Lecture after Kumbha-Melā – May 1, 1971, India

Prabhupada: .... ayatnataḥ, nobody is very careful to invite distress. Everyone is working very hard, undergoing severe austerities, penances, for becoming happy not for becoming distressed. But distress overcomes us even without any endeavor, without any austerities, it comes always. Prahlada Maharaja says that as distress comes without any endeavor similarly because you have got a particular type of body so your standard of happiness is already there. Why you are wasting time for improving your standard of. The whole world is struggling with standard, in India independence means they are trying to bring it-the Western ways of life, technology, industry. But they do not know that Indian body is specially meant for something else-spiritual realization. That is indicated by Lord Caitanya:

The Indian body is especially meant for spiritual cultivation. These rascals they do not know. They are simply imitating artificially therefore they take up, copy, everything is chaos, to put horse before a cart. Indian body is especially meant for spiritual culture. We have just been, saw in the Kumbha-mela, millions of people simply coming for taking a dip into the Ganges. Without any advertisment, without any propaganda. Why? Automatically they are inclined to make spiritual advancement. They are so faithful that it is in the sastra it is written that during Magha-mela, if one lives there for one month and takes a dip in to the Ganges and confluence of Ganges and Yamuna at such-and-such time. Just see.. A big city was constructed, unique in the world. You can not find in any other part of the world a people who are so much religiously, I mean to say enthusiastic. But these rascals, they do not know. They are bringing in technology for India. This is very important point. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says that:

The happiness, standard of happiness is according to this body you have got. So you have got Indian body, why you are trying for technology? Duḥkham ayatnataḥ [SB 7.6.3]: so it is a platform of cooperation therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that those who have got Indian body their duty is to utilize the instructions, the books, the philosophy, the religious procedure left by great sages. Especially by Vyasadeva, by Narada, by Asita, by Devala, the six Gosvamis, saḍ-gosvamis. It is their duty, to study all these literatures, to assimilate their purpose. Why they made so many literatures? About Gosvamis it is said that:

The next order[?] of this literature: lokanam hita-karinau-simply for the benefit of the whole human society. As such every Indian's duty is to assimilate the essence of the sastras and that makes his life perfect and with that perfect ideas of life they should go all over the world and preach this cult of Krsna consciousness. Then it... Indians, Indians are meant for that and. And you can distribute your knowledge but if you require some material benefit, the Western countries, they are far advanced, why try yourself to manufacture motorcar? There is so many motorcar manufacturers outside India, better motorcars, just import at-as a cheaper price, better goods. No, that they will not do. They'll start a motor, third-class motor industry and exploit the people which they could purchase at three thousand or say five thousand rupees, they have to pay here fifty thousand, seventy thousand, and wait for six months for a car. This is rascaldom. Why shall I waste my time for manufacturing motorcar when it is available at seven thousand rupees? Better save my time, just cultivate spiritual life, Krsna consciousness and go. They are so much eager to accept this Hare Krsna movement, the government is callous, they are not encouraging even this movement. I am personally [indistinct] Nobody is.

This is the anology Prahlada Maharaja said, "No, don't try artificially for your happiness." You are. You should be satisfied that a particular type which I have got, that is the standard of my happiness and distress, so I should be satisfied. That is the philosophy of devotee, devotee is never distressed, even artificially they are sometimes seen in distressed, they do not accept it distress: tat te 'nukampam susamiksamano [SB 10.14.8].

They can see that whatever it may be, distress or happiness, it is all Krsna's mercy. That is the devotee's view, they are not disturbed: yasmin sthito gurunapi duḥkhena na vicalyate [Bg 6.22]. If one is situated in Krsna consciousness even in the severest type of distress he is not disturbed, gurunapi. Guru means very heavy, gurunapi duḥkhena, by distress, [indistinct], na vicalyate, he is not disturbed. He knows that whatever is there, it is Krsna's mercy. "Let me make my progress in Krsna consciousness unhampered, without meaning[?]. Apratihata, Krsna consciousness is so nice that no material impediments can check it, it will go on, apratihata ahaituky, yayatma suprasidati [SB 1.2.6] and by that way you can have peace of your atma.

Each word, that is the significance of Srimad-Bhagavatam, each and every word is so selected, so rightly placed, that you can not suggest anything better than. That is sastra, without any error, without any mistake, without any cheating and without any imperfection. This is sastra. Tat-prayaso na kartavyo [SB 7.6.4]. Therefore Prabhlada Maharaja says: "Don't try, don't waste your time for technology my dear demons." Daitya, he says, "My dear demons." His classfriends he addressed "daitya". Tat-prayaso na kartavyo, na kartavyo, "Don't waste your time for such endeavors." Yata ayur-vyayaḥ param, "The result is that you have got valuable duration of human life, you are simply wasting." Yata ayur, "Now just see how much foolish we are?" The whole modern civilization is going on-on this process, simply wasting time but if you say that, "You are wasting time," they will laugh. But we have to accept the statements of mahajans that this kind of attempt for material improvement is simply waste of time, ayur-vyayaḥ param. Ayur-you can not increase your life by a second. The duration of your life is so valuable that you can not increase a moment of your life by paying millions of dollars. Now we have passed, yesterday, what is called, third month or fourth month, yesterday?

Devotee: Forth.

Prabhupada: Forth month, 1971. Can you bring 1971 forth month again by paying millions of dollars? No. Then if that forth month 1971 was wasted then how much money we have wasted, just imagine. Suppose you have got a diamond, it is a million dollars worth. So if it is lost for nothing are you not sorry? "Oh I lost my diamond, millions of dollars worth." But your are so foolish you do not know that you have wasted your forth month 1971 without Krsna consciousness and you are still proud that you are making progress. You do not know the worth of your loss. Therefore wasting time for sense gratification, Prahlada Maharaja says, "No, no. Don't do it." Na tatha tat-prayaso na kartavyo: "Don't endeavor in that way." Yata ayur-vyayaḥ param, "Simply the process is that you waste your valuable life, that's all."

Ksemam [coughs], ksemam means protection, you can not get any protection by wasting time of your life. Na tatha vindate ksemam mukunda-caranambujam: but if you become Krsna conscious, fixed-up on the lotus feet of Mukunda. Mukunda is another name of Krsna, "One who's lotus feet can give us liberation," He's called Mukunda. Na tatha vindate ksemam mukunda-caranambujam. You can not be happy, you can not make any progress of your life, this valuable human form of life, by any other means except by becoming Krsna conscious.

"My dear friends, demons, therefore you try to act auspiciously." Bhavam asritaḥ, "Why you are in this material world," bhava, this world is called bhava, bhava-samudra, "the ocean of birth and death." Bhava means, "To become," he appears and disappears. Appears means you were not present, so appear and disappear, bhūtva bhūtva praliyate [Bg 8.19]. So bhavam asritaḥ, so long you are under the clutches of the material energy, accepting birth and death repeatedly, bhavam asritaḥ. So ksemaya kusalaḥ, "Just try for your asupicity. Don't waste your time." Tato yateta kusalaḥ, "You simply endeavor for your real auspicity," yateta kusalaḥ.

"So long you do not meet next death please try to develop your Krsna consciousness." That will save you. Not by this economic improvement by manufacturing every year fashionable motor car and riding on it. So?

"This I'm. I am the spirit soul, I am in this body. Until the next separation takes place just try for your auspicity, Krsna consciousness, don't waste your time." Very important advice. This is called Bhagavata-dharma. Of course it is very difficult to convince the people that, "Why you are wasting time in this way? Take to this Krsna consciousness, that's your real auspicity." It is very difficult for them to accept and it is very difficult to convince them but still we have to do that, because it is a fact. How you can take shelter of falsity? Satyam param dhimahi. We have placed the Bhagavata-dharma, satyam param dhimahi, we have taken shelter of the Supreme Truth. How you can make compromise? You have to take real side. Who can challenge this statement of Prahlada Maharaja as he has said? Is there anybody who can challenge? Can you challenge anybody, what Prahlada Maharaja said? Say it. What is your challenging statement? Anyone? You're all from Europe, America, Japan. What is your? Is there any challenge? Now you say Pakistan.

Devotees: [laugh]

Prabhupada: We have places everywhere [laughs]. Yes. Just try to understand, this is Bhagavata-dharma. We can challenge everyone. Pumso varsa-satam, he is analyzing the life, that's how intelligent-Prahlada Maharaja. This is Krsna conscious child, how nice instruction he is giving to his class-friends, five years old boy. If you can produce such child then it is successful marriage otherwise what is the use of marriage? Produce a child like Prahlada Maharaja who can teach from the very beginning of his life Bhagavata-dharma. That is, my Guru Maharaja used to say like that. That, "If I can produce a Krsna conscious child I am prepared to marry hundred times." He was a sannyasi but still he used to say like that, "I am prepared to marry hundred times. Why one wife? I'll have hundreds of wives. Otherwise I will not. Nothing [indistinct]." Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami used to say like that. So just see this is the ideal Krsna conscious child because this child when he was baby in the embryo of his mother he heard from a perfect Krsna conscious personality, Narada Maharaja-and that should be result.

Why these people are suffering? They have given up the association of devotees. Sat-sahga chaḍi,' asate-lila, "They are simply engaged in nonsense activities." Te-karane lagilo mor karma, "Therefore I am entangled." Birth after birth, death after death, this is going on. Now he says:

He says that hundred years, a person has got one hundred years, maximum. Ayus tad-ardham cajitatmanaḥ: and out of that hundred years fifty years is, I mean to say surely and certainly to be wasted, fifty years. And fifty years means suppose I have got hundred years age so I sleep. I sleep, general people they sleep twelve hours. Eight hours, nine hours, ten hours, twelve hours, like that. Therefore that twelve hours sleeping means I do not do anything although I have got twenty-four hours at my disposal. Therefore half of my age is wasted, cajitatmanaḥ, because I cannot control sleeping. So half my age is wasted.

Nisphalam, "Without any material benefit or spiritual benefit." Sleeping means without any material benefitting. [indistinct] you work. Suppose if there is remuneration, you work somewhere for six hours, you get some money. That is not also possible because you are simply wasting time, neither there is spiritual advancement. So Prahlada Maharaja: nisphalam yad asau ratryam sete 'ndham prapitas, "He becomes blind and he remains in darkness, in ignorance." Darkness is ignorance. Therefore half of the life is wasted in darkness.

Acha, out of that fifty years at least twenty years is spend in childish proclivities, playing. Mugdhasya, we are very much captivated for playing and wasting time. Mugdhasya balye kaisore: childhood, boyhood-up to the age of twenty years-young, beginning of youth. That is also wasted,

Vimsatiḥ means twenty years is spent like that.

And old men, after retirement, another twenty years for making adjustments how to. Thinking always, "Oh my wife is ill, my son is not yet well posted, my daughter is not yet married and this and so and so on." For twenty years like that. Jaraya, and then, just like old age, coughing or some rheumatic things, some other complaints, there is no digestion, go to the doctor. So jaraya, jaraya grasta-dehasya, because this body, you have got a particular type body, you have to suffer or enjoy according to the body.

And those who are unnecessarily attached to home life, family life. Durapūrena kamena, durapūrena kamena: because he is still hoping, although he is getting old coughing, every time an invalid, a still he is hoping that, "My wife is there, so if I am in disease she will take care of me and my children are there, they will take care. How I can go outside? How I can take sannyasa? I shall have to live alone and who will take care of me? No, no, I shall not go." Durapūrena kamena, and still he is hoping that, "I shall situate this way and that way." But of course that is everyones duty but not durapūrena, not that one should think of this program which is impossible to be fulfilled.

Pancasordhvam vanam vrajet, there is a sastric injunction: "As soon as you're fifty years old left. Leave it. [coughs] Aside." You can not make it perfectly situated, your family affairs. If you think like that, "I shall make my family affairs very perfectly situated, then I shall take sannyasa." "I shall give all my money to the family and I shall take some, I mean to say. Little money with me and I shall go to Vrndavana. I shall live there." The adjustment is family, not adjustment how to go to Vrndavana. [coughs]

You will find, in Vrndavana, there is many retired persons are living. The major portion, ninety-nine per cent of their money has gone to their families and one percent money he has deposited in savings to get him some say twenty or fifty rupees per month and like this. They call, "This is perfect Vrndavana living." And they criticize us, one gentlemen who is a Babaji, he was speaking to me, "Swamiji, why you are so much interested for pracara-for preaching. You are living in Vrndavana, why you have left? Please don't go any more." Last time, he was saying. "Yes. That's alright, but my. What can I do? My Guru Maharaja has ordered. So you better enjoy Vrndavana let me go to hell." So they think like that. That simply by sitting at Vrndavana and doing all nonsense. Of course not everyone is doing, but this is the mentality. So:

Simply that is also another waste of time, making adjustments.

That is also another type of:

Prahlada Maharaja is challenge, "Where there is a single person who is so much attached to family life," ko grhesu puman saktam atmanam ajitendriyaḥ. They are, to be attached to family affairs means he could not control his senses. One too much attachment for family life means one who cannot control his senses. My Guru Maharaja used to say, "This marriage is a type of concession, it is a license." Just like where there is prohibition, there is no wine. No wine, just like in India there are many such cities you can not purchase wine. What is this called? It is called prohibition?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: But there are persons also who cannot live without drinking so for them a special license is issued. He has to take certificate from a bona fide medical practitioner that, "This man, without drinking, he will die." Therefore a limited quantity of liquor should be supplied to him." So when he gets that certificate the government gives him a license that, "You can purchase." So this:

That every living being has got a natural tendency for sex life, vyavaya, amisa, meat-eating, amisa-madya-seva, intoxication, nitya, that is the. I mean to say condition of material life-sex life, meat-eating and intoxication. Na hi tatra codana, nobody is required to be taught in the school, colleges, how to use sex life, they automatically know. This science is not taught in the schools and colleges, na hi tatra codana, there is no need. But why these arrangements, the marriage, why the sastra says that you should be married? That is a license, that's all. Not that it is required, but it is a license one who is unable to control his senses, that's all.

So here Prahlada Maharaja is challenging, ko-"Who is that?" Grhesu puman saktam atmanam ajitendriyaḥ. "One who is unable to control his senses and therefore attached to family life." Grhesu atmasu, sneha-pasair drḍhair baddham utsaheta vimocitum. So such persons, not only is he sensually attached but also sneha-affection for children, for wife, for family, for house, for dress, for furniture. How he can become free from these attachments? It is very difficult.

Ko grhesu puman saktam atmanam ajitendriyaḥ sneha-pasair. Sneha-pasair-it is just like one is bound up with rope or shackles. This sneha, the so-called affection is also like that. Sneha-pasair drḍhair baddham, drḍhair: of course that is natural, this sneha-to have affection for wife, children, home, etc. That is natural, even Arjuna was standing before Krsna, he was also bound up in that way. But that bound up is different, that is natural sequence. But one who is dhira, one who is so strongly, he cannot give up. Everyone is bound up by this affection but somebody is too much bound up by such affection therefore-drḍhair. Drḍhaiḥ means too much. Sneha-pasair drḍhair baddham-such persons who was too much affectionate to his family life, it is very difficult to get them liberation.

Now grhesu yat [?]

Prahlada Maharaja said that, "Money is acquired with great difficulties." Everybody is struggling whole day and night for earning some money, honestly and dishonestly. Not only dishonestly, sometimes there are thieves and rogues and burglars, they earn money by killing. So money is so sweet that one is prepared to kill others and get money. So how much attraction for money. So who can give up this attraction? It is impossible, it is very difficult. Ko nv artha-trsnam visrjet: "Desire for acquiring money, who can give up?" Artha-trsnam visrjet pranebhyo 'pi ya ipsitaḥ It is so dear that one loves money more than his own self-pranebhyo. One can sacrifice his life.

Sometimes a burglar-dacoits, they go to plunder a householders life. And they say, "Where you have kept money? Give me. Give me your keys." "No. I cannot give or I do not know where is the key." Then sometimes they are killed a still they will not deliver the keys. [Laughs] They'll be shot down, a still they'll not deliver the. Therefore the money is dearer than life. Otherwise why he is prepared to give up his life. If his life is so important then he would be: "Alright Sir, you can take my key and everything. Don't kill me."

Devotees: [Laughter]

Prabhupada: [Laughs] But he will say, "Alright you can kill me but I shall not deliver." So these are practical.

"They desire to keep it, even more than life." Everyone tries to save his life but this attach to material happiness, material wealth. They love material wealth and material opulence more than life, more than life-pranebhyo 'pi ya ipsitaḥ.

There is-Just see how Prahlada Maharaja has selected that the money. For money how unfaithfully and dishonestly they live. Who? First of all taskaraḥ. Taskaraḥ means-burglars, thief, how dishonestly they live, how awfully, sinful life they live, simply for money, taskaraḥ and then sevakaḥ-servants. The servants gives you service, not that he is very much attached to you, he gives service for money-sevakaḥ and vanika, and mercantile people. They will give you service, "Service is our." What is that? There is some slogan.

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Ha?

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: No. They will write on the signboard that, what is that? "Service our motto." What for service? Because as soon as the customer will come he will exploit, that sort of service. Real, real aim is how to get more money from the customer. The paid servant also, his real motive is how to get more money from the master and similarly the thieves and burglars they are also on the same how to get more money, even by killing. So just see how Prahlada Maharaja was lecturing.

Taskaraḥ means burglar and the so called servant and vanik they have been classified almost in the same category. Ko nu visrjet [Bhavartha-dipika 7.6.10].

When we are entangled in family life these are the different types of attraction. What is that? Katham priyaya anukampitayaḥ sahgam rahasyam rucirams ca mantran. Whispering with the wife, wife is giving some advice that: "Do like that, do like that."

Devotees: [laugh]

Prabhupada: Analytical study. Analytical study, the five years old boy. Just see. Katham priyaya [indistinct], priyaya, priyaya means, "very dear", anukampa means "very sympathetic". Who can be better friend than wife? So priyaya anukam pitayaḥ sahgam rahasyam always associating and chatting jokingly. Rahasyam, katham priyaya: you don't be sorry, sometimes I also remember. Yes. Yes. [laughs] It is so attractive. You see? This is maya. This is called maya. Yes. These are identically stating.

And this is answer, the advice, instruction, given by wife, is very palatable ca mantran. Then kalaksaranam anurakta, suhrtsu tat-sneha-sitaḥsisūnam. Then also friendship, in family life there are so many friends. Suhrtsu tat-sneha-sitaḥsisūnam-and the smiling of children of affection and love. Tat-sneha-sitaḥsisūnam kalaksaranam anurakta-cittaḥ-sometimes they cry, they draw tears, in this way the consciousness becomes absorbed with the entanglement. The consciousness, instead of becoming Krsna conscious, our consciousness is entangled with all these things. These are very important slokas.

mantran means-not even instruction.

So in this way if one is too much entangled how one can. We should always remember Prahlada Maharaja said that: kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan [SB 7.6.1]. The beginning was that, "My dear demon friends from the childhood you should learn Krsna consciousness and be." If I am advanced, if I am young man, if I am married, if I am again fallen into this family life then it may not be possible actually. That is a fact. The family attraction, nobody is interested in Krsna consciousness movement, they are simply interested with these things: the association of wife, family, children, motorcar, house, bed, furniture. They are so much attracted with these things that the main business of their life, Krsna consciousness, they are not interested.

Huh? Thank-you very much. [mic moves] [break]

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Oh that's a good plan.

Devotees: [laugh]

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Yes. That means if he becomes guru immediately, he becomes spiritual master. If anyone advises like that, that: "Why you are so much attached to the skin and the bones? Why you are not attached to Krsna?" Oh such wise is the spiritual master. Bilvamahgala was also chastised by a prostitute. Bilvamahgala Thakura, Haridas, and immediately, "Oh, Yes." Immediately he left and went to Vrndavana, Bilvamahgala Thakura. But that does not happen to everyone, this is reference to the context. Because Bilvamahgala Thakura, in his previous life, he was raised up to the bhava-bhakti but somehow or other he fallen down. So therefore there is no loss of the Krsna conscious person even he falls down.

"Even in his immature state without being perfectly maturity, if he falls down there is no loss because whatever he has done, that remains his asset." Just like Bilvamahgala Thakura, [indistinct]. They had cultivated this Krsna consciousness in his previous. That was actual. It was disturbed by someway, circumstantially but as soon as there was a word from the wife or prostitute immediately. Immediately it came to the conscious, "Oh, yes. What I am doing? Because I." That is rare instances. It is possible for Tulsi dasa and Bilvamahgala Thakura, they had previous success. So therefore we should take it that let us increase our effect of Krsna consciousness as far as possible. Even we fall down in this life there is no loss in this sense, and in the next life I shall begin again, Krsna will give me chance. But that does not meant we shall be lethargic. We should be very enthusiastic to finish Krsna conscious business in this life.

Sucinam srimatam gehe [Bg 6.41]. There are many authorative versions of Vedic. That a devotee, even he falls down, he does not loose his assets what he has already acquired, that remains, that is never lost. Krta-punya-punjaḥ, krta-punya-punjaḥ Just like one saves his money in the bank: little, little, little, little, little, little. Similarly if we cannot have the whole amount in this life, little, little also, that will never be lost and one day and it is full, then it is [indistinct].

Other things you acquire and if you can not fulfill the whole thing whatever you have done is lost, materially. Suppose you start a business and it requires one million dollars capital and you have got one-fourth million, so you start it. [coughs] And if you could not supply further money that quarter million dollars is also lost. If you cannot fulfill the whole program whatever you have done that is also lost. But in spiritual assets it is not like that. Suppose you require to go up to the hundred points even if you have finished twenty-five or twenty or fifty, that is not lost, that is in your assets. Again you have to begin from fifty-one percent. That is the instance of Tulsi dasa. They are already advanced, not that simply by the words of a wife they turned so quickly. There are many wives, they also joke like that, but not, they do not turn. But these, he had his assets. It is when they are fixed on the point he turns immediately. So fructify.

You know the story of the Tulsi dasa? That he is referring. He had too much affection she was a very beautiful wife and the Indian system is the wife sometimes goes to father's house. Sometimes, in the younger ages. So his father-in-law several times came to take his daughter but he refused, "No, no. She can not go. She can not go." So another time when her father came Tulsi dasa's mother rebuked him that, "This gentleman is coming to take her, why you are not allowing?" So Tulsi dasa could not say anything, the wife was allowed to go.

So suppose in the morning she was allowed, when in the evening Tulsi dasa approach father would then come, in the evening. And that surprised the wife. He became too much disturbed, that "You are so much attached. I was coming this morning and you are again in the evening? So why you are so much attached to this skin and bone? Why not to Ramacandra?" "Oh, that's alright. Yes, yes. You have seen it." So Bilvamahgala Thakura also.

What is that bug? kopila nam sorobisaw [?]. You know that kokila circle, very black but their voice is so attractive.

Ah. Alright. [End]