Four material principles

Expressions researched:
"four material principles of life" |"four principles in the material world" |"four principles of material activity" |"four principles of material advancement" |"four principles of material bodily demands" |"four principles of material body" |"four principles of material condition" |"four principles of material conditions" |"four principles of material distresses" |"four principles of material existence" |"four principles of material inebrieties" |"four principles of material life" |"four principles of material miseries" |"four principles of material misery" |"four principles of material success" |"four principles of material sufferings" |"four principles of material unhappiness" |"four principles of material way of life" |"four principles of materialistic way of thinking" |"four principles of religion that pertain to the material world" |"four, five principles of materialistic life" |"material world, the four principles of miseries"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "four principles material*"@5

BG Preface and Introduction

BG Introduction:

In the effulgent rays of the spiritual sky there are innumerable planets floating. The brahmajyoti emanates from the supreme abode, Kṛṣṇaloka, and the ānanda-maya, cin-maya planets, which are not material, float in those rays. The Lord says, na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ/ yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). One who can approach that spiritual sky is not required to descend again to the material sky. In the material sky, even if we approach the highest planet (Brahmaloka), what to speak of the moon, we will find the same conditions of life, namely birth, death, disease and old age. No planet in the material universe is free from these four principles of material existence.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.8.26, Purport:

A materially puffed up person may utter the holy name of the Lord occasionally, but he is incapable of uttering the name in quality. Therefore, the four principles of material advancement, namely (1) high parentage, (2) good wealth, (3) high education and (4) attractive beauty, are, so to speak, disqualifications for progress on the path of spiritual advancement.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.2.17, Purport:

Devastating time, which controls even the celestial demigods by its manifestations of past, present and future, does not act on the transcendental plane. The influence of time is exhibited by the symptoms of birth, death, old age and disease, and these four principles of material conditions are present everywhere in any part of the material cosmos up to the planet Brahmaloka, where the duration of life of the inhabitants appears to us to be fabulous.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.12.35, Purport:

Eating, sleeping, defending and mating are the four principles of material bodily demands which are common to both the animals and human society. To distinguish human society from the animals there is the performance of religious activities in terms of the social statuses and orders of life. They are all clearly mentioned in the Vedic literatures and were manifested by Brahmā when the four Vedas were generated from his four mouths. Thus the duties of humankind in terms of the statuses and social orders were established to be observed by the civilized man. Those who traditionally follow these principles are called Āryans, or progressive human beings.

SB 3.17.19, Purport:

Actually, it is impossible even for Lord Brahmā to give anyone the benediction of becoming immortal, but indirectly Hiraṇyakaśipu received the benediction that no one within this material world would be able to kill him. In other words, because he originally came from the abode of Vaikuṇṭha, he was not to be killed by anyone within this material world. The Lord desired to appear Himself to kill him. One may be very proud of his material advancement in knowledge, but he cannot be immune to the four principles of material existence, namely birth, death, old age and disease.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.4.15, Purport:

People generally practice religion for economic development, to get some money, for by getting money they can satisfy their senses. But when they are frustrated they want spiritual brahmānanda, or merging into the Supreme. These four principles of material life—religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation—exist, and Lord Śiva is the friend of both the ordinary man and the man who is elevated in spiritual knowledge.

SB 4.12.26, Purport:

Lord Brahmā's duration of life is so long that it is difficult to estimate even the duration of one day in his life, and yet Lord Brahmā also dies, as do the residents of his planet. Bhagavad-gītā (8.16) says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: except for those who go to Viṣṇuloka, everyone is subjected to the four principles of material life, namely birth, death, old age and disease.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.4.14, Translation:

Being an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva was fully independent because His form was spiritual, eternal and full of transcendental bliss. He eternally had nothing to do with the four principles of material misery (birth, death, old age and disease). Nor was He materially attached. He was always equipoised, and He saw everyone on the same level. He was unhappy to see others unhappy, and He was the well-wisher of all living entities. Although He was a perfect personality, the Supreme Lord and controller of all, He nonetheless acted as if He were an ordinary conditioned soul. Therefore He strictly followed the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma and acted accordingly. In due course of time, the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma had become neglected; therefore through His personal characteristics and behavior, He taught the ignorant public how to perform duties within the varṇāśrama-dharma. In this way He regulated the general populace in householder life, enabling them to develop religion and economic well-being and to attain reputations, sons and daughters, material pleasure and finally eternal life. By His instructions, He showed how people could remain householders and at the same time become perfect by following the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 7.84, Purport:

Dharma (religiosity), artha (economic development), kāma (sense gratification) and mokṣa (liberation) are the four principles of religion that pertain to the material world. Therefore in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is declared, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ’tra: (SB 1.1.2) cheating religious systems in terms of these four material principles are completely discarded from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam teaches only how to develop one's dormant love of God.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 24.64, Translation and Purport:

“When one's mind, senses and body are attracted to the transcendental qualities of Hari, one gives up the four principles of material success. Thus I have explained the chief meanings of the word "hari."

The four principles of material success are (1) religious performance, (2) economic development, (3) sense gratification and (4) liberation, or merging into the impersonal effulgence of Brahman. These things do not interest the devotee.

Easy Journey to Other Planets

Easy Journey to Other Planets 2:

Those who engage in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, are not interested in any of the planets of this material world because they know that no matter to which planet one elevates himself, he will still find the four principles of material existence there nonetheless. On some planets the duration of life is much longer than on this earth, but death is there. Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, however, transcend this material life of birth, death, disease and old age.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 69:

Lord Kṛṣṇa behaved by His personal example as if He were very much attached to the four principles of civilized life, namely religion, economic development, sense gratification and salvation. These four principles of material existence are necessary for the spiritual advancement of human society, and although Lord Kṛṣṇa had no need to do so, He exhibited His household activities so that people might follow in His footsteps for their own interest.

Krsna Book 88:

Lord Śiva finally entered Śvetadvīpa Vaikuṇṭha. In Śvetadvīpa there are great saintly persons who are completely freed from the envious nature of the material world and are beyond the jurisdiction of the four principles of material activity, namely religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. Anyone who enters into that Vaikuṇṭha planet never returns to this material world.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

The moon planet, of course, is the nearest planet, but even we approach the highest planet, which is called Brahmaloka, there also we have the same miseries of material life, I mean to say, the miseries of birth, death, old age, and diseases. No planets in the material universe is free from the four principles of material existence.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

So our natural tendency is to go to other, better planets. Therefore people are trying to go to the moon planet. Similarly, you can go to the sun planet, heavenly planet. There are so many. But the information is, even though you reach the topmost planet of this universe, still, there the four principles of material life, namely, birth, death, old age and disease, are there.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

Sattva, our existence, is now polluted, infected. Therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. The cats and dogs, they cannot get this opportunity how to purify the existence, how to become free from these four principles of material unhappiness. They cannot understand; they cannot study Vedic literatures; they cannot take instruction of Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So if we do not take advantage of our Vedic knowledge which is found in India, then we are spoiling our life.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

Why you are expecting that some day will come when science will be perfect? Throughout the whole history of the human society, never it has been possible that one can give life. There is no such instance in the history. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). The four principles of material inebrieties, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, nobody has been able to check in the past history of human society, and how you can believe that in future these problems, namely janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age, and disease, will be solved by the advancement of science? So at least we cannot believe. And no sane man will believe it.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

So varṇāśrama-dharma means how to realize that Supreme, all-pervading Godhead. That is varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇa means four social divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and āśrama means four spiritual divisions: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha... So accepting these four spiritual and four material principles of life, that is humanity. One who is not within this category, varṇāśrama-dharma, he's not accepted as a human being or a civilized human being.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

Those who are in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, they are not interested in any planets of this material world. Why? Because they know. In any planet you can, you can raise yourself, you can elevate yourself, you can go there, but the four principles of material existence are there. What is that? Birth, death, disease and old age. Any planet you go. Your duration of life may be very, very longer than this earth, but death is there. Death is there. But those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or those who are otherwise, those who are not interested in this material life... Material life means birth, death, disease and old age, and spiritual life means relief from these botherations—no more birth, no more death, no more ignorance, no more misery.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

Bhagavad-gītā has already informed you that even if you go to the highest planet, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16), even if you go by some way or other... You cannot go. That is a dream only. But still, if you go by your sputnik or by aeronautic means, but still, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age and disease, you cannot avoid. So it is not our business to have our place anywhere within this material world. Either this country or that country or this planet or that planet, you'll never be happy.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

Anyway, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that even if you go to the topmost planet, there is also birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot avoid this. So long you shall remain within this material world, you have to accept these four principles of material condition, that you'll have to die. Either you live for ten thousands of years or ten millions of years, it doesn't matter; you have to die. Even Brahmā dies, who has got many millions of years. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Hawaii, January 31, 1975:

If there is rules and regulation, restriction following, then gradually he will come to the platform of daivī sampat. And what is the purpose of daivī sampat? Daivī sampad vimokṣāya: (BG 16.5) "If you develop your daivī sampat, then you become fit for vimokṣāya, for liberation." What is that liberation? Liberation means janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), liberation from these four things: no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age.

So people are unaware, and they are not interested what is vimokṣāya, what is nibandhāya. Exactly like cats and dogs, they are after these four principles of material body. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying little bit. Success or no success does not matter. As we are servant of Kṛṣṇa, it is our duty to present the real thing.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). "So why should you be implicated in these material activities? Try to come to Me, back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll haven't got to return again in this material world. That is the highest perfection." So this is called brahma-jijñāsā. By inquiring about Brahman one can understand that "Even if I go to the topmost planet of this material world, the four principles of miseries—birth, death, old age and disease—there is."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

But we must utilize our time, save our time, how to get out of these four, five principles of materialistic life. That is called dharma. And we should earn so much to keep the body and soul together. That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

So here it is, says, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na artha arthāyopakalpate. There are four principles in the material world: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Human life begins from religious life, because in the animal life there is no religion. Animal life—cats' life, dogs' life, tigers' life, or any other less than human being... Especially civilized human being all over the world, there is some type of religion, either it may be Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muhammadan religion or Buddhist religion. That is the sign of civilized human society.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Los Angeles, August 26, 1972:

If you want to get release, then you have to come to Viṣṇu. Then you will get release. Śudhyanti prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Viṣṇu can do. Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti. This is Hari. If you do not surrender to Hari, then you cannot get release from these four principles of material life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot get.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

But Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says, (chuckling) "Oh, you are trying to go to other higher planets by your karma, by his work? Oh, this is just like horse egg. Huh? Why should you bother yourself?" Horse egg means it has no substance. As, like there is no existence of horse egg, similarly, even if you attain that higher planetary system, what do you gain by that? You don't gain anything, because the four principles of material existence will continue there also. Birth, death, old age, and disease, you cannot stop. You may live for a greater period—that is possible in higher planets. But if you are simply satisfied only by living a bigger span of life, is that very success?

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

So spiritual realization is difficult for persons, asadbhiḥ. Why it is difficult? Viṣayātmabhiḥ. Because they are simply attracted by the four principles of material life: eating, sleeping, sex life and, one day, death. They cannot. One must be above this interest. One must be very sane man, that "These kinds of interests are there in the animals. So if I am also interested in only these things, then where is the difference between this dog and me?" Something more.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Vrndavana, March 19, 1974:

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). Therefore it is called durāśayā. He's thinking that "These things will give me protection." No, that is not possible. You cannot get rid of the four principles of material life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), by these soldiers. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:

The more you are in sattva-guṇa, you get higher level of living in higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). Those who are on the modes of goodness of material nature, they go higher and higher, higher and higher. But Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, that is also not security, that you get rid of the four principles of material life, birth, death, old age, and disease. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Again coming down.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

So therefore these discussions which are going on, that is only for how to get liberation from the four principles of material condition, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is called mokṣa. Mokṣa, or liberation. So the... It is just like beating the dead horse. Nobody is interested about mokṣa. Or nobody can conceive even that there is something as mokṣa. Mokṣa means to get free from this condition of birth, death and old age. That is called mokṣa, liberation.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

So we may go sometimes up to Brahmaloka. That is not very difficult. But ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Either you go to Brahmaloka or Pātālaloka or any loka, this form or that body, you will have to go through these four principles of material condition: birth, death, old age and disease. That is not possible to overcome. That you can overcome only—mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14).

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

The different types of bodies means that is our punishment. We may think it as happiness, but as soon as you accept a material body, you are subjected to the four principles of material distresses. What is that? Janma, mṛtyu, jarā, vyādhi. You may think that you are very scientifically advanced—"There is no more distress in my life"—but Kṛṣṇa says, "No. If you are intelligent, then you should think of these four principles as distresses." What is that? Birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Hamburg, September 7, 1969, (with German Translator):

Dharma-artha-kāma. Dharma means religion, artha means financial facilities, and kāma means sense gratification. And then, when one is baffled in sense gratification, he wants liberation. These four principles are generally followed by the materialistic men. Liberation... When one is baffled in adjusting things to his satisfaction, he wants to become one with the Supreme or with the void.

But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is above these four principles of materialistic way of thinking. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to inquire the value of life and the destination of life. We advocate that human form of life is meant neither for religious ritualistic performances or economic development or for sense gratification or for so-called searching after liberation.

Festival Lectures

Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture Dasavatara-stotra Purport -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1970:

The four principles of material existence means birth, death, old age and disease. We can manufacture many medicines, many weapons, many means, many methods, but you cannot escape these four principles of material existence, however great you may be. That was proved by Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was one of the stalwart materialistic and he wanted to live forever, enjoy, but he also could not live. Everything was finished.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

So those who are intelligent, they are not concerned with..., any more with any planet within this material world. Because wherever you go, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, will follow. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet or any planet. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). But that planet where going no more comes back in the material world, that is the most sublime planet. So we are... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are preparing living entities directly going back to Kṛṣṇa planet. The highest perfection.

Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969:

Anywhere you go in the material planet, either by sputniks or by your tapasya or by meditation, if you, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ (BG 8.16), even if you go to the highest planet, there the four principles of material miseries are there. But if you go, mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. These are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. You try to understand what is the problem of life.

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

There is no nice place, but we accept, "This is good, this is bad." That is our mental concoction. Actually, in the material world there is no happiness, there is no nice place, because wherever you go... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, then there also punar āvartinaḥ, means the four principles of material existence, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, they will accompany you. Wherever you go. You may have a long duration of life, but you have to meet death. That is compulsory.

General Lectures

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

The Vedānta-sūtra instructs that every human being, not the animals but human being, you should not be bewildered. You should question, "Why I am suffering threefold miseries? Why... I do not want death. Why death overcomes me?" Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). An intelligent man should always keep before him four principles of material miseries: birth, death, old age, and disease. These are instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is making progress in knowledge, he must keep before him these four problems—birth, death, old age, and disease. You may be very much proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but here is the real science. If you can overcome birth, death, old age and disease, then you can say your science is triumphant.

Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969:

We have disobeyed the laws of God; therefore we have been put into this material world to abide by the laws of God by force, by force. You have to. Nobody wants to die, but you have to die. You cannot avoid it. Nobody wants to be diseased. Oh, you have to become diseased. Nobody wants to be old. Oh, you have to become old. Force! This is going on. But the fools' paradise, we are thinking, "We are happy. We are making progress." What progress you have made? Have you surpassed the laws of birth, death, old age and disease? "No, sir." Then what progress you have made? So this is their progress. But if you want really relief from these four principles of material way of life, then you have to purify your existence. You purify yourself; then you will be allowed to enter into the purified spiritual sky, and you'll get a place in one of the planets there.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

Just like I came to your country—very nice, comfortable apartment, all things are available; everything all right. But now my visa period is finished. I'll have to go to Canada. You see? Similarly, if you have got so much restriction in, in a ordinary state that people from other parts of the world may come but they can stay here for six months or one year, or as limited by the visa, then go back, similarly, anywhere you go within this material world, you have to come back. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). You have to come back. And besides that, any planet you go within this material world, the four principles of material sufferings are there. What are those? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) birth, death, old age and disease. Everywhere there is. Your period of life may be very long, but these four things are there.

Public Speech -- Bad Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974:

So our natural tendency is to go to other, better planet. Therefore people are trying to go the moon planet. Similarly, you can go to the sun planet, you can go to the Brahmaloka planet, Siddhaloka planet, heavenly planet. There are so many. But the information is, even though you reach the topmost planet of this universe, still, there the four principles of material life, namely birth, death, old age and disease, are there.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

There are 8,400,000 different types of body. So if we do not properly use this human form of body, if we become subjected to sinful life, then we get a different type of body, very—animal life, tree's life, plant's life, aquatic's life, insect life. Or even we are promoted to the higher standard of life, as in higher planets the demigods, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age and disease, we cannot avoid, either in the higher planetary or in the lower planetary system. But if we want eternal life of bliss and knowledge, then we must endeavor in this life how to go back to home, back to Godhead.