Bhagavad-gītā 2.

13
--
Los Angeles, April 11, 1973

730411BG.LA

Prabhupāda:

dehino ’smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13 ]

So this is a statement by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavān uvāca,

that you are not this body. The first instruction for spiritual understanding is to
know that I am not this body. This is the beginning. The so-called yogis, they are
exercising the body, studying the psychology of the mind by charts, by so many
humbugs. But our philosophy (is) that we are not this body. Then where is the
question of exercising the body and spiritual realization? If I am not this body, then
how I can realize myself simply by some gymnastic process? So this is the mistake
—the karmīs, jñānīs and the yogis. The karmīs, fruitive workers, materialistic
persons, they want bodily comforts. Their only idea is how to get the best comfort
of this body. This body means the senses. We have got eyes, ears, nose, mouth,
tongue, hands, genital—so many senses we have got.

So as soon as we are in the bodily concept of life, immediately the necessity is for
sense gratification. But Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that “You are not this body.” So
therefore my self-interest does not depend on my bodily comforts. They do not
know this. Everyone, at the present moment, in this age, their only business is how
to gratify the senses. The Western countries, they have got little information, but in
India, there was cultivation of all kinds of philosophy So atheist philosophy was
there. Cārvāka Muni is the chief of the atheist class of philosophers. So he said,
hedonism. The Western philosophy is hedonism, that eat, drink, be merry and
enjoy. This philosophy. So long you have got this body, eat, drink, be merry and
enjoy. The Cārvāka Muni also said like that. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. In India,
bodily enjoyment means first, tongue. Tongue’s enjoyment. Everywhere. Here
also. Tongue’s enjoyment. So if we want to control our senses... Therefore
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, following the footsteps of previous ācārya, he says that
“Control your tongue.” Control your tongue. And in the Bhāgavata also it is said,
ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [BRS. 1.2.234] . With our,
these blunt senses, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. The senses are
so imperfect that you cannot acquire any perfect knowledge, material or spiritual,
by the senses. That is not possible. Ataḥ. Even if you cannot know perfectly the
affairs of this material world. Just like they are studying the moon planet, the
nearest planet. Besides this moon planet, there are millions and trillions of other
planets. They cannot say anything. Because the senses are imperfect. How you can
understand? I can see, say up to one mile. But when there is question of millions
and trillions of miles, how you can use your senses and have the perfect
knowledge? So you cannot have even material knowledge perfectly by using these
senses. What to speak of God and spiritual knowledge? That is beyond, mānasa-
gocara, beyond your conception. Therefore śāstra says: ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na
bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [BRS. 1.2.234] . If you want to know God by mental
speculation, that is frog philosophy, Dr. Frog, calculating Atlantic Ocean, sitting
down in the well. This is called frog philosophy. You cannot understand. Then
how it is possible to understand? The next line is sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam
eva sphuraty. If you employ your tongue in the service of the Lord, He’ll reveal
Himself to you. He’ll reveal, revelation.

So therefore we have to control the tongue. What is the tongue’s business? The
tongue’s business is taste and vibrate. So you vibrate in service of the Lord, Hare
Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa means “O Kṛṣṇa, O the energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in
Your service.” Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare... This is the
meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa. It has no other meaning. “O my Lord Kṛṣṇa and O the
energy of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī, especially, kindly both of You engage me in Your
service.” As Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says: hā hā prabhu nanda-suta vṛṣabhānu-
sutā-juta: “My Lord, Kṛṣṇa, You are well known as the son of Nanda Mahārāja.
And Your eternal consort, Rādhārāṇī, She’s also known as the daughter of King
Vṛṣabhānu. So both of You are here.” Hā hā prabhu nanda-suta vṛṣabhānu-sutā...
koruṇā karoho ei-bāra. “Now I have come to You. Please both of You be merciful
upon me.” This is Hare Kṛṣṇa: “Be merciful upon me.” Narottama-dāsa koy nā
ṭheliho rāṅgā pāy: “Your lotus feet, You have got, don’t neglect me or push away
with Your lotus feet.” I think if Kṛṣṇa kicks and push away, that is our great
fortune. You see. If Kṛṣṇa kicks with His lotus feet: “You go away,” that is also a
great fortune. What to speak of accepting? Just like when Kṛṣṇa was kicking on the
hood of the Kāliya. So the Kāliya’s wives prayed: “My dear Sir, I do not know,
this culprit, Kāliya, how he became so fortunate that his hood is being kicked by
You? Your touch of lotus feet, great, great sages, saintly persons are trying to
meditate upon millions of years, but this Kāliya... I do not know, what did he do in
his past life that he’s fortunate that his hood is being kicked by You?”

So this is our position, that we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by our mental speculation,
limited sense. That is not possible. We have to engage— sevonmukhe hi jihvādau
—beginning from jihvā, tongue. Tongue is the greatest enemy, and it is the greatest
friend also. If you allow the tongue to do whatever it likes, smoking, drinking,
eating meat, and this and that, then it is your greatest enemy. And if you do not
allow the tongue, you can control the tongue, then you can control the, all the
senses. Automatically. Tā’ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati, tā’ke jetā
kaṭhina saṁsāre, kṛṣṇa baḍo doyāmoy koribāre jihvā jay, sva-prasād-anna dilo
bhāi, sei annāmṛta pāo, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāo, preme ḍāko caitanya-nitāi. So
tongue should be used always for glorifying the Supreme Lord. That is our
business with the tongue. And the tongue should not be allowed to eat anything
except kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Then you become liberated, simply by controlling the
tongue. And if you allow the tongue to do anything, then it very difficult. So the
spiritual education, as Kṛṣṇa says, begins when you understand that I am not this
body. And satisfying the senses is not my business, because I am not this body. If I
am not this body, why shall I bother myself to satisfy the body only? Body means
the senses. This is the first instruction.

So the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they’re all trying to satisfy the demands of the body.
The karmīs are directly doing that. “Eat, drink, be merry, enjoy.” That is their
philosophy. Jñānī also, he’s simply trying to understand that “I am not this body.”
Neti neti neti neti: “This is not, this is not, this is not, this is not, this is no...” The
yogis, they are also trying to come to the point of controlling the senses by bodily
exercise, haṭha-yoga. So their center of activity is body. Center of activity is body.
And our philosophy begins that “You are not this body.” You see? When they will
pass their M.A. examination in studying this body, then they may be able to
understand what is their function. But our philosophy begins that “You are not this
body.” Postgraduate study. “You are not this body.” That is Kṛṣṇa’s instruction.
We have seen so many big, big politicians and scholars in India. They write
comments on Bhagavad-gītā, but they write on this bodily concept of life. We have
seen in our country the great leader, Mahatma Gandhi, his photo is with Bhagavad-
gītā. But what did he do throughout his whole life? The bodily concept: “I am
Indian. I am Indian.” Nationalism means that bodily concept of life. “I am Indian.”
“I am American.” “I am Canadian.” But we are not this body. Then were is the
question of “I am Indian,” “I am American,” “I am Canadian”? So they have no,
this knowledge, the bodily concept of life, they’re absorbed, and still they’re
authority of Bhagavad-gītā. Just see the fun. And Bhagavad-gītā teaches in the
beginning “You are not this body.” And they are in the bodily concept of life. Then
just try to understand what is their position. What they can understand Bhagavad-
gītā ? If one is feeling that “I belong to this nation, I belong to this family, I belong
to this community, I belong to this cult, I belong to this, I belong to this religion...,”
everything is bodily concept of life. The yogis, they are also trying to understand
by bodily exercise. The jñānī is also trying to know, understand fully that “I am not
this body.” And the karmīs, they cannot understand. They are as animals. The
animals cannot understand that he’s not body.

So factually the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, are a little, maybe elevated than the animals.
That’s all. They are on the animal platform, but it is little elevated. So I give this
example—perhaps you heard it—that the dry side of the stool. India, they pass
stool on the open field. So at the end of day, because there is sunshine, the upper
side of the stool becomes dried up. And the lower side, still moist. So somebody
says, “This side is very good.” He does not know. It is stool after all. This side, or
that side. So these rascals, they are on the bodily concept of life, and they are
thinking that “I am nationalist,” “I am yogi,” “I am this, I am that, I am that...” You
see. This is the philosophy.

So long you are in the bodily concept of life, we are no better than the animal. That
is the Bhāgavata philosophy. You are animal. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-
dhātuke. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhā... [SB 10.84.13] , sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu
bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-
kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13] . So go-khara means, go means cow, khara means ass.
Animals. So who is that? Now yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātu. This bag of tri-
dhātu—kapha pitta vāyu —if one thinks that “I am this body, I am this body, and,
in bodily relation,...” Because in bodily relation I have got my family, society,
children, wife, country, and therefore they are mine. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape
tri-dhā..., sva-dhīḥ. Sva-dhīḥ means thinking: “They are mine. I am theirs.” Sva-
dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu. Kalatra means wife. Through wife, we get children, we expand.
The Sanskrit word is strī. Strī means expansion. I remain one. As soon as I get
wife, I get, become two. Then three, then four, then five. Like that. That is called
strī. So, our expansion, these expansions, these material expansion, bodily
expansion, means illusion. Janasya moho ’yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8] . This
illusion increases, that “I am this body, and in bodily relation, everything is mine.”
Ahaṁ mama. Aham means “I”, and mama means “my.”

So, so long one shall remain in the bodily concept of life, his illusion will increase.
It will never decrease. Therefore the first instruction of Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna... Because
if Arjuna would not have been in that position of illusion, that “I am this body, and
the other side, my brother, my grandfather, my nephews, they’re all my relations.
How can I kill?” This is the illusion. Therefore to dissipate this illusion, darkness,
Kṛṣṇa begins the first lesson that “You are not this body.” Dehino ’smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13 ] . You’ll have to
change this body as you have already changed. You have already changed. You
were a baby. You change your body to child. You change your body to boyhood.
You change your body to youthhood. You change your body to old man. Now,
after change is ... As you have already changed so many times, similarly, there will
be another change. You’ll have to accept another body. Very simply logic. You
have already changed.

So tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati: [ Bg. 2.13] “So don’t be afraid
that your nephews and grandfather or guru and they will die. They’ll not die.
Change the body.” That’s it. So na muhyati dhīra. Dhīra means sober, whose brain
is nice, cool brain. One should not be bewildered when there is change of body.
But the point is, Kṛṣṇa says that tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Another change of... So
the sober, one who is sober, he will think: “Then what kind of body I’m going to
get next?” That is the problem. But these rascals, they do not know. Still, they are
proud of their intelligence. He does not know for what kind of body he has come to
this body, and what he’s going to get next body. They have no intelligence. Even
they are said that “Suppose if you get next body, dog’s body,” they say, “What is
the harm?” Yes. In, what is called, Hawaii University, one student says like that.
He’s student. He’s being educated. But he doesn’t care even if he’s going to
become a dog next life. This is the education. This is the education. And they’re
intelligent. Professor Kotovsky said, in Moscow: “Swamiji, after finishing this
body, everything is finished.” Just see. He’s professor. And he’s student.

So this is the position of so-called professor, student, university, all rascals. This is
our challenge. All rascals. Because they are in the bodily concept of life, “I am this
body. And the body has no change.” Body’s changing. He’s seeing actually in this
life. Still he’ll not believe that “After changing this body, I’ll get another body.” It
is very logical. Dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā
dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13 ] . Exactly in the same way, as we have changed so
many times this body, I’ll have to change. Therefore, one who is intelligent, he
should try to understand that “What kind of body I going to get next?” That is
intelligence. So that is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, what kind of body you
can get.

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām
[Bg. 9.25 ]

If you want to go to the higher planetary system where demigods live for hundreds
and thousands and millions of years... Just like Brahmā. Brahmā’s one day you
cannot calculate. So in higher planetary system, you have got thousands and
thousands of better facility for sense gratification and duration of life. Everything.
Otherwise, why the karmīs, they want to go to the heavenly planet? So yānti deva-
vratā devān [Bg. 9.25 ] . So if you try to go the higher planetary system, you can
go. Kṛṣṇa says. There is process. Just like for going to the moon planet, one must
be very expert in the karma-kāṇḍa, fruitive activities. By karma-kāṇḍa, you get, by
the resultant action of your pious activities, you can be promoted to the moon
planet. That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But you cannot enter moon
planet by your, this process: “By force we shall go with this aeroplane and jets and
sputniks. Oh...” That’s not possible. Suppose I got a nice motorcar in America. If I
want to enter in another country forcibly, is it possible? No. You must get the
passport, visa. You must get sanction from the government. Then you can enter.
Not that because you have got a very good car, you’ll be allowed. So we cannot by
force... This is foolish attempt, childish attempt. They cannot go. Therefore
nowadays they stopped. They do not speak. They are realizing their failure. In this
way, you cannot. So, but there is possibility. You can go if you adopt the real
process. You can be promoted. Similarly you can go to the Pitṛlokas by offering
śrāddhas and piṇḍa; you can go to the Pitṛloka. Similarly you can remain in this
loka. Bhūtejyā. Similarly you can go back to home, back to Godhead. So who is
intelligent? And if you ask: What is the benefit by going to the planet, back to
home, back to Godhead? That is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā: mām upetya tu
kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvataṁ nāpnuvanti: [Bg. 8.15] “If you come to Me, then
you won’t have to accept again this material body, which is full of miserable
conditions. You will remain in your spiritual body.”

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for, I mean to say, allowing,

elevating all living entities... Of course, it is not for all. It is very difficult. But
anyone who has accepted this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, if he follows the
principles, then he’s surely going to home, back to home, back to Godhead. That is
certain. But if you deviate, if you become attracted by māyā, that is your business.
But we are giving you information: This is the process, a simple process. Chant
Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, be purified, be..., remain always liberated from material
clutches, and tyaktvā deham. Mām upetya. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti... If
you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then tyaktvā deham, after quitting this body,
mām eti, “You’ll come to Me.”

So this is our philosophy. It is very simple. And everything is explained in the

Bhagavad-gītā. You try to realize and preach this cult for the benefit of the whole
world. Then everyone will be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)