Yogī means yoga indriya-samyama, controlling the senses. That is yoga practice. Our senses are very strong. Just like we also, Vaiṣṇavas, we first of all try to control the tongue. So yogīs also, they try to control the senses, not only tongue, but all other, ten kinds of senses, by that yogic mystic process. So why they are trying to control? Because the senses are just like serpents. A serpent . . .
Just like they touch anywhere, immediately something up to death. Injury there must be, up to death. This is exemplified: just our sex impulse. As soon as there is illicit sex, there is so many difficulties. Of course, nowadays it has all become very easy. Formerly it was very difficult, especially in India. 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, not sense gratification—eat, drink, be merry, enjoy. That is not the aim of human life.
So everything was planned with that aim. Viṣṇur aradhyate.
- varṇāśramācāravatā
- puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
- viṣṇur āradhyate . . .
- nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
- (CC Madhya 8.58)
Varṇāśrama, these brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, everyone had to strictly follow the rules and regulation of the particular division. A brāhmaṇa must act as a brāhmaṇa. A kṣatriya must as . . . here is the . . . 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. Brāhmaṇa is satyaḥ śamo damaḥ, he is practicing how to become truthful, how to become clean, how to control the senses, how control the mind, how to become simple, how to become full cognizant of the Vedic literature, how to apply practically in life, how to become firmly fixed up in conviction. These are brāhmaṇas'. Similarly, kṣatriya's—fighting. That is necessary. Vaiśya—kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇījyam (BG 18.44). So all these strictly to be followed.
Just yesterday we were reading when Manu, Vaivasvatu Manu, came to Kardama Muni, he is receiving, "Sir, I know that your touring means you are just . . ." what is called? What is called, examining?
Devotee: Inspecting.
Prabhupāda: Inspecting, yes. Inspecting. "Your touring means inspection whether the varṇāśrama, whether the brāhmaṇa is doing actually as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya is doing actually as kṣatriya." That is king's touring. King's touring not a pleasure touring, at the expense of the state go somewhere and come back. No. He was . . . sometimes in disguise the king used to see whether this varṇāśrama-dharma is being maintained, properly being observed, whether somebody is simply wasting time like hippies. No. That cannot be done. That cannot be done.
Now in your government there is some inspection that nobody is employed, but unemployed. But so many things are not practically inspected. But it is the duty of the government to see everything, varnāśramācaravatā, everything is practicing as brāhmaṇa. Simply by falsely becoming brāhmaṇa, falsely becoming kṣatriya—no. You must. So this was the king's duty, government's duty. Now everything is topsy-turvied. Everything is no more practical value. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, kalau . . .
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)
It is very difficult to take us back to the original process of civilization.
So for a Vaiṣṇava, as I was explaining, the tri-daśa-pūra ākāśa-puṣpāyate durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. So controlling the sense, that is durdānta. Durdānta means formidable. It is very, very difficult to control the senses. Therefore the yoga process, mystic yoga process—just to practice how to control the senses. But for a devotee, they . . . just like the tongue, if it is engaged only in the business of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and eating only Kṛṣṇa prasādam, the whole thing is done, perfect yogī. Perfect yogī.
So for a bhakta there is no trouble with the senses, because a bhakta knows how to engage each and every sense in the service of the Lord. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is bhakti. Hṛṣīka means the senses. When the senses are engaged only for the service of Kṛṣṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa, then there is no need of practicing yoga. Automatically they are locked up in the service of Kṛṣṇa. They have no other engagement. That is the highest.