731111 - Chanting SB 05.05.06-16 Verses - Delhi
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's Teachings to His Sons)
- ... vāsudeve
- na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat
When the living entity is covered by the mode of ignorance, he does not understand the individual living being and the supreme living being, and his mind is subjugated by fruitive activity. Therefore, until one has love for Lord Vāsudeva, who is none other than Myself, he is certainly not delivered from having to accept a material body again and again.
- yadā na paśyaty ayathā guṇehāṁ
- svārthe pramattaḥ sahasā vipaścit
- gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān
- āsādya maithunyam agāram ajñaḥ
Even though one may be very learned and wise, he is mad if he does not understand that the endeavor for sense gratification is a useless waste of time. Being forgetful of his own interest, he tries to be happy in the material world, centering his interests around his home, which is based on sexual intercourse and which brings him all kinds of material miseries. In this way one is no better than a foolish animal.
- puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ
- tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ
- ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair
- janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti
The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of "I and mine."
- yadā mano-hṛdaya-granthir asya
- karmānubaddho dṛḍha āślatheta
- tadā janaḥ samparivartate 'smād
- muktaḥ paraṁ yāty atihāya hetum
When the strong knot in the heart of a person implicated in material life due to the results of past action is slackened, one turns away from his attachment to home, wife and children. In this way, one gives up the basic principle of illusion (I and mine) and becomes liberated. Thus one goes to the transcendental world.
- haṁse gurau mayi bhaktyānuvṛttyā
- vitṛṣṇayā dvandva-titikṣayā ca
- sarvatra jantor vyasanāvagatyā
- jijñāsayā tapasehā-nivṛttyā
- mat-karmabhir mat-kathayā ca nityaṁ
- mad-deva-saṅgād guṇa-kīrtanān me
- nirvaira-sāmyopaśamena putrā
- jihāsayā deha-gehātma-buddheḥ
- adhyātma-yogena vivikta-sevayā
- prāṇendriyātmābhijayena sadhryak
- sac-chraddhayā brahmacaryeṇa śaśvad
- asampramādena yamena vācām
- sarvatra mad-bhāva-vicakṣaṇena
- jñānena vijñāna-virājitena
- yogena dhṛty-udyama-sattva-yukto
- liṅgaṁ vyapohet kuśalo 'ham-ākhyam
O My sons, you should accept a highly elevated paramahaṁsa, a spiritually advanced spiritual master. In this way, you should place your faith and love in Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You should detest sense gratification and tolerate the duality of pleasure and pain, which are like the seasonal changes of summer and winter. Try to realize the miserable condition of living entities, who are miserable even in the higher planetary systems. Philosophically inquire about the truth. Then undergo all kinds of austerities and penances for the sake of devotional service. Give up the endeavor for sense enjoyment and engage in the service of the Lord. Listen to discussions about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and always associate with devotees. Chant about and glorify the Supreme Lord, and look upon everyone equally on the spiritual platform. Give up enmity and subdue anger and lamentation. Abandon identifying the self with the body and the home, and practice reading the revealed scriptures. Live in a secluded place and practice the process by which you can completely control your life air, mind and senses. Have full faith in the revealed scriptures, the Vedic literatures, and always observe celibacy. Perform your prescribed duties and avoid unnecessary talks. Always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acquire knowledge from the right source. Thus practicing bhakti-yoga, you will patiently and enthusiastically be elevated in knowledge and will be able to give up the false ego.
- karmāśayaṁ hṛdaya-granthi-bandham
- avidyayāsāditam apramattaḥ
- anena yogena yathopadeśaṁ
- samyag vyapohyoparameta yogāt
As I have advised you, My dear sons, you should act accordingly. Be very careful. By these means you will be freed from the ignorance of the desire for fruitive activity, and the knot of bondage in the heart will be completely severed. For further advancement, you should also give up the means. That is, you should not become attached to the process of liberation itself.
- putrāṁś ca śiṣyāṁś ca nṛpo gurur vā
- mal-loka-kāmo mad-anugrahārthaḥ
- itthaṁ vimanyur anuśiṣyād ataj-jñān
- na yojayet karmasu karma-mūḍhān
- kaṁ yojayan manujo 'rthaṁ labheta
- nipātayan naṣṭa-dṛśaṁ hi garte
If one is serious about going back home, back to Godhead, he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life. If he is a father instructing his sons, a spiritual master instructing his disciples, or a king instructing his citizens, he must instruct them as I have advised. Without being angry, he should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son or citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order. Ignorant people who engage in pious and impious activities should be engaged in devotional service by all means. They should always avoid fruitive activity. If one puts into the bondage of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who is bereft of transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like leading a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in.
- lokaḥ svayaṁ śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭir
- yo 'rthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ
- anyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leśa-hetor
- ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ
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.