So all these materialistic persons, they are so fools, rascals, miscreants, they are increasing these material activities. They are thinking by this increasing material activities they will be happy. No. That is not possible. Durāśayā ye... And their leaders... Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryam uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). All of us are tied very tight, hands and legs, and we are thinking we are free, independent. By the laws of material nature... Still, we are thinking that we are independent. The scientist is trying to avoid God, independent by science. That is not possible. We are under the grip of the material nature. Material nature means the agent of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇair karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). So we are always in perplexity like Arjuna, what to do, what not to do. But if we take this principle, that "We must do for Kṛṣṇa..." So take direction from Kṛṣṇa and take direction from Kṛṣṇa's representative and you do it; then there is no karma-bandhanaḥ.
Grip (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
As long as you are unable to go back to home, back to Godhead, you have to change this body, either dog or this or that or this. And there are 8,400,000 forms of body. You have to accept one of them. Now you make your decision whether you are ready to accept all these different types of body or you get original, spiritual body. In the spiritual body there is no more birth, death, old age and disease, and the material body continuously there should be birth, death, old age and disease. You can get that spiritual body simply by little cultivation in this human form of life, next life. But if you get next other than human form of life, then you have to wait again millions of years to come to this human form of life. After all, we are under the stringent laws of nature. You... We are..., every one of us, we are under the grip of the laws of material nature. It will go on. You cannot change it unless you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is the supreme cetana, conscious. Just like we were consulting dictionary yesterday, "supreme being." Therefore, His consciousness is also supreme. As we are living being—not supreme, subordinate—similarly, God is also being, but the supreme being. That is the difference. Very simple thing. You cannot say that "I am supreme." As these rascals say that "I am God." How you can be God? Are you supreme? As soon as we ask this question, "Are you supreme?" "No." Then how you have become God? The supreme means... That is also... We consulted dictionary. The Supreme means the "highest authority." So is any one of us the highest authority? No. Nobody is highest authority. Everyone is under the grip of material nature. How you can be highest authority? But they imagine, "Yes, I am high authority. I am..." Meditate: "I am the highest authority, I am moving the sun, I am moving the this," simply rascaldom. This is their meditation. Falsely think that "I am the supreme, I am controlling everything.
However make your plan to live here permanently, you cannot live here. You have to give up. You can spoil your energy for making this material world very comfortable or you may live for some years very comfortably, but cruel death will come and snatch from comfortable position and put you into another position which is beyond your control. You cannot say that "I have made my position very secure. I am very comfortable with great endeavor by advancement of economic development, by advancement of material science. Let me remain here. I am very happy." The time will say, "No, that will not be allowed. You must leave immediately, immediately, without delay."
You know your President Kennedy. He was going in a procession, and the time came, and he had to leave everything at once, at once, without any hesitation. You cannot hesitate. So we are in the grip of the material nature. However we may declare ourself that we are independent, we are not independent. We are dependent, completely dependent. We may foolishly mislead ourself by the sense of independence. No. You are not independent. You are completely under the control of the material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The material nature is so strong that it is very difficult to get out of the entanglement.
If you want to make them otherwise, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you will be serving, not serving, you will be rendering them disservice. Because any knowledge will not help your wife or children. Any knowledge, any amount of knowledge, will not help his real problem. What is his real problem we do not know. The real problem is... That we do not know. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9).
The Bhāgavata says, pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt: "One should not try to become father. One should not try to become mother." Why? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum: "One who is unable to save his children from the grip of material nature." That should be Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you are a responsible father, then, if you are completely in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your duty will be that "These creatures, these innocent creatures now, who are playing in my, at my home as my children, as my boys, now this life should be the last installment of his transmigration from one body to another. I shall train these boys in such a way that after this body he will have no more to go into the cycle of birth and death." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Because we have to see God. Just like I told you, if you see the sun, then automatically you see everything. You see yourself, you see your neighbor, you see the city, you see the house, you see... Everything you can see when there is sunlight. Similarly, if you can see God, then you can see everything. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you can understand what is God, then you understand everything. Then why don't you take this process to understand God? That is the prerogative of human life, to understand God. Why you deny the existence of God? How you can deny? You cannot deny. There is a controller, supreme controller. That we have to accept. We are not free. We are being controlled. However we are trying to become independent of any controller, that is not possible. Prakṛteḥ... You are under the control of the prakṛti.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Rascals and fools, they are thinking that "We are independent." They are completely under the grip of the material nature. Every one of you know. We want to do something; we don't want excessive heat. Why there is excessive heat so that we have to manufacture this fan and air condition, so many things? This is simply struggle against the control of the material nature. This is a fact. And we have to accept this. You cannot deny it.
Oh, you cannot do it by mental speculation. You cannot get rid of this entanglement of three qualities. It is not possible. It is very strong. Don't you think how we are in the grip of the material nature? It is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā. Guṇa. Guṇa means this quality, and another meaning of guṇa is rope. Just like we have seen rope, one rope, two rope, three ropes. When three ropes are, I mean to say, bound up, twisted in one, oh, that becomes very strong. Guṇa means rope also. So we are tied up hands and feet with that rope of these qualities, three. You see? It is very difficult to get out of it. Then? Hopelessness? No. No hopelessness. How can I get rid out of it? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: (BG 7.14) "Anyone who surrenders unto Me, he is at once free." Anyone who becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by this way or that way, he becomes free.
And when a person is ghostly haunted, as he talks all kinds of nonsense, similarly, one who has come under the grip of this material nature, māyā-grasta ye, he's talking all nonsense, all nonsense. All these politicking, all politics, sociology, everything, without reference to the salvation of soul, or self-realization, without knowing our spiritual position, they're all nonsense talks.
- piśācī paile yena mati-cchanna haya
- māyā-grasta jīvera se daśā upajāya
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva. Bhāgyavān jīva means those who are coming into our contact, they're bhāgyavān, they're getting the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, guru kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). In this temple there is guru and there is Kṛṣṇa, and we call people to take the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If one is fortunate enough, he'll take this opportunity and make his life successful. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, rāja-vidyā.
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, ahany ahani lokāni gacchanti yama-mandiram. Ahani, ahany ahani means daily, every day, every moment. At least every day we see so many death list. If you go to the crematorium ground, you can see. So ahany ahani lokāni gacchanti yama-mandiram, śeṣaḥ sthitam icchanti. But those who are still alive, they think, "Oh, death will not take place. I'll live. I'll live." He does not think that he... You are also subjected to this principle of dying. But he does not take it seriously. This is called illusion, māyā. He thinks, oh, that "I shall live forever. Therefore let me do whatever I like. There is no question of responsibility." Oh, this is very risky life, very risky life. And this is the most covering part of illusion. One should be very serious that death is waiting. "As sure as death." If there is any surety in this world, that is death. Nobody can avoid it. And when there is death, oh, there is no more intelligence, no more your puffed-up philosophy. You are under the grip of nature.
There is no use calculating for how many years one kalpa, one duration of this cosmic manifestation, is maintained. But our concern is that whether we can get out of these clutches of material nature and get into our spiritual nature and have our eternal blissful life. That is our problem. That we can make solution. If we culture the Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, then even after annihilation of this body, we can get into the spiritual nature and spiritual nature, and we are also spirit. Therefore there is no difference; there is no question of birth and death. That is the problem.
- prakṛtiṁ svām avaṣṭabhya
- visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ
- bhūta-grāmam imaṁ kṛtsnam
- avaśaṁ prakṛter vaśāt
Prakṛter vaśāt. We are completely under the grip of the stringent laws of material nature, and we are repeatedly put into that stringent laws of material nature so that we may come into our consciousness that "Why we are suffering this repeated birth and death?" But we have become so much dull and so much accustomed to this habit... Because it is continuing since a very, very long time, time immemorial, so we have become accustomed. We have become accustomed. So we don't take it very seriously that why we are dying and why we are getting again body and why we are suffering these miseries. So this is called ignorance. This is called ignorance. So we are not very serious. Especially in this age we are not very serious. We think this is the process of life. No. This is not the process of life.
Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. Everyone is being pulled by the ear, just like a teacher takes to pull the ear of a student, and does like this... Similarly, we, every one of us under the complete clutches of the material nature, and we are being put, sometimes this body, sometimes that body. Now, fortunately, you have got human form of body. Oh, but, don't you see there are so many bodies? So many bodies. There are eight million, four hundred thousands of bodies, and, by the laws of nature, by the tricks of nature, you can be put into any kind of body according to your work. So you are completely under the grip of nature. This time, fortunately or unfortunately, I have got this human form of life, but next time I may get the body of a dog or the body of a god. That will depend on my work. But the laws of nature is working. The laws of nature, or the material nature, is forcing me that you accept it. You cannot say that, after my death, let me have my birth in America. Oh, how can you say? You are not authority. You are not authority.
You have got so many "mines." You have got so many dresses. Why do you claim a particular dress as "this is yours"? Why? Don't you think that after changing so many dresses, if you are particularly situated in certain kind of nice dress, may be very nice dress, but why do you attach so much importance on that nice dress? Why don't you understand that this dress is nice. That's all ri... Next moment I may be in a very ugly dress. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). As you are associating with the different kinds of material modes of nature, we have to change your dress. That is in the grip of material nature. You cannot say. You cannot dictate, "Oh, nature, please don't change my dress. Keep me American." No. She is not your order-supplier. She will see what dress you require. So she will examine what is your mentality. "Oh, your mentality is dog, doggish? Take this dog's dress. No more American dress." And if you have god's mentality, "Oh, take this god's dress."
Everyone is born fools and rascals, and he's acting in foolishness and rascaldom. Therefore whatever he is doing this is his defeat. This is his defeat. Actually, if we think very cool-headed... Suppose whole life I have earned so much money, bank balance, skyscraper building, everything, but if my next life I become a cat or dog or rat... There is possibility. Because if I am not destined to enjoy... Because this life I have committed so many sinful activities, I am not going to have very comfortable life. But I have got attraction for my building which I have constructed with so many efforts. Nature will allow you to live in that building again next life, maybe as a cat, dog or a rat.
Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You do not know what kind of body you are going to... You completely under the stringent laws of nature. Here it is said, kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate. As soon as you give up this body, you are completely under the grip of material nature and you will get a type of body according to your karma. And then puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate. That puruṣa, the living entity, will have to enjoy or suffer according to that body.
At the initiation time we ask that "You don't touch all these things." Yes. That's all. See practically. Especially in the Western countries they are habituated to all these things, meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, gambling. How they give it up? Association. We are opening so many branches all over the world to give opportunity of association. It is not a business firm. Just to give spiritual association, chance. Why you are going the street saṅkīrtana? We are giving chance: "Come here, be saved." It is not business.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the topmost philanthropy, welfare activities to the human society. Those who are intelligent, they are understanding. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22). Others they are associating with different qualities of the material nature, and nature is prepared, "Come on, sir, you take this body." You are not scientist, so-called scientist can save you. When this body is finished, then you are under the control of material nature. Whatever body she will offer you, you have to accept. You cannot say "No, no. I cannot accept this body." "No, no. You are nothing. You are under my grip."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Now I cannot stay for five minutes in the Bhagavad-gītā class, but if I am given the body by nature... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. You are under the grip of nature. You cannot say... You cannot stop your death. When nature asks you, "Now you must die," your science cannot stop this. So you are under the grip of the nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. So if the nature gives you, now you take this body of banyan tree and stand here for five thousand years, how can you stop it? Will your scientific knowledge can stop it? Is it possible? Then what is your science? If you are under the grip of the material nature,
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Although he is pulled by the ear, by the material nature, he is thinking he is free, he is freedom. They are struggling for freedom. What is this nonsense, freedom? You are under the grip of the material nature. Where is your freedom? Now you have got, nature has given you this human form of body. Next you may get another body, next you may... That is completely under the control of material nature.
So Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ: "That type of service is first class, transcendental." There are two kinds of services, para and apara. In Sanskrit para means transcendental, and apara means material. Spiritual or material. Because we have two understandings, matter and spirit. Everything is material or spiritual, mundane or transcendental. So here Bhāgavata says, paro dharmaḥ. Paro dharmaḥ means spiritually. Material dharma—temporary. Just like if you feel yourself as part and parcel of the American nation, if I feel myself as part and parcel of Indian nation, this is not para. This is apara, because your relations with America, or an Indian's association with India, is temporary. You may remain as American, say, for hundred years. Not so much. Generally, fifty, sixty, seventy, utmost hundred years. Then, after hundred years, as soon as your body is changed, even as human form of body, you may not be American—you may be Chinaman. Or if not human form of body, then we may become something else, god's or dog's also. There is no guarantee because after you give up this body you are completely under the grip of material nature. The material nature will award you a particular type of body according to your work. So as soon as the body is changed, the whole atmosphere is changed. You are no longer American. You are no longer Indian. You are something else. Therefore your characteristic of rendering service to the nation, that is not permanent. That is temporary, apara. Apara means temporary, inferior.
Therefore, this artificial civilization for sense gratification is not very good. It is not good for us. We may gratify our senses while we are living, but when we quit this body, we are completely under the grip of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). And when you are on the clutches of prakṛti, you cannot dictate that "Give me this kind of body." That will be decided by superior authority, daiva netreṇa, karmaṇā daiva ne. These are the scientific knowledge, but unfortunately, there is no culture of this scientific knowledge. Superficially, simply for sense gratification, that is going on in the name of advancement of civilization. Actually it is very risky civilization. Suppose after this body, human form of body, if I get the body of an animal or a tree. There is every chance. Wherefrom the tree comes? Wherefrom the tiger comes, the cat comes, the dog comes? There are demigods also. So you can get any form of life. Dehāntaram. Kṛṣṇa says personally, tathā dehāntara. This is bogus theory that after death everything is finished. No. There is another life, and the species of life are in your form, 8,400,000 of species, and we have to accept, according to our karma, a type of body given by the material nature.
Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Simply by false pride I am thinking that I am kartā, I am master. You are not master; you are under the grip of material nature. So how you can avoid? Therefore we should not indulge in sense gratification. We should try to practice how to take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That will help us.
That I was going to speak, as Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati. This tongue is sudurmati. It is very, very badly intelligent. Not at all intelligent. He wants to eat. That I hear. Just like here we can see, in these big cities. They have taken their lunch at home, and as soon as goes to the office, immediately, bring tea. So why the unnecessarily tea? But the tongue dictates, "Bring tea, bring coffee, bring cigarette." Therefore the tongue is very formidable enemy of this human being, if you indulge. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre. It is very difficult to... (break) ...we can sometimes avoid the dictation of the genital, but it is very difficult to avoid the dictation of the tongue. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudur..., tā'ke jetā kaṭhina sam..., kṛṣṇa boda doyāmoy, kori bāre jihvā joy, sva-prasād-anna dilo bhāi. Now, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has returned so much nice foodstuff, prasādam; now we can eat and thereby we can conquer the dictation of the tongue.
Kṛṣṇa therefore wants this submissiveness. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). Just like we speak sometime to our disobedient son, "First of all you submit. Then I shall do whatever you are require." The same. We have to... Our, this material position is we are all puffed-up, unnecessarily. Although we are on the grip of material nature, we are very much puffed-up. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamāyī (BG 7.14). We are beaten every step, we are so beaten by the material nature, still I am thinking, "I am God." Every step. This position should be given up, and we have to become namanta eva, submissive. Then, becoming submissive, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, we have to hear about Kṛṣṇa from the Kṛṣṇa devotee, not from others, not from professional men, not from the impersonalists, even not from the yogi, but from the devotee, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya. Because they will misrepresent it. A devotee will not, never misrepresent. A devotee will say exactly what Kṛṣṇa says. He'll not adulterate. That is not his business. Therefore it is recommended that you should hear about the Supreme from the realized devotee. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtāṁ sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhir. You remain in your position. Remain in Calcutta, Bombay or any big city. Because nowadays, in this age is city life. No gentleman, no intelligent man lives in the village. So you remain there, but try to hear from the devotee about Kṛṣṇa.
Because they are, māyā is attacking you with these... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Guṇamayī. Guṇa means these qualities, the three modes of nature. The material nature is guṇamayī. Guṇamayī means involved or full of these three modes of material nature, guṇamayī. Maya means... Just like golden. It is smeared with gold or it is gold, you can..., you can say golden. Golden means it is made of gold or it is covered with gold glittering. Similarly, this māyā, this material nature, is made of these three modes of nature, sattva, rajas, tamas. Therefore it is called guṇamayī.
Guṇamayī... Another meaning of guṇa is rope. Just like you have seen rope. There are three layers, they are twisted very strong, and such rope becomes strong. So similarly, these three guṇas, these three modes of nature, are twisted like rope, and we are bound up. You cannot get out. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). If your hands and legs are tied with such rope, then it is very difficult. Similarly, we are all bound up. We are declaring freedom, and so many things, nonsense, we are speaking, but we have forgotten that we are under the grip of this māyā. Immediately, you can be overcome by māyā. Māyā is so strong.
None of them ever attended such Mahatma Gandhi's meeting, neither they invited Mahatma Gandhi. No. They never never recognized, recognized. Because what they have got to do with these political affairs? Just like... They know, this is the business of the crows. The crows will take interest in such meeting. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). What these politicians will do? They'll simply make plan. That's all. Hitler will make one plan, Mussolini will make one plan, Churchill will make another plan. Your Roosevelt will make another plan, Gandhi will make another. Simply planmaking business. They will never be able to bring any peace and prosperity in the world. That is not possible. Because it is under the grip of māyā. They do not know. The peace and prosperity means surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Then you become out of the clutches of māyā. That secret they do not know. They're simply making plans. That's all. So planmaking, will always be frustrated. So simply agitation; it has no meaning. Therefore those who are transcendentalists, they know, this is crow's meeting. Sometimes, you have not seen, crows meeting. Kaw kaw kaw kaw kaw kaw kaw. They are passing resolution.
This is intelligence. People are enamored by so-called education, so-called high post or nationality or family or beauty or opulence. These things will not save. We are under the grip of material nature. The... Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). You are working under the influence of certain material quality, and you are preparing your next life. You cannot say, "All right, I am very happy. I am... I'm born in America. My nation is very great nation, and we are very rich. So I shall, next life also, I shall come to America. I shall take my birth here and enjoy like this." Oh, that is not in your hand. That you cannot say. That is daiva-netreṇa. Daiva. Daiva means that is in the supernatural power. Daiva. The same thing: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). You cannot say. Daiva-netreṇa. You are preparing your life. The higher authorities will give you chance. If you prepare yourself nicely, you get good chance; you get birth in higher planet. Or if you prepare himself, yourself nicely, then you go to Kṛṣṇa even. Now it is your choice. It is your choice. But we must know that "What is my condition." If I am in darkness, I do not understand what is, in what condition I am living, this is conditional life. That's... Everyone can understand. That Sanātana Gosvāmī understood. And we should follow the footprints of Sanātana Gosvāmī.
There are so many reasons one may fall down. Not only... Actually, the reason is māyā. Māyā, māyā. It is a fight. To take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness means it is a fight against māyā. Māyā is trying to keep you captivated within this material world. But if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he, māyā has to give him up. Māyā cannot control anymore. That is not the jurisdiction of māyā. Because you have read in the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā: (BG 7.14) "It is very, very, very difficult to get out of the grip of the strong māyā." It is not... But mām eva ye prapadyante: "If anyone comes to Me or surrenders unto Me," māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14), "he immediately becomes out of the jurisdiction of māyā." So māyā is strong always. Just like I was explaining this morning what is māyā. Māyā is already there, side by side, Kṛṣṇa and māyā. Just like this light. This side is light; this side is darkness. Take this example. This light, the one side is very bright; another side is dark. So this darkness and this light is always side by side. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa and māyā... Because māyā is one of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. When Vyāsadeva by bhakti-yoga meditation experienced the whole thing, what did he see? He saw Kṛṣṇa. Apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam: "He saw the Supreme Person." Māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam: "And he saw also māyā on the back side." Just like when you, if you stand, the light side, your shadow is not on the light side. The light... The shadow is on the back side.
They have created the United Nations, but there is no solution because everyone is under the grip of the māyā, material energy, and they are simply creating problems. This is their business. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam (SB 1.7.5). Ātmānam. I am spirit soul, but I do not belong to these material qualities; still, I am thinking, ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. One cannot go beyond these three guṇas, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, or mixed. Three into three equal to nine, and again mix, nine into nine equals eighty-one. Therefore there are 8,400,000 species of living entities under the impression that "I am this; I am plant; I am fish; I am mosquito; I am man; I am demigod; I am tiger; I am Indian; I am American." In this way there are 8,400,000's of different types of identification. Therefore we find so many forms of life. Ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakaṁ manute. Yayā... This is all the work of māyā, to keep us under certain impression. And we work under certain impression and create another situation, and we get, "tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13)." Now, this life, if I create a situation like a dog, then I will get the body of a dog. That's all. Or if I create a situation like the demigod, then I can go to the heavenly planets. But if I create a situation that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then you go to Kṛṣṇa. This is wanted. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Create a situation. Don't create a situation that "I am this. I am that." Simply create a situation that you completely understand that "I have no other business than to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and my only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is wanted. That is called anartha upaśamam.
So anartha-nivṛtti, that is required because we are surrounded by so many anarthas, unwanted things. They are all impediments, stumbling blocks on our progressive journey to Kṛṣṇa realization. Here it is said anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānataḥ. People do not know it. Therefore vidvān, Vedavyāsa, he has compiled this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sātvata-saṁhitā. It is Vedic version, and directly to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and become free from all contamination of the material nature. Because we are now under the contamination of material nature.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
We are thinking we are very independent, we can do any nonsense, whatever we like. Who cares for...? But that is not good, because we are not independent. We are completely under the grip of material nature. Simply as a crazy man we declare independence. That is not a very good idea. We must know what are the anarthas and how we shall get out of it.
Unless a man is awakened to this consciousness, "Why?"—Kena Upaniṣad—he is not human being; he is animal. The animal cannot question. The dog cannot question that "Why I have got this dog's body, and my master has got the human body?" No. He has no such knowledge. But if a human being cannot consider that "I am also an animal, and this dog is also animal. I am situated so comfortably, and the dog is loitering in the street for a little food. Why this condition...?" So śāstra says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). One should think that "If I get another body, whether I shall get the dog's body or a human body or demigod's body?" That is consideration. That is intelligence. Not that "Because I have got this American comfortable body or Indian comfortable body, I should be very much satisfied and do whatever nonsense I think," no. We are under the grip of the stringent laws of material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. This is human intelligence. One should not be satisfied with this comfortable or so-called educated human body. We should be prepared what we are going to get next. That is real knowledge. Because it is anartha. Anartha means unwanted. "Why shall I get at all any body? I am eternal; I must live eternally." That is human knowledge. That is called brahma-jijñāsā.
Just like there is very, mean, forcible currents in the river, and if some animal is thrown in that, he'll be washed away. So we are being washed away by the currents one after another, of this material nature. Just like you have seen the big, big waves in the Pacific Ocean. Similarly, because we are under the grips of the material nature, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni gunaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), so we become under the influence of the three modes of material nature, and the, by the current of such material nature, we are being washed away, washed away. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says: māyāra vaśe yāccho bhese. "You are being washed away, carried away, by the currents." The currents also described. The first current is hunger. The second current is thirst. Similarly another current, janma mṛtyu, birth, death, old age. These are all currents. These are different currents of the material nature. We become hungry, we become thirsty. We become overwhelmed with regret, śoka moha, illusion, then birth, death, so many currents. We are being carried away. I am spirit soul. I am put into the material ocean, and the currents, currents are carried away. So here, if you be engaged, śṛṇvanti gāyanti abhīkṣṇaśaḥ, twenty-four hours, then the current, upāsanam, uparamam, the current will stop. No more you'll be carried away by these material current. Bhava pravāha uparamam. Where? Padāmbujam. "Your lotus feet. Your lotus feet." One how has learned how to see Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet and offer a little tulasī and sandalwood pulp, his, this current will stop. This current of material life will stop.
So, so long we are nonsense, we have to go, struggle for existence. Struggle for existence in this life. Suppose I am struggling, I am thinking, "If I could have possessed the strength of an elephant or a tiger, I would have been successful." Then next life he gets the body of lion, tiger, or elephant. Nature will give. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Whatever you want, He will give you, up to mukti. The Māyāvādī philosophers... Mukti means to merge into the existence of Brahman. Kṛṣṇa will give you very easily. But He is very strict to give you bhakti. That is His special... Because to the bhaktas, Kṛṣṇa, although the Supreme, He becomes within the grip of the bhaktas. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Adurlabha. For bhakta He becomes, He becomes controlled by the bhakta. The topmost bhakta is Rādhārāṇī. So although Kṛṣṇa is the īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, the supreme controller, He is controlled by Rādhārāṇī, because She is bhakta. Nobody can excel Her devotion, Her service. In sixty-four ways... These are described in the Bhakti-rasa..., Nectar of Devotion, how Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī excels in Her devotional service, everyone, everyone. There are stages, different. Just like the Pāṇḍavas, they are also bhaktas.
So why Kṛṣṇa will come to you, take your foodstuff? Because Kṛṣṇa wants that you surrender. That is required. That is required. Therefore we should serve Kṛṣṇa, because without bhakti, many times Kṛṣṇa has said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: (BG 18.55) "simply through bhakti." You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by your so-called scholarship, scientific knowledge and speculation. These are all useless, nonsense things. You cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa clearly said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Bhaktyā. Simply by devotional service one can understand. Bhakti means serving, service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). When you become in service attitude, just to serve Kṛṣṇa with humble attitude, with devotion, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal. Otherwise you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. If you think that "I am very rich man, I can offer Kṛṣṇa so many things, nice dress, nice foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa now is within my grip." No. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap. There also it is said that vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa because you are very learned scholar in Vedic knowledge. No. Vedeṣu durlabham, it is very difficult.
Without following the principles, religious principles... The human life is given a chance by the nature, that "In this life you make a solution of this birth and death," janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). So these rascals do not know that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi is actually problem. They are simply trying to solve so many temporary problems. They do not know the real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. Therefore, following the real religious principle means sad-dharma. That is lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau, the greatest benefit to the human society—to stop their repetition of birth and death. That is the greatest... That is the business of the Gosvāmīs. Not this, this party or that party, capitalism and communism, this "ism," that... What they will derive? You may follow capitalism or communism or this "ism," that "ism"; after death, you'll be immediately under the grip of material nature, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). "Now all your so-called rascal nationalism go to hell. You become a dog. Finish." That is nature's course. You have treated your life like cats and dogs. You did not take advantage of your human life. Now nature will give you, "All right, again you become cats and dogs." Punar mūṣiko bhava. They do not know. They do not know the secret science of nature. You may be a very great leader, prime minister now. Next life you are going to be a dog in Scandinavia.
Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. Simply if you understand Kṛṣṇa, everything will be known to you. And if you actually understand Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Immediately you are eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. Immediately. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). "That man who has understood Me rightly, he is no more coming back to accept this temporary material body. He comes to me." So try to understand Kṛṣṇa, and the beginning is karṇa-patha, these holes of the ear. Lend your ears to hear from the devotee. That's all. Na yat-karṇa-pathopetaḥ. It is not that you have to pass MAD, DHC, no.
Simply lend your ear, "Oh, let us hear about Kṛṣṇa." Then everything is all right. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Kṛṣṇa is unconquerable, but if you simply hear about Him in your position, śruti-gatām, through the aural reception, you will conquer Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Ajita, nobody can conquer Kṛṣṇa. But if you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, time will come, you will conquer Kṛṣṇa. Like the gopīs. They conquered Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was within the hand, or the grip, of the gopīs. Kṛṣṇa could not go away even an inch from Vṛndāvana on account of the gopīs. What was their education? They were village girls. Not even brāhmaṇa. Uneducated girls, village girls, but they conquered Kṛṣṇa. So this aural reception is so great.
A foolish puffed-up man defies the science of God and says that God has no meaning for him, but when is in the grip of God's law and is caught up with some disease like cerebral thrombosis, that godless man sinks into the ocean of nescience by the weight of his material acquisition. Advancement of material science without God consciousness is a heavy load on the head of human society. So one must take heed of this great warning.
The common man, if he has no time to worship the Lord, may at least engage his hands for a few seconds in washing or sweeping the Lord's temple. Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the greatly powerful king of Orissa, was always very busy with heavy state responsibilities, yet he made it a point to sweep the temple of Lord Jagannātha at Purī once a year during the festival of the Lord. The idea is that however important a man may be, he must accept the supremacy of the Supreme Lord. This God consciousness will help a man even in his material prosperity. Mahārāja Pratāparudra's subordination before Lord Jagannātha made him a powerful king, so much so that even the great Pathan in his time could not enter into Orissa on account of the powerful Mahārāja Pratāparudra. And at last, Mahārāja Pratāparudra was graced by Lord Śrī Caitanya on the very grounds of his acceptance of subordination to the Lord of the universe.
Therefore, if you become transcendental to your body, then your taste will be transcendental. If your taste is As the body is changing, ramamāṇa, you cannot enjoy. If you are in the transcendental position, you cannot enjoy like the woman in Hong Kong, finding out in the garbage. You see? So people are trying to give service to the humanity. What service they can take, give? I have got a taste for a certain thing. How you can change my taste? Ramamāṇa. I want to enjoy because I am under the grips of material nature. So I have got a certain type of taste. You cannot change it. If I say, "Don't drink," unless you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is impossible to give up this drinking. That has already been tested. The American government, they are trying. They are spending so much money to stop these intoxication habits of the young men. They cannot because they are ramamāṇa māyayā. They are pulled by the ear of the person: "You must drink this." Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Prakṛti, nature, material nature is pulling you: "You must drink." So unless one is free from the management of the prakṛti, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni, it is impossible. So they are trying to give lesson that "Don't drink." "Vegetarians." There are so many societies. In Hong Kong I saw so many societies.
Australia. Yes. There are so many societies, vegetarian societies, nondrinking societies. That is nice, but they cannot stay. By forming ordinary society or imposing some law by the state, you cannot stop. You have many laws to stop stealing, still there are thieves. That is not possible. You have so many laws not to do something. But because everyone is under the grip of prakṛti, material nature, how he can change? It is not possible. So that is the mistake of the modern civilization. They do not know that by passing laws or giving some moral instruction, we cannot change the habits. Prakṛti is very strong, material nature. The only solution is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless one comes to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform, he cannot give up his habits. It is not possible. So if you want to Therefore it is purificatory process. The more you advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become purified from all this influence of māyā, because it is acting by māyayā bahu-rūpayā. And as soon as you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if you have got a different form, a different bodily form, because you are aloof from that, your, you are not affected by the influence of māyā.
Just like anyone who is coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in any country, they are forgetting their bodily consciousness. Just like in our society we have got members from different parts of the world. Especially in Africa we have seen. There is very much distinction between white and black. But in our society there is no such distinction. The Indians there, they hated with the Because the Africans are working as servant to Indians.
We have to teach people that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Why you are occupying it unnecessarily?" Stena eva sa ucyate (BG 3.12). "You are thief. Why you are claiming Kṛṣṇa's property, 'This is my land, America,' 'This is my land, India,' 'This is my land, Pakistan'?" It is not your land; it is Kṛṣṇa's land. You are imagining, "This is my land." You come here for, say, twenty years, twenty-five years, fifty years, and fight between yourselves, "This is my Pakistan," "This is my Bhāratavarṣa," and fight. And when you die you do not claim either Pakistani or Indian or American or European. You flat, fall flat. That's all. And then taken away this body and thrown. That's all.
This is called māyā, moha, illusion. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). We have discussed this verse. This is illusion. Nothing belongs to us, but unnecessarily we are claiming, "This is my land," "This is my country," "This is my home," "This is my family," "This is my, my, my..." Mama. This is illusion. And in this way we are attached to this tree, saṁsāra-taroḥ, from one branch to another. Now I am Indian. I may be American next life, or I may be something else. I may be a cat, I may be a dog, or I may be something else. I may be a cat, I may be a dog, or I may be a demigod. That will depend on my work. But after death, you are completely under the grip of this material nature. Your dictation will not be that "Make me like this, make me again Indian," or "Again, again make me the nationalist of this country or that country." No. After death, everything is finished. You are no more nationalist or this proprietor or head or this nothing. But this is going on. So long we are in a position, falsely we are thinking and we are attached and we are suffering. This is the disease.
We cannot say, of course. They say that God is also, has become pig and they, eating stool, that is also līlā. This is the grossest offense on the feet of the Lord, to bring Him to the status of ordinary living being who is not independent. Dependent, it is clearly said. Therefore they manufacture these words, "daridra-nārāyaṇa," "this Nārāyaṇa," "that Nārāyaṇa," because they do not make any difference between Nārāyaṇa and the ordinary living entity. This is their philosophy.
But that is not the fact. Here it is said, tad asya saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ pāra-tantryaṁ ca tat-kṛtam. Pāra-tantrya, under the grip of the laws of material nature. How God can be under the grip of material nature? They explain, "It is līlā." But that is not. Here it is said, pāra-tantrya: "He is forced to accept a certain type of body." That is called pāra-tantrya. Saṁsṛtiḥ. This is punishment, saṁsṛtiḥ. Why saṁsṛtiḥ? On account of... (aside:) What is that? Sit down. Saṁsṛtiḥ. Saṁsṛtiḥ means punishment. Samyak rūpeṇa sṛtiḥ, going, progress, one after another, one after another, one after another, saṁsṛtiḥ, saṁsāra. So saṁsāra is not very palatable thing. Our Vaiṣṇava ācāryas say that saṁsāra is just like blazing fire. It is not a very nice... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). So does it mean that the Supreme Lord, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, He has come to suffer? And by force everyone in this material world is suffering saṁsṛtiḥ, and he is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? How wrong philosophy it is. No.
But we do not know what kind of body we are getting. Where is that science? Where is that education, that there is dehāntara-prāptiḥ, there is transmigration of the soul, and there are so many different types of body? Suppose in this body I am very comfortably situated, I am a very big man, or very great minister, politician, everything is all right—but in the next life, if I am going to get the body of a dog, who can check it? Nature's law will go on. At that time, as minister or big man, if you dictate that "Give me a body like this," oh, that will not be heard. You will get a type of body according to your karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). According to your karma, you will get a type of body. This is nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmani sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We are completely under the grip of nature's law. We cannot change it. If we challenge that "There is no death," no, death will come. That is nature's law. And if you want to stop death, then that is another process. That is described here. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet: (SB 5.5.1) You have to accept this process of austerity by which you will purify your existence. Then you will get deathless life, eternal. Yat gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. Tyakvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya. This is the science.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is tryng to give this Vedic culture all over the world, but they are after hogs and dogs. What can be done? This is very difficult job. But still we have to do, because we have placed ourself to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. Never mind we have to face so many dangerous positions; still we have to do this thankless task. "My dear brothers, do not be hogs and dogs. Be a saintly person." This is our mission. That is India's culture. Bhagavad-gītā, the same thing said: manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. Nobody is interested how to make this life perfect. Everyone is being carried away by the waves of material nature. This is not life. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a Bengali Vaiṣṇava poet, he has written one song, kena māyāra vaśe yāccha bhese kāccha hābu ḍubu bhāi. Jīva kṛṣṇadāsa ei viśvāsa korleto ār duḥkha nai. Māyāra vaśe. There is the laws of nature. We are under the grip of laws of nature. You cannot violate. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). If you have touched fire, it doesn't matter whether you are elderly person or a child, innocent or knowingly or unknowingly, the fire must burn. There is no excuse. Similarly, we are contaminating different types of modes of nature.
This is very important. Ṛṣabhadeva says, yadā na paśyaty ayathā guṇehāṁ svārthe pramattaḥ sahasā vipaścit. So we have to become intelligent that guṇehā... Guṇa, guṇa means these three guṇas, goodness, three modes of material nature. Everyone is trying to love one of these three guṇas: goodness, passion and ignorance. That is material existence. Somebody is trying to become brāhmaṇa, that is goodness. And somebody is trying to become a kṣatriya. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, these are under the influence of different modes of material nature. So even one is brāhmaṇa, he is also under the grip of material nature. And what to speak of one who is a śūdra or less than a śūdra. Everyone is trying to improve himself under the influence of certain modes of material nature. So when one becomes vipaścit, viveki... Vipaścit means enlightened. These, my activities under the influence of different modes of material nature, this is waste of time. Even if I become a brāhmaṇa, that is also waste of time, and what to speak of if I become a kṣatriya, passionate. Passionate... This vaiśya, this mercantile class of men, they are passionate and ignorance mixture. They are very active: "I am very running, I am very busy," but running here and there in ignorance. Just like you will see the monkey. Monkey is always very busy, but what is the meaning of his business? He is in ignorance. As soon as a monkey comes... You have so such disturbance.
So if we follow this leadership and if we act very nicely, very easily... Sukham. There is one verse in Sanskrit, Bhagavad-gītā, rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram idam uttamam, kartum avyayam. To perform this activity, it doesn't require much energy, much austerity. Simply you join the saṅkīrtana movement, and ecstasy you dance, take prasādam. By this process you are guaranteed; you will never go to the hellish planet. So this saṅkīrtana movement is so nice. Anyway, don't disbelieve. It is in the śāstra. So there are hellish planet, hellish birth, 8,400,000 species of birth. So we have to take information from the śāstra. Don't be foolish. You create your mental concoction. No, that will not help you, because you are not free. Nobody is free. Everyone is under the grip of material laws. Even if I think, "I am free," that is my foolishness. I will be forced to act. Even if I do not want to become old man, I will be forced to become old man. And if I, after this giving up this body, if I... Suppose nature is offering me a dog's body. If I say "No, no, I will not accept this," no, you will be forced to accept it. That is nature's law. But you can save yourself if you follow conscientiously. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act accordingly, then you will be saved. Otherwise there is no saving. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You will have to accept another body. And what is that body? That is not stated. That will be decided at the end of your life, at the time of your death, at the condition of your mind and intelligence at that time.
So this is the chance. We should not neglect. So if we misuse this human form of life like animals, then we are punishable. Then you have to go to the Yamarāja and he'll judge what kind of body you'll get. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Just like if you are criminal, then you are put into the magistrate's court and the magistrate decides what kind of punishment you must be given. So don't think you are, we are, every one of us, independent. No. No independent. And after death you are completely under the grip of material nature. That time you cannot say, "I don't care for anyone." No, you have to care. You can falsely become proud so long this body is there. You can talk all nonsense. But when the body is finished, now you are completely under the control of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Then your quality will be judged. Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everyone is under the control of this prakṛti, but rascals, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, too much bodily concept of life, bewildered, vimūḍha... Viśeṣa mūḍha, first-class rascal, vimūḍha. Vimudhātmā kartāham iti manyate. He says that "Whatever I like, I can do," kartā. No. That is not possible. So this life is preparation for the next life. You can prepare. It is in your hand. It is in your hand. God has given you the superior intelligence better than the animals. The animals are simply interested eating, sleeping, mating and fearing.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to remove this rascaldom, foolishness. That is the purpose of this movement, that "Sir, you are not independent. You are completely under the grip of material nature, and after death, your all independence finished. You are under the control of material nature, and you have to accept. A type of body will be forced upon you." Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). So how the next body is formed? Karmaṇā, by your activities. You are forming your next body. You are responsible for your next body. Therefore you should not become a tenth-class man like Ajāmila. Of course, Ajāmila is better than anyone. That will come. But we are creating this tenth class... No. Everyone has the chance to become first-class man and come to the understanding, the value of life, and mold our life so that we can, next life we can get better chance. The so-called Darwin's evolutionary theory... Some way or other, he brings to the human body, but he has not discussed what is after human body. He has avoided. But after this, that depends on your work. Because your consciousness is developed than the animal, than the cats and dogs. And the śāstra is giving you information, how you can get the other body, next body.
Although it is just like dream, say, ten years before or twenty years before, oh, I was in India. I was a family man. I was sitting with my wife and children and doing something else. Now that thing is now dream. So we are passing... Just like at night we dream something, so this is also another kind of dream, because this is concrete dream, and at night we see abstract dream. The quality is dream. Sometimes we are in abstract dream, and sometimes we are in concrete dream. This is also dream. We do not know how many lives we have passed before this, hundreds and thousands and millions. "Oh, sometimes I have been a cat." Oh, that is now dream. Sometimes I might have been a dog. Not might have been, because the evolution is there. We are coming by evolutionary process from aquatics to vegetable life, from vegetable to, I mean to say, reptile life, then, from bird's life, then beast's life, then uncivilized life. Then we have come to the civilized form of life under the grip of nature. So we have passed so many status of life. So they have become now dream. If somebody says, "Oh, forty millions of years before, you were a tree," so will you believe it? It is dream. But actually I was, by nature's law.
Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whomever you meet, you just try to give him some instruction of Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you cannot do, if you cannot speak on Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata or Bible or Koran—they're all books of knowledge, of Kṛṣṇa consciousness—you can simply say, "My dear friend, I've got one request to you." "What is that?" "Oh, please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Is it very difficult? But this is very difficult also, because people will take it very lightly: "Oh, what is there, Hare Kṛṣṇa?" because he does not know that the Hare Kṛṣṇa has so much potency that one day you can catch the Supreme Personality of Godhead within your grip. It is got so potency, so much. But he will say, "Oh, what is this nonsense, Hare Kṛṣṇa? You chant. I don't like it." But it is your duty. He may take it or not take it. If you ask somebody, "My dear friend, please once chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," that is your duty finished. He may accept or not accept—that doesn't matter. You have finished your spiritual mastership. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' sarva deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Yāre dekha tāre kaha... There is no question of who he is, what he is, where he is born, whether he is civilized, uncivilized, capitalist, communist or this or that, Indian, American, African. Never mind.
Material is valuable so far your material existence is concerned. That is also not valuable. Because if you try to protect this body by all kinds of knowledge, but it will not stay. And after giving up your this body, you have to accept another body. Then what is the value of material knowledge? This time you may have this human form of body, next time you may not have. Then what is the value of material knowledge? Because you cannot change the order of transmigration of the soul from one body to another. That you have to accept according to your karma. So, therefore, material knowledge will not help me. Therefore they struggle so. You are under the grip of natural laws, daivi hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). Natural, nature's law are very stringent. You cannot interfere with the... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). The prakṛti, the nature, material nature is so strong that you cannot interfere with her business, that is not possible. So your material knowledge will not help you, unless you have got Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge. You can, anyone can understand. Suppose if I want to protect this body with all hygienic principles, soaps and pumice and injection and medicine and so many things, does it mean that you shall live? Can you overcome the laws of nature? No, that is not possible.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So Lord Caitanya is explaining the position of the conditioned souls. They are completely under the grip of this material nature. And just like one is seated on the car and the driver drives him—if the driver is not under control, he drives him anywhere, to any hell—similarly, we are sitting on this car of this body, supplied by the material nature, and she is driving anywhere, sometimes up, sometimes down. In this way we are suffering life after life, birth after birth. This is our condition. We are not independent; completely under the stringent laws of material nature.
So daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya. The example is very nice, that a culprit is drowned in the water, again taken for some time to take breathing. He was suffocating. Nature... He's not meant to be killed, but he is to be given suffering in that way. So material nature is giving us suffering, miseries like that. Bhayaṁ dvitīya.
One who chastises the whole universe, whole creation, He is afraid of His mother. He becomes dependent as He likes. It is said in the śāstra that "When My devotee thinks Me dependent on him, oh, I like that. I like that." People always worship God as the sublime, but the devotee, they do not worship. They want to serve God as dependent. Just like mother serves the child as dependent. There is no purpose. The mother is satisfied simply by keeping the child in perfect order. Yes. There is no purpose. Similarly, when we shall be inclined to see that He is always satisfied, that is devotion. Then you can have God in your grip. You see? God is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, that He becomes just... Ajito 'pi. Nobody can conquer Him, but He becomes conquered by this kind of devotional service. You see? Ajito 'pi jito 'py asi. He becomes conquered. This is the process of conquering. What is the use of becoming one with God? You can conquer Him. You can have Him within your grips. Such is the process, devotional service. It is stated here. Ataeva. Therefore, Lord Caitanya concludes, ataeva 'bhakti'-kṛṣṇa-prāptyera upāya. Therefore, if you want Kṛṣṇa, then bhakti, the devotional service, is the only way.
So as we have seen that Lord Caitanya, when He instructs, He gives at once evidence from authoritative scripture, that is the way of presenting. Always you should remember that we cannot imagine about God: "I think God is like this." This is nonsense. You have no thinking power. You are under the grip of material nature. He is pulling. The material nature is pulling you by the ear, just like this. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are being acted, influenced. Just like the same example: You are thrown in the Atlantic Ocean. You have no power. By the waves you will have to work. The waves are tossing this way and that way. You are simply struggling. That's all. So how we can think independently within the tossing of Atlantic Ocean? This is all nonsense. So we cannot imagine, we cannot concoct, about God. We have to hear from authoritative scripture, authoritative version. Then we will understand.
The Brahma-saṁhitā describing about Kṛṣṇa, that īśvara, Lord... There are many lords. We have got experience. In England you will find many lords. We had some dealing with Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland. There are many lords. In your country also there are many lords. Any rich man is lord. In our country also there are many lords. But Kṛṣṇa is not a lord like them. These lords are under the grip of material nature. They are lord by name. But as soon as the material nature gives a slap on the lord, at once passed, everything lordship finished. So He is not a lord like that. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. He is Lord, but the Supreme Lord. He is not under anyone's control. Here the stamped lord, rubber-stamped lord, they are under full control. So they may say that "I am lord of all I survey," but it is all foolishness. Nobody is lord. The real Lord is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Parama means Supreme. And who is that Supreme Lord? Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
This life should be utilized. Now we are conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. It should be so utilized that no more coming back to United States of America and no more coming back of this condemned earthly planet. That should be the aim. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). We have to be determined to go back to Godhead, to Kṛṣṇa, where going nobody will come to this condemned place. One should know that this is a condemned place. Unless one is fully convinced that this is a place, condemned, one cannot make progress. If he is satisfied with this condemned condition... Just like these Bowery Street men, they are lying on the footpath. They are satisfied. Condemned condition, but they are satisfied. We should not be satisfied in that way. That is very wretched condition. So we are all in wretched condition under the grip of material nature, always suffering threefold miseries. So we should be conscious. Unless we are conscious about this fact, then our human life is spoiled. They say that you spiritualists, you are very pessimistic. Yes. He should be pessimistic. There is no question of being optimistic. Where is the optimistic view?
Festival Lectures
So you have taken a very nice line of activities, spiritual activities. Of course, as far as possible, we have tried to give you instruction, books. But remain always faithful to the spiritual master and try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Janma karma ca divyaṁ me yo jānāti tattvataḥ. The human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life. Any other so-called understanding, that is simply waste of time because we are under the grip of the material nature. You may be very learned scholar. You may be a fool. It doesn't matter. You are under the laws of material nature. So before finishing this small span of life... We have got this human form of life. It will be finished, as the cats' and dogs' life also finished. But if we try through the guru and Vaiṣṇava, then, we can achieve in this life the full success, not failure like cats' and dogs' life. That is the opportunity. So as far as possible, we are trying to lead you in this line, and you kindly follow. Then your life will be successful. That is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, the result will be that after giving up this body, you will not accept any more material body. You will remain in your spiritual body and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is your eternal life, blissful, full of knowledge. That is wanted. Otherwise, now you have got this very beautiful body, French girl, French boy, if you don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you lose the opportunity, then you may get, because you have got very good friend, dogs. So yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam (BG 8.6), so at the time of dying, you will think of dog and you will get a body of dog. This is a fact. Because you are under the grip of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). As you infect some disease, you must suffer from that disease. Similarly, the infection of ignorance, tamo-guṇa, will give you a tamo-guṇa body. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). Go down. Nature gives you the opportunity: get a nice human form of body, nice brain, try to understand what is God. But if you misuse it, then again go to become cats and dogs and hogs. This is nature's law. Don't risk your life. Always think of Kṛṣṇa. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). These things are explained.
Initiation Lectures
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... They are trying to go to the nature. Just like there is a propaganda, nature means to become animal. They live like animals, naked. They have sex life on the street. They say it is freedom. But the rascals do not know there is no freedom at all. Where is freedom? So long you are under the grip of material nature, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), where is freedom? By nature does not mean that you have got freedom. There is no freedom. We are all conditioned. Simply falsely we are thinking of freedom. It requires little brain. Where is freedom? Nobody wants to die, and where is the freedom not to die? Who has got the freedom? Nobody wants to become old, and where is the freedom? Everyone becomes old. But I have got the desire. Even old man, old woman tries to remain young by cosmetic help, to be good looking, and where is the freedom? By nature he is becoming bad looking. So there is no freedom. It is false idea, freedom. Nobody wants to die; death is sure. (aside:) He's sleeping. Nobody wants to become old; he's becoming old. Nobody wants to take birth... Of course, that is very higher stage. Jñānī, they want mukti; that is also not possible.
General Lectures
We are called vibhinnāṁśa, separated extension. Separated extension means just like this finger is the part of your body, but when it is separated from the body for some reason... The finger's name is "finger," but it is separated; it is no longer used for the whole body. Similarly, the conditioned souls, we... We have come to this material world being conditioned by the laws of material nature; therefore our so-called independence is bogus. There is no independence. We are completely under the grip of material nature, so therefore we are separated. When we are again joined with Kṛṣṇa, then we are one with Kṛṣṇa. Just like this finger is one with this body; although it is called finger, but it is the same. The importance of the finger is as good as the whole body. Similarly, when we shall join again with Kṛṣṇa, then we become as good as Kṛṣṇa, advaya-jñāna, absolute. Just yesterday, day before yesterday, I was explaining, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32). Every part, every limb of Kṛṣṇa has got the potency of acting like other limb. We can only see with our eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can eat also with His eyes. Therefore absolute.
You cannot avoid it. Similarly, you may have hundreds or thousands of heating arrangements; still, you have to feel the effects of the cooling effect of winter season. You cannot... Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). We have traveled all over the world. I have seen different climatic influence, how people are suffering. In the Western countries they are thinking that "Indians are very happy because the country is very warm," and we are thinking that "The Western people are very happy because the country is very cold." But nobody is happy; that is a fact—neither the Westerners nor the Easterners—because all of them under the grip of māyā. That is a fact. So in this way you cannot escape the stringent laws of māyā, or material nature. That is impossible. That is said by Kṛṣṇa Himself. It is not my statement. Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot escape. Suppose you are escaping by some arrangement, by heating arrangement, by cooling arrangement. But that does not mean by that process you will escape the actual laws of material nature. Just like we have got cold storage.
That is the advice of Prahlāda Mahārāja also. Prahlāda Mahārāja appeared some millions of years ago, and he was a five-years-old boy, Vaiṣṇava. He says, kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. Prājñaḥ means one who knows very perfectly things, prājñaḥ. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). There are different types of dharma, but he specifically mentioned dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Iha means in this life, in his human form of life. Why in this life? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. This life, this human form of life, is very difficult to obtain again. You do not know what life you are going to accept next. There is no certainty, because when you die, then you cannot be puffed up that "I don't care for God, I am God." Then you are under the grip of the material nature.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Then you cannot... You are caught up. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Then it will be just what kind of body you should have. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1), under superior administration. Just like in the government service there is service record. And according to the service record, one is promoted or degraded. Similarly, there is record in the God's accountant department, statistic department. Every moment, upadraṣṭā anumantā, God is within you, He is seeing all your activities. If you desire something, God will remind you.
He, God said, Kṛṣṇa said, that "Out of many millions of person, one is interested to make his life success." This is not success, that "I can eat whatever I like. There is no checking. And I have got very nice car, and I have got very nice apartment. And I have got nice bank balance. So now life is, my, perfect." This is not perfection, because we are under the grip of the laws of material nature. Material nature is controlling. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). How the material nature is controlling? She has got machine, three modes of material nature. So kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). They are contacting either of these three modes of material nature and thus being infected. We know that if we infect some disease knowingly or unknowingly-generally we infect unknowingly-later on that disease becomes developed. This is law of nature. Not that you do not know when you infected that particular disease... That is no excuse. You have infected yourself with this kind of disease; you must suffer. This is knowledge. Similarly, there are three kinds of infection, modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance.
Just like the father and the son—the relationship is already there. It is not... But still, sometimes the son goes out of home and may be forgetting his father. Similarly, we are out of home. We have come from the spiritual world in this material world. We have forgotten our father. So we have to revive this relationship with our father, or God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is the main business of human life. In other species of life lower than the human being it is not possible to revive our old relationship with God. But in this life... Therefore this is the greatest opportunity. After all, we are under the grip of material nature's law. That is explained in there. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). According to our desire, we are creating a different type of body, and after death, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Just like the child is become a boy, the boy is becoming young man, the young man is becoming middle-aged man, and the middle-aged man is becoming old man. So what is next after the old body? The next is tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: you have to accept another body. This is called chain or cycle of birth and death, or transmigration of the soul. This is going on. So if you want to... But nobody wants to die. Nobody wants to change this body. But this is a problem. One should know it. That is the first instruction given by Kṛṣṇa... (break) ...Arjuna, that we are changing. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. So this is the opportunity, human life. If we want to stop this repetition of birth and death under different obligation and different circumstances, we should take instruction from Kṛṣṇa, try to understand Kṛṣṇa—that is Bhagavad-gītā—and make our life successful so that... Understanding Kṛṣṇa means, as it is stated, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).
| Page Title: | Grip (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Matea |
| Created: | 21 of Mar, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=58, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 58 |