rmad-Bhgavatam 1.1.

9

Auckland, February 20, 1973
Pradyumna: (chants verse, etc.)
tatra tatrjasyuman
bhavat yad vinicitam
pusm ekntata reyas
tan na asitum arhasi
[SB 1.1.9]
Prabhupda: This is the most important. First of
all, Sta Gosvm was selected because he received the
knowledge from Vysadeva and other sages very perfectly on
account of his becoming submissive and serious. This is the
first qualification. Now they are asking, "What you have
thought, the best way of achievement, the highest goal of
life. Ajas, just make it easy." In the next verse it will be
explained why easy things are required in this age. Very
difficult execution of spiritual life, austerities, penance, that is
not possible. People are so fallen that they cannot accept any
severe type of austerity. It is not possible. Therefore
the yoga system is not at all possible in this age. As we have
several times discussed, it is very difficult, yama, niyama. The
very beginning is yama, niyama, controlling. Everything
controlling, not to be licentious, everything
controlling. Yoga life begins, yoga indriya sayama. The real
purpose of practicing yoga is controlling the senses. Our
senses are so strong. We have discussed many times that
even the greatest learned man falls victim to sense
enjoyment. Even the greatest learned man. In
the stra therefore, it is ordered,
mtr svasr duhitr v
na viviktsano bhavet
balavn indriya-grmo
vidvsam api karati
[SB 9.19.17]
Mtr means mother, with mother. Svasr, with
sister. Duhitr, with daughter. Nviviktsano bhavet, "Never
sit down in a lonely place even with your mother, even with
your sister, or even with your daughter." Balavn indriya-
grma, the indriya-grma, all the senses, especially the
sex, is so strong that vidvsam api karati, even one is very
learned, very well educated, still he is attracted. Therefore
our... This is the basic principle of our conditioned life, the sex.
We are in this material world... Material world means to get
this material body, and material body means subjected to the
tribulations of material nature. This is called conditioned life.
As soon as you get a material body, you have to undergo the
pains of pleasures of this. No pleasures, all pains. You have to
undergo, this is subjected. Mtr-spara. As soon as you get a
material body, immediately according to the seasonal
changes... Just like in London city sometimes you are feeling
cold, sometimes you are feeling very warm as the season
changes. So the material nature will go on changing and
because your material body is susceptible to all the influence
of such changes, you will feel pains and pleasures. No
pleasure, always pain. The same warm is pleasure at some
time and the same warm is pain at the same time. In summer
season warm is not very pleasing but in the winter season the
same warmth is pleasing. So warmth is pleasing or painful
according to the seasonal changes. Ka advised Arjuna that,
"Don't be subjected to the seasonal changes, gampyino
'nity, they come and go. Don't be very serious about that.
Whenever there is some reverse condition of life, don't be
disturbed because they will come and go." So our real
business is Ka consciousness.
So how this Ka consciousness can be developed by the
easiest
method? tatra tatrjasyuman bhavat yad vinicitam.
Now, this question is asked from a person who is self-realized,
not from a shop-
keeper. Tad vijnrtha sa gurum evbhigacchet[MU 1.2.12]
. Here is a guru because he has learned sufficiently from
Vysadeva and other sages therefore they are asking from
him, not from a... yuman. They are blessing, "Be blessed
with long span of life." Although he was young, still he's
asking, they're asking, great, great learned brhmaas and
sages, "What you have decided to be the easiest process to
achieve the highest goal of
life?" Pusm ekntata reyas. Ekntata,
absolute. reyas. reyas means benefit.
There are two kinds of benefit: one is called preyas and one
is called reyas. Preyas means immediately very pleasing,
immediately. The senses, sense satisfaction, very pleasing
immediately. But reyas means ultimate goal, ultimately. Just
like a child, for him preyas means he wants to play, he doesn't
want to go to school and, but his reyas means he must go to
school, must be educated so that his future life may be
secure. That is called reyas. So our life, this human form of
life, should be used for reyas. It is
said, pusm ekntata reyas. We should not be attracted
by the preyas. Preyas. But modern education is so nasty that
they encourage preyas. Especially in the, not in this country,
everywhere. That boys and girls are not checked, rather
encouraged, encouraged in the matter of immature sex
life. Preyas. They want it, "All right, do it, take tablets and
enjoy." This is dangerous. For this reason, the generation are
becoming degraded, because they are not aiming at
the reyas. They are simply aiming at the preyas, immediate
pleasing thing. They do not know that immature sex life spoils
the brain, spoils strength. Everything is spoiled. In student
life, brahmacr system is very nice. If he
keeps brahmacr without any sex life, then his brain becomes
very potent. He can remember, memory becomes very sharp,
bodily sense becomes very solid. In this way his life becomes
very solid for future reyas. But that is not being taught at the
present moment. But here the is, the great sages, they are
asking, pusm ekntatareyas. Tan na asitum arhasi,
"Kindly describe what we should accept." This is called inquiry.
Everyone should be inquisitive for the ultimate benefit of life.
What is that ultimate benefit of life? The ultimate benefit of
life is to stop this repetition of birth and death, old age and
disease. That is ultimate benefit of life. But they do not know.
Then?
Pradyumna: (reading purport) "In the Bhagavad-gt,
worship of the crya is recommended. The cryas and
the gosvms are always well-wishers for the general public."
Prabhupda: Yes. The crya or gosvm, their business is...
Just like our cryas, sad-gosvm, they left their service, big
service, ministership, and by the order
of CaitanyaMahprabhu they went to Vndvana. But what for,
going to Vndvana and sleeping and eating? No, no, not for
that purpose. They, rather at home they had time to sleep
more, but when they went to Vndvana they were sleeping
only one half-hour to two hours only. At the present moment
when a man becomes old, he requires more rest. But
according to Vedic civilization, no more rest, more work, more
work. But these gosvms, they were deputed by
Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu... At that time this Vndvana,
which you have seen, now it is nice city, but during the time
of CaitanyaMahprabhu it was a big field only, that's all,
nothing was there. Everything, all Ka's ll were vanished.
Not vanished, it was not visible. Caitanya Mahprabhu saw
one small hole, little water, and He indicated, "This is Rdh-
kua." Then Rdh-kua was discovered. So these
Gosvms were working very hard. And special business was
there, nana-stra-vicaraaika-nipunau. They were very
expert in scrutinizingly studying all the Vedic
literatures. Nana-stra, stra, not ordinary knowledge. They
were also reading(?). Nana-stra-vicaraaika-nipunau. Just
like Rpa Gosvm has quoted so many verses, so many
incidences from different stras, how the biography is stated
there in compiling Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu, which we've
translated, Nectar of Devotion. So this Nectar of Devotion,
because formerly whatever is given under Vedic evidence it
will be accepted always correct. Therefore nana-stra-
vicaraaika. They used to collect all the Vedic references and
put into Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu to establish that bhagavad-
bhakti, devotional service to the Lord, is the ultimate goal of
life. Nn-stra-vicraaika-nipuau sad-dharma-
sasthpakau. Sad-dharma. Not asad-dharma. Asad-
dharma means referring to the body, karma-
kya. Karms they are engaged in asad-dharma not sad-
dharma. Because the body
is asat. antavanta ime deh nityasyokt arria [Bg. 2.18].
Ime deha. This body is antavat, it is to be perishable,
therefore asat. Asato m sad gama. The Vedic injunction is
that. Don't be addicted to this asat, this bodily comforts of
life. Sad-gama, try to revive your eternal life. These are the
Vedic injunctions. Therefore Bhgavata says, yasytma-
buddhi kuape tridhtuke sa eva go-khara [SB 10.84.13].
Anyone who is accepting this body as self, he is no better than
animal. Go-khara. Go means cow and khara means ass. The
whole Vedic literature is like that. How to get the spirit soul
who is now entangled or encaged in this material body. That
is sad-dharma, that is santana-
dharma. Sad means santana, which exists. Santana means
eternal. What is sat that is eternal. What is asat that is
temporary. So these Gosvms they engaged themselves in
studying all the different Vedic literatures. Nana-stra-
vicaraaika-nipunau. They are very expert scrutinizingly
studying and it was put in his Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu, so
many other books also. Why? Sad-dharma-
samsthapakau. Sad-dharma. Sad-dharma means spiritual life,
not this material.... Just like these modern material scientists
they are discovering so many things simply for the comfort of
this body, not for any spiritual advancement. Therefore asat.
Narottama dsa hkura says, (Sanskrit). "I have given
up sat-saga, association wherein I can learn about spiritual
advancement of life. (Sanskrit) I am engaged enjoying
this asat, body. Body means the senses. (Sanskrit) I have
become entangled in the action and reaction of fruitive
activities." That is the lamentable position of present
civilization. People are becoming entangled. He does not
know, one does not know, that so long the mind will be
absorbed in this karmakarma means bodily activitiesI'll
have to accept another body. And there is risk. I do not know
whether I shall be able to accept a body, human body. There
are 8,400,000 bodies, any body I have to accept as it is given
by nature. Prakte kriyamni guai karmi. I am
associating in different qualities and prakti is recording all,
automatically it is being recorded what type of body you'll
have next life.
prakte kriyamni
guai karmi sarvaa
ahakra-vimhtm
kartham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
Kraa gua-sago 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Bg. 13.22].
Why one is born in high family, rich family, why other is poor
family or one is born in lower animals, one is born as
demigods? What is that reason, kraa? The reason
is kraa gua-sago 'sya. He has associated with a
particular type of the material qualities therefore he has to
accept a particular type of body. Kraa gua-sago 'sya.
Therefore we are instructing our students, "Associate with the
good qualities, good qualities." The best qualities of
association is devotional service, a devotee. Because they're
transcendental, above goodness, above goodness. Just like
you are living in this temple. This is above goodness according
to Vedic.... If you live in the forest that is goodness,
association with goodness, because there is no material
contamination, simple life in the forest. Or in the village, not in
the village, in the forest. Therefore formerly all the sages and
saintly persons they used to live in the forest. That is
goodness. And if you live in the city that is association with
passion. And in the city if you live in the brothel, the liquor
shop, gambling, that is association with ignorance. Three
kinds. But if you live in the temple, that is transcendence, that
is Vaikuha. So in this way we have to detach ourselves from
the association of the
three guas. Ka advised Arjuna, traiguya-viay ved nist
raiguyo bhavrjuna. "My dear Arjuna, just become
transcendental to the
three guas." Sa gun samattyaitn brahma-bhyya kalpat
e [Bg. 14.26]. Who can transcend these three guas, you have
to go above goodness. Here in this material world goodness is
supposed to be very nice quality, but here the goodness also,
nice temporary. There is chance of being affected, infected
with the other qualities, sattva-rajas-tamo gua. So we can, at
least we have to transcend the rajas-tamo gua. Tad rajas-
tamo-bhv kma-lobhdaya ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. Rajas-tamo,
the quality of passion and ignorance, mean the symptoms of
these qualities is kma and lobha, lust and greediness. So
long there is lust and greediness... Lust for sex, lust for
opposite sex, this is called lust. And greedinessto eat more,
more than you can digest. When these two things are there,
lust and greediness, that means you are now being conducted
by the ignorance and passion. I am.... When there is
prominence of goodness then we can understand what is
what, what is God, what I am, what is this world. That is
knowledge. And above this, transcendental, not only
knowledge but practical application of knowledge in life. That
is called uddha-sattva, practical application. Only
theoretically know, "Yes, there is God.... [break] ...when you
engage yourself in the service of the Lord, that is uddha-
sattva. So here the question is
that pusm ekntata reyas tanna asitum arhasi. "Now
we are very much eager to hear from you, to listen from you,
kindly let us know what is the easiest method to achieve the
highest goal of life." This is the question. So next verse. Read.
Oh, purport. Hm.
Devotee: "...they are especially spiritual well-wishers.
Spiritual well-being is automatically followed by material well-
being."
Prabhupda: Yes. Spiritual well-being, that is
our Ka consciousness movement. That if the society
becomes Ka conscious or spiritually advanced, the so-
called material advancement will automatically be there.
There is no scarcity. For example, take for practical example,
we have got about 100 centers. So we are simply engaged
in Ka consciousness business. So, so far our material
necessities are concerned we are not badly situated. We are
living in a nice house, we are eating nice foodstuff, we have
got nice dress and the devotees look very nice, bright faces.
What is the wrong there? What is the wrong there? But they
are not busy for earning money or going to the office or going
to the factory or so many other sources of revenue(?). They
are depending on Ka and Ka is supplying
them. Ka says, "yoga-
kema vahmy aham te nitybhiyuktn [Bg. 9.22]. If
anyone is completely engaged in spiritual advancement of life
then yoga-kema vahmy aham. I take charge of yoga-
kemam." Yoga-kemam means what is not in possession, to
supply that thing. And kema means what is already
possessed, to protect, or for welfare activities. So just like if a
child is completely dependent on the father, parents. The
parents has the sense that, "My child requires at this time this
thing." They already there, he has got to bother. The child
does not know to ask from the parents but the things are
there. Similarly, our Ka He is supplying everything,
everyone. Eko bahn yo vidadhti kmn. Actually Ka is
supplying everything. Whatever you have got. Whatever you
are eating you cannot manufacture in the factory. It is
supplied by Ka. Eko bahn yo vidadhti kmn.
Everything is being supplied. What to speak of animal, human
life, in the animal life the necessities are eating, sleeping,
mating and defending. Everything is there. Eatingthere is
enough fruit in the tree. The birds will very nicely jumping
over from one tree to another, eating. Sleepingthey have
got a nest, at night without any disturbance, they sleep.
Matingwith the birth they are two eggs, one male and one
female. Sex life is there. And defendingthey know. The bird,
if you attack, they immediately go up. He knows how to
defend. The (?) in the (?) Park, the swans, as soon as they
pass, immediately jump over the water. They know how to
defend. This morning a small mouse he has gone up to collect
a small sweetmeat. So these intelligence are there even in the
lowest animals, even in the ant. So advancement of
civilization, how to make this body comfortable, that is not
advancement of civilization. That kind of civilization is there
even in the cats and dogs. They know. Nobody has to go to
the university to learn how to eat, how to sleep, how to have
sex life, how to defend. Nobody hasn't got to. It doesn't
require education. It is already there, everyone. If you attack
me, I shall immediately defend with my hands. You see?
Natural. So ekntata reyas means don't spoil this human
form of life only for satisfying the animal propensities. You try
to advance in spiritual consciousness. That
is ekntata reyas. Hm. What is the next?
Devotee: (reading purport) "The cryas therefore give
directions in spiritual well-being for people in general."
Prabhupda: That is crya. crya does not write any book
of sex psychology, Freud's philosophy. That is not crya, that
is rascal. crya gives direction how one can make advance in
spiritual consciousness, that is crya. Then?
Devotee: "Foreseeing the incompetencies of the people in
this age of Kali, or the iron age of quarrel, the sages requested
that Suta Gosvm give a summary of all revealed scriptures
because the people of this age are condemned in every
respect."
Prabhupda: But the directions should be taken from
scriptures. But there are many scriptures. So crya means,
just like Gosvms, they would read all the scriptures and take
the essence of it and give it to his disciples that, "You act like
this." Because he knows what to give, how to manipulate, so
that his ekntata reyas will be achieved. Ultimate goal.
Therefore the crya knows how to adjust things, at the same
time keep pace with the spiritual interest(?). That is crya. It
is not that the same thing to be applied everywhere. He is
eager to engage actually the people in the real benefit of life,
but the means may be different. Just like my Guru Mahrja.
He is the first time that he allowed the sannyss to drive in a
motorcar. A sannys never drives in a motorcar, you see? But
not for sense gratification. Suppose we are going by
aeroplane. A sannys should walk. The Jain sannyss they
never ride on a car, you know that. You know that. They will
never ride on a car. But now they are also riding. But suppose
we are preaching now. I came from India. If I were to say, "I
am a sannys, I will not ride in a car or aeroplane, I must
walk." Then what kind of preaching there would have been?
You see? So therefore it depends on the crya how to adjust
things. So, my GuruMahrja, "Alright go on preaching on a
motorcar, it doesn't matter." These Gosvms, they went
to Vndvana, severest type of austerities. They used to life
underneath a tree. Now if in this age I advise you that you also
live underneath a tree, then it will be difficult to preach. You
see? Nobody is accustomed in that way, such severe type of
austerity. They must be given, as far as possible, comfortable
accommodation otherwise they will not come. They will not
take. Now this.... This is adjustment. The crya knows how to
adjust things. The real purpose is how one will take to spiritual
consciousness, or Ka consciousness. Keeping one's aim to
that point some concession may be given. As far as possible,
keeping pace with the time, circumstances. Then? "The sages,
therefore, inquired..." Huh.
Devotee: ".... inquired of the absolute good, which is the
ultimate good for the people. The condemned state of affairs
of the people of this age is described as follows."
Prabhupda: The condemned state at the present moment,
how the whole world, whole atmosphere, is condemned is
described in the next verse.
pryelpyua sabhya
kalv asmin yuge jan
mand sumanda-matayo
manda-bhgy hy upadrut
[SB 1.1.10]
This is the condition. Pryelpyua. The first qualification
is short span of life, short span of life. As I repeatedly say, now
in our India the average age, span of life, is thirty years. The
vitality is so reduced. In this country also the vitality is being
reduced, strength is being reduced. The more the Kali-
yuga will advance the vitality will be reduced, the strength of
the.... Therefore the span of life will be reduced. So much so
that at the end, almost end, people will live not more than
thirty years. Now we are seeing they are living seventy years,
eighty years, or sometimes up to ninety years but gradually....
(tape is severely garbled with another recording) ...to thirty
years he will be considered as a very old man. You
see? Pryelpyua kalv asmin yuge jan. Asmin kalau.
Their first qualification is their life is very short, short span of
life. Then the next, mand, lazy. They do not know, ill-
educated. They do not know what is the aim of life. Mand or
slow. Sumanda-matayo, and if one is really, not really, but
superficially so-called spiritually they will capture some baba,
some god, some yogi, some bluffer, and they will follow
them. Sumanda-matayo. So many religious sects have come
out but originally there is this Vedic religion. But after that, so
many religions they have come, so they have got history. I
know this Christian religion, Mohammedan religion, Buddhist
religion, Jain religion, this religion, that religion, this ism, that
ism, they are all history. History. It is limited, within the limit of
time. But this Vedic religion has no beginning or end.
Therefore, Sumanda-matayo, they will theorize, "In our
religion it is said this." "Oh, whatever your religion may be,
but the real purpose of religion is to understand God. How far
you have understood God?" That is practically nil. But the
formulas and dogmas and this and that they're full
of. Sumanda-matayo. Mand sumanda-matayo manda-
bhgy [SB 1.1.10]. And almost everyone is unfortunate. They
haven't got even means to accommodate the bare necessities
of lifeeating, sleeping, mating. They're also
deficient. mand sumanda-matayo manda-bhgy hy upadr
ut. And above all these there is always disturbance.
Sometimes war, sometimes famine, sometimes earthquake,
sometimes this, overflood. Just like recently in New York there
was overflood, you know? So in this way we are so much
complicated, this is the position. Now in this condition of life
how you can take up very serious type of self-realization, that
is not possible. Alright, thank you very much.
Devotees: All glories to rla Prabhupda!