Bhagavad-gītā 1.44

Pradyumna: Translation: "Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness."

Prabhupāda:

aho bata mahat-pāpaṁ kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam yad rājya-sukha-lobhena hantuṁ svajanam udyatāḥ [Bg 1.44]

[Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness.]

So, sometimes Arjuna is accused, Bhagavad-gītā is also accused, that "There is violence. There is violence. Bhagavad-gītā is full of violence." Yes, it is full of violence, the warfield. But here the Vaiṣṅava thinking..., Arjuna is thinking that it was arranged for his rājya-sukha. Yad rājya-sukha-lobhena. Lobhena. It was arranged for the satisfaction of Arjuna so that he could enjoy the kingdom and the happiness thereof. Actually, it was not so. It was arranged by Kṛṣṅa for His satisfaction, not for Arjuna's satisfaction.

So that is the difference between ordinary work and devotional service. Devotional service and ordinary work, they look almost equal. Just like we are living in this house. The neighbors, they may think that "Some people are living here, chanting, dancing. We also dance. We also sometimes sing. And eating, they are also eating. Then where is the difference?" They may think that "Where is the difference between devotional service and ordinary work?" It looks almost equal.

Therefore people misunderstand that Bhagavad-gītā is ordinary warfare, violence. But it is not that. It is arranged by Kṛṣṅa because, to fulfill His mission. His mission is paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

That is His satisfaction, not Arjuna's satisfaction, not anyone's satisfaction. It is His plan. He comes, He descends on this planet, in this universe, just to establish the real purpose of religious life and to kill, to vanquish those who are opposing the real purpose of life, human life. That is His mission, simultaneously two things. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam.

So svajanam...

aho bata mahat-pāpaṁ kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam yad rājya-sukha-lobhena hantuṁ svajanam udyatāḥ [Bg 1.44]

Svajanam means kinsmen. So kinsmen does not mean, in higher sense, only my brother or my sister or my father or my uncle. No. Svajanam means all living entities. Because one who hasn't got Kṛṣṅa consciousness, with ordinary consciousness, material consciousness, he cannot think in terms of svajanam. "My kinsmen, all living entities," he cannot think. Actually, everyone is our svajana, because if God is father, as Kṛṣṅa claims, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg 14.4], if He is the supreme father...

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

Not only He claims; at least, any fine religious system claims, "God is the original father." That's a fact. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvam pravartate [Bg 10.8].

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

Everything has come from Him. He is the supreme father. So if Kṛṣṅa is the supreme father, He is father of everyone. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg 14.4]. In all species of life, in all forms of life, they are all our svajana, kinsmen. How it cannot be? Because Kṛṣṅa is the original father. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

Therefore a devotee of Kṛṣṅa does not want to commit a little harm to any living entity. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṅe gavi hastini śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18]

[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṅa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]]

Paṅḍitā, one who is learned, he is sama-darśinaḥ, equal vision. Not that... Just Kṛṣṅa has equal vision. That picture, Kṛṣṅa, He's embracing the calf. He is not only embracing the gopīs, but He is embracing the calf also, cows also. Sama-darśinaḥ. For Kṛṣṅa the gopīs, the calf and the cows, or anyone in Vṛndāvana who has come to serve Him, they are all equal to Him. Somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṅa as calf, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṅa as cow, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṅa as gopī, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṅa as cowherd boy, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṅa as His father, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṅa as His mother. These are the different mellows, different taste. Every living entity has got his own taste, how to love Kṛṣṅa. But the central point is to love Kṛṣṅa.

Kṛṣṅa also reciprocates. He has no discrimination that "Here is gopīs, beautiful girl. Therefore I shall love her more than the calf." No. Kṛṣṅa is not so partial. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa's devotees also, because he has... Kṛṣṅa consciousness means he has got now in minute quantity Kṛṣṅa's quality. Therefore he is also equal to everyone. He thinks everyone svajana, the same..., member of the same family. It does not matter if one has become ant or one has become elephant. The living spark, the soul, is the same dimension, either within the ant or in the elephant. This dimension of the soul we have several times discussed, one ten-thousandth part of the top of the hair.

keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca jīvo bhāgaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ sa cānantyāya kalpate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9]

[When the upper point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts and again each of such parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the measurement of the dimension of the spirit soul.]

That is the dimension. In śāstra we get the dimension of the soul—very, very minute: one ten-thousandth part of the top of the hair. Just imagine. So that portion is within the ant and within Brahma and within elephant. Therefore, one who is paṅḍita, one who knows what are these souls, spiritual sparks, part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, if he has got full knowledge, then his vision is,

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmane gavi-hastini śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṅḍitāh sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18]

[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṅa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]]

Sama-darśinaḥ means equal vision. A learned brāhmaṅa, he is most intelligent man in the human society, so, and a dog... Superficially, externally, there is much difference. Here is a dog, a street dog, and here is a learned brāhmaṅa. But one who is paṅḍita, one who is Kṛṣṅa conscious, he sees that the paṅḍita and the dog, they are the same, because they are also the same spiritual spark. By his karma, he has become a learned paṅḍita, and by his karma, he has become a dog. But within the different body, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ [Bg 2.13],

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

asmin dehe, in this body there is the soul.

That is his vision. Of course, externally, it is not that I shall behave equally with the brāhmaṅa and the dog. That is external behavior. But internally, we should know that both the brāhmaṅa and the dog, they're a spiritual spark. This is called brahma-jñāna. Brahma-jñāna means the knowledge of spiritual self. That is called brahma-jñāna. So when one attains this brahma-jñāna, then brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu [Bg 18.54].

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

Samatā, equal. That is brahma-jñāna.

So in this verse Kṛṣṅa says, er, Arjuna says that yad rājya-sukha-lobhena hantuṁ svajanam udyatāḥ [Bg 1.44]. So when we are killing animals for the satisfaction of our tongue, this is mahat pāpam. Kṛṣṅa, Arjuna says, aho bata mahat pāpam. Mahat pāpam, great sinful act. Great sinful act. If we want to kill anyone, any living entity, for my satisfaction, either my tongue satisfaction or any sense satisfaction, it is mahā-pāpam, great sinful act. Because they are all svajana. You cannot kill, either you take this sense or that sense. But Arjuna is speaking in a limited sense; he is thinking of his own family members. But if one is actually in knowledge, brahma-jñāna, he thinks in the same way, that "The lower animals, they are also our family members. And if I kill him for my satisfaction, my sense satisfaction, it is great sinful act."

Unfortunately, everyone is killing for his sense gratification in the name of religion. In the name of religion, although it is prohibited, still they are killing. Just imagine how much sinful activities they are doing. And how they can be happy? Happiness, of course, a hog also thinks that he is very happy that he is eating stool, living in filthy place, and because he has got the facility of sex life without any discrimination, he may think happy life. But that is not happiness. Happiness is different thing. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam [Bg 6.21].

[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.]

If you want to feel happiness by your these blunt material senses, that is not happiness. Happiness is beyond your material senses. Ātyantikam. That is real happiness. Real happiness means it will never end, and you will never feel satiation, that "I no more want." That is real happiness. Material happiness, there is no such thing that you will feel immediately satiation. After enjoying any material happiness a few minutes, you will feel, "Again another, again another, again another."

So therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat [Bg 6.21]. So real, what is real happiness, that is not felt by these blunt material senses. So what is that sense? That is purified senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

[Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.]

When our senses are purified, tat-paratvena, for the sake of Kṛṣṅa, when our senses are employed for the sake of Kṛṣṅa, that is purified senses. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. That is wanted.

So here, in the beginning, Arjuna, he's thinking in terms of his blunt senses. But the same thing he will do. Ātyantikam, atīndriya, purified senses. Just try to understand. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Arjuna is now thinking, yad rājya-sukha-lobhena [Bg 1.44]: "For the matter of getting kingdom and sense gratification, I am going to kill my kinsmen. So it is great sin." That's a fact. If the warfare in the Kurukṣetra battlefield was for Arjuna's sense satisfaction, then it was a great sin. But actually, it is not being done for Arjuna's satisfaction. It is to be done for Kṛṣṅa's satisfaction. So therefore the conclusion should be that whatever we do, if we do it for our own sense satisfaction, that is mahā-pāpam, sinful activities. But if we do the same thing for Kṛṣṅa's satisfaction, that is spiritual advancement. This is the difference.

So outsider, they think that... A karmī is working for his own satisfaction, and a devotee is working for Kṛṣṅa's satisfaction. Although two things are similarly, externally it appears the same thing, but there is great difference. Whatever you do for your own satisfaction, for the satisfaction of your whims, that is mahā-pāpa, great sin. The same thing, when you do for Kṛṣṅa, that is opening your path to liberation, back to home, back to Godhead. This is difference. You have to change the consciousness. What you are doing? For whom you are doing? For yourself or for Kṛṣṅa? This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And that is the perfection of life. In whatever position you are, whatever you are doing, it doesn't matter.

That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭha varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhiṁ hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

Hari-toṣaṅam means to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Hari. That is perfection. It doesn't matter what you are doing. Varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. First of all, "whatever doing," it does not mean whatever nonsense you are doing, that will be accepted. No. Varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. According to Vedic civilization, there is division of varṅa: brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So activities must be done according to the varṅāśrama prescription. A brāhmaṅa is ordered to do like this: satyaḥ śamo damas titikṣa ārjavam. You should practice this. A kṣatriya should practice this. And a vaiśya should practice this. So therefore it is called varṅāśrama—the prescribed duties are already there.

Therefore perfect human society means... First of all there must be this division, brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. And when they act the duties of that particular position, brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṅa, that is perfection of life. It doesn't matter whether you are śūdra or you are brāhmaṅa, but if you act for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṅa according to the prescription of your position, then your life is perfect. That is wanted. The whole human civilization should be based on this principle. There must be division.

The division is already there. They should be coordinated, systematized. Not that everyone is brāhmaṅa. Brāhmaṅa means the intelligent man. So we should pick up the intelligent men. They should be trained as brāhmaṅa. Those who are martial, having fighting spirit, they should be selected as kṣatriya. Those who are for increasing money, mercantile mentality, they should be also collected. Similarly, śūdras. And they should be trained, everyone, to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. Varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhiṁ hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13].

So here Arjuna is a fighter; he is engaged in fighting. Now he is thinking. That is proper. He is Vaiṣṅava. He is devotee. He is properly thinking that "For my sense gratification I am going to kill my kinsmen? Oh, what a great sinful activity I am going to do." But actually, Kṛṣṅa is not engaging His devotee to act sinfully. No. That is not Kṛṣṅa's business. Although superficially it appears that Kṛṣṅa is engaging Arjuna to fight in the sinful activities, no, that is not sinful. Whatever Kṛṣṅa does, it is not sinful; it is transcendental, the most pure activity. Therefore one...

The rascals who do not understand Kṛṣṅa, they say that Kṛṣṅa is immoral. They do not know what is Kṛṣṅa and what is Kṛṣṅa's action. They do not know. They think, "Now, Kṛṣṅa is engaging Arjuna to fight. Oh, it is immoral. Why Kṛṣṅa should engage Arjuna in the fighting business?" So therefore... Or "Why Kṛṣṅa is engaged in dancing with the gopīs? They are wives and sister of other men. It is sinful." If we enjoy with other's wife or other's daughter or other's sister, who is not bona fide my wife, if I want to enjoy life, that illicit sex... Kṛṣṅa is not doing that. But artificially, those who are nonsense, they see that "Kṛṣṅa is dancing at dead of night with others' daughters and girls. Therefore He is immoral."

But that means he does not know what is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa can do anything. Tejīyasaṁ na doṣāya. Tejīyasaṁ na doṣāya [SB 10.33.29]. Just like the sun is very powerful. As you see in this material world a sun, a material thing, and it is very powerful, but the sun is soaking water, taking water from the sea as well as from filthy place. So he is also taking... What is called? Soaking, or...?

Devotee: Evaporating.

Prabhupāda: Evaporating, yes. Evaporating water from urine also. In filthy place, sewer ditches, he is evaporating water, as well as from the sea. But it does not mean by evaporating water from the sewer ditch and urine, the sun is becoming polluted. No. Rather, he is turning that place, what is called, prophylactic, antiseptic, by his sunshine. Similarly, even though somebody comes to Kṛṣṅa with some purpose which is not moral, but the man or woman who comes there, he becomes..., he or she becomes purified. And Kṛṣṅa does not become immoral. This science has to be known by the rascals before calling Kṛṣṅa immoral.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ [Bg 7.3]

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

These rascals, they do not know what is Kṛṣṅa. They think Kṛṣṅa is ordinary man. "Why He is engaging Arjuna in the fighting? Why He is dancing with others' daughter and girls? These are immoral thing." Therefore this rāsa dance should not be discussed among the fools and rascals. They'll misunderstand. Although the professional reciters, they take part, whenever they speak of Bhāgavata, they immediately jump over the rāsa dance. That is not to be done. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never indulged in such thing. For mass of people He engaged Himself in saṅkīrtana. And when Kṛṣṅa's dealing with the gopīs were discussed, He was discussing amongst three selected devotees: Rāmānanda Rāya, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śikhi Māhati.

He had thousands and thousands of devotees, but He never discussed Kṛṣṅa's rāsa-līlā in the mass of people. Never did it. Therefore it is restricted. Kṛṣṅa... Because they will misunderstand. These rascals, they do not know what is Kṛṣṅa, and they will misunderstand. They will be polluted. Of course, not polluted, because after all, they will hear about Kṛṣṅa. But they may misunderstand. That is against their making progress to the spiritual life.

So Kṛṣṅa is not immoral. Kṛṣṅa is not engaging Arjuna to commit such sinful activities, svajanaṁ hatvā. No. Kṛṣṅa is engaging him in His service. So one has to understand that. So when Arjuna will understand that "This war, this fighting is not for my sense gratification, it is for Kṛṣṅa's sense gratification..." then he agreed, because he is a devotee. Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg 18.73]:

[Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṅa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.]

"Yes I shall now act." This is the proposition.

So ātmendriya-tṛpti-vāñchā dhare tāra nāma kāma. Kāma means lust. What is lust? Lust means whenever you try to satisfy your senses, that is called lust. And the same, whenever you try to satisfy Kṛṣṅa's senses, that is love. Practically the same business, but personal and Kṛṣṅa. So Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement means we have to act everything for Kṛṣṅa under proper direction. We cannot manufacture that "I am doing for Kṛṣṅa." Then that is another misleading. Therefore we require the guidance of the spiritual master. Kṛṣṅa... Guru-kṛṣṅa-kṛpāya [Cc Madhya 19.151].

[According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṅa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṅa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.]

It is Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that you have to seek the mercy both of Kṛṣṅa and guru, not that you have become so advanced that you are directly in connection with Kṛṣṅa, and whatever you are doing, it is mercy. No. Don't think like that. It must be guided, it must be confirmed by guru. Guru-kṛṣṅa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc Madhya 19.151]. Bhakti line is there.

So our business is, Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, is that we have to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. That reference by that Professor Zaehner, that one rogue, he did by his whims, and he alleged that "After reading Bhagavad-gītā violence, he committed this violence," so did he take permission from Kṛṣṅa or Kṛṣṅa's representative? But he does not know the technique. He has unnecessarily accused, committed a great offense to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. So therefore un..., inexperienced person, they should not try to teach Bhagavad-gītā to others, because he has no knowledge. This knowledge has to be received by paramparā system. Evam paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg 4.2].

[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]

So simply by academic career, by knowledge of A-B-C-D, you cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg 4.3],

[That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.]

without becoming bhakta...

Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden that "Don't hear anything about Kṛṣṅa from a person who is not a Vaiṣṅava." Avaiṣṅava-mukhodgīrṅa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravanaṁ na karta... This is prohibited. You cannot hear. But this audience or the students, they also do not know that "Here is a rascal. He is not a devotee; he is not a Vaiṣṅava. Why shall we hear from him Bhagavad-gītā?" The first condition is bhakto 'si. And the prohibition is also by ācāryas.

Avaiṣṅava-mukhodgīrṅa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravanaṁ na kartavyam. Pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā, talks of Kṛṣṅa, they are by themselves pure. But still, it is prohibited that if it is spoken by avaiṣṅava, nondevotee, one should not hear. Should not hear. Must immediately reject. First of all, we have to see who is going to speak about Kṛṣṅa. Is it a devotee of Kṛṣṅa? Is he a Vaiṣṅava or not? If he is not, then immediately reject: "Oh, we are not going to hear from you."

But people do not know. Any rascal speaking about Bhagavad-gītā we hear. That is not the process. Then you will misunderstand. Avaiṣṅava-mukhod..., sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Just like milk is very good food, everyone knows. But when it is touched by the tongue of the serpent, it is poison, immediately. So we cannot drink poison. Don't hear Bhagavad-gītā or any talk about Kṛṣṅa from a person who is not a Vaiṣṅava, who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṅa. We'll misunderstand.

Just like they will say, then will say, "Oh, Kṛṣṅa is engaging Arjuna for fighting, for committing so many sinful activities." No, that is not the fact. Kṛṣṅa is engaging Arjuna fighting, to fighting, just to serve His purpose. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

And Kṛṣṅa [Arjuna] is executing the mission of Kṛṣṅa not for his personal benefit. These are the things.

That's all right. Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories... [end]