Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.10--Hindi – November 15, 1973, Delhi

Prabhupada:

So, our foreign students will excuse me I promised to speak in Hindi this night.

So, yesterday one gentleman asked me to speak in Hindi for five minutes. Not just five minutes, today I will speak only in Hindi. But I have not much practice to do so. By birth also I am Bengali, still I am able to manage speaking in Hindi somehow. So, please all of you try to understand, not of course by language's point of view but by the essence of discussion-bhava-grahi janardana, the Supreme Godhead also is not simply satisfied by merely any language, bhava-grahi janardana.

So, in the Srimad Bhagavatam Sūta Goswami is saying, that this sense gratification, we have the senses and therefore, they need satisfaction, we don't recommend completely dying the senses out. Please forgive me for I may speak a few English words here and there. So, kamasya nendriya-pritiḥ, but we need to keep the senses in restraint, because this is the business of human life, sense control. This is what makes them different from the animals. This is the only difference between a human and animals, the dogs may practice sex life on the streets, they cannot control their senses and there is no use of correcting them either, because it is an animal. But if a human being practices illicit sex in the street, then he will be immediately arrested and punished. That is the law. And why? Because he is a human being and the dog is an animal, all the laws are meant for the human beings. All the scriptures and education is meant for the human beings and not for the animals.

Therefore, kamasya nendriya-pritiḥ, we are surely having sense desires, kama. We have these ten senses so they will need to be engaged. Which is why the scriptures advice, the instructions within the scriptures is same as the government which opens a wine shop by giving a license for those who wish to drink alcohol. The law is that you cannot drink wherever you wish to. You should go to the shop to drink. Similarly, in the scriptures it has been said for those who wish to eat meat, they don't care for anyone's instruction anyway. Those who are raksasa, they don't care for anyone's proscription, not at all. Therefore, the scriptures say, "alright, if you wish to eat meat, eat." How you an eat? You have to worship goddess Kali and offer the sacrifice of a goat in it. That flesh you can accept for food. This is the verdict of the scriptures. Similarly, if anyone wishes to indulge in sex life, loke vyavayamisa-madya-seva nitya hi jantor [SB 11.5.11], within every entity up to a microbe this desire exists, there is no university required to teach these four things.

What are these four things? Vyavaya, sex life, there is no need to teach this. Everyone knows how to practice sex life, vyavaya, then amisa-everyone also has the desire to eat meat. Then intoxication madya-sevaya, nityas tu jantur, these desires are within everyone. We have come to this material world just to engage in these desires, to enjoy in this way. There is no surprise in this. However, being able to control these urges is the business of human beings-pravrttir esa bhūtanam nivrttis tu maha-phala. Everyone has inclination, pravrtti but those who can refrain, nivrtti-they are to be considered victorious. He is known to be jitendriya, conqueror of the senses, all that is spoken of in the scriptures, may it be yoga, tapasya, brahmacarya, dharma and karma they are meant for nothing but restraining the senses. They have no other purpose at all.

Therefore, it has been said in the scriptures kamasya nendriya-pritiḥ, there are surely urges present, the Lord Himself says in the Bhagavad gita dharmo 'viruddho, aviruddhah, kamo'smi [Bg. 7.11] the way it has been said in the religious scriptures, that sex desire is Me. Just like it has been also said in the scriptures putrarthe kriyate bharya, bharya which means marriage. The dogs engage in sex life and so does a rogue person, then why is there a need for such a pompous wedding ceremony?

Just like in the western countries, they don't care for grand celebrations for marriage-because they know that it is just sex life, before or after, what is the need for a big wedding? Actually, there is a need, according to the scriptures the meaning of wedding is to limit sensual indulgence to one person only, only one man or one woman. The animals may do so anywhere with anyone, they have no restraint because they have the urge, and it will not be proper to completely snub all desire, the person will not agree to such a condition. This is the whole reason why we explained with the example that if a person wishes to drink alcohol regardless of all restrictions, then the government opens an alcohol shop for those who cannot control their urges-"all those who wish to drink can get it from here."

But now a days the government has made a business out of it. They know that the drunkards will drink anyway, why not make some profit out of it? So, they made a policy for that but this is not right. Government should not encourage this. They should make laws preventing it-kamasya nendriya-pritir labho jiveta yavata, the desires, regarding eating, sleeping, mating and defending, they should be limited. Only as much as needed. The senses require gratification but if a person goes out of home, all well fed but sees nice chopped cutlets being fried in a restaurant and goes for them. This should not be done. One should not follow the dictation of the senses in this way, blindly. Just because the tongue has ordered them. Even they are fully stuffed with food but still they will eat. What is the need to eat chopped cutlets? Does it make the body stronger? No. but it happened anyway.

Same as this, what is the benefit of smoking cigarettes? In America there is the law, on the cigarette packet they right "Smoking is injurious to health." This is so much bad for health. You smoke it you will be harmed. Still people smoke and it is advertised at the same time. The same way in the western countries there are advertisement everywhere, having nothing else to do but promote cigarettes, alcohol and women. That's all.

Only illicit sex and intoxication this is going on. But the scriptures forbid... no! one should accept only as much as needed. Kamasya nendriya-pritir labho jiveta yavata, it is not like one should starve to death. It is not recommended to refrain until one develops a disease, this is not recommended, one should regulate, reduce and consume as per the recommendation of the scriptures.

What is our real business, anyway? Our real business is jivasya tattva-jijnasa. Those who are within the human form of life should not simply indulge in eating, drinking and merry-making just to come bad in the next life as a dog or a sheep. That's how foolish the human society has become. They don't know where they are going. In the scriptures it has been said adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram punaḥ punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30], na te viduḥ svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31], but they don't know of it, tattva-jijnasa. Tattva-jijnasa, in the Srimad Bhagavatam it has been said, Srimad Bhagavatam which is the commentary on Brahma Sutras. To understand the Brahma Sutras perfectly the commentary of Srimad Bhagavatam has been said, Bhasyam brahma-sūtranam vedartha-paribrmhitaḥ [Garuḍa Purana].

What is the need of this commentary on Brahma-sūtras? Because there are different people who write their own commentaries and thus hey have misled the people in general. Therefore, Srimad Bhagavatam in particular, the Vedanta sūtras is the final gift of Srila Vyasadeva, the complete knowledge of all the Vedas has been condensed and presented in simple language in the Srimad Bhagavatam. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, as it has been said in the Vedanta sūtras athato brahma-jijnasa, and here it has been said jivasya tattva-jijnasa [SB 1.2.10], this tattva-jijnasa and brahma-jijnasa are the same thing. The object of tattva or essence is brahma which will be explained later as:

So, the point is that this human form of life is not meant for simply eating, sleeping and being merry, engage in sex life and just die after a few days. Just like the cats and dogs, no, this is not right. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa, this is the only goal of life, nothing else. "Who am I?" This should be the first inquiry. As long as one doesn't make this inquiry within his heart, he practically remains an animal. For this there are so many scriptures composed. So that everyone can understand who they are, in essence, and in essence may they be able to understand who God is and their relationship with Him. What is the goal of one' s life, this should be understood and all these inquiries compose tattva-jijnasa.

Jivasya tattva-jijnasa nartho yas ceha karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10], these karmis. Karmis means those people who are simply concerned about ensuring proper sense gratification. Just like people in general want wealth, they work all day long for that. Why? Because they want money. Diva carthehaya rajan kutumba-bharanena va [SB 2.1.3]. The foolish civilization that we have now, it has been said in the Srimad Bhagavatam apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasaḥ [SB 2.1.2]. Just like we recommend that one should only hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Krsna consciousness movement, Krsna bhavanamrta, I will request Dr. Rao that he has written in the book Krsna Bhavanamaya, it should be Krsna Bhavanamrta. Krsna bhavanamrta-Krsna consciousness. This propaganda that we have organized, this itself is tattva jijnasa, nothing else. Tattva jijnasa, jiva… one should read the Bhagavad gita meticulously, and should understand that way it has been explained in it. One should not make changes in the original text, upon manipulating the scriptures the whole meaning will be spoiled. Just like there is a medicine, a physician prescribes it to you and gives the dosage-this much dosage you must take with water, before eating. So, if you interfere with the dosage like, "why only these many drops? Why not more? And why with water? Why not something else? I know how much will work." But this attitude will not help us.

One should not read the Bhagavad gita whimsically but only as it has been said. One should not read the Bhagavad gita to realize one's own selfish purpose. It contains the knowledge of essence, tattva jnana. We should not think that God has left it for us to speculate upon, so that we may manufacture our own commentary on it. We will create new meaning out of it, this is greatly foolish. Whatever is to be said, the Lord has said already. Who are you over whom the Lord left special responsibility, to explain the Bhagavad gita. Foolish persons think like this, to manufacture new meaning.

Those who consider themselves very scholarly, they may be big politicians, they think that everyone believes in the Bhagavad gita so let me manufacture and write some new commentary one it for my own purpose. This mischief is going on. The people in general are suffering, because they don't have any knowledge of the essence. This is why they don't understand the Bhagavad gita but go on writing commentaries on it. This politician said this, that politician said that, all of them are rascals. No, this is not the way, tattva jijnasa, is the object and this is what has been said in the scriptures.

So, one should approach such a person and inquire from Him and in the Bhagavad gita it has been said, same as the Kathopanisad. In the Bhagavad gita it has been said:

So, we will should inquire about the essence, tattva-jijnasa by approaching whom? We cannot go to a biḍi shop and ask the vendor for explaining us the essence of Bhagavad gita. What can he tell us? That is why in the scriptures it has been said tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [Munḍaka Upanisad 1.2.12]-if you wish to understand the essence, tattva then you should approach a bonafide spiritual master and try to understand from him. Not from the person who is selling pana and biḍis. That will not serve our purpose. Those who smoke and read the Bhagavad gita. This is going on, they start speaking on the Bhagavad gita, then after some time ask for a couple of bidis for their dry throats.

Such are the professional speakers, if you approach them and listen continuously for two or four thousand years, even then you will be reaping any benefit. But if you are looking for actual knowledge of essence, tattva jnana, then as Krsna has said in the Bhagavad gita tad vijnanartham, tad viddhi pranipatena, if you wish to attain real knowledge of essence tattva jnana then you will have to follow this principle. Pranipat means prakrsta-rūpena nipat, just like the Lord says-sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], one should search for such a person-unto whom one can fully surrender-"My dear sir, I surrender at your feet."

Such a person should be looked for. Or else if you start thinking, "O what does Swamiji know about Gita, I know more than him." So, if you don't wish to learn from Swamiji the surely keep on looking until you find a person unto whom you can fully surrender.

Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34], unto those whom you have not surrendered there is no use of making the inquiry from them, there is no point of making such an inquiry. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34], the reason behind it is that this is a science-it is realized by sevonmukhe, by one who is inclined towards rendering service. As long as we are proud of ourselves thinking that we are the masters, just like some extremely foolish people claim themselves to be God, such people will never be able to understand who God is. Because they have not surrender, they have no quality of surrender within them. The first qualification needed to understand the Supreme Lord is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].

So pranipat, fully surrendering oneself, prakrsta-rūpena nipat, we should begin with the understanding that there is no great a fool as me. I was behaving so long out of pride. From today onwards, my dear Lord I surrender completely at Your lotus feet, you may kill me or keep me it is up to You. When does someone come to this understanding? In the Bhagavad gita it has been said bahūnam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19], these foolish people for many lifetimes remained proud of their puffed-up position, thinking themselves to be God. But after many lifetimes they become jnanavan, they realize that they are not God but they are servants of God, such people are known as jnanavan. As long as they think of themselves as Bhagavan or God, they remain the biggest fools in the entire creation.

This is the actual fact, which is why first we have to surrender pranipat, such a person, one should surrender unto-the one who is the representative of God, not to anyone else. And it is not at all difficult. Like there is a business canvasser. When he goes to secure the business he is instructed by his owner that this commodity costs this much and it is like this and this is how they can get it. So, what is the job of that representative? He is supposed to say-this I have this commodity; it costs this much and this is how you can get it. He has to say just this much and not more. He doesn't need to behave like a big shot. Such a person is the representative of the Lord. The Lord says sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], similarly the representative should also say-"My dear sir, please give up everything and surrender unto God." That's all, his business is finished.

The Lord says-man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], this is all that His representative has to say-my dear sir please think of Krsna constantly, become His devotee and worship Him, offer your obeisances unto Him. What is the difficulty in doing so? He should act in this way and preach the same thing to others. That's all, he became the representative of God.

That is why the Lord has said mayy asakta-manaḥ partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayaḥ [Bg. 7.1], mad-asrayaḥ, so what is this asrayaḥ or shelter? Asrayaḥ, mad-asrayaḥ means that one should take shelter of the Supreme Lord, or one should take shelter of the person who has taken shelter of the Lord. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2], that is all. And by approaching such a person one should make the inquiry tattva jijnasa, you will receive exact knowledge and your life will become successful.

That is why in the scriptures it has been said jivasya tattva-jijnasa nartho yas ceha karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10], there is no need to simply perform hardwork all day long. For fulfilling our needs… do the animals and birds undergo hardships to meet their daily needs? When they wake up in the morning they just fly to a tree and eat, find a fruit, that's all their eating is done. They have arrangement for sleeping, finding a sitting place within a tree, they just go to sleep. And sex life, that is also arranged for, somewhere or other they find a partner. Then finally fearing, they also feat and we also fear. To keep safe from hear they don't sit on the ground. They sit at higher ground and we also. What is the big difference? All we are doing are the same four activities-ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca samanam etat pasubhir naranam [Hitopadesa 25], what more do we do?

We are thinking ourselves as big bosses on account of our scientific advancement, what scientific improvement did we bring? Can you save someone from death? So, the real problems of birth, death, old age and disease duḥkha dosa anudarsanam [Bg. 13.9], what scientific advancement has been brought about in this field? Can you make a scientific arrangement which can stop death? You have created an atom bomb, those men who were dying gradually, just one atom bomb can kill them by the hundreds and thousands. Is this your scientific improvement?

So, one should inquire about the essence, tattva-jijnasa. What factual advancement are we making within this life? What is the goal of life and where are we going? This great universe which is created and all the stars that we see in the night time, what is all this? What happens within these stars? This is all tattva jiijnasa, who made all those things, they are creations of whose brain? These people say theoretically that water is made by mixing hydrogen and oxygen. So, have we made all this water, all the water within the Pacific and Atlantic ocean, where did so much hydrogen and oxygen come from, all of this constitutes tattva-jijnasa.

Not that just eating and drinking and asking around for the rates in the market, asking all of this is not tattva-jijnasa and there is no benefit in making such inquiries. All of this is fruitive action, karma. One should work and earn money and enjoy as much as he can. So, just like I was explaining. Enjoyment you will receive only as much as you are destined to, no more than that. If you have obtained a body of a hog then the only enjoyment will be of eating stool. You will not enjoy eating halva. This is not possible. That is why in the scriptures it has been said tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhaḥ [SB 1.5.18]-one should endeavor for that which is not obtained even by roaming around through the entire universe. According, to one's karma one can get a big or a small body and if one's deeds are too sinful then they get a lower form of body. One can also achieve the body of Lord Brahma, getting bodies of demigods is also possible and so it getting a body of dog. One can also get the body of a tree according to their karma.

So, that scriptures advise us to not get entangled in this. According to our karma we have been given a definite body and the amount of happiness and distress is also predestined and will not be received any further. So, what is the point of performing extraneous endeavor? Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhaḥ [SB 1.5.18], the planets above up to the planet of Lord Brahma, Brahmaloka. It is the place where the duration of a day, twelve hours has been explained in the Bhagavad gita sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduḥ [Bg. 8.17] when we live in the Brahmaloka or as Lord Brahma Himself, his longevity is sahasra-yuga-paryantam, satya yuga, dvapara, treta and kaliyuga adds up to forty three lakh years, multiplied by one thousand. That is the entire lifetime of Lord Brahma.

So, even if we attain such a planet as Brahmaloka, even there we will have to wander-abrahma-bhuvanal lokaḥ punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16], even there is birth and death and even Lord Brahma dies. It is not like Lord Brahma has such a long life that it will never end. Hiranyakasipu also performed great austerities and Lord Brahma approached him, asking what does he want out of performing such difficult austerities? So, he said, my Lord please make me immortal. Immortal? I am myself not immortal, how can I make you? This is not possible… ask me anything else that you want. So, he asked, may I never die on the land. Alright. May I never die in the water. That also is alright. May I never die in the sky. Given. Now man can kill me. Alright. No demigod. Alright. No animal, alright. No weapon of any kind. And in this way as far as his intelligence went.. he asked for all the arrangements to keep himself safe, no in the land, not in the sky. Not in the day or in the night. As much as he could intellectually think of.

The Lord is further intelligent because when He killed him, it was not on the land or sky, he was killed on the Lord's lap. Moreover, he was killed not in the day time or night time, he was killed in the evening. So, those who being proud of their intelligence wish to trick the Lord, the Lord always has something further intelligent to trick them back with. Regardless of how hard they try, they will be vanquished by the Lord. That is why the Lord Himself says, mrtyuḥ sarva-haras caham [Bg. 10.34]. He is Death and if someone doesn't believe in God, he will not be saved because the Lord will appear before them as death. Then what will you do with all your science? What will your big ministership do? You will have to die. One cannot say, why have you come to me? Go away, I am such a big minister, a scientist or, a philosopher.no, you will have to die and whatever you had here will be destroyed. All your intelligence, scholarship, big palace, bank balance and wife, sons all of this will be vanquished.

Now, you shall take up another body and start your journey again. Again, build a house, get married. Again, beget children. The next body can be a human body, or one of the other eight million four hundred thousand species, that will be decided for you by the Lord. That is why it has been said in the scriptures tasyaiva heto prayateta kovido [SB 1.5.18]-all these of your activities are useless, for they are all temporary. Endeavor for something that which has not been obtained after all these lifetimes. But now one may say that if we give up everything how will I keep myself alive, to that the scriptures say-tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa [SB 1.5.18]. Just like no one is looking for distress that I may be put in a terrible situation. But they attain distress somehow. Similarly, one should know that happiness will come on its own. Therefore, one may endeavor for it or not, they will get only their predestined amount of happiness and distress, no more no less.

Therefore, one should strive to attain devotional service and make their life successful, this is called tattva-jijnasa, jivasya tattva-jijnasa nartho yas ceha karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10], or else one will be engaging in fruitless hardwork. This hard work that the karmis perform, they are known as asses, mudhah, they are called. Why are they compared to asses? Because an ass works very hard for the washerman, carrying tons of clothes, until it cannot even move. It goes to the river bank, where the washerman gives it a little grass to eat. After eating the grass, he waits right there. And in the evening it takes all the clothes back on its back. Just for a little grass. But this much grass I can eat anywhere. Why should I work for this washerman? This intelligence it doesn't have. The same way so many karmis, so called professionals they work hard all day long. I have seen this in America, there are many offices running in this way. And what do they eat? Two toasts and a cup of tea. That's all. But they don't have this much intelligence to think that if I have to eat only this much then why am I working so hard? Such a karmi is compared to an ass. Na mam duskrtino mūḍhaḥ prapadyante naradhamaḥ [Bg. 7.15], such people do not surrender unto the Lord. Who? Those who are grossly sinful, duskrtinah, they are very intelligent, krti. Krti means those who have a very sharp intelligence but they use it in wrongdoing. Such people are called duskrti, all their activities are simply supposed to bring harm to the world. They use their intelligence very expertly to make the atom bomb. Such a person is duskrti then there is mūḍhaḥ because they work all day long just for a couple of capatis and three arms lengths of space to sleep on. Everyone has this much to eat and this much space to lie upon. Instead, they wish to conquer the entire world. All the food and living space they wish to own. This is called mūḍhaḥ and there is naradhamah, this human form of life is meant of tattva-jijnasa, inquiring about the Supreme but they don't wish to do that, they give it all up and inquires of everything else. Such a person is called naradhama, still some of these are very scholarly then mayayapahrta-jnana, their knowledge has no value, the illusory energy has stolen away all their so called scholarship.

No one understand the factual thing. The real goal of life they don't understand. They don't accept the factual essence, tattva. Therefore, they are known as mayayapahrta-jnana. Why it has been said like this? Asuri bhavam asritaḥ, they are atheists. They say that there is no such thing as God. An example of such persons is Hiranyakasipu and Ravana. Ravana was also very learned brahmana and he had made an entire city out of gold. But they had one flaw, he wanted to kill Lord Rama. Go get me His wife. They didn't accept God, and such people are known as raksasas. Hiranyakasipu was similarly very powerful, the demigods were scared of him. He was so powerful. Prahlada once when was asked by Lord Nrsimhadeva then Prahlada replied, "my dear Lord, why are you entangling me in this way? I am born of such a father. The one who wishes for only worldly things, I have a similar body, and if you give me a benediction, then I will become entangles. After all what is there in a boon? My father was so powerful. All the demigods were scared of him, of his prowess. You vanquished him within a second. What will I gain from all these benedictions? Please bless me that those who are Your servants, may I remain their servants life after life."

So, it is difficult, the subject matter of our preaching but those who are fortunate will understand. They will accept it and will make their lives successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.