Bhagavad-gītā 18.42–45

Prabhupāda: ...from Bhagavad-gītā, Eighteenth Chapter, verse number 42 to 45.

sve sve karmaṅy abhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ svakarma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tac chṛṅu [Bg 18.45]

[By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done.]

Sva-karma or sva-dharma, the same thing. The word dharma, as it is explained in the English dictionary, "a kind of faith," actually dharma does not mean that. Dharma means your occupational duty, the characteristic. Everything has got characteristic. Just like this microphone: the characteristic of microphone is to vibrate the sound loudly. This is dharma. If the simply the microphone is there and it does not act to produce the sound loudly, then it is out of his dharma, or out of order. Try to understand what is dharma. There are many other examples. Just like water: Water is liquid, everyone knows. But sometimes water becomes solid, ice, under certain circumstances. That is not his dharma. To remain liquid is dharma. Therefore, sometimes water, even it is transformed into solid ice, it melts, again wants to become water. This is dharma.

So what is our dharma, we human being? There is no question of any sect, any nation or any party, no, as human being. As human being or living being, what is our dharma? Dharma is to render service. Every one of us is rendering service. As a family man, he is rendering service, as a society man, as a national—everyone is, whatever... Or occupation. As a medical man, you are also offering your service. As engineer, you are offering your service, or any other, businessman, you are also. Sometimes businessmen, they hang the signboard, "Our first business is to offer you service." So everyone is engaged in giving service to somebody else. This is called dharma, basic principle of dharma. So what is our dharma, living entity? Our dharma is to render service. But we are rendering service? But no. We are rendering service not rightly, but wrongly. Therefore you are not satisfied.

There are many example. Just like in our country, Mahatma Gandhi, he also, he was here. He gave so much service. He gave service in India. But what was the return? The return was he was killed by his countrymen. This is the return, practical. The return was that he wanted to establish nonviolence, and his countrymen proved that nonviolence cannot go on—"You must die by violence." This is material world, that however you may render service to your family, to your country, to your friend, to anyone, you will never be satisfied. Rather, when he is dissatisfied he will kill you. This is material world. So my occupational duty is to render service to somebody, but I cannot satisfy that somebody. This is material world. You go on giving service, but you will never be able to satisfy to the person to whom you are giving service. This is material world.

So what is the defect? The defect is that my business is to render service to the Supreme Lord which is misplaced in so many ways. In so many ways I am giving service to my society, to my friend, to my community, to my nation and so on, so on. That is misplaced. Your duty is to render service to Kṛṣṅa, or God, but that is being misplaced. Therefore you are not satisfied, neither the person to whom you are giving service, they are also not satisfied. This is the material world. Therefore Kṛṣṅa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg 4.7].

[Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.]

Dharmasya again. What is that dharma? To render service. When there is discrepancy to render service, then Kṛṣṅa comes to teach you how you should render service. So we have created so many platform of service. They are not giving us satisfaction, neither to the person nor to me. So Kṛṣṅa comes to rectify it. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati. This is glāniḥ. The service is misplaced.

Then what is to be done? 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.]

This is service. This is wanted. All other service... I have given you already the example. Who can give better service than Mahatma Gandhi? Who can become such honest man, ideal man. He was addressed as mahātmā. Still, his service was not recognized. He was killed. So that is the result of material service. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says that "This kind of service rendering will never satisfy you, neither the party will be satisfied. You give up all this wrong engagement; you give service to Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. "Then I will give up so many duties I have got?" "Yes, you can give up." "No, I will be involved in sinful activities because I am giving all..., others service." "Yes." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I shall give you protection. Don't bother. Don't worry." This is the sum and substance of the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, and you have to learn it. Then our life will be successful.

In every respect we can render service. In all positions we can render service to Kṛṣṅa. And that is being taught here: sve sve karmaṅi..., sve sve karmaṅy abhirataḥ. You are a medical man; you are giving service. You can also be engaged in giving service to Kṛṣṅa. Sve sve karmaṅi. Or you are a businessman or you are engineer, whatever you may be, sve sve karmaṅi. Everyone has got a particular type of duty, engagement. That is dharma. So sve sve karmaṅy abhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ. He can become perfect. Saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ. Svakarma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tac chṛṅu. "I will explain to you," Kṛṣṅa says.

Now the svakarmaṅa, svakarma... Of course, now we are engaged in so many different types of duties, but the Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of soci..., society and four division of spiritual enlightenment. It is called varṅa and āśrama. Four varṅas means brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. This is social arrangement. And spiritual arrangement—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So we are known, advertised, as Hindu. Actually there is no such word in the whole Vedic literature, Hindu. It is a name given by the Muhammadans on account of the river Sindu. They pronounced sa as ha. So the Sindu was mispronounced as Hindu, and the side, or this side of Indus River, who resided, they are called by the Muhammadans as Hindus. The Hindu name is given by the Muhammadans. Actually, our dharma is varṅāśrama-dharma, four varṅas and four āśramas. That is the real name, varṅāśrama-dharma. The whole Vedic culture is dependent on varṅāśrama. It is meant for everyone, not that it is meant for Indians only. No. Four varṅas and four āśramas.

So how these four varṅas are recognized? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Brāhmaṅa.

[child making noise] [aside:] The child must stop.

The first varṅa is brāhmaṅa. Brāhmaṅa is the head of the varṅas, social arrangement. So brāhmaṅa, first of all it is said... Not here in the Eighteenth Chapter. In the, I think, Fourth Chapter it is. Cātur-varṅyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13]:

[According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.]

"The catur-varṅa—the brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra—they are created by Me according to guṅa and karma, quality and action." One is designated, "Here is an engineer." This engineer is not by birthright, "Because my father is an engineer, so I become an engineer." No. You must have the qualification of the engineer. That is called guṅa. If you simply say that "I am a son of an engineer, therefore you must accept me as engineer," that is not accepted. Have you got qualification of engineer? If he says "Yes," then consider it. So guṅa.

Then I have got guṅa, but I do not practice it. Suppose I have passed medical examination, but I do not practice. Then nobody will call me a doctor sir. I must practice. I must cure patient. Then I will be known as medical practitioner. So guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: not only quality but also practice. So what are the guṅas? The guṅas are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. Simply we have to study thoroughly and understand it thoroughly. Then the whole human society will be in peace and they will make progress not only in this life but in the next life also. Therefore it is said, saṁsiddhi labhate naraḥ. Sve sve karmaṅi nirataḥ saṁsiddhi labhate naraḥ. What is that saṁsiddhi?

mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ [Bg 8.15]

[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.]

That is saṁsiddhi. The saṁsiddhi means, perfection of life means, that this life we shall act in such a way that next life, after giving up this body... We have to give up this body, but we should not give up this body like cats and dogs. That is human civilization. The cats and dogs, they also give up their body. And if we also give up our body like cats and dog, that is not success of life. That is failure of life.

Prahlāda Mahārāja has said that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Durlabham. This human form of life is durlabham. Durlabha... Duḥ means difficult, and labha means gained. After many, many millions of years of evolution process we get this human form of life. That is the nature's... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ [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 being carried by the laws of nature. So this human form of life is very durlabha, very rarely gotten. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma.

kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam [SB 7.6.1]

This is the version of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was preaching Kṛṣṅa consciousness among his school friends. Because he was born in a demon's father's family, Hiraṅyakaśipu, he was stopped even uttering "Kṛṣṅa." He could not get any opportunity in the palace, so when he was coming to school, at the tiffin hour he would call his small friends, five years old, and he would preach this Bhāgavata-dharma. And the friends would say, "My dear Prahlāda, we are now children. Oh, what is the use of this Bhāgavata-dharma? Let us play." "No," he said, "no." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma [SB 7.6.1]: "My dear friends, don't say that you'll keep it aside for cultivating Kṛṣṅa consciousness in old age. No, no." Durlabham. "We do not know when we shall die. Before the next death we must complete this Kṛṣṅa consciousness education." That is the aim of human life. Otherwise we are losing the opportunity.

So everyone wants to live forever, but nature will not allow that. That's a fact. We may think very independent, but we are not independent. We are under the stringent laws of nature. A young man, you cannot say that "I will not become old man." No. You must become. That is the law of nature. And if you say, "I'll not die," no, you must die. So this is law of nature. So we, we are therefore mūḍhas. We do not know practically what is the law of nature.

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.]

Everything is being pulled down by the laws of material nature, and still, because we are so fool and rascal, we are thinking "independent." This is our fault. This is our fault. We do not know what is the aim of life, how prakṛti, nature, is carrying us, how we can protect ourself from the problems of life. We are busy in solving the temporary problems of life, just like dependence or independence. These are temporary problems. Actually we are not independent. We are dependent on the laws of nature. And suppose we become independent, so-called independent, for a few days. That is not independence. Real independence is how to get out of the clutches of these material laws.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa presents before you the problem amongst... We have got so many problems, but that is temporary. Real problem is, Kṛṣṅa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [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.]

A man of knowledge should always keep in the front the real problem. What is that? Birth, death, old age and disease. This is your real problem. So the human life is meant for solving these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease. And that can be done by Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So we are pushing on this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement to solve the ultimate problems of life. So our request is that you take this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement very seriously and solve the ultimate problems of life. And that problems of life can be solved simply by understanding Kṛṣṅa. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṅa.

janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ 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 solution of problem.

Then what will be the benefit, mām eti, by going back to home, back to Kṛṣṅa? Now, mām upetya tu kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti. Mām upetya tu kaunteya, saṁsiddhiṁ labhate parām [Bg 8.15].

[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.]

The same example, this, that "Anyone who comes back to Me," Kṛṣṅa says, "then," duḥkhālayam aśāśvataṁ nāpnuvanti, "he does not get again birth in this material world, which is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam." Kṛṣṅa certifies about this world as duḥkhālayam, "the place of miseries," and we are trying to be happy. This is our illusion. You cannot be happy in this material world. Tell me if anyone is happy. Nobody is happy. The problem, only problem, beginning from the womb of mother up to the again, next death, simply problems. This is material life. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, mām upetya tu kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg 8.15], nāpnuvanti: "He does not come again." That is the solution. That is saṁsiddhiṁ labhate nara.

So the society must be divided as suggested in Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literature, that cātur-varṅyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13].

[According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.]

There must be four varṅas and four āśramas, ideal. Then you may be a śūdra, you may be a gṛhastha or you may be a brāhmaṅa—everyone will get salvation, everyone attain the perfection, if we adopt this process. So there must be one class of men, first-class men, ideal, that people will learn that "Here is an ideal class of men. Let me try to imitate or follow them." But there is no ideal men now, at the present moment. Everyone is śūdra. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Then how the society will be happy? It is not possible, because there is no ideal men. So here Kṛṣṅa says that we should create, we should educate a section of man who are by brāhmaṅa, by guṅa and karma, not by birth. Then society will be happy. Śamo damas... This is the brahminical qualification:

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg 18.42]

[Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṅas work.]

So our this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is that for the time being we are trying to create a section of men, not from India, not from Hindus. Never..., Kṛṣṅa never said that "These things can be done only in India and amongst the section, the Hindu." No. It is open for everyone. It is open for everyone. Just like if you start an engineering college, does it mean that it is meant for Hindus or Muslims or a certain nationality? No. It should be open for everyone. Anyone who wants to become a brāhmaṅa, he can become brāhmaṅa. Of course, the, what is called, conservative class of men, they come to fight with us, that "How you are making brāhmaṅas from the European and American people? They are mlecchas and yavana." No. That is not śāstric injunction. Śāstric injunction is there. It is spoken by Nārada Muni, not ordinary person, but the great authority Nārada. He was instructing about this varṅāśrama-dharma to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he said, he summarized, "My dear king,"

yasya yal lakṣaṅaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṅābhivyañjakam yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet [SB 7.11.35]

[If one shows the symptoms of being a brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those symptoms of classification.]

This is instruction.

So here is the lakṣaṅam, symptom, who is brāhmaṅa: śamaḥ. Śamaḥ means controlling the sense, controlling the mind. In every circumstances mind is steady, that is called śamaḥ. And damaḥ means senses, controlling the senses. My tongue is dried up, asking for a cigarette. Now, if I am brāhmaṅa, then I shall say, "No, you cannot smoke." That is damaḥ. That is damaḥ. A..., senses may dictate me... We are... Now, at the present moment, we are all servants of the senses. I have already explained that our real occupational duty is to become servant. So instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṅa, we are now servant of our senses. This is our material life. So if you, instead of becoming servant of the senses, if you become master of the senses, then you are a brāhmaṅa. Then you are a brāhmaṅa. Not that you remain a servant of the senses, and because you are born in a brāhmaṅa family you remain a brāhmaṅa. This is miscalculation. This is not allowed.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, śamo damas tapaḥ. This śamo damaḥ, how it can be practiced without tapasya? It is so easy thing that you can control your mind and senses? But with tapasya. You must agree. That is human life. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam [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.]

Ṛṣabhadeva was advising His sons, "My dear boys, this human form of life is meant for tapasya, tapo." What for tapasya? Divyam, to realize the Supreme, deva. Why it is required? Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam: "Your existence will be purified if you practice tapasya." "Now what is my existence? Am I impure?" Yes. Therefore you are dying. Otherwise you are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20]. You, eternal, but you are dying. You are subject to death because your existence is impure.

Therefore, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. If you want really blissful life eternally, then you must come to the eternal existential position, platform. Yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. To become happy, to become joyful, that is your right because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, God. He is 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.]

You are part and parcel. So you are now fallen. You are trying to get that blissful life, but you are trying falsely, falsely, in a platform where there is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg 8.15].

[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.]

It is not possible. You come to the spiritual platform. You come to your original consciousness. Then your sattva, your existence, will be purified and you will enjoy. Enjoyment is your right. So therefore this śamo damaḥ can be practiced, provided you agree to execute tapasya, tapasya.

Therefore in this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement we are training these boys, anyone—it doesn't matter what he is—no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. This is tapasya. Those who are practiced to these bad habits, for them it will be very difficult. Very difficult. Yes. One of our Godbrother went to preach in London, and Lord Zetland, he was talking with him, and he said, "Goswamijī, can you make me a brāhmaṅa?" So he said, "Yes, why not? You give up these four bad habits," and he said, "It is impossible for us." He said clearly, "It is impossible. This is our life." But at the present moment these boys, hundreds and thousands of boys, they are giving up this practice. This is called tapasya. Hundreds and thousands, they have agreed. I have not bribed them. I am poor Indian. But they have agreed, "Yes." They are actually practicing no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating and no intoxication. They do not smoke even, don't take tea even. This is called tapasya.

So śamo damaḥ, brahminical first qualification, can be practiced provided you agree to undergo tapasya, tapaḥ. And it is not very difficult. Not that because these boys, European, American boys, have given up these bad habit they are dying for it. No. Rather, their parents, their countrymen say they are bright-faced. When they chant on the street, they become surprised, their fathers. And some of the fathers, they come to thank me, "Swāmījī, it is our great fortune that you have come to our country," because they know that how their sons are being rectified from the LSD habit. Professor Judah has written a book, very nice book, appreciating that "How these LSD men could become Kṛṣṅa conscious servant of Kṛṣṅa?" So it is... Everything is possible provided you agree tapasya. Śamo damas tapaḥ.

Then śaucam: very clean. Everyone must take bath thrice daily and wash the cloth. This is śaucam, external, śaucam. So they are doing that. They are rising early in the morning at half past three and taking bath. In this country they don't even require hot water—in cold water. Śaucam, very cleanse. Śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntiḥ, toleration. Kṣāntir ārjavam, simplicity. Kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca jñānam, knowledge. What is that knowledge? Knowledge that "I am not this body." This is knowledge. And if I simply I think "I am this body," you may advance in your so-called scientific knowledge—you are a fool. [break] This is called jñānam. And vijñānam, practical application. Jñānaṁ vijñānam, then āstikyam. Āstikyam means to believe in the injunction of the śāstra, āstikyam. That is called theism. One who does not believe in the injunction... Just like Kṛṣṅa is advised in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who believes in the words of Kṛṣṅa, he is āstika. One who does not believe, he is nāstika. This is the āstika and nāstika. So our nāstika definition means one who does not believe in the Vedic instruction. He is called nāstika. So brāhmaṅa must be āstikyam.

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg 18.42]

[Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṅas work.]

If you acquire this qualification, then you are brāhmaṅa. So is it very difficult? Simply there is no training center. Throughout the whole world there is no such training department. There are many department of knowledge, but how to create an ideal brāhmaṅa, there is no education. There is no education.

Therefore the brāhmaṅa is considered to be the head of the body. Just like we have got this body, this head is to be considered as brāhmaṅa, and the arm is to be considered as kṣatriya, the belly is to be considered as vaiśya and the leg is considered as śūdra. So as to maintain this body nicely you must everything in order—the head, brain must be in order; the hand, arms must be in order; the belly must be digesting food and getting energy; and the leg also must walk—similarly, sve sve karmaṅy abhirataḥ, never mind you are a brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, if your aim is to keep the body in order, then either you become brāhmaṅa, either you become kṣatriya or śūdra, everything is in order. That is required. Unless these instructions are followed as given by Kṛṣṅa... He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg 4.7]. He comes there. He leaves this instruction. If you take advantage of this instruction and make your society, family or government, everything, according to the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, then everything is perfect. Otherwise you are doomed.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa. [applause] [break]

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṅa: Questions, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṅa: If anybody would like to ask His Divine Grace, please just come forward and speak through the microphone so everyone can hear.

Indian man (1): Swāmījī, is there any truth in the belief that if two persons marry each other during a certain specific time of the year, their marriage will be more prosperous than would otherwise be the case?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṅa: He's asking is there any truth to the statement that if two people marry each other at a certain time, their marriage will be more auspicious or prosperous than if they marry at other times?

Prabhupāda: Marriage. So, according to Bhagavad-gītā, married life is required. Sex under marriage rules is permitted. Dharmāviruddho kāmo 'smi [Bg 7.11].

[I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O Lord of the Bhāratas [Arjuna]]

Sex life... Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. These are bodily necessities—eating, sleeping, sex and defense. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca [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.]

So that, these four kinds of necessities are there in the animals also. The dog also eats, sleep, sex life and defend. Then what is the difference between the dog's life and man's life? The difference is the dog's life is not regulated under religious principle. The man's life is regulated under religious principle. So under religious principle if you arrange for sex life, then it is good. Otherwise it is dog's life. That's all. [applause]

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṅa: Any other question?

Indian man (2): Swāmījī, throughout the world the kind of religion that is practiced hasn't seemed to help to solve the problems. We find that people throughout the world are ill-fed, ill-clothed and ill-housed. Do you think a movement of this type could solve the problem?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have already explained what is meaning of religion. Religion means to render service to God. If you do not render service to God, that is not religion; that is cheating. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṅāṁ satām [SB 1.1.2],

[Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṅa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.]

that "Cheating type of religion is completely rejected from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." That is not dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅam [Bg 18.66]. This 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.]

"Dharma means the codes and the law given by God." So God says that to surrender unto Him: mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja. So if one does not surrender to God, that religion has no meaning. It is useless.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṅa: Other questions?

Indian man (3): Swāmījī, I would like to ask you one question, and that is in this time of Kali-yuga, is it possible that a layman could see the Paramātmā with his naked eye? And if he can, what he has to do or what?

Prabhupāda: So Paramātmā cannot be seen with your naked eye. You cannot see anything with your naked eye. You are very much proud of your eyes, but you do not see things as they are. Just like you are seeing daily the sun. You see it is just like a disk, but it is not a disk. It is fourteen hundred times..., fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. So you cannot see God, Paramātmā, by these eyes, these material eyes. You have to create your eyes. That is said,

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṅa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.38]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṅa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.]

You can see God, or Kṛṣṅa, when you have developed love for Him. Otherwise you cannot see. This is the formula. You have to develop your... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Seventh Chapter I was speaking yesterday,

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

So this is practice how to see God. But in this Kali-yuga, as you have mentioned Kali-yuga, it is very simple thing. What is that? That simple thing is, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann hy asti eko mahān guṅaḥ. In the śāstra it is said this Kali-yuga is full of faults, so many faults. It is the ocean of faults. But there is a very nice thing, asti hy eko mahān guṅaḥ, a very great quality. What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51].

[My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.]

If you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, then you become perfect. Is it very difficult? Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa and you become perfect. But we are so unfortunate, we are not even prepared to chant. This is our position. So you have to make little determination that "I shall chant henceforward Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra." Then everything is all right.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṅa: Other question?

Prabhupāda: Now you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. Let them join. [end]