So in order to advance in spiritual life, we have to voluntarily decrease these demands of the body. That is called tapasya. In our country especially, many great saintly persons, sages, even kings, voluntarily they would give up these demands of the body, not that artificially increasing these demands of the body. That will not help us in spiritual life. So this stri-sanga, or association with woman, that is a demand of the body. Loke vyavayamisa-madya-seva. Amisa means nonvegetarian foods. Eating flesh, fish, eggs, these are called amisa. And madya means wine, liquor. So all the conditioned souls, they have got a natural inclination for sex life, intoxication, and eating fish, eat... They have got a natural inclination. Even ants, they have got all these inclinations. Expert psychologists and medical men, they have studied that even the ant, it has got also the same propensities. Loke vyavayamisa-madya-seva. So when there is legalized, or marriage under religious principle, it is to be understood a sort of concession.

In the Puranas... There are tamasika-puranas where it is recommended that if you want to eat flesh, then you can get a goat and sacrifice before Goddess Kali and you can eat that. The purpose is that if a conditioned soul has got the natural tendencies, then why they are mentioned in the sastras? The idea is... Just like Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha, his mission was to stop animal killing. Ahimsa paramo dharmah. Lord Buddha appeared, being compassionate with the poor animals. Sadaya-hrdaya darsita-pasu-ghatam. There is a description of Lord Buddha's activities by a Vaisnava poet, Jayadeva Gosvami. He says, praying to Lord Buddha,

So the idea is not to encourage, but to restrict. The idea is prohibition, at least in our country. Similarly, when there is allowance for sex life or meat-eating or drinking in the sastras, they are not meant for instigating that "You go on with this business as much as you can." No. Actually they are meant for restriction. Therefore, for spiritual advancement of life, one has to know these basic knowledge, how we have to lead our life in order to make advancement in Krsna consciousness. We have therefore these restrictions, that nobody can have illicit sex life; nobody can eat meat and fish or eggs, like that; nobody can touch any kinds of intoxication, including smoking cigarettes and drinking teathey are also intoxicants; and nobody can indulge in gambling. So these things are necessary.

Therefore Krsna says, catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtino 'rjuna. Sukrti. Sukrti means those who are living pious life, and these are the basic principles of living pious life; no illicit sex life... Sex life is required, but there is already in the sastra a license: "You can have sex life with your religiously married wife. Not otherwise." Actually, married sex life is not required, but it is just like license. The same thing, that there is no necessity of drinking wine, but those who are habituated, those who want to drink, for them, government opens, under so many restrictions, a liquor shop. The sastra also gives us this license. The Gosvamis of Vrndavana, they were ideal saintly persons. About them it is said, nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau **. They conquered over the necessities of this body, which is called visaya. Conquering over sleeping, conquering over sex life, and conquering over eating, these things are required. Pious life means gradually decreasing the unnecessary bodily demands. That is pious life. That is the sum and substance. Because Krsna says here that catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtinah: "Those who are living pious life." And those who are not living pious lives, they are called duskrtina, sinful life.

So by indulging in sinful life it is not possible to understand Krsna. That is, Krsna also says in various places in the Bhagavad-gita. I have repeatedly informed you, yesam anta-gatam papam. One who is completely free from all sinful life... Jananam punya-karmanam. This is punya-karma, not to indulge in illicit sex life, not to indulge in nonvegetarian diet, not to indulge in gambling, and not to indulge in intoxicants. So catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtino 'rjuna arto artharthi jnani jijnasuh. Four kinds of men who are actually leading pious life, such persons... (applause) Hare Krsna. Such persons, when they are distressed... Arta means distressed. We have go so many distresses in this material life: tri-tapa, three kinds of distresses, pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, distresses offered by other living entities. Adhibhautika, adhyatmika, adhidaivika. We are always in distress; that is a fact. But there is a covering influence of maya that even in distressed condition, we think that we are happy. That is covering influence of maya.

So arto artharthi. Artharthi. Arta and artharthi, these two qualities are alleged to belong to the grhasthas. And jnani or jijnasuh, these qualities are supposed to be belonging to the tyagis. The bhogis... The grhasthas are called bhogis, and the tyagis are brahmacaris and sannyasis. So jnani, when he makes searching after God, there is no question of being put into distressed condition or in need of money. They are searching after God for God's sake, what is the nature of God. Athato brahma jijnasa. They are inquiring, inquisitive about Brahman, what is the nature of Brahman. They are called jnani. And jijnasuh, they are also within the category of the jnanis. So the jnanis and the jijnasuh, inquisitive, they are better than the arta and the artharthi. Arta means distress, and artharthi means those who are in need of money. So even being arta or even being distressed and in need of money, we approach Krsna... Krsna says mam. Not any other demigods. Catur-vidha bhajante mam. Mam means, Krsna says, mam means Krsna. So four kinds of men, those who are leading pious life, sukrtino 'rjuna... Because they have no other alternative than to approach God for mitigating their distress. Actually our inventions or so many distressed mitigating instruments... Just like medicine. Take for example. When a man is diseased, generally the counterpart is physician and good medicine. But sastra says that actually they are not counteracting agents, because it is found that a man suffering from certain type of disease, although attended by the first-class physician and although offered first-class medicine, he dies. Why? Because there is no sanction of the Supreme Lord.

So our counteracting method, even though they are very efficient, still, unless it is sanctioned by Guru and God, they will not be effective. There are many such examples. Some years ago, perhaps you know, in America, they started one very strong and stout ship. It was known... I think it was named Titanic. So it was guaranteed that it will never be drowned; it is so well-looking. And all the important men of America started in that ship for the first time, and after few miles immediately it was drowned. So in spite of all scientific protection, in spite of all good brains behind the manufacture of this Titanic ship, it was drowned. So in this way we have to study that this arta and artharthi, because they are, their background is sukrtina, pious activities, they know that without God's help we cannot mitigate any of our distressed condition or needy condition. Therefore the arta and artharthi whose background is pious life, they approach God: "Krsna, please help me," although it is not pure devotion.

Pure devotion is without any desire for material benefits. Just like it is enjoined in the sastras, samyak subha-kriya matih pramanam. The chanting of Hare Krsna mantra should not be taken as a mitigating agent for our distressed condition. No pure devotee will desire for any material benefit by worshiping Krsna or chanting His holy name. That is also considered as one of the offenses of ten kinds of offense. Namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. But in spite... Even they are not pure devotees... Purity of devotion, it takes time. But still, in the sastra it is recommended that even if you have some material desires... Akamah sarva-kamo va moksa-kama udara-dhih [SB 2.3.10]. Akama and sarva-kama. Sarva-kama, those who are artas, always in distressed condition, or moksa-kama... Moksa-kama means those who are desiring after liberation. They are also demanding something. Those who are moksa-kami, they are also demanding something. The siddhi-kamis, they are also demanding something. But the pure devotee does not demand anything. That is pure...

So Krsna says that catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtino 'rjuna. So Arjuna also said, param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. When Arjuna understood the Bhagavad-gita, he understood Krsna also. And he said, "Krsna, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Param brahma param dhama [Bg. 10.12]. "You are the supreme shelter," param dhama. Pavitram. This word is there, pavitra. So without being pavitra, without being pious, without being free from contamination of material activities, nobody can approach Krsna. That's a fact. But Krsna is so kind that He orders that "Even if you have got some kamanam, some desire, material desire, still, you can take shelter upon Me." Sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. "You do not take shelter of anything else. Simply depend on Me." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. "You haven't got to depend on anything else. I will give you protection." So we have to take faith in the words of Krsna and put our complete faith and devotion at the lotus feet of Krsna. That will make us happy and make progress in Krsna consciousness in order to achieve the highest goal of life, back to Godhead, back to home. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6].

So this Krsna consciousness movement purely based on the teachings of Bhagavad-gita. It is not a manufactured thing. As you are hearing for so many days, our basic principle is the Bhagavad-gita. It is not that we have manufactured something, as there are so many manufactured processes. So if we actually take Krsna consciousness seriously, as it is assured in the Bhagavad-gita by the Supreme Lord, Krsna, we are sure to achieve the result without any doubt. Krsna assures, ma sucah: "Don't be doubtful. Simply surrender unto Me. I shall take care of you." The whole Bhagavad-gita is taught in that way. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Aham hi sarva-yajnanam bhokta ca prabhur eva ca. In this way, in Bhagavad-gita we'll find, Krsna is the Supreme Lord. Krsna is the Absolute Personality of Godhead. So His instructions are there.

So our request on behalf of this Krsna consciousness movement, that from... Of course, as far as possible, we have tried to convince you during this eight-days' function, but if you also cooperate with us, taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani, then the result will be very quick. Simply if you go back home, hearing all these instructions of Krsna, that will not help. Of course, any sane man will think over this. That is recommended in the sastra. Through good association, by hearing from the devotees, one becomes purified, one becomes thoughtful about Krsna. But he practically applies in his life the instruction of Krsna, then he makes progress in spiritual life or towards the ultimate goal of life, to go back to home, back to Godhead. It is not a function that there is no planet as Krsnaloka. No. There is. From Bhagavad-gita you have understood. There is another nature. Besides this material nature, there is another nature, which is called sanatana-dhama. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyah [Bg. 8.20]. And there are innumerable planets, they are called Vaikunthalokas, as much as there are innumerable planets within this material world.

So these are all facts. If you believe sastra, if you have got faith in the sastra, then you have to take this path of Krsna consciousness in order to transfer yourself to the spiritual world. There is a spiritual world. Because we are spirit soul, without being transferred to the spiritual world we cannot have real happiness or real enjoyment. That is a fact. All these informations are there very explicitly. You do not try to understand Bhagavad-gita by malinterpretation or malcommentary. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is, and you will benefit. That is our request. Of course, we are finishing this ceremony today here, but if opportunity is there, we can continue the study of Bhagavad-gita as it is, and if Krsna gives us opportunity, we shall try to serve you again, more and more.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (applause) (end)