750206 - Lecture BG 16.10 - Honolulu

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

750206BG-HONOLULU - February 06, 1975 - 47:18 Minutes

Nitāi: (leads chanting of verse, etc.) (devotees repeat)

kāmam āśritya duṣpūraṁ

dambha-māna-madānvitāḥ

mohād gṛhītvāsad-grāhān

pravartante 'śuci-vratāḥ

(BG 16.10)

(break) (02:04)

"The demoniac, taking shelter of insatiable lust, pride and false prestige, and being thus illusioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent."

Prabhupāda:

kāmam āśritya duṣpūraṁ

dambha-māna-madānvitāḥ

mohād gṛhītvāsad-grāhān

pravartante 'śuci-vratāḥ

(BG 16.10)

So the demons . . . We have explained who are demons and who are divine, or demigods. Demigods means those who are devotee of the Lord. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daivaḥ (?). Viṣṇu-bhakta: the all-pervasive Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotee. The Godhead is called deva, and his devotees are called daiva. So we are discussing about the characteristics of the demons. So they have lost their intelligence. Etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmānaḥ alpa-buddhayaḥ (BG 16.9). Naṣṭātmānaḥ. Ātmānaḥ means spirit soul. So they have lost the sense of spirit soul. They do not know that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi." So therefore they do not know this. Therefore they are called naṣṭātmānaḥ. They have lost their spiritual sense. Why? Alpa-buddhayaḥ, not very intelligent.

We have discussed very elaborately. Anyone who has got intelligence, he can understand that "I am not this body. Within this body there is a living force, and without that living force the body is useless, lump of matter. That's all. So long the spirit soul is there, I am Mr. Such-and-such, I am Mr. this, I am Mr. that." (child coughing) (aside:) So this child should be . . . But as soon as the spirit soul is away, that Mr. lying on the floor, if somebody kicks on his face, he does not protest. Mr. finished. But the fools still take care of that bodily Mr., not the soul Mr. Without the soul, it is nothing but a lump of matter.

Just like in your country I have seen the machine. In the beginning, when I came to your country, I saw some typewriter machine is thrown in the garbage. Of course, in India they do not throw; they repair it. But here your repairing cost is very, very high; therefore you throw away. So the machine which is costly, but as it does not work, you throw away—it has no value—similarly, this is also machine. This body is also machine. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). It is a machine given by māyā, the material energy. Asat. Just like the aeroplane is also a machine. It has no life, but the life is the pilot. So long the pilot is there, the machine is useful. If there is no pilot, it may stand in the airport for millions of years, it will not fly. Very practical.

Still, they are very much proud of this body. Why? Alpa-buddhayaḥ (BG 16.9), it is said, "less intelligent." Less intelligent. So why he has become less intelligent? That is described in this verse, kāmam āśritya (BG 16.10). His basic principle of life is lusty desire, āśritya. He has taken shelter of, principally, the lusty desire, kāmam āśritya. Our constitutional position is we have to take shelter of somebody. Just like the dog. The dog, if he has no shelter, a good master, he has no position. Street dog. They say "street dog." He has no food. He has no shelter. He is lean and thin and do not know where to go. In this way. So the constitutional position of the dog is that it must have a good master. Then he is happy. Then he's happy. Otherwise it is not happy. Is it not? Otherwise it is a street dog. Sometimes it is killed by the municipality.

Similarly, our position is dog. We must understand it. We cannot live independently. It is not possible. Every living being. Therefore in the Vedic injunction is nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God and the living entities, they're . . . Both of them are living entities, being. But what is the difference between God and living entities? The living entities are maintained by God, and God is the maintainer. That is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We cannot maintain ourself. God maintains. Therefore, according to the Christian principle, they go to the church to beg bread from God.

Actually, that is the fact. That is the fact. We are not independent. We are dependent on God in so many things. God has engaged the servant, the sun-god. He's also demigod. He is working under the order of the Supreme Lord. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ (Bs. 5.52). In the Vedic literature we get information of the sun-god on the sun planet, yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām (Bs. 5.52). The sun-god, or the sun planet, is the eye of all other planets. Because unless there is sunshine—you may be very proud of your tiny eyes—you cannot see. Therefore real eye is the sun, not your these balls, tiny balls. But still, we are so proud: "Can you show me God?" What, nonsense, what eyes you have got to see God? You cannot see yourself, and what to speak of seeing God?

So therefore it is said that dambha, false pride. Dambha-māna-madānvitāḥ (BG 16.10). These asuras, these demons, the rascals, they are simply falsely proud. That's all. They have no possession of pride; still, they are proud. So, that . . . I was speaking about the sun. So Kṛṣṇa has given you the sunlight so that you can see. Kṛṣṇa has given you the nice breeze; therefore you can live; you can breathe. Everything is dependent. We are dependent. Without light, without air, without rain or water, how we can live? So we are completely dependent, but on account of false prestige, less intelligence, we are thinking that we are free, we can . . . "I am God. I can do anything." This is demonic attitude. Completely being dependent, as soon as the death comes, immediately we have to leave this position. "Sir, let me stay for one hour more." "No, not even a minute." This is our position.

But the demons, being . . . Instead of taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, instead of taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa's bona fide servant, he takes shelter of this lust, lusty desires and pride and false prestige, this, that, so many. He has to take the shelter; he cannot remain independent. But when he's less intelligent, he takes shelter of all these material things, and when he's intelligent, he takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa. But when you take shelter of these lusty desires, false pride, false prestige, illusion, then you are demon, and when you give up the shelter of all these nonsense and you take shelter of the Supreme Person, then you are divine. But you cannot say at any stage that "I am independent." That is not possible. Your constitution is to remain dependent.

Therefore the Vedas says, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's maintaining you. God is maintaining. That's a fact. We cannot maintain your, ourself. He has given heat, light, air, water, fruits, flowers, grains—everything. Everything is there for you. There is no scarcity. Simply being less intelligent, taking shelter of lusty desires, false prestige, we are mismanaging the gift of God. Therefore we are in scarcity; therefore starvation. By God's arrangement there is everything. Pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Everything is complete. Pūrṇam adaḥ. This creation is complete. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate. Because it is created by God, it is complete, so you cannot find out any deficiency. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate.

Just like you require water. Very, very essential. Especially in the tropical countries, they use water very profusely for cleansing the whole house, for cleansing the body, for cleansing the utensils, cleansing the cloth. That is Vedic civilization—cleanliness. "Cleanliness is next to godliness." Everyone should take thrice bath, cleanse everything. In India, not in the city but in the villages, the woman's first duty is to cleanse the whole house, still. Early in the morning they'll sweep over the whole house—not this apartment, three feet, no, but it is a good house. There is courtyard. Without courtyard, it is pigeon's hole. But you like pigeon's hole, this big, big skyscraper building containing so many pigeon's hole. (laughter) That's all. So in India still, although poor country, they have got a courtyard, a little garden. That kind of house, in the village that is the system. So the first business is cleanliness. Everything should remain clean.

And it is said by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita that if you want worldly happiness, then these things are required. Mūrkha yatra na pūjyante: "Don't worship rascals and fools," mūrkha. Mūrkha yatra na pūjyante dhanyaṁ yatra susañcitam(?): "And food grains are properly stocked." That is the Vedic civilization, that you work for three months, not very hard, simply till the ground and sow some food grain seed, and within three months it will grow, and you will have ample food grains, and you'll keep it in stock. And keep some cows. Dhanena dhanavān. They say that a rich man means one who has got sufficient stock of food grains. Food grains. Dhanena dhanavān. That is Vedic economic system. Gavayaḥ dhanavān. Gavayaḥ means by possessing some number of cows one is supposed to be rich. It is actually the fact. Everyone should possess some land for growing food grains and some cows to take milk. Then the whole economic problem is solved.

But the asuras, they, as we have discussed in the previous verses, ugra-karmāṇaḥ. Where is that verse?

Nitāi: Verse nine.

Prabhupāda: Verse nine.

Nitāi: Prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ (BG 16.9).

Prabhupāda: Prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ. Prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ. Karma, you have to work. You cannot maintain yourself without working. That is material world. Material world is not spiritual world. In the spiritual world you haven't got to work, neither you have to eat. Everything is complete. But in the material world means for your maintenance you have to work. But that work is very simple. Grow some food grains and keep some cows, take the milk, and just prepare nice foodstuff and eat. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). Keep Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Deity, at home, and Kṛṣṇa is pleased even you simply offer little fruit and little flower.

So Kṛṣṇa doesn't want anything else. Kṛṣṇa does not say, "Give Me meat. Give Me eggs. Give Me fish." No. He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. So if you are devotee, you cannot take anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa . . . I should offer to Kṛṣṇa what He wants. Just like if you want to offer me something, so you inquire that "What shall I offer you? What do you like?" So similarly, if you invite Kṛṣṇa to live in your house or temple, then you should ask Kṛṣṇa, "Sir, what can I offer You?" The Kṛṣṇa said, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa said that "You give Me patram, means vegetables, flowers, fruits, and phalam, fruits, and some liquid, water or milk." Kṛṣṇa does not say, "You give Me meat or egg or fish." No. Kṛṣṇa can eat everything, He's all-powerful, but He does not eat. Although He is all-powerful; He can eat everything. He can eat fire. That is another thing. But because we have to take prasādam, remnants of foodstuff, Kṛṣṇa, therefore He says, "Give Me this: food grains, milk, or fruits and flowers." Prepared or unprepared, it doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa wants that. We . . . So far the Vaiṣṇava is concerned, sometimes they come forward to fight with us: "Why we should be vegetarian?" No, no, we have no quarrel with the nonvegetarian. Let them eat at their risk. But because we recommend, "You take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam," therefore we must be satisfied with this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), nothing more than that.

But unfortunately, instead of taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, we have taken shelter of lusty desires. This is demonic. Therefore it is said, kāmam āśritya duṣpūram (BG 16.10). Duṣpūram . . . Duḥ. Duḥ means very difficult, and pūram means satisfaction. Duṣpūram. We have taken shelter of lusty desires which will never be satisfied. This is our position. Kāmam āśritya duṣpūram. These materialistic person, demons, their desires are never fulfilled—increasing, increasing, increasing; more, more more. So that means, increasing means, we are becoming implicated more and more. The business of human life is how to become free from this material encagement. But the asuras, or the demons, instead of becoming free from material entanglement, they become more and more involved. That is the . . . Just like that kite-flying. Kite-flying, there is that reel? What is called? No, you have no experience. So you can fly. The kite goes very high and high. In India kite-flying is very popular sport. So you can allow the kite go and go, very high, and at the same time you can bring it near and nearer by that wheel. So this wheel, this human form of body, is meant for not prolonging the unclean material life, but now stop it. Now stop it. It is meant for that purpose.

Therefore in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now inquire about . . . Sit down about . . . Sit down quietly and inquire about the necessity, or the aim of life." That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ, kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ (SB 1.2.10). Kāmasya nendriya, kāma. Here it is called kāma. Kāma means lust. So because we have got this body, therefore we must have some kāma. That is a fact. You cannot avoid it. Lusty desire there is, and for the upkeep of the body the lusty desires may be fulfilled. But don't become lusty which is duṣpūram, which is never to be fulfilled. So kāmasya na indriya-prītiḥ. Just like lusty desires, generally it is with reference to sex life. So sex life is required for the physiological condition of the body. That is nature's way. Or by giving birth to some nice children, that sex life is required. Otherwise, why God has made the arrangement of sex? There is need, but not duṣpūram. Kāmasya na indriya-prītiḥ: "Don't use it for sense gratification." You use it to fulfill the real purpose. So these lusty desires, unless you live a very regulated life, then it will be duṣpūram, it will be never be fulfilled—always desire, always desire, always desire. So these demons, they accept the shelter of lusty desire which will never be fulfilled, will never be satiated.

But those who are devas, godly, their lusty desire is controlled, restricted. Therefore this varṇāśrama, four varṇas and four āśramas, this is education how to control this lusty desire. That is required. In the beginning of life, the children, beginning from five years old up to twenty-five years, they are trained up as brahmacārī. Why? Just to control the kāmaṁ duṣpūram. Kāmaṁ duṣpūram. Those who are not in bad association from childhood, if they practice celibacy, they are not disturbed. They are not disturbed. That is called brahmacārī life. Why? To train the child of a human being. Because this human life is meant for stopping the cycle of birth and death. That is the mission. Therefore śāstra says that pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum (SB 5.5.18). A man should not desire to become a father and the woman should not desire to become a mother unless both of them have taken the vow that "I shall beget a child and stop his cycle of birth and death." This is the duty of the parents. Not that "I shall beget children like cats and dogs." There should be some meaning of the life. Samupeta-mṛtyum.

Because we have got the circumstances, unclean body, because we have got unclean body, therefore there is birth and death. Just like as soon as you are infected, there is fever, similarly, the birth and death is a kind of disease. It is also listed with disease. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). They are on the same category: birth, death, old age and disease. They are on the same category. But we take care of two things, namely old age . . . We try to remain young by cosmetic, but that is not possible. Similarly, we want to live forever. The lady doctor was, "Yes, we can extend little more." Then what? After all, you have to die. Extend little more or little less, you cannot avoid death.

So this birth, death, old age, disease, this is due to this unclean, infected, material body. That we are not concerned, that how to stop this infected material body, how to revive our original spiritual body. That spiritual body is within, but we have no information. Therefore it is said, alpa-buddhayaḥ. The real life is within. We don't take care. Who is taking care of the spiritual . . . Where is the university? Where is the college? Where is this training is given that "We are spirit soul. This body is temporary, and the spirit soul business is this, so that spirit soul may be purified, no more he accepts this material body"? Where is that education? Therefore alpa-buddhayaḥ: less intelligent. They are simply busy with these bodily necessities of life. There is no education of the real living force.

That education you will get—this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore it is unique. It is the education to get people of the human society liberated from the animalistic ignorance. Because those who are under the impression of this bodily concept of life, sa eva go-kharaḥ: they are no better than the asses and the cows.

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij

janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

(SB 10.84.13)

Go-kharaḥ. Go-kharaḥ means . . . Go means cows, and kharaḥ means ass. The person is exactly the animal, cows or asses. Who? Now, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: "One who has accepted this body as self." Ātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape. This is a bag, the bag of tri-dhātu. According to Āyurvedic medical science this body is working under three elements: kapha, pitta, vāyu. Therefore it is called tri-dhātu. So the whole world is going on on this concept of life. They have no spiritual . . . Even big, big professors, big, big, they also say that "This body is everything. After the body is finished, then everything is finished." But that is not the fact. That is the first spiritual education to understand, that "I am not this body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." And Kṛṣṇa begins this preliminary education in the Bhagavad-gītā:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

So this alpa-buddha, less intelligent class, demons, they do not understand this. Why? Kāmam āśritya duṣpūram. Unnecessarily dambha. Just like the same example, dog. The dog is very proud, barking, "Yow! Yow! Yow!" He does not know that "I am chained." (laughs) He's such a foolish that as soon as the master, "Come on." (laughter) So māyā is the master: "You rascal, come here." "Yes." And he we see, proud: "I am something." This doggish civilization, naṣṭa-buddhaya, lost all intelligence . . . Less intelligent these are called. Kāmaṁ duṣpūram. So kāmam, the lusty desires . . . On account of this body there is lusty desire. We cannot deny it. But don't make it duṣpūram, never to be satiated. Then finished. Make it limited. Make it limited. Therefore, according to the Vedic civilization, the lusty desire is there, but you cannot use it except for the purpose of begetting a nice child. That is called pūram, means restricted.

So the brahmacārī is educated in that way. Up to twenty-five years he cannot see a young woman. He cannot see even. This is brahmacārī. He cannot see. Then he is trained up in that way, that he may continue a brahmacārī life. Naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī. But if he's unable, then he's allowed to marry. That is called gṛhastha life, householder life. Because between twenty-five years to fifty years, this is the youthful time, so his lusty desires are very strong. One who is not able to control . . . Not for all. There are many naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī. Naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī—throughout the life, celibacy. But that is not possible in this age, neither it is possible to become a brahmacārī. The time is changed, this age. Therefore you can control your lusty desire by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is not possible.

Yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde. One emperor, he was king, so naturally he was lusty also. So he gave up this life, became a devotee. So when he was perfectly situated, so he said, Yāmunācārya—he was the guru of Rāmānujācārya—so he said that yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde: "Since I've trained my mind to be engaged in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa," yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde nava-nava-dhāmany udyataṁ rasa, "daily I am offering service to Kṛṣṇa, I am getting new, new pleasure." The spiritual life means . . . If one is actually situated in spiritual life he'll get spiritual pleasure, transcendental bliss, by serving more and more, new and new. That is spiritual life. So Yāmunācārya said, yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde nava-nava-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt: "When I am now realizing transcendental pleasure every moment by serving Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet," tad-avadhi, "since then," bata nārī-saṅgame . . . Sometimes we enjoy subtle pleasure, thinking of sex life. That is called nārī-saṅgame. Nārī means woman, and saṅga means union. So those who are practiced, so when there is actually no union, they think of union. So Yāmunācārya says that "Not actually union with woman, but if I think of union," tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne, smaryamāne, "simply by thinking," bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ, "oḥ, immediately I becomes disgusted: 'Aḥ, what is this nasty thing?' " Suṣṭhu niṣṭhī . . . (makes spitting sound) This is perfect. (chuckles) This is perfection. Yes. So long we'll think of, that is called subtle sex, thinking. They read the sex literature. That is subtle sex. Gross sex and subtle sex. So one has to become completely free from these lusty desires, not to become implicated which will never be satisfied—unsatiated, duṣpūram.

So the demons, they have taken shelter of these lusty desires, duṣpūram, never to be satisfied. Dambha-māna-madānvitāḥ (BG 16.10). Why? Mohāt, by illusion. And on account of this illusion, gṛhītvā asad-grāhāt. Asad-grāhāt. Asat means which will not stay, nonpermanent, for the time. Just like we have accepted this body. This is asad-grāha. This body will not stay. Everyone knows, but still, I am too much attached to this body. This is called asad-grāha. And so long we are attached to this nonpermanent body, there should be anxiety. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, asad-grahāt, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Because we have accepted this temporary body, therefore we are full of anxiety. Full of anxiety.

He was asked by his father, "My dear son, what nice thing you have learned? Kindly say." Father wants to know how his son is being educated. So Prahlāda Mahārāja replied that "My dear asura father," he said. Asura-varya. He did not say "father." He said, "My dear asura, the best of the asuras," asura-varya. Asura-varya, means best . . . That is the foolishness. The best—he heard the best, but he is addressing him as "asura, best asura," still he is pleased, because "I am best. I am best, best asura." So Prahlāda Mahārāja, a devotee, is very humorous, so he did not address his father as "father." He said, tat sādhu manye asura-varya: "O best among the asuras." (laughter)

So he said, tat sādhu manye: "I think it is very nice." Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya . . . Very nice for whom? Dehinām: "those who have accepted this material body." That means all material living being. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām: "who are always full of anxieties." That's a fact, full of anxiety. This is the test that we are in external material body. Therefore we are anxious. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām asad-grahāt sadā samudvigna-dhiyām. So for them this is the best formula. What is that? Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam. He should give up this so-called family life, which is just like a dark well. Hitvātma-pātam. The dark well . . . In the paddy field or in agricultural field they are . . . Formerly they used to dig wells, and sometimes they are covered with grass, and one man cannot know that there is . . . (break) . . .and he should go to forest. Vanaṁ gataḥ. Then what will be the benefit? Now, harim āśrayeta: "Just take shelter of Kṛṣṇa." Instead of taking shelter of these lusty desires, you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. (end).