Even the lion cannot sleep; he has to work to eat

Expressions researched:
"lion" |"sleep" |"suptasya simhasya" |"work"

Notes from the compiler: Vedabase query: "lion work"@20 or "suptasya simhasya"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So long we have got this body we have to do something. Without doing something we cannot live. If the lion thinks that "I am so powerful animal, king of the forest. Why shall I work?" Therefore, it is said that if he does not work, then he'll have to starve. Even though he's a lion.

Lecture on BG 2.40 - London, September 13, 1973:

So Nārada Muni says, tyaktvā sva-dharmam. Sva-dharmam means one's prescribed occupational duties. So long we have got this body, we have to do something. Without doing something we cannot live. The material world will not allow you, that you cannot do anything and you'll be provided. No. Whatever you may be, you may be President Nixon or ordinary man in the street, everyone has to do something. That is not possible. There is a verse in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, tṛtīya-śaktir iṣyate (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.7.61, CC Madhya 6.154). Here the situation, material situation, is so stringent that without working, you cannot live. You'll die. There is an example in the Hitopadeśa: na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. Suptasya siṁhasya. Siṁha means lion. If the lion thinks that "I am so powerful animal, king of the forest. Why shall I work?" No. Therefore it is said that if he does not work, then he'll have to starve, even though he's a lion. Because he may be lion, but if he sleeps that, "I am king. Let me sleep and my food will come automatically in my mouth," that is not possible. This is the example. Very good example. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. A lion is sleeping. If he does not work, he'll also starve. He'll also starve. And what to speak of cats and dogs.

So this is not possible.

This material world is so made that even the lion has to struggle. So if he thinks that "I am the king of the forest. So why shall I work? Let me sleep, and my eating animals will come and enter into my mouth..." No. You have to struggle.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

So everyone is afraid. Everyone is taking defense. Even tiger is also afraid. Do you know that? Tiger is also. Tiger has become very powerful animal. Everyone is afraid of. He can catch anyone and kill him and eat him. Unfortunately, he does not get the opportunity of catching anyone. The tiger cannot eat every day very nicely. He gets once in a week a chance or once in a fortnight a chance to capture an animal. Therefore he kills and keeps it for eating daily. It is not that . . . just like you are getting daily bhagavat-prasādam, nice dish. Nobody is supplying to tiger. Nobody is going to tiger's front: "Sir, kindly kill me and eat me." No. Nobody's going. Everyone has got to struggle. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgaḥ (Hitopadeśa). This is the statement. This material world is so made that even the lion, if he keeps himself sleeping . . . because lion is considered to be the king of the forest. So if he thinks that, "I am the king of the forest. So why shall I work? Let me sleep, and my eating animals will come and enter into my mouth . . ." No. You have to struggle. You have to struggle. You have to find out.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

You cannot think that "Oh, I am so great man. I'll not work." Lion is supposed to be the king of the forest. Still, he has to work. It is not that a lion will sleep, and some animal will come, "My dear lion, please open your mouth. I shall enter."

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

So apavarga, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya: to make it nullified—no more hard labor, no more frustration, no more fearfulness, no more death. That is real problem.

So to become religious, dharmic, means how to nullify these five principles of material existence. In the material world you have to work very, very hard. You cannot think that, "Oh, I am so great man. I'll not work." Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. Suppose the lion . . . lion is supposed to be the king of the forest. Still, he has to work. It is not that a lion will sleep, and some animal will come, "My dear lion, please open your mouth. I shall enter." (laughter) That is not possible. Even he is most powerful, even if he is . . . just like your President. He is most powerful man, but he's working hard, more than asses and hogs, to get the post of presidency.

Lion is very powerful; he is given the honor of becoming the king of the animals. But still, he has to work for eating. Similarly, everyone has to work. Therefore there must be systematic work so that whole society may develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the ideal or the goal of life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:

Everyone should know how to become perfect. That education is not there. They do not know what is perfection. They do not know that, "I am eternal. My struggle for existence is for perfection of life, to come to my original Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so that I may regain again my eternal, blissful life of knowledge." That is the aim.

So it is required, therefore, that the social system should be organized in such a way that automatically people become interested in the ultimate goal of life. That is civilization. This is not civilization, simply animal propensities: eat voraciously and sleep twenty hours and have sex life without any restriction, and have atom bomb for defense. That's all, finished, civilization. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat. These things are there in the animals.

Just like goats. We have seen goats eating twenty-four hours. Not only goats; they . . . all other animals. Even if he is strong animal, that, they are . . . I told you, na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ (Hitopadeśa). Suptasya, sleeping lion. Lion is very powerful; he is given the honor of becoming the king of the animals. But still, he has to work for eating. It is not that because he is lion he will be sleeping, and some animal will come and enter into his mouth. No. That is not possible. He has to work.

Similarly, everyone has to work. Therefore there must be systematic work so that whole society may develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the ideal or the goal of life.

A medical man, or a business man, or anyone—everyone has to do something. You cannot sit down idly and you'll get your livelihood. Even if you are a lion you have to work. The material world is like that. Even if you are as powerful as a lion, you cannot sleep.

Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976:

You are doing your duty very nicely. Your dharma means your occupational duty. Suppose you are engineer, you are doing duty very nicely. Or a medical man, or a business man, or anyone—everyone has to do something. You cannot sit down idly and you'll get your livelihood. Even if you are a lion you have to work. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ (Hitopadeśa). This is . . . The material world is like that. Even if you are as powerful as a lion, you cannot sleep. If you think, "I am lion, I am the king of the forest. Let me sleep, and the animal will come and enter in my mouth," no, that is not possible. Even if you are animal, you have to catch up an animal. Then you'll be able to eat. Otherwise you'll have to starve. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ (BG 3.8). "You must do your duty." Śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ (BG 3.8). Don't think . . . The rascal says that "Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people to escape. They've become . . ." No, that is not Kṛṣṇa's instruction. We do not allow any lazy man. He must be engaged. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is Kṛṣṇa's order.

Even if you are a lion, a king, a very powerful, still you have to find out your bread.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

This world, you have to work very hard to maintain yourself. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ (BG 3.8). Kṛṣṇa never advised Arjuna that, "You sit down. I am your friend. I shall do everything. You sit down and smoke gāñjā." (laughter) Kṛṣṇa never said that. Kṛṣṇa was doing everything; still he was to fight. He was inducing, "You must fight." Neither Arjuna said: "Kṛṣṇa, You are so my friend, great friend. Better You do it. I sit down. Let me smoke gāñjā." No. Arjuna also did not say. This is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "God, You please do everything for me and let me smoke gāñjā." This is not God consciousness. God consciousness means you must work, work for God. That is God consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So apav . . . this word is meant for this purpose, that without working, you cannot live even. You cannot maintain your body. Therefore it is called pariśrama. Pa. Pa means pariśrama, to labor hard. You cannot get your subs . . . even if you are a lion, a king, a very powerful, still you have to find out your bread in the jungle, not that . . . it is said, na hi suptasya siṁhasya, praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. Suptasya siṁhasya. Supta means sleeping. Sleeping. A lion, if he thinks that, "I am the king of the forest, so let me sleep, and in my mouth all the animals will come." No, sir, it is not possible. You must find out your food, although you are lion. So everyone has to find out—with great difficulty. The lion, although so powerful, he has to find out his food—another animal to eat—with great difficulty.

This material world is creation of material energy or karma-saṅgā, where everyone has to work. So in one place it is said that even the lion, who is the king of the forest, if he sleeps and he thinks that animals will come and enter in his mouth, that is not possible. He has to also find out how to eat.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

Tṛtīyā karma-saṅgā anyā śaktir īṣyate.

In the Padma Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa: parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (CC Madhya 13.65, purport). God's energy are varieties. All those varieties are grouped into three divisions. Out of that . . . Three divisions means tatastha-śakti, antarāṅga-śakti, cit-śakti. Tatastha-śakti and this external, or this karma-śakti. The . . . Tṛtīyā śaktiḥ karma-saṅgā anyā. It is mentioned that the spiritual world is just manifestation of cit-śakti, and this material world is creation of material energy or karma-saṅgā, where everyone has to work. Without work, it is said, na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ (Hitopadeśa). That is very nice example. In the forest the lion is supposed to be the mightiest animal, and he is sometimes called the king of the animals, paśu-rāja. So in one place it is said that even the lion, who is the king of the forest, if he sleeps and he thinks that animals will come and enter in his mouth, that is not possible. He has to also find out how to eat. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. The lion is so powerful, but he cannot also dictate.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Even if one is lion, if he thinks, "I am lion. Let me sleep and the prey will automatically come within my mouth," no, that is not possible. You have to work. Anyone, whatever you may be, you have to work.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- Bombay, November 24, 1975:

As God's potency is parā . . . parā and aparā. Originally everything is parā. And aparā means forgetfulness. This material world, we forget Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is called aparā. But there is another parā. That is spiritual potency. There, there is no forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious. So if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then immediately you become parā. Kṣetrajñam ākhyā tathā parā. Immediately you become parā. Otherwise you remain in the aparā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), this material contamination. Kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā.

Then what is this material potency? That is explained, avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. In between or besides this, parā and aparā, there is another śakti. That is avidyā, ignorance, darkness. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñā. And in this potency everyone has to work. Karma-saṁjñā. Without working, nobody can live here. You have to work. It is said that the lion is supposed to be the biggest animal, very powerful. So it is said in the Hitopadeśa, na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. Even if one is lion, if he thinks, "I am lion. Let me sleep, and the prey will automatically come within my mouth," no, that is not possible. You have to work. Anyone, whatever you may be, you have to work. Kṛṣṇa also said in the Bhagavad-gītā, śarīra yātrāpi te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. In this . . . this material world means everyone has to work. Otherwise he cannot live. Therefore it is called karma-samjñā. Karma-samjñā anyā.

And avidyā. If I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa . . . na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. If Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do, then—I am also part and parcel—I will also have nothing to do. Everything will be there, present. But that is our real constitutional position. We don't require to work. Everything is there for my enjoyment. But because we are now in this avidyā, ignorance, this material darkness, therefore I have to work. Avidyā-karma-samjñā. Karma is meant for this materialistic person. Bhakta does not require to take to karma—karma, jñāna, yoga, nothing. These are all material. Karma, jñāna, yoga and bhakti. There are four primary principles for spiritual realization. So out of the four, karma, jñāna and yoga, they are all material, but bhakti is not material. That is spiritual.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

You have to work because it is material world. Suppose a lion... He's the king of the forest. And if he says, "It is my order, I'll sleep here and all the animals may come in my mouth." The animals will urine on his face. "Yes, we shall pass urine on your face. We are not going to accept your order." You have to work.

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Hari-śauri: Well, my problem is that I have to have somewhere to live and I have to get something to eat.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that Kṛṣṇa solves. Yes, Kṛṣṇa says, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14): produce food grains. You have to work because it is material world. You cannot sit idly. Even if you are a very strong tiger, you don't expect that animals will come and enter your mouth. You have to work for it. This is the world. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ (Hitopadeśa). Suppose a lion, he's the king of the forest, and if he says: "It is my order, I'll sleep here and all the animals may come in my mouth," the animals will urine on his face, "Yes, we shall pass urine on your face. We are not going to accept your order." You have to work. Practical question, everyone has to work. This is the third nature. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā (CC Madhya 6.154). Because here everyone is under ignorance, the punishment is he has to work for his living condition. Work is not very pleasing. It is very troublesome. But he has to. Avidyā karma-saṅga. You have to work. Therefore we see practically that countries who are working very diligently, they are materially prosperous. Europe, America, they work very diligently, hard, and they have got material prosperity. And the Eastern countries, they are not working, intelligent. From material point of view. From spiritual point of view that is another thing.