So this is good government. Unless the government is equal to everyone... Just like God is equal to everyone. The king or the government must be representative of God. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, king is offered as good respect as to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Vedic civilization (Lectures, BG and others)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Duty is duty. After all, everyone will die; nobody will exist. So nobody should be afraid of death. This is Vedic civilization. Death is inevitable. "As sure as death." Who can avoid death? So being afraid of death, we should not deviate from our duties, real duty. That is Vedic civilization.
They are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, brāhmaṇa qualification, kṣatriya qualification, vaiśya qualification, śūdra qualification. So... Very nice arrangement, Vedic civilization. Everyone is guided by the superior.
According to Vedic civilization, after the birth of the child, there was name-giving ceremony, what kind of name. So that was calculated astrologically, that what kind of name he should be given, because the name should carry some meaning of the activities of his life.
When human society accepts this varṇāśrama institution, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vana... This is Vedic civilization.
According to Vedic civilization, everybody has got gotra. Gotra means of the same family, of ṛṣis, gotra, from the ṛṣis.
So this whole Vedic civilization is made just to train how you can be detached from this so-called family affection.
So this problem, attachment for this material world, gradually we have to cut it. That is the Vedic civilization.
Therefore the Vedic civilization is so planned that one has to give up this rascal "own men" conception.
According to Vedic civilization, if one wants to become very humble and approach another person, then he has to take one straw in the mouth.
Therefore according to Vedic civilization, it is the duty of the parents to get the sons and daughters married so that they will have family attraction, they will be established, they will be organized, things will go nicely.
Therefore, in the Vedic civilization, the gṛhastha-āśrama is recommended.
So vairāgya-vidyā. This family attachment, and just the opposite thing is vairāgya-vidyā, how to become detached. This is the whole process of Vedic civilization.
Why one should marry? Putrārthe kriyate bhāryā. Bhāryā means wife. One accepts a wife. Why? For a putra. For a son. Why son is required? Putraḥ piṇḍaṁ prayojanam. Offering oblations by the putra to deliver the forefathers. That is prayojanam, that is absolutely necessary. Each and every one should leave a putra before his death. He has got so many duties. This is Vedic civilization.
Family tradition, according to Vedic civilization, was very strictly observed so that the family may be kept in order in religious principles.
So there must be good population. So to have good population, the women should be very chaste. That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization.
According to Vedic civilization, there is division of varṇa: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.
According to Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of the society. Everywhere the same divisions are there all over the world. This is very natural.
There is necessity of war. Just like He's trying to convince Arjuna. Our war means... According to Vedic civilization, that is dharma-yuddha, religious fight.
...accepted by the Vedic civilization. The anārya... (break) The Āryan theory is that what is next life, what is next life, progressive.
Simply by understanding that "I am spirit soul, I am Brahman," will not help us. You must act like Brahman. Then it will be... Janma, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There must be realization; that is guṇa. At the same time, there must be practical work. That is Vedic civilization.
Actually if we want to establish Vedic civilization, then we must follow strictly the principles of Vedas as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So there is need of some brāhmaṇa who can give advice to the people how to live, how to become God conscious, how to become happy. There is great need of this movement. Simply so-called classless society will not help us. That is not Vedic civilization.
Therefore a young girl was always protected, because if she mixes with the boys, somehow or other, as soon as there is sex, she becomes pregnant. And it will be no more possible to get her married. No. Touched by the serpent. This is... Vedic civilization is very strict. Because the whole aim was how to go back to home, back to Godhead
Just Kṛṣṇa says, "You are kṣatriya; why you are talking all this rascal? You must!" Naitat tvayy upapadyate (BG 2.3). "In two ways you should not do this. As a kṣatriya you should not do this, and as My friend, you should not do this. This is your weakness." So this is Vedic civilization. Fight for the kṣatriya. A brāhmaṇa is not going to fight.
But fighting, according to Vedic civilization, fighting means dharma-yuddha.
Therefore gopīs, when they were attracted by Kṛṣṇa at midnight... Kṛṣṇa was playing flute, and they became attracted and they left home. Some of them were locked up. They gave up their life even. They were so much attracted. Now this kind of behavior, if youngs girls... According to Vedic civilization, they cannot go out from the protection of father, husband or brother. No, they cannot go. Especially at midnight. So this was against Vedic principle.
So therefore in the human society there must be a system of division. That is called varṇāśrama-dharma. That is Vedic civilization. That is really called Ārya-samāja.
In the past age, great sages like Nārada, Vyāsa, Asita, Devala, very, very great stalwart scholars and sages, they accepted. In the Middle Age, say 1,500 years ago, all the ācāryas like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka... Practically, Indian Vedic civilization, it is still existing on the authority of these ācāryas.
According to Vedic civilization, we don't accept any book written by rascal.
Gṛham andha-kūpam. Gṛha means... There are so many meanings. Especially it is meant: home. Home. Homesick. Our Vedic civilization is that drive away from home. Go away from home. To take sannyāsa, to take vānaprastha. Not to remain up to the last point of death as family member, grandfather or great-grandfather. That is not our Vedic civilization.
So nānuśocitum arhasi. Kṛṣṇa here has said, "You are eternal. Your business is how to achieve that eternal position, and, so far the body is concerned, antavanta ime dehāḥ, this is destructible. So you should not be very much serious about this body." This is the distinction between the Vedic civilization, Aryan civilization. Vedic civilization means Aryan. And anāryan civilization. Anāryan civilization means bodily concept of life, and Aryan civilization means spiritual concept of life
According to Vedic civilization, right hand is the superior hand, and left hand is the inferior hand. When you want to give somebody something, you must give it with the right hand.
Sva means "own." Sva-dharmam: "one's own occupation." So according to Vedic civilization, everyone has his own sva-dharma.
Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, there is voluntary renunciation.
Therefore according to Vedic civilization, a boy is trained to become brahmacārī.
The conception of Vedic civilization was that people used to be satisfied on agricultural produce and for three months working during rainy season.
Renunciation is the fourth order of life according to Vedic civilization.
Vedic literature, Vedic civilization, is not meant for working day and night like animals only for maintaining the foodstuff and sense gratification. It is not civilization. According to our Vedic civilization, this is not civilization. This is another form of animal life.
"I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a śūdra. I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a gṛhastha, I am not a vānaprastha..." Because our Vedic civilization is based on varṇa and āśrama.
But according to Vedic civilization, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyam grāhyam (BG 6.21). What is the actual happiness? That is beyond your senses.
One of the brahminical qualification is how to live under the Vedic civilization. That is brāhmaṇa.
According to Vedic civilization, nobody can mix with other's wife or other woman.
In India, according to Vedic civilization, a learned brāhmaṇa is considered to be the topmost man in human society.
Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte mānuṣyam. And Prahlāda Mahārāja says also, the same thing. That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization.
So Vedic civilization means varṇa and āśrama, the human society divided into varṇas and āśramas. So everyone has got his particular duty.
Therefore our life should be trained up, educated in such a way, that all the activities should be conducted for yajña. Yajña means to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yajñārthe, for His satisfaction. This is Vedic civilization. That Vedic civilization, the whole Vedic civilization, aim is to satisfy the Supreme.
We do not know what is Viṣṇu and how to satisfy Him, what is the meaning of yajña. All forgotten. That is not Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization begins by performing yajña for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu.
Even these European and American boys, they were accustomed to vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā, keeping boyfriend, girlfriend, and drinking, and intoxication, and gambling, and meat-eating, everything. They were accustomed from the childhood. But they have given up. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. That is general tendency. The Vedic civilization tries to control. You have got tendency for sex life—make it regulated by marriage ceremony. This is Vedic civilization, not that like cats and dogs you meet together and have sex life.
So many varieties of fruits, so many varieties of grains, and sufficient milk. You can make milk products, so many. This is Vedic civilization, that be satisfied...
So this is Vedic civilization. Don't be carried away. Take lesson from Bhagavad-gītā and make your life successful.
That is Vedic civilization, that children should be from the very beginning of life trained up in tapasya, brahmacarya. Celibacy. A brahmacārī cannot see any young woman. Even the guru's wife is young, he cannot go to the guru's wife. These are the restriction. Now where is that brahmacarya? No brahmacārī. This is Kali-yuga. No tapasya. But according to Vedic civilization, varṇāśrama-dharma. Vedic civilization means four varṇas and four āśramas.
Highest knowledge is to conquer over the death. This sort of idea... Of course, now it has become a story, but to conquer over the death, that was the main problem in, at least in the former Vedic civilization days.
So according to Vedic civilization, this training was given, student life, complete abstinence from sex life, then vānaprastha life, complete abstinence, and sannyāsa life, complete abstinence.
The whole human life is meant for learning restriction. That is human life. That is perfect Vedic civilization.
According to Vedic civilization, a brāhmaṇa is learned.
The advanced human being is called Aryan, means advanced. Anyone who is advanced in spiritual knowledge, he is to be called Aryan. So the Aryan civilization, Vedic civilization...
Therefore whole Vedic civilization is meant for curtailing sex life.
Therefore the whole Vedic civilization is based on first of all brahmacārī, no sex life.
At the present moment they are trying to create classless society. That is chaotic society. That is not real society. That is not Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization means when there is classified society begins: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa.
Civilization is that you must know what is your real position and act accordingly, and then you become liberated. Sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. That is perfection of your life. Don't be misled by the bodily concept of life. That is condemned. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this point.
Don't increase your necessities unnecessarily." This is Vedic civilization.
According to Vedic civilization, if one approaches before you with a straw in his mouth, that means he is fully surrendered.
Therefore, according to our Vedic civilization, it is the father's duty when the girl is young to find out a suitable boy who can take charge of her, and the father is relieved that "Now I have given charge of my girl to a suitable boy, and I am happy."
...Vedic civilization, unless one is inquisitive for the solution of the problems, he is not on the human being standard.
So this human form of life should be utilized how to make a solution of the problem. That is Vedic civilization.
They are also human being. Why not? Let... People are suffering. Let them have this knowledge and be happy. Our proposal is sarve sukhino bhavantu. That is Vedic civilization: "You all be happy." The Vedic civilization is not "Oh, here is very nice, fat.(?) Oh, you have got money. Let me exploit you and bluff you and take your money." That is not Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization is to think, "Oh, let everyone be happy." Sarve sukhino bhavantu: "Everyone be happy."
This is human civilization. Then what is it meant for? Tapo, tapasya. That is Vedic civilization. That is Vedic civilization.
For human being, Kṛṣṇa has given you nice fruits, nice flowers, nice grains, nice milk, nice sugar. Why don't you eat them nicely? That is Vedic civilization.
If you think that "If a child is born, I shall educate him in such a way that this birth will be his last birth. Next he is going to back to home, back to Godhead," then produce a child. Otherwise don't produce. This is spiritual contraceptive. This is real father and mother. Otherwise a dog is also becoming a father. The such kind of father-becoming is not recommended in the Vedic civilization. Now, just become a real father to give the real benefit to the son. Then you become a father.
In our Vedic civilization, this is the process, perfection. There are different stages of life. Brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa.
Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, this is a civilization of the cows and the asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). So in other words, it is an animal civilization. So you cannot be happy in animal civilization, in the societies of animals. Just like in the jungle there are animals. There is no peace.
According to Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of karma. Because there are three qualities of the material nature.
So this Vedic civilization is meant for, I mean to say, training the whole people in such a way, that they'll be engaged in the performance of yajña.
Therefore India's position is now chaos and confusion because we have lost this Vedic civilization, we have lost Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have lost God consciousness.
This is the process of Vedic civilization. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe.
Vedic civilization means to solve the major problems of life. That is Vedic civilization. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). They don't care for these troubles.
You should, therefore, at a certain age, according to Vedic civilization, one is forced to give up this attachment. Naturally, one is attached to wife, children, home. But Vedic civilization says, that is all right from... Up to fifty years, you can remain attached.
All the great saintly persons, just like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, all big, big ācāryas who were actually controlling the Vedic civilization still, they established thousands of temple and mūrtis, especially in South India.
Therefore you'll find in the Vedic civilization, big big saintly persons, big, big brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, rājarṣis, they are engaged. Just like Lord Buddha.
So this Vedic civilization is meant for Brahman realization. Therefore we have got so many Vedic literatures.
That is Vedic civilization. They were not very much anxious to improve material position.
So we should try, we should save time and utilize it, how to get out of this janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is the whole Vedic civilization.
So this Vedic civilization was that keep some land and keep some cows. Then your whole economic question is solved.
Janma sārthaka kari. First of all we have to make our life perfect by following these principles. Not that we shall remain all along gṛhastha. No. That is not Vedic injunction. At a certain age you must give up your gṛhastha life. Whatever is done is done. That's all. Finished. That is Vedic civilization.
Formerly the kings of Bhāratavarṣa, India, they used to kill these uncivilized men. Bad example. They did not follow the Vedic civilization, so the king's order was that they should be killed. If they are too much prominent... Just like they are hunting in the forest.
Why uncivilized men? Even the kṣatriyas, if they are not ruling properly according to the kṣatriyas... Kṣatriyas are supposed to be the ruler of the world. But if they are deviating from their duties, Paraśurāma, the brāhmaṇa, would kill them. On the whole, in the Vedic civilization everyone should be in order. That was the set-up.
Similarly, according to Vedic civilization, Manu-saṁhitā, woman should be given protection.
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a vaiśya. I am not a śūdra," because the material human society designation is the varṇāśrama according to Vedic civilization. Even those who are not on the varṇāśrama platform, they are animals. That is Vedic civilization.
You have to accept anything from the authorized source. So according to Vedic civilization, all knowledge is received from the Vedas, perfect authorized source. Śruti-pramāṇa, evidence from the śruti, from the Vedas, that is perfect. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, if you want to establish something you have to quote the section or the injunction from the Vedas, Then it is perfect.
Just like you require water. That is 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."
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.
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.
Of course, now we are engaged in so many different types of duties, but the Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of society and four division of spiritual enlightenment.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge. So this is the process. Our Vedic civilization, all the great ācāryas, teachers, they accept knowledge from the Vedas.
Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge. So this is the process. Our Vedic civilization, all the great ācāryas, teachers, they accept knowledge from the Vedas.
Because he is under ignorance that "I am this body," therefore he's acting, working for this body. And as soon as he comes to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ, he is no more interested in bodily comforts. That is the Vedic civilization, that one is educated to become introspective. He is educated to become introspective. The brāhmaṇas, just like they are happy in any condition of life. That is our Vedic civilization.
So if follow that policy that one who is born in India as brāhmaṇa, except him, nobody can become brāhmaṇa, then this Vedic civilization will be, in due course of time, lost.
According to our Vedic civilization, a Vaiṣṇava, a saintly person, was never under the government laws.
So these kirātas are the Africans. So they are also becoming interested, hūṇa, āndhra and others who are considered to be low-born according to Vedic civilization. But still, the Vedic civilization does not prohibit anyone to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So whole Vedic system is designed in such a way that ultimately one is saved from this process of birth, death, old age and disease. Long, long ago, when Viśvāmitra Muni came to Mahārāja Daśaratha for begging Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa to take them to the forest because one demon was disturbing... They could kill, but the killing business is for the kṣatriyas. This is Vedic civilization.
So what is this civilization? Early in the morning, six o'clock... According to Vedic civilization, one should rise early in the morning and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, perform maṅgala āratrika, worship the Deity. This is the morning business.
The whole Vedic civilization is based on this principle, that one has to learn first of all that he is not this body.
So Vedic instruction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in the dark, material platform. You just approach a spiritual platform." These are the Vedic civilization.
According to our Vedic civilization a king is supposed to be the representative of God.
What is actually the goal of life, why I have forgotten my identification and how I shall be properly situated." This is Vedic civilization. Whole Vedic civilization means to understand oneself, to understand God and the relationship.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that these karmīs, the jñānīs... In another place, in His instruction to Rūpa Gosvāmī, He has said that in the human society there are different kinds of people. Out of that, those who are followers of the Vedic civilization, they are supposed to be first-class human being. So out of the followers of Vedic civilization, mostly they say that "We are followers of Vedic civilization," but actually they do not do.
in our Vedic civilization, these four things are prohibited: illicit sex life, animal-killing, intoxication, and gambling. This is the preliminary understanding.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Most people, they call themselves as followers of Vedic civilization, but actually they do not obey all the rules and regulations."
The whole Vedic civilization is going on under the authorities of ācāryas. They are coming by disciplic succession. Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya
There are ten kinds of saṁskāras, reformation. And how much careful this Vedic civilization is, that a child will be born and he is taken care of since the day of the, I mean to say, joining, conjugation of the father and mother.
So according to Vedic civilization, these four classes are also recommended to serve the Supreme Lord, Supreme Lord. With their professional occupation, they want, they have to, they have to serve the Supreme Lord. That is the injunction of the Vedic literatures.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Suppose we are sitting in this temple. So, of course, for temple we should have attachment. Ordinary home, or ordinary house, temple... We must explain. The temple is transcendental. According to Vedic civilization, to live in the forest is residential quarter in goodness, to live in the forest. Therefore, formerly, great sages and saintly persons, they used to go to the forest and live there. And the government would give them protection. The king's duty was to supply them food. What sort of food? The king used to give them in charity cows, nice cows.
Festival Lectures
These three business, livelihood of the vaiśya. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). Kṛṣi means agriculture, and go-rakṣya, cow protection. This is Vedic civilization. A section of people, they are engaged in different activities. Not that a man is working as a carpenter and he's called, "Come on. You have to go to Vietnam to fight." This is not very scientific.
Therefore Vedic civilization is, from the very beginning, to train the boys to become brahmacārī, celibacy. Not that modern days, the schools, boys and girls, ten years, twelve years, they're enjoying. The brain is spoiled.
Formerly, according to Vedic civilization, a man was considered to be rich man in proportion of his stock of grains and livestock, cows. That's all. Dhānyena dhanavān. A man was considered to be rich man if he has sufficient quantity of grains in his possession.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Why these young men and young women they are very much attracted with this movement?" I replied, "That is the success of the movement, because younger generation, they are the flowers, the future hope of the country, of the world. If they take this movement seriously then the whole world will be happy." Vedic civilization desires that everyone be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Vedic civilization is not animal civilization, exploiting others...
Initiation Lectures
So brāhmaṇa society was so strict that if anyone becomes a servant of, of a mleccha, he at once falls down. There are many such social, I mean to say, injustice. And by that, following such thing, the, practically the Vedic civilization is now demolished practically.
So Rāvaṇa had ten heads. But the plan was to cheat Rāma. With all intelligence, with all brain, his only plan was how to cheat Rāma. That was his... He became a sannyāsī and he went to take some alms from Sītā. The purpose was to cheat, to enter. Because according to Vedic civilization, a sannyāsī has open door. He can even go inside.
Pūrvatamaiḥ means previous ācārya, they accepted it, sannyāsa āśrama. That is Vedic civilization. Everyone has to accept sannyāsa āśrama at a certain period, generally at the end.
In the Western countries, in the name of liberty, so many family lives are dismantled simply by this divorce case. So according to Vedic civilization, there is no divorce. Once united, it cannot be disunited in any condition of life.
Before retirement, the instruction is given by the father how to rule over the kingdom or manage the business. Anyone, as it is. So retirement was compulsory. Not that unless he's shot dead he's not going to retire. No. This was not Vedic civilization. At the present moment there is no Vedic civilization. Nobody is going to retire unless he shot dead. But Vedic civilization was not like that. Retirement compulsory.
So for that divyam, knowledge, one has to be initiated. Divyam, dékñä means beginning of transcendental knowledge. So Vedic civilization is janmanä jäyate çüdraù. By birth, everyone is born a çüdra, fourth-class man. But there is chance of the fourth-class man to become the first-class man. That is possible.
Wedding Ceremonies
Cover the head. Cover the head and give her this red. Cover it nicely. You see, here. You should keep your wife always covered. (laughter) Don't allow this miniskirt or minishirt. (laughter) According to Vedic civilization, respectable woman cannot be seen even by the sun. Asūryaṁ paśyat. How can you avoid sun? But it is said like that. The sun will find difficulty to see one man's woman.
General Lectures
In India still, they are ninety-percent illiterate. And what to speak of the girls, the men are not even literate. Because according to Vedic civilization it was not necessary that everyone should go to school. There was no necessity. Because things were being learned by śruti, by aural reception. Knowledge from the perfect man, one would hear, and he would become learned.
From the beginning of our life I know that "I am this body," although I am not this body. Therefore we are all born fools, everyone. And therefore, according to Vedic civilization, one has to take his second birth.
We should be satisfied with the bare necessities of life, and the time should be saved to cultivate self-realization. That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. Therefore in Vedic civilization a certain period is devoted for accepting renounced order of life, sannyāsa. Compulsory.
That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. Therefore in Vedic civilization a certain period is devoted for accepting renounced order of life, sannyäsa. Compulsory. This sannyäsa order, as we have accepted, it is compulsory regulative principle of Vedic way of life. The first twenty-five years brahmacäré, strict life of celibacy, student life, without any sex indulgence completely, up to twenty-five years. Then gåhastha. That is not for also all. If somebody is unable to remain a brahmacäré all through, then the spiritual master gives him permission to marry a suitable girl and become a householder. This is called gåhastha life. Then, up to fifty years, he can indulge in householder life. Householder life, according to Vedic civilization, is a sort of license for sense gratification. But not for all the time. The injunction is païcaçordhvaà vanaà vrajet. Just after your fiftieth year you must give up, retire from householder.
The duties are different according to different divisions of social order and spiritual order. That is Vedic civilization. There are four kinds of social orders and four kinds of spiritual orders.
According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called caṇḍāla.
Vedic civilization is very liberal. According to Vedic civilization, the king has to give protection to all the prajäs. Prajä means one who has taken birth in his kingdom. Prajäyate. So the animal is also prajä of the government. The trees are also prajä of the government. So formerly, nobody could slaughter an animal, nobody can cut even a tree without reason, without sanction by the Vedic injunctions.
So the Vedic civilization accepts the king or the ruler as representative of God
" So the Vedic literatures, the Vedic civilization, is pointing out to Viṣṇu. As you know in the Ṛg mantra, Ṛg Veda: tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ.
So the Vedic civilization, I mean to say, before three thousand years, the whole world was under Vedic civilization, the Aryans. The Aryans, at least they were under Vedic civilization. And that Vedic civilization is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Naturally these boys and girls were taught from the beginning of their life so many things which is not accepted in Vedic civilization, but they have now given up. There is no illicit sex life amongst our students. There is no meat-eating, there is no intoxication, including coffee and tea and cigarette, and there is no gambling. And they are practiced to Hare Kåñëa mantra chanting not only as you have seen some of the samples.
According to Vedic civilization, the progressive march towards perfection of life is to realize one's relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God.
There were many instances, the Vedic civilization, how the kings were perfect.
So that is the Vedic civilization, that a human being should be given chance to understand this Bhāgavata-dharma, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means Bhāgavata-dharma.
All the ācāryas, those who are controlling Vedic civilization, like Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, they have all written their commentaries on the Vedānta-sūtra. Because unless one explains Vedānta-sūtra, he'll not be accepted as an authorized ācārya.
According to Vedic civilization, at the end of one's life, one has to take sannyāsa, renounced order of life, no family connection.
The society should be human society, not the cats' and dogs' society. That is Vedic conception. So in the Vedic conception of life the sex life is there, but you become indebted. You must repay the debts. If you simply beget children like cats and dogs and go away, then you become responsible for the sinful activities. You must take responsible. So this man was suggesting, he wants sex life at least once in a month. Yes, that is allowed. That is allowed in the Vedic civilization. When the wife is in menstrual period, after five days of the menstrual period, the wife and husband can have sex life for begetting rightful children.
So it is a great science. It is not sentiment. It is a great science. And anyone can achieve this benefit in this human form of life. Anyone. It doesn't matter what he is, provided he is serious about getting out of these material clutches and regain his spiritual life. That is possible. So Vedic civilization is aimed at this point. Therefore you don't find in the Vedic civilization industrial enterprise or so many material activities. But they were concerned how to get out of these material clutches and regain our original position.
According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called caṇḍāla.
Vedic civilization is very liberal. According to Vedic civilization, the king has to give protection to all the prajäs. Prajä means one who has taken birth in his kingdom. Prajäyate. So the animal is also prajä of the government. The trees are also prajä of the government. So formerly nobody could slaughter an animal, nobody can cut even a tree without reason, without sanction by the Vedic injunction.
Because according to Vedic civilization, śruti, Veda, is the evidence. Therefore if Lord Buddha accepts the authority of Vedas, he cannot say, "Stop animal-killing."
Vedic project is, Vedic civilization... Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Vedic civilization means that to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Vedic civilization. Vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd cāham. So the Vedantist means to understand Kṛṣṇa.
"One should follow the instruction of the ācārya." That is our Vedic civilization.
The Vedic civilization is varṇāśrama-dharma. If the varṇāśrama-dharma is not properly protected, then there will be population who are called varṇa-saṅkara, mixed population.
The Vedic civilization is varëäçrama-dharma. If the varëäçrama-dharma is not properly protected, then there will be population who are called varëa-saìkara, mixed population. Brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, çüdra—that is the natural division.
According to Vedic civilization, cow is to be given all protection.
" So the modern civilization is quite different from the Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization means to make a solution of this problem: stop this process of birth, death, old age and disease. That is Vedic civilization. That is human civilization. And to become better hog, nicely dressed hog, that is not Vedic civilization. That is hog civilization.
Human civilization means plain living and advancing in spiritual consciousness, not to increase unnecessarily artificial way of life. But we should know what is the aim of life and try to actually (achieve) success in the aim of life in any condition. That is Vedic civilization.
Vedic civilization means four varṇas and four āśramas. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: "The blind man is trying to lead other blind men." That is the defect of the modern civilization. We, our Vedic civilization, not our (indistinct) everyone, we accept a teacher, Vyāsadeva, Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: So far Vedic civilization is concerned, the society is divided into eight division, varṇa and āśrama.
Prabhupāda: That is the Vedic civilization. That is the Vedic civilization. The Vedic system still stands. So many civilizations come and go on; therefore this is value in civilization.
Śyāmasundara: I think all civilizations have cherished those values at their peak.
Prabhupāda: But because they are not factual, they have failed. But Vedic civilization is still going strong.
Prabhupāda: So the whole Vedic civilization is based on this, how one can get out of this disease. This is a disease, the repetition of birth and death.
Prabhupāda: So if you keep the children aloof from this sex-life society, he will remain a brahmacārī. There is many instances. That is the Vedic civilization. The children are immediately, as soon as four, five years old, he is sent to the gurukula, and under the discipline he forgets sex life, practically.
Prabhupāda: If one is trained up to accept that spiritual life, there will be no more botheration of this material existence. That he does not know, neither he can understand. But there is such thing. That can be found in the Vedic civilization, not this meat-eating civilization. It is not possible.
Prabhupāda: So he is that. Useless passion... No sane man is useless passion. A sane man is guided by superior. That is Vedic civilization. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).
Śyāmasundara: He says that the social good is that which is desired by the most people.
Prabhupāda: Self... Most people may be foolish. Therefore we don't take social or in that way. Our Vedic civilization is from the higher authorities. Just like law we take from Manu, Manu-saṁhitā.
Prabhupāda: No. We are not free. We, according to our Vedic civilization, we are controlled by the Vedic knowledge. We are not free.
Especially in the Western countries, they are doing so independence (?). But the Vedic civilization there is no independence. They must follow the Vedic injunction.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This, our whole Indian, Vedic civilization, is standing on Vedānta philosophy. And Bhāgavata is explanation of Vedānta philosophy.
Prabhupāda: State is (indistinct) because we have no other experience beyond the state. But the state also, according to Vedic civilization, state means he must be king. King must be representative of God.
Prabhupāda: Just like Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving chance, everyone, to become perfect by his own work. It doesn't matter brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or what means according to Vedic civilization, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Vedic civilization is that, that putrārthe kriyate bhāryā. A man should accept a wife for putra, for son. Why son? Putra-piṇḍa-prayojanam: a putra should be responsible for offering piṇḍa, so that after death, even by mistake or somehow or other I am in a wrong position, by the piṇḍa I am elevated. This is idea.
Prabhupāda: The aim of life is declared openly in the Vedānta philosophy, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the aim of human life. In the Bhāgavata it is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. The life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. That is the aim of human life. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this principle. But on account of deviating from the original Vedic civilization, they have dedicated the human form of life in so many unnecessary scientific discoveries, that discovery, which will not give him any relief to the human society.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Vena. So everything depends on the king's accepting the absolute instruction of God. So king, in Vedic civilization, the king was absolutely following the regulation given by God, and it was confirmed by saintly persons, sages.
Prabhupāda: "What is the standard of material life?" So far our Vedic civilization is concerned, this, the material necessities are there—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending.
Prabhupāda: Human life is meant for control. That is the Vedic process, tapasya, because the aim is spiritual perfection. If we allow material activities according to the desire of the people, then they forget spiritual identity altogether. So that aim of life in the human form of body is missing, that Vedic civilization is how to raise one to the spiritual platform.
Prabhupāda: So without religion, without spiritual ideas, then what is the difference between dogs and man? There is no difference. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. That is the verdict of Vedic civilization.
Purports to Songs
Unless you eat and digest food, how your body will be maintained? So everything is very scientifically designed in the Vedic civilization. So in the Kali-yuga there is scarcity of brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa is vairāgya. A brāhmaṇa is not interested with pounds, shilling, pence, "Get money and enjoy." That is not brāhmaṇa's business. What us enjoyment? That is illusion. You cannot enjoy because you are conditioned by the stringent laws of nature, and where is enjoyment?
Page Title: | Vedic civilization (Lectures, BG and others) |
Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Laksmipriya |
Created: | 20 of Sep, 2008 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=173, Con=0, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 173 |