Dead condition

Expressions researched:
"dead condition"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 2.11, Translation and Purport:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead.

The Lord at once took the position of the teacher and chastised the student, calling him, indirectly, a fool. The Lord said, "You are talking like a learned man, but you do not know that one who is learned—one who knows what is body and what is soul—does not lament for any stage of the body, neither in the living nor in the dead condition." As explained in later chapters, it will be clear that knowledge means to know matter and spirit and the controller of both. Arjuna argued that religious principles should be given more importance than politics or sociology, but he did not know that knowledge of matter, soul and the Supreme is even more important than religious formularies. And because he was lacking in that knowledge, he should not have posed himself as a very learned man. As he did not happen to be a very learned man, he was consequently lamenting for something which was unworthy of lamentation. The body is born and is destined to be vanquished today or tomorrow; therefore the body is not as important as the soul. One who knows this is actually learned, and for him there is no cause for lamentation, regardless of the condition of the material body.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

This body, either in living condition of dead condition, it is not the subject matter of lamentation.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

Even big, big educationist, big, big doctors, philosophers, scientists, they have got this bodily concept of life. So Kṛṣṇa is first of all trying to remove this bodily concept of life. He said therefore, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very intelligent man, but you are lamenting on the subject matter which is not at all lamentable." What is that? Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Paṇḍitāḥ means one who is learned. This body, either in living condition of dead condition, it is not the subject matter of lamentation. This is the first education of spiritual life, that this body is actually dead body already. So long the soul is there, it is moving. So when the soul leaves this body and accepts another body, the body was already dead, a lump of matter, and now it is left aside, and the soul has gone to another body. So it is a lump of matter at the present moment, then, after death or after leaving, after the soul has gone from the body, it is the same lump of matter.

So either this body is in living condition or it is in dead condition, a paṇḍita, a learned scholar, one who knows things as they are, he does not take care of this body.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

You are thinking one boy here, because he is Australian, you are thinking more intimate relationship with him, and because I am Indian, you may not think more, in such intimacy. Because the bodily connection is there. But Kṛṣṇa said that "This is not very intelligent knowledge." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. A person who does not lament for this body, he is actually learned. Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). Paṇḍita means learned scholar. So either this body is in living condition or it is in dead condition, a paṇḍita, a learned scholar, one who knows things as they are, he does not take care of this body. Not take care actually, he does not think very seriously about this body. That was the answer given by... Because this body is after all, a lump of matter. Actually, so long the soul is there, it is moving. It is growing or changing bodies or so many importance is there due to... Therefore, unless we come to this understanding, that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, there is lack of knowledge. That is being instructed by Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

"The body is neither a subject matter for lamentation, either living condition or dead condition. It has no value." This is the instruction, Kṛṣṇa's word.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

So this is nice, to chastise. Therefore, as soon as Kṛṣṇa was accepted as guru... Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I become Your disciple." Because in the beginning there was friendly talks... So friendly talks cannot make any good advance. Talks must be between the spiritual master or teacher and the disciple.

So immediately, first of all, He chastised. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "Arjuna, you are talking like a learned man, but you are a fool number one." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. That means "If you had been actually paṇḍita, learned man, then you would not have lamented for this body." Gatāsūn. "The body is neither a subject matter for lamentation, either living condition or dead condition. It has no value." This is the instruction, Kṛṣṇa's word. But the modern civilization, they are giving all value to this body, all their philanthropic work, hospitalization, and this, so many things.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Happy, of course, for us, even in living condition or dead condition, there is happiness, but it will take time to understand.

Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That is not actual fact. Drinking, nobody can be happy by drinking. That is not possible.

Richard: Okay, okay. You said in the purport that tragedies of life—I'm paraphrasing—tragedies of life such as death of even a close relative are mere incidental occurrences. Is...? But you said earlier that death to you was anything but a mere incidental occurrence, that it was the...

Prabhupāda: No, we are not irresponsible to the death. Death, although we have to meet death, we are making provision that after death we become happy. Happy, of course, for us, even in living condition or dead condition, there is happiness, but it will take time to understand. But taking superficially, death is not very pleasing, so after death, that is mentioned in the Bha.... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9), we do not get again a material body. This is final. The material body is the cause of pains and pleasure. So if you don't get the material body, if you remain in your spiritual body, that is real enjoyment.

1976 Correspondence

Working without sleep means no death. Sleeping is dead condition.

Letter to Ramesvara -- Calcutta 12 January, 1976:

That so many people are purchasing our literature in Los Angeles indicated that it is being advertised: Oh, I have got a very nice book. Then their acquaintances want the book also. The books distribution in Los Angeles during the six day period is transcendental samadhi. They are working in trance, not on the material platform. No common man can work so hard, it is not possible. Working without sleep means no death. Sleeping is dead condition. "Jiv jago, jiva jago, gauracanda bole, kota nidra yao maya-pisacira kole." Your book distribution is really intoxication.