730828 - Lecture BG 02.25 - London

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730828BG-LONDON- August 28, 1973 - 33:37 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat)

(break)

avyakto 'yam acintyo 'yam

avikāryo 'yam ucyate

tasmād evaṁ viditvainaṁ

nānuśocitum arhasi

(BG 2.25)

(break)

Translation: "It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."

Prabhupāda: (aside) They are going? So why don't . . .? No prasāda?

avyakto 'yam acintyo 'yam

avikāryo 'yam ucyate

tasmād evaṁ viditvainaṁ

nānuśocitum arhasi

(BG 2.25)

So Kṛṣṇa began this teaching to Arjuna first of all, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11): "You are talking like learned scholar, but you are lamenting on the body, which is not at all important." Nānuśocanti. Here also the same thing. Tasmād evaṁ viditva enam, this body, na anuśocitum arhasi. Do not be very much serious about this body. The soul is the subject matter to be considered. But the modern civilization, they are concerned with this body. Just the opposite.

Kṛṣṇa says because the soul is immortal, therefore tasmād evaṁ viditvā, understanding of this principle, enam, this body, na anuśocitum arhasi. The real factor is the soul. We have to take care of the soul, not of the body. So far body is concerned, there are pains and pleasure like climatic changes. Āgamāpāyinaḥ anityāḥ, such bodily pains and pleasure come and go; they are not permanent. Tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. So you have to learn how to tolerate these bodily pains and pleasure, but you have to take care of the soul.

But the modern civilization, they have no knowledge of the soul, what to speak of taking care of it, and, like animals, they are in the bodily concept of life, taking much care of the body, but they have no information of the soul, and what to speak of taking care of it. This is the lamentable condition of modern civilization. Animal civilization. The animals simply take care of the body, has no information of the soul. So this civilization is animal civilization, mūḍha. Mūḍha means animal, asses.

Now if we say to the people in general, they'll be angry upon us, but actually this is the position. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). I've several times explained this verse. Yasya ātma-buddhiḥ. Ātmā means self; buddhi, has taken this body as self. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ. But what is this body? The body is nothing but a bag of tri-dhātu—kapha, pitta, vāyu—and its by-product. By mucus, bile and air, by interaction of these three things . . . just like this material world, this house. What is this house? Tejo-vāri-mṛd vinimayam. Anything in this material world, what is that? Tejo-vāri-mṛd vinimayam. An exchange of fire, water and earth. Tejo-vāri-mṛd vinimayam. Exchange. You take earth, you take water, mix them, and put it into the fire, it becomes brick, then powder it, it becomes cement, then again combine them, it becomes a big skyscraper building.

So as this material world, anything you take, it is simply a combination of these three ingredients, plus air and sky for drying. Air is required for drying. So combination of the five elements. Similarly, this body is also combination of five elements. There is no difference. But because in the big skyscraper building there is no soul, it stands in one place, but the body has got the soul, therefore it moves. That is the difference. The soul is the important thing. But they do not know. Just like we have manufactured the airplane and there is no soul, but another soul means the pilot. He takes care of it. He drives; therefore it is moving. So without soul, there cannot be any movement. Either the thing must have soul or some other soul will take care of it. Then it will move. Therefore the important is the soul, not this material body.

So anyone who is accepting this material body as very important . . . just like the other day, some rascals came. They were very much eager for feeding this body, those who are starving, starvation . . . starvation of the bodily concept of life. But there is spiritual starvation. That we are not taking care. Material starvation may be there, but actually that is not a problem, because there is sufficient arrangement for maintaining this material body. Real starvation is of the soul. The soul is not getting spiritual food.

Here, in this meeting, this is meant for giving to the starving spirit soul. And as soon as you get some spiritual food, then we become happy. That is the situation. Yayātmā suprasīdati (SB 1.2.6). Unless you get spiritual food there cannot be satisfaction of the real soul. The same example: within the cage there is the bird. If you simply wash the cage very nicely and cover it and paint it and the bird within the cage is crying, starving . . . what is this civilization? Similarly, we spirit soul, we have been encaged within this body, so our natural aspiration is to get freedom from this encagement, as much as the bird is struggling to get freedom from the cage. Similarly, we are also, we are not happy being encaged.

Yesterday we learned from Bhagavad-gītā soul's position is sarva-gataḥ. Soul can go anywhere. That is, it has got the freedom. Those who are spiritually advanced by yogic mystic power, they can also move anywhere he likes—aṇimā, laghimā siddhi. There are still yogīs in India who early in the morning takes bath in four dhāmas: Haridwar, Jagannātha Purī, Rāmeśvaram and Dvārakā. There are still yogīs. Within one hour, they'll take bath in four places. Sarva-gataḥ, the speed. They'll sit down in one place, and by yogic process within few minutes will get up and dip in here, in this water. Suppose in London you dip, take your dip in the Thames River, and when you get up you see in Calcutta, Ganges. There is yogic process like that. Sarva-gataḥ.

So the spirit soul has got so much freedom, sarva-gataḥ, anywhere he likes he can go. But this impediment is this body, which is checking our freedom. So if you get rid of this material body and be situated in spiritual body . . . just like Nārada Muni, he can move anywhere. He's moving; his business is moving. Sometimes he's going to Vaikuṇṭhaloka or sometimes coming to this material loka. He has got spiritual body; he's free to move anywhere, spaceman. They are trying to travel in the space by machine. There is no necessity of machine. Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). The machine is made of māyā. But you have got your own power. That is very speedy. So it is being checked. Therefore one should be very much careful how to get the soul out of this encagement of this material body. That should be our first concern. But those who are simply concerned with this body, they are no better than the animals, cows and asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij

janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

(SB 10.84.13)

Go-kharaḥ. Go-kharaḥ means asses and cows.

So this civilization, modern civilization, having no information of the soul, it is simply a pack of animals only, that's all. Therefore they do not care what is the resultant action of their activities. They do not care for pious, piety and vicious activities. They take everything . . . that is asuric civilization. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsura-janāḥ (BG 16.7). Āsura-jana means these rascal or asuras, atheists, fools, rascals, they do not know pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means in which subject matter we should take interest. That is called pravṛtti. And nivṛtti means in which subject matter we shall not take interest, or we shall try to give it up. The āsura-jana, they do not know.

Just like we have got pravṛtti inclination, loke vyavāya āmiṣa mada-sevā nityasya jantuḥ. Every living entity has got materially . . . there are two natures, spiritual and material. Materially, the inclination of sex enjoyment and eating meat—āmiṣa, āmiṣa means eating meat, flesh and fish, like that. That is called āmiṣa. Nonvegetarian means nirāmiṣa. So āmiṣa and mada and vyavāya. Vyavāya means sex. Loke vyavāya āmiṣa mada-sevā. Sex indulgence and eating meat, flesh, eggs, and drinking wine. Mada. Mada means liquor. So nityasya jantuḥ. Jantu. When one is in the material world he is called jantu. Jantu means animal. Although he's living entity, he's not called jīva soul, he's called jantu. Jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Jantu.

This material body is developing for the jantu, or animal. Anyone who is devoid of spiritual knowledge, he's called jantu, or animal. This is the śāstric injunction. Jantur dehopapattaye. Who gets this material body? Jantu, animal. So, so long we shall get on, or continually get or change this material body, we remain jantu, animal. Kleśada āsa dehaḥ. A jantu, animal, can tolerate, or he's forced to tolerate. Just like a bullock yoked in the cart and whipping. He has to tolerate. He cannot get out of it. Similarly, when they are taken to slaughterhouse to be killed, he has to tolerate it. There is no way . . . this is called jantu.

So those who have surrendered to the material nature, he has to suffer. He has to suffer. There is no way out. You have accepted this body. You must suffer. Kleśada āsa dehaḥ. This material body means suffering. So they do not know this. They are making so many arrangements and plans how to become happy, how to become peaceful, without any miserable condition, but the rascals, they do not know that so long you have got this material body—either a king's body or an ant's body—you must have to suffer. They do not know.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says here that you take care of the soul. Tasmād evam. Tasmād evaṁ viditvā. Just try to understand the soul is important. You haven't got to lament for this body. This is already settled up: so much suffering, so much comforts, you'll get. Although the body, material body . . . because the material body is also created according to the three qualities. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). When the inquiry is that why one has got the king's body and why he has got, one has got the pig's body—there are so many other bodies, 8,400,000 different types of bodies—so why the difference is there? That difference is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāraṇam. Kāraṇam means cause. Why these varieties are . . . kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅga asya. Asya, jīvasya. He is associating with different kinds of qualities, and therefore he's getting a different type of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya.

Therefore our business should be not to associate with the material qualities—even up to goodness. Material quality, goodness means the brahminical quality: sattva śama damas titikṣā. So devotional service is transcendental to these good qualities also. In this material world, if somehow or other he has got the birth in a brāhmaṇa family or he's executing his duties exactly a strict brāhmaṇa, still he's conditioned, under the laws of this material nature, still. And what to speak of others, those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance. Their position is most abominable. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are in the modes of ignorance, jaghanya, very abominable condition.

So at the present moment . . . that is śūdra. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this age of Kali, everyone is in the modes of ignorance. Śūdra. They do not know, because they have no . . . One who knows that "I am spirit soul; I am not this body," he is brāhmaṇa. And one who does not know, he is śūdra, kṛpaṇa. Etad vidita prāye sa brāhmaṇa. One . . . everyone dies, that's all right, but one who dies after knowing the spiritual truth . . . just like here, the students who are trying to understand what is spiritual life and, somehow or other, if he understands that he's spirit soul, at least, then he becomes brāhmaṇa. He becomes brāhmaṇa. Etad viditya. And one who does not understand, he is kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. Brāhmaṇa means liberal. These are the śāstric injunction.

So first of all, we have to become brāhmaṇa. Then Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa simply knows that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). By such knowledge one becomes prasannātmā. Means relieved. As you feel relief . . . if there is burden on your head, and when the burden is taken away you feel relieved, similarly, this ignorance that, "I am this body" is a great burden, a burden upon us. So when you get out of this burden, then you feel relieved. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. Means when actually one understands that, "I am not this body; I am soul," then he has to work so hard for maintaining this body, so he gets relief that, "Why I am working so hard for this lump of material thing? Let me execute my real necessity of life, spiritual life." That is great relief. That is great relief. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). The relief means there is no hankering, no more lamentation. These are the brahma-bhūtaḥ.

So our actual business is to become brahma-bhūtaḥ. So who can become? That is explained already. Kṛṣṇa has already explained that, what is that verse? Yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete (BG 2.15). Vyathayanti, "Does not give pain." Material, material burden, that is always troublesome. Even this body. This is also another burden. We have to carry it. So when one is not disturbed by this bodily pain and pleasure . . . there is no pleasure, simply pain. Here, pleasure means a little absence of pain. Just like you have got a boil here. What is called? Boil? Phoṛā. So it is always painful. And by some medical application, when the pain is little relieved, you think that "Now it is happiness." But the boil is there. How you can be happy?

So here, actually there is no happiness, but we think we have discovered so many counteraction. Just like there is disease. We have discovered medicine. We have discovered medical college. Manufacturing, big, big physician, MD, FRCS. But that does not mean you'll live. No, you'll have to die, sir. So the boil is there. A little application of temporary medicine, it may . . . therefore there is no happiness at all in this material world. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that, "Why you are feeling happy? You have to die, after all, which is not your business. You are eternal, but still you have to accept death." Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is your real problem.

But these rascals, they do not know. They think death is natural—"After death everything is finished. Now so long I am not dying, let me enjoy." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. Enjoyment means . . . according to our Indian system, their enjoyment is not meat-eating, as in the Western countries. Their enjoyment is eating ghee more, become chubby, fatty. That is their enjoyment. So Cārvāka Muni recommended, "Now eat ghee and enjoy life." Kachorī, siṅgāra, all made of ghee preparation. Then "I have no money, sir.

Where shall I get ghee?" Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā. "Beg, borrow, steal, get ghee." Somehow or other, black market, white market, any way. Bring money and ghee, that's all. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet: "Eat as much possible ghee." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvād sukham jīvet. Sukhaṁ jīvet. "So long you live, live merrily, very nicely." That is the theory of the all the European philosophers. Live merrily. But the philosopher at the end becomes paralyzed. His merriness is finished.

(aside) Who is that philosopher who has become paralyzed?

Devotees: Dr. Radhakrishnan.

Prabhupāda: So they make all these theories. Not only European philosophers, another philosopher in India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is now brain paralyzed.

So they do not understand that there is a controller. We may theorize and so many ways of our happy life. But you cannot be happy, sir, so long you have got this material body. That's a fact.

Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Therefore intelligent person, they should be . . . Kṛṣṇa is making everyone intelligent: "You rascal, you are under the bodily concept of life. Your civilization has no value. It is rascal civilization." Here is the point:

yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete

puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha

sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ

so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate

(BG 2.15)

Your problem is how to be reestablished again as eternal. Because we are eternal. Some way or other, we have fallen in this material world. Therefore, we have to accept birth and death. So our problem is how to again be eternal. That is amṛtatva.

But these rascals, they do not know that there is possibility of becoming eternal. Simply by trying to understand Kṛṣṇa, one can become immortal. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. Then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, even you don't serve Kṛṣṇa. If you serve, then you are already liberated. If you simply philosophically try to understand the position of Kṛṣṇa. But no, the mūḍhas, the rascals, they will say: "We accept Kṛṣṇa as a great man. We don't accept Kṛṣṇa as God." The Ārya-samājīs say. All right, if you accept a great man, great personality, why don't you accept His teaching, huh? Then what kind of accepting a great personality? If you actually accept Kṛṣṇa as a great personality, at least you must follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and no, that also they'll not do.

And still they are Ārya-samāj. Ārya means advancing party. They are degrading party. Real advancing party is Kṛṣṇa conscious person, the devotees of Kṛṣṇa. They're Āryan. Just like Arjuna, when he was trying to neglect the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, "Sir, I'll not fight," He said, anārya-juṣṭam (BG 2.2). Anyone who disobeys the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, he's anārya. And one who obeys the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, he's āryan. That is the distinction. Therefore, the so-called Ārya-samāj, they disobey the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, and still they claim to be āryan. Actually they are anāryan. Anārya-juṣṭam. These things are in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So nānuśocitum arhasi. Kṛṣṇa has here said: "You are eternal. Your business is how to achieve that eternal position, and, so far the body is concerned, antavanta ime dehāḥ (BG 2.18), this is in . . . this is destructible. So you should not be very much serious about this body." This is the distinction between the Vedic civilization, Āryan civilization. Vedic civilization means Āryan. And anāryan civilization.

Anāryan civilization means bodily concept of life, and Āryan civilization means spiritual concept of life, how to make spiritually advancement. That is real civilization. Those who are compact in the thought of bodily comforts of life, they are all anāryas, and that is now deprecated, nānuśocitum arhasi: "Don't lament on these immaterial things."

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)