So Maharaja Prthu..., er, Maharaja Rsabhadeva, before retirement... Formerly, even one is king, he was to take leave of householder affairs. The Vedic culture means that the social order and the spiritual order of life. The social order of life is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita: catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. According to quality and according to work, the social order is divided into four. The most intelligent class of men are called the brahmanas, and the next intelligent class of men, namely the politicians, or one who wants to take part in administration, they are called ksatriyas. And the next intelligent class of men, those who are busy in productionbecause we want foodso the productive class of men is called vaisya, mercantile. And the laborer class of men, namely one who is neither intelligent nor administrator nor trader, but wants to live at the shelter of somebody, master, they are called sudras. The brahmanas, the ksatriyas, and the vaisyas, they would never accept subordination, service, under anyone. But the sudras, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: paricaryatmakam karyam sudra-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. By nature, a sudra wants to take shelter of somebody else and live.

So at the present moment, the Kali-yuga, the sastra says, almost everyone is a sudra because nobody can live independently. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. Kalau means in this age, this iron age, almost everyone is a sudra. It is very difficult to find out really brahmana, ksatriya. Vaisyas maybe there are. But mostly sudras. Because the other three orders of life are missing, therefore at the present moment there is no peace. In every step there is fight, there is quarrel. Kali means disagreement and quarrel. So this age is called Kali-yuga. This Kali-yuga has begun since the Battle of Kuruksetra. You have heard in Mahabharata or in the Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is within Mahabharata. The Battle of Kuruksetra between the two section of cousin-brothers, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, took place under the guidance of Lord Sri Krsna five thousand years ago. And in that battlefield, Krsna instructed Arjuna, His friend, the great book of knowledge, Srimad Bhagavad-gita.

So human life must be divided into four orders, varnasrama-dharma. In the Visnu Purana it is said,

So this planetwe are talking of this planetthis planet is called Bharatavarsa. And Maharaja Rsabhadeva was the emperor of this planet. Before retirement, He instructed his children, His one hundred sons, "My dear boys, this human form of life," na ayam deha, "this body..." Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke. Deha-bhajam means there are other living entities also. There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. Out of them, only 400,000 forms of bodies are human beings. Out of the 400,000 species of human beings, mostly they are uncivilized. And out of them, a very few men are civilized. And out of many civilized persons, a very few know what is Vedic knowledge. And out of many persons who know Vedic knowledge, they do not act according to the Vedic instructions. And out of many such persons, there are very few persons who act accordingly to the Vedic instruction. And those who act, they are attached to karma-kandiya-vicara, fruitive activities. Just like perform yajnas and be elevated to the heavenly planets. These are called karma-kandiya-vicara. Out of many thousands of these persons who are attached to karma-kandiya chapter of Vedas, one, somebody may be jnani. Jnani means "one who knows, one who is in perfect knowledge." Not perfect knowledge, but searching after knowledge, jnani. And out of many thousands of jnanis, one is mukta. Mukta means liberated, liberated from material body. And out of many thousands of muktas, there is very difficult to find out a devotee of Krsna.

So Krsna consciousness, if you analyze, it is very difficult to find out a person who is really... (In) the Bhagavad-gita also, the Lord says,

Now, in this age, Kali-yuga, this system of civilization is very much prominent. But in the material world, that is going on time, from time immemorial. Therefore Rsabhadeva is advising His sons, "My dear sons," ayam deha. Na ayam deha. "This body, this human form of body," deha-bhajam nrloke, "those who have taken, accepted this material body in this human society," nrloke, kastan kaman na arhate... Sense gratification is needed because we have got this body. So that is not denied. But He says that kastan kaman na arhate: "For sense gratification, there is no need of working very hard." Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. This kind of labor, hard labor, day and night, and get some money, and then apply it for sense gratification, kastan kaman... Kama means sense gratification. So this is not very good. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke. Human form of life is not meant for this purpose. This type of working hard day and night to find out the necessities of life, that is the business of the hog. Hog. Vid-bhujam. Vid-bhujam means "the animal who eats stool." That means hog. Or the animal who has no discrimination of eating. He's called hog. The hogs have no discrimination. He'll eat anything, up to the stool. So if you say that "We have to accept food," well, even stool is also food for a certain type of animals. And by eating that stool, it becomes very much fatty. And their sense power is so strong that daily, at least one dozen times, they are having sexual intercourse. And there is no discrimination whether it is mother or sister or any daughter. It doesn't matter. You'll find in hog's life, they have no discrimination.

So Rsabhadeva is warning, "My dear boys, this life, this human form of life, is not meant for gratifying the senses like the hogs." Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. Then what it is mean? What for? Tapo divyam putraka. This life is meant for tapasya, austerity. Tapo divyam putraka. Why? Why we should accept austerity, penance? So He says that tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyet [SB 5.5.1]. Sattvam. Your existence. You are existing. Now your existence is not pure because we, all living entities, we are eternal soul, spirit soul. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. The soul is never annihilated or destroyed after the annihilation of this body. Now, throughout the whole world we are traveling. There is not a single institution, neither any department of knowledge in the university, to understand that "After destruction of this body I am not destroyed. I exist." Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Hanyamane sarire. After destruction of the body, the soul is not destroyed. Ajo nityah sasvato yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Aja. The soul never takes birth; the body changes. Just like I am soul, you are soul; we have changed so many bodies. I had a body, a small baby's body. That body is no longer existing. Everyone has seen... Where is that body? I possessed a small baby's body. Where is that body? That is gone. Then I possessed a boy's body. That body is also gone. Then I possessed a young man's body; that is also gone. Now I am possessing one old man's body, seventy-six years old. But I understand that I had a small body like this. I had a body like a boy, like a child, then young man. Therefore the conclusion should be that I, as I have passed so many bodies, similarly, when I shall pass this body, I shall exist. This is conclusion.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said,

But Rsabhadeva says that tapo divyam putraka [SB 5.5.1], "My dear boys, in order to get out of this diseased condition of life, kindly accept austerity." Just like when a man is diseased, the doctor says that "You cannot accept this. You cannot eat like this. You cannot go like this." So many "don'ts." Similarly, tapasya means "Don't. You do not do this." Because as living entity with animal propensities, the animal cannot accept "don'ts." If a tiger is requested, "My dear Mr. Tiger, don't eat meat," (laughter) he cannot accept it because it is animal. But if a human being is trained up in these "do's" and "don'ts," he can accept. That is human life. And when, in spite of his difficulty, he has..., he accepts something by the order of the sastra, by the order of the guru, that is called tapasya. Just like we are instructing our students, "My dear boys, do not have illicit sex life; do not eat meat, fish, eggs; do not indulge in intoxication, up to drinking tea and smoking; and do not indulge in gambling." Of course, it is very difficult, especially in the Western countries. Not now, some, about thirty years ago, in this city of London, one of my Godbrothers came to preach, and he met Lord Zetland. So Lord Zetland asked this Swamiji whether he can be turned into a brahmana. The Swamiji replied, "Yes, you can become a brahmana." "How?" "Now, you have to give up these four things: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, fish-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." He said, "It is impossible." He replied, "Impossible." So actually, in the Western countries, these things are ordinary things, so they do not take it as any bad thing or any sinful, but according to Vedic sastra, these four principles are the basic principles or the four pillars of sinful life. Striya-suna-pana-dyuta yatra papas catur-vidha [SB 1.17.38].

So the real purpose of life, as it is advised by Rsabhadeva: tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. "My dear boys, just accept austerity and penances for transcendental realization," divyam. Divyam means the platform where God can be understood. Just like Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. If we can understand God on the transcendental platform, not in this material platform by imagination or speculationthat is not God. One has to understand God on the transcendental platform, suddha-sattva. Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam. On the vasudeva platform we can understand Vasudeva. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. So here it is advised: tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. The whole business is... Everyone is hankering after happiness. That's a fact. The karmis, the ordinary workers, fruitive workers... Just like big, big city, they are whole day and night the motorcars going this way and that way, this way and that way... "Whoosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh..." Why? For finding out, "Where is happiness? Where is happiness? Where is happiness?" Happiness. But happiness we are not receiving because in this contaminated world happiness is not possible; therefore we have to get out of this body, material body. Then there will be happiness.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, sukham atyantikam yat tad atindriya-grahyam [Bg. 6.21]. What is real happiness, that will be realized when you are on the transcendental sense gratification. At the present moment we are on the material sense gratification. So material sense gratification will not give us real happiness. Everyone is trying to get happiness; so therefore Rsabhadeva said, tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. Your exis... First of all, purify your existence; then talk of happiness. Happiness, if you want to enter happiness with this covered material covering, you'll never find happiness. And that is actually experience of everyone. If you say that "Yes, I am enjoying this. I am enjoying this life very nicely. I don't require to give up this material body," no. It is foolishness. You are not enjoying. You may think so, but the real problem is there. What is that? Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. You may enjoy very nicely because you are Englishman or American, you have got money, but what about the question of death? Do you enjoy death? If a body is... Of course, one who is frustrated, one who wants to commit suicide, that is a different thing. For a sane man, does he enjoy birth, death, old age and disease? Therefore Bhagavad-gita points out that you may feel very happy with your so-called material senses, but you should see to the real problem of life, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi: birth, death, old age and disease.

So therefore, actual happiness is there when we surpass this process of repetition of birth and death, old age and disease. Because we are spirit soul. As God is spirit soul, we are also spirit soul. About God it is stated that advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca [Bs. 5.33]. Purana-purusa means the oldest living entity, but still, He's nava-yauvana, young. Just like Krsna. You have seen the picture of Krsna. You'll find Him always a young boy, from sixteen to twenty years old. You have seen the picture of Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. We have got the picture, Arjuna. Krsna had at that time great-grandsons, but you see His picture just like a boy, young boy, very nice. So the spirit is never old. Never old. Always young. You'll find, those who are studying the Vedic literatures, that in the Vaikunthalokas the inhabitants are always young, exactly like God. God is always young, fifteen to twenty years old, just like boy. So Rsabhadeva says that "You are wanting happiness..." And happiness... Death does not mean happiness, disease does not mean happiness, birth does not mean happiness, old age does not mean happiness. So when you are happy? If you are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease, then where is your happiness? That is called illusion, maya. Actual happiness is not there. Therefore Vedic literature informs: ramante yoginah anante [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. The yogis, they enjoy happiness unlimitedly. There is no end. Here in this material world you may enjoy anything, but it will have its end after a few minutes. That's all. You cannot enjoy perpetually. That is not possible. Therefore... But we are hankering after perpetual happiness, continued happiness. So Rsabhadeva advised, "My dear boys, you take to austerity." Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. "After you are purified, then brahma-saukhyam anantam, then you get unlimited happiness."

So this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to give the whole human society the direction how he can enjoy unlimitedly. Yena suddhyet sattvam. Ramante yoginah anante. Really, those who are yogis, they enjoy. These Krsna conscious persons, people, they are also yogis, bhakti-yogis. They are the best of the yogis. As we see in the Bhagavad-gita, in the chapter in which Sankhya yoga has been explained, the conclusion is, yoginam api sarvesam: [Bg. 6.47] "Of all the yogis..." Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana: "One who is thinking within himself about Me, Krsna," mad-gaten... sraddhavan, "with faith and love," bhajate mam, "engaged in My devotional service," sa me yuktatamo matah, "he is the first-class yogi. He is the first-class yogi." So we are preaching in this Krsna consciousness movement, "Everyone should become a first-class yogi. And when one becomes a first-class yogi, perfect yogi, then ramante yoginah anante, then they enjoy eternal, blissful life of knowledge. Ramante yoginah satyanande, that is real happiness, satyanande. In this material world it is mithyanande. Therefore Sankaracarya says, brahma satyam jagan mithya. Jagan mithya. The material world, wherein you are trying to find out happiness, that is false, illusion. If you want real happiness, that is in the spiritual world. That is the verdict of Vedas. Tamasi ma jyotir gama. Don't try to be happy in this darkness. But real happiness is in the light, jyotir gama. Light. The spiritual world is light. The material world is dark. It is... Because this material world is dark, therefore we require sunlight, moonlight, electricity and so many things. In the spiritual world there is no need of this sunlight, moonlight or electricity. Na tad bhasayate suryah. There is no need of sun, moon, or electricity. These are explained in the Bhagavad-gita.

So therefore, this human form of life, as it is advised by Rsabhadeva, is not meant for unnecessary sense gratification. This is not meant for. This is meant for the hogs and dogs, not for the human beings. This is division of life. The human life is to make a solution of all the problems of life. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. All other problems, they are secondary. So you can conquer over this birth and death and old age and disease. There is possibility. Here is a chance of human form of life. Here you take a chance. Don't lose it, don't spoil it like hogs and dogs. That is the propaganda of this Krsna consciousness movement. Don't take it that it is a type of sectarian religion. No. It is a culture. It is meant for every human being. Therefore we are trying to propagate this movement all over the world, without any consideration of caste, creed and nation. Because we don't see, "This is Englishman, this is European, this is American." No. We have no such vision. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. One who is really learned, he sees everyone on the equal level: soul, spirit soul.

So it is not very difficult to become free from all designations. It is not very difficult. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given us very simple method, supported by Vedic injunction. What is that? Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam.

So unless one will come to the platform of self-realization, we are in the trouble, so long we are not self-realized. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. Without self-realization, whatever we are acting, we are piling up the stones and woods and iron in such skyscraper building. So we may do that, but it is our defeat. It is not conquering; it is defeat. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. If we don't inquire about ourself, "What I am? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life, birth, death, old age, and there are so many other things...?" Unless you come to question why, your human life is not perfect.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is universal. It is meant for everyone, and the process is very simple. Simply chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. But if you think that "I am not satisfied by..., for accepting this simple process. I must go through science, philosophy, logic," yes, we have got dozens of books, four hundred pages each, at least. We have got twelve books. You can read them. Go through science, philosophy, logic, sociology, politics, anything. You will understand what is Krsna.

Thank you very much. [break]

That's enough. Now we'll chant Hare Krsna. (applause) (end)