Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 16.8

Prabhupāda:

asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam [Bg 16.8]

[They say that this world is unreal, that there is no foundation and that there is no God in control. It is produced of sex desire, and has no cause other than lust.]

So we are discussing for the last few days about the asuras, demons.

[aside:] Stop.

So the beginning is, na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. The asuras, they are aśuci, unclean. That is their misfortune, that they cannot understand what is the right way, what is the wrong way. So śuci, cleanliness, is the first qualification of the daiva-prakṛti, or devatās. There are two classes of men. One class is devatā, and the other class asura. So asura class, they will have to suffer. They cannot get liberation from the material bondage. Mūḍhā janmani janmani mām aprāpya eva [Bg 16.20].

[Attaining repeated birth amongst the species of demoniac life, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable type of existence.]

Unless we achieve the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, our sufferings in the material world will continue. It will not stop. We are trying to stop all kinds of suffering by adjustment of this material world. That is not possible. That is stated in the śāstra: durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31].

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

Durāśayā, hopeless.

Big, big asuras like Rāvaṅa, he also wanted to be happy himself and others by material adjustment. He proposed that "There is no need of acting piously to go to the heavenly planet. I shall construct a staircase so anyone can go." Rāvaṅera svargeśvari. So that was failure. Just like we are now trying, the modern scientists, we are trying to go to the moon planet. It is failure. They will never be able to go there. I have discussed this point. We are conditioned. We cannot live one place to another without being proficient or without being eligible. Just like even in this planet you cannot go to the other country. Suppose from India if we want to go to America, it requires arrangement, not that all of a sudden you can go to America or the Americans come here. There is international arrangement—visa, passport, immigration, so many things. So many obstacles are there even in this planet, and what to speak of going to other planet. It is not possible. You must be efficient; then you can go. That we get information from the Bhagavad-gītā:

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām [Bg 9.25]

[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]

So in this life you have to prepare yourself. Then you can go to the higher planetary system.

ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ jaghanya-guṅa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ [Bg 14.18]

[Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.]

You can go, sarva-ga. Every living entity can go wherever he likes, but he must fulfill the condition because we are in the conditional state. The material world means we are conditioned. So in order to be eligible to go to the higher planetary system like moon planet and others, we must be efficient to prepare ourself. So that preparation means the more you become situated in the sattva-guṅa, śaucam... Satyaṁ śaucam, the brahminical qualification, ārjavam āstikyam, 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.]

Unless you acquire the qualities of sattva-guṅa, you cannot go even in the higher planetary system, what to speak of going beyond the universe. Beyond the universe, beyond this, there are Vaikuṅṭhaloka, or the Brahmaloka, brahma-jyoti. Then topmost is the Goloka Vṛndāvana. But you can go there. Kṛṣṅa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām [Bg 9.25].

If you prepare in this life, then you can go there. There is no impediment. Simply you have to be purified. This bhakti-mārga is the process of purification.

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.]

If we want to go to Vaikuṅṭha planet or Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, beyond this material sky, that is... There is another sky. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg 8.20]. These informations are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. There is another sky, which is called paravyoma. That is spiritual sky. That spiritual sky is eternal. When everything is annihilated within this material sky, that remains eternally. That is called sanātana-dhāma. So sanātana. Jīva is sanātana. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke sanātanaḥ [Bg 15.7]. It is stated there. So jīva is sanātana. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20]. And Kṛṣṅa is also sanātana. In the Eleventh Chapter Kṛṣṅa is addressed, sanātanam. And here there is another sky, which is called sanātana. Avyaktaḥ avyaktāt sanātanaḥ. So this sanātana-dhāma and sanātana association... Kṛṣṅa is sanātana, living entity is sanātana, and there is a sanātana-dhāma. The cultivation of knowledge how one can go back to that sanātana-dhāma and associate with the supreme sanātana and remain yourself sanātana, that is called sanātana-dharma.

So we have to cultivate that sanātana-dharma, means we have to purify ourself from the material qualification or material designation. Here we have got material designation: "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṅa," "I am this and that." So one has to become free. That is purification, when we understand that, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced Himself, that "I am not a brāhmaṅa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a śūdra, I am not a sannyāsī, I am not a brahmacārī, but I am servant of the servant of Kṛṣṅa," gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc Madhya 13.80].

[I am not a brāhmaṅa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’]

If we come to this understanding, that is our purification.

Just like in our this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement we have got people from all different countries, all different religious system, caste, creed, colors, but they have forgotten their material designation. If these American boys or English boys would have thought that they are Englishmen, then they could not mix with us Indian in such humble way, because they have their prestigious position. And actually, materially they are advanced and opulent. Why they should come with me, an Indian, poor Indian? No. Because they have forgotten. Their designation they have forgotten. Similarly, we have to forget this material designation due to this body. This is bodily conception of life.

So nowadays it is going on very strong, "nation." We do not have any such conception in the śāstra, "national idea." The division is deva and asura. It doesn't matter where you are born. Even in India... Suppose you are born in a brāhmaṅa family. It does not mean that you cannot become an asura. And even if in Europe and America if you are born in the mleccha and yavana family, it does not mean that you cannot become a brāhmaṅa. No. Kṛṣṅa says openly, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg 9.32].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

Pāpa-yoni, lowborn. Pāpa-yoni... There are... They are mentioned in the śāstras, kirāta-hūṅāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ [SB 2.4.18]. They are considered as caṅḍāla, less than the śūdras. Kirāta means Africans, the black. In our country also there are Santals, very black. They live in the forest. Every country, aborigines. They are called kirāta. So Huns... There are Huns on the northern side of Germany. Āndhra, kirāta-hūṅāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ. Many. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that they can be purified, śudhyanti prabhaviṣṅave, if they become Vaiṣṅava. Prabhaviṣṅave namaḥ. If one becomes Vaiṣṅava, then he is transcendental to this material designation.

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is an endeavor to make everyone a pure Vaiṣṅava. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

Then he will be nirmala. In that nirmala stage, when he engages himself in the service of the Lord, that is called bhakti. Bhakti is not the activities of this material world. Bhakti is the activity sa guṅān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg 14.26].

[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]

To become identified with Brahman, that is not sufficient. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. That is not sufficient. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg 18.54].

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

When you become free from this material designation, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is a stage, neutral stage.

Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Means you become free from the material anxieties. Material life means śocati, kāṅkṣati. Always people want something, and whatever he has got, if he has lost, he laments for something. This is our material life. But when you come to the Brahman platform, na śocati na... This is the first qualification—no more lamentation, no more hankering. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18]. Then sarveṣu bhūteṣu, every living entity, he can... He knows that every living entity is the son of Kṛṣṅa. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg 14.4],

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

Kṛṣṅa says. So why shall I distinguish between this person to that person? Everyone is Vaiṣṅava. That is mahā-bhāgavata. Mahā-bhāgavata does not see any distinction. He sees everyone, paṅḍitāḥ sama...

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṅe gavi hastini śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṅḍitāḥ sama... [Bg 5.18]

[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṅa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]]

When one has attained this stage, then he can execute devotional service. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg 18.54].

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

So to become a bhakta is the highest position, highest perfection of life—beyond this material existence. That is possible. Kṛṣṅa says,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striyo śūdrā tathā vaiśyās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim [Bg 9.32]

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

Everyone is eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So this movement is to execute this Kṛṣṅa's mission. He wants it. Why He says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ? Pāpa-yonayaḥ means suffering. Here in this material world either you are in pāpa-yoni or ucca-yoni, there is suffering. So Kṛṣṅa is... Kiṁ punar brāhmaṅāḥ puṅyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā [Bg 9.33].

[How much greater then are the brāhmaṅas, the righteous, the devotees and saintly kings who in this temporary miserable world engage in loving service unto Me.]

Even the pāpa-yonis, they can be relieved, what to speak of those who are born in good family, brāhmaṅa, puṅya, rājarṣaya, brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya. Of course, in this age it is very difficult to find out the qualified brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kali-yuga, everyone is almost śūdra. And still, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. They can be elevated. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is para-upakāra, para-upakāra, because within this material world, with material designation and material envelopment, they are all suffering. Kṛṣṅa is more unhappy for our suffering because we are His sons. Suppose your son is suffering—you will suffer also, not that the son is suffering. Similarly, because we have come to this conditional state of life, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg 8.19],we sometimes..., once we take birth and again we die—this is not very good proposal. But these rascals, they do not know how nature is working. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

We are leaving one body and accepting another body. This is a great botheration. But the rascal so-called scientist, politician, they do not know this. I therefore say "rascals." They are very much proud of their learning, advancement of science, but they cannot understand the simple truth spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg 2.13]. There is dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dhīras tatra na muhyati.

So people are surprised. They do not believe that they are... But dhīras tatra na muhyati: those who are dhīra, sober, intelligent, they understand, "Yes, there is dehāntara-prāp..." The example He's giving, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg 2.13]. Just like we are changing body, kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, similarly the old body, "Old order changes to a new." Again we get another body. And this is very, very great botheration of life. They do not understand. But it can be stopped. 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.]

It can be stopped. How? Simply by understanding Kṛṣṅa. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg 4.9]. You simply try to understand Kṛṣṅa. And Kṛṣṅa is explaining Himself. Where is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṅa? You haven't got to speculate. You haven't got to manufacture ideas what kind of Kṛṣṅa He is. He is present, dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara-kṛṣṅa.

Kṛṣṅa when He was present in the..., upon this earth, everyone has seen. Kṛṣṅa has His temple, thousands and millions of temples, Kṛṣṅa. You can see His picture. Description is there, veṅuṁ kvaṅantam, in the Vedic literature.

veṅuṁ kvaṅantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.30]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids.]

Why? What is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṅa? And simply if you understand Kṛṣṅa... Janma karma ca me divyam [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.]

They are not ordinary activities. Janma karma ca me divyam—transcendental. If you simply understand Kṛṣṅa, then we can save from this botheration of repetition of birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti]. He does not accept any more this material body. Then where does he go? Mām eti: "He comes to Me, back to home, back to Godhead."

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is trying to introduce this movement in the human society. It is not meant for any particular class of men, a particular country or particular religious system. No. It is meant for everyone. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that it is the duty of the Indians,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra [Cc Ādi 9.41]

[One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.]

First of all make yourself perfect. You can make yourself perfect because in the Bhārata-varṣa there are this Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedic literature. Just study them. And therefore we are publishing so many books on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and people are appreciating very much all over the world. So it is the duty of every Indian to make his life perfect by understanding Bhagavad-gītā at least, and spread the message. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṅa-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. Every one of you can become a guru. He says that. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa. Wherever you are, you can deliver the persons, surrounding person in your neighborhood. "How can I become guru? I have no qualification." No. There is no need of qualification. Simply repeat. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṅa-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128].

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

Very simple thing. Anyone you meet: "My dear friend, just hear little." "What is that?" "Now, Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You kindly think of Kṛṣṅa. Just offer your obeisances to Kṛṣṅa, just become a bhakta and chant His holy name." Bās. Your guru duty is finished. So it is not very difficult task. Anyone can do this. And then everyone will be benefited. And that is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]