Our Human Opportunity

Our Human Opportunity

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.3
Vrndavana, December 4, 1975

download  flash player

 

Take a test

---

Harikesa: Translation: "Prahlada Maharaja continued to speak: My dear friends born of demon families, the happiness which is perceived with reference to the senses can be obtained in any form of life according to one's past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained, as sometimes we obtain distresses without any endeavor."

Prabhupada:

sukham aindriyakam daitya
deha-yogena dehinam
sarvatra labhyate daivad
yatha duhkham ayatnatah
 [SB 7.6.3]

Now Prahlada Maharaja in the previous verses explained that durlabham manusam janma: "This human form of life is durlabham, very rarely gotten." It is not so easy. There are many rascals, they say that once you come to the human form of life there is no more degradation. That is rascaldom. When Krsna says that dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha dehantaram-praptir [Bg. 2.13], He says that "As you have changed bodies, similarly, at the end also you'll have to change the body." He never says that "You'll get again human body." Never says. Tatha dehantara-praptir: "Another form of life." That another form may be... There are 8,400,000 forms. So "another form" means any one of them. There is no guarantee. You cannot say that "Now I have got human form of... Again, in the next life, I also get human..." No. You can be... The evidence is Bharata Maharaja. He was king, emperor, very exalted position in the human form of life, but next life he got the life of a deer. This is the evidence. So how you can say that next life will be human life? No. That's not possible. According to your karma, karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1], if you are acting like human being, then there is chance of getting human life. And if you are acting like a dog, then you must get the body of a dog. Karmana daiva-netrena. It depends on your karma. If you simply dress like a human being and act like a dog, then you'll get a dog's body. Krsna will give you the facility. Mayaya, (sic) yantra-rudhena mayaya. Maya.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that this body is just like a machine, motorcar. Suppose you have got now a very nice motorcar, Rolls Royce car. So somehow or other, your car is lost. The next car, is it any guarantee that you will get Rolls Royce car? No. You'll get a car as you pay for. That's all. If you can pay for a Rolls Royce car, then you can get. Or any dress. Suppose you have got now very costly dress. Now your dress is torn, you have to change the dress, but is there any guarantee that you'll get the same type of dress? No. You'll get a dress as you pay for it. It's a common sense. Similarly, if you act like a demigod, you will get the body of a demigod. If we act like ordinary human being, then you get the body of a human being. If you act like a dog, then you get the body of a dog. And if you act like a devotee, you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.

Why we are instructing everyone to become Krsna conscious? The result will be, if you become fully Krsna conscious, then next life you get a body in which you can live with Krsna face to face, talk with Him, play with Him. That is the benefit. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. Krsna gives assurance that if you simply try to understand Krsna, and if you really understand Krsna... Janma karma ca divyam me yo janati tattvatah. If you simply try to understand Krsna in truth, not vague... "Yes, I understand Krsna, but Krsna has no form" -- this is not understanding of Krsna. This is rascaldom. Krsna says such persons, such rascals who says that "Krsna has no body. He has no form. It is maya..." They are called Mayavadi. "Everything maya. Krsna is also maya." That is Mayavada. So these Mayavadis are condemned by Krsna: na mam... What is that? Manusim tanum... Avajananti mam mudha [Bg. 9.11]. These rascals, Mayavadis, avajananti, he thinks Krsna as ordinary human being, or even if He is God, He has taken a body made by maya. This is Mayavadi philosophy. "The spirit soul cannot appear without being dressed by maya." But that is not the fact, that... A man is diseased, suffering from fever. It does not mean that without fever nobody can exist. That is nonsense. Fever is a symptom for the time being, and feverlessness is the real life. Similarly, somehow or other, iccha-dvesa-samutthena [Bg. 7.27], by some desire, we have got this material body, but it does not mean that without this material body I cannot live. That is nonsense. Actual life is spiritual life. Actual life is spiritual life.

So therefore Prahlada Maharaja says that kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha durlabham manusam janma [SB 7.6.1]. This is human life. You have got the human life only for cultivating Krsna consciousness. If you are doing anything else except Krsna consciousness, that means you are risking your life to become a cat and dog or anything else. This is the fact. So Krsna is still prepared to give you facilities. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Yanti deva vrata-devan [Bg. 9.25]. If you are acting like a devata... Devata means devotee. Not pure devotee. With some material desires. They are called devatas. Not... Everyone is not pure devotee. Mostly, artho artharthi jnani ca bharatarsabha [Bg. 7.16]. Catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtino 'rjuna. Sukrti... Anyone who comes to Krsna consciousness, he is to be understood that he's a pious. But piety, to become a pious man, does not mean that he's a devotee. By piety, by acting piously, you can get good birth. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri [SB 1.8.26]. You can get good birth in a very aristocratic family or a brahmana family. Generally aristocratic, rich family, by piety. Janma-aisvarya. Nowadays they want money, and nobody wants any spiritual advancement. So they get money by pious activities. They get good birth. To born, to take birth in very rich family... Janmaisvarya-sruta. He can become very learned man, B.A., M.A. Ph.D., Dh.C, so many things, title, learned man. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri, and beautiful, beautiful body. These are the results of pious activities. But that does not mean you are a devotee. Devotee is different thing. Devotee means who does not aspire of anything like this, that "Let me take birth in rich family. Let me possess very good amount of wealth. Let me become beautiful. Let me become very learned." These are material aspirations, but a devotee has no material aspiration. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11] -- zero, nothing of the sort.

And what is his aspiration? That is explained by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki. Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. This is pure devotion. "I don't want money." Na dhanam. "I don't want any number of men at my order acting." Just like big big factory owner. They are employing four thousand, five thousand men, as master of so many servants... A devotee doesn't want this. He doesn't want any amount of money or any amount of followers. Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam. Very beautiful, attractive wife, sundarim. This is material aspiration: "Let me have immense amount of money, a very good woman, wife or friend." This is the whole material activities. You'll see. Everyone is after money and women. This is material aspiration. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu is rejecting. Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa. Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. "I don't mind where I get my birth. I am not aspiring to get my birth in a very aristocratic way, no." Anywhere. Mama janmani. "I may become a demigod in the heavenly planet or I may a cat, dog, or any insignificant. But I want this, that My devotion to Your lotus feet may not be forgotten." This is desirelessness. Anything beyond the..., we desire, that is material.

So bhakti begins when you are desireless Gato... The Yamunacarya's sloka. Nisesa-mano-rathantaram. Kadaham aikantika-nitya-kinkarah praharsayisyami sanatha jivitam bhavantam eva caran nirantaram. This is devotee, devotion. He's praying, Yamunacarya's praying to the Lord, bhavantam: "You only..." Caran nirantaram. "Simply thinking of You, acting for You," caran, acaran, "practicing such activities which will give me the opportunity of thinking Krsna..." That is wanted. Because Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto [Bg. 18.65], Krsna says, "This is the process," so we have to mold our life in such a way that we get the opportunity of thinking of Krsna twenty-four hours. That is Krsna consciousness. Even we are eating, we can remember Krsna. Krsna bada daya-maya, karibare jihva jaya, svaprasada-anna dila bhai. So we want. While sleeping, if we think of Krsna, it may be that we may dream of Krsna also. That is possible. Eating, sleeping, mating... Even in sex if we can remember Krsna... How? That is... Krsna says, dharmaviruddha-kamo 'smi. Sex life which is given permission in the sastra, that is Krsna. The sastra gives you permission for sex life only for begetting nice children. Not for enjoyment. That is illicit sex. If you make love, "Phish, phish, phish," and have sex life, that is illicit sex. So that dharmaviruddha. So we can adjust our material activities: eating, sleeping, mating, and fearing. It can be adjusted in relationship with Krsna, provided we take direction from Krsna. Even eating, sleeping, mating can be utilized as Krsna consciousness if you follow the rules and regulations. There is facility. And as soon as you deviate, then you become subject to the control of maya. Yajnarthe karmao 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhana. If you simply act for satisfying Krsna, then you are all right. And as soon as you do it for your own sense gratification, karma-bandhana, you become bound up by the laws of karma. We should be very careful therefore.

Therefore here it is said sukham aindriyakam: "Happiness derived from the sources which is not related with Krsna..." That is sukham aindriyakam. Actually you do that. When we enjoy sense pleasure, that is not for Krsna. That is material sense perception. So Prahlada Maharaja says that this kind of pleasure, happiness... Sukham aindriyakam daitya. He is particularly addressing his friend, daitya, because they are sons of daitya, demons. Just like at the present moment ninety-nine per cent of the population, they are daityas, demons. What is the difference between a demon and a demigod? Daitya means the sons of the Diti. So daitya. And deva. Deva means devotees or those who accept the supremacy of the Lord. They are called deva. Visnu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad-viparyayah. Anyone who is visnu-bhakta, accepting God as the supreme controller, they are called demigods. And asuras tad-viparyayah, and just the opposite number... What is that opposite number? "What is God? Why shall I accept God? God is dead. There is no God. God is impersonal." They are daityas or demons.

So Prahlada Maharaja was also born in a demon family, but he was not daitya. He was a devotee, although he is born... So it is, not that a devotee has to take his birth in the devotee's family. That is not necessary. Ahaituky apratihata. One man can become a devotee without any cause and without being checked. There is no such thing which will check to become a devotee. Anyone can become devotee in any condition, provided he is fortunate enough to associate with another devotee. That is the way. So Prahlada Maharaja says, "My dear friends, because you have been taught for sense gratification -- eating, sleeping, mating and defending -- so this is, this kind of happiness, is material happiness, sense enjoyment." So deha-yogena dehinam, two bodies combined or in connection with this body... Deha-yogena dehinam. Just like sex life. Sex life, it requires two bodies, one male or female. Deha-yogena. As soon as we say, yogena, that means extra something. Yogena. Yoga and viyoga. Viyoga means minus, and yoga means addition. So deha-yogena dehinam. The living entities who have accepted this material body, such kind of happiness, sarvatra labhyate. You can have anywhere, any life. Just like two bodies, male and female. It is not that in the human society two bodies, male and female, join and enjoy the pleasure. The dog also do that. The quality of happiness between a beautiful man and beautiful woman does not increase or decrease by other body. The hog also, they enjoy. It is not because they have got a nasty body therefore the enjoyment is less than human being, no. The feelings of enjoyment is the same, either of the dog or of the hog or of the human being, everyone. It is not... The quality does not change.

There is a story of a prostitute, Laksahira. (aside:) You can sleep this way. I am asking you. Yes, you're sleeping. You can go and sleep. Don't make here. So there is a story of the prostitute, Laksahira. There was a prostitute whose charges was one lakh of pieces of diamond. It doesn't matter, a big diamond or small diamond. That was her charges. So one man was suffering from leprosy and he was being assisted, he was being assisted by his wife, very faithful wife. So still, he was morose. The wife asked the husband, "Why you are morose? I am giving you so much service. You are leper, you cannot move. I can take you... I take you on a basket and carry you. Still, you feel unhappy?" So he admitted, "Yes." "Oh, what is the cause?" "Now, I want to go to the prostitute, Laksahira." Just see. He is leper, a poor man, and he is aspiring to go to a prostitute who charges 100,000 of pieces of diamond. So anyway, she was a faithful wife. She wanted to satisfy her husband. Some way or other, she arranged. Then, when the leper was at the house of the prostitute, the prostitute gave him very nice dishes of food but everything in two dishes, everything, one in the golden pot, another in iron pot. So while he was eating, so he inquired the prostitute, "Why you have given me in two pots?" "Now, because I wanted to know whether you will feel different taste in different pots." So he said, "No, I don't find any difference of taste. The soup in the golden pot and the soup in the iron pot, the taste is the same." "Then why you have come here?" This is foolishness. The whole world is going on like that. They are simply trying to taste the same thing in different pot. That's all. They are not detestful that "No more, sir. I have tasted enough." That is not fact. That is called vairagya-vidya, no more tasting: "It is all the same, either I take in this pot or that pot."

Therefore it is said that sukham aindriyakam, the sense pleasure, it doesn't matter whether you enjoy as a dog or as a human being or a demigod or as European or American or Indian. The taste is the same. This is very important. You cannot have a better taste. Better taste is only Krsna consciousness. Param drstva nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. So if you do not increase your taste for Krsna consciousness, then you will try to taste in this pot and that pot. That is the law. That will be, continue business and continue disease, to taste in this pot and that pot: "It may be very tasteful in this pot, may be tasteful..." The whole world is going on. All these rascals, they go to different countries for tasting sex life. They go to Paris... [break] ...kam daitya, sarvatra labhyate daivad yatha duhkham. Just like duhkham. Duhkha means unhappiness. So suppose a millionaire is suffering from typhoid and a poor man is suffering from typhoid. Does mean that the millionaire will have less distress than the poor man? When you have got typhoid fever, either you are rich man or poor man, the sufferings of typhoid fever is the same. It does not mean that "This man is very rich man, he is not suffering from typhoid," No. As unhappiness is the same in different pot, similarly, the happiness also is the same in different pot. This is knowledge. So why should I waste my time to taste happiness and distress in different pots? The different pots means these different body.

So this is not our business. Our business is to revive our original consciousness, Krsna consciousness. It doesn't matter in which pot I am at the present moment. Ahaituky apratihata. You can taste Krsna consciousness without any hesitation, without any check, without any hindrance. You can have. Simply you have to see inside to our consciousness and rectify the consciousness. That is required in this human form of life. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja in the beginning said, durlabham manusam janma. This understanding, this knowledge can be attained only in human form of life. This analysis of unhappiness and distress can be explained before a human being. If I call three dozen dogs here and ask him, "Now hear Bhagavata," it is not possible. The dog will not be able to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam, but a man, however low he may be, if he has got little intelligence, he will be able to understand. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says, durlabham manusam janma. You have got the opportunity to understand what is bhagavata-dharma. Don't lose it like cats and dogs.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.3 -- Vrndavana, December 4, 1975

HOME

© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.