Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.5-6 Prabhupada: yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam paro ’pi manute ’nartham tat-krtam cabhipadyate So our present position is like this, that sammohita, bewildered, puzzled by maya. We are eternal part and parcel of God, but on account of being enchanted by this material energy, or external energy of God, we have forgotten ourself, and we are now entangled. We have forgotten our goal of life. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. The conditioned soul… Conditioned soul means the living being, the spirit soul who is conditioned by these laws of material nature. The laws of material nature is that you have to accept a certain type of body according to your propensity. We create propensity. And Krsna is so kind that He gives you the facility: “All right.” Just like the tiger. He wants to suck blood. Or any man, if he wants to suck blood, then he will be given the facility of a tiger’s body. If a person has no discrimination in eating—whatever available, he can eat—then he will be given facility of become a pig. Up to stool, he can eat. So this is stated very clearly in the Bhagavad-gita. isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61] This is very significant. Yantrarudhani mayaya. We are riding on a machine. This body is a machine, but we are accepting machine as myself. This is called sammohita, bewildered. If you are running on a car, if you think, “I am the car,” as it is foolishness, similarly, I have got this yantra, machine, body, and it is running on on account of my presence, or I am driving, or Krsna is giving me intelligence how to drive, but if I identify myself with this body, exactly like a foolish man—he is driving the car, and if he identifies himself with the car, he is a foolish man—so this is called sammohita. Yaya sammohito jiva. Therefore the example, as I was citing last night, that we do not see the driver, and when the driver goes away, then we see that the car is not moving, and then I can understand, “Oh, the driver, my father, or my son, has gone away.” We sometimes cry, “My father has gone away,” or “My son has gone away,” but because we are sammohita, we actually never saw the father or the son. We accepted this coat-pant body as father and son. This is called sammoha, bewildered. Yaya sammohito jiva atmanam: the spirit soul, atmanam tri-gunatmakam… This body is tri-gunatmakam. The body is made according to the modes of material nature: karanam guna-sango ’sya. Everything is very clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gita. This is further development. Bhagavad-gita… If you understand Bhagavad-gita, and if you actually surrender to Krsna… The last word of Krsna is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66] If you actually understand Bhagavad-gita, this will be the result. And in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareh. Sva-dharma. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. So that means every one of us… Dharma means occupational duty. That is dh arma, characteristic. So Krsna orders, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66] If we accept it, even by sentiment… That is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareh patet tato yadi, bhajann apakvo ’tha. Narada Muni says that “If somebody, even by sentiment—‘All right, Krsna says sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. Let us stop any other business, become Krsna conscious’—even one accepts by sentiment, not thoroughly understanding, he is also fortunate.” He also fortunate because he accepts the real thing. Therefore Narada Muni said that “Even one accepting by sentiment, and later on,” bhajann apakvo ’tha, “his execution of devotional service (is) not mature and he falls down, then,” Narada Muni says, yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim, “where is the loss for that person? On the other hand, the other person who has not accepted this—he is very regularly executing his respons…, material responsibility—what does he gain by that?” This is the opinion. “If Krsna consciousness is accepted even by sentiment, and after that, even he falls down, there is no loss. And if we are very faithful to our material duties, then,” Narada Muni says, “what do we gain by that?” So this is very important thing. We do not gain anything. We gain only another body—again begin chapter, the same struggle for existence. And that also, there is no guarantee. According to our karma, we shall have to accept a body. Karanam guna-sango ’sya. As we associate… Just like we develop a certain type of disease as we contaminate the germ. If you contaminate the virus of smallpox, then you have to suffer from smallpox. Nature’s law is so strict; you cannot avoid it. If you have been attacked by the mosquito carrying malaria germ, then you have to suffer from malaria. So karanam guna-sango ’sya. As you take precaution that “I may not be attacked with malaria or smallpox or this or that”—so many, we take precaution—similarly we have to be very precautious for our next body. If we become precautious, then there is chance of being promoted. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah. If you keep yourself in the sattva-guna, the brahminical qualification, samo damas titiksa arjavam, satyam saucam jnanam vijnanam, astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam… Similarly, there are ksatriya qualities, there are vaisya qualities, there are sudra qualities, and there are sudradhama quality, less-than-the-sudra quality. So in any quality, in any position, even by sentiment, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareh, if we take to Krsna consciousness, that is the greatest profit from any position. It doesn’t matter in which position he is, either he is on the brahmana position or ksatriya position or vaisya position or sudra position or candala position. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Papa-yoni, lower class, very, very lower class… Papa-yoni, their description in the sastra, kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah. So these papa-yoni, these black, they are also considered papa-yoni, but for everyone Krsna consciousness is open. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda. Huna, kirata, andhra, pulinda, pulkasa, abhira, sumbha, yavana, khasadaya… Mongolia, those who do not develop mustaches, khasadaya, ye ’nye ca papa, and lower than that, yad-apasrayasrayah—if he takes sincerely the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna or His devotee, yad-apasrayasrayah sudhyanti, he becomes very purified. There is no, I mean to say, bar for anyone. In the Bhagavad-gita the same thing is confirmed: mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te ’pi yanti param gatim [Bg. 9.32] So Krsna consciousness is so nice. If we take to it as our goal of life, then our life is successful. Otherwise—yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam—we shall continue the life of changing this body. That we have to do. We cannot be independent. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah, ahankara-vimudhatma [Bg. 3.27] If we think that we are independent, that is due to our ignorance. We are not independent. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah, ahankara-vimudhatma. He is simply sammohita, by false prestige. He is not independent at all. We should always remember this. We are dependent on the laws of nature. We cannot say, “Now I invented some scientific discovery. We shall not going to die.” That is not possible. You must die. That is the law of nature. You must die, you must take birth also, and you must be diseased, and you must suffer from old age. These are the four disadvantages of material existence. So if we want to get out… This is anartha. That will be explained in the next verse. Read it. anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje lokasyajanato vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam This Srimad-Bhagavatam is satvata-samhitam, spiritual knowledge. It has nothing to do with anything material. Simply spiritual knowledge. So vidvan. Vidvan means the most learned, Vyasadeva, not ordinary. Srimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krte. He is maha-muni. Muni means thoughtful philosopher, and he is maha-muni. He is greater than any thoughtful philosopher, Vyasadeva, Veda-vyasa. His name is Veda-vyasa. Veda-vyasa means he compiled all this Vedic literature. And, at last, he summarized the whole Vedic knowledge into Vedanta-sutra, Vedanta-sutra, a small aphorism: janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1], athato brahma jijnasa, anandamayo ’bhyasat… In short aphorism. And it has got very deep meaning. That is Vedanta-sutra. And this Srimad-Bhagavatam is commentary on the Vedanta-sutra by the author himself under the instruction of his guru, Narada Muni. Therefore we began this that according to the advice of Narada Muni, that “You write about the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” So he began… We began this. bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite ’male apasyat purusam purnam mayam ca tad-apasrayam By bhakti-yoga… The bhakti-yoga is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is bhakti-yoga, but about jnana-yoga, karma-yoga, hatha-yoga and other yogas there are description, but at last Krsna advises that “The most confidential part of knowledge I am speaking to you, Arjuna, is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].” This is real gain. So this is bhakti-yoga. To surrender unto the Supreme Lord, that is bhakti-yoga. So here Vyasadeva began his realization, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite amale. By bhakti-yoga you can cleanse your mind without any contamination, immediately. If you want to be liberated from the contamination of material existence, or material modes of nature, then immediately you take to bhakti-yoga. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26] You want to realize yourself as Brahman. We are Brahman—there is no doubt about it—but we have no realization because sammohita, yaya sammohitah: the maya has captured us. So immediately if you want to be liberated… Mukti means, mukti… Muktir hitvanyatha rupam. Muktir hitvanyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih. This is mukti, svarupa. Our svarupa is our spiritual life. When we give up other activities, anyatha, which is not spiritual… Material activities, that is not our actual business. Actual business is spiritual activity. Material activity means this body, to keep this body in comfortable position. And the body is changing. Now, today, I am Indian—I am very great Indian leader or very good philanthropist. Now, tomorrow, or the next life, I may not be Indian; I may be Chinese or I may be European. Then my whole business program changed. Again another nationality, another feeling. So in this way… And if I become cats and dogs, then another mentality. This is going on. So I am forgetting that my identification is spiritual—aham brahmasmi—and I am accepting all these unnecessary things, anartha. So anartha… If you want to stop this anartha, if you want to keep yourself in your original position of spiritual identity, then you have to take to bhakti-yoga. This is the conclusion of the sastra. Anarthopasamam saksat. Directly, not indirectly. Anartha. These anartha… I am not this body, but I have to change this body after hundred years or ten years or fifty years, according to the size. The dogs and cats, they change, ten years. The cows, twenty years. And human being, utmost, hundred years. And the demigods, many millions of years. But death is there. You have to change that body. When Hiranyakasipu executed very severe austerity, so Lord Brahma came to him: “So what do you want? You are executing so severe austerities. What is your desire?” “I want to become immortal.” So Brahma said, “That is not possible. Nobody is immortal within this material world. I am not immortal. How can I give you the benediction of immortality? That is not possible.” So nobody… Everyone is under the laws of nature. It may be… The duration of time may be little more or less, but everyone must die. This is… And if we want to stop this business of material existence, then here is the recommendation, anarthopasamam… Anartha. “Why we shall die?” This question does not arise. If I am immortal, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gita… na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20] So this question does not strike us, that “If I am immortal—I have no birth, I have no death…” na jayate mriyate va kadacit “…at any time. Not that sometimes I was dying. No, never.” Nityah sasvato yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20] This is the position. “Then why I am accepting this birth and death and old age, disease? This is my problem.” So we do not think that, neither we are educated how to stop it. But there is process. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita. If you simply try to understand Krsna… Janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9] Not Krsna ordinarily—factually, krsna-tattvatah. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah, actually, in fact, in truth. Then what is the result? Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: “His, the cycle of birth and death, old age, and dis…, stopped.” Tyaktva deham. We have to give up this body; that is certain. But after giving up this body, no more material body. Then what happens? He is finished? No, he is not finished. Mam eti: “He comes to Me, back to home.” And when you go there, then you must possess the same body as Krsna has got. Krsna has sac-cid-ananda-vig… Just like if you want to enter into the sun planet. The sun planet is made of fiery elements. Everyone there, their body is made of fire. So if you want to enter into the sun planet, then you must also make your body made of fire. Just like this body is made of earth, so similarly, there are different types of bodies made of air, made of water, made of fire, these five elements, material. Ksitir apas tejo marud vyoma. So in different planets… So if you go back to home, back to Godhead, then you have to gain your original, spiritual body. There is spiritual body. That we do not know. There is no education. We have got spiritual body. That spiritual body is covered by this material layer. Just like your body is covered by shirt and coat, vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya [Bg. 2.22]. Everything explained. We are simply giving up. One dress is now old and rotten; we throw it away and accept another dress. Similarly, this body, when it is not workable—it is old enough; the physiological function is not going on nicely—then there is change of body. Arjuna was advised that “Why you are lamenting for your old grandfather? Better kill him. He will get a new body. He will get a new body.” Of course, it was spoken jokingly because grandfather… So, but the fact is that. Fact is that, that the, after the old body… Just like we have got several types of body: babyhood to childhood, child to boyhood, youth- hood, old body. Then after this, he is… Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya [Bg. 2.22] When we give up this body as dress, old and rotten, we get another. This is going on. But this is anartha. Anartha means unnecessarily we are undergoing this change of body. Anartha. If you want to stop it anarthopasamam saksat, directly, immediately, what is that? Bhakti-yogam. Anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. And Krsna also confirms. This is statement of Vyasadeva, and Krsna also says, mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26] So, bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. This is real purpose of life. This is real purpose of religion. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6] The same thing. That is first-class religion. It doesn’t matter what kind of religion you are following, but if the religious system teaches you how to become a devotee to Adhoksaja—adhoksaja means beyond our sense perception, the Supreme Lord—then your life is perfect. Then you will be happy. sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati [SB 1.2.6] You want satisfaction. If you want real life, then you accept this, yato bhaktir adhoksaje. Here the same thing, anarthopasa… This business, struggle for existence, “Survival of the fittest,” they say. But nobody is fit to survive. Everyone has to die. Nobody, even big, big scientists or big, big philosophers and… They cannot survive. They talk of millions of years, but personally they live only fifty or sixty years. This is their position. They simply cheat people: “Maybe.” “Perhaps.” “Millions of years.” And you are going to live for fifty years. Why talking of millions of years? So this is anartha. So anarthopasamam saksat. If we want to stop this unwanted business… If you don’t want, go on with your business: bhutva bhutva praliyate. Now take this life, this body, of human being or Indian and then American, then cat, then dog, then hog, then tree— so many, eight million—you go on if you like. But if you are actually intelligent, if you are disgusted, that “This is not very good business. This is anartha, unwanted business. I have been forced, yaya sammohitah… Being bewildered, being illusioned, misdirected by this material energy, I am trying to be happy here in this material…, and it is not my business.” If one comes to this sense… That is stated in the Bhagavad…, bahunam janmanam ante: [Bg. 7.19] “After many, many births. After many, many births, jnanavan, one who is actually in knowledge, wise…” Then what does he do? Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate: He surrenders to Krsna. The same thing, as Krsna says, “Surrender to Me.” If we do not do it… We have to do that, but if you want to wait bahunam janma, after many, many births, you have to do the same business, why not do it now? This is intelligence. If after bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19], when I actually become wise, why not become wise immediately? Krsna says; Krsna is canvassing. Why not take it up? And if you take it up, you are successful. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareh. Even by sentiment you take it, you will be successful, it is so nice. So Vyasadeva recommends that anartha, this unwanted business of repetition of birth, death, old age, disease… And there is no certainty what kind of body I shall get. So this is our position. If you want to stop it, anarthopasamam. If you stop this business, bhakti-yogam adhoksaje… So how to execute bhakti-yogam? So lokasyajanata: “The people in general, they do not know it.” There must be… For everything there must be education. Lokasyajanato vidvan. He compiled this Srimad-Bhagavatam. Vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam. For your eternal life, here is the samhita, Vedic literature. You take it and study it and follow it and be happy. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Johannesburg, October 15, 1975