Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.34

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.] [break]

evaṁ go-mṛga-kāka-caryayā vrajaṁs tiṣṭhann āsīnaḥ śayānaḥ kāka-mṛga-go-caritaḥ pibati khādaty avamehati sma [SB 5.5.34]

[00:51]

Translation: "In this way Lord Ṛṣabhadeva followed the behavior of cows, deer and crows. Sometimes He moved or walked, and sometimes He sat down in one place. Sometimes He lay down, behaving exactly like cows, deer and crows. In that way He ate, drank, passed stool and urine and cheated the people in this way." [break]

Prabhupāda:

evaṁ go-mṛga-kāka-caryayā vrajaṁs tiṣṭhann āsīnaḥ śayānaḥ kāka-mṛga-go-caritaḥ pibati khādaty avamehati sma [SB 5.5.34]

A character, avadhūta, without any connection with human bodily activities, Ṛṣabhadeva remained lying down on the street just like animals. We see so many cows and birds and crows, they do not care for anything of this material world; but eating, sleeping, mating, that is there. As in the human society, so amongst the lower animals the same activities are there. There is no change. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt [SB 11.9.29].

[After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Kṛṣṅa consciousness is possible only for a human being.]

Śāstra says viṣayaḥ, the objects of sense enjoyment, sarvataḥ syāt, everywhere. There is no difference. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. So viṣaya. Sometimes we say viṣayī. Viṣayī, generally they mean a man having estates to manage. But actually viṣaya means this eating, sleeping, mating and defending. These things are there. So He was callous: "Never mind." Although He was the emperor, but when He took the position of avadhūta, without any conception of body, He became like ordinary animals, exemplifying that the, so far the body is concerned, the activities of the body, there is no difference between the lower animals and the higher animals; or, in other words, without spiritual conception of life, simply in the bodily conception of life we are equal with the animals. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ sāmānyam etad paśubhiḥ narāṅām [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 our real life is spiritual life, not this bodily conception of life. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that anyone who is above the bodily conception of life, he is liberated person. Saṁsāra bandhana... Deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra-bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. Deha-smṛti: "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṅa," "I am kṣatriya." These are bodily conception of life. One who forgets this bodily conception of life, he is liberated. So how we can forget bodily conception of life? It can be forgotten. Just like one big person... Sometimes we have seen practically. We have, of course, heard, we have not seen, that Mr. Stalin, the great Communist leader, he was to undergo a surgical operation of the intestine. So the physician, the doctor, surgeon, he wanted to give him anaesthetic, chloroform. He refused: "There is no need of. Let the operation go on. I shall see what is there within the belly." Strong-minded, here, even in material conception, he was..., he undergo, underwent the surgical operation without any chloroform. So that is possible. If one is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then he has no more bodily conception of life. That is not to be imitated. It is on the highest stage it is possible to forget completely, and he is liberated. Deha-smṛti nāhi yāra saṁsāra bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. He is no more conditioned by the material nature.

So how it can be possible? It can be possible. I have given already one crude example. Similarly, why Mr. Stalin could tolerate without any trouble? Because he was a leader. He was always absorbed in the thought of how he could advance the Communist cause. This is the real reason. Similarly, if we take our cause very seriously, our... What is our cause? That is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Our this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement means to serve Kṛṣṅa. That is explained by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:

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

If you become fully absorbed in the thought of serving Kṛṣṅa, īhā. Īhā means complete absorption in the thought, "How I shall serve Kṛṣṅa?" What is serving Kṛṣṅa? That is explained by Kṛṣṅa, that He... We can see from his practical behavior, ācāraṅa. Not only His ācāraṅa, behavior, but later on, His incarnation, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's ācāraṅa, or behavior. What is that? To spread Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Kṛṣṅa also came for the same purpose: to spread Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati [Bg 18.68]. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also came for the same purpose: to spread Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So if we follow their footsteps and be fully engaged in spreading Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then immediately we become liberated.

This is the formula: īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṅā manasā vācā. We act three ways: by our bodily activities, by the mind and by words. So if we engage our body... Body means senses. What is this body? So long the hand is working, the eyes are working, the legs are working, all these different karma and jñāna, indriyas, they are working, then it is body. Otherwise, if the indriyas do not work, then it is dead matter. Indriyāṅi parāṅy āhur [Bg 3.42].

[The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.]

So these indriyas, so long the indriyas are working, that means my body is working; I am alive. Therefore if we engage our indriyas in the service of Kṛṣṅa, then this material... Not... This is not material activities. To engage the senses in the matter of serving Kṛṣṅa, these are not material activities. These are all spiritual activities. And the difference between the Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṅava philosophy, that the Māyāvāda philosophy, they want to stop activities. They think stopping of all activities is perfection, śūnyam, śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. Simply stop material. But what is the positive engagement? That they do not know. That is the difference. Positive engagement means serving Kṛṣṅa. That positive engagement means, engagement means, acting means, the employment of the senses.

So when we employ our senses in the positive activities, that is liberation. That is liberation. Just like a diseased man and a healthy man, what is the difference? The difference is that a healthy man is engaged in healthy activities, and the diseased man is engaged in diseased activities. The diseased man is also lying down, and the healthy man is also lying down. There is vast of difference. The diseased man is also eating, and the healthy man is eating. There is vast difference. So these activities, devotional activities, are not material activities. Material activities means sense gratification, and spiritual activities means to carry out the orders of Kṛṣṅa. This is the difference. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

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

Nirmalam means purified senses must be there. We are living entities. There must be senses. There must be desires. That is not possible, because we are living entities. If our senses do not work, if we do not desire, then what is the difference between the stone and myself? The stone does not move, the stone does not act, the stone does not desire. So if I become like stone, then what is the benefit? No. The nirviśeṣavādi, śūnyavādi, they want to make oneself like stone. That is not curing. They give up everything. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They... That is not mithyā but temporary. Anyway, they simply give up.

But real thing is to accept the positive life. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is bhakti. Anukulyena...

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc Madhya 19.170]

So hṛṣīka means senses. Because I stop material activities, that does not mean my senses are also finished. No. Senses are there. That is purified senses. When I do not act for any material purpose, that means my sense activities are purified, and that is bhakti. That is bhakti. 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.]

This is little difference, not very great difference. People are... One has to learn. Ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. Sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. To accept guru means to give up all material desires and be ready to ask from guru, "What shall I do?" Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he asked this question, that "By Your grace I am now released from my responsible activities." He was a minister of Nawab Hussain Shah, so he had many responsible activities, but he resigned from the post. And when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu he asked, "Now, by Your grace, I am now relieved from all material activities. Now kindly tell me what shall I do." So doing, it is not stopped. The Māyāvāda philosophy means stop doing. Jagat mithyā: there is no more activities. That cannot stay. That is artificial. Āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tathā patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32].

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]

If you give up this world as material—you have nothing to do—then you'll fall down again. Patanty adhaḥ. This is the śāstra injunction. So therefore our Gosvāmīs, under the śāstra..., that "Engage yourself in Kṛṣṅa activities; otherwise you will fall down." Īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṅā manasā vācā.

So here is Ṛṣabhadeva giving example. So far the body is concerned, it has nothing to do with the spiritual activities. The body is as good as that of the animals, the crows and the cows, birds, beasts. He is showing the same now, that so far body is concerned, it is the same thing. But when you come to the spiritual platform, that is... This is negation or equation with the material body. But real activities are ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama. Simply be ready to work for Kṛṣṅa, sad-dharma-pṛcchāt, as Sanātana Gosvāmī exemplified. He came to Caitanya Maha... Tyaktvā tūrṅam aśeṣa-maṅḍala-pati-śreṅīm. He was minister. His business was with the big, big men, maṅḍala-pati. Tyaktvā tūrṅam aśeṣa-maṅḍala-pati-śreṅīm sadā tucchavat [Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 4]:

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who kicked off all association of aristocracy as insignificant. In order to deliver the poor conditioned souls, they accepted loincloths, treating themselves as mendicants, but they are always merged in the ecstatic ocean of the gopīs' love for Kṛṣṅa and bathe always and repeatedly in the waves of that ocean.]

"It has no meaning. No more dealing with them." Tucchavat. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṅeśakau karuṅayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. And in order to give some benefit to the dīna-gaṅeśakau... Gaṅa. Gaṅa means general public. To give them some benefit, that is Vaiṣṅava life. Stop material activities, and for the benefit of the mass of people, dīna... They are very dīna, very poor. Mahad-vicalanaṁ gṛhiṅāṁ dīna-cetasām [SB 10.8.4]. Dīna-cetasām. They're very, very crippled, dīnasām. Gṛhiṅām. Those who are gṛhi, they are very dīna, very poor-hearted, because they do not know anything except to maintain the family.

Especially in this age a person will be considered very expert if he can maintain his family. Dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṅam. The age is so fallen that if one can maintain one wife and a few children, oh, he is Dakṣa Mahārāja. Dakṣa Mahārāja is called... Dakṣa means he was very expert in begetting children and maintaining them. That is Dakṣa Mahārāja. He was begetting children, many thousands, and Nārada used to visit and make them sannyāsī. That was Nārada's business. So..., and dakṣa in Kali-yuga, that is not very easy thing, to beget many thousands of children and maintain them and get them married and their children, their children. Because this is the happiness of home life. Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45].

[Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhīs, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṅas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṅas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.]

These gṛhamedhis' happiness is sexual intercourse, that's all. So he produces dozens of children by sexual intercourse, and when the children are grown-up, educated, then for him also another arrangement for sex, very pompously married. What is the purpose? The same sex. Therefore gṛhamedhi-sukham is sex. "I have enjoyed sex. I have got so many nice children, educated, now working. Now give him facility for sex. Then again, grandchildren."

So anyone who can maintain like this himself, his children, with wife and eating, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam [Hitopadeśa 25],

then he is expert. And if he becomes a sannyāsī, brahmacārī, does not take part in these stereotyped activities, then he is useless, escaping from the world, escaping. They do not take the responsibility. But that is not the fact. If one can maintain himself as brahmacārī, he is escaping all the tribulations of this material world. Escaping certainly, but he is escaping all the tribulations of the ma..., so much botheration. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṅḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham [SB 7.9.45]. Kaṅḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. Duḥkha-duḥkham, misery after misery. So kaṅḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta dhīraḥ. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṅā bahu-duḥkha-bhajaḥ. So these dīna-cetasām, mahad-vicalanam... Those who are mahātmās, their, I mean to say, wandering here and there is to enlighten these poor-hearted gṛhi. Gṛheṣu gṛhamedhinām. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛhamedhinām [SB 2.1.2].

[Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.]

Gṛhamedhi, they have no interest in the spiritual advancement of life. They think that "This is meant for the useless person who could not improve in this materialistic way of life. They have taken this dress as a token for maintaining their body and soul together. Useless person." They think like that. Gṛheṣu gṛhamedhinām. Because they think, "This is our only interest," gṛheṣu gṛhamedhinām. Śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṅāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ [SB 2.1.2].

Those who are gṛhamedhis, they have got many, many things to learn. Just like you see the newspaper, so many subject matter. You'll find different stock exchange report, and this municipal report, and the advertisement, wine advertisement and meat advertisement. What is that? "Beefeater's" advertisement, and cigarette advertisement, and cinema advertisement, restaurant advertisement even. Gṛheṣu. Nṛṅāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ. Thousands and thousands subject matter you'll find. Here we don't have such newspaper in the Western country. Such a big bunch, at least ten kilos' weight. Is it not? Big, big bunch, throwing. Who will read? But they have the subject matter.

So we have to cease these activities, and we shall consider such activities are no better than the activities of the crows and the cows and the other animals are there. These activities have no value, as the crow or the hogs and the dogs, they are engaged the whole day, activities. But these activities have no value. The human form of life are not meant for these activities. Their purpose is to make these activities and the activities of the crows and cows and lower animals only Kṛṣṅa conscious activities, how to serve Kṛṣṅa. That is bona fide. That is our life, real life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]