Bhagavad-gītā 7.11–13 – March 28, 1972, Bombay

720328BG-BOMBAY [35:09 Minutes] C-088TR__Conv_C-092

Prabhupada:

[break] [pause]

Krsna says, balam balavatam. Balavat means one who has got strength-strong man. But that strength is Krsna. We have, every one of us, we have got some strength, but this strength…

[aside: They are talking. Ask them to go away. [Hindi] [Chelo] [break]

We are moving our hands, moving our legs, talking, but because all these strength are Krsna, they are under Krsna's control. It is not in our control, although we are thinking that it is my strength. Just like a wrestler… In Vrndavana, there was-eh, not was; he is still living-one wrestler. He became balji. So he was very proud of his strength, and he was quarreling with anyone, and everyone was afraid of his encroachment. But at the present moment that man is paralyzed; he cannot even talk. So all his strength is finished now.

So here Krsna says, balam balavatam caham: "I am the strength." So long Krsna allows you to use the strength, you can become proud of your strength. But as soon as He withdraws, then you are useless. This is Krsna conscious. If anyone understands this philosophy, that "I possess this strength, I possess this wealth, I possess this beauty, I possess such and such education, riches-but they are all Krsna's gift. Actually I do not possess anything. Krsna has given them to use, and He has given the privilege to me to use it. But I must know that these things are possession of Krsna," this is Krsna consciousness sense. Therefore because we are wrongly thinking that "I am the proprietor of this thing; I possess this thing," this is maya. When you come to the conclusion that "I do not possess anything; everything belongs to Krsna. I am simply allowed to use it, that's all…" Everything. We are claiming, "This is our country," "This is my land." Actually it is not so. The land belongs to Krsna. He has already explained it, bhūmir apo 'nalo vayuḥ [Bg 7.4]:

"Earth, water, fire, air, they are My differentiated energies." So when we claim that "The land belongs to me," that is called maya, that that land does not belong to me or you-it belongs to Krsna. We are allowed to use it for some time. We come here naked, and we pass, go away, naked. The things which we are proud of possessing, they remain there. This is Krsna conscious.

Therefore kama-raga-vivarjitam. Kama means lust, and raga means attraction. Vivarjitam means "devoid of." I have got some strength, but if I become attached to it, that "It is my strength, it is my money," this is kama-raga. Lust. Kama means lust-to enjoy: "It is my money. It is mine, it is mine." Aham'yam mameti [SB 5.5.8]: "I am such and such a big man, and I have got such and such things," this is called aham mama, "My strength." No. It is not your strength. If you know that it is not your strength, it is Krsna's strength, it should be used for Krsna, then it is kama-raga-vivarjitam.

Actually that is a fact. This is the instruction given by Krsna. Arjuna was a strong man. He could fight. So he understood that "This mine, fighting strength, is Krsna's. So if Krsna wants to use it for His purpose, why shall I not? I was refusing to use this strength, thinking that "This is my strength. Why shall I use it for my relatives?' " That is illusion. When he understood that "The strength belongs to Krsna, and Krsna wants it. Now you use it for Him," so he decided, "Yes." Kama-raga-vivarjitam. If Krsna is the master and we are simply Krsna's servants, so when the master orders, the servant must do it. That is bhakti. That is Krsna consciousness. Anukūlyena krsnanu-silanam [Cc Madhya 19.167].

Anukūlyena means favorable. We have got something, little strength given by Krsna. Actually, Krsna…, I am also Krsna's. I am part and parcel of Krsna. So in minute quantity I have got all the qualities of Krsna. So whatever I have got, if we use it for Krsna's service, that is perfection of life, kama-raga-vivarjitam. Therefore bhakti means sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

The whole world is suffering on account of this misunderstanding. Everything belongs to Krsna, but we have formed different parties, and everyone is claiming that "This is my land." "India is our," "Pakistan is our," "America is our." That is called illusion, maya. Nothing belongs to you. Everything…Īsavasyam idam sarvam .

Everything Krsna's. So this is ignorance. So Krsna consciousness movement means to drive away this ignorance. That is called sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170]. We should not indulge in falsely claiming,

and

Dharmaviruddha. Dharma aviruddha. Now this dharma, religious principles, that means it is with reference to the human society, because religious principles are not to be found in the animal society. They have no religion. Just like dogs: the dogs, as soon as he finds one dog, male dog finds another female dog, immediately he wants to take…, indulge it, because it is animal. She…, he is lusty; he wants to have sex with the opposite sex, never mind what it is-a small dog or big dog-because they are animals. But if a man does so, that is dharmaviruddha. According to the human social convention, one must have a married wife, and there is process. Not like the cats and dogs-as soon as one is lusty, he rapes. No. So that kind of lust-actually that is not lust; that is duty.

Putrarthe kriyate bharya. Bharya means wife, and putra means son. For begetting a son, a wife is accepted-not for enjoying sex life. At the present moment it has become so. Wife means legalized prostitute. They say marriage is legalized prostitution, because they are habituated to prostitution, so it becomes legalized. But actually the dharma, religious principle, means putrarthe kriyate bharya Putraḥ pinḍam prayojanam. That is Vedic injunction. So Krsna says dharmaviruddho kama: "When this lusty affair is sanctioned by religious principle, that kind of lust I am." That means if you beget son according to the religious principle, that is Krsna consciousness. Otherwise, if you become unnecessary lusty and attack your wife or somebody, that is sinful.

So human life is so responsible life, little deviation will make me responsible for resultant action. So dharmaviruddho kamo 'smi sarva bhūtesu bharatarsabha.

Sattvic, rajasic, tamasic: goodness, passion and ignorance. Krsna says, "Either goodness or passion or ignorance, they are all from Me," ye caiva sattvika bhava. Matta eveti tan viddhi: "They are from Me." Just like it is described that adharma is the back side of God. Adharma means irreligious-that is back side of God. If God is absolute, then just like we have got this front side and this back side, the back side we cannot see. Or back side, suppose if there is attack, then I try to protect my front side first. I give preference to the front side, not to the back side. These are the example. So we consider back side is inferior than the front side. But when it is with reference to Krsna, He's absolute, so how the back side can be inferior than the front side? Back side, it is said in the Vedic literature, adharma is the back side of God, Krsna.

So here also it is said,

Even the opposite number dharma, or adharma, for Krsna everything is one, because He is absolute. Although materially "This is good," "This is bad," we consider, but for Krsna there is no such distinction. He is absolute. Another example can be given, that we use electricity for heater and at the same time cooler. The heat and cool, they are opposite number, but to the electrician he knows how to build the electricity power to make one thing cool and another thing hot. Therefore Krsna is viruddha-dharma samanja[?] [Amnaya Sūtra 6]:

He can adjust two opposite things. So in other words, dharma and adharma, they are, in material consideration, there are two different opposite things. But when it is used for Krsna, then it is absolute. Then it is absolute.

Just like, for example, Krsna asking Yudhisthira Maharaja in the Kuruksetra battlefield. Yudhisthira Maharaja, Yudhisthira Maharaja was elder brother, elder cousin-brother of Krsna. So he requested, "My dear elder brother, you go to Dronacarya and say that 'Your son is dead.' " Because it was a benediction for Dronacarya that unless he is shocked by the death of his son, he will never die. So he was not dying. So Krsna asked Yudhisthira. He was very pious man, and Dronacarya would believe him, because, "Dronacarya …, here Yudhisthira is speaking, then surely my son has died." Therefore Krsna requested him to go and tell this lie, that "Your son is dead." Now we may think that Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is advising Yudhisthira Maharaja to speak lie, it is practically opposite from religious principle. But Krsna wants it-we must do it. Never mind; there is no such consideration. That is Krsna consciousness. But not that we should manufacture our Krsna consciousness. Actually, when Krsna or His representative wants to do something, we must do it. That is Krsna consciousness. So Yudhisthira Maharaja hesitated to speak lies-that was considered as disobedience to the Lord. That's a long story.

Similarly, we find that Krsna performed rasa-lila at dead of night. All the village girls, they assembled there. So young girls coming out of home to meet another young boy at dead of night, it is against Vedic principles. This is not allowed. This question was raised by Pariksit Maharaja, that "How Krsna danced with the girls who were others' wife?" That is not allowed. According to Vedic social convention nobody can dance with others' wife, unless she's married. So this question was raised by Pariksit Maharaja, and it was answered that "What Krsna does, one should not even think of it, the Krsna's has perform this rasa-lila dance; therefore I can also do it." There are many rascals, they imitate that. The answer is, tejiyasam na dosaya. These girls, they wanted Krsna as their husband. Krsna is so beautiful, they prayed to Katyayani that "Please give us Krsna as our husband." So actually this was not possible. Krsna… Generally our Hindu system, or Vedic system, is that the boy must be elderly than the girl. But they were of the same age; sometimes Krsna was younger. But they wanted. So Krsna satisfied their desire by dancing with them, that's all. But we cannot imitate this. We cannot dance with others' wife. That is not possible.

So Krsna gave them the chance that some way or other, kama, lobha, bhayat-some way or other, if someone becomes attached to Krsna… Just like Kamsa: he was attached to Krsna out of fear, bhaya. He understood that "There is…, my sister's son, whose name will be Krsna, He will kill me." So he was always thinking of Krsna: "Oh, Krsna may now come and kill me." So after all, he was thinking of Krsna-but out of fear. This is not bhakti, but he was thinking of Krsna. He was Krsna conscious; therefore he got salvation. Although he was thinking of Krsna as enemy, but because he was thinking of Krsna, he got salvation. Not elevation to the Vaikuntha planet, but salvation. Salvation means merge into the brahman effulgence. So sastra says, kama, bhayat, lobha: either by lust or by greediness or by inimical feeling, somehow or other if you become Krsna conscious, then you are benefited. Somehow or other.

So Krsna can adjust all opposing elements. That is Krsna. But in ordinary dealing we should…, we must discriminate, that "This is good; this is bad," "This is religious; this is irreligious." But when it is in relations with Krsna, all these opposite elements become adjusted. This is the term. Therefore Krsna says dharmaviruddho kama: "Which is sanctioned by religious principle, such lusty affairs I am." Ye caiva sattvika bhava: and all the bhava, the goodness, passion and ignorance, they are all emanation from Krsna. So even things which are considered to be in the modes of ignorance, tamasic, tamas… From ordinary point of view, the gopis' going to Krsna at dead of night, that is tamasic, but when it is in connection with Krsna it transcends all these qualities, sattvic, rajasic, tamasic. We should not imitate these things, but this is the conclusion of the sastra: He can adjust. Tejiyasam na dosaya. The philosophy is, one who is very powerful, no faults can be there. Sometimes a very powerful king, he does something not sanctioned by this law, but still its accepted. There are so many things. Tejiyasam na dosaya. We have heard that sometimes Mahatma Gandhi ordered one calf to be killed. The calf was suffering, and Gandhi ordered him that "Kill him. He is suffering." So now for ordinary man it comes to cow-killing, but he was powerful, so nobody takes into consideration.

So there are…, if it is possible for an ordinary man to do something extraordinary which is not sanctioned by the society, what to speak of Krsna, He is fully independent, sva-rat. He can do anything what He likes, still He is God, good, pavitram. Apapa-viddham .

In the Upanisads it is said, "God cannot be contaminated by any sinful activity." Why it is said sinful activities? Sometimes we see that God is doing something which is sinful, but He will not be contaminated. Apapa-viddham. He is turning into goodness. Just like the gopis came at night to Krsna because He was beautiful. So actually they came in lust, but because Krsna, it is in relationship with Krsna, the gopis became the greatest devotee of the world. Ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhū-vargena ya kalpita [Caitanya-manjusa].

This is recommended by Lord Caitanya, who was so strict, but He recommended that gopis' love for Krsna, there is no comparison. So because it is relationship with Krsna. But we cannot do that-then we are abominable. These things are to be understood, that Krsna says:

Again He says, tribhir guna-mayair jagat [Bg 7.13]: "But those who are not Krsna conscious, for them these things are illusion," tribhir guna-mayair, these three kinds of material modes of nature. Tribhir guna-mayair mohitam. They are captivated, mohitam. Nabhijanati mam ebhyaḥ param avyayam. These three qualities, or modes of material nature, is working within this material world, and everyone is bewildered by these qualities. Some of them are bewildered by the quality of goodness, some of them are by passion, some of them by ignorance, or some of them by the mixture. In this way…

[break] …they cannot understand Krsna. They cannot understand Krsna. It is not that a person… Just like this morning I was discussing in the beach: a person is in the modes of goodness, that does not mean that he is advanced spiritually. He may be a very good man in the estimation of this material world-very pious, moral-but that is not qualification that he will understand Krsna. That is not possible. And sometimes you find one man is very much abominable, in the lowest stage of human society, in ignorance-but he can understand Krsna. That is possible.

So this material convention is not a check for understanding Krsna. This is another department. Ahaituky apratihata [SB 1.2.6]: If we follow the principles of devotional service, then these material impediments cannot check; it will go, ahaituky apratihata. But generally, who is not Krsna consciousness, even if he is on the modes of goodness he cannot understand. Mohitam. It is said, mohitam nabhijanati. Nabhijanati. Nabhijanati mam ebhyaḥ param avyayam: "I am the Supreme Absolute, and because they are covered by these modes of material nature, they cannot understand Me." But we see, we see actually there are many big, big philosophers, learned scholars, but they do not understand Krsna. We have seen in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book: he does not understand Krsna, and he writes commentary on Bhagavad-gita, and he concludes that Bhagavad-gita is mental speculation. Just see. Although he is born of a brahmana family, he's nice scholar, learned scholar, but because he's not trained up in Krsna consciousness, he cannot understand what is Krsna.

So, so long we are under the influence of this material modes of nature, there is no possibility of understanding Krsna. Either it may be goodness or passion or ignorance or mixed up-we have to transcend; we have to go above the material modes of nature. And how it is this possible? That is recommended, that is instructed by Krsna,

If you engage yourself under the direction of sastra and the spiritual master, in the devotional modes of devotional service, then you become advanced, transcendental to all these tribhir guna-mayair.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Krsna. [end]