661125 - Lecture BG 09.13 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1966

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

661125BG.NY - November 25, 1966

Prabhupāda:

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso

jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

(BG 9.13)

Now, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that who are the mahātmās. The symptom of mahātmā is that he knows that the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the original Personality of Godhead, and He is the fountainhead and source of all emanation. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said very nicely, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now this human form of life is meant for inquiring about Brahman, the greatest."

We are all engaged in studying temporary, small things, problems, small problems. What is that problem? Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna (Hitopadeśa 25), the animal problems. How to eat, how to sleep, how to defend and how to mate. These four principles, they are very minor problems. They are not at all problems, because automatically these problems are solved. Automatically. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt (SB 11.9.29).

Viṣaya means this viṣaya, this object of enjoyment, these bodily necessities. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. Viṣaya—means these objects of sense gratification—you will have in any form of body.

Even a small bird, he has arrangement for eating, he has arrangement for sleeping, he has arrangement for defending and he has arrangement for mating. As soon as a bird is born, two eggs are born: one male, one female. That means from the beginning of his life, the mating problem is solved. There is no necessity. A bird, they never, the birds or beasts, they never seek, the male is seeking after female or female after seeking. That is automatically solved.

Similarly, their eatings are already there, and their sleeping accommodation are already there. So these are not problems, but we have created problems only for these four demands of the body.

So Vedānta-sūtra says that "Don't be busy about these problems." Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt: "These problems are satisfied in any form of life." Why in human form? They have developed consciousness. They have got better business. Why they should be engaged only for these four principles of life? Huh? Their problem is to enquire, "What is the source of all these manifestations?" Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

The Vedānta-sūtra informs, "Now you should enquire. You have got this developed consciousness of life, human form of life, very intelligent, and you are simply wasting your time simply for this eating, sleeping and mating? Oh, this is not your business. This is not your business." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1).

Viḍ-bhujām means stool-eaters, hogs. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, nāyaṁ deha, this body, is very valuable body. Every living entity has got a body, but this human form of body, especially the civilized form of body, oh, this is very important. And how to utilize it? Simply for eating, sleeping? No.

Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. In the human society this form of body is not meant for simply toiling hard only for gaining these four principles of life. Because these necessities are supplied even to the hog, the stool-eater. The stool-eater is considered to be the lowest of the animals, the hog. Still, he has got mating facility, he has got eating facility, he has got sleeping facility and he has got defending facility. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says that, "This form of life, this human form of life, don't waste in that way." Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ . . . you will have it. Even if you don't try for it, you will have it.

Just for example, take for example myself. I am a foreigner, Indian. I came here only with seven dollars with me. Dock, I got down from the ship. I did not know where to live, where to eat. But I am here, here for the last more than one year. So I am also eating, I am also sleeping, and I am also well protected by my friends. So how it is being done? I am not serving here, I did not come with some money, but there is arrangement. Everyone, you have got arrangement made. Don't be very anxious for these problems. You should be anxious, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the problem of life.

So that—who enquires about this, athāto brahma jijñāsā? Those who are actually developed in consciousness, they enquire, athātaḥ, "What is the source of myself? I am living entity, this world, this natures, this so many things we see, and what is the cause of, the cause of all causes? What is that?" That should be enquiry. Jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive. Inquisitive. And the answer is given here in the Vedānta-sūtra, next. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now this life is meant for inquiring about the Supreme Brahman." And what is that Brahman? That Brahman means that janmādy asya yataḥ: "Brahman means that source, that Supreme Absolute Truth from whom or from which everything emanates, the cause of all causes." That is Brahman.

Now, sages, saints, philosophers and transcendentalists, yogīs, jñānīs—they are all searching, "What is the ultimate source?" So they have found out. What is that? They have found out. In the Brahma-saṁhitā, we see, there is a very nice verse. They say that:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs 5.1)

Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. Kāraṇa means cause. Sarva-kāraṇa, the cause of all causes. There are different causes. Just like take for this cotton cloth. What is the cause? The cotton cloth is made of thread. Thread is the cause of this cloth. Now, what is the cause of the thread? (break) (end)