Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.9–10

Prabhupāda:

dharmasya hy āpavargyasya nārtho 'rthāyopakalpate nārthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ [SB 1.2.9]

[All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.]

kāmasya nendriya-prītir lābho jīveta yāvatā jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10]

[Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.]

What is the aim of life? This is described here, dharmasya hi āpavargyasya. The human life begins when he accepts religion. That is the beginning of human life, and that is the difference between human life and dog's life. The dog is engaged always for eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. The hog also engaged always searching after where is food. Although the food is stool, he is busy. And as soon as the body is little strong by eating stool, immediately sex life, without any distinction whether it is mother or sister or daughter, it doesn't matter. This is hog's life, by nature's example.

Therefore śāstra says that ayaṁ deha.

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

This human form of life, deha-bhājām... The cats and dogs and hogs, they have also accepted a body. And the trees, the plants, the insects, the birds, beasts—everyone has got body, material body. Kāraṅaṁ guṅa-saṅgo 'sya [Bg 13.22]. I have explained it. According to the infection of the modes of material nature, one is getting a type of body, nature's way. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi. The same example: if you contaminate some disease, you'll have to suffer or you'll have to accept that disease. So similarly, this is the nature's way. If you are associating with a certain type of quality of the material nature, you are preparing your body for that purpose.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate [Bg 3.27]

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

We are very much proud of our body: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am prime minister," "I am this," "I am that." The dog is also very much proud: "I am greyhound," "I am this bulldog," "I am this." Yes. Everyone is proud, however nasty body he may live. The hog is also very proud. Although he is eating stool and living in a very filthy place, but if you want to drag him from that place, he will, "Che-che-che. No, no, I don't want... I am very happy here." There is a story in the Bhāgavata that once Brahmā was cursed and he become a hog in this world. No, Indra; I am sorry. Because Indra was very offending, so he was cursed. He became a hog. So Brahmā thought that "In the absence of Indra the kingdom of heaven is not managed very nicely, so let me go and bring him again, excuse." So when he came, he asked the hog that "Come with me." "Where?" "To the heaven." "Oh, I cannot go. I have got my responsibility. I have got my responsibility. I cannot go."

So this is the position. Everyone is very happy. This is called māyā's influence. Unless a hog feels happy, how he can live in this abominable life? This is called prakṣepātmika-śakti: covering. If one man knows or..., that "I was king in my previous life. Now I have become a poor cobbler," or something like, then he will become mad. So therefore he forgets. Death means forget. Because the living entity does not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20]. There is no death. Death means forgetting everything of my past life. That's all. Just like we forget... At night, when we dream, we accept another body, and we forget this body. And in the daytime we forget the night dream body and accept this body. We have got daily experience. So death means forgetting the past life. Otherwise, there was past life. That's a fact. But as we forget daily night body in the daytime and day body at nighttime, so similarly, we are changing our body according to the infection of the quality of material nature, and we are entangled in this material world. Although we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, God, or we are sons of God, but unfortunately, we have come in contact of this material world, and making our different types of body by the contamination of the material modes of nature. This is going on.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa comes. Kṛṣṅa is the father of everyone. He canvasses, "My dear children, why you are rotting in this material world? Come back."

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi... [Bg 18.66]

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

This is the message of Bhagavad-gītā. So dharma means to understand my relationship with God. That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19].

[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṅas.]

Just like a good citizen means who knows the relationship with the state. That is good citizenship. Bad citizenship means who doesn't care for the state. That is bad citizen, criminal. They are put into the prison house. So similarly, the living entities, they are part and parcel of God. But when they are not ready or prepared to abide by the laws of God, they are put into this material world. Beginning from Brahmā, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg 8.16],

[From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.]

they are rotating in this way. So dharma means to abide by the laws of God, just like good citizen means to abide by the state laws. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19].

So here it is said, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya [SB 1.2.9].

[All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.]

Apavarga and pavarga. This material life is pavarga. Pa-varga means—those who are acquainted with grammar—there are vargas: ka-varga, kha-varga, ca-varga, ta-varga. Similarly pa-varga. Pa-varga means pa, pha, ba, bha, ma, five. So pa represents pariśrama, labor, hard labor. This material world, you have to work. Either you are human being or a hog or dog or cat, it doesn't matter; you have to work. And very severe work, so that foam will come within your mouth. Pha. Then pa, pha, ba. Ba means vyarthatā, baffledness. And bha means bhaya, always fearful, "What will happen next? What will happen next?" And in this way, ma—mṛtyu, maraṅa. This is called material life. There is no more gain, simply pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. That's all. This is material life. And apavarga means just the opposite: to nullify this pavarga business.

So here it is said, dharmasya hi āpavargyasya. Religion means how to get out of these pavargas. That is dharma. Bhāgavata says, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthaḥ arthāya upakalpate. Generally, people go to church, to temple, for some material benefit. Therefore śāstra says, "No, no. Dharma is not meant for that purpose." People have become materialistic more and more because, just like in our country, "If you want economic development, then why you should go to temple?" The Communist theory is also like that, that "If you want material happiness, why you are going to church and accepting, 'O God, give us our daily bread'? The bread, you manufacture. You just work for it." In one side, it is good. But this is also fact, that without God's mercy, you cannot get even bread. Although bread you can manufacture, but the ingredients of the bread, the wheat, that is not in your hand. You cannot manufacture in the factory.

That is in the hand of prakṛti, nature, and prakṛti is working under the control of the Supreme Lord. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10].

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

So it is the prakṛti's business to control food supply when people become godless. That is prakṛti's business. Because prakṛti... These statements are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the story of Mahārāja Pṛthu. So prakṛti said that "Because people have become godless, demons, I have restricted my supply." Therefore everything depends on the mercy of the Lord.

So therefore dharma means to abide by the laws of God—that is dharma—so that you can get our of the entanglement of this pavarga. Dharmasya hy āpavarga na artha upakalpate. Not for economic development. Don't go to the church, don't go to the temple for your economic development. Although in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, ārtaḥ arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna [Bg 7.16]:

[O best among the Bhāratas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.]

"Four kinds of men—those who are ārta, distressed, arthārthī, in need of money—they come to Me." That is also good. But that is not the meaning of dharma. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. You have to execute religious system only to get out of the entanglement of this pavarga. That is the purpose. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya nārthaḥ arthāya upakalpate. Not for economic development.

In our Vedic literature you will never find these things, that economic development. Of course, the economic development, in the śāstra there are, in the Vedic literature, to sacrifice. Yajñārthe karmaṅo 'nyatra [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.]

Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ [Bg 3.14].

[All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.]

That is there. But that is not the purpose. Real purpose is how to get out of the entanglement of pavarga. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthāya upakalpate. Then you can say, "We require some money." Yes. You require money. That's all right. Economic development, there is need. So therefore it is said, na arthasya dharma ekāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ, that you require money. Because you have got this body, you have got to gratify your senses. That is right. But not for sense gratification, only for sense gratification. No. Dharmasya na arthasya, arthasya. The money which you get, that is not meant for sense gratification. Dharmaikāntasya. Actually who is religious, who is interested in religion, for him, this economic development, getting money, is not meant for sense gratification. Nārthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ.

But we have got demands of our body. What to do? Kāmo lābhāya. The kāma is there, demands of the senses. So therefore it is said, kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. You can get the supply of the necessities of your senses as much as you require. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhiḥ [Bg 6.17].

[He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.]

Yuktāhāra. You should eat what is actually needed by you. Don't eat more. A human being, there is... Certainly we are eating. But we are eating... A Kṛṣṅa conscious person eats kṛṣṅa-prasādam. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26].

[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]

Our business is to eat... We don't say that you are vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it does not make very much difference. Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṅāt bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpāḥ [Bg 3.13]. If you eat only for yourself, for sense gratification, it doesn't matter whether you are vegetarian or nonvegetarian; you are simply eating sinful results of your life. Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṅāt [Bg 3.13].

[The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.]

Yajñārthe 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.]

So our business is, so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṅa conscious people, we are not advocates of vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Of course, vegetarianism is very good, even for health's sake. But we do not take vegetables even, if it is not offered to Kṛṣṅa. That is our principle. If Kṛṣṅa said that "You give Me nonvegetarian diet," then we can eat also. But Kṛṣṅa does not say. Kṛṣṅa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26]. So we are preparing so many nice foodstuff with this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. We can prepare many, many hundreds of preparation of this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, and we can offer Kṛṣṅa and then take prasādam. That is all right. The human life is not meant for sense gratification. Sense gratification—my food is Kṛṣṅa prasādam. Why shall I go to restaurant? And this is tapasya. Eating is not stopped, but don't eat anything which is not kṛṣṅa-prasādam. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. If you, for satisfaction of your tongue, you get money and satisfy your tongue, that is forbidden. It is said that kāmasya na indriya-prītiḥ. You have demand. You have to..., demand of the body. You have to eat something. You have to sleep somewhere. You must have some sense gratification. You must protect yourself from attack of others. That is all right. But don't do all these things for sense gratification. This is the injunction of the śāstra.

Just like Arjuna fought. Arjuna fought not for sense gratification. He fought for satisfying Kṛṣṅa. Because Arjuna, first of all, he was trying to satisfy his senses. He said to Kṛṣṅa, "My dear Kṛṣṅa, they are all my relatives. The other side: my grandfather, my brothers, my nephews, my son-in-laws. Oh, how can I fight with them?" This consideration was for sense gratification. He was thinking that "In this way I shall be satisfied." Personally. But there was no question of satisfying Kṛṣṅa. But when he understood that his business was to satisfy Kṛṣṅa, then he agreed. Kṛṣṅa inquired, "Whether you have now decided to fight or not?" He said, "Yes." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "I have now got back my memory, and my moha, illusion, is now lost." 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.]

"I shall fight." So this fighting was service to Kṛṣṅa. It is not sense gratification. Rather, when he was trying to become nonviolent, very good man, not to fight, sacrifice for the other party, that was sense gratification.

This is the distinction between bhakti and karma. Karma is sense gratification, and bhakti is satisfying the Lord. The same thing. Therefore people cannot understand what is the difference between a bhakta and a karmī. Karmī is satisfying his own senses, and the bhakta is satisfying Kṛṣṅa's senses. There must be some sense gratification. But when you satisfy Kṛṣṅa, that is called bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc Madhya 19.170]. Hṛṣīka means senses, purified senses. That I explained the other day that,

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [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.]

Bhakti does not mean stop your work. Bhakti does not mean sentimental fanaticism. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means to engage all your senses for the satisfaction of the proprietor of the senses. That is called bhakti.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa's name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka means senses, and hṛṣīka īśa, He is the controller of the senses. Actually, our senses are working not independently. We can understand it. Kṛṣṅa is directing. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. A scientist is working because Kṛṣṅa is helping him, not that he is independently working. That is not possible. But he wanted in that way. Therefore Kṛṣṅa is giving him facilities. But actually, Kṛṣṅa is working. These are explained in the Upaniṣad. Without Kṛṣṅa working, without seeing..., without Kṛṣṅa's seeing, you cannot see. Just like the sunshine is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṅāṁ. The sun is one of the eyes of Kṛṣṅa.

yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṅāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.52]

[The sun who is the king of all the planets, full of infinite effulgence, the image of the good soul, is as the eye of this world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in pursuance of whose order the sun performs his journey mounting the wheel of time.]

Therefore, sun being the one of the eyes of Kṛṣṅa, because the sun rises there, because sun is seeing, therefore you are seeing. You cannot see independently. You are so much proud of your eyes. What is the value of your eyes if there is no sunrise? You cannot see. Even this electricity, that is derived from sun. So actually when Kṛṣṅa sees, you can see. That is the position.

So our senses... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sarvataḥ pāṅi-pādaṁ tat [Bg 13.14]. Sarvataḥ pāṅi-pāda... Everywhere Kṛṣṅa has His hands and legs. What are that? My hands, your hand, your leg—that is Kṛṣṅa's. Just like if somebody says I have got branches all over the world. So those branches are working on the management of the supreme person. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa also. Kṛṣṅa is therefore called Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa. So business is... Bhakti means when we engage our hṛṣīka, our indriyas, our senses, in the service of the proprietor of the senses, that is our perfect life. That is our perfect... But as soon as we desire to use our senses for the gratification of the senses, that is called karma. That is called material life.

So therefore, for a bhakta there is nothing material. That is 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.]

The bhakta sees that everything belongs to Kṛṣṅa. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṅa. Therefore whatever Kṛṣṅa gives us... Just like a master. Master allots something to the servant: "You can enjoy this." That prasādam. Prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajā... [Bg 2.65].

[For one who is so situated in the Divine consciousness, the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer; in such a happy state, one's intelligence soon becomes steady.]

This is the life. If you become Kṛṣṅa conscious, if you understand that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṅa, even my hands and legs, they also belong to Kṛṣṅa. All the parts of my body, they belong to Kṛṣṅa; then it should be used for Kṛṣṅa," that is called bhakti.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]

[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṅa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]

That Kṛṣṅa did, er, Arjuna did. He wanted to satisfy his senses by not fighting, but he agreed, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, that "Yes, Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Person."

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ [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.]

These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. That is the preliminary study of spiritual life. And if we are actually convinced of the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, then we surrender to Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa wants that. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

That He wants. When we actually take to this process, this is called śraddhā. Śraddhā. That has been explained by Kavirāja Gosvāmī, what is the meaning of śraddhā:

śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya kṛṣṅe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya [Cc Madhya 22.62]

This is called śraddhā. Śraddhā means firm faith. What is that firm faith? Firm faith means that... Kṛṣṅa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅam. When you take this conclusion, "Yes, by surrender to Kṛṣṅa, by surrendering unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, everything is done very nicely," this is called śraddhā. And the more you increase this śraddhā, the more you become perfect.

This is the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, beginning with this śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. If you don't believe... You are reading Bhagavad-gītā three hundred years but don't believe that "I have to surrender to Kṛṣṅa," then what is the use of reading Bhagavad-gītā? All these rascals, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā but they have no concern with Kṛṣṅa, forget Kṛṣṅa. This is reading of Bhagavad-gītā—useless waste of time. Useless waste of time. If you do not understand the meaning of Bhagavad-gītā, why you are...? Śrama eva hi kevalam. That has been explained in the previous verse.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ notpādayed ratiṁ yadi śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]

[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]

If you do not understand Kṛṣṅa, if you do not surrender to Kṛṣṅa, then you are simply wasting your time. There is no meaning of writing big, big comments on Bhagavad-gītā, uselessly waste your time and waste others' time. This is the real problem: śraddhā. Kṛṣṅa said, by surrendering to Kṛṣṅa everything will be done. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. So if one has no śraddhā, faith, on this instruction of Kṛṣṅa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī [Bg 18.65],

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

then there is no use; simply waste of time.

If we come to this point, ādau śraddhā... This is called śraddhā. Then the next stage is ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc Madhya 23.14-15].

[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.]

If one has..., one is convinced that "Surrendering to Kṛṣṅa, my all business will be perfect," this is called śraddhā. Then we have to seek out who are engaged in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, sādhu-saṅga [Cc Madhya 22.83].

[The root cause of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṅa is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Kṛṣṅa awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.]

Sādhu means Kṛṣṅa conscious person. Sādhu does not mean having a big beard and nice dress or saffron-colored dress. That is not sādhu. Sādhu is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg 9.30].

[Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.]

That is sādhu, who has no other business than to serve Kṛṣṅa. He is sādhu.

He is sādhu because he has accepted the principle, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ [Bg 9.30]. You cannot say, "Oh, he has got some bad principle in his life. Although he is worshiping Kṛṣṅa wholeheartedly, but he has got some defect." Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, api cet su-durācāraḥ. Even if he has got so many defects of his life, because he has dedicated his life for Kṛṣṅa's service, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. So if you have got śraddhā that by surrendering to Kṛṣṅa your all purpose of life will be practical or fruitful, then you have to associate with such persons who are engaged in the service of Kṛṣṅa, sādhu-saṅga [Cc Madhya 22.83]. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ.

Therefore our this movement is called International Society for Kṛṣṅa Consciousness. So actually, one by one, as people are coming to the association of Societies, automatically he is becoming Kṛṣṅa conscious. That is practical. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. This is sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu-saṅga does not mean to associate with some saffron-colored men. Sādhu-saṅga means to associate with Kṛṣṅa conscious person. This is śāstra. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu... This is Rūpa Gosvāmī's direction, that if you want to develop your love for Kṛṣṅa, this is the process.

Because real purpose of life is not dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90].

[Any person who desires the fruits of the four principles religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, liberation, should engage himself in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for worship of His lotus feet yields the fulfillment of all of these.]

And that will be explained here, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā: What is the Absolute Truth; what is the aim of life. Then this is the process. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā. Practically we have seen. These boys and girls, Europe and America, they first of all came to me, and they associated, abided by my orders. Then automatically they wanted to be initiated. We are doing that. Every day we are initiating some new devotees. So this is called bhajana-kriyā. You'll be automatically anxious. If one associates with sādhu, then he will be automatically anxious to accept bhajana-kriyā, initiation, that you have to rise early in the morning, you have to offer maṅgala-ārati, you have to do this, you have to do that. Twenty-four-hours' program is there. That is called bhajana-kriyā.

Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt [Cc Madhya 23.14-15].

[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.]

Anartha means useless habits. Just like one smokes. It is useless habit. By bad association one becomes a smoker, one becomes a drunkard, one becomes a meat-eater, one becomes a gambler. These are anarthas. So everyone in this age, everyone is associated with these anarthas. But if he takes to kṛṣṅa-bhajana, bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Practically you can see. These boys and girls, they are no more meat-eaters, they are no more taking any intoxicants, they are no more gambler, no more illicit-sex hunters. No. Everything stopped. This is our prin... This is called mukti. This is called mukti. As soon as you get rid of these bad sinful activities, you are mukta. That is called mukti. And after mukti, tato niṣṭhā, then we have got firm conviction: "Yes, Kṛṣṅa consciousness is the only business." Tato niṣṭhā, tato ruciḥ. Then you increase your taste. Tato niṣṭhā athāsaktiḥ. Then you become attached to Kṛṣṅa.

That is the beginning of Kṛṣṅa consciousness, bhakti-yoga. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. When you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṅa... That is required. Increase... You have got attachment for your family, for your body, for your society, for your country—everything. That's all right. But you have to convert them. You have to increase attachment for Kṛṣṅa. That is called bhakti-yoga.

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṅu [Bg 7.1]

Kṛṣṅa says in the Seventh Chapter, in the beginning.

So everything is there. If we actually want to make our life perfect, the directions are already there in our... We have got the Vedic knowledge, treasure house of spiritual knowledge, and the Bhagavad-gītā is the gist, is the summary. Gītopaniṣad. It is called Upaniṣad. If you simply study Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without foolishly interpreting it... That will spoil. Don't interpret. Just like you have given paramānna, or kṣīra. Everyone knows what is kṣīra, milk and rice cooked together with sugar, very nice foodstuff. But if you add with it several grains of sand, it becomes useless. You can add it, simply a few grains of sand—then it is useless. Similarly, these rascaldom of commentary, a few grains of sand, we spoil Bhagavad-gītā.

Therefore Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī has advised how to save yourself from this rascaldom. He says, avaiṣṅava-mukhodgīrṅaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṅaṁ naiva kartavyam [Padma Purāṅa]. Pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā. Kṛṣṅa is speaking Bhagavad-gītā; therefore it is called hari-kathā, kṛṣṅa-kathā. So Sanātana Gosvāmī says, "If it is uttered by avaiṣṅava—who is not a devotee, he is a professional man, so-called scholar and politician—don't hear it. Don't hear it." Avaiṣṅava: "Because he is not a Vaiṣṅava." Avaiṣṅava-mukhodgīrṅaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathā. Hari-kathā means Kṛṣṅa's words. They are very purified. That's all right. But no, śravaṅaṁ naiva kartavyam. Why? Because sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ. Just like milk. Milk is very good food, but if it is touched by the tongue of a serpent, it becomes poison. If you eat that kind of milk, your life will be finished. Similarly, our only request is that don't try to read Bhagavad-gītā commented by unauthorized so-called scholars or politicians. Simply read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Simply accept what Kṛṣṅa says. Then you will be benefited.

Kṛṣṅa says, dharma-kṣetra. Not Kṛṣṅa says; sañjaya uvāca. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre... No. Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca. Dhṛtrāṣṭra says,

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ māmakāḥ pāṅḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya [Bg 1.1]

[Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sañjaya, after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pāṅḍu do, being desirous to fight?]

He is asking his secretary. He was blind man, so he was asking his secretary, "My dear Sañjaya, after my boys, māmakāḥ, and pāṅḍavāḥ, the sons of my younger brother Pāṅḍu, samavetā yuyutsavaḥ, they assembled for fighting in the dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre..." Dharma..., kuru-kṣetra is still there. Everyone knows. And it is dharma-kṣetra. Everyone knows. Then where is the difficulty to understand dharma-kṣetra kuru-kṣetra māmakāḥ pāṅḍavāḥ? But if you foolishly interpret, "Dharma-kṣetra means this, and kuru-kṣetra means that, and pāṅḍavāḥ means that," you spoil the whole thing. That is going on. Otherwise there is no difficulty. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ [Bg 1.1].

Actually, it is historical fact, Mahābhārata. There was fight between two cousin-brothers. They, "No. Pāṅḍava means this and this. Kuru-kṣetra means this and... This means this." In this way, things are being spoiled. So we are misled in that way. Actually if we read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as a devotee... Because without being a devotee, nobody can understand Bhagavad-gītā. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā in so many places it is stated, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg 18.55].

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

Bhaktyā, only through devotion, only becoming a devotee, you can understand Kṛṣṅa. Otherwise you cannot. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg 7.25]:

[I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency [yoga-māyā]; and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.]

"I am not exposed to anyone." Yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. "Only bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg 18.55]."

So this is the way. And this life is meant for that purpose. That is the advice of the Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ... [break] So Arjuna is inquiring from Kṛṣṅa, and He says, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ 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.]

So Bhagavad-gītā is real Vedānta. And if one understands Bhagavad-gītā as it is, he is really Vedāntist. Veda means knowledge, and anta means the last word. So last word of knowledge is Kṛṣṅa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

If one does not understand Kṛṣṅa and does not surrender to Kṛṣṅa, he is simply uselessly wasting his time. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature.

Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata it is said, kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. Kāmasya nendriya-prītir lābho jīveta yāvatā [SB 1.2.10].

[Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.]

Simply take so much as you will need, not for sense gratification. That is the process. Don't take more, don't take less. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya [Bg 6.17]. Śāstra does not advise you that you starve, unnecessarily you starve. No. Kṛṣṅa has condemned one who unnecessarily starves. You take foodstuff, but don't take anything which is forbidden. Take kṛṣṅa-prasādam. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam [Bg 9.26].

[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]

Don't try to satisfy your senses. The senses will be satisfied. There are so many varieties of food, kṛṣṅa-prasādam. That you will... These Europeans and Americans, they used to take meat. Now if you give them, bribe, that "You take again meat..." Because they have learned to cook so many nice foodstuff. Ask any one of them. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā. When you get better thing, nivartate, then you give up which is not very good.

So this bhakti-yoga, Kṛṣṅa consciousness, is so nice that if you take it very seriously, if you enter into the mystery of this bhakti-yoga—it is not all mystery, it is very open—then naturally, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg 2.59].

[The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.]

And that is required. Vairāgya.

vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam [SB 1.2.7]

[By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṅa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.]

We have discussed this verse. So our only request is that don't take this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement as some sentimental religious propaganda. No, no. It is not religious; it is scientific. It is to save the human society from gliding down to the abominable condition. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām [SB 7.5.30],

[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṅa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.]

Bhāgavata says. Adanta-gobhiḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum [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.]

Adānta. The verse is, matir na kṛṣṅe parataḥ svato vā. Matir na kṛṣṅe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Those who are gṛha-vrata, means simply materialistic or simply this life, this body, "I am this body, and the offsprings of this body, they are my kinsmen. I have to maintain them," or expanding: "They are my kinsmen, they are my family men, they are my nation," this is called gṛhamedhi. So such gṛhamedhi, matir na kṛṣṅe, they cannot understand what is Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

Matir na kṛṣṅe parataḥ svato vā. Parataḥ means by instruction of superior person. Parataḥ. Svataḥ, by reading himself. Mitho 'bhipadyeta, or holding big, big meeting. They cannot understand. Why? Because gṛha-vrata. Gṛha-vratānām. What is the business of gṛha-vrata? Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām. By being unable to control the senses, creating another body, another body, the sense gratification, either as god or demigod or as dog or as hog or as human being, as tree or insect, the business is āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna [Hitopadeśa 25].

[Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life. Therefore without spiritual life, humans are on the level of animals.]

Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām [SB 7.5.30].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṅa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.]

Punaḥ punaḥ. The same thing he is doing. He does not know the real business is how to get out of this entanglement of pavarga, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. He does not know. There is no science, there is no education.

There is only education in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore you have to, if you want to save the world, if you want to save the human civilization, you have to take to this proposition of Bhagavad-gītā, learn it scientifically and make your life successful.

Thank you very much. [end]