Dangers of Materialistic Life and Family Attachments
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada · Kolkata
Chapters
Dangers of delaying spiritual life
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is advising his friends that unless you begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness immediately from this childhood, there are so many dangerous positions ahead.
So he has analytically studied the dangerous policy and how we are wasting, first of all, half of our life by sleeping, and the balance half also, uh, twenty, forty... at the age of a child and young man, then 50 and 20, 70, and another 20 years in old age, uh, suffering from, uh, invalidity and adjustment of family affairs. The 50, 20, and 20—90 years are practically wasted out of 100 years. And
balance, genuine also in family life and affection of children and wife, sweet words of small children and nice topics, uh, from them, and so many attacks.
Katam priyā, anukampitayā, and fancy society, friendship and love—these are the attractions of material life. So if one becomes wasted in so many ways, then when will he practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
That is the proposition of Prahlāda Mahārāja.
Training and discipline in Gurukula
But if you begin from your childhood, as soon as you are fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all these dangerous positions will not affect you. That is the secret. Once, śṛṅgī-matsya māṃsa nāhi pāni, Bengali.
Go on fishing, but do not touch the water. That is the secret. And Rūpa Gosvāmī says, anāsaktasya viṣayān. Don't be attached with all these things.
Because in the materialistic way of life, you have to live under such conditions. But if you are trained, uh, not to become attached, uh, then you are saved. You cannot avoid
all these things, but you have to be trained, uh, not to be attached. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Yathārham: as much as you... Suppose you are going to make members outside. They are not devotees.
So we have to talk with them as much as required. Not very long. Not unnecessarily talking, business and life. But have...
Similarly, even if you have family, children, friends, society, you can deal with them without an attachment. You should always know that these things are not the necessities of my life. I am fallen in this condition only.
My real business is to serve Krishna. If we always remember that, then we will not get that. Just like we are in Calcutta. We are not Calcutta, right?
Although you are living in the best quarter, but you have nothing to do in the Calcutta Bandi. Therefore, you are not living in Calcutta. We are living in Vaikuṇṭha.
The same example can be given that the, uh, bug and the king sitting on the same throne. But on account of their different mental attitude, the bug and the king is different.
Not that because the bug and the king is sitting on the same throne, therefore they are of the same category. Now king is ruling and the bug is biting.
We may be in Calcutta, we may be in London, we may be in New York, we may be in hell, we may be in heaven, that doesn't matter. If we remain Krishna conscious, then all these conditional lives cannot affect.
That is the position of Krishna-loka. Putrān smaran duhitṝr hṛdā vātṝn sakhīṁś ca pitaraś cāpi nau vihāya manajña-uruparicchadān vitta-kulya-paśu-bhṛtya-vargaḥ. There are so many attachments.
Not only wives, uh, not only small children, but also, uh, putrās, relations, putrās, manajña, duhitṝ, daughters, uh, bhrātṝn, brothers, sisters, parents, parents, saying that, although, uh, a gentleman's son is very much bound to give them protection, you know.
Gṛhān manajñān, very nicely decorated home, gṛhān, gṛhān means apartment, home, manajña, very attractive. Gṛhān manajñān uru-paricchadāṁś ca, and valuable furniture. Vitta-kulya-paśu-bhṛtya-vargaḥ.
Formerly, any gentleman, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyas—brāhmaṇa not always, especially kṣatriya and vaiśyas—they must have enough servants, enough animals, cows, animals, horses, and other animals, cats and dogs also, these are uh animals kept in society.
So in vitta-vikalpa-paśu-vittavalyā. Paśu, paśu means animals, vitta means wealth. There's so many attractive features. Except this.
Overcoming material and family attachments
We are attracted by so many things minus Krishna. But if you can bring Krishna in the center, then if you are attracted by Krishna only, then all the attraction will be inferior.
Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate, then you are then your paraṁ. If your attachment is for Krishna, because attachment can be to one side.
If your attachment is towards Krishna, naturally, just like there is guṛ, uh, molasses, and rasagullā. Naturally, if there is rasagullā available, why one should take guṛ?
So when when he's actually uh attracted by Madana-mohana, Madana-mohana, Krishna's another name is Madana-mohana, because he can attract even Cupid. Cupid attracts everyone, but he can attract Cupid.
So when we are attracted by Madana-mohana, then you are not attracted by these paraphernalia of Cupid.
So real point is Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to induce his little friends that uh before being attracted with all these things, because as we grow up, the more we grow up, more we become attracted to this material paraphernalia.
We are said to supta-bhajanasama, or anything.
The more you have gone up, the more therefore, in the brahmacārī state, first of all, the student is taught vidyā in the guru-kula at the care of spiritual master, they are not allowed to live very comfortably.
Nowadays students are allowed to live very comfortably. But it's part of dormitory. Dormitory, no. Dormitory. Young boys and girls living in a very carpeted room. It's allowed to small.
And there is attraction for boys and girls, dancing, dating and what are the things. So many things going on. How we can be Krishna conscious?
The brahmacarya system means from the very beginning of life we were taught how to live simply and for sacrifice. The brahmacārī is living, lying down on the floor, uh he has no company.
Uh even though he is uh a king's son, Krishna also became a brahmacārī and his guru's son, he went to collect wood and one day he was in danger. We have read that story in the jungle.
So a student and a spiritual master, he's advised to walk just like a menial servant. He, he never thinks, "Oh, I'm coming from such a royal family, I'm coming from such a highly learned brāhmaṇa family." No.
Whatever family you may be. I mean, in younger age, uh, a person doesn't care. He has no such distinction because he's simple.
The more he grows, grown up, grown up, he becomes conscious of this so-called uh, prestige and false tradition. So brahmacārī austerity.
Vinayena śanaiḥ. Brahmacārīs will go in the morning to beg alms or to collect food from the forest, and they will bring it, or whatever they get. That is not his property. That is not his property.
This is his spiritual master's property. He can't touch everything. And if the spiritual master forgets, he should fast. Brāhmaṇa said, we cannot eat without the permission of the spiritual master.
That the teacher will call individually, "My dear boy, please come, take your food, take your lunch." And if he forgets, then he should not. That is dangerous. So this austerity makes him very strong.
Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas, any circumstances he is able to combat. That is the real thing.
That in the today's, as we are in the today's school, there is no such training, but you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, be strong so that you may not be allured, uh, when you are a family man or when you are in the actual, uh, world.
Uh, jihvopastha-jayopastha-varjyam, tad-itara-ku- śak-kriyamāṇa-karmāṇi luhābhitakāma. Evam bahu-manyamānaḥ kathaṁ virāga-moha. Upastha-jau evam bahu-manyamānaḥ. The
Bondage of sense gratification and money
materialistic people, they are giving too much stress. Upastha. Upastha means the genitals. Tongue and genitals. Upastha-jau bahu-manyamānaḥ. Each...
I have seen in my younger days, friends are talking, “Oh, I went there, I ate so many mangoes, this mango, that mango, I went, I ate this,” eating, simply eating. How he enjoys the tongue, that was the talking.
And let's talk how he enjoys it.
That is the only subject matter to anyone. Such person was simply giving them no other important matter, subject matter to discuss, but only talking about pleasure of the tongue and pleasure of the genitals. Jihvopastha-jayaiḥ
saṅga-baddhaḥ, kathaṁ bhiram jeta dūraṁ tamo 'ha? How they can save from these illusions of māyā? How they can save? They are entangled. Of course, sakṛd-iva īhamānaḥ.
Just like the silkworm, we can tell, we are encased by our own work. You know, silkworm? Cocoon. Cocoon. She becomes entangled and imprisoned and cannot. So, and it's too much to cut out and try to get out.
But before coming out, the silkworm cultivator, they take it and put it in the warm water. Otherwise, if the worm comes out by cutting, then the whole silk is lost. So in this way, we are encased by our own activity.
Saliva. See, the silk means the saliva of that particular type of insect, just like you have seen cobwebs, very similar. There are many craftsmanship even by the insects, nice, uh...
iva īhamānaḥ karmāṇi lobhād. Why there is so much anxiety to become entirely? Now, obviously so, ill and readiness. Unsuited, never succeed. The gentleman I was asking is certain that he would come here loose.
But it's not very anxious to lose our opposite of our. Everyone is thinking, “Let me finish this business, let me finish this business,” up to the point of death.
And there are many thoughts, many instances. Gandhi, unless he was killed by his own disciples, he would not leave politics. Or with the power. Similarly, there are many families.
They do not like to leave family atmosphere of this. Tadevam saktasya vimanasaḥ karmaṇi lubdha-dhīḥ abhibhūtam, deva-māyā-mayyāṁ patyāṁ apatyādiṣu antamohaḥ.
The reason is very strong, and he is still more creating circumstances that he is becoming more and more internal, then where is the chance of becoming free? Ah, there is no chance.
Kuṭumba-poṣāya viyan nija-āyuḥ na budhyate arthaṁ vihataṁ pramattaḥ. And why they are so much, um, active in this? That kuṭumba-poṣāya. Kuṭumba. They are simply for maintaining kuṭumba.
We have... apatya-kalatrādiṣu asatsu api... deha-apatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-sainyeṣu... apatya-kalatrādi. Everyone is traveling with family atmosphere, thinking that "my family is giving me protection."
The commander fights in the war field; similarly, everyone has created his war team, struggle for existence. Everyone is commander of a few soldiers. Just like we have also few soldiers fighting with māyā.
Similarly, ordinarily, a family man, he has daughters, soldiers, everyone is fighting. Ours is also fighting, but we are fighting with māyā. And they are fighting simply for existence. That is different.
One may say, "You are also fighting." Yes, we are fighting with māyā, the moha, how to dissipate, uh, the illusion. That is our fight. But there, their fighting, it's
like, uh, a sky-flyer. Uh, from a distant place you can see they're making that cartwheels. So when the kite goes very high, you'll see he's moving like this. And when he's getting down, that is also like this.
But one is getting down, another is going up. So this struggle is to get out of māyā's clutches, and that struggle is to become more and more entangled in.
Kuṭumba-poṣāya viyan nija-āyuḥ na budhyate arthaṁ vihataṁ pramattaḥ. Just so much in your, by māyā.
Pramattaḥ means, uh, simply for maintaining... chari... kuṭumba-poṣāya, uh, uh, dhyāyan, wasting, spoiling the duration of life. Viyan nija-āyuḥ. Na budhyate. Is there some chance for understanding what is the aim of life?
No chance. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ, he does not know that his interest is how to approach Viṣṇu. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ, and he is āśā-pāśa.
So in his office, his settlement, I think money, divā cārthehayā rājan, the whole day: where is money, where is money, where is money. And to earn money is not easy.
You have to struggle, you have to accept so much trouble. Some of the tapasya. Outside, inside, at home. Oh. And Mr. went on, oh, it is very trouble.
Some this taxi man, they are not satisfied, the income tax, their disease has had against threatening, I mean so many. Tapas. Full of miserable condition, tāpatraya-duḥkhita, and all his morose and sorry.
Sarva-nirodha-nibandhana-pāśa-pāśī, why talk to Matarama as... As he sits down among the family members, "I am the king of all each other." Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ, saṅga-parivāra-hata-svah?
Prativibhatindias Vithu. Vithu means for his profession, sometimes he has to act in black market with the... you are sometimes stealing, means that it's not prescribed such as you have to do.
Nityu nityavi... nityavi nish the sepa. But he has all in that business.
Prati-habyathi ajitān ajitendriya-viddhaṁsa duḥsaṅga-parivāra-parivṛtaḥ prati... the... cintayā bhīta-cittaḥ, bhīta-cittaḥ, nittaṁ avasthāni vistan sita ja sasasa, for a... for the... what's wrong or a... evil.
Everyone knows that the black way of my business is punishable by the court, and because unfairly I'm earning my livelihood. So in my next life I'll have to suffer the consequence, if we believe in śāstra.
So knowing all these things, huh? Atanantama harati kutharati kutam. But kuṭumbī, because his entire family life, therefore he cannot check atantakant. And he's forced to do all this.
Vidvān api itara-gujaḥ prathamaṁ pūṣan salokya na kalpate vai yasya pṛthag-vividha-bhāva-samup- prapadyate... Even an educated person, even a rich person, they are also silly. They are also still.
So unless one is uh 100% Krishna conscious, uh these things uh do not strike uh... Yeah, is it our
Social systems and spiritual education
life? Sad-dhī-vṛttibhir eṣu pumān api śloka-rayo upādita-gṛhādi- su-paśyataś ca bhīr-ādau asambhavam upasaṁ... Those who are too much attracted by this uh materialistic way of life, for them,
bhīr-ādau asambhavam, renouncement is almost impossible. Actually, let's say there is no question of renouncement. Therefore, one has to voluntarily renounce and join this Krishna consciousness movement.
Let's say our Taipuru has that forcibly, has given up everything and now fully surrendered in Krishna consciousness movement. Otherwise it is impossible. It is impossible to get out. Therefore it is compulsory.
Pañca-ṣaṣṭhi-vayo-gatānām according to varṇāśrama system: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Why? Because uh voluntarily nobody can give up this materialistic atmosphere.
But by the order of this āśrama, now you have uh uh, I meant to say, spent up your time for vihata-kāma, as vānaprastha has a warning bell.
Uh uh some you are doing something, you have not finished, but the warning bell is in your country, just like that. Motor stands, the hour is finished, and there is warning bell, cr- screaming, ring, ring, uh, college.
What is that? Isn't that so? Similarly, by force. Now you have passed your 50 years. Please come out. Now I say, say one man is sleeping. The warning bell is there, cling, clinging, no sleeping. Alarm. Alarm, yes.
So it's like that. Now we have enjoyed this family life for 50 years. Now enough. Please stop. Come out. Hmm. Sa loka-pālo 'py upahāra-mahyayā...
So strong that it is not that, uh, only uneducated uh, persons are attracted, but even those who are highly educated.
Na manyate 'rtha-nasanaṁ ca dhāvat-vahi, because they have no sense of puṁsaḥ paśasman, to be that as good as, uh, illiterate. Tato na gacchet katakut-rasa... kata-kutra silva deena...
Samatma-lamalaṁ samatya vimocitankama... the sanga-vihara-krama-migudani garubisarga-uhmaya... kumara-yvo fadan sharmanatare. Sahi to come up. He is still, after describing all the conditions of materialistic way of life.
In this way, as a person is unable to get out of the clutches of māyā. Therefore, my friend, I say: "Satum vidura parihitra dhita."
Surrender and the omnipresent Narayana
Give up all these English management, uh, bidura, uh, uh, voluntarily give up all this engagement, so to bidura parihutta dhya dhatesuang bhishat, uh, association with this materialistic way of life as bhisha-papishu, and simply for sometime enjoyment, uh, give up this atmosphere.
Upeta Nārāyaṇam. And surrender Nārāyaṇam. Artishma. Adhideva. Adhideva and vita, so because they are asuras. Asuras are attracted by many demigods.
Somebody was having Lord Shiva, somebody was having Lord Brahmā, somebody Durga, somebody. He said, "No, no, Adhideva, the original Deva, not the demigods, half-god." No, we don't want half-god, do you want full God?
If you have got full God, what is the necessity of half-god? It is very significant. Nārāyaṇam Adhideva. So mukta-saṅga... muktāsana... muktāsana by association of the devotees, your path will be very open.
Data kashidapi samatma nanghima chatana samatha... And there is no other way to come out of these entanglement because Sadan and food Nārāyaṇam. Ahamatha situ alava dina lampata atakama dhidjata viharikyadamitti kidamidha.
And those who are unable to surrender to Nārāyaṇa, they are just like dancing dogs. The māyā is influencing them: "Dance, please." Or dancing ladies, dancing dogs. Vihāram iti prāptavatām, vihāra-sadṛśam, ātmānam sa.
Prahlāda Mahārāja is recommending especially that you remain kumāra, kumāra-brahmacārī; don't enter into family life. Na cakryāt kriyā-nayato 'bhaya-sauhṛda-sārat māyātma-tyāga-sarva-siddhatvād ya-sāratā.
Then one may question that, uh, to surrender to Nārāyaṇa, that's— so many people question, "I want to surrender to Krishna, but where is Krishna? Although I'm surrendered to Krishna, Krishna is present before.
But where shall I surrender?" So actually Krishna, even physically not present, Krishna's uh, representative is there. Even evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ, that paramparā system.
We accept paramparā system. I accept Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī as the representative of Krishna. Similarly, my disciples are accepted, so the presentation of Krishna is there.
So even if you don't accept that somebody is a representative of Krishna, you may have doubt, but Prahlāda Mahārāja says that, uh, that is not—that is not very difficult.
Uh, because ātmaupamyasya bhūtānāṁ siddhatvād yaḥ sarvakaḥ, Nārāyaṇa being the soul of everything, He's everywhere. It is not that for finding out Nārāyaṇa, you have to make a very uh, tremendous effort.
Dūre dūratara-sthānaṁ parihṛtya tad-avyayam abhidūra- sthitam enam upeta. Bālānām asmākaṁ tad-bhajanam asakyam iti cet āha, iti bhāvāya. So it does not matter.
Don't think that because you are all children, of minor age, uh, it will be a very difficult job for you to search out Nārāyaṇa. No. It is very easy. Uh, He is uh, within you, He's without.
You have to simply learn how to catch Him. That's uh, uh, Nārāyaṇa, uh, nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktāt, Māyāvādī philosopher Śaṅkarācārya says, that Nārāyaṇa is beyond all these material creations.
All other material creations, they are within this material atmosphere. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says Nārāyaṇa, although He is paraḥ, He is easily available, He's everywhere. That's the fact. Antar-bahir-ātmānam atyantāntaram.
Viśvabhyaṁ kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-aikāntināṁ na stutiḥ.
Kṛṣṇa, although He is transcendent and beyond His material cosmic manifestation, He's still a part, a portion, a plenary portion of... as far as jñāna, entering this material world, He's maintaining everything.
Viṣṇu is maintainer. And Brahmā is creator. And Śiva is annihilator. So Brahma-saṁhitā says that He is not only within this brahmāṇḍa, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham, He is also within the atom.
So where is the difficulty for finding out Nārāyaṇa? There's no difficulty. Simply have to learn how to find out.