ĀRYA MEANS – TO MAKE PROGRESS

Now we have got this human form of body, progressing from the lowest species of life in aquatics, then trees, plants, insects, birds, beasts, 8,400,000… Now I have got this civilized form of body. Then my endeavor should be how to make further progress. The further progress is described in the Bhagavad-gita, that you can go to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāh [Bg. 14.18]. Ūrdhvam – higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasah. Madhye – in the middle planetary system. Those who are contaminated with the passion quality, they remain. And jaghanya-guṇa-vrtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasah. And those who are miscreants, jaghanya-guṇa-vrtti-sthāh, most hatefully accustomed, these hatefully accustomed, illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, intoxication… These are habits of hateful nature. So jaghanya-guṇa-vrtti-sthāh adho gacchanti tāmasah, they go down. Either become animals or… There are seven kinds of lower planetary systems: tala, atala, vitala, pātala, talātala, rasātala, like that. So ārya means must make progress.

[An excerpt from a lecture delivered on the Bhagavad gita 2.2 on Aug 3, 1973 in London]