If you remain on the platform of brahminical qualification, that is called sattva-guṇa. And less than that śauryaṁ tejo balaṁ yuddhe cāpalāyanam, kṣatriya qualification—that is modes of passion. And others, remaining, they are in the modes of ignorance, do not know what is the value of life, what is next life, what is spiritual realization, why we are suffering. Nothing, no knowledge.
Mode of passion (SB Lectures)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
The material nature is working in three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. Now, ignorance is hopeless life. Passion is too much materialistic. Passion means, one who is influenced by the modes of passion, he wants, he wants this false enjoyment. Although... Because he does not know, he wants to squeeze out the energy of the body to enjoy this matter. That is called modes of passion.
Arjuna's fighting... This fighting is on the modes of passion, passion.
Now, fighting is on the platform, on the modes of passion. Does it mean that simultaneously Kṛṣṇa is inducing him to be entangled in the reaction of passion modes? No. That action, even apparently appears to be act, being acted on the platform of passion, it is transcendental because it is direction of the supreme consciousness.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ
- kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
- ceta etair anāviddhaṁ
- sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati
- (SB 1.2.19)
Translation: "At the time loving service is established in the heart, the modes of passion, rajas, and ignorance, tamas, and lust and desire, kāma, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes happy."
Prabhupāda: So rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. There are three stages, you know: sattva, rajas, tamas. The material world is conducted by three modes—the modes of goodness, modes of passion, and modes of ignorance. Therefore we find varieties of men. So one has to come to the platform of the modes of goodness. Just like illiterate, uncultured, animal-like man is trained up to come, to become civilized. By training, it is possible.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ
- kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
- ceta etair anāviddhaṁ
- sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati
- (SB 1.2.19)
Translation: "At the time loving service is established in the heart, the modes of passion, rajas, and ignorance, tamas, and lust and desire, kāma, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes happy."
Prabhupāda:
- tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ
- kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
- ceta etair anāviddhaṁ
- sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati
- (SB 1.2.19)
The beginning of the chapter was yena ātmā suprasīdati.
Abhadra means the quality of ignorance and passion. They are abominable. Ignorance is most abominable, abominable, and passion is abominable. These two things must be given up. But simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, simply by hearing about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from the person bhāgavatam, one can get rid of these dirty things, namely mode of ignorance and mode of passion. Then the balance is the mode of goodness.
Nitāi (reading): "At the time loving devotional service is established in the heart, the modes of passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas) and lust and desire (kāma) disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes happy."
Prabhupāda:
- tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ
- kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
- ceta etair anāviddhaṁ
- sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati
- (SB 1.2.19)
So the principle is that we have to place our mind, or consciousness, in the sattva-guṇa. That is the first business. Because the material world means sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Sattva-guṇa is the qualification of pure brāhmaṇa.
Pradyumna (reading): "In the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.3) it is said that out of many thousands of ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for perfection of life. Mostly they are conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus they are engaged always in lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and sleep. Out of many such manlike animals, there is actually a man..."
Prabhupāda: Manlike animals. They show with two hands, two legs, but actually they are animals. Four-legged. Two legs have been transformed into two hands.
Pradyumna (reading): "In the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.3) it is said that out of many thousands of ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for perfection in life. Mostly they are conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus they are engaged always in lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and sleep. Out of many such manlike animals, there is actually a man who knows the responsibility of human life and thus tries to make life..."
Prabhupāda: So human being in the modes of ignorance and passion, they are animals. They are not considered as human being. They are animals.
Similarly, the mode of ignorance, those living entities, those who are in the mode of ignorance, they cannot have any knowledge of the Absolute Truth. That's not possible. Therefore it is gradual evolution, from mode of ignorance to mode of passion. And passion, there is little activity. Just like animal, they have got activity. Just like a dog, we have seen, in the beach and other places, running very swiftly here and there, but there is no meaning.
This Kālī-pūjā means because the Vedic śāstras are so made that from the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent man should be elevated. That is the purpose. From the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent brāhmaṇa. Because all classes of men are there. Some of them are influenced by the modes of goodness; some of them are influenced by the modes of passion; some of them are influenced by the modes of ignorance. But the Vedas are meant for study for the human being.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ
- sama-śīlā bhajanti vai
- pitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn
- śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ
- (SB 1.2.27)
Translation: "Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and aristocratic birth."
Prabhupāda: So...
- rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ
- sama-śīlā bhajanti vai
- pitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn
- śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ
Śriyaiśvarya-prajā. (aside:) Stop that. Śrī means beauty, aiśvarya means riches, opulence, and praja means progeny, sons, grandsons, great-grandsons. In Bengal there is a proverb, nāti nāti sagye bhati(?): "If one can see grandson of the grandson, his life is successful." His door to heaven is open now. Nāti means grandson, and nāti's nāti, grandson. That means six generations.
So people like this—good family and full of beautiful women and very good bank balance, motorcars—then life is successful. Śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. But who are after this śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ? That is explained: rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ. Rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ, those who are influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance.
Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja, his son, when he was offered a benediction by the Lord, "My dear Prahlāda, you have undergone severe penances, suffering for My sake. Now you can take any benediction from Me, whatever you like." First of all he said, "My dear Lord, I am not a businessman that I serve You for getting some profit. I am born of a father-rajo-guṇa, passion—so naturally my body is made of the modes of passion. And You are so powerful You can give me anything I want. So if You allure me in that way, I think You should not do that. I may be allured, because my body is passionate." So Narasiṁhadeva became very happy, "Yes, here is a true devotee." A true devotee does not make any exchange business, "God, I have rendered You so much service. You give me something."
Sattva-sthā, "those who are situated in the mode of goodness, they can be elevated to the higher planetary system." Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ: "And those who are in the modes of passion, they remain within this world."
"This hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is not anything of this material world, either of the higher planetary system or the lower planetary system." It is golokera prema-dhana. It is the happy mode, not this mode of passion or goodness or ignorance. The happy mode, imported from Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka. Therefore it is transcendental vibration. It is not of this material world.
Pradyumna (reading): Translation: "Thus during two seasons, the rainy season and autumn, I had the opportunity to hear these great-souled sages constantly chant the unadulterated glories of the Lord Hari. As my devotional service began, the coverings of the modes of passion and ignorance vanished."
Prabhupāda:
- itthaṁ śarat-prāvṛṣikāv ṛtū harer
- viśṛṇvato me 'nusavaṁ yaśo 'malam
- saṅkīrtyamānaṁ munibhir mahātmabhir
- bhaktiḥ pravṛttātma-rajas-tamopahā
- (SB 1.5.28)
Ātma-rajas-tamopahā. This is the perfection of life. We are now covered by the modes of material nature, tri-guṇamayī, three guṇas: sattva, rajas, tamas. So mukti means to get out of this entanglement of three guṇas. That is called mukti.
So that aim you can fulfill by practicing bhakti-yoga. That is mentioned here, bhaktiḥ pravṛttā ātma-rajas-tamopahā. So rajas-tamas. So long one is situated in the modes of passion and ignorance, there is no hope.
People are affected with three kinds of material qualities: goodness, passion and ignorance. Generally, they are affected by the lower two qualities—ignorance and passion. Rajas-tamaḥ. How do we know that "This man is in the modes of goodness and this man is in the modes of passion and this man is in the modes of ignorance"? How do we know? By the symptoms. By the symptoms. When one is affected by the lower qualities, rajas-tamaḥ, passion and ignorance, his symptoms are that he is very greedy and lusty. These are the symptoms.
A bhakta feels ashamed to ask from Kṛṣṇa for his material comforts. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was offered by Nṛsiṁhadeva, "Now you ask from Me whatever you want," so Prahlāda Mahārāja became surprised. He said, "My dear Sir, I am not a mercantile man. We are in the modes of passion, and You are offering me all kinds of benediction. I can ask You. But do You mean to say that I served You in expectation of some return? No, no. Don't induce me in this way." This is śuddha-bhakta.
Everyone is under the influence of some quality of nature—goodness, passion, ignorance. So there is division. So the kṣatriyas, they are supposed to be in the mode of passion, a desire for controlling, ruling. That is kṣatriya's spirit, ruling. Therefore one kṣatriya king used to attack another kṣatriya king.
If you are situated in the modes of goodness, then you can be promoted to the higher planetary systems. And madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ, and if you are in the modes of passion, then you'll remain within this bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, three worlds.
When one is not in the modes of ignorance and passion, one is supposed to be situated in the mode of goodness in the material world. Goodness in the material world also at times becomes contaminated with touches of the mode of passion and ignorance.
You have to change this body, but Kṛṣṇa does not say what kind of body. That will depend on your qualification. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Qualification. If you associate with sattva-guṇa, then ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18), then you are elevated to the higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. If you are associating with the modes of passion, then you will remain here.
Because kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. The one who has got a learned brāhmaṇas' body, that means he has associated with the modes of nature—goodness. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. This is elevation. If one is in the modes of goodness, then he can understand gradually what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, in the modes of passion and ignorance, nobody can understand what is God. Not only that. Even from material prosperity, if one is situated in the modes of goodness, then he can be elevated to the higher planetary systems-Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka, Satyaloka.
If you are situated in sattva-guṇa, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system: adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. If you are infected with tamo-guṇa, then you go down, down, down, down. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And if we are infected by the modes of passion, then we keep ourselves in the middle.
Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. This is abhadra, this material contamination, kriyā-śaktir ahaṅkāras tri-vidhaḥ, three kinds of kriyā-śakti: working in the modes of ignorance, working in the modes of passion... These are the moha, that when these two things, kriyā-śakti, this kriyā-śakti under the spell of passion and spell of ignorance, is almost gone... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā.So this is the only process. Let us hear from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, not these professional.
Śānta means sober, serene. Persons who are in the modes of goodness, for them, this material world is manifest in the matter of its constituency. And those who are in modes of goodness, they can see things as they are. And the ghora, those who are in the modes of passion, they are unnecessarily going on, making plan and full of activities without any aim of life. And mūḍhatvam, that is like animal, do not know what is the aim of life, what for he is working, what is the value of life, nothing of the sort.
So dravya, the physical body, that is influenced by the taijasāt vikurvāṇāt . This physical body is developed by the mode of passion, the ego. The false ego of the spirit soul, when it is influenced by the mode of passion, then these indriyas, different indriyas, senses-eyes, ear, nose, tongue, hands, legs, genital, rectum—all these things—nine chidras, holes in the body—develop. And they ultimately come to become the different parts and limbs of the senses of the body.
Nitāi (reading): "Egoism in the mode of passion produces two kinds of senses—the senses for acquiring knowledge and the senses of action. The senses of action depend upon the vital energy, and the senses for acquiring knowledge depend upon intelligence."
Prabhupāda:
- taijasānīndriyāṇy eva
- kriyā-jñāna-vibhāgaśaḥ
- prāṇasya hi kriyā-śaktir
- buddher vijñāna-śaktitā
- (SB 3.26.31)
We have to see how wonderfully the subtle actions are described in Sāṅkhya philosophy by Kapiladeva. There are many modern psychologist, scientist, physicist, but they cannot analyze the subtle function that is going on, creating things as they are. Superficially we can see, but how things are taking place, that can be described in the Vedic literatures, not any other book.
There are three material modes of nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. So if you associate with goodness, then your next body becomes manifest in the modes of goodness, just like highly intelligent class of men or the brāhmaṇa. If you infect the modes of passion, then you become passionate; you get passionate body. And ignorance also.
"In this age of Kali people are overwhelmed by the modes of passion and ignorance. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva incarnated Himself to deliver them from the clutches of māyā."
Abhadrāṇi means inauspicious things. That is the modes of ignorance and passion. So in the material world some of us, most of us, we are covered by these modes of passion and ignorance. That is abhadra.
Those who are cultivating the quality of goodness, they can be promoted to the higher status of life in higher planetary system. Ūrdhvam. Ūrdhvam means higher. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. And madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. Rājasāḥ means those who are in the modes of passion. They remain either in this planet or some of them may be elevated to the heavenly planet. Heavenly planet is also in the middle of the universe.
If you act very piously, in the mode of goodness, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system. And if you do not work in the modes of goodness—in the modes of passion—then you remain in this planet and become changed into so many bodies.
If we remain in certain place, we must be affected by the modes of that place. So there are three modes, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa. We have to associate either with the modes of goodness or with the modes of passion or with the modes of ignorance.
Those who are in the quality of goodness, they are being promoted to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). And those who are in the modes of passion, they remain in the middle planetary systems.
Some of them are in goodness, some of them are in passion, and some of them are in ignorance. For all people, there are different kinds of Purāṇas. Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, they cannot generally understand the historical references made in the sattvic Purāṇa. Just like this Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is also one of the Purāṇas, essence of history.
In this age, people in general, they're all bad, mandaḥ. Mandaḥ means bad, nobody's good. Because everyone is in ignorance, the modes of ignorance, that is bad. Or little upwards, in the modes of passion. Rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ (SB 1.2.19). And the best part, best platform in this material world, is goodness, sattva-guṇa.
Therefore Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so powerful. If you keep yourself always chanting, you will stay on the..., above goodness, where this passion, the mode of passion and ignorance, cannot touch you.
So Śrīdhāra Swami give his comment that "Those who are," I mean to say, "involved with the material energy..." This material energy means the three modes of passion, ignorance, and goodness. Tan-māyā-mohita. This is the moha. Moha means illusion. Anyone who is contaminated by these three qualities of māyā, he is supposed to be involved in māyika, or material existence.
One who is situated in the sattva-guṇa, he is also existing on these eight material elements. And one who is existing in the modes of passion, he is also existing on the... Brāhmaṇa's body, take for example. Brāhmaṇa is in the sattva-guṇa, and kṣatriya is in the raja-guṇa. Vaiśya is mixed up and śūdra is the tamo-guṇa. So existing means the consciousness according to the contamination of different condition of the guṇas... This condition is the guṇas.
And if you keep yourself in the modes of ignorance and passion, then you cannot make progress. You'll have to remain here or go down. If you keep yourself in the modes of ignorance, then you go down even to the animal kingdom. If you keep yourself in the modes of passion, then at most, you can remain in Europe and America, that's all. But if you keep yourself in goodness, then you can go up. These are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
The Ekādaśī, why we observe? To become pure. Brahmacarya tapasya, austerity, penance, celibacy, keeping the mind always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, keeping the body always cleansed—these things will help us to keep us in goodness. Without goodness, it is not possible. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that even one is in the modes of passion and ignorance, at once he'll be elevated on the platform of goodness, provided he agrees to follow the rules and regulations and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa.
The purification is that gradually you become liberated from the influence of the materialistic modes. There are three modes of material nature. Somebody is in the modes of goodness; somebody is in the modes of passion; somebody is in the modes of ignorance.
The first-class position is one who is aware of the Absolute Truth, he is in the goodness. Less awareness is the kṣatriya, or in the modes of passion. Less awareness is the vaiśyas, the mercantile class of people. They are in the third position. And the śūdra, they are in the fourth position, in the darkness, unawareness.
Young man: (break) ...from the modes of ignorance to the modes of passion to the modes of goodness is a very gradual process?
Prabhupāda: Why gradual? You can immediately transcend all the processes by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious immediately.
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, the Lord says, "Anyone who is engaged in unalloyed devotional service unto Me, so he is transcendental." Sa guṇān samatītyaitān. Guṇān means these modes, different modes—modes of ignorance, modes of passion, modes of goodness. Goodness is also material. That is not spiritual. If you become very good moralist or very religious, following all the rules and regulations, that is good but that is not spiritual. The spiritual is far above.
Dayānanda (reading): "My dear Lord, everyone within this material world under the modes of material nature, being influenced by the mode of goodness, the mode of passion, the mode of ignorance, all of them being influenced by the particular mode of nature and working, all of them, including the greatest personality, Lord Brahmā, down to the smallest ant—everyone is working under such influence. Therefore everyone within this material world is influenced by Your energy, under the cause of which they are working, the place where they are working, the time when they are working, the matter for which they are working, the ultimate goal of life as they have considered as final, and the process and ways of activity—all of them are nothing but different manifestation of Your energy. And as the energy and energetic being identical, all such activities are Your different forms of energy only."
Prabhupāda:
- yasmin yato yarhi yena ca yasya yasmād
- yasmai yathā yad uta yas tv aparaḥ paro vā
- bhāvaḥ karoti vikaroti pṛthak svabhāvaḥ
- sañcoditas tad akhilaṁ bhavataḥ svarūpam
- (SB 7.9.20)
This is summarized in the Vedic language, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Without Kṛṣṇa there is nothing existing. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Whatever we see, very superior or inferior, good or bad, that is all from Kṛṣṇa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Lord, when You appeared as Hayagrīva with a head like that of a horse to kill the two demons named Madhu and Kaiṭabha, who were full of the modes of passion and ignorance, after killing the demons You delivered the Vedic knowledge to Lord Brahmā. Therefore all the great saintly persons accept Your forms as transcendental, untinged by material qualities."
Prabhupāda:
- tasmai bhavān haya-śiras tanuvaṁ hi bibhrad
- veda-druhāv atibalau madhu-kaiṭabhākhyau
- hatvānayac chruti-gaṇāṁś ca rajas tamaś ca
- sattvaṁ tava priyatamāṁ tanum āmananti
- (SB 7.9.37)
So spiritual kingdom is beyond this material world made of three modes of material nature, sattva-rajas-tamaḥ.
Just like darkness at night, you cannot see anything. That is tamo-guṇa. Then in between the darkness and sunlight, there is a period early in the morning, it is not completely illuminated, but the darkness is not (indistinct). That is the mode of passion. Everyone gets up early in the morning and begins his work. And in the sunshine, one can work very nicely; he can see how nature is situated, how (indistinct). Similarly, one who is dominated by the tamo-guṇa, he is like animal.
Page Title: | Mode of passion (SB Lectures) |
Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, Sureshwardas |
Created: | 24 of Apr, 2010 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=52, Con=0, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 52 |