Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa te kāraṇa lagilā mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa. Karma-bandha-phāṅsa means entangled. Sometimes we have got experience, that threads, they become entangled. It is very difficult to find out where the beginning is. Sometimes spoiled. So, on account of our attachment to this material body, we are becoming entangled. Sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa. This meeting, as we are holding, this is called sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga because here there is no other business, talking all nonsense, some material things. Here only we talk about the spirit soul, about Kṛṣṇa, about relationship with Kṛṣṇa, how to act to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This is the business here. That is the reference. (?) Formerly, this place, Manor, was known as Piggot's Manor. Now we have named Bhaktivedanta Manor. What is the difference? Formerly, it was for sense gratification. Now it is meant for elevating one to the spiritual standard of life. So anything can be changed like that for sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅgāt mukta duḥsaṅga. If you continue sat, as it is said, sat-saṅga, then you advance in spiritual life. And if you associate with asat, then you become degraded. This is the policy. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu asate vilāsa te kāraṇe lagilā mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa. Don't be entangled. Try to become liberated from the entanglement. That is the mission of life.
Karma bandha
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
Ahaṅkāra, or false ego, is transformed into the demigods, the controlling directors of material affairs. As an instrument, the false ego is represented as different senses and sense organs, and as the result of the combination of the demigods and the senses, material objects are produced. In the material world we are producing so many things, and this is called advancement of civilization, but factually the advancement of civilization is a manifestation of the false ego. By false ego all material things are produced as objects of enjoyment. One has to cease increasing artificial necessities in the form of material objects. One great ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, has lamented that when one deviates from pure consciousness of Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes entangled in material activities. The exact words he uses are, sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa/ te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa: "I have given up the pure status of consciousness because I wanted to enjoy in the temporary, material manifestation; therefore I have been entangled in the network of actions and reactions."
SB Canto 4
Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung:
- sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa
- te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa
As long as a person is entangled in fruitive activities, he is bound to accept one body after another. This is called karma-bandha-phāṅsa—entanglement in fruitive activities. It does not matter whether one is engaged in pious or impious activities, for both are causes for further entanglement in material bodies. By pious activities one can take birth in a rich family and get a good education and a beautiful body, but this does not mean that the distresses of life are ultimately eliminated. In the Western countries it is not unusual for one to take birth in a rich aristocratic family, nor is it unusual for one to have a good education and a very beautiful body, but this does not mean that Westerners are free from the distresses of life. Although at the present moment the younger generation in Western countries has sufficient education, beauty and wealth, and although there is enough food, clothing, and facilities for sense gratification, they are in distress. Indeed, they are so distressed that they become hippies, and the laws of nature force them to accept a wretched life. Thus they go about unclean and without shelter or food, and they are forced to sleep in the street. It can be concluded that one cannot become happy by simply performing pious activities. It is not a fact that those who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth are free from the material miseries of birth, old age, disease and death. The conclusion is that one cannot be happy by simply executing pious or impious activities. Such activities simply cause entanglement and transmigration from one body to another. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura calls this karma-bandha-phāṅsa.
King Prācīnabarhiṣat admitted this fact and frankly asked Nārada Muni how he could get out of this karma-bandha-phāṅsa, entanglement in fruitive activities. This is actually the stage of knowledge indicated in the first verse of Vedānta-sūtra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one actually reaches the platform of frustration in an attempt to discharge karma-bandha-phāṅsa, he inquires about the real value of life, which is called brahma jijñāsā. In order to inquire about the ultimate goal of life, the Vedas enjoin, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "In order to understand the transcendental science, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master."
King Prācīnabarhiṣat found the best spiritual master, Nārada Muni, and he therefore asked him about that knowledge by which one can get out of the entanglement of karma-bandha-phāṅsa, fruitive activities. This is the actual business of human life. Jīvasya tattva jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. As stated in the Second Chapter of the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.10), a human being's only business is inquiring from a bona fide spiritual master about extrication from the entanglement of karma-bandha-phāṅsa.
The words bhrāmyan saṁsāra-vartmasu are significant. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC Madhya 19.151), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very clearly explains: brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva. All living entities are wandering in different types of bodies throughout different planets, and if, in the course of their wanderings, they come in contact with a devotee by the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their lives become successful. Even though King Prācīnabarhiṣat was engaged in fruitive activity, the great sage Nārada appeared before him. The King was very fortunate to be able to associate with Nārada, who enlightened him in spiritual knowledge. It is the duty of all saintly persons to follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni and travel all over the world to every country and village just to instruct illusioned persons about the goal of life and to save them from the entanglement of karma-bandha, fruitive activity.
SB Canto 5
Following the orders of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the goddess Durgā creates, maintains and annihilates. Śrī Kṛṣṇa also confirms this statement in Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: "This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings." (BG 9.10)
We should worship the demigods in that spirit. Because the goddess Durgā satisfies Kṛṣṇa, we should therefore offer respects to goddess Durgā. Because Lord Śiva is nothing but Kṛṣṇa's functional body, we should therefore offer respects to Lord Śiva. Similarly, we should offer respects to Brahmā, Agni and Sūrya. There are many offerings to different demigods, and one should always remember that these offerings are usually meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bharata Mahārāja did not aspire to receive some benediction from demigods. His aim was to please the Supreme Lord. In the Mahābhārata, among the thousand names of Viṣṇu, it is said yajña-bhug yajña-kṛd yajñaḥ. The enjoyer of yajña, the performer of yajña and yajña itself are the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the performer of everything, but out of ignorance the living entity thinks that he is the actor. As long as we think we are the actors, we bring about karma-bandha (bondage to activity). If we act for yajña, for Kṛṣṇa. there is no karma-bandha. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ: (BG 3.9)) "Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed. otherwise work binds one to this material world." (BG 3.9)
We get different types of bodies among 8,400,000 species according to our karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa: (SB 3.31.1) we work under the influence of material nature contaminated by the three modes, and thus we get a certain type of body according to superior order. This is called karma-bandha. To get out of this karma-bandha, one must engage himself in devotional service. Then one will not be affected by the modes of material nature.
- māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
"One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman." (BG 14.26) To remain immune from the material qualities, one must engage himself in devotional service—śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). That is the perfection of life. When Mahārāja Bharata took birth as a brāhmaṇa, he was not very interested in the duties of a brāhmaṇa, but within he remained a pure Vaiṣṇava, always thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord. As advised in Bhagavad-gītā: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is the only process by which one can be saved from the danger of repeated birth and death.
SB Canto 8
The Supreme Personality of Godhead assured Prahlāda Mahārāja: You shall be able to see Me there in My usual feature with conchshell, disc, club and lotus in My hand. Because of your transcendental bliss due to always personally seeing Me, you will have no further bondage to fruitive activities.
Karma-bandha, the bondage of fruitive activities, entails the repetition of birth and death. One performs fruitive activities in such a way that he creates another body for his next life. As long as one is attached to fruitive activities, he must accept another material body. This repeated acceptance of material bodies is called saṁsāra-bandhana. To stop this, a devotee is advised to see the Supreme Lord constantly. The kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, or neophyte devotee, is therefore advised to visit the temple every day and see the form of the Lord regularly. Thus the neophyte devotee can be freed from the bondage of fruitive activities.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So where is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you diligently study and try to understand, you remain fully Kṛṣṇa conscious always. Everything is there. What is my position, how I am working, how I am dying, how I am getting body, how I am wandering. Everything is detail is there. Simply one has to become little intelligent. But we remain unintelligent, rascal, because we are associating with rascals. These rascal philosopher, religionists, avatāra, bhagavān, swami, yogis, and karmīs. Therefore we have become rascals. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu asate vilāsa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore regrets that "I gave up the association of the devotees. I simply associate with these all rascals." Asat, asat-saṅga. Te kāraṇe lāgile mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa: "Therefore I have become entangled in this repetition of birth and death." Te kāraṇe. "So give up this." Cāṇakya Paṇḍita also says, tyaja durjana-saṁsargam, "Give up the association of these rascals." Bhaja sādhu-samāgamam, "Only associate with devotees." This will be the right. We are establishing different centers, not for sense enjoyment, but for good association of devotees. If we miss this, those who are working, those who are managers of this institution, they must always know that we cannot make this institution or this center as a brothel. There must be such management and or such arrangement that we must have always good association for advancement. That is required.
Karma-bandham. You act something, and there is reaction. That is called karma-bandha. We can understand very easily. Whatever you act, there is reaction. Good act or bad act... There are two things. So if while in this body we act piously, then our future is very good. If we act impiously, then our future is not very good. So actually we should act piously, not impiously. That is human life. We should know what kind of action we should do. In the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā you'll find pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsura-janāḥ: (BG 16.7) "Those who are asuras, they do not know what kind of action should be done and what kind of action should not be done." Not that "Anything I like at my whims..." That is not... At least for human being, he should not do. Even in the state laws, if you act whimsically, whatever you like, you'll be liable to so many difficulties, and what to speak of spiritual life?
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So without religious life, so-called economic development, it means implication. He's becoming implicated. Sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa. Why there should be thieves? If the society is based on religion, why there should be thieves? Why there should be rogues? There cannot be. Because they're not trained. The same boys and girls, European boys, American boys and girls... Just think of your past life and now this life. Why there is difference? Because it is based on religion. Based on religion. Therefore religion, then economic development. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Ātma-dharma or bhāgavata-dharma. Ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet. The śāstra says to protect yourself, that is a... What is called? In English there is a proverb: "Self-preservation is the first law of nature"? What is that? So self means soul. Your soul may not fall down. That is your first business. Ātmā, ātmā means soul, mind, and the body. So we have taken body. Everyone is prepared... Now people are not even anxious how to protect this body. They violate so many laws of eating, sleeping, mating, and become diseased. Even they do not know how to protect this body, what to speak of the mind and the soul. They're so rascal. Ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet tato dharmaṁ tato dhanam.(?) That is the version in the Vedic literature, that "Try to protect yourself first, then dharma, then your religious principle, then dhana, then money." But at the present moment they don't care for the self; they don't care for religion. They want simply money.
So this is karma-bandhana. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings therefore,
- sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa
- te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa
This knot, karma-bandha-phāṅsa. Sat-saṅga, this is sat-saṅga. This is sat-saṅga. You are hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the front of Kṛṣṇa and practicing how to become pure. This is called sat-saṅga. And asat-saṅga means this intoxication, illicit sex and drinking, so many things, asat-saṅga. The advertisement, "Come on, here is cigarette, 'Kool,' make your brain cool." (laughter) "By smoking." (laughter) Rascal. They think that "I am smoking..." How it can be cool? But they purchase Kool. This is called māyā. He's smoking fire, and he's becoming cool. (laughter) And the advertisement is going on, and the rascals are captivated by these advertisement, and they smoke, become cool. Yes.
They want freedom. In the freedom, in the name of freedom, they are becoming animals. That's all. This is the civilization. But here it is said, kovida, intelligent. Intelligent man should take up this sword to cut the knot of our attachment for this material enjoyment. What is that? Anudhyāsinā. Anu means always. Another anu means following. Anu means always, and anu means following. Following means spiritual master or ācārya. Ācāryopāsanam. "How ācārya, how spiritual master dealing, let me follow that." Or, anu, as soon as he becomes accustomed, then anu, anukṣaṇa, always chanting. Anudhyāsinā. Asinā, asinā means by sword. Anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ, karma-bandha-nibandhana. We have to cut up this knot of karma-bandhana. By the karma-bandhana, we are transmigrating from one soul, one body to another. This is not Darwin's theory. I am the soul. I am changing, I am selecting my body, in this life. Not that by nature there is a, I mean to say, gradual evolution. Not evolution, it is already there. This living entity simply enters a particular type of body. Actually, it enters, because... Suppose I am doing something, my next life has to become a dog, that is my punishment. Then I'll have to enter into the womb of a dog mother, and she will give me the body of dog. Then I come out and enjoy like dog. This is the law. This is the law. Not that my body is turning.
So there are so many difficulties. But these difficulties will increase. It will not decrease. They are making so many plans to minimize the difficulties. But actually, because they are fools and rogues, they cannot make anything improvement. They have become involved in more difficulties. That Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa. We do not consult the śāstra or the unmistakable way of improvement. We manufacture our own concoction. And therefore we are becoming more and more entangled. We do not take right direction. That is our folly in this age. We do not accept authority. We want to become authority ourself: "I am authority." Everyone wants to become authority. And that is being supported by so-called swamis, "Yes, you can manufacture your own religion."
You have to be very serious to understand your relationship with God and go back to Godhead. Then your life will be successful, not that simply by understanding little. No. That is the same position. Just like you cannot derive any benefit or you cannot sit down very nicely in a tottering ship, so if you keep your life always tottering... That tottering, that stage, or, I mean to say, what is called, tilting stage of life can be stopped only by devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). One has to make his life tranquil. How this is possible? By this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, it is not possible. We have to disinfect us, counteract all result of sinful activities. Asat. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa. If we give up sat-saṅga, association of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, and if we simply take pleasure in the materialistic way of life, then we shall be entangled, simply entangled. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu asate vilāsa.
Just like this bali-dāna. Bali-dāna, before the goddess Kālī, if it is done properly, then the goat which is sacrificed before the goddess Kālī, it gets immediately a human body which would have taken so many years, millions of years to come to the, but because it is being sacrificed, that is the Vedic mantra. Therefore, but this man who is killing, he has to become goat to be sacrificed by this goat having taken birth as human being. Therefore it is called karma-bandha. Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. So there are rules and regulations. So his only aim is to eat some meat. So he can take this risk. You eat meat, but give the, what is called, facility (to) the animals to become human being immediately after death. That facility is given to (indistinct), so that he can also take advantage of... Māṁsa. Sa māṁ khadati iti māṁsaḥ. So these things are there. Na me syān nirayān mokṣaḥ. There was a king who killed so many animals for sacrifice. So when he was entering heaven... I forgot the name, famous king. So many souls were ready for killing him, because he killed so many animals. So therefore it is said, ordinarily, nirayān mokṣaḥ. We have to take responsibility for all this, nirayān mokṣaḥ. Why? Hy api varṣāyutāyutaiḥ. Ayuta, ten hundred thousand million.
two things: one thing will exist permanently, and one thing will not exist. It may exist for few minutes, or few hours or years. So this material world is asat, because it will not exist. Just like your this material body, it will not exist. Everyone knows. Everyone knows that it is born at a certain date, it will continue for certain years, it will produce some by-products, it will change into different forms, and then it will become old and then dwindle and one day finish. This is called ṣaḍ-vikāra, six kinds of changes. It is not progress. If one is progressing in his age, it is not progress. It means he is going to death. Suppose I am seventy-eight years old. So I have... Seventy-eight years I have already died. Only, say two or five years, or something like remaining balance. So people say "advanced age." No. Advanced in death, not advanced in age. So this is asat. It will not stay. It has begun to die from the very moment of his birth. If you ask a newly born child how old it is, the mother says, "It is one month old." So one month means he has already died one month. And balance months and years he has to die. Simply he has to wait for that death. So this kind of duration of life is called asat. And this kind of existence, the material existence, it also asat. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa. "I gave up sat-saṅga, oṁ tat sat, spiritual society. I associated myself with the material society. Therefore I am now entangled by karma by karma, one after another, one after another."
So the real purpose is that we should give up this asat-patha. You sit properly, it is not... Asat-patha and sat-patha. Here it is said sat-patham. Sat-patham means our permanent goal of life. We are now interested with nonpermanent goal of life. People are thinking, "If I get a nice car, a nice apartment, a nice wife, a nice bank balance, then I will be happy." But this is asat, because none of this will stay. The bank balance also will not stay, the wife also will not stay, and good position, that will not... As soon as the body is finished, everything is finished. Therefore they are called asat. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, sat-saṅga chāḍi'kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇe lāgila mor karma-bandha-phāṅsa. Sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga means persons who are making progress towards the permanent life. They are called sat. Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This movement means we are training our disciples how to make progress towards permanent life. And the material world means they are making progress towards nonpermanent life. So those who are intelligent, they are not interested in nonpermanent life. And those who are foolish, mūḍha, they are interested in this temporary life, and they do not know what is there after death, neither they have got any knowledge what is spirit, what is matter. Ignorance. In darkness.
So actually we are, by advancing this materialistic way of life, for the time being we may feel happy, but we do not know how much risk we are taking in our life. That science is not yet discussed. That science is described in the Bhagavad-gītā that if you hear also, we have begun, that this life is not meant for simply sense gratification with hard labor. No. This life is meant for restraining. Restraining. Tapa. We have to restrain our business of sense gratification. Without restraining our business of sense gratification, it is not possible to make ourselves liberated. That is not possible. This is entanglement. Sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilās. If people give up the association of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society and they simply indulge in the sense gratificatory process, then more and more they'll be entangled. Sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilās, te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅs. People are now entangled in hard working. Actually, human life should be very easy, very easy. No hard work. Living very simple life and eating very healthy food, living in open space, no quarrel, no antagonism, everyone is happy, everyone is free. That is human civilization. Not to become entangled. But at the present moment we have become entangled. So Ṛṣabhadeva says that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If we actually want liberation from this entanglement, then we should associate with mahātmās, great souls. And who is a great soul? That is being described.
So budha means one who is aware of everything, jñānī. Budhā bhāva-samanvitaḥ (BG 10.8). Such budha, intelligent person, will not accept these base qualities. Kāma, manyur means greediness, lusty; madaḥ—madness; lobha... Mada, mada? Kāmo manyur mada. What is mada? Madness? Mada—pride, yes. Kāmo manyur mado lobhaḥ—greediness; śoka—lamentation; moha—illusion; bhaya... Bhaya means when we are too much materially absorbed then there is bhaya. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. So long we are interested in bodily concept of life, these things are manifested. And when we are spiritually identified, so there is no more kāma-lobha-bhaya-śoka-bhayādayaḥ. Śoka-moha-bhaya apahaḥ. Spiritual means, advanced means śoka moha bhaya, these things are not existing. These are the symptoms of karma-bandha. But if we devote ourselves in the bhakti-yoga, in the service of the Lord, then the face of these things will change. The face of these things will change.
So kāma, and the proof is because in the material world everyone wants to fulfill his own desire, therefore when the desire is not fulfilled he becomes angry, manyu. The next stage is manyu. Manyu means anger. And mada, then pride, then greediness, then śoka. These are different stages. Lamentation, bhaya. So many things. What is the cause? The root cause is karma-bandha. Because I am bound up by the resultant action of my past karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa yantra-dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). By the superior arrangement, according to my karma I get a body with varieties of kāma, krodha, moha, like that. Kāma, because somebody has got the body of a human being, his kāma, desires, are different from the hogs and pigs because he has got a different body. He has got also kāma, and the human body, he has human being, he has got also kāma. But one is desiring to have a very palatable dish, and the other is desiring stool. The different..., according to the bodies the desires are (indistinct)-less. So conclusion is that when you get your spiritual body then the desire will be different. And that is prema. Desires are going on. Now the desires are designated. Designated. Because one has got a particular type of body, his desires are different from another because another person, he has got a particular type of body. But in the spiritual world, because there is no material body, only desire is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Kāma kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe. This is spiritual. Spiritual means when the center is Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual. Otherwise it is material. That is material means to forget Kṛṣṇa and satisfy His own senses. That is material.
Kāma kṛṣṇa. Otherwise karma-bandhana. Yajñārthe karmaṇe anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Whatever you do, if it is for Kṛṣṇa, then you are liberated. Otherwise karma-bandha, you are bound up by the laws of nature, karma-bandha. So karma-bandha yān mūlaḥ. If we act for our sense gratification, then this kāma-krodha is bondage. And if we don't accept this karma-bandha, then you are liberated. Very easy thing. So we have to purify our desires. Sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When we give up this conception of life that "I am Indian," "I am Christian," 'I am Hindu," "I am this and that," these are upādhis. So while serving Kṛṣṇa, don't come back to the upādhi platform, that "We are Indians and they are Europeans, so they are taking more advantage and we are not given advantage," or visa versa. This means coming back to the upādhi. That is not the stage of devotion. We have to become free from the upādhi. "I am neither Indian nor American. I am eternally Kṛṣṇa's servant." That's all. "Whatever Kṛṣṇa orders, in whichever position he keeps me, I am his eternal servant." This is upādhi-mukta-nirmalam, pure stage.
Don't be implicated in the ugra-karma. Modern civilization is implicated in ugra-karma—vast machinery, everything complicated. The government complicated, the society complicated, economics rule complicated, foreign exchange complicated. Everything has become complicated. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung very nice song. Satsaṅga chāri kainu asatye vilās, ei kāraṇe lāgila more karma bandha-phāṅsa. Because we have given up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we have been entangled in the different varieties of material activities. Now we have to simplify it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to simplify, to save the valuable life, to save the time of valuable life. This human form of life is very valuable. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births we have got this important life. So we have to save our time to utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That should... So far we have got this material body, we want to maintain it. The body and souls live together. That is all right. For that, Kṛṣṇa has given every chance. Anywhere you sit down, you have got land and cow. You produce something and cow's milk. That is sufficient for maintenance.
Unfortunately they'll not associate with sādhu. Sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇa lāgila mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings that "I have given up sādhu-saṅga." Sat-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga. Satāṁ-prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. If you discuss message of Kṛṣṇa amongst the sādhus, satāṁ prasaṅgāt, then it becomes very palatable. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Not professional or asādhu. Asādhu is condemned. Sanātana Gosvāmī has strictly forbidden. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. He has strictly forbidden. Those who are not Vaiṣṇavas, professional, for money's sake they recite Bhāgavata, any, anything. They want money. Sometimes they may recite Bhāgavatam. Sometimes they flatter you. Sometimes they read other book also. They want money. Such kind of association will not help you. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. That is the same thing, Narottama dāsa, sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te kāraṇe lāgila mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa. This karma-bandha-phāṅsa, the Sanskrit is saṁsāra-cakra-kadanā. The Bengali is karma-bandha-phāṅsa, entanglement in work and resultant action of That is going on. The saṁsāra-cakra means one after another. This life is going on, and we are creating the resultant action of our karma, and according to the process, we get another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). You have to accept another body by the laws of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). As you associate, so you get your next body. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: "You'll get another body." He doesn't say that "You will get this body after..." Just like this Darwin's theory. They say, "After this body, this body. After this body, this body." That is when the evolution takes place in the lower species of life, nature's law. But when you come to the human form of life you have got your responsibility. Wherever you want, you can go.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So here it is said, avidya-karma-samjñānya trtiya śaktir isyate. This material energy is full of ignorance, avidya, and karma-sanga. Here you have to work hard. But if you become devotee, then there is no need of working hard. Yoga-kseman vahamy aham. Then Kṛṣṇa takes charge. Kṛṣṇa takes charge of you. Kṛṣṇa has taken charge of everyone, but especially yo tu bhajanti yam pritya tesu te mayi. Those who are devotee, for them special care. So here we are careless. Nobody is taking... The materialistic persons, they are working in their own capacity, that "I shall become happy in this way, I shall become happy in this way," and therefore entangling, committing so many sinful activities. And he's not becoming happy; more and more unhappy. Karma-bandha. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sata sanga chadi khainu, asate vilāsa, te karane lagile mora karma bandha phansa. So if we don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we act independently, then the result will be that we shall be entangled in the laws of karma. Laws of karma means karmana daiva-netrena jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). By karma we are creating another body, next body. That we do not know. Karma, according to my karma. Karmana daiva-netrena, supervised, decided by the higher authorities: "You have done like this; you must get this body." Automatically. Automatically. Karanam guṇa-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu (BG 13.22). Everything is going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamanani guṇaiḥ karmani (BG 3.27). If you don't like or like, it doesn't matter. If you have infected some disease which you don't like, that will not save you because you don't like. You must have to suffer from that disease. That is the law of nature. But that we do not know. We are acting independently. That is not possible. So therefore it is called avidya. Avidya means rascals.
So prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. This ahaṅkāra, that "I am independent," this ahaṅkāra is making you obliged to accept different types of body in different condition of life within the universe. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is mahā-vadānyāvatāra. He is very, very kind incarnation. Rūpa Gosvāmī accepted Him, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). So He teaches, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Under this avidyā-karma-saṁjñā trītīyā śakti, material energy, we are wandering throughout the whole universe. (aside:) This child should be moved. So ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva. So one who takes Kṛṣṇa consciousness, becoming happy, more and more happy. Karma-bandha. Narottama bhāgyavān jīva. Not the dur-bhāgyavān, jīva. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10). Those who are unfortunate, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. Kono bhāgyavān jīva. Kono means somebody. That is also not all. That is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many, many millions of persons, one wants to become perfect or bhagavān.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: What was the question in Surat?
Devotee: Whether the British should have been forcibly removed from India.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is ordinary duty. If you encroach upon my freedom, I have the right to kill you. That is recommended. That is clearly stated in the śāstras. If anyone sets fire in another's house, if anyone kidnaps his wife, if anyone takes his money—so many list—he is to be killed. There is no question. He can be killed immediately. That action-reaction is going on in the material world, that is a different thing. That is karma-bandha. But in devotion, there is no karma-bandha. As Kṛṣṇa is free from all reaction, similarly Kṛṣṇa's devotee who wants to satisfy Kṛṣṇa only, he is also free from all reaction.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
David Wynne: Why do we all choose the dark? Why are we all in the dark, most of us?
Prabhupāda: Dark means without Kṛṣṇa consciousness—darkness.
Devotee (1): He asked why do we usually choose the darkness.
David Wynne: And most people.
Prabhupāda: Due to bad association.
David Wynne: To...?
Prabhupāda: Bad association.
David Wynne: Ah.
Prabhupāda: Therefore, our Society is association. If we keep good association, then we don't touch the darkness. What is that association? There is a song, sat-saṅga cari goinu asate vilāsa teka name lagi loma karma bandha phāṅsa.(?) Sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga means association with the devotees. That is called sat-saṅga. So the, one poet, Vaiṣṇava poet, is regretting that "I did not keep association with the devotees, and I wanted to enjoy life with the nondevotees. Therefore I'm being entangled in the fruitive activities." Karma bandha phāṅsa. Entanglement. Here in this material world we act, and the result is there. Again we enjoy the result and act, again another result. We act, another result, another result. Because as soon as you act, there will be some result, good or bad. So, good or bad, by good result we get good birth, good money, good bodily features, good education—these are the effects of good work. And the effects of bad work, low-grade family, abominable, ugly bodily features, no education, no money, poor—these are the two effects of material good and bad work. But those who are trying to be transcendental both to the good and bad work, devotees, they are perfect. Because in this material world either you do good work or bad work, you have to suffer the material condition. Just like you are, suppose you are Englishman, you are well situated. But you can not avoid the influence of the weather. (laughs)
David Wynne: No.
Prabhupāda: That is our problem. Either you become rich man or poor man, but you have to undergo.
Prabhupāda: One Vaiṣṇava poet, he has sung: sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu asatye vilāsa. Sat-saṅga means spiritual association. So we have given up spiritual association, and asatye vilāsa, we have taken to material enjoyment. So sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu... There are two things, material and spiritual. So sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu asatye... "I have given up spiritual association, and I have taken to material association. Therefore I have become entangled." Sei karaṇe lāgilā mora karma-bandha-phāṅsā. We are becoming more and more entangled in material activities. We are trying to solve one problem, and creating another big problem. Just like I was reading the "Motor Car Crisis." We thought that with a horseless carriage it will be very convenient to travel. But against that convenience, so-called convenience, we have created so many inconveniences. It is very nicely described in that paper I was reading.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: … karma bandha phasa: one after another. Asate vilāsa: material enjoyment means implicated in unnecessary activities. If people are satisfied, plain living, then these things are not necessary: go into the ocean, find out oil, then bring it in the port, then distribute it, so many, one after another. That, this kind of civilization, they think it is advanced. And to live very plainly, minimizing this unnecessary activity, they think it is not civilization.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Primitive.
Prabhupāda: Primitive, yes. But primitive meat-eating is continued. That is not to be stopped, primitive drinking and meat-eating.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Hṛdayānanda: One point you're mentioning, Prabhupāda, is a strong inclination for sense enjoyment is the cause of the material body. So it seems that people try to enjoy their senses in order to become happy, but actually they are causing their own suffering.
Prabhupāda: Entanglement. Sat-saṅga chāḍiyā kāinu asate vilāsa te-kāraṇe lāgila ye mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa. This entanglement.... To repeat birth and death is entanglement. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ. They're obliged to accept this entanglement life.
Kīrtanānanda: In material life there is always one thing lacking.
Prabhupāda: sat-saṅga chāḍi' kāinu, asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇe lāgila mora, karma-bandha-phāṅsa: "I have given up reality, and I'm attached to unreality; therefore I am entangled in fruitive activities." Te-kāraṇe lāgila mora, karma-bandha-phāṅsa.
Rūpānuga: You have said on your original record that the living entity is trying to enjoy material nature but is becoming more and more entangled in her complexities.
Prabhupāda: Becoming entangled in the machine. Because he has forgotten his spiritual identity. He thinks "With this machine I can help myself." That is going on.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: In a sense, it is also true that in the material world, especially material scientists, they make things more complicated.
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The contamination of material desires. But when one develops spiritual desire, then he becomes more simple.
Prabhupāda: Karma-bandha. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9), to become entangled.
Prabhupāda: So they were not crying very loudly, but the grandfather inquired, "So why there is, it appears there is some great suffering?" So my father's eldest brother, he inquired, "Is your mother dead?" I consider like that, no, no. "So I am also dead." He died later on. Next day. He simply inquired, "I think your mother is dead." They said, "No, no." "No, I am also going to," and he died.
Indian Doctor: These things are not very wonderful.
Prabhupāda: From spiritual point of view this has no meaning. This is worldly affection. It is worldly affection. That is not very good asset for spiritual life. Āsakti. One has to give up āsakti. That is the process, renouncement. Voluntarily.
Indian Doctor: Anāsakta-manaḥ.
Prabhupāda: Anāsaktya. Yes. Our Vedic process is that at a certain age you must retire from family life. Voluntary, forceful, giving up association.
Indian Doctor: Even there is worship (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Yes. So these are āsaktis. This husband and wife dying together, it is admitted(?) because āsakti is there. That āsakti will help him, that the wife will become a husband next life, and the husband will become wife next. And in that way they'll have to take birth again.
Indian Doctor: Soul has got no tax.(?)
Prabhupāda: Karma-bandha.
Indian Doctor: Karma-bandha and jīva.
Prabhupāda: Find out this verse, Fifth Canto, Fifth Chapter.
Harikeśa: Karmātmakaṁ yena?
Prabhupāda: Ah, śarīra-bandha. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam, yāvat mano vai karma?
Harikeśa:
- parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto
- yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam
- yāvat kriyās tāvad idaṁ mano vai
- karmātmakaṁ yena śarīra-bandhaḥ
Prabhupāda: Bandha.
Harikeśa: "As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmātmaka, colored with fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear. And as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to accept a material body."
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: The present defect is that every one of us under the laws of God or nature, whatever you say. And still, we are declaring independence. This is the defect. Prakrti-stho 'pi.
- puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho 'hi
- bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
- kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya
- sad-asad janma-yoniṣu
- (BG 13.22)
Sad-asad-janma. Why? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. He's associating with the different modes of material of nature, infecting, and that is the cause one is born as demigod, one is born as dog, one is born as tree, one is born as human being. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Therefore we should associate with sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kāinu, asate vilāsa, te karaṇe lāgi more, karma bandha phāṇsa. Because we have given up sat-saṅga-oṁ tat sat-Kṛṣṇa's saṅga, we are entangled in this asat-saṅga. And that is the cause of my karma-bandha phāṇsa. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kāinu, asate vilāsa: "I wanted to enjoy with asat." Asato mā sad gamaya. Therefore I'm entangled.
Prabhupāda: Well, saṅga means execution. When you associate with medical association or sharebrokers' association, simply go there and sit down is not your business. You have to do something. You have to do something. Sat-saṅga means that. Tad-yoṣanāt aśu apavarga-vartmani. Sat-saṅga means you have to take the knowledge and use it for practical purpose. That is sat-saṅga. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to give the sat-saṅga, opening centers all over the world. If people take advantage of it they'll be benefited. But if he is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, then it is very unfortunate. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is Kali-yuga. The leaders also do not associate with sat, and they create their own imagination. Sat, oṁ tat sat. Bhagavān is the supreme sat. So they do not care for Bhagavān, so there is no sat-saṅga. Asat-saṅga.
- sat-saṅga chāḍi kāinu asate vilāsa
- te karaṇe lāgi more karma bandha phāṅsa
"I given up sat-saṅga, and I am trying to enjoy asat." Asato mā sad gamaya. That is Vedic injunction. "But I do not care for sat-saṅga." Sat-saṅga chāḍi. You have to take up something after giving up something. So our present position is sat-saṅga chāḍi kāinu asate vilāsa. "I have given up sat-saṅga, and I am trying to enjoy in asat. The result is I am entangled in karma bandha phāṅsa. According to karma, I am changing my body, and today I am human being and tomorrow I am a dog. And again from dog to another body, another body." This is going on.
Prabhupāda: Munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam, kṛṣṇa-sampraśno yenātmā suprasīdati (SB 1.2.5). Happiness is there. Unless you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is no question of... This is a false happiness, that "If I get money, I'll be happy." That is false. So many men, they have got money. We see practically. The whole European civilization, American civilization, is based on this fundamental idea that "Let us have money and we shall be happy." And nobody is happy. Nobody is happy, a single man. Very big, big buildings, very nice car, very nice road, but there is no question of happiness. Always restlessness. Is it not? They are practically proved. And becoming implicated, karma-bandha, loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9), one after another, one after another. Because he is not independent, he is under karma-bandhana. If you touch fire, it must burn you. You cannot avoid it. That is not possible. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sar... (BG 3.27), ahaṅkāra-vimūḍha. Are you independent? Suppose if you touch fire, are you independent that your finger will not burn? It must burn. So you'll search after so much so-called happiness—they're simply burning their finger, that's all. Karma-bandhanaḥ. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). So I'm insisting you about this distribution of the book. That is a service. If you can do some pushing on these books some way or other, you get material profit; at the same time, it is service.
| Page Title: | Karma bandha |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 15 of May, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=7, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=19, Con=11, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 37 |