27--Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.2.32

Prabhupada: ... because he has no shelter, anadrta:

Just like in the sky, you may go very, very high but if you don't get a shelter then you'll again fall down. Simply flying very high in the sky is not success. Just like these rascals are going very high, Candra-loka but when, were you are coming back? Why you are coming back? "But there is no shelter Sir." Then what is the use of spending money like that? Finished all business, now they do not talk of even-because there is no shelter. Similarly those who are jnanis they perform severe austerities, penances, and go up and the up to the impersonal brahma effulgence but again fall down. Because impersonal brahma effulgence is devoid of Krsna's personality, that is the defect therefore sastra says:

Because they do not take shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna. They say that, "Krsna is maya, Krsna's body is maya, He is a man, He is dead, He is gone, now I am Krsna, I am bhagavan." So therefore anadrta, anadrta. Anadrta means: "Does not very much appreciate the shelter of Krsna." When Krsna says:

These rascals say, "This is sophistry, it is too much claiming," there are such rascals. So therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has plainly said that: mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa [Cc Madhya 6.169]. "Anyone who becomes an impersonalist by the association of these philosophers, his progress towards devotional service becomes finished. He will never be able to come to the standard of devotional service,"sarva-nasa. Sarva-nasa, mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya. Therefore one should be very, very careful [not] to hear the philosophical discussions from the Mayavadi. It will spoil the whole situation. Krsna namni. So if we actually want detachment from this material world then take directly to Krsna consciousness and it will very soon be affective. Other methods will not be accepted. And this especially in this age, therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha .

The three times nasty eva means-just like if you want to stress on some point we say three times, "You must, you must, you must." This is one point, another point is that nasty eva, that you can not be perfect by following the procedures of fruitive activities. This is one nasty eva, another nasty eva: you can not get perfection by following the principles of mental speculation. Then another nasty eva: you can not realize the absolute truth by practicing yoga principles. Therefore three times: nasty eva, nasty eva, nasty eva. Another nasty eva, as it is stated in the sastras: krte yad dhyayato visnum [Cc Madhya 20.345]: "By meditation it was possible to realize Visnu in the Satya-yuga."

When everyone was very pious, everyone was paramahamsa that at that time meditation was possible. Krte yad dhyayato, that is not possible now-nasty eva. And tretayam yajato makhaiḥ: during Treta-yuga people used to perform very big sacrifices. That means huge amount of money required to perform it, that is not possible. People in this age they have no even food for the next day. Everything is in the store, every day purchase and eat, and sometimes that is also not possible because manda-bhagya , they haven't got any sufficient food.

For ordinarily, for maintaining this body, one requires eating, some shelter for living, sleeping, some wife for sense gratification and some protection from danger. These four distinct principles are primary necessities of any body-either animal or human being. But apart from the animals, because they are not so degraded, this human society is so degraded that there is no guarantee even for these four principles. There is no guarantee whether he has got anything to eat, whether he has got any shelter to live. Not to speak of India, I am speaking of the rich nations like America. I have seen personally there are many persons that are called, "Bums?"

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: Yes, they have no shelter, they have no food arrangement, there is no, I mean to say, sense gratification arrangement. Simply helpless. They have made their position, not that the government is lacking but they won't take the advantage of the facilities. They are so unfortunate but they have created their own position in life. Just like a rich man's son, his father has got money but he won't accept father's protection. He'll go to hell. What can be done? That is unfortunate. Even if you have got the facility to take advantage of these four principles of life: eating, sleeping, mating, he'll not take. He'll refuse to take and become unhappy, because he is unfortunate, that is his...

Just like there is a story, it is very instructive. That one day Lord Siva and Parvati was walking and one poor man, means he was kind. "Lord Siva kindly give me," he was little. Just like there are many poor beggars sometimes they chant Hare Krsna for begging purpose. Similarly he was, "Lord Siva kindly give me something, I am very poor, he was. So Parvati and Lord Siva was going, so Parvati says, "Oh here is a poor man who is asking, why don't you give him something?" So Lord Siva says that, "He is so unfortunate that even if I give he will not be able to enjoy it."And Parvati said, "How is that? You give him." [Laughs] So, so Lord Siva, in a water-melon gave him a million dollars, "Take this water-melon." So next moment Lord Siva and Parvati was seeing; next moment that poor man called some men, "Sir what shall I do with this water-melon? If you give me four annas, you can take." So that man, "All right, you take four annas." That means the water-melon in which a million dollars was there, it was taken by somebody else. This is of course story that actual fact is that you can not enjoy, even there is facility. There are many, many instances. It is useless to try to satisfy a needy man because he has been forced-prakrteḥ kriyamanani gunaiḥ karmani [Bg 3.27].

He has done, he has associated with such qualities of the material nature that he has to suffer, he can not... Just like for example if a man is condemned to death by law there is no power in any in the hands of any good citizen or any of his relatives who can save him. He must be. Even there was a case, a son of a member of parliament in England, he was condemned to death. So even he was a very prominent member, he could not save the life of his son. So that's a fact, unfortunate.

So in this age especially all these processes recommended in the Vedic literatures: jnana, vairagya, yoga, karma, nothing will be successful, nothing will be successful. Therefore Lord Caitanya says this process, as recommended by Lord Caitanya: harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam .

It can be accepted, it can be practiced by anyone without any distinction: fortunate, unfortunate, this or that, everyone and immediately there is a profit. Immediately there is a profit and as you make progress, then you'll become unattached.

[aside:] Don't sit like that.

Those who are engaged in material happiness they have to face with so many dangers. It is not that because you have got some money, because you have got some car, because you have got very nice apartment you will enjoy very peacefully. No. That is not possible. So many, income tax, pen tax, this, that, so many will bother you. You'll try to save, then again the same will be.. The big, big merchants, those who have got very good income, they are trying to save, they are making false accounts. So many things, that is, that means even if you have got money, that does not mean your happiness is guaranteed. This is the place like that. Then you. Therefore Bhagavatam says that this material happiness is vrjinava, vrjinavahesu. Vrjina means, "Dangers," it is full of dangers. This platform is dangerous. But anyone who takes to Krsna consciousness, lives to the standard-yavad artha-prayojanam. Simply be satisfied for the bare necessities of your life and that was the basic principles of our Indian civilization.

Even the Prime Minister Canakya, he is so well-known all over the world and his policies and political diplomacy are appreciated and his politics are studied in the MA class. He used to live in a cottage, he was Prime Minister. This Canakya Panḍita, he used to live in a cottage and he would not accept a single farthing as salary. He was brahmana; brahmana can not become a servant, then he becomes a dog. That is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. That "a brahmana he's, he's in difficulty, he should not accept the profession of a sūdra just like a dog." It is so much strongly said. So he was not accepting, even sometimes the brahmanas would accept some political position in rare circumstances. Like Dronacarya was a commander in chief he was, the Canakya Panḍita was a brahmana and he was Prime Minister but he would not accept a single farthing as salary and he was living in a cottage. Eh you see? And when some, for some political reason Maharaja Candra Gupta asked some explanation he immediately resigned. That, "You asked explanation from me," "Alright away you go." That was his position.

So this Vedic civilization was based on plain living and high thinking. Big, big persons, just like Vyasadeva there is no comparison of his authority-Vyasadeva. Eh? Nobody can imagine how one man can write so many books and so perfectly. This Srimad-Bhagavatam was written by Srimad-Bha. Vyasadeva, so nice verses, each verse is so full of thought-philosophy. It is unimaginable that how a man can write like this. Hm, but it is possible for him because he is incarnation, that is another thing. But if you take from humanitarian point of view it is not possible but such a great personality. Veda-vyasa, the guru of all sections of the sampradaya-vyasa-guru. Therefore guru-pūja, the spiritual master's birthday is observed as vyasa-pūja because the spiritual master is taken as the representative of Vyasadeva. The asana from which the spiritual master instructs, is called vyasasana. Vyasasana means: "That chair that it belongs to Vyasadeva, that position is for Vyasadeva." Because, because the spiritual master is representative of Vyasadeva he is allowed-not anyone. So such an exalted personality, he was living in Badrikasrama in a cottage. Just see how Vedic civilization, he was living in Badrikasrama, Badarayana-in a cottage. That was all. Only the royal class the king class they had big, big buildings because they had to maintain that. Rulers, they must have some exalted position otherwise the people will not respect. But ordinary men, they never struggled for these nonsense things, big motor cars, big house and big. No, they were satisfied with agriculture whatever produce is there, that's alright, that is sufficient. Anyone can live anywhere simply by keeping cows and tilling the ground, that's all. Economic question immediately solved. Just like we are trying in our New Vrindavan, there is no economic problem. We can feed there hundreds of men, the production is so. Sometimes they work for that as they are now [?].

So a still all over the world there is enough land, the so-called overpopulation is a bogus propaganda. There is enough land but they will not you will see in the mornings they are going to the factories, running to the factories. They will not take to that business: tilling the ground and protecting the cows. Dhanyena dhanavan gavaya dhanavan. That principle is lost. One is considered, one was considered in those days-dhanyena dhanavan, "How much grains you have got in stock then you are dhanavan-you are rich." "How many cows you have got?" Then you are rich. But at the present moment this is called maya. You have bunch of papers written, "Hundred dollars, five-hundred dollars," and if you have got how you are sufficient? "Oh I have got millions of dollars." What is your million dollars? Paper only and as soon as the paper value is gone you will starve, you'll starve. The whole civilization is like that and the big, big cities.

So therefore in this age the circumstances are so different that you can not perform yoga system, you can not execute on the mental speculation and know the Absolute Truth-it is not possible. Better in whatever position you are just try to chant Hare Krsna: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, then you will be benefited, otherwise not. That very simple process will gradually raise you to higher spiritual understanding and as soon as you are raised to the higher spiritual understanding automatically you become detached to all these material things.

Anyas tu kama-hata. Anyas tu: those who are not devotees, those who are not Krsna conscious, they are kama-hata, they are defeated by their lusty desires. Greedy, lusty-kama-hata, this very word hataḥ, hataḥ means envious or difficult. Kama and greediness is so strong that for fulfilling that lusty desires and greediness you'll have to work very, very hard just like cats and dogs and hogs-kama-hata. And if they are in criminal case they try to protect themselves and similarly when because kama-hata, those who are visited by lusty, greedy concepts of life, they must commit sinful activities. Sometimes we see that a big man who gives in charity some percentage of his income that he gives in charity because he knows he makes so many sinful activities, "Let us give some charity, some religious institutions." But that is karma-kanḍiya-vicara: counteracting the sins by karma. The, the example is given, just like if you are pricked with thorn you take pricked by a thorn you take another thorn and get out this thorn-that is the karma-kanḍiya-vicara. Then if you have done something wrong then you do something good and it will be counteracted, this is called karma-kanḍiya-vicara. But they will never take to devotional service, the karma-kanḍiya. They like that big yajnas, they like. But Bhagavata says: kama-hata atma-rajaḥ pramarstum iheta karma. They again try to accept some fruitive actions but by giving that he again becomes engaged in sinful acivities. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita: yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra karma-bandhanaḥ: "If you do not act only for Krsna then whatever you act, pious or impious, you'll be bound-up by the resultant actions." It is also said:

Yata eva, because you are engaged in fruitive activities you'll be again entangled.

Now Sukadeva Gosvami concludes that, "After hearing the statements of Yamaraja since then the Yamadūtas, the assistants of Yamaraja,"svabhartr-gaditam bhagavan-mahitvam. "The master,"Yamaraja is authority and master, "after hearing from the master the. The glories of devotees and the Supreme Personality of Godhead."Samsmrtya vismita-dhiyo yama-kihkaras: they became surprised by thinking on this, "Oh how the devotees are fortunate that they become so easily freed from all sinful reactions and" Naivacyutasraya-janam pratisahkamana [SB 6.3.34]: "Since that they do not even doubt of the devotees that they are sinful." That means they never go, never try to approach there. Immediately as they see, as they see that here is a devotee, then, "This is alright."Actually that is the thing. Because he is a devotee, because he has got this tilaka, because he has got this kunti, "That's alright, we don't bother him." It is so advantageous. Naivacyutasraya-janam: that these symptoms, this tilaka and this kunti, what, what does it signify? "Oh he has taken shelter of Krsna." That's all, that's very nice. Just like a dog has a, what is is called?

Devotee: Collar.

Prabhupada: Collar. They are not street-dog, street-dogs. Oh he has got a master and the street dogs, hut, and immediately, you see? So these signs, sometimes they criticize, "Why this is necessary?" This is necessary to save yourself from the Yamaraja. Just like if you go in uniform everyone is afraid, "Oh he is a policeman," you see? So this is required. Here is the naivacyutasraya-janam: these signs means, "Oh he has taken shelter of Krsna." That is confirmed so Yamaraja or his men or understudies will not come here. They will offer namaskara, "Oh he has taken." Because the whole process, just like the government, what is the whole process? The process is that let the citizens be good citizens, law-abiding, that is the whole process. Government, good government looks like. The good government means that the citizens must be, I mean, good follower of the laws and live very honestly. For that purpose there are so many educational institutions, universities and so many arrangements, just to make good citizens. Similarly the whole material world, all the living entities within this material world, they are all rebelled, krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha [Prema-vivarta 6.2].

Their only purpose is that, "We don't care for God, we must enjoy this material world to the best capacity." That is their policy, that's all. Therefore all of them are criminals. And whole idea of Vedic literature is to convert them again to the, to understand that he is servant of Krsna, that's all. [End]