Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.1 – April 10, 1975, Hyderabad

Gold Is Gold, God Is God

Prabhupada:

This evening I shall recite some verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fifth Canto, Fifth Chapter, on the instruction of Rsabhadeva. Rsabhadeva was the father of King Bharata, after whose name this tract of land is called Bharata-varsa. So Rsabhadeva, before retiring from family life, He had one hundred sons, and He instructed them about spiritual realization of life.

This Bharata-varsa, land of Bharata-varsa, it is meant for spiritual realization. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His mission is to distribute the message of Bharata-varsa throughout the whole world. He said-it is recorded in a Bengali stanza,

Upakara, you can understand-it is very common word-to do something good to others. Upakara. And apakara means to do something harm to others. At the present moment, throughout the whole world, the design is how to do something harmful to others. This is called envy. The material world is full of envies. I am envious of you, and you are envious of me. This is materialism, this struggle between man to man, family to family, community to community, nation to nation, species to species. Everyone is envious. This is material disease. And spiritual life means not to become envious. That is spiritual life.

Therefore in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaranam [SB 1.1.2]. This dharma, bhagavata-dharma… Bhagavata-dharma means the religious principles connecting with Bhagavan. That is bhagavata, and that is dharma. If the dharma, or the principle of religion, does not try to understand God, or to reestablish the relationship with God, that is not religion; that is cheating. Therefore Bhagavata says. So all types of cheating religion is rejected from Srimad-Bhagavatam. We have manufactured so many religious systems: Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion and so many others. Why religion should be designated? Just like gold. Gold is gold. There cannot be any Hindu gold or Muslim gold or Christian gold. Gold is gold. Everywhere you take gold, people will accept as gold. Because one Hindu is taking gold to some Muslim country, it does not mean the Muslims will not accept because it is brought by the Hindu. Gold is gold. Therefore religion, the conception of religion, must be gold. That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam,

That is first-class religion, paraḥ. Paraḥ means transcendental, not material.

That system of religion is first class, or transcendental, which teaches the followers how to become devotee of the Lord. That is religion, and that is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita:

That is religion. Krsna appeared. His mission was,

So He appears for reestablishing the principles of religion. Now, at the end of His instruction in the Bhagavad-gita, He says, sarva-dharman parityajya. He did not appear to teach Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion. He appeared for teaching what is religion. Religion cannot be two. Religion is one. Man's religion should be one. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma, religion, means the codes or the order given by God. That is religion. This is the simplest definition of religion. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam. Just like law means the codes or the order given by the state. You cannot manufacture law at your home. That is not possible. That is not law. What the state says, "Keep to the left" or "Keep to the right," that is law. If you violate the law, then you will be punished. Similarly, the laws of God is the laws of material nature. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said,

Just like the legislative assembly passes the law to be carried out, to be executed, by the people in general. And if they do not do it, then they are punishable. Similarly, the dharma, or the codes of Bhagavan, you have to accept. Compulsory. If you do not accept, then you will suffer. Mūḍha janmani janmani mam aprapyaiva [Bg 16.20]. This is the law.

So human life especially meant for understanding what is God and what is the law of God and how to follow it and achieve success in life. That is human life. Sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. Sambandha means first of all we must understand what is our relationship with this material world or with God. So many there are. Everything is relative-this is a relative world. So what is the relativity between God and ourself? There must be God. The atheist class of men, they deny the existence of God. But that is superfluous. They cannot deny the existence of God, because they have to abide by the laws of God. How you can deny the existence of God? Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mrtyuḥ sarva-haras caham [Bg 10.34].

The atheist class of men, they do not believe in God, but they believe in death. That they will have to believe. They cannot avoid it. And Krsna says that "Death I am. If you do not believe in God, then you will have to believe Me when I come as death and take everything from you." Mrtyuḥ sarva-haras caham. You may deny God, and you may do whatever you like, and you may create your own kingdom by plans. But when Krsna will come, He will come as death, because you are atheist, and He will take away everything what you have created. Just like Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu was atheist number one, and he was very much persecuting his own son because he was a devotee of God. The only fault. So when it was very, very terrible, at that time Lord Nrsimhadeva appeared and killed Hiranyakasipu within a second.

So unless you make a solution of the four problems, namely birth, death, old age and disease, which is compulsory, how you can deny God? That is not possible. A madman says that "I don't care for God," but no sane man will say like that. So God is there. I may believe or not believe-that is my business. But God is there, God's laws are going on, and we have to follow. We shall be forced to follow, this way or that way, so there is no excuse to deny the existence of God. That is foolishness. Therefore if you are sane man, then we should be sober. In cool head we should think of how we are being controlled, who is the controller, why we are being controlled, why we are not independent, why we are forced to accept something which we do not want. These things are to be considered in human life, and that is the beginning of Vedanta-sūtra, athatho brahma-jijnasa. Now this human life is meant for inquiring about Brahman. That is the only business. That is the only business. Sastra says that,

Everything is arranged according to the body I have received. How I have received this body? I have received this body by the material nature. Everyone can understand it.

So the prakrti is instrument through which God's law is working. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. The scientists are trying to make something new, but the real problem,

that is under the control of prakrti, or the instrument of God. Now, how to make our life successful, that is being instructed by Rsabhadeva to His sons. The first business, He says,

"My dear sons, this life," ayam dehaḥ... Ayam dehaḥ means this body, this human form of body. Deha-bhajam nrloke. There are many other bodies. There are 8,400,00's forms of body.

Then,

So there are so many forms of life in this material world, ayam loke. Deha-bhajam. Deha-bhajam means one, the spirit soul, has accepted this body-but by evolutionary process, from aquatics to plant's life, then insect life, then reptile's life, then bird's life, beast life, then human form of life, then civilized form of life, then the life of human body born in Bharata-varsa. This is the highest, highest developed life by evolutionary process, this land of Bharata-varsa.

So I am especially speaking to the Indians, bharata-varsis, that you have got this life in this land after many, many evolutionary process, bahūnam janmanam ante. Bahu-sambhavante, the sastras say. Bahu-sambhavante [SB 11.9.29]. Unfortunately, we are forgetting this. At the present moment we are forgetting the importance of this life born in the land of Bharata-varsa. This is our misfortune. Don't be misled. You have got this human form of life, bharata-varsi. Very easily you can take the opportunity of understanding what is God, what is your relationship with God, because in India there are so many Vedic sastras. I am reading one, this Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is also Vedic literature. It is the commentary on the Vedanta-sūtra, bhasyam brahma-sūtranam [Garuḍa Purana]. So this Krsna consciousness movement means that we are spreading this knowledge of Srimad-Bhagavatam throughout the whole world. And as far the Indians, bharata-varsi, it is a special prerogative to understand these Vedic literatures and make his life successful. Do not spoil your the gift, the boon given by God-this human form of life. Do not waste it for nothing. Utilize it.

Therefore long, long ago, about some millions and millions of years ago, this knowledge was imparted by Rsabhadeva to His sons: "My dear boys, you have got this human form of life, especially the body received from Me-I am king in royal family-so don't spoil it." Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke. How to spoil it? Kastan kaman, simply for sense gratification. Working very hard like an ass is not human form of life. Human form of life should be utilized to become very sober, cool-headed, and to understand what is God, what is my life. This is the necessity. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,

Not that everyone should be very much intelligent. It is not possible. In the… Although everyone has got this human form of body, not that everyone is very intelligent. So according to the intelligence, the divisions should be there. That is confirmed by Krsna:

In the human society there must be four divisions-the brahmana, the ksatriya, the vaisya and the sūdra-according to the quality. The most intelligent class of men, they should become brahmanas. Satya, samaḥ, damaḥ, titiksa, arjavam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg 18.42]. So the next-intelligent class of men should become the administrators, and the next-intelligent class men should be the productive class, vaisyas.

Everything is there. And especially in India, this ideal life of human society should be inaugurated. We should not imitate the Western people, who are now dwindling. Their material civilization is no longer giving them happiness. That is a fact. They are seeking after athatho brahma-jijnasa. They are now seeking after inquiring about Brahman. Therefore you find so many Europeans and Americans, they have taken to this Krsna consciousness movement because they are now inquisitive-inquisitive: "What is next?" Why…, why we are following them, how to make machine and skyscraper building? They are coming to Krsna consciousness.

So long, long before, Rsabhadeva advised, "My dear sons, this body should not be misused working whole day and night for sense gratification, because that is the business of the hogs and dogs." Here it is clearly said, kastan kaman arhate viḍ-bhujam ye. Viḍ-bhujam. You have seen. In our India we see viḍ-bhujam. Viḍ-bhujam means stool-eater, the pigs. They are seeking after stool, whole day and night, and they are eating. And after eating stool… The stool is very substantial food. According to chemical examination, it contains all the hypophosphites, because the essence of the foodstuff we have taken, that is stool. So anyone, if one can eat; but we can see that the hogs, they become very fatty, because it contains fat. Sometimes in the wartime, I learned that the German people are taking, extracting, fat from stool. So there is enough fat. The result is they become very much sexually inclined. And they have no distinction how to enjoy sex life. Never mind it is mother or sister or daughter, it doesn't matter. That is hog's life.

Therefore Rsabhadeva is advising His sons, "Don't be like hogs-eat very sumptuously, become fatty, and then seek after sex life and without any discrimination. Don't be like hogs and dogs. This life is not meant for, to become like dogs and hogs." This is the first instruction. Then what it is meant for? He says, tapo divyam putraka: "My dear sons, this life is meant for tapasya." Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some miseries. Just like we ask our students for tapasya: no illicit sex. So in the Western countries it is very difficult to give up this habit. But these boys and girls, on my request, they have given up. This is called tapasya. I do not like to give up something, but for achieving some higher result, if I give up voluntarily something, which may cause some miseries, still I shall accept it. That is called tapasya. Tapaḥ.

So why tapasya? Tapasya is accepted for some higher achievement. So therefore He said, tapo divyam putraka. Divyam. Divyam means "transcendental." Just like Krsna says, janma karma ca me divyam. Divyam: transcendental, divine. So Krsna says that,

Anyone who tries to understand Krsna's activities, that is divyam. So tapo divyam: "My dear sons, accept tapasya for that transcendental realization." Not for manufacturing atom bomb. That is also tapasya. The scientists undergo severe penances how to find out, discover some… Not that kind. That Hiranyakasipu... Hiranyakasipu, he also underwent great tapasya, but what was the result of that tapasya? To tease his own son, because he was devotee. Not that kind of tapasya. That is demonic. Tapo divyam. Divyam. You just try to undergo austerities and penances for divine, transcendental realization. That is tapasya. "Why I shall go? I am enjoying my senses very nicely like the dogs and hogs. Why shall I undergo tapasya?" Now the answer is given: tapo divyam yena sattvam suddhyed. This tapasya is required if you want to purify your existence. Just like a man suffering from some disease, he is advised by the physician that "You don't eat for some time. Fast." That is tapasya. Why? Not to be cured-to purify the body from the disease. That is tapasya.

So here tapasya is advised not for some material profit but for transcendental realization. Then what will be the result? Now, suddhyed sattvam. This existence… At the present moment my existence, this bodily existence, is not pure. If it is pure, then why shall I be subjected to birth, death and old age? Because it is not pure. The so-called scientists, philosophers, they do not know. They say death is..., it is inevitable; we cannot avoid it. No. Death is…, can be avoided. That is called tapasya. That is called purification. Just like Krsna says, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg 4.9]. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti. After giving up this body, Krsna assures; then you don't get another material body. Where is that science? They do not know whether we are going to accept another body. That's a fact, but they do not know it. Big, big scientist, big, big professors, they do not know it. They think that this life is the end, and after, there is nothing-zero. Sūnyavadi. Nirvisesa-sūnyavadi.

But that is not the fact. Krsna says, tatha dehantara-praptir, the most, I mean, authorized person, Krsna. Who can be greater authority than Krsna? All acaryas accept-Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Sahkaracarya-the acaryas who guide the destiny of Indian civilization, they accept krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. So how can you deny the statement of Krsna? Krsna says, tatha dehantara-praptir. As you are changing body in this life,

so there is dehantara-praptir. So this dehantara-praptir means diseased condition. And we have accepted the so-called material happiness as happiness. But that may be happiness, but that is temporary. But real happiness, as it is stated here, that,

If you purify your existence, that you are hankering after happiness, that happiness will be eternal. Eternal. Never interrupted. That is wanted. Ananda-cin-maya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis [Bs 5.37]. Ananda-cin-maya-rasa. Rasa means "taste." We taste some happiness, but not this material happiness. But just like you taste sugar candy when you are suffering from jaundice, the taste will be bitter, but sugar candy is not bitter; it is sweet. But when you are cured from the jaundice disease, the same sugar candy will be tasting very sweet.

So we are hankering after tasting sugar candy in the diseased condition, and we are tasting the bitterness of it. But if you are cured, sattvam suddhyed, our existence is purified, then we shall taste brahma-saukhyam tv anantam-unlimited, eternal happiness. That is the business of human life. Not that for temporary happiness we shall work like hogs and dogs perpetually, and getting change of another body, another body, another body. That is not very good intelligence. That will be described by Rsabhadeva in the later verses:

This kind of working means I am creating another body. That we do not know; neither this science is known to the modern civilized man. They are in ignorance how we are creating another body, how there are so many different types of body. That is warned: yata atmano 'yam asann api klesa-da asa deha. This body is not tempo…, not permanent, but as long the..., as long the body is there, you must suffer. You must suffer threefold miseries. That is not coming to our brain. We are accepting suffering as happiness. Hah?

Asatyere satya kari mani: you are accepting untruth as truth. This is our modern disease. It is not new, and some thousands and thousands of years ago… Srimad-Bhagavatam was written five thousand years ago, and this instruction of Rsabhadeva is there, so it must have had happened long, long, many, many years before this Bhagavata was written.

So the same disease. Because the material creation is not new. The disease is there from the very beginning. Now, in the Kali-yuga, the disease is very acute. Otherwise, the same birth and death. We have not improved anything, because the same birth and death is continuing. We are eating, sleeping, mating, and everything is going on. So if we want to improve our position, if we want to enjoy life eternally, blissfully, then we must take to this Krsna consciousness movement. That is our request. If you don't take it compulsorily, then you are committing suicide. We are just trying to save the human society from this suicidal policy.

So my request is that it is a very scientific movement, authorized from..., taken from the Vedic literatures, and based on the principles of Bhagavad-gita as it is. So our only request is, especially here in India, they should take it very seriously and try to apply the principles in their life, and spread it all over the world. That is the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara . We Indians, we are not meant for exploiting others. That is not our civilization. Cheating others-no. That is not ours. Our civilization is to do good to others. This is Indian civilization. Don't forget it. You have got a very exalted position. Take advantage of the sastras, make your life successful and try to do good to others.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya gurudeva. Jaya Srila Prabhupada. Haribol. [break]

Prabhupada: It is already described in the Bhagavad-gita that karanam guna-sahgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg 13.22]. There are different forms of life, different species of life. What is the reason of these different gradations? A dog's life and a man's life is different. How it has so become? What is the scientists' reply? I don't think the scientists can reply this. Or they can reply, "Evolutionary process."

How the evolutionary process is taking place? So that answer is also given in the Bhagavad-gita,

That... The developed human life is obtained by karma. Karmana daiva-netrena jantur dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. We are working under the control of material nature, and we are infecting, contaminating, different modes of material nature. Just like a person who has contaminated the smallpox infection, he must suffer from smallpox. That is medical science. Similarly, karanam guna-sahgo 'sya [Bg 13.22]. There are three material modes of nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. So if you associate with goodness, then your next body becomes manifest in the modes of goodness, just like highly intelligent class of men, or the brahmana. If you infect the modes of passion, then you become passionate; you get passionate body. And ignorance also.

Every reply is there. As we are associating or contaminating different modes of material nature, we are manufacturing or giving chance to get a certain type of body, exactly if I infect the smallpox disease, I must suffer from it. This is the law of nature. So when, after associating with the modes of goodness for many, many years-or not many, many years but many, many lives-then one can become very intelligent brahmana.

After many, many births of this kind of contaminated diseases and births and body, when by culture of knowledge, by austerities, by penances, by brahminical culture one becomes very, very learned and wise, at that time he can understand what is God-not before that. Bahūnam janmanam ante jnanavan [Bg 7.19]. Not the rascals and the fools can understand what is God. Only the jnanavan. So as you are trying to become jnanavan for higher status of life, similarly, if you become jnanavan to understand God, then God consciousness will come. Not so easily.

So not only ordinary human being. What they can understand about God? Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. What is the perfection of life? One must know. The perfection of life is to understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." Aham brahmasmi. That is perfection of life, when one can understand.

So after becoming Brahman-realized soul, when he is fully liberated from material contamination-goodness, passion or ignorance-prasannatma, na socati na kahksati, he has no material hankering, neither he laments for any material loss, samaḥ sarvesu bhūtesu, when he visions all living entities as spirit soul, mad-bhaktim labhate param, at that time he is eligible to understand what is bhakti. And bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvataḥ [Bg 18.55]: if you become bhakta, if you have got the opportunity to come to that platform, then you can understand God. Otherwise, God is not so easy to understand. [break] [answering another question] What is your duty? That is the first thing. Do you know what is your duty?

Indian man (1): Duty [indistinct].

Prabhupada: You manufacture your duty, but you do not know what is your duty. [laughter] Duty is: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. That is your duty. Anything you manufacture duty, that is not duty; that is cheating. [applause] First of all, you learn what is your duty; then talk of duty. In your office if you go, if you say, "Anything I do, it is my duty," no. You must know the particular work you are advised to act by the superintendent or the director, not that you can manufacture your duty. If you execute that duty, then you are dutiful. Otherwise, you are simply creating trouble, just like a monkey. They create their duty, and wherever he goes, "Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" The monkey's duty is no duty. A man must know what is duty, and he should execute. That is duty.

Indian man (1): As you have explained, Lord Krsna [indistinct] Arjuna to do his duty.

Prabhupada: Well, first of all you try to understand Krsna, what He says. Then, if you are dutiful, then you can say who is the other dutiful. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. If you come to that stage of life, then you are dutiful. Otherwise, if you create your duties as monkey, that is not duty. [pause] Hare Krsna.

Indian man (2): [indistinct lengthy question]

Prabhupada: So, our endeavor should be not to be implicated by the material modes of nature, never mind what is the percentage. This material world is always mixed up-some goodness, some passion, some ignorance. Here you cannot possess the material quality in full, cent per cent purity. No. That is not possible. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. One quality is overlapping the other quality. Our business is how to become transcendental to all these qualities, not to be touched by any of the qualities of material nature. That is our business. That should be our aim. Nirguna. That is called nirguna: no more contaminated by the material qualities. That is called nirguna.

And that is very simple thing. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,

Mam ca avyabhicarena bhakti-yogena yah sevate. If one accepts this bhakti-yoga process,

These are the different nine items of bhakti-yoga. If you take all of them or some of them or at least one of them, you become transcendental to all these material qualities. Sa gunan samatityaitan. All these material qualities one can transcend and remain in the Brahman platform, brahma-bhūyaya kalpate. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannatma na socati na kahksati [Bg 18.54].

This is the process. It is not that we shall possess this quality certain percentage, that quality certain percentage. No. Above all qualities. That should be the aim of life. Then we shall be in the Brahman platform, or in the spiritual platform, and then our life will be successful. Otherwise, struggle for existence, bhūtva bhūtva praliyate [Bg 8.19]. We take one type of body according to the contamination of material modes of nature, we suffer or enjoy, then again we die, again we accept another body. In this way it continues, and we remain entangled in this material world.

Indian man (2): [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Yes. It is said in the sastra,

The Krsna-His form, His name, His quality, His pastimes, His paraphernalia-cannot be experienced by these material senses. Ataḥ sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiḥ. He is beyond the indriyas. But if one is engaged in devotional service, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau... That devotional service begins from jihva, tongue. This tongue means can be utilized in devotional service in two ways, namely by chanting the holy name of God and by tasting prasadam. If first of all one engages his jihva, means tongue, in devotional service by chanting the holy name, Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and tasting only krsna-prasadam, not anything else, then Krsna, being pleased by his devotional service, He manifests Himself, reveals Himself. That revelation is experienced, very highly advanced devotee.

So for advanced devotee everything is possible, as described by this gentleman. But that is not for everyone. That is not a common thing. Exceptional. For the common person, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised and as He has practically shown in His life, that is devotional service in separation: "Where is Krsna?" Sūnyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me [Siksastaka 7]:

"I am seeing everything vacant because I cannot see Krsna." The same thing was followed by the Gosvamis. He radhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ: "Where you are? O Radharani, O Krsna, O the gopis, where you are?" He radhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ sri-govardhana-padapa-tale kalindi-vane kutaḥ. Govardhana-padapa-tale: "Either on the valley of the Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Ganges, where you are, all?" Seeking. Ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau. One should be mad after seeking Krsna-"Where You are? Where You are?" Not that "I have seen." That is not bhajana. Bhajana means how to become mad after Krsna. One who has once heard the tinkling sound of His ankle bell, He'll be mad after Him-"Where You are? Where You are? Where You are?" Not that hearing and becoming engaged in the family affairs. No. That is not possible. One who has seen, one who has heard, he'll become mad-no more interest in this material affairs. That is the sign. We can say. Of course, if you are experienced devotee... But so far we see of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His immediate successors, Gosvamis, they are mad after Krsna. They never said that "We have seen Krsna." This is called bhajana by separation, vipralambha-seva.

So if we become mad after Krsna, that is perfection, not that "We have seen Krsna." We may see, but so far the Gosvamis are concerned, they are simply seeking. Ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau. Vihvalau means mad-"Where is Krsna? Where is Krsna? Where is Krsna? Where is Krsna?" That is self-realization.

Thank you very much. Chant Hare Krsna.

Devotees: Haribol. [end]