for the best. We have got attachment. We have got attachment for our family, for our home, for our children, for our wife, for our society, for our nation, for our country, and so on, so on, so on, so on -- so many. Attachment is there. But with this attachment, grhesu saktasya, if you keep your attachment for these things, then you'll never be free from this material condition of life. Therefore you have to convert or divert your attachment to Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement. Krsna consciousness movement means we have got attachment, but we have got attachment for false things, temporary things. And if we divert our attachment, that is bhakti. Bhakti does not mean that you give up your living conscience. Attachment is the function of the living being. The living being is attached to his family, wife, children, because he is living being. So living being cannot give up attachment. But if we continue our attachment for this false and temporary materialistic way of life, then we'll never be free from this bondage of material condition. Therefore you have divert your attachment to Krsna. Mayy asakta manah. This is yoga: how to divert your attachment for Krsna. It is very easy. It is not difficult.
Therefore the training is, according to sastra and the instruction of the spiritual master, that (indistinct): rise early in the morning. Just like a man... Not one man, there are thousands and millions of men at the present moment, because he has got attachment for the family he rises at four o'clock and prepares himself to catch the train at six o'clock to reach Calcutta, Bombay at ten o'clock and attend the office. So from four o'clock to ten o'clock, he has taken so much changing. I have seen in New York also, they are coming in from the other island and waiting for the bus, waiting for the ferry steamer, and so many hours wasted to reach the office. And he works in the office for four or five hours, then again he takes this trouble of going so many miles away. Why he is taking so much trouble? Family attachment. Family attachment. So the people are... Not that he has no attachment. He has got attachment, but this attachment, the same four o' clock, rising early in the morning, for Krsna's mangala-arati. This is diversion, a better. But he'll not agree. When he has got to go to office for earning his livelihood, he will automatically rise up and go to the office, because the attachment is strong. But in the temple, the rule is that you must get up before four and prepare yourself, and we have to ring the bells three hundred times, and still you are sleeping. Just see.
So this has to be practiced. This has to be practiced if you want to divert your attention. The same process. But because we have no attachment for Krsna, we have to be forced. Never mind. Still we have to continue this, mayy asakta..., to increase attachment for Krsna, mayy asakta manah partha. We have to train our mind how to become attached to Krsna. This is bhakti process. The business is the same, but we have to be trained up for increasing our attachment for Krsna. Not that we have to bring a separate attachment. It has to be cleansed. That, how the attachment should be utilized, that is described in the Narada-pancaratra:
sarvopadhi vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa
sevanam bhaktir uttamam.
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]
Now we..., our attachment is covered by designation: "I am the head of the family. I have to do this. I have to earn this money. I have to do that, I have to do that." This is upadhi. This is... Because upadhi means just like you are designated with some title, B.A., M.A. or some (indistinct ) or some (indistinct) -- there are so many designation. But that is designation. But real... That is not reality. Similarly, our this designation, that "I am the head of this family," "I am the brahmana," "I am the sudra," "I am American," these are all designation. Actually it has no reality. On account of material contamination... So we have to cleanse this designation. Then our original attachment for Krsna will automatically come. This is Krsna consciousness. Consciousness is there, attachment is there, but it is being covered by so many designations. So when you give up this designation, that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that you get some extraordinary position. Mukti means to become free from these material designations. It is same attachment, diversion of attachment to Krsna.
So this Krsna consciousness movement means nothing..., everything is there; it has to be purified by diverting the same thing for Krsna. Just like we have got feelings for raising children, attachment. That is attachment. So what Mother Yasoda is doing? She is attached to Krsna, and that is Vrndavana. The same thing in otherwise... Vrndavana life means all attachment to Krsna. Mother Yasoda is attached to Krsna, Nanda Maharaja is attached to Krsna, the cowherd boys are attached to Krsna, the calfs and cows are attached to Krsna, Radharani is attached to Krsna, the trees are attached to Krsna, the flowers are attached to Krsna, the water is attached to Krsna... That is Vrndavana. Vrndavana means the central attachment is Krsna. That is Vrndavana. So if you can create that central attachment for Krsna, then it is Vrn... Then you can create Vrndavana anywhere -- any family, any society, any country. Just make the point of attachment Krsna, and it is Vrndavana. That is required. That is Krsna consciousness movement.
Thank you very much.
Devotees: Jaya.
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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