29--Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.9

Prabhupada: Heat expands. Hm, so. [pause]

So the intelligent King, he is criticizing the process of atonement. This is intelligence. What is the use of such atonement if one is not stopped doing sinful activities? I become sinful and I atone, it is now adjusted, again I commit sinful and again I adjust, so what is the advance? I commit sinful activities through out the whole. And I have made atonement in the church expecting that my all sinful reaction will be adjusted but why I should do again? Eh? Why there is no such sense even to the priest or even to the, how you say? Followers. The common sense is not there. That if I have to. How the patient and the physician, the physician may say that, "It is a good case, that he is daily coming to me for taking treatment from me." But why the person who is coming to the physician or to the priest for atonement should be so foolish? Eh? So there, that is very intelligent? So drsta-srutabhyam yat papam janann apy atmano 'hitam [SB 6.1.9].

He knows that, "This is not good for him." Just like any man who is intelligent. Just as there is so many species of life. If I commit some wrong then I may be degraded to lower grades of life and if I actually become degraded from human life to animal life or plant life, how much suffering it is. Janan-he knows, he is hearing daily but still janana api, knowingly he is doing the same thing. Janann apy atmano 'hitam-that it is not good for him, it is bad, but still he is doing it. In that case: karoti bhūyo vivasaḥ, vivasaḥ means-imperfectly, automatically, he is so much habituated.

Just like a man who is habituated to smoke. Without attempt his hand is going into the pocket and he is taking the cigarette and he is thinking something else but still automatically he is smoking. This is called vivasaḥ, you see? Although he knows that this is not good but he has been so much accustomed to the habit that without intention the hands and mouth and tongue is working, vivasaḥ. Each word is so important. So if people remain in that habit then what is the use of prayascitta? That is the question.

So this man, this [laughs] sinful man, sometimes committing sin and he is conscious, he is making atonement and again committing sins and again making atonement. So for such person there is no use of prayascitta. There is no use of prayascitta. Prayascitta means alright just like our process is, no consideration about your past misdeeds, you take to Krsna consciousness everything will be alright. Then if I do again? So therefore prayascitta has no meaning. Prayascitta 'partham manye-"In my opinion it is useless." [laughs] Pariksit Maharaja ridiculed him. Manye, it is just like kunjara-saucavat, kunjara means-elephant, elephant taking bath. Bathing very nicely in the lake and after just after coming, these are nature's instructions, on the bank immediately he will gather some dust and through over, all over his. This is animal life, you see, again become dirty, again become dirty.

Why assembled? Because if the man remains in that habit, committing sin and prayascitta then by this prayascitta method he can not stop himself going to the hell. Suppose this week I have committed sinful activities, now I go to the church and everything's adjusted. Then next Monday I again begin to commit sinful acts. And Tuesday or Thursday or Wednesday I die then I am going with my sinful reaction, then I must go to the hell. Then what is the use of this atonement? This atonement, this prayascitta, can not check the person from going to hell. The Pariksit Maharaja's question was that, "These people, they are suffering in the hell, how to deliver them this hellish condition?"

So answer was that they must before death they must execute this prayascitta and the Pariksit Maharaja said that this recommendation of prayascitta is useless because it will not save him from going to the hell. Is it not good argument? "So this kind of prescription, atonement will not save him from-my question is how to save him from going to hell, or how to deliver him." But you suggested prayascitta, atonement. "But I see that prayascitta is useless because it can not save the man from going to hell. He will go." Then just see how intelligent student and how intelligent spiritual master, Pariksit Maharaja.

So, therefore, comparison of: patasyavasyam-bhavitvat, "Then he is surely going to hell, then what this prayascitta, atonement will help him?" Then the reply is:

Now Sukadeva Gosvami is giving the right direction. So this kind of prayascitta it is going on. It is criticized by Maharaja Pariksit, now the Sukadeva Gosvami is giving the right direction that, "Actually this kind of prayascitta-atonement, can not help a person he is sure to go to hell." Then next process is, prayascitta to save this man from going to hell, his real prayascitta is jnanam-knowledge. Not that simply religious rites. They are following, everyone is following some religious rites, rituals. That can not save the person from going to hell. The real thing is jnanam. Prayascittam vimarsanam. Vimarsanam means consideration, to become thoughtful. If a person becomes thoughtful that, "I am repeatedly committing sinful activities again doing some atonement. What is this this? Vimarsanam." That is really, when he becomes thoughtful, when he thinks over, that is prayascitta.

Very nice. He says that vimarsanam, vimarsanam means-jnanam, knowledge. So when a man begins to think that, "Why this is happening?" So that is beginning of prayascitta and again Pariksit-Sukadeva Gosvami suggests that jnanam-knowledge, can be attained only if one follows the regulative principles. Otherwise jnanam will not stay. And he is giving the example, just like a diseased person, if he follows the regulative principles of eating, lying, sleeping. The doctor says that he shall eat this and he shall not do this, he shall do this, he shall do this. So many do's and do-not's. That one has to follow. Then that thinking will stay, otherwise it will not stay. Therefore our principle is: no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat eating. If these things are not followed, regulative principles, then simply chanting Hare Krsna, it will be very slow. Hare Krsna has got its effect.

Just like in India, they are chanting Hare Krsna, so many kirtana parties, but they do not follow the regulative principles. Therefore I avoided these kirtana parties. They collect some men quickly they are not trained up in these regulative principles. They smoke, they drink tea. You'll find these so-called sadhus, they are drinking tea, they smoke. They do not follow regulative principles, therefore they can not make any progress. Although they are doing the same thing. They are also performing kirtana, they are superficially but because they do not follow the regulative principles therefore they do not advance. Otherwise it becomes mechanical, without any effect, if I do not follow the regulative principles, that is stated here.

Niyama, the yoga system also, the first is niyama, they do not follow any regulative principles and they are yoga students. Yama niyama, the first beginning is yama niyama, yama means-restricting the senses and niyama means-following the regulative principles. Yama niyama, then asana, then you can sit down, the asana. Asana, dhyana, dharana, pranayama. This is recommended in yoga practice. Similarly if anyone wants to make progress in spiritual life then he must follow the regulative principles, then it will help him to make progress. Otherwise just like Bhaktivinoda Thakura says [Jaiva-Dharma 25]: namaksara bahiraya nama naya: "That chanting, Hare Krsna mantra, it is simply manifesting the alphabet, Krish nah, that's all. It is not name." Bhaktivinoda Thakura has said. namaksara aksara aksara, means-alphabet. Kri...

Devotee: What?

Prabhupada: Alphabet.

Devotee: Alphabet.

Prabhupada: Krish-na it is coming out, but it has no spiritual effect, nama no effect. Namaksara bahiraya bate nama kabhu naya.

[O brothers! The holy name of Krsna cannot be chanted in the association of non devotees. Even if the alphabets of the holy names are uttered by the mouth that is actually not the holy name.] [Quoted from Sri Jagadananda Panḍita's " Prema-Vivarta 7.1]

Niyamakrd rajan sanaiḥ-but if anyone follows the regulative principles then very soon he will come to the standard of spiritual life and he'll be freed from the sinful activities. The same example, if one follows the doctor's prescription. Just like I have mentioned in my introduction. The direction is there in the bottle by the physician, if anyone follows then he can. Krsna says [Bg 4.2]: evam parampara praptam, "By parampara system Bhagavad-gita has to be learned." Then if one follows that parampara system he receives the knowledge from the representative of Krsna, disciplic succession, then it will be very soon acting. Otherwise it will not. This example is very nice. The physician's direction must be followed, that is clearly stated here:

Ksemaya means-fast progress or good. And what are the niyama? What are the principles. That he describes in the next verse. Tapasa, he has to undergo austerities. Brahmacarya-controlling the sex life. Brahmacarya samena-controlling the senses. Damena-controlling the mind. Tyagena-renouncement. Satya-truthful. Saucabhyam-cleanliness. Yamena-by regulative principles. Niyamena-following regularly. These are the, I mean to say; do's and do-not's. Do's and do-not's. So that has to be followed.

Therefore following the regulative principles, anyone who is following, he becomes able for the progress in spiritual marga.

Tapasa means-Ekagra [determined], tapasya. Tapasa-austerity means that one should be determined: "In this life I must complete Krsna consciousness." That is tapasa. "And for this purpose whatever I have to do, I must do."

Aikagryam means-the first-class tapasya duty is to fix-up the senses and the mind in devotional service, that is first-class. "My mind is trying to enjoy something but I'll not allow the mind to enjoy that thing, I must engage my mind in Krsna." Manasas cendriyanam: and when if you can fix-up your mind in Krsna's service then all the senses, our hands, legs, eyes, ears, they will also be regulated. But if you can not control your mind then other senses will not be possible. Paramam: so therefore to try to control the mind; that is first-class austerity.

Brahmacarya. Brahmacarya means controlling the sex life, that is called brahmacarya. One brahmacarya he is completely celibate life, that is brahmacarya. Another brahmacarya, secondary brahmacarya, is to remain satisfied with one opposite sex. Not varieties. "Today I have sex life with this boy or this girl, again next day again another, again another." That is not brahmacarya. But if anyone sticks to one, therefore marriage is recommended. That is brahmacari. That is also brahmacari.

[aside:] Devananada you are here?

Devotee: No, he has gone.

Prabhupada: So in the sastras:

Now brahmacarya, there are different kinds of sex life: gross and subtle. What is that he says? Smaranam. When you read some novel, some fiction, the behavior between the man and woman, kissing or having sex life, like that. So many novels now. Nowadays this fiction, they clearly describe everything. So that is smaranam-remembering. I have not actually had sex life but by reading these rascal literatures that is also sex life. Subtle.

[coughs] Smaranam, kirtanam-and talking on the. "Oh, I read." You see. So many abominable things are going on. In India one book seller, he told me, that somebody in Europe or America wrote one book that the father fell in love with his daughter. Is that a fact?

Devotees: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: And that book was selling in India like anything. Just see. So this kind of smaranam, keliḥ preksanam-to see very youthful girl or boy very minutely, preksanam. Guhya-bhasanam, and talks very pswh, pswh, pswh, [whispering] with some man or woman-guhya-bhasanam. Sahkalpo-then determination, "I shall meet this nice at that price. That place." Sahkalpo 'dhyavasayas-and trying for that how to complete that scheme or schedule. Adhyavasayas ca, kriya-then action. Kriya-nirvrtir eva ca-and feeling happiness in that way. These are eight kinds of sexual intercourse. Not that actually meeting is sexual intercourse but these are subtle sexual intercourse. Therefore a brahmacari has to avoid it. So that is tapasya, that is tapasa.

Etan maithunam astahgam pravadanti manisinaḥ. Those who are manisinaḥ means-thoughtful persons, they say, authority. This is authority Sridhara Svami is in the authority. He's so manisinaḥ. Thoughtful writers or thoughtful sages, they recommend that this kind of subtle and gross sexual life is against brahmacarya.

Viparitam brahma-caryam etad evasta-laksanam. And similarly there are eight kinds of opposite too. Opposite actions which can keep one in brahmacarya. What is that? Samo manaso niyamanam. Sama, controlling the mind, keep it equibalanced. Damo bahyendriyanam, now damo means-to controlling the external senses. Tyago danam, tyaga, renouncement means. There are so many people come and inquire of, tyaga. "Do we have to give up our family life? Is that necessary?" Do they not ask?

Hamsadūta: Yes.

Prabhupada: So they do not know anything of tyaga. Renouncement means, that is recommended in Bhagavad-gita. That if whatever you possess you give in charity for Krsna, don't possess, that is tyaga. Not that I give up my profession as a lawyer or as this and I become a sannyasi, that is tyaga. No. You earn as much as you can but you give it for Krsna-as service. That is tyaga. That is renounced. Phala-tyaga, that is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita also, 18th Chapter [Bg 18.2].

Renouncement means to renounce the results of your work. Not that you renounce your occupation. Are you following? Not to renounce the occupation but to renounce the earning of the occupation. Then you become. I renounce my occupation and I become a. What is called? A burden to the society, that is not renouncement. I could not make any profit, just like this man is thinking that [laughs]: "By legal profession, now let me give it up, and I'll become a sannyasi or tyagi and earn money by chanting; by curing disease." He is thinking like that. He is thinking like that.

That's all. "I shall chant and cure disease and my earning will be great then my family will be happy. Now the earnings is not much." This is not renouncement, the real renouncement is that you remain in your profession, just like Arjuna. He remained in his profession, he was a fighter but the Krsna wanted this fight so he fought for Krsna but not for himself. For himself he decided not to fight but he fought for Krsna. Krsna wanted. That is renunciation. Even he is a fighter, even he is a warrior, he renounced all this life. Karyam karma karoti yaḥ. [Bg 6.1]

"It is my duty, Krsna, Krsna's satisfaction is my duty." When one does in that way it doesn't matter what he does but if he does everything for Krsna's satisfaction then he is renounced, otherwise not.

This is. Try to understand what is renunciation. Renunciation is not [laughs] that I give up, give-up my family life, I become a mendicant, I am a great renouncer. No. That kind of renouncement will not stay. There are many sannyasis, they make like that but again become after these material activities. Renouncement means renouncing the results of your occupational duties. That is renouncement-Karma-phala-tyaga.

Revatinandana: [indistinct] Prahlada Maharaja, it was printed in Back to Godhead there was one quotation. I can't remember what was the scripture. But the quotation was that unless the spiritual master is bona-fide the mantra that one may have received will not have any effect [indistinct] They haven't received the mantra from proper channels therefore it has no effect?

Prabhupada: Yes. Actually that is the position. Unless one is directed by the bona-fide spiritual master anything of a spiritual activities, they are not bona-fide. Just like the same example. Unless one is treated under a bona-fide physician, following his rules and regulations, then the disease becomes cured. That example is given here. Sastric. Otherwise practice has no value. [End]