Big Chumps - Big Controllers

Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.12 Mayapur, April 5, 1975 download  flash player   Take a test Nitai: "Lord Advaita Acarya is the incarnation of Maha-Visnu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of maya." Prabhupada: maha-visnur jagat-karta mayaya yah srjaty adah tasyavatara evayam advaitacarya isvarah  [Cc. Adi 1.12]

So there are three principles -- the isvara principle and the maya principle and the jiva principle -- these three principles. So Advaita Acarya is isvara principle. He belongs to the isvara group. Even in communistic country, they call "classless society," but they are also creating a managerial class. They cannot do without that. They could not avoid it, managers. Why manager? Make classless society, all worker. That is not possible. There must be isvara. Isvara means controller. That is the beginning, from the creation, isvara. So isvara, there are innumerable isvara forms, as it is stated in the Brahma-samhita. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Many, many, many millions and trillions of isvara forms... It is stated in the Bhagavatam that many... How many, how you can calculate? That is compared -- just like in the river or in the ocean there are waves, but you cannot count how many waves are there. That is not possible. Can you count the waves of the ocean, going on, day and night, waves? Similarly, in big, big rivers... So God's incarnation, they are coming out, innumerable, just like the waves, but we can understand by the action that He is incarnation of God.

So the activities of Advaita Acarya means that He's isvara. He called Caitanya Mahaprabhu to come down. That is isvara. You cannot call the Supreme Personality of Godhead to come down. That is not possible. But isvara, or one who has attained the power of attorney from isvara, he can do that. It is no otherwise possible. Otherwise, it is impossible. Krsna-sakti vina nahe nama pracara. We have to receive the authority from Krsna. Then it is possible to preach the cult of Hare Krsna movement. That means Isvara, and anyone who attains the power of attorney from Isvara, he's also isvara. That is called power of attorney. He can act on behalf of the proprietor. That is possible. So Advaita, Advaita Acarya did it. He inaugurated this Krsna consciousness movement. When He saw that the people are so much misled that simply they are busy for the bodily necessities of life and completely have forgotten Krsna, He became sympathetic. That is Vaisnava behavior. Vaisnavas, they are the best friend of the society, best friend, Vaisnava. Patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah. The Vaisnava is always thinking how to deliver these fallen souls who are so much captivated with this false philosophy of hedonism -- "Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." This is called hedonism. So they are always thinking how to deliver them. Advaita Prabhu did it; therefore He is Isvara. Prahlada Maharaja did it. Any Vaisnava who is actually feeling for the poor, conditioned souls, he must make arrangement for delivering these rascals from the death knell of ignorance. They do not know that nature is working, as it is said here, mayaya. Mayaya. The material nature means maya. That is an energy, or agent of Krsna, to act something, instrumental. Maya is instrumental. Maya is not all in all. Material nature is not all in all. That is foolish observation. This materialistic theory of creation -- "There was a chunk, and there was..." What is called?

Devotees: Explosion. Blowing. Big bang. Shock.

Prabhupada: What is that word?

Acyutananda: Big bang.

Prabhupada: Big bang?

Pusta Krsna: Explosion.

Prabhupada: Explosion, yes. So they are seeing that explosion and the chunk, but they cannot explain how the chunk became exploded. Sometimes we see that some earth, by the sunshine heating, heating, heating, it breaks all of a sudden. So this explosion of the chunk does not take place automatically. It is due to the sunshine drying it, drying it, drying it, and at a point it breaks. Similarly, the chunk is also, we can accept, the total material energy. You can take it as chunk. But this material energy in the form of chunk is agitated by the glance of Maha-Visnu. That is stated, sa aiksata sa asrjata. Material energy itself cannot explode. the  explosion theory is there... Not theory, fact. But the total material energy, mahat-tattva, when it is glanced over by Maha-Visnu, then it becomes agitated, and the modes of material nature begins to act. So then these activities are executed by Maha-Visnu, by His glancing, simply by His glancing. The power... Krsna is all-powerful. Visnu is all-powerful. So simply by glancing, He can agitate the material energy, and the creation begins. Sa aiksata sa asrjata. Eko narayana asit. These are the Vedic information. "In the beginning, there was only Narayana." Na isa na brahma: "There was no Lord Siva or Lord Brahma." We have studied that. Narayana, the Maha-Visnu, er, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, He created, first of all, Brahma. He is already there, from Maha-Visnu to Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Then He created Brahma. Then, through the material energy and Brahma's cooperation, the whole creation came into existence.

So actually the original person for material creation, Maha-Visnu, through the agency of maya, He has created. Mayaya srjaty adah. All this cosmic manifestation is created in that way. Those who are not devotee, they cannot see that over the chunk, total material energy, there is the vision of Maha-Visnu. That they cannot see. Just like you'll find on the ground, so many flowers and grasses are coming up. How? By the sunrise, the glance of the sun. Where there is no sunshine, there the vegetables do not grow. We have got practical experience. Similar... Therefore the field or the earth is not exploding with the vegetation. It is due to the sunshine. Therefore it is coming out. It is the real cause. Similarly, accepting that chunk, the total material energy, it is agitated by the glance of Maha-Visnu. Then it explodes and things are coming out. We can accept that in that way, but not that automatically there was explosion. That is not fact. Therefore to the foolish person, the power behind the explosion is not visible. Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]. Therefore Krsna says that "I am not visible to everyone, they being covered by the curtain of yoga-maya." Mudhah nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam. Tribhir gunamayir bhavair mohitah.

So this is our position. We do not know who is the actual architect behind all this nice material creation. That is Maha-Visnu, and His incarnation is Advaita Prabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is directly Krsna, or Krsna's incarnation. Nityananda Prabhu is directly incarnation of Baladeva, and similarly, Sri Advaita Prabhu is incarnation of Maha-Visnu. So all of Them are on the equal footing. Sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda, sri-advaita. They are on the same equal level. And then sakti-tattva, Sri-Gadadhara and Srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. Gadadhara is the internal energy, and Srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda, they are marginal energy. So Isvara-tattva and sakti-tattva. So within this group, there is no this material energy because in the spiritual world there is no action of material energy, only spiritual energy. In the material world there is action of material energy. In the spiritual world there is no material energy. Therefore, in this Panca-tattva, there is no mention of material energy because in the spiritual world there is no material energy. Maya-gandha-hina.

So Advaita, Advaitacarya, is Isvara, but there are many isvaras. Even in this material world there are isvaras, innumerable. But the sastra has analyzed that the supreme isvara is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]: "There is no more higher isvara than Krsna." Krsna also says, mattah parataram nanyat: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more. This is the end." You go on finding out isvaras that... In material world, every one of us, isvara. Isvara means controller. So anyone controls, he can be called isvara. But there are isvaras over isvaras. You go on searching, isvara over isvara over isvara. When you come to the point there is no more other isvara, then He's God. That is definition. That is Krsna. You go on searching out, searching out. Just like... Generally, you know, Brahma is the cre... He's also isvara. He has created this universe. But he's not the supreme isvara. He's created by Garbhodakasayi Visnu. He's also Isvara, but He is expansion of Maha-Visnu. Then He is also Isvara. Then He's also expansion of Sankarsana. Then Sankarsana is expansion of Narayana. In this way, you go on, go on, go on, searching out. When you come to the point that no more isvara-isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, anadi... [Bs. 5.1]. So He has no adi. Anadir adih: "He is the beginning of everything, but He has no beginning." How it is, that? He has no...? So many isvaras have beginning. And why? Now, svarat. That is the dis... Svarat, completely independent. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. This is the Vedanta-sutra. And it is explained by the Vedanta-sutra-bhasya, janmady asya yatah anvayat itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah svarat [SB 1.1.1]. Svarat -- that is isvara; that is supreme isvara. He has no isvara. Everyone has got isvara over, but Krsna has no over-isvara. He is the ultimate, Supreme. Therefore sastra says, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: [SB 1.3.28] "All of them are Bhagavan, but the original Bhagavan, real Bhagavan, is Krsna." Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. So everyone is under Krsna. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta Kar says, ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya [Cc. Adi 5.142]. Ara saba bhrtya, servant. Even isvara-tattva, visnu-tattva, they are also working as servant of Krsna. Advaita Acaryas, just like He's Isvara, but He's serving as servant of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore ekale isvara... Na krsnat caitanyat para-tattvam param iha. They're... Above Krsna, above Caitanya Mahaprabhu, there is no more para-tattva. Param iha. It is the Supreme.

So in this way we have to study isvara-tattva, then sakti-tattva, jiva-tattva. That is knowledge; that is education. Not whimsically suggesting something and talking foolishly and... Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi janati tattvam [SB 10.14.29]. If you want to know the truth, then you have to follow these principles, how to know isvara-tattva. And how to know? Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Then you have to go, approach the bona fide guru. He will let you know. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. No challenge. That is foolishness. No challenge. Pranipatena. First of all surrender. You don't surrender to a foolish man, but you have to surrender. Now it is your business to find out where to surrender. But you have to surrender. This is the process. Without surrender, you cannot understand the truth as it is. That is the instruction of Vedas everywhere. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] "One has to surrender to guru." Why? Jijnasu: "If you are inquisitive to know the Absolute Truth." And if you want to know something which is flickering, relative truth, that is another thing. But if you want to know the Absolute Truth, sreyah uttamam... Absolute Truth means ultimate benefit, sreya. Ultimate... Yes, exactly the word, benefit. If you want ultimate benefit, then gurum prapadyeta. Who is guru? Sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam: one who is expert in understanding the Vedic literature, sabde pare ca, especially transcendental.

So we have to go through like that. As Caitanya-caritamrta Kar is explaining, we have to follow this principle. Then if you are really inquisitive to learn the Absolute Truth, they will explain, as here it is explained that here Advaita Acarya is isvara, He's incarnation of Maha-Visnu. Sometimes Advaita Acarya is called Sadasiva avatara. The Sadasiva is also expansion of Maha-Visnu. So either way you say, incarnation of Sadasiva or Maha-Visnu, it doesn't matter. But Advaita Acarya is isvara-tattva. He's not sakti-tattva. He's isvara-tattva. And we are all sakti-tattva; therefore there is difference. Sakti-saktiman. Although there is no difference abhinna, but still, sakti-tattva is superior, er, saktiman tattva is superior than sakti-tattva. So in this way try to understand Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, and Gadadhara and Srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. And... But they are so kind because they have come to deliver the fallen souls. If you sincerely chant their name, sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda...

Devotees: ...sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda.

Prabhupada: ...they'll be very, very kind to reveal themselves to you, and your path for liberation will be open.

Thank you very much. [break]

 

Acyutananda: We can understand how Sri Advaita Acarya is the servant of Lord Caitanya, but how is Maha Visnu and the Visnu-catur-bhuja, how do They serve Krsna?

Prabhupada: They are serving already Krsna. Why don't you see? Srsti-tattva. Krsna wanted the creation, and They were the agents to serve Krsna. They are creating. Ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya [Cc. Adi 5.142]. They're serving already. All right. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.12 -- Mayapur, April 5, 1975

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"Today's Education"

74/04/05 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 4.16


Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all sins."

Prabhupada:

kim karma kim akarmeti
kavayo 'py atra mohitah
tat te karma pravaksyami
yaj jnatva moksyase 'subhat

So.... so again the same beginning. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Everything is being spoken on that basis. Now, everyone has to work. Krsna never says to Arjuna that "You haven't got to work. I am your friend. I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You simply sleep, and I shall do everything for you." He never said like that. He could say that. Just like modern, rascal incarnation of Gods, they say to their devotees that "You simply think of me. I shall do everything for you." But Krsna never said that. Krsna said that man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], but never said that "You sit down idly." Never said that. Krsna, rather, said that "You better do akarma than sit down idly. Even you do something mischievous, that is also good than to sit down idly." He never said. Karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kada... Simply He said that "You work. You have got the right to work according to your capacity, according to your position." That position is brahmana position, ksatriya position, vaisya position, sudra position. In any position, you work, but the result should be given to Krsna. That is wanted.

That is tyaga. Tyaga means to give up the result to Krsna. That is sannyasa. Sat-nyasa. Sat means the Supreme. And anyone who renounces everything for Krsna, the Supreme, he is sannyasi. That will be explained in the Fifth Chapter. Karyam karma karoti yah. Anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti yah, sa sannyasi. Karyam, "It is my duty."

Just like we have got in our institution specified duties for each and every member, and they are doing, and if... They take it seriously, every one of them, that it is the order and duty. "My Guru Maharaja has specified this duty upon me. So it is my duty." Karyam. Karyam means "It is my duty. I must do it." So anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti... That he is trained up. According to varnasrama-dharma, that is trained up.

A brahmacari, from the very beginning of his life, he is trained to act only for guru. That is brahmacari. It is enjoined that a brahmacari live at the shelter, at the care of guru just like a menial servant. Krsna also, although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He was living as brahmacari at His guru's house, Sandipani Muni, He was collecting wood, fuel, from the jungle. He was going daily. It is not that because He was Personality of Godhead, therefore He should not go. No. You will find in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krsna Book, that when Sudama Vipra met him, he was talking with Him about His childhood stories. Krsna reminded him, "Sudama, do you remember that one day we went to collect fuel for our Guru Maharaja, and there was storm and rain, and we could not get out of the forest. We had to live overnight there. Then on the morning Guru Maharaja came with other disciples and they recovered us from the jungle. Do you remember?" So Krsna had to do this. This is training.

A brahmacari is trained up from the very beginning how to become a sannyasi at the end of life. How he is trained up? He is trained up to collect for guru alms. Everywhere the brahmacari would go to householder, and they ask, "Mother, give us some alms for my Guru Maharaja." And the ladies would give him. Because everyone's son goes to the gurukula. So there was no hesitation. And the brahmacari would collect and bring it in the asrama, and then he should live just like a menial servant. He may be a king's son or a very learned brahmana's son, but when he lives at gurukula, he has to work.

It is said in the sastra... In Bhagavad-gita, in Srimad-Bhagavatam you will find the duty of brahmacari, the duty of grhastha, the duty of vanaprastha, the duty of sannyasa. Everything is there. So a brahmacari is trained in such a way that although he has collected everything, but he does not claim anything. He does not keep anything with him. Even though he has to eat in the asrama, but that he will eat upon the calling by the guru, "My dear such and such, please come and take your prasadam." It is said, if the guru forgets to call him one day, he will not take his food. This is called brahmacari, means strictly following.

And they used to call every woman from the beginning of life, "Mother." This is training. Matrvat para-daresu. From the very beginning of life, all women they are treated as mother. That is the system, Vedic system. Everyone will call a woman as "Mother." Never mind whether she is younger or older. It doesn't matter. Woman has to be addressed as "Mother." That is Canakya Pandita's instruction. Who is learned scholar? Who has got three qualification, he is learned scholar. What is that? Matrvat para-daresu: "To treat all woman as mother." Nowadays it has been introduced in India, "Bahinji." No. This is not the etiquette. The etiquette is to address every woman, never mind whether she is young or old, as "Mother." This is brahmacari. This is brahmacari.

The brahmacarya is very strictly enjoined in the Vedic sastra. Brahma, to maintain brahmacarya, it is advised matra svasra duhitra va navivikta... Matra svasra duhitra va [SB 9.19.17]. So one should not sit down with woman in a secluded place, even though the woman is mother, sister of daughter. So much restriction. And why? Balavan indriya-gramah: "The senses are very powerful." Vidvamsam api karsati. "Oh, senses may be powerful for the fools and rascals." No. Vidvamsam api karsati: "Even one is very learned, advanced, still, senses are so powerful that it can be agitated even before the mother, sister and daughter." This is Vedic injunction, brahmacarya. Tapasa brahmacaryena damena samena [SB 6.1.13]. These are the human life. To accept brahmacarya life, tapasya, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, tyagena, by giving in charity whatever you possess. These are the different processes.

But if you take to bhakti-yoga, then all these processes become automatically accustomed. That is the profit of bhakti-yoga. So brahmacari-karma, grhastha-karma, vanaprastha-karma, sannyasa-karma, then brahmana's karma, then ksatriya's karma, vaisya's karma, sudra's karma. The society which knows perfectly well all these different karmas, that is perfect society, that is human society.

Therefore Krsna says that kim karma akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitah. Kavayah, very learned scholars, they are also become bewildered how to specify duty to a particular person. That is not being done at the same time. Everyone is going to the school and colleges, passing their examination, but because he is not trained up according to his tendency or according to his quality, after education he is unemployed. Because he has not been trained up according to the tendency, according to the qualification. That is the basic principle of karma. Krsna has begun in this chapter, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13].

That is very essential, the varnasrama-dharma. Because we must have the aim of life. At the present moment there is no aim of life. The aim of life is sense gratification. That's all. Indriya-trpti. That is forbidden in the sastras. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Kim karmeti kim vikarmeti will be described. So karma and vikarma, prescribed duties according to qualification, position, occupation, that is called karma. And just opposite, it is called vikarma. Karma akarma vikarma. That Krsna will explain.
So at the present moment... Not at the present moment. It is the tendency of materialistic life to act vikarma, forbidden karma. That is explained by Rsabhadeva in Srimad-Bhagavatam, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti [SB 5.5.4]. That is visible in the present moment in the Kali-yuga all over the world. Vikarmeti. All kinds of sinful activities, they are performing. That is called vikarma. The vikarma we have specified especially: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication up to drinking tea, coffee and smoking. These are all vikarma. So they do not know. But they are going on. Therefore Rsabhadeva, many, many years ago he warned his sons, "My dear boys, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma." Pramattah. Pra means sufficiently or extraordinarily. Prakrsta-rupena. Mattah. Mattah means mad. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma: [SB 5.5.4] "All people, being mad, they are committing all sinful activities." They do not know what is sinful activity. They think everything is all right. No. Nature will take account of everything and he will give you a next body.

The same example. If you infect some disease and the after result, you must suffer from that disease. This is nature's law. Similarly, karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. That is explained in Bhagavad-gita. Why one gets low grade life and why one gets high grade life? What is the reason? That is explained by Krsna, that karanam guna-sango 'sya. The reason is as he is being infected by the different qualities of material nature. Therefore we have to be very careful. There are three qualities and mixed qualities. Originally three qualities: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Then three multiplied by three, mixture, then it becomes nine. Then nine multiplied by nine it becomes eighty-one. Different, just like color mixture. So therefore there are 8,400,000 species of life, this mixture of qualities. Karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1]. We are infecting different types of qualities of material nature, and we are becoming fit for the next life.

But next life there is, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. People do not know it. Therefore we should be very careful to take instruction from Bhagavad-gita, and make our life successful, following the rules and regulation as it is prescribed there. Otherwise we are animals.

The animals, they cannot follow any rules and regulation. Animal, you ask animal, dog, that "You become a brahmacari." That is not possible. That is not possible (laughs). It is for human being. These asramas, the four asramas and four varnas, they are all meant for human society, not that it is restricted in a certain area or certain country or certain community. No. It is meant for the whole human society. Bhagavad-gita is meant for the whole human society. When Krsna says, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13], he never says that "It is meant for India." Where is that? Why they came that the catur-varnyam should be in India only? Krsna never said that. Krsna said, sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayah yah: "In every species of life, as many forms are there, all of them are My sons." Aham bija-pradah pita. Krsna never says that "I am Indian" or "I am ksatriya" or "I am brahmana." Krsna says, "I am the father of everyone." Therefore this catur-varnya or this karma-kanda, everything is meant for the whole human society, if not for the animal society. Of course, animal society they cannot follow. That is their degraded position. Labdhva su-durlabham bahu-sambhavante. Therefore sastra says that "This human form of life is gotten after many, many births," labdhva su-durlabham. Su-durlabham. Durlabham means very rare to be obtained, and again addition, su, "very, very."

So we should not waste our this human form of life whimsically. It is a great loss. It is a great loss. But people are not educated how much important this human form of life. (aside:) Don't move like that.

Labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu-sambhavante manusyam. And Prahlada Maharaja says also, the same thing. That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. Prahlada Maharaja says,

kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]

Kaumara, from the very beginning of life, kaumara. Kaumara means from fifth year to tenth year, five years. Within these five years, education must begin. And especially dharman bhagavatan. Bhagavata-dharma means to understand Krsna, to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

I know, amongst the Mohammedans, it is a system that small children, they are taught Purana. That is very good system, but we have forgotten. Although India is the land of spiritual culture, our small children, they go to school, colleges, but he has no connection with Bhagavad-gita. He has no connection with Bhagavad-gita. They are simply trained up for sense gratification. In Western countries also -- for sense gratification. Which is to be suppressed, sense gratification, that education is given. They do not know what is karma and what is vikarma. Now, when the students become disobedient and they create riots and set fire in the buses, then they lament. But why you have educated the students like that? Who is responsible for this? The rascals, they do not know. Here is Krsna prescribing. Kim karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitah. Even learned men, they become bewildered. Tat te karma pravaksyami.

So in this bewildered condition, baffled condition of the society, we should consult Krsna. Krsna is ready to give you advice, as He was ready five thousand years ago to give advice to Arjuna. That instruction is still current. It is not that it is finished with the Arjuna and Krsna, no. You can take also the same advice from Krsna and mold your life. That is wanted.

So kurute vikarma, we are trained up simply to act, opposite direction. Instead of doing good work, we are educated to do bad work, just the opposite. And that is not good. That is the advice of Rsabhadeva. Nunam pramattah. What is that bad work? Bad work means sense gratification. That's all. Anything you do for the satisfaction of your sense, that is bad work. And anything you do for satisfaction of Krsna, that is good work. This is the division of bad work and good work. The same thing, if you do for your personal satisfaction, it is bad work. And the same thing, if you do for the satisfaction of Krsna, that is good work. We must first of all learn this.

Just like Arjuna was thinking in the beginning that "Fighting and killing is not good, especially fighting with the family members and killing them. No, no, I cannot do that." Bad work. He was thinking it was bad. But same thing he did. When he understood Bhagavad-gita, he did not do anything else, because he was a fighter, he was a warrior. In the beginning he was refusing because he was trying to satisfy his senses. "Oh, it is very good. I think it is... I think..." What you are? You are always misguided if you think like that. But the same Arjuna, when understood Bhagavad-gita... Krsna inquired from him, "Now what is your decision?" Now, karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]. "Yes, now I have decided." So what is that vacanam tava? Krsna asked him to fight. So same fighting, how he became good now? Because Krsna wanted it. A good work.

So this should be our motto of life, that you should act if Krsna is pleased. This is good work. That is confirmed in many places in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Atah pumbhir dvija-sresthah. Suta Gosvami said in the meeting of great learned scholars and brahmanas in Naimisaranya. He said, dvija-sresthah: "O best of the brahmanas who have assembled here to hear me..." Dvija-sresthah. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. Again that varnasrama. Without varnasrama, it is a rascal society. That's all. It is not even human society. It is animal society. But that we have lost now. Again it is said, varnasrama-vibhagasah. Atah pumbhir dvija-sresthah. He was speaking amongst the very learned scholars and brahmanas. Therefore he addressed, "My dear all great brahmanas, dvija-srestha..."

Dvija means brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya. And the brahmana is the srestha, the best of the dvija. Dvija means twice-born. One birth by the father and mother, and the next birth through the guru and Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge is the mother and guru is the father. The next birth. That is called dvija, twice-born. Once born by father and mother, that is sudra. Janmana jayate sudrah. First birth is sudra. The next birth, when he is trained up by the guru in Vedic knowledge, that is real birth. Therefore all of them were first-class brahmanas, dvija, with samskara. Therefore they are addressed dvija-sresthah. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah.

Again this varnasrama. Svanusthitasya dharmasya. Svanusthitasya dharmasya. Now, mark this word, dharma. A brahmana's action as a brahmana, that is dharma. And brahmana is not fighting; that is his dharma. So dharma may be different according to position. But here it is said, atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. When there is sacrifice in the yajna, the brahmana offers the sacrifice. It does not mean that he is killing some animal.

Similarly, a ksatriya is fighting and killing in the battle, but he is still not killing. This has to be... Not general, generalization, "Oh, killing is bad." Killing is bad for one who is not destined, who is not meant for killing. And places. Everything should be in terms of sastra, not whimsically manufacture something. No.

yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim

This is the injunction. So atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. Everyone has got particular type of occupational duty according to varna and asrama. So whether it is perfect or not, that test is svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13].

You are ksatriya... Just like Arjuna was a ksatriya. His perfection as ksatriya was because he pleased Krsna. Samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. This is wanted. So this Krsna consciousness movement is presenting the most scientific way of life. It is not a whimsical concoction of a human brain. The basic principle is Bhagavad-gita and sastra, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Everything is clearly explained. If we take advantage of this Krsna consciousness movement then our life will be perfect.

That is the special prerogative of the Indians. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,

bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

"Every Indian has to perfect his life by accepting the Vedic principle and distribute it to the whole world." This is the best welfare activities in the human society. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974