The śāstra does not stop sense gratification. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. If the nature law allows sense gratification to the lower animals, birds and beast, why not to the man? But it should be controlled. Tapasya.
So this is also tapasya. Just like if one man is satisfied with one man . . . one woman, or one woman is satisfied with one man and live peacefully, that is tapasya. Because natural inclination is that, "I want to enjoy that man or that woman." But if you can control that you be satisfied with that, with woman or with one woman, that is called tapasya. That is austerity. That is, voluntarily, you are restraining himself. Tapasya means voluntary restraint.
In India, still, the system is followed in conservative families that a widow cannot marry. There is no widow marriage in India. They, the . . . Manu-saṁhitā, the law-givers, the saintly persons, Manu-saṁhitā . . . why widow marriage is prohibited? The idea is generally, everywhere, in all countries, the female population is greater than the male population. So the idea is that she has become widow. She was once married. Now if again she is married, the another virgin girl, she does not get the chance of being married. Therefore there is no widow marriage according to Hindu scripture.
And a man is allowed, if he is, I mean to say, able man, he can marry more than one wife. Not that simply marry. To get more than one wife does not mean sense enjoyment. The wife must be maintained very respectfully. She must have good house, good ornaments, good food, good servants, good children. Then one can marry. Not that simply for sense gratification.
Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa married sixteen thousand wives. And sixteen thousand wives, sixteen thousand palaces. And each wife, ten children. And Nārada wanted to see how Kṛṣṇa is managing these sixteen thousand wives. He wanted to visit each and every palace, and he saw that everywhere Kṛṣṇa is present. That means not that He remained one and there were sixteen thousand. Because there were sixteen thousand wives, so with each and every wife He was present. That is God. He can expand Himself. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37).
Akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. He is all-pervading. Why sixteen thousand wives? If He's omnipotent, all-powerful, then sixteen millions of wives also insufficient for Him. So the program of sense gratification should be minimized, and that is called tapasya. The program of sense gratification should be minimized, and that is called tapasya, tapo. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1).
Then, "Why I shall minimize my sense gratification? If I have got opportunity, I must utilize it to the best of my capacity." That is being done not only now; every time. No. You have to do it—divyam, for self-realization, for God-realization. You have to save your time. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā. And what is the purpose of that self-realization, or God-realization? That is yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet. Then your existence will be purified.
What is the necessity of purifying my existence? Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed yasmāt. If you purify your existence, then yasmād brahma-saukhyam (SB 5.5.1), you'll relish unlimited pleasure. You are after now temporary pleasure by sense gratification, but in this life, in this human form of life, if you control your sense gratification and utilize the time for self-realization, so as soon as you are self-realized man or Brahman-realized man, then your happiness is unlimited.
You are after happiness. Your sense gratification means you are after happiness, but this happiness is temporary. Any material happiness, it has no continuity. It has got limit. But if you want . . . but my desire is to have unlimited happiness, unlimited life, unlimited knowledge. If you want that, so try this life, this human form of life. Don't waste it simply after sense gratification, but practice austerity.
Minimize your sense gratification. Be satisfied whatever is offered by nature or by God. We don't . . . not complete abstinence, but regulate it, and the balance time utilize for self-realization. Then your perfection will be there by which you'll live eternally, you will enjoy eternally and your knowledge will be unlimited.
So Ṛṣabhadeva instructed in this way. It is very instructive chapter, if you continue to understand this instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva. Now we have only read one verse. The next verse is that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā. If you want this platform of self-realization, or spiritual life, then your engagement should be mahat-sevā, to serve a great soul, to associate with great soul. Then that will be possible. We shall discuss this next śloka, mahat-sevā. Who is mahat, who is great soul, how to serve, everything we shall discuss next meeting.
Thank you very much. Any questions?
(break) You have got intelligence, you have got brain. If there is any doubt, whatever is spoken . . . it is not dogmatic, I mean to say, pushing, or thrashing something. No. It is scientific and reasonable, whatever is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Amalaṁ purāṇam. It is spotless. Nobody can find any fault. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalam means spotless. Yes.