740403 - Lecture BG 04.14 - Bombay
Pradyumna: Translation: "There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work."
Prabhupāda:
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti
na me karma-phale spṛhā
iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti
karmabhir na sa badhyate
Last night we discussed, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ BG 4.13 . There are two condition of life. Actually, conditioned life and non-conditioned life, liberated life and conditioned life, that is real nomenclature, "liberated life and conditioned life." Conditioned life means this material world. We are conditioned by the laws of material nature.
Just like we are trying to go to the moon planet, but we are conditioned; we cannot go. There are so many impediments. This is the nearest planet. Still, because we are conditioned, we cannot go. No free access. Otherwise, a living entity name is sarva-ga. Sarva-ga(taḥ) sthāṇur acalo 'yam. Sarva-ga means a living entity can go anywhere. As we see, there are so many planets. Why we cannot go? There are means also. We are flying in the air, but we cannot go. This is called conditioned life.
There are so many instances. Just like even on this planet if you want to go to other countries, say, America, you have to fulfill so many conditions. Passport, visa, then P-form and so many other forms. Not easily. This is called conditioned life. We have no freedom to move.
And there is another life which is life of freedom. Just like Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni travels everywhere. He goes in the spiritual world. He comes in the material world. In the material world he can go in any one of the planets. Sometimes by yogic practice we can go also, but not so easily. So there is a life of freedom. That is spiritual life.
Nitya-mukta, the living entities who are living, who are residing in the spiritual world, their number is greater than the conditioned soul. Just like some of our friends or citizens, they are in the jail. Their number is not as many as there, we are free. Similarly, the number of free living entities in the spiritual world is greater than the number of the conditioned souls. A few only, we are conditioned.
And this conditioned means karmāṇi. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye SB 3.31.1 . As we are doing work, fruitive activities, under the influence of a particular type of modes of nature, we are getting different types of bodies, and there are 8,400,000 forms of bodies, and we are rotating. Because we do not know, we have forgotten how to become free from this cycle of birth and death and transmigration of the soul. This is called karma. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ SB 3.31.1 .
Therefore in the human form of life we must perform yajña. Yajña means to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Yajñārthe, for the sake of the Supreme Lord, for satisfying Him, that is our business.
So to do that business in the previous verse it has been prescribed that the human society should be divided into four classes of men. There are, but they should be systematically divided. Just like in any office there are departments. Without departmental work, nothing can be successful. Anywhere you go, either in the law court or in the office or anywhere, there must be departments. Similarly, the human society must be divided into four divisions. Not four division, eight divisions, varṇāśrama.
In the Vedic literature there is no such thing as Hindu dharma or Muslim dharma or Christian dharma or Buddha dharma. These are recent manufacture. Actually, Vedic instruction is to divide the whole human society into four varṇas and four āśramas. That is Vedic dharma, sanātana-dharma. It is called sanātana-dharma. A living entity has got the chance of getting this human... Labdhvā sudurlabhaṁ bahu-sambhavānte SB 11.9.29 . Bahu-sambhavānte means after many, many births. This present rascal civilization does not know that how with great difficulty we have come to this human form of life after so many evolutions.
The Darwin's theory of evolution, there is some idea, but it is not clear, not scientific. They are trying to prove that [it is] scientific. That is not scientific. But the evolution theory is there, 8,400,000 species of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, like that. Bhramadbhiḥ. We are rotating in this way.
So the human form of life must be systematized, not live like animals. So therefore if in the human society there is no this systematic division of persons...
The aim is one. It is not that because one is in the lower division, he does not get the benefit, no. Just like in the state, in an organized state, as we have seen in foreign countries, especially in USA, very organized state, everyone has got the facility. It doesn't matter whether he is rich man or poor man. Everyone has got.
Similarly, this cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam BG 4.13 , brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra... It doesn't matter one is śūdra or one is brāhmaṇa, but everyone has got the facility to become connected in relationship with the Supreme Lord.
māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
Parāṁ gatim, that is open for everyone. It is not that because one is śūdra or one is caṇḍāla, he is not allowed to enter into the kingdom of God. Only the brāhmaṇas are allowed. No, it is not like that. The same thing, same example, that in the body there are four divisions: the head division, the arm division, the belly division, and the leg division. It is not that only the head get the facilities of living condition. No. Everyone.
But there must be division. That is scientific. Otherwise the human life will be spoiled. That I have tried to explain last night. There must be division, because it is ordained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How we can violate? There must be the brahminical class, the kṣatriya class, the vaiśya class and the śūdra class. Then everything will be maintained very proficiently.
Because it is karma, karma-yoga. The material world means you work, and you enjoy or suffer the result of your work. This is material world. Everyone is given facility, but it is karmānubandhanaḥ, karmānubandhanaḥ, just a facility for the living entities who wanted to enjoy this material world. This material world is not wanted. Everyone should live in the spiritual world. There is spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ BG 8.20 . There is no birth and death. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma BG 8.20 . Everything is there. People do not know it.
Therefore the karma should be systematized, and it should be regulated by brahminical culture, by kṣatriya culture, by vaiśya culture, by śūdra culture. But Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't think... Because I have prescribed this for the systematic life of all the conditioned soul, it does not mean I am also one of them." Kṛṣṇa is not one of them. And some foolish rascals they say that "Kṛṣṇa is also bound up by the laws of karma."
No. Kṛṣṇa is... Not only Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa's devotees also. That is stated here. Iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate BG 4.14 . Simply by knowing, simply by knowing that Kṛṣṇa is transcendental. Kṛṣṇa gives us prescription how to live in this conditional state, but He is not one of us. He is not one of us. He is above, transcendental. Therefore He says, na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti.
Because Kṛṣṇa is fighting in the battlefield... He is not fighting. He is directing. Still, you may call that He is inducing Arjuna to fight. That does not mean he is becoming entangled in the karma-phala. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti. Apāpa-vidham. Kṛṣṇa is killing so many demons. He is not bound up by karma. Similarly, if we also become devotee of Kṛṣṇa and if we abide by His order, then karma-phala cannot touch us. This is bhakti. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54] .
That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam. There are millions and millions of living entities beginning from the king of heaven who is, whose name is Indra, yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma, beginning from that Indra... And there is one worm that is called indra-gopa, very small. You have to see with microscope. Very small, insignificant living entity. And that Indra, the king of heaven, is very important living... So beginning from that Indra up to this Indra, everyone is bound up by the fruitive resultant action of his karma. This is called karma-phala. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam. Going on under the laws of karma. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājāṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs. 5.54]. The go...
Just like Arjuna was hesitating to fight because he thought that "I shall be entangled in the karma-phala if I kill my family men and my grandfather, my teacher." So he was thinking. That was good consideration, pāpa-puṇya. But because he fought for Kṛṣṇa, because he satisfied Kṛṣṇa, he was not bound up. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ BG 3.9 . If you do anything for your satisfaction, then you become entangled in the karma-phala. But if you do anything for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, there is no karma bondage. This is the secret. That is clearly stated. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti BG 3.9 . He is the Supreme. He can direct, but He is not under the direction. He is free.
Similarly, those who are Kṛṣṇa's devotees, they are also free. Yo mām. Yo mām abhijānāti. Abhijānāti means one who knows that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is not ordinary human being, He is nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām ( Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) , He is the supreme living entity amongst all living entities, He is the Supreme Living Being amongst all living beings"—that is abhijānāti. Abhijānāti, know with complete experience, not superficially. Iti mām, yo mām abhijānāti. Abhijānāti means "Knows Me perfectly well, that 'Kṛṣṇa is transcendental.' " And that is also explained by Kṛṣṇa,
māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
So those who are engaged in the bhakti-yoga, unflinching bhakti-yoga, unalloyed bhakti-yoga, such person is above this material entanglement. Material entanglement is within the modes of material nature. That is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa, and gradually develop your spiritual constitutional position and be transferred to the transcendental position... Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ BG 8.20 . That is the process.
But if you live in the conditioned life like animals, then you continue the life of animals—eating, sleeping, mating and defending, and struggle for existence. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati BG 15.7 . Then you struggle within this material world forever. Sometimes you become the king Indra, and sometimes you become that germ indra. This is karma-phala. This is karma-phala. But we are so ignorant of this law of karma, we are thinking "Now this position of American or Indian or this or that, for fifty years or sixty years, utmost, that is one, everything, all in all. There is no more life." Yes.
I have talked with many big, big professors. They are under the impression, atheism, voidism, that after death there is nothing; everything is void, finished. Atheism. Bhasmi-bhūtasya dehasya punar āgamanaṁ kutaḥ: "The body is burned into ashes. Who is coming again?" This is atheism. Because the atheists, they cannot see that how the soul is transmigrated by the subtle body from one body to another. They have no... gross, gross materialists. So we should not follow the gross materialists, but we should follow the perfect leader, Kṛṣṇa, who says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati BG 2.13 . This we must follow. That is human civilization.
Therefore he prescribes that brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Either you become brāhmaṇa or follow the instruction of the brāhmaṇas, then your life is perfect. Both things are there. If you like to be brāhmaṇa, that you can become also. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya BG 9.32 . This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Because in this age everyone is a śūdra, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ... There is no culture. There is no brahminical culture, kṣatriya culture. Therefore all together, they are simply śūdras. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to raise the śūdras or less than that. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Plural number. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. The pāpa-yoni. It is.... Kṛṣṇa says. But everyone is open to come to Him. Everyone. It doesn't matter. And there are less than that. Less than they are called caṇḍālas. They are also mentioned in the Bhāgavata. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ SB 2.4.18 , ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ. Again, less than that. Yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ śudhyanti. They can be purified. They can be purified. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ.
The Lord Viṣṇu is so powerful that He can make anyone a purified Vaiṣṇava. That is His special... It is not that because one is kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā or pāpa-yoni, he cannot be elevated. He can be elevated. That is possible. Because guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ BG 4.13 . If you make him qualified like a brāhmaṇa and work like a brāhmaṇa, then he can be elevated. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to educate anyone. It doesn't matter. Because kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā. Anyone, ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ. Anyone can be elevated.
So who will do that? Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone can be elevated." Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ BG 9.32 . So who will do that? Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said.... Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṇa. Now,
bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
Indian, this is the duty of the Indian, bhārata-bhūmi. One who has taken birth in the holy place of this Bhārata-varṣa, it is huge duty: make his life perfect and do welfare activities for others. This is India's business. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order.
bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
India is meant for para-upakāra, not for exploiting others. That is not India's business. That may be for the fools and rascals in other countries. But in India is dedicated. Therefore in India Kṛṣṇa comes, in India Lord Rāmacandra comes.
But they have now taken it very cheaply. All rascals and fools and rogues, they are claiming that "I am Kṛṣṇa, I am." They have taken because India has fallen. Because there is no brahminical culture, they cannot understand these rascals, that the fools and rascals, they are claiming to be Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so cheap? No. That is our misfortune, that instead of Kṛṣṇa, we are accepting some imitation, rogue Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune.
But we should not do that. There is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa, in His words. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. He is not different from Kṛṣṇa. The words of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. When you read Bhagavad-gītā, if you feel like that, that "Here Kṛṣṇa is speaking before me," then your life is successful. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Actually, it is a fact. It is a fact. It is not that "Kṛṣṇa is no longer here. Five thousand years He spoke. Therefore this Bhagavad-gītā has become null and void." This is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa can speak at every moment, at every second. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38] . Those who are santas... Therefore it is said here, iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. Does He say that "Simply in this age"? No. At any time. Iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. One who understands Kṛṣṇa, at any time, at any place, iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate BG 4.14 ," he comes liberated person, simply by this understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. He is not bound up by the laws of karma and He is not conditioned by this material nature."
Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā BG 7.14 . Mama māyā. Māyā is under His control. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ BG 7.14 . Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ. Prakṛti is working under His direction, under His superintendence. So we should know Kṛṣṇa like that. We should not.... Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam BG 7.14 . Because He is speaking like a man, we are thinking that Kṛṣṇa came, and Kṛṣṇa is now dead, and His instruction is also dead, obsolete. No, that is not. Kṛṣṇa is ever-existing, nityo nityānām. We are also ever-existing. We are covered by this material body, but Kṛṣṇa is not covered by the material body. He comes in His original body. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā BG 7.14 . Yuge yuge sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā BG 7.14 . Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām BG 7.14 . So Kṛṣṇa comes to save us and gives us His instruction so that after His disappearance from this world, people will take advantage of His instruction and make his life perfect. This is Bhagavad-gītā.
But if we misuse our intelligence and do not take advice from Kṛṣṇa and manufacture so many plans for prosperity, that will all fail. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ BG 9.12 . That is moghāśā. Mogha means frustrated. They will be frustrated. Moghāśā. Anyone who does not take the direction of Kṛṣṇa, then whatever he is hoping, that will be frustrated. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇaḥ. And whatever he is planning, "I will do like this, he will do like that," that will not stay. Because the māyā is there. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā. Māyā will kill all your plans. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te BG 9.12 . And if you follow Kṛṣṇa and do accordingly, then you will not be frustrated. Your life will be successful. This is the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā.
Therefore we are trying our little efforts, how to establish the truth described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So here we should know in this chapter, Kṛṣṇa said that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ BG 4.13 . Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā BG 4.13 . Why Kṛṣṇa has to work? Kṛṣṇa hasn't got to work because He is self-sufficient. If we want something, we conditioned soul, we have to work very hard for it. But Kṛṣṇa He can, by simply will, He can create the whole universe. So why should He work? Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca. This is the Vedic information. The Supreme Absolute Truth, God, has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate BG 4.13 . His energies are multi. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. It is multi-energies working so nicely that we are seeing that it is automatically being [done]. Not automatically. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram BG 4.13 , under His direction. But the machine, but the energy is so subtle, it appears like "Oh, it is has become automatically." But it is not being automatically. There is superintendence. But parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca.
Just like if you paint one nice rose flower, you have to apply your energy and the brush and the color very particularly, very carefully. Then still, it is not as good as the natural flower. But do you think that natural flower has come automatically? No. There is brain of Kṛṣṇa also. But the brain is so sharp, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī, it has come automatically. Don't think that there is no no brain. There is brain, sufficient brain, but not like your brain. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. This is Kṛṣṇa. You should try to understand Kṛṣṇa in that way. We should try to understand everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ BG 7.8 . This is Kṛṣṇa's energy.
How the moon is shining, 200,000 miles away? Still, the shining is so perfect. Can you make any lamp like that? Have you got such brain? Then how you can compare yourself with Kṛṣṇa? Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. But he has got the power. You can create one imitation moon or imitation sun, but that is not in your power. But still, you are so falsely proud of your scientific knowledge. What scientific knowledge you have got? So in this way, if we study Kṛṣṇa, then we can understand that, as Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā.... Karma-phale spṛhā BG 4.14 .
He hasn't got... Why he should have any desire? He can create anything, without any effort, simply by His willing. Simply by His willing. Sa īkṣata, sa asṛjata. These are the Vedic information. Simply by His glancing, there was the whole material cosmic manifestation. So if we understand Kṛṣṇa like that...
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says... Study Kṛṣṇa. Study Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself. There is no difficulty. You can study Kṛṣṇa. If you know now, "What Kṛṣṇa says is all right," simply if you know definitely, then iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti, simply by knowing this, karmabhir na sa badhyate, he is no more under the condition of this fruitive resultant action. He is free. So why don't you do that? So nice thing. Simply study. Now how can I study? There is Kṛṣṇa's instructor here. You study and you become devotee. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru BG 18.65 . Don't require education. If you cannot read, if you are illiterate, it doesn't matter. You hear. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. You hear from the realized soul. God has given you ear you can hear.
It doesn't require education. Formerly everyone was taking education simply by hearing. There was no book. Formerly everyone was taking education simply by hearing. There was no book. Therefore all the Vedic knowledge is called śruti. Śrutibhir apanya.(?) Śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Śruti. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is opening centers just to give you chance to hear about Kṛṣṇa, only hearing. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṇ-manobhiḥ. Simply by hearing, you become perfect. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. At the time of point of his death, he had no time to perform any yajña or any big, big thing. He simply heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam carefully. Śrī-viṣṇoḥ śravaṇe parīkṣid abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane. And he became perfect simply by hearing.
So we have got so many nice things, our Vedic literature, and they are all summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā. If we simply hear, by simply hearing Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then if we understand Kṛṣṇa, kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, then what happens? Iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate BG 4.14 . There is no more entanglement in the karma. Because so long we will be entangled in the karma, we will have to transmigrate from one body to another. And we do not know how long we have to rotate in this way.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva CC Madhya 19.151 . Everyone is rotating in this way. Out of that, one who is very, very fortunate, then guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja CC Madhya 19.151 , by the grace of guru and Kṛṣṇa he gets the seed of devotional service. Then, if he waters it.... mālī hañā kare sei bīja āropaṇa. Just like if you get a seed of nice flower, if you sow it and water it, it will grow, similarly, the seed, śraddhā, that "Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very nice," this is seed, but if you pour water.... What is that watering? Śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana CC Madhya 19.151 . If you simply hear and you chant also, that is the watering of the seed. Then it will grow. And one day it will grow, a big tree or big plant, and it will reach Kṛṣṇa's.... This is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. You will find.
So do not take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very lightly. Take it seriously and try to understand, and your life will be successful. Thank you very much. (end)