So that opportunity is there in bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa is anxious to take you back. Why you are wasting time? Economic development. What economic development you'll do? You cannot get more than what is destined to you. That is not possible. Then everyone would have been big man, big, educated, very beautiful. Even... Pious activities, the effects of pious activity, is to get nice opulence. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Birth in very high family, janma; aiśvarya, opulence, riches; education; śrī... Śruta, śruta means education, highly learned. These things are effects of pious activities. You get nice family, you take your birth in nice family, rich family, aiśvarya, you get good education, you become very beautiful. These are the effects of pious activities. Similarly, the effects of impious activities, the opposite. But they are all material. They are destined. Whatever you have got by pious or impious activities, that you cannot change. It is not possible. But you can change your position, this material position, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can change. Other things you cannot change. If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become first-class Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Either you are black or white, it doesn't matter. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Other things we cannot change. This is not possible.
Sruta means
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Now, what is the binding reaction of good material work? Just try to understand. Good material work... Suppose you have done most charitable work, munificent work, and you have started so many, I mean to say, philanthropic institutions. That's all right. These are... From material estimation, these things are very good work. But you are being bound up. You are being bound up. In which way you are being bound up? That these things are called puṇya-karma, pious work. When you do pious work, you get four results. What are the four results? Janma-aiśvarya-śruta-śrī. Janma-aiśvarya-śruta-śrī. If you do pious work, you can get reaction in four ways. You can get your birth in a very nice family. Just like in the family of a brāhmaṇa, in the family of a rich man. For pious work, one can get his janma. And aiśvarya. Aiśvarya means you can become very rich man by pious work. Janmaiśvarya-śruta (SB 1.8.26). Śruta means you can become very learned scholar. These are the results of pious work. Janmaiśvarya-śruta, and śrī. You can become very beautiful by pious work. These are the results of pious work.
Similarly, just the opposite, if you do vicious work, then you, you have to go to the lower class family or even the animal family, lower class birth, or become a fool, illiterate, and become not very good looking. So many things. These are the reactions of pious and vicious work.
Guest (1): If you're rich, were you saying, if you're rich, you get knowledge, you get knowledge easier because you're rich?
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I said that by your pious work you get four results. By your pious work... Because every work, we have, we are just today discussing what is real work and what are the reaction of the work and what is not, I mean to say, prescribed work. These things are we have discussed. Now, so far the pious work, which is called, in Sanskrit language, which is called puṇya-karma, we get four results, four kinds of results. By pious work, we get very good birth. Good birth means to take one's birth in aristocratic family or in rich family. That is, materially concerned, very good birth. So by pious work, one can become a good birth, can get his birth in a good family. And he can become a rich man also. Just, just like in this world we see. Somebody is working very little, but he's gaining much. Another body is working very hard the whole day; still, he's not getting much. Why? Because due to his pious work, he is getting very easily riches. So richness is also result of pious work. And similarly, one student is becoming very quickly a scholar; another, he cannot. So this is also result of pious work. Similarly, beauty is also due to pious work. I discussed this point. And what was your point?
Guest (1): Do you get more wisdom quicker or it's more to come by if you have a lot of money?
Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. I don't say that. That is different thing. But richness is due...
Guest (1): I understood what you said before.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not necessarily that because a man is very rich, therefore he has got a very good brain also. No, not necessarily. Neither good brain can produce richness. Even there is one man, he's very intelligent man, but in the field of activities, he remains a poor man. So neither intelligence is the cause of richness, nor richness is the cause of intelligence. These are two different things. But if one is pious, then his, as reaction of his pious acts, he becomes rich, he becomes wealthy, he becomes beautiful, he becomes learned. These things are stated in the scriptures. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma-aiśvarya, four things, janma-aiśvarya-śruta... Janma means birth, aiśvarya means richness, and śruta means education. Is that point clear?
(drunk begins yelling in background)
Is that point clear? Please hear. Stop! Don't talk. We are talking seriously. Don't disturb. Is that point clear?
Guest (1): Yes.
The difficulty in the conditioned state, that we are creating our next life by karma... We are.... just at the present moment we are acting according to our past karma, and again we are creating another karma so that we have to enjoy or suffer in the next life. The transmigration of the soul takes place according to karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Sad-asat, good and inferior, janma. So one has to take his birth in a nice family or in nice nation, good education, good looking, nice opulence.... Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma means to take birth in good family, good nation, and aiśvarya, opulence, very rich. Janmaiśvarya-śruta. Śruta means knowledge, education. And śrī, and beauty.
By reading Vedic literature, you enlighten yourself with knowledge. So this is also yajña. There are so many... Kṛṣṇa is available in so many ways, according to your position. It is not that He is conditioned. He is not conditioned. Therefore it is called ahaituky apratihatā. The svādhyāya-yajña. The Gosvāmīs, they were not only dancing and chanting. That was also part of their business. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. But they were also good scholars. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau.
Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are trying to publish our books in different languages. Already we have got in European and American, English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Japanese, Chinese. This is required. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma. Because people are misled. So they should be given opportunity to study, to understand what is God consciousness, what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So through the śāstras. That is also required.
Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma... The Gosvāmīs practically demonstrated in their life everything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught them. They were the first disciples of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Rūpa Gosvāmī was given lesson for ten days continually at Allahabad, Prayāga, Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa. As a result of his instruction, he first wrote this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated into English, Nectar of Devotion. Similarly, Sanātana Gosvāmī was given instruction for two months at Benares, Vārāṇasī.
So bhakti is not that it is something sentiment, without any basic principle of knowledge. No. It is fully based on Vedic knowledge. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Śruta means Veda. Bhakti after studying the Vedic knowledge—that is perfect bhakti. Vedānta-sūtra.
So one who takes his birth in a very rich family, it should be understood that he was certainly a very pious man in his previous life. By good work, by pious work, we get. In our next life, we get facilities, four kinds of facilities. What are they? Now, janma, aiśvarya, śruta, śrī. Janma, aiśvarya, śruta, śrī. Janma means to get birth in very aristocratic family, royal family, lord family, rich family, janma. Or acquires large extent of wealth, janmaiśvarya-śruta (SB 1.8.26). Śruta means becomes very learned scholar. So one who is learned scholar, it is to be understood that it is due to his past deeds. One who is rich man, it is to be understood that it is due to his pious acts in his last life. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī. Śrī means beauty. And one who is very beautiful, either male or female, it is to be understood that this is the result of his or her pious work in the past lives.
Śruta. The specific meaning of śruta means this knowledge has to be received through the ear, through the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Śruta-gṛhītayā. It is never explained in the Vedic literature that the science of God can be understood by the eyes. No. It has been mentioned, the tongue and the ear. These are the sources. Śruta-gṛhītayā. One must hear the Vedic literature. The Vedic literature is called, therefore, śruti. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Śrotriyam. Formerly there was no book. The students used to hear from the spiritual master. Śruta, śrotriyam. That was perfect. There was no need of literacy. That ear is sufficient. Śruta-gṛhītayā. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya...(SB 1.2.12). And hearing, hearing, hearing, one becomes enlightened with knowledge, and the effect of knowledge is vairāgya. Vairāgya, detachment. Otherwise, we, hearing or studying... But there is no vairāgya.
So Kṛṣṇa says that ābrahma lo... If... You may get very long duration of life, very comfortable life, in higher planetary system. Just like people are engaged in doing, I mean to, pious activities. The result of pious activities is that you get your birth in a very good family, in a rich family, you get beauty, you become educated, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma means birth, high-class birth. And aiśvarya means opulence, riches. And śruta means education, and śrī means beauty. So by pious activities you can get all these things. And impious activities, the opposite number: in a family, abominable, pāpa-yoni, lower-grade family, not very beautiful, not educated, suffering in so many ways. So either you get this life or that life, the janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi is there. It is not that because you have got very beautiful body and born in very high-class family and highly educated, you will avoid janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is not possible. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
He has given this field. "All right, you want to become another God or competitor of Me? You live in this material world and begin your life as Brahmā. I give you first-class chance. And then gradually, you become the worm of the stool." (laughter) This is called karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra. First of all we get our very opportunity. Just like you Americans, you have got good opportunity. I have several time mentioned that you have wealth, you have got education, you have got beauty, janmaiśvarya, and heritage also. People outside your country, they know, "Oh, he is American. He is very advanced." You have got respect. So this is, this is due to pious life. If one is pious, he gets all those opportunities. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). This is... Janma means to get birth in high family, aristocratic family, or to become the members of a big nation. This is called janma. Janma means birth. And aiśvarya, opulence, money. Janma aiśvarya śruta, aiśvarya, and śruta. Śruta means education. And śrī means beauty. These four things are outcome of previous pious life. So you have got this opportunity. You have got. Now you utilize these assets of life—nice birth, opulence, beauty, education—for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, you take the chance of Brahmā, and then go to become the worm of the stool. The law of karma is like that.
Parīkṣit Mahārāja was so fortunate, so fortunate. From the very beginning of his life, he saw Kṛṣṇa. Just like this child. These are fortunate children. Yoginām... That... Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). This child who was dancing before me, he's not ordinary child. Otherwise how he could dance symmetrically? He had his practice in his previous life, and he has got the chance to get Vaiṣṇava father and mother, and from the very beginning of his life, he is chanting, dancing. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was like that. So to get the chance of having good father, śucīnāṁ... Śucīnām means brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava, especially brāhmaṇa. And śrīmatām. Śrīmatām means very rich. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has given his comment: śucīnām means highly cultured brāhmaṇa, and śrīmatām means highly rich vaiśya. So to take birth in this family, cultured family, rich family, is not ordinary thing. It is not ordinary thing. It is the result of pious activities, pious activities. The pious activities means you get your birth in a very good, aristocratic family, rich family or brāhmaṇa family. That is the result of pious activities. You become very beautiful. You become very learned. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Four things. Janma means birth. Aiśvarya means riches, wealth. Aiśvarya. Janma aiśvarya and śruta. Śruta means education. To become learned man, to become very educated, that is also a result of pious activities. To take birth in rich family, that is also result of pious activities. To become very beautiful, that is also result of pious activities.
That is the position of santaḥ, always seeing Kṛṣṇa. He does not see anything else except Kṛṣṇa everywhere, but in everything, everywhere, the energy of Kṛṣṇa.
I will give you a practical example. If you love your child, if you see the shoe of the child, immediately you see your child. If you see the toy of your child, you see your child immediately. If you hear the voice of your child, immediately you see the child. This is practical. Similarly, if you have actually developed love of Kṛṣṇa... And Kṛṣṇa has explained that everything is expansion of His energy; therefore nothing exists except Kṛṣṇa. And if you have developed your love for Kṛṣṇa, whatever you see, you will see Kṛṣṇa. That is called bhaktyā. Bhaktyā, dṛṣṭa, and śruta. Śruta means Vedic literature, śruti. You hear from authentic literature. Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Now, apart from Brahma-saṁhitā, we have heard, devotees have heard, that Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana used to go with His cowherd boyfriends in the pasturing ground. So hundreds and thousands of devotees are there in Vṛndāvana. They have not seen, but they have heard. They have not practically seen, but they have heard only. And they have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa with His boys, cowherd boys, or gopī friends. So a devotee can see and hear and immediately realize Kṛṣṇa. That is possible because he has developed love.
Very intelligent question. "My dear sir, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, I can understand that one should take care of his sinful reaction and atone for it as prescribed in the śāstras. But my question is that," dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpam (SB 6.1.9), "one sees that due to this sinful activity one is suffering." Dṛṣṭa. Dṛṣṭa means actually personal experience, face to face. How is that? A man has killed somebody, murder, and he's going to be hanged. Everyone sees it. Then why does he commit the same thing? He has seen it that "My friend committed a murder." Or forget murdering..., committed something else which is against the law of the state, and he's punished. Dṛṣṭa-śruta. Dṛṣṭa means by seeing, and sruta means by hearing. Just like you are hearing. We are all hearing from authoritative scripture. This is called śruta, śruti, hearing. Not this scripture. Everyone has heard that if you commit theft, then you'll go to prison for six months. I may not have practical experience; I have heard it, and I see it also, that this man has committed theft and he's going to prisonhouse. He's arrested by the police and he's going. So dṛṣṭa-śruta. One hears, also practically sees. So dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpam (SB 6.1.9), that if one commits some sinful activities, and other sees it, and he also sees it, and he has heard it from scripture, still, janānn apy ātmano 'hitam. Ātmano, he knows that "This is not good for me." Ātmanā, ātmanā means for the soul. The soul is suffering, and he sees practically that "This is not good for me." "Me" means I am as soul. Because I have to travel or transmigrate in so many species of life, he knows. So he has heard it from the scripture, he's seeing that there is suffering. But karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ: still, he commits the same sin, vivaśaḥ. Vivaśaḥ means just like somebody is forcing him to do it. Something forced. A thief has committed theft and he has gone to a prisonhouse. He's suffering, and he's thinking that "Next time I shall not do like this. This is very troublesome." But as soon as he comes out, again he commits the same thing.
Prabhupāda: In the lawbook it is stated that "You commit a theft, then you will be punished, imprisoned, for six months. Or if you commit murder, then you will be hanged." This is called śrutābhyām, by hearing. We have got two senses: one, by the knowledge-acquiring senses, and practical working senses. So dṛṣṭa means our eyes are working, and we see that a criminal is arrested and he is punished. And śruta means knowledge-gathering. Just like you gather knowledge from book. So we have got two senses—not two senses, but ten senses: five senses, knowledge gathering, and five senses, directing, knowledge, working senses. So dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyām means by two senses, two kinds of senses: knowledge-gathering senses and working senses. We have experience by two kinds of senses. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja says that a person, means a sinful person, he is getting experience from the both kinds of senses, dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyām, and by that experience he knows that "This is not good. This is a sinful act." Just like in your country, in each cigarette packet, what is written there?
Sudāmā: "It is hazardous for the health."
Prabhupāda: So he knows it, that "I am smoking something which is detrimental to my health." But why he is smoking? Why he is smoking? This is the question. Prāyaścitta... Now from smoking sometimes he gets bronchitis or something, some disease in the heart. So he goes to the doctor, he suffers, and he takes medicine and he is cured, then again smoking, again do the same thing. One is suffering from syphilis, and he is suffering so much. The doctor gives injection and so on, so on. Then, after being cured, again doing the same. That is his question. It is not that a man always commits sinful activities without knowledge. No. They have full knowledge. So if one does, cannot resist himself from sinful activity, then what is the meaning of this atonement? He rejects, "This is useless." You commit some sinful activities and go to the church and pay some fine, and again you commit sinful acts. So it is useless. That is questioned by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Prāyaścittam atho katham: "What is this?"That is intelligence. He is devotee. He knows that this kind of atonement is useless. It has no meaning.
Śruta means... Just like we are hearing the śāstra, so he has heard it from the lawbooks that if one commits theft he'll be punished. And he has seen also that a person who has committed theft, he is arrested by the police, so he was being taken to the prison house. So knowledge is acquired from two sources, by direct perception and by hearing. Just like we are hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is knowledge also. And when you see there are three kinds of receiving knowledge... One is śruti. Śruti means hearing. So our Vedic process is that we hear the Vedic information, and we become perfect, śruti. And somebody challenges that "Why shall I believe in the Vedas? I must see." But everything is not possible to see. For example somebody, the mother said to the son, "Here is your father." So you have to believe your mother; otherwise how you can see your father? It is not possible. If you want to see to take the proof, "Whether this gentleman is my father," that is not possible. Because he became your father before your birth, how you can see? This is the way. You have to accept authority. So things which are beyond our perception we have to accept authority. Therefore the Vedic process is, if the world perfect order is there in the Vedas... Not if; anything which is in the Vedas, that is perfect. We have to accept. Accept. This is the way, Vedic, śruti.
So dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyām. Śruta means hearing, knowledge... The same thing... The person, the thief, he has seen and he has heard. Dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyām yat pāpam (SB 6.1.9). He knows what is sinful activities. Jānann apy. He knows this is... Jānann apy ātmano 'hitam. "This kind of activity is injurious to my person." Karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ: "Again he commits the same thing." He knows. Karoti vivaśaḥ prāyaścittam atho katham: "Then what is the value of that? If he cannot stop his sinful activity, then what is the meaning of this prāyaścittam?" So a professional thief, he has gone to the prison several times. He has been punished. Still, he commits the same thing, again goes to the jail. A patient, he has suffered from the disease on account of certain bad habits and he has gone to the doctor. He has paid much money and suffered injection, operation, and still he is doing that. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, "What is the value of this prāyaścitta?" Prāyaścitta, kind of punishment.
Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquires from Śukadeva that 'Atonement, that's all right. You are prescribing atonement. That is all right, to counteract the sinful activities. But why a man commits again the same sinful activities? What is the remedy for that?"
This is intelligent question. He says: dṛṣṭvā, dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpam (SB 6.1.9). Dṛṣṭa means just like one man sees this man has committed murder and he's hanged. Everyone sees. And in the lawbook it is said that if a man commits murder he'll be hanged. So śruta means we have heard it from authoritative sources; lawbook is authoritative source. Just like śāstra. Śāstra and lawbook is the same. Śāstra means that which controls. Śās-dhātu. Śāstra, śastra, śāsana, śiṣya comes from the same root. Śiṣya. Śiṣya also comes from the same root. Śiṣya means one agrees voluntarily to be governed by the spiritual master. He's called śiṣya.
So one knows that in every śāstra, every scripture, every lawbook, man is warned: "Don't commit theft; you'll be punished. Don't tell lie; you'll be punished. Don't do this; you'll be punished. Don't kill. Thou shalt not kill. Otherwise, you'll be punished." But nobody's caring. Why? What is the remedy for that? Everything is there. Dṛṣṭa, practical experience, and śruta,... Śruta means heard also from authoritative sources. So he says, dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpam (SB 6.1.9). Everyone knows it, jānan, everyone knows that this is pāpa, this is sinful activity. Everyone knows. Nobody can say that "I do not know that is sinful activities." Who does not know that stealing is sinful, committing murder is sinful, or so many other things? So Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquires that dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpaṁ jānann apy ātmano 'hitam (SB 6.1.9). "And he knows that 'It is not good for me; if I steal I'll be arrested, I'll be punished, I'll be put into jail. That is not a very comfortable life.' He knows that." Karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ. "But he commits again and again, vivaśaḥ, as if forced by something, forced by something."
Now, these Yamadūtas explained about the past life of Ajāmila. His past life is described in this way, ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ: "This man, Ajāmila, was formerly, was a very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa." Śruta. Śruta means Vedic knowledge, and sampannaḥ means accomplished. So ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ śīla-vṛtta-guṇālayaḥ. "And very well behaved, properly situated in his position," dhṛta-vrata, "and avowedly following the regulative principles." So he was learned, he was well-behaved, and he was avowedly, strictly following the regulative principles. Mṛduḥ. Mṛdu means very gentle. Dāntaḥ: he had control over his senses. Satya-vāṅ: he was very truthful. Mantra vit śuciḥ: and he knew all the Vedic mantras and he was very clean. Then gurv-agny-atithi-vṛddhānām. Guru, spiritual master; agni, sacrificial fire; vṛddhā, aged person; and atithi... Atithi means guest without invitation. This is the Vedic culture, that these men should be well received. Guru means spiritual master; agni, fire; atithi... Atithi. Atithi means without any fixed-up invitation if somebody comes at your place. And old men, they should be respectful. Not very long ago, when we were young men, say thirty years old, that time we have seen that a young man would not smoke before an old man. This was the etiquette. Now they have all forgotten this cultural civilization. They have no respect for old men.
So the Ajāmila later on became a great sinful person. Therefore he was to be taken to Yamarāja. But because he chanted at the end of his life "Nārāyaṇa," he became purified from all sinful activities. So the order-carriers of Nārāyaṇa came to deliver him, save him from the hands of the Yamadūta. So the Yamadūta is describing the history of Ajāmila in the past, how he was in the beginning. Because he was the son of a brāhmaṇa, his father trained up the brāhmaṇa boy like a brāhmaṇa. So as such, he got this training. What is that? Ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ: "This boy got training to become expert in Vedic knowledge." Śruta-sampannam. Śruta means Vedic knowledge, and sampannaḥ means finished. Within twelve years a brāhmaṇa's son is supposed to finished all the studies of Vedas, vyakāraṇa, grammar. That was education. From five years he is trained up. He goes to... Nowadays also, the children are sent to school at five years age, but the mode of education, different. Formerly, within twenty years a student, a brahmacārī, was trained up with all these qualifications, as it is described.
There are many important words in this verse, and it can be explained for a long time. The one word is that stambhayann ātmanā ātmānam. Just like a thief is going to steal. He also tries to control him: "I am going to steal. The after-effect will be that I will be arrested, and I will have to go to jail, and it is forbidden by śāstra and human laws also, state laws. So I am going to steal. There is risk." Actually there is risk. But this consciousness beats him, but he cannot control. This is the position. He cannot control. He knows everything, but still, he steals. The same thing happened here. Here it is said, na śaśāka samādhātum. He was a brāhmaṇa, learned brāhmaṇa. He knew that "I am being agitated by these sex desires. It is not good. It is not good." Yathā-śrutam. Śruta. Śruta means Vedic knowledge. He had sufficient education in Vedic knowledge. Yathā-śrutam and yāvat sattvam, as far he could control... Stambhayann ātmanā ātmānam. He tried to control the mind as far as intelligence concerned, but na śaśāka—he could not control. Na śaśāka samādhātum. Why? The mind was too much agitated. This is the point. This is the point, that his mind was too much agitated, madana-vepitam, by lusty desire. Lusty desire is very strong.
In the human society this is very essential, that one must perform yajña. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, dāna. Just like a brahmacārī, he must perform yajña. Then gṛhastha, he must give in charity. And who will give charity? Now they cannot maintain even family. And where is the question of charity? The gṛhastha must give in charity. Yajña, dāna and tapaḥ. And those who are vānaprastha and sannyāsī, they should practice tapasya, austerities. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat. Because you have taken sannyāsa, you cannot give up these things, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ. It must continue. You cannot say, "We have given up everything. We have given up these things also." No. Kṛṣṇa therefore said, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā pavanāni manīṣiṇām. Even if you think that you have become very great saintly person, still, you cannot give up this yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. So, tapaḥ. And śruta. Śruta means education. Education means Vedic education, not this electrical education. No, that is not education. Nowadays they have taken education, technology as education. That is not education. If I become an expert electrician, that is not education. Education, paṇḍitva, the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, even in the lower stage of life, ordinary life, he said who is educated, paṇḍita.
General Lectures
So God realization does not depend on material opulence. Material opulence means to take birth in high family, janma. Janma means high parentage. Then... Janmaiśvarya, and wealthy, great riches. These are material opulences: high parentage, great riches, and great learning, and great beauty. These four things are material opulences. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Janma means birth, aiśvarya means wealth, and śruta means education, and śrī means beauty. So for God realization these things are not essential, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can utilize everything. So nothing is neglected. That is another point. But if somebody thinks that "I have got all these opulences; therefore God realization is very easy for me," no, that is not. So God realization depends on God, because God, you cannot oblige God by some force. Just like if you have got money, oh, you can do anything nowadays. If you have got strength of wealth, you can have any power, you can do anything. But that does not mean that you can purchase God. No. That is not possible. If you have got beauty, you can conquer over very stalwart, very strong men. Just like what is the... Cleopatra. You have heard the Grecian history. She was very beautiful, and she conquered many great warriors. So beauty sometimes can conquer even the greatest man, but that does not mean beauty can conquer God. No. That is not possible.
This process of argument and logic, gymnasium, is imperfect always. You cannot realize what is the ultimate goal of life. Tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā. Śruta means Vedas or books of knowledge. There are different kinds of theories and doctrines. So if you read those books, unless you are very nicely directed, that will create also perplexity. Śrutayo vibhinnam. And so far philosophical speculation is concerned, the Bhāgavata says that nāsau muni yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. Muni means mental speculator. So you cannot find any mental speculator who is not differing from another mental speculator. So tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ, the path of so-called logic and argument, is not perfect. Then, simply if you study different books of knowledge, that will also not give you perfect knowledge. If you consult so-called mental speculators, their different views, then dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. The ultimate goal of life is very confidential and mysterious.
So we are trying to bring them into practice, how to serve Lord, how to, how to serve the Supreme Lord. That is our movement. It is not patchwork. Other humanitarian societies or welfare societies, they are trying to give some patchwork. They cannot give relief to the stringent laws of nature: birth, death, old age and disease. But we are giving the final cure of the disease of condition of material existence. That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). In this material world there are consideration of pious activities or impious activities. By pious activities one gets very good family, birth in very good family, and nice education, beautiful body, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Four things: birth either in good nation or in good family, janma; and aiṣvarya means wealth, richness; and ṣruta means education; and śrī means beauty. So this is the consideration of material pious or impious. And impious means just the opposite: birth in abominable species of life, just like cats, dogs, hogs, or uncivilized people, ugly feature, no education. These are consideration, pious or impious. But either you become pious or impious, you cannot get out of these stringent laws of nature: birth, death, disease and old age. So we are educating our students to practice how to revive his old, the eternal constitutional position to serve the Lord. This is our practice.
So these are the statements in the śāstra about bhāgavata-dharma. Not that we accept Kṛṣṇa blindly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is a science. Bhāgavata-tattva vijñānam. But this vijñāna, this scientific knowledge, is understandable not by your imperfect speculation. You have to accept the proper method of understanding. That method is called bhakti. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa simply by speculation. That is not possible. You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa simply by meditation. That is also not possible. If you actually seriously want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you have to take the process of bhakti. Jñāna-vairāgya yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. There is a statement, the Absolute Truth can be understood by bhakti, and that bhakti received through the aural reception of your ear. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that if you want to know a saintly person, you try to understand him by your ear, not by the eyes. You cannot understand a saintly person by staring your eyes, "Let me see what kind of..." No. That is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. You have to understand the Absolute Truth by devotion. At the same time, śruta-gṛhītayā. Śruta means taking information by hearing from the śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭhaṁ guru (MU 1.2.12), by hearing from the right source and with bhakti. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. This is the process.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Demigod means just like you or me, ordinary living being, but they are very pious. On account of their piety they have got very good post. Just like janma... There are four: to get birth in very high, aristocratic family; to become very learned scholar; to become beautiful in bodily feature. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26): high parentage, birth, to take birth in aristocratic family, in brāhmaṇa family, or very exalted royal family. This is janma. And śruta, to become very learned scholar. Janma, aiśvarya, to become very rich. Janmaiśvarya-śruta, śruta means education, and śrī, bodily beauty. These things are obtained on account of piety, pious activities. And just the opposite, low-class family, lowborn, no money, always poverty-stricken, no education, no bodily beauty, these are the results of impious activities. So the demigods means on account of their pious activities they get the situation in higher planet where the duration of life is ten thousands of years, and their one day is equal to our six months. Such ten thousands of years. Very beautiful body, facilities.
| Page Title: | Sruta means |
| Compiler: | Jahnu |
| Created: | 26 of Jan, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=25, Con=1, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 26 |