The Only Way to Peace: Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Class — Vrindavan, April 25, 1975
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.6
Transcript: Vrindavan, April 25, 1975
[00:00] [Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada chanting]
Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.
[00:15] We have discussed how to be free from the atmospheric influence of anartha. Anarthopasamam saksad. Material life means to be involved with so many unwanted things. That is material life. At the present moment, especially in this Kali-yuga, we are very much fallen. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah.
[00:58] This human life is especially meant for cultivating Krishna consciousness, or spiritual understanding of life. Unfortunately, we are very, very slow. Manda. Manda means bad, fallen, abominable. The whole population in this age is very, very fallen—manda. Why manda? Because they have advanced in material comforts. That is not required. Real education is how to develop our spiritual understanding. That is wanted.
[01:55] People are not interested—manda. Manda means slow, or very bad. They do not know. People say, just like in Europe and American cities, they are chanting Hare Krishna, and especially the Indian gentlemen who come there, they say, "What is this? We have rejected this so-called Hare Krishna chanting, and these people have taken it and are chanting in the street." They ask many students in Europe and America, Indian students also say, they put forward that question to me: "Swamiji, how will this Hare Krishna mantra help us? At the present moment, we require technology." They challenge.
[03:00] So, I replied, "This is the position of India. They have given up Hare Krishna. They are working very hard for getting some money for bread." It is said in the shastra that at the present moment, people will have to work so hard, like an ass, to get their morsel of food.
[03:32] I have seen in Calcutta, somebody with a sacred thread, he is pulling a thela (cart) and perspiring. And somebody known to him, he says, "Panditji, palan." He says, "I offer my respects to you." And the thelawala says, "Sitaram." This is the position. A brahmana is pulling a thela. He is working like an ass. Pulling a thela is not the business of a human being, but although he thinks himself to be a brahmana, he is engaged in pulling a thela. This is Kali-yuga. Manda.
[04:25] Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya. Unfortunate. Therefore, Rishabhadeva has forbidden that "This life, human form of life, is not meant for working so hard like dogs and hogs." Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye. This is it. But we are advancing in civilization to get our food; we have to work so hard. This is condemnation of life.
[05:10] Human life should be very peaceful and without any hard work. We shall get our food and save time for advancing in Krishna consciousness. That is human life. Not that for sense gratification we work so hard like an ass. This is called anartha. Anartha means unwanted things.
[05:41] We can see practically the birds and beasts; they are living very easy and comfortable lives without any problem. They rise early in the morning regularly, you have seen. As soon as there is a little light, immediately they rise up and they talk among themselves, from one tree to another, and they find one or two fruits, little grains—they are ample food. There is no scarcity of food. They live very pleasantly. For eating, sleeping, sex life, they have no problem. These are the primary necessities of life. Why should there be a problem for these? But in human society, there is a problem. That is the effect of Kali-yuga.
[06:15] The effect of Kali-yuga means the so-called advancement of material civilization means to become thoughtless, immoral, and they must work hard. That is the way. So we are increasing our anarthas—unwanted things—and we are becoming entangled in the cycle of birth and death. Bhramatam upari-upari. Once we take a certain type of body, we enjoy or suffer for some time, then again we have to give up this body. Tatha dehantara-praptih.
[06:55] And there is no guarantee what sort of body you are going to get. But it is certain that you are going to get a body, and that may be offered to you by the laws of nature. It may be a more important body than what we have got just now, or it may be less important. It may be a cat's and dog's or a hog's, and it may be the body of a demigod. That is according to karma.
[07:25] In this way, we are passing our life eternally. Bhramatam upari-upari. We get one type of body and again we give it up. Dehantara-praptih. This is called anartha. Anarthopasamam saksad. Why should I be entangled in such things? I am eternal. Nityo sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire. Why am I getting this temporary body? This is called Brahma-jijnasa. Unless a man is awakened to this consciousness—"Who am I? Why am I suffering?"—he is not a human being.
[08:10] The animal cannot question. The dog cannot question, "Why have I got this dog’s body and my master has got the human body?" No, he has no such knowledge. But if a human being cannot consider that "I am also an animal, and this dog is also an animal. I am situated so comfortably and this dog is loitering in the street for a little food—why this condition?"
[08:42] So shastra says, tatha dehantara-praptih. One should think that "If I get another body, whether I shall get the dog’s body or a human body or a demigod’s body," that is consideration. That is intelligence. Not that because I have got this American comfortable body or Indian comfortable body, I should be very much satisfied and do whatever nonsense I think. No. We are under the grip of the stringent laws of nature. Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu.
[09:25] This is human intelligence. One should not be satisfied with this comfortable or so-called educated human body. He should be prepared for what he is going to get next. That is real knowledge. Because it is anartha. Anartha means unwanted. Why shall I get a body to suffer? I am eternal. I must be eternal. That is real knowledge. That is Brahma-jijnasa.
[10:00] So Vyasadeva, vidvan, cakre satvata-samhitam. He started... we are all fools. Yasyam vai sruyamanayam krsne parama-puruse bhaktir utpadyate pumsah soka-moha-bhayapaha. He has made for us, he is compassionate. Sri Suta Gosvami... those who are actually advanced brahmanas, they take care. But those who are not brahmanas—stri-sudra-dvija-bandhunam. Dvija-bandhu means born in a high family—brahmana, kshatriya, or vaishya—but does not take care of the real values of life or does not know what is spiritual life, he is called dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means a friend of a dvija. He cannot be called the born-of a dvija. This particular name is very significant—dvija-bandhu.
[11:00] Just like a son of a High Court Justice. You can call him the son of the Justice, but he is not Justice. Similarly, a son born in a brahmana family, kshatriya family, and so on... if he does not act like that, then he should be called according to his qualification. Tad viddhi pranipatena. Yadi anyatra vidisyate. This is the instruction of Narada. If the son of a brahmana has acquired the quality of a sudra, then he should be called a sudra, not a brahmana.
[11:45] Unfortunately, in India, especially where we have got all these shastras, against the shastras, without any qualification of a brahmana, one is claimed to be a brahmana. In Maharaja Pariksit's time, he was especially supervising whether a brahmana is engaged in brahminical activities, whether a kshatriya is engaged in kshatriya... not that a brahmana is engaged in sudra activities and he should be called a brahmana. That was restricted formerly.
[12:20] So if we want to become free from anartha, then we must follow the Vedic way of living. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah. According to... as I was suggesting the government, that open "Varnasrama College." As we are training medical practitioners and engineers or any particular type of life, similarly there must be training in school and college where a person or a boy may be educated as a brahmana or as a kshatriya. It is a very simple thing. We should not... as I have suggested, the secular government does not mean that let people do whatever he likes. No. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. No, that is not.
[13:20] A government’s duty is if anyone is proclaiming himself a Hindu, the government must see that he is acting as a Hindu. If a person is acting, claiming to be a Muslim, he must act as a Muslim. That is a secular government. Secular government may be impartial, but it is not the government’s duty to let the people be whimsical, whatever he likes he can do. No. That is not good. We are discussing on this point.
[13:55] These anarthas will increase as long as we are godless rascals and demons. Therefore, it is suggested here, anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. If you want to be a right gentleman—means according to your position—if you are a brahmana, you should act as a brahmana. If you are a kshatriya, you should act as a kshatriya. If you are a vaishya, you act as a vaishya. And if you are none of them, then you are a sudra. In this way, if we live like a gentleman, then we can make progress further in spiritual advancement.
[14:40] If we live foolishly, whimsically, as we like, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-caratah, whatever he likes and others engaged, "Yes, whatever you like it is right," yata mata tata pata. This is rascaldom. It is not like that according to the shastra. But there may be a question whether it is possible now to revive the old culture, position. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu therefore not condemned, but rejected. When he was talking with Sri Ramananda Raya, so Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was putting questions and Ramananda Raya was answering.
[15:25] In the beginning, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inquired from Ramananda Raya, "What is the aim of life?" Sadhya-sadhana. What is the aim of life and how to achieve it? So Ramananda Raya, he was a learned scholar and devotee. He prescribed the Varnasrama. He said, "This is the beginning of human life." And he quoted a verse from the Vishnu Purana. Varnasramacara-vata purusena parah puman visnur aradhyate nanyat tat-tosa-karanam. Because our aim of life is to approach Lord Vishnu. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum.
[16:15] The materialistic persons, they do not know it. Na te viduh. What is the aim of life? The aim of life is to satisfy Lord Vishnu. That is it. Just like ordinarily, a common citizen, a good citizen, his duty is to abide by the laws of the state. That is called a good citizen. And if you do not become a good citizen, then you are put into prison. Good citizen and bad citizen. Similarly, the aim of human life is to approach Vishnu.
[16:55] But the materialistic persons, they do not care for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they manufacture their own brand with materialistic ideas. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah bahir-arthah. The external necessity. That is called bahir-artha. And bahir-artha and anartha is the same thing. Because that is not necessary. We are born under certain laws of nature now. We are slaving, trying to improve this. That cannot be improved. Because the destiny is there.
[17:35] If you are to enjoy a certain type of happiness, it is there already with your birth. In a particular type of body which you have obtained, that is already there. You don't require to improve it; it is already improved. Our main business is how to improve in spiritual life. That is it. Materially, what... but if you improve in spiritual life, then if you have got any desire for material improvement, that will be automatically satisfied. You don't require to try for it separately. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah tal-labhyate duhkha-vad anyatah sukham kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa.
[18:30] This is the conclusion of the shastra. That you have got this human form, form of life, your only business is how to advance in spiritual consciousness or Krishna consciousness. This is your only business. But because we are surrounded by so many unwanted things, anartha, we are becoming entangled in the cycle of birth and death, and old age and disease, in different forms. So we do not know it. Most people, they do not know it.
[19:10] Therefore Vyasadeva, lokasya ajanatah. Because these fools and rascals, they do not know it. Therefore, he has compiled this Satvata-samhitam, Srimad-Bhagavatam. And next it is recommended, yasyam vai sruyamanayam krsne parama-puruse bhaktir utpadyate pumsah soka-moha-bhayapaha. This bhakti-yoga means to become free from this anartha, unwanted things we have acquired. Now how it will be free, how we shall become free from the anartha, that is recommended: that this Satvata-samhita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, if we hear regularly. Yasyam vai sruyamanayam. Just by hearing. You don't require to understand it. The hearing is so powerful.
[20:10] That is stated in another place: srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. Krsna-katha is punya-sravana. If you simply hear and talk about Krishna, you become pious. Pious. Even if you don't understand the Sanskrit or English, simply if you become eager to hear about Krishna, then you become pious. It is so powerful. Therefore it is recommended, yasyam vai sruyamanayam. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya. This should be our practice.
[20:55] We are giving this Bhagavatam translation all over the world. It is surprising that we are selling more than 30, 40 lakhs of rupees per month. This movement is helping the whole human society. So yasyam vai sru... if one purchases, they are our propaganda, somewhere or other we are giving one book. This is in the matter of following the footprints of our Guru Maharaja. Our Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, he was publishing one small paper, "Dainika Nadiya Prakasa," he used to call it. And a brahmachari would go and sell a few copies, he would be very, very glad. He would feel very, very glad.
[21:55] And similarly, he advised me also that "If you get some money, publish books." And he used to say that this press propaganda, publication propaganda, is "Brhat-mrdanga." So, just to satisfy him, we are trying to publish these Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Chaitanya-charitamrta, as many as possible in English. And by the grace of Krishna, it is unique in the history that religious books can be sold 40 lakhs of rupees per month. It is record-breaking. There is no such instance.
[22:50] Because we are trying to give the opportunity, yasyam vai sruyamanayam. Simply by hearing. He will become pious. People are suffering on account of becoming impious. So one cannot understand what is God, what is Krishna, unless he has finished his impious activities. Yesam tv anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam te dvandva-moha-nirmukta bhajante mam drdha-vratah. This is the principle. You cannot keep a man in their impious activities and at the same time he becomes religious or God conscious; that is not possible. That is not possible.
[23:35] So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has prescribed a very easy method to become pious. That is the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. The real disease is within our heart. Hrd-roga-kamam. Hrd-roga-kamam. We have got a disease, heart disease. What is that? Kamam, lusty desires. This is called hrd-roga-kamam. We have to cure this heart disease, hrd-roga-kamam. And that will be done simply by chanting and hearing the Hare Krishna mantra.
[24:15] Ceto-darpana-marjanam. The heart is all right, but it is covered by the material dirty things, namely the three gunas—sattva, rajas, tamo guna. But by hearing, simply, Srimad-Bhagavatam, by hearing chanting of Hare Krishna mantra, it will be purified. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Nasta-prayesu abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya. If we take this opportunity... we are opening centers all over the world just to give the people this opportunity—nityam bhagavata-sevaya.
[25:00] Anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam. Then the heart is cleaned by hearing about Krishna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that. Jare dekho tare koho krsna-upadesa. This Srimad-Bhagavatam is also krsna-upadesa. Because by hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam, he will be interested in Krishna. Upadesa about Krishna. That is also krsna-upadesa. And the instruction given by Krishna, that is also krsna-upadesa.
[25:35] So this is the mission of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, that you go and preach and make propaganda about krsna-upadesa. This is Krishna consciousness movement. We are teaching all our men how to spread krsna-upadesa, how to spread Krishna consciousness. Then anarthopasamam saksad, then all the unwanted things he has contaminated will be finished. Then pure consciousness. Your consciousness is Krishna consciousness. Your consciousness means to understand that I am very much intimately connected with Krishna as part and parcel.
[26:15] Just like my finger is very intimately connected with my body. Intimate. If there is a little pain in the finger, I become so much disturbed because I have got intimate connection with this finger. Similarly, we have got intimate connection with Krishna. And we are fallen, therefore Krishna also feels pain. Therefore Krishna comes down. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam dharma-samstha-panarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge. Krishna is feeling pain. So you become Krishna conscious, then Krishna is feel pleased. That is Krishna consciousness movement. Thank you very much.
[27:00] [Devotees chanting] Jaya Prabhupada!