So Bhīṣmadeva, in Rājasūya-yajña, admitted that "Nobody is better brahmacārī than Kṛṣṇa. He was within the gopīs, all young girls, but He remained a brahmacārī. If I would have been within the gopīs, I do not know what was, what would have been my condition." So therefore Kṛṣṇa is the perfect brahmacārī, Hṛṣīkeśa. And these rascals they are saying that Kṛṣṇa is immoral. No. Kṛṣṇa is perfect brahmacārī. Dhīra. Dhīra means one who is not agitated even there is cause of being agitated. So Kṛṣṇa is such a brahmacārī. In spite of in His just on the verge of youthhood at the age of 15, 16, years, all the village girls were friends, they were very much attracted with Kṛṣṇa's beauty. They used to come to Kṛṣṇa for dancing in the village. But He was brahmacārī. You will never hear that Kṛṣṇa had some illicit sex. No. There was no such thing description. The dancing is description, but no contraceptive pill. No. That is no described here.
Dhira means
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Therefore, one who has spoiled his life without such cultural activities is advised to leave home without knowledge of friends and relatives and, being thus freed from all obligations of family, society, country, etc., give up the body at some unknown destination so that others may not know where and how he has met his death. Dhīra means one who is not disturbed, even when there is sufficient provocation. One cannot give up a comfortable family life due to his affectionate relation with wife and children. Self-realization is obstructed by such undue affection for family, and if anyone is at all able to forget such a relation, he is called undisturbed, or dhīra. This is, however, the path of renunciation based on a frustrated life, but stabilization of such renunciation is possible only by association with bona fide saints and self-realized souls by which one can be engaged in the loving devotional service of the Lord. Sincere surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord is possible by awakening the transcendental sense of service.
SB Canto 4
As soon as the living entity engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, he immediately attains freedom from all material conditions (sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26)). In the material state the living entity is on the jīva-bhūta platform, but when he renders devotional service to the Lord, he is elevated to the brahma-bhūta platform (SB 4.30.20). On the brahma-bhūta platform the living entity is liberated from material bondage, and he engages in the service of the Lord. In this verse the word dhīra is sometimes read as vīra. Actually there is not very much difference. The word dhīra means "sober," and vīra means "hero." One who is struggling against māyā is a hero, and one who is sober enough to understand his position is a dhīra. Without becoming sober or heroic, one cannot attain spiritual salvation.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
He's the supreme eternal amongst all the other eternals. Cetanaś cetanānām. He's the supreme living force amongst all other living forces. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one, singular number, eka, He is providing, maintaining, all other living entities. Tam ātma-stham. He is also in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Tam ātma-sthaṁ ye 'nupaśyanti dhīrāḥ. Anyone who can perceive His presence, dhīra, very highly learned or very gentle, dhīra... Dhīra means who is not disturbed. He's called dhīra. And there are others who are called adhīra.
So one who is in the transcendental position, he's dhīra. One poet, poet Kālidāsa, he has described, dhīra means: "Even in the presence of provocation, one who is not disturbed, he's called dhīra." He has described about Lord Śiva. When Lord Śiva was being worshiped by Pārvatī, Lord Śiva was naked and Pārvatī was worshiping the śiva-liṅga, but he did not become agitated. Therefore Kālidāsa has described: dhīra. Dhīra. One who is not... The first disturbance is sexual disturbance. So anyone, although he is completely potent with all the potencies, but still, he is not disturbed with sex impulses, he's called dhīra. Actually, that is called brahmacārī. Brahmacārī is not he is impotent. He can marry. He can beget children. But self-restrained. He's so self-restrained, that he's not disturbed. Unless he desires that "I shall have sex and for begetting children," he's not disturbed. That is called dhīra.
So Bhagavad-gītā begins with this point, that one should know that he is not this material body. That knowledge is lacking at the present moment throughout the whole world. Yes. Everyone is identifying with this body like the animals. Therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised Arjuna that "You have got animalistic concept of life and still speaking like a very learned scholar. No learned scholar laments on account of this body." It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra... Dhīra means one who is sober by education. He is not disturbed. Just like when a man dies, his relatives lament, cry, "My father is gone. My father is gone. My father is no more," or "My son is no more." Anyway, they lament like that. But if he is little sober, he can understand, he can study, that "I am lamenting, 'My father is gone,' 'my son is gone,' but he's not gone. He's lying on the bed or on the floor. Then why I am speaking 'gone'?" If some friend asks him, "Why you are lamenting, 'my father is gone,' 'my son is gone'? He's lying here," but still he will say, "No, he's not. He may be lying there, but he's gone." That is puzzle. He's lying there and gone? What is this contradiction? That is the point to understand about the soul.
Now, the wise man, the word, Sanskrit word, is dhīra. Dhīra means that one who is undisturbed in mind. And our disturbance of the mind is due to our ignorance. Suppose I want to go somewhere. Now I am in the station. Actually, it so happened when I came to New York first from India. I was to be dispatched to Butler by the bus station, but I was a new man. I did not know the rules and regulation. Of course, somebody was guiding me. Still, I was very much in disturbed condition, how to get on the bus, how to get the ticket, how... All these. So disturbance of mind is due to our ignorance. (someone enters) Yes. Come in. Yes. So disturbance of mind is due to our ignorance. So here, a very nice word. (aside:) You can come here. All right. Here a very nice word is used: dhīra. Dhīra. Dhīra means undisturbed. Undisturbed. So this we should, we should carefully note, that our mind in the material condition is always disturbed, always disturbed. And this is due to our unfavorable condition. Because we are actually spirit in identity and we have been put into material conditions.
So dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra (BG 2.13). Dhīra means the man who is out of ignorance. (aside:) You are... You sit down. That's all right. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means—we began first explanation—dhīra means one who is, one who is out of ignorance. That means. So one who knows, one who knows the process of the body, changing every moment, then why he should lament when this body is left and another body is taken? Suppose if I throw away this covering of my body and take another covering, then what is there, lamentation? What is the cause of lamentation there? And one should be, rather, glad that the old garment is thrown away and one new garment is taken up. So this, this question... Because Arjuna was disturbed that "How can I fight with my grandfather? That is all right. That is my duty to fight, but how can I fight with my grandfather, Bhīṣmadeva, with my teacher, Droṇācārya? It is not possible." So he is playing the part of a fool, but he was not a fool, but just to teach us. Unless he becomes a fool like us, why this Bhagavad-gītā will come?
So this dead body, when a man dies, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Those who are dhīra—dhīra means sober—they are not bewildered. There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means those who are not agitated, they know things as they are. So adhīra means those who are uncontrolled. The poet Kalidāsa has described dhīra and adhīra with reference to Lord Śiva in his book Kumāra-sambhava. So dhīra means a person who is not agitated in spite of the cause of agitation being present. There are so many causes of agitation, but a person, in spite of being persuaded by the cause of agitation... Just like a young man and young woman, when they are present, naturally they become agitated. In the śāstras it is said just like fire and butter. If you put butter before the fire, automatically it melts. Similarly, a woman is considered as fire and the man is considered as butter. So this is natural. But a person who is not agitated, he is called dhīra.
This simple thing, they cannot understand. Therefore it is mentioned here, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means sober, cool-headed man. And just the opposite is adhīra. Adhīra means third-class, fourth-class man. Or rascals, adhīra. Dhīra means sober. Just like... The exact translation is "gentleman," dhīra. Those who are not gentlemen, uncultured, uneducated, rascal, they cannot understand. Otherwise where is the difficulty?
That is the function of the human life, to understand that "I am eternal." Kṛṣṇa says that "In the past we existed, in the present we are existing, and in the future we shall continue to exist." Then why I have got this type of body by which I am actually, not actually, superficially I am not existing. So this is the problem. A dhīra means a sober man will think of this problem, that "I want to live. Why death takes place? I want to live very healthy life. Why disease comes? I don't want to become old man. Why old age comes?" Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). These are the problems. So solve this problem simply by taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa. And for understand Kṛṣṇa, the Bhagavad-gītā is there, so nicely explained.
So in this way, if we try to understand, dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra, those who are intelligent and sober, they are called dhīra, not disturbed mind, not rascals. Rascals cannot understand. Therefore the very word is used, dhīra. What is the meaning, dhīra? Dhīra, "the sober," those who have got brain substance, not cow dung. You see? They can understand. Therefore one has to become intelligent, dhīra. For spiritual understanding we have to create the favorable circumstances. Favorable circumstances... Just like to create healthy body, you have to remain in such a way that you'll not fall sick; similarly, dhīra means if you try to remain just like cats and dogs, then you remain as a cats and dog, but if you want to remain as a human being, then you must remain as perfect human being. Therefore no illicit sex. The cats and dogs, they can have illicit sex, and if the human being also have the same process, then where is the difference between cats and dogs? Therefore you have to be cautious not to become cats and dogs, but to remain as human being. Then you'll be dhīra, sober, not agitated. Therefore this very word is used.
So to become dhīra means not to use this, I mean to say, very important, very useful body, human body, to pass as cats and dogs. That is very dangerous. It is a great loss. Prahlāda Mahārāja instructed this. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. We have to (be) very, mean, intelligent to understand that "I have got this body. Must be after many, many births." That is the evolutionary theory. I can understand that this tree... That is also a living being, but it is standing there for thousands of years. Thousands of years, they are standing. So many Napoleons, so many Kaisers, so many Hitlers came and gone, but the tree is standing. That is a punishment. But that is also a living being. It is also growing.
Dhīra. Dhīra means sober, is not disturbed. A person who is not disturbed by paltry causes, he's called dhīra. Another example of dhīra is given by poet Kālidāsa. He was a great poet, mundane poet. So he said that dhīra is one who is not disturbed even in the presence of disturbance. When there is no disturbance, one may not be disturbed, but in the presence of disturbance, one who is not disturbed, he is called dhīra. The cause of disturbance. Just like a person trained in restriction of sex life, so when he's perfect, even there is cause of sex impetus, he'll not be disturbed. That is the, called dhīra. So he is describing that "These persons are highly elevated. You are also My friend. Why you are disturbed in this way? That does not look well." Go on.
So when the heart is cleansed we can understand our real position and how we are suffering and how to take steps against this suffering. This is called bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam, extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. In this verse it is mentioned again, dhīra. Dhīra means very sober. In the beginning Kṛṣṇa said, dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra means one who is sober. He is not bewildered. So dhīra means that although there is cause of disturbance, one is not disturbed. Although there is cigarette, but I should promise, "I shall not smoke." Although there is facility for illicit sex, I'll not do it. That is called dhīra. Dhīra means the cause of agitation or disturbance is present there, but one is not disturbed. So in order to advance in spiritual life we have to become dhīra. And that is said here, sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīram. As soon as one become dhīra, sober, these so-called material pains and pleasure does not disturb me (him). Then he is fit for becoming immortal.
So we have to realize this, that we can become eternal, immortal, all qualified like God, if we get out of these material clutches. And for this, we have to become dhīra. Dhīra means, I have already explained, not to be disturbed, even the cause of disturbance is there. So that is the qualification of becoming immortal. So little tolerance of the sensation... Just like there is some sensation. If you have got some itches and you are feeling that "I should itch," but if you stop itching, this will be cured, and if you go on itching, it will increase. So itching... Anyone who has got some experience of itching... Itching is very pleasing at the time of itching, but next time it is not very pleasing. It has created so many disturbing condition. Therefore śāstra says that we should try to control the itching of our senses. Then he is dhīra. And as soon as you become dhīra, you are the first-class candidate for going back to home, back to Godhead. So there is method; there is practice; there is process. If you like, you can adopt them—actually there is no difficulty—and solve all the problems of your life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Try to understand and adopt it.
All the six Gosvāmīs, they were always engaged in chanting, utkīrtanam. Utkīrtanam. Not this professional kīrtana. Utkīrtanam. Udgata-tamaḥ. Transcendental kīrtana, transcendental vibration. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. So they were engaged in singing and dancing and chanting. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. Merged into the ocean of love of Godhead, premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau. So by Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, one can become dear, very dear, both for the dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means sober. And adhīra means rascals. So kṛṣṇa-kīrtana is so nice that you can become favorite both for the gentle and the rascal. It is so nice. That is actually happening. So dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau. Because those who are chanting, kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, they are nirmatsarau. They are not envious. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not limited therefore in India. It is for the whole world. We are not envious we only see Indians will learn it. No. We have no such program.
So every moment we are having a new body. And that is a medical science truth. Medical science, it is... We are having new body at every moment. Similarly, when we take another body, oh, a person who knows things as they are, they are not bewildered. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means who is conscious of this bodily change, who knows things as they are, he's not, I mean to, bewildered. He's not, he's, he's steady, "Oh, he has changed his body. That's all." A person who does not know, he's crying. He..., "Oh, my son is gone. My son is gone. My son is gone." But if he's, I mean to say, in the consciousness, he knows, "Oh, my son has simply changed body." That's all. Just immediately, exactly, "My son, when he was little baby... Now he has grown up to be a boy." So the father and the parents do not lament, "Oh, where my, that son gone, that small baby gone?"
But if you are dhīra-dhīra means sober, intelligent—then how you shall utilize it? Tūrṇaṁ yateta anu-mṛtyu na pated yāvat. You should try to utilize your this human form of life to achieve the highest substance very soon. Tūrṇam means very soon. Why very soon? Anu-mṛtyu na pated yāvat. You do not know when your death will come. You do not know. So before death comes just utilize yourself. Don't think that "I am young man. Let me enjoy now. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." No. You should not neglect.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Dhīraḥ, one who is sober. There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means sober, and adhīra means mad after sense gratification. That is called adhīra. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice, dhīrādhīra. What is that? Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. It is pleasing both to the dhīra and the adhīra. Those who are sober, they will understand how great this movement is.
So this is dhīra. Dhīra means even there is cause of disturbance he will not be disturbed. That is dhīra. And one who is disturbed by the slight agitation, he is not dhīra. He is adhīra. So mostly, people are adhīra. They are agitated by a slight disturbance, because they have not been trained in such a way. Otherwise... Just like Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was being elected as president in the rājasūya-yajña assembly of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, so somebody remarked that "This man..." Because those who were blind, they would see Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man... So "He is woman-hunter from the very beginning. So how He can be elected?" So at that time Bhīṣma, the most celebrated brahmacārī... He never accepted any wife or he had no connection with any woman. He immediately stood up. He said that "I am celebrated throughout the whole world as brahmacārī, but if I would have been in the position of Kṛṣṇa... He was dancing with young girls, but He was not agitated. But I would have been agitated. I admit. Therefore He is dhīra. He should be elected."
So dhīrāṇāṁ vartma. Because people must be first of all gentle. Then talk of Kṛṣṇa and God consciousness. If he is animal, what he can understand? This is Vedic system. Dhīrāṇām. Dhīra means must be gentle, perfectly gentle. Must address all woman as "mother." Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. This is the training, that one should consider other's wife as mother, and others' money as like garbage in the street. Nobody cares for it. Similarly, one's other's money should not be touched. Even it is somebody has forgotten his purse, moneybag on the street, nobody will touch it. Let the man come back and take it. That is civilization. Para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. And treating all other living entities as oneself. If somebody pinches me, I feel pain. Why shall I pinch other? If somebody cuts my throat, I become so sorry or so aggrieved. Why shall I cut the throat of other animals? This is civilization. This is Vedic civilization. And not that go on killing animals like anything and hunt upon the woman, topless woman, make business. This is not civilization. This is not human civilization.
Similarly, when we change this body finally and take another body, so one who knows the fact or the science of birth and death, he is not disturbed. He is not disturbed. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means intelligent, cool-headed, not rascal. So this very word is used, dhīra. Dhīra means cool-headed, not disturbed. Na muhyati: "He is not bewildered." He's just changing this body. So now the business is that before changing this body, "What kind of other body I am going to get?" That is my business. That we can get according to as I deserve. Just like as you educate yourself in your childhood, so you get a particular type of post when you are businessman or working man. If you have got sufficient education, you could get good post, good salary. And if you are a nonsense, then you have to work like ordinary man, no good post. Just we have got, we get different types of post according to our culture or education, similarly this body, this human body, is the preparation ground for the next type of body. If you neglect that, then we are getting..., we are taking the risk.
So our process is to follow the Gosvāmīs. Ei chay gosāi yāṅr tāṅr mui dās. So we should try to follow the Gosvāmīs. We should keep in view what they did. They used to, I mean to say, pass their time in kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Dhīrādhīra. There are two classes of men in the world, dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means saintly persons, sober, those who have controlled their senses, gosvāmīs. And adhīra: just the opposite. So these Gosvāmīs, six Gosvāmīs, they were popular to the both classes of men, dhīra and adhīra. Their character was so sublime, nice, that even in this Vṛndāvana when Sanātana Gosvāmī was there, the village men, they would accept Sanātana Gosvāmī as the leader of the village. Actually, they were leader. But to pose himself as leader, but cannot control others, (Bengali) gaya mane mora āpni moro(?). Not like that. He must able be to lead them. So although Sanātana Gosvāmī was interested
So we have to become dhīra. Then we shall not be afraid of death. Unless we are dhīra... There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means one who is not disturbed even though there is cause of disturbances. One may not be disturbed when there is no cause of disturbances. Just like we are not, now at the present moment, we are not afraid of death. But as soon as we find there is earthquake, and we are afraid of this building may fall down, the cause of disturbances, then we become very much disturbed—sometimes screaming. So one who is not disturbed, even there is cause of disturbance, he is called dhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā. We have to become dhīra from adhīra. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that adhīra can be dhīra. This is the profit
He has specifically mentioned the word dhīra. Dhīra means the sober, learned... Generally we call in English language "gentleman." Gentleman means he must be sober, learned, and thoughtful. That is gentleman. But nowadays, gentleman is different—simply by dress. Dhīra and adhīra. So there are two classes of men, and the Gosvāmīs were very dear to both classes of men, dhīrādhīra. That is the sign of a saintly person, samatītya. Samatītya: they have no enemy. Ajāta-śatravaḥ. Even the adhīra, the saintly person considers as friend, and even a dhīra, he considers friend. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). This is the dhīra.
So dhīra... Dhīra means one who is not disturbed. That requires training. In great dangerous position, one is not disturbed, that is not ordinary thing. Therefore the word has been used: dhīra. Dhīra and adhīra. There are two classes of men. Dhīra means, acts very conscientiously, without being disturbed by the external factors. I have explained several times the dhīra. The example of dhīra is given in the Kumāra-sambhava poetry, by Kālidāsa. We had our syllabus studying Kumāra-sambhava in our I.A. class in college. So there the example, Kālidāsa is giving example: the dhīra is Lord Śiva. Just see. The story is when Lord Śiva lost his wife in the dakṣa-yajña... Dākṣāyaṇī, daughter of Mahārāja Dakṣa, became the wife of Lord Śiva. And because Lord Śiva sometimes by chance did not show any good respect to Dakṣa, so there was misunderstanding between the son-in-law and father-in-law, and the episode ended that Dākṣāyaṇī, the wife of Lord Śiva, gave her life.
So here is the example of dhīra. Dhīra means who are not sexually disturbed, even there is cause, even there is cause of disturbance. A young woman... Therefore the woman's name is kāminī. Kāminī...Kāma means lust. So they invoke one's lust. Therefore by nature, women are beautiful, they dress themselves beautifully. This is nature, to invoke the lusty desire of man. So according to Vedic civilization, woman, when she is dressed nicely and she is beautiful, she must invoke lusty desires. Therefore Vedic civilization does not allow a woman to be nicely dressed unless she is before her husband, unless she is before her husband. Because if she, I mean to say, agitates the lusty desires of all others, that is not very good. So woman is allowed to dress herself very nicely when her husband is present. Otherwise she will not dress. There are some restrictions. Proṣita-bhartṛkā. By the woman's dress, one will understand who is she—whether she is living with her husband, whether she is widow, whether she is unmarried, or whether her husband is out of home, or whether she is prostitute. The culture is so nice, simply by the dress one will understand that "Here is a woman; her husband is not at home. Here is a woman; she is widow. Here is a woman; she is prostitute." In this way, there are. "Here is a woman, she is not married." By dress, one will understand.
So a girl is advised to worship śiva-liṅga. Just like we will find in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the neighboring girls of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they were going to the Ganges. In our childhood we have seen, our sisters; they were also worshiping. Mother taught them. Now these things are gone. Nobody is worshiping śiva-liṅga because there are so many liṅgas. So this custom (laughs) is now gone. Anyway, this girl, Pārvatī, was engaged to worship the liṅga, or the genital, of Lord Śiva, but Lord Śiva was not disturbed. So that is called example of dhīra. Dhīra means very sober, not disturbed. That soberness can be had... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13), and how one can become dhīra?
They are worshiping the material statue. That's all. Ignorance. Bhūtejyā. It is called bhūtejyā. One of our big politician, Indian politician, some astrologer said that "He has become a dog in Scandinavia." But you cannot deny. You cannot deny. If you believe... First of all you have to believe that the soul transmigrates. That's a fact. That we are doing every day, every minute... Simply it requires little brain. Dhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra means sober. What is the difficulty to understand? I was a child, you were a child. Just like these children, talking without any meaning. But they are children, they are excused. But the same child will become a young man, old man. The body has changed. Just like I was also child, you were also child. In childhood we have done so many nonsense things. But in this body I am not doing anything. I have to consider.
And gosvāmī has to become very dear to all classes of men. There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means one who has controlled the senses, and adhīra means one who could not. Gosvāmīs are very kind to all classes of men. Dhīradhīra-jana-priyau. So how you can...? How the gosvāmī can be...? When six Gosvāmīs were here in Vṛndāvana, they were so popular to the whole people. Even in this Vṛndāvana dhāma, the village people, if they had some quarrel with husband and wife, they would to go Sanātana Gosvāmī, "Sir, there is some disagreement between us. You settle up." And Sanātana Gosvāmī will give his judgment, "You are wrong." That's all. They will admit. Just see how the popular they were. Sanātana Gosvāmī would give decision among their family quarrel also. So dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. These ordinary men, they were not saintly persons, but they were devoted to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Therefore their life was successful. Because they would abide by the orders of Sanātana Gosvāmī, therefore they were also liberated.
So if we do not become very sober... Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Then, to become sober, dhīra... Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra means sober. If we remain restless like animals, then we cannot achieve the goal of our life. We do not know how the laws of nature is working. We can experience how the laws of nature is working in our present life. Present life... Just like a young man, if he thinks that "I shall not become old man. I shall remain young man," will the nature's law allow it? No. You must become old man. There is no question of saying that "I don't want to become old man." So, no, nature's law will not allow you. You must become old man and suffer the old age's disadvantages. That you must. Similarly, if the old man says, "Never mind. I have become old man. I will not die," no. Nature's law will not allow. He must die. Similarly, after death, if you think foolishly that there is no more life, that is also wrong. Nature's law is that you must accept another body. This is nature's law.
Just like there is a jungle—so many unwanted creepers—so you set fire. Everything will be burned into ashes and the field will be cleared, cleansed. So it is said: deha-vāg-buddhijaṁ dhīrā dharmajñāḥ śraddhayānvitāḥ. Those who are dhīra... Dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means sober and adhīra means extravagant. There are two classes of men, dhīra and adhīra. Here Śukadeva Gosvāmī's speaking of the dhīra. Who is dhīra? Dhīra means in spite of provocation, in spite of something present which agitates the mind, one remains, I mean to say, in his position, steady. He's called dhīra.
So we cannot hate, even he's not a good man. But this is a fact. One who is not a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he's not a good man. But our duty is preach. Because the world is full of no-good men, therefore we have to preach. Otherwise what is the use of preaching? Therefore we should not be envious, although a man is not good man. That is the time. Samadṛśaḥ. Just like Gosvāmīs. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Dhīra. Dhīra means sober, and adhīra means rascals. So dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. They are priya, dear, both the rascals and good men because they were distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just you saw in Benares. Not that all the men who joined the procession, they were all good men. From materialist's point of view... But this Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind, thousand of men joined Caitanya and they danced. Dhīrādhīra. Not that in the crowd only selected devotees were there. No. Most of them, ninety-nine percent all nondevotees. Similarly, in your country you have seen. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu statue attracted so many people in Berkeley.
So each word in this verse is very important. Prīṇanti hy atha māṁ dhīrāḥ. Dhira means very intelligent, not crazy, just the opposite of crazy. Dhīra. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā who is dhīra. There are many places. Dhīras tatra na muhyati.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Our death means to transmigrate to another body. Just like from childhood we are transmigrating to another body, boyhood; from boyhood we are transmigrating to another body, youth-hood; and from youth-hood we are transferred to another body, old body. Similarly, when this body will not be any more workable, then we shall transmigrate to another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Those who are dhīra—dhīra means sober, thoughtful—they are not bewildered. But those who are not dhīra, adhīra... There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means one who is spiritually situated. He is called dhīra or brahma-bhūtaḥ, prasannātmā (BG 18.54), dhīra. And one who is not spiritually situated, materially situated, means on the platform of bodily conception of life, then he is adhīra, he is restless, from this platform to that platform, this platform to that platform. This is going on.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
So people are searching what is God. And searching, searching, searching, and they fail. They say, "Oh, there is no God. I am God." Finished. You see? This is not possible. Here it is said, iti śuśruma. This is Vedic knowledge. Heard, śuśruma. Wherefrom śuśruma? From the storekeeper? No. Dhīrāṇāṁ śuśruma. Iti śuśruma dhīrāṇām. What is dhīrāṇām? From the sober sect. Not this fanatic sect, but the sober sect, dhīra. Dhīra means whose senses are not agitated by material influence, or svāmī, or gosvāmī. He is called dhīra. There are different kinds of agitation. The first agitating agent is the mind, then the another agitating agent is this tongue. Another agitating agent is our speaking power. Vāco-vega krodha-vega. Another agitation is when we become angry. When we become angry, we forget. We do any nonsense due to the agitation of anger. When we speak in anger, we speak so many nonsense things
So Lord Śiva was in meditation, completely naked. So this Pārvatī was sent to worship the Śiva-liṅga just to agitate him for sex. But he was not agitated. He was still silent. So that particular instance is given by Kālidāsa, "Here is a dhīra." Dhīra. He is naked. A young girl is worshiping the genital, touching it; still he's not agitated. So that is the example of being dhīra. Dhīra means there may be causes for agitation, but one shall not be agitated. That is called dhīra. In spite of presence of the agent of agitating... Just like there is a very nice foodstuff, but still, my tongue should not be agitated. There is a very nice girl or boy, still, I shall not be agitated sexually. In this way, when you are able to control the six agitating elements, then you become dhīra. Dhīra. Not that he had, Lord Śiva had no sexual potency, but he was dhīra. That is the example. Just like Kṛṣṇa danced with so many girls, but there was no sex appetite. That is called dhīra.
Festival Lectures
You cannot chant and dance for a long time unless you are dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. That is the specific qualification of the dancer and chanter. If you ask somebody to chant and dance for one hour, he'll get tired. But this chanting and dancing is so nice that these Gosvāmīs, they can go on chanting and dancing for twenty-four hours. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi. Because they were dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Dhīra, dhīra means gentle, and adhīra means ruffians, not gentle. So they were affectionate and popular both to the gentle as well as ruffians, these Gosvāmīs. Everyone liked them. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that unless one is a staunch atheist, everyone will like this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. As an evidence, people are receiving these boys who are chanting and dancing. Out of their love they are contributing something, they are purchasing magazines. So this is sympathy, sign of love. So they are not, of course, very big business magnate or politicians; they are common men.
General Lectures
Vande rūpa-sanātanau-raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. This movement is pleasing both to the dhīra and adhīra. There are two classes of men. Dhīra means those who are advanced in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and adhīra means those who are advancing in the process of sense gratification. So these two classes of men... Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that we can please both classes of men, the dhīras and the adhīras. Anyone we invite. I have spread this movement not restricting them, that "You can enter in my class after being qualified." No. Whatever you are, come. Dhīrādhīra. You come, chant, have musical instruments, plays, enjoy, dance, take prasādam and go home. And if you like, you read literatures, if you are intelligent. So everything was given to them. And they are American boys and girls. They are intelligent, qualified. So they are coming.
So in those days, a scholarly section, learned section, rich section were attracted by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. And what was their business? This business, as you are doing: kṛṣṇa kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. Their engagement was kṛṣṇa ut kīrtanam. Kṛṣṇa kīrtanam, singing about Kṛṣṇa, just like you are doing—Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇot-kīrtana, very loudly chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna, and sometimes prayers, songs. Nartana. Naratana means dancing. These were their engagement: kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. And as soon as they chanted, immediately they were immersed in the ocean of bliss, prema, ecstasy of love of God, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. They were very much affectionate, or dear, to all classes of people. There are two classes of men: dhīra, adhīra. Dhīra means sober, and adhīra means just the opposite, debauchers. So they were dear to both classes of men.
You have to accept this, dehāntara-prāpti, from one body to another. Where is my childhood body? That is gone. Where is my boyhood body? That is gone. Where is my youthhood body? That is gone. Not only for me, for everyone. There is past, present and future. Similarly, when this body will be gone, I will get another body. Where is the difficulty to understand? Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra. Because we are not sober... There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means sober, thinking, thoughtful, and adhīra means restless. So with restless brain, it is difficult, but if you have got sober brain, then there is no difficulty to understand that "I am eternal. I was in the child's body, I was in the baby's body, I was in the boy's body, I was in a young man's body. Now I have got a different body. I am living asmin dehe." Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). It is very easy to understand, but Kṛṣṇa says, dhīras tatra na muhyati: "Those who are sober, they can understand."
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is the proof, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). When the body is finished, no more working, the soul is there, he has accepted another body. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. Those who are educated, sober they are not surprised. Those who are not educated, they are surprised. Therefore this very word is used, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means one who is sober by education. He knows the soul has now left this body. He has accepted another body. That is dhīra. He knows by education. Therefore this very word... Find out.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. This understanding, that soul is different from the body, it is meant for the dhīra, not for the adhīra. There are two classes men, dhīra and adhīra. So adhīra means busy fool, and dhīra means lazy intelligent. But our, this movement is meant both for the dhīra and adhīra. Adhīra. We can make them really human beings. Never mind he is dhīra or adhīra. It is so nice movement. Dhīrādhīra. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra priyau. It is very pleasing both for the dhīras and adhīras. Why not? What we are doing? We invite people, "Please come here. Chant, dance, and take prasāda." So both the dhīras and adhīras, they will be attracted. Dhīrādhīra priya. (break) You cannot make everyone dhīra; that is not possible. There is necessity of adhīra also. That is also... But it should be guided by the dhīra.
Prabhupāda: No. At that time, I shall not be able to... You can come at five. Because after waking up I prepare. Then at five I begin. Let us meet. And Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). So one has to become dhīra. If one remains adhīra, then he'll never be able to understand the distinction between body and soul.
Dr. Patel: Dhīra means buddhi.
Prabhupāda: Dhīra means sober. Sober, yes. Just like high-court judge. He judges everything very... (break) ...then he gives his judgment.
Dr. Patel: Dhīra does not exactly mean "sober," but something more than sober.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is only one part of it.
Dr. Patel: So many Sanskrit words cannot have translation into English.
Prabhupāda: Dhīra means one who is not disturbed by this bodily concept of life. He is dhīra because he knows that "I am not this body," even there is some trouble in respect of body. So Kṛṣṇa advised that titikṣasva bhārata.
Prabhupāda: Why should I expect the death of my wife?
Dr. Patel: No, his wife died, and he accepted that way. He was not expecting. We are all dead so far as we are Kṛṣṇa conscious...
Prabhupāda: Dhīra means in spite of presence of agitation, if one is not agitated, that is dhira. And if I pray that "Here is the cause of agitation. Let her die," that is not very good. (laughter)
Dr. Patel: No, after she died. You have misunderstood me, sir. You are, you are... Even a great bhakta,, a great Vaiṣṇava bhakta, and I mean I, I don't think he would... He would say...
Prabhupāda: Why should I pray for somebody's death?
Dr. Patel: He never prayed for her to die. (everyone laughing) He prayed that because now he will have less hindrance in the worship of God. That is what he meant.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
George Gullen: These are difficult words to understand, but I appreciate them.
Prabhupāda: Therefore dhīra.... Dhīras tatra, dhīra means sober gentleman. Dhīra. Dhīra means gentleman. So if one does not understand this simple truth, he's not even a gentleman, what to speak of learned scholar. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. That means every gentleman must have this education. And what is the use? What is the meaning of dhīra?
Hari-śauri: Sober.
Satsvarūpa: Learned.
Prabhupāda: That is gentleman. So one who does not understand this philosophy of life is not fit to be addressed as gentleman. It is commonsense knowledge.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: . Dhīra means sober. They're rascals. They cannot understand. But dhīras tatra na muhyati. Those who are sober, they can understand immediately. So there is no education to make people sober and intelligent. All rascals, fools, rogues, thieves, that's all. Animals. What they will understand about spiritual life? Therefore Kṛṣṇa... After all, Kṛṣṇa is speaking. This very word is used. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. Adhira. There are two classes of men, dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means sober, and adhīra means restless. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He gave us something... Dhīrādhīra. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra. What is next word?
Prabhupāda: So the Pārvatī was engaged to worship the genital of Lord Śiva. He was in meditation, and he could not be awakened. Kālīdāsa Kavi is giving remark that "Here is dhīra. Here is dhīra, a young girl touching the genital of Lord Śiva and he is not agitated." Adhīra. Dhīra means there is cause of agitation, but one is not agitated. That is called dhīra. And adhīra, everyone. There is cause of agitation in so many ways. Our, this movement, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau, if we remain engaged in kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau, then dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Both the dhīra and adhīra will enjoy this kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. This our movement, is for the dhīra. And adhīra also, if he joins this movement, even adhīra also becomes dhīra. This is the test. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau. So we should not be adhīra. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Adhīra means to remain in the material world. So long we are adhīra, there is no chance of going back home, back to Godhead. This is the tapasya, to remain dhīra. There are many causes of becoming adhīra.
Guest (2): What is dhīra?
Prabhupāda: Dhīra means who is restful, not restless; dhīra, whose brain is cool, sober. Just like a high-court judge. He is sitting simply, and the cāparāsī, he is busy. The cāparāsī gets, say, two hundred rupees, and he gets five thousand rupees. But he is doing nothing, a dhīra, 'cause his importance is many, many times greater than the cāparāsī. So dhīra means sober. If we become sober, not restless, then it is possible to understand. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. There are two classes: dhīra and adhīra. Adhīra means always foolishly busy, and dhīra means sober. He's trying to understand what is God. That is dhīra.
Guest (1): That is actually what we have always taught, you know, to do it. Karmaṇy evādhikāras te.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Karmaṇy evā...
| Page Title: | Dhira means |
| Compiler: | Partha-sarathi, Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 30 of Mar, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=2, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=40, Con=9, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 51 |