Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś. Prayāsaḥ means things which are done with great endeavor. No, we shall accept things which is very easily done, not to waste our energy unnecessarily. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, prajalpaḥ, talking all nonsense, sitting together and on the newspaper, "Oh, such politician said like this, and social worker . . ." All nonsense. Practically you try to avoid all this newspaper reading or talking of nonsense subject matter. That is called prajalpa. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ (NOI 2). Niyamāgrahaḥ means niyama, schedule for rules and regulation, not to accept. Niyama āgraha or niyama agraha. Āgraha means unnecessarily āgraha, but without any result. That is called niyamāgrahaḥ. You must follow the rules, regulation so that you are benefitted. But if you are not benefitted simply by following the rules and regulation, that is āgraha, only for the rules and regulation, not for the result. We must see that there is result. Niyamāgrahaḥ. Jana-saṅgaś ca, to associate with unwanted people. You must associate with devotees, not others. They are called . . . laulya, jana-saṅgaś ca. And laulyam, greediness, ṣaḍbhir bhaktir pranaśyati. If you are a student of devotional service, you must avoid all these things and just the opposite number:
- utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād
- tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt
- sato vṛtteḥ saṅga-tyāgāt
- ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati
- (Upadeśāmṛta 3)
Prasidhyati means you increase. What is that? Utsāha, endeavor, "In this life I must fulfill my mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is called utsāha. Dhairya. Don't be agitated because it is not giving result immediately. Just patiently go on working. Utsāhād dhairyān niścayāt. Niścayāt means to have full faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). This is called full faith that, "Kṛṣṇa has said that if I am in devotional service, I will never be lost. Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." Kṛṣṇa says. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). To have faith, this is called surrender. Not that, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa says, but may not be able to protect me." No. Kṛṣṇa is able. He is all-powerful, omnipotent. He can give you protection. When He says that ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi, that is a fact. This is called niścayāt, "Certainly Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." Not that, "Because I do not see Kṛṣṇa, I do not know whether Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." No. That word is sufficient. This is called niścayāt. Utsāhād dhairyān niścayād tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt.
But you must follow the rules and regulation, as it is enjoined in the śāstra. Not that, "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection, and I may do whatever I like. I can eat anything I like, I can do anything I like." Just some rascal advises that, "There is no such thing, restriction, in the self-realization. You can eat anything, you can do anything." People like that program. And as soon as there is restriction, they do not like. Because we put so many restriction, I am called, in the Western world, "Swāmījī, you are very conservative." So we have to become conservative, follow the rule. Not that we give liberty that, "Whatever you like, you do, and at the same time you make progress, spiritual life." That is not possible.