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evam—in this way; abhyasyatah—of the person practicing this yoga system; cittam—the heart; kalena—in due course of time; alpiyasa—very shortly; yateh—of the person practicing yoga; anisam—without cessation; tasya—of him; nirvanam—purification from all material contamination; yati—reaches; anindhana—without flame or smoke; vahnivat—like a fire.

When the yogi regularly practices in this way, in a short time his heart becomes fixed and free from disturbance, like a fire without flames or smoke.

Nirvana means the cessation of all material desires. Sometimes desirelessness is understood to imply an end to the workings of the mind, but this is not possible. The living entity has senses, and if the senses stopped working, the living entity would no longer be a living entity; he would be exactly like stone or wood. This is not possible. Because he is living, he is nitya and cetana—eternally sentient. For those who are not very advanced, the practice of yoga is recommended in order to stop the mind from being agitated by material desires, but if one fixes his mind on the lotus feet of Krsna, his mind naturally becomes peaceful very soon. This peace is described in Bhagavad-gita (5.29):

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati

If one can understand Krsna as the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor of everything, and the supreme friend of everyone, one is established in peace and is free from material agitation. However, for one who cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the practice of yoga is recommended.

SB7.15.35

TEXT 35

kamadibhir anaviddham

prasantakhila-vrtti yat

cittam brahma-sukha-sprstam

naivottistheta karhicit

kama-adibhih—by various lusty desires; anaviddham—unaffected; prasanta—calm and peaceful; akhila-vrtti—in every respect, or in all activities; yat—that which; cittam—consciousness; brahma-sukha-sprstam—being situated on the transcendental platform in eternal bliss; na—not; eva—indeed; uttistheta—can come out; karhicit—at any time.

When one’s consciousness is uncontaminated by material lusty desires, it becomes calm and peaceful in all activities, for one is situated in eternal blissful life. Once situated on that platform, one does not return to materialistic activities.

Brahma-sukha-sprstam is also described in Bhagavad-gita (18.54):

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param

“One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed toward every living entity. In this situation, he begins transcendental activities, or devotional service to the Lord.” Generally, once elevated to the transcendental platform of brahma-sukha, transcendental bliss, one never comes down. But if one does not engage in devotional service, there is a chance of his returning to the material platform. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah: [SB 10.2.32] one may rise to the platform of brahma-sukha, transcendental bliss, but even from that platform one may fall down to the material platform if he does not engage himself in devotional service.

SB7.15.36

TEXT 36

yah pravrajya grhat purvam

tri-vargavapanat punah

yadi seveta tan bhiksuh

sa vai vantasy apatrapah

yah—one who; pravrajya—being finished for good and leaving for the forest (being situated in transcendental bliss); grhat—from home; purvam—at first; tri-varga—the three principles of religion, economic development and sense gratification; avapanat—from the field in which they are sown; punah—again; yadi—if; seveta—should accept; tan—materialistic activities; bhiksuh—a person who has accepted the sannyasa order; sah—that person; vai—indeed; vanta-asi—one who eats his own vomit; apatrapah—without shame.

One who accepts the sannyasa order gives up the three principles of materialistic activities in which one indulges in the field of household life—namely religion, economic development and sense gratification. One who first accepts sannyasa but then returns to such materialistic activities is to be called a vantasi, or one who eats his own vomit. He is indeed a shameless person.

Materialistic activities are regulated by the institution of varnasrama-dharma. Without varnasrama-dharma, materialistic activities constitute animal life. Yet even in human life, while observing the principles of varna and asrama—brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa—one must ultimately accept sannyasa, the renounced order, for only by the renounced order can one be situated in brahma-sukha, or transcendental bliss. In brahma-sukha one is no longer attracted by lusty desires. Indeed, when one is no longer disturbed, especially by lusty desires for sexual indulgence, he is fit to become a sannyasi. Otherwise, one should not accept the sannyasa order. If one accepts sannyasa at an immature stage, there is every possibility of his being attracted by women and lusty desires and thus again becoming a so-called grhastha or a victim of women. Such a person is most shameless, and he is called vantasi, or one who eats that which he has already vomited. He certainly leads a condemned life. In our Krsna consciousness movement it is advised, therefore, that the sannyasis and brahmacaris keep strictly aloof from the association of women so that there will be no chance of their falling down again as victims of lusty desires.

SB7.15.37

TEXT 37

yaih sva-dehah smrto ’natma

martyo vit-krmi-bhasmavat

ta enam atmasat krtva

slaghayanti hy asattamah

yaih—by sannyasis who; sva-dehah—own body; smrtah—consider; anatma—different from the soul; martyah—subjected to death; vit—becoming stool; krmi—worms; bhasma-vat—or ashes; te—such persons; enam—this body; atmasat krtva—again identifying with the self; slaghayanti—glorify as very important; hi—indeed; asat-tamah—the greatest rascals.

Sannyasis who first consider that the body is subject to death, when it will be transformed into stool, worms or ashes, but who again give importance to the body and glorify it as the self, are to be considered the greatest rascals.

A sannyasi is one who has clearly understood, through advancement in knowledge, that Brahman—he, the person himself—is the soul, not the body. One who has this understanding may take sannyasa, for he is situated in the “aham brahmasmi” position. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. Such a person, who no longer laments or hankers to maintain his body and who can accept all living entities as spirit souls, can then enter the devotional service of the Lord. If one does not enter the devotional service of the Lord but artificially considers himself Brahman or Narayana, not perfectly understanding that the soul and body are different, one certainly falls down (patanty adhah). Such a person again gives importance to the body. There are many sannyasis in India who stress the importance of the body. Some of them give special importance to the body of the poor man, accepting him as daridra-narayana, as if Narayana had a material body. Many other sannyasis stress the importance of the social position of the body as a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra. Such sannyasis are considered the greatest rascals (asattamah). They are shameless because they have not yet understood the difference between the body and the soul and instead have accepted the body of a brahmana to be a brahmana. Brahmanism (brahmanya) consists of the knowledge of Brahman. But actually the body of a brahmana is not Brahman. Similarly, the body is neither rich nor poor. If the body of a poor man were daridra-narayana, this would mean that the body of a rich man, on the contrary, must be dhani-narayana. Therefore sannyasis who do not know the meaning of Narayana, those who regard the body as Brahman or as Narayana, are described here as asattamah, the most abominable rascals. Following the bodily concept of life, such sannyasis make various programs to serve the body. They conduct farcical missions consisting of so-called religious activities meant to mislead all of human society. These sannyasis have been described herein as apatrapah and asattamah—shameless and fallen from spiritual life.

SB7.15.38-39

TEXTS 38–39

grhasthasya kriya-tyago

vrata-tyago vatorapi

tapasvino grama-seva

bhiksor indriya-lolata

asramapasada hy ete

khalv asrama-vidambanah

deva-maya-vimudhams tan

upeksetanukampaya

grhasthasya—for a person situated in householder life; kriya-tyagah—to give up the duty of a householder; vrata-tyagah—to give up vows and austerity; vatoh—for a brahmacari; api—also; tapasvinah—for a vanaprastha, one who has adopted a life of austerities; grama-seva—to live in a village and serve the people therein; bhiksoh—for a sannyasi who lived by begging alms; indriya-lolata—addicted to sense enjoyment; asrama—of the spiritual orders of life; apasadah—the most abominable; hi—indeed; ete—all these; khalu—indeed; asrama-vidambanah—imitating and therefore cheating the different spiritual orders; deva-maya-vimudhan—who are bewildered by the external energy of the Supreme Lord; tan—them; upekseta—one should reject and not accept as genuine; anukampaya—or by compassion (teach them real life).

It is abominable for a person living in the grhastha-asrama to give up the regulative principles, for a brahmacari not to follow the brahmacari vows while living under the care of the guru, for a vanaprastha to live in the village and engage in so-called social activities, or for a sannyasi to be addicted to sense gratification. One who acts in this way is to be considered the lowest renegade. Such a pretender is bewildered by the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should either reject him from any position, or taking compassion upon him, teach him, if possible, to resume his original position.

kim icchan kasya va hetor

We have repeatedly stressed that human culture does not begin unless one takes to the principles of varnasrama-dharma. Although grhastha life is a concession for the enjoyment of sex, one cannot enjoy sex without following the rules and regulations of householder life. Furthermore, as already instructed, a brahmacari must live under the care of the guru: brahmacari guru-kule vasan danto guror hitam [SB 7.12.1]. If a brahmacari does not live under the care of the guru, if a vanaprastha engages in ordinary activities, or if a sannyasi is greedy and eats meat, eggs and all kinds of nonsense for the satisfaction of his tongue, he is a cheater and should immediately be rejected as unimportant. Such persons should be shown compassion, and if one has sufficient strength one should teach them to stop them from following the wrong path in life. Otherwise one should reject them and pay them no attention.

SB7.15.40

TEXT 40

atmanam ced vijaniyat

param jnana-dhutasayah

deham pusnati lampatah

atmanam—the soul and the Supersoul; cet—if; vijaniyat—can understand; param—who are transcendental, beyond this material world; jnana—by knowledge; dhuta-asayah—one who has cleansed his consciousness; kim—what; icchan—desiring material comforts; kasya—for whom; va—or; hetoh—for what reason; deham—the material body; pusnati—he maintains; lampatah—being unlawfully addicted to sense gratification.

The human form of body is meant for understanding the self and the Supreme Self, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, both of whom are transcendentally situated. If both of them can be understood when one is purified by advanced knowledge, for what reason and for whom does a foolish, greedy person maintain the body for sense gratification?

Of course, everyone in this material world is interested in maintaining the body for sense gratification, but by cultivating knowledge one should gradually understand that the body is not the self. Both the soul and the Supersoul are transcendental to the material world. This is to be understood in the human form of life, especially when one takes sannyasa. A sannyasi, one who has understood the self, should be engaged in elevating the self and associating with the Superself. Our Krsna consciousness movement is meant for elevating the living being for promotion back home, back to Godhead. Seeking such elevation is one’s duty in the human form of life. Unless one performs this duty, why should one maintain the body? Especially if a sannyasi not only maintains the body by ordinary means but does everything to maintain the body, including even eating meat and other abominable things, he must be a lampatah, a greedy person simply engaged in sense gratification. A sannyasi must specifically remove himself from the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals, which disturb one as long as one is not fully aware that the body is separate from the soul.

SB7.15.41

TEXT 41

ahuh sariram ratham indriyani

hayan abhisun mana indriyesam

vartmani matra dhisanam ca sutam

sattvam brhad bandhuram isa-srstam

ahuh—it is said; sariram—the body; ratham—the chariot; indriyani—the senses; hayan—the horses; abhisun—the reins; manah—the mind; indriya—of the senses; isam—the master; vartmani—the destinations; matrah—the sense objects; dhisanam—the intelligence; ca—and; sutam—the chariot driver; sattvam—consciousness; brhat—great; bandhuram—bondage; isa—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; srstam—created.

Transcendentalists who are advanced in knowledge compare the body, which is made by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to a chariot. The senses are like the horses; the mind, the master of the senses, is like the reins; the objects of the senses are the destinations; intelligence is the chariot driver; and consciousness, which spreads throughout the body, is the cause of bondage in this material world.

For a bewildered person in the materialistic way of life, the body, the mind and the senses, which are engaged in sense gratification, are the cause of bondage to repeated birth, death, old age and disease. But for one who is advanced in spiritual knowledge, the same body, senses and mind are the cause of liberation. This is confirmed in the Katha Upanisad (1.3.3–4,9) as follows:

atmanam rathinam viddhi
sariram ratham eva ca
buddhim tu sarathim viddhi
manah pragraham eva ca

indriyani hayan ahur
visayams tesu gocaran

so ’dhvanah param apnoti
tad visnoh paramam padam

The soul is the occupant of the chariot of the body, of which the driver is the intelligence. The mind is the determination to reach the destination, the senses are the horses, and the sense objects are also included in that activity. Thus one can reach the destination, Visnu, who is paramam padam, the supreme goal of life. In conditioned life the consciousness in the body is the cause of bondage, but the same consciousness, when transformed into Krsna consciousness, becomes the cause for one’s returning home, back to Godhead.

The human body, therefore, may be used in two ways—for going to the darkest regions of ignorance or for going forward, back home, back to Godhead. To go back to Godhead, the path is mahat-seva, to accept the self-realized spiritual master. Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh [SB 5.5.2]. For liberation, one should accept the direction of authorized devotees who can actually endow one with perfect knowledge. On the other hand, tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam: if one wants to go to the darkest regions of material existence, one may continue to associate with persons who are attached to women (yositam sangi-sangam). The word yosit means “woman.” Persons who are too materialistic are attached to women.

It is said, therefore, atmanam rathinam viddhi sariram ratham eva ca. The body is just like a chariot or car in which one may go anywhere. One may drive well, or else one may drive whimsically, in which case it is quite possible that he may have an accident and fall into a ditch. In other words, if one takes directions from the experienced spiritual master one can go back home, back to Godhead; otherwise, one may return to the cycle of birth and death. Therefore Krsna personally advises:

asraddadhanah purusa
dharmasyasya parantapa
aprapya mam nivartante
mrtyu-samsara-vartmani

“Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of foes, but return to birth and death in this material world.” (Bg. 9.3) The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, personally gives instructions on how one can return home, back to Godhead, but if one does not care to listen to His instructions, the result will be that one will never go back to Godhead, but will continue life in this miserable condition of repeated birth and death in material existence (mrtyu-samsara-vartmani).

The advice of experienced transcendentalists, therefore, is that the body be fully engaged for achieving the ultimate goal of life (svartha-gatim). The real interest or goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead. To enable one to fulfill this purpose, there are so many Vedic literatures, including Vedanta-sutra, the Upanisads, Bhagavad-gita, Mahabharata and the Ramayana. One should take lessons from these Vedic literatures and learn how to practice nivrtti-marga. Then one’s life will be perfect. The body is important as long as it has consciousness. Without consciousness, the body is merely a lump of matter. Therefore, to return home, back to Godhead, one must change his consciousness from material consciousness to Krsna consciousness. One’s consciousness is the cause of material bondage, but if this consciousness is purified by bhakti-yoga, one can then understand the falsity of his upadhi, his designations as Indian, American, Hindu, Muslim, Christian and so on. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. One must forget these designations and use this consciousness only for the service of Krsna. Therefore if one takes advantage of the Krsna consciousness movement, his life is certainly successful.

SB7.15.42

TEXT 42

aksam dasa-pranam adharma-dharmau

cakre ’bhimanam rathinam ca jivam

dhanur hi tasya pranavam pathanti

saram tu jivam param eva laksyam

aksam—the spokes (on the chariot wheel); dasa—ten; pranam—the ten kinds of air flowing within the body; adharma—irreligion; dharmau—religion (two sides of the wheel, up and down); cakre—in the wheel; abhimanam—false identification; rathinam—the charioteer or master of the body; ca—also; jivam—the living entity; dhanuh—the bow; hi—indeed; tasya—his; pranavam—the Vedic mantra omkara; pathanti—it is said; saram—an arrow; tu—but; jivam—the living entity; param—the Supreme Lord; eva—indeed; laksyam—the target.

The ten kinds of air acting within the body are compared to the spokes of the chariot’s wheels, and the top and bottom of the wheel itself are called religion and irreligion. The living entity in the bodily concept of life is the owner of the chariot. The Vedic mantra pranava is the bow, the pure living entity himself is the arrow, and the target is the Supreme Being.

rajah pramadah ksun-nidra

Ten kinds of life air always flow within the material body. They are called prana, apana, samana, vyana, udana, naga, kurma, krkala, devadatta and dhananjaya. They are compared here to the spokes of the chariot’s wheels. The life air is the energy for all of a living being’s activities, which are sometimes religious and sometimes irreligious. Thus religion and irreligion are said to be the upper and lower portions of the chariot’s wheels. When the living entity decides to go back home, back to Godhead, his target is Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the conditioned state of life, one does not understand that the goal of life is the Supreme Lord. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. The living entity tries to be happy within this material world, not understanding the target of his life. When he is purified, however, he gives up his bodily conception of life and his false identity as belonging to a certain community, a certain nation, a certain society, a certain family and so on (sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]). Then he takes the arrow of his purified life, and with the help of the bow—the transcendental chanting of pranava, or the Hare Krsna mantra—he throws himself toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has commented that because the words “bow” and “arrow” are used in this verse, one might argue that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity have become enemies. However, although the Supreme Personality of Godhead may become the so-called enemy of the living being, this is His chivalrous pleasure. For example, the Lord fought with Bhisma, and when Bhisma pierced the Lord’s body on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, this was a kind of humor or relationship, of which there are twelve. When the conditioned soul tries to reach the Lord by hurling an arrow at Him, the Lord takes pleasure, and the living entity gains the profit of going back home, back to Godhead. Another example given in this regard is that Arjuna, as a result of piercing the adhara-mina, or the fish within the cakra, achieved the valuable gain of Draupadi. Similarly, if with the arrow of chanting the holy name of the Lord one pierces Lord Visnu’s lotus feet, by dint of performing this heroic activity of devotional service one receives the benefit of returning home, back to Godhead.

SB7.15.43-44

TEXTS 43–44

rago dvesas ca lobhas ca

soka-mohau bhayam madah

mano ’vamano ’suya ca

maya himsa ca matsarah

satravas tv evam adayah

rajas-tamah-prakrtayah

sattva-prakrtayah kvacit

ragah—attachment; dvesah—hostility; ca—also; lobhah—greed; ca—also; soka—lamentation; mohau—illusion; bhayam—fear; madah—madness; manah—false prestige; avamanah—insult; asuya—finding fault with others; ca—also; maya—deception; himsa—envy; ca—also; matsarah—intolerance; rajah—passion; pramadah—bewilderment; ksut—hunger; nidra—sleep; satravah—enemies; tu—indeed; evam adayah—even other such conceptions of life; rajah-tamah—because of the conception of passion and ignorance; prakrtayah—causes; sattva—because of the conception of goodness; prakrtayah—causes; kvacit—sometimes.

In the conditioned stage, one’s conceptions of life are sometimes polluted by passion and ignorance, which are exhibited by attachment, hostility, greed, lamentation, illusion, fear, madness, false prestige, insults, fault-finding, deception, envy, intolerance, passion, bewilderment, hunger and sleep. All of these are enemies. Sometimes one’s conceptions are also polluted by goodness.

The actual aim of life is to go back home, back to Godhead, but there are many hindrances created by the three modes of material nature—sometimes by a combination of rajo-guna and tamo-guna, the modes of passion and ignorance, and sometimes by the mode of goodness. In the material world, even if one is a philanthropist, a nationalist and a good man according to materialistic estimations, these conceptions of life form a hindrance to spiritual advancement. How much more of a hindrance, then, are hostility, greed, illusion, lamentation and too much attachment to material enjoyment? To progress toward the target of Visnu, which is our real self-interest, one must become very powerful in conquering these various hindrances or enemies. In other words, one should not be attached to being a good man or a bad man in this material world.

In this material world, so-called goodness and badness are the same because they consist of the three modes of material nature. One must transcend this material nature. Even the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies consist of the three modes of material nature. Therefore Krsna advised Arjuna:

traigunya-visaya veda
nistraigunyo bhavarjuna
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-ksema atmavan

“The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self.” (Bg. 2.45) Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah: if one becomes a very good person—in other words, if one is in the mode of goodness—he may be elevated to the higher planetary systems. Similarly, if one is infected by rajo-guna and tamo-guna, he may remain in this world or go down to the animal kingdom. But all of these situations are hindrances on the path of spiritual salvation. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore says:

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

If one is fortunate enough to transcend all this so-called goodness and badness and come to the platform of devotional service by the mercy of Krsna and the guru, his life becomes successful. In this regard, one must be very bold so that he can conquer these enemies of Krsna consciousness. Not caring for the good and bad of this material world, one must boldly propagate Krsna consciousness.

SB7.15.45

TEXT 45

yavan nr-kaya-ratham atma-vasopakalpam

dhatte garistha-caranarcanaya nisatam

jnanasim acyuta-balo dadhad asta-satruh

svananda-tusta upasanta idam vijahyat

yavat—as long as; nr-kaya—this human form of body; ratham—considered to be a chariot; atma-vasa—dependent upon one’s own control; upakalpam—in which there are many other subordinate parts; dhatte—one possesses; garistha-carana—the lotus feet of the superiors (namely the spiritual master and his predecessors); arcanaya—by serving; nisatam—sharpened; jnana-asim—the sword or weapon of knowledge; acyuta-balah—by the transcendental strength of Krsna; dadhat—holding; asta-satruh—until the enemy is defeated; sva-ananda-tustah—being fully self-satisfied by transcendental bliss; upasantah—the consciousness being cleansed of all material contamination; idam—this body; vijahyat—one should give up.

As long as one has to accept a material body, with its different parts and paraphernalia, which are not fully under one’s control, one must have the lotus feet of his superiors, namely his spiritual master and the spiritual master’s predecessors. By their mercy, one can sharpen the sword of knowledge, and with the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s mercy one must then conquer the enemies mentioned above. In this way, the devotee should be able to merge into his own transcendental bliss, and then he may give up his body and resume his spiritual identity.