Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.27.3
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami · Ireland · 2022
Chapters
Recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam verse
Omna mo Bhagavate Sudheva teva sudeva, Omna mo Bhagavate Sudhe. Omnamo bhagavatheva su deva. Narayanamastritya sritya, naram chaiva narottam, namcha narotam Devi saraswati, saraswati yasam, tatoujaya mudira, nasta praya shwabrišu, Nitam Bhagavat Svaya, Svaya, Bhagavatam Sloque Bhakti Batstiki. Yambradzjan tamanpetampetam, Dwaipay no Virahatara Jughava, Putretan Mayatayo, Travobinidus, Tam Sarva Butauthha Hridayamunimana Tosmi. So we reading Shima Bhagavatam Kyanta Sri, chapter twenty-seven, verse number three. Vena, vena, samsarapadavim, samsarapadavim, avasha ha beeti. Anivrita, anivita, prasangikahi, prastangika, karmado shai, karmado doshay, Sadasat Mishrayoni, Sadasadmisra Yoni Shū, Tena Samsara Padavim, Vina Samsarapadavim, tenasarapadavim, tenasarapadavim, Ava shoobyta, sobietyani A was obheta nibritta, a was obheta nibritha, prasangi karma, prasangi kai karmadosai, prasangikai karmadosai, prasangikai karmadosai, sadasamishrayonish, Sadasanishrayoni, sadasan mishrayoni, sadasanishrayoni, denasamsara padavi, samsara padavi. Ava show bietya nivita, prasanika karma do shai, prasangi karmadosai, sadasam Mishrayonisho Sadasam Mishray by this, by this, samsara, samsara of repeated births and death, births and deaths, padavima, the path, Awashaha helplessly abhyeti he undergoes anivrittaha Discontented Prasangi Prasangi resulting from action with material resulting from association with material nature. Karma doshahioshahi by faulty actions. By faulty actions. Sat good asat bad Mishra Mixed Yonishu Indifferent species of life. Translation and purport by His Divine Grace is Sibhaktividanta Swami Shiva Prabhupada Ki.
The conditioned soul therefore transmigrates into different species of life, higher and lower, because of his association with the modes of material nature.
Unless he is relieved of material activities, he has to accept this position because of his faulty work. Here the word karmadosaihi means by faulty actions.
This refers to any activity, good or bad, performed in this material world. They are all contaminated. Faulty actions because of material nature, they are all contaminated— faulty actions because of material association.
The foolish conditioned soul may think that he is offering charity by opening hospitals for material benefit or by opening an educational institution for material education, but he does not know that all such work is also faulty because it will not give him relief from the process of transmigration from one body to another.
It is clearly stated here, sadasad-miśra-yoniḥ.
This means that one may take birth in a very high family or he may take birth in the higher in higher planets among the demigods for his so-called pious activities in this material world.
But this work is also faulty because it does not give liberation.
To take birth in a nice place or a high family does not mean that one avoids undergoing the material tribulations, the pangs of birth, death, old age and disease.
A conditioned soul under the spell of material nature cannot understand that any action he performs for sense gratification is faulty, and that only his activities in devotional service to the Lord can give him release from the reaction of faulty activities.
Because he does not cease such faulty activities, he has to change to different bodies, some high and some low. That is called saṁsāra-padavīm, which means this material world from which there is no release.
One who desires material liberation has to turn his activities to devotional service. There is no alternative. Śrīla Prabhupāda ki!
Tena saṁsāra-padavīm avāśo ’bhyeti niḥsṛtāḥ prasaṅgāt karma-doṣaiḥ san- -asad-miśra-yoniṣu: The conditioned soul therefore transmigrates into different species of life, higher and lower, because of his association with the modes of material nature. Unless he is relieved of material activities, he has to accept this position because of his faulty work.
Namam Vishnu Padaya Krishna Prishtaya Bhutale Srimate Bhaktividanta Swaminitinamini Namaste Saraswati Devi, Gauravani Pracharini, Nirvisha Sunyavadi Paschatyades, Manchakalpatarubeschakripa Sindhubivacha Pattitanam Pavaneby o Vaishnavy Namon Maha. Djai Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhitananda, Sri Advahitagadara Sivasadhi Gura Bhakta Vrinda Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Pride and false ego of doership
Namastramanamapisa Chiputramatraswarupam Rupam Tasyakra Jamurupuriam Maduri Gostavati Radakundi Giri Varama, Radikamadhavasam prapto yasya pratitikripaya sigurum natosmi Anandalila vi raha himam hudivi chari sundaraya Tasmai Mahaprimarasapradai Chaitanya Chandraya Namawamasty Yandah pravisi mamavachi mamamprasupta sanjivaya ta kila shakti darah swadhamnanyam shahastacharana shravanatva gadi, pranandamu Bhagavati, Purusavat.
So Kapila Dev continuing uh describing uh his uh teachings to Mad Devahuti. And in the previous verse which we read yesterday he said Ahankrityavi mudatma karta asmit abhimanyate. Abhimanyate means I have an Abiman.
Abiman literally means false ego. I have this idea. Abhiman means pride. And we're all proud of our activities. Whatever we do, we are proud of it. You know, little child,
you know, it draws some really ugly something, you know. And then very proudly he says, Look, you know, like recently I was in one program and one child uh drew a picture of myself.
I was really wondering, do I really look like this so anyway the idea is that when we when we do something whatever we do, whatever little we do, we become very proud. Look what I did.
This is a very natural psychology of human being.
And because of this pride that I'm the doer, I'm doing this, look what I'm doing, you know, everyone, no matter what he does, you know, he he wants that others would admire what he's doing.
So as a result of it, uh Kapiladev says here, Tana by this.
Because of this, because of this pride, thinking oneself as a doer and being completely bewildered without understanding how this working of material nature is uh m make sure that we are doing what we're doing and you know and uh becoming unnecessarily proud.
Understanding samsara and temporary existence
It's everyone's problem in this material world. So he says, tenas samsara padavim, ava sho abyetiya Nivrita. Helplessly means without my desire. I don't know. It's not a conscious process.
Samsarapadavim, uh you get into this cycle of birth and death. Samsara, literally the word samsara means uh uh uh uh Samjak Sarat it is samsara. Samsara it's a very interesting Sanskrit word.
The prefix sum means completely, and sarati means it goes. Basically, samsara is this situation where uh everything is very temporary and we are trying somehow rather to hold to something but it goes, it goes, it goes.
Samyak sarati. We cannot really hold, we cannot really keep it. You know, like in this Faust and Goethe Faust, he says, oh how it says, you know, this beautiful second, please stop. No way. He's not going to stop.
The time flows, everything flows. And nothing is permanent. And that's a big emotional problem for uh the soul because the soul is permanent. But nothing is permanent in this material world.
And samsara padavim means tana samsara padavim by, this condition of your false ego, you achieve this condition of samsara. Samsara Padavim literally means you achieve this state of samsara.
You are in this in this world which is you know which is rotating all the time, coming back and coming back. You know, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is another phrase which is similar to this. Mukunda Padavim.
Mukunda Padavim means the position of Mukunda, the position of liberation. Where the Lord of Liberation is there. But you know, here let's say Tana Sam Sara Padavim Avashow. We don't know what will be our next birth?
Havash means helplessly. We are completely blind about these whole things. But one thing we know for sure, an ivritaha, we are never satisfied in this position. Never. Never.
Like I was in America just recently, and one Russian devotee told me he he is already there for 10 years, he said. This is an amazing culture. He said in Russia I was just dissatisfied.
But in America, I am dissatisfied but I hope that I will be satisfied very soon. In Russia there was no hope. It's easier to become a devotee. But in America, I'm living with this hope that very soon.
this is a very clever design of this material culture. So this is exactly what Kapiladev is saying here.
Avasho, a beti and Ibrita. I undergo this cycle of birth and death, and I'm I'm uh I'm not satisfied. I cannot be satisfied in uh in this position, in this situation of saṁsāra-padavīm.
And Prasangaikahi Karma Doshahi Sanasan Mishrayoni Shu. So what happens next?
Relative happiness in material life
You know, one may say, one may make a suggestion that I actually, you know, if you are following the proper protocol.
If you are trying to follow all the rules and regulations and if you're trying to be a sattvic person, you may be quite nicely situated in this saṁsāra nevertheless.
I also remember that once I was in South India and I went to an astrologer. And this astrologer was the chief priest of a Shiva temple.
And you know, I I didn't know somebody recommended to me. I probably wouldn't go if I knew, but nevertheless, I ended up with him. And I was really amazed how nicely he is situated.
You know, he had beautiful home, beautiful house and a beautiful place, beautiful garden. You know, and um and I I was waiting for him for quite some time so I could study what's going on, you know.
Beautiful, his beautiful wife brought me some beautiful plate, some beautiful dishes.
And then the whole wall was with different, you know, m different prices and trophies which he had, you know, because you know he some distinguished things, you know, and uh and then the beautiful uh child entered the room and this beautiful child started dancing in a very beautiful way and all the prizes on the wall were part of them was the, you know, this is the prizes of this little girl who was dancing so nicely and you know.
And then he enters, you know, in a beautiful dress, you know, with beautiful shaivati look. So uh I I mean uh uh uh there is a way to be relatively happy in this material world. And there is no doubt about it.
You know, if you strictly follow the Vedic protocol and you try to do everything, you may consider that uh it's not such a bad place.
You know, yes, yes, I have to die, but that will not happen soon and maybe it will not happen to me. Who knows if I do that everything is okay. So, but uh what Kapila Dev here says, he says a very interesting thing.
And actually, this is what this is the point which Prabhupada made in the previous purport, because in previous purport he said that Arjuna was thinking that he will.
A conditioned soul may be very good and act in the mode of goodness, but still nature. And here in this purport also, Śrīla Prabhupāda makes the same point: that
nature And here in this purport also, Srila Prabhupada makes the same point: that you may be very satvik.
You may try to do everything nicely, you will be very, very careful in doing everything, and you do only good things to other people.
Let's say you understood very clearly this law of karma, and you're doing everything very properly, you're not inflicting any pain you know but still nevertheless very important point here
Inevitable defects in material action
which uh Kapiladev makes prasangaikai karma doshaihi because of your ras not because but by uh it's it's an instrumental case in Sanskrit. By this by this intimate association, prasanga.
Prasanga means not just association but very close association.
Because when we uh when we think we are actor that we are the doer we are doing these activities then naturally we have this very concentrated consciousness that I'm doing this. Karma Doshahi.
We are associating with karma, which always has some dosha in it. We may try to do everything very properly, but there will be some mistakes. As Prabhupada translates this by faulty actions.
No matter how careful we are, no matter how much we try to do everything properly, because karma by its very nature, as Prabhupada says, karma by its very nature is faulty.
You know, you get into the cycle of karma because of your false ego. That's the cause. The cause of karma is false ego. You know, we may act in this world. This is beautifully explained by Krishna in Bhagavad-gītā.
He says that you know you may act in this world, uh, and this actions will not create any, uh, consequences and they will not create any reactions if you don't have this ahankāra above.
You know, we may act in this material world, there is no problem, but because of ahankāra, because we are adding to the actions, this bhāva, this mood, this understanding "I am doing", then it creates reactions.
And because the activity by its very nature is faulty, the reactions are inevitably fault-ridden.
Yes, you may be predominantly doing some good actions, and then, as Prabhupāda explains, you may be going to some higher planet, or you may take very nice birth as this Śaiva priest in South India, you know.
Very nicely situated in this material world. But you know the problem is that inevitably you will make a mistake.
Karma-doṣa hi means that you know you will do something wrong, and the way of this material world is such that you'll do a little wrong, and this little wrong will be exaggerated out of proportion.
You will do some little mistake, you know, you will look at somebody. You may not even do any mistake.
But still, somebody will curse you because he will think that you did a mistake. You looked at somebody at the wrong moment, just because she was in the wrong mood, or he was in the wrong mood.
And because you looked at him or her, you know, she would become completely indignant, and you know, and start cursing you. "Who do you think you are to look at me?"
You don't have to do anything in this material world to commit some mistake or because this is the nature of this world.
Story of Emperor Akbar and karma
That's a very hopeless nature of this world. You know, there is a nice story in this regard about Emperor Akbar. We all know that Emperor Akbar, Mughal emperor, Muslim emperor,
still was very favorable to Hindu culture, and he was really doing a lot of things and he was maintaining so many pandits. All the pandits in his court were Hindus, and he really admired Hindu culture. To Banaras.
No, sorry. Not to Banaras, to Allahabad. What was the name of Allahabad before? Prayag, yeah.
He was really attracted to this place. So he decided to build a beautiful fort in this place to make sure that this sacred place of Hindus is nicely protected.
So he built, it's still there, I mean huge fort just on the uh on the place of confluence of uh Ganga and Yamuna and Saraswati from before.
And while uh and at that very place uh there is this Akshayavat, the eternal banyan tree.
In uh uh still in in India there are some eternal banyan tree which don't die because something really sacred took place under them.
Like there is this Akshayavata under which Maharaja Parikshit was listening to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhagavatam. It's still there. You know, it's thousands of years will pass.
No, this tree will be there because it has become eternal due to this association with spiritual matters. So this Akshayavata is a very sacred place there. And he was very careful to not do anything to this Akshayavata.
He built this whole fort around this Akshayvat. But then still something during the construction it's very difficult not to hurt anything. So some mistakes was there.
And actually at that point somebody asked the local pandits who this Emperor Akbar was in his previous life. Why is he behaving not in a typical Muslim way towards Hindu culture?
Why is he so respectful and he's following the customs and this and that. And you know, one great pandit was their great yogi.
He went into his samadhi and his trance and then he said, oh yeah, his name was in previous life, his name was Mukunda brahmacārī and he was sitting in this very place in prayak that was his place of meditation and he was doing everything properly, he was very careful, he was really, you know, he was a Brahmachari, Nishtik Brahmachari, this and that.
What happened then?
You know, he was given somebody brought him a cup of milk and he drank this cup of milk, and when he drank this cup of milk, he realized that there was in this milk there was a hair of a cow. And uh and hair in itself is not a very you know it's considered to be very kontaminated thing, you know, but hair of a cow, you know, it's you know to to drink a hair of a cow for him it was like as if he ate the cow.
You know, because he he drank this hair of a cow and he became so I mean he became so upset he couldn't find he lost
his sleep and he was you, know he was, he didn't know what to do, and ultimately he drowned himself in the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna. And here he is, Mukunda Brahmachari became Emperor Akbar.
Because of his pious activities or whatever he did, you know, he got this position, very high position in the society, but he lost his—he became Mleccha, he became Yavana, he became mleccha. This is how karma works.
Karma is not a linear thing. Karma is a very dangerous thing. You did you do something little, little, little, little, little, you don't even notice it.
But because the system is as such that you know this little thing may have a very uh significant effect in the whole system, you know, then the reaction to this little thing which you did will be also huge.
And vice versa, you do something good, little good, you know, and the reaction may be also tremendously good, huge. But the point which Prabhupada makes and which Kapiladev makes, karma dosha. Every karma has some fault.
And because it has some fault, it's hopeless. You cannot really, you know, I I wish well to this astrologer, Shaiva astrologer. But he may do some mistake inadvertently, without any desire to do mistake or whatever.
This material world is a very dangerous place. That's we have to be very clear about it. Very clear about it. Therefore, it's called samsara. Therefore, it's called now you are in this position.
Now you're you think I'm nicely situated. Sometimes as a devotee we think, you know, it's not so bad. Oh yeah, Krishna says next lifetime I will also become a devotee. No problem. Next I don't have to be in a hurry.
You know. No, not really. There is no guarantee in this material world. The only guarantee in this material world is birth, death, old age and disease. This is guaranteed, no problem.
If you don't get this, you can come and claim, you know, I didn't get this, but but you will get it. There is no other guarantee. Anything else is not guaranteed. Your position is not guaranteed.
Your position as a devotee is not guaranteed. You know, you may still, because of this association, because you are intimately connected with all these you know things you
you will not and there's no guarantee and therefore Kapiladev
Birth in higher and lower species
says sat asat mishra yonishu. You will get birth in sat Yonishu in some good wombs. You will be born in a good position as somebody in a good place. And Asan, sometimes you are born in a very bad place, and sometimes
you're born in Mishra condition, you know, something is good, something is bad. More often it's Mishra position, you know. And you know, like sometimes in
India people think that, you know, to be born in America is a very advantageous birth.
You know, there was one brahmacārī who wanted to be brahmacārī in the temple, in ISKCON temple, and uh, you know, and he was serving there nicely, and then somebody asked him, you know, but you know, not so nicely maybe.
And so the temple commander said, well why do we want to be brahmacārī in this temple? He said, because here all these Western people are coming and I'm always meditating on them.
So next lifetime I will be born in the Western country. That's why I want to be here. But what Kapiladeva is saying, sad-asad-miśra-yoniṣu, su, and the only guarantee which you have here is that you will be born.
Sometimes in a good position, sometimes in a good. not so good position, sometimes in a miśra position. Sometimes you may be born as a mosquito.
You know, if you were if you were very fond of sucking blood of other people, you will be y you will be given this opportunity. You know. Anyway, we will not joke about this.
But some people has this inclination to suck blood of others. Not literally but And therefore Srila Prabhupada says that the only real solution to all these problems
is actually he's going a little ahead, Kapiladeva will say this in the verse number five. In the verse number five, he will say very clearly: bhakti-yogena tīvreṇa, virāgyāc ca nayat vaśam.
If you want uh to really be uh in control uh i if you really want to be born in uh uh if you really want to guarantee your next life, then you have to try to control your mind.
And you should do this bhakti-yogena tīvreṇa now by this intense bhakti yoga. And that's a very important point, which Śrīla Prabhupāda doesn't make here, but Kapiladeva is emphatic about this.
He doesn't say bhakti-yogena, he says bhakti-yogena tīvreṇa. And tivra means to be very serious. Tivra means to be concentrated. Tivra means to understand that this is the means, this is the only means of salvation.
Tivra means that, you know, I'm I'm really serious.
Example of Manohar Dasa Babaji
In the place where I stay most of the time near Govardhana, it's close to Govinda-kuṇḍa, and in Govinda-kuṇḍa it's also a famous place because Siddha Mahatma was living there. His name was Manohar Dasa Babaji.
Not too long back in the beginning of 20th century, he was living there. And he was chanting five to six lakhs of harināma every day. Five to six lakh. It means sixty-four rounds multiplied by five or six times.
He was practically all the time chanting. And actually this place of his bhajana was given to him by Śrīmatī Rādhārānī herself. He was doing bhajana in some other place.
And she appeared to him and she said to him: You please go to Govinda-kuṇḍa, and on the bank of Govinda-kuṇḍa you will achieve perfection. So he was considered a Siddha Mahatma.
But why was he engaged in such intense devotional service? Because at one point of his bhajana, he could remember five or six births of his.
He remembered very clearly all these births and he was a devotee in each and every of these births. He was doing bhajana in each and every one of these births.
But every time he would commit some mistake. Every time he was not coming to the point of perfection. So when he realized this, when Krishna revealed to him this, he said, okay,
This lifetime I have to be serious. This lifetime I have to be really serious about it. So he didn't want this saṁsāra-padavīm. He didn't want to go back in this in this condition.
So again, of course, as devotees were saved but uh in one sense but still you know we should not be too much counting on this we should we should try to achieve perfection in this lifetime.
Śrīla Prabhupāda a couple of times said, don't become next lifetime Baba. You know, become Baba this lifetime. Means get serious, please. Please get serious.
Bhakti Yogana Tibrina. If you want this, we really have to understand it's a serious business. Yes, mm yes, we we always think you know, not now. Yes, I will become serious devotee, but not right now.
You know, I I still need some time to you know to play a little bit. You know. You know. Not today. Today, you know, today you know it's okay but tomorrow for sure.
And we all know that tomorrow never comes because it's always tomorrow. You know, so this is important thing to understand how dangerous this place. Padam Padam Yatvi Padam Natesam.
This is a very dangerous place where little mistake you commit, you know. So many great kings were there who committed little mistake, little mistake here, little mistake there. What to speak about us?
We're all prone to commit mistake, to be inattentive, bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsā, karaṇa-pāṭava, our imperfect senses, our tendency to cheat others. You know, we're always cheating, we're always little we are cheating.
So and and that's why you know being in this place is a very dangerous situation. Therefore, this lifetime we have to be serious. We're lucky, Śrīla Prabhupāda came. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us this path.
Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us these books. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us these temples. So many facilities which he gave. So we should become very serious. And as Kapiladev says, Satyava Shanay Chittam in verse number five.
Gradually, gradually, Shanay. Shanai means in a slow way. Don't be frantic, don't be crazy. Prasaktam asatampathi. You should gradually, gradually try to get rid of this attachment to this pass of enjoyment.
This is asatampathi. This is the path which is asatam. It's asat. It's the path of to nowhere. Bhakti Yogi na Tevrina Tevrina Virakya Chā
By controlling your mind and by s some little detachment you try to get rid of this problem. And of course, tomorrow evening we will study the verse number four, which is very interesting and very important.
And there is also a very interesting practical implication of the verse number four which we will talk tonight. So thank you very much, Hare Krishna. Yes. Sometimes the Bodhisattva And
then sometimes one wonders do they really understand what it takes to go back to Godhead? Sometimes you think it's like Yeah.
Śrīla Prabhupāda was very liberal and therefore he very liberally, you know, promised yes, do this, do this, do this, to enthuse us, to give us impetus to do it.
But he was definitely hoping that we have to be serious at the end of the day. We have to be very serious. And that's that's an important point. You know, it's it's about time to become serious.
Because we never know when we will die. You know. We think, you know, I I will become serious before my death. You know, but uh it's now because you don't know when you will die. It's about time.
You know, so yeah Yeah yeah yeah. I'm saved, yeah. I I don't have to do anything. I'm already saved. So we can easily become Hare Krishna Christians. Yeah.
That that's why we you know I was just in America, Brahma Tirta Prabhu, Prabhupada's disciple, he says, you know American Jewish Hare Krishnas they celebrate Christmas very nicely.
So there is a tendency to become something like Christian.
Free will and soul agency
Yeah, I I mentioned yesterday that in uh in the verse Ahankaravimudatmakar tahama te Krishna said only half truth. Uh I I mean he he said it according to the time, place, and circumstances. Where did he say something else?
He did say it in many places. In particular in the 13th chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. You know that the soul has agency, the soul is uh is also acting.
Yes, most of the things which are going on in this material world is going on because of the arrangement of material nature, and the soul is only manifesting desires.
But you know, if the soul and some people think that you know I oh everything is done by God. Like yesterday also there was this Indian young man
and he said, you know, but you know, this all is done by Vishnu. Vishnu is doing this, so you know what's the problem? I am a part of Vishnu, Vishnu is doing this.
Some people they say you know that yes everything is done by God. No. We have free will.
And this free will is explained in 13th chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, where Krishna Again says that we have the desire to associate with kāraṇa-guṇa-saṅgasya, that the reason of my uh continuing uh you know continuing birth and death in this material world is attachment to this goodness.
And because we as a soul have this capacity to desire, so this capacity of desire it means that we're acting also.
So, and uh, therefore, in the 18th chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, Krishna explains five factors of activity and one of this is soul. So the agency is there in the soul.
The impersonalists they say that there is no agency in the soul. The soul, the pure soul does not act. No, it's not it's not correct. Because the soul has consciousness. Consciousness means desire, desire means activity.
So we are responsible for what we are doing. Not only Krishna is responsible for everything.
Overcoming loss of spiritual enthusiasm
So there is the choice is ours.
So the question is that I was told that we should be serious and devotees as devotees we want to be serious and to practice nicely, but sometimes due to some circumstances and or emotional condition, it's very difficult to practice seriously.
You know, it's just there is no there's no energy, there is no enthusiasm. And the question is uh how should we uh recognize the cause of such condition and uh how to get rid of this condition,
what to do if this condition comes when we feel that we are cannot really do it, you know, seriously. So as far as the cause of this condition there is a good likelihood that we did something wrong to a devotee.
Uh we did some committed some offense uh and uh as a result of this we lost enthusiasm. Uh that's a possibility. Another possibility is of course we. I mean it's always a result of uh some wrong action on our behalf.
It may be completely wrong action when we offended somebody. It may be just some faulty activities, as Srila Prabhupada says here. Faulty activity means we are overstressing ourselves.
We are again having this ahaṅkāra pride, this abhiman, I'm the doer, I I will show, I am the best devotee. Oftentimes it's also like this. I I will show everyone how good I am.
I am the best, you know, because this is what ahaṅkāra is all about, you know. know, like one devotee told me that first he wanted to be the best sportsman.
It didn't work. Then he decided to be the best military man. It didn't work. And then he said now I'm you know the best devotee so it works. So but uh it's the same sort of mentality, ahaṅkāra. I'm the doer.
So we may commit some offense or we may just overstress ourselves. Like we hear that Manohar Dāsa Bābājī, he chanted five lakhs a day, and we think, you know, I will also chant five lakhs a day. No.
You know, you please first become Manohar Dāsa Bābājī, then chant five lakhs a day. So we may uh we may do some faulty activities because this is the nature of ahaṅkāra.
Ahaṅkāra always pushes you in the wrong direction. It's the impetus which pushes you. And we do it, you know, in devotional service also.
So, and because of this, because we are overdoing something, going to an extreme, uh we we find ourselves in this difficult emotional condition.
So in this difficult emotional condition there are there are two things which we should do, at least two things which we should do.
First is find the association of uh good loving devotees who still have enthusiasm and who can care about us and by associating closely with them gradually, gradually we will come over.
It's very important to at this moment of time to be completely open. Because when we are in this weak condition uh sometimes the tendency is that I will close down, nobody should see that I'm weak.
Especially it's true for those people who were in some position and they used to be very strong, and all of a sudden they find themselves very weak. It's it's very painful for them.
Again, ahaṅkāra, uh the false ego is the hindrance and obstacle to be open.
So uh we have to be very open but uh to the right people to those people who can lovingly accept our vulnerability and try to help us in this regard. So that's one thing.
And another thing with little strengths which still remains, we should try to continue devotional service with whatever, even if there is no enthusiasm still, you know, we should just just go on. With little bit whatever is there, you know, and Krishna will appreciate it.
Krishna doesn't expect that you always will be, you know uh you know if if you have this condition just continue with whatever strength you have. And this means being serious in this condition.
You you can do very little uh in in this uh situation, but whatever little you can do please do.
Vows and responsibilities of marriage
Thank you, Shumai. Thank you so much for your class. Uh I have one technical question or again Carmen. If you are married, uh how important is uh preform vibaha yaya before you consume a child?
It's a very beautiful concept of Vivaha. And it answers uh to the question. The root Vah means to carry. Literally like Vahana. Vahana means the carrier you know you're driving uh vehicle uh so vivaha means viha yagi means uh
You promise to carry your wife on your shoulders. Therefore it's Vivaha, Vieshwaha. You're carrying your wife. I mean not literally on your shoulders, but basically you're taking responsibility.
Vivaha Yagy means uh you're taking a vow. No matter what, no matter how difficult it is, and difficulties will be there, you will be fulfilling your responsibility towards this particular woman and children especially.
So if you didn't do formally vi, at least in your mind you should do Vivahayakya. You should give this vow. No matter what, no matter how difficult it will be. Then you can conceive the child.
Before that, if you're still, you know, if you are you know this modern uh vivaha yajna you know you know this vi vaha yajna and then then divorce yajna it's just another yajna, it just naturally follows yajna.
In Sanskrit there is no even word for divorce. It's just this concept doesn't exist in in Vedic culture. Now of course in India they they start doing divorce but they use Muslim word, talak, you know, for divorce.
But in in in Sanskrit there is no such word. So if you if you do this vivaha at least in your mind if you are determined then no problem.
Um I just wanted to ask about the association of the audience because you're you've been explaining how important it is that we're associated.
But uh from the other side, um because sometimes it happens that even in communities there's association sometimes goes a little askew.
You know, um, what are the the important aspects of of it of a of a devotee society so that we can all be good association for everybody else. And uh this is the subject of my meditation for the last several months.
Because Prabhupada said that you know half of his work is not done because he didn't uh create varnashama society.
And basically Varnashama means healthy society. And even though we have the idea of Varnashama living outside living in the countryside and you know doing some agriculture and self-sufficient farms.
For most of the devotees it's very difficult to fulfill this ideal at this time and age. Most of the devotees will anyway live in the cities.
So, in my humble opinion, Varnashama, some sort of some sort of our national healthy societies is possible in any situation. It doesn't matter where.
You know we have to be conscious about this that when we are preaching we have to really be concentrated on creating this good community which where the certain ethic is followed by everyone. Certain ethos is in established in this society.
So if we are very clear what are the rules, as you asked, what are the. what are the principles of this healthy society, then we establish it.
And there are several principles which I, you know, kind of realized by reading Prabhupada's books and observing what is still going on in India.
One principle very important for community to be healthy is um the culture of respect.
You know, we may not love each other, we may have differences of opinion, we may have some even you know emotional problems with each other, but the respect is something which should not be questioned in any situation.
You know here is a devotee, he may be senior, he may be junior. You know this respect uh is a minimum uh condition uh for people to associate with each other.
If there is no respect, it is said actually in uh I think in Chanakya Niti Chanakya says you should immediately leave the place where you are not respected.
If you don't feel that there is a respect, and respect basically means recognition that you are a person, you have your you know personality, your individual, and you know we respect you with all your maybe little problems or whatever, but we respect, we respect your freedom, we respect your your position so this this culture which is unfortunately being quickly removed from the minds of people, you know, especially due to this social media.
The association of the ethic in the social media is just it's disgusting. It's really disgusting. And people they think that this is normal, that becomes more or less an established norm in a society.
So this is the very minimum condition which should be established that we respect each other, yes.
And if if you cannot closely associate, no problem. Be in a distance, but you know, still, you know here's a rare soul, here's a devotee, here's somebody in a human form of life. This is enough reason to be respected.
Then uh, of course, it's not that easy because Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Thakur he says please give me the power he's praying to Guru Dev, please give me the power to respect everyone according to his position.
Please give me uh so it's not it's not easy. He's praying to Guru Dev. Give me the power to understand, to recognize the position of a person and to appropriately relate to him.
To really, you know, because the tendency again, because of the envy, what is the main disease of any society is this envy.
You know, when the envy, when the envy becomes the norm more or less, and there are so many different manifestations of envy, all these rumors and you know gossip and all kinds of stuff.
So the remedy for this problem of envy is respect.
But respect according to position, you know, if uh according to the status of a person uh and uh it takes time and it takes some endeavors, some effort to to establish it. So that's something.
You know, then you can expect close relationship because when people feel secure, when you are in a society, when you feel that others respect you and recognizing your position, respect should not be exaggerated because it's also an offense.
If you respect somebody too much, you know, uh it's it's not good either, you know. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says jata jata means uh uh according to the proper position of a person.
Uh Then in the society where where everyone feels respected, then there is a facility for close association. You can open your heart because you're secure, you are not threatened.
You know, if you feel that that there is no respect, then and you feel that you open your heart and then somebody will take advantage of it and will misuse it and will uh put it against you. And so that's one thing.
Another thing is, you know, I I could go on and on and on for a long time. I'm not going to do this.
But uh but another very important uh element of it is of course Krishna should be in the center, that's the beginning, that's the starting point. That we're all cooperating for the common center. Krishna is there in the center and we are doing different services together, then it uh gives the you know the understanding of what is my contribution and I and I value contributions of others.
Appreciating brahmanical values and diverse roles
That's very important. I see, I don't try to to uh devalue the contributions of others. You know, my contribution is of course by default is the most important. That's that's clear.
But still I recognize that other people they have their valuable services which they do. So but another feature, in my opinion, very important.
We have you know not everyone in the society will be you know will follow brāhmaṇaical ideal. You know, people have different natures, they should be what they are.
But everyone should respect or should value the Brahminical values.
If somebody manifests the Brahminical qualities, these qualities should be respected because that's the, you know, that's why Prabhupada said varṇāśrama culture, the synonym for varṇāśrama culture is brāhmaṇaical culture.
Why it is brāhmaṇaical? It's not that because everyone is brāhmaṇaical. You know, there will be people of different natures. There is no problem.
But everyone respects, you know, and brāhmaṇas means, you know, he is detached, he's humble, he is learned, you know, I I I know unfortunately in some you know communities, you know, people just don't respect this because because of the nature again of the nature of the people, nature of society.
The society, you know, you know, everyone respects rich people, that's no problem. That's that's going without question, you know, that's for sure,
you know if somebody is rich they will respect him but you know again it's it's wrong you know the we should value this brāhmaṇaical values because that's also the foundation that brāhmaṇas are the or brāhmaṇaical culture. This is the very foundation of the proper society.
And uh you know I will not say anything else but I think it's enough. I I said enough to make it sound very difficult. Absolutely, that's that's important.
Um but you know they will be who they are if any position in the society is respected. That's that's again uh very important.
If you say śūdra, you know, who will who will want to be a śūdra in a society where you know where the this is the attitude towards śūdras. But if you say oh he's a very nice śūdra It's a very really wonderful śūdra. He's doing his his duty in a beautiful way.
You know, then if if this is respected, you know. And that's a problem in this con, you know. We say śūdra, you know, śūdra.
In Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, they say birth of a śūdra is the most advantageous births because in South in this, even in Tamil language, you know, śūdras are called Dās. So śūdras are servants and because, you know,
and they say, you know, it's the birth, the best uh birth ever
to become to be born as a śūdra because you're naturally humble and because you naturally have this service attitude, so it's very easy for you to become a vaiṣṇava.
Whereas it's very difficult for a kṣatriya or a vaiśya or a brāhmaṇa to become a vaiṣṇava because they're naturally proud.
So if we respect uh everyone according to his position and you know give respect to any position then, this this will be established. Fault 3 maximaal de nastable, like to the opinion, if they
need to s'ira,i je t'espère, c'est normal, like-lip, no, que se-t-il,
Rectifying mistakes through genuine humility
But if we try to follow the instructions of, and we try to follow the instructions of superior spiritual master and everything. But still we cannot really do it on a daily basis asking him whether we're right or wrong.
So how to avoid this inevitable mistakes which we commit when we do some activities in this world. It's basically again, you know mistakes will be there. Mistakes is not a problem.
The problem is that when we m make a philosophy out of our mistakes, that's a problem. When we elevate the mistakes to the level of philosophy. When we try to justify this.
If we are sincere and we commit some mistake, and you know it will be very clear, somebody will point it out, or we will realize it, we will uh we will somehow rather make up for this mistake, we will uh you know improve ourselves, we will learn from this mistake. That's not a problem.
If we are humble and we commit mistakes, mistakes are not a problem. If we are proud and we commit mistakes, then mistakes become a problem.
Because when we are proud and we commit mistakes and because this me and I'm right so I'll try to explain to everyone and to myself that this was not a mistake. I was just, you know, I I couldn't uh act otherwise.
That's the only way I could act in the circumstances. You try to justify it. You know, so mistakes is not a problem.
If we sincerely are trying to become devotees and uh we kind of put aside our ego and we try to follow as uh as uh yesterday Madhavakrishna told me that you know this phrase
bhaktivinoda ṭhākura he explains what is bhakti and he says bhakti is anugatya dharma. Just two words and he encapsulated in this two words the very meaning of bhakti. Anugatya dharma means the nature of a follower.
If we by nature become followers, if we try to follow not just be independent doer or actor, then it's not a No, not necessarily. Does it mean that if somebody is not happy with us then we m uh we commit some mistake?
No, not necessarily, you know. People may be unhappy because just they are by nature unhappiness. Not a problem. What's the big deal? Anyway, thank you very much. Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya.