Krishna and Non-Krishna Desires

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.10
Vrndavana, December 12, 1975

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Harikesa: Translation: "Money is so dear that one conceives that money is sweeter than honey, and who can give up the desire of accumulating such money, especially in the household life? The thieves, the professional soldiers, or the mercantile community try to acquire money by risking the very life."

Prabhupada:

ko nv artha-trsnam visrjet
pranebhyo 'pi ya ipsitah
yam krinaty asubhih presthais
taskarah sevako vanik
 [SB 7.6.10]

So here is one condemnation, that taskarah, sevakah and vanik. Similarly, there is another verse in Bhagavad-gita, striyah vaisya tatha sudra. So stri sudra quality, vanik quality, they are very backwards. So here it is said, sneha-pasair drdhair baddham. Professor Marshall, he has given reason for economic development: the family affection. Unless one has got family affection, he is not interested in money. So therefore I sometimes say that these hippies, they are little advanced because they have no affection for family and they have no affection for money also. This is... In the other way, these are good qualification: no interest, no affection. Everyone is working on account of family affection, sneha-pasair. He has got wife and children, and he requires money to make the family happy. So..., and for maintaining the family, he requires money. Ato grhesu sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam.

This world is going on, this material (world) is going on the principle of sense gratification, pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam. Everyone is hankering after sex life, man and woman. This is the beginning of material life. In the Vaikuntha-loka there are thousands times beautiful women and thousand times strong men (noise in background) (aside:) Where is this sound coming? ...but there is no sex desire. This is Vaikuntha life. Here in this material world, as soon as there is strong man, as soon as there is beautiful woman, then there is sex impulse. In the Vaikuntha world there is no such thing, because they are so much absorbed in Krsna consciousness that sex life is very insignificant. There is no sex life in the Vaikuntha realm. But in this material world, the sex life is the basic principle of pleasure.

pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etat
tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh
ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair
janasya moho 'yam aham mameti
 [SB 5.5.8]

So when they are united, then the attraction for man or attraction for woman becomes very, very strong. Then it requires grha, apartment, home. Then it requires field, land, because land is the means of livelihood. Ato grha-ksetra. Then children, then friends. In this way he becomes implicated. Moho 'yam. These things are not required, but out of illusion he is thinking that "These things will give me protection, life and pleasure." That is explained in the previous verse: sneha-pasair drdhair baddham. He becomes too much entangled and captivated by this family affection. So therefore in the Vedic civilization, from the very beginning of life the brahmacari is educated not to be attracted by family life, very strictly. Even though he is educated so, if he is found unable, then he is allowed to marry. That also not for many years. To remain in the household life for twenty-five years, then compulsory, I mean to say, separation, pancasordhvam vanam vrajet. Then when the mind is settled up, he is awarded sannyasa. This is the system.

So on account of this deep affection for maintaining family, everyone is risking life. The example is given here that taskarah. There are many professional thieves, any country, India also. They are family men -- not they are loafers -- but their business is to steal. Their business is to steal. Why? They steal, they know it is risky,. He has heard it that "If you steal you'll be arrested, you'll be put into jail." Knowledge is gathered by hearing and by seeing. Hm? In Hindi it is called 'dekha suna'-dekhavyair sunavyair, that "Have you seen or heard it?" That is experience. So thief knows he has heard it from lawbooks that stealing is not good, and from religious scripture also, that "It is sinful. Do not commit theft. Do not become criminal." But still he does, at the risk of ad At night he goes in the house of rich man and risk his life. Especially in Western countries, there is fire gun, and trespassers, even without permission, if anyone enters anyone's house, he can kill him. Is it not the law in your country? Trespassing? So there is risk of life, but he has entered the house for stealing. And why stealing? The family affection. That is the impetus for economic development. The Professor Marshall, the economist, he has given the definition, that "Wherefrom the economic development begins? By family affection." Or by sex attraction. So this earning money, there are so many smugglers, so many illicit businessmen, black market, they are risking their lives to get money. The purpose is when one becomes too much attached to family life and too much devoted to maintain it, he doesn't care. He has to earn money, some how or other, even risking life. Even risking life.

So taskarah. Who risks his life? First of all taskarah, thieves. And the next? Taskarah sevakah. Sevakah, servant. Still, in India, in the, some district, there was a servant of mine, he belonged to that... There are professional class of servant, they voluntarily sell themselves to the master: "Sir, I'll require five hundred rupees, and if you advance me this five hundred rupees I shall remain lifelong your servant." Still you get. Formally there were slaves, slave trade, but..., you get it still. You advance, the servant class, sudra class -- nowadays may not be five hundred -- you advance five thousand, you can purchase. There will be agreement. That is law court, that "He has to work lifelong." And, specially the professional soldiers, nowadays the economic activities are so..., varieties. One of our disciples' son, he has accepted the service of a diver. He enters into the ocean. This is his service. Sometimes they accept the service of coming down from the aeroplane, paracy... What is called? Parachute. Fall down. They are forced, from three miles up. These are all risky things. At any moment... Of course, at any moment there is death, that is a fact, but people voluntarily accept these kind of services. For what purpose? For getting money. And what for money? For sense gratification. And where is the sense gratification? In family.

So actually, if one becomes too much attached to family life and one has to become -- this is the way -- then has to earn money by risking life. He has to earn money. Similarly, the vanik, mercantile community, they also risk imprisonment by so many illegal activities. So formerly, these classes of men were after money. The higher class, the brahmana, ksatriya, they were very, I mean to say, pious. They did not do anything for risking life for earning money. The brahmana, they were trained up not to earn money, but to learn how to become self-controlled, sama damas satyam, how to speak truth, or how to understand the Absolute Truth. Then cleanliness, sama dama satyam saucam. Titiksa, how to become tolerant. Arjava, simple. Jnanam, fully aware of all kinds of knowledge. Vijnanam, practical application of knowledge. So then astikyam. Astikyam means to accept the authority of the sastra. That is called astik. That is theism. Theism means just like Veda, one who accepts the authority of Vedas, he is called astik. And one who does not accept the authority of the Vedas, he is called nastik. Astik and nastik.

According to Vedic civilization, one who does not follow the Vedic principle, he is called nastik. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has explained about the Buddhist. Buddhists, they do not believe in the Vedic injunction, or the Muslims. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that veda na maniya bauddha haya ta' nastika. Buddhists are called nastik, atheist. Why? Veda na maniya: he does not believe in the Vedas. Veda na maniya bauddha haya ta' nastika. Vedasraya nastikya-vada bauddhake adhika. But a person, hypocrite, who accepts the Vedas but he preaches atheism... Just like you are praying that sunyavadi, nirvisesa sunyavadi, pascatya desa tarine. These two, very dangerous position, nirvisesa. The Buddhists, they say there is no God, sunyavadi. "Everything, at the end, everything is zero. You have got this body. When this body is finished, then everything becomes zero." Because they do not believe in the soul, not in God. There are many nastik. Vasu bhuta sa dehasya kuta purna... bhavet: "The body, I see it is burnt into ashes. Where is life? There is no life. There is no soul." So this is bauddhya-vada, sunyavada -- everything becomes zero. And the vedasraya nastikya-vada, the Mayavadis, they do not say there is no God, because in the Vedas there is God. So they do not say directly, but they say, "Yes, there is God, but He has no head, no leg, no hand. He cannot talk, He cannot eat." Then what remains? He is making zero, God, zero, by negative definition -- "He has no head, He has no... And he has no leg." So both of them are zero, advocate of zero. But one directly says, "No, there is no God. Everything is zero." And these Mayavadis, nirvisesa-vadi, they say the same thing -- zero -- but in a different way. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that these Mayavadis, zero-vadis, they are more dangerous than the bauddha. Vedasraya nastikya-vada. All these Mayavadi sannyasis, they are very learned, but they'll never accept that God has form. They say it is kalpana, it is imagination. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu has designated them very, very dangerous, these Mayavadis. He has therefore strictly forbidden, mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: [Cc. Madhya 6.169] If you hear this Mayavadi speaking, then your future is doomed. You are finished. Because as soon as you have become infected with the Mayavada philosophy, it will take millions of years to come to the platform of devotional service. It is so dangerous. Mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa. Sarva-nasa means everything is finished when you become godless, or you think yourself as you are God. The Mayavadis do that. They accept God, Krsna, as God, but Krsna's body is maya. He has assumed a form, with a body which is created by maya, just like our body is created by maya.

That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita.

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese arjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
 [Bg. 18.61]

This body is given by the material nature at the direction of..., by the direction of Krsna. Because the nature is working by the direction of Krsna. Nature is not independent. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. So isvara, Krsna, as Supersoul, He is in the core of my heart, sitting with me. I am also in the heart. And I am desiring, and Krsna is fulfilling my desire. Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15]. Smrtih, Krsna gives a body, by the living entity: "You wanted to eat anything and everything, without any discrimination -- now take this body of a hog. You can eat even stool. I give you the facility." Mattah smrtir jnanam. "Now, here you have got this body, you eat stool." Smrtir jnanam. In this way we are going on, life after life. We are creating different types of body. This is called seasonal changes. Just like there is tree, and every season there are fruits. The fruits, they are undergoing six kinds of transformation. First of all it is just like a small bud, or flower, then grows into a green fruit, then it is ripened fruit, then there is seed, then it is completely ripened, then falls down and finished. The fruit is going on, these six kinds of transformation, but the tree is standing. Similarly, as living entity we are permanent, and according to our karma, fruitive result of our karma, we are getting different body. So I am steady, as spirit soul. My bodies are changing, seasonal changes. But Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Because the fruit is grown, stays for some time, then dwindles, then vanishes, that does not mean the tree is finished. This is a crude example. So this change of body is there on account of presence of the Supersoul. He is noting down. He doesn't require to note down, but He notes that "This living entity wants this kind of facility." So each and every body means a kind of facility for fulfilling our desires. So that desire is fulfilled by Krsna. He is within our heart. He is giving, has given full independence. "Desire Whatever you desire, I will give you." Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11].

So for fulfilling our desires... In the morning we were talking on the street about desire. So desire cannot be stopped. Desireless, it is not possible, because we are living entity; we must have desires. But this kind of desires we are proposing: "My Lord, give me a facility for fulfilling these desires." So that means you get a particular type, and these desires are generated on account of our different association -- sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So if we associate with sattva-guna, then we get a body like the demigods.

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
 [Bg. 14.18]

In this way it is going on, vasana. Therefore we have to become vasana -- less -- without any vasana, means without any material desires. Vasana cannot... It is therefore not actually to make it null and void, but to make it purified. That is the aim of human life: to purify our desires. That purification is possible by Krsna consciousness. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. If you simply desire how to serve Krsna, then that is really desirelessness. Desirelessness means not to become without desire. You desire to serve Krsna, then these material desires will automatically finish. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor [SB 9.4.18]. So you fix up your mind at the lotus feet of Krsna, then non-Krsna desires will be finished. Sa vai manah krsna. Everything will be there: the hands will be there, the legs will be there, the eyes will be there, the ears will be there -- everything will be there. But if you change your desire, they will be purified. It is not to make it null and void. No. The hand is there, but if you engage your hand in cleansing the temple, then you are transcendental. If your... If you walk to go to the temple, then your desire for walking will be spiritual. If you smell the flower offered to the Deity, then your desire for smelling so many scented things will be finished. If you eat prasadam, then your desire for going to the restaurant and making satisfy..., satisfaction of the tongue will be finished. Therefore if we simply desire eating, sleeping, mating -- everything, even mating also... If you desire that "If I can beget a child who will be Krsna conscious," then you have sex life; otherwise stop it. If you take this responsibility that you will beget a child who will be Krsna conscious, you can produce thousands of children, allowed; otherwise don't become mother and father. This is sastra. Don't become. Pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat na mocayed yah samupeta. Why? That is the duty. Make your children Krsna conscious, then your duty is all right. Otherwise, don't become father and mother.

So desireless means when we don't desire anything material. Simply desire to serve Krsna. That is desirelessness. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Then it is nirmala, purified. And the, what is the function of the purified senses? Hrsikena hrsikesa sevanam bhaktir ucyate. When your..., there is no more material desires, none of your senses are engaged in anything except Krsna's service, this is purification. And in that purified state, when your senses are purified by this way, then you can render service to Krsna. That service is accepted. Then patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham asnami [Bg. 9.26]. In that stage of transcendental position, that is bhakti. Everything you offer to Krsna, He'll eat, with a great relish, "Oh, it is very nice." Just like Vidura(?) was offering the skin of the banana, and Krsna was eating. He was so much absorbed in Krsna thought, Krsna came to his house, and in great ecstasy he was opening the banana, and the skin was being offered to Krsna and the pulp was thrown away. But Krsna was eating that skin. Because yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna can eat anything, He is all-powerful. Even if you give the skin or the pulp, it doesn't matter. But it must be yo me bhaktya prayacchati. The real thing is bhakti. So this is, when you are bhakta, then you are desireless. Otherwise desire cannot be finished. That is not possible. The Mayavadi philosophers say you become desireless. It is not possible. Desire can be purified in connection with service of Krsna.

So the whole idea is that our desires, ko nv artha-trsnam... Artha-trsnam meens desiring for getting money, visrjet. That is not possible. So long you are in this material world, one cannot give up these desires. Therefore I was saying these Europeans, American boys, they prefer to become hippies. That is another process of desirelessness -- don't want. They are coming from rich man's house, but they don't want. That is a desireless, but it is not properly utilized. Now they have got this opportunity: how to serve Krsna. Therefore they are advancing so quickly. So desirelessness is not possible. Desire there will be. When we change our consciousness, desire is transferred for Krsna's service, that is perfect life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya, Srila Prabhupada.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975

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Demonic Means Puffed Up

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.34
Los Angeles, December 12, 1973



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Pradyumna: Translation: "The Supreme Unborn, Lord Sri Krsna, caused the members of the Yadu dynasty to relinquish their bodies, and thus He relieved the burden of the world. This action was like picking out a thorn with a thorn, though both are the same to the controller."

Prabhupada: So Krsna's two business is going on in this material world. One is paritranaya sadhunam, and the other is vinasaya ca duskrtam. One business is to give protection to the law-abiding devotees. Devotee means who accepts the Supreme Lord as the supreme controller and accepts himself as subordinate. This is devotee. Devotee is not very... Actually, we are subordinate to the laws of nature, and the nature is being manipulated by the Lord. Therefore, ultimately we are subordinate to the Supreme Lord. God is great; everyone knows it. But I am not great; I am subordinate. Acceptance of this philosophy means, I mean to say, godly conscious or Krsna conscious. Very simple thing. There is no difficulty. But the demons are so rascal, they will not admit it. They are already under control -- prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27] -- under the control of the stringent laws of material nature. Still, foolishly that rascal demon is thinking that he is free. This is rascaldom. Just like a outlaw, an outlaw is thinking that he doesn't care for the government. Although he is put into jail, he is punished there, still, he is declaring, "No, I don't care for the government." Madness.

So as Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given us to understand, that jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. A living entity is eternally servant of Krsna. That is his position. He can never become master. Just like there are four classes: the sudra class... Paricaryatmakam karyam sudra-karma svabhava-jam. By nature, one who is sudra, he cannot work very freely. That is not... Better..., his better life is to remain subordinate. Just like women, children. It is better for them to remain subordinate, to remain subordinate. It is practical. I have seen in our country and the Western countries, the woman are given freedom. By such freedom they are not happy. It is a fact. It is a fact. Therefore Vedic system is that it is the father's duty when a girl is mature, before attaining puberty, she is handed over to a suitable boy, "Please take charge of her. This girl..." Our marriage system is that "So long she was under my charge. Now I..." This is the process.

So women, by nature they should remain subordinate. It does not mean, "Because somebody is my subordinate, therefore I shall cut his throat or her throat." No. Just like sometimes the Christian philosophers say, "The animals are given under the control of man. Therefore they should be slaughtered." This is their philosophy. Control of man does not mean they should be slau... They should be taken care of. That is the law. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. The productive class, they should give protection to the cows. The cows are given under their protection, not that "Because the cows are given under my protection, therefore I must open a slaughterhouse and kill them." Similarly... So children under the protection of father and mother... Just like this child is sitting on the lap of... He is comfortable. But if the father thinks, "He is under my protection; therefore I shall cut throat..." Now it is going on. The abortion means that. The child is taken shelter of the mother's womb for protection, but now she is being killed. The time is so bad. You see?

So the idea is that subordinate does not mean he is in difficulty. No. Similarly, we are subordinate to God. That is a fact. Nobody can deny. So remain under the protection of God. That is our natural state. That is our natural state. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. What is God? God... Just like here is God, Krsna. What is the difference? No difference. He has got two hands, you have got two hands. He has got two legs, you have got two legs. He has got head, you have got head. So from the bodily feature, "Man is made after God." There is no difference. But the difference is that He gives you protection, and you are protected. Therefore we are worshiping God. This is the difference Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman, nityo nityanam. This is the Vedic injunction. God is also nitya, eternal; we are also eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We do not die. This is our conditioned life. We are changing our body because we have forgotten Krsna; there is no Krsna consciousness. But we are manufacturing different consciousness. And as we are manufacturing different consciousness, we are being contaminated by the particular quality of nature. They do not know that.

How are we becoming contaminated? There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna; goodness, passion and ignorance. And we are, according to the association... Just like here we can see, somebody cannot live without smoking. It is practical. But none of our devotees smoke. So it is possible. Because a devotee is associating with the devotees, therefore he is acquiring the quality by association, contamination. This is a fact. If you go to a contaminated, diseased person, you are infected. We should be very careful.

dadati pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam

Intimate relation with somebody, so there is bhunkte bhojayate. When you become intimate with certain friend, he gives to eat you, something you eat, and you also give him something to eat, he eats. But if there are different quality, then by eating, you contaminate, you are contaminated by his infection, and he is contaminated by infection. That is practical, medical science. If you eat the remnants of foodstuff of a tuberculosis patient, then you are attacked with tuberculosis. Or cholera patient.

So there are so many diseases. Therefore eating is so important thing. And the germs, they come out from the mouth very easily. Very easily. Formerly there was politics. They were called visa-kanya, "poison girl." The politicians used to keep. I do not know whether nowadays the politicians keep. But we find from Vedic literature, visa-kanya. Visa-kanya means a girl, from the childhood, is injected poison, little by little, little, little, little, little. So when she is grown up, she, whole body is poisonous. So the politician used to engage such girl to kill his opponent politician. Very nice, beautiful girl, and (s)he will go, and as soon as the kissing will be there, he will die. Just like poisonous. Yes, it is fact. It is not story. I read in medical journal. There was one... Not medical journal. In logic class. It is called some "Typhoid Mary." "Typhoid Mary." A girl whose name was Mary, wherever she would go, all the people associating with her will be attacked with typhoid. Then the medical board examined her blood, that she is full of typhoid germs. So therefore wherever she goes, people become infected. These are medical facts.

So therefore association is so important. Sangat sanjayate kamah. According to association we infect different qualities. That they do not know. But nature's law is so particular, as soon as you infect by association a particular type of quality, you have to suffer for that. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He was asked by one devotee, grhastha devotee, householder, "Sir, what is the duty of a grhastha devotee, Vaisnava?" Devotee means Vaisnava. So He immediately informed him, asat-sanga-tyaga ei vaisnava-acara: "A Vaisnava's behavior should be that he should give up the company of asat, nondevotee." That is his first business. He should give up the company of nondevotee. This is first business. Because he will be infected. Therefore we insist our students that "Don't go out." Even you are discomfortable, you should tolerate, but you should not go out of the society. Then you will surely fall down, surely fall down. So if there is inconvenience, little... That is advised in Bhagavad-gita, matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah. These, just like extreme cold or extreme heat, they are troublesome to the body, matra-sparsah. On account of this material body, we feel extreme cold, extreme heat. But Krsna says, "They come and go." It is not that winter season will remain forever or the summer season also remain. They will come and go. If it is intolerable, please tolerate, please tolerate. Then it will be all right. I have repeatedly said... Narottama dasa Thakura, tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa. Why we have opened this society? I could have initiated, and let him remain at his home. No. The society required. So by association we become good or bad. If you associate with goodness, then you acquire goodness quality, and if you associate with bad, passionate, ignorant, then you get that quality. So according to that quality...

This Yadu-vamsa, they were Krsna's descendants. Just like when a king comes, he comes with his associates. So when Krsna appeared, He had to marry so many wives because it was a stage to show Krsna's supreme authority, supremacy. So the demigods came down also from different planets to help Krsna. So these demigods became Krsna's family. Some of the woman denizens, they became Krsna's wife, and some of them became their sons. In this way, a huge family of Krsna, Yadu dynasty. One crore, very big family, 16,108 wives. Each wife had sons, ten sons, and each son had ten sons. In this way children, grandchildren, and the whole family, big dynasty, Yadu family. It is estimated 100,000 hundred times. So many. Now, Krsna wanted to leave this planet. So what will happen there? If they remain... Although Krsna knew that they have come from different planets, but they knew that "We are sons and grandsons and grandchildren of Krsna." They were very much puffed up. So what is the difference between a demon and devotee? A demon is puffed up. That's all. Falsely. That is demon. And a devotee is submissive, meek and mild. This is the difference. The demons will... We go, "My dear sir, we have got these books to understand Krsna, the Supreme Lord. So you kindly read this book. You will be benefited." "Ah, what is God? Who is God? I am God." This is demonism. And demigod or a devotee means "Oh, here is a book, something about God, Krsna. All right, let me read it." That is the difference. Asuram bhavam asritah. Asuram bhavam asritah means they don't care for God. That is the disease. Although they are under the stringent laws of God, still, they don't care for God.

So this Yadu dynasty, Krsna thought that "In My absence they are powerful... Because they, to assist Me..." "To assist Me" means... He had two missions: paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. They have killed so many demons. Everywhere they came out victorious because Krsna was there. Now, in the absence of Krsna, they would be puffed up. Therefore they would be turned again into demons: "Oh, I belong to Krsna's family." Just like in our country, Nityananda-vamsa: "I belong to the Nityananda Prabhu," exploiting people. The Muhammadans also: "I belong to the family of Muhammad, Hazrat Muhammad." Christ has no family; he did not marry. Otherwise some would have been very much puffed up, "I am family of Christ." So this material nature is such thing that as soon as you get little power, you become puffed up. That is demonic nature. That is demonic nature. So Krsna wanted to take them with Him, because they came to help Krsna, and after His departure, these demigods would turn into demons. That He did not like to see.

Therefore this Yadu dynasty was placed amongst themselves. Because there was no other person to kill the Yadu..., and any one of the Yadu dynasty. Therefore this fratricidal war was manufactured and they died. Yayaharad bhuvo bharam tam tanum vijahav ajah, kantakam kantakena. Kantakam kantakena. Just like if you have got some thorn pricked in your leg, you take another thorn and get it out. This is the law of nature. One demon is killed by another demon. That is the keeping balance. There is war. We have experience. One demonic nation has grown up very strong, so immediately another demonic nation declares war, or he declares war -- both of them are finished. This is going on.

So read the purport.

Pradyumna: "Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura suggests that the rsis like Saunaka and others who were hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from Suta Gosvami at Naimisaranya were not happy to hear about the Yadus' dying in the madness of intoxication."

Prabhupada: (aside:) Don't move the leg, not... Ah.

Pradyumna: "To give them relief from this mental agony, Suta Gosvami assured them that the Lord caused the members of the Yadu dynasty to relinquish their bodies."

Prabhupada: Yes, everyone will be sorry, that "How Krsna's descendants could fight amongst themselves and die like this?" It was not very happy to think by other devotees. Therefore the explanation is given. Go on.

Pradyumna: "...by which they had to take away the burden of the world. The Lord and His eternal associates appeared on earth to help the administrative demigods in eradicating the burden of the world."

Prabhupada: Yes. Yada yada hi dharma... The beginning of Krsna's appearance... You know that in the Krsna book, how Krsna appeared. There was an appeal by the earth, mother earth, that she is overburdened with demons, and it was unbearable for her what to do. So this petition was submitted to Visnu by Brahma, and Visnu replied that "Krsna is coming and He will do the needful." This was the beginning. So as soon as there is yada yada hi dharmasya glanih [Bg. 4.7], the planet becomes overburdened by the sinful demons, so they require to be moved and the burden lessened. That was the function of Krsna's coming. Whenever Krsna comes in different incarnation, there is need. Glanir bhavati bharata. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanih [Bg. 4.7]. Dharmasya glanih means... We have explained several times. You have read in the Bhagavad-gita. Glanih means discrepancy, discrepancy. And dharma means obedience to God. That is dharma. Religion means..., religion does not mean anything else. You can manufacture so many formulas and theses. The real meaning is obedience to God. That is religion. Simple definition. If a man is obedient to God, it doesn't matter to which religion he belongs. He may be a Christian, he may be Hindu, he may be Mussulman. It doesn't matter. Religion means... This is the... I have given.

Religion means the laws of God. There must be laws. God is the Supreme. As the state laws are there, now the so many affairs in the cosmic manifestation is going on, how they can think of that there is no law? There is law. The sun is rising exactly in time. The Pacific Ocean is exactly in its position. It is not coming even a few yards beyond the area. Such a huge water, it can overflood immediately the whole Los Angeles city in a second. But why it is not coming? You are sure. We are walking by the beach. We are sure that "The water cannot come here." By whose order? By whose law? But these rascals they cannot understand. They are saying, "Nature." They give the explanation, "Nature." But nature is dull. Nature, material nature is dull. We do not find anything... Material nature... Just like this is a material thing. But it is being manipulated by a living being. This has... This iron or other metallic preparation, they have been turned into microphone by a living entity, not that the matter has come automatically and combined together and it has become microphone. Where is that instance? Nature, material nature, does not combine together. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. He is defining very nice. You read book. Krsna says, "There are two kinds of nature: inferior nature and spiritual nature. The inferior nature is matter." Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh, and superior nature is the living entity. So why superior, living entity? Because the living entity can manipulate the material nature.

So matter, matter is manipulated by a living entity and it has become useful. A microphone. It is common sense affair. So a living entity is not matter. He is superior nature. We should understand that. So everything... Now this superior nature, living entity. He has got mind, intelligence. That is also material. But under the direction of Krsna, the mind, intelligence, ego is working. And how it is working? As you wanted. He is giving simply permission. I want to... Just like I want to manufacture something in chemical laboratory. My intense desire is how to make it successful. Then when Krsna sees that you are so much, mean, burst to do this, so Krsna gives you intelligence that "You do like this." Then He becomes a scientist, discoverer. He cannot do it independently. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15]. One man is committing mistake and one man is doing right. Why? Because within the heart, there is Krsna, and Krsna is giving direction as he wanted.

Actually, Krsna does not want you to do anything else except to become Krsna conscious. That is Krsna's desire. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is His desire. People say foolishly, "What is the desire of God?" And here is the the desire of God. Openly it is said that "You give up all other occupations. Simply take to this occupation, how to become a devotee." Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. That is Krsna's desire. But we shall not do that thing. We shall do everything except that thing. That is our problem. And therefore we are suffering. That is demoniac. That is demoniac. Asuram bhavam asritah. Asuram bhavam asritah, disobedient to Krsna.

na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
 [Bg. 7.15]

Asuram bhavam is there. So in order to save sometimes, asuram bhavam, that is increasing the asuram bhavam, so immediately there is death.

So this law is going on, nature's law. Nature is not independent. Nature is working under the direction of the Lord. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. So everything is under the law, under the order of God, but He is not under anyone's order, anyone's guidance or anyone's order. That is God. That is the difference. This morning we were discussing that if everything has got cause, then God has got also cause. Some of our... Yes. But that is the difference, that if God also has got cause, then how He becomes God? He is one of us. God has no cause. Sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1].

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
 [Bs. 5.1]

Sarva-karana-karanam. He is cause of all causes. Because He is anadi, means He has no cause. Adi, He is the original cause. This is to be understood.

That is the difference between God and ourself. Eko bahunam. God is also two hand. But the mudhas: "Because God has got two hands, therefore He is also like me." That is mudha. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. "Because God comes as human being with two hands, two legs, one head, therefore He is one of the, one of..." No. It is miscalculation. Just like in the hospital, there are so many patients lying down on the bed, and when the doctor comes, if the patient thinks, "Now he is also patient," how is that? He is not patient. He has come to treat patient. Similarly, God may come like us. Because otherwise he will not accept. If He something... God never incarnates with four-handed visnu-murti. This will be something extraordinary. So He comes like exactly like us, but He is not one of us. That is God consciousness, Krsna consciousness.

Go on reading.

Pradyumna: "He therefore called for some of the confidential demigods to appear in the Yadu family and serve Him in His great mission. After the mission was fulfilled, the demigods, by the will of the Lord, relinquished their corporeal bodies by fighting amongst themselves in the madness of intoxication. The demigods are accustomed to drinking soma-rasa beverage, and therefore the drinking of wine..."

Prabhupada: Now, we can take one lesson that intoxication is so bad that it had a bad effect in the family of God, Yadu dynasty. And what to speak of others? Intoxication is so bad. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Therefore the drinking of wine and intoxication are not unknown to them. Sometimes they were put into trouble for indulging in intoxication. Once the sons of Kuvera fell in the wrath of Narada for being intoxicated, but afterwards they regained their original forms by the grace of the Lord Sri Krsna."

Prabhupada: Yes. This is goodness. One may be intoxicated. When he comes to his senses that "This is not good," then he is godly. That is the difference. But the demon cannot understand that. They continue. Just like our devotees. They are all godly. Because they had some bad habits, it doesn't matter. But they have given up. That is difference between the demons and the devotees. A devotee understands what is what and he does according to the direction of God. Therefore he is demigod. And the demons, they will never agree. That is the difference. Yes?

Pradyumna: "...for the Supreme Lord, both the asuras and the demigods are equal."

Prabhupada: Yes. All of them are sons. They, whether one is demon or demigod, both of them are sons of God. But what is the difference between them? Just like a father has got two sons or more sons. One son is very obedient to the father, and the other son is not. That is the difference here. God has not made anyone demon or demigod. For God, everyone is equal. Samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, "I am equal to everyone." Otherwise, how He is God? He is equal to everyone. But they are creating their own situation and becoming god or demon. So in the human form of life, advanced consciousness, instead of becoming demon, we should become demigod. That is the fulfillment of human life. And if we remain demon, then this opportunity is missed. This human form of life is missed.

All right. Thank you. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973

"Blockhead to Bhakta"

72/12/12 Ahmedabad, Bhagavad-gita 6.47


So we have been discussing Bhagavad-gita. In Second Chapter, the Lord has very elaborately explained the constitutional position of the living entity, and the whole first portion of the Six Chapter. The Bhagavad-gita is divided into three portions. The first six chapter, the second six chapters and the third six chapters. Actually just like this book, there are two hard covers, and in the middle there is the substance, writing. So the first six chapters, they are just like two coverings. Karma-yoga and jnana-yoga. And the middle six chapters, well-protected, that is bhakti-yoga. So at the end of the first six chapters, Krsna concludes the yoga system. In the Sixth Chapter He has explained the sankhya-yoga system and the concluding portion of the sankhya-yoga system is:

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]

This is the conclusion of the yoga system. People generally they are attracted by the yoga system. So the yoga system means always thinking of Krsna. That is samadhi.

So five thousand years ago, when... (pause -- noise in background) Five thousand years ago, when this yoga system was discussed between Krsna and Arjuna, Arjuna frankly admitted that this system was very difficult for him. He thought himself as a grhastha and a military man, so concentration of the mind and sitting in a posture and looking on the point of the nose, so many systems, find out a secluded place, alone, and observing so many rules and regulation, asana, dhyana, pranayama, so he thought it difficult for him. Therefore Krsna, in order to encourage him, that, although he could not practice the astanga-yoga system, still there was no cause of disappointment. He concluded, therefore,

tapasvibhyo 'dhiko yogi
jnanibhyo 'pi mato 'dhikah
karmibhyas cadhiko yogi
tasmad yogi bhavarjuna.

He insisted... (aside:) Why you are sitting like that? Sleeping? If you feel sleepy don't sit like that.

So the conclusion is:

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]

This is conclusion, that of all yogis, who is always thinking of Me, sraddhavan... Without being sraddhavan... Sraddha is the beginning of everything. Faith, sraddha, respect. If you have no respect for Krsna, if you have no faith in Krsna, there is no advancement of spiritual life or yoga life. Therefore it is said sraddhavan. Adau sraddha. The beginning of spiritual life is sraddha, faith. Adau sraddha. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. First of all, faith, and faith has been described by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami as, faith means: visvasa. So he explains:

‘sraddha'-sabde -- visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya
krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

This is the sraddha. Sraddha means firm faith. As Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].

So unless one has got faith. Why one should consider himself that "I must be completely surrendered to Krsna," unless one has got faith? Therefore faith is the beginning. And to create faith, Krsna has explained about Himself in the whole Bhagavad-gita. So one who is fortunate, after reading Bhagavad-gita thoroughly, he'll have a strong faith in Krsna. If you have failed to achieve this status of faith, then there is no question of progress. That is explained by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami: sraddha-sabde visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya. Sraddha means firm faith, with conviction, "Yes, if I surrender to Krsna, then all my business will be perfect, all my spiritual life will be perfect." Therefore Krsna says: sraddhavan bhajate. With sraddha, with full faith. Adau sraddha. Beginning is sraddha. If one has developed a little sraddha. Just like we are giving chance throughout the whole world by this propaganda, opening centers to create little sraddha. And if the sraddha is there, then next stage is sadhu-sanga, if one wants to become Krsna conscious, if he has developed a little faith in it, the next stage is to associate with sadhu. And who is sadhu? Sadhu, sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-bhutanam. So sadhu means very tolerant. In another place, sadhu is described in the Bhagavad-gita: bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. Api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva...

In another place in the Bhagavata the sadhu is described:

titiksavah karunikah
suhrdah sarva-dehinam
ajata-satravah santah
sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah

A sadhu, the first qualification is he must be a staunch devotee of Krsna or God. Whatever you say. That is sadhu. That is the basic definition... Religion means to abide by the orders of God. And sadhu means who is staunchly a devotee of Krsna. These are the description of sadhu. Therefore sadhu-sanga means to associate with devotees, those who are devotees of Krsna. That is sadhu-sanga. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in another place, says: sadhu-sanga sadhu-sanga sarva-sastre kaya, lava-matra sadhu-sanga... Sadhu-sanga sadhu-sanga sarva... lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya [Cc. Madhya 22.54]. Sadhu-sanga is very important. If we can associate with real sadhu, means real devotee, unadulterated devotee, anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11], then the recommendation is that simply by associating with sadhu all perfection will come. By simply associating... Sadhu-sanga sadhu-sanga sarva-sastre kaya, lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi. So this is very practical. We have got little experience how sadhu-sanga is powerful. So adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. First thing is faith.

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya
tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha rucis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudancati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

These are the steps, krama. Krama means one after another. So our, this Krsna Consciousness Movement is enacted just to create little faith. In Krsna. Then the person whom we are trying to help, his business is to associate with sadhu. Satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah. Satam prasangat. If we discuss Krsna consciousness... Boddhayantam parasparam tusyanti ca ramanti ca. Everywhere, the same thing. So sraddha is required. Then sadhu-sanga, then bhajana-kriya. If anyone actually seriously associates with sadhu, the next stage will be bhajana-kriya. How to worship. Bhajana-kriya. Tatah anartha-nivrttih syat. Then anartha. Anartha means unnecessary things. We have practiced so many unnecessary things in our life. Unnecessary things, when they are too much strong, that becomes sinful life. Unnecessary. The modern civilization is simply meant for creating unnecessary necessities of life. That's all. So we are becoming deviated from God. The more we are advancing in so-called material civilization, we are more becoming far away from God. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung: jada-bidya jato, mayara vaibhava, tomara bhajane badha. Jada-bidya, the material education, they are simply paraphernalia of this illusory energy, mayara vaibhava. And the effect of this advancement of material civilization means stopping one's relationship with God. Jada-bidya jato, mayara vaibhava, tomara bhajane badha, anitya samsare. Anitya means this temporary life, this... Everyone, we are in this material world, say, for fifty years, sixty years, hundred years. That is temporary. In the unlimited time, a duration of life, say of hundred years, that is nothing. Even, not even a point. It is very temporary, but in this temporary life, we are addicted to so many unnecessary things, and we are forgetting our real business, how to go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.

Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura laments... He was a great, responsible government officer, magistrate, but a great devotee of the Lord, and he's one of the acaryas, Bhaktivinoda Thakura. So he writes about his own experience that jada-bidya jato, mayara vaibhava, tomara bhajane badha. The more we make advancement in the temporary materialistic comforts, the more we become implicated in unnecessary things and they are all impediments for making progress in spiritual life. That is his opinion. And that's a fact. We have seen in Western countries, they are still more materially advanced, but spiritually, they are dull, block-headed, spiritually. Very difficult to convince them spiritually. So sadhu-sanga, by association of sadhus one can achieve advancement in spiritual life. And in all sastras it is recommended that associate.

Canakya Pandita, the great politician, you know, he also says: tyaja durjana-sangam, tyaja durjana-sangam bhaja sadhu-samagamam. Tyaja durjana-sanga. Give up association with bad elements. What are the bad elements? That is also explained by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. A devotee asked him that what should be the behavior of a person who is spiritually inclined, or Vaisnava? Spiritually inclined means Vaisnava. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that: asat-sanga-tyaga ei vaisnava-acara. Those who are interested in spiritual life, or to become a devotee, the first business is to give up the association of bad elements. Asat-sanga-tyaga vaisnava-acara. In one line. Then next question is then who is asat? Asat eka stri-sangi krsna-abhakta ara. There... He has described who is asat. Stri-sangi. Stri-sangi means those who are unnecessary addicted to women. Unnecessary. One should be married. One must have children. That is not illicit association. But otherwise... Krsna also says: dharmaviruddhah kamo 'smi. Kama, lust, sex life, which is not against religious principles, that I am. That kind of lust I am. So dharma... So according to religious system, people should not be cats and dogs or hogs in the matter of sex life. They must have married wife, married husband. And only for nice children, they should unite. These are the descriptions given by the... Vimsati prakara dharma-sastra manu-samhita. Not otherwise.

Therefore it is called grhastha-asrama. Asrama. The sannyasa-asrama, grhastha-asrama, vanaprastha-asrama. Everything is asrama. We can understand, as soon as this word is used, asrama, it means there is some spiritual tint or spiritual life. So grhastha, that is also spiritual life. One may lie with wife and children, and execute spiritual life. All the associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they were all grhasthas. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Himself, also was grhastha. So to become grhastha is not a disqualification. But to live as a grhastha according to the injunction of the sastras, that is required. That, Krsna says: dharmaviruddhah kama, which is not against religious principle, that sort of lust I am. So when Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: asat eka stri-sangi, that means one who is not satisfied. His, I mean to say, religious life with wife. That, that kind... He's asadhu. He's asadhu. Krsna... Stri-sangi and krsna-abhakta. He summarizes the description of asadhu in two words. One who is too much addicted to sense enjoyment and one who not a devotee of Krsna. He's asadhu.

So Krsna is also describe that

na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]

So there are many descriptions in many sastras that one should avoid asadhu and try to associate with sadhu. Then his life will be successful. Because human life is meant for spiritual advancement of life, not for advancement of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is cats and dogs life. Human life means advancement in spiritual life. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam. We have to purify our existence. That people do not know, what is impure existence and pure existence. They do not know. There is no education, there is no science. The... Because we do not, do not understand that we are living entities, we are part and parcel of God. God is eternal, so I am also eternal. God is always fresh. I am also fresh. Nityah sasvato 'yam puranah. Although Krsna is the oldest person. Krsna is adi-purusa. He must be the oldest. But He... Nava-yauvanam ca. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam [Bs 5.33]. This is Krsna's feature. He is the adi-purusa, the oldest.

Aham adir hi devanam. Krsna says: "I am the origin of all the demigods, Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara." The Brahma-samhita supports it that adyam purana-purusam. Lord Brahma says the Lord is adyam He's the origin. Krsna also says: aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. The Vedanta says: janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Janmady asya yatah, the Supreme Lord. So He's the oldest and, we, being part and parcel, we are also the oldest. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. We are also nitya, and Krsna is also nitya. We are also living entity with knowledge. Krsna is also living entity with knowledge. Simply He's our leader. He's the Supreme. That's all. So we do not know how our existence has been polluted. That we do not know. We are just like cats and dogs. We are taking birth and dying without any knowledge. Bhutva bhutva praliyate. But this is not our position. Our position is as good as Krsna. Krsna is all powerful. We are minute. He is vibhu, we are anu. That is the difference. Otherwise, qualitatively, we are all one. So why you are under this obligation of taking birth and dying again. This is our impure existence. This is our impure existence.

So this human form of life is meant for purifying this existential position. No more birth, no more death. As soon as there is birth, there is death. If there is no birth, there is no death. So this can be done simply by Krsna consciousness. Simply by developing Krsna consciousness. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Divyam, this word is used, divyam. So we are to undergo austerities, penances for this divyam, for transcendental life, divyam. Tapo divyam, little tapasya. In the Kali Yuga we cannot perform very severe... Krsna is very kind. He has given us different opportunity for elevating to our transcendental life in different ages. In this age, because we are so fallen and so limited, and so badly associated, that it is very difficult to undergo severe austerities and penances. We cannot go into the forest. We cannot perform yoga systems very nicely. We cannot perform yajnas. We cannot worship the Lord in temple very nicely. So many difficulties. Therefore sastra has given us concession: kalau tad dhari-kirtanat. In this age, simply by chanting this Hare Krsna maha-mantra one can be elevated. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has blessed: iha haite sarva-siddhi haya tomara. If you chant this Hare Krsna mantra you'll get all perfection, all perfection. So everything is there. But we do not wish to take advantage.

Tapasya, human life is meant for tapasya. We know in our Indian history all big, big kings, they went to the forest, tapasya. The King, Bharata, Bharata Maharaja, under whose name this planet is called Bharatavarsa, he left his kingdom, young wife, children, everything, at the age of twenty-four years, and he went for tapasya. So the Pandavas also. Everyone. The last stage of life should be especially meant for tapasya. Not that up to the point of death we shall remain addicted to this worldly life. No. So this life is meant for purifying our existence. That means stop this cycle of birth and death. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. We should always keep in front. We may think, we may be puffed up, as very much advanced in material comfort, but,... You may do so, but, at the same time, you should keep in front, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. You should always think that what advancement we have made? Have we stopped dying? Have you stopped birth? There are so many contraceptive method, but the population is increasing, the birth is going on. Similarly we have discovered so many nice medicines, but people are dying. You can not stop this, birth, death. They are trying to remain as young men, as young women, but they are getting older.

So intelligent men should always keep in front that what advancement we have made, simply struggling. A struggle, a heavy struggle, a hard struggle. That struggle. And we are thinking: "This is advancement." You struggling just like ass . So the whole day and night you are working. Actually I am working very hard, but I am thinking that I am advancing. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. We are trying to find out so many medicine. So many humanitarian work. What is that? There is famine, there is struggle. Why don't you do something so that people will not be anymore in famine, any more in distress. There will be no more scarcity of water. That is required. So these are the problems and so however we may solve all these problems, the problem of material existence, birth, death, old age and disease, that cannot be stopped, either you become Brahma or something like that. That is not possible. That is possible only by Krsna consciousness. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita:

mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]

Mam upetya tu kaunteya, duhkhalayam asasvatam. This world is recommended by the Creator of this world as duhkhalayam asasvatam. It is the place for miseries. And that also temporary. If you make, want to make compromise, "All right, it may be miserable life. I will stay here." Oh, that also you'll not be allowed. You'll be kicked out after some days. You may try to become very comfortable, good income, good bank balance, or nice wife, nice car, but one day it will come you'll be kicked out. "Please get out." Finished. Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham. Krsna says that "I am mrtyu. I take away everything. At that time, finished, everything."

So this is our foolishness, that we are trying to be happy in a place which is recommended by the Creator Himself: duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Duhkhalayam. This is called foolishness. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: anitya samsare. We are already in a distressed place, and we are increasing our distressed condition of life. That means you are becoming more and more ass. By the name of so-called advancement of education. Jada-bidya jato, mayara vaibhava, tomara bhajane badha. If, by advancement of civilization, we forget God and forget the mission of our life, that is nothing but to become like an ass. Unnecessary working. The ass... The example is given, the ass, because ass has no sense. He works very hard. The... You have got experience. The washerman's ass, it is loaded with three tons of cloth and takes it to the ghata and again brings it. And what is the result? He gets little grass. That's all. But he has no sense that this grass, I can get anywhere. Why I am so working hard for this washerman? Therefore it is ass. I'll take four capatis, but I am working so hard. There is no limit of my working. And one day Krsna comes. Please get out. Finished. So we are all asses. Therefore Kaviraja Gosvami says: krsna yei bhaje se bada catura. Only intelligent man is he who is Krsna conscious. Otherwise all asses.

Krsna yei bhaje se bada catura. So that bhajana Krsna is teaching us. He's beginning the yoga system:

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]

He's first-class yogi. So we shall discuss first-class yogi from tomorrow again. Thank you very much.

Question: To what extent the Society has succeeded in India for propagating Krsna consciousness?

Prabhupada: Now you have come, it is success. It is success. You have come to Krsna consciousness. That is our success. Formerly you were not coming. Now you have come. So that is our success.

Question: ... Western materialistic countries, quite dangerous materialistic country, where India is forgotten in the ... of the...? (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Because there is great propaganda to curb down by your leaders. They are naturally inclined. Anyone who takes birth in India, it is to be supposed that in this past life, he was spiritual. Bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. There is great opportunity for persons who are born in India for spiritual advancement. Unfortunately by force, by propaganda, we are suppressing them. That is the cause. We are suppressing them. Otherwise still we get experience. We hold these Hare Krsna Festival in Calcutta, Bombay, and other places. Here also. Many thousands of people are coming. Because at heart there is Krsna consciousness, but, by external forces, they are being suppressed. That is going on. It is not natural. It is unnatural. Natural is every Indian is Krsna conscious. That is natural. By artificial means they are being suppressed. This is the misfortune of the present day of India. [break] ...can be done? In the educational system no Bhagavad-gita. Just see. How much unfortunate... One Indian girl in Berkeley University, she asked me, "Swamiji, what is God?" Just see. She's Indian, where God takes birth, Ramacandra, Krsna, and she is now materially advanced. Now she is asking what is God. This is our position. The land where God come, from that land a advanced student is asking: "What is God?" This is our advancement. Hare Krsna.

Question: Is it necessary that God should be worshiped in particular form only?

Prabhupada: Well, there is only one form, bhakti. There is no other form. It is not a particular. It is the only. Just like there are nine holes in your body. The only one hole will be used for eating. Not other holes. If you pushed your foodstuff in other holes, it will be useless. Similarly God is one, and to understand God the only process is bhakti. That's all. There is no other process.

Question: How may a devotee arrive to this particular form?

Prabhupada: This is in the sastras. God says: bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Only through devotion one can understand Me. So not the devotee has discovered. God says: "This is the only way." If you want to know God, you must know Him by the process He recommends, Don't discover your own way. Not that yato mata tato patha. You discover all rascal mata and God will be available. No. If you want to know God, then this is the only: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. That is the only way. There is no other way. Chant. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972

"The Minister Of Defence Has"

76/12/12 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.12



Prabhupada:

na tv evaham jatu nasam
na tvam neme janadhipah
na caiva na bhavisyamah
sarve vayam atah param
[Bg. 2.12]

Krsna says that na tu eva aham na tvam na ime janadhipah: "Either I or you or all these people who have assembled here in this battlefield, janadhipah, kings..." In the battlefield, janadhipah, they are not ordinary men. Now in the battlefield the poor mercenaries, they go to give their life, whereas the janadhipah, the leaders of the people, they sit down very comfortably. They do not go to the battlefield. They simply give order in writing, and the poor mercenaries, paid soldiers, they are paid for giving their life. Money is so sweet that one is prepared to give his life for money. Such men are sent to the war field. And the janadhipah, they are after also money, but they carefully avoid the battlefield. Minister of Defense, perhaps he has never seen a battlefield, Minister of Defense. Formerly it was not like that. When there was fight, because they are ksatriyas... Ksatriyas, they will never go back from fighting. Yuddhe capy apalayanam. That is the symptom of ksatriya. When there is fight, they will come forward first. Sauryam tejo... Viryam yuddhe capy apalayanam isvara-bhavas ca danam ca. Ksatriyas means they are very powerful, strong, and when there is fight, a ksatriya, if he is challenged by somebody that "I want to fight with you," he cannot deny. "Yes. What kind of fight you want, bows, arrows, or club, or sword?" Any way they will fight. And fight means until one is dead, the fight will go on. That is fight.

When Krsna and Arjuna and Bhima went to Jarasandha... Jarasandha was very powerful king. So before Maharaja Yudhisthira's becoming the emperor, it was the system that all the other kings within this world, they must submit, either submit or fight. So Krsna and Arjuna and Bhima went to Jarasandha. He was very charitable to the brahmanas, and these three persons went there, dressing themselves as poor brahmanas. So in the assembly they begged from Jarasandha, "Sir, we have come to beg from you for fight." Krsna, to save the other soldiers, He advised that "Let us fight with Jarasandha alone. Why he should unnecessarily bring so many soldiers and we have to also? Why these poor soldiers will give life? Better go, let us individually fight." So Jarasandha could understand that "They are ksatriyas. They have come in the dress of a brahmana to beg," because ksatriya cannot beg. So he accepted, "Yes." Then he selected Bhima to fight with him. He rejected Arjuna and Krsna also, that "You are not fit for fighting with me." So there was fighting for twenty-eight days. Fighting was going on from morning to evening. And at night they were friends. Bhima, Arjuna, and Krsna was the guest, and he received them as guests. They were eating together, talking together. In the morning again fighting. This is ksatriya. It is sport, sporting, but that sporting was meant for... Until one dies, the fighting will go on.

So yuddhe capy apalayanam. This is the qualification of ksatriya. So here it is said, Krsna... Krsna is chariot driver of Arjuna. So He says, janadhipah. There were many kings. Different parts of the world, they joined. Janadhipah, the leaders, when there is fight the leaders must come forward. And as soon as the leaders are killed, then it is victory, not by killing the soldiers or common men by atomic bomb. No. That was not fighting. So Krsna says, na tu eva aham. Krsna is individual person. God is person also. Vetti. The one who does not know what is God, they think impersonally, but God is person. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He appeared upon this earth as person, as the son of Vasudeva. He acted as person. The original God is person, not imperson. Imperson is a feature. Just like the sunshine. This is an imperson, but the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. That is local place, and within the sun globe there is sun god. He's person. He's not imperson. Similarly, the impersonal feature, brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11], Absolute Truth... The imperson is a feature of God, anga-jyoti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. It is the bodily rays, impersonal Brahman. But God is person. Here He said that na tu eva aham. Aham means "I am person," jatu, "at any time," nasam, "we are not annihilated." Na tu, na tvam: "You are also not annihilated." Because Arjuna is jiva, and Krsna is God, so both of them are existing, part and parcel. Just like this sunshine.

What is the sunshine? It is very small atomic particles of shining material. This is sunshine, combined together. Similarly, we are also a small particle of the rays, bodily rays of God. We are living entities, very minute particle. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah jiva-loke sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]. So we are also individual, and God is also individual person. "And all the kings, all the soldiers assembled, they are also individual." So this individuality is never lost. Krsna says that "At present we are individuals, and in the past we are individuals." Then one may say, "In the future we may become one, amalgamated," as the Mayavadi philosopher says that as soon as we become liberated, we become one with the Absolute. No, that is not fact. Here it is said, na ca eva na bhavisyamah: "It is not that in future we shall not remain individual. We shall remain individual." Na bhavisyamah na. Two negatives makes one positive. That means "In the future also we shall exist as individual." Na caiva na bhavisyamah sarve, "all of us." "All" means Krsna says, "I, you, and all the other peoples, kings, and soldiers, we shall remain as individual." Then where is oneness? This Mayavadi theory that after liberation we shall all become one with God, that is not mentioned here. This is bogus theory. Real, that we remain individual. So long we are not in a position to act means so long... Just like ghost. Ghost is also individual. But because the ghost does not get this material body they are invisible. They create disturbance for want of this body. Those who have got experience of ghost in some house, the ghost is there, he is individual soul, but because he hasn't got this material covering, that is a punishment. For the most sinful person, that is a punishment, that he does not get this body, although he wants this body, because for enjoyment we want this body. Body is the combination of senses, instrument. If I want to touch you I require hand, and through hand I'll feel the pleasure of touching you. So the ghost wants to touch, but he hasn't got the instrument. That is ghost. But there are ghost. It is not fictitious. It is a fact. Ghost means without this material body.

So so long we are materially contaminated, we require this material body for enjoying senses. And the spiritual world, we get our spiritual body developed. So there is no question of becoming ghost or... Individual, there is. The person is always existing. That is the purport of this verse. Na caiva na bhavisyamah sarve vayam atah param. Atah param, "after this," means after this body is ended the individuality continues; simply we change our body. This is the version, and it is explained in the next verse, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. We are individual always, but we are changing this body from one type of body to another body according to our karma. Karmana daiva-netrena jantur deha-upapatti [SB 3.31.1]. By superior examination we get a body, karmana. So at the time of death it is decided what kind of body you are going to have next. That is decided by superior authority. You cannot dictate that "Give me this body," or "I don't want this body. I want a body..." No. That is not in your hand. You can do, you are given freedom. In the human form of life you are given freedom to act although there is direction that "You act like this." But if you don't like, you can act. Yathecchasi tatha kuru. You can act, but you become implicated with your karma because you have to act according to the modes of nature.

The modes of nature are three: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So if you act in sattva-guna, then you will be promoted to the higher planetary system. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. If you act in the rajo-guna, then madhye tisthanti rajasah. And if you act in tamo-guna, then jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. Jaghanya. Tamasah means very abominable activities. The other day I was speaking. I saw one gentleman, Indian gentleman. He was eating the intestines of hog in the airplane. That is very palatable, they say. Tamo-guna, most tamo-guna. Hog, the stool-eater, and its intestine, that is cooked, and he's eating. How much tamo-guna. Jaghanya. Jaghanya guna-vrtti, very abominable. So next life he is going to be a hog. This is going on. We are in this material nature. Purusah prakrti-stho hi bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan [Bg. 13.22]. We are in this material world according to our association with different modes of nature. We are making one type of mentality, and at the time of death, that mental position is responsible for carrying me in a different type of body. In this way we are changing body one after another.

So we are spirit soul. This is the chance of rectifying or purifying our existence. If we like, we can purify our existence in this human form of life. This Krsna consciousness movement means to purify the existence, and after death, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If you become perfect in Krsna consciousness, means you understand Krsna... Janma karma ca me divyam yo janati [Bg. 4.9]. Simply by understanding and acting accordingly, you can purify your existence, and next life means after giving up this body... This body we have to give up. But those who are not purifying their existence, they will accept another material body. And those who have purified the existence, they will go back home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976

"The Minister Of Defence Has"

76/12/12 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.12



Prabhupada:

na tv evaham jatu nasam
na tvam neme janadhipah
na caiva na bhavisyamah
sarve vayam atah param
[Bg. 2.12]

Krsna says that na tu eva aham na tvam na ime janadhipah: "Either I or you or all these people who have assembled here in this battlefield, janadhipah, kings..." In the battlefield, janadhipah, they are not ordinary men. Now in the battlefield the poor mercenaries, they go to give their life, whereas the janadhipah, the leaders of the people, they sit down very comfortably. They do not go to the battlefield. They simply give order in writing, and the poor mercenaries, paid soldiers, they are paid for giving their life. Money is so sweet that one is prepared to give his life for money. Such men are sent to the war field. And the janadhipah, they are after also money, but they carefully avoid the battlefield. Minister of Defense, perhaps he has never seen a battlefield, Minister of Defense. Formerly it was not like that. When there was fight, because they are ksatriyas... Ksatriyas, they will never go back from fighting. Yuddhe capy apalayanam. That is the symptom of ksatriya. When there is fight, they will come forward first. Sauryam tejo... Viryam yuddhe capy apalayanam isvara-bhavas ca danam ca. Ksatriyas means they are very powerful, strong, and when there is fight, a ksatriya, if he is challenged by somebody that "I want to fight with you," he cannot deny. "Yes. What kind of fight you want, bows, arrows, or club, or sword?" Any way they will fight. And fight means until one is dead, the fight will go on. That is fight.

When Krsna and Arjuna and Bhima went to Jarasandha... Jarasandha was very powerful king. So before Maharaja Yudhisthira's becoming the emperor, it was the system that all the other kings within this world, they must submit, either submit or fight. So Krsna and Arjuna and Bhima went to Jarasandha. He was very charitable to the brahmanas, and these three persons went there, dressing themselves as poor brahmanas. So in the assembly they begged from Jarasandha, "Sir, we have come to beg from you for fight." Krsna, to save the other soldiers, He advised that "Let us fight with Jarasandha alone. Why he should unnecessarily bring so many soldiers and we have to also? Why these poor soldiers will give life? Better go, let us individually fight." So Jarasandha could understand that "They are ksatriyas. They have come in the dress of a brahmana to beg," because ksatriya cannot beg. So he accepted, "Yes." Then he selected Bhima to fight with him. He rejected Arjuna and Krsna also, that "You are not fit for fighting with me." So there was fighting for twenty-eight days. Fighting was going on from morning to evening. And at night they were friends. Bhima, Arjuna, and Krsna was the guest, and he received them as guests. They were eating together, talking together. In the morning again fighting. This is ksatriya. It is sport, sporting, but that sporting was meant for... Until one dies, the fighting will go on.

So yuddhe capy apalayanam. This is the qualification of ksatriya. So here it is said, Krsna... Krsna is chariot driver of Arjuna. So He says, janadhipah. There were many kings. Different parts of the world, they joined. Janadhipah, the leaders, when there is fight the leaders must come forward. And as soon as the leaders are killed, then it is victory, not by killing the soldiers or common men by atomic bomb. No. That was not fighting. So Krsna says, na tu eva aham. Krsna is individual person. God is person also. Vetti. The one who does not know what is God, they think impersonally, but God is person. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He appeared upon this earth as person, as the son of Vasudeva. He acted as person. The original God is person, not imperson. Imperson is a feature. Just like the sunshine. This is an imperson, but the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. That is local place, and within the sun globe there is sun god. He's person. He's not imperson. Similarly, the impersonal feature, brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11], Absolute Truth... The imperson is a feature of God, anga-jyoti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. It is the bodily rays, impersonal Brahman. But God is person. Here He said that na tu eva aham. Aham means "I am person," jatu, "at any time," nasam, "we are not annihilated." Na tu, na tvam: "You are also not annihilated." Because Arjuna is jiva, and Krsna is God, so both of them are existing, part and parcel. Just like this sunshine.

What is the sunshine? It is very small atomic particles of shining material. This is sunshine, combined together. Similarly, we are also a small particle of the rays, bodily rays of God. We are living entities, very minute particle. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah jiva-loke sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]. So we are also individual, and God is also individual person. "And all the kings, all the soldiers assembled, they are also individual." So this individuality is never lost. Krsna says that "At present we are individuals, and in the past we are individuals." Then one may say, "In the future we may become one, amalgamated," as the Mayavadi philosopher says that as soon as we become liberated, we become one with the Absolute. No, that is not fact. Here it is said, na ca eva na bhavisyamah: "It is not that in future we shall not remain individual. We shall remain individual." Na bhavisyamah na. Two negatives makes one positive. That means "In the future also we shall exist as individual." Na caiva na bhavisyamah sarve, "all of us." "All" means Krsna says, "I, you, and all the other peoples, kings, and soldiers, we shall remain as individual." Then where is oneness? This Mayavadi theory that after liberation we shall all become one with God, that is not mentioned here. This is bogus theory. Real, that we remain individual. So long we are not in a position to act means so long... Just like ghost. Ghost is also individual. But because the ghost does not get this material body they are invisible. They create disturbance for want of this body. Those who have got experience of ghost in some house, the ghost is there, he is individual soul, but because he hasn't got this material covering, that is a punishment. For the most sinful person, that is a punishment, that he does not get this body, although he wants this body, because for enjoyment we want this body. Body is the combination of senses, instrument. If I want to touch you I require hand, and through hand I'll feel the pleasure of touching you. So the ghost wants to touch, but he hasn't got the instrument. That is ghost. But there are ghost. It is not fictitious. It is a fact. Ghost means without this material body.

So so long we are materially contaminated, we require this material body for enjoying senses. And the spiritual world, we get our spiritual body developed. So there is no question of becoming ghost or... Individual, there is. The person is always existing. That is the purport of this verse. Na caiva na bhavisyamah sarve vayam atah param. Atah param, "after this," means after this body is ended the individuality continues; simply we change our body. This is the version, and it is explained in the next verse, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. We are individual always, but we are changing this body from one type of body to another body according to our karma. Karmana daiva-netrena jantur deha-upapatti [SB 3.31.1]. By superior examination we get a body, karmana. So at the time of death it is decided what kind of body you are going to have next. That is decided by superior authority. You cannot dictate that "Give me this body," or "I don't want this body. I want a body..." No. That is not in your hand. You can do, you are given freedom. In the human form of life you are given freedom to act although there is direction that "You act like this." But if you don't like, you can act. Yathecchasi tatha kuru. You can act, but you become implicated with your karma because you have to act according to the modes of nature.

The modes of nature are three: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So if you act in sattva-guna, then you will be promoted to the higher planetary system. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. If you act in the rajo-guna, then madhye tisthanti rajasah. And if you act in tamo-guna, then jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. Jaghanya. Tamasah means very abominable activities. The other day I was speaking. I saw one gentleman, Indian gentleman. He was eating the intestines of hog in the airplane. That is very palatable, they say. Tamo-guna, most tamo-guna. Hog, the stool-eater, and its intestine, that is cooked, and he's eating. How much tamo-guna. Jaghanya. Jaghanya guna-vrtti, very abominable. So next life he is going to be a hog. This is going on. We are in this material nature. Purusah prakrti-stho hi bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan [Bg. 13.22]. We are in this material world according to our association with different modes of nature. We are making one type of mentality, and at the time of death, that mental position is responsible for carrying me in a different type of body. In this way we are changing body one after another.

So we are spirit soul. This is the chance of rectifying or purifying our existence. If we like, we can purify our existence in this human form of life. This Krsna consciousness movement means to purify the existence, and after death, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If you become perfect in Krsna consciousness, means you understand Krsna... Janma karma ca me divyam yo janati [Bg. 4.9]. Simply by understanding and acting accordingly, you can purify your existence, and next life means after giving up this body... This body we have to give up. But those who are not purifying their existence, they will accept another material body. And those who have purified the existence, they will go back home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976