What Devotees Want and Don't Want

Srila Prabhupada speaks on:

 

What Devotees Want and Don't Want

73/01/01 Bombay

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Pradyumna: (reading:) Nectar of Devotion. "This eternal engagement in bhakti-rasa can be understood by a serious student upon studying The Nectar of Devotion. Adoption of bhakti-rasa, or Krsna consciousness, will immediately bring one to an auspicious life free from anxieties and will bless one with transcendental existence, thus minimizing the value of liberation. Bhakti-rasa itself is sufficient to bring a feeling of liberation because it attracts the attention of the Supreme Lord, Krsna. Generally, neophyte devotees are anxious to see Krsna, or God, but God cannot be seen or known by our present materially blunt senses. The process of devotional service as it is recommended in The Nectar of Devotion will gradually elevate one from the material condition of life to the spiritual status, wherein the devotee becomes purified of all designations."

Prabhupada: Yes. The process of seeing God... Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adhah. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]]. Just like a person suffering from some disease, his eyesight is blocked. He has got the eyesight to see, but on account of some cataract disease, he cannot see. Similarly God is there, and I can see Him also. But the cataract of illusion is covering via media between God and me. Therefore in the Brahma-samhita it is said:

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.38]

That treatment is to invoke your dormant love for God. That is the treatment. We have got love for God. We want to love somebody, either man or woman, even animals. You'll find between the two dogs, there is love. They are jumping over one another, playing very nicely. Sometimes the mother dog is pretending to bite the cub, but it actually it is not biting.

So this loving propensity is there, living entity. Every living entity -- it doesn't matter whether he is man or animal -- the love is there. But at the present moment, it is being pervertedly reflected. Just like love between Krsna and mother Yasoda, that love is reflected here also between the mother and the child, the same love. Because unless there is love in the Absolute, there cannot be any exhibition of love in the relative world. The Vedanta-sutra says, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. The, everything is emanating from the Absolute. So there is love. Just like Radha-Krsna love, Kisora-kisori, young Krsna, young Radharani. This love is pervertedly reflected in this material world which is in the name of love, but it is lust; therefore it is called perverted reflection. Lust because the, a young boy, a young girl mix together, they love together, but a slight disagreement, they separate. Why? Because that is not love. That is lust. The lust is going on in the name of love. But the reflection is from there. Therefore it is called maya. The same love between father and mother, father and son, vatsalya-rasa, madhurya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, friendship... Here, we have got friends, but a slight disagreement, we separate. Master and servant -- dasya-rasa. A servant is very faithful so long you pay. As soon as you stop payment, no more service. Finished.

Therefore it is to be understood that the love with Krsna in the platform of madhurya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, dasya-rasa, santa-rasa, that is the real platform, in the spiritual world. And because the love affairs are there in the Absolute, that is reflected in this relative world. And here is also the same love is there, but it is not very palatable. It is not without any fault. There are so many faults. Therefore real love can be reciprocated with Krsna. In the material world, there cannot be any real love. Therefore the real love cannot be appreciated with our, this material senses. Whatever we appreciate or experience by the material senses, that is not love, that is lust. Motive. There is some motive. One is friend of another person, very intimate friends, both of them have got some motive. As soon as the motive is frustrated, they separate. These things, we find. Even husband and wife, as soon as the sense gratification is disturbed, immediately there is divorce between husband and wife. So... (aside, in response to background noise:) What is this outside?

Devotee: Outside... Next door...

Prabhupada: That's all right. No. Doesn't matter.

Devotee: Shut these doors.

Prabhupada: Therefore we have to invoke our love for Krsna. Then our loving propensities will be actually satisfied. Otherwise we'll be frustrated. Otherwise, we'll be frustrate... That is going on. We may admit or not admit, but this frustration of love affair is going on. So if we... That same thing we repose in Krsna. If I want to love my son, if I accept Krsna as my son... Just like Yasodamayi accepted. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but by devotional service, He agrees to become a son. Just like Yasodamayi and Nanda Maharaja, in their previous lives they underwent severe austerities, and their aim was that "We shall have a son like God, like Krsna." So after their performance of austerities for many thousands of years, when Krsna appeared before them, "What benediction you want?" so they proposed that "We want a son like You. Then we enter into family life. Otherwise not." So Krsna said that "Why shall I get a son like Me? I shall become your son." This is the fact. Therefore, although Krsna took His birth as the son and, sons of Devaki and Vasudeva, immediately ordered Vasudeva to transfer Him to Vrndavana to Yasoda. So the pleasure of having son was enjoyed by Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja, not Devaki and Vasudeva, although they really gave birth to... And when Krsna was grown up, then went to His real father, Vasudeva, and Devaki. So actually Krsna's crawling, Krsna's disturbing the mother, Krsna's stealing the butter, and so many things, as child does, reciprocates with the father and mother, parent, these lila was demonstrated in Vrndavana, although mother Yasoda and Vasudeva, I mean to say, Nanda Maharaja, they were foster father and mother.

So everyone can have Krsna as his sons. Everyone can have Krsna as his friend. Everyone can have Krsna as his master. Dak, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, madhurya-rasa. Even everyone can have Krsna as their paramour. These things are very difficult to understand, but these rasas... They are called rasas. Parakiya-rasa. The parakiya-rasa means just like a man or woman has got his husband or wife, but he has got love with others. That is called parakiya-rasa. That is most abominable in this material world, but that is most first-class thing in the spiritual world. Parakiya-rase yanha brajete pracara. So these things are very higher principles of spiritual life. But we can understand that whatever we are experiencing in this material world, that thing, in its pure form, is existing in the Supreme Absolute. That is the fact. Otherwise they cannot be manifested in this material... Just like on the bank of a tank, pond, there is a tree, and you find the tree just upverted. The upper portion of the tree has gone down. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita. Find out in the Fifteenth Chapter: urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham asvattham prahur avyayam [Bg. 15.1]. Find out this verse. This material world is the reflection, urdhva mulam. Generally the tree has got its root down, but the material world... So... It is described as a big banyan tree, but the root is upwards. Read it.

Pradyumna:

sri bhagavan uvaca
urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham
asvattham prahur avyayam
chandamsi yasya parnani
yas tam veda sa veda-vit
 [Bg. 15.1]

Prabhupada: Yas tam veda sa veda-vit. What is the translation?

Pradyumna: "The Blessed Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas."

Prabhupada: Yes. One who knows this tree, he knows the Vedas. That means the Vedas says, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. That is the Vedanta-sutra. Wherefrom this material world is coming? That is Absolute Truth. The atheist class men, they cannot think that there is a cause. In the Sixteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita: jagad ahur anisvara. Jagad ahur anisvara. What is that? Find out. Sixteenth Chapter. They say that this material cosmic manifestation, manifestation, this world is... Uh? Uh?

Pradyumna: Could we have the verse again?

Devotee: Jagad ahur anisvaram [Bg. 16.8].

Prabhupada: No, that is the last word. You find out, Sixteenth Chapter.

Pradyumna: Tasmac chastram pramanam te...

Prabhupada: No, no, no. In the beginning. Beginning, read, Sixteenth Chapter.

Pradyumna:

abhayam sattva-samsuddhir
jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih
danam damas ca yajnas ca
svadhyayas tapa arjavam

ahimsa satyam akrodhas
tyagah santir apaisunam
daya bhutesv aloluptvam
mardavam hrir acapalam

tejah ksama dhrtih saucam
adroho nati manita
bhavanti sampadam daivim
abhijatasya bharata
 [Bg. 16.1-3]

Prabhupada: Daivim. These are daivi sampada, spiritual qualifications. And what is the material qualification? Next?

Pradyumna:

dambo darpo 'bhimanas ca
krodhah parusyam eva ca
ajnanam cabhijatasya
partha sampadam asurim
 [Bg. 16.4]

Prabhupada: Asurim. These are the asurim qualities. Read the translation.

Pradyumna: "Arrogance, pride, anger, conceit, harshness and ignorance; these qualities belong to those of demoniac nature, O son of Prtha."

Prabhupada: Yes. The first word, the most important thing is that ignorance. They do not know actually things as they are, but still they become leader. Andha yathandair upaniyamanam. Then what is their other qualities? Go on.

Pradyumna:

daivi sampad vimoksaya
nibandhayasuri mata
ma sucah sampadam daivim
abhijato 'si pandava
 [Bg. 16.5]

Prabhupada: Daivi sampad. If you acquire daivi sampad, then you become liberated from this material bondage. But if you acquire the asuric sampad, then you become entangled. Go on, next?

Pradyumna:

dvau bhuta-sargau loke 'smin
daiva asura eva ca
daivo vistarasah prokta
asuram partha me srnu
 [Bg. 16.6]

Prabhupada: Now Krsna says that there are two kinds of men, two classes of men. One class, daiva, or demigods, the other class, asura. So "I've spoken many things about the daivas. Now I shall speak about the symptoms of the asuras." What is the asuras?

Pradyumna:

pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
 [Bg. 16.7]

Prabhupada: Now describe this.

 

Pradyumna: "Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not be done."

Prabhupada: That is the first qualification of the demons. They do not know what is right doing and what is wrong doing. Suppose we, just like we restrict anyone who comes to our camp to become our student, we restrict that "You should not do this" or "You should do this." Anywhere, if you go to a physician, he'll say also that "You shall do this." Some "do's" and some "do not's." So the asuras, they do not know, because they have no direction, they do not know what are the "do's" and what are the "do not's." This is the first qualification of the asuras. They do not know. Because they do not like to take lesson from superior. They manufacture their own lesson. Then?

Pradyumna:

na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
 [Bg. 16.7]

Prabhupada: Now... Then?

Pradyumna: Asatyam apratistham...

Prabhupada: This is the... Asatyam... This is the first word. Asatyam.

Pradyumna: Apratistham te jagad...

Prabhupada: Jagad ahur anisvaram [Bg. 16.8]. This is their first proposition. There is zero, asatyam. (pause) I, I... Asatyam apratistham te. They, they do not find out that there is a cause of this material manifestation. Without any cause. The materialistic scientists say, "There was a chunk, and..." What is that? Chunk theory? Come on. So that all of a sudden the chunk became disturbed and there was... And the creation came into existence. So jagad ahur anisvaram [Bg. 16.8]. "There is no God. There is no existence of God." Every religion says... The Christian religion also says, the Muhammadan religion says, the Hindu religion says that God created this cosmic manifestation or this material world. But the asuras will say, "There is no God. There is no creator." Jagad ahur anisvaram [Bg. 16.8]. Then?

Pradyumna: Aparaspara-sambhutam kim anyat kama-haitukam.

Prabhupada: Aparaspara-sambhutam kim anyat kama-haitukam. Just like a man and woman accidentally unite and there is a child, similarly, there is no purpose. Somehow or other, the material energy came into existence, and therefore there is creation. This is their argument. This is asuric argument, or the demoniac argument. But the Vedas says, "No." Vedas says that janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. There is original. Absolute Truth, or God, is He from (whom) everything emanates. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. And that God must be sentient. He's not zero. Not zero. The sunyavadi. He has got brain. He's person. That is explained. The Vedanta-sutra says, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Now they, that Absolute Truth, from where everything is emanating, is discussed in the beginning of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore Bhagavatam is accepted as the real commentary on the Vedanta-sutra. Real commentary. Bhasyam brahma-sutranam **. Vedartha paribrmhitam. These are the statements. This is accepted by the acaryas. In the Gaudiya-sampradaya, therefore, the Gosvamis, they did not write any comment on the Vedanta-sutra although other acaryas like Ramanujacarya, Madhavacarya, they wrote commentaries on the Bhagavad, uh, Vedanta-sutra. But our Gosvamis, they did not write purposefully, because they accept that there is already natural perfect commentary written by the same author, Vyasadeva, the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhasyam brahma-sutranam **.

So Vedanta-sutra says, answer, the first aphorism is: athato brahma jijnasa. Brahman, the Absolute, that is the main business of the human life, to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Here everything is relative truth. I am the son of my father. My father is the son of his father. His father is the son of his father. You go on. Everything is relative. But who is the Absolute? Who is the Absolute? That inquiry is called Brahma-jijnasa. Who is the original father? Then if you go on searching like that, within this universe you'll find Lord Brahma is the origin. He's called, therefore, pitamaha, Lord Brahma. But if you still inquire further, who is the father of Brahma, then you come to Garbhodakasayi Visnu. From the Garbhodakasayi Visnu, from His abdomen, there sprouted a lotus flower, and (on) the lotus flower, Brahma was born. Therefore Brahma's another name is Svayambhur. He did not come out through the womb of his mother, although the mother was present. Kar..., Garbhodakasayi Visnu, we have seen the picture. Laksmiji is massaging the lotus feet of Visnu, and Brahma is sprouted from the abdomen. So this is called omnipotency. Generally we have got this idea that a child is born from the yoni, but here Krsna gives birth to a child without the help of His wife and from His abdomen. This is called omnipotency. We say, "God is omnipotent," but how God is omnipotent, that we do not know practically. Here is omnipotency. That is explained in the Brahma-samhita:

angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti
pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti
ananda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.32]

Krsna, He can act anything with any limb, part of His body. Krsna can eat with His eyes, and Krsna can hear with His eyes. Krsna can cut by touching. These are there in the sastras. Just like Krsna, when, when entered Mathura, He asked the washerman of Kamsa to deliver some cloth, but he refused. So Krsna immediately cut off his head with His hand without any obstacle. So that is omnipotency. Angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti pasyanti panti kalayanti... [Bs. 5.32]. Just like we offer prasadam. We offer foodstuff to Krsna. Atheist class will say that "You have offered Krsna this foodstuff, but He has not eaten. It is there still lying." No. He does not see. He does not know that Krsna can eat simply by His glance, by seeing. He eats. Because He says in the Bhagavad-gita that patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham asnami [Bg. 9.26]. Is He speaking lies? No. He eats, but we do not know His eating process. We compare Krsna as ourself. If one plate is given to me, I immediately devour the whole thing. But Krsna, He is complete. He can eat the complete; still it remains complete. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate [Iso Invocation].

So in this way we have to understand Krsna from the sastra, from the Vedas. Then we shall understand Krsna. And once we understand Krsna, our life is successful. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Anyone who understands Krsna in truth, his life is perfect. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. The perfection of life is that after giving up this body, we shall not accept any more material body. That is perfection. The people do not know that. They think... People, the karmis, they think that "If we get a nice body in the heavenly planet, that is perfection of life." Svargaloka. And the jnanis, they think that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul. But somehow or other, if we finish my body, and merge into the Brahman effulgence, that is perfection of life." The yogis, they think that "We may keep this body, but with this body, if we can play some jugglery, magic, that is perfection of life." Sometimes we see somebody plays some jugglery, magic, little magic, not very nice magic... One cannot show greater magic than Krsna, because Krsna, when He was seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill with little finger. So who can show this magic? There are so many imitation Gods, but if I ask him that "You just lift this one hundred kilo burden with your finger," it will be very difficult for him. You see.

So this kind of magic, or this kind of perfection, the devotees do not want. The devotees, they say... Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching us,

na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
 [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]

This is devotee. Therefore devotee's called akama. They have no demand. They are satisfied in any condition of life. But they only pray to Krsna that his devotion to Krsna may not be disturbed. May not be disturbed. He doesn't want anything in exchange of his devotional service. That is pure devotion. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. When we engage ourself in this pure, unadulterated devotional service, then we qualify ourself to see God. So long we are not pure devotees... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. And when that stage of bhakti comes in?

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
 [Bg. 18.54]

When one has (become) self-realized. Brahman, aham brahmasmi. So long we are identifying with this body, identifying with this material existence, bodily, bodily existence, that is animal life. That is not human life. A human being, if he exists in this bodily concept of life, he remains animal. But when he is advanced in knowledge, he understands that he is not this body; he's different from this body.

That we are discussing in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita: idam sariram ksetram iti abhidhiyate. Idam sariram. This sarira is field of activities. One should not identify with this body. So when one actually understands his spiritual position, that he's not this body, he's spirit soul, he's brahma-vatsu... It is not we become Brahman by meditation or by somebody. We are Brahman, but we have now forgotten. Jiva-bhuta. At the present moment, because I'm identifying with this body, I'm thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian, " "I am brahmana," "I am Vaisnava," "I am this or that." No. When we are actually brahma-bhutah, as explained by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. That is self-realization. When we understand perfectly well that "I am eternal servant of God," servant... I'm not God; I'm servant of God. But one cannot be servant of God without becoming God. That they do not know, the Mayavadi philosophers. Servant... Just like if one becomes secretary or servant of a very big man, he's in the same position. He's sitting on the same place. He's eating the same way. He's in the same atmosphere. So everything is same. Simply the relationship is different. That's all. So when one goes to the spiritual world... Just like the cowherd boys, the gopis, they are on the same platform of Krsna. They do not think that "We are lesser than Krsna." The cowherds boy, they sometimes chastise Krsna. Krsna is obliged to take them on the shoulder. Sometimes. They do not know that Krsna is God, or "Krsna is greater than me." That is the position. Equality.

Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami said:

ittham (satam) brahma-sukhanubhutya
dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
mayasritanam nara-darakena
sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah
 [SB 10.12.11]

These cowherd boys who are playing with Krsna, they are not ordinary human being. They are very, very advanced in spiritual assets. Krta-punya-punjah. When they are... Just like you accumulate money. When you have got too much accumulation, ten crores of rupees, like that... When one's pious activities becomes accumulated in voluminous attitude, at that time, one is... That means when one is completely free from the material contamination, brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu [Bg. 18.54]. When one has, one is actually learned, panditah sama-darsinah. A devotee has no distinction between this living entity or that living entity.

vidya-vinaye-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
 [Bg. 5.18]

This sama-darsinah, equality, cannot be possible in material vision. That is not possible. One must elevate himself to the spiritual platform. Then panditah sama-darsinah. That is after brahma-bhutah stage. Brahma bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati, samah sarvesu bhutesu [Bg. 18.54]. When one has attained this stage, then he can enter mad-bhaktim labhate param. That is, that is really bhakti's platform. That bhakti platform means elimination of all material contamination.

So one who becomes engaged immediately in pure devotional service, he immediately becomes liberated. Immediately. Without any distant time. Immediately. Tad ksanat sraddha bhavati, sraddha savanaya kalpate. Jiva Gosvami (says) that one who, even one is born in the lowest degree, sva-pacah, sraddha savanaya kalpate, he becomes immediately eligible for performing sacrifices. There are sastra evidences. And Sukadeva Gosvami says,

kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa
abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah
ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah
sudhyanti (tasmai) prabhavisnave namah
 [SB 2.4.18]

Even born in kirata family, the aborigines... They, these, these names are of the candalas. They are not Aryans. Non-Aryans. So kirata-huna... In the Bhagavad-gita also Krsna says, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Papa-yoni. Striya sudra tatha vaisyas te 'pi yanti param gatim. Immediately. So the devotional service is so nice, practical, that simply if you take to this devotional service, immediately you become sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Then we are describing how to become brahma-bhutah. So brahma-bhutah means,

mam ca avyabhicarini
bhakti-yogena yah sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
 [Bg. 14.26]

Immediately he's raised to the brahma-bhutah platform.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that we are trying to engage everyone in pure devotional service. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Pure devotional service means to serve Krsna without any motive. That is pure. Without any motive. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady anavrtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Not by rendering service to Krsna, if one aspires to become liberated. That is the jnani's aspiration. They want to merge into the existence of Brahman. Therefore pure devotional service should be uncontaminated with that jnana idea also. Jnana-karmady anavrtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. The karmis, they want to be promoted to the higher planetary systems, heavenly planet. The jnanis, they want to become liberated. The yogis, they want some mystic power. But a devotee should be free from all these things. No mystic power, no elevation to the heavenly planet, no merging into the exi... Never mind. What Krsna desires, that's all right. He does not dictate anything, or he desires anything. That is pure devotional service. So there are many sastric injunctions. Evam prasanna-mana... So long you have got demand, you cannot be happy. That is one thing. Either you demand to be elevated to the heavenly planet, or you demand to be one with the Brahman, these are demands. Or if you want some mystic power, these are all demands. So, so long you'll have demand, you'll never be happy. You'll never be happy. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami sakali asanta. Asanta. Bhukti means the karmis, those who are demanding to, to be elevated in the heavenly planets, or higher planetary system for more, more elevated material happiness, they are called bhukti. Bhukti-kami-bhoga, enjoyment of the bodily concept of life. They are called bhukti-kami. Bhukti and mukti. Mukti means the jnanis, they want to be liberated from material bondage and merge into the existence of Brahman, Absolute. That is mukti. Bhukti, mukti and siddhi. And the yogis, they want siddhi, asta-siddhi. Anima, laghima. They can become more smaller than the smallest, bigger than the biggest. Prapti, isita vasita prakamya. There are eight kinds of siddhis the yogis can attain. But a devotee does not want all these things. He has no demand. These are the three demands: bhukti-mukti-siddhi. But devotee has no demand. That is the special qualification. Devotee never demands anything. Just like Dhruva Maharaja, as soon as appeared Krsna, he said: svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. "I don't say." So this is pure devotee. And as soon as you become pure devotee, then your love for Krsna becomes actual fact in the spiritual world, and you can associate with Krsna in conjugal love or as parent, or as friend, or as servant, in whatever... Or as trees or flower, as a water, as you desire. That is perfection of life. This is the perfection of bhakti.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973

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Slave vs. Revolting Mentality

Slave vs. Revolting Mentality

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.23
Bombay, January 1, 1975

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Nitai: "The material energy springs up from the mahat-tattva, which evolved from the Lord's own energy. The material ego is endowed predominantly with active power of three kinds -- good, passionate and ignorant. From these three types of material ego the mind, the senses of perception, and the organs of action, and the gross elements evolve."

Prabhupada:

mahat-tattvad vikurvanad
bhagavad-virya-sambhavat
kriya-saktir ahankaras
tri-vidhah samapadyata

vaikarikas taijasas ca
tamasas ca yato bhavah
manasas cendriyanam ca
bhutanam mahatam api
 [SB 3.26.23-24]

So the process of creation, how, one after another, it takes place, that is described here. So the total energy, mahat-tattva, by interaction, the begins... The moving, the pushing, begins from the bhagavad-viryata. Bhagavad-virya-sambhavat. Virya means energy. We understand virya sometimes -- the semina. It is something like that; not exactly the material semina, but potency or energy, spiritual energy. That is the beginning of creation.

So wherefrom the creative energy begins? That is... In the Vedic literature we understand, sa aiksata: "Simply by glancing." Not... When there is the word virya, it does not mean that, as in the material world, we discharge semina by sex intercourse. It is not like that. That virya, that energy, can be emanated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead any way. Therefore bhagavad-virya-sambhavat. In the Brahma-samhita it is said, angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. Viryata we can understand as semina discharged from the genital. It is not like that. Viryata, that virya or that energy, can be emanated from any part of the body, of the transcendental spiritual body, everywhere. That is called omnipotency. So just like Lord Brahma was born not from the womb of Laksmi Narayana... Narayana was lying down, and Laksmi was present. To beget Lord Brahma, there was no necessity of taking the help of Laksmiji. He sprouted a lotus flower from His navel, and there was Brahma. So everything is possible from every part of the body, transcendental body. That is spiritual body, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], omnipotent. That is explained in the Brahma-samhita, angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. The limbs and the parts of the body has got the potency of any other limb. Just like we can beget child, we can impregnate by the genital, but it is not required for the Supreme Personality of God. In the Vedas it is said, sa aiksata: "Simply by glancing the same." The same. "He glanced over the total material energy, and the material energy, total mahat-tattva, became agitated." Then, one after another, the creation was there.

So kriya-saktir ahankaras tri-vidhah. Kriya-sakti, the creative energy, kriya-sakti. God is not impotent. He is fully potent, and His energies are acting. We can experience in our daily life. So this kriya-sakti begins in three different categories, tri-vidhah. Kriya-saktir ahankaras tri-vidhah samapadyata. Ahankara, ego, identification, "I am." Everyone is conscious of his activities, ego: "I am doing this." But this ego, this is called false ego. This material, under the material energy, this ego, is called another way upadhi, designation. The real ego is aham brahmasmi: "I am spirit soul." But on account of being in touch, being born in this material world, my kriya-sakti, my activities, are being done under different designation, under tri-vidhah. Why under different designation. Because immediately there is creation, the gunamayi, the three kinds of modes of material nature, they also become manifest, and on account of this, our ego, false ego, association with a particular type of material modes of nature, I am thinking, "I am like this" or "I am this." Just like in this body, I am thinking, "I am a human being" or "I am Indian" or "I am brahmana" or "I am sannyasi," or this or that, so many things. Similarly, when I am in the dog's body, so I think, "I am dog. My business is barking and give service to the master." In different bodies different ego. This is called upadhi, upadhi, three kinds of upadhi: sattvika-upadhi, rajasika-upadhi, tamasika-upadhi. But originally there was no upadhi. The upadhi begins when the srsti, creation, begins under different ego.

So originally it is svacchatvam avikaritvam santatvam iti cetasah. The consciousness is pure. The same example, as we have explained yesterday, that the water is coming from the sky. Before touching the ground it is pure, crystal, distilled water. So before touching this material energy... Iccha-dvesa samutthena sarge yanti parantapa [Bg. 7.27]. Before our material body creation, in spiritual consciousness, it is clear, crystal clear. But when it is agitated by the material desires... In Bengali there is that poetry, krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. What is that? That desire is that "I can independently enjoy." The example... There are many such examples. Just like a man is honest, but if he becomes polluted by the desire that "If I can get that money by fair or unfair means, I will become rich, so let me take this money," so immediately mind becomes agitated, and it becomes under the spell of criminality. Then gradually, under superior judgment, I am put into the prison house.

So similarly, originally we are all pure, Krsna conscious, but as we have got little independence... Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore -- God has got full independence -- so we have got independence according to the quantity. Just like a small drop of ocean water has got a little quantity of salt also, similarly, we are anu, and God is vibhu; He is Prabhu, and we are servant; He is master, we are servant. The master has got independence, and the servant has also independence, not that because one is servant, he has no independence. He has got independence. If he likes, he can give up the service of the master and live independently. This is crude example. Similarly, our material contamination means that, when we desire to live without Krsna consciousness: "Why we shall be subservient to Krsna? We shall live independently..." That is going on.

Material life means everyone is trying to become victorious in the struggle of existence without God consciousness. That is our material disease. Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. We may revolt. That independence we have got, little independence, and we can misuse it, that "Why shall I serve Krsna? Let me serve myself." "Let me serve myself" means "Let me serve my different propensities, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya," like that. My independence means "I will not serve God; I will serve my lusty desires." You cannot become independent. This is a concoction only, that "I will not serve Krsna." But you have to serve. What is that? "Then I serve my lusty desires." Indriya-trpti, indriya-trpti. Yad indriya-pritaye. Simply to satisfy... Krsna consciousness means there is no such thing as indriya-trpti, or sense gratification. Everything for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Hrsika means the indriya, or the senses. That is stated here also, manasas cendriyanam ca bhutanam mahatam api, that different types of indriya for sense gratification, we develop. This is the creation, every one of us developing, and it is become complicated with so many other desires. Each life is full of desires.

Therefore in the Guru-stotra in the morning we recite, ar na koriho mane asa. Is it not? What is that?

Devotee: Ar na koriho mane asa.

Prabhupada: Ar na koriho mane asa. So that is required. Guru-mukha-padma-vakya...?

Devotee: Cittete koriya aikya.

Prabhupada: Cittete koriya aikya, ar na koriho mane asa. That is liberation. Otherwise we shall be implicated. And what guru says? Guru says the same thing as Krsna says. That is guru. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Krsna also... Guru also says the same thing. That is guru's business, that "You surrender to Krsna and fully be engaged in Krsna's service." So therefore Narottama dasa Thakura advises, "Take this very seriously." Ar na koriho mane asa: "No more. Stop any other desires." Then your life is successful. Ar na koriho mane asa.

vyavasayatmika buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-sakha hy anantas ca
buddhayo 'vyavasayinam
 [Bg. 2.41]

Buddhayo 'vyavasayinam. Vyavasayatmika, niscayatmika. "Now, my life will be successful when I accept very seriously the instruction given by Krsna and it is delivered to me through the transparent via media of guru. Then it will be successful." Ar na koriho mane asa.

So some way or other, originally, we are all Krsna conscious, pure, svaccha. Svacchatvam avikaritvam. Now vikurvanat, now, being transformed or agitated somehow or other... Anadi karama-phale, padi' bhavarnava-jale. We cannot ascertain when this transformation took place. There is no necessity of making research how we fell in this material contamination or envelopment. But we should be intelligent enough to understand that we are fallen now. That is... How we fell -- you can trace out the history, but it is very difficult because anadi karama-phale, nobody can ascertain. Just like when a man is diseased he goes to doctor. So when he goes to the doctor, the doctor gives him medicine according to the symptoms and the diagnosis. There is no necessity of find out the history, how he fell diseased. There is history, but that is not possible to trace out. Therefore it is said, anadi karama-phale. Anadi. Anadi means... Adi means the creation. Creation... Before creation, I contaminated this desire, iccha-dvesa samutthena [Bg. 7.27]. I became revolting to the desires. Krsna says... Every one of us revolting now also. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], but we are revolting, "Why? Why shall I surrender to You? This is too much You are demanding." This is going on. This is going on. This is the disease. And to cure the disease Krsna Himself comes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati, tadatmanam srjami [Bg. 4.7]. But we are so stubborn that we won't, do not like to be cured.

So what Krsna will do? How Krsna will help? He is coming. He is sending His devotee. He is leaving behind Him the sastras. Ataeva krsna veda-purana karila. The Vedic literature, Veda, Purana... "So I elaborately explained the Vedic ideals in the Puranas." Purana means supplementary. They are not to be neglected, the history. Then Mahabharata, then Vedanta Purana, er, Vedanta philosophy, then explanation of Vedanta philosophy, Srimad-Bhagavatam. And Mahabharata means which contains Bhagavad-gita. So many literatures there are. And who has made it? Made it, Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva is Krsna's incarnation. Vyasavatara. That is stated in the sastras. So Vyasadeva made all this literature. That means Krsna made through His incarnation. Therefore in the Caitanya-caritamrta we find this verse: anadi-bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli' gela, ataeva krsna veda purana karila.(?)

So some way or other, we are fallen in this material condition of life, making a... Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. This manasas cendriyani, as it is stated here, manasas ca indriyanam ca bhutanam mahatam api. Maha-bhuta, maha-bhuta, these five elements, ksitir ap tejo marud vyoma, and mind. So in this way we are entrapped, and there is struggle. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati, mamaivamsa: [Bg. 15.7] "They are My part and parcel. They can live as good as I am, but unfortunately, they are undergoing a struggle for existence on account of this polluted mind." What is that pollution? Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. He thinks that "What is the use of..." this is, what is called, "service mentality, slave mentality." They say, "This bhakti-marga is slave mentality. Instead of becoming God, they want to become servant or slave of God. So this is slave mentality." No, this is not slave mentality. This is actual liberation, because our constitutional position is to remain. We are servant of Krsna. But somehow or other, we revolted. Still we are revolting. Although Krsna coming and canvassing, "Just surrender unto Me," but still we are revolting. This is our disease. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7].

So if we want to be cured again and come to our original consciousness, Krsna consciousness, which is svacchatvam avikaritvam santatvam iti cetasah, then we have to take to this Krsna consciousness. That is the only way. There is no other way to become peaceful. Santatvam avikar..., without any change, fixed-up mind -- that is Krsna consciousness, santi. If you want... Everyone is hankering after santi. The santi formula is given everywhere in the sastra. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is personally saying, "This is santi." What is this?

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
 [Bg. 5.29]

Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam -- who? Not these political leaders. We are taking these political leaders as our friend and carried away by their dictation. Some political leader says, "You do like this," another political leader, "Do like that." So we are not, no. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka..., suhrdam. If we want to take advice of real well-wisher, so suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Similarly, a sadhu, he is also suhrdam sarva-dehinam, the same thing. As Krsna is the supreme friend, well-wisher, suhrt... Suhrt means good heart. Friend, mitra, it is little different from suhrt. Mitra means I make friendship with you with some motive. But a father, he is suhrt, mother is suhrt, always well-wishing. Or there may be some friend also, always well-wishing. But the best example, that the father is always well-wishing: "How my son will be well situated? How he will be happy?" Similarly, Krsna is... Krsna says that "When one can understand Me as suhrdam sarva-bhutanam," then santim rcchati, "then he will get santi, santatvam." When we accept it, firmly convinced that "Krsna is my father, Krsna is my friend, Krsna is my well-wisher..." And Krsna says. Where is the difficulty? Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66]. He takes charge. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati [Bg. 9.31]. He is giving assurance.

mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
te 'pi yanti param gatim
 [Bg. 9.32]

Everything is there.

So on account of this dirty position of material contamination, we cannot accept Krsna as the real friend. Therefore we cannot get santi. So if we want really santi, then we must accept the formula, suhrdam sarva-dehinam jnatva mam, not this political leader, that political leader, no. They do not know what is the actually path of santi. They cannot. They do not have santi in themselves. How they can...? "Physician heal thyself." The physician himself is a diseased person, maya-mohita, so how they can help us? So this is not possible. We have to accept Krsna as suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva: [Bg. 5.29] He is the proprietor of everything. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Mahesvaram. Isvara, mahesvaram. Paramesvaram. Mahesvaram or paramesvaram. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. In this way, if we can understand that "Krsna is the proprietor, Krsna is the enjoyer, Krsna is my supreme friend," then santatvam, we can get santi. Otherwise this material envelopment will always create disturbances and... Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syat. Then we will be always in fearful condition, in anxiety. But if we accept this formula, then no more we are in this, I mean to say, hodgepodge of this material existence. We will live clearly, svacchatvam. That is called svacchatvam avikaritvam.

So a Krsna conscious person is not agitated by the material action and reaction. He remains fixed-up, naisthiki-bhakti. This is called naisthiki-bhakti, nistha, firmly convinced. Tada rajas-tamo-bhavah [SB 1.2.19]. Naisthiki-bhakti. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. Nasta-prayesu abhadresu. This is abhadra, this material contamination, kriya-saktir ahankaras tri-vidhah, three kinds of kriya-sakti: working in the modes of ignorance, working in the modes of passion... These are the moha, that when these two things, kriya-sakti, this kriya-sakti under the spell of passion and spell of ignorance, is almost gone... Nasta-prayesu abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya.

So this is the only process. Let us hear from Srimad-Bhagavatam, not these professional. But just like here Kapiladeva is explaining Sankhya philosophy. Every word of Bhagavatam, sublime. And this is given to us by Vyasadeva, because we do not know how to get out of this entanglement of material envelopment. Anartha upasamam saksat, anartha. On account of being entangled in this material modes of nature, we have accumulated so many unwanted things, anartha. That is called anartha. Artha means substance, and anartha means illusory things. So many things. So that is our material condition of life, and the only remedy is become Krsna conscious, and that is... How we can become Krsna conscious? Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. Visnu means Krsna. Simply hear and speak about Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.23-4 -- Bombay, January 1, 1975

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Kali Began With Animal Killing

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.4
Los Angeles, January 1, 1974

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Pradyumna: Translation: "Once when Maharaja Pariksit was on his way to conquer the world, he saw the master of Kali-yuga, who was lower than a sudra, disguised as a king and hurting a cow and a bull by his leg. The King at once caught hold of him to deal sufficient punishment."

Prabhupada: So it was the duty of the king to go on tour and see persons who are actually not abiding by the laws of Vedic principles. This is the duty of the king. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah: [Bg. 4.13] "In the human society I have divided four classes of men." Catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13]. Krsna says, "I have done it."

So by nature, there are four classes of men. First-class, intelligent men. In whichever you take, you'll find not all of them of the same category. First class, second class, third class and fourth class. First class means the most intelligent class, scientists, philosophers, like that; mathematicians, great religionists. They're first-class men. The second class, administrator, to see that the government is going nicely, people are not unhappy, people are not suffering from thieves and rogues. This is the first business. Good government means that people will think that they're secure, their property and person is secure. There will be no harm. Not very many years ago, say about hundred years ago, in India the native states, the rule was that if something is lying on the streets, valuable or invaluable, so nobody should touch it. The person who has lost or who has left that thing there, he would come and pick it up. You cannot touch. That was the law. And if one was caught, a thief, his hands will be cut off. In Kashmir state this was the rule. As soon as a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, the only punishment is cut his throat, ah, cut his hands. Bas. Exemplary punishment so that nobody will dare to steal. So this is second class, administrators. And the third class are to produce money -- businessmen, mercantile. Money is also required. So without money nothing can be done, so that is not... But that is the occupation of..., the third class take. And the fourth class, sudra. They cannot take any post as intelligent class or administrator class or money-producing class. They are simply servant, help others, sudra. The sudra was not meant for taking the political part.

Therefore it is said here nrpa-linga-dharam sudram. Nrpa-linga-dharam. Linga means, real meaning is gender. Just the masculine gender, feminine gender. And the other meaning is sign. Just like there are signs, certain signs, we can understand here is a male, here is a female. By the signs. So lingam means "signs," "symptom." So nrpa-linga-dharam. Sudra, actually he was a sudra, but he dressed like a king. Just like if a woman dresses like a man, that is artificial. Or a man dresses like woman, that is also artificial. So everyone has his original dress and position. There, because a sudra took the dress of a king, therefore it is called nrpa-linga-dharam. Artificially, he was dressed like a king. That is the position of Kali-yuga. Now the government men, they are elected by votes. People do not consider whether he's a brahmana or ksatriya or vaisya or sudra. As he likes... People are sudras. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. In the Kali-yuga everyone is a sudra. Therefore naturally he will elect one sudra. The sudra is not fit for government management. As such we find so many difficulties in the government because the head or the head man, they are all sudras. They have dressed like administrator, but they are sudras. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. There is no brahmana, there is no ksatriya, there is no vaisyas. Maybe a few vaisyas, and all sudras. A brahmana means the good quality, first-class quality. That is very, very rare to be found.

So it was the business of the king to see that things are going on. First of all, there is classification: intelligent class or brahmana; and the administrator class or ksatriya; and the mercantile class, money-producing class. So everyone is engaged, and he's doing his own business. But this division must be there. Without division the society will be in chaos. The example is given... I have several times mentioned that, that just like in this body, there is division: the head division, the arms division, the belly division, and the leg division. They are all required. You cannot say that simply legs will do. What about the head and arms? "I don't require." That is not... That is dead body. That is dead body. Any part of the body, you cannot miss. They must be all in order; then your body is fit. Similarly, in the human society, the social body, there must be these classes: the head class, the arm class, the belly class and the leg class. Very scientific. You cannot simply... If you have got intelligent class of men, but nobody is helping him, then what, what will be the use of intelligence? The intelligent class must be there, but to help him the less intelligent class men also required. Just like if there are only intelligent class, that will be chaos. Nobody will care for anyone. Sometimes we'll find in our society, all intelligent class, and they fight each other. That's all. Everyone is thinking, "I am intelligent. I am boss. I must order you." And the other is thinking, "Why you shall be boss? I am also boss." So (laughs) fighting will go on. So this is going on. At the present moment there is no intelligent class of men. But kalau sudra-sambhavah. Therefore things are all in chaos. Everywhere you go, any part of the world, nobody is happy, either in family or community and society, nationwide, you take. Everyone is distrust, unhappiness, godlessness. Because the intelligent class of men is finished.

So the king, his duty was that if you are professing yourself as a brahmana, then it is the king's duty to see that you are acting as a brahmana. Brahmana is not by birth but guna-karma-vibhagasah. Guna means quality. And karma, and work also. Simply "I have got now sacred thread, I have become brahmana, doubly initiated; now my business is finished. I can work, I can do whatever we like, like less than sudra, candala." No, sir. If you are initiated as a brahmana, you must act as a brahmana. Truthfulness -- satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma -- everything is there. A brahmana must be truthful. That is the first business of a brahmana -- truthful. He'll speak truth even before an enemy. Nobody speaks truth before an enemy because he wants to hide something. But brahmana's business is to become truthful even before an enemy. That is stated.

There are many instances. Just like Satyakama-jabala, a boy, Satyakama, he went to Gautama Muni: "Sir, I want to become your disciple." "Oh, very good. Are you brahmana or brahmana's son?" Formerly, in Vedic ways, nobody could be accepted as a disciple unless he's born in high class family, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya -- especially brahmana. So this question was asked, "Which family you belong to?" So he said, "I do not know what is my classification." "Now, who is your father?" "That I do not know." "Ask your mother." Then he went to his mother, "Who is my father?" "My dear boy, I do not know." So actually his mother was maidservant. So maidservants have so many men, and by whom she was pregnant she cannot remember. She also told the truth. And this Satyakama, he also came to Gautama Muni, he said, "Sir, my father, my mother also do not know who is my father." "Oh, that's all right. You are a brahmana, because you are truthful. You do not hide yourself, that ‘I am a prostitute's son.' You say this is the position. ‘I am plainly speaking that my mother does not know who is my father. I do not know!' " So because he was truthful... That is the symptom of brahmana. He accepted, "Yes, I'll accept you as my disciple."

Indian: Prabhupada, how did Kama...?

Prabhupada: You do... Don't disturb. So this is the process, that the four castes -- brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya... They were caste system when they actually things were going on. Just like a carpenter. His son naturally becomes a carpenter by seeing the father's work. So he can be very easily classified as a carpenter. Similarly, formerly, the brahmana family, ksatriya family, vaisya family, they were following the rules and regulations in such a way that naturally a brahmana's son became a brahmana. Because he has learned already the brahmana principle from the parent. So naturally little touch will make him... That is initiation. Even though one is born in a brahmana family, why does he required initiation and sacred thread ceremony? Because simply by taking birth in a brahmana family one does not become a brahmana. He has to be raised to the brahmana standard. Otherwise, there was no initiation, there was no necessity of initiation or offering the sacred thread. That is called samskara. Otherwise, by birth everyone is sudra. Janmana jayate sudrah samskarad bhaved dvijah. So it is very good that one has taken his birth in a brahmana family, but provided he has learned the brahmana's activities nicely from the parent, he is brahmana. Kim punar brahmanah punyah(?).

But if he deviates from the family principle... Just like in the sastra it is said that in a higher class family, brahmana, ksatriya, especially brahmana, if the garbhadhana-samskara is not accepted, the whole family becomes sudra. Garbhadhana-samskara. That means begetting the child, there is a ceremony which is called garbhadhana-samskara. So in the Kali-yuga practically no samskara is performed. Therefore in the sastra it is said kalau sudra-sambhavah. So Vedic process, Vedic principles of accepting. It is not possible in this Kali-yuga. Because the garbhadhana-samskara is not there. In nobody's family there garbhadhana-samskara is taken. Sex life is also regulated by garbhadhana-samskara. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, dharmaviruddhah kamo 'smi. Aviruddha, "Sex life which is not against the religious principles, that I am. That sex life I am," Krsna says. "I am that sex life." That is godly. But sex life for sense gratification or for prostitution, that is not Krsna. That is Kali. So this is the process.

So it was the duty of the king to see that if a man is professing himself as a brahmana, he must act as a brahmana. That was the duty. Otherwise, he should be punished. Just like here. This sudra, he was presenting himself as a ksatriya, nrpa-linga-dharam. Therefore he was punished. Not that the king is callous: "Let him do whatever he likes." Just like now our, everywhere, the government, it doesn't care whether you are acting as a brahmana, sudra, or whatever nonsense you are doing. Doesn't care. "You pay me tax, that's all." Bring your tax, income tax, and everything, then you are free, whatever you are doing. That was not the duty of the king. The king's duty is to see that actually one who is presenting himself as brahmana, he's acting as a brahmana, he has acquired the qualities of a brahmana. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. He has got the quality and acting. Similarly, a ksatriya also, he must act as a ksatriya. Similarly, vaisyas. These are all, statements are there in the Bhagavad-gita, you know. Krsi-goraksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg 18.44]. Sauryam tejo yuddhe capy apalayanam isvara-bhavas ca ksatram karma svabhava-jam. Everything is given. Paricaryatmakam karma sudrasyapi svabhava-jam. Everything is given there. So it is the duty of the government, that this man is professing as a brahmana, as a ksatriya or a vaisya, whether he is acting, or whether he's cheating others. No cheating will be allowed. That is government's duty.

So here, this man was cheating. Because here it is said: nrpa-linga-dharam. He was dressed like a king. Just like king is very gorgeously dressed. But his bodily feature, he was a black man. The black man means sudra. The brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, they were not black. But the sudras were black. From external point of view, these things are there. Sudras, another name is krsna. Krsna means black. So this black man was dressed like a king, and what was he, was he going to do? Ghnantam go-mithunam pada. He was trying to kill a pair of cow and bull. So naturally he could understand. Pariksit Maharaja was going on tour, and on his way he saw that this rascal is dressed like a king and he's trying to kill cows and bulls. Oh, he immediately chastised him. Nrpa -- he has dressed like a king, but his business is like sudra or less than sudra. Butchers, butchers cannot be intelligent class of men, brahmana. A brahmana is not butcher. Neither a ksatriya. Ksatriya fights, kills, but in regular religious fight. Not that by whimsically he'll fight and kill men. No. So, here it is said, nijagrahaujasa virah. A ksatriya must be vira, hero. Whenever there is injustice, he must immediately come forward. "Why injustice? These poor animals, they are also my subject. How you can kill them? He's also born in this land." "National" means one is born in that particular land. So they are also born in this land. Why he should be treated differently? Just like in your country, even one Indian gets his child here, the child is counted as USA-born, US citizen, eh? Immediately. So if that is the law, that anyone born in this land should be treated as national, what is this law that the cows and the bulls born in that land, they are to be slaughtered? What is this law?

So it is the duty of the king, emperor... Immediately detected that "Why these poor animals are being killed? They are also subject to the laws of the state. As the human being requires protection, similarly, the cows... Not only cows, everyone requires protection by the government. Why they should be not protected? Therefore because the protection was not given to the cows and the bulls, he immediately took him, that "This rascal is not a ksatriya; he's a sudra. In the dress of a king, he's doing mischievous activities." Immediately punished him. This is government's duty. If anyone... Just like, anyone is breaking law, it is the duty of the government to chastise him, similarly, the law should be... Exact good government law means that anyone who kills an animal without sanction... Of course, they now give sanction, that "Yes, you can kill as many animals in the slaughterhouse as you like." Because the government is sudra. Government is not ksatriya. So therefore is no protection. Why animal? Even a human being, if he's being killed on the street, on the Broadway, nobody cares for him. So this is the position. But Pariksit Maharaja was not such a king or such a head of the executive... He immediately punished. Therefore it is mentioned specially: ojasa virah kalim. Kali is to be punished.

The Kali begins with this animal killing. That is Kali-yuga. Meat-eating. Therefore, to avoid the influence of Kali we have to give up this habit. The four things are Kali's disciple, friends. We have already discussed this. So one friend is this meat-eating problem, the butchers, Kali's friends. And the liquor distiller, he's also Kali's friend. And the gamblers or the gambling house maintainer. And prostitute house maintainer. These are friends of Kali. Now you will find all over the world these things are very prominent -- clubs and butcherhouse and liquor house and gambling house. Therefore the whole atmosphere is Kali.

So because it is now Kali age, just like winter season, everywhere is cold, chillest, so similarly because this is the age of Kali therefore even in India... This king, Maharaja Pariksit, was in India. He wanted to chastise this rascal in the dress of a king and attempting (to) kill cows. So this was in India. Maybe in other place also, because the king was touring. So not only in India, all over the world the Vedic civilization was there. Five thousand years ago, everywhere the... All people used to follow the Vedic principles. That is the proof. Because the king was following the Vedic principles. So this cow-killing by the Kali, it is said it was done on the border of India, somewhere near Sindhu Pradesh, Afghanistan, like that. So anyway, it was on this planet and he wanted to prohibit. But India is the center. This king, Maharaja Pariksit, his headquarters also Hastinapura, near New Delhi at the present moment. Hastinapura. There is a place still, Hastinapura. There is one broken fort also. They say this fort belonged to the Pandavas. People go there to see. Anyway, now the king was so strict that even outside India some cow was being attempted to be killed, he immediately took his sword to punish him. Now in India they are killing ten thousand cows daily. This is Kali-yuga. That... Still, they have got some sentiment about cow-killing. There was about say five or six years ago, there was good agitation. But who cares for that? Because the government is sudra: nrpa-linga. They have taken the position of government, but they are all full of sudras. Now in India not only killing cows... We had never seen... In Bombay this time I saw in our Juhu -- big, big signboards: Beef shop. Beef shop. So Hindus are there also now taking. I asked one lady, she was meat-eater. So I asked her, "Do you eat cow's meat, cow's flesh?" "Yes, sometimes." So this is Kali-yuga. Now government is encouraging drinking and meat-eating. And illicit sex, that is, that has become now a common affair, anywhere you go. Why should you should have to go to brothel? Even big, big, other places. I don't wish to mention. You see.

So this is the age of Kali. So simply full of sinful activities, that's all. That is Kali-yuga. But sinful activities will not help us. That they have no brain to understand. You have to purify yourself. Sinful activities will involve you more and more in the cycle of birth and death. You will take sometimes birth as a king or as a demigod, and sometimes as the worm of the stool. Because according to your karma, you will get next body. Karmana daiva-netrena. Therefore the process is at least don't act sinfully. Then you will get higher-class birth. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah. You will get chance of taking your birth in higher planetary system where the standard of living is many, many thousands better than this planet. Just like Svargaloka, Janaloka. From our sastra we understand that the inhabitants of Candraloka, moon planet, they live for ten thousands of years, but these rascals are going there. They do not find any living entity. So that is the contradiction. But we believe that in the moon planet... And why we shall not believe? If the living entities are found everywhere, so why, what moon planet has done that there should be no living entity? From our experience we can see living entity is there on the land, in the air, in the water, even in the fire. So every planet is made of these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky. So we find by practical experience that in the water there is living entity, on the land there is living entity, within the land there is living entity. So why in the moon planet or other planet there should be no living entities? That's a wrong theory.

Long, long ago, sometimes in 1930, I had a talk in Allahabad with a great scientist Dr. Shah. He said that there is no reason to disbelieve that in other planets there is no living entity. And recently one Russian scientist also said that there are many planets where very, very intelligent class of men are there. So that is our theory, that the... if you go to the higher planet system, you will find more comfortable standard of life, the duration of life is very long, and the people are very, very intelligent. They are called demigods. So whatever it may be, we have to follow our own principles, and there is no reason to disbelieve that in other planets there are no living entities. We cannot accept it.

So anyway, in every planet there is kingdom or there is government. Because in the Bhagavad-gita we understand, Krsna says,

imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit
 [Bg. 4.1]

Krsna said that "This philosophy, this Bhagavad-gita yoga system, I first of all explained to the sun-god, whose name is Vivasvan." He spoke the same principle to his son Manu, and Manu also spoke the same principle to his son, Iksvaku. So Iksvaku came from the sun planet. He happens to be the grandson of Vivasvan. So how you can say that in the sun planet there is no possibility of life? We get the history. And if you say that "In fire how one can live?" No. As we see that in water some other living entities can live, similarly, I may not be able to live in the fire, but there are other living entities who can live there. That should be the right conclusion. Because fire is as good another material element as the water is. As water is also one of the material elements, fire is also one of the eight material elements. So if we can see by our practical experience, there are living entities in the water, so why not living entities in the fire? And in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that living entity, this spiritual spark, is not affected by material influence. In the Vedas also it is..., asango 'yam purusah. It has nothing to do with this material condition. Adahya. This special word is used that it cannot burned by the fire. Asosya, it cannot be dried up by air. Acchedya, it cannot be cut into pieces. These things are there. So we are firmly convinced that in the sun planet there is also living entity, and the king or the president there is called Vivasvan, his name is Vivasvan. And our gayatri-mantra is worshiping the sun planet. Om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi. So this is the Vedic conception. Every planet there is king, and the king's duty is to see that everyone is executing his professional occupational duty.

So Maharaja Pariksit also, he used to go for examining. Therefore it is said, digvijaye kvacit. Not that at a particular time he went out to, for touring. But he was going, say, yearly, or six-monthly. And one of his tour he found that a person dressed like a king was attempting to kill cows, and he punished him. So this is the statement.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974

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"Servant Of God Or Dog"

"Servant Of God Or Dog"

69/01/01 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 3.41-43


Tamala Krsna: We're reading from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, in the chapter entitled Karma-Yoga, page 104, verse thirty-one. "One who executes his duty according to My injunction and who follows this teaching faithfully becomes free from the bondage of fruitive actions [Bg. 3.31]. Purport: This injunction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna is the essence of all Vedic wisdom."

Prabhupada: Yes. What is Vedic wisdom? Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. Knowledge. Veda means knowledge. What is perfect knowledge? Perfect knowledge is that "My constitutional position is to serve." Bring any man in this world. Who can say that "I am not servant"? Is there any man or woman within this world, within this universe, who is not a servant? Can anyone of you say that you are not servant? Is there anyone? Everyone is servant. Somebody is servant of the society, somebody is servant of the country, somebody is servant of his wife or family, or some cats and dogs, ultimately. One must be a servant.

So when a man comes to this knowledge, that "I am serving. Why not serve the Supreme?" this is knowledge. This is perfection of knowledge. Nobody can be freed from being a servant. Either you become a servant of God or you become a servant of dog, you must be a servant. So the intelligent person, a wise person, he prefers to servant of God instead of becoming servant of dog.

There is no escape, that one cannot..., one is master. Nobody is master. Everyone is servant. "Therefore one who executes his duties according to My injunction," God's injunctions, "and who follows the teachings faithfully becomes free from bondage." As soon as you become servant to somebody besides God, then you are in bondage. You are in obligation. Obligation there is, but that is not bondage. To become servant of God is not bondage. But servant of dog is a bondage.

So the intelligent person is he who knows that "I am servant, so why not become servant of the greatest?" Just like somebody wants to be worker in government service. Why? Because government is very big establishment, great establishment. He has got many facilities. That is not bondage. Similarly, why not become the servant of the supreme government? That is perfection of knowledge. So long we are not servant of God, that means we are deficient in knowledge. And perfect knowledge is to become servant of God. Because you cannot escape by not being a servant. Everyone has to become a servant, this side or that side. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: "As the Vedas are eternal, so this truth of Krsna consciousness is also eternal. One should have firm faith in this injunction without envying the Lord. There are many so-called philosophers who write comment on the Bhagavad-gita but who have no faith in Krsna. They will never be liberated from the bondage of fruitive actions. But an ordinary man with firm faith in the eternal injunctions of the Lord, even though unable to execute such orders, becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma. In the beginning of Krsna consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord. But because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Krsna consciousness."

Prabhupada: Yes. In the beginning there may be some failures. That is quite natural. Just a child is trying to stand, he may fall down. But that does not mean he should give up the idea. Go on. A time will come come when he will be perfect. So we should not give up this business, to try to serve the Supreme. May be imperfect in the beginning, but stick to it, and a time will come when you'll be perfect, Krsna conscious.

Tamala Krsna: Thirty-two: "But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not practice them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and doomed to ignorance and bondage [Bg. 3.32]."

Prabhupada: Yes. If somebody says, "Oh, why shall I serve God?" all right, then you shall have to serve dog. That's all. Therefore he is befooled. He does not know that he has to serve somebody. His constitutional position is like that. He cannot escape. So therefore if he denies to serve God, Krsna, then he has to serve maya, illusion, in the hope that "I have become the master."

Just like in your country the President Johnson was the master. Actually, he was not the master; he was the servant of the country. Now the country has dismissed him. He is no longer master. So our mastership in this material world is like that. Actually, we are servant, but we are thinking master. In a family, I am servant of my wife, I am servant of my children, I am servant of my servants, but I am thinking I am master. "I am master of this family. I am master of this country. I am master of this society." Nobody is master.

The Caitanya-caritamrta says, therefore, "The master is only Krsna." Ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya: [Cc. Adi 5.142] "Only Krsna, or God, is master, and everyone is servant." Yare yaiche nacaya se taiche kare nrtya: "Each servant is dancing according to the order of the Supreme." That's all. Nobody is master. So this false conception of becoming master is called maya, illusion. Nobody is master. Therefore one who disagrees to become servant of God, he is befooled. It is said, "But those who, out of envy..." He is constitutionally servant, but he is envious: "Why shall I become God's servant? I shall become God." You see? Everyone is claiming, "Oh, everyone is God. Why? What is the use of becoming servant of God? I am God." This is enviousness. So if one refuses to serve God and become envious, "disregard these teachings and do not practice them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge." Because he is servant, but he is thinking, "I am master. I am not serving anyone." This is maya, bereft of all knowledge. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: Thirty-three: "Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows his nature. What can repression accomplish [Bg. 3.33]?"

Prabhupada: So at least he is servant of his nature. There are three kinds of material modes of nature. Somebody is in goodness; somebody is in passion; somebody is in ignorance. So in ignorance, somebody, say, he is intoxicated. He is servant of some intoxication. But he is thinking, after being intoxicated, "Oh, I am God. I am master." You see. This is called befooling him. He is befooled. He is servant of intoxication, and he is thinking, "I am God." Just see. Is it not a farce? By meditation, he will become God. If you are God, why you are meditating? Therefore they are befooled. The direct process is: take to Krsna consciousness -- "I am eternal servant of God. Let me take to this business. Finish." Perfect knowledge. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: Thirty-four: "Attraction and repulsion for sense objects are felt by embodied beings, but one should not fall under the control of senses and sense objects because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization [Bg. 3.34]."

Thirty-five: "It is far better to discharge one's own prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another's duties. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous [Bg. 3.35]."

Thirty-six: "Arjuna said: O descendant of Vrsni, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force [Bg. 3.36]?"

Prabhupada: Here Krsna says that "Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous." Now, Arjuna was a military man, a ksatriya. His business was to fight for the good cause. But in the battlefield he thought that "Why should I engage myself in this killing business? Better retire from it. If I don't get my kingdom, I shall rather beg." This begging business is for us.

Just like we are sannyasi, or a brahmana. We are allowed to beg. We are not, of course, begging as professional beggar, but we introduce ourself as beggar. The Vedic culture is that a sannyasi, when he comes to beg in a householder's house, he receives him very respectfully, and whatever he wants, they want to supply. But they do not want anything, but the introduction is that they take this opportunity of sitting in a householder's home and talk about Krsna consciousness. That is their real business. They are not beggars.

Anyway, this begging business is not for a householder or a military man. Therefore Krsna say that "Don't try to imitate the business of a sannyasi or a brahmana. You are ksatriya. Your duty is to fight, so you should follow your own prescribed duty. Don't try to imitate others." But one can attain perfection by being engaged in his own occupation, provided he does it in Krsna consciousness. So Krsna is asking him to fight, and he is a professional fighter. So if he fights in accordance with the order of Krsna, there is his perfection. This is the purport. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: Purport: "A living entity, as part and parcel of the Supreme Personality, is originally spiritual and pure, as well as free from all contaminations of matter. Therefore, by nature the living entity is not subjected to the sins of the material world, but factually when the living entity is in contact with the material nature, he acts in many sinful ways without hesitation. As such, Arjuna's question to Krsna is very sanguine as to the perverted nature of the living entity. Although the living entity sometimes does not want to act in sin, he is still forced to act. This force is not, however, impelled by the Supersoul living within the living entity, but must be due to other causes, and that is explained in the next verse by the Lord."

Thirty-seven: "The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world [Bg. 3.37]."

Prabhupada: Yes. Passion, if you increase your passion, then when you cannot fulfill your passion, you'll be angry, wrath, one after another. So this is due to our being situated in the modes of passion.

As I have told you, there are three kinds of modes of material nature. One is goodness, one is passion, and one is ignorance. So ignorance is the lowest quality, passion is still better than ignorance, and goodness is the highest good quality within this material world. And one has to transcend even goodness. Then he can go to the Krsna consciousness platform. So one should not remain on the platform of passion. He should try to rise on the platform of goodness, and from there he should try to be promoted in Krsna consciousness. This is one method. But if you take to Krsna consciousness directly, then automatically you transcend the platform of ignorance, passion, and goodness. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: Thirty-eight: "As fire is converted by smoke... As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, similarly the living entity is covered by different degrees of this... [Bg. 3.38]"

Prabhupada: Lust. Different degrees of lust. Those who are in the modes of goodness, their lust is a different quality. Those who are in passion, their lust is in different quality. Those who are ignorance, their lust is different quality. It is the question...

Just like there are first-class prisoner, second-class prisoner and third-class prisoner. So after all, they are prisoners, maybe first-class, second-class or third-class. That doesn't matter. Similarly, within this material world somebody may be very learned, rich, beautiful, all good qualifications, in the modes of goodness. So they... Or somebody is passion and somebody in lower degree, even animal life. But they are all prisoners within this material world.

One has to transcend this position. One has to transcend even the so-called goodness of the material world. Just like Arjuna was trying to be so-called good man of this material world. He was trying to avoid the injunction of Krsna. Krsna wanted him that "You should fight this Kuruksetra battle," but he wanted to be good man. So that fighting, when he was convinced of Krsna's instruction, this Bhagavad-gita, that means he transcended even the goodness platform of this material world. So Krsna is trying to raise him to the... traigunya-visaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna. This whole material atmosphere is surcharged with three modes of material nature. So one has to transcend the modes of material nature. Just like one should not try to become a first-class prisoner. In the prisonhouse, if one is a third-class prisoner and one is first-class prisoner, the third-class prisoner should not aspire that "Let me remain in this prisonhouse and become a first-class prisoner." That is not good. One should transcend the prison walls or come out of the prisonhouse. That is his aim. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: Purport: "There are three degrees of covering of the pure living entity, and thereby the pure consciousness of the living entity, or Krsna consciousness, is embarrassed by nonmanifestation. This covering is but lust under different manifestations, like smoke in the fire, dust on the mirror, and the womb about the embryo. When lust is compared to smoke, it is understood that the fire of the living spark can be a little perceived. In other words, when the living entity exhibits his Krsna consciousness slightly, he may be likened to the fire covered by smoke. Although fire is necessary when there is smoke, there is no overt manifestation of fire in the early stage. This stage can be compared with the beginning of Krsna consciousness. The comparison of the dust of the mirror refers to the cleansing process of the mirror of the mind by so many spiritual methods. The best process is to chant the holy names of the Lord. The comparison of the embryo being covered by the womb is an analogy illustrating the most awkward position, for the child in the womb is so helpless that it cannot even move. This stage of living condition can be compared also to the trees. The trees are living entities, but they have been put into that condition of life by such a great exhibition of lust that they are almost devoid of all consciousness."

Prabhupada: Yes, these trees... We should know that the trees, they are also living entities, but they have been put in such awkward position that they are standing up in a position for thousands of years. They cannot move even. If somebody is cutting, it cannot protest. They have been put into such conditional life. If somebody is coming to do some harm, they cannot go away. So the most abominable condition of life is the trees. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: "The covered mirror is compared to the birds and beasts, and smoke-covered fire is compared to the human being."

Prabhupada: Yes. The birds and beasts, they can move. They can protect themselves from somebody who is coming to harm, but still, they have no knowledge. The same... A little better than the trees. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: "In the form of a human being, the living entity can perceive a little Krsna consciousness, and if he makes further development the fire of spiritual life can be kindled in the human form. By careful handling of the smoke in the fire, the fire can be made to blaze."

Prabhupada: Yes. When the fire is covered by the smoke, if you little fan over it, then immediately there is blazing fire; immediately smoke is gone. Similarly, Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness, in every living entity, especially human being, there is, even in the aborigines, those who are called uncivilized. They are also offering some respect to the seas, to the thunderbolt, to a big mountain. Something wonderful, they offer. They bow down. That means there is Krsna consciousness, so, just like a fire covered with smoke. Now, if you fan it, if you just try to eradicate the smoke, the fire will come out.

So we should take advantage. We have got now this consciousness, God consciousness. Therefore in every human society there is some sort of religious propaganda: "Try to understand God." So we should take advantage of this. But instead of taking advantage of this opportunity, we have declared, "God is dead. I am God. This God, that God." You see? So we are not fanning. We are, rather, going more and more away from God. This should not be done. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: "Therefore the human form of life is a chance for the living entity to escape the entanglement of material existence. In the human form of life one can conquer the enemy, lust, by culture of Krsna consciousness under able guidance."

Thirty-nine: "Thus a man's pure consciousness is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire [Bg. 3.39]."

Forty: "The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him [Bg. 3.40]."

Prabhupada: Yes. This is very important. "The senses, the mind, and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust." If somebody is lusty, and if one has to search out where that enemy, lust, is there, so Krsna is giving you direct information, "Here is your enemy." Where? Senses, mind, intelligence -- there is lust. So if you can understand, "Here is the enemy," and if you try to drive out the enemy, you take precaution.

What is that precaution? You engage your senses in Krsna conscious activities. The lust will have no more place to attack your senses or sit on your senses. You engage your mind in Krsna. Immediately the lust from the mind will go away. Similarly, you apply your intelligence, how to work on Krsna consciousness. These are the processes.

The Krsna consciousness movement is like that. Apply your intelligence, apply your mind, apply your senses only for Krsna, and there is no more lust. You are free. There is no sitting place. Just like this glass. There is water. So how you can put in ink? Because there is no sitting place. Similarly, if you place Krsna in your mind, so lust will automatically go away. Just like if you place light in this room, the darkness automatically will go away. There is no place for darkness. Krsna is light. The sun is light. As soon as there is sun rising, the whole darkness of night automatically disappears. So try to place Krsna in your mind, in your sensual activities, in your intelligence. Then there will be no more lust. It will be finished. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: Forty-one: "Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning, curb the great symbol of sin, lust, by regulating the senses and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization [Bg. 3.41]."

Prabhupada: Yes. Regulating, how can you regulate the senses? Not by artificial means. The yoga practice, of course, is meant for controlling the senses but nobody can practice in this age perfectly yoga, neither one can control the senses. But this is practically. Just like our sense, tongue. We want to taste very palatable dishes. Now you supply palatable Krsna prasadam. You forget going to hotel immediately. This sort of process is in Krsna consciousness. We don't simply prohibit that "You don't do this," but we supply something which is engaged by the senses and the mind, the intelligence, so that you do not require to be engaged otherwise.

Positive and negative. Simply negative is no good unless there is positive engagement. So there is no question of negative. Negative is already there. If you taking nice foodstuff, automatically you give up obnoxious and nonsense foodstuff. But if I say, "Don't take this foodstuff. This is not good," and if I don't supply you nice foodstuff, naturally you are hungry; you will have to take whatever is there.

Just like sometimes you have seen the dogs? They are eating stool, their own stool. So I was talking this. One of my students told me that in the last war in the concentrated camp, the human being, they also ate their stool out of hunger. You see? There was no food, so they ate their own stool. So when there is no opportunity of good occupation, one must be satisfied with nonsense occupation. So this Krsna consciousness is so nice that one who is occupied with this movement, he cannot go any more to so-called lusty and other nonsense occupation. Go on.

Tamala Krsna: Forty-two: "The working senses are superior to dull matter. Mind is higher than the senses. Intelligence is still higher than the mind, and he, the soul, is even higher than intelligence [Bg. 3.42]."

Prabhupada: So we have to come to the platform of soul. Generally, we are on the dull, material platform of this body, and this body means senses. And the center of all the senses is the mind. And the mind is also controlled by intelligence. And when you go above the platform intelligence, then you come to the platform of spiritual soul or Krsna consciousness. That is your position. So one has to try to transcend all these three stages of material platform and then come to the spiritual platform. Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Forty-three: "Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to material senses, mind, and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self, and thus, by spiritual strength, conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust [Bg. 3.43]."

Purport: "This third chapter of the Bhagavad-gita is conclusively directed to Krsna consciousness through knowing oneself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without considering impersonal voidness as the ultimate end. In the material existence of life, one is certainly influenced by propensities of lust and desire for dominating the resources of material nature. Such desire for overlording and sense gratification are the greatest enemies of the conditioned soul, but by the..."

Prabhupada: Generally, those who are under the bodily concept of life, they are struggling day and night. Why? Now, to have overlordship of this material nature. This is material activities. And those who are on the mental platform, they are trying to philosophize, mental speculation. Those who are still intelligent, they are taking to this yoga practice by intelligently trying to controlling the senses. But as soon as you come to the spiritual platform, automatically these things are done because all your senses, mind, and intelligence are occupied by Krsna consciousness. Go on. Yes, go on.

Tamala Krsna: "One may not give up work and prescribed duties all of a sudden, but by factually developing one's Krsna consciousness, one can be situated in a transcendental position, without being influenced by the material senses and the mind, by steady intelligence directed towards one's pure identity. This is the sum total of this chapter. In the immature stage of material existence, philosophical speculation and artificial attempts to control the senses by the so-called practice of yogic postures can never help a man toward spiritual life. He must be trained in Krsna consciousness by higher intelligence."

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to the Third Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of karma-yoga, or the acting of one's prescribed duty in Krsna consciousness."

Prabhupada: Thank you. Any questions? Yes?

Madhudvisa: Prabhupada? In your purport of the thirty-eighth verse you were talking about returning to the position of a tree, how it is put into this position due to its previous engagement, exhibition of lust.

Prabhupada: Page, page.

Madhudvisa: On page 106.

Prabhupada: Yes. Just read it. Where?

Madhudvisa: "The comparison of the embryo being covered by the womb is an allegory illustrating the most awkward position of the child in the womb, who is so helpless that it cannot even move. This stage of living condition can be compared also to the trees. The trees are living entities, but they have been put into that condition of life by such a great exhibition of lust that they are almost devoid of consciousness."

Prabhupada: Yes. So what is your question?

Madhudvisa: People that are engaged in lusty acts during their life... I thought that Krsna is merciful and He will provide them with the body which will have as much lust as they want. I can't see how a person could devolve into that body of a tree due to engaging himself in lusty activities during his lifetime.

Prabhupada: I don't follow, what is...

Madhudvisa: The Bhagavad-gita has stated that whatever one's consciousness is during his lifetime will be at the time of his death, and that will determine his next body. Now, one who is living very lustily during his lifetime, his mind will be on that body.

Prabhupada: Yes. So there are many varieties of life. Just like somebody is very lusty, and he wants sex enjoyment so many times a day. So there are many animals, many birds. They are given the opportunity like that. Just like the pigeons, the sparrows. Or there are many birds, the swans, the ducks. They have got every day twenty times, sex intercourse. So this facility is given to them. You see? Similarly, somebody wants to eat meats and blood. He is given the chance to become a tiger. So Krsna is giving chance everyone. And one who is very dull, cannot understand simply, oh, the sense gratification, they are made the dullest possible, like trees, stand up for thousands of years.

So all these different varieties of life, eight million four-hundred-thousands, we have got different varieties. You can calculate. There are three qualities. Three into three equal to nine. Three multiplied by three becomes nine, and nine multiplied by nine becomes eighty-one. Automatically it becomes more than so many, eight million.

So God's kingdom, His calculation, His fine judgement, is very difficult to understand. But practically we see there are so many varieties of life. Why? They have been given chance: "All right, you want this sort of life? Here it is. Take it. Accept it." So they are transmigrating from one life to another, one life to another, one life to another. Out of many such millions of living entities, one who comes under Krsna consciousness by the grace of Krsna and His devotee, spiritual master, his life is successful. He gets the clue to get out of this entanglement. Otherwise he is to travel within these 8,400,000 species of life.

So Krsna is giving chance, whatever you want, but He is talking also the ultimate goal of life. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up this searching out of your happiness in your own way, by transmigrating from one kind of life to another, one position to another. You just take shelter of Me, and I take charge of you." This is the whole proposition of Bhagavad-gita. This is Krsna consciousness. One has to give up searching out of happiness according to his own plan, but he has to submit himself to Krsna, who will take charge and He will give you all happiness that you desire. That is Krsna consciousness.

Jaya Gopala: Are the people in this age lusty in the modes of ignorance or are they lusty in all three modes?

Prabhupada: Anyone who is in the material world, he is lusty. Maybe difference of degrees. That doesn't matter. But he is lusty. Kama esa krodha esa rajo-guna-samudbhavah. Everyone is trying to lord it over the material nature. That is lust. Now, the ant is trying to lord it over the material nature in his own way, and the big politician, he is trying to lord it over the material nature in a different way. Everyone is trying. So that lording it over the material nature is a sign of lust. So you can take it for granted that anyone who is within this material world, he has got that contamination of lust, maybe manifested in different degrees.

But who has come to Krsna consciousness, he has no more lust because he wants to satisfy Krsna. He doesn't want to satisfy his senses. That is Krsna consciousness. His aim of life is how Krsna will be pleased. That's all. And lust means "how my senses will be satisfied." That is the difference. The process of satisfying is going on. In our conditioned life we are trying to satisfy our senses, and in our Krsna consciousness life we are satisfying to please Krsna. That is the difference. So my work is not stopped, but the goal of life is changed. That is liberation.

We don't say that you kill your desire. No. You purify your desire to satisfy Krsna. That's all. Now your desire is to satisfy your senses. That's all. This has to be purified, that you shall desire, but you shall desire to satisfy Krsna. Then your perfection is there.

In one way it is very simple and easy because I know how to satisfy my senses. I am doing it life after life. The same endeavor should be engaged for satisfying Krsna. That's all. The process has not to be learned by me. I know it. Simply account has to be changed. That's all. So Krsna consciousness is very simple and easy. Immediately you come to the spiritual platform, or transcendental platform.

That is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta: lust and love, what is the difference between lust and love. In the material world there is no love. Because everyone is directed by lust. The so-called love... A young boy is trying to love a young girl, or young girl is trying to love a young..., but the background is lust. There is no love. It is simply a show of love. Therefore, after satisfying lust, there is divorce, there is separation. So in the material world there is no possibility of love. It is all lust. Love is only possible when you love God. There is no lust. There is no question of sense gratification. Simply for love: "Krsna is my lover. Krsna is my master. Krsna is my friend."

Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is loving Krsna as friend. So he is so great lover that in the beginning he hesitated to fight, "How shall I kill my kinsmen?" But when he understood, "Krsna, my friend, desires. Oh, never mind." So there was no lust. Simply love of Krsna. So lust and love, that means the same thing is there. Simply one has to change the account. That's all. Lusty people, they are working on account of sense gratification, and lover of Krsna is working for Krsna's satisfaction. The activity may appear superficially the same.

Just like these boys in Krsna consciousness. People may say, "What they are doing? They are also eating, they are also cooking, and offering Krsna, and they say it is Krsna conscious. What is the difference between this foodstuff with the hotel foodstuff?" In this way they may think. "Oh, they are also typewriting, they are also using dictaphone and this tape recorder and all this material." But they do not know that everything is being used for Krsna. Therefore there is far different. There is no lust. So you can utilize everything if it is in Krsna consciousness, not for satisfaction of your lust. Then your life is sublime.

We do not reject anything, but we accept anything. The only difference is that we do not accept anything for our sense gratification. We do not accept this tape recorder for sense gratification, singing or dancing. We accept this tape recorder to record Krsna's glories, to record Krsna's topics. So this is the difference only. Nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate. Dovetail everything in Krsna consciousness, and it is perfect.

And dovetail anything with your lust or sense gratification? Apparently, it may be very good, nice thing, but it is nonsense; it is lust. So somebody is using religion for satisfaction of his senses, somebody is using Bhagavad-gita for satisfaction of his senses. We do not wish to discuss all this in detail, but actually there is no training how to use things in Krsna consciousness. That is being now introduced in this movement, Krsna consciousness, how to make everything perfect, dovetail in Krsna consciousness. So any other questions?

Makhanlal: In the living entities such as the trees, which are very much limited in consciousness and ability to move also, are these... It mentions in the purports that they have been very lusty. This tends to show that they have been once before in human form and then have really fallen. But is it also the case that there are, amongst the forms, many souls that are on the process of evolution and going upward in the same way?

Prabhupada: Yes. Just like you are stepping some staircases. You go to the second floor or third floor, but some way or other, you fall down again. So you have to cross again the steps. Do you follow? That does not mean because you crossed all the steps and went to the third floor... Now you have fallen down. You have to cross again.

So there is a regular evolutionary process from trees to worms, reptiles, from reptiles to birds, from birds to beasts, varieties of beasts, and from beasts to human life. These are the stepping stone, evolutionary process. But even if you are human being, if you fall down to the category of the trees, then you have to again go up step by step. You have to come to the form of the worms and reptiles, then birds, then beasts.

Therefore we should not miss this chance. This is intelligence. If I miss this chance, then I do not know where I am falling down again. So there is no teaching. There is no knowledge in the whole world. They are driven out just like animals. This educational institution, universities -- there is no department of knowledge how the living entities are working, how they are being transmigrated, they are falling down, how they are... No. A very risky civilization. So people should try to understand this Krsna consciousness philosophy very seriously if they at all want their own good.

Bhaktijana: What's the next evolutionary step for these flowers that we offer to Krsna?

Prabhupada: From trees, the worms. Do you see from the flower there are some butterflies. You have seen? The flowers generates some worms, and they transform into butterfly. You have seen it. Then gradually they'll become birds from butterfly. And from birds, different birds, then they'll become beast, four-legged. And then the four legs turn into two hands and just like gorilla, monkey. Then he will come to this beautiful form. And if you miss this opportunity, again you want to become butterfly, go on. Who will check you? Become butterfly. Nature will not excuse you. As soon as you want to become butterfly, "Yes, come on. Here is..." (laughter) They do not know. They are thinking, "This is a flickering lamp. Oh, let us enjoy." Very risky civilization. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati.

These are all stated in the Puranas. These books were meant for human society. They are not reading. They are reading all rascal novels and literatures and sex life, frauds, and this and that, books. How they are wasting their time! The other day Govinda dasi was showing me one literature, Hawaii picture. The boys and girls, they are enjoying this, what is called?

Tamala Krsna: Surfing.

Prabhupada: Surface. Spending money. You see? But there is no instruction how they are wasting their time, this human form of life, simply by jumping in the water. (laughter) And they are thinking, "I am enjoying, butterfly." You see? They do not know the value of this life. And the system of civilization who is encouraging them to do this without any good information, what kind of condemned civilization is that? Pulling by force to the darkest region of hell. They do not know although the hellish condition of life is in the front. There are so many varieties of life. They do not question, "Wherefrom these lives come?"

The Padma Purana says, jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati, krmayor rudra-sankhyakah. There are, nava-laksani, 900,000 species of life within the water. We begin our aquatic life. Because the whole world was in the beginning, full of water, so we had to live within the water. So there are 900,000 species of life within the water. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. And when the water dries up, as soon as the land comes out, the trees and plants begin to grow, two million types of trees and plants. In this way there are 8,400,000 species of life.

What do they know, the botanists and the biologists? So it is very serious. People should take it very seriously, Krsna consciousness movement. It is not a humbug thing. It is based on authorized scriptures, Vedic literatures. Unfortunately, we have no customer for this knowledge. Yes?

Bhaktijana: Doesn't Krsna take any special mercy of flowers that are offered to Him?

Prabhupada: Yes. When it is offered to Krsna. Yes. Therefore we offer flowers to Krsna. We are doing service to the flowers.

Bhaktijana: Where will they take their next birth? They don't become butterflies.

Prabhupada: That may be understood later on. First of all, because it has come to Krsna, there is something good. The tree which has produced this flower, he is benefited because he is offering his energy. Krsna consciousness means offering one's energy to Krsna. The energy is derived from Krsna; it should be offered to Krsna. Just like what is this water? Water is taken from the ocean, derived from the ocean. It goes to the sky, again turns into water, falls down, and in river goes down again to the ocean. Similarly, we have derived our energy from Krsna. Now again if we glide down towards Krsna, that is perfection. We haven't got separate energy. This is Krsna consciousness, to apply the whole energy towards Krsna. That's all. That energy may be utilized in different ways -- but to Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness. Chant Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969