"The Krishna Connection"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.19
Mayapura, September 29, 1974

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Nitai: Translation: "Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy, You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized."

Prabhupada:

maya-javanikacchannam
ajnadhoksajam avyayam
na laksyase mudha-drsa
nato natyadharo yatha

So one side is maya-javanikacchannam. Maya, this illusory energy, is covering with the curtain. Just like we are seeing the Deity, but if there is a curtain, we cannot see. Similarly, there is a curtain which is illusory energy, maya. Big, big scientists, they cannot see what is behind this material nature. They cannot understand. Because the maya, this wonderful material energy, is acting in such a big curtain, they cannot understand that beyond this there is something else. They cannot understand. Maya-javanika acchannam. Illusory energy. They are thinking this material energy working, that is everything. Nothing beyond this. The whole world is covered. This is one side. And the other side: ajna.

Maya-javanikacchannam ajna... These materialistic persons, they are ajna, means they have no sufficient knowledge. Unless one develops the light of knowledge, sattva-guna... Sattva-guna is the light of knowledge. Rajo-guna and tamo-guna is darkness. Ignorance and passion. In this stage one cannot understand what is Krsna, what is God. Ajna. Rajas-tamo-bhavah. As we have discussed in Bhagavad, Srimad-Bhagavatam, rajas-tamo-bhavah, those who are infected with the two kinds of material modes, means rajo-guna and tamo-guna, they are simply busy, kama and lobha. They are busy only... Those who are passionate, they are simply busy for sense gratification, and those who are in ignorance, in darkness, they have no eyes to see.

So these two classes of men... Mostly people are infected with these two kinds of modes of material nature. Rajas-tamas. The whole world. At the present moment, especially, mostly ignorance, and some of them are passionate. That passionate tendency is engaging them for so many industries and very, very strong work, ugra-karma. Ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means very strong...? What is, should be the English word? Ugra... Ugra, just like chili, pungent. There are many things. They are very strong in taste. So ugra-karma, these... Just like they are building hundred-and-fifty-story building. People can live comfortably in a small cottage or one-storied house or little more. But no, they're increasing. Their passionate activities are increasing. Just like in your country, in New York, now there is hundred-and-four-storied building, or more than that. Some building?

Brahmananda: Hundred and ten.

Prabhupada: Hundred and ten.

Brahmananda: Two of them.

Prabhupada: Two of them. They're increasing. They are thinking by increasing the stories more and more, that is advancement of civili... But how long you will increase? If you make million stories, still, it is unlimited. That we can see. So many airplanes are running in the sky. What is that? Still, it is vast. So many sputniks are running in the sky. Still, it is vast. So it is simply desire, that "If I make a hundred-and-fifty-storied house, then my life is successful." So in this way, instead of not wasting valuable time of this human life, they are simply wasting time in this way. That is also explained in the Ramayana. Just the Ravana. He wanted to make a staircase up to the heavenly planet. It is like that. Ugra-karma. Why they are doing so? Ajna, ajna. Foolish people.

Now, if we say that "You are all foolish, rascal people. You are wasting your time in this way," they will think us crazy. And they think us like that, that we do not recommend these things. So it is very, very difficult to understand Krsna in this condition, in this situation. Maya-javanikacchannam and ajna, foolish people. Ajna. And the other, other side, Krsna is adhoksaja. Even one is advanced in knowledge... Knowledge means, our knowledge means we manufacture words or syllables from A to Z. That's all. ABCD. We compose words with these twenty-six, or how many? A to Z?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: Yes. That is... And in Sanskrit, as in English it is A to Z, similarly in Sanskrit, a, a, i, u, and the end is ksa. So a and ksa, that is called aksa. Aksa-ja. And ja means generated. So we also compose words, those who are Sanskrit scholars, they compose words from a to aksa, just like English they compose words from A to Z.

So our mental speculation and advancement of education is limited between this a and ksa, aksa. Aksa-ja. But Krsna is adhoksaja. Adhoksaja means where these kinds of speculation, beginning from a to ksa, will not act. Therefore His name is Adhoksaja. Adhah krta, cut down. (aside:) Why they are going? They are busy in some other work? Eh? Ugra-karma. Without hearing, what he will do, nonsense? Sravanam kirtanam, this is our main business. Sravanam. If you don't hear, what you will do? You will do simply sense gratification. That's all.

So this is difficulty, that we are not very much interested in hearing. And that is the main business. Our bhakti begins: sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. We have to hear and we have to speak. But if we are not interested in hearing and speak, then it will be the same thakura-bari(?), simply formula. That's all. And gradually it will be stopped. Unless there is life of sravanam kirtanam, these big, big buildings, temples, will become burden. So if we are, if we want to create burden for future, then we may give up this hearing and chanting and sleep very nicely. It will be burden. Galagraha. Not sri-vigraha, but galagraha. Galagraha. Sri-vigraha means worshipable Deity. So if we give up this sravanam kirtanam visnoh, then it will be thought that "Our Guru Maharaja has given a burden in the neck, galagraha." This is the danger. So we must be very much alert in sravanam kirtanam. Otherwise all this labor will be futile. This building will be only the nest, nest for the doves and the pigeons. That is the danger. That is being done. Nobody is interested. Such, such things...

Now, who is, who can understand Krsna? There are so many impediments. One side, there is curtain of maya; another side, everyone is a rascal and fool; and another side, Krsna is beyond your sense perception. This is the position. How much one must be alert. Then one can understand. Just like the Gosvamis. Is Krsna is so easy thing to be understood? But there is process. So if we do not adopt the process, then how we can understand Krsna? These are the so many difficult things. One side, one thing is the maya is checking. Maya is trying to put stumbling block for your advancement of spiritual life. Maya-javanikacchannam. And the other side, we are all fools and rascals. And the, again, Krsna is adhoksaja, beyond the range of sense perception. This is the position.

So unless we become very serious to understand Krsna, it is very, very difficult to understand Krsna. Maya-javanikacchannam. On the one side, Kunti says, antar bahir avasthitam: "Krsna, You are within..." Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is not far away. Krsna is always with you. He, He's so friendly that just like two birds... It is said in the Upanisads: the one bird is eating the fruit of the tree; another bird is simply guiding and seeing. Because this material world, living entity wanted to enjoy. Just like you have seen that the dog and the master. The master is so friendly to the dog out of love. It is a dog, but when it is passing stool, he's waiting. Why? Is the duty of the master to wait because the dog is passing stool? No. Out of love. Out of love. We can see from practical example. Similarly... The master may be a great millionaire, but still, he loves the dog so much that on the morning walk he takes his dog and the dog is passing urine... What, what business dog has got? To pass urine and stool and go this way and that way. But the master is attending. Similarly, God, or Krsna, is so affectionate that we have come here in this material world simply to pass stool and urine, still He's attending. Still, He's attending. Just imagine what merciful is Krsna.

In the Upanisads it is said that two birds... The one bird is Paramatma. Krsna has become Paramatma. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that ksetra-ksetrajna. There are two things. One is this ksetra, this body. Ksetra, just the field. Just like we are tilling the field. And the tiller, the krsana. Similarly, we are, we have got this field, and we are growing our own, harvesting our own grains. Just like you are doing. So according to our labor, according to our attempt, we are getting food grains. Similarly, we have got this body, and I am, the spirit soul is the tiller. So according to my karma, I am getting the result. So similarly... Not only I am there, but Krsna is also there. He's seeing what you are doing, what you are doing, what you want more. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah. Krsna says, "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Why? "Just to give him the facilities. This rascal living being has come to the material world to till the field to get some result. All right. Let him do that." Just like children play on the beach, do all nonsense, and the father sees, "All right, you have finished your business? Come on." So Krsna is like that. He is simply seeing. We are acting so nonsensically, and Krsna is giving us... The same way, a dog passing stool and urine, the master is attending. Or the father is seeing. The children are playing on the beach. They're making big, big house on the sand, and it has nothing, no value, but Krs..., the father is giving the opportunity, "All right, do it."

So Krsna is giving us all the facilities, but we are so fool that we cannot understand that Krsna is so friendly. That is... It is said, na laksyase mudha-drsa. They cannot see. Because mudha-drsa. Mudha means rascal, and drsa... Drsa means seeing. They have no power to see. A mudha cannot see. Rascals, they cannot see. They are very much proud: "Can you show me God?" But they do not think, "Whether I am qualified to see?" They are very much proud of these eyes. What is the value of this eye? Therefore Krsna says, "Yes, you can see Me, but according to My direction. You see Me: raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. You can see. It is very easy for you. You see Me in the water. While you taste, while you drink water, you see Me. I am the taste." So you are, everyone drinks water, and we get some taste. Otherwise why he's drinking water. So that taste, if you remember that "Here is Krsna," simply by tasting water, simply by drinking water, if you follow Krsna's instruction, one day you'll be a devotee. Krsna is so kind. Simply by drinking water. Simply we have to know how to see Krsna.

Therefore Kuntidevi says, na laksyase mudha-drsa. The mudha, the rascal, is so foolish... Krsna says that "You see Me in the taste of water," but these rascals: "Hah! This is humbug. This is humbug. How, in the taste, Krsna is there? I want to see in my own eyes." But you haven't got that eyes. Just develop your eyes gradually. Just like one is suffering from some eye disease. So take some medicine, then gradually, your eyesight will be improved. Take the spectacle, some power, then more power, more power. So... But they'll not take the instruction of Krsna, the instruction of spiritual master. So they want to remain mudha-drsa, rascal and fool. And still they want to see Krsna. This is the difficulty. Na laksyase mudha-drsa. If you do not improve your eyes according to the direction of sastra..., sadhu-sastra-guru, these three things, then how you'll see Krsna? Krsna is saying. That is sastra. Sastra means what is said by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is sastra. And guru. Guru says the same thing. And sadhu says the same thing.

Sadhu-guru test means they do not change the words of Krsna. They do not say, "Now I have manufactured something. Krsna says that ‘You can see Me in the taste of water.' I can say that you can see in this way: ‘You see me and you will see Krsna.' " Just (as) the Mayavadi says, "You think of me." In the Aurobindo Ashram, there they have no other business. The disciples are advised that "Whatever you like, you can do. You should always think of Aurobindo." Just like Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. I inquired from the inmates of the Aurobindo Ashram. So I (inquired,) "What do you do?" "That we think of Aurobindo." They are... Because Aurobindo thinks that he is Krsna. As Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah, so they advise that "You think of me." So the inmates, they think and smoke bidi and cigarette. That's all. I have seen it. So these things are going on. Mudha-drsa. If we want to remain mudha-drsa, then it will be difficult for us to see Krsna. We have dedicated our life to see Krsna, to talk with Krsna, to play with Krsna, to have Krsna as our son, to have Krsna as our friend, to Krsna as our lover. If this is our ambition, then we should not remain a mudha-drsa, foolishly...

So we have to follow the mahajano yena gatah... As Kunti's advising. Kunti is, she knows how to see Krsna. She knows, "Here is Krsna. Although He's playing the part of my brother's son, nephew, but actually, He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, he was talking like friend, but when he saw that "It is impossible to solve this problem... I am inclined not to fight and kill my relatives, but the duty is to kill them..." It is a very perplexed position. So therefore he accepted Krsna as guru. He said that "I do not find anyone else who can solve my, this problem. Therefore Krsna, I am surrendering unto You." Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam. "Now we are not talking as friends. I accept You as guru." When one accepts somebody as guru, he cannot argue. That is the condition. Pranipatena, sampurna, fully surrendered. Otherwise there is no meaning of making a guru. It is not like that, a pet dog, that "Everyone makes guru, and let me guru, let me have a guru." But that is not the... Guru means first of all the condition is pranipata, fully surrendered. Not that "If I like, then I shall carry your order. And if I don't like, then I shall not do it." That is not acceptance of guru. Pranipata. First of all, we must agree. So because friends and friends talking... A friend may agree with his friend. He may not agree with... That is friendly talk. But Arjuna became sisyas te 'ham: "I am now Your sisya, disciple. Now there is no question of disagreeing with You. Whatever You'll say, I will accept." So at last Krsna said, "Surrender unto Me." And Arjuna did it. That is the whole purpose of Bhagavad-gita. He changed his decision. He changed. He did not want to fight. That was his decision. But when he accepted Krsna as guru and He said that "You must fight. It is my desire. Even you don't find these people are not going back home, they will be killed here, that is my already plan..."

So these things are discussed in the Bhagavad-gita. So if we remain mudha-drsa, in spite of opening our eyes in so many ways by Krsna, by guru, by sastra, if still, if we remain mudha-drsa, then how we can see Krsna? That is not possible. Therefore it is said, na laksyase mudha-drsa: "If we keep our eyes still mudha, illusioned, then we cannot see You." How? Nato natyadharo yatha. Exactly... Krsna... Just like one of my relatives, he is playing before me, but because I am mudha-drsa, my eyesight or my intelligence is not correct, I am seeing that somebody else... I see that my relative, my brother or father or friend, is dancing on the stage, but he is dressed in such a way that in spite of being present in my front, I cannot recognize. So if we remain mudha-drsa, then we cannot see Krsna. Otherwise Krsna is everywhere. Akhilatma-bhutah. In the Brahma-samhita it said, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. Although He's living in Goloka Vrndavana, He's everywhere. Then how can I see? Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Those who have developed love for Krsna, they can see always, twenty-four hours, Krsna and nothing but Krsna. This is the process.

So we have to increase our attachment, our love for Krsna. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. The... This is also explained. Everything is there. Mayy asakta. We have to increase our attachment for Krsna, our love of Krsna. Then we shall see Krsna always.

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

These are the practical experience of mahajana, Brahma. The Brahma-samhita is written by Brahma. He's mahajana. Mahajana means the person who knows Krsna. The mahajanas are described, you know. Twelve mahajanas. Naradah svayambhuh sambhuh. Narada is mahajana, and Brahma is mahajana, Svayambhu. And Lord Siva is mahajana. Kapilah kumaro manuh prahlado bhismah. The mahajanas are there. So we have to follow. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We should not remain mudha-drsa. We should follow the mahajanas and the sadhus, sastra. And they recommend... The most important process is sravanam. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. If we don't hear about Krsna, then how we'll make advance? We have to hear. My Guru Maharaja was very kind upon me because I was very much interested to hear him. That you know. I hear him. I did not understand him, actually. In the beginning I could not understand him. He was speaking in so high philosophical way that it was not... Still, I wanted to hear him. That was my only qualification.

So the... It is the process. During lecture time, if we don't care to hear or we do other things or take rest, that is not very good sign. We should be very much careful. Then we shall remain mudha-drsa. Nato natyadharo yatha. We have taken the vow to see Krsna or to understand Krsna. We should be very, very serious and do the needful. Then our life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.19 -- Mayapura, September 29, 1974

"The Point--Is Krishna Pleased"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.36-37
Vrndavana, September 29, 1976

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Pradyumna: "A person who knows the principles of religion does not kill an enemy who is careless, intoxicated, insane, asleep, afraid, or devoid of his chariot. Nor does he kill a boy, a woman, a foolish creature or a surrendered soul. A cruel and wretched person who maintains his existence at the cost of others' lives deserve to be killed for his own well-being; otherwise he will go down by his own actions."

Prabhupada:

mattam pramattam unmattam
suptam balam striyam jadam
prapannam viratham bhitam
na ripum hanti dharma-vit

sva-pranan yah para-pranaih
prapusnaty aghrnah khalah
tad-vadhas tasya hi sreyo
yad-dosad yaty adhah puman

So ksatriya's fight, it is not ordinary fight like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs also fight and the ksatriyas in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are not the same. Sometimes in the foreign countries, they do not know. They simply know fight means cats' and dogs' fight. No. Therefore they question that why Krsna induced Arjuna to fight? Certainly they do not know there is fight on the principle of religion. That is real fight. Otherwise fight whimsically, that is animals' fight, cats' and dogs' fight.

So when there is fight on religious principle, there are different rules and regulations. One has to observe these rules and regulations. Just like striking the enemy, it should not come down the waist. You can strike the enemy from head to the waist, not below that. That is illegal. Similarly, when the enemy is like this, mattam pramattam unmattam, one after another... Matta means careless, inattentive. So if by chance, by inattentiveness, one does something wrong, he should not be considered as enemy. He's careless. He should be chastised, but not... Even if he's enemy, he's not subjected to being killed. No. Similarly, pramatta. Pramatta means constitutionally he's not mad, but by some external influence one has become madlike. He's called pramatta.

Just like in this material world almost everyone, 99.9 percent, they are all pramattas. For example, pramattah tasya nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. In the Bhagavata it is said that we are depending, we are thinking, "I am sure." Why? "Now I have got very good wife. I am sure to live very peacefully or happily," or "I shall not die because I have got very good wife, faithful wife." Similarly, "I have got very good husband or very good friend," or "I am born in a very big nation." So on, so on. Security. Because security is a problem. Everyone in this material world, they have got four problems: how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, and how to become secure. Security. The animal is also working very hard for these four principles, and the man is also working very hard. That is common. But that is not security. "Because I have got very good means of living, very good means of sleeping, nice house, and very good wife and very good bank balance and good government, therefore I am secure." That is nonsense. Pramatta. That is called pramatta. Means he does not know that at any moment Yamaraja can come and kick him out from this position. At any moment. Mrtyuh sarva-haras ca aham. Yamaraja is the representative of Krsna, a servant of Krsna. He is Vaisnava. Yamaraja, we are very much afraid of Yamaraja, but he Vaisnava. Not only Vaisnava, but he's one of the mahajanas. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. He's mahajana in this sense: All the sinful living entities are brought before him, and according to the gravity of criminality, sinful action, he punishes. Just like magistrate. Magistrate, before the magistrate all criminals are brought in, and he considers the gravity of the case, and according to the case, somebody is hanged, somebody is put into the jail for three years, somebody for six years, somebody for six months. That is Yamaraja's duty. So that is... He's also dharma-vit. His name is Dharmaraja. Not that because he is punishing... Simply his only business is to punish. But still he's Dharmaraja, dharma-vit. He knows how to punish a person on religious principles.

So we are, in this material world, we are pramatta. We are thinking "These material conditions will save me." That is pramatta, half-mad, crazy. Pramatta. We are thinking, dehapatya-kalatradisu. I am thinking "I am very strong body..." [break] ...cannot achieve self-realization. Now some of our big sannyasis, he took it that unless you become very strong and stout by eating meat and exercise, gymnastics, you cannot understand spiritual life. This is their interpretation. But that is not the fact. Bala, bala means Balarama. Do you think that because you are very strong and stout, a big wrestler with muscles, you'll live? No. For Yamaraja there is no consideration that "Here is a weak person, lean and thin, and here is a very strong person; therefore the strong person should be left over and the lean and thin will be taken to Yamaraja." No. When the time will come, the lean and thin may be spared, but the strong man may be immediately taken. So this rascaldom, that by exercise... People are very much attached to the body. We have seen everywhere, especially in European, they are very much attached to make the body stout and strong. And in the morning you'll find... Here also you'll find. They're running to make the body... As if the strong body will save him from death. This is rascaldom. Therefore pramatta. Crazy. We do not say that you remain very weak and lean and thin. No. You should maintain this body properly, but not that that is my only business, how to maintain this body. That is pramatta. These are some of the examples of pramatta. He does not know. Pramatta. Dehapatya-kalatradisu. Deha, body. One is feeling secure, "I have got very strong body. I shall live forever." Rascal. Pramatta. That is not possible. Deha and apatya. Apatya means sons. "Oh, I have got so many nice sons, very earning, very obedient; therefore Yamaraja will not touch me." No, no. That is not possible. There is a very joking story in Bengal, gaye gum akale jam care na(?). Gu means stool. So one intelligent person, he thought, "I shall be free from the touch of Yamaraja by one tactics." What is that? "Stool is very obnoxious. Nobody comes to stool. So let me smear my body, whole body with stool so that Yamaraja will not come and touch me." Gaya muk gum akale jam care na(?). This is another pramatta. That crazy fellow, that he is thinking "By keeping myself dirty and obnoxious, Yamaraja is gentleman, he'll not come and touch me." This is another pramatta.

So deha apatya kalatra. Kalatra means wife. "Oh, I have got such a nice wife, and she'll pray to Yamaraja, ‘Please excuse my husband.' " Just like Nala-Damayanti. Not... What is that? Savitri-Satyavan. The Savitri saved her husband from the hands of Yamaraja. That's a long story. It will take much time. So therefore "I have got such a nice chaste wife, she will save me from the Yamaraja hands." Then I can speak shortly that Savitri-Satyavan... Satyavan was to die on the marriage day. But Savitri was attached to Satyavan, so her father, mother said that "You don't marry this boy. He'll die on the very day of his marriage." So love is blind. She said, "Still I shall marry him." So she married, and the husband died. So Yamaraja came. So she pleased the Yamaraja, and Yamaraja, being pleased, said, "My dear girl, you'll have a very good son" -- because every girl expects some son. So Yamaraja gave her the benediction that "You will have very nice son." Then the husband was dead... No, she prayed for a good son, yes. And Yamaraja gave her benediction, "Yes, you'll have good son." First of all she pleased Yamaraja by prayers, and then Yamaraja asked, "What do you want?" "A very good son." "All right, you'll have a good son." So then the Yamaraja was taking her husband, and she was going behind. Then Yamaraja said, "Your husband cannot be returned. He is dead. And it is my duty, I am taking. Why you are coming, following me?" "Now, you said that I will have a son. So if you are taking my husband, how he will have son?" So Yamaraja came to his senses that "I have done a mistake." Then "All right, take your husband."

So these are rare instances. But don't think that because you are very clever and..., you'll be untouched by Yamaraja. No, no, no. Dehapatya-kalatradisu asatsu. Asat. Nobody will stay. Asat. This material world is like that. Asat means temporary, everything. This body is temporary. Your body is temporary, this life is temporary. Tatha dehantara-praptih, Krsna says you'll have to change this body. It may be for fifty years, sixty years, utmost hundred years. But still, you have to change this body. Therefore asat. Asato ma sad gama. This is Vedic instruction. Don't be attached to this asat, temporary things. That is called vairagya. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. If one wants to learn how to become vairagi, no attachment for this material world, then he must take to devotional service. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. That is, bhakti-yoga means vairagya, no attachment for this material world. One who is actually attached to Krsna, he must be no attachment for this material world. That is the sign. Automatically. The jnanis, the yogis, or the karmis, they do not want this no attachment. They want more and more attachment. The jnanis, they want brahma satyam jagan mithya -- detachment. But bhakta, without any endeavor, because he develops attachment for Krsna, he automatically gives up attachment for this material world. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. This is the symptom how one has become attached with this material world. If I am trying under the, I mean to say, cover of becoming bhakta and trying to gather some material profit, that is not bhakti. That is very dangerous. So in this way there are so many things in the material world we take it for acceptance that these things will save me. He's a pramatta. Pramatta means crazy, half-mad. And full mad is unmatta, full mad. He becomes naked. That is one of the symptoms of unmatta -- he'll remain naked. So these men, mattam pramattam unmattam... Just see how the rules and regulations are there. So this pramatta:

dehapatya-kalatradisv
atma-sainyesv asatsv api
tesam pramatto nidhanam
pasyann api na pasyati

Pramatta, that word is used. Pramattah tasya nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. He is seeing every day that "This gentleman had a very good wife, this gentleman had very nice son, very good family -- but they are dying." So who will protect him? He's thinking that "My children, my wife, my friends will save me," but they have died. So how he will be protected?

So nobody can protect anyone. That is not possible. Everyone has to take care of himself. This world is like that. Don't depend. Only Krsna can protect you -- nobody else. If you know this, then you are not pramatta. And if you do not know this, if you are a rascal, then you are pramatta. Only Krsna. Krsna therefore said, He gives assurance, that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam: "I am the friend of everyone. I can give you protection." Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. So you have to take shelter of Krsna, otherwise you are a pramatta, rascal, mudha. Krsna is giving advice that "Do this." But we are rascals, pramatta. We think that "My son will give me protection, my wife will give protection, my friend will give me protection, my government will give protection." All these are nonsense, pramatta. This is the meaning of pramatta. Just try to understand. Pramattah tasya nidhanam pasyann api.

Another pramatta is that those who are mad after sense gratification. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. There is another verse, nunam pramattah. Those who are pramatta, those who have no responsibility of life, sometimes unnecessarily stealing and doing some, so many wrong things... Vikarma. Why? Now pramatta, he is also crazy. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. And why he is taking risk of being punished? Suppose one man is stealing. He'll be punished. Either by the law of the state or by the laws of nature or God, he'll be punished. He can escape the laws of the state, but he cannot escape the laws of nature or God. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani [Bg. 3.27]. It is not possible. Just like the laws of nature. If you infect some disease, so you'll have to be punished. You'll suffer from that disease. That is punishment. You cannot escape. Similarly, anything you do, karanam guna-sango 'sya. If you live like a cat and dog, that is infection, guna, the modes of ignorance. Then your next life you become a dog. You must be punished. This is law of nature.

So therefore one who does not know all these laws, he commits so many sinful activities. Vikarma. Karma, vikarma, akarma. Karma means what is prescribed. Guna-karma. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. Karma means, as it is in the sastra, as you have developed a certain type of modes of nature, your karma is according to that: brahmana-karma, ksatriya-karma, vaisya-karma. So if you follow... That is the duty of the spiritual master and sastra, to designate when he's brahmacari, that "You work like this." "You work like a brahmana," "You work like a ksatriya," "You work like a vaisya," and others, "Sudra." So this division is made by the spiritual master. How? Yasya yal laksanam proktam pumso varnabhivyanjakam. The spiritual master will say that "You work like this." So that should be determined. That is karma, guna-karma. Spiritual master sees that he has these qualities. That is natural. Just like in the school, college, somebody is being trained up as a scientist, somebody is trained up as an engineer, as a medical man, as a lawyer. According to the tendency, practical psychology of the student, he is advised that "You take this line." Similarly, these four divisions of the society, it is very scientific. So by the instruction of the guru, when he's in the gurukula, he will be specified a particular type of duty, and if he does it faithfully... Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. The real purpose is Krsna consciousness. And according to his guna and karma he's engaged in a particular occupational duty.

Nothing is bad provided it is meant for Krsna's satisfaction. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. The varnasrama-vibhaga must be there. But what is the aim of varnasrama? Simply by becoming a brahmana he's successful? No. Nobody can become successful unless he satisfies Krsna. That is real success. Just like Arjuna did. By the military art, he satisfied Krsna. Similarly, by your vaisya-vrtti, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44], you can satisfy Krsna. By your brahmana-vrtti you can satisfy Krsna. Even by your sudra-vrtti you can satisfy Krsna. That possibility is here, that Krsna says sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. The aim should be how to satisfy Krsna. Doesn't matter whether you are a brahmana or a ksatriya. Krsna confirms it, api cet su-duracarah... No. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Papa-yoni means below the vaisyas, the sudras, they are papa-yonis. Vaisyas also. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param gatim. So there is no impediment to approach Krsna because you are a sudra, or candala or woman or vaisya. No. Everyone can... That facility is there. Therefore our duty should be, "Never mind in whichever position I am posted. Let me satisfy Krsna." It is not that... Suppose we are worshiping Deity. That is the duty of brahmana; but somebody is called that "You cleanse this floor." So he should not think that "I am cleansing the floor; therefore I am lower than the person directly worshiping the Deity." No. Krsna's pleasure wanted. If Krsna sees that by washing the floor you are doing very nicely, Krsna is pleased: "Oh, you are nice." Similarly, one man is decorating Krsna with garland and... If Krsna is pleased, that is the main point. Not that because you are on the Deity room you are very elevated, and the other man who is cleansing the door, he is not elevated. No. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira -marjanadau **. They are all equal. In whichever position you are, simply your endeavor should be how to please Krsna. That is wanted. Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya.

Also it is said, atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. Because generally we take divisions, varna and asrama. So Suta Gosvami says in the meeting of Naimisaranya, atah pumbhir dvija-sresthah. They are all big, big, very learned scholars and brahmanas, so they were addressing, dvija-sresthah. Dvija means brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya. One who has got the right to take the sacred thread, they are called dvijas. But out of the three, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, the brahmana is called dvija-srestha. Therefore he addressed,

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam
[SB 1.2.13]

Samsiddhi. Never mind what you are. Either you may be sannyasi or may be grhastha or may be brahmacari or a brahmana, a ksatriya, or vaisya, sudra. Never mind. Try to satisfy Krsna. Try to please Krsna. Then your life is successful. Otherwise, you are pramatta, mad. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. So long you shall remain a pramatta, you shall act just opposite function, and you'll be entangled. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yajnarthe karmanah anyatra karma-bandhanah. If you do not work for pleasing Krsna, then that work will entangle you in the cycle of birth and death.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976