Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.6
Mayapura, June 21, 1973
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
nadhayo vyadhayah klesa
daiva-bhutatma-hetavah
ajata-satrav abhavan
jantunam rajni karhicit
Translation: "Due to the King's having no enemy, the living beings were not at any time disturbed by mental agonies, diseases, or excessive heat or cold."
Prabhupada: So in the previous verse it has been described that nature was favorable. The river, the hills, the mountains, forests, vegetables, creepers, these are our natural surroundings. Animals... Everyone was complete. It is a cooperation. So many living entities, according to karma, we have got different bodies. Some has got the human form of body, some has got the body of an animal, some has got the body of a tree, creeper. Sometimes hills, mountains, also. Everyone. Their business is cooperation. We can study from our own body. There are different parts of the body, but it is a business of cooperation. Hand, legs, eyes, ears, nose, they are all cooperating for the upkeep of the body. Similarly, all living entities -- may be in different types of bodies -- they are meant for cooperating in the matter of serving the Supreme Lord, central point. (aside:) Just see the...
So if the government or the chief of the executive power, the king, is just to the point, dharmena, as it was said, "Abiding by the religious principles, ruling over the country," then everything, even natural elements, they become cooperative. They must become cooperative. What is nature? Nature is also another energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the nature is also working under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]
So Maharaja Yudhisthira's time, the cooperation was so complete that everyone was free from anxiety, disease, calamities, natural disturbance.
In this material nature, or material world, we have got three kinds of sufferings, tri-tapa-yantana. Sri Sanatana Gosvami inquired, "Why these three kinds of miseries inflict pains upon me?" Ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya. Tapa-traya. Tapa means painful condition, tapa. Just like if you touch fire, it creates a painful condition by burning the part, similarly, this world is also a blazing fire, samsara-davanala. The rascals, they do not know. They are always out of the three kinds of miserable condition. Everyone is in some way or other under these conditions. These conditions means it is... These klesah, painful conditions, they are created by three causes. What are those causes? Daiva-bhutatma-hetavah. Daiva means created by the demigods. Daiva. Devata. Just like this rain department, water department, is under the control of Indra. So Indra can supply water just to your requirement, or sometimes he does not supply, or sometimes he supplies over, over requirement. Ativrsti, anavrsti. Anavrsti means no rain, and ativrsti means excessive. So we don't want excessive or less. We want just proper. So this is under the control of the devata. You cannot say... You may be very great scientist. You cannot say that "It is under my control." When there is no rainfall, you cannot say, "All right, we are scientists. We are creating rain." You can theoretically say, "Now we are making progress. In future."
All these rascals say, "In future." And we also believe, that "In future these rascals will give us all happiness." Not now. Now you die. Just like a clever lawyer, his client was condemned to death, to be hanged. I have seen it in Allahabad high court. And still, he is patting him, "Don't worry. I shall get you released by appeal. Now you can go to be hanged, and I shall get you released." Like that. I have seen it. One big European barrister... In those days European barristers were very valuable. Mr. Armstrong. I had also one case in high court. So one man, one medical practitioner, he killed his servant in the operation room very mercilessly. The servant was implicated with his wife. To revenge, he called the servant in the operation room. The servant did not know that he was to be killed. And immediately he was captured, chloroform, and mercilessly killed with knife and then packed up in a box. He was taking the corpse in a different place to throw away. In the meantime a police officer was passing. He saw that drops of blood is coming out of the box. He immediately arrested. So this case was. Then the doctor was condemned to death. So Mr. Armstrong was appointed his lawyer. So he was solacing, "Don't worry, I shall get you released by appeal." So our so-called scientists, they also say like that: "In future we shall do this. In future. Now you go to hell. That's all." But in future they cannot do anything. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. Nature's law is so strong. The so-called childish scientists, they cannot give any relief. That is not possible. That is not possible. It is simply false promise. And those who are fools and rascals, they believe that in future... Future, but what they have done in the past? They cannot do anything.
Therefore it is said, there are three kinds of miserable conditions: daiva, bhuta, atma. Daiva means adhidaivika, and bhuta means adhibhautika, and atma means adhyatmika. Three kinds of miseries. Adhyatmika, pertaining to your body and mind. Body, we have got, we have got experience, so many bodily troubles, anxieties. If not body, mental. These are called adhyatmika. Then adhibhautika. I am peaceful, but another neighbor, or another animal, will give me some trouble. I am peacefully sitting here, but these flies are giving me trouble unnecessarily. I have to take precaution. So there are flies, mosquitoes, at night so many other animals, they come. Besides that, my brother, my friend, they are also prepared to give me trouble. Some way or other, other living entities causing some painful condition. This is called adhibhautika. And adhidaivika. Daivika, painful condition created by the demigods. Just like there is hurricane all of a sudden. So many trees falls down, sometimes cottages devastated, overflood, excessive rain, overflood, famine, pestilence. You have no control. You cannot control. You can simply say, "In future." That's all. But there is no control.
So we are always in this painful condition. That is material life. But those who have got eyes, sense, they can see. Just like Sanatana Gosvami, he could see. He was prime minister, well situated materially. Learned scholar, very intelligent. Otherwise how they could become Caitanya Mahaprabhu's personal associates? Very qualified. Caitanya Mahaprabhu... When Sanatana Gosvami consulted Jagadananda, that "I want to do this. What is your advice?"... Sanatana Gosvami became infected with itches all over the body. And it was, what is called, bleeding itches. Itches are two kinds: dry and sometimes oozing water. What is called?
Devotee: Pus. Pus.
Prabhupada: Not pus. Weeping.
Devotee: Weeping.
Prabhupada: Yes. The technical name is weeping. Dry and weeping. So it was weeping itches. And whenever he would go to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, immediately Caitanya Mahaprabhu embrace him, and the weeping secretion will touch the body of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So he thought that "I am suffering from this disease. Caitanya Mahaprabhu (is) embracing me. I shall kill myself. I shall commit suicide." So he consulted, not for suicide, but leaving the place. So when he was advised, "Yes, you can leave the place," so Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He heard this news that Jagadananda has advised Sanatana Gosvami to leave the place, He became very angry, that "You have the audacity to advise Sanatana Gosvami? Nonsense." He was so respectful to Sanatana Gosvami. The same Sanatana Gosvami approached Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, asking Him the question: "What I am? Why I am put into these threefold miserable condition of life?"
So this is our position. We may be very great man in the estimation of our friends and countrymen, but everyone is subjected to the miserable condition of life. They cannot make any solution. That is not possible. They have made a solution, big, big learned scholars, just that Mr. Kotovsky said, "Swamiji, after death, there is no life. Everything is finished." Unless they think like that, then life becomes more horrible, full of anxieties. If they think of that there is another life and there is punishment and reward, according to our karma, then their life is very horrible. So just like the animals, poor animal, sometimes facing enemy, close the eyes, as if there is no enemy, so they do like that, close the eyes. Children, when there is danger, they close the eyes. They have no other means to escape. So these people, they close the eyes. "There is no life after death." Otherwise they cannot accommodate.
But there is life after death. Tatha dehantara-praptih. Tatha dehantara-praptih. There is life after death, simply change of body. Now, there are so many bodies, 8,400,000's of bodies. I can become next life a fly, according to my karma. Or I can become next life Brahma. That is also according to karma. But there are varieties of life. So the so-called scientists, they do not know what is life after death, how it happens, how it is going on. This is a great science. That you can understand from the Vedic literature, not from your so-called scientific research. That is not possible.
So how these people, during the time of Maharaja Yudhisthira, were free from all kinds of anxieties and diseases? Nadhayo vyadhayah klesah. If you are in anxiety, then that will create a disease. Our this psychological condition, physiological condition, is working in so subtle way -- little shocking, little disturbance will create another disturbance. The Ayurvedic medicine, they treat patients on this principle, how things are disturbed. They have got their calculation: kapha, pitta, vayu. Tri-dhatu. This body is a composition of these three dhatus. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. Kunape. This is a bag created by the interaction of the three elements, namely, kapha, pitta, vayu, bile, mucus and air. This is kaviraja treatment. They can understand the position of these three elements by feeling the pulse. This is Ayurvedic science. If one kaviraja can learn to feel the pulse, he can say everything. He can say when this man will die, today or tomorrow or... Accurately he will say. The pulse beating is so scientifically described in Ayurvedic science. As soon as he fixes up the pulse beating, immediately the formulas are there: "Such kind of pulse beating will create such and such symptoms." So you feel the pulse and inquire the patient, "Are you feeling like this?" If he says, "Yes," then it is confirmed. The disease is confirmed. Then the medicine is there. Very simple thing. Now in allopathic treatment, first of all you have to sacrifice one chataka of blood, immediately. As soon as you go to the medical man, in your country, he will take so much blood. First of all you have to give your blood. Then fees. Then you have to purchase nonsense medicine. So here also there are nonsense kavirajas also. So unless one is expert in feeling the pulse, he is not kaviraja. That is the criterion.
Indian: It will take two years.
Prabhupada: Just see.
Indian: To pass education, takes two years' time.
Prabhupada: Yes. Two years' time. So this is the... This body is made of three dhatu, and misadjustment of these three things... If the mucus is increased, the other two decrease. In this way disturbance is created, and that is the cause of disease. Adhayo vyadhayah. So if people remain completely in hygienic principle, as they are prescribed in the sastras, just like rise early in the morning, take bath, evacuate and chant Hare Krsna mantra... If you follow the rules and regulation, then there will be no anxiety, no disease. People become crazy when he is full of anxieties or disease. If he is happy in every respect, then he does not become crazy, he does not become enemy. If everyone is satisfied, then where is the chance of becoming your enemy or my enemy? Everyone is satisfied.
So in Maharaja Yudhisthira's time, the government, the government was responsible also to keep people peaceful, without any anxiety. That is government. Without any anxiety. And now the government means full of anxieties. You do not know how to sleep peacefully at night. You have to keep watchmen, just see, enemies are coming or not, with torchlight. You see. This is our position, full of anxieties. Even we cannot sleep at night peacefully. This is government. And here you see, compare the government -- no anxiety, no anxiety. Just compare. So what is the use of this rascal government? The rascal government must be there because we are rascals. You cannot complain against the government. Because we select. It is the days of democracy. We elect our representative. So why you should, I mean to say, blame the government? You have created the government. You have sent your representative, a rascal, another big rascal. You are rascal, and another big rascal, you have voted; so how you can expect good government? You send only big rascals. That's all.
So there cannot be. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that in the Kali-yuga, all the people will be rascals, sudras. Simply by manipulation, if one gets vote, he captures the governmental power. Sudra. He's a sudra. He is not a ksatriya like Maharaja Yudhisthira, trained up ksatriya. He is a rascal, third-class man, fourth-class man. He gets the vote and we give vote. So how we can be happy? How we can be carefree or anxiety-free or disease-free? It is not possible. Therefore if the people in general, they become Krsna conscious, they become trained up in Krsna consciousness, they understand the value of life, how to live, then they can send good representative. Krsna conscious man. Then the government will be nice. Without becoming... Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah. If people are not Krsna conscious, their so-called qualification has no value. Kuto mahad-gunah. There cannot be value. There cannot be any good qualification of a person who is not Krsna conscious, who is not a devotee. This is our conclusion. We have got some test tubes. We can study man. He may become a very good scholar, very good politician, very big minister, but we test whether he has got any sense of Krsna consciousness. If he's not, immediately I understand that "Here is a rascal number one." That's all. We have got test tube, how much he is advanced in Krsna consciousness. If he's not, then he is grouped immediately in four groups: duskrtina, means constantly committing sinful activities; mudha, rascal; naradhama, lowest of the mankind; mayaya apahrta-jnana, although educated with high degrees, his knowledge has been taken away; asuram bhavam asritah, and demon.
na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]
Immediately we classify, "Here is a rascal number one, lowest of the mankind," or "always engaged in sinful activities," or "whatever education he has got, that is useless, because his real knowledge..."
Just like Professor Kotovsky, such a big professor, he says, "There is no life after death." He's a rascal number one. What is the meaning of this education? He does not know that the soul is eternal, and therefore Bhagavad-gita teaches first, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam... [Bg. 2.13]. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. "First of all understand this: soul is eternal; you are eternal; you do not die, after the annihilation..." This is the first education. And these rascals, they say there is no life after death. So how much educated they are you can understand. They are all rascals. And you may open big, big colleges, institution, providing some rascal professor, rascal student, and beg the whole life, and sacrifice everything. It is useless. Srama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time.
dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]
Srama eva hi kevalam. You can do your duties very nicely, very good, dharmah svanusthitah, but if you do not develop your, I mean to say, attachment for Krsna... Vasudeva-katha rucih. "Oh, here krsna-katha is going on. Topics on Krsna is going on. Let me hear it." Just like here. We are talking of Krsna; nobody is coming. Nobody is coming. Only few selected. Vasudeva-katha rucih. There is no taste for hearing krsna-katha. So such kind of education, advancement of civilization, is srama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time. And if you waste your time in such foolish activity, then there will be anxiety, there will be disease, there will be enemies, there will be disturbance -- everything, one after another, one after another. Natural disturbance, disturbance by other living creatures, disturbance by your body. So this world will become hell. This is the position.
So just compare the present governmental situation and the time... A king is supposed to be responsible for the citizen's peaceful life, no anxiety, no disease. Adhayo vyadhayah. That is king. Just like one brahmana approached Lord Ramacandra that "In the presence of father the son has died. You are responsible. There must be something wrong in Your kingdom." His son died. That is natural, that son lives, father dies. This is natural death. "And what is this? The father is living and son is dying?" So king was so much responsible, even the death must be systematic. There should be no anxiety. There should be no disease. There should be no scarcity, no famine, no natural disturbance. This is government. This is government. Just try to understand the ideal government during Maharaja Yudhisthira's time. Not only Maharaja Yudhisthira, all the kings. Rajarsayah. Imam rajarsayo viduh. They were all great rsis, although they were ksatriyas. Brahmana and ksatriya, they used to guide the general people. The high caste means who would guide the people nicely. The brahmana by their Vedic knowledge, perfect knowledge, pathana-pathana yajana-yajana dana-pratigraha. By high learning, they would... They were not interested for capturing the government. No. They had no time. But there was consulting body. Even Yudhisthira Maharaja's time, there was consulting body, all the kings. The brahmanas and the rsis, they would form a consulting body and give advice to the king: "My dear king, do like this.' And they will abide. Just like head. Head. Head gives the instruction to the arms. Not the arm gives instruction to the head. Head. Brain. Mukha-bahuru-padebhyah.
So brahmana means this portion, head, brain. And ksatriya means this portion, arm. And vaisya means this portion, belly. And sudra means this, leg. So no part is unimportant. Every part is important for upkeep of the body. But comparative study, this part is more important. If my head is cut off, then all other parts may remain. It will not act. Similarly, at the present moment there is no brahmana. All sudras, simply legs. If you keep the legs of the body, what is the value of this body? There must be head. Everything must be there. Everything must be there. The head must be there, arms must be there, the abdomen must be there, the legs must be there. Then it is complete body. Similarly, this scientific division, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13], the division of the human society according to quality, the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. Krsna says, maya srstam: "This is My creation for upkeep of the social system."
So there is necessity of the sudras and there is necessity of the brahmana. There is necessity of the ksatriya. Everyone is required to do, to function, in his particular position. Then the society will be nadhayo vyadhayah klesah. No more anxiety and no more disease. Everyone is peaceful, cool-minded, cool-brained. Then chant Hare Krsna without any disturbance and go back to home back, to Godhead.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973
Showing posts with label June 21. Show all posts
Showing posts with label June 21. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
"Our Real Business"
74/06/21 Germany, Bhagavad-gita 2.14
Prabhupada: ...anityas tams titiksasva bharata [Bg. 2.14]. In the previous verse, it has been described that dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara: [Bg. 2.13] "We are transmigrating from one body to another. Exactly like we are passing from a child body to a boy's body, a boy's body to youth body, similarly, we are passing through this body also and accepting another body." Now, the question of distress and happiness. Distress and happiness -- according to the body. A very rich man is situated little comfortably. The common distress and unhappiness, er, happiness, that is common. What is that common? Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. To take birth either as a dog or as a king, the distress is the same. There is no difference because the dog has to keep itself within the womb of the mother in an airtight condition for so many months, and the man, either he is king or anything, he has also undergo that tribulation. There is no excuse. Because you are taking birth in a king's family, it does not mean that to remain compact within the mother's womb the distress is less, and because he is taking birth in a dog's mother's womb, therefore his is great. No. That is the same. Similarly, at the time of death, the distress... At the time of death there is great distress. It is so strong that one has to leave this body. Just like when the distress becomes very strong, one commits suicide. He cannot tolerate: "Finish this body."
So nobody wants to leave this body, but the distress is so strong that one is forced to leave this body. That is called death. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find that mrtyuh sarva-haras ca aham. Krsna says that "I am death." And what is the meaning of death? Death means "I take everything from him. Finished. I take his body, I take his association, I take his country, I take his society, I take his bank balance, and everything finished." Sarva-harah. Sarva means everything. Everyone is trying to accumulated big bank balance and big house, big family, big motorcar... But with the death, everything is finished. So that is great distress. Sometimes one cries. You will find at the time of death, in coma, his eye drops are coming out. He is thinking, "I made so many things so nicely to live comfortably, and now I am losing everything." Great distress. I know one friend in Allahabad. He was very rich man. So he was only fifty-four years old. So he was requesting, crying, doctor, "Doctor, can you give me at least four years to live? I had a plan. I wanted to finish it." What the doctor can do? "That is not possible, sir. You must get out." But these foolish people, they do not know. But we have to tolerate. We have to tolerate. That is advised here, that "Because you have got this material body, you have to tolerate, to live within the womb of the mother." Then come out. Then I cannot speak. Suppose I am a little baby, and some worm is biting me. I cannot say "Mother" -- because at time I cannot speak -- "something is biting on my back." I am crying, and mother is thinking that "The child is hungry. Give him milk." (laughter) Just see how much this... I want something, and I am given something else. That is a fact. Why the child is crying? He is feeling uncomfortable. Then, in this way, I grow. Then I do not want to go to school. I am forced to go to school. Yes. At least, I was like that. (laughter) I never wanted to go to school. And my father was very kind. "So all right. Why you are not going to school?" I would say, "I will go tomorrow." "All right." But my mother was very careful. Perhaps if my mother would not have been little strict, I would not have gotten any education. My father was very lenient. So she used to force me. One man would take me to school. Actually, children do not want to go to school. They want to play. Against the will of the children, he has to go to school. Then there is examination, not only going to school.
So you study the life. From the beginning of this body within the womb of the mother, it is simply troublesome. Against my will so many distresses are there, so many distresses there. Then as you grow, the distress grow, grow. Distress is not diminished. Then janma, then old age, then disease. So long you have got this body... The so-called scientists, they are manufacturing very effective medicine, discovery, new discovery. Just..., what is called? Streptomycin? So many things. But they cannot stop disease. That is not possible, sir. You can manufacture so many high-class medicines to cure disease. That will not cure. Temporary relief. But no scientist has discovered any medicine that "You take this medicine and no more disease." That is not possible. "You take this medicine, no more death." That is not possible. Therefore those who are intelligent, they know it very well that this place is duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita. It is a place for distress. So long you remain here... But we are so fools, we cannot realize. We accept, "This life is very pleasant. Let me enjoy it." It is not pleasant at all, seasonal changes, always. This distress or that distress, this disease or that disease. This uncomfortable, this anxiety. There are three kinds of distresses: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyatmika means distresses pertaining to this body and the mind. And adhidaivika means distresses offered by material nature. Nature. All of a sudden there is earthquake. All of a sudden there is famine, there is scarcity of food, there is over rain, no rain, extreme heat, extreme winter, extreme cold. We have to go under these distresses, threefold. At least one, two, must be there. Still, we do not realize that "This place is full of distress because I have got this material body."
Therefore a sane man's duty is how to stop the process of accepting this material body. This is intelligence. He should realize that "I am always in distresses, and I am not this body, but I am put into this body. Therefore right conclusion is that I am not this body. If, somehow or other, I can live without this body, then my distresses are over. This is common sense. That is possible. Therefore Krsna comes. Therefore God comes, to give you the information that "You are not this body. You are the soul, spirit soul. And because you are within this body, you are suffering so many distresses." Therefore Krsna advises that "These distresses are due to this body." Try to understand. Why you are feeling pains and pleasure? It is due to the body.
Therefore Buddha philosophy is also same thing, that you finish this body, nirvana, nirvana. Nirvana means... Their philosophy is that your feeling of pains and pleasure, it is due to this body. They also accept. Now what is this body? This body is combination of matter. Combination of earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, ego -- eight material elements, five gross and three subtle. This body is made of that. So the Buddha philosophy is that you dismantle this body, nirvana. Just like this house is made of stone, brick and wood and so many. So you break it, and there is no more stone and no more brick. This is distributed to the earth. Throw it on the earth. Then there is no house. Similarly, if you become zero, no body, then you are free from pains and pleasure. This is their philosophy, nirvana philosophy, sunyavadi: "Make it zero." But that is not possible. That is not possible. You cannot... Because you are spirit soul... That will be explained. You are eternal. You cannot be zero. That will be explained, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], that we are giving up this body, but immediately I have to accept another body, immediately. Then where is your question of dismantling? By nature's way you will get another body. Because you want to enjoy, you have come here in this material world. There is no question of asking. Everyone knows that "I am in this material world. I must enjoy to the fullest extent." One who is unaware of the fact that "I am going to take another life," he is thinking, "This is a combination of this matter -- earth, water, air, fire. So when it will be broken, then everything will be finished. So so long I have got this opportunity, let me enjoy to the fullest extent." This is called material mentality, atheist, atheist, who does not know that we are eternal soul, we are changing body only. The atheists think that after finishing...
Here in the Western country, big, big professor, they are also under the same impression, that when the body is finished, everything is finished. No. That is not. Therefore that is the beginning of instruction. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. You are changing different bodies. By finishing the body, you are not finished. You are not finished. We can understand with little thinking that in this body I am..., even in this life. At night I get another body. I dream. I dream there is tiger. I go to the forest, and there is a tiger, and it is coming to kill me. Then I am crying, and actually I am crying. Or, in other way, I have gone to some beloved, man and woman. We are embracing, but the bodily action is going on. Otherwise why I am crying? And why there is discharge of semina? So people do not know that I am leaving this gross body, but I am entering into subtle body. Subtle body is there, not question of inside. We are packed up. Just like this body is packed up with shirt and coat, so the coat is the gross body, and the shirt is the subtle body. So when this gross body is resting, the subtle body is working. The subtle body is there. The foolish men, they cannot understand that "I am compact in some body, either subtle body or gross body." One who is too sinful, very much sinful, he does not get the gross body. He remains in the subtle body, and that is called ghost. You have heard. Some of you might have seen. There is ghost. Ghost means he doesn't get. He is so sinful that he is condemned to remain in the subtle body. He does not get the gross body. Therefore, according to Vedic system, there is sraddha ceremony. If the father or relative has not gotten the gross body, by that ceremony he is allowed to accept a gross body. That is the Vedic system.
So anyway, we can understand that "I am sometimes in this gross body, and I am sometimes in the subtle body. So I am there, either in the gross body or in the subtle body. So I am eternal. But when I work with the subtle body, I forget this gross body. And when I work with this gross body, I forget this subtle body. So either I accept the gross body or subtle body, I am eternal. I am eternal. Now the problem is how to avoid this gross body and subtle body. That is problem. That means when you remain in your original body, means spiritual body, and do not come to this gross or subtle body, that is your eternal life. That is... We have to achieve. This human life is a gift by the nature or by God. Now you realize that you are changing your different condition, distress and happiness, being forced to accept some kind of gross and subtle body. That is the cause of your pains and pleasure. And if you get out of this gross and subtle body, remain in your original, spiritual body, then you are free from these pains and pleasure. That is called mukti. Mukti. There is a Sanskrit word. Mukti means liberation, no more gross body, no more subtle body. But you remain in your own original spiritual body. This is called mukti. Mukti means... It is described in the Bhagavatam, muktir hitva anyatha rupam sva-rupena vyavasthitih. That is called mukti. Anyatha rupam. Anyatha rupam means in otherwise, staying or living in otherwise. Otherwise means that I am spirit soul. I have got spiritual body. But some way or other, circumstantially, on account of my desire, I get sometimes human body and sometimes dog's body, sometimes cat's body, sometimes tree's body, sometimes demigod's body. There are different, 8,400,000 different forms of body. So I am changing according to my desire. And according to my infection, karanam guna-sangah asya, and according to my... These are the subtle things. That is the real knowledge of human being, not to invent something for temporary happiness. That is foolishness. That is foolishness, wasting time. If we invent something for the comforts of this present body and I shall live very comfortably, but "You will not be allowed, sir, to live comfortably." First of all you know it. Suppose a man is constructing very nice house, very strong house. It will never fall down in any circumstances. But that's all right, but what you have done for yourself that you will never die so that you will enjoy this? "No. Let it be. Let me have a very strong-built house." So house remains. You go there. Strong-built nation. Just like Napoleon constructed strong-built arches, but where he has gone, nobody knows. So therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, sings, jada-bidya jato mayara vaibhava tomara bhajane badha. The more we advance in so-called material happiness or material advancement, the more we forget our real identity. This is the result.
So we should understand that we have got a separate business, real business. That is called self-realization, that "I am not this body." This is self-realization. That is being instructed by Krsna in the beginning, that "You are not this body." The first understanding, first knowledge, is to understand that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. I have got a different business." It is not that this temporary actions or activities like as a dog, or as a human being, or as a tiger or as a tree or as a fish, there are activities. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. The same principle of bodily necessities. Eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. But in the human form of life, I have got a separate business, self-realization, to get out of this bodily entanglement. And that is called knowledge. Without this knowledge, anything we are advancing in knowledge, that is foolishness, that's all. Srama eva hi kevalam. Srama eva hi kevalam. Srama eva hi kevalam means simply working uselessly and wasting time. You cannot check the nature's law. Suppose in this life you are very big leader, prime minister, and everything. That's all right, but according to your mentality, you are creating next life. So in this life you remain a prime minister, and in next life you become a dog. Then where is the benefit? There is not... Therefore these atheist fools, they want to deny next life. That is very horrible for them. That is very horrible to them. If they accept next life... They know their life is very sinful. Then what life they are going to get by the laws of nature? When they think of it, they shudder. "Better deny it. Better deny it." Just like a rabbit. Enemy is in his front, and he is going to die, but the thinks, "Let me close my eyes. I am out of danger." This is atheistic view, that they are trying to forget that there is... Therefore they deny, "There is no life." Why not? Krsna says that "You had a childhood body. You had a baby... Now you have... Where is that body? You have left that. You are in different body. Similarly, this body you'll change. You will get another body." And who says? Krsna says. The most superior authority, he says. I may not understand, but when He says... This is the process of our knowledge. We accept knowledge from the perfect person. I may be fool, but the knowledge received from the perfect person is perfect. This is our process. We don't try to speculate. That may or may not be successful, but if you accept knowledge from the perfect authority, that knowledge is perfect. Just like we are speculating, "Who is my father?" You can speculate who is your father, but that speculation will not help you. You will never understand who is your father. But you go to your mother, the supreme authority. She'll immediately, "Here is your father." That's all. And you cannot know father in any other way. There is no other way. This is practical. You cannot know your father without the authoritative statement of your mother. Similarly, things which are beyond your perception, avan manasa-gocara, you cannot think of, you cannot speak of. Sometimes they say, "God cannot be spoken. God cannot be thought of." That is all right. But if God Himself comes before you and says, "Here I am," then where is the difficulty? Where is the difficulty? I am imperfect. I cannot know. That's all right. But if God Himself comes before me...
So this Krsna consciousness movement is to know everything perfectly from the supreme authority, Krsna. This is the process. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. In order to understand subject matter which is beyond our perception, you have to approach such authority who can inform you. Exactly in the same way: to understand who is my father is beyond my perception, beyond my speculation, but if I accept the authoritative statement of my mother, this is perfect knowledge. So there are three kinds of processes to understand or to advance in knowledge. One is direct perception, pratyaksa. And the other is authority, and the other is sruti. Sruti means by hearing from the Supreme. So our process is sruti. Sruti means we hear from the highest authority. That is our process, and that is very easy. Highest authority, if He is not in default... Ordinary persons, they are in default. They have got imperfection. The first imperfection is: the ordinary man, they commit mistake. Any great man of the world, you have seen, they commit mistake. And they are illusioned. They accept something as reality which is not reality. Just like we accept this body as reality. This is called illusion. But it is not reality. "I am soul." That is reality. So this is called illusion. And then, with this illusory knowledge, imperfect knowledge, we become teacher. That is another cheating. If you have not... They say, all these scientists and philosophers, "Perhaps," "It may be." So where is your knowledge? "It may be" and "perhaps." Why you are taking the post of a teacher? "In future we shall understand." And what is this future? Would you accept a post-dated check? "In future I shall discover, and therefore I am scientist." What is this scientist? And, above all, our imperfectness of senses. Just like we are seeing one another because there is light. If there is no light, then what is the power of my seeing? But these rascals they do not understand that they are always defective, and still, they are writing books of knowledge. What is your knowledge? We must take knowledge from the perfect person.
Therefore we are taking knowledge from Krsna, the Supreme Person, the perfect person. And He is advising that if you want to stop your pains and pleasure, then you must make some arrangement not to accept this material body. That He is advising, Krsna, how to avoid this material body. That has been explained. This is Second Chapter. In the Fourth Chapter Krsna has said that janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. You simply try to understand the activities of Krsna. These activities of Krsna is there in the history, in the Mahabharata. Mahabharata means greater India or greater Bharata, Mahabharata, the history. In that history this Bhagavad-gita is also there. So He is speaking about Himself. You try to understand Krsna. This is our Krsna consciousness movement. Simply try to understand Krsna, His activities. He is not impersonal. Janma karma me divyam. Karma means activities. He has activities. Why He is taking part in this world, activities? Why He comes?
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]
He has got some purpose; He has got some mission. So try to understand Krsna and His mission and His activities. They are described in a historical form. So where is the difficulty? We read so many things, history or the activities of some leader, some politician. The same thing, same energy, you apply for understanding Krsna. Where is the difficulty? Krsna, therefore, He manifests Himself with so many activities because you can understand Krsna's activities. And if you can understand Krsna's ac... (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974
Prabhupada: ...anityas tams titiksasva bharata [Bg. 2.14]. In the previous verse, it has been described that dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara: [Bg. 2.13] "We are transmigrating from one body to another. Exactly like we are passing from a child body to a boy's body, a boy's body to youth body, similarly, we are passing through this body also and accepting another body." Now, the question of distress and happiness. Distress and happiness -- according to the body. A very rich man is situated little comfortably. The common distress and unhappiness, er, happiness, that is common. What is that common? Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. To take birth either as a dog or as a king, the distress is the same. There is no difference because the dog has to keep itself within the womb of the mother in an airtight condition for so many months, and the man, either he is king or anything, he has also undergo that tribulation. There is no excuse. Because you are taking birth in a king's family, it does not mean that to remain compact within the mother's womb the distress is less, and because he is taking birth in a dog's mother's womb, therefore his is great. No. That is the same. Similarly, at the time of death, the distress... At the time of death there is great distress. It is so strong that one has to leave this body. Just like when the distress becomes very strong, one commits suicide. He cannot tolerate: "Finish this body."
So nobody wants to leave this body, but the distress is so strong that one is forced to leave this body. That is called death. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find that mrtyuh sarva-haras ca aham. Krsna says that "I am death." And what is the meaning of death? Death means "I take everything from him. Finished. I take his body, I take his association, I take his country, I take his society, I take his bank balance, and everything finished." Sarva-harah. Sarva means everything. Everyone is trying to accumulated big bank balance and big house, big family, big motorcar... But with the death, everything is finished. So that is great distress. Sometimes one cries. You will find at the time of death, in coma, his eye drops are coming out. He is thinking, "I made so many things so nicely to live comfortably, and now I am losing everything." Great distress. I know one friend in Allahabad. He was very rich man. So he was only fifty-four years old. So he was requesting, crying, doctor, "Doctor, can you give me at least four years to live? I had a plan. I wanted to finish it." What the doctor can do? "That is not possible, sir. You must get out." But these foolish people, they do not know. But we have to tolerate. We have to tolerate. That is advised here, that "Because you have got this material body, you have to tolerate, to live within the womb of the mother." Then come out. Then I cannot speak. Suppose I am a little baby, and some worm is biting me. I cannot say "Mother" -- because at time I cannot speak -- "something is biting on my back." I am crying, and mother is thinking that "The child is hungry. Give him milk." (laughter) Just see how much this... I want something, and I am given something else. That is a fact. Why the child is crying? He is feeling uncomfortable. Then, in this way, I grow. Then I do not want to go to school. I am forced to go to school. Yes. At least, I was like that. (laughter) I never wanted to go to school. And my father was very kind. "So all right. Why you are not going to school?" I would say, "I will go tomorrow." "All right." But my mother was very careful. Perhaps if my mother would not have been little strict, I would not have gotten any education. My father was very lenient. So she used to force me. One man would take me to school. Actually, children do not want to go to school. They want to play. Against the will of the children, he has to go to school. Then there is examination, not only going to school.
So you study the life. From the beginning of this body within the womb of the mother, it is simply troublesome. Against my will so many distresses are there, so many distresses there. Then as you grow, the distress grow, grow. Distress is not diminished. Then janma, then old age, then disease. So long you have got this body... The so-called scientists, they are manufacturing very effective medicine, discovery, new discovery. Just..., what is called? Streptomycin? So many things. But they cannot stop disease. That is not possible, sir. You can manufacture so many high-class medicines to cure disease. That will not cure. Temporary relief. But no scientist has discovered any medicine that "You take this medicine and no more disease." That is not possible. "You take this medicine, no more death." That is not possible. Therefore those who are intelligent, they know it very well that this place is duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita. It is a place for distress. So long you remain here... But we are so fools, we cannot realize. We accept, "This life is very pleasant. Let me enjoy it." It is not pleasant at all, seasonal changes, always. This distress or that distress, this disease or that disease. This uncomfortable, this anxiety. There are three kinds of distresses: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyatmika means distresses pertaining to this body and the mind. And adhidaivika means distresses offered by material nature. Nature. All of a sudden there is earthquake. All of a sudden there is famine, there is scarcity of food, there is over rain, no rain, extreme heat, extreme winter, extreme cold. We have to go under these distresses, threefold. At least one, two, must be there. Still, we do not realize that "This place is full of distress because I have got this material body."
Therefore a sane man's duty is how to stop the process of accepting this material body. This is intelligence. He should realize that "I am always in distresses, and I am not this body, but I am put into this body. Therefore right conclusion is that I am not this body. If, somehow or other, I can live without this body, then my distresses are over. This is common sense. That is possible. Therefore Krsna comes. Therefore God comes, to give you the information that "You are not this body. You are the soul, spirit soul. And because you are within this body, you are suffering so many distresses." Therefore Krsna advises that "These distresses are due to this body." Try to understand. Why you are feeling pains and pleasure? It is due to the body.
Therefore Buddha philosophy is also same thing, that you finish this body, nirvana, nirvana. Nirvana means... Their philosophy is that your feeling of pains and pleasure, it is due to this body. They also accept. Now what is this body? This body is combination of matter. Combination of earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, ego -- eight material elements, five gross and three subtle. This body is made of that. So the Buddha philosophy is that you dismantle this body, nirvana. Just like this house is made of stone, brick and wood and so many. So you break it, and there is no more stone and no more brick. This is distributed to the earth. Throw it on the earth. Then there is no house. Similarly, if you become zero, no body, then you are free from pains and pleasure. This is their philosophy, nirvana philosophy, sunyavadi: "Make it zero." But that is not possible. That is not possible. You cannot... Because you are spirit soul... That will be explained. You are eternal. You cannot be zero. That will be explained, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], that we are giving up this body, but immediately I have to accept another body, immediately. Then where is your question of dismantling? By nature's way you will get another body. Because you want to enjoy, you have come here in this material world. There is no question of asking. Everyone knows that "I am in this material world. I must enjoy to the fullest extent." One who is unaware of the fact that "I am going to take another life," he is thinking, "This is a combination of this matter -- earth, water, air, fire. So when it will be broken, then everything will be finished. So so long I have got this opportunity, let me enjoy to the fullest extent." This is called material mentality, atheist, atheist, who does not know that we are eternal soul, we are changing body only. The atheists think that after finishing...
Here in the Western country, big, big professor, they are also under the same impression, that when the body is finished, everything is finished. No. That is not. Therefore that is the beginning of instruction. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. You are changing different bodies. By finishing the body, you are not finished. You are not finished. We can understand with little thinking that in this body I am..., even in this life. At night I get another body. I dream. I dream there is tiger. I go to the forest, and there is a tiger, and it is coming to kill me. Then I am crying, and actually I am crying. Or, in other way, I have gone to some beloved, man and woman. We are embracing, but the bodily action is going on. Otherwise why I am crying? And why there is discharge of semina? So people do not know that I am leaving this gross body, but I am entering into subtle body. Subtle body is there, not question of inside. We are packed up. Just like this body is packed up with shirt and coat, so the coat is the gross body, and the shirt is the subtle body. So when this gross body is resting, the subtle body is working. The subtle body is there. The foolish men, they cannot understand that "I am compact in some body, either subtle body or gross body." One who is too sinful, very much sinful, he does not get the gross body. He remains in the subtle body, and that is called ghost. You have heard. Some of you might have seen. There is ghost. Ghost means he doesn't get. He is so sinful that he is condemned to remain in the subtle body. He does not get the gross body. Therefore, according to Vedic system, there is sraddha ceremony. If the father or relative has not gotten the gross body, by that ceremony he is allowed to accept a gross body. That is the Vedic system.
So anyway, we can understand that "I am sometimes in this gross body, and I am sometimes in the subtle body. So I am there, either in the gross body or in the subtle body. So I am eternal. But when I work with the subtle body, I forget this gross body. And when I work with this gross body, I forget this subtle body. So either I accept the gross body or subtle body, I am eternal. I am eternal. Now the problem is how to avoid this gross body and subtle body. That is problem. That means when you remain in your original body, means spiritual body, and do not come to this gross or subtle body, that is your eternal life. That is... We have to achieve. This human life is a gift by the nature or by God. Now you realize that you are changing your different condition, distress and happiness, being forced to accept some kind of gross and subtle body. That is the cause of your pains and pleasure. And if you get out of this gross and subtle body, remain in your original, spiritual body, then you are free from these pains and pleasure. That is called mukti. Mukti. There is a Sanskrit word. Mukti means liberation, no more gross body, no more subtle body. But you remain in your own original spiritual body. This is called mukti. Mukti means... It is described in the Bhagavatam, muktir hitva anyatha rupam sva-rupena vyavasthitih. That is called mukti. Anyatha rupam. Anyatha rupam means in otherwise, staying or living in otherwise. Otherwise means that I am spirit soul. I have got spiritual body. But some way or other, circumstantially, on account of my desire, I get sometimes human body and sometimes dog's body, sometimes cat's body, sometimes tree's body, sometimes demigod's body. There are different, 8,400,000 different forms of body. So I am changing according to my desire. And according to my infection, karanam guna-sangah asya, and according to my... These are the subtle things. That is the real knowledge of human being, not to invent something for temporary happiness. That is foolishness. That is foolishness, wasting time. If we invent something for the comforts of this present body and I shall live very comfortably, but "You will not be allowed, sir, to live comfortably." First of all you know it. Suppose a man is constructing very nice house, very strong house. It will never fall down in any circumstances. But that's all right, but what you have done for yourself that you will never die so that you will enjoy this? "No. Let it be. Let me have a very strong-built house." So house remains. You go there. Strong-built nation. Just like Napoleon constructed strong-built arches, but where he has gone, nobody knows. So therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, sings, jada-bidya jato mayara vaibhava tomara bhajane badha. The more we advance in so-called material happiness or material advancement, the more we forget our real identity. This is the result.
So we should understand that we have got a separate business, real business. That is called self-realization, that "I am not this body." This is self-realization. That is being instructed by Krsna in the beginning, that "You are not this body." The first understanding, first knowledge, is to understand that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. I have got a different business." It is not that this temporary actions or activities like as a dog, or as a human being, or as a tiger or as a tree or as a fish, there are activities. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. The same principle of bodily necessities. Eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. But in the human form of life, I have got a separate business, self-realization, to get out of this bodily entanglement. And that is called knowledge. Without this knowledge, anything we are advancing in knowledge, that is foolishness, that's all. Srama eva hi kevalam. Srama eva hi kevalam. Srama eva hi kevalam means simply working uselessly and wasting time. You cannot check the nature's law. Suppose in this life you are very big leader, prime minister, and everything. That's all right, but according to your mentality, you are creating next life. So in this life you remain a prime minister, and in next life you become a dog. Then where is the benefit? There is not... Therefore these atheist fools, they want to deny next life. That is very horrible for them. That is very horrible to them. If they accept next life... They know their life is very sinful. Then what life they are going to get by the laws of nature? When they think of it, they shudder. "Better deny it. Better deny it." Just like a rabbit. Enemy is in his front, and he is going to die, but the thinks, "Let me close my eyes. I am out of danger." This is atheistic view, that they are trying to forget that there is... Therefore they deny, "There is no life." Why not? Krsna says that "You had a childhood body. You had a baby... Now you have... Where is that body? You have left that. You are in different body. Similarly, this body you'll change. You will get another body." And who says? Krsna says. The most superior authority, he says. I may not understand, but when He says... This is the process of our knowledge. We accept knowledge from the perfect person. I may be fool, but the knowledge received from the perfect person is perfect. This is our process. We don't try to speculate. That may or may not be successful, but if you accept knowledge from the perfect authority, that knowledge is perfect. Just like we are speculating, "Who is my father?" You can speculate who is your father, but that speculation will not help you. You will never understand who is your father. But you go to your mother, the supreme authority. She'll immediately, "Here is your father." That's all. And you cannot know father in any other way. There is no other way. This is practical. You cannot know your father without the authoritative statement of your mother. Similarly, things which are beyond your perception, avan manasa-gocara, you cannot think of, you cannot speak of. Sometimes they say, "God cannot be spoken. God cannot be thought of." That is all right. But if God Himself comes before you and says, "Here I am," then where is the difficulty? Where is the difficulty? I am imperfect. I cannot know. That's all right. But if God Himself comes before me...
So this Krsna consciousness movement is to know everything perfectly from the supreme authority, Krsna. This is the process. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. In order to understand subject matter which is beyond our perception, you have to approach such authority who can inform you. Exactly in the same way: to understand who is my father is beyond my perception, beyond my speculation, but if I accept the authoritative statement of my mother, this is perfect knowledge. So there are three kinds of processes to understand or to advance in knowledge. One is direct perception, pratyaksa. And the other is authority, and the other is sruti. Sruti means by hearing from the Supreme. So our process is sruti. Sruti means we hear from the highest authority. That is our process, and that is very easy. Highest authority, if He is not in default... Ordinary persons, they are in default. They have got imperfection. The first imperfection is: the ordinary man, they commit mistake. Any great man of the world, you have seen, they commit mistake. And they are illusioned. They accept something as reality which is not reality. Just like we accept this body as reality. This is called illusion. But it is not reality. "I am soul." That is reality. So this is called illusion. And then, with this illusory knowledge, imperfect knowledge, we become teacher. That is another cheating. If you have not... They say, all these scientists and philosophers, "Perhaps," "It may be." So where is your knowledge? "It may be" and "perhaps." Why you are taking the post of a teacher? "In future we shall understand." And what is this future? Would you accept a post-dated check? "In future I shall discover, and therefore I am scientist." What is this scientist? And, above all, our imperfectness of senses. Just like we are seeing one another because there is light. If there is no light, then what is the power of my seeing? But these rascals they do not understand that they are always defective, and still, they are writing books of knowledge. What is your knowledge? We must take knowledge from the perfect person.
Therefore we are taking knowledge from Krsna, the Supreme Person, the perfect person. And He is advising that if you want to stop your pains and pleasure, then you must make some arrangement not to accept this material body. That He is advising, Krsna, how to avoid this material body. That has been explained. This is Second Chapter. In the Fourth Chapter Krsna has said that janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. You simply try to understand the activities of Krsna. These activities of Krsna is there in the history, in the Mahabharata. Mahabharata means greater India or greater Bharata, Mahabharata, the history. In that history this Bhagavad-gita is also there. So He is speaking about Himself. You try to understand Krsna. This is our Krsna consciousness movement. Simply try to understand Krsna, His activities. He is not impersonal. Janma karma me divyam. Karma means activities. He has activities. Why He is taking part in this world, activities? Why He comes?
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]
He has got some purpose; He has got some mission. So try to understand Krsna and His mission and His activities. They are described in a historical form. So where is the difficulty? We read so many things, history or the activities of some leader, some politician. The same thing, same energy, you apply for understanding Krsna. Where is the difficulty? Krsna, therefore, He manifests Himself with so many activities because you can understand Krsna's activities. And if you can understand Krsna's ac... (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974
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