761104 - Lecture SB 05.05.16 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

761104SB-VRNDAVAN - November 04, 1976 - 29.24 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse, synonyms, etc.) (break)

lokaḥ svayaṁ śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭir

yo 'rthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ

anyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leṣa-hetor

ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ

(SB 5.5.16)

Translation: (02:00) "Due to ignorance, the materialistic person does not know anything about his real self-interest, the auspicious path in life. He is simply bound to material enjoyment by lusty desires, and all his plans are made for this purpose. For temporary sense gratification, such a person creates a society of envy, and due to this mentality, he plunges into the ocean of suffering. Such a foolish person does not even know about this." (break)

Prabhupāda:

lokaḥ svayaṁ śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭir

yo 'rthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ

anyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leṣa-hetor

ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ

(SB 5.5.16)

This is the description of the material world. Anyonya-vairaḥ: simply envious of one another. This is material world: I am envious of you; you are envious of me. You can extend this familywise, societywise, communitywise, nationalwise, but the basic principle is enviousness, nothing else. Therefore in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is explained that who are fit for accepting this Bhāgavata principle. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitava atra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). This is meant for the persons who are no more envious. For them. Those who are envious, they have no entrance in the principles of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Paramo nirmat . . . Because the whole world is based on the principle of enviousness. Anyonya-vairaḥ. And what is the meaning of this enviousness? Sukha-leśa-hetu: temporary happiness. Temporary happiness.

Now, especially in the modern world . . . Not only modern world; always. That is the nature of this material world. How much fighting is going on between nation to nation, person to person, community to community. There are so many courts, legal courts. The people go there, fight with one another. Then the United Nation . . . What is that United Nation? I have already explained many times, assembly of barking dogs, that's all. (laughter) United Nation. They will never unite. They will go there and barking. Many times we have seen their enviousness. Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29): "I am the proprietor of all planets." But we are claiming, "This is my country." "This is India, my country," "This is Pakistan," "This is America," "This is Russia," and fighting. And the proprietor is there; he is claiming that "This is not yours. It is mine." Still they are. Because why? Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. Rascals. He has no right. Unnecessarily he or they are claiming right and fighting.

You have to do it, because we are placed in a condition of suffering. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). I have given this example many times. Just like in the school the teacher engages two naughty boys to catch the ears of one another. And he is pulling the ear; he is also pulling the ear. There is competition of pulling the ear. So nature engages them. Jagat-ahitāya, ugra-karma. They have manufactured this ugra-karma world for the annihilation of this world. Russia has discovered the nuclear . . . What is that? Nuclear weapon? And the Americans, they are finding out the opportunity, so, to drop the bomb here and there, and everything will be destroyed. They do not know what is the aim of life. Simply they are engaged in ugra-karma and creating enmity, anyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leśa-hetoḥ. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Prahlāda Mahārāja has also said that śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ: "I am simply thinking of these rascals," vimūḍhān. Here it is said, mūḍha, and Prahlāda Mahārāja says, vimūḍha, viśeṣa-rūpeṇa, "particularly mūḍha."

Prahlāda Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava, he has no problem. A Vaiṣṇava has no problem. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "I have no problem, my Lord," to Nṛsiṁha-deva. Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43). A devotee will be simply satisfied if he has got the opportunity of reading, reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam anywhere, any part of the world, sitting down underneath a tree. One who has got education, he can read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But even one has no education—he cannot read—still he has no problem. He can chant: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. So he can enjoy anywhere. There is a practical example in this connection. While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was touring in the southern India, in the Ranganātha temple He saw one brāhmaṇa, he was reading Bhagavad-gītā. So, many persons were coming and criticizing him, "Well, brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He did not reply. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu approached him, and He saw the brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā and tears gliding down. So He could understand that "Here is a pure devotee." So He asked him, "Well, brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" So he said, "Sir, I cannot read. I am illiterate. I am illiterate and I cannot read what is Bhagavad-gītā, especially Sanskrit." His neighbors were criticizing him. They knew that "This brāhmaṇa is illiterate, and he is making a show of reading Bhagavad-gītā." So they were criticizing. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He could understand that "Here is a pure devotee."

So He asked him that "What you are reading?" He said frankly, "Sir, I cannot read. I have no education. Illiterate." "Then? It appears that you are reading something. And if you are illiterate, why you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" "No, my Guru Mahārāja said. He knew that I am illiterate, but still, my Guru Mahārāja said that 'You read every day the ślokas of Bhagavad-gītā.' So on account of his order, although I do not know anything what is written there, I am trying to read." "Oh, that's very nice. You are carrying the order of your Guru Mahārāja. But it appears that you are crying also. How you are crying if you cannot read?" "Yes, Sir, that's . . . Because as soon as I take this Bhagavad-gītā in my hand, I see the picture that Arjuna is asking Kṛṣṇa to place his chariot in the war field, and Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot by his order. So this is creating some feeling in me: 'Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, so nice, that although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is carrying the order of His devotee as servant.' When I feel this, I cry: 'Oh, how Kṛṣṇa is kind. How Kṛṣṇa is merciful.' " So immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced him: "You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. It is not the literacy or education or knowing grammar and putting jugglery of words. That is not reading. If one feels what is the purport of Bhagavad-gītā, that is reading Bhagavad-gītā."

So it does not depend on literary career. A devotee is simply satisfied if he can think of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants that. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Kṛṣṇa never said that "You become a great paṇḍita or grammarian to read Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." That, if you can, if you have, you can. Otherwise, anyone, even a child, can do this, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). One can come into this temple and offer obeisances. That will also do. Therefore a devotee can be satisfied in any condition of life, provided he can think of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. That's all. That much. So therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I have no problem." Naivodvije para duratyaya (SB 7.9.43). "I have no problem to cross over the ocean of nescience. That solution is already there. Wherever I am, I shall think of Your lotus feet. That's all." "But you appear to be unhappy." "Yes, I am unhappy." "Why?" Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ (SB 7.9.43): "I am thinking of these rascals who have rejected Your instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā." Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ. And they are busy. Like monkeys and dogs, they are busy. You will see they are very busy, going here, going there, going there. Just like monkey, jumping from one tree to another, jumping. Wherever he is standing, he will move his arm, everything. But people know that "Here is a monkey." He may appear to be very busy, but people will immediately take a stick: "Go away! Go away! Go away! Go away!"

So our business is like that. We are making big, big plans to be happy like the monkeys. Therefore here it is said that arthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ. So it is the duty of everyone to do something for his welfare. But here the beginning is lokaḥ svayaṁ śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ: "These rascals, they are blind to their real interest." Śreyas means real interest, and preyas means immediate profit. So nikāma-kāmaḥ, sense gratification, is very nice immediately. "I enjoy sex life. This is very nice. Why shall I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Let me enjoy sex." Śreyasi. And preyasi: "This is pleasure." And it is not pleasure; therefore naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ. He does not know that this sense pleasure is not his actual pleasure; it is creating different types of miserable conditions. Naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ. He has no eyes. Arthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ . . . (indistinct) . . . He does not know, either it is legal sex or illegal sex. There are two kinds of sex life: legal and illegal. Legal is married life sex. That is taken as legal. And without marriage, like cats and dogs in the street or here and there, that is illegal.

So legal sex life is still allowed. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, dharmāviruddho-kāmo 'smi (BG 7.11). If there is legal sex, one man and woman, married, and only for progeny they get into sex life, that is allowed in the śāstra. But illegal, illicit sex is most abominable. But either illicit or legal, there are so many sufferings. So many sufferings. Illegal—now they are giving opportunity abortion, killing the child, and so on, go to the hospital. That is also. And behind that, the killing the child, a very sinful, he has to suffer. He does not know. Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. He's taking the risk of suffering life after life. Those who are killing the child within the womb, they will be punished. They will also enter within the womb of the mother, and somebody will kill, and again he will enter another mother's womb, again he'll be killed. So as many child he has killed, he has to go to the womb of the mother to another womb, another. He will never see the light of the world. He'll be killed. This is the punishment. This is the punishment. But he does not know. Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. He does not know how the laws of nature is working, life for life. You have no right to kill any life. Even an ant you cannot kill even. You cannot kill. If you kill, then you have to suffer.

These are not stories. These are not stories. There are many incidences in the śāstra. Just like Vidura. He was Yamarāja, incarnation of Yamarāja, but he was cursed by a muni to become a śūdra. Why? Now, one muni was brought in the court of Yamarāja, and he was to be punished by like punishment, śūla, śūla, piercing the lancet through the rectum, and it will come out. So the muni asked Yamarāja that "Why you have put me into this tribulation, this punishment? What is my fault?" The Yamarāja explained that "In your childhood you pierced with a nail through the rectum of an ant. Therefore you must be punished like this." Just see. In childhood playing he pierced . . . Sometimes we have seen, the children do that. That is also counted. You cannot do any harm to any animal, any living being. You cannot do. But these rascals are regularly killing. Although they have got this human form of body, although they have got intelligence, scientific intelligence, and so-called, but they do not know how nature's law is working. They do not care to know. They say these are all mythology. But not mythology. It is not mythology. Na veda mūḍhaḥ. They do not know what is the law of nature, that ananta-duḥkham.

So we should be very, very careful. We are implicating step by step. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). They do not know. This material world means at every step we are creating another difficulty. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padam. (break) . . . Kṛṣṇa. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. For Him the great ocean of nescience becomes just like vatsa-padam, the water containing with the hoofprints of calves. That is called vatsa-padam. And this place, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām, this material world, where there is danger in every step, it is not for them. It is not for them. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned that niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya (CC Madhya 11.8). Anyone who is desirous of rendering service, dedicates life for the service of Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa . . . Kṛṣṇa demands that. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). For such person, one who has decided, "Yes, I shall fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa," for such person, niṣkiñcanasya . . . Surrender means he has finished his all material business. No more. No more business. That is called niṣkiñcana. Kiñcana means "something," and niṣkiñcana means that something also nothing. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). There are so many achievement by karma, jñāna, yoga and so many things. But bhakti means finish this, all this nonsense business, karma, jñāna, yoga. Simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167).

So for such persons . . . That is niṣkiñcana. Eta saba chāḍi, haya niṣkiñcana, ekanta bhave naya, kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇa. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta . . . So we have to become niṣkiñcana, no more material business. No more. That is called niṣkiñcanasya. Who can take this niṣkiñcana? Bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Unless one is eager to serve the Lord, nobody can be niṣkiñcana. Everyone is a kiñcana, "Something mine, something mine, something mine." So for such person, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya . . . Why bhagavad-bhajana is required? Yes, it is most essential, śreya. Śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ. We do not know. Kṛṣṇa says that "If you do not come to Me, if you do not accept Me, then," nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3), "you will continue the cycle of birth and death." And that means ananta-duḥkham, ananta-duḥkham, one life after one life, one life after one life. This will go on.

So we should be very, very careful that this human form of life should not be wasted even for a moment. That is real life. There is, by . . . one śloka by Rūpa Gosvāmī, avyartha-kālatvam (CC Madhya 23.18-19). A devotee should always be alert to see, "Whether this time, one moment passed, whether I have wasted it or I have utilized it?" That is, should be, the point. Āyūṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhya svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ (Cāṇakya-śloka 34). This is also material estimation, that one moment of our life cannot be returned in exchange of millions of dollars, even from material point of view. And those who are advancing in spiritual life, how much careful they should be. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has given the formula, avyartha-kālatvam. Not a single moment may be wasted without chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)