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680912SB.SF
Prabhupada: (chants mangalacarana prayers) So we have been discussing the talks between Sukadeva Gosvami and Maharaja Pariksit. The question is how one can be delivered from the miserable condition of hellish life. The nature's illusory methods are two kinds: one is covering energy, and another is throwing energy. Nature is acting upon us in two ways. Just like somebody may think that "Here is a nice movement, Krsna conscious movement. Let me take part in this." And nature dictates, "Why shall you go there? Don't go there. Better enjoy like this." This is throwing energy. Throws him from the path. And another is covering energy. Covering energy means a person or a living entity may remain in the most abominable condition, still, he thinks he's happy. He's happy. Just like you have seen many friends in the diseased condition on the bed. And if you go to see him, "How you are feeling?" and he'll say, "Yes, I am all right." He's on the diseased condition. What is the meaning of this "all right"? This is also covering energy. So anyone, in a..., however... A dog, in such abominable condition, still, he's joyful. He thinks, "I am very happy." A hog, any animal... We are human beings; we are given better facilities of life. The animals are not given so much facilities by nature, but still, they feel happy. If we say, of course, straight, somebody may be sorry, but this is nature's law. So however abominable condition it may be, one feels that he's happy.
So these two kinds of things are going on, parallel. But actually, everyone who is encaged in this material body, he's unhappy. That is the sum and substance of the whole material existence. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said, dvaite bhadrabhadra sakale saman. In the dual world or in this material world, what we have manufactured that "This is very nice and this is not nice"this bad or good conceptionhe says that it is simply mental concoction. Actually, there is nothing good here. One should be very much pessimistic. Otherwise, he'll have to remain in the darkness of ignorance of this material nature. One should thoroughly understand that we are in a very precarious condition of this material... Because they have no information that there is happy life, there is eternal life, there is blissful life. They have no information. They think, "This is the life. So let us adjust things as far as possible." This is the covering energy of material energy.
"Please explain to me how one can become free from this hellish condition of life." We are not only living very unhappy while we are in life; after death there are so many miserable conditions, hellish conditions, transmigration of the soul from one body to another. That is also very miserable condition. And to remain in the body of a dog or hog, that sort of degradation is also there. And again to come even in the human body, in the womb of the mother, that is also very miserable condition. Now this child, the small child, he's protesting that "I'm not in comfortable condition. Mother, take me in this way." So mother is trying to satisfy him. So always, always. That thing has to be understood, that so long we are in this material world, the miseries will continue. So a very intelligent question, that "How one can get out of this miserable life?"
So he answered,
na ced ihaivapacitim yathamhasah
krtasya kuryan mana-ukta-panibhih dhruvam sa vai pretya narakan upaiti ye kirtita me bhavatas tigma-yatanah [SB 6.1.7] Sukadeva Gosvami, he said that "I have already described the different kinds of hellish conditions. So unless one atones his sinful life, one has to suffer such hellish conditional life." Tasmat puraivasv iha papa-niskrtau yateta mrtyor avipadyatatmana [SB 6.1.8]. Therefore it is everyone's duty that before you meet death, you atone your sinful activities. And what is that example he's giving? Dosasya drstva guru-laghavam yatha bhisak cikitseta rujam nidanavit [SB 6.1.8]. Just like when one is diseased, if he does not make proper treatment immediately, that disease may increase and cause fatal. Everyone knows that, that when he's diseased... So diseased condition means sinful condition. Diseased condition means suffering, and suffering means sinful, reaction of sinful activities. So the prescription is that as one goes to the physician, similarly, for treatment of his diseaseotherwise it may prove fatalsimilarly, one should atone the sinful activities as they are prescribed in different scriptures. That is the prescription.
It is said in the Canakya Pandita sloka that three things you should not neglect. What is that? Fire and debts and disease. Suppose you are sitting here, and there is small fire in the corner, some cigarette butts or something like that. You should not neglect it. Never think, "Oh, it is small fire. It will extinguish automatically." No. It may take a very, I mean to say, blazing shape at any moment. So one should not neglect fire. Similarly, debts also. If somebody thinks, "Oh, I have got this hundred, thousand dollars I am indebted. All right I shall see to it." After some years it may increase to five thousand dollars. So similarly, disease also. Suppose you are thinking that "Oh, this is nothing. It will cure out of itself." No. That is the instruction. So we should not neglect. And in the Manu-samhita it is enjoined that when a man is a murderer, that we have got practical experience, the king condemns him to death. And the Manu-samhita supports that it is good. It is good for him. In every country and every law that "life for life" is good. Because if he's hanged in this life, then next life he hasn't got to suffer. His all sinful reaction is finished, being hanged. Therefore in every state, and especially in the Manu-samhita, it is said that it is king's mercy when a person is hanged for his murdering sinful activities; it is to be thought that king's mercy. So because we have to suffer for any... Just like if we take more food, then we have to sufferindigestion or something else. This is nature's law. Either you be careful, or if there is some sinful reaction, be, I mean to say, alarmed, and take care of it. Otherwise, the suffering will increase. So Sukadeva Gosvami advises that as... In India still, the practice is if somebody commits some sinful activity he goes to a learned pandita, brahmana, "Sir, this thing has been done by me. So what is the atonement?" He prescribes something. Of course, in this way some business is also going on. (chuckling) But actually one should atone. That is the statement of Sukadeva Gosvami.
Now the king is very intelligent. He's putting next question,
drsta-srutabhyam yat papam
janann apy atmano 'hitam karoti bhuyo vivasah prayascittam atho katham [SB 6.1.9] kvacin nivartate 'bhadrat
kvacic carati tat punah prayascittam atho 'partham manye kunjara-saucavat [SB 6.1.10] Very intelligent question. "My dear sir, Sukadeva Gosvami, I can understand that one should take care of his sinful reaction and atone for it as prescribed in the sastras. But my question is that," drsta-srutabhyam yat papam [SB 6.1.9], "one sees that due to this sinful activity one is suffering." Drsta. Drsta means actually personal experience, face to face. How is that? A man has killed somebody, murder, and he's going to be hanged. Everyone sees it. Then why does he commit the same thing? He has seen it that "My friend committed a murder." Or forget murdering..., committed something else which is against the law of the state, and he's punished. Drsta-sruta. Drsta means by seeing, and sruta means by hearing. Just like you are hearing. We are all hearing from authoritative scripture. This is called sruta, sruti, hearing. Not this scripture. Everyone has heard that if you commit theft, then you'll go to prison for six months. I may not have practical experience; I have heard it, and I see it also, that this man has committed theft and he's going to prisonhouse. He's arrested by the police and he's going. So drsta-sruta. One hears, also practically sees. So drsta-srutabhyam yat papam [SB 6.1.9], that if one commits some sinful activities, and other sees it, and he also sees it, and he has heard it from scripture, still, janann apy atmano 'hitam. Atmano, he knows that "This is not good for me." Atmana, atmana means for the soul. The soul is suffering, and he sees practically that "This is not good for me." "Me" means I am as soul. Because I have to travel or transmigrate in so many species of life, he knows. So he has heard it from the scripture, he's seeing that there is suffering. But karoti bhuyo vivasah: still, he commits the same sin, vivasah. Vivasah means just like somebody is forcing him to do it. Something forced. A thief has committed theft and he has gone to a prisonhouse. He's suffering, and he's thinking that "Next time I shall not do like this. This is very troublesome." But as soon as he comes out, again he commits the same thing.
There is a very nice proverb. It is said in Bengali that a woman, when she is in pain of labor, delivering child, she thinks that "Next time I shall never be pregnant." But after that (chuckling) again she becomes pregnant. You see? She knows the trouble of giving delivery to a child, and she promises that "Next time I shall..." Of course, nowadays there are so many contraceptive methods. But this is a proverb. So a diseased man, he has gone to the physician. He's suffering from a chronic disease. He knows the cause. Doctor says that "You have done this; therefore you are suffering." But after cure he again does the same thing. Why? This is the real problem. Why does he do so? He has seen, he has experienced. Therefore Pariksit Maharaja says, kvacin nivartate 'bhadrat [SB 6.1.10]. By such experience, by hearing and seeing, sometimes he refrains that "No, I shall not do these things. It is very troublesome. Last time I had so much trouble." And kvacic carati tat punah: and sometimes he again commits the same mistake. Prayascittam atho 'partham manye kunjara-saucavat [SB 6.1.10]. "Therefore, my dear sir, I think this so-called atonement is useless." Useless. Because the prescribed atonement he performs, suppose he becomes free from the sin, but why again he commits? Therefore he says, manye kunjara-saucavat.
He's giving very nice examplekunjara-saucavat. Kunjara means elephant. In your country you don't see elephant. We are... In India, we have seen. Not nowadays. Still, there are some, but fifty years before there were many elephants. Especially the zamindars, the landlords and the native princes, they used to keep so many elephants. They used to spend for it... To keep elephant means it is very expensive job. So elephant, there is a particular type of lake where elephants are allowed to take their bath. So if anyone has not seen it, the elephant will take bath very nicely, wash the body very nicely. And as soon as he come over the land, he takes some dust from the land and throws over the body again. Immediately. In that wet body he will cover the whole body with dust. So Pariksit Maharaja is giving very nice example, kunjara-saucavat: just like cleansing the body of an elephant. It cleanses very nicely, that's all right, but as soon as come out of the water... We have to study all these things from nature. The elephant is so big, and it is supposed to be the biggest animal. And he has got great strength, but how fool he is, just see. Just after taking bath it will cover the whole body with dust.
Badarayanir uvacanow he's answering. Rujam roganam nidanavid yatha vaidyas tad anurupam cikitseta (?). Atra codayati dvabhyam. Hm. This is already finished. Yatha kunjara-snana rajobhir atmanam malini karoti tatha papasya punar durnivaratvena naraka-patasya avasyam prayascittam vyartham iti So if there is possibility of gliding down to the hellish condition of life by committing sinful activities, now supposing one makes atonement for such activities and again he commits, then what is the use of it? Simply... Just like you kindle fire and pour water on it. Then what is the use of kindling fire? So,
Now Sukadeva Gosvami is answering the question, that so long one is in ignorance, so long one is in the..., one's heart is full with dirty things, so he may commit sinful activities or he may counteract it by atonement. But so long the dirty thing is within the heart, it is all useless. Therefore our process, this Krsna consciousness, as it is said by Caitanya Mahaprabhu that ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], one has to cleanse the dirty things from the heart. That is real atonement. If the dirty things are there as it is, simply... Just like one man is diseased. The dirty things are within his body, and he cleanses outwardly with soap and water very nicely, that does not mean that he is freed from the diseased condition. The cause of the disease must be removed. Then he'll be healthy. Simply by superfluous washing the body, one does not become free from diseased condition. So avidvad-adhikaritvat. So long... Avidvad means ignorance. So ignorance, what is the ignorance? The ignorance we have explained many times, that "I am this body." And everyone is acting on this bodily concept of life. This is called avidya. Avidya means ignorance. So avidvad-adhikaritvat prayascittam vimarsanam. So there is no utility for atonement if that ignorance, the dirty things, exist in the heart.
nasnatah pathyam evannam
vyadhayo 'bhibhavanti hi evam niyamakrd rajan sanaih ksemaya kalpate [SB 6.1.12] (reads Sridhara Swami's commentary:) Avidvan adhikari yasmin tasya bhavas tattvam tatha, avidya nasathavad naste 'pi tasmin pape tat samskarana papantarasya punah punah praroho bhavati. Tat tu nimitta-pramattah sanair labhate nanya iti sadrstantam aha. Pathyam eva annam asnatah purusan yatha vyadhayo na badhante tatha niyamadi karta ksemaya tattva-jnanaya samartho bhavati. Very nice. He says just like a person who is following the rules and regulation prescribed by the physician. A man may be diseased. Every one of us is, some way or other, we are diseased. This material body means we are in diseased condition. So he is giving very nice example, that,
nasnatah pathyam evannam
vyadhayo 'bhibhavanti hi evam niyamakrd rajan sanaih ksemaya kalpate [SB 6.1.12] Just like in diseased condition of life there are some restraints. Doctor says that "You are suffering from diabetes. You should not take sugar. You should not take sugar, you should not eat this thing, that thing," so many restriction. So Sukadeva Gosvami says that niyama-krd, if you follow the regulation and rules of life, then sanaih ksemaya kalpate, then very soon that dirty things of the heart can be cured. Just like we prescribe. Not prescribeit is already there in the sastras. Our students, those who are initiated specially, we say that "Don't have illicit sex life, don't take part in gambling, don't take foodstuff except vegetables, and don't take intoxicants." Four rules. So if these four rules are followed, gradually, gradually, one becomes free from the dirty things of the heart.
So one has to follow. Simply I am diseased and I take some immediate medicine, it may give me some temporary benefit, but that is not cure. If you have to cure yourself, then you have to follow the rules and regulation prescribed by the physician. And what are the rules and regulation? He says,
Tapasa. Tapasa means austerity. Austerity. Suppose if you are habituated to some bad habits. Suppose you smoke, and the prescription is, "Don't take intoxicants." Smoking is intoxication. Now if you have to follow the rules, you cannot smoke, it will be troublesome for you. Because you are habituated to smoke, and I say "You don't smoke," it will be very difficult for you. You are habituated to unrestricted sex life, and if I say that "Don't have illicit sex life," it will be troublesome for you. Similarly, so many things are there, we are habituated, and if they are restricted there will be some trouble. So voluntarily accepting some trouble is called tapasya, or austerity. Just like a patient, if he wants to be cured, he has to follow the restriction imposed by the physician. And he follows it. Just like doctor says it, "Oh, you cannot get up. You must lie down twenty-four hours." He doesn't like it, but he has to do it. This is called tapasya, austerity. Penance. Austerity. Just like we say that on the ekadasi day you should fast. So fasting is not very, I mean to say, pleasant, but one has to do. This is called tapasya. Brahmacaryena. Brahmacaryena means celibacy. The more you restrain your sex life, the more you become strong for spiritual life. Brahmacaryena. Brahma..., brahmacarya means to restrain, control sex life. Therefore somebody asked me, "Swamiji, why you are stressing so much on married life?" I have given this answer to many gentleman in the television, that because we have got a demand for sex life. But if we are restricted with married life, then there is no, I mean to say, illicit sex life. At least we refrain from that.
So it is stated here. These are the rules. Tapasa brahmacaryena [SB 6.1.13]. Brahmacarya means celibacy, and samena, control the mind. Damena, control the senses. If you can control your mind, then you can control your senses. In the mind is the center of sense activities. If you can control the mind, then easily you can control the senses. And the easiest process of controlling the mind is to fix up your mind in Krsna consciousness. If Krsna... Krsna is all-powerful. If He is seated on your mind, there will be no chance for anything nonsense coming into your mind. Samena ca damena ca, and tyagena. Tyagena means by renunciation. These things are to be practiced. It is not that you can go on doing all nonsense and you become (chuckling) spiritually advanced. If somebody says like that, he is simply cheating. He's cheating. Just like a nonsense doctor may say that "You simply pay my fees, and you can do all kinds of nonsense and you'll be cured." You see. This sort of doctor nobody consults. You see. He says that "You come and pay me my fees, and I shall give you a mantra. You'll be cured, and you can do all kinds of nonsense." Will anybody go to that doctor? Any sane man? Similarly, if somebody says that "You can do whatever you like. You take this mantra and pay me my fees, and you'll be highly advanced in spiritual consciousness," these things we do not find in the authorized books, or Vedic literature. They're all manufactured just to flatter and just to earn some money.
But actually, if you are serious, then as it is stated, that you have to follow the regulation, austerity, celibacy, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, by renunciation, by truthfulness, by cleanliness, and by following the rules and regulations. This is stated.
deha-vag-buddhijam dhira
dharmajnah sraddhayanvitah ksipanty agham mahad api venu-gulmam ivanalah [SB 6.1.14] Now he is giving very nice example. Venu-gulmam ivanalah. Just like in the dry season there are so many dry grasses from the field, and if you have to clear the field, you simply set fire on the field and everything automatically becomes cleansed. Similarly, deha-vag-buddhijam dhira dharmajnah sraddhayanvitah. Those who are intelligent enough, dharmajnah, one who knows what is real religious principle, and sraddhayanvitah, and who is faithful, he can get out of all kinds of sinful activities by an intelligent method. What is that intelligent method?
That he says that simply by Krsna consciousness or devotional service, pure devotional service, vasudeva-parayanah... Vasudeva means Krsna. One who is devoted to Krsna, simply by that devotional process, and always being in Krsna consciousness, agham dhunvanti kartsnyena. one can get out of all sinful reactions. How? Niharam iva bhaskarah. Niharam means dews. You have seen in this season, so many dews are on the grass, on the tree. As soon as there is sunrise, everything finished. Everything finished. It is very nice example. So if you bring forth the sun of Krsna... These are all products... These sinful activities is due to ignorance. Ignorance is darkness, maya, and Krsna or Krsna consciousness is just like the sun. Now this is night; everything is dark. If some way or other there is sunrise, then immediately the darkness is finished. So Sukadeva Gosvami says that kecit. Kecit. Kecit means it is not possible for all, but some fortunate men do like this instead of going to so many details how to get out of this sinful reaction, simply by Krsna consciousness and devotional service, vasudeva-parayanah, those who are devotees of Lord Krsna, agham... Agham means all kinds of sinful reaction. Dhunvanti kartsnyena. Wholesale. Kartsnyena means wholesale. Kartsnyena niharam. Niharam means just like dews, bhaskarah means sun. As the sun disseminates immediately, dissipates immediately the dews without any effort, similarly, as soon as there is Krsna consciousness, you become free from all sinful reaction.
Another thing, this is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita also, that the Lord says that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up all kinds of bodily religious principles of life." What is that? Krsna is asking sarva-dharman. Dharma means religious principles. Now in one place He says that dharma-samsthapanarthaya, "I have come to reestablish the religious principle," and at the end He says sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. Sarva-dharman. This sarva-dharman, all kinds of religious principles pertaining to the bodily concept of life. We present ourselves that "I am Hindu" or "I am Christian," "I am Muhammadan..." [break] (kirtana) (end)
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/sb/6/1/6-15/san_francisco/september/12/1968 Previous: Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.6-8 -- New York, July 21, 1971 Next: Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967
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