What To Ask From God

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

dharmasya hy apavargyasya
nartho 'rthayopakalpate
narthasya dharmaikantasya
kamo labhaya hi smrtah

Translation: "All occupational engagements, or dharmas, are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service, or dharma should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification."

Prabhupada: So dharma we have described. Dharma means occupational duty. Just like according to Vedic culture, we are supposed to follow the varnasrama-dharma. It has become very ambiguous at the present moment, Hindu dharma. There is no such thing as Hindu dharma mentioned in the Vedic literature. We don't find either in the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam or any authorized Vedic literature Hindu dharma. Unfortunately, in India it has become very prominent, Hindu dharma, something hodgepodge. Real, our real Vedic dharma is varnasrama-dharma. That is mentioned in every Vedic literature -- in Puranas, in Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, in Ramayana, Mahabharata.

So... Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Krsna says, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that "These four principles, catur-varnya, four varnas: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra, maya srstam, it is created by Me." But people are not interested in God's creation. But without this division of human society... A class of men should be brahmana, simply interested in knowledge. Actually, that is going on. Some class of men in the human society, they are engaged in broadcasting knowledge, scientific knowledge. They are supposed to be on the brahminical qualification because to distribute knowledge mean must have good brain, must have good learning, education. Then there is question of distributing knowledge. A fool, rascal cannot distribute. Then next class, the politicians, administrative class, they are under the guidance of the intelligent class. They administer to keep the society in peaceful condition, in order. The next class, vaisya, the productive class. There must be business, trade, production, agriculture; otherwise how man will live? And the sudra class, general class, worker class, they have neither brain nor administrative power, nor can produce anything, but they can work under the direction of some higher authority. Paricaryatmakam karma sudra-karma svabhava-jam. Sudras.

So here we have discussed that everyone can cultivate his particular type of occupational duty with the aim for attaining ultimate salvation. Because the human life is meant for salvation, to get free from the bondage of repetition of birth, death... But the modern civilized men or the so-called intelligent, intellectual class of men, they have no such information. Therefore they have been described in the Bhagavad-gita as mudhah, mayayapahrta-jnanah.

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

Asuri-bhava, asuri-bhava means simply sense gratification. That is asuri-bhava. There is no other ambition. So practically, modern society is going on on the asuri-bhava. They have rejected God consciousness, and they're simply interested in sense gratification. Asuri-bhavam asritah. Therefore, in spite of all educational advancement... They're very much proud of having big, big degrees, but Bhagavad-gita says, mayayapahrta-jnanah. Maya has taken their knowledge, taken away. They have been stolen, because they have no real knowledge. Real knowledge is how to get freedom from repetition of birth and death. They do not believe in the next life. They think simply... Big, big professors, I have talked, especially in Russia. They think that "So long this body is there, you enjoy sense gratification to the utmost," the Carvaka theory. This was also cultured long ago in India.

rnam krtva ghrtam pibet yavaj jivet sukham jivet
bhasmi-bhutasya dehasya kutah punar agamano bhavet

"Why you are thinking of next birth? When this body is burnt into ashes, everything is finished." That is Carvaka theory, atheistic. That is going on still. The Carvaka class of men are always there.

So I have talked with so many big professors in Russia, and their theory is that "After finishing this body, everything is finished." But (if) everything is finished, then why you are working so hard, if everything will be finished? They... Their, their theory is different. That is asuric theory, asuric theory. They do not believe in the self, they do not believe in God, they do not believe in the next birth, although these are facts. Simply a sober brain with cool head, one can understand. But these are facts. They're taking risk only. Now, by ordinary common sense knowledge, if I say, "There is no next birth," that is not authoritative. Because authoritative knowledge is... Suppose from Bhagavad-gita, next life is accepted. Tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. The beginning of Bhagavad-gita is to teach that soul is eternal, it is migrating from one body to another, so there is next life. That is also authoritative knowledge. But if somebody says that "There is no birth," that is not authoritative. That is a layman's statement.

So a layman can put up his own theory in so many ways. Then what shall be the conclusion? The conclusion should be to take authoritative knowledge from authorities -- one who is beyond the four defects of common man; one who does not make any mistake. One who is not illusioned, one who does not cheat, and one whose senses are perfect. We are devoid of all these qualifications. We commit mistakes; we are illusioned; we cheat; and at the same time, our senses are imperfect. So how we can give by speculation perfect knowledge? That is not possible. Therefore, our principle, Vedic principle, is to receive knowledge from the perfect. So-called scientists, so-called philosophers... Because basically they're imperfect, how they can give you perfect? They can speak something, "Perhaps it it like that," "Maybe like that," "Perhaps it was like that." All their theories are like that. But actual fact is different. Actual fact we get from the Supreme Person, Krsna, that dehantara-praptih, tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13].

Dhirah, one who is sober. There are two classes of men: dhira and adhira. Dhira means sober, and adhira means mad after sense gratification. That is called adhira. So our Krsna consciousness movement is so nice, dhiradhira. What is that? Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi dhiradhira-jana-priyau. It is pleasing both to the dhira and the adhira. Those who are sober, they will understand how great this movement is. And even those who are adhira, they will also appreciate because our program is very nice. "Come here, chant Hare Krsna, dance and take prasadam." Who will not accept this? And actually, everyone is liking, "All right, let us go to this society, chant for some time, dance, and take prasadam." And gradually, he becomes spiritualized, then appreciates, then he becomes a member. So it is pleasing for the adhira also.

So here, whatever is spoken in this Bhagavata statement by Suta Gosvami, dharmasya hy apavargyasya... Everyone is trying to become engaged in particular type of occupational duty. Suppose one man is professor or one man is engineer or one man is medical man, anyone. Everyone has to do work for livelihood. That's a fact. You cannot live in this material world without working. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna advised Arjuna that "You have to work. Without working, you cannot," I mean to say, "keep yourself, your life and soul and body together. You have to work." Sarira-yatrapi na prasiddhyet. Sarira-yatra. So you have to work. Krsna never said... Krsna is... Arjuna is a great devotee of Krsna. Just imagine, he's talking personally with Krsna, and Krsna is personally helping him. How much exalted he is! But still, Krsna is advising to work. Krsna never said, "Oh, Arjuna, you need not fight. You sit down silently. I shall..." Actually, He was doing everything. At last He said, nimitta-matram bhava savyasacin: "You are simply instrumental, and I am doing everything." So Krsna does for the devotee everything, but it does not mean that he will sit down. It is not. This is not our Krsna consciousness movement that idle, creating some idlement. You must work for Krsna's sake. That is the program. Not for sense gratification. That is called dharma.

Here it is said, dharmasya hy apavargyasya. Hy apavargyasya, apavarga. This pavarga I have explained several times. In Sanskrit grammar there are vargas, ka-varga, ca-varga, ta-varga, ta-varga, pa-varga -- five vargas. So pa-varga means pa pha ba bha ma, five letters. Pa means parisrama, hard labor. And pha means foaming. Because when you work very hard, from your mouth some foam comes out. Sometimes we see in the body of the horse, or any animal. Pa, pha, ba. Ba means vyarthata, frustration. Instead of, in spite of working very hard, there is frustration in this material world. Pa, pha, ba, bha. Bha means bhaya, fearfulness. Although I am working very hard, still, I am fearful what will happen. I am not sure that things will be done properly, in spite of my working very hard. Pa, pha, ba, bha, and ma. Ma means mrtyu, death. Working so hard, day and night, and still, there is death. Working so hard... The scientific world is working so hard, but the scientist is dying himself. He cannot stop death. He can create some atom bomb to kill, but he cannot create anything which will stop death. That is not possible. Therefore, this pa, pha, ba, bha, ma, these five letters represent five kinds of our activities in this material world.

So apavarga, dharmasya hy apavargyasya. To make it nullified. No more hard labor, no more frustration, no more fearfulness, no more death. That is real problem. So to become religious, dharmic, means how to nullify these five principles of material existence. In the material world, you have to work very, very hard. You cannot think that "Oh, I am so great man. I'll not work." Na hi suptasya simhasya pravisanti mukhe mrgah. Suppose the lion... Lion is supposed to be the king of the forest. Still, he has to work. It is not that a lion will sleep, and some animal will come, "My dear lion, please open your mouth. I shall enter." (laughter) That is not possible. Even he is most powerful, even if he is... Just like your President. He is most powerful man, but he's working hard, more than asses and hogs, to get the post of presidency. So parisrama...

So nobody can say that "Without working hard, I shall achieve something." That is not possible. But our tendency is that we do not wish to work; therefore, at the end of the week, we take some, I mean to say, leisure, go out of the city, and try to forget all our hard labor throughout the week. But on Monday, again we have to come back. This is going on. Nobody actually... Because a living entity by nature, being part and parcel of God, he wants also enjoy life without work. That is his tendency. Just like Krsna. Krsna is enjoying with gopis, with Radharani. But He's not working. He hasn't got to work. We don't hear from Bhagavatam, any Vedic literature, that Krsna has a great factory, and He has to go office at ten o'clock, and then bring money, and then enjoy with Radharani. No. (laughter) We don't want that such kind of rascal God. (laughter) We want God who hasn't got to work anything. That is God. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. That is the Vedic information. God has nothing to do.

Then what kind of God He is? He is simply for enjoyment. One European gentleman went to Calcutta. He saw many temples, and when he came to our temple, he saw the Radha-Krsna. He went to other temples also, Kali's. So he remarked, "Here is God." His remark was that "I saw in other temples, they are working. The Goddess Kali is working. But here, He's enjoying." So God, that description is there in the Vedanta-sutra, anandamayo 'bhyasat. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah.

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

Although He's cause of everything, but he hasn't got to work. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. That is Vedic information. In the Upanisad you'll find, He has nothing to do.

na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate
na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate

We do not find anyone equal to Him or greater than Him. That is God. God is great. "Great" means nobody should be greater than Him. And God says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no other superior authority than Me." Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]: "I am the origin of everything." So other demigods like Lord Siva, Lord Brahma, even Lord Visnu, mattah sarvam pravartate -- everyone emanates from Him. And from them emanate so many things. Just like Brahma, so many creatures have come out. But the original, adyam, anadi... Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. Govinda is the original person.

So He hasn't got to do anything. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. He has no duty. He hasn't got to go to office, fifty miles off, with a motorcar, running at seventy miles speed, and there is some accident, finished. He hasn't got to do like that, although He runs quicker than anyone. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that,

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah

So Krsna is situated in the spiritual world, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. But we are trying to offer Him some foodstuff, as far as possible with devotion and faith; Krsna is eating, although He's far away. So this is God's position. At least, He hasn't got to work, He hasn't got to take the trouble to come. He's already here, although goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah, although He's in the Goloka. It is not that Krsna has gone somewhere, taken incarnation, therefore Goloka is vacant. No. In Goloka also, He's there, and He's everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. So this is God.

So as God hasn't got to do anything, we, being Krsna's part and parcel, we have got that tendency that we don't want to do anything, but we want to enjoy. Because you are part and parcel, the same quality is there. But we have fallen under certain conditions that we have to work. This is our position. We have to work very hard, so that foam will come out of the mouth, and still, we are not assured success; always fearful. And after all, working hard like this, we die. This is our position. So dharma means... To accept any kind of religion or faith means to nullify these five kinds of vargas. Hard work, foaming, fearfulness, frustration, and ultimately, death. That is the purpose of dharma. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. (aside:) Why you are making cut-cut? What is this sound? Who is doing that? Don't do it. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. To become religious means how to counteract these five principles. That is dharma. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. Na arthaya hi upakalpate. Not that by executing dharma, "I shall go to temple..."

Everywhere, the Christians go to church to get their bread. "O God, Father, give us our daily bread." What is this demand? God is supplying bread to the cats and dogs and birds and bees and everyone. Why He shall not give me? That means they do not know what to pray. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. "God, give me relief from these four kinds of tribulations." That should be prayed. Bread? What is this? Suppose if you go to a king and he says, "All right, you can ask anything from me," and if you say, "Give me bread, a piece of bread," (laughter) is that very intelligent? If you have approached a king, you should ask, "My dear lord, my dear your majesty, may give me something so that I may get free from all kinds of trouble." That should be the prayer. What is this prayer? "Give me a little bread"? Of course, it is better than the rascals who are atheists. They do not approach God. They say, "Oh, what is God? I am God. I shall, by economic development, I shall create so many breads. Why shall I go to church?"

So anyone who is going to church and asking God for bread, he's thousand times better than that rascal, who is not going to church, because he's, after all, approaching God. Maybe he does not know what to pray from God, but he's approaching God. Therefore, he's thousand times better than the rascal who is atheist, who does not care for church or temple. That is stated. Sukrtinah, he's pious, he's accepting God, that "God gives us bread." That principle he is accepting; therefore he is pious, he has been accepted as pious. Catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtino 'rjuna. "Those who are pious, they come to Me." Arto artharthi jnani.

So jijnasu. There are four kinds of men who come to God. They are all pious. The first is arta. A common man, if he's pious, if he's in distress, he prays to God, "My dear Lord, kindly rescue me from this difficulty." But he's to be considered as pious, because he's approaching God for relief. Artharthi, those who are poor, they are going to temple or church for some money, praying to God. They are also pious. And jijnasu. And one is philosopher, inquiring "What is God? Let us study." Jnani, those who are learned scholars. So those who are searching after God, trying to understand God, who are approaching God for some difficulty, approaching for some relief, all these persons who are approaching God some way or other, they are pious. And one who is denying the existence of God, trying to make solution by his own knowledge, they are all called asuras. Duskrtinah, miscreants, naradhamah, lowest of the mankind, mudhah, rascals.

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

One can say, "There are so many big, big philosophers, scientists, they do not recognize existence of God. Then what about their knowledge?" They... Krsna says, mayayapahrta-jnanah, "Their knowledge has no value. Actual essence of knowledge has been taken away by the maya."

So therefore dharma means one should be very serious to get out of this material conditional life. That is real dharma. Narthaya upakalpate. Not that simply we go to temple or church and ask God for some material benefit. Arthaya, dharma, artha, kama, moksa. These are called catur-varga. That is... In the Vedic civilization a human body, or human being, is recognized when he's interested in these four things: dharma, artha, kama, moksa. First of all, dharma. Without religious life, animal. What is the value of? Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. Anyone who has no religion... It doesn't matter what religion he's following, he must follow some religion. It doesn't matter whether Christian religion, Hindu religion, or Buddha religion, and this religion. It doesn't matter. He must have some religion. Then he is human being. And religion means... Generally, they understand that "If I become religious, pious, then my life will be nice. I'll get my subsistence." Actually, that's fact. Dharma artha. And why do we want artha, money? Kama, for sense gratification. We require money for sense gratification. And when we are baffled in sense gratification, then we want moksa. When one cannot get sufficiently by trying dharma, artha, kama, economic development and sense gratification, still we are dissatisfied, then sometimes we give up this world: brahma satyam jagan mithya, "This world is mithya, false." That is not actually giving up the, renouncement, giving..., or renunciation. Renunciation means you should give up your process of sense gratification and apply yourself very seriously in the service of the Lord. That is called renunciation.

That is explained in the Eighteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. Karma-phalam tyagam sannyasam. Sannyasa means karma-phalam tyagam. Everyone is working in this material world to get some result. The result must be there. Either you work piously or impiously, there must be result. So those who are not devotees, they will enjoy the result. So they're entangled. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. "If you do not work for Yajna, Visnu, then whatever you are doing, you are being bound up by the reaction of such work." Suppose you have done pious work. Now you are elevated to the higher planetary system or you become rich man's sons. Because by pious activities we get four things: janmaisvarya-sruta-sri. Janma, to get birth in nice family, rich family, aisvarya, janma aisvarya. Nice family means opulent, rich, riches, aisvarya. Janma aisvarya sruta, and learning, education also. This is also... Not that everyone is becoming very learned. But one who was pious in his past life or in this life, they can be benefited, nice education also. And sri, and beauty. These are the results of pious activities. And just the opposite is due to impious activities: no riches, no beauty, no knowledge, no good family.

So pious and impious activities, this is going on. Generally, people understand dharma by these. But here Bhagavata says, "No. Dharma, religious principles, should be executed to nullify..." Hy apavargyasya. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya na arthaya upakalpate. "Not for material benefit." Material benefit... Either you become poor or rich, you have to undergo the tribulations of this material existence. Because you are rich man, you cannot avoid death. Because you are rich man, you cannot avoid hard working. Because you are rich man, you cannot avoid fearfulness. So the same thing is for the poor man. He's also working hard. It may be that he's not getting more money; you are getting more money. But getting more money, you have to work like ass and dog. So you cannot get out of these principles, either you become rich or poor. Generally, they understand that "By becoming religious, I shall be rich." That is fact; you can become. But what is the benefit? Suppose you are rich. Do you think that you will not die? Do you think that you will not be attacked by any disease? Do you think that you will not become old? So what is the benefit? But real religion means to nullify these principles. Dharmasya hy apavargyasya nartho 'rthayopakalpate. Not that becoming religious I become richer, I become, I get so many material benefits. No. That is not. But you can say that "We require some money for existence." Yes, that's a fact, that's a fact.

Therefore, our principle is yavad artham. You can earn honestly as far, as much as you require for maintaining your body and soul together. Don't earn..., don't work hard simply money, money, money, money, sweeter than honey. That is not life. That is cats and dogs life. They're simply working hard, just like ass, mudha. Mudha means ass. This mudha, this word is applicable to the worker, to the karmis, because they are working very hard. But actually, what he's enjoying? When he lies down, he requires that six feet bedstead. That's all. Although he has got land, what you were saying? One person means they have owned the whole...?

Syamasundara: Twenty-five percent.

Prabhupada: Twenty-five percent of the land. Suppose we owned the twenty-five percent of the whole world, but at the time of occupying the land I require only six feet? That's all. So they..., is he not ass? He knows that "I want only six feet land to lie down. Why I am trying to acquire the whole world? And working so hard?" That is ass. Similarly, I'm so working hard. What I am eating? Perhaps I am not eating. When I come home, I piece of bread and a cup of tea, bas, finished. But he does not think "Why am I working hard? I am not eating more. I am not occupying more place. I cannot enjoy fully sense gra..." Simply an idea: "More money, more money, more money." Therefore he's ass. Ass does not enjoy life, but works very hard. We have got... Several times explained. In India, the washermen keep an ass, and the ass bears ten tons of loads on the backside and goes to the ghata, for washing ghata. And he is let loose there, and a morsel of grass, a little, few pieces of grass. And he's eating there, standing, for again returning with ten tons of load. He is given freedom. He does not think that "Why shall I work so hard? This grass is available everywhere. I can go. Why I am working for this washerman?" But he has no sense. Therefore he is called ass. Similarly, all these karmis, they are working so hard, but they are eating, say, two pieces of bread and a cup of tea or milk. That's all. Or something else. They have been collared.

But we must utilize our time, save our time, how to get out of these four, five principles of materialistic life. That is called dharma. And we should earn so much to keep the body and soul together. That's all. "Now, if I get more money?" If you get more money, then employ it for Krsna. If you get more money, then engage it for Krsna. Don't try to... Therefore it is said, dharmasya, narthasya dharmaikantasya. Na arthasya, neither money, arthasya, dharmaikantasya, one who is actually religious, dharma, kamo labhaya hi smrtah. The money you get, it is not for your sense gratification. Narthasya dharmaikantasya. Actually, if you are dharmic, if you are religious, then suppose you have got money... You can get money because you are dharmic. So you can get money. But don't employ it kamo labhaya, for your sense gratification. Therefore in any country, in the past, I mean to say, millenniums of years, in the days gone by, any rich man, if he has got some money, he would construct some church or some temple or some mosque. That was the system throughout the whole world. Because they knew that "I have got this extra money, I must employ it for God consciousness." But at the present moment, the churches are being transformed into factories, because they have lost religion. And because they have lost religion, they are animals. And how you can get peace and prosperity in the society of animals?

So dharmasya hi, arthasya, narthasya dharmaikantasya. One who is actually religious, he does not earn money for sense gratification. Na kamo labhaya hi smrtah. But at the present moment, the more we earn money, more we make prescription or program how to enjoy senses. Narthasya dharmaikantasya kamo labhaya hi smrtah. Kamasya nendriya-pritih "But we have got some desires, fulfill the sense desires." Yes that also you fulfill. Kamasya nendriya-pritih. But not for sense gratification. You apply your senses... Just like sex life, there is no forbidding. But you can enjoy sex life for begetting nice children, that's all; not for sense gratification. This verse should be discussed later on.

So here, as it is described by Suta Gosvami that, first thing is that dharma... First-class dharma means to become a devotee.

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
[SB 1.2.6]

If you want peace of mind, if you want full satisfaction, then you dharmic life, your religious life, should be how to advance yourself in devotional service of the Lord. Then yayatma suprasidati. Then you will feel satisfaction. Then it is said that dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah [SB 1.2.8], "By executing your religious principles, if you do not develop your consciousness about God, then it is simply waste of time and labor." Then it is said,

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]

Then he says that "If you devote yourself in the service of Vasudeva, then you will get perfect knowledge and renunciation without any doubt." And the next verse it is said,

dharmasya hy apavargyasya
nartho 'rthayopakalpate
narthasya dharmaikantasya
kamo labhaya hi smrtah

So this Bhagavata discourse is meant for giving enlightenment to the people of the world. It is not a sectarian religion; it is meant for all human beings. They should take advantage of the instruction of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and make their life perfect. That is our Krsna consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Pusta Krsna: ...questions? Questions from the guests?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Pusta Krsna: Are there any questions? You might have some questions about Srila Prabhupada's lecture. (pause)

Prabhupada: Chant. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972

Spiritualize Your Subtle Body

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.8
September 6, 1972, New Vrndavana



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Devotee: (leads chanting, etc., with Srila Prabhupada responding with devotees)

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]

Prabhupada: That's all. So dharmah svanusthitah pumsam. In the human society, there is always some kinds of religious institution. That is called dharma, faith. Real dharma means -- that I have already explained -- occupational duty. Constitutional duty, that is called dharma, functional duty. So real dharma, real religion is to become servant of God, or to render service to God. That is real religion. But we have manufactured so many religions. Different societies, different circumstances, different country. Therefore it is advised herewith that you may execute any kind of religious faith or [break] ...principle, but the result should be [break] ...perfect. You can say, "I am very perfectly executing the ritualistic ceremonies, and the tenets described in my scripture, Bible or Veda or Koran." That's very good. But what is the result? The result is that you must develop or increase your tendency to hear about God. But if your ultimate truth is impersonal Mostly they consider God has no form. Then if God has no form then what he'll hear about Him. Simply formless, formless, formless. How can you, how long you can go thinking like this, "God is formless"? If God is formless, then your idea of hearing about Him is finished, because formless, there is nothing, activities.

But actually God is not formless. Several times I have explained. God has got His form. (aside:) What is that sound? He is person. He has got His activities. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, janma karma, ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhutanam isvaro 'pi san. Although He is aja, nobody has to die, aja. Aja means birth. Nobody takes birth. Either the living entity or God, na jayate na mriyate. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that the living entities, we are all living entities, na jayate, they do not take birth, neither they do die. Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, at any time. Then what is this death and birth? The death and birth is simply change of the body. The subtle body and the gross body.

Just like every night we die. The gross body remains inactive on the bed, and the subtle body takes me away. I dream, I go in the dreamland. I have gone to some friend, I am talking with somebody, I am working in a different way. That is our daily experience. This means that we have got two kinds of body. One body is this gross body, and the other body is subtle body, made of mind, intelligence, and ego. So foolish person, they do not see the subtle body, but the subtle body is there. Everyone will accept. I am working with my mind, intelligence and ego. Everyone knows. So although we cannot see the subtle body, it is there. So death means this gross body, this overcoat is left, and I am carried away by the subtle body, and I enter into another overcoat, or gross body. So practically this is called death. Because we have no vision of the subtle body, how the soul is being transferred or transmigrating from one gross body to another gross body, keeping the subtle body intact. And the subtle body is given up when one is liberated. And at that time he goes, when he is liberated, freed from this subtle body also, at that time he is promoted to the spiritual kingdom in spiritual body. Therefore while living in this gross body, we have to educate our subtle body in such a way that it becomes spiritualized completely.

The subtle body is mind, intelligence and ego. So if we think of Krsna in the mind, always, and if we work intelligently for Krsna, that is mind and intelligence. And if we change our false ego, ego means, "I am." So I am at the present moment thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black," like that. "I am human being," "I am animal," "I am cat or dog," so many things, "I am." This "I am" has to be changed. I am eternal servant of Krsna. In this way, if you educate or transfer the activities of the subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego, then, at the time of death, you give up this subtle body, material subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego, and by your spiritual body you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is called Krsna consciousness movement. Gross body, automatically we give up. Now, we should practice to give up the subtle body. To give up this subtle body, one has to develop love for God, prema. And the process is, how to give up the subtle body.

Adau sraddha, first of all sraddha. Sraddha means a faith or some respect. Actually it means respect. Just like you have come here out of faith and respect. So here they're talking about God. There is temple of God, let us go there. This is faith and respect. Adau sraddha. This is the beginning. Now, after coming here, when you hear about God, because we, our only business is, we don't talk here politics or sociology or anything. That comes automatically as subordinate things, but our business is to talk about God. So those who talks about God, they are called saintly person. There are two kinds of men within this world. Materialistic person and transcendentalist, or man interested in spiritualism. So those who are interested in spiritual life, they talk of self-realization. And those who are materialistic person, they also talk. They talk about this body, how to keep this body nicely. There are politics, sociology, welfare activities, so many things, all concerning to the body. So there are many talks, just like in the newspaper. In your country especially, bunch of newspaper. So many talks, advertisement, fashion, this news, that news, full up. So the materialistic person, they read the newspaper, but we read Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is the difference. We are also reading. They are also reading. So nrnam santi sahasrasah, srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah [SB 2.1.2]. Sukadeva Gosvami said to Pariksit Maharaja, "My dear king, there are many hundreds and thousands of topics for the materialistic person." Sahasrasah. Sahasrasah means thousands, and that is a fact. So many novels, so many fiction, so many so-called philosophy, newspaper, cinema paper, this paper, that paper, so many. Sahasrasah.

srotavyadini rajendra
nrnam santi sahasrasah
apasyatam atma-tattvam
grhesu grha-medhinam
[SB 2.1.2]

Apasyatam atma-tattvam. Because they do not know, they have no information of the soul, they are talking about this body. Or sometimes about this mind. Philosophical speculation, concoction. One philosophy is theorizing something, another philosopher is theorizing something. Lots of literature. All nonsense, because it is mental speculation. I speculate in one way, you speculate in another way. You refute me, I refute you. So therefore, these talks of the body and talks of the mind, there are varieties. Nrnam santi sahasrasah apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]. Why they are engaged in so many talks? Because they do not know, apasyatam. They have no vision of the soul, atma-tattva. Grhesu grha-medhinam. Grhamedhi, those interested simply to maintain this body, they are called grhamedhi.

Generally, atheist class, they have no interest in God. The atheist class long, long ago, thousands of years ago, there was atheist also. Because there are two classes of men always within this world, atheist and theist, asura and deva, devata. So not that atheist class men have developed at the present moment. It may be the number has increased, but atheist class of men were long, long ago also. There was Carvaka Muni, he was also called muni. Muni means mental speculator, or thoughtful. So this Carvaka Muni, he also presented his philosophy, atheism, that rnam krtva ghrtam yavaj jivet sukham jivet. So long you live, you live very joyfully by enjoying your senses. This is atheistic principle. And in India the sense enjoyment principle is based on ghee, clarified butter, because if they get butter, they prepare so many nice preparations. You have also learned how to do it. (laughter) In India there are varieties. If you sometimes go to India... In Delhi there are shops, many varieties of foodstuffs, all from grains and fruits, that's all. Grain, fruits, ghee, sugar, and salt. Varieties, hundreds. So eating, sleeping, the basic principle is eating, sleeping, mating. So Carvaka Muni says that "Live very joyfully, and eat very nicely, enjoy your senses, finish your life. That is atheism. Apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]. They have no vision that there is soul.

The soul is migrating, transmigrating. There are 8,400,000 species of bodies; and you are transmigrating from one to another, another, another, in this way. They don't care for it. Even if you are Hindu... [break] ...he is informed, that if you are acting like this you are going to be a tree next life, "Oh, it doesn't matter, let me enjoy." You see. They say frankly, "If I become tree what is the harm? I shall forget." The people have become so rubbish that they have lost their self-interest. Just like if you say to a child that "You are always playing, you are not going to school, you are not becoming educated, you will suffer in your future life, you will have no position in the society." But if he says, "I do not care..." He may say that, but the risk is there. Similarly the modern human being, you inform him about the transmigration of the soul, and by his activities he is supposed to become next life very low grade animal, or aquatics, or reptiles. So if they are informed, if they do not care, that is not very good intelligence. This is a fact.

Just like, in my, this life, I can experience. In each stage of my life, I have my past, present and future. You are all young boys. You had your past, as a child, as a boy. Now you are young, and your future is also there as old, as I have become old. So in any stage of life, there is past, present, and future. So why not, I am old man, so when I shall die, why there is no future? There must be future. I had my past, I am at present, and there must be future also. The future is that I must get another body. That body may be of animal or trees or demigod or God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah [Bg. 9.25]. You can prepare yourself for your next body. So ultimate goal is to get a body in the kingdom of God. That is -- samsiddhim paramam gatah -- that is highest perfection. You can get a body next in, as a human being in the rich man's family, or as a king, or as a leader, or as a cat, as a dog, as a tree. That will depend on your work. Similarly you can get your next body as associates of God, Krsna. That is stated, that you can have, mad-yajino 'pi yanti mam. "Those who are My devotees, they come to Me," Krsna says.

And what is the benefit of going to Krsna? Mam upetya kaunteya duhkhalayam asasvatam napnuvanti [Bg. 8.15]. "If someone comes to Me, then he does not get any more this material body to come to this material world." What is the harm if I come to the material world? That duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This material world is full of miseries, and that also temporary. Even if you accept that I shall adjust my miserable condition of life, but still nature will not allow you to live there. You may think that "We are Americans, we have got enough money, vast land, resources, I shall live as American." But you can live as American, say for fifty years. You'll not be allowed to live as American or as Indian or this or that. Even as Brahma you will be not allowed. Brahma has got his one day millions of years. He will also not be allowed. The ant will not be allowed, a cat will not be allowed, an elephant will not be allowed, a man will not be allowed, a demigod will not be allowed -- to live forever. Hiranyakasipu tried to live forever. He underwent severe penances to become immortal. It was not possible. That is not. Of course, the lunatic scientist says that "By scientific advancement we shall become immortal." They are lunatic. It is not possible. Because in the past there is no such incident, so in the present there is no such incident, how you can expect in the future such incident? That is not possible.

Therefore, intelligent persons, they should try to get the ultimate transmigration. Ultimate transmigration means go back to home, back to Godhead. That should be the actual aim of life. That is first class intelligent. But they do not know. Therefore we are trying to render our humble service to the human society, to give this information, that "You are trying for so many things for becoming happy, but instead of being happy, you are becoming hippie. So please take this Krsna consciousness and actually you will be happy." That is our mission. That is our mission. Therefore the Bhagavata says to this hu..., civilized human being, those who have got some religious principle, church, religious institution, that "You are executing your religious principles very nicely, that's all right. But if you do not develop the propensity for hearing about God..."

Just like we have got this temple. We are worshiping Radha-Krsna Deity. That's all right. But side by side we must develop to hear about Krsna. Otherwise it will be finished after a few days. Sravanam kirtanam. As soon as there will be no interest for hearing about God, all these churches and temples and mosques will be finished. In the Christian world that is happening, not only Christian, in other also. They are selling churches. Nobody is going to church, because simply officially going on Sunday without any enlightenment, without any understanding about God, how long it will be prolonged? It cannot be prolonged. People will be disinterested, and they will not go. Actually it is happening. There are so many churches, nobody is going. In London, I have seen. In your country also, there are so many churches vacant. We have purchased so many churches. In Los Angeles we have purchased that church. When it was running as a church, it was a deserted (indistinct). Since we have taken that, every night, every day, hundreds of people are gathering like this, because there is words of Krsna. And people are hearing about Krsna. Visvaksena-kathasu yah. So you can have your churches, temple or mosque, but if you do not develop your tendency to hear about God, then it will not be successful, srama eva hi kevalam. Srama eva hi kevalam.

Dharmah svanusthitah. Dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah notpadayed yadi ratim [SB 1.2.8], by going daily to the temple, or to the church, or to the mosque, or anywhere, any religious building or institution, if you do not develop your propensity to hear about God, then you have wasted your time. Srama eva hi kevalam. Going and coming, it is simply labor, that's all. So that is the test. Therefore either in temple, or in church, in mosque there must be regular recitation on the talks of God. Otherwise people will lose interest, and the churches and temples have to be closed.

So that talks of God is here in Krsna consciousness, because our God is not impersonal, void. No. He is the Supreme Person, Krsna. You can see personally how He's standing, how He's enjoying with His eternal consort, lover, Srimate Radharani. Here is God, actually God is not engaged in punishing somebody, original God. God is engaged in enjoying with His eternal consort, Srimate Radharani. This Srimate Radharani is enchanting Krsna, and Krsna is enchanting Radharani. This is the business of God. Duhe (indistinct) lage hari (?). In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that when Krsna comes before Radharani, She becomes so much engladdened by seeing the beauty of Krsna that She becomes more beautiful, and as soon as Radharani becomes beautiful, Krsna becomes engladdened and He becomes more beautiful. So unlimitedly there is competition of becoming more beautiful, duhe lage hurai (?). That is the state. Competition. Because in the spiritual world everything is unlimited. So unlimitedly both of them becoming beautiful and both of them enjoying unlimitedly.

So similarly, if we develop our propensity to hear about God and His activities, with His cowherd boys friend, with His girlfriends, gopis, with His mother, with His father, with His teacher, so many! Everything is imitation, perverted reflection here also you have got those relationship. Relationship between father and the son, relationship between conjugal lover, the boy and the girl, relationship between friend and friend, relationship between master and servant. Everything is here also, but because they are material, they do not stand. I am servant of somebody. If he does not pay me salary, I give up his service. I am friend of (indistinct). If my intention is not fulfilled, then I give up that friendship. My love with a boy or with a girl is there, but as soon as there is some discrepancy there is divorce. So here everything is perverted and with so many faulty ideas, but this, this very thing is there in the Kingdom of God. In relationship with God, Krsna. And there everything is eternal. By becoming servant of God, you'll eternally enjoy, same as master. By becoming a friend of God, you enjoy eternal friendship. By becoming father or mother of God, you enjoy the parental affection between father and son. And by becoming lover of God, you become eternally happy.

So unless you hear about these things, then how you can be intensified to go to God. Just like when I hear about some country. That this country is like this, and there is such and such happiness and such and such enjoyment, then we think of making a tourist list to go there. Therefore to go back to home, back to Godhead, unless we hear about Him, how we can be inclined. Therefore God comes, Krsna comes. He manifests His pastimes in Vrndavana. How He's dealing with friends, how dealing with servant, mother, father, lover, so that we may be inclined to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is God's mercy. Therefore executing religious principle means the result must be to develop our propensity to hear about God. Notpadayed yadi ratim. This rati, tati means just like rati is called sexual appetite.

The Gosvamis, they have described rati, how rati is explained. (indistinct). Just like young boy and young girl, they meet together. Immediately their sex impulse become agitated. It hasn't got to be taught them. Naturally. Naturally. He wants to talk or she wants to talk. So this is called rati. Spontaneous attraction. This is called, it has not to be taught, spontaneous. So as soon as there is spontaneous attraction to hear all about God, that will mean that we are attaining perfection in religion. So if you are going on as a happening program to the church, to the temple, or to the mosque, but there is no spontaneous attraction for hearing about God, then it is simply labor, simply waste of time, that's all. That is explained here.

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]

So to come to this platform of spontaneous attraction, you have to execute some other formulas. What is that? As you are coming here with some faith, sraddha, respect. Here is a temple so you should come. You should come regularly. Why? Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga. If you come regularly, then these boys and girls who are engaged in the worship of Krsna, or who are developing the life of devotee, practicing under the direction of their spiritual master, they are called sadhu. Sadhu means those who are acting very pious. So those who are acting for Krsna, they're automatically pious, because God is pure, and those who are acting for God, they're pious. Each and every activities in this temple are pious activities. Therefore they are pious. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga. And as soon as you associate with the pious devotees, naturally there will be inclination to act like them. Why not act like them? Actually that is happening. They are dressing like this or they're keeping their body like this. They're chanting Hare Krsna mantra in the bag. They're worshiping. They're reading. Why not become like that?

So adau sraddha, first with respectful tendency to come in this center, then to make association with them. And then next stage is to become like them. Then he approaches the spiritual master, "Kindly initiate me," bhajana-kriya. And as soon as you take to this bhajana-kriya, to devotional service, anartha-nivrttih syat. Anartha, some unwanted things which you have practiced. What is that? Illicit sex. Or if you want sex, why don't you marry and live respectfully, husband and wife. Why illicit sex? This is unwanted, but we are practiced. But if you become devotee, you can give up this nonsense practice. Illicit sex, meat-eating. Why meat-eating? We have got so many nice preparation Sundays, rasagulla, halava, puri, luci. Why shall I eat this nasty thing, rotten. It is slaughtered and kept for 3,000 years in the refrigerator (laughter), and this rotten thing is taken and eaten. So why should we take that. Why smoking? This nonsense. It is stated in every cigarette box it is injurious to health or something like, what is that?

Devotee: Warning.

Prabhupada: Warning. But still they're eating that poison, they're drinking. So these are anarthas, unwanted things. By bad association we are habituated to this nonsense practice, but if you become a devotee and render service to Krsna under the direction of your spiritual master, these things will automatically vanquish. Anartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha, then your faith becomes firm. Tato nistha tato ruci athasaktis. Asakti, it is spontaneous attraction. So religious principle means you have to execute the preliminary formulas, but the ultimate end will be you'll have spontaneous attraction for hearing about God or Krsna. That is wanted. If that thing is not done, then you are simply wasting time by going to church or temple or mosque or any nonsense. Notpadayed yadi ratim srama eva hi kevalam. Simply waste of time. So don't become a showbottle of religious life. Actually try to understand what is religion, what is God, and make your life successful. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972

This Nice Car Is Rotten

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6
September 5, 1972, New Vrndavana



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: Translation: "The supreme occupation or dharma for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self."

Prabhupada: So

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
[SB 1.2.6]

Everyone is seeking satisfaction, atyantiksu. Everyone is struggling for existence for the ultimate happiness. But in this material world, although they are thinking by possessing material wealth they will be satisfied, but that is not the fact. For example in your country, you have got sufficient material opulence than other countries but still there is no satisfaction. So in spite of all good arrangement for material enjoyment, enough food, enough..., nice apartment, motor cars, roads, and very good arrangement for freedom in sex, and good arrangement for defence also -- everything is complete -- but still, people are dissatisfied, confused, and younger generation, they are turning to hippies, protest, or dissatisfied because they are not happy. I have several times cited the example that in Los Angeles, when I was taking my morning walk in Beverly Hills, many hippies were coming out from a very respectable house. It appeared that his father, he was (indistinct), a very nice car also, but the dress was hippie. So there is a protest against the so-called material arrangement, they do not like.

Actually we cannot be happy by material prosperity, that is a fact. That is also stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Prahlada Maharaja says to his atheistic father... His father was Hiranyakasipu. Hiranya means gold and kasipu means soft bed, cushion. That is material civilization. They want very soft bed, and the bed companion, and sufficient bank balance, money. That is another meaning of Hiranyakasipu. So he was not happy also. Hiranyakasipu was not happy -- at least he was not happy that his son Prahlada was becoming a devotee of the Lord, which he did not like. So he inquired from his son that "How you are feeling? You are a small boy, child, how you are feeling so much comfortable despite all my threatening. So what is your actual asset?" So he replied, "My dear father, na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. Foolish persons, they do not know that their ultimate goal of happiness is Visnu, God, the Supreme Lord." Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. Durasaya, dur, hope against hope, they're hoping something which is never to be fulfilled. What is that? Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. Bahir-artha, bahir means external, artha means interest.

So those who do not know that the ultimate goal of happiness is Visnu, they think that by adjustment of this external world... Because we have got external and internal. Externally we are this body. Internally we are soul. Everyone can understand that I am not this body, I am soul. I am covered by this body and as soon as I go away from this body, the body has no meaning. It may be a very important soul's body, a great scientist's body, but the body is not the scientist, the soul is the scientist. The body is instrumental. Just like I want to catch something, so the hand is my instrument. Therefore in Sanskrit word, these different parts of the body, limbs, they are called karana. Karana means, karana means action, acting, by which we act, karana. So na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31], we are now illusioned under the concept of this body. That is also described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13], atma-buddhih kunape, kunape means bag. This is a bag of bones, and muscles, and skin, and blood. Actually when we dissect this body, what do we find? A lump of bone, skin, and blood, intestines, and blood, pus, nothing else.

So kunape tri-dhatuke, these things are manufactured by three dhatus, elements, kapha, pitta, vayu. Kapha mucus, pitta bile, and air. These things manufacturing. These things are going on. After eating, these three things are being manufactured, and if they are in adjustment, parallel, then body is healthy, and if there is more or less, then there is disease. Well, according to the Ayur-vedic -- that is also Veda -- ayur means span of life, and Veda means knowledge. That is called Ayur-veda. So this Vedic knowledge of the span of life is very simple. They don't require pathological laboratory, clinic, no. They require simply to study these three elements, kapha, pitta, vayu. And they, their science is to feel the pulse. You know, every one of you, that the pulse is moving tick, tick, tick, tick, like this. So they know the science: by feeling the beating of the pulse, they can understand what is the position of these three elements, kapha, pitta, vayu. And by that position, constellation, they... In the Ayur-veda, sastra veda, there are, the symptoms, with the... These veins are moving like this, heart is moving like this, beating like this, then the position is this. As soon as they understand the position is this, they verify the symptoms. They enquire from the patient, "Do you feel like this? Do you feel like this?" If he says, "Yes," then it is confirmed. The inner things, how the pulse is beating, and the symptoms are confirmed, then the medicine is ready. Immediately take the medicine. Where is (indistinct).

Formerly every brahmana used to learn these two sciences, Ayur-veda and Jyotir-veda. Jyotir-veda means astronomy..., astrology not astronomy. Because any other, the less intelligent than brahmanas, the ksatriyas, the vaisyas, the sudras, they would need the brahmanas for health and future. Everyone is very inquisitive to learn what is future, what is going to happen next, and everyone is concerned with the health. So brahmanas, they would simply advise about health and the future, so that is their profession and people give them eatables, cloth, so they have nothing to do for working outside. Anyway this is a long story. So this body is a bag of the three elements, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. (baby cries) That baby. So Bhagavata says yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke, I am not this body. This is a vehicle. Just like we ride on a car, drive car, so I am not this car. Similarly, this is a yantra, car, mechanical car. Krsna or God has given me this car, I wanted it. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. "My dear Arjuna, the Lord as Paramatma is sitting in everyone's heart," bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61], "and He is giving chance to the living entity to travel, to wander," sarva-bhutani, "all over the universe." Yantrarudhani mayaya, riding on a car, driving a car given by the material nature. So actual our position is that I am soul, I have been given a nice car -- it is not a nice car but as soon as we get a car, however rotten it may be, we think that it is very nice, (laughter) and identify with that car. "I have got this car, I have got that car." One forgets if one drives a very costly car, he forgets himself that he is a poor man. He thinks that "I am this car." This is identification.

So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13]. One who thinks this body as himself, as self, and bodily relations, sva-dhih, "They are my own, my brother, my family, my nation, my community, my society," so many things, my, I and mine Misconception of "I" as this body and misconception of "my" in relationship with body. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13]. Bhauma ijya-dhih, bhumi, bhumi means land. Ijya-dhih, ijya means worshipable. So at the present moment it is very strong, the conceit that "I am this body," and "I am American," and "I am Indian," "I am European," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brahmana," "I am ksatriya," "I am sudra," "I am this, those...," so many. This is very strong and bhauma ijya-dhih, that because I am identifying to a certain type of body, and wherefrom the body has come out, the land is worshipable. That is nationalism. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13], yat-tirtha-buddhih salile, and tirtha, place of pilgrimage.

We go, we take bath in the river, like the Christians, they take bath in the Jordan River, or Hindus, they go to Hardwar, take bath in the Ganges, or Vrndavana, they take bath. But they think by taking bath in that water, his job is finished. No. Actually the job is to go to such pilgrimages, holy places, to find out experience spiritual advancement. Because many spiritually advanced men, they live there. Therefore one should go such places and find out the experienced transcendentalist, and take lessons from him. That is really going to pilgrimage. Not that simply going and take bath and business finished. No. So

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu...
[SB 10.84.13]

Abhijne, one who knows. (indistinct) we should approach person who knows things very well, abhijnah. Krsna is abhijnah, svarat. So similarly Krsna's representative is also abhijnah, naturally. If one associates with Krsna, if one talks with Krsna, he must be very abhijnah, very learned, because he takes lessons from Krsna. Therefore Krsna's knowledge is perfect, therefore, because he takes knowledge from Krsna, his knowledge is also perfect. Abhijnah. And Krsna talks. It is not that it is fictitious, no. Krsna -- I have already said -- that Krsna is sitting in everyone's heart and He talks with the bona fide person. Just like a big man, he talks with some bona fide person, he doesn't waste his time talking with nonsense. He talks, that's a fact, but he does not talk with nonsense, he talks with the bona fide representative.

How it is known? It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, tesam satata-yuktanam [Bg. 10.10]. Who is bona fide representative? Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, buddhi-yogam dadami tam. Krsna says that "I give him intelligence." To whom? Satata-yuktanam, those who are engaged twenty-four hours. In which way he is engaged? Bhajatam, bhajana, those who are engaged in devotional service. What kind of devotional service? Priti-purvakam, with love and affection. One who is engaged in devotional service of the Lord in love and devotion. What is the symptom of love? The symptom, the prime symptom, most important symptom of love is that the devotee wants to see that his Lord's name, fame, etc. become widespread. He wants to see that "My Lord's name be known everywhere." This is love. If I love somebody, I want to see that his glories are spread all over the world. And Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-gita, na ca tasmat manusyesu kascit me priya-krttamah, anyone who preaches His glory, nobody is dearer to Him than that person.

Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita, how you can love, what are the symptoms of love, how you can please God, how He can talk with you, everything is there. But you have to take advantage. We read Bhagavad-gita, but by reading Bhagavad-gita I become a politician. So what kind of reading Bhagavad-gita? Politician is there, of course, but the real purpose of reading Bhagavad-gita is to know Krsna. If one is Krsna, if one knows Krsna, he knows everything. He knows politics, he knows economics, he knows science, he knows philosophy, he knows religion, he knows sociology, everything. Tasmin vijnate sarvam etam vijnatam bhavanti, that is the Vedic injunction. If you simply understand God, Krsna, then everything will be revealed to you because Krsna says, buddhi-yogam dadami tam. If Krsna gives you intelligence from within, who can excel Him? Nobody can excel Him. But Krsna can give you intelligence provided you become a devotee, or lover of Krsna. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, buddhi-yogam dadami tam [Bg. 10.10]. And what is that buddhi-yoga, what is the value of buddhi-yoga? That buddhi-yoga or bhakti-yoga, the value is yena mam upayanti te. Such buddhi-yoga, such intelligence will get him back to home, back to Godhead. Not that by such intelligence he will go down to hell. That is material intelligence.

Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram. Everything is discussed in Bhagavatam. For the materialist person, adanta-gobhi. Adanta means unbridled, uncontrolled. Go means indriya or senses. Materialistic persons, they cannot control their senses. They are servant of the senses, godasa. Go means indriya, and dasa means servant. So when you come to the position of controlling the senses, then you'll be gosvami. That is gosvami. Gosvami means controlling the senses, who has completely controlled the senses. Svami or gosvami. Svami also means that and gosvami also means the same thing. Generally adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram. Uncontrolled senses, they are going. It is not that Krsna is sending them. He is making his own path clear, either back to home, back to Godhead, or glide down to the darkest region of hell. Two things are there, and that opportunity is in the human form of life. You can select. Krsna, as He inquired from Arjuna, whether "Your illusion has been dissipated now, after hearing Bhagavad-gita, now you can do whatever you like." So that "You can do whatever you like," that facility is always given to living entity by God. You can do whatever you like. It is not that we are, we are given no facilities to select, to make choice. We are given facilities and choice, everything to do.

So to select the path of hell and to select the path of back to home, back to Godhead, depends upon us. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh, yositam sangi-sangam, tamo-dvaram, tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam [SB 5.5.2]. Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes, vimuktes. People, the modern educated society, they do not know what is vimukti. They do not know. They know, but they do not know what is the ultimate vimukti. Just like scientists, they are trying to give us so many facilities by machine, by different processes. That is means, that is also vimukti. We are in some inconvenience, just like we are in inconvenience for transport, oh, scientist gives us some horseless carriage. That is also vimukti. We feel inconvenienced for working so the scientist has given us the car. So every attempt is being made for vimukti, for getting out of some inconvenient position. But they do not know ultimate vimukti. What is the ultimate vimukti? Ultimate vimukti is to get freedom from birth, death, old age, and disease. That is ultimate goal. The modern scientists, they are giving us so many facilities to get out of some material difficulties but that is temporary. That is not actually vimukti. Actual vimukti is to get freedom from birth, death, old age, and disease. That vimukti can be achieved from Krsna, harim vina na mrtim taranti.

You cannot get out of it, out of these four kinds of material tribulation, without being favored by the Supreme Lord. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita, daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya. Mama maya duratyaya, it is very difficult to get out of the entanglement of created by My maya, illusory energy. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14], but anyone who surrenders unto Me, he can get out of this entanglement. So here it is stated that sa vai pumsam paro dharmah yato bhaktir adhoksaje, the whole human civilization is trying to get freedom from some inconvenience. The state, politics, sociology, humanity, religions, so many things. So ultimately it is taken religion is the path of vimukti, religion. Because other things are being tried by the animals. The animals also have their ways of getting out of inconvenience. They know how to do it. Just like a bird, he knows that on the land I am in danger. As soon as there is some danger, immediately flies up to the tree. He knows. So everyone knows. You will find in animal kingdom, in birds' kingdom, everyone knows how to protect. It is said, we learn from Bhagavata that also that fish within the water, they have got so sensitive power that miles away if some enemy is coming, they can understand and they take shelter. Just like a dog can smell from distant place that somebody unknown is coming. So every animal has got special qualifications. Don't think that human being is only intelligent. No. The intelligence for these four things, how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex intercourse, and how to defend, these intelligence are there in every animal. Don't think simply human being has got this intelligence.

So vimukti, therefore they do not know what is the ultimate goal of vimukti, for getting out of the inconveniences of life. Na te viduh, they do not know. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya [SB 7.5.31], they are trying to adjust things by material adjustment. That is not possible. They do not know that. Adanta-gobhir. Andha yathandair upaniyamanah, But they are being misled by blind leaders. They are themselves blind and some blind leaders. Therefore we should not accept blind leaders, we should accept a leader who is not blind. We therefore accept Krsna, the Supreme Person, Who knows everything, past, present, and future. We take His leadership or we take the leadership of His representative. That is our process. So here some of our leaders, Suta Gosvami says, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah, because ultimate goal is how to get out of the entanglement of material convention.

So he says, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. Dharma means, I have already explained, dharma means occupational duty. So everyone has got occupation and he is trying to get out of the inconveniences of material existence. So here it is suggested, because the question was dharma, dharmah kam saranam gatah, under whose protection is dharma now existing? So he is coming to that point. First of all he's explaining what is dharma, what is occupational duty. Actually dharma means occupational duty. Religion, I have already said, it is a kind of faith. Faith can be changed, but our constitutional position, occupational duty, that cannot be changed. We are eternal servant of Krsna, but without serving Krsna we are serving maya. We have accepted a false occupational duty, therefore it is called maya. Maya means false. Just like if I have got a body of America, American body, then my occupational duty is different from the body of an Indian, or from the body of a dog or a cat. So according to the body, our occupational duties change. But real occupational duty is of the soul. When you come to that platform -- the occupational duty of the soul -- that is the highest class of religion. That is explained here, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah.

Dharma, occupational duty, there are two kinds of occupational duties according to Vedic system, pravrtti and nivrtti. Pravrtti means propensities, material propensities. We have come here within this material world to enjoy material resources. That is called pravrtti. And when we come to the platform of understanding that I am not this body, I am soul, then my occupational duty changes. At the present moment we are all working on the platform of bodily concept of life but when you come to the platform of understanding that aham brahmasmi, I am not this matter, I am spirit soul, then my occupational duty changes. Not... That is my real occupational duty, because I am really spirit soul. Therefore,

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

When we come to the platform of brahma-bhutah... At the present moment we are jiva-bhutah. We are thinking that I am this body, but when you come to the platform that I am Brahman, I am part and parcel of Krsna, or God, then my duty changes. That is called bhakti. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. When, after being brahma-bhutah, after being liberated from material concept of life, that is called brahma-bhutah, aham brahmasmi.

So sometimes people say that bhakti, devotional service is for less intelligent class of men. No. It is the one who has become highly intelligent, he can take to Krsna consciousness. Krsna says, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyante [Bg. 7.19], after many, many births of cultivation of knowledge... Everyone is cultivating knowledge but when his ultimate goal of knowledge is achieved, that is to understand Krsna, vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah [Bg. 7.19], one who understands. That is the ultimate goal of knowledge. So here is also the same thing explained, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. Dharma, every human...

First of all, dharma is meant for the human society. The animal society, they have no, nothing to do about religion, neither they know what is religion, what is this body, what is soul. It is not their business. Dharma is the business of the human society. Therefore in any human society, there is a kind of dharma, religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Christian religion, or Hindu religion, or Buddha religion, or Muhammadam religion, some sort of religious propensities are there. Because without this propensity, dharma, religious, he is not a man, he is animal, because animal has no sense of religion. Dharmena hina pasubhih samana, anyone who has no religion, it doesn't matter what kind of religion he has got, but he must have some religion. Without religion he is animal. Dharmena hina pasubhih samanah.

So now, at the present moment, they are rejecting religion. Everywhere, all over the world. We have to... Travelling all over the world, the only scarcity is sense of God, Krsna consciousness, God consciousness. They have practically rejected God consciousness. So that will not make him happy because he cannot become happy imitating the animals. Now they are imitating animals, becoming naked. That is they, that is their advancement of civilization, to become naked, nudist. So actually decline, from human life they are decline to animal life. Because two kinds of life, animal life and human life but if they do not take to the proper position of human life, cultivation of knowledge and religion, then they are animals so gradually they will decline to animal life. So we should not decline, we should make progress, that is human life.

So progress means to make progress in religious concept of life. That is progress. Not, that is not progress, material comforts, that is not progress. Material comforts according to the body, that is already settled up, deha-yogena dehinam. As we have got body, a particular type of body given by nature, the machine... Just like your comfort of driving car is estimated according to the car you have got. If you have got a very nice costly car, then it drives very comfortably, but if you have got a less costly, cheap car, then you are not so comfortable. Similarly our comforts and discomforts are already settled as soon as you have got a particular type of body. There is no necessity to improve it. We cannot improve it. For example, just like a hog, he has got a particular type of body, he can eat stool. You cannot improve his eating process by giving him halava, that is not possible. Therefore sastra says, deha-yogena dehinam. Our material comforts, standard of material comforts, are already settled up by the body which you have got. Therefore our business is: if you are not in the bodily concept of life, then our business is how to make spiritually advanced. Bodily comforts of life, we cannot improve. That is not possible. We can improve our spiritual advancement of life. That is given to us.

Therefore all the sastras, all the Vedic literatures, all the great saintly persons, they come. They simply come to give you hint how you can make spiritual advancement of life. They do not come here to say how you can make very comfortable material life. They never say. Either you say Jesus Christ or Krsna or Lord Buddha or Hazrat Muhammad or anyone, all of them have come to give you information for spiritual advancement of life, not for any material advancement of life. That is intelligence. Material advancement of life, you should be satisfied. Whatever God has given you, you be satisfied with that. Don't waste your time, that is not possible. Therefore your occupational duty should be... The highest occupational duty is suggested here, yato bhaktir adhoksaje. If you engage yourself in such occupational duties by which you can increase your devotional service for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described here in this chapter as Vasudeva Adhoksaja. Vasudeva, Krsna's name, another name is Vasudeva, and His another name is Adhoksaja. Adhoksaja means not to be understood by direct perception of our senses. Aksaja, we try to understand everything with our senses, we want to see something, we want to touch something, we want to smell something, we want to hear about something, we want to taste something, these are our direct test. So Krsna, God, cannot be understood by these direct tests. Therefore He is called Adhoksaja. You cannot understand Krsna. Krsna is here, but because we have no training, we see that it is a stone statue. But He is Krsna. We do not know that Krsna is so kind but because I cannot see Krsna at the present stage of life therefore Krsna has appeared in a form which I can see. That is Krsna. Krsna, the same Krsna, but Krsna can appear because everything is Krsna, everything is Krsna's energy, so He can appear in His energy. So He has appeared in this material energy, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh. So He has appeared just like stone, because we cannot see except stone. Therefore He has appeared like stone, but He is not stone, He is Krsna. Therefore Krsna's name is Adhoksaja. Adhoksaja means we cannot perceive Krsna by direct sense perception but He is so kind, so merciful that He appears before us as we can perceive Him directly.

That yato bhaktir adhoksaje, and that bhakti, that devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, should be ahaituki. This is first-class, this is their system. Because the enquiry was where is now dharma. So he is describing what is the nature of dharma. The nature of dharma is that bhagavata is the topmost knowledge. He is giving directly the topmost religious system. The topmost religious system is devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Who is not perceived by direct senses. And that devotional service should be ahaituki. No hetu. Hetu means cause. I am going to the temple with some cause. For mitigation of some difficulties, I shall pray to... That is also nice, but that is haituki, there is some hetu, or cause. We should serve Krsna without any cause, not that by serving Krsna I shall improve my material position and so many causes maybe. But real service, real devotional service must be without cause. That is pure devotional service.

anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
[BRS 1.1.11]

There are different stages of bhakti. The first-class bhakti is anyabhilasita-sunyam, without any material desires, ahaituki. Apratihata and cannot be checked by any material condition. Bhakti, or devotional service is not such a thing which can be checked. "Sir, I was feeling very sick, therefore I could not chant." No, that is not bhakti. We are subjected to all these tribulations utterly, but bhakti... Just like Haridasa Thakura, he was going to die, or he's change his body, he's going to Vaikuntha. Caitanya... He was chanting daily 300,000s. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised him, "Now you are sick-willed, you can reduce your chanting." Haridasa Thakura said, "No, sir. That I cannot do." That is Haridasa Thakura. We cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura. Even at the point of death he was chanting 300,000s of Hare Krsna mantra. Apratihata, this is called apratihata, without being checked by any material condition. So if you want to become a devotee, no material condition can check you. It is so nice, so easy, ahaituki apratihata yayatma suprasidati. The real thing is that we want satisfaction of our self, so if we want actually satisfaction of self then we shall take to this devotional service without being checked by any material condition or for without any material reason, then you shall be happy. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972