So Arjuna is a great warrior. He could fight all the soldiers, all the fighting men, yuyutsu. The other party, they were also, they were assembled, yuyutsu, with fighting spirit. Other men, even they are not fighting spirit, we can kill very easily. But own men, although they are fighting spirit, still he hesitates. Because own men. So this "own-menship," in relationship with the body, is the barrier for spiritual understanding. So long this conception of life will exist, that "I am this body, and anyone who is related with this body, they are my own men, kinsmen, relatives..." This conception of life is the greatest barrier for advancing in spiritual consciousness. Therefore the Vedic civilization is so planned that one has to give up this rascal "own men" conception. That is the vairāgya. It is called vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya. Two things required in human life: knowledge and vairāgya, detachment. The attachment increases. First of all, it increases. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). This whole world is based on sex life. A man has got attraction for woman; a woman has got attraction for man. This is nature's bondage. Shackle. And when they are actually united, either by the father, mother, or by their own way, that shackle, that attraction, increases. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ. Hṛdaya-granthim. Knot in the heart. "She is my wife." "He is my husband." Of course, now that knot is very slack. Formerly it was very strong because the woman was not allowed to mix with any other man, and the man was also not allowed with any other woman. This intermingling has slackened even that knot, hṛdaya-granthim. Therefore, even trifle cases, quarrel between husband and wife, there is divorce. Because that unity is not very strong now. That is good. Some way or other, it is slackened. So this "own-menship" comes from bodily concept of life.
Vairagya (Lectures, BG)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
The intelligent man is speaking, "My dear Lord, I have served my senses, lust, anger, greediness, so much so. Still, they are not kind upon me. They are still dictating, still dictating, 'Do this, do this, do this.' Therefore," samprataṁ labdha buddhi (?), " now I have got intelligence by Your grace." Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpayā (CC Madhya 19.151). "By the grace of my spiritual master, by the grace of yourself, I have got this intelligence. Now I have come to You, to serve. Kindly engage me." This is surrender. "I have served my senses, lust, greediness, and other things so faithfully. They are not satisfied. They still want me to serve. They are not going to give me pension. They want still, 'Oh what you have done? You have to do so many things.' So now I am disgusted." This is called vairāgya. Vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). This is required. In human life, this is, this intelligence required, vairāgya, not to serve this material world, but to serve Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they simply stop these material activities. Just like Buddha philosophy, nirvāṇa. He simply advises to stop this. But after stopping, what is, sir? "No, zero. Zero." That cannot be. That is not possible. This is their mistake. But the people to whom Buddha philosophy was preached, they are not so intelligent that there can be better service after giving up this service. Therefore Lord Buddha said, "You stop this service. You become happy because ultimately everything is zero." Śūnyavādī. Nirviśeṣavādī.
Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtina. Sukṛtina means pious. Kṛtī means very expert in acting worldly activities. So one who are engaged in pious activities, they are called sukṛtī. There are two kinds of activities: impious activities, sinful activities; and pious activities. So one who goes to pray in the church or in the temple, "O God, give us our daily bread," or "God, give me some money," or "God, give me relief from this distress," they are also pious. They are not impious. The impious people, they will never surrender to God, Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). These class of men, sinful men, rascal, lowest of the mankind, whose knowledge has been taken away by māyā, and demon—these classes of men will never surrender to God. Therefore they are duṣkṛtina, impious. So Kṛṣṇa is pious, but still he wants the family benefit. This is his defect. Er, Arjuna. Family prosperity. He wants to be happy with society, friendship and love. Therefore he says that na kāṅkṣe vijayam... This is called vairāgya. Śmaśāna-vairāgya. It is called śmaśāna-vairāgya. Śmaśāna-vairāgya means that in India, the Hindus, they burn the dead body. So relatives take the dead body for burning to the burning ghāṭa, and when the body is burned, everyone present there, for the time being, they become little renounced: "Oh, this is the body. We are working for this body. Now it is finished. It is burnt into ashes. So what is the benefit?" This kind of vairāgya, renouncement, is there. But as soon as he comes from the burning ghāṭa, he again begins his activities. In the śmaśāna, in the burning ghāṭa, he becomes renounced. And as soon as comes home, again he is vigorous, vigorous, how to earn, how to get money, how to get money, how to get money. So this kind of vairāgya is called śmaśāna-vairāgya, temporary. He cannot become vairāgī. And he said, na kāṅkṣe vijayam: (BG 1.31) "I don't want victory. I don't want this." This is temporary sentiment. Temporary sentiment. These people, they attach to family life. They may say like that, that "I don't want this happiness, don't want this very nice position, victory. I don't want." But he wants everything. He wants everything. Because he does not know what is the śreyas. Śreyas is Kṛṣṇa. Actually, when one gets Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he can say that "I don't want this." They will not say that. Why they will say, "Don't want this"? Here what we have got? Suppose I have got a kingdom. So that is my kingdom? No. That is Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Because Kṛṣṇa says bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor. I may be His representative. Kṛṣṇa wants that everyone should be Kṛṣṇa conscious.
So anyway, the family attraction is required for regulated life. If there is no family attraction, there is no regulated life. We have got very good experience of these things. So family attraction required. It is not that it is rejected. It is required for regulated life. Unregulated life cannot make any progress. Therefore, in the Vedic civilization, the gṛhastha-āśrama is recommended. Everyone should be married and everyone should live. If possible let him live—a brahmacārī. First of all the brahmacārī-āśrama is given there, austerity, under the guidance of the spiritual master. So the idea is not to be entangled. Brahmacārī has no connection with worldly affairs. He's simply interested with the order of the spiritual master. That is called brahmacārī. So one is trained up as a brahmacārī, and he is sufficiently given knowledge, that "Don't be entangled with these material affairs. Don't be entangled. Try to avoid. But if you are still unable, your sex impulse is very strong, all right, then you go and marry." This is the process. First of all he is taught to be vairāgī. Vairāgya. This whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement may be called vairāgya-vidyā. Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he wrote one verse on Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He wrote one hundred verses. Out of that, two verses or four verses are available. When he composed the verses eulogizing Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and it was shown to Him, because it was self-eulogization, He immediately tore up the paper. So still, the devotees collected and got two or four verses. So one of the verses written by Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is: vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam (CC Madhya 6.254). This bhakti-yoga is vairāgya-vidyā, how to teach people to be detached from this material attraction. This is vairāgya-vidyā. In another place, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is said,
- vāsudeve bhagavati
- bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
- janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
- jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
- (SB 1.2.7)
In the human life, two things required: jñāna and vairāgya. Jñāna means that "I am not this body." This is jñāna. Not that so-called scientific knowledge, more attachment for this body. That is not... That is ajñāna. That is not jñāna. Jñāna means how to achieve the status of vairāgya. That is jñāna. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). So the brahmacārī is taught vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ (CC Madhya 6.254). Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya says that "This Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who has taken sannyāsa, very early age, only at the age of twenty-four years, a very young man. He has got His young wife at home, sixteen years old, and He has got His mother, old, seventy years old. So He has given up all responsibility, and there is no other male member in the family to look after them, the mother and the young wife. Still, He has taken sannyāsa. So therefore He is the Purāṇa-puruṣa, the Supreme Person, but He has come to teach us this vairāgya-vidyā." Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ (CC Madhya 6.254). Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is described: puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ. Śāśvataṁ purāṇaḥ. Divyam, ādi-puruṣam. So puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam: "He has come to teach the bhakti-yoga which is vairāgya-vidyā." Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī (CC Madhya 6.254). "Now He has assumed the body of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu." Tam ahaṁ prapadye: "I offer my respectful obeisances to this person. He has come to teach us vairāgya-vidyā."
So vairāgya-vidyā. This family attachment, and just the opposite thing is vairāgya-vidyā, how to become detached. This is the whole process of Vedic civilization. Everyone has got this attachment for the body and expansion of the body. So vairāgya-vidyā means to be detached. That is called brahma-jñāna. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). That is brahma-jñāna. As soon as you understand, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," this is called brahma-jñāna. So long you do not get this knowledge, you are in ignorance. That ignorance, there are degrees. In the sattva-guṇa or in the modes of goodness, you can simply theoretically understand that "I am not this body." That is sattva-guṇa. Brahminical qualities. Śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñāna. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). When you... brahma-jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa means who has got the knowledge of brahma. Veda-paṭhād bhaved vipro brahma-jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ.
So everyone is born śūdra, but by cultivation of knowledge and culture, one can become... Saṁskārāt. Therefore, according to Vedic system, there are ten kinds of saṁskāra, reformatory method. This upanayana-saṁskāra, this is also one of the saṁskāra, sacred thread. Upanayana. Upa means near, and nayana means bringing. When the spiritual master brings nearer to spiritual consciousness, a person is given the upanayana, or the sacred thread. The sacred thread is the indication that "This man is now under the control of the spiritual master for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This thread ceremony. This is called upanayana. Similarly, there is reformatory method, marriage, ten kinds of reformatory... The first beginning is garbhādhāna. So these things are impossible to introduce now in this Kali-yuga. Therefore the only reformatory method is: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā (CC Adi 17.21). In this age of Kali, people are so fallen, so degraded, that it is not possible to introduce systematically the whole Vedic principle; it is not possible. That is not possible. It is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, mercy, that He has given us mercifully, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti (CC Madhya 6.254), just to teach very short-cut method. What is that? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Simple. Simple. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni (CC Antya 20.12). You are suffering in this material world, dāvāgni, now, forest fire. This material world is forest fire. But they are so ignorant, they cannot understand that "We are burning in the blazing fire of this material existence. Our attempt should be how to get out of it." But there is no such knowledge. Just like animals. The animals are suffering. They are being taken to the slaughterhouse. There is no, I mean, strength of protesting. They are being slaughtered. So we are being also being slaughtered by the laws of nature. We are also being slaughtered. So we do not know how to make progress. That is slaughtering.
The same thing, here Vyāsadeva describes: śrī bhagavān uvāca. He's not ordinary person. Bhagavān speaking. Bhagavān means... What is Bhagavān? Aiśvarya. Aiśvarya means riches. Nobody can be richer than Bhagavān. We have got our ideas of richness. I may be rich, but you are richer than me. Somebody is richer than you. Somebody is richer than another, another, another. You go, make proceed. When you find out the final richest person, that is Bhagavān. Aiśvaryasya sama... Samagrasya. All riches. Not that partial. One may have one thousand, another man, one lakh, one man, one crore, but nobody can say that "I have got all the monies." No, that is not possible. But Bhagavān has all the monies. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. Similarly, strength, bodily strength or power. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ. And similarly, reputation. We are also reputed. But nobody can be reputed than Kṛṣṇa. Just like five thousand years ago He spoke this Bhagavad-gītā, and He's so reputed that Kṛṣṇa spoke Bhagavad-gītā and still it is running on. Not only in India, but we are traveling all over the world. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā. So He's so reputed. So aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). And beautiful. The most beautiful. Kṛṣṇa, most attractive. Yaśasaḥ śri..., jñāna, knowledge, the book of knowledge which He has given, this Bhagavad-gītā, there is no comparison. There is no second book in the whole world which contains so full of knowledge. So jñāna. And vairāgya also. In spite of all the property of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa doesn't care for this material world. He is busy in the spiritual world. Rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī. He's busy in Vṛndāvana. He has many servants. Just big man has got many secretaries, servants, they look after, similarly, in this material world. His representatives—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara—they are managing the affairs of this whole universe. But He's enjoying in Vṛndāvana. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī. He has no concern. He doesn't care what is happening here. But it, it does not mean that He doesn't care, but He has no anxiety how the things are being managed. When it is mismanaged, then sometimes Kṛṣṇa comes in His Vāsudeva form. Not the original Kṛṣṇa. Original Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvana. Padam ekaṁ na gacchati. He's always in His abode.
Just like these boys, they are being trained up to think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Just like we have constructed this pandal. Our business is to preach Kṛṣṇa. So the energy employed for constructing this temple, that is also Kṛṣṇa, that energy. Somebody is doing... Anything... Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. If our activities are always dovetailed for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, that is called vairāgya. Vairāgya. A man is engaged in business. That's all right. But if the fruit of that business is made, is meant for Kṛṣṇa, then sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46). That is sva-karmaṇā. Generally, we work for our sense gratification. "I have got this money. I must use for my sense gratification or for my relative's sense gratification or for my country's sense gratification, for my society's sense gratification." So this is materialism. But when the same thing is turned for Kṛṣṇa's sense gratification, that is spiritual. That is the difference between prema and kāma. Kāma. It has been very simplified by Kavirāja Kṛṣṇadāsa Gosvāmī in his Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāre bali 'kāma' (CC Adi 4.165). Ātmendriya-prīti. If you want to satisfy your senses, that is called kāma, lust. Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare 'prema' nāma. The same thing, when you try to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is called prema.
He said that "After killing my family men..." Dhṛtarāṣṭra, dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ, pāṇḍavāḥ... Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu, they were two brothers, and their sons, cousin-brothers. So generally, people want to increase his material opulence to show to his friends and relatives. When one person constructs a very new, very nice house, he invites his relatives and his friends to show them that "Now I have become so opulent." So Arjuna is thinking in that term, that "Suppose I conquer over and I get the kingdom. But if my relatives and brothers are dead, whom shall I show?" This is another kind of vairāgya. How this material relationship makes one foolish, Arjuna is playing the part of a foolish man, and Kṛṣṇa will chastise him. We shall see later on. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)
So the Prahlāda Mahārāja advising that "You give up all this nonsense conceptions" Vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). Just vanaṁ gataḥ, means just become free from this conception, gṛham andha-kūpam conception of life. Take the broader life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you'll be happy. Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). Harim āśrayeta. The real business is harim āśrayeta. Vanaṁ gataḥ. Vanaṁ gataḥ means go to the forest. Formerly, after gṛhastha life, vānaprastha life, sannyāsa life, they used to live in the forest. But going to the forest is not the main purpose of life. Because in the forest there are many animals. Does it mean they are advanced in spiritual life? That is called markaṭa-vairāgya. Markaṭa-vairāgya means "monkey renunciation." Monkey is naked. Nāga-bābā. Naked. And eats fruit, monkey, and lives underneath a tree or on the tree. But he has got at least three dozen wives. So this markaṭa-vairāgya, this kind of renunciation, has no value. Real renunciation. Real renunciation means you have to give up the andha-kūpa life and take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, harim āśrayeta. If you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, then you can give up this, all this "ism" life. Otherwise, it is not possible; you'll be entrapped by this "ism" life. So hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). Not to give up... If you give up something, you must take up something. Otherwise, it will be disturbed. Take up. That is recommendation: paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). You can give up your family life, social life, political life, this life, that life when you take Kṛṣṇa conscious life. Otherwise, it is not possible. Otherwise, you must have to take some of this life. There is no question of your freedom. There is no question of freedom from anxieties. This is the way.
Just now we are engaged in the Second Chapter. These are the contents, contents, the how a, I mean, a self-realized person, situated in pure consciousness, will be experienced by his practical behavior. Yes. Vāsudeve bhagavati. The whole thing is... It is called vairāgya. Vairāgya. Vairāgya means to detach, be detached. I am a spirit, and some way or other, I am in contact with the matter. That is my trouble. The whole trouble is due to my contact with matter. Now I have to detach from this matter and to be situated in my pure conscious, spiritual state. So this is called vairāgya. This vairāgya, or detachment from material attraction, is very easily done.
Now here it is said, tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya. You can control your senses only when you engage that senses into the service of the Lord. Tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ. Mat. Mat-paraḥ means "unto Me, unto Me, in relationship with Me." That's all right. And in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu also, you'll find that nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. You haven't got to restrain yourself completely, but if you dovetail yourself, nirbandhaḥ, when it is in relation with Kṛṣṇa, then your vairāgya, your detachment, is approved. Only thing is that don't do it for your sense gratification, but do it for the satisfaction of the Supreme. That's all. That should be the motto of our life, that "I shall not do anything for my sense satisfaction, but I shall do everything for the satisfaction of the Supreme." That penance, that sacrifice, will make me perfect spiritualized and perfectly on the spiritual platform and my life becomes perfect. Vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā. In this way one has control. The simple thing is control. Vaśe. Vaśe means under control. Vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi. Anyone who has got his senses under control, he, he is spiritually perfect. So how senses under control? Just engage the senses under the control or under the direction of the Supreme. Then you become perfectly spiritual. Vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā, pratiṣṭhitā.
Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. Yuktaṁ vairāgya, real renunciation, is to dovetail everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is renunciation. Not renunciation that "I earn whole time millions of dollars and distribute among my children and are all engaged in some other way, and I become Kṛṣṇa conscious in a secluded place." No. You can begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning. Earn for Kṛṣṇa, spend for Kṛṣṇa, think for Kṛṣṇa, work for Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Fight for Kṛṣṇa. Nothing to be rejected. Everything to be dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on.
Now, aiśvarya is an opulence. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. Entire opulence. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. Vīryasya means strength, entire strength. And yaśaḥ. Yaśaḥ means fame. So entire fame. Yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriyaḥ means... Śrī means beauty, entire beauty. And jñāna. And jñāna means knowledge, entire knowledge. And vairāgya, entire renunciation. These things, whenever you find, wherever you find in complete, He is God. He is God. These six items: entire opulence, entire strength, entire fame, entire beauty, entire knowledge, and entire renunciation, six. Ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīṅganā.
Now, what do you mean by renunciation? Suppose I am in the renounced order of life. What I have renounced? Oh, you are, you have got clothing. I have got also clothing. It may be less costly. Or you are living in some room. Oh, I am also living in some room. So what is the difference between you and me? Renunciation. Suppose a mendicant becomes..., he has renounced everything. In India you'll find, simply a loincloth he's wearing, even naked body. Sometimes, they are naked. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the monkey, monkey is completely naked, and he eats fruit. Markaṭa-vairāgya. Markaṭa-vairāgya..., mendicantism just like the monkey. He is... He is living in a jungle. Suppose a sage or saintly person goes to the jungle. So monkey is there in the jungle. Oh, he has renounced. He has no clothing. He's naked. And he eats also only fruits. Just like the sages also eat only fruit. So these are not qualification, simply eating fruit or renouncing. The real qualification is that how much one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the service of the Lord. That is the qualification. Otherwise, if I am in renounced, I am naked, I eat, only eat fruit, and I live within jungle, and I have got many lady monkeys with me, oh, what sort of renouncement that is? That is not... That is called "monkey renouncement."
Now, what do you mean by renunciation? Suppo:se I am in the renounced order of life. What I have renounced? Oh, you are, you have got clothing. I have got also clothing. It may be less costly. Or you are living in some room. Oh, I am also living in some room. So what is the difference between you and me? Renunciation. Suppose a mendicant becomes..., he has renounced everything. In India you'll find, simply a loincloth he's wearing, even naked body. Sometimes, they are naked. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the monkey, monkey is completely naked, and he eats fruit. Markaṭa-vairāgya. Markaṭa-vairāgya..., mendicantism just like the monkey. He is... He is living in a jungle. Suppose a sage or saintly person goes to the jungle. So monkey is there in the jungle. Oh, he has renounced. He has no clothing. He's naked. And he eats also only fruits. Just like the sages also eat only fruit. So these are not qualification, simply eating fruit or renouncing. The real qualification is that how much one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the service of the Lord. That is the qualification. Otherwise, if I am in renounced, I am naked, I eat, only eat fruit, and I live within jungle, and I have got many lady monkeys with me, oh, what sort of renouncement that is? That is not... That is called "monkey renouncement."
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Vairāgya means renunciation, and phalgu means without any value or little, very little. Why should we give up this world? But the process is that give up the idea of sense enjoyment. That is required. That is real renunciation. I shall not use it for my sense gratification. I shall utilize it for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on.
So here the suggestion is that this body is useless, but that does not mean we shall not take care. Just like you are going from one place to another place on your car. The car, you are not this car, but because you have to use the car for your work, you have to take care of the car also. But not much care that you simply become absorbed in the car business and no other business. Just like somebody, too much attachment to the car is polishing the car whole day, you see, polishing. So we should not be too much attached to this body. But because with this body we have to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we should keep it fit also. That is called yukta-vairāgya. We should not neglect. We shall take regular bath, we shall, regular nice food, Kṛṣṇa prasāda, keep our mind and body healthy. That is required.
"Yes, I admit. It is very difficult." He also said, "Yes, My dear Arjuna, it is very difficult." Asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho: "Oh, you are mighty-armed, mighty soldier. But still I think it is... What you are saying, it is nice. It is really fact." Asaṁśayaṁ mahā..., mano durnigrahaṁ calam: "Mind is very difficult to control. Yes, what you are saying... But it can be controlled." How? Abhyāsena tu kaunteya: "If you practice, the mind can be controlled." So the controlling of the mind by practice... Vairāgyeṇa. Vairāgyeṇa means by renunciation. Vairāgya means renunciation. And what is that renunciation? Oh, I cannot renounce even smoking. I cannot renounce even drinking so many things. I cannot renounce so many things, but still, I am going to yoga class for practice. Is it possible? So many rules and regulations are there, and I am unable to give up even the small thing, smoking. Here it is said, vairāgyeṇa. There is a, I mean to say, big list of vairāgya: "You cannot do this, you cannot do this, you cannot do this, you cannot do this..." And the whole list is summarized that "You cannot have any illicit connection with woman, you cannot eat any nonvegetarian dish, you cannot be addicted, any kind of intoxication, and you cannot take part in any kind of gambling." At least these four things... These four things include everything, all kinds of vairāgya. So we have to test how much we have been able to discard these things. Then vairāgya. Then I can control my mind. Controlling mind is not so easy thing that I go to the store and purchase something. No.
Abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate. So this vairāgya can be very easily practiced when you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are practically seeing. These four things our students have very easily given up because they are serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is not advertisement. You can ask. There are many students here who have taken up this, I mean to say, philosophy very seriously, and they find it easy. Oh, they find it easy. Vairāgya automatically becomes. It is such a nice thing. It is such a nice thing that easily you become detestful to all these things. We do not discourage, I mean to say, sex life, but we discourage illicit connection with man and woman. Sex life cannot be discouraged. Because you have got this body, material body, sex desire is a demand. We have to satisfy; otherwise we shall go ill. As we have to eat something, as we have to sleep for some time, so sex life is also required. So we cannot discourage it, neither all the Vedic literatures discourage. But Vedic literatures cannot allow you... If you actually serious about advancement of spiritual life, then you cannot encourage illicit connection, no. I request all my young students that "You get yourself married." And recently I have performed myself one marriage ceremony. Two of my students, they have been married actually. So we don't discourage what is necessity, but we cannot allow illicit things. So these are called vairāgya.
So vairāgya means we have to regulate our life. Unless you regulate your mind... The mind is always agitated, and if we be addicted to all these things, then more agitation will come. If you have got illicit connection with woman, oh, the mind will be always agitated. If we are intoxicated, oh, mind will be more agitated. If you don't take, I mean to say, foodstuff in the goodness, very strong and pungent and animal foodstuff, then our mind will be more agitated. And so far gambling is concerned, oh, sometimes we have to commit suicide. There are history of gambling clubs that when a person loses everything he commits suicide and he is thrown away. I have heard that in Europe there are many clubs. They go for gambling, and they lose everything, whatever, and they commit suicide. And the club proprietor throws him in the street. There is no law. I have heard. Of course, I do not know. You may know better than me.
So if we want to control the mind, then we have to adopt these regulative principles of life. Not that we have to give up, but we have to make regulated. Vairāgya. Then it will be possible to adopt. And the best thing is that engage your mind always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are trying to engage our students twenty-four hours either in this way or that way, this way or that way, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is samādhi, trance, transcendental situation. You can eat, you can enjoy, you can dance, you can see, you can work—all things for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will automatically make you renounced order of life. But if you try to follow this yoga system which was possible in the Satya-yuga some millions of years before, and if you want to adopt that, oh, it is not possible. If you want to be satisfied becoming a showbottle, then that is a different thing. Remain a showbottle. But if you want really actual success, then you cannot adopt that process. Asaṁyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ.
So yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriya, beauty. Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful, nobody can surpass Him. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). Although He is blackish, but He is so beautiful, He enchants the most beautiful, Rādhārāṇī. So aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śrī means beauty. He is so beautiful. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa. On account of His beauty, He attracts everyone. Beauty attracts. So nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Aiśvaryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ, and jñāna. Not only He is beautiful... Just like a flower, very beautiful to see but no good smell, no aroma—useless. So Kṛṣṇa is not only beautiful, but He is the most wise. He spoke Bhagavad-gītā. Five thousand years ago He spoke. Still big, big scholars, religionists, philosophers, they studying. This is called jñāna. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47), jñāna and vairāgya. Vairāgya means renouncement. So Kṛṣṇa claims that He is the proprietor of all the planet, but if you think, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Let me find out. He is the proprietor," oh, that you cannot find out. Vairāgya. Although He is the proprietor of all the planets, you won't find Him within this material world, although His authority is going on. Just like the president of your country is not to be seen everywhere, but his authority is going on. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ (BG 9.4). Everything is situated on Kṛṣṇa's opulence, but not that you will find Kṛṣṇa there. You will find Kṛṣṇa there when you are advanced. Otherwise you will not find. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is situated everything, but still, you cannot see in Kṛṣṇa unless you have got eyes to see. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to give you the eyes to see Kṛṣṇa everywhere. So how this thing can be done? So if you are serious, then you can see Kṛṣṇa.
Phalgu-vairāgya. Phalgu means false. False. The phalgu, from River Phalgu is... Here, in India, there is a River Phalgu. You'll see that there is no water on the surface of the river. But if you push your hand within the sand, you'll get water. So phalgu-vairāgya means that I am giving up, renouncing everything, superficially, but within me there is a desire how to become God. I am giving up, but I cannot give up this desire. There is big, big philosophy on this point. The... They are trying to become one with God. But a devotee does not try to become one with God or separated from God. They are satisfied. In whatever condition God keeps him, he's satisfied.
So separated energy, in this way you have to understand, that although this energy is separated from Kṛṣṇa, it can be used for Kṛṣṇa. And when it is used for Kṛṣṇa, then it is spiritual. It is no more material. Material means forgetfulness. Karmīs are constructing big, big houses, skyscraper houses. The purpose is to enjoy himself. The same thing, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, mixing together, brick or stone or cement, if it is used for Kṛṣṇa, then it is yukta-vairāgya.
Bhaga. These are opulences. Aiśvarya means opulence and... Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. Vīryasya means strength. And yaśasaḥ. Yaśasaḥ means fame. And aiśvaryasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriyaḥ means beauty. And jñāna. Jñāna means knowledge. And renunciation, vairāgya. Renunciation. These six opulences, when you find presented in a personality in full, He is God. He is God. That is the description of God. You have many rich men here in your New York City, but nobody can claim that he is the richest of all, he has got all the riches of the world. Nobody can claim. But if you find somebody who claims that "All the riches of the world or the universe belongs to me," He's God. He is God, just like Kṛṣṇa claimed.
So therefore this science, the devotional science, devotional service, or bhakti-yoga, is rāja-vidyā. Automatically. Automatically your senses, mind become controlled because it is engaged in Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is purified. And as soon as it's purified, you'll not like to engage your senses in any other activities. That is the taste of bhakti. Bhakti..., one has become bhakta, at the same time he is very much attracted this sense gratification, that is not bhakta. Bhakti means bhakti-pareśānubhavo: realization of the Transcendence. And what is the test? Viraktir anyatra syāt, vairāgya. Many places it is stated, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Vairāgyam means no more taste for sense gratification. That is called vairāgyam. Vīra, vigatah rāga, no attachment. Our material attachment means material sense gratification. That is attachment. And bhakti means... Bhakti... Therefore another name of bhakti is vairāgya vidyā.
- vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga
- śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
- śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī
- kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye
- (CC Madhya 6.254)
This is Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a learned scholar, a logician. When he became disciple of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu he wrote one hundred... He was a great Sanskrit scholar. So he wrote one hundred verses. Out of, two verses are available, because when these verses were presented to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He tore it and throw it out, because He did not, did not like. It is His instruction that one should not be very much attached to his self-aggrandizement. No. But His devotees collected only two, three or some such ślokas. Out of these, this is one of them: vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ (CC Madhya 6.254). Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ. Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Himself, Sri Kṛṣṇa Himself, purāṇaḥ, the oldest person. Who is the oldest person? Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is..., aham sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). Na me viduḥ sura-ganaḥ (Bg 10.2). These things are there. So He is the oldest person. Ādi-puruṣam. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham bhajāmi **. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇah sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He is the ādi-puruṣam; therefore purāṇaḥ-puruṣam. Purāṇaḥ means old, the oldest. Who can be older than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore the Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said that ādi-puruṣaḥ, that oldest person, Kṛṣṇa, He has come down to teach vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam. What is that vairāgya-vidyā? Bhakti-yoga. Our difficulty is that we have been entangled with this material world, because we have been attracted by this sense-gratification in the material world. And vairāgya vidyā means unless you become detestful, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59), unless we find a better position, a better enjoyment, we cannot give it up. So this bhakti-yoga means offering the better position, better gratification, better pleasure, so that one can give up this inferior pleasure in the material world. Therefore bhakti-yoga means vairāgya-vidyā, jñāna-vairāgya. Vāsudeve. That vairāgya can be very easily achieved by bhakti-yoga vāsudeva.
If you become devotee of Vāsudeva, bhaja vāsudevam, then very quickly you will become jñānavān. First of all, one becomes jñānavān; then he surrenders to Vāsudeva. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is one process. Another process is you become a devotee of Vāsudeva, then jñāna, vairāgya, will automatically come. You'll... Because the human life, the perfection of human life is to accept jñāna and vairāgya. That is perfection. In our Vedic civilization, this is the process, perfection. There are different stages of life. Brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. So what is the sannyāsa law? Sannyāsa means perfection. Jñāna and vairāgya. Who can take sannyāsa, renounced order, unless he has got full knowledge? As Śaṅkarācārya explains, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Unless one understands fully that "Our these material engagements, they are simply waste of time." He can attain perfection knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya (SB 1.2.12). Unless there is perfection of knowledge, jñāna, there cannot be vairāgya. And unless there is vairāgya, unless you become detestful of this material existence, there is no question of liberation. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya.
So this jñāna and vairāgya can be achieved simply by becoming a devotee of Vāsudeva. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Āśu vairāgya, very soon. Just like these boys, these American, these European boys, they are young men. Now they have taken sannyāsa and dedicated their life for service of Kṛṣṇa. They are vairāgya. They are coming from opulent nation, very rich men, rich nation. Their parents are very rich. There is no scarcity of food. There is no scarcity of money. There is no scarcity of women in the western countries. But they have left everything. Simply boys. They are all within thirty. How much a young man may have propensities for enjoying this material way of life! And when there is facilities. But how they have taken to it? This is the proof.
- vāsudeve bhagavati
- bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
- janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
- jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
- (SB 1.2.7)
This is proof. So actually if we want jñāna and knowledge... because human life is meant for jñāna and knowledge. Human life is not meant for living like animals, cats and dogs. Cats and dogs cannot be elevated to the platform of jñāna and vairāgya. That is not possible. A human being can be elevated by education, by culture, to the platform of jñāna and vairāgya. That is the ultimate goal. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings therefore,
- hari hari bifale, janama goṅāinu,
- manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā
- jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu
Sometimes we become ghost. If we become too much attached, we cannot leave. Therefore too much opulent apartment, opulent life, is not very good for spiritual advancement because we get too much attached to it. My Guru Mahārāja used to advise us that "It is better to live in rented house than to possess own house." Why? Because if we possess our own house, we'll be more attached. Because the life's program is jñāna-vairāgya, knowledge and renouncement. One should have sufficient knowledge to understand his constitutional position as a living entity.
And he must develop renouncement, vairāgya. Because attachment sometimes leads me to become a tree, to become a mouse, to become a serpent in the same house, attachment. After all, you may decorate your house. You may purchase a nice house. You decorate it very nicely. But you have to leave it. You cannot live here permanently. That is not possible. Either make your country very nice, very nice city, very decorated city, or your house, apartment, wife, children, very nice decorated, but you'll not be allowed to remain.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). We are wandering in this cycle of birth and death and wandering in the universe. In this way, in the process of our wandering, some way or other, if we become fortunate by association of devotees, by understanding the Vedic knowledge... Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya (SB 1.2.12). Human life is meant for achieving knowledge and vairāgya, not that to increase the animal propensities even up to the point of death. That is not human life. Human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1).
So therefore Brahma-sūtra is called nyāya-prasthāna. Nyāya-prasthāna, śruti-prasthāna, smṛti-prasthāna. We have to accept this prasthāna, the process of progress, to understand the Absolute Truth. So Brahma-sūtra is called nyāya-prasthāna. By logic, sufficient logic, Brahma-sūtra. Kṛṣṇa says therefore, brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). Hetumat, with reason, you must understand.
- tac chraddadhānā munayo
- jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
- paśyanty ātmāni cātmānaṁ
- bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
- (SB 1.2.12)
Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. One can understand the Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth means the Bhagavān ultimately.
In this way the Viṣṇu-tattva is expanded. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). So in this way there are many śāstras, many Vedic literature, many explanations. But here Kṛṣṇa gives a special reference to the Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12) means one has to learn very nicely Vedānta-sūtra. And the explanation of Vedānta-sūtra, natural comment on Vedānta-sūtra, is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary.
Prapañcikatayā buddhyā. (sharp cracking sound; aside:) What is this sound? Prapañcika-buddhyā, by accepting something as material, hari-sambandhī-vastunaḥ, but it has connection with Hari, so if we give it up, then it is phalgu-vairāgya. Just like this, for land we are fighting. Because we are thinking that "Kṛṣṇa has come here, Kṛṣṇa is seated here. It cannot be vacated." We are not thinking that it is a material thing. This is an example.
For the matter of sense gratification you have to practice vairāgya. Indriya. Our all the indriyas—eyes, tongue, nose—they are very much, I mean to say, affected or attracted. Eyes, always attracted by beauty. "I want to see very beautiful thing." But you can control the eyes when you practice to see the beautiful feature of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. Therefore the Deity should be very nicely decorated so layman like us may be attracted by the beauty of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Gradually, he will forget to see any other beauty. This is the practice of indriyārtheṣu. Indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam.
Actually the whole life is meant for understanding vairāgya, renouncement. Human life is not meant for becoming more and more attached to the material enjoyment. Human life is meant for tapasya, vairāgya. Here it is said, vairāgyam, anahaṅkāra, and false prestige, false identification. "Oh, am this. I must do this." That is... In the beginning it is taught, amānitvam, anahaṅkāram. And then janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. We are very much busy to make solution of the problems of life. Political problems, economical problems, social problems. They are also problems. But real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, that you have to take birth, you have to die, and when you are in life, you have to suffer from diseases, jarā-vyadhi, and you have to become old. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha. These are really problems. But who knows that these are the real problems? They have taken it, accepted it.
But actually Bhagavad-gītā is meant for bhaktas. Bhakto 'si sakhā ceti. Bhagavad-gītā was instructed to Arjuna for his only qualification, that he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti. So the whole Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of Vedic knowledge, and the Vedic knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Even if you study Vedic literature, without bhakti, without studying the Vedic literature, you cannot understand the Absolute Truth. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). Tac chraddadhānā munayaḥ. Those who are faithful, such great saintly persons, śraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā... Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. There is sufficient knowledge and vairāgya, detachment.
Vairāgya... Vedānta knowledge is not to be discussed on the table as a recreation, taking tea and smoking and discussing on Vedānta-sūtra. This kind of discussion will not help. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. Vairāgya. There must be detachment from material activities. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya... (SB 1.2.12), paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Bhaktyā. There must be bhakti. And what kind of bhakti? Not sentiment but śruta-gṛhītayā, taking, accepting bhakti, the devotional path, after being completely aware of the spiritual science. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā.
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.
Even big, big sannyāsīs, they cannot... They are in a saffron dress but they Vairāgya... So far vairāgya is concerned, if you study their inner history, there is no vairāgya. They are attached to all kinds of material enjoyment. Simply a show-bottle dress. That will not help.
There must be vairāgya. That vairāgya can be achieved by bha... Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. When you hear... Bhakta means through the devotees, or you becoming devotee. There must be devotional service. And bhakti means sevonmukha, the attitude of rendering service to the Lord. That is bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means when you engage your senses for the service of the master of the senses, Hṛṣīkeśa. That is called is bhakti. Bhakti is not sentiment.
So svayaṁ bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). We have many times explained the word bhagavān. Bhagavān means six opulences. Riches and... Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. Potency. Vīryasya yaśasaḥ, fame, reputation. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47), beauty, jñāna, knowledge, and vairāgya, detachment. When one is full with all these six opulences, he's God. So people try to get the opulences. Everyone is trying by karma, jñāna, yoga. But nobody can attain the opulences in full strength. That is not possible. So the simple definition of God is that one who is in full six opulences, he's God. That has been analyzed by great saintly persons, including Lord Brahmā, and it has been decided that the all the six opulences can be found in Kṛṣṇa.
So now we have got higher consciousness, developed consciousness we should try to understand the problems of life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about this Absolute Truth, the Supreme Soul. Ātma-tattva-jijñāsā. Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Everyone is born rascal and fool. Unless one is rascal and fool, one does not take birth in this material body. One who is actually in knowledge, he becomes liberated. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya(SB 1.2.12). That is the result of knowledge. If we are not liberated, if we have not stopped our repetition of birth and death, that means we are in ignorance.
...is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. 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. 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
- vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate
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.
Vairāgya. Actually, we cannot make actually vairāgya. Vairāgya means to refrain from material enjoyment or sense enjoyment. That is vairāgya.
- vāsudeve bhagavati
- bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
- janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
- jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
- (SB 1.2.7)
Jñāna and vairāgya, these two things are required to purify our existence. And that is made possible simply by devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Very soon one becomes vairāgī.
Just like these European, American boys. They are vairāgīs. They were engaged in full material enjoyment. But they have given up for Kṛṣṇa's sake everything. No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling. They have given up. This is vairāgya. But the energy is utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. They are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. It was the duty of the Indians. Unfortunately, the Indians are callous. They are now after technology.
That does not mean I shall be voluntarily prepared to be killed. No, that is not the idea. Idea is that if we are... Jñānaṁ vairāgyam. These two things required in human life, jñānaṁ vairāgyam. Jñānam means "I am not this body." This is jñānam. And vairāgya means renunciation: "If I am not this body, then what I have got to do with this material world? This material world is important because I am identifying myself with this material body. Therefore it is important. Where I shall sit? Where shall I eat? Where shall I sleep? How shall I be protected?" So many things. There are many instances, just like Dhruva Mahārāja. A five year old boy, he went to the jungle. He was sitting alone there, abhayam, abhayam, no fearfulness. The more you become spiritually conscious... The highest stage of spiritual consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means "I am Kṛṣṇa's, that's all." Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśaḥ: "All these living entities, they are my part and parcel." So you have to understand this relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that you are Kṛṣṇa's. And Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa? Bhagavān. Bhagavān. What is Bhagavān?
So therefore it is said, daivī sampad vimokṣāya. Mokṣa, mokṣa means liberation. If you develop this daivī sampat, then you become fit for becoming liberated because our... What is the position? Why we are suffering? Why we are dying? Why we are taking birth? Why we are becoming old? On account of this material body. This is knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya(SB 1.2.12). Jñāna and vairāgya, these things are required. That is daivī sampat. All the daivī sampat means, jñāna-yoga. It is immediately analyzed. Abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ. This is possible when you are situated on the platform of knowledge. This is knowledge, that "I am spirit soul. I am falsely identifying myself with this body. The body is the source of my all suffering and entanglement." This is knowledge. Then, when we try to give up the ignorance of bodily concept of life, then we become gradually liberated.
Bhakti-yoga... And Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he was a impersonalist, followers of the Śaṅkara philosophy. When he became convinced about the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, he wrote one hundred ślokas, prayers to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Amongst that śloka, one of the prominent śloka is
- vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-
- śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
- śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī
- kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye
- (CC Madhya 6.254)
He said that "This Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the same Kṛṣṇa. He has come to teach vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga (CC Madhya 6.254)." Bhakti-yoga means vairāgya-vidyā, no more this material enjoyment—that is vairāgya. Jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7). The result of jñāna is vairāgya. Vairāgya-vidyā. Bhakti-yoga is vairāgya-vidyā means that bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti means one is making progress towards Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and automatically he becomes detestful to the material world. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given the example: just like hungry man. If he is given food, he takes it, but as he takes it, he becomes satisfied. And when he is fully satisfied, he does not require any more food. There is another śloka given by Yāmunācārya.
| Page Title: | Vairagya (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, MadhuGopaldas |
| Created: | 19 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=43, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 43 |