What is that? Wealth, and then influence, strength, reputation and knowledge, beauty and renunciation. Is it not six? If a man is wealthy, very rich, just like in your country Rockefeller, Ford, there are many rich men in your, the..., your country is very rich. So if one is very rich he is called opulent. If a man is very reputed, famous man, he is also opulent. If a man is very influential, he is also opulent. If a man is very strong... Now the strong man, formerly strong men had request, ahh, respect. All the kings, they were respected on their personal strength. They used to..., they had to fight with the opponents. So that is also opulence. Then beauty. A very beautiful man or woman, that is also opulence. And wise, very learned, wise man, that is also opulence—scientist, philosopher, mathematician. So they are also opulent. And renouncer. Renouncer, that one who give up everything, he has everything in his possession, but he disposes himself, that is called renunciation. Just like king, Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name India is called Bhārata-varṣa. He was the emperor of the world, but at the age of twenty-four years only he gave up everything—his young wife, young children. Lord Buddha, Lord Buddha was prince, but very young boy, at the age of twenty years or something like that, he gave up everything, his father's kingdom. This is called renunciation. At the present moment (chuckles) hardly there is any sense of renunciation, but formerly there were many kings, many princes who renounced everything for spiritual advancement. So these six principles are called bhaga.
Very learned (Lectures, BG ch 1 - 3)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
That is like paṇḍita, learned. It is very nice thing. "Kṛṣṇa..." Arjuna is saying that "How can I kill my kinsmen? There is my grandfather, there is my teacher, there are my kinsmen." It is not bad. For worldly men this is very nice consideration, that "I am not going to kill my kinsmen." That is a very good consideration. Prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). But spiritually, it is ignorance, it is foolishness. Materially, it may be very nice thing, he's talking very nice. Therefore the first chastisement was... Kṛṣṇa took the position of spiritual master. So spiritual master has the right to chastise the disciple. So immediately he chastised. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are talking, you are lamenting so badly, and at the same time you are talking just like a very learned man."
So this is the position of the world. One talks very high words, but his behavior is very abominable. So gradually we shall come to that point. So let us finish.Now Arjuna is promising... Kṛṣṇa arranged this fight to execute his purpose. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That was his purpose. "Duṣkṛtām, all these sinful rascals, they are ruling over the world, I want to kill them." Therefore this battle was arranged so that all these rascals and demons will come there and it will be killed, in one place. And the right person, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, will be installed on the throne. That was his plan. The right person. Kṛṣṇa wants His representative to rule over the... King means representative of God. (break) (end)
And the mother says, "My dear child, this is this." Another example can be given that if a child does not, in childhood, he does not know who is his father, then he cannot make any research work. If he makes research work to find out his father, he'll never find out his father. But if he asks his mother, "Who is my father?" and the mother says, "He is your father," that is perfect. Therefore knowledge, knowledge of God, who is beyond your sense perception, how can you know? Therefore you have to know from God Himself or His representative.
So here Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking, and that is the final authority. He says to Arjuna as follows. He says, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned scholar, but you are lamenting on a subject matter which you should not do." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Gatāsūn means this body. When it is dead or when it is alive, bodily conception of life is foolishness. So no learned man takes serious consideration of the body. Therefore in the Vedic literature it is said that "One who is in the bodily concept of life, he is nothing more than an animal." Therefore at the present moment, without knowledge of the self, the whole world is going on under the bodily concept of life. The bodily concept of life is there amongst the animals. The cats and dogs, they are very proud of becoming a big cat or big dog. Similarly, if a man also becomes similarly proud that "I am big American," "big German," "big," what is the difference? But that is actually going on, and therefore they are fighting like cats and dogs.
Yes. "You are speaking learned words, but your behavior shows that you are not learned because you are lamenting on a subject which no learned man laments." Politely He says that "You are not learned, but you are talking just like a learned man." That you will find. Dr. Frog, (laughs) speaking like a very great philosopher. Just like here, that Dr. Radhakrishnan, that says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa but within Kṛṣṇa." That fool does not know that there is no within or without of Kṛṣṇa. Rather, Kṛṣṇa is within and without. That he does not know. And he's accepted as a very great learned man. Dr. Frog, or Dr. Radhakrishnan. You see? This is going on in the world. They are posing themself as very learned, but... This can be detected by devotees, who is learned and who is not learned. Others cannot detect. Others will be misled. The devotees, they have got such eyes to see that they can immediately discriminate who is a fool, who is learned. There is a story that one man was searching after the truth. So he met some person, saintly person. So he gave him one feather, that "You try to see within the feather who is a human being and who is not." So when he began to see within the feather, he saw, "There is no human being."
Actually this machine belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and it should be used for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the definition of bhakti means hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). This is bhakti.
So Kṛṣṇa, now He has taken the position of teacher. Now no more friendly talking because Arjuna has accepted Him as the teacher. So He's the teacher. It is the duty of the teacher to punish or to chastise the disciple when he is wrongly going on. That is the duty. So first teaching of Kṛṣṇa, because Arjuna has accepted His leadership, His teachership, His instruction, accepted that he will follow His instruction, so first instruction is aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "You rascal, you are rascal. You are talking like a very learned man that 'How shall I kill my, this grandfather? How shall I kill my brother, this and so on?' This is all bodily concept of life. You are talking on the bodily platform." So what is this body? It is to be neglected? "Yes." Aśocyān anvaśocas tvam: "It is not to be lamented."
And as soon as the movement is stopped, I say, "Oh, my father has gone. My son has gone," and we lament. So actually the body is the same. The same body is lying here as dead body, whom we are lamenting, "my father," but you have never seen your father. You have seen only the coats and pants and the body. That is your education. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Arjuna, you are thinking on terms of this coats and pants and bones and muscles and urine and stool. Therefore you are rascal number one." This is the first instruction, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā... (BG 2.11). "Do any gentlemen lament for this torn-up cloth, bones and skins and urine and stool? Does any sane man lament?" This is the first instruction. So aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: "You are talking just like a very learned man to argue with Me, but you are fool number one because"—gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ—"this is not the business of the paṇḍita."
So this is not the position of Arjuna only. The whole material civilization, the whole population of the whole world, they are like this aśocyān anvaśocas tvam (BG 2.11). When the body is living, when the body is moving, they are busy how to make the body comfort. And when the body is not moving they are lamenting. That is the business. Therefore brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). The..., our business is, the material civilization means, śocati kāṅkṣati, two business. Kāṅkṣati means desiring. While the body is moving we are desiring, making plan: "I want this. I want this. My son requires this. My nation requires this. My community requires this." This is, means, kāṅkṣati, desiring to possess this, possess... And when the body is lost, then śocati: "Oh, my father is lost. My brother is lost. My son is lost." Two business. So long there is no spiritual knowledge, we have got on the material conception of body two business—śocati, kāṅkṣati: desiring for things which we do not possess and lamenting for things which we have lost. This is our two business. But if you become self-realized, if you become aware actually what you are, then na śocati na kāṅkṣati.
One who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, not devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he has no good qualification. "No, he's a very big man. He has opened such big, big hospitals, big, big schools, big, big, big..." Yes, that may be good from the material estimation, but because he's not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, these are not good qualifications. Harāv a... This one word: Harāv abhaktasya, harāv abhaktasya. If one has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he cannot have any good qualities. These are not good qualities. Actually that is so. Suppose if you, the... According to karma-kāṇḍa vicāra, if you open a school, so in the next time, you will have good education. It is pious activities from material point of view. So the benefit will be that you will have good education in your next life. Accepting that it is very nice, next life I shall be very learned scholar, but to become that learned scholar I'll have to take my birth. But he does not know that how much difficulties are there to take birth. Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu-darśanam (BG 13.9). One should see to the duḥkha, unhappiness, on account of birth and death. So suppose you will get next life in the heavenly planet, or you shall become very rich man, or you shall become very learned man, but you have to go through these distresses, janma. They do not consider this. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu-dar... Those who are actually learned, they, they should know that "Why shall I go again in the process of birth and death?" We have forgotten how much difficulty it is, how much troublesome it is, how much distress it is to remain in the womb of the mother for taking birth again. That we have forgotten. Therefore this kind of conclusion is not very intelligent conclusion. The intelligent conclusion is: tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). That is intelligent. After giving up this body, no more coming to material world. That is intelligence.
Devotee: Verse 11: "The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead (BG 2.11)." Purport: "The Lord at once took the position of a teacher and chastised his student, calling him indirectly a fool. The Lord said, 'You are talking like a learned man, but you do not know that one who is learned, one who knows what is body and what is soul, does not lament for any stage of the body, neither in the living nor in the dead condition.' As explained in the later chapters, it will be clear that knowledge means to know matter and spirit and the controller of both. Arjuna argued that religious principles should be given more importance than politics or sociology, but he did not know that knowledge of matter, soul and the Supreme is more important than religious formularies. And because he was lacking in that knowledge, he should not have posed himself as a very learned man. As he did not happen to be a very learned man, he was consequently lamenting for something which was unworthy of lamentation. The body is born and is destined to be vanquished today or tomorrow. Therefore the body is not as important as the soul. One who knows this is actually learned. For him there is no cause for lamentation in any stage of the material body."
Prabhupāda: He says, Kṛṣṇa says, that "This body, either dead or alive, has nothing to be lamented." Dead body, suppose when the body is dead, it has no value. What is the use of lamenting? You can lament for many thousands of years, it will not come to life. So there is no cause of lamenting on dead body. And so far spirit soul is concerned, that is eternal. Even it appears to be dead, or with the death of this body, he does not die. So why one should be overwhelmed, "Oh, my father is dead, my such and such relative is dead," and crying? He's not dead. This knowledge one must have. Then he'll be cheerful in all cases and he'll be interested simply in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is nothing to be lamented for the body, either alive or dead. That is being instructed by Kṛṣṇa in this chapter. Go on.
Devotee: "In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the maintainer of innumerable living entities, in terms of their different situations according to individual work and reaction to work. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is also, by His plenary portions, alive in the heart of every living entity. Only saintly persons, who can see within and without the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, can actually attain to perfect peace eternal. The same Vedic truth enumerated herein is given to Arjuna and in that connection to all persons in the world who pose themselves as very learned but factually have very poor fund of knowledge. The Lord says clearly that He Himself, Arjuna, and all the kings who are assembled in the battlefield are eternally individual beings and that the Lord is eternally the maintainer of the individual living entities."
Prabhupāda: What is the original verse? You read.
He said that paṇḍitāḥ, those one who is learned, he does not lament on this lump of matter. Actually, if you soberly analyze this body, what is this body? Actually, it is lump of matter. It is a combination of bone and blood, flesh, urine, stool, nails and hairs. Otherwise what you can find in it? Do you mean to say by combining these ingredients, bones and flesh and urine and stool, you can manufacture a very learned scholar? Is there any science that you can manu... Ingredients... If the bodily ingredients is the man, you take this. In a dead body you take all these ingredients, again manufacture a similar man. But that is not possible. That is not possible. So this is our ignorance. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "You are lamenting on a thing which is not at all subject matter. It is a dead matter. It was dead matter, and it will remain dead matter." Just like this apartment. I am living in this apartment; you are living in this apartment. I am not this apartment. When I vacate, when you vacate this apartment, the apartment remains. We go to another apartment.
So Kṛṣṇa, seeing Arjuna, viṣīdantam very much affected, lamenting, that he is not prepared to do his duty. Therefore in the next verse He begins that aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajña-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are My friend. Never mind, māyā is very strong. Despite your being My friend, personal, you are so much overwhelmed with false compassion. So just hear Me." Therefore He said, aśocyān: "You are lamenting on a subject matter which is not at all good." Aśocya. Śocya means lamentation, and aśocya means one should not lament. Aśocya. So aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajña-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase. "But you are talking like very learned scholar." Because he has talked. But those things are right. What Arjuna has said, that varṇa-saṅkara, when the women become polluted, the population is varṇa-saṅkara, that is fact. Whatever Arjuna has said to Kṛṣṇa in order to avoid the fighting, so those things are correct. But from the spiritual platform, those things may be correct or incorrect, but from spiritual platform, they are not to be considered very serious. Therefore aśocyān anvaśocas tvam. Because his lamentation was on the bodily concept of life. That bodily concept of life, in the very beginning of Kṛṣṇa's instructions, it is condemned. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvam: (BG 2.11) "You are lamenting on the bodily concept of life." Because anyone who is in the bodily concept of life, he is no better than animal. So our all morality, all social status, all politics, all philosophy, everything is on this bodily concept of life. We want to enjoy senses. Senses means different parts of the body. So one who is interested with the body—that means one who is interested with the senses—their only business is how to... (end)
When you get liberation, when you get liberation, that subtle body, that egoistic life, has also to be left. Now, at any condition, the body has to be left. So why one should cry for this body? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "A learned man does not lament over this body." The whole question, that a soul is different from this body, the whole question is solved in one verse. You see? Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). "One who is actually learned, he does not, he has no concern of this body. He's concerned with the activities of the soul. So you are speaking of so many things that 'If these, my friends, die, the, I mean to say, their wives will become widow.' These are all... According to the bodily relation, you are speaking. And you are posing yourself just like a very learned man, but you are a fool number one because your whole conception is on the body. Your whole conception of argument with Me was on the body, but you are, you are posing himself just as if you are very learned man." So anyone who has got conception, the identification of this body, he's not a learned man. He's a fool. He may be, in the calculation of academic education, he may be B.A., M.A., Ph.D., DAC, or something like, doctors and..., but if he has got his identification with this body, he's not a learned man according to Bhagavad-gītā. Not only according, according to whole Vedic literature. This is the first instruction. This is the... If we want to make progress towards spiritual advancement of knowledge, this preliminary knowledge we must have, that "I am not this body. I am not this body." This is the preliminary standing of spiritual knowledge. This is not advancement. This is simply A-B-C-D, ABCD of spiritual life. In the Bhāgavata there is a very nice verse in this connection in which it is stated, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. Kuṇape means this bag, this bag made of three elements. Now, according to Āyurvedic medical system, this body is made of three elements: kapha, pitta, vāyu.
They are accepting this lump of matter, blood and flesh and bones—"I am this is I am." This is animal mentality. Animal thinks like that, not learned man. Learned man, one who knows, he will say ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul. I am servant of God." This is learned speaking. "I am not this body."
So Kṛṣṇa is chastising Arjuna because he has accepted, he's becoming His disciple, so the spiritual master has the right to chastise the disciple for right direction like the teacher, like the father. Similarly, although Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are friends, but Arjuna has accepted Him as spiritual master. There should not be any compromising words as it is done between friend and friend. The right things must be said that "You are wrong. Don't talk nonsense. Talking like very learned man but you do not know anything." "Why I do not know?" "Because this body, while living, agatāsūn..." Asun means the living force. While the living force is there, and when the living force is gone, two conditions... This body is moving very nicely because the living force is there. And as soon as the living force is gone out, this nice body will no longer move. It will decompose. "Dust thou art, dust thou beist." "Again become..." It is called pañca-bhūta. Mix with the earth. Earth, water, fire, air, sky—these five gross elements are the ingredients of this body. So as soon as the soul is out of this body, this body again... Conservation of the energy. The earthly energy goes to the earth, the waterly energy goes to the water. It is a combination of earth. water, air, fire. So they become decomposed. And become distributed to different elements. And that is the scientific law, it is called conservation of energy. The energy is never lost. It comes back again to the original stock.
So Kṛṣṇa says this body, either in living force or without living force... Without living force it is called dead. With living force it is called living. In both the condition, a learned man..., learned man means one who knows brahma-bhūtaḥ. One who knows Brahman, one who has realized Brahman. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as one is on the stage of brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, he can understand that "I am not this body. I am separate from this body." This knowledge was very common knowledge. At least we can see five thousand years ago. The kṣatriyas were fighting severely one another, but still they are not in bodily concept of life. So Arjuna being kṣatriya, is so much embarrassed with the bodily concept of life; therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised him, that "You are not a very learned man. You are talking just like a learned man, but you are not learned man." So this conclusion is to be taken by us. That anyone within this world, if he has got bodily concept of life, he's not a learned man. He's a fool. So this world at the present moment at least, it is a fool's paradise. Nobody is learned. Because everyone is working under the bodily concept of life. This is chastise. This is the first chastisement. Just like before giving lesson, if the student is writing or reading wrongly, then the teacher immediately says, "You fool, it is not like this. It should be like this."
Then you are perfect. Even I make a, I may become a fool number one, but if I accept... Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthā. Mahājana. Those who are authorities, if you follow the authorities, then you understand. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyam. It is very difficult to understand what is religion, what is the process of religion. People are very much puzzled. But if we follow the great personalities... They are also mentioned in the śāstras. Svayambhu, Śambhu, Manu, Kumāra, Kapila, Manu. So if we follow their footsteps... Just like Arjuna. That, that is, really we understand. "If Arjuna has understood like this, so let me understand like that." That's all. Simple thing. Then we understand Bhagavad-gītā. But, if we want to speak very learned scholarly, but do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, this is simply waste of time. As the so-called scholars and philosophers are doing. They do not understand Kṛṣṇa, but talking all nonsense, and such things are very much appreciated by others. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. These rascals, so-called scholars, so-called incarnation, are accepted by similar class of animals. Śva-viḍ-varāha. And actually Vedic understanding is to follow the footsteps of the predecessor ācāryas who understand things. Then our life will be successful. We'll understand.
"You are lamenting over the body. Oh, it is very regrettable. You are lamenting." Aśocyān anvaśocaḥ. What is this body? It is simply lump of matter. As soon as the soul is out of this body, what is the value of this lump of matter? It will be thrown in the street, and somebody will kick on the face. Nobody will care. Nobody will care. But so long the soul is there, if you touch the hair even—"Why you are touching my hair?" But when the soul is not there, on the same face, if somebody kicks, nobody will care. This is the position of the body. Therefore it is said, aśocyān: "It is garbage. Why you are lamenting on this garbage?" Aśocyān anvaśocas tvam (BG 2.11). "You are talking, very learned man, that 'If I kill my brothers the, my brothers' wives will be widow, and there will be prostitution and then the whole family will go to ruin.' These are all external condition." He...
This is real education, that "You are thinking on terms of the body; therefore it is not very important subject matter." Real subject matter—what will happen to the soul—that is real, important. But whole world, they do not know what is the important platform. All rascals, they are concerned with this body. That is not wonderful; that is natural. Even if we know, still, if there is some bodily pain we become very much disturbed. But we should know, always remember, that "I am not this body." The same example, that I have got a very nice car, Rolls Royce car, I have got attachment, that is all right, but we should know always that "I am not this Rolls Royce car. I am different from it." This is knowledge. "I may have some attachment for my car. That is natural. I have paid for it. I like it. But in spite of all these consideration I am not the Rolls Royce car. The Rolls Royce car is a lump of matter. I am using it." Similarly, we should always remember that "I am using this material body for my transaction, different transaction, but I am not this material body."
Actually it is spiritual, and when it is not used for spiritual purpose or Kṛṣṇa's purpose, it is material, the same thing. What is the difference between material and spiritual? That is, a picture is there. There are so many pictures. People may say that "Here is the same picture. Why these people are worshiping and offering ārati and chanting?" But this picture is spiritual because it enhances or enthuses a spiritual consciousness. Therefore it is spiritual. Of course, it is not very easy to understand immediately, but on the ultimate issue, everything is created by Kṛṣṇa, or God, so by seeing everything, if you remember Kṛṣṇa, then that is spiritual. That is spiritual. So anyway, for ordinary man this does not happen.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You are lamenting for the body. Oh, it is very astonishing. And you are talking like a very learned man." Everyone you will find talking, very learned man. He knows something, but ask him, "What you are?" "I am Indian." "I am American. I am Mr. Such and such. I am father of such and such." This is bodily... However great he may be, he is identified with the body. And according to śāstra, so long we shall identify with this body, we are not better than the cats and dogs because they also identify with the body. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). "Why? I am wrong?" Yes. Because gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. The body, whether with the soul or without the soul, it is material. So so long even the soul is there, we should not be very much interested with the bodily comforts.
"My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man, but the subject matter which you have touched is not at all taken seriously by the paṇḍita." Paṇḍita means learned man. That means, "You are talking like a fool. You are taking this body as self." So actually this is not the fact. The body is not the self. The self is different. If you analyze this body, what you will find? Suppose we are breathing. What is this breathing? It is air only. Now, when the breathing is stopped, a man is dead. Now, you are so much advanced in science. Why don't you replace this breathing? It is nothing but air. So you can manufacture some machine working in electric battery and put some air and fix up, and that same air will come: "Woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh. "Will that give you life? No. Even if you artificially bring breathing, just like nowadays they, with oxygen gas, as if oxygen gas is life... That is not the fact. So if you analyze every part of the body, then you will find that there is no life. This is called education. This is called scientific knowledge. Simply abruptly taking something without any proper understanding, that is not knowledge. Therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised him that "You are talking like very scientific, learned scholar, but you are a fool number one because you are accepting this material body as the self." This is ignorance. This is confirmed in another place, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). This kuṇape, this bag of three elements, kapha pitta vāyu, or, take it, the skin, muscle, veins, bones, urine, stool, blood—what you will find if you dissect this body? They are all material things. What is blood? It is also water, red water.
That is called Vedic process, not to endeavor by research. What you can research? Our fund of knowledge is very, very poor, limited. You cannot have perfect knowledge unless you hear from the authority. So Kṛṣṇa is the authority. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means you take knowledge from the best authority. Don't manufacture knowledge. That will not help you. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So here Kṛṣṇa says that "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man." That is our disease. Everyone will talk as if... We manufacture, but that is useless. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre... You cannot make any solution. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. We speak of our own country, India. Not only India, everywhere the chaotic condition is because they have no real knowledge. They are simply claiming to be very learned man, which is chastised here by Kṛṣṇa. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādān: (BG 2.11) "You are presenting yourself as very learned man, but the subject matter which you have taken, this body, this body is nothing but dead lump of matter." That is said here, that aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. This body, when it is living condition... Living condition means so long the soul is there, it looks like very bright, beautiful, moving here and there. And when the soul leaves this body, then what it is? It has no value, a lump of matter. Just like a motorcar. So long it is moving, it is worth one lakh, and so long it does not move, it is simply lump of iron and copper and something. Who cares for it? It is thrown away. Same thing. The body has no value. It has value so long the soul is there. Otherwise suppose a big man... They are lamenting such, "A great man has passed away." But what is that such great man? He is lying on the floor, on the bed, the same man. So why you are seeing that he has gone? Then who has gone? You have never seen him who has gone. This is knowledge. So our human life is meant for understanding what has gone from the body which makes the body a lump of matter... (break)
"The same Vedic truth given to Arjuna is given to all persons in the world who pose themselves as very learned but factually have but a poor fund of knowledge." This is poor fund of knowledge that "God and I, we one. Now, because we are illusioned, we are thinking that God is different from me, but when the illusion is over, then I and God become one." This is Māyāvādī theory, monism. But actually this is not clear knowledge. God is..., God is always distinct from me. He's the Supreme. It is not that we are equal to God. We are equal to God in quality, not in quantity. Therefore those who are thinking that they are equal to God in every respect, they are illusioned. Māyā, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. They have been called, they have been designated by Kṛṣṇa as māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Although they appear to be very learned scholars, but the essence of the knowledge is taken away by māyā. Therefore they say that God and ordinary human being is the same. Māyayā apahṛta... Asura. This is called āsura-bhāva. Āsura-bhāva means not to accept the supremacy of the Lord but think Him as one with all individual souls. But that is not the fact. That is poor fund of knowledge. Actually, when one becomes advanced in knowledge, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). In due course of time, after many, many births, when he actually comes to the platform of knowledge, he can understand that "Vāsudeva is great and I am small, I am insignificant." Therefore he surrenders. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This is the sign of knowledge. When one surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is to be understood that he has actually attained knowledge. Otherwise it is ignorance. To think of Kṛṣṇa and ordinary person as equal is not knowledge; it is illusion.
We are taking so much care of this body, but the ultimate end of this body is either stool, earth or ashes. So foolish persons who are in the bodily concept of life, they are thinking: "After all, this body will be finished. So so long the body is there, senses are there, let us enjoy. Why so much restrictions, no illicit sex, no gambling? No. These are all nonsense. Let us enjoy life." This is atheistic life. Foolish life. They do not know, so the body is not all.
This is the first lesson to understand, what is spiritual life, what is spiritual knowledge. But all rascals, they do not know. Therefore Kṛṣṇa first of all slapped Arjuna: aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). "You do not know what is the fact, and talking like a very learned man. Just try to understand what is truth." Na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsam. First thing is that nāsam, we have no nāsam. We never die, that will be explained later on more clearly, we do not die. Nāsam. At any time. It is not that sometimes we die and sometimes... No. Any time, jātu. At any time. So: "Sir, You are Supreme Personality of Godhead, You may not die. But we die, we are ordinary living entities." So Kṛṣṇa says, nāsam, na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvam: "Neither you nor I. We never die." "So it may be I am Your friend and You are Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the others will die." No. Neme janādhipāḥ: "Neither these, all these people, all these soldiers, (and) the kings who have assembled here, they'll also not die. There is no end. They'll never die." So, na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ, it is not that we did not exist in the past, and we are existing at present. That is everyone knows. So in the future, don't think that we may not exist. Na bhaviṣyāmaḥ. It is not that we shall not exist in the future. Na bhaviṣyāmaḥ, not exist, and another not. Two nots make one yes. Two negatives make one positive. So therefore, we have two negatives. Na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ. Na bhaviṣyāmaḥ means not to exist in the future; that is not. That means we shall exist. Na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve... all of us. All of us, you, not that "Because I am God, because you are My friend, God's friend, and all others..." No, everyone.
So Kṛṣṇa began His teaching to Arjuna, chastising him that "You do not know anything; still, you are talking like a learned man." This is the fault of a person without any spiritual knowledge. Every man in this material world is almost without any spiritual knowledge. Still, they are proud of their learning, their knowledge, their degrees. This is going on. When Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he first of all presented himself as a person without knowledge. Sanātana Gosvāmī was coming of a very brāhmaṇa, aristocratic family. He was very learned scholar in Sanskrit and Urdu; still, he presented himself before Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a foolish man. So actually that is the position. He said, grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni. He said that "These common men say that I am very learned paṇḍita, but I am such a rascal, I do not know what I am."
So this is the position for everyone. You ask any learned scientist, professor, "Who are you?" He'll say, "I am Mr. John." He'll say, "I am Mr. John, I am American," or "I am Mexican," "I am Indian," like that. So this is ignorance. Nobody is this body. That is the first lesson of spiritual knowledge. So long we identify with this body, that "I am Mr. Such-and-such," "I am American," "I am Indian," this is all ignorance. When you actually understand that you are not this body—therefore you are not American, nor Indian nor Mexican, but you are spirit soul—then your spiritual education begins. And that is... In Sanskrit it is called ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." Spiritual... Spirit soul has no connection with this material world. When one understands fully this, I mean to say, fact, that spirit soul is different from this material world, then he's actually learned. In that stage he's called situated in brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. The symptom of brahma-bhūtaḥ is brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as one becomes self-realized, he becomes jubilant, jolly. So long one identifies with this body, he is unhappy, full of anxiety.
When one understands fully this, I mean to say, fact, that spirit soul is different from this material world, then he's actually learned. In that stage he's called situated in brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. The symptom of brahma-bhūtaḥ is brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as one becomes self-realized, he becomes jubilant, jolly. So long one identifies with this body, he is unhappy, full of anxiety.
So Bhagavad-gītā begins with this point, that one should know that he is not this material body. That knowledge is lacking at the present moment throughout the whole world. Yes. Everyone is identifying with this body like the animals. Therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised Arjuna that "You have got animalistic concept of life and still speaking like a very learned scholar. No learned scholar laments on account of this body." It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra... Dhīra means one who is sober by education. He is not disturbed. Just like when a man dies, his relatives lament, cry, "My father is gone. My father is gone. My father is no more," or "My son is no more." Anyway, they lament like that. But if he is little sober, he can understand, he can study, that "I am lamenting, 'My father is gone,' 'my son is gone,' but he's not gone. He's lying on the bed or on the floor. Then why I am speaking 'gone'?" If some friend asks him, "Why you are lamenting, 'my father is gone,' 'my son is gone'? He's lying here," but still he will say, "No, he's not. He may be lying there, but he's gone." That is puzzle. He's lying there and gone? What is this contradiction? That is the point to understand about the soul. The relative is lamenting, crying, "My father is gone." That means he never saw his father; he saw the body only. But at the time of death of his father he understands that this father is not this body; that is soul.
Similarly, the spirit soul is within this coat and shirt. What is this coat? This gross body. There are five..., eight material elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and ego. These are eight material elements. And out of these eight, gross elements we can see or perceive with your material senses. I can touch this earth; I can taste the water; I can smell the air; I can feel the sky; in this way. These are gross. And still there are finer elements, just like mind. Everyone of us knows that there is a mind, but we cannot see it. What is that mind? Everyone knows that there is intelligence, but nobody can see what is that intelligence. Similarly, everyone has his individuality, "I am this," "I am very learned," "I am very beautiful," "I am white," "I am black," "I am Indian," "I am American," this is called ego.
So this egotism is there, but we cannot see it. They are very fine things. There is existence, but our this present material eyes, material senses can have experience of the grosser type of materials, not of the subtler or finer types of material. So there are three finer types of material and five gross materials, altogether eight. bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These are the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything that we experience, they are different energies of the Lord. Just like we can feel there is fire when we feel heat or light. We don't see the fire directly but when we feel warm, we consider there must be fire. Or if there is heat, I mean there is light, that is fire. Similarly, we can experience the presence of the Lord by His different energies.
Because we were talking till now as friends, but this will not decide the case. My case is very serious. My duty is to fight, but I do not like to fight. Some affection, some family relationship, is deterring me to fight, making me coward. So therefore it is a very complex position. And I find that You can make a solution of this complex position. I therefore accept You as my spiritual master. And I fall down under Your lotus feet as Your disciple." Śādhi māṁ prapannam. "I am surrendered. Now You kindly protect the surrendered soul."
So here Kṛṣṇa is instructing. First of all, He chastised Arjuna: aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man, but I find that you do not know in which case you have to lament and in which case you have to joyful. That you do not know." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Indirectly, He said that "You are not paṇḍita; you are a fool. Because you are arguing in this way that 'If I kill my brothers, their wives will be widow, and they will become prostitute and there will be varṇa-saṅkara.' " These questions are very nice. If women become prostitute, then the population is varṇa-saṅkara. And varṇa-saṅkara means unwanted children. They become practically nuisance in the society. Narakāyate. If varṇa-saṅkara population is increased, then the whole society becomes a hell. That's a fact. Actually, that is the position at the present moment. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, marriage is there. Without marriage, the population, increase of population, means varṇa-saṅkara.
Just like a diseased man, contaminated by some disease. The medical treatment means he has to be purified from the contamination. Similarly, we are impure in this material existence, by contamination of the three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—goodness, passion and ignorance. So even if we are contaminated by the quality of goodness of this material world, that is also contaminated. That is also cause of our entanglement. Goodness... A brāhmaṇa, if he thinks that "Now I have brahminical qualifications, I am now educated, I am very cleansed, I am very controlled"—these things are brāhmaṇa qualification—"I know what is what," jñānaṁ vijñānam, but he does not try for becoming immortal, then that kind of thinking is also bondage, that "I am this, I am that." Even though he is very learned, sattva śamo damas titikṣā śuci, all these good qualities are there. But if he does not try to be, go further ahead, how to become immortal, so this type of fine entanglement is also entanglement. And those who are passionate, they are thinking, "I am so rich, I am so powerful, I have got so many nice business, bank balance, I have got my big family, nice wife." These are passion conception of life. So they are certainly bound up. And those who are ignorant, means one does not know what is the value of life, lying down anywhere, lazy, sleeping, unclean, do not know the value of life, they are in ignorance. They are very firmly bound up.
Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. When? After being free from this material designation, brahma-bhūtaḥ. After being free, not before that. So bhakti is not a sentiment. Bhakti... People say, "Those who are not very learned, cannot study Vedic literature very nicely, and therefore they take to bhakti." No. Bhakti, actual bhakti, begins when one has become completely brahma-bhūtaḥ.
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
That, that is pure transcendental stage of executing devotional service, after being free from material designation. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is called nirmala. That is mukti. Because spirit soul is eternal. It has to be cleansed, the material contamination. So when he's clean, then hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When our senses are purified... Not this American hand or Indian hand. "It is Kṛṣṇa's hand. This hand should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, in sweeping the temple." If he thinks like this, he is far, far greater than any Vedāntist. If he simply knows that "This hand belongs to Kṛṣṇa," then he is far, far greater than any Vedāntist. These Vedāntists... Of course, all devotees, they are Vedāntists. But somebody thinks that he has monopolized as Vedānta. Veda means knowledge. Anta means ultimate. So Vedānta means ultimate knowledge. So ultimate knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). So the so-called Vedāntist, if he cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is the meaning of that Vedāntist? It has no meaning. They, the, he's perfect vedāntī, who knows that "Kṛṣṇa is Supreme. He's my Lord. I am His eternal servant." This is Vedānta knowledge.
They were born in Hindu, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa family, but due to their association as minister of the then Muslim government, they were rejected from the brāhmaṇa society. Formerly, the brāhmaṇa society was very strict. Anyone becoming serving, serving, servant, he is immediately excluded: "Oh, you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. You are serving." In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, by the, spoken by Nārada, he says a brāhmaṇa, if he's in difficulty, he should not accept the business of a dog, service. He should not accept service. He may go to the profession of a kṣatriya, or even up to vaiśya. Not of a śūdra. These are the injunctions. So they were strictly being followed. These Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were very learned scholars, in Sanskrit, in Arabic language, Persian language, but because they accepted the ministership of Nawab Hussain Shah, immediately they were rejected. And they changed their name. Almost they became Muslim. Sakara Mallika, Dabhir Kasa. Their name was that. These are Mohammedan names. So they were living like that. But when Caitanya Mahāprabhu blessed them, they became the first-class gosvāmīs: Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. And He therefore said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) He asked to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world, in every village, in every town. Does he mean that let them become śūdras? Let them remain śūdras, and they become Kṛṣṇa conscious? No. He did not mean like that. That means everywhere there should be Vaiṣṇava. And a Vaiṣṇava means above brāhmaṇa. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
And if you do that, then there is no reaction. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko yam. And if you do on your account, there will be reaction. Either you do good work or bad work, there will be reaction. If you do good work, you'll get good result, and if you do bad work, you will get bad result. That's all right. But within this material world... Suppose if you do pious activities. So what is the result of pious activities? According to śāstra, the effect of pious activity is that you can get birth in a very respectable, aristocratic family, you can get very nice wealthy position, you can become very beautiful, and you can become very learned. These are the four principles of pious activities, according to śāstra. And if you do just the opposite, you take your birth in abominable family or in lower, degraded animal species of life, no education, no beauty, no knowledge. There are so many things. So if you have to believe śāstra, these are the effects of bad and good works. Now for a person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is not concerned with aristocratic family or abominable family. He wants to stop birth. So suppose one gets birth in aristocratic family or very nice family, what is the gain there? You have to live ten months within the womb of your mother in suffocated condition, either you take your birth in aristocratic family or in abominable family, either in human mother's womb or animal mother's womb. That does not make any difference.
Now, just, just take the same example of Arjuna. Now, Arjuna says that "I'll not fight. I'll not fight with my relatives and brothers for the sake of achieving some kingdom. No, no, no." Now, for the ordinary man it appears to be: "Oh, Arjuna is very nice man, nonviolent. He's giving up everything for the sake of his relatives. Oh, what a nice man he is." This is ordinary calculation. But what Kṛṣṇa says? "You are fool, damn fool number one." You see? And that we have already discussed. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned man, but you are number fool one." Yes. This is the, I mean to say, reward given. "You are, you are declining to fight? This is your nonsensical." Now, just see. The things which are estimated in the public eyes very nice, very good, that is condemned by God. Condemned by God. We have got so many examples and experiences life that what is eulogized by some of our friends, it is condemned by others. So whole thing, our perfection of any act, that should be certified by the Supreme Lord. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām... (SB 1.2.8). Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Hari-toṣaṇam. We have to see it, "Whether the Supreme Consciousness is pleased with my, this action." So Arjuna's action was not approved, not approved by Lord Kṛṣṇa. But the same Arjuna, he fought at the last. After hearing the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, he engaged himself in the fight.
So this process is so perfect. The other process of restraining the senses from enjoyment, that is forced, but that forceful enjoyment may not stand. It may fail sometimes. But this process, having dovetailed oneself in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, one becomes completely detached from all these viṣayā. Viṣayā means eating, sleeping, defending and mating. Yatato hy api kaunteya puruṣasya, puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ, indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ. Our mind is so strong and so uncontrolled that even though we artificially try to control our senses, still, sometimes, at a certain period, we fail. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni failed. Yatato hy api kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ. Vipaścitaḥ means a very learned man, very learned man, and still trying, not ordinary man, but learned man, trying to control his senses. Yatato hy api kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ, indriyāṇi pramā... But the senses are so strong that at certain point it fails even by the attempt of a very learned scholar who knows everything. Therefore in social, social, I mean to say, engagement, according to Vedic injunction, especially for the brahmacārīs, especially for the brahma... Not only brahmacārīs. Brahmacārī means student life, and other three orders of life means vānaprastha, retired life, and sannyāsa life, these three orders of life are restricted from associating with women. Only householders, those who are married, they are simply allowed to associate with women. And others, just like the brahmacārī, the vānaprastha, the sannyāsa, they are strictly restricted from association of woman. And that stricture is said like this:
"Now see, Arjuna. I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I have nothing to do in this world for gaining something." Everyone does something with the purpose of some gain. Without gain nobody works—either spiritual gain or material gain. Somebody works for material gain, and somebody works for spiritual gain. There must be some gain. But Lord Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Supreme Personality of Godhead means He is full with opulence, all opulence. Now, what are the things we, generally, people aspire after? People, generally they want wealth. They want riches. They want to be very highly rich man, accumulate wealth, millions and millions of rupees. Then somebody wants to become very strong man. Somebody wants to become very beautiful man. Somebody wants to become very learned man. Somebody wants to be very famous man, so on. There are six opulences. I have discussed in this hall many times.
So this morning these press reporters asking me, "What is the purpose of your movement?" So I said, "To educate the mūḍhas, that's all." This is the sum and substance of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are trying to educate the mūḍhas. And who is mūḍha? That is described by Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Why? Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. Why māyā has taken away his knowledge? Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. We have got very simple test, just like a chemist in the small test tube can analyze what is the liquid. So we are not very intelligent. We are also one of so many mūḍhas, but we have got the test tube. Kṛṣṇa says... We like to remain mūḍha, and take education from Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not pose ourselves as very learned scholar and very erudite scholar—"We know everything." No.
We are... Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He also tried to remain a mūḍha. He, when He talked with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī... He was Māyāvādī sannyāsī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dancing and chanting. So these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs were criticizing Him that "He is a sannyāsī, and He's simply chanting and dancing with some sentimental persons. What is this?" So a meeting was arranged between Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In that meeting Caitanya Mahāprabhu attended as a humble sannyāsī. So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī questioned Him, "Sir, You are a sannyāsī. Your duty is to study Vedānta always. So how is that, You are chanting and dancing? You are not reading Vedānta." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Yes, sir, that's a fact. I am doing because My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a mūḍha, rascal." "How is that?" "He said, guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana (CC Adi 7.71). My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a fool number one, and he chastised Me." "How he has chastised You?" Now, " 'You have no jurisdiction to studying Vedānta. It is not possible for You. You are a mūḍha. You better chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' "
So what is His purpose? The purpose is, at the present moment, these mūḍhas, how they will understand Vedānta? Better chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you will get all knowledge.
So even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was so learned scholar, every one of you know, and He was very popular leader at Navadvīpa. And when He was sixteen years only, He defeated one very great learned scholar, Keśava Kāśmīrī. And he was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita. Actually He was very learned scholar, and His explanation of one verse, ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame... He described this verse in sixty-four ways. He was such a learned scholar. So He was not a fool, but He represented the fool of this age, that "If you want liberation from material bondage...
Because this human form of life is meant for that purpose. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu... (BG 13.9). This human life is meant for getting out of this encagement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is human form of life. It is meant for. Unfortunately there is no education that "Why? I do not want death, but why death is compulsory? I do not want old age; why old age is compulsory? I do not want to take birth; why birth is compulsory?" These are the actual questions or problems of life. And our whole Vedic literature is meant for solving this problem. That is whole purpose. Vedic literature, Vedic civilization, is not meant for working day and night like animals only for maintaining the foodstuff and sense gratification. It is not civilization. According to our Vedic civilization, this is not civilization. This is another form of animal life.
Lust. Different degrees of lust. Those who are in the modes of goodness, their lust is a different quality. Those who are in passion, their lust is in different quality. Those who are ignorance, their lust is different quality. It is the question...
Just like there are first-class prisoner, second-class prisoner and third-class prisoner. So after all, they are prisoners, maybe first-class, second-class or third-class. That doesn't matter. Similarly, within this material world somebody may be very learned, rich, beautiful, all good qualifications, in the modes of goodness. So they... Or somebody is passion and somebody in lower degree, even animal life. But they are all prisoners within this material world.
One has to transcend this position. One has to transcend even the so-called goodness of the material world. Just like Arjuna was trying to be so-called good man of this material world. He was trying to avoid the injunction of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted him that "You should fight this Kurukṣetra battle," but he wanted to be good man. So that fighting, when he was convinced of Kṛṣṇa's instruction, this Bhagavad-gītā, that means he transcended even the goodness platform of this material world. So Kṛṣṇa is trying to raise him to the... traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna.
| Page Title: | Very learned (Lectures, BG ch 1 - 3) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 21 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=35, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 35 |