750103 - Lecture SB 03.26.26 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

750103SB-BOMBAY - January 03, 1975 - 41:00 Minutes

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

kartṛtvaṁ karaṇatvaṁ ca

kāryatvaṁ ceti lakṣaṇam

śānta-ghora-vimūḍhatvam

iti vā syād ahaṅkṛteḥ

(SB 3.26.26)

(break) (02:06)

"This false ego is characterized as the doer, as an instrument and as an effect. It is further characterized as serene, active or dull according to how it is influenced by the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance."

Prabhupāda:

kartṛtvaṁ karaṇa . . .

kartṛtvaṁ karaṇatvaṁ ca

kāryatvaṁ ceti lakṣaṇam

śānta-ghora-vimūḍhatvam

iti vā syād ahaṅkṛteḥ

(SB 3.26.26)

So last night we discussed Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. Four expansion are there for taking charge of four kinds of different activities. So this false ego and the material world, "I am this body," they are also divided into three—śānta, ghora and mūḍhatvam—according to the modes of material nature. Śānta means sober, serene. Persons who are in the modes of goodness, for them, this material world is manifest in the matter of its constituency. And those who are in modes of goodness, they can see things as they are. And the ghora, those who are in the modes of passion, they are unnecessarily going on, making plan, and full of activities without any aim of life. And mūḍhatvam, that is like animal, do not know what is the aim of life, what for he is working, what is the value of life—nothing of the sort.

So this false ego, "I am this material body. I belong to this material world. I belong to this community, sect or nation," so many, they are all based on ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Actually, every one of us who are in this material world, they are . . . we are all under the full control of this illusory energy and working differently according to the influence of the different modes of material nature. I am not real kartā. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi: I am under the influence of different guṇas, and still, falsely, I am thinking that "I am the doer. I have got the capacity of acting. And the effect, whatever I have produced, it is due to my labor." This is called illusion, moha. Mohaḥ ayam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This conception of life is moha. Moha, delusion or illusion, just like a person in feverish convulsion is lying unconscious, thinking something else. This is our position. Moho 'yam. So our real business is how to get out of this moha.

So Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, They are controlling by different senses and the sense controller, different demigod. It is a very complicated situation, but we can get out of it by controlling the senses. That is also very difficult. At the present moment, especially in the Kali-yuga, that is also very difficult. The easiest way, as suggested by śāstras and great personality, is bhaja vāsudevam. Yat-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā karmāśayaṁ grathitam udgrathayanti santaḥ.

yat-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā

udgrathayanti santaḥ

tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-

sroto-gaṇās tam araṇaṁ bhaja vāsudevam

(SB 4.22.39)

Karmāśayam, this false ego—we are creating different hopes of activity: "I shall do this. I shall do that." Grathitam, they are very deep-rooted, grathitam. So we have to pluck out this karmāśayam, the root of karma. Kūṭa-stha, then phalonmukha, and phala-prāpti. There are three stages, karmāśayam: kūṭa-stha, in the seed form, kūṭa-stha; then phalonmukham, sprouting; then prāpta, prārabdha. In the beginning it is aprārabdha, not yet manifest; and prārabdha means manifest. The same example, as we have given several times, infection. We have infect . . . suppose I have infected some chronic disease or infectious disease. It is not yet manifest, but it is kūṭa-stha. It is . . . in the seed form there is. Then, all of a sudden, we get some feverish condition. That is called phalonmukha. And when it is high fever and quite manifest, the delusion and so many other things, that is called prārabdha.

So we are all undergoing prārabdha-phalam, manifest phala, for our past deeds. So they are very deep rooted. It is very difficult to uproot them. But there is one process. That is recommended: bhaja vāsudevam. Bhaja . . . the others . . . there are many yogīs, jñānīs, they are trying to get out of the situation, kūṭa-stha, phalonmukha, prārabdha situation of our life. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that the devotees, they can very easily uproot the causes of our material miserable condition of life.

Yat-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā. Vilāsa. Vilāsa means enjoying, and bhaktyā means devotees. They are always attached to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). The devotees are always engaged, they are always attached, padāravindayoḥ. Aravinda, lotus flower and the lotus feet. So devotees, they are concerned always seeing the lotus feet of the Lord. They do not try to see even the face. Begin with the lotus feet. The devotee begins offering tulasī leaves with sandalwood pulp and offering to the lotus feet of the Lord. That is their vilāsa, enjoyment. Yad-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa. They enjoy. That is transcendental bliss, offering a little sandalwood pulp and tulasī leaves on the lotus feet of the Lord. Yat-pāda-palāśa-vilāsa . . . paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa. Vilāsa. That is their vilāsa.

Vilāsa means enjoyment. Bhoga-vilāsa. Devotees, they have no bhoga. They have vilāsa, enjoyment. And indirectly, this is also bhoga, transcendental bliss, ecstasy. Sometimes they are crying. Sometimes they are shivering. Sometimes they are laughing. There are eight kinds of sāttvika transformation. So when one is completely pure devotee, these symptoms are visible. That is called vilāsa, enjoyment. Yat-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā karmāśayam. When one is engaged in that vilāsa, enjoyment, spiritual blissful life, then the root cause of karma becomes vanished. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54), in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said. They are no more interested with the attraction of fruitive activities. Karmāśayaṁ grathitam, very deep rooted. Yat-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā karmāśayaṁ grathitam udgrathayanti. Very easily they can uproot. Tadvan na rikta-matayaḥ. Rikta-matayaḥ, those who are attached to live in the forest, in the mountain, in the cave, alone in a secluded place, and with great endeavor trying to stop the agitation of the senses . . . tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo niruddha-sroto-gaṇāḥ. Niruddha means controlled. The yogīs especially, they do that. And jñānīs also, they read philosophy, discuss philosophy. The yogīs control the senses, yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. In this way they are trying to get out of this chain of fruitive activities. Karmāśayaṁ grathitam.

But devotees, being attracted to the flavor of the lotus flower of Kṛṣṇa's feet, lotus flower . . . Kṛṣṇa, His face is called also lotus-eyed, His navel is called padma-nābha, His feet is called lotus feet, pāda-padma, and His garland is also padma. He is very much fond of padma. So when a devotee is attached to the lotus flower of Kṛṣṇa's feet, automatically they forget the all such material activities. They haven't got to endeavor separately. The jñānīs and the yogīs, they are trying to, by their endeavor, by their different endeavors, they are trying to get out of this entanglement, but the devotees, simply by engaging himself in the vāsudeva-bhakti, vāsudeva-parāyaṇa, simply by bhakti they come out of the entanglement without any difficulty. That is stated in this verse. Tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-sroto-gaṇās tam araṇam. Sroto-gaṇās tam—stop functioning; they cannot do so nicely.

Therefore saraṇaṁ bhaja vāsudevam. Vāsudeva is the ultimate saraṇam, ultimate shelter. Bhaja vāsudevam. In other place also it is said,

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu jñānaṁ vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

Janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam. One cannot understand what is the cause of a vāsudeva-bhakta to become so much renounced. Just like in India these young men from America and Europe . . . they are surprised, "How they have become so much aloof from material activities?" It is surprising. That is . . . it is not surprising, because bhaja vāsudevam: they have taken to the shelter of Vāsudeva. If you do also, you shall become. But we are not inclined. In India, "Oh, Vāsudeva, we have . . . we know everything of Vāsudeva," "Hare Kṛṣṇa, oh, this is . . . what you can teach? We know everything." This is the Indian disease. Because familiarity breeds contempt. Because Indians are familiar with the name of Vāsudeva, with the name of Hare Kṛṣṇa, they think . . . just like in Europe and American cities these boys and girls, they go for saṅkīrtana, and the Indian people, they say, "Oh, we know everything about it. We have now come here to learn how to eat meat, how to drink wine." You see? This is the condition. Bhaja vāsudevam, this is not very much appealing. But this is the only way to become out of entanglement. Otherwise, this śānta-ghora-vimūḍhatvam iti vā syād ahaṅkṛteḥ. We shall always remain in this false ego that "I am this body. I am of this material world," no information of the spiritual world.

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu (SB 7.5.31). They have no information. They do not know the svārtha-gatim. Everyone is declaring, "I have my self-interest." But they do not know what is self-interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Durāśā: the hope which will never be fulfilled. What is that hope? They are trying to adjust this material world to become happy. This is durāśā. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Andha, and the leaders, they are also leading in that way: "Give up this Vedic culture. Throw away." The leaders say openly that "Throw away your śāstras in the water. No more śāstra. Now you take to industry, technology, if you want to become happy just like the Americans, like the Europeans." So the leaders, such leaders have been described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, andha. Andha means blind. They do not know how to lead people. What is the aim of life? The aim of life is not to understand or learn some technical knowledge by which we can make some bodily comforts. That is not aim of life. The aim of life is different. We are part and parcel of God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Now we are separated. Not separated; just like a criminal is not separated from the state. He is in the state, but in a different condition. Similarly, we cannot be separated from God. That is not possible. We are part and parcel of God. But we can be separated by diseased condition. Just like my finger cannot be separated; or can be separated, but in the diseased condition it cannot work. It cannot work in its original, constitutional position. Similarly, due to our this material disease, we cannot properly serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, our, the whole. We are part, and He is the whole, the complete. We are not . . . some way or other we are detached. So we cannot be separated. But under certain conditions it appears that we are separated. This is forgetfulness, more or less.

So we have to revive this old consti . . . that is the whole subject matter of the Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kapiladeva, how we are becoming degraded from the original state of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So our only business is how to revive again. That revival is possible only by this process, bhaja vāsudevam. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Sudurlabhaḥ mahātmā, not ordinary mahātmā. Mahātmā, mahān ātmā yasya iti mahātmā. Not cripple ātmā: "This is my community. This is my nation. This is my family. I have to maintain it. I have to make them . . ." This is not mahātmā. Mahātmā means one who is broader, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarva-yoniṣu. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father of all living entities, and they are suffering. Tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "I am simply anxious, perplexed, only for these persons who are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I am thinking of them." This man is mahātmā. He is thinking of all living entities who are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and making plan how to again take them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Because this is the cause of all unhappiness—they are suffering, and they are making plan. Māyā-sukhāya. Māyā-sukhāya means the happiness which has no standing: false, illusory. For this purpose, bharam udvahato vimūḍhān, big, big adventure, big, big things, they are contemplating, planning. That is called ghora, ghora-rūpa. Here it is called ghora. Śānta-ghora. If you go to some industrial place in a factory, iron factory like Tata's, you will see how they are engaged in ghora activities, horrible activities—after all, you have to eat something—but they have planned a ghora activity, very fierceful, ugra-karma. By nature's way, Kṛṣṇa has given us everything. You can simply work little, you get food grains. Kṛṣṇa says like that. Kṛṣṇa never says that "You open big, big fierceful, horrible industries." You will never find in Bhagavad-gītā. For your livelihood, Kṛṣṇa says very simple method: annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Annād. Anna, you produce anna. Why you are, I mean to say, planning big, big industries? The oil will come from America through the channel, and the Arabia will refuse to supply oil. There will be power problem, so many things, one after another, one after another. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that you do all these things, ghora. No. He says, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: "You just produce food grains." And bhavanti bhūtāni. Bhūtāni means all living entities, they will be stout and strong by eating. What you want more? Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And if there is sufficient rain, then automatically, then it will be very easy to grow food grains. Parjanyād anna . . . if there is no parjanya, rain, then your so-called tractor will not help you, or knowledge, agricultural knowledge, will not help you. You will have to depend on Kṛṣṇa for rains. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14): if you perform yajña, then there will be regular rainfalls.

In the Kali-yuga there is no yajña. Therefore there is anāvṛṣṭi, anāvṛṣṭi. The Kali-yuga people will forget performing yajña. They will be busy in ghora-rūpa activities, horrible and fierceful activities, not yajña. They will neglect yajña. So then how your these bolts and nuts and rubber tires will help you? Therefore there is scarcity of anna. That will increase more and more. It will so increase that now you are getting anna by paying high price, but time will come when even if you are prepared to pay price, there will be no more anna. That time is coming. Naturally, what people will eat? They will eat māṁsa and roots and seeds. No milk. No sugar. No wheat. These things will be stopped. As we are becoming entangled in ghora-rūpa activities or mūḍha activities, then the more we shall be entangled with sufferings of material existence. They do not know what is the actually interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).

So therefore this planning, real planning, is this varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśrama means a regulative, regulative life. So we have come to this world. There will be no difficulty for our maintenance. Peacefully let us live and save time for spiritual consciousness, for advancement of. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). We have to rectify, purify our existence. This present existence is not purified. Otherwise, why we are accepting death? Because the existence is not purified. But we don't care for it. We are so dull, mūḍha. Mūḍhatvam. Mūḍhatvam. There are so many big, big scholars of Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not know the first lessons of Bhagavad-gītā, first lessons of Bhagavad-gītā. First lesson of Bhagavad-gītā is there: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. Who is thinking of this, that na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), if after the destruction of this body I am not annihilated—that is a fact—but who is making research about it? And still, they are big, big scholars of Bhagavad-gītā, and they do not know even the A-B-C-D of Bhagavad-gītā.

This is the first lesson of Bhagavad-gītā:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit, na hanyate hanya . . . they do . . . these things do not strike even their dull brain, that "If ātmā . . . I am ātmā. I am the soul. I do not die even after the annihilation of this body. But that means I will have to accept another body. But is this very good job? Why not seek after the our original position, when there is no more change of body?" This question does not arise even. But it is very easy. For that reason, Bhagavad-gītā is there. Everyone can avoid this birth and death. That is the business of human life, how to stop . . . jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya (BG 7.29). Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ (BG 2.56). Everything is there. This is the aim of life. But not . . . we are under this false ego, "I am this body." And some of us in the modes of goodness . . . that is also another kind of bondage: "I am brāhmaṇa. I am very learned scholar." But . . . that's all right, but still you have to go further, above the brahminical stage, not simply become proud of having nice birth, full of knowledge and learning. That is not sufficient. The learning should be perfect. What is that perfect learning? That vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). If you are actually learned, if you are proud of becoming vedāntī, or knowledge in Vedānta, then you must be aware of Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. Otherwise, śrama eva hi kevalam.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

Either you become śānta or ghora or mūḍha, three kinds of position in this material world . . . śānta. Śānta means in the brahminical qualification; and ghora means activities, material activities, fruitive activities; and mūḍha, just like animal, neither śānta nor ghora, simply animal. Udaram bharitaḥ. Svārtham udaraṁ bharitaḥ. Svārtham, interest, means if one somehow or other fulfills his belly, then he thinks, "Now all my mission is fulfilled." This is called mūḍhatvam. Svārtham udaraṁ bharitaḥ. Dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam (SB 12.2.6). Generally, in this age, people will be interested to fulfill his own belly. Because that is also very difficult task nowadays. To get sufficient food daily, that is also a problem. And if one can maintain his family in these hard days—family means husband, wife and a few children—then dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam, then he is just like Mahārāja Dakṣa. Dakṣa . . . dakṣa means very expert. Those who are maintaining big family, working very nicely, many business, they are called dakṣa. So in the Kali-yuga, if one can maintain a family, small family, then he will be considered dakṣa. Dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. Otherwise, if one can fulfill his belly only, his all interest is fulfilled. This will be the condition of this age. That means mūḍhatvam, mostly mūḍhatvam. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).

So this is the position, mūḍhatvam, at least in this age. Rajas tamas. Mūḍhatvam, some of them are busy in ghora activities, and some of them are mūḍhas. Generally, they are mūḍhas. The so-called active persons, they are also mūḍhas. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So unless you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, unless you become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then our life is unsuccessful. It has begun since we have come to this material world. Under different influence we have come to this condition of śānta, ghora, mūḍha. But we have to become above this condition—even above this śānta condition. This conception that "I have become now brahminically qualified. I have got knowledge. I can see things," jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam, that is not sufficient. You have to stop your birth and death. This process you have to stop. Then your life is successful.

And that can be easily done if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Bhaja vāsudevam. You have to become devotee of Vāsudeva. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). You have to take the shelter of bhakti-yoga, Vāsudeva. Then your life will be successful. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā (BG 7.19). You have to become sudurlabhaḥ mahātmā, not cheap mahātmā. A cheap mahātmā will not help you. You have to become real mahātmā. What is real mahātmā?

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso

(BG 9.13)

That is mahātmā.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla . . . (end)