Kṛṣṇa says that He is the enjoyer: bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor of all the lokas, all the brahmāṇḍas. But unfortunately, we are dismissing Kṛṣṇa. We are trying to be the enjoyer of this material world. That is māyā. The world is not māyā, but the intention of the living entities to enjoy this material world, to satisfy his senses, that is māyā. He is becoming entangled. Just to try to enjoy this material world . . . that the so-called scientists and philanthropists and politicians, they are trying to enjoy this material world to their best capacity, and they are inventing devices how to enjoy it. This is māyā.
That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). They are allured by this māyā, "Try to enjoy me," and these conditioned souls are after that, how to enjoy. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna (BG 2.45). So Vedas also says that "If you make such-and-such sacrifice, then you will be elevated to such-and-such higher planetary system to become demigods and enjoy beautiful woman, higher standard of life." So yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācam, veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ (BG 2.42).
So we must understand what is this material world, how it is working. That will be described in this Fifteenth Chapter:
- ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham
- aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam
- chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni
- yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit
- (BG 15.1)
One who understands what is the constitution of this material world, how it is working, what we are, why we have come here, why we are so struggling hard for existence, what is our duty, how to get out of this entanglement . . . that is Vedic knowledge. Not only to get out of this material entanglement, but to be engaged. Because simply to get out is not the final business. Suppose you are being employed in a place you do not like, you want to change. Simply if you resign your post, that is not good. You must take another nice post. Then it is good. Similarly, simply to become freed from this material ent . . .
(break) . . . is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is . . . that is perfection of life. Anyone who is engaged in the eternal service of the Lord, he is perfect, he is mukta. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). This is mukti. Mukti means to be freed from the useless activities. The material activities, they are all useless activities, because in the bodily concept of life. Just like the monkey, he is also very active. In Vṛndāvana we have got good experience, always active—but useless. Therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described, phalgu-vairāgya. The monkey is vairāgī. He lives in the forest. He has no cloth even. Other vairāgīs, they have got little cloth, but these monkeys have no cloth. (laughter) And they live in forest and eat fruits, vegetarian, but rascal number one.
So therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has said:
- prāpañcikatayā buddhyā
- hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ
- mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo
- phalgu vairāgyaṁ kathyate
- (Brs 1.2.256)
Phalgu means less valuable, less important. Or there is Phalgu River. Phalgu River, you know, in Gayā there is a Phalgu River. On the bed of the river you'll find all sand, dry, but if you push your hand little below the sand, you will find water. This is practi . . . therefore it is called phalgu-vairāgya. Actually, outside, as vairāgī, no cloth, even does not touch even cloth, but inside, every monkey has one dozen wife at least. So this kind of phalgu-vairāgī or markaṭa-vairāgī is not required.