Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.9

Pradyumna: Translation: "When the strong knot in the heart of a person implicated in material life due to the results of past action is slackened, one turns away from his attachment to home, wife and children. In this way, one gives up the basic principle of illusion [I and mine] and becomes liberated. Thus one goes to the transcendental world."

Prabhupāda:

yadā mano-hṛdaya-granthir asya karmānubaddho dṛḍha āślatheta tadā janaḥ samparivartate 'smād muktaḥ paraṁ yāty atihāya hetum [SB 5.5.9]

So the conclusion is given here: one should be completely satiated from this attachment of sex, then he is liberated. Liberation means no more material life, and the basic principle of material life is sex. Therefore whole Vedic civilization is based on to train people how he becomes free from sex desire. The great emperor Yāmunācārya, he gave his experience how he became liberated from sex desire:

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravinde nava-nava-dhāmany rantum āsīt tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

Since... He gives his experience, "Since I have given my mind and heart in the service of yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravinde, at the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṅa, and I have increased my transcendental, blissful life by rendering such loving service, since then, even if I think of sex life," yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ, tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne, "even sex life, thinking of it, it becomes so abominable that I spit on it." So this is the test of advancement of Kṛṣṅa conscious life.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He delivered Jagāi-Mādhāi... This Jagāi-Mādhāi was debauch—drinking, illicit sex, meat eating and these things, degradation. These four principles are the four pillars of degradation. Therefore we prohibit, that if you want to make progress in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, you must give up these four principles. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu made this condition, that "If you promise that you will give up these four principles of sinful life, then I will accept you, never mind whatever you have done in the past." Every man is sinful, there is no doubt about it, more or less. That is not disqualification. If he agrees to give up that, then immediately he becomes liberated. That is Kṛṣṅa also says in the Bhagavad..., ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. Liberation is not very difficult. It can be obtained in one minute, provided you want to take it. Just like Kṛṣṅa says,

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

So if you are free from the resultant action of sinful life, then you are liberated. If you get shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa and do not act in such a way that you again fall down, then you are liberated. Liberation means, we have several times discussed, hitvā anyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṅa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6].

[The merging of the living entity, along with his conditional living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Mahā-Viṣṅu is called the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies.]

Our svarūpa, means original, constitutional position, is jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṅa-dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109], eternally servant of Kṛṣṅa. So as soon as we place ourselves in our original place, then you are liberated immediately. If we determine, decide finally, that we shall now continuously, vehemently fixed up in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, very simple thing...

Kṛṣṅa consciousness is described by Kṛṣṅa in the Bhagavad-gītā: man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. That's all. "Always think of Me," man-manāḥ, and bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "be ready always to serve Me." Bhakta means, where there is bhakti and Bhagavān. Then bhakta. If there is no Bhagavān, and there is no activities to serve Bhagavān, there is no bhakta also. They are demons. So bhakta means there must be Bhagavān. Sevya, sevaka and sevā. Sevya sevaka sevā, three things. Sevya means who is to be served, the master, sevya. And sevaka means the servant. If there is master and servant then there is sevā. This sevā is called bhakti. So here, mano-hṛdaya-granthir asya karmānubaddho dṛḍha āślatheta, when he decides, "No more these things." Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam. When we understand that "I am becoming more and more implicated," puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam [SB 5.5.8]. "By this sex desires I am becoming more and more implicated. This implication is engaging me more and more in karma, karmānubaddha." When we understand this, and try to get free from this business, then we become eligible for going back home, back to Godhead. Tadā janaḥ samparivartate 'smād. Samparivartate, returns to his original position, asmāt. And when he turns back towards back home, back to Godhead, then he is mukta. That is liberation.

Mukti is described here. It is not very difficult. Simply we have to decide that it is enough: no more. Then muktaḥ paraṁ yāty atihāya hetum. This is the hetu. We are baddha, conditioned. This is the ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. So long we shall try... Because people are after this gṛha, apartment or home; kṣetra, land; gṛha, kṣetra, suta, children; āpta, friends; vitta, wealth, riches... The basic principle is that maithunyam, agāram ajñaḥ vindati tāpān. This is very important point. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, one is trained up how to give up this ideas, concoction. That is brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, ultimately sannyāsa. No more. And ultimately, sannyāsa also is not the perfectional stage. Sannyāsa is also practice, how to come to the perfectional stage. The perfectional stage is to be engaged practically, not theoretically, engaged in the service of the Lord, according to his capacity. Not that everyone will be able to do everything; that is not required. Kṛṣṅa is not stereotyped, that He has to be served in this way only. No, Kṛṣṅa can accept service in so many ways. There are dvādaśa-rasa, akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Just like Kṛṣṅa is enjoying when Bhīṣmadeva was piercing His body with the arrows. He was enjoying. This is also rasa. Bhīṣma, purposefully, he knows Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Lord, still, he is devotee, he was giving Him pleasure by throwing arrows on His body. So Kṛṣṅa takes pleasure in that. Kṛṣṅa does not take pleasure only when you throw rose flowers. He can take pleasure when you can pierce—if you are actually able to do that. So that is Kṛṣṅa.

So ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānuśīlanam [Cc Madhya 19.167].

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

You have to know how Kṛṣṅa will be pleased, then you are perfect. That you have to practice, first of all, in the vidhi-mārga, according to śāstra, according to the instruction of guru. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya tinete koriyā aikya. Sādhu-mārgānugamanam [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.74] Ādau gurvāśrayam. Sad-dharma-pṛcchā. To accept guru means to be inquisitive. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "I was minister. I was implicated in material activities. You have relieved me from this implication. Now please tell me what I have to do." Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī was given instruction for two months continually, what to do now. So that is called sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Not that a fashion, I have made guru, I have accepted guru; my business is finished. No. Sad-dharma-pṛcchā: the disciple must be ready to ask. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was a minister, he resigned the post. That does not mean he was silent, stopped all work. He was asking, "What I have to do?" This is sad-dharma-pṛcchā. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered him to come to Vṛndāvana and renovate the vṛndāvana-līlā.

This place, before Caitanya Mahāprabhu's advent, this city, or this whole Vṛndāvana area, Rādhā-kuṅḍa, it was all field only, agricultural field. Nobody knew where Kṛṣṅa had His pastimes. So it was the direction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "This is Rādhā-kuṅḍa, this is this, this is this," and the Gosvāmīs, they did it. That was it. Not that they came here... Although they were sitting underneath a tree... Rather, the Gosvāmīs had no opportunity to come to a nice temple like this. They came when the whole thing was only agricultural field. But they constructed gradually the Madana-mohana's temple, the Govindajī's temple, Rādhā-kuṅḍa. They engaged fully, writing books and establishing temples. Then after them others, big, big... Just like first of all, Mahārāja Mansingh, he carried out the order of Rūpa Gosvāmī. He spent so much—in those days, lakhs and crores of rupees. You have seen the Govindajī's temple, broken. It is not possible to construct such a temple at the present moment. But it was done by the order of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī.

It is the system, if you want to see a saintly person, you must go there to serve him. Not that simply asking, "Give me your blessing." And, "Why? Are you worthy for blessing?" Cheap blessing. And blessing also, they do not know what is blessing. They think that "I have got some disease. If the saintly person gives me some blessing, I will be relieved from this disease." Now why don't you go to the doctor? But you go to saintly person for curing your disease. This is anyābhilāṣitā, that they do not know even how to approach a saintly person. So Mansingh was very important man, he was the commander-in-chief of Akbar, and he approached Rūpa Gosvāmī, "What can I do for you?" So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he did not require that temple, but he wanted to engage this rich man to the service of the Lord, and he asked him that "You construct a temple like this." Rūpa Gosvāmī was living very humbly, you know at the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, his bhajanāśrama. He did not require a temple. But we are making members. Why? The idea is they'll spend the money for nothing in sense gratification. Take some money from them and engage in constructing temple. This is our consciousness.

Not that we want to live in big palatial building and take subscription from others. No, this is not our policy. He'll spoil the money in sense gratification, so try to engage him. This is the policy. And exactly following the footprints of Gosvāmīs, we do not require any money. We, we are quite confident Kṛṣṅa will supply all the necessities. But to engage the whole world who are spending money in so many rascaldom way, if that money is engaged in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, they'll get a chance. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. He does not know how he is making progress in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Ajñāta: it is unknown to him. But the person who is trying to induce him to be engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service, that is his friend, real friend. They are misunderstanding, that "These people are exacting money by force." Even it is done by force, it is good for the person who is contributing. But you should not use any such means; people will misunderstand.

But the policy is that his money, which is accumulated for sense gratification... In Western countries they accumulate millions of dollars, and at the last moment he gives to his dog. [laughter] There are many instances, you know better than me. He has no..., nobody even, because they do not marry—no children, no friend—so the dog is the best friend in Western country. Every gentleman must have this best friend, pet dog. So ultimately, because there is nobody to give, he gives it to the dog, makes a will that "My dog will get it, and they'll give him jewelry, ornaments and so on, so on, so on." We have got practical experience, the big palace which we have purchased in Detroit, the man did not marry, so ultimately he bequeathed the whole estate to the dog. [laughter] And there is a tomb of the dog. [laughter]

So one has to do it. If he does not do it for God, then he will have to do it ultimately to the dog. So better, so long you have got money, spend it for God. San-nimitte varaṁ tyāgo vināśe niyate sati [Cāṅakya-śloka 36]. This is the instruction of Cāṅakya Paṅḍita, that whatever money you have got, it will be spent. You cannot keep it. Either the money will go from you, or you have to go from the money. You cannot keep together. That is not possible. If you don't spend the money for Kṛṣṅa, if you keep it, that "I shall see it. I shall lick up this money and be happy..." Kṛpaṅa, that those who are miser, they do not spend money for Kṛṣṅa but they see the money. Therefore it has become a problem for us, how to spend the money. How to spend the money for Kṛṣṅa, that is our policy. We do not want to keep money. We cannot keep; that is not possible. Somebody will take it. Ultimately the government will take away. Better spend it for Kṛṣṅa. Spend it for Kṛṣṅa; that is the right use. San-nimitte varaṁ tyāgo vināśe niya... Cāṅakya Paṅḍita, he was great politician, he is advising that if you have got money, spend it for Kṛṣṅa. Don't keep it. Spend it for Kṛṣṅa. Why? It will be spoiled. Today or tomorrow it will be spoiled. Somebody will take and spoil it. Better if you spend it for Kṛṣṅa; at least your service will be recognized. Kṛṣṅa will see that "This man is spending his hard-earned money for Me." That is called ajñāta-sukṛti. This service to Kṛṣṅa, this inclination, does not arise unless one is very, very good asset he has got.

Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ [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.]

Who comes to kṛṣṅa-bhajana? Sukṛtina. Not ordinary man, sukṛtina. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ. The duṣkṛtina, he will never come to Kṛṣṅa. 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.]

lowest of the mankind, full of sinful activities. How they can come to Kṛṣṅa? It is not possible.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṅya-karmaṅām te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg 7.28]

[Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.]

These are the qualification. Manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg 7.3].

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

So there are many authoritative statements. Na janma koṭibhiḥ sukṛti tatra laulyam ekalaṁ laulyaṁ. Na labhyate janma koṭibhiḥ sukṛti. This desire, that I shall serve Kṛṣṅa, it is not ordinary thing. Na janma koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhir labhyate. But it is possible if we accumulate this sukṛti: all right, little service, little service, little service. Therefore the preacher's business is to engage these fools and rascals, who are very enthusiastic in the activities of sense gratification. If they are somehow or other engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service, they accumulate sukṛti, sukṛti.

Another place it is said that kṛta-puṅya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11].

[All the boys would be differently engaged. Some boys blew their flutes, and others blew bugles made of horn. Some imitated the buzzing of the bumblebees, and others imitated the voice of the cuckoo. Some boys imitated flying birds by running after the birds' shadows on the ground, some imitated the beautiful movements and attractive postures of the swans, some sat down with the ducks, sitting silently, and others imitated the dancing of the peacocks.

Some boys attracted young monkeys in the trees, some jumped into the trees, imitating the monkeys, some made faces as the monkeys were accustomed to do, and others jumped from one branch to another. Some boys went to the waterfalls and crossed over the river, jumping with the frogs, and when they saw their own reflections on the water they would laugh. They would also condemn the sounds of their own echoes.

In this way, all the cowherd boys used to play with Kṛṣṅa, who is the source of the Brahman effulgence for jñānīs desiring to merge into that effulgence, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead for devotees who have accepted eternal servitorship, and who for ordinary persons is but another ordinary child. The cowherd boys, having accumulated the results of pious activities for many lives, were able to associate in this way with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How can one explain their great fortune?]

Kṛta-puṅya-puñjāḥ. Puṅya, sukṛti, little, little, little, little, when it is accumulated, then they get the chance of talking with Kṛṣṅa, playing with Kṛṣṅa, dancing with Kṛṣṅa. That is possible. It is not mythology. The rascals, they think it is mythology. It is not mythology; it is fact. But it is mythology or imagination for the nondevotees. For the devotees, it is practical. So this is the muktaḥ paraṁ yāty atihāya hetum. That bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṅa dhīraḥ [SB 10.33.39]. Bhaktiṁ parāṁ pratilabhya. That is conclusion of when Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired about Kṛṣṅa's rāsa-līlā. Kṛṣ... Parīkṣit... Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied that "If one is actually qualified to hear about rasa, vikrīḍitam idaṁ ca vraja-vadhūbhir viṣṅoḥ... These activities with Lord Kṛṣṅa and the vraja-vadhūbhiḥ, if it is properly spoken and heard, then the result will be that hṛd-rogaṁ kāmam apahinoti: the material disease, kāma, lusty desire, will be finished—no more. And bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṅa dhīraḥ. Very soon he will be dhīra, no more kāma. This is the result. Not that after hearing rāsa-līlā, "Oh, let me imitate. Let me also dance with young girls and enjoy." This is going on. Rascal. Māyāvādīs, they do that. Perhaps you know. There are so many instances. But actually, the result will be this hṛd-rogaṁ kāmam acireṅa dhīraḥ: no more desire.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. [end]