740225 - Lecture BG 07.11-12 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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740225BG-BOMBAY - February 25, 1974 - 36:17 Minutes

Pradyumna: (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ

kāma-rāga-vivarjitam

dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu

kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha

(BG 7.11)

(break)

Translation: "I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O Lord of the Bhāratas, Arjuna."

Prabhupāda: Next śloka also.

Pradyumna: (leads chanting of verse etc.)

ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā

rājasās tāmasāś ca ye

matta eveti tān viddhi

na tv ahaṁ teṣu te mayi

(BG 7.12)

(break)

Translation: "All states of being, be they of goodness, passion or ignorance, are manifested by My energy. I am in one sense everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of this material nature."

Prabhupāda:

balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ

kāma-rāga-vivarjitam

dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu

kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha

(BG 7.11)

Kṛṣṇa is explaining everything, how you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious twenty-four hours. The one process is, as recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ: "Always chanting the glories of the Lord." Man-manāḥ . . . satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bha . . .

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ

yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ

namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā

nitya-yuktā upāsate

(BG 9.14)

These are the mahātmās, symptoms of mahātmā. They are always engaged in chanting the holy name. Satatam. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also recommends: kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. This is life. Human life is meant for this purpose. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.

We require something to eat because we have got this body. So minimizing the bodily enjoyments . . . bodily enjoyment means . . . or necessities. When you use bodily necessities in excessive proportion, that is called kāma. Otherwise, to satisfy the bodily necessities, that is not kāma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha, dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu (BG 7.11). Dharma aviruddha. The religion, religion means regulation. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Everything has got regulation. Just like in our ordinary life, we get license. Even a man is keeping a wine shop—that is not good thing—but he must take license, regulation. The whole śāstra means regulation. Śāstra. The word śāstra has come from śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu means ruling, controlling. So from śās-dhātu, the śāsana has come, government ruling. And śāstra has come. And śastra has come. Śastra means weapon. Just like sword, it is called śastra. Or guns. And śāstra also. Śāstra is the regulative principles, the book of law. You cannot violate the book of laws. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23), na sukhaṁ sāvāpnoti. You must keep yourself in regulative principle, according to the śāstra.

So here Kṛṣṇa says, dharma aviruddhaḥ kāmaḥ. The . . . in the śāstra it is stated that jīvo jīvasya jīvanam (SB 1.13.47): "Every living entity is living by eating another living entity." That is nature. Ahastāni sahastānām. Śāstra says, in the Bhāgavata that, "Those who have got no hands, they are food for the animal with hands." Those who are eating animals, they are also animals. Even human being, in the form of human being, eating animal. So one . . . human being means with hands, sahastānām. Hasta means hand, and sa means with. And the animals, ahastānām, ahastāni, they have no hands. They have got only legs, four legs. So ahastāni sahastānām. This, the with-hands animal, means those who are meat-eating, they are animals, but with hands. That is the difference. Here is an animal. Just like cows, goats, lambs, they are animals. And dogs. There are dog-eaters also. There is the word śva-pacaḥ. Śva-pacaḥ means dog-eaters. Yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam, aho bato śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam (SB 3.33.7). Even a person coming from the family of dog-eaters—there are dog-eaters still—so if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he becomes glorious. Aho bato śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam. Caṇḍāla . . . they are called caṇḍālas. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. Even if a caṇḍāla . . . caṇḍāla means the dog-eaters. So these animal-eaters, they are also animal describing, animal with two hands. Ahastānāṁ sahastā . . . ahastāni sahastānām. Apadāni catuṣ-padām. Apadāni means those who have no legs, like plants, trees, the grass. They have no legs. They are standing. They have got legs, but they have no moving power. They are called pāda-pa. Pāda-pa means they have got legs for eating. We are eating with mouth, they are eating with legs.

So everything, analytical study is there in the śāstras very minute, senses and power, who has got. The fish, they have got very good sensation power. Means two miles away, they get sensation there is enemy, "Somebody's coming to eat me." These are all described in the Bhāgavatam. The frogs, they can become in samādhi, situated in samādhi, for many, many years. So these things are not very great things, to have samādhi, to have yogic principle. Even in the animals you will find. I read long, long ago that in the coal mine, while they were digging coals, one frog came out from the coal and jumped over and died. That means the frog was buried within the lump of coal for many, many thousands of years, and he was keeping samādhi. Kumbhaka, kumbhaka-yoga they know. So these are not very extraordinary things. Because after all, living entity is eternal, does not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). If, by some process, he lives for some time more, that is not very wonderful thing. The wonderful thing is how to stop this birth and death. That is wonderful thing. Not that I am living, say, for fifty years or hundred years, another man is living for three hundred years. That is not very wonderful thing.

So there is regulative principles in the śāstra, as I was explaining. (aside) Why the boys shall talk? So we must follow the . . . if we want to make our life perfect, we must follow the regulative principle. Just like good citizen means . . . what is that good citizen? Good citizen means who follows the laws of the state. He is good citizen. Good citizenship means strictly following the laws of the government. Similarly, first-class human being means who follows the laws of God, that's all. He's first class. And those who are simply violating the laws of God, they are third class, fourth class, tenth class. It will be explained a few verses after that na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are simply violating the laws of God, they are called duṣkṛtinaḥ, miscreants, such class of men. There are so many classes of men. Kṛṣṇa is mentioning some of them. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. The duṣkṛtinaḥ, those who are simply violating the laws of God, they are called duṣkṛtinaḥ.

So such person cannot come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness, though one must follow the rules and regulation, śāstra. Śāstra means which is giving you regulative life. In regulative life sex life is Kṛṣṇa . . . (break) That is regulative principle. And even with your wife you cannot have sex life unless it is meant for progeny, for producing children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children, not cats and dogs. That is dharmāviruddhaḥ. That is not against religious principles. That is very nice. Just like to produce brahmacārīs. Brahmacārī . . . wherefrom the brahmacārī comes? It comes from the gṛhastha life. Unless one marries, how he can beget children who become brahmacārī? So if you produce brahmacārī, then you can produce hundreds of brahmacārī. That is allowed. But don't produce cats and dogs. That is dharmāviruddhaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says: "I am there." Everything is there. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Even in sexual intercourse there is Kṛṣṇa. But how? Dharmāviruddhaḥ, not against the laws of śāstra. In the śāstra it is said that you'll have sex life after the menstrual period, sex life you have. But when your wife becomes pregnant, no more sex life. No more sex life. This is the injunction of the śāstra.

You cannot have sex life for producing illegitimate son. That is described in the . . . that is called varṇa-saṅkara. One who produces illegitimate children, the world becomes full of varṇa-saṅkara, unwanted children, and thus the whole world become hell. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now it is a fact, everyone knows, that so many children are . . . especially in the Western country, I have seen, a girl is not married, but she has got child. What is that? That is varṇa-saṅkara. So varṇa-saṅkara increases; the world becomes hellish. Why so much trouble now? Because . . . don't mind. It is according to śāstra. The whole population is varṇa-saṅkara. Therefore there is no regulative principle. If you follow regulative principle, there is no problem. And this regulative principle is Kṛṣṇa svayam. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). He's giving, He's saying, dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi bhūteṣu bharatarṣabha. So there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness even in begetting children. Provided you follow.

So everything can be employed. Just like I was explaining to George—just now he came—that actually there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. As Kṛṣṇa is explaining from the very beginning, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir . . . prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Prakṛti, "My nature." Nature I have already explained. Just like nature of fire. How do you understand the nature? By heat and light. That is the nature. Wherever there is fire . . . parvato bhunimān dhumāt. The example is given, just like long, long, high . . . I have seen in Nainital, there is fire, there is smoke. So that smoke means there is fire. That is the symptom. You cannot separate smoke from fire. That is not possible. Smoke is nature. Similarly, nature and the source from which . . . just like fire—it is coming, the smoke. You cannot separate. Similarly, if bhūmiḥ āpaḥ analaḥ vāyuḥ kham, this material nature is coming from Kṛṣṇa, how you can separate it from Kṛṣṇa? It is also Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who does not see bhūmi . . . immediately remembers that, "This is Kṛṣṇa's nature," he remembers immediately Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even by seeing land. So devotee sees like that, "Oh, this land is so nice. Why not construct a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa?" This is Kṛṣṇa conscious vision, "Oh, there are so many skyscrapers. Why not construct a nice skyscraper temple of Kṛṣṇa?" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you become spiritual. Just like as soon as there is fire, immediately you become hot, warm. You touch the iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmer, then it becomes red hot. And when it is red hot, it is no more iron rod; it is fire. You touch everywhere, the same iron rod will burn. Similarly, if you become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is nothing material. Your body's spiritual, your mind is spiritual, your soul is already spiritual—everything spiritual. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1). That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So simply we have to bring Kṛṣṇa in every activities. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that for, for that purpose. And there will be no problems. You bring Kṛṣṇa. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad dadāsi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). Kṛṣṇa says: "Whatever you eat . . ." Just like we are eating prasādam. Others will see, "They are eating ḍāl-bhāta, and they are calling prasādam." Because he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And one who has got Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he eats the same ḍāl-bhāta—it is not ḍāl-bhāta; it is spiritualized, because it is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has eaten it. Kṛṣṇa eats. Don't think that, "The things are there. Kṛṣṇa has not eaten." No, Kṛṣṇa has eaten. But Kṛṣṇa's eating and your eating is different. If I give you something to eat, you'll finish the whole thing. But Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). This is Vedic injunction. He can eat, and He can leave. Otherwise, is He speaking false?

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ

yo me bhaktyā prayacchati

tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam

aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

(BG 9.26)

He eats. So one friend belongs to the Ārya-samāj. He asked me this question, that "You are offering in the temple, but does Kṛṣṇa eat?" Certainly He eats. Why not? "No, the things are there. How He eats?" Why you are comparing your eating and Kṛṣṇa's eating the same? Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11). These rascal, they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. He thinks, "Kṛṣṇa is like me." These rascals. They do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Why?

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

He does not know. Kṛṣṇa can be known by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ, in truth, then you have to go through this bhakti process, not by your speculative process. Kṛṣṇa is not open to your sensual gratification. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). He cannot be revealed to anyone and everyone. Yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. He's covered. Just like at night we cannot see the sun. That does not mean the sun is not in the sky. This is foolishness. If somebody thinks, "Now we cannot see the sun; therefore sun is gone, dead . . ." Formerly people used to think like that. What is that? Some people used to think that sun is dead? So Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. As sun is always there in the sky . . . now it is, say, half-past eight. So the morning, half-past eight, is also there, present. In America it is half-past eight, morning. There you'll see sun. So because at night in India, in Bombay, half-past eight we cannot see the sun, it does not mean the sun is finished. If you go to America, in Los Angeles, you'll see the sun. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is always present. Simply you have to prepare your eyes to see Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha (BG 7.11). Who is following the, strictly the regulative principle, even in sex life he can see Kṛṣṇa. Which is considered abominable, but even in sex life, if you are following the rules and regulations, you can see Kṛṣṇa. Therefore when such sons are begotten, they become devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore according to Hindu principle, there is garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, ten kinds of saṁskāras, reformative measures. So the sex life should be also open to the saṁskāra. It is a saṁskāra, garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra means when you are going to make your wife pregnant, there is saṁskāra, there is ceremony. And especially in the Brāhmaṇa families, if there is no garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, he immediately becomes a Śūdra. This is the śāstric . . . you must follow the saṁskāra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. One who follows the saṁskāras, then he becomes purified. This is, this is called dharmāviruddhaḥ, "Not against the religious principles."

So if we do not follow the principles, then we are animals, that's all. That is the difference between the animal and man. If you do not follow the regulative principles enjoined in the śāstras . . . yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, kāma-kārataḥ, na sukhaṁ sāvāpnoti (BG 16.23). Because we do not follow the śāstric injunction, therefore we are thinking that, "Population is increasing; let us use contraceptive method." The so-called contraceptive method is there because we are having sex life against religion. Against religion. But if you have sex life in, I mean, pursuance of the religious principle, you don't require. Because to become father and mother is not restricted, but to become father and mother of cats and dogs is restricted. To become father and mother is not restricted. That is nature. You become father of hundreds children. But don't produce cats and dogs. Then there will be . . . then dharmāviruddhaḥ . . . and there will be unwanted population, problem, fight, no peace, no tranquillity. Everything, all, it will be hell.

So because people are producing children against religious principle, therefore the whole world if full of varṇa-saṅkara, and there is no peace. So if you follow the principles of Bhagavad-gītā, automatically there will be peace. Because every children, every boy, every girl will be sober, Kṛṣṇa conscious. And therefore śāstra prohibits, pitā na sa syāt (SB 5.5.18), one should not become father; jananī na sā syāt, one should not become mother—gurur na sa syāt, one should not become guru. One . . . in this way, there are . . . why? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. If you cannot stop the course of birth and death of your children, then don't become a father. This is called religious contraceptive. Remain without children. That is called dhārmika life. If you can stop the birth and death of your children . . . birth and death means . . . because dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). The real soul, the real life is within the body, and he's transmigrating. The transmigrating from one body to another, that is called death. And when he comes out from one, another body, that is called birth. So as soon as you get—kleśada āsa dehaḥ—this body, full of miserable condition, then you again put into miserable condition of life. Therefore if you can stop your children's birth and death any more, then beget children. This is the śāstric injunction. And if the father does not know how to stop his own birth and death, then what is the use of producing children? The father should be so sympathetic with the children, with the sons, that he must know what is the pains and pleasure of birth and death.

So every parent desires welfare of his children, of their children. So this is the greatest welfare, that, "This child has come in my womb, he has become my son. This is the last time. No more birth and death. He will be educated in that way." That is father's responsibility. Not that eat him, get him meat-eating, and get him fat. However fat he may be, he'll die. (laughter) You cannot stop his death simply by making him fat like elephant. Therefore it is said, dharmāviruddha. Don't beget children if you have no responsibility. But they think that "We'll have sex life, but we shall avoid this responsibility. So then let us use contraceptive." This is greatest sinful life. Greatest sinful life. You are killing, murderer. Now in the Western countries they are actually killing. They have made law. So if the society has become so awfully sinful, how they can expect peace and prosperity? That is not possible. That is not possible.

Therefore na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapad . . . (BG 7.15)—that śloka will be explained later on—those who are leading sinful lives, simply sinful life, duṣkṛtinaḥ . . . kṛti means very meritorious, but duṣkṛti, they're the opposite. It is not sukṛti. Su means "For well-being," and duṣkṛti means "For creating disturbances." There are many brains nowadays. They know how to use the brain. But duṣkṛtinaḥ. Therefore a godless society, there is so much restlessness in the society, because the duṣkṛtinaḥ are working. Now, in their place, sukṛtinaḥ must be brought. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna (BG 7.16). Then there will be peace and prosperity.

Thank you very much. (end)