Bhagavad-gītā 13.24

Pradyumna: Translation: "One who understands this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation. He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present position." [Bg 13.24]

Prabhupāda: So the aim of life is always being stressed by Kṛṣṅa, to stop this process of undergoing different changes of body. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg 13.9].

[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]

[loud sound of firecrackers throughout]

Na bhūyo 'bhijāyate. In many places Kṛṣṅa has said this. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg 15.6].

[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]

Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

This is the aim of life. But people are misled by the blind leaders.

We can say rascal leaders, but it may be very strong language. Kṛṣṅa has said. All persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, all such persons have been described as mūḍhas, rascals. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg 7.15].

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

Narādhamāḥ. He has chastised and used very strong words. Ajasram andha-yoniṣu [Bg 16.19]: "I push them in the darkest region of material existence." Actually that is happening. People without God consciousness, without Kṛṣṅa consciousness, gradually becoming entrapped in ignorance.

The such important life, human form of life, nobody is interested to know about the philosophy of life, value of life. They have become so frivolous. In this evening, everyone is engaged in childish activities, but nobody is interested in the real problem of life. The real problem of life is stated, na bhūyaḥ abhijāyate. And big, big leaders... Ask them what is the real problem of life. They do not know. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31].

[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṅu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]

[aside:] Who is talking, this child?

Durāśayā, "expectation which will never be fulfilled." Never be fulfilled. They are trying to adjust things by so-called material adjustment, and that will not be. Therefore it is said durāśayā. Āśayā means "hope," and dur means "never to be fulfilled; far, far away." Durāśayā. Without God consciousness, without stopping the process of birth and death, you cannot be happy. That is not possibility.

But they have become so foolish. They are thinking that this duration of life, say fifty or sixty years, that's all. After this... Big, big leaders, they say like that, that "After death, there is no life. Everything is finished." Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they are of this opinion, that after death there is no life. Everything is finished. And wherefrom all these different forms of life come, they cannot answer. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. Wherefrom they come? What is the purpose of so many forms of life? What is the purpose of life? What is the distinction between the form of human life and these lower grades of life, higher grades of life? No knowledge. No knowledge. Everyone is ignorant, foolish. Therefore they have been addressed as mūḍha, mūḍha, all rascals. If we say that "This is a civilization of rascals," it is not very strong word. Actually, they are rascals. They do not know the value of life and the real problem of life. Simply like animals they are eating, sleeping, having sex life and dying. That's all. This is their life.

So one has to learn. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtim [Bg 13.24]. You must learn what is this living entity. That also we do not know. Prakṛti. This body is prakṛti, and the living force which is within the body, that is puruṣa. And there are two kinds of puruṣas—the living entity and the Supersoul, Paramātmā, ātmā and Paramātmā. The ātmā is creating his own field of activities; Paramātmā is observing only, "What you are doing?" These things we have already discussed. Upadraṣṭā anumantā. The paramātma-puruṣa is upadraṣṭā, overseeing your activities. You want to do something, but without His permission, you cannot do. Upadraṣṭā anumantā ca bhartā. He is the maintainer.

Therefore we must know. This is knowledge. This is knowledge. This body, kṣetra, the owner of the body, kṣetra-jña, and the proprietor of the body, the Paramātmā, the owner of the body, we have already discussed all these things. You should remember very nicely. That is real knowledge, jñānam. What is the process of knowledge? Amānitvam adambhitvaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam ācāryopāsanaṁ bhakti-yogam [Bg 13.8]. To know the problems of life, this is knowledge. The aim of life. The aim of life is not to take birth again. So who is understanding all these things? Nobody is interested. Simply they are interested in the animalistic way of life. That's all. Just like animals. But Bhagavān, Kṛṣṅa, says that "One should know this." Ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṅaiḥ... And the qualities of the prakṛti: sattva-guṅa, rajo-guṅa, tamo-guṅa. Guṅaiḥ saha. Simply know the earth, water, air, fire.

Just like modern scientists, they are trying to understand. Scientific laboratory means they are analytically studying earth, water, air, physical. Physical studies. Metaphysical. Not metaphysical; physical, physical studies. But they do not know that there are other things of the physical world. That is guṅa. Traiguṅya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṅyo bhavārjuna [Bg 2.45].

[The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self.]

How physical changes are taking place, how one physical element is valuable, one physical element is not valuable—that is due to different interaction of the modes of material nature, guṅa. Guṅaiḥ saha. So simply physical elementary study is not sufficient. You must know the guṅaiḥ saha, how the qualities are acting.

Ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṅaiḥ saha, sarvathā vartamāno 'pi. If you have got sufficient knowledge... The knowledge is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Simply you have to study. You have to take lessons from the Bhagavad-gītā from the right person. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

You must learn from a guru who is actually in knowledge of this Vedic literatures, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And what is the symptom of such knowledge? Brahma-niṣṭham, firmly fixed up in Brahman. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11].

[Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.]

To know Brahman means to know not only the impersonal brahma-jyoti, but also Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. This is knowledge.

So such person who has got sufficient knowledge what is this prakṛti, material world, what is the puruṣa, the living entity who is trying to enjoy this material world, and the paramātma-puruṣa, another puruṣa...

upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ paramātmeti cāpy ukto dehe 'smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ [Bg 13.23]

Those who have no knowledge, they cannot understand there are two puruṣas. One is apara, and one is para. Apara-puruṣa is the living entity, who is trying to enjoy this material world. But para-puruṣa is the anumantā, guiding principle, or order-giving. There are two puruṣas, not one. One is inferior and other is superior. Superior puruṣa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṅa Himself. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

That is puruṣa-parā. And aparā. As there are aparā-prakṛti and parā-prakṛti. This material world is aparā-prakṛti, but there is spiritual world also. That is called parā-prakṛti.

When there is such a statement in the Vedas that "The Supreme Spirit is nirākāra, or without form," that does not mean He has no form. He has His form, but that is spiritual form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs 5.1].

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

When it is negativated, that means the negative idea is of this inferior energy. So these things we should know. And if you know, then the result will be sarvathā vartamāno 'pi, wherever you stay, sarvathā vartamāno 'pi, you are mukta. As it is stated by Rūpa Gosvāmī, īhā yasya harer dāsye...

[aside:] Stop that talking.

īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṅā manasā girā nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.187]

[One who engages in the transcendental service of the Lord in body, mind and word is to be considered liberated in all conditions of material existence.]

This stage can be attained in the bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means one who has understood everything very perfectly. Sometimes foolish people say that "Bhakti-yoga is meant for the less intelligent class of men." But he is less intelligent. Unless one is very, very intelligent, he cannot take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta author says, kṛṣṅa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura: "Unless one is very intelligent, he cannot become a devotee of Kṛṣṅa." Because he knows everything.

That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [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.]

One who is actually devotee, parām, parā-bhakti, he is already brahma-bhūta [SB 4.30.20], liberated, self-realized. Without being self-realized, nobody can attain unalloyed devotional platform. Bhakti means the platform where only liberated person can act. That is bhakti platform. Īhā yasya, those who are always working for Kṛṣṅa. Īhā, īhā means desire. Yasya, harer dāsye: just to serve Kṛṣṅa. He has no other business. Just like these boys and girls who have joined Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement from Europe and America, they have no other business. They are simply engaged in executing Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Karmaṅā, by working; manasā, thinking; karmaṅā manasā vācā, by preaching. Karmaṅā manasā vācā.

Because we have got three things to act. We can act with our senses, karma. So karma, the karmīs are also working, and the devotees are also working, but karmīs are working—their words and mind is differently engaged, because they are working very hard day and night, but they are thinking of, manasā, sense gratification. Karmaṅā manasā vācā. And they are talking only sense gratification. Therefore their mind and words are engaged differently. But one whose mind, words and activities are engaged in the service of the Lord, īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṅā manasā vācā, so he may be situated in any position, jīvan-mukta sa ucyate, he is liberated. The same thing is confirmed here: sarvathā vartamāno 'pi na sa bhūyo 'bhijāyate.

Unless he is liberated, how he can stop his next birth? Here it is clearly said, na bhūyaḥ abhijāyate. Abhijāyate means to take birth again, to accept another material body. That... Unless you become liberated, mukta, you have to accept a material body. Mukti means to stop accepting this material body. That is called mukti. To remain in a spiritual body. But they do not know even what is spiritual body, what is material body. Simply like cats and dogs, they are engaged in sense gratification, eating, sleeping, mating. And this Bhagavad-gītā is the A-B-C-D, preliminary knowledge of spiritual understanding. People are unaware of. And misleaders, they give misinformation, mal-interpretation. And there are so many people, they are very much proud. He has read Bhagavad-gītā hundred times, but he does not know anything. He does not know anything. Because...

The difficulty is that the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, they do not follow. The instruction of Bhagavad-gītā is evaṁ 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.]

One has to learn from the disciplic succession. Tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg 4.34].

[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]

You have to learn from a person by full surrender. You cannot surrender to a third-class man. Unless one is very advanced, naturally you surrender. But this is the process. Unless you are prepared to surrender... Surrender means you approach somebody where your intelligence is nothing; therefore you have to surrender. Tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā.

Sevayā and dayā. There are two words. Sevā is offered to the superior person, sevā, service. And dayā is offered to an inferior person. Who is less than you—he requires your mercy—that is dayā. But who is superior than you—who requires your service—that is called sevā. This is the difference between sevā and dayā. But people do not know. They are trying to amalgamate dayā and sevā. No. Dayā to the inferior person. Just like a child, he requires your dayā, the dayā of the parents, mercy of the parents. But a guru, he requires your sevā, service. So you have to approach, sevā, praṅipāta, surrender, sevā; then you can question. Don't question unnecessarily, waste your time, where you cannot surrender, where you cannot render your service. This is the process. Tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg 4.34]. Then you can derive some benefit from the realized person. Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ.

Knowledge can be distributed by a person who has seen what is..., who has experienced seeing... Seeing and hearing, these are the sources of gaining experience. So the śruti means hearing. And by hearing you will see. By hearing about God, Kṛṣṅa, ultimately you will see Him. When, by hearing, hearing, you'll develop your Kṛṣṅa consciousness... Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga [Cc Madhya 23.14].

[In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṅa consciousness.]

Hearing is possible by association with devotees, sādhu-saṅga. You cannot hear from the rascals. You have to hear from the superior person, one who is self-realized. Hearing. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṅa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25].

[In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.]

Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. By association with superior devotees that you can...

[break] ...apavarga-vartmani, on the path of liberation, śraddhā bhaktir ratir anukramiṣyati [SB 3.25.25]. Then śraddhā, bhakti, attachment, rati, anukrama, one by after another, one by after another. Yes. So this is the process. But the age is so..., Kali-yuga is so fallen that people have lost all interest to understand the problem of life, how to solve them, how to attain to the platform of knowledge. They are not interested.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotees: Haribol...

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa [indistinct] [end]