710405 - Lecture BG 07.11-13 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710405BG.BOMBAY - April 05, 1971 - 42:30 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your participating in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So yesterday we were discussing this verse:

balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ

kāma-rāga-vivarjitam

dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu

kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha

(BG 7.11)

Dharma-aviruddha. Dharma-aviruddha, the meaning of dharma-aviruddha: illegal, illicit, against the laws of God. Dharma means the laws of God, and anything against the laws of God, that is called dharmāviruddho, dharma-aviruddha. Dharma-viruddha and dharma-aviruddha. Yes. Viruddha means against, and aviruddha means not against; in favor.

So the bodily necessities of life . . . we eat, we require to eat, eating, and we require to sleep also, eating, sleeping. And sex life, that is also required for keeping the body fit. In Kali-yuga these four things, bare necessities of life: eating, sleeping, mating and defending Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca (Hitopadeśa 25). These are bare necessities of the body. That will be also in disorder in this age. People will have no sufficient food, no place to sleep, no mate to have sense enjoyment, and it will be defenseless. Just like we are seeing at the present moment innocent people of East Pakistan are being killed. Simply for political reasons, some innocent people, lakhs of innocent people, are being killed.

This is the symptoms of Kali-yuga. The bare necessities of life will not be available. There is no protection. In Calcutta there is no surety. When you go out on the street, there is no surety whether you will come back home at the present moment. Perhaps you all know. So there is no proper defense even, which is not refused to the animals. Why? Because everything is going on dharmāviruddha. They are going against the law, nature's law. We say "nature's law" or "God's law." Therefore so much mismanagement.

So here Kṛṣṇa specifically mentions dharma-aviruddha-kāma, sex impulse not against the law of God. What is that sex impulse against the law of God? The law of God is that sex life is required for progeny, for begetting children, not for sense enjoyment. Anyone who enjoys sex life for enjoyment, he is a śūdra or less than śūdra. That is the description in Vedic literature.

When Nārada Muni instructed Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja about householder's life, the householder's life, when they beget child, there is a ceremony which is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Not that, "I am today very sexually agitated. I must have sex." No. Just like that Kardama Muni. Kardama Muni's wife, Devahūti . . . not Devahūti. Aditi or Diti? Hiraṇyakaśipu's mother?

Indian man: Kaśyapa Muni.

Prabhupāda: Kaśyapa Muni and Diti. Diti. The wife was very sexually agitated, and she requested the husband to have sexual intercourse. The husband said: "No. This is not the proper time." I am describing the story shortly. But the wife was too much agitated. So she obliged the husband to have sex life with her, and after sex life the Kaśyapa Muni said that "Your sons will be demons."

Indian man: Kaśyapa.

Prabhupāda: Kaśyapa, yes. So as a result of untimely sex life, two demons were born.

So there is regulation of sex life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, dharma-aviruddha: sex life is sanctioned under certain conditions. That is humanity. Not like . . . even the cats' and dogs' life there is some limitation. They have got a period of sex life. Similarly, for gṛhastha, there is a period for sex life. After menstrual period, five days after menstrual period, one may have sex life for begetting children. And if the woman or wife is pregnant, then there is no more sex life till the child is born and six months old. These are the regulations.

And besides that, when there is sex life, there is a ceremony. It is not a secret thing. They could call, especially for the brāhmiṇs, they would call friends. Just like Hindu marriage takes place not by agreement but amongst the . . . in the presence of agni and friends and relatives and brāhmiṇs. That is sufficient witness. Similarly, when a brāhmiṇ goes to have sex intercourse for begetting child, there is a big ceremony. All the relatives, all the learned brāhmiṇs are present, and with their permission he goes for sex life. Sanctity.

Therefore the child is born very nice. Because in such family, ordinary living entity cannot come. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sanjāyate (BG 6.41). In the family of a pure brāhmiṇ, śucīnām, or in the family of rich man, yoga-bhraṣṭo sanjāyate, the persons who have not executed the yoga system completely or somehow or other fallen down, they are given the chance of taking birth in nice brāhmiṇ family or rich man's family. So they also take care how to beget children. That is garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. This is called dharma-aviruddha-kāma. This kāma is sanctioned. Otherwise you'll beget demons, just like Kaśyapa Muni, untimely sex.

So therefore Kṛṣṇa says: "When there is sexual intercourse according to the scriptural injunction, that is I am." Kṛṣṇa says: "I am that sexual intercourse." In such kind of sexual intercourse there is no sin. That is another yajña. Just like we eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam by offering yajña. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ (BG 3.13). If we take kṛṣṇa-prasādam, then we become freed from all kinds of sinful reaction.

Because the material world is so made that willingly or unwillingly . . . if you are not willing, unwillingly you have to commit so many sinful actions. Just like to kill an animal is sinful action, but you don't want to kill. Still, when you are passing on the street, you are killing so many ants. While drinking water, besides the . . . all around the water jug there are so many animals. When you crush, I mean to say, spices, we kill so many animals.

So we are responsible for that. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā you know, bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). If you simply cook for your sense gratification, then you have to take responsibility of all the killing business. But if you offer to Kṛṣṇa and take the prasādam, you become free from the contamination. Similarly, we require to eat, we require to sleep, we require to mate and we require to defend. If these things are done on account of Kṛṣṇa or as enjoined in the śāstra . . .

Śāstra means, as I have already told you, the orders of Kṛṣṇa or orders of God. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. They are the same thing. There is no difference. A sādhu follows the orders of the scriptures. A guru follows the order of the scriptures. And śāstra is description of the Supreme Lord. Just like we are reading Bhagavad-gītā. These are the injunction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is śāstra. Or anyone who writes in terms of the śāstra, that is right direction. If we speak Bhagavad-gītā as Kṛṣṇa desires, then it is right. And if we describe Bhagavad-gītā to fulfil our ulterior motives for some purpose, then it is useless.

So similarly, Kṛṣṇa said, dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha. Those who are not following the principles how to beget child, or not observing the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, according to śāstra, immediately the family becomes converted into śūdra. No more brāhmiṇ, no more kṣatriya, if he does not follow. This is very easy to understand. If you do something illegally, against the law, immediately you become a criminal. Similarly, dharmāviruddha. The garbhādhāna-saṁskāra has to be observed. Otherwise we become śūdra, no more brāhmiṇ, no more kṣatriya.

So it is very difficult to say at the present moment whether garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is observed. At least, in garbhādhāna-saṁskāra we understand that "This child is born of a real brāhmiṇ." But without garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, who knows how the child is born? Nobody knows except the mother. Therefore the śāstra says, "In this age, Kali-yuga, because this garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed regularly," kalau śūdrāḥ sambhavāḥ, "everyone in the Kali-yuga is a śūdra, because the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed."

Of course, those who are observing . . . but it is very hard to say who is observing. But if it is not observed, then any child born, either in the brāhmiṇ family or kṣatriya family or vaiśya family, because the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed, it is to be understood that that child is śūdra.

Even if the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is observed, still, by birth, it is accepted that every child is a śūdra. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. And if the regulative purificatory processes are adopted, then he becomes dvija. Dvija means twice-born. First-born by the father and mother, and his second birth is by the spiritual master and Vedic knowledge. Veda-mātā. Vedic knowledge and the spiritual master gives another birth. Upanayana-saṁskāra.

Upanayana. Upanayana, means coming nearer to the understanding of Vedic knowledge, upanayana, or coming nearer to the spiritual master. Then he begins studying of Vedas. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipraḥ. When he has studied nicely Vedas, then he becomes a vipra. And when he understands the Supreme Lord or the Para-brahman, then he is brāhmiṇ. This is the process.

So at the present moment this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is meant for creating nice brāhmiṇs with qualification. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So Kṛṣṇa says that "Regular principle sex life is all right. That is I am." That is Kṛṣṇa. If we can beget children to develop them with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thus become liberated from the clutches of repeated birth and death, that is the duty of the father and mother rightly followed. Otherwise we become entangled.

ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā

rājasās tāmasāś ca ye

matta eveti tān viddhi

na tv ahaṁ teṣu te mayi

(BG 7.12)

Because everything emanates from Kṛṣṇa, or Para-brahman, the Absolute Truth . . . even tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, all these guṇas, they are also emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvāḥ.

Sāttvikā bhāvāḥ means the consciousness of goodness, material goodness, sāttvikā bhāvāḥ. There are many persons who are very moral and following the rules and regulation of the śāstra or an ideal brāhmiṇ. That is sāttvika-bhāva. Ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasāḥ. Rājasāḥ means the kṣatriya spirit consciousness, and tāmasāś ca ye matta eveti. They are all emanations from Kṛṣṇa. Because everything is emanation.

Kṛṣṇa, or Absolute Truth, means the original source of all emanations. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Athāto brahma jijñāsā (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.1). What is Brahman? Brahman means the original source of all emanations, wherefrom everything is coming. So all these varieties, they are coming from Brahman. So Brahman cannot be impersonal. If Brahman is impersonal, how the varieties are coming from Him? That is not possible. Every . . . He is the source of everything. There is sāttvika-bhāva, there is rājasika-bhāva, there is tāmasika-bhāva in Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore, when we see Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, līlā, just like Kṛṣṇa killing a demon, that is rājasika-bhāva. There are many instances. If you read Kṛṣṇa's life from Kṛṣṇa book, you will find exactly it is similar to human activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, matta eveti tān viddhi: "But I am not affected by those qualities."

That is Kṛṣṇa's special prerogative. When we are under the spell of sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa or tamo-guṇa, we become affected. But Kṛṣṇa, when you find that rajo-guṇa is exhibited in His pastimes, but He is not under the influence of that rajo-guṇa. Even sometimes Kṛṣṇa is found under the influence of tamo-guṇa, but He is not there. That is explained here:

tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair

ebhiḥ sarvam idaṁ jagat

mohitaṁ nābhijānāti

mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam

(BG 7.13)

The whole world is captivated by these three qualities of material nature. The difference is that Kṛṣṇa comes also within this material world, and the ordinary living entities, they also come within this material world. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter, "Arjuna, both you and Me had many, many births, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." This forgetfulness is under the influence of tamo-guṇa.

So although Kṛṣṇa takes birth—many, many times He appears, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9)—but such appearance and disappearance are divyam, transcendental. They are not ordinary. And if we accept Kṛṣṇa's birth or Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance like us, then we are mistaken. Then mohitam.

tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair

ebhiḥ sarvam idaṁ jagat

mohitaṁ nābhijānāti

mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam

(BG 7.13)

Mohitam. Because we are influenced by the three qualities, therefore we are illusioned. We think, "Kṛṣṇa and myself, on the same level." But Kṛṣṇa here says, "No. I am not there. Although these energies are coming through Me or being emanated from Me, still, I am not influenced by them." That is Kṛṣṇa's position.

We should not, therefore, accept Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man. If you take that, then Kṛṣṇa says that mūḍha. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Then you become foolish person.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

(BG 7.14)

These are the three influences of māyā: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Everyone is entangled with the influence of the sattva-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says that, "If anyone surrenders unto Me, or if anyone becomes a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, a devotee, he can surmount this unsurmountable influence of the three guṇas."

That is the state . . . that is the position of the devotees. They are not under the control of māyā. They are controlled directly of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore they have no fear. The Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who surrenders unto Me, I take charge of him." He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Even if his past life was sinful, still, because Kṛṣṇa takes charge of such devotee, immediately he becomes freed from all contamination. And the guidance is there by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He says . . . here it is stated clearly. Kṛṣṇa says that "Everyone is entangled by the three modes of material nature, but anyone who has surrendered unto Me, he is free from this influence."

Now, the next question is, if . . . everyone is trying to become freed from the contamination of material nature, mukti. That is called mukti. Great sages, great saintly persons, simply to get out of the clutches of this material nature, they undertake severe penances and austerity. Then, if it is so simple that simply by surrendering unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa one becomes immediately liberated from the clutches of māyā, why, then, people do not take to this process? This question may be raised.

They do not believe. They say: "Oh, this is too much. Simply by . . ." They say: "Sophistry." Simply by surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa one becomes a liberated soul, they do not believe. And who does not believe? That is also stated by Kṛṣṇa Himself. He says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Kṛṣṇa says . . . once, in a previous verse, He said, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14): "Anyone who surrenders unto Me, immediately he becomes free from the clutches of māyā." The next paragraph He says, "Unfortunately, those who are miscreants, they do not do it." Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ.

So duṣkṛtina. Those who are always engaged in sinful activities, they are called duṣkṛtina. And mūḍhāḥ, they have been described by learned scholars as the karmīs, mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍha, the exact meaning of mūḍha is an ass. So the karmīs, the fruitive workers, they work very hard for sense gratification. But a similar mūḍha is an ass.

A similar mūḍha means the ass is generally engaged in service by the washerman. The washerman loads the ass with tons of cloth, and whole day he works for the washerman, carrying tons of cloth. But at the end of the day he is offered a morsel of grass, and he is satisfied. And by eating that grass, when he is sexually impulse, he goes to the she-ass, and the she-ass kicks on his face. And still, he runs after the she-ass.

The karmīs, they are also like that. Therefore they have been called as mūḍhas. They are working whole day very hard, but they are eating sometimes two cāpāṭis, that's all. Earning one crore of rupees per day, but eating two cāpāṭis only. Therefore they are mūḍhas. He has no sense that "Only for two cāpāṭis I am working so hard. And for sex life I have to bear so much expenses at the order of my wife." These are facts. We should not be sorry. Because Kṛṣṇa says. When we, I mean to say, deliberately discuss on śāstras, there is no question of compromising. We must face the bare facts.

So those who are simply satisfied in this way, the whole day . . . divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). At night, simply by sleeping or by sex life, and during daytime simply for money or kuṭumba-bharaṇa, or maintaining the family—this is the karmīs' life, and they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, that such persons are mūḍha. They cannot understand how they can be liberated. They are simply working for nothing.

There is . . . Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings very nice song, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord, Hari, I have simply spoiled my life." Hari hari biphale, janama goṅāinu. Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā: "I got very nice body, just fit for worshiping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa." Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa . . . jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu: "Knowingly I have drunk poison." Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. This is the life of mūḍha.

One should be conscious that "I have got this opportunity of human life. I must be, in this life, simply Kṛṣṇa conscious. I shall simply think of Kṛṣṇa." Satataṁ cintayanto mām (BG 9.14). Always cintaya. Satataṁ cintayanto mām, kīrtayanto mām. Always. Teṣām . . . that verse in the Sixth Chapter:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

So this is the business of human life: always think of Kṛṣṇa. But the mūḍhas, as it is stated here, duṣkṛtina, miscreants . . . the kṛti, this word kṛti means meritorious. There is exact counterword—you'll find in the next stanza—sukṛtina. And here it is called duṣkṛtina. So kṛti means merit. Nowadays people are supposed to be . . . not nowadays; all the days there are certain classes of men who are called meritorious, intelligent. So kṛtina.

But there are duṣkṛtina and sukṛtina. Those who are using their merit for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are sukṛtina. And those who are using their merit for nothing, uselessly, for sense gratification, they are called duṣkṛtina. Both of them are using merit. It is not that a sinful man, a rogue, a thief, a dacoit, has no merit. He has got good merit, but he's utilizing for different purpose. Therefore they are called duṣkṛtina. Merit should have been . . . just like we have got human merit, better than the animal merit.

So this merit is being misused to improve the process of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. If you improve this process of this eating, sleeping, that does not make you very advanced in civilization. The animal is also eating. Whatever, according to the nature, they are destined to eat, they are eating. Similarly, we are also eating, but we are not eating according to the, I mean to say, indication of nature.

Take, for example, our teeth and animal teeth. There is difference. Our teeth . . . this is scientific. Our teeth is meant for eating vegetables and fruits. It is so made. If you eat continually vegetables and fruits, you'll not be attacked with pyorrhea. But if you eat meat—your teeth is not meant for eating meat—you'll very soon be attacked with pyorrhea because breaking the laws of nature. This is one example.

Similarly, in our eating, sleeping, mating and defending we are using so many wrong things. Just like formerly there was also fight. That fight was being conducted with arrows and bows. So if you want to kill your enemy, you'll kill your enemy, not others. Other innocent people will not be killed. But nowadays, for defending, we are using atom bomb. So many thousands of innocent men are being killed.

So therefore to manufacture or to invent such weapons, lethal weapons, is requiring very good merit—but duṣkṛtina, for committing sinful activities. Even war, there is dharma. That can be also dharmāviruddha. Just like Arjuna fought. He fought dharmāviruddha, under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa. That is not ordinary fighting. That fighting is Kṛṣṇa, because he was fighting under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa. Personally he refused to fight, but when he understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted that fighting, under His guidance he fought. That fighting is Kṛṣṇa.

So similarly, there are actions, different actions. Some of them are duṣkārya and some of them are sukārya. Sukārya means when you act such action under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa, that is nice. And when you act under your whims, then that is miscreant. So miscreants, and they act like human beings, mūḍha and narādhama. Narādhama means . . . nara means human beings, and adhama means the lowest. Just like we accept some caṇḍāla as narādhama. Or . . . there are many low-grade people, but actually, a caṇḍāla is not a low-grade people, man. The man who does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is supposed to be narādhama, because he has got the chance.

An animal hasn't got the chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. I cannot call animals, cats and dogs, in this meeting. That is impossible, because they have no chance. But we can call . . . we can hold a meeting amongst the human beings for discussing Kṛṣṇa because they have got the special power to understand. This special power to understand Kṛṣṇa, if it is misused for other purposes, he is narādhama. He got the chance of human being, but he has become degraded on account of his unwillingness to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So such persons, duṣkṛtina, always engaged in mischievous activities, always engaged to work hard like an ass and does not take the advantage of human being, they are called duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama. Then one may say, "All right, these people are lowest of the mankind or like an ass or miscreant, but there are many, many educated persons, highly elevated in discussing philosophy. Why they do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Why they say that, "God is nirākāra," "There is no God," "I am God," "You are God"? Why do they say? Why do they not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

This question may be raised also. "They are not fools. They are very highly learned. They have undergone tapasya, sannyāsī. Why do they not take shelter of Kṛṣṇa?" Kṛṣṇa is answering to that question, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). Yes, they are advanced in knowledge undoubtedly, but because they are āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ . . .

Āsuri bhāvam means atheistic principle, "There is no God. I am God." This is called atheistic or āsura. Just like Rāvaṇa. He was very much materially advanced. He was very good scholar in Vedic literature. He was son of a brāhmiṇ also, very powerful. But he did not believe in Rāma, God. That was his only fault. Therefore he is described as asura, rākṣasa. Similarly, Kaṁsa, Hiraṇyakaśipu.

So anyone, however materially he may be advanced in education or knowledge, may be Ph.D. or D.H.C. or something like that, if he does not believe in God, he is to be supposed that māyā has taken away his real knowledge. In spite of his education, he is fool number one. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ.

Why such things take place, that a learned man becomes foolish without understanding Kṛṣṇa? Because āsuri bhāvam, because he has accepted the atheistic principle, "There is no Kṛṣṇa. There is no God." Only for this reason, in spite of educational qualification, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. And because he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, therefore he cannot take to devotional service. These are the description. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).

But there are certain jñānīs who are actually sincere to know the Absolute Truth. Such persons, even they may be misled in one life, two lives, three lives, but at the end they come to the conclusion that Kṛṣṇa is everything. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19).

Here it is said that māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. So long there is influence of māyā, he is lost of real knowledge. But in spite of that, if he makes progress in understanding the Absolute Truth, then, after many births, not in one birth—bahūnāṁ janmanām ante—when he comes to the actual point of knowledge that Kṛṣṇa is everything, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, prapadyante (BG 7.19), he surrenders.

That means to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal of all knowledge, all activities, all tapasya, all yoga. If one does not reach that point, then he is simply wasting his time and energy.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (applause) (end)