Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 3

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṅa is lion to the demons, and He's a lamb to the devotees. [laughter] Hare Kṛṣṅa. Jaya. So the atheist, they say that "We have not seen Kṛṣṅa." Yes. You'll see Kṛṣṅa as lion when He'll ultimately come and capture you, "Ow!" [laughter] That is death. Atheists will see Kṛṣṅa as death, and theists, devotees see Kṛṣṅa as lover. That's it. Hare Kṛṣṅa. Nama om bhagavate vāsudevāya.

[aside:] You sit down properly, back side. Yes.

oṁ pūrṅam adaḥ pūrṅam idaṁ pūrṅāt pūrṅam udacyate pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]

[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]

īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam [Īśo mantra 1]

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

kurvann eveha karmāṅi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti na karma lipyate nare [Īśo mantra 2]

[One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man.]

asuryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ [Īśo mantra 3]

[The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance.]

anejad ekaṁ manaso javīyo nainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat tad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti [Īśo mantra 4]

[Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence.]

tad ejati tan naijati tad dūre tad v antike tad antar asya sarvasya tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ [Īśo mantra 5]

[The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything.]

yas tu sarvāṅi bhūtāny ātmany evānupaśyati sarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ tato na vijugupsate [Īśo mantra 6]

[He who systematically sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything or any being.]

yasmin sarvāṅi bhūtāny ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvam anupaśyataḥ [Īśo mantra 7]

[One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?]

sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṅam asnāviram śuddham apāpa-viddham kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr yāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ [Īśo mantra 8]

[Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead, who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated, the self-sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's desire since time immemorial.]

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'vidyām upāsate tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyām ratāḥ [Īśo mantra 9]

[Those who engage in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the culture of so-called knowledge.]

anyad evāhur vidyayā- nyad āhur avidyayā iti śuśruma dhīrāṅāṁ ye nas tad vicacakṣire [Īśo mantra 10]

[The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.]

[04:11]

Hmm. Anyone can explain the third verse? Kurvann eveha karmāṅi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ. Who will explain, please stand up. Nobody? [laughs] How is that? Huh? Yes?

Devotee: This explains that the human form of life is meant for realizing our spiritual nature, our nature as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. [indistinct] material servants. It explains that those who do not cultivate this kind of knowledge, they simply live like the animals, like the swine. [indistinct] without caring for the spiritual nature. They are known as ātma-han, killers of the soul, and they will enter into the planets of the [indistinct].

Prabhupāda: No, I wanted that's true, kurvann eva. That is true, yes. That's all right. So anyone will explain this,

kurvann eveha karmāṅi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti na karma lipyate nare [Īśo mantra 2]

[One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man.]

So you should try to read the explanation, these word meanings. So kurvann eveha karmāṅi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ. Samāḥ means years. You can live hundreds of years if you understand the philosophy of life. Otherwise, what is the use of living? The trees are also living for five hundred years, for thousands years. There is one tree in San Francisco... What is that wood?

Devotee: Redwood.

Prabhupāda: Redwood. No. There is some wood, I forget. Crossing bridge. Anyway, they told me that this tree is standing for seven thousand years. So the trees are also living, and you are also living. You are trying to live. Whenever there is question of death, you resist. That means you do not want to die. That is natural sequence.

So here it is said that why should you live? Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, ke lāgi āche, āchi..., that "Why I am living? I could not achieve love of Godhead. Then what is the use of my living?" He's lamenting. Narottama dāsa kena na lāgilā māriyā. Kena bā āchaye prāṅa ki sukha lāgiyā [Song 41: Ākṣepa].

[Oh, why has my heart not experienced any satisfaction? And why has Narottam Dās not simply perished?]

He said, "Why I am living? What is the purpose of my living? What is the ultimate happiness?" Better I would have died, because I could not attain love of Godhead.”

That is real life. We should not try to live if we do not develop love of Godhead. Otherwise, the trees are also living; what is the difference? You are, what... How many years you can live? Say utmost hundred years, that's all. But the tree is living for seven thousand years, five thousand years. You cannot compete even with the tree, so far living is concerned.

So here it is said, kurvann eveha karmāṅi: one may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on doing work in that way. Which way? īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1].

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

Everything belongs to God. Our this society, Kṛṣṅa conscious society, we are not dismantling society. No. Not like Māyāvādī. Māyāvādī says this is…, this world, this material world is false. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā.

[The Supreme Brahman is the only truth, and this material world is false.]

“Let us give it up just like we give up stool, urine, and don’t aspire after it.” Similarly, the Māyāvādīs says, “Give it up just like you leave your stool and urine, and take to brahma.” But our philosophy is not like that.

Our philosophy, we have created a Kṛṣṅa conscious society. We are having wives, children, brother, sister, father, mother. That is society. So we have got everything here. In which way we are lacking, that there is no father, there is no mother, there is no husband, there is no wife, there is no children? No, it is not negation. How these children are coming to receive?

Just like in an ordinary family when the grandfather comes, little children takes pleasure, and the grandfather takes pleasure. Here the same thing is there; we are not denying. I do not say, “Oh I am a sannyāsī. Oh, you do not send these children to me. I have left my children. Why another children would come and bother me?” [laughter] No! [laughter] It is not like that. We are changing the face of the society: Kṛṣṅa conscious society.

Kṛṣṅera saṁsāra koro chāḍi anācāra [Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura].

[Giving up all sinful activities, carry on your worldly duties only in relation to Lord Kṛṣṅa. The showing of compassion to other souls by loudly chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṅa is the essence of all forms of religion.]

Our propaganda is that let us become the member of Kṛṣṅa’s family. That is our program. And if we enter into Kṛṣṅa’s family… Just like Kṛṣṅa is enjoying with His consort. So there is nothing negation; everything is there. Kṛṣṅa is eating, Kṛṣṅa is enjoying, Kṛṣṅa is dancing, Kṛṣṅa is offering His prasādam—reciprocation. Nothing is denied. If we live in Kṛṣṅa consciousness then we can live for hundreds, thousands, or any number of years. Actually we do not die. What is death and birth? That is of this body. So we are eternal; Kṛṣṅa is eternal.

Our purpose is how to get out of this atmosphere where I have to repeatedly accept one body and then again quit it. And that I do not know what sort of body I am going to get next. There are 8,400,000’s of bodies, and if I get a body like that tree, red tree, standing, stand up for thou…, seven thousands of years, would you like it? But māyā is so strong that even that life, the tree, is standing seven thousand of years happily, and it is growing nicely.

But those who are outside the atmosphere, they’re, “Oh, what is horrible life!” Tree is also living entity, standing for seven thousands of years, so he becomes shocked. That is human life. We should be shocked seeing so many varieties of life, abominable life. And here is a chance, this human form of life, that you can get out of this shocking atmosphere.

So this verse instructs us that if you realize that everything belongs to Kṛṣṅa, or God, everything should be employed in the service of the Lord. I am Lord’s..., I am part and parcel of the Lord; therefore my energy should be utilized in the service of the Lord. If you develop this consciousness, then you can live.

jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti na karma lipyate nare [Īśo mantra 2]

[One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man.]

If you live like that, na lipyate nare karmani. Otherwise, every work has got some reaction if you don’t work for Kṛṣṅa. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gitā:

yajñārthāt karmaṅo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg 3.9]

[Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṅu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.]

Yajña-arthāt: only for Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa's another name is Yajña, Yajñeśvara. So yajñeśvara means… Yajña means we offer sacrifice. And who is accepting? Kṛṣṅa. Our sacrifice should go to Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa also explains in the Bhagavad...,

yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tat mad-arpaṅam [Bg 9.27]

[O son of Kuntī, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.]

Kṛṣṅa has... The karmis, they are working. But Kṛṣṅa says, “All right, you do.” Yat karoṣi: “Whatever you are doing, you just do it for Me, and give the result to Me.” That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. You can work. You can have very big factory, working—but give the result to Kṛṣṅa. Then your, that factory-running is also as good as we are running this temple, because ultimately the profit is going to Kṛṣṅa. Why we are working for this temple, employing our energy? For Kṛṣṅa. So any field of activities, if you utilize it for Kṛṣṅa, that is wanted. In that way you can do. Jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ [Īśo mantra 2].

[One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man.]

Otherwise, you'll be entangled; you'll be responsible.

Because when you work intentionally or unintentionally, we are committing so many sinful activities. Take, for example, that we are not in favor of animal killing; but when we walk on the street, unintentionally we are killing so many animals. You cannot get out of this entanglement. When you are drinking water, you are killing so many animals. When we are exhaling, inhaling, we are killing so many, water. When we are igniting fire, so many animals are killed.

So we cannot avoid it. So if you do not devote your life for Kṛṣṅa’s service, you’ll be responsible for all these minor killings also—intentionally or unintentionally. Ignorance is not excused. If you drive unintentionally to the left side of the road, you are immediately prosecuted. You cannot say, “Oh, I was little inattentive.” No. That is not. The law of state is so strict; and how much the law of God is strict you should understand. Don't take it trifle. His agents are very…

daivī hy eṣā guṅa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg 7.14]

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

You can avoid the vigilance of police, but you cannot avoid the vigilance of God. The day is witness, the night is witness, the air is witness, the sun is witness, the moon is witness. How we can avoid the sinful activities? Therefore if you want to save yourself, then you have to take to this Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Otherwise you are doomed.

Devotees: Oh!

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṅa. Jaya! [devotees offer obeisances]

Prabhupāda: Chant begin.

[18:30] [kīrtana] [Prabhupāda plays gong]

[prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [end]