Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.18 – July 19, 1974, New Vrindavan

Everyone has got occupational duty

[recorded on faulty equipment]

Prabhupada: Nasta-prayesv abhadresu [SB 1.2.18]. Abhadra. Abhadra, in human understanding, means it is not civilized. In your country you say "the gentleman." So that gentleman, he is called bhadra, and in India the gentleman is considered as bhadra. So all of us, unless we become Krsna conscious, will be bhadra..., will be abhadra. [indistinct]. When one [indistinct], then he is [indistinct] cultured. So this cultured [indistinct] means to hear about Krsna. Simply hear, and you are hearing [indistinct]. So you haven't got to do anything. Simply come here, and sit properly and hear about [indistinct]. You haven't got to exercise your breathing or [indistinct]. Just sit down like a gentleman and hear about. This is a very important process. That we have already discussed. Srnvatam sva-kathaḥ krsnaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Simply if anyone agrees to hear about Krsna, then life becomes [indistinct]. Our process is, "Please come, hear about Krsna and take krsna-prasadam," [indistinct].

So Krsna is so kind that as soon as he begins to hear about Krsna, immediately his lower tendency is diminished. Srnvatam sva-kathaḥ krsnaḥ. Even Krsna's attention is not drawn, still, simply by hearing and chanting, you become [indistinct], purified, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Siksastaka 1], cleansed. So when this process is adopted but it is not even finalized, perfected, still you get the benefit. Still you get the benefit. Suppose you have to attend lecture, and hearing for hundred times. Suppose you have done only one or two times-still you get the benefit. Not a single part of this is [indistinct]. In the sastra it is said, if by some sentiment, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer [SB 1.5.17]… Just like in our association, in the Society, many men come, join, not exactly understanding what is Krsna consciousness, but "Out of sentiment, let us join." He doesn't know. He gives up his own duty, tyaktva sva-dharmam. Tyaktva means "giving up," and sva-dharmam, sva-dharmam means "occupational duty."

Everyone has got occupational duty. Generally, according to Vedic civilization, occupational duties are divided according to qualities. That is also in the present days also. If one man is qualified as a medical man, he is allowed to act as a medical man. If one man is qualified as an engineer… So every man has got some occupational duty. So sastra says that out of sentiment he gives up his occupational duty, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer, and takes to this Krsna consciousness movement, "Let me join"-that's all right; anyone can join this Krsna consciousness movement-then he becomes perfect. But if he sometimes go away, that bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi [SB 1.5.17], the culture is not completed, but by some bad association falls… Bad association is already there, because the whole material nature is bad; it is not good. So, bhajan. If one has joined Krsna consciousness movement, and let him execute the rules and regulations, then he is making progress. There is no doubt about it. But somehow or other, even if he falls from this [indistinct], sastra says that what is the apakvaḥ, what is wrong in that, even if he is fallen down? Now the person who is occupying or engaged in his occupational duty very nicely, what is the gain?

So just try to understand. One person out of sentiment gives up his occupational duties and joins Krsna consciousness movement and cannot make it perfect-while in Krsna consciousness movement falls down; there are many instances-still, he has no loss. And this man who is very dutiful, and he is exactly, nicely doing his occupational duties, so what is the gain? Just try to understand. So he is… If this man who has joined Krsna consciousness out of sentiment, even if he falls down, whatever he has done, that is permanent credit. If he has done one percent, that one percent perfection is guaranteed. Then next life he will begin from the second step. It is so nice. Therefore he has been saved. Nasta-prayesv abhadresu [SB 1.2.18]. Not that this inauspicity of material existence is completely finished; even it is finished to certain percentage, not hundred percent, so, then what…, what is the result? The result is the,

He becomes a, a bona fide [indistinct]. [indistinct] cannot execute, [indistinct] no more false. Nasta prayesu. Prayesu means false. Nasta prayesu. You begin with simply hearing, and even if you fall down, still it is [indistinct]. Therefore you should take chance of this hearing krsna-katha. Then, as soon as possible, that we shall preach also that.

It is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order that amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring all over. So somebody became Vaisnava simply by seeing Him, by hearing Him. That man, he became a Vaisnava, He was so… He is Supreme Personality of Godhead, [indistinct]. So some, some of them wanted to come to [indistinct]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "No, you remain in your duty. Don't give up your duty, but you become a guru." This is wanted. "Every one of you become a spiritual master"-Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, amara ajnaya: "By My order." You cannot become spiritual master all of a sudden. There must be order of the superior person, superior person. If you say that now you have made your disciples, now [indistinct]. That means when one has received order from the [indistinct], you can be. But the order is open. Order is open, but it must be executed properly, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. What is that? Amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. There is no need of going out of home, out of country. Any place you are situated has got [indistinct]. You remain in your position. There is no need of changing your position, but this order should be [indistinct]. Then your life will be [indistinct]. This is the process. The more you hear, the more you become advanced. And practically you have seen, all our devotees here in the beginning, and now there is such difference. How the difference is coming? Simply by hearing. Sruti. Sruti means hearing.

So our movement, Krsna consciousness movement, does not mean that you give up your occupational duty, give up your home, give up your family. No. There are many grhastas, as we have got. Bhaktivinoda Thakura [indistinct]. He was a grhastha. He did not give up his home, nor neither his job. He was a magistrate, government official. But he became a great devotee, by culture. What is that culture? Krsna-katha. Simply he was coming from his office, at say 5:30 in the evening, and immediately he would eat [indistinct] food and go to his room and sleep. And then he will rise up at three or five and begin writing books. So he gave us so many nice books, Caitanya Siksamrta, [indistinct] especially, and many song books in Bengali, in Hindi, some of them in Sanskrit. So he was in this way engaged. So if one wants to serve Krsna, so Bhaktivinoda Thakura's life is good example. Even by becoming a responsible government officer, he could become a very, very high [indistinct], provided he wants to carry out the order of [indistinct]. This is the [indistinct].

Therefore it is said, nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. Bhagavata, this word comes from the word bhagavat, or bhagavan. Bhagavan means that the Supreme Being, full of six opulences. Opulence is called bhaga. So the Supreme Person is endowed with full six kinds of opulence. That is called bhagavan. Every word in Sanskrit has got root meaning. Bhaga means "fortune" or "opulence," and bhaga-vat... Vata is used in the sense of "possession." When you possess something, then this word, this affix, is there. Vata... As vat, and vat [indistinct] becomes van. Bhaga, "opulence," and van-bhagavan. This is [indistinct]. And in connection with bhagavan, the word bhagavata. So this book Bhagavata, and the devotee, he is also bhagavata. So you will have to serve this book as well as the person, person bhagavata.

That is also confirmed in the Caitanya-caritamrta: guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc Madhya 19.151]. That bhagavata, person bhagavata, is guru, the spiritual master. And Krsna… Krsna, guru-krsna. You have to take favor, mercy, of both of them. If you simply think that "I will take the mercy of my guru and don't care for Krsna," no. You have to take favor of Krsna. Or if you take the favor of guru, then automatically you will get the favor of Krsna. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado. If you please your guru, that means Krsna is pleased. Just like you have got small child of your family. Somebody pleases your small child, then automatically you become pleased. Just like there is a proverb, "If you love me, love my dog." Similarly, if you love the dog of Krsna, the servant of Krsna, who is always engaged in the service of Krsna, then Krsna becomes more pleased. Mad-bhakta-pūjabhyadhika [SB 11.19.21]. Krsna says, "If one worships My devotee, that devotion, or that worship, is more valuable than worshiping Me directly."

Therefore, as it is said, nityam bhagavata-sevaya. If you want to increase your love of Godhead-feeling, emotion for Krsna-then you should adopt this process, nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18], regularly. Therefore you will see, if you attend regularly the classes and hear about Krsna, then you will become advanced in Krsna consciousness. Bhaktir bhavati naisthiki [SB 1.2.18]. Naisthiki... [break] ...are fixed, fixed up in bhakti, devotional service. Bhakti means bhagavati. This word bhakti is used only in connection with Bhagavan. There are so many bhaktis they have manufactured. One is devoted to his family; one is devoted to his dog; one is devoted to his country, society. There are different kinds of attachment. But here it is said, bhakti bhagavati. Bhakti, when you give your attachment to bhagavan, the Supreme Person, then it is… Bhakti, bhagavan and bhakta. Bhagavan is there, and bhakta is there, and their transaction between bhagavan and bhakta, that is called bhakti. The impersonalist cannot understand what is bhakti, because there is no duality. They do not believe in duality: bhagavan and bhakta. They believe that everything is one. So there is no question of bhakti in the impersonal philosophy of monism. Bhakti is possible in duality. Nityo nityanam, that is the Vedic version. Nityaḥ, the Supreme Being, and the subordinate beings. The subordinate beings are engaged in the service of the Supreme Being. That is called bhakti. So in order to attain the perfection of this bhakti, devotional service, one has to begin with srnvatam sva-kathaḥ krsnaḥ [SB 1.2.17], and by hearing and hearing, nasta-prayesv abhadresu [SB 1.2.18].

Abhadra, "inauspicious results." What is that inauspicious result? The karmi… One who wants to become happy by working hard in this material world, they are called karmi. Everyone is trying, earning more money, more money.

Diva. Business, the karmis business, is that daytime he is engaged, diva. Carthehaya, divaca artha ihaya, "Where is money? Where is money?" In your country, especially big, big cities, all kinds of motorcars are running in this way and that way. So what is the purpose? "Where is money? Where is money?" Diva carthehaya rajan. Then, if you have got money, then what to do? Kutumba-bharanena. Kutumba means family, that wife, children, relatives also. How to provide them, how to give them money [indistinct], dress, good food [indistinct], or to our countrymen? That kutumba-bharanena. So whole day is spoiled in this way, by driving car this way and that way, earning money [indistinct]. Then affection from the family. Then remains, what is his night? Nidraya hriyate naktam [SB 2.1.3]. Night for sleeping or vyavayena ca va vayaḥ, for sex life.

So this is the business of karmis. At night sleeping or sex life, and at daytime get money and spend it more and more. Then where is Krsna consciousness in his life? Where is Krsna consciousness? Very difficult for the karmis. Therefore the karmis are described in the sastras: mūḍhaḥ. Mūḍhaḥ means the ass. Why ass? They are so intelligent, working hard, so what for? Sense gratification.

Their business is, they have become mad to earn money and spend, nūnam pramattaḥ. What is the purpose? Sense gratification. In France, in Paris, old men, seventy-five years old, eighty years old, they go to the nightclub. They purchase ticket to enter the nightclub, fifty dollars. Then they select their co-partner and wine bottle, another three hundred dollars. So this is the karmi life. He does not know that "Why I am laboring so hard, and why I am spending money unnecessarily in sense gratification?"

Everything is there in our literature, this Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam. [indistinct] Your life will be successful. So here, one thing is suggested: nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. Daily. Daily read Bhagavatam, and try to serve the person bhagavatam, your spiritual master, and study his order. Whatever he will say, just try to do. Otherwise life is spoiled. Adau gurv-asrayaḥ [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu]. Our bhakti-marga is, the first business is, adau gurv-asrayaḥ. Sad-dharma-prccha. So first beginning is to accept the spiritual master and inquire from him about advancement of spiritual life, and abide by this. This is called bhagavata-sevaya. Nityam bhagavata. So it is to be done regularly, nityam bhagavata.

Then, bhagavaty uttama-sloke. Uttama. Uttama means "transcendental." Ut means "transcending," and tama, tama means "darkness." Tama means "darkness of ignorance," also this material world. Tama. It is dark. Because it is dark, therefore this…, Krsna has given us the sun or the moon. Without sun, without moon, it is dark. Just like at night, it is dark. That is its natural position. Therefore it is called tama. Tama means "darkness of ignorance." So bhagavan is uttama. Uttama means "above this darkness." Paras tasmat tu bhavaḥ anyaḥ [Bg 8.20]. There is another kingdom, or another nature, which is not tama, darkness. That is stated in the Upanisad. There is no need of sunshine. There is another nature. This nature, there is need of sunshine. Na yatra bhasayate sūryaḥ: where there is no need of sunshine, there is no need of moonshine, there is no need of electricity. There is.

You will find this, Bhagavad-gita. There, there is no need of these things, lighting, because as here within this universe we have got only one planet shining, the sun planet, the..., in the spiritual world all the Vaikuntha planets, they are shining. And because all of them shining, the whole nature there is shining. That is called brahma-jyoti.

So we have got all the information, that what is the spiritual world, what is the material world, why we are in the material world, why we are subjected under birth, death, old age and disease. So as we go on hearing, nityam bhagavata... In the Bhagavata, you will hear everything, complete, full knowledge… [break] [end]