Prabhupāda: Vṛṣalaiḥ. Vṛṣalaiḥ, unlawful meat-eaters. Then what kind of lawful meat-eaters, the question will be. The lawful meat-eaters mean as enjoined by the śāstra, because meat eating is not required, not at all required. In the śāstra it is said:
- loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā
- nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā
- (SB 11.5.11)
In the śāstras, there is recommendation that, "You can eat meat under certain, certain condition. You can drink under certain conditions. You can marry, sex life, under certain condition." Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā. Vyavāya means sex; and āmiṣa means meat-eating; and madya-sevā, drinking, intoxication.
So śāstra says that, "Everyone, every living entity, has got a general tendency for these things: sex life, meat-eating and drinking." Then where is the need of śāstric injunction? That śāstric injunction is there not to encourage them, but to restrict them. In the human life, pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā (Manu Smṛti 5.56). You have got a tendency for sex life, take for example. This is your tendency. But if you can check it, that is your success. Not that because you have got tendency, you have to increase it. That is not human civilization. Human civilization means we have got so many animal propensities, and if we can control them, that is advancement of human civilization. Just try to understand. Not that, "Because I have got this tendency, let me increase it without any restriction." That is not human civilization. Human civilization . . . that is the distinction between animal and human being. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa jñānena (SB 6.1.13).
Therefore first beginning of human life . . . (child making noise) (aside) That child . . . the first beginning of human life is brahmacārī. Brahmacārī. Brahmacārī means to learn how to restrict himself from sense gratification. That is brahmacārī life—the student, student life. Nowadays, in every college, university, the students are allowed to mix, intermingle, both sex. What is called? Co-education?
Sudāmā: Co-ed. Yes.
Prabhupāda: But this is not the process of human civilization. Therefore, at the present moment, the population is so much degraded. There is no restriction. That is the difference between animal life and human life. Human life is meant for restriction. The more you restrict your material sense gratification, the more you are advanced. This is the standard. Not that, "Because I have got the tendency to act like this, let me do it unrestrictedly." That is not human civilization; that is cats' and dogs' civilization. Human civilization means tapasya, austerity. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Sattva. We have to purify our existence. That is the aim of human life. We have to purify our existence.