741120 - Lecture SB 03.25.20 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

741120SB-BOMBAY - November 20, 1974 - 40:07 Minutes

Nitāi: "Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But the same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation."

Prabhupāda:

prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam

ātmanaḥ kavayo viduḥ

sa eva sādhuṣu kṛto

mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam

(SB 3.25.20)

This is the definition of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Consciousness is there. Living being means there must be consciousness. The consciousness . . . (sound of child) (pause)

Devotee: Take away the girl.

Prabhupāda: Consciousness, when it is muddy or contaminated on account of intermingling with these modes of nature, we become more and more entangled. There is a verse in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta spoken by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

sādhu-saṅga sādhu-saṅga sarva-śāstre kaya

lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya

(CC Madhya 22.54)

Sādhu-saṅga. Here it is also recommended: sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ. Association, prasaṅga . . . Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. In the . . . (pause) (sound of child continuing) No . . . saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. As you associate with . . . man is social animal, it is said. So according to your association, you can mold your character. If you associate with businessmen, then . . . they actually form so many association to develop their business capacity. Practical. There is stock exchange association, this market association, that market association. There is club, association of the drunkards. So there are many association, and this association, different types of association, is the cause of bondage in that particular thing. Everyone knows it. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ (BG 2.62). Similarly, if you transfer the association to the sādhu, then mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam, the door for liberation is open. If you associate with materialistic person, then your bondage becomes more and more tightened, and if you associate with sādhu, or spiritualist, then your bondage becomes slackened, or the door of liberation becomes open. Mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam.

Yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam (SB 5.5.2). Sādhu . . . sādhu-saṅga and yoṣit-saṅga. Yoṣit means woman, or things which are meant for sense gratification. Woman is symbolical representation of sense gratification, but anything meant for sense gratification is called yoṣit. Tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Yoṣitām. So this material world is full of yoṣit-saṅga. Everyone is interested for sense gratification. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that:

bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ

tayāpahṛta-cetasām

vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ

samādhau na vidhīyate

(BG 2.44)

Those who are attached for sense gratification . . . bhoga means sense gratification. Bhogaiśvarya. Aiśvarya, opulence and sense gratification, those who are too much attached . . . Now, why people are so much slow in the matter of understanding spiritual value of life? At the present moment, why people are not . . .? Manda. Manda means very slow. They do not take seriously that . . . Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the most important movement for the upliftment of the human society, but they do not take it very seriously. Why? Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām. They have been taught . . . the modern civilization is simply teaching people how to enjoy life by sense gratification. Especially in the Western countries, so many things. Even for shaving there is machine. Means they do not want to ply the razor even. Formerly, safety razor; formerly, there was hollow-ground razor. Now simply you take the machine. Not to move the hand even. You see? This is advancement of civilization. The more you enjoy your senses . . .

But actually, the human life is meant for not enjoying the senses. That is called tapasya. To deny. That is human life. That is Vedic civilization. First of all, the brahmacārī system, how to deny sense gratification. That is the first training. Even the . . . even Kṛṣṇa, He had to go to the forest to collect dry wood for the spiritual master. There, that is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kṛṣṇa was talking with Sudāmā Vipra, how both of them went to collect dry wood, and there was storm and rain; they became stranded in the forest. Then next day their teacher and other students rescued them. So the brahmacārī was trained up, tapasya, not to enjoy. They would have to go to beg door to door, brahmacārī: "Mother, give us some alms for our āśrama." So they were trained from the very beginning to address any woman as "Mother." So . . . and there were so many other things: to rise early in the morning . . . tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). We have become so foolish that we do not know what is the actual condition of life. I am repeating this again and again. Our actual position is not to die, but we are dying. But we are so foolish, we do not take care of it. "Let us die. Let us die." But śāstra says, Kṛṣṇa says, Bhagavad-gītā says that "Why you should die?" But they are so dull brain, they say: "Let us die. What is that?" Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu. Kṛṣṇa has picked up . . . their whole life is miserable condition, tri-tāpa-yatana, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, but we are so foolish, we have accepted this miserable condition of life as customary. So they have become accustomed.

But the Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān, personally says that "Your real miserable condition of life are the four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)." But who is taking seriously? There are so many advancements of education, scientific and . . . who is making research work how to stop death? No. Nobody is there. No scientist's brain is working. But it is possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). These rascals, when they forget that death is not our business, it is artificially imposed upon us, so we must become deathless again . . . that is the human life perfection. But nobody is caring. We have become so dull. One can avoid birth, death, old age . . . because Kṛṣṇa says the soul, the spirit soul, ātmā, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit: "It does not die, it does not take birth." And actually, we are experiencing birth and death, old age and disease. Still, we are not alert. No intelligence. For this reason, Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he, the first question was, "My dear Lord, some way or other, You have dragged me to Your lotus feet, but I am inquiring from You that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya, 'What is my actual position? Why I am forced to suffer these three kinds of miserable life of material condition?' " Nobody's inquire, inquiring.

So therefore these discussions which are going on, that is only for how to get liberation from the four principles of material condition, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is called mokṣa, mokṣa, or liberation. So the . . . it is just like beating the dead horse. Nobody is interested about mokṣa. Or nobody can conceive even that there is something as mokṣa. Mokṣa means to get free from this condition of birth, death and old age. That is called mokṣa, liberation. So at the present moment modern educated persons, they do not know that there is something like mokṣa and it can be achieved, and there is process, and the whole Vedic śāstra is trying to educate us for getting mokṣa. They do not know it. So we have become so dull. Therefore, in this age, Kali-yuga especially, our conditions are described as manda, very, very bad or very, very slow. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. And if one little interested, they will take some path which is not approved. Which is not approved. They will invent something, so many "isms."

Now, some people came, very prominent men of Bombay, some . . . they have also invented something to educate or to enlighten the residents of the forest and the mountains. No, no, what you are doing for here? But they are interested . . . not interested. It is a hobby. Nobody can be . . . there is mountain, and suppose, suppose in Africa, there are so many Africans, they are living in the . . . there is nature's law, but there is a process. This process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by which everyone can be elevated. Not by these material means. Material means, you cannot do that. We are . . . just like in the Śukadeva Gosvāmī's statement it is said:

kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā

ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ

ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ

śudhyanti . . .

(SB 2.4.18)

You can make everyone happy, even the kirāta. Kirāta means the Africans. They are called niṣāda. Niṣāda was born as the son of the king . . . I forget just now name. Mahārāja Pṛthu's brother.

Devotee: Veṇa?

Prabhupāda: Veṇa, yes. Out of the body of Veṇa. Niṣāda. So they became thieves. They, professionally, they became thieves, and they were asked to live in the jungle. So we have got practical experience. So these junglis, they are very much accustomed, however you keep them nicely, they will steal. Niṣāda. Is it not? (laughs) We have got very practical experience. We are pushing on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and we have got experiences, different types of men. So they can also be delivered. How? Yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ: if they associate with sādhu. Yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ means if they are given the chance of associating with devotees, they can be delivered.

Anyone can be delivered. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Low-born, pāpa-yoni. Puṇya-yoni and pāpa-yoni. Puṇya-yoni . . . yoni means the source of birth. So there are two kinds of yoni, pious and impious. Those who are pious, they are getting chance of birth, in very aristocratic, high family, educated, learned brāhmaṇa family. Janma. Then aiśvarya, opulence, riches; education, śruta; śrī, beauty. These are the symptoms of pious life. And just the opposite: ugly-looking, born in very low-grade family, almost animal, then no education, no character, these are impious life. So . . . but the sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83), even by, one is born in low-grade family, pāpa-yoni, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, if one takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa . . . Kṛṣṇa says: "If one takes shelter of Me . . ." Kṛṣṇa never denies anyone. Socially, we may deny a caṇḍāla to enter into my house, but Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee does not deny. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They never . . . they'll never deny. "Yes, you are welcome. You take also education in the spiritual life. You also become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." Sometimes we are criticized. But Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). He is giving, offering shelter: "Come on. Never mind you are born in low family or impious family. It doesn't matter." Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33).

So Kṛṣṇa says: "Those who are very, very lowborn, even they can come and take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become elevated for liberation. And what to speak of pious persons who have taken birth in the brāhmaṇa family." Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ. To take birth in brāhmaṇa family requires puṇya. To take birth in rich family requires puṇya. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). Śucīnām means very, mean, elevated, first-class, exalted brāhmaṇa, śuci. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. So these are, those who have taken birth in high-grade brāhmaṇa family or rich family, they are not ordinary men. The best thing: one who has taken birth in brāhmaṇa family. But who cares for it? They misuse this chance. Kṛṣṇa says, kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ. "You have taken birth in brāhmaṇa family. Why don't you take shelter of Me?" So because the . . . why? The sādhu. Brāhmaṇa means sādhu. Brāh . . . Vaiṣṇava means sādhu. Sannyāsī means sādhu. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ . . . ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ (SB 3.25.21). This is a sādhu. So sādhu, they are very titikṣavaḥ, ārjavam. Similarly, brāhmaṇa qualification is also . . . satyaṁ śaucaṁ samo damas titikṣā. Titikṣā, tolerant; ārjava, simplicity; jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So similarly, sādhu. There must be a class of men in the society first-class sādhu. Then the society will improve. If everyone is debauch and śūdra, then how the society will be peaceful? There is . . . therefore, to organize the society, Kṛṣṇa recommends, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There must be ideal brāhmaṇa. There must be ideal kṣatriya, ideal vaiśya. And balance, all śūdras. But nobody's caring that.

So sādhu means devotee, Kṛṣṇa's devotee. That is called sādhu. Here it is stated, sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ. The same association, sādhu-saṅga. (CC Madhya 22.83). So who is sādhu? Sādhu means devotee. It is defined by Kṛṣṇa Himself: sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. He's sādhu. Who? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He's sādhu. Anyone who is, without any reservation, has begun serving Kṛṣṇa and engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—that is the definition of sādhu. Titikṣava. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed how to become sādhu:

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

Sādhu's business is to become very tolerant. Because everyone becomes enemy. If you become a devotee, everyone will become enemy, because they're asuras. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Even the father. Hiraṇyakaśipu is the father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. The boy, five-years-old boy, what is his fault? He's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And his father became enemy. Up to which, what strength? Now, he was prepared to kill. He was insisting the boy that, "Why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Why you are speaking of a separate God? I am God." That is the asuri. Those rascals who claim to become God Himself, they are demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu. So Prahlāda Mahārāja will not accept. Prahlāda Mahārāja, even the father insisting that, "I am God. Why you are talking of any other God? I am God," and Prahlāda Mahārāja will not accept that. He will accept the father as asura.

Sometimes it was quarrel between father and son. Sometimes the father would call, "My dear Prahlāda, all right, let me know what you have learned, the best thing, from your teachers." So he replied that sādhu manye 'sura-varya. Asura-varya. He did not address him as "father"; he addressed him, "the best of the asuras," asura-varya. Tat sādhu manye. Sādhu, again. Tat sādhu manye asura-varya dehinām. "So far I have understood, that dehinām, those who are embodied . . ." Dehinām. Not dehānām. Dehinām, he has said. Dehinām means we are dehī, we are proprietor of this body. I am not this body. So because we accepted this body, we are always in miserable condition. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). We accept this temporary body. That is the cause of all miseries. We cannot understand it. We are talking of so many miseries, but what is the cause of misery, that we do not know. Everyone knows, but he'll not know it. The cause is this body. Because the body is there, there is disease, there is old age, there is birth, there is death. And the whole struggle is against how to stop death, how to stop birth, how to stop disease and how to stop old age. You just see. Why there are so many advancement in the chemical science? Why there are so many medical men? Why there are so many drug shop? To stop these things. This is a struggle. But why they are required? Because we have got this body, this material body.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt. Because we have accepted this body . . . so we must not accept this body, that is called mokṣa-dvāram. That should be the mission of human life. So we are not interested. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). In this age they are slow and, and they have got their own manufactured ideas. Why? Now, manda-bhāgyāḥ: all unfortunate. And upadrutāḥ, always disturbed. So all these are on account of this body. The śāstra always says that, "Don't work in such a way that you have to accept again body after death." That is, that is your business. Not that to accumulate crores and rupees and make a very good bank balance and skyscraper house and three or dozens of motorcars. They are struggling, forgetting this. But foolish people, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa will take away all these assets at the time of death. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ mṛtyuḥ: "I am death, and I will take away everything, what you have possessed." The foolish persons, they do not understand it. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He possessed. So much so powerful that even the demigods were afraid of him. And Kṛṣṇa took away everything in a second by . . . simply by the nails. Tava nakha kara-kamala nakha . . . eh? What is? What is that?

Devotee: Tava kara-kamala . . .

Prabhupāda: Tava kara-kamala . . .?

Devotee: . . . nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgam.

Prabhupāda: Nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgam. Wonderful nails. He wanted to be secure, "I'll not die this way. I'll not die that way." But he forgot to say that, "I'll not die by the nails." He did not think that one can be killed by the nails. So all his formula that he would not be killed by this way, this way, this way . . . but he forgot this. (laughs)

So our intelligence is like . . . even Mother Yaśodā. She was trying to bind Kṛṣṇa, and at the end, at the time of knotting, there was two fingers small, I mean to say, there was scarcity. So our intelligence is like that. However I may be intelligent, however I may to cheat Kṛṣṇa, at least, little difference. Little difference. The little difference, that he never thought that, "I'll be killed by the nails, not by any atomic bomb." He thought simply atom bomb can kill. He never thought that Kṛṣṇa can kill even by nails. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). He can do everything. But he wanted to be cheap God, to surpass . . . but it could not be done. This is the asura. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. And the asuras . . . māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). They may think themselves as very advanced in knowledge, but they are rascal number one because their so-called knowledge, the effect of knowledge, is taken away by māyā. They are called Māyāvādīs. They are very much proud of their knowledge. But Kṛṣṇa says: "These rascals, these atheist class demons, their actual knowledge is taken away." Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He devised means that, "Indirectly I shall be immortal. I shall not die in daytime. I shall not die in night. I shall not die in water. I shall not die in land. I shall not die in the sky. No animal can kill me. No demigod can kill me. No weapon can kill me." So on, so many . . . Brahmā says: "All right." But he never agreed to give him immortality. But he wanted to cheat Brahmā, that "Indirectly, by the negative way, I have taken everything. So I am immortal." This is called mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). He does not know that Kṛṣṇa's intelligence is always, at least, one inch greater than him, anyone. (laughs)

So we should not be foolish like that, mūḍha. We should be intelligent that this life, this material life, is simply struggle for existence. We want to exist. We do not want to die. We do not . . . do not want to be diseased. We do not want birth, therefore there are so many contraceptive method. But we do not want . . . janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), old age. Just like we are old men. So many difficulties there are. So we do not want all these things, but it is forced upon us. But we are not intelligent enough to, how to make a solution of these problems. Therefore our predecessor, Sanātana Gosvāmī, first of all put this question that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. He was minister. He was intelligent and learned scholar, brāhmaṇa. So he inquired this. So we should be inquiring that "We are making so much struggle for existence, but existence is not allowed. Then what is the reason?" So we have become so foolish that we do not know. But here we are discussing mokṣa-dvāram, how to become free from the struggle for existence. This is life's mission.

So how it can be done? Now, as much we are attached to our property, to our family, to our country, to our money, to our business, so many things we have got attachments . . . here it is said, prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam. These attachment means we are entangled, hands and legs tied up. The "tied up" means because our mind is full and absorbed in these material activities, so at the time of death we have to give up this body and accept another. So long our mind will be absorbed, the consciousness will be absorbed in materialistic way of life, we have to accept another body. Kṛṣṇa will give chance. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). We do not know that our real business is not to accept another material body. That we do not know. We are so fool. We are working in such a way that we must have to accept another body. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We are working, we are feeling that so many difficulties there on account of this body, but we are not working how to get rid of this body, how to become again free and remain in our spiritual body. This intelligence is not there.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving this intelligence. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness move . . . unique movement, how to give the intelligence of becoming liberated. Mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam. Mahat . . . mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā. Mahat-sevām . . . mahat means . . . who is mahat, mahātmā?

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso . . .

(BG 9.13)

Those who are always engaged in bhajana—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—they are mahātmās. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ. This is bhajana—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma . . . there is mahātmā. So mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you serve such mahātmā, just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who is always engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then your path of liberation is open. And tamo-dvāram āhur yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. And if you associate with the materialistic person who are after sense gratification, then your tamo-dvāram . . . that is the way to the darkness. The life's business is not tamo-dvāram. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Jyotir gama, go to the light. Don't remain in . . . this is Vedic instruction.

So if we actually want to be free from the bondage of material existence . . . bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). A common sense. Because we have lost our common sense. Suppose we are sitting here. If somebody says: "Now get out! Sit down he . . . sit down here." And again, a half an hour, if he says: "No, no, come here." So shall I like it? "No, I am not sitting here. I'll go." Similarly, here the life is, the materialistic way of life, means bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). You accept one body; you'll not be allowed to remain in that body permanently. You must have to give it up. Again accept another body. Again you have to give it up. What is this business? But they are so rascal, they do not know that how much miserable condition we are in. We are simply accepting one body and again . . . bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate. Tyaktvā deham. We are . . . we do not know that, "I am not this body."

So we are in such darkness, and the whole world is in such darkness. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri . . . they are taking this body as themself. There are so many things. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will give them enlightenment and give them liberation, and we therefore request everyone to take advantage. Now, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means . . . the simple thing is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But if you think yourself as very learned, thoughtful man, and you want to understand through science and philosophy, all right, come on. We have got books. Learn it. Two ways. We have got three dozen books like you. You cannot finish it even in your whole life. Come on. Otherwise, if you are not so learned to read all these books, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Two things are there. Take advantage, any one of them, and be liberated.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)